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A61980
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Nine cases of conscience occasionally determined by Robert Sanderson.
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Sanderson, Robert, 1587-1663.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing S618; ESTC R25114
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76,581
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200
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to call the day of our Christian weekly-rest whether the Sabbath the Lord's-day or Sunday 2. What is the meaning of that Prayer appointed to be used in our Church Lord have Mercy upon us and intline c as it is repeated after and applied to the words of the fourth Commandment 3. Whether it be lawful to use any bodily recreation upon the Lord's-day and if so then what kind of Recreations may be used I. Concerning the Name Sabbatum or Sabbath I thus conceive 1. That in Scripture Antiquity and all Ecclesiastical Writers it is constantly appropriated to the day of the Jews Sabbath or Saturday and not at all till of late years used to signifie our Lord's-day or Sunday 2. That to call Sunday by the name of the Sabboth-day rebus sic slantibus may for sundry respects be allowed in the Christian Church without any great inconveniency and that therefore men otherwise sober and moderate ought not to be censured with too much severity neither charged with Judaism if sometimes they so speak 3. That yet for sundry other respects it were perhaps much more expedient if the word Sabbath in that motion were either not at all or else more sparingly used II. Concerning the name Dominica or the lord's-Lord's-day 1. That it was taken up in memory of our Lord Christ's Resurrection and the great work of our Redemption accomplished therein 2. That it hath warrant from the Scripture Apoc. 1. 10 and hath been of long continued use in the Christian Church to signifie the first day of the week or Sunday III. Concerning the name Dies Solis or Sunday 1. That it is taken from the courses of the Planets as the names of the other days are the reason whereof is to be learned from Astronomers 2. That it hath been used generally and of long time in most parts of the World 3. That it is not justly chargeable with Heathenism and that it proceedeth from much weakness at the least if not rather superstition that some men condemn the use of it as prophane heathenish or unlawful IV. Of the fitness of the aforesaid three names compared one with another 1. That according to the several matter or occasions of speech each of the three may be fitter in some respect and more proper to be used than either of the other two As viz. 1. The Name Sabbath when we speak of a time of rest indeterminate and in general without reference to any particular day and the other two when we speak determinately of that day which is observed in the Christian Church Of which two again 2. That of the Lord's-day is fitter in in the Theological and Ecclesiastical and 3. That of Sunday in the civil popular and common use 2. Yet so as that none of the three be condemned as utterly unlawful whatsoever the matter or occasion be but that every man be left to his Christian liberty herein so long as superior Authority doth not restrain it Provided ever that what he doth herein he do it without vanity or affectation in himself or without uncharitable judging or despising his Brother that doth otherwise than himself doth To the second Question V. The words of that Prayer Lord have mercy c. repeated after the fourth Commandment do evidently import as they do in each of the other ten 1. An acknowledgment of three things viz. 1. That the words of that particular Commandment contain in them a Law whereunto we are subject 2. That it is our bounden duty to endeavour with our utmost power to keep the said Law 3. That our naughty hearts have of themselves no inclination to keep it until God by the work of his Grace shall incline them thereunto 2. A double supplication viz. 1. For Mercy in respect of the time past because we have failed of bounden duty heretofore 2. For Grace in respect of the time to come that we may perform our duties better hereafter VI. But how far forth the words of the fourth Commandment are to be taken as a Law binding Christians and by what authority they have that binding power is the main difficulty For the resolution whereof it may suffice every sober minded Christian to understand the Prayer appointed by the Church in that meaning which the words do immediately import and without over-curious inquiry into those things that are more disputable to believe these few points following which ought to be taken as certain and granted amongst Christians viz. 1. That no part of the Law delivered by Moses to the Jews doth bind Christians under the Gospel as by virtue of that delivery no not the ten Commandments themselves but least of all the fourth which all confess to be at least in some part Ceremonial 2. That the particular determination of the time to the seventh day of the week was Ceremonial And so the obligation of the fourth Commandment in that respect although it were Juris divini positivi to the Jew yet is ceased together with other legal Ceremonies since the publishing of the Gospel and bindeth not Christian Consciences 3. That the substance of the fourth Commandment in the general viz. that some certain time should be set apart from secular imployments and to be sanctified to an holy rest for the better attending upon Gods's publick and solemn worship is moral and perpetual and of Divine right as a branch of the Law of Nature whereunto Christians under the Gospel are still bound 4. That de facto The Lord's-day or Sunday is the time appointed to us for that purpose by such sufficient Authority as we stand bound in Conscience to obey absque hoc whether that Authority be immediately Divine or but mediately through the power of the Church This is sufficient to regulate the Judgment and Conscience of every ordinary Christian yet is it not unlawful for Scholars soberly and fairly to argue and debate a little farther matters which are questionable for the better finding out of the Truth And the points in this Argument that are most in controversie are these two viz. 1. Concerning the observation of a weekly Sabbath whether it be of necessity to keep one day of every seven And by what right we ate tied so to do 2. Concerning the change of the Jewish Sabbath into the Lord's day and by what Authority it was done VII As touching the observation of a weekly Sabbath there are these three different opinions viz. 1. That it is de jure naturali as a branch properly of the Law of Nature 2. That it is properly and directly de jure divino positivo established by God's express positive Ordinance in his Word 3. That it is merely de jure humano Ecclesiastico introduced by Authority and established by the custom and consent of the Catholick Church Touching which three opinions I leave it to the judicious to consider 1. Whether the last of them might not hap to be of evil consequence by leaving it in the power of the Church at her
by Law prohibited though in themselves otherwise lawful being unlawful to them that are under the obedience of the Law 2. To the condition of the Person Walking and discoursing with men of liberal Education is a pleasant recreation it is no way delightsom to the ruder sort of people who scarce account any thing a sport which is not loud and boysterous 3. To the effects of the Recreations themselves Those being the meetest to be used which give the best refreshing to the body and leave the least impression in the mind In which respect Shooting Leaping Pitching the Bar Stool-ball c. are rather to be chosen than Dicing Carding c. 3. For the Use. That men would be exhorted to use their Recreation and Pastimes upon the Lord's-day in godly and commendable sort For which purpose amongst others these cautions following would be remembred 1. That they be used with great moderation as at all other times so especially and much more upon the Lord's-day 2. That they be used at seasonable times not in time of Divine Service nor at such hours as are appointed by the Master of the house whereunto they belong for Private Devotions within his own house His Majesties Declaration limiteth mens liberty this way till after Even-song be ended 3. That they be so used as that they may rather make men the fitter for God's Service the rest of the day and for the works of their Vocations the rest of the week than any way hinder or disable them thereunto by over-wearying the body or immoderately affecting the mind 4. That they use them not doubtingly for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin He therefore that is not satisfied in his own judgement that he may lawfully and without sin use bodily recreations on the Lord's-day ought by all means to forbear the use thereof lest he should sin against his own Conscience 5. That they be severer towards themselves than towards other men in the use of their Christian liberty herein not making their own opinion or practice a rule to their brethren In this as in all indifferent things a wise and charitable man will in godly wisdom deny himself many times the use of that liberty which in a godly charity he dare not deny to his Brother The CASE of the Use of the LITURGY stated in the late times SIR WHereas you are desirous to know what my Judgment and Practice is concerning the using or forbearing of the established Liturgy either in whole or in part in the public Service of God and Offices of the Church if that may be any satisfaction to your self or Friend I shall fully acquaint you with my practice is whereunto if my Judgment be not conform'd I am without all escape mine own Condemner and upon what consideration I have according to the variation of times varied my self therein So long as my Congregation continued unmixt with Souldiers as well after as before the promulgation of the Ordinance of the two Houses for the abolishing of Common Prayer I continued the use of it as I had ever formerly done in the most peaceable and orderly times not omitting those very Prayers the silencing whereof I could not but know to have been chiefly aimed in the Ordinance viz. Those for the King the Queen and the Bishops And so I did also though some Souldiers were casually present till such time as a Troop coming to quarter in the Town who on purpose to continue a kind of Garrison among us or Head quarter were so enraged at my reading of it the first Sunday after they came that immediately after Morning Service they seized on the Book and tore it all to pieces Thence forward during their continuance here for full six Months and upwards viz. from the beginning of November till they were called away to Naseby-fight in May following besides that for want of a Book of necessity I must I saw it also behoved me for the preventing farther outrage to wave the use of the Book for the time at least in the ordinary Service only I read the Confession the Lords Prayer with the Versicles and the Psalms for the day then after the first Lesson in the Forenoon Benedictus or Iubilate and in the Afternoon Cantate After the second Lesson also in the Forenoon sometimes the Creed and sometimes the ten Commandments and sometimes neither but only sang a Psalm and so to Sermon But all that while in the Administration of the Sacraments the Solemnization of Matrimony Burial of the Dead and Churching of Women I constantly used the ancient forms and rites to every of them respectively belonging according to the appointment in the Book Only I was careful in all the rest to make choice of such times and opportunities as I might do them with most secresie and without disturbance of the Souldiers But at the celebration of the Eucharist I was the more secure to do it publickly because I was assured none of the Souldiers would be present After their departure I took the liberty to use the whole Liturgy or but some part of it omitting sometimes more sometimes less upon occasion as I judged it most expedient in reference to the Auditory especially if any Souldiers or other unknown persons happened to be present But all the while the substance of what I omitted I contrived into my Prayer before Sermon the phrase and order only varied which yet I endeavoured to temper in such sort as that any person of ordinary capacity might easily perceive what my meaning was and yet the words left as little liable to exception or cavil as might be About nigh two years ago I was advertised but in a very friendly manner by a Parliament-man of note in these parts that at a public meeting in Grantham great complaint was made by some Ministers of the Presbyterian-gang as I afterwards found of my refractoriness to obey the Parliaments Order in that behalf The Gentleman told me withal that although they knew long before what my judgment and practice was yet they were not forward to take notice of it before complaint made which being now done in so public manner if they should not take knowledge of it the blame would lie upon them he also advised me to consider well what I had to do for I must resolve either to adventure the loss of my living or to lay aside Common-Prayer which if I should continue after complaint and admonition it would not be in his power nor in the power of any friend I had to preserve me The effect of my then answer was that if the case was so the deliberation was not hard I having long ago considered the Case and resolved what I might with a good conscience do and what were fittest for me in prudence to do if I should ever be put to it viz. to forbear the use of the Common Prayer-book so far as might satisfie the Letter of the Ordinance rather than forsake my station My next business then was