celebration of this day what speciall duties are commanded and next what offices are permitted To the discoverie whereof these words Our God our neighbours and our selves like a Mercuriall finger will direct our journey amidst the severall turnings of this present World These three are principally aymed at in those pious duties which on this day have beene commended to us or rather imposed on us by the Acts and practice of the Apostles First the Disciples came together to breake Bread and heare the Word Which without solemne and preparatorie Prayers were a faint devotion Acts 20. This is the honour due to God Collections secondly are appointed 1. Corinth 16. This is in reference to our neighbour And last of all Saint IOHN was in the Spirit on the Lords day Revel 1. This in relation to our selves That so our pious contemplations borne by the wings of the Spirit may ascend on high even to those Hills from whence commeth our salvation Therefore upon this day Gods people are to meet in the Congregation to celebrate Divine Service and to heare the Word Almes to bee given and godly Meditations to bee cherished with our best endevours From whence ariseth that as an Accessorie in the Gospel which was a Principall in the Law of MOSES Rest from servile workes and from the ordinarie workes of our Vocation For since there is not extant eyther Commandement or example in the Gospel which can affixe the Rest of the Iewish Sabbath to the Lords day now celebrated and that our Christian libertie will not away with that severe and Ceremoniall kind of Rest which was then in use wee onely are so farre to abstaine from Worke as it is an impediment to the performance of such duties as are then commanded Saint Hierome on the eighteenth of the Acts affirmeth That Saint Paul when hee had none to whom to preach in the Congregation did on the Lords day use the Workes of his Occupation and CHRIST did many things as of set purpose on the Sabbath so hath Chemnitius rightly noted to manifest that the Legall Sabbath was expiring and to demonstrate the true use of the Christian Sabbath if at the least the name of Sabbath may be used amongst us which some distast To end in briefe those things are all commanded which doe advance GODS publike Service and those permitted which are no hinderance thereunto Of this sort specially are the workes of necessitie as to dresse Meat to draw the Oxe out of the Ditch to leade our Cattell unto Water to quench a dangerous Fire and such as these Then workes of Charitie First in relation to our selves and heere wee are permitted Recreations of what sort soever which serve lawfully to refresh our spirits and nourish mutuall neighbourhood amongst us Next in relation unto others and heere no labour how troublesome soever is to bee refused which may accommodate our neighbour and cannot fitly bee deferred Where wee must alwayes keepe this Rule That this our Christian libertie bee void of scandall I meane of scandall justly given and not vainely caught at That wee pretend not Charitie to absent our selves from religious duties when eyther covetousnesse or loathing or neglect of GODS holy Ordinances are under-hand the principall motives Foure properties there are as one rightly noteth of all solemne Festivals Sanctitie Rest from labour Cheerefulnesse and Liberalitie Which verie things the Ancients by those names whereby they did expresse their Festivals doe seeme to intimate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to meete or to bee assembled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rejoyce to dance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to restraine from workes that are an hinderance And so amongst the Grecians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth an Assembly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denotes Expences From whence their solemne Festivals were so entituled And unto all these whether Recreations or Entertainments Feastings and other indifferent Customes it onely appertaineth to the Religious Magistrate to prescribe bounds and limits Not to the rash zeale of every one which out of a Schismaticall Stoicisme not suffering people eyther to use a Fanne or to kill a Flea relapse to Iudaisme nor on the other side to every prodigall and debauched Companion who joynes himselfe unto Belphegor and eates the Sacrifices of the dead FINIS Cap. 15.5 Gal. 4.10.11 Cap. 2.16.17 Sect. 4. See Austin de hâ—resâ—b Epiphanius Sect. 2. Epist. 3. l. 21. In Rog. Hoveden Anno. 1201. Anno. 1200. Institut l. 2. cap. 8. Sect. 33. Ib. Sect. 34. Paraen lib. 1. cap. vlt. Institut l. 3. Cap. 8. Sect. 34. Gen. 3. Sect. 3. 7. Gomaâ— desensio sentent c. 10. Investig Sabb. cap. 4. Cap. 10. Cap. 3. Anno 5. and 6. of Edward 6. cap. 3. Heylius Geogr. in France Rogerâ— on the Articleâ— Art 7. Id. in the Preface to the Articles Paraen l. 1. cap. vlt. Hebr. â— Sâ—mpos l. 4. sub finem Lib. 7. cap. 15. De annis mensibus Levit. â—5 Cap. 3. Azor. Instit. Moral part 2. q. 3. Hospin de Fest. Ethn. Iud. l. 3. cap. 3. Annal. sacri ad diem 7. In Exod. ad Praecept 4. V. Damasc fid O. th l. 4. c. 24. Irenaeum l. 4 30. In Gen. 2. q. 4. Ad dâ—em 7. sect 2. In Exod. 〈◊〉 Praecept 4. In Gen. cap. 2. q. 4. Calv. Instit. l. 2. cap. 8. Zouch Tom. 4. l. 1. cap. 15. In Exod. 20. q. 11. â— 2. q. 122. art 4. Institut lib. 2. cap. 8. sect 28. Vbi suprâ— Instit. l. 1. cap. 8. sect 34. Marc. 2.27 Matth. 5. De bello Iudaic. l. 7. cap. 24. Natur. Hist. l. 31. cap. 2. Anno 31. n. 38. Exerâ— 15. sect 20. Lib. 1. cap. 9. Bellar. de cult Sanct. l. 3 c. 11. Estius in 3. Sent. d. 37. sect 13. Vers. 12. Tom. 4. l. 1. c. 11. Exod. 16.35 Matth. 12. Mark 2. Luke 6. Ioh. 5. Acts 13.17.18 cap. Hosp. de sest Christ. c. 9. Montholon prompt in Sabbat De Relig. l. 2. cap. 1. Azor. Institut Mor. part 2. c. 2. Zanch. tom 4. l. 1. c 19. Foxe Stowe in vita Henr. 3. Psal. 65. In loc Com. Perk. in Case of Consc. l. 2. c. 16. Rob. Loâ—uâ— in â—ffig Sabbat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the number of the dayes is left by the authority of Gods Word to the authority of Christs Church to bee determined and assigned orderly in every Country by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall judge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glory and edification of the people Which preamble is not to bee understood of holy dayes or of Saints dayes onely whose being left the authority of the Church was never questioned but of the Lords day also as by the body of the Act doth at full appeare Last of all for the third and last conclusion that still the Church hath power to change the day our Doctor in the seventh Section brings in Bullinger Bucer Brentius Vrsinus and Chemnitius aliisque nostris with diverse others not named particularly as they are which thinke no otherwise thereof than Calvin did and shewes by what distinction Suarez though otherwise no friend unto the men doth defend their doctrine now as the doctrine was such also is the practise of those men and Churches devoyd of any the least superstitious rigour esteeming it to be as a day left arbitrary and therefore open to all honest exercises and lawfull recreations by which the minde may be refreshed and the spirits quickned Even in Geneva it selfe according as it is related in the inlargement of Boterus by Robert Iohnson All honest exercises shooting in Peeces Long-Bowes Crosse-Bowes c. are used on the Sabbath day and that both in the morning before and after the Sermon neither doe the Ministers finde fault therewith so that they hinder not from hearing of the Word at the time appointed Dancing indeed they doe not suffer but this not in relation to the Sunday but the Sport it selfe which is held unlawfull and generally forbidden in the French Churches Which strictnesse as some note considering how the French doe delight in dancing hath beene a great hinderance to the growth of the reformed Religion in that Kingdome Which being so the judgement and the practise of so many men and of such severall perswasions in the controverted points of the Christian faith concurring so unanimously together the miracle is the greater that wee in England should take up a contrary opinion and thereby separate our selves from all that are called christian Yet so it is I skill not how it comes to passe but so it is that some amongst us have revivd againe the Iewish Sabbath though not the day it selfe yet the name and thing Teaching that the Commandement of sanctifying every seventh day as in the Mosaicall Decalogue is naturall morall and perpetuall that whereas all things else in the Iewish Church were so changed that they were cleane taken away this day meaning the Sabbath was so changed that it still remaineth and lastly that the Sabbath was not any of those ceremonies which were justly abrogated at Christs comming All which positions are condemned for contrary to the Articles of the Church of England as in a Comment on those Articles perused and by the lawfull authority of the Church allowed to bee publike is most cleere and manifest Which Doctrinals though dangerous in themselves and different from the judgement of the ancient Fathers and of the greatest Clerks of the latter times are not yet halfe so desperate as that which followeth thereupon in point of practise For these positions granted and entertained as orthodox what can we else expect but such strange paradoxes as in consideration of the premises have beene delivered from some Pulpits in this Kingdome As viz. That to doe any servile worke or businesse on the Lords day is as great a sinne as to kill a man or commit adultery that to throw a Bowle to make a Feast or dresse a wedding dinner on the Lords day is as great a sinne as for a man to take a knife and cuts his childes throat that to ring more Bells than one on the Lords day is as great a sinne as to commit murder The Author which reports them all was present when the broacher of the last position was convented for it And I beleeve him in the rest The rather since I have heard it preached in London that the Law of Moses whereby death temporall was appointed for the Sabbath-breaker was yet in force and that who ever did the workes of his ordinary calling on the Sabbath day was to dye therefore And I know also that in a Towne of my acquaintance the Preachers there had brought the people to that passe that neither baked nor rost-meat was to bee found in all the Parish for a Sundayes dinner throughout the yeere These are the ordinary fruits of such dangerous Doctrines and against these and such as these our Author in this following Treatise doth addresse himselfe accusing them that entertaine the former Doctrinalls everywhere of no lesse than Iudaisme and pressing them with that of Austin that they who literally understand the fourth Commandement doe not yet savour of the Spirit Section the third This when I had considered when I had seriously observed how much these fancies were repugnant both to the tendries of this Church and judgements of all kinde of Writers and how unsafe to be admitted I thought I could not goe about a better worke than to exhibite to the view of my deare Countrymen this following Treatise delivered first and after published by the Author in another Language The rather since of late the clamour is encreased and that there is not any thing now more frequent in some Zelots mouthes to use the Doctors words than that the Lords day is with us licentiously yea sacrilegiously prophaned Section the first To satisfie whose scruples and give content unto their mindes I doubt not but this following Discourse will be sufficient which for that cause I have translated faithfully and with as good proprietie as I could not swerving any where from the sence and as little as I could from the phrase and letter Gratum opus Agricolis a Worke as I conceive it not unsutable to the present times wherein besides those peccant fancies before remembred some have so farre proceeded as not alone to make the Lords day subject to the Iewish rigours but to bring in againe the Iewish Sabbath and abrogate the Lords day altogether I will no longer detaine the Reader from the benefit hee shall reape hereby Onely I will crave leave for his greater benefit to repeat the summe thereof which is briefely this First that the Sabbath was not instituted in the first Creation of the World nor ever kept by any of the Ancient Patriarkes who lived before the Law of Moses therefore no Morall and perpetuall Precept as the others are Sect. 2. Secondly that the sanctifying of one day in seven is Ceremoniall onely and obliged the Iewes not Morall to oblige us Christians to the like observance Sect. 3. 4. Thirdly that the Lords day is founded onely on the authoritie of the Church guided therein by
the practice of the Apostles not on the fourth Commandement which he calls a scandalous Doctrine Sect. 7. nor any other expresse authoritie in holy Scripture Sect. 6. 7. Then fourthly that the Church hath still authoritie to change the day though such authoritie be not fit to be put in practise Sect. 7. Fifthly that in the celebration of it there is no such cessation from the workes of labour required from us as was exacted of the Iewes but that we lawfully may dresse Meat proportionable unto every mans estate and doe such other things as be no hinderance to the publike Service appointed for the day Sect. 8. Sixtly that on the Lords day all Recreations whatsoever are to be allowed which honestly may refresh the spirits and encrease mutuall love and neighbourhood amongst us and that the names whereby the Iewes did use to call their Festivals whereof the Sabbath was the chiefe were borrowed from an Hebrew word which signifieth to dance and to be merry or make glad the countenance If so if all such Recreations as encrease good neighbourhood then Wakes and Feasts and other Meetings of that nature If such as honestly may refresh the spirits then Dancing Shooting Wrastling and all other Pastimes not by Law prohibited which either exercise the body or revive the minds And lastly that it appertaines to the Christian Magistrate to order and appoint what Pastimes are to be permitted and what are not obedience unto whose commands is better farre than sacrifice to any of the Idols of our owne inventions not unto every private person or as the Doctors owne words are not unto every mans rash zeale who out of a Schismaticall Stoicisme debarring men from lawfull Pastimes doth incline to Iudaisme Sect. 8. Adde for the close of all how doubtingly our Author speakes of the name of Sabbath which now is growne so rife amongst us Sect. 8. Concerning which take here that notable Dilemma of Iohn Barklay the better to incounter those who stil retaine the name and impose the rigour Cur perro illum diem plerique Sectariorum Sabbatum appellaetis c. What is the cause saith hee that many of our Sectaries call this day the Sabbath If they observe it as a Sabbath they must observe it because God rested on that day and then they ought to keepe that day whereon God rested and not the first as now they doe whereon the Lord began his labours If they observe it as the day of our Saviours resurrection why doe they call it still the Sabbath seeing especially that Christ did not altogether rest that day but valiantly overcame the powers of death This is the summe of all and this is all I have to say unto thee Good Christian Reader in this present businesse God give thee a right understanding in all things and a good will to doe thereafter THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH OR A Speech delivered in the Act at OXON at the proceeding Doctors Of CHRIST GREENE IO. TOLSON THO. IACKSON THO. BINSON IO. HARRIS In the yeere of CHRIST 1622. touching the Sabbath LEVIT 9.30 Yee shall keepe my Sabbath and reverence my Sanctuarie I am the Lord. OF THE SABBATH SECT I. MY annuall taske learned and courteous Auditors is as you see returned againe whereto being bound as I may say like Titius unto Caucasus I must of necessitie expose my selfe to so many Vultures Divinitie tossed with so many stormes and by her owne unworthily handled hath not which was much feared as yet miscarried Behold I and the sonnes which God hath given mee And though shee doe not glory as before shee hath done of a numerous issue yet shee is comforted with these few whose modestie doth promise to supply that want and hide her nakednesse It is my Office as you know according to the custome of this place honestly to dismisse them hence being now furnished and provided after all their labours And being it is the seventh yeere since I first attained unto this place and that there want not some litigious differences about the Sabbath which have of late disturbed the quiet of the Church I hope it will not seeme unseasonable Fathers and Brethren to speake unto you somewhat of this argument and therein rather to explode their errors who either seeme to tend on the one side to Atheisme or on the other side to Iudaisme than any way to brand their persons And that our following discourse may issue from the purer Fountaine we will derive it from the 19. of Levit. v. 30. which doubtlesse for the greater certaintie thereof is againe repeated cap. 26. v. 2. Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths Now for the first word Sabbath the learned in the Hebrew Language derive it not from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being interpreted is Seven but from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to cease leave off or rest from labour and seemes to have affinitie with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to set downe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to adore and praise all which doe intimate unto us as well the use of the Sabbath as the duties also of all those who are bound to keepe it It is not my intent to lay before you such further Etymologies as either are afforded us from Plutarch and the rest of Greece who fetch it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to triumph dance or make glad the countenance or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sirname of Bacchus or at the least some sonne of his in Coelius Rhodiginus whence Bacchus Priests are frequently called Sabbi Moenades or Saliares in ancient Authors nor from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Spleene from the distempers of the which as Giraldus thinkes the Iewes though very much thereunto inclined were that day released nor last of all from any foule disease in the privie parts by the Aegyptians called Sabba which Fl. Iosephus worthily derides in his second booke against Appion It is well knowne from what corrupt Channell these derivations have beene drawne by the elder Iewes who by their Bacchanalian Rites gave the World just occasion to suspect that they did consecrate their Sabbath unto Revels rather than Gods service As for these Sabbaths they either were the Weekely Sabbaths or those which in the Scripture are called Sabbaths of yeeres and these againe either each seventh yeere in the which the Earth lay fallow or every fiftieth yeere called otherwise the Yeere of Iubile wherein each man returned againe to his owne Possession and Inheritance as the Law appointed There were at least five other meanings of this word in holy Scripture of which consult Hospinian in his booke de festis Iudaeorum But for the Weekely Sabbath mentioned in the Decalogue being it is become to many a Rocke of offence it will not happily be unwelcome to the wavering mind so to determine of the Point that they may have something whereupon to fasten There is not any thing now more frequent in some Zelots