celebrate the Sabbath He grants then that the Sabbaths observation was according to the law of Nature that is that it was constituted by God at the Creation of Nature St. Austin sayes also that the Jews acknowledge that God sanctified a day since which he began as it were to rest from his labours So Solomon Iarchi in Gen. 26. By whom is cited R. Simson in Is 58. Aben Ezra in Exod. 20. Da. Kimchi Manasses Ben-Israel in Deut. 5. and all the Doctors of the Jews excepting Maimonides These things shew that the Jews had knowledge that the Sabbath was observed from the Creation from whom the observation of the Sabbath was very well known to the inhabitants of the whole World Of the Christians also divers both antient and modern were of this opinion a few of whose testimonies we will lightly touch Theophilus Antiochenus lib. 2. ad Antolicum saith That God finished the work that he made on the seventh day and blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because on it he rested from every work he made c. He saith not that God did consecrate the seventh day that afterwards only it might be sanctified of the Israelitish Church but so soon as the work of Creation was consummate the seventh day was of God both blessed and sanctified Afterwards he acknowledges that the seventh day was solemnized amongst all men which the Hebrews call the Sabbath and Greeks the seventh day although most know not the cause of that name And what cause was unknown to the most namely the holy resting of God on that day and its sanctification whereof Theophilus made mention a little before Tertullian saith that Christ fulfilled the Law while he made the Sabbath day which was holy from the beginning by the blessing of the Father more holy by his own doing good on it Cyprian confesseth that the Seventh day Holy day from the Creation of the world obtained authority because in six dayes Gods works were finished and the seventh consecrated to rest as holy and sanctifying honoured with a solemnity of vacation and entitled to the sanctifying Spirit Lactantius is of the same opinion God finished the world and this admirable work of the Creation in six dayes space and then ordained the seventh day whereon he rested from his works This is the Sabbath day Lactantius therefore fetcheth the sanctification of the Sabbath from the Creation and not from the History of Manna St. Athanasius saith that God rested when he had finished the former Creation and therefore the men of that generation observed the Sabbath on the seventh day Where he acknowledges that the Sabbath was observed from the Creation till Christ for he saith that all men of that generation did observe the Sabbath where he speaketh of the whole time from the beginning of the world till Christ Greg. Nyssen Lo here is for thee the Sabhath blessed from the beginning of the world mark it by that Sabbath this Sabbath the day of rest which God hath blessed above other dayes Chrysost God hath blessed and sanctified that day What is it that he hath sanctified it he hath set it apart from other dayes After when he tells us the cause why he hath sanctified it he addeth because on that he rested from all his works which God began to make Now God intimateth to us this Doctrine from the beginning teaching us that within the compass of a week one whole day is to be set apart and spent in spiritual work Therefore according to Chrysostom the Sabbath Day since the Creation was set apart from other dayes and plainly it appears that for that ordination the world is bound to dedicate one whole day of the week to the worship of God Aug. ult cap. postrem lib. de Civitate Dei while he is describing that everlasting Sabbath which the Saints shall enjoy in heaven he referrs the institution of the Sabbath to the resting of God from the work of creation He doth the like in Epist. ad Casulanum where he saith that God sanctified the seventh day when he rested on it from all his works and afterwards gave command about its observation to the Hebrew people Augustine therefore doth acknowledge that the use of the Sabbath was amongst the ancients before it grew common amongst the Hebrews namely first at the beginning before Moses and afterwards in the Church of the Jews Theodoret. He hath bestowed a blessing on the seventh day instead of creating lesâ— that day only above others should want its hoâ— nour and he hath put Hallowed it foâ— set it apart And afterwards In blessing the seventh day he hath shown that he thought it not an unprofitable and superfluous day but hath ordained it to be applied to rest Who doth not see that in Theodorets opinion from the beginning the Sabbath was set apart for the worship of God from other dayes So when he answers the question why he commanded not the Sabbath to be celebrated on another day because the God of all hath created every thing in six dayes but on the seventh day he made nothing but honoured this day with a blessing as it is added in six dayes the Lord thy God made Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh wherein he teaches us that even then this day was consecrated of God to rest and sanctification from the beginning of the world Alexander Hales affirmes that the Sabbath before the Law was observed of the Fathers and of the same opinion are divers of the Schoolmen Now if any have a mind to reckon up the grave opinions of the aforesaid Fathers he will not deny that the Sabbath day was solemnly kept from the very beginning of the world because by the judgment of them all the Sabbath was sanctified by God nor do the Fathers speak of the purpose of God as though it was not then really set apart for the worship of God but according to his purpose it was only destined for this that after two thousand years it should be set apart for this end for say they when God had finished his work of Creation the Sabbath was sanctified from the beginning or from the creation of the world when he had rested from his works from the Creation till Christ c. and therefore they acknowledge that the Sabbath day was solemnized amongst all men or all men of the former generation that is from the beginning of the world till Christ a long time before its use was established amongst the Jews All these things are affirmed in round words by the Fathers Out of which it clearly appears that one day of the week was alwayes set apart to the worshipping of God publickly And as the best of the ancients were of this opinion so the chief of our late writers that have flourished in the Reformed Churches do affirm that God did from the beginning of the world sanctifie the seventh day for his
〈◊〉 in its native signification doth plainly signifie any thing belonging to sustain life and getting sustenance or any thing for the use of this life whence Clem. Alexand. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is administring necessaries for this life also in the same man it occurrs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all necessity pertaining to life But amongst Divines as Stephanus observes when it is spoken of a man then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is secular or one that is addicted to the affairs of this secular life And so it often occurrs in Chrysostom as Hom. 9. in Col. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and Hom. 3. de Lazaro c. In the same sense in Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where he that lives in common life is distinguished from him that lives in solitariness a Monk Therefore according to the native signification of Chrysostoms words by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are denoted things that pertain to life and sustenance from the sober use whereof no Christian is debarred on the Lords day How little those things conduce to the defence of secular businesses being undertaken on that day they know who look into Chrysostom We will omit any disputation about the propriety and use of the word because it pertains to the Grammarian and ought to be left to others we will produce the rest which Chrysostom himself helpeth us to Secondly we intreat the Reader to consider that Chrys in the aforesaid place is displeased with those that after they are returned from the Church-meeting are intangled in businesses which are contrary to the exercise as he speaks which is held in the Church-assembly Surely if in Chrysostoms judgment worldly matters might safely be medled with on the Lords day he would never have reproved those that looked after them which yet his very words shew that he sharply did Thirdly he thinks it is too much yea altogether extreme indevotion to spend five or 6 days in wordly matters not to employ one in spirituals He that weighs this will easily grant that Chrysostom would never have any part of that day consecrated to affairs that smell not of piety And he that abuses the authority of this holy Father to palliate the using of labour on that day although I scruple to accuse him of too much indevotion yet I am troubled that he hath no more religious a care of the Lords festival Fourthly this he layes as a law upon his Auditors in the same place that they bestow that onely day of the whole week on which they meet to hear all of it in the meditation of those things that are delivered He that requireth that the rest of the day which remaineth after hearing the Word in the publick Church meetings should be spent about meditation conference of the things they have heard will allow no liberty after the aforesaid meetings are ended to dispatch worldly affairs by which pious meditation may be hindred If therefore Chrysost being judge no other exercises be to be medled with on the Lords day out of the Church-assembly which are contrary to the duties of piety performed in those assemblies if by his grave judgment it be thought a very irreligious thing not to spend one whole day in the exercises of piety yea if he earnestly require it from his Auditors that they consecrate that whole day to their devotion of all which he tells us his judgment in these very words then surely it was far from Chrysostoms mind to give liberty for ordinary labours on the Lords Day Lastly if his words which make mention of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be stretched to that sense because sometimes in Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a secular person Chrysost did that which Gregory the Great in an other sense did whom the custom of the Laityes seasting on the Lords day usually vexed yet thought they were not to be punished by law lest that being made against them they should become worse and therefore to avoid the danger of schisme left them to themselves so that what he approved not being constrained through the necessity of the time he permitted So here whatever Chrysostom indulged the people in he did it against his will for their sakes whose minds were not so easily called back from earthly things to whom yielding in some things he did gradually bring them on to higher exercises of piety and indulged them that which he did not approve lest any thing worse should happen he as it were unwilling willed it But as for his part he judged that a whole day should be consecrated to the exercises of Religion any part whareof as we have seen he would not have employed in worldly affairs And thus we have seen St. Chrysostom vindicating himself from some mens foolish gloss nor is there any body whose senses either stupour or phlegmatickness hath not dulled which will think otherwise Origen also takes it ill that some do but assign an hour or two of the whole day to God and come to prayer in the Church while they spend the rest of the day about the world and their belly but if Christians were at liberty when their assemblies are ended to betake themselves to their worldly occasions then this reproof of his had been unjust against which they might truly answer that the custom of the Church was to define the sanctification of the day within the terms of two or three houres Gregory the Great 's judgment is also for ceasing from earthly labour on the Lords day Indeed in the beginning of that Epistle he tells us that Antichrist will make both the Sabbath and Lords day to be kept free from all labour But lest any one should unwarily deceive himself by not well considering the phrase as if Gregory had judged that Antichrist would forbid labour on the Lords day it is to be noted that he intimates this that Antichrist will have an equal regard of the Sabbath as of the Lords day because as Gregory thinketh Antichrist would call back the observation of the Sabbath and directs the stile of the former part of his Epistle against those that forbid the working of any thing on the Sabbath day Nor can the sense of those words of his be otherwise expounded who thought that labour was to be undertaken on the Sabbath from which yet we ought to abstain on the Lords day but i◠never came into Gregory's mind to reckon rest from labour on the Lords day for an interdiction of Antichrist since Gregory himself doth plainly condemn labour undertaken on that day Augustine It is therefore called the Lords day that we abstaining on it from earthly works and worldly pleasures should onely attend on Divine worship giving honour and reverence to this day for the hope of our resurrection which we have in it Augustin or whoever was the author of that Sermon doth plainly prohibit Christians attending their labours
cloyed with luxurious banquets drunken feasts and lewd drunkenness cannot devoutly consecrate the Lords day to God so they that delighting in luxury do give up themselves to pleasures are unfit for the sanctifying thereof because with their pleasures they defile the Lords holy day pleasure is the individual companion of drunkenness and intemperance in many becomes a cause of lasciviousness as we say in the Proverb When the belly is well filled then follow dances we read that these have been condemned with great fervour of mind and most holy zeal with the old friends of sincere piety which Chrysostom Hom. de Eleemosyna would not have any attend on and no wonder for all such worldly spectacles with Chrysostom are called Sathans Festivals from which he exhorts his hearers to abstain and sharply reproveth Parents that bring their children to spectacles and exhort them not to Doctrine Cyril was sorry as we have seen in the former Chapter that Christians should on feast dayes run to playes pageants and dancings because in his judgment these things cannot be done without mocking of Gods name and violation of the day for the holiness of festivals is miserably distained by petulant dancings therefore Leo and Authemius those good Emperours ordain that festivals being dedicated to the most High Majesty are by no pleasures which afterwards in detestation of them they call obscene to be defiled They say also We decree the Lords day alwayes to be so honourable and reverent that it be excused from all executions c. And after Nor yet do we relaxing the rest of this holy day suffer any one to be witholden by obscene pleasures Let the scene of the Theatre or the fights in the Cirque or the doleful sights of wild beasts challenge nothing to themselves on that day and if any solemnity fall out to be celebrated on our Birth-day let it be deferred If any one shall ever be present at â—â—ghts on this Feast-day he shall sustain the loss of his command in the Militia and the sale of his patrimony and likewise the Serjeant of every Judge that under pretence of either publick or private business doth believe that these things which are ordained in this law are to be violated The Fathers in the Council of Carthage were of the same mind who provided that no sights should be shewed on the Lords day or any other of the festivals Yea even in the thickest darkness of Popery so solemn was the splendour of this day that the Cimmerian darkness of Antichristianism could never overcome it Therefore it was provided Can. 10. part 9. of the Provincial Council of Colen that there should be an abstinence from these Wherefore say they it is our mind that on these dayes they speak of Festivals Fairs be prohibited Taverns be shut Riot Drunkenness Expences Strifes wicked Sports Dances full of madness evil Communication Bawdy Songs be avoided briefly all Luxury for by these and the blasphemies and perjuries which usually attend these the name of God is profaned and the Sabbath which admonisheth us to cease from doing perversly and learn to do well is defiled In the third Council also of Millain they decree Let the Bishop carefully prohibit and see to it that it be done that not only no leapings and dancings but no riot playes in honour of the Saints and other profane actions unmeet for the worship of those festival dayes and pious institutions be any wayes publickly acted on these dayes or brought in under pretence or occasion of them If men brought up in the Cimmerian darkness of Antichristianism declining the pure light of the Gospel like Owls yet could not through the splendour of truth but bear an illustrious testimony to the Lords festival and thereupon condemned what was opposite to its sanctification as dances which they call full of madness and wicked sports by which the Sabbath on which Christians are to cease from doing evil is violated if by no means under any pretence they permit leapings and danings to be acted to how tremendous a judgment do the ill-employed Libertines of this age expose themselves who now having the face of the Church happily discovered by the sacred Light of the Gospel are not afraid to tread under foot the holiness of this day by giving the reins to pleasures and dances running out into folly so often condemned by the Fathers As if they made haste to pass over into the heretical tents of the Heicetae who in other things following the Churches authority in their Monasteries by a company of Monks praised God using tripudiations and dances thereunto A wickedness indeed more becoming Hereticks than Christians What once the learned Morton in his Catholic Apolog lib. 2. cap. 14. related of Tollet we will apposirely apply to the Patrons of dancing on the Lords day Tollet affirms that a man is bound under a mortal sin to sanctifie a Festival but he is not bound to SANCTIFIE IT WELL. On the other side Morton cryes out and that justly What the foul ill what a sanctifying is this that wants Well without which no action can be acceptable to God So these mens sanctifying of this day while they grant the Lords day must be sanctified but labour not to sanctifie it Well is rather to be reckoned a profanation than sanctification thereof Alas Are these fruits beseeming so long a preaching of the holy Gospel while men do on the Lords day so profusely serve the pleasures of the flesh The primitive Christians whose souls are now in rest celebrated not so the Lords day who made conscience of intermitting its solemnity upon any occasion If on holy dayes we must abstain from lawful and necessary labours must we therefore attend upon unlawful vain and unhonest works God forbid The women of the Jews had better on the Sabbath day spin than dance on their New Moons as Augustin judgeth And on Psal 39. It is better to dig than dance on the Sabbath But these things are not so to be expounded as if St. Austin had commended the undertaking of gainful labour on that day but that grave Father doth praise the scope of those men rather who do apply their just and lawful labour than their unlawful vanities as otherwhere he relates of Socrates that swore by flesh a stone or any thing that was at hand to swear by not that he approved Socrates's fact but by this means he would instruct his hearers that although neither be agreeable to reason yet it is better to transferr Gods honour to Gods workmanship than to the works of mens hands So although we must not attend on the Lords day on labour undertaken for gain-sake but only on Divine worship yet the good Father judged it better on that day to employ our pains about labours lawful on other dayes than about vanities alwayes unlawful and severely condemned of God although neither will very well agree with the solemnity of that day If
writings about the time of later Lammas Moreover if on other dayes on which the Church was permitted to attend on worldly labours they took pains in so often interpreting of Scripture who will be so far a stranger to right reason as that he should believe that they would not bestow so much labour for this business on the Lords dayes on which they abstaining from all others were only intent on Divine worship much rather and better â—â—ould they say in my judgment if on other dayes they Treated twice out of Scripture they would if occasion served much oftener give themselves to this labour on the Lords day As sometimes Sisinnius being asked why he would wash himself twice every day in the publick bath being a Bishop he answered because I cannot wash thrice So the ancient Bishops of the Church were seriously intent twice on the Lords dayes on the explication of Scripture And if they could get any just occasion to do more than this they would not avoid the labour of doing it the third or fourth time as may be seen by that Sermon in Austin when he whoever he was that was the author of that Sermon had twice performed the office of explaining Scripture when a new occasion was offered which was an extraordinary one on the same day he did the same the third time For thus he begins Wonder not dear brethren if I to day this third time by Gods assistance preach unto you Serm. 33. ad fratres in eremo We have formerly seen some of Basils both morning and evening Sermons we read also that he preach'd twice before noon In the beginning of his Hom. in Psalm 114. he excuseth himself that he came somewhat late to some that had waited on him from midnight and gives the reason because before he came to them he had preached in another Church yet those Vigils were onely continued from mid-night to mid-day And thus these things shew that the Fathers did oftener than once treat out of the Scripture on one and the same day CHAP. IX Both in Old and New Testament in celebrating the Sabbaths solemnity after reading of the Scriptures followed the interpretation of them It 's considered whether before the Babylonish captivity the interpretating of the Law was in use among the Jews on their Sabbath dayes THere are some who being not content with the aforesaid testimonies do further demand an example to be shewn either in the Old or New Testament of any Pastour labouring in preaching of the Word who bestowed his labour in this work twice on the Sabbath dayes I cannot enough wonder at these mens wit who will not be removed from the opinion they have espoused and rather would pluck out their their own eyes than see what will they nill they they are enforced to see But come on iâ— there be any satisfying of these mens expectation and let us consider what light may be setch'd from the fountains of Scripture to answer this question From both Testaments it is evident that in the publick assemblies of the Church after reading of Scripture there followed the interpretation of the same This we have shewn in Chap. 3. So Neh. 8. 5 6 7 8. they did not onely read plainly the Law of God in the publick assembly but they also expounded the sense of it and therefore the naked reading of Scripture was not thought sufficient by the Levites to give the people understanding otherwise they would have abstained from expounding them from day to noon So in the Jews assemblies which are mentioned in the New Testament alwayes after reading of Scripture followed their explication see Luk. 4. 20. Act. 13. 15. The sacred books being read they that excelled in Doctrine did afterwards interpret them So Acts 15. 21. we read that Moses had in every Town those that preached him being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day the sense of which Scripture we have declared out of Philo Judaeus And these things shew that the Scriptures were both read and by interpretation illustrated in the Jewish Church But some there are that they may elude this answer who contend that this manner of interpreting Scripture on Sabbath dayes was not in use under the former Temple that is before the Babylonish captivity because in the writings of Moses in which is extant the institution of the Sabbath before they were returned out of Babylon into the Land of Canaan we meet with no mention thereof neither as they think is there any command extant by virtue whereof the Priests are obliged to interpret the Law on Sabbath dayes successively returning which opinion is entertained by some with applause Now if it be true which they say then the whole manner of the Jews keeping holy the Sabbath consisted in meer idleness or a cessation from labours by Gods command which yet none will easily admit since not onely in the old Sabbath God enjoyned the rest to the people of the Jews but also required holiness in those that ceased from their labours otherwise he had not determined the day on which we are to rest to be sanctified which yet he did Observe saith Moses the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee The rest commanded by God on the Sabbath day was not a part properly called but an help to its sanctification as we have taught out of the Fathers Book 1. chap. 11. The Sabbath saith Chrysostome is given not for idleness but that men being withdrawn from the care of temporal things they might spend the rest of it in spiritual matters Yea he saith in the same place that the Jews were to attend the hearing of Divine Sermons So also Origen confesses that the Reader or Doctor of the Law did not cease on Sabbath dayes from his work and yet did not break the Sabbath Now what was the work of the Reader or Doctor of the Law on which they did attend but to instruct the people in the understanding thereof Athanasius also saith The Sabbath signifieth or intimateth not idleness but the knowledge of the author The Sabbath was given for knowledge and not for idleness because knowledge is more necessary than idleness He blamed those who were idle on the Sabbath because they had not that which was proper for the Sabbath that is to say knowledge of the truth The Sabbath therefore according to St. Athanasius was given men that they ceasing from worldly businesses might freely apply their minds to the means by which they might attain some knowledge of God And what those means are we have shewn from Chrysostom and Origen St. Austin thought that the Jews women might better spin wool and their men dig the ground as formerly we have observed out of him than that they ceasing from labour should spend their time in playes according to whom something else was required to the sanctification of the Sabbath than meer rest namely the sanctifying of the
rest or the consecration of the rest to the publick exercise of Gods Worship which in what things can it better be observed than in reading of Gods Law and explaining the sense of its words prayers and other exercises of piety On the Sabbath saith Theodoret we are commanded to rest but it 's not any kind of rest since the Holy Ghost hath multiplied our work and what that work of the Spirit is that is multiplied on the Sabbath he afterwards expounds when he saith he hath commanded us to labour in Prayers and Psalms These things shew that something more than rest was required of the people on the Sabbath day Secondly if the Bible had not been publickly read and its sense expounded on Sabbath-dayes then none besides the Priests and Levites and some others that offered Sacrifices to the Priests had been bound to be present on Sabbath dayes in the place destined by God to sacrifice in for what need was there that they should onely be present with them that sacrificed But the contrary appears from the very Text Lev. 23. 3. where the solemnity of the Sabbath is shown God appoints that there shall be an holy convocation Now if a Convocation were by God required on the Sabbath dayes then it concerned the people as well as the Priests to be present at the common assembly which being finished that solemn benediction was pronounced by the Priest to the people assembled Num. 6. 23. Thirdly if there had been no reading of the Law and explaining thereof in use among the Jews under the former Temple then the Priests had been bound to nothing else but to serve for offering sacrifices But the Scripture testifies that the Levites were to teach Israel the Judgments and Law of God as well as to put incense upon the altar Deut. 33. 10. where two offices are assigned to the Levites In the first place that they teach the people in the Law and judgments of God and secondly that they put incense upon the altar But if they had not instructed the people in the Law then they had bestowed their chief care upon the less principal the other which was the principal duty being neglected And unless the people had been instructed in the meaning of the Law they had wholly been ignorant of the use for which the Sacrifices were ordained of God But Aaron and his sons were separated from others by God to teach the children of Israel the statutes of God Lev. 10. 11. Which they faithfully performed both privately as often as any consulted them upon any emergent question Deut. 17. 9 10. and publickly for they instructed all Israel in the Word of God 2 Chron. 35. 3. And that charge did ex officio lie upon the Levites as well before as after the captivity to be indued with the knowledge of all things that the Law might be sought for at their mouth M.al. 2. 7. But when could they with greater fruit draw out the knowledge of Gods Law to the peoples edification than in the publick assembly of the Church being gathered together on S. Dayes since on other dayes on which they were to attend their labours they could not do this Christ when he began his Ministry once did frequently teach in the Temple Why did the people wait for Zacharias when he was offering Sacrifice if it were not an usual thing for them to hear some short Sermon and benediction from him before they went out Christ sate in the Temple in the midst of the Doctors hearing and asking them questions which shews that it was the custome of a Doctor to teach the multitude in the Temple If therefore the Law of God was not on the Sabbath dayes expounded for the peoples use and no other exercises of piety but sacrifices were required of the people in what thing was the Sabbath ennobled above other dayes for sacrifices were offered on other besides the Sabbath dayes yea two Lambs were day by day offered for a continual burnt-offering Numb 28. Therefore the Sabbath was not made remarkable by the only worship of Sacrifices above other dayes on which they attended sacrifices but besides the sacrifices were superadded the interpreting of the Law and a serious and pious exercising themselves therein and other duties of piety upon which account the Sabbath day was reckoned more holy than other dayes of the week and the ninety second Psalm was for this end written that the people might sing it in the Church on the Sabbath day whereon a holy Convocation was held Fourthly the question propounded by the husband of the Shunamitess doth evince the same 2 Kin. 4. 23. He asks his wife why she would go to the Prophet that day since it was neither new moon nor Sabbath which were the ordinary dayes to consult God upon and to hear his word according to the famous Junius Lyra saith also the same on that place He spoke this saith he because men went more frequently on those dayes to the Prophets to hear Gods word because the Prophets were not to attend Sacrifices therefore they that went to the Prophets did it that they might be instructed in the Law and will of God by them but when could this be better done than on the Sabbath The famous Cunaeus upon the authority of Rabbi Aben Ezra affirms that Oracles were consulted on Sabbath dayes De Rep. Hebraeorum l. 2. c. 24. Fifthly if reading of Scriptures and a clear interpreting of them had not been prescribed of God then Christ and after him his Apostles who were faithfully diligent in expounding the Law on Sabbath dayes are to be taxed for Will-worship because they offered God a worship on the Sabbath which he had not commanded them Lastly that the use of Synagogues was among the Jews before the Babylonish captivity may be collected from Moses Lev. 26. 31. where the Hebrews by Sanctuaries do understand Synagogues in which the people met weekly on Sabbath dayes of whose ruine and vastation the Church expostulateth with God Psal 74. 7 8. the inscription of which Psalm shews that that Psalm was penned when David governed the Kingdome for the Inscription is for Asaph It was therefore either penned by Asaph who writ some of the Psalms as well as David 2 Chron. 29. 30. or was commended to his care who together with his sons is recited among those who sung holy songs 1 Chr. 25. 2. If therefore while Asaph survived then were Synagogues long in use before the captivity But for what end were they instituted in which sacrifices which it was lawful to offer no where else but at Hierusalem when the Temple was built were not offered but in them was the people instructed in the Law of God by the Levites who were dispersed up and down Israel and by others who were delegated of God to that charge and office Which things being considered let others judge what to say of their uncertain conjecture who contend that there was no
those that were absent of what they heard in publick after they were departed from the publick assembly So Chrysostom Hom. 10. in Gen. And he sharply taxes those that did not thus Hom. 32. in Joh. whom when they are gone home he affirms they set upon no work beseeming a Christian Whilst they do not search out the sense of the Scriptures which they heard in the assembly And at length requires them that when they are gone home they endeavour the doing of what they are commanded c. Hom. 3. in Joh. Bafil was of the same mind who seriously wished that what they had heard at both morning and evening assembly all that might be the table talk to the hearers that is when they sat down to table they should talk of what they heard St. Austin counsels his hearers to conferr with those that were absent of what they heard and so their memory would be as his voice Praef. in Psal 50. And in the end of the interpretation of that Psalm he saith As it belongeth to us to speak in the Church to you so it belongeth to you to speak of it in your houses Thirdly Because the Lords Day is not onely ordained for a pious celebration of the memory of Christs Resurrection but also Basil the Great being witness is an image of the world to come although it be no type of the rest and happiness in the life to come yet as after he explaines it that in this daily commotion we neglect not to provide viands for a removal into that life that never will have end Basil de Spiritu Sancto cap. 27. Such viands shall he provide that on that day while he hath leisure from external things shall seriously think with himself that this is not his Countrey but he an Exile and at length he must remove hence into Heaven the Countrey of all the faithful Augustine or whoever it was else affirms in the Book De decem chordis cap. 3. that a Christian is commanded to observe the Sabbath spiritually in hope of the future rest which the Lord promiseth And elsewhere The Lords Day being consecrated by the Resurrection of Christ doth not onely prefigure the eternal rest of the Spirit but body also Aug. de Civitate Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Christians therefore are on this day principally to think of this eternal rest taking an occasion from the rest of the Lords Day although as I said it be not properly instituted to signifie this rest as a type of that thing What Ignatius Epist ad Magnes delivers of the manner of observing the Sabbath may fitly be applied to the celebration of the Lords Day He would have every one to keep a Sabbath in a spiritual manner in meditating of the Law not in refreshing and releasing of the body and admiring the works of God which especially do agree to the solemnity of a Christian Sabbath on which Christians are to bend their care hither to recollect themselves and feed their souls with the pious thoughts of that eternal rest of which the Lords Dayes rest is an image according to Basil in the world to come by what means they can Therefore when the publick meeting was ended there followed also a pious meditation which very well agreeth to the sanctification of the Lords Day when the minds of men by hearing of the Word publick Prayers and other publick Offices of Religion performed on that day are inflamed with exceeding love to desire heavenly things And that the Ancients were of that mind the testimonies cited Book 1. Chap. 5. without me saying ought do bear witness For the Fathers as we have seen do acknowledge that the Lords Day was dedicated to Divine Worship and judged that nought was to be done on that day by Christians whether in their assemblies or after they were dismissed from them but what tended to the salvation of the soul This Origen alone for all will manifest Hom. 23. in Num. who while he shews in what things the observation of the Christian Sabbath consisteth bids in among other things to think of heavenly things to be careful about the future hope to have before our eyes the Judgment to come and not to look at present and visible things but at invisible and future These things do shew that pious meditation is of necessity to be had on the Lords Day by help whereof the minds of Christians may be carried up from earthly to heavenly things to the end that their conversation may be in heaven from whence they look for the Saviour Phil. 3. 20. even while they live on earth Chrysostom is earnest with his hearers Hom. 15. in Gen. that they would remember what was spoken in the Auditory and that they would weigh all things with themselves that what they had heard might settle in their thoughts Nor doth he ask this onely of them but doth also earnestly request it of God that not onely while they were present in the Auditory they would remember what he had said but that they would weigh them at home by themselves and in the market and wheresoever they did abide Hom. 5. ad Pop. Now if a Religious meditation on the Lords Day of what we have heard be a way to the eternal observation of a Sabbath in the Heavens for Christians for whom there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaineth a Sabbatism Heb. 4. 9. if they are to have before their eyes the future hope and the tremendous judgment on that day and to exhilerate their minds with the thoughts of a future life if they are to hearken to what is said with an attentive mind not onely while they are present in the Auditory but after their their departure thence where-ever they abide they be to call to mind what they have heard Lastly if those vigilant Fathers were earnest with God that their Auditors minds might be perswaded to do this all which are manifest by the cited testimonies then not without cause have we affirmed that when the publick assemblies are ended Meditation upon what we have heard is of necessity required of Christians Fourthly we read that Gifts which afterwards they called Collects were given on the Lords Day for the use of the poor So St. Paul gave order 1 Cor. 16. 2. That upon the first day of the week every one of you lay by you in store as God hath prospered him c. The Apostle did very fitly make choice of a day of a sacred assembly for gathering Almes on That the minds of Christians might by hearing the Word publick Prayers and holy Lessons had on that Day be the better inflamed to bestâ—â— them upon the poors use Add also the consent of the antient Church Justin Martyr Ap. 2. saith that when the Church was met on the Sunday there was a larger contribution as their ability would bear and what they so gathered they committed to him that was the Praepositus to be bestowed for the use of all that were
by God for the use of the Ministers of the Church they must of necessity grant that God hath appointed a time in which they must attend his worship to whom in their opinion he hath granted Tythes because it is the same authority that must both define the Worship and a fit time for performing of that Worship Now for establishing the Divine institution of this day we must not have recourse to that spurious scroul that as it 's reported in the third tome of Councils was sent down from Heaven to Hierusalem because that what things the Holy Ghost hath revealed to us in Scripture they do demonstrate it to all to be Divine of those that embrace the truth and for the fabulous fooleries about this matter we leave them to the Papists whose Kingdome had long since fallen without their support and we will briefly according to our manner examine what light may be brought out of the New Testament to manifest the truth in this matter Here three things come to be examined First Whether in the compass of every week must the Church keep holy a certain day by Gods institution Secondly Whether the Jewish Sabbath be abrogated Thirdly What can be brought out of the books of the New Testament to confirm the keeping holy the first day in the week The first of these is more obscure the other two may plainly enough be observed out of the Holy Scriptures and Fathers and one of them depends upon another Of the last many things have been observed out of the Scriptures in our second third c. Chapters but the truth about the two former Questions being made manifest by the testimonies of the ancients it will appear with little ado what is to be enquired into in the third place CHAP. VIII Within the compass of a week one day was sanctified from the beginning of the world this is affirmed both by Jews and Christians How Adam had need of the Sabbath The mention of observing the seventh day amongst the Heathens The authorities are weighed wherein the observation of the Sabbath among the Patriarchs is denied Why the Heathens are not upbraided with the abuse of the Sabbath AS to the first Question namely That in the compass of seven dayes one is to be set apart for spiritual operation as saith Chrysostom why should I fear to affirm it Especially since this opinion is approved by the suffrage of the greatest Divines and clearly enough taught by the manifest testimonies of the ancients We shall see that the Church of God since the History of the Creation was known did alwaies set apart one day of the weekly systeme for his worship the verity of which thing may be observed in the three Epocha's or junctures of years the first whereof is from the Creation to Moses the second from Moses till the Gospel was preached by the Apostles the third follows to be considered from that time till the end of the world in all which we shall find that one of the seven was alwayes set apart for the publick worshipping of God We read it was so done from the beginning of the world till Moses from Moses till the Resurrection of Christ from thence to this very day The controversie at this day is chiefly about the first and last Epocha none doubts of the second In demonstrating the first that the Sabbath was observed before Moses yea from the first beginning of the world both the Holy Scriptures and the Reverend Fathers their faithful Interpreters do attest it to prove the truth whereof we will first bring the authority of Moses which is had Gen. 2. 2 3. of which places divers have given the genuine sense and especially the Learned Rivet in Gen. and doth Orthodoxly enough defend his Exposition against those that think otherwise in his dissertation de Sabbato chap. 2. and removes a Prolepsis that is devised by the modern in commenting upon Moses's Text for Moses in the foresaid place doth not relate what God did when he writ the History of the Creation but what God did after that the stupendious work of Creation was finished namely that he ceased from creating any new work and ordained by a Law promulgated that the seventh day should be set apart by men to his worship in memorial of the Creation This is related by Moses Neither was that fore mentioned prolepsis which the best amongst the Christians allow not known to the Jews And if we follow the simple and literal sense of Moses his words they all make for us For how unjust is it when all the Verbs are of the same Mood and Tense Vajecol Vaijsboth Vajebarech and be finished and ceased and blessed to restrain the two former to the present and to extend the latter as some do to a time to come two thousand years after this would be too harsh a construction of the words But let us see how the Jews understood this place Tertullian tells us of them that they affirm that God from the beginning did sanctifie the seventh day by resting on it from all the works that he made and thereupon Moses said to the People Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day c. Where Tertullian delivers the Jews opinion of the Sabbaths observation from the beginning of the world and then he affirms that according to the Jews the Command in the Decalogue for keeping it respects the original observation of the Sabbath namely because God at the Creation sanctified the seventh day This was the opinion retained amongst the Jews in Tertullians age which he produces when he disputes against them and no where doth Tertullian deny that the seventh day was sanctified from the beginning Neither do the Jews themselves deny this The title of Ps 92. apud Jonath who translated the Bible into the Chaldee is thus A Praise and Song which the first man spoke for the Sabbath day From which inscription it appears that the ancient Jews even before the first coming of Christ thought that Adam observed the Sabbath For. Jonathan lived according to Galatinus forty two years before Christs Nativity Josephus a very learned Jew acknowledgeth that God rested on the seventh day and ceased from his works and for that cause do the Jews celebrate a vacation on this day which they call the Sabbath Josephus therefore confesses that the Jews ceased from their works on the Sabbath because the Lord ceased from the Creation on the seventh day Of the same opinion is Philo the Apostles contemporary After saith he that nature was perfected in six dayes the Father added honour to the seventh day following which when he praised he vouchsafed to call it holy Also de vita Mosis lib. 3. he confesses that the Sabbath day had a priviledge by nature since the birth day of the world And a little before in the same book he saith Moses thought it sitting that all those who were enrolled in this City should following the law of Nature
worship amongst men Wallaeus and Rivet have clearly taught this The former whereof in his third Chapter of the fourth Command doth teach this proving it by the grave testimonies of Luther Zuinglius Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Bullinger Zanchy Ursin Gualter Aretius Bonaventure Bertram Merrer Antonius Faius Junius Paraeus Zepperus Martinius and Alstedius To which the famous Rivet in his Dissertation de Sabbatho cap 1. adds the authorities of Lambertus Danaeus Rod. Hospinianus Martinus Chemnitius â—oh Gerhardus Conradus Pâ—eilen Henricus Butingus Bartasius Gonlartius Tilenus while yet he warred with us in our tents Marloratus and Fequernehianus Thâ—se two very learned Divines having deserved well of the Christian Common-wealth being compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses of great authority have made it evident to all that the observation of the Sabbath hath alwayes been used in the Church of God before Moses from whose judgment no man of reason will easily suffer himself to be perswaded to recede although one or two of the modern writers go contrary thereunto Touching which opinion after these men to say any more although it may be thought the part of a man that 's diligent in vain yet since this opinion being supported by the testimonies of so many famous Divines is weakened both by some reasons and also by the authorities of the ancients a few things more arâ— to be added These which follow are the chief of those reasons wherewith they do oppose the truth received of so many learned men In the first place Before the lamentable fall of Adam there was no need of the Sabbath on which his strength being spent with labours it was to be repaired Secondly Nothing is read in Scripture of the Patriarchs keeping the Sabbath Thirdly If the Sabbath had been observed from the Creation the Heathens had been obliged to observe it somewhere in the Scriptures they would have been accused by God for the neglect of the Sabbath w ch yet is no where read in H. Records These are the reasons which bear the greatest shew of probability for which they assert there was no use of the Sabbath before Moses in the world To the two first whereof the famous Wallaeus answers solidly To whose answer I only add this Since Adam could not conveniently attend at one and the same time two businesses of a diverse nature it seemeth not unreasonable that God assigned him a stated time for doing both in conveniently to the end he might both till the Garden freely and also solemnly celebrate the publick worship of God Moreover since we believe that the night was assigned to him in his happy condition of innocency wherein he might rest why should not also the day be appointed for a Divine contemplation of the works of God Lastly whereas the Saints themselves in that blessed Kingdome of Heaven do enjoy a perpetual Sabbath it will not be thought incongruous or disagreeable to the condition of Adam if the Sabbath were assigned to him in Paradice to worship God on although we read not that he did keep the Sabbath Some institutions are expressed in Scripture whose observation doth not constantly occurr in the same Neh. 18. 8. Those that returned from the captivity are read to make themselves tabernacles in which they abode which was not done before even from the times of Joshua to that very day although it was provided for in the Law Lev. 23. 40. And after the Law given by Moses about the Sabbath there is made no mention of its observation in the whole book of Judges c. yet none will thence conclude that the Sabbath was not instituted at that time because we meet with no footsteps of its festivity being observed Nor do we read that Sampson Deborah or Joshua did keep the Sabbath yet do we not deny upon that account that the Sabbath was instituted So also might it happen before the Law was given in the Mount And what if we say that the Aegyptians would not suffer the Israelites while they were their slaves to be idle on the seventh day Perhaps they gave place to necessity which Josephus tells us fell out also in the time of Antiochus When saith he the Jews were interdicted upon most severe punishments the observation of the seventh day within a very short time not only in Antioch but in the neighbouring regions the Sabbath was neglected Moreover it is read no where that Adam worshipped God publickly which yet we must conclude for certain he did We may judge the like of the Sabbath's not being observed of him because if he had the mode of worship prescribed him of God surely that a time was defined of God to exercise it in cannot rightly be denied although we read nothing of the express time for it is most agreeable to natural equity that as well the time for performance of the worship as the worship it self should be defined As to the third reason brought from the Heathens Some think if the Sabbath had been observed from the Creation then the Gentiles had been bound to celebrate its solemnity But this they deny for a double reason First because no footsteps of the seventh day's observation are found amongst them Secondly they are not reproved of God for neglecting the Sabbath To the first the learned VVallaeus answers loc praedicto that though it should be granted that the mentioning of it was obliterated amongst the Heathens it doth not thence follow that the use of the Sabbath remained not amongst the posterity of Adam or Noah so VVallaeus The searchers out of Hebrew antiquities tell us out of Maimonides that a corrupt religion grew up from the beginning of the world and so far received augmentations till at length the Divine Religion was almost turned upside down yet that great Rabbi hath excepted Enoch Melchisedech Noah Shem c. who worshipped the true God with a pure heart the truth of whose relation being bottomed on Scripture authority who will question If therefore the true Religion and that which was instituted of God and put into the minds of men hath ceased amongst the posterity of the Heathen in other chief points what wonder if amongst them also the observation of the Sabbath was not continued which yet was alwayes observed by the Church of God That the seventh day was celebrated amongst the Gentiles and that they observed it with a certain solemn devotion either from the instinct of nature or by a tradition received from the Ancestours from whom they descended or from a general knowledge of the Creation it self their very writings in express words do shew in which whoever will look into them he may easily find clear footsteps of a Sabbatical solemnity That the seventh day is sacred not only the Hebrews but also the Greeks know on which the universe of things animate and inanimate is turned about saith Clemens Alexandrinus which he proveth by the testimonies of Hesiod Homer Callimachus and
the Sabbaths of the Jews and by the names of Months New moons by years the computing of years according to the Jews The false Apostles did urge the Sabbath New moons and the other Feast dayes of the Jews because they were legal observations but the Apostle having pious bowels rolling within him doth seasonably admonish the Galatians that they should not yield to them in this business and so his labour in promulging the Gospel be in vain And to any that considers the circumstances of the Text it is a thing without controversie that the Apostle properly doth reprehend the Galatians because that after they had acknowledged and received the Doctrine of the Gospel in a Jewish manner to whom not only the day for the worship but also the celebration in its rest was of it self religious they had observed Feast dayes as if such a kind of observation were so necessary to the worship of God that by its neglect their salvation was in hazard Neither are the words of the Apostle so to be taken as if he only reprehended the Galatians for observing dayes on this ground that they might make a guess of the success of their actions as the Heathens did as St. Austin would have it Epist ad Januarium although in another place he interprets this place doubtfully Austin in Epist ad Cal. expounds it first of the Heathens custom and then of the Jews Also the Commentaries in Gal. attributed to Ambrose do interpret the place of the Apostle in the same manner but because the observation of dayes which was rejected of the Apostle was done according to those weak and beggarly elements Gal. 4. 9. i. e. as we said legal observations which the Galatians did seriously sue for being so taught of the false Apostles The sense of the Apostles words cannot be expounded according to the foresaid Fathers These sacred testimonies of the blessed Apostle do shew that the Jewish Sabbath was abrogated by Christs coming Nor do I dissent from the gravest Lights in the Churh in teaching the cessation thereof for with an-unanimous consent they do teach that the observation of the Jewish Sabbath is not to be imposed on Christians So Athanas Hom. de semente Homil. de Sab. Circumcis Cyprian would have the eighth day to be to the Christians what the Sabbath was which as he saith is as it were the Image of the Lords day August Ep. 118. c. 12. Ambros in Eph. 2. Chrysost in Cal. 1. Tertullian calls the Sabbath temporal which in time should cease Chrysostom confesses the same Hom. 12. ad Pop. Aug. l. 6. c. 4. contr Faust Manich. de Gen. ad literam lib. 4. c. 13. Hither also are to be referred other fore-cited testimonies of the Fathers which yield a testimony evident enough for the cessation of the Jewish Sabbath Now since these holy Fathers do assert that the precept of the Sabbath is not to be observed of Christians whether do they simply contend for abrogating the observation of the weekly Sabbath or only that it must not be kept on that manner and on the seventh day as the Sabbath was commanded the Jews Which is very worthy our consideration and the later seems to be intimated by the following examples Whereas the name is put upon the seventh day and the observation thereof ordained yet we saith Hilary do rejoyce on the eighth which is also the first the festival of the Sabbath being finished Therefore Hilary affirmeth not a simple abrogation but change of the Sabbath whose name we often meet with and the observation prescribed because he confesseth that Christians did observe the festival of the Sabbath though on the Sabbath day i. e. the seventh day from the Creation it was not done Tertullian while he disputeth that the Patriarchs did not acknowledge the use of the Jewish Sabbath yet he granteth the Sabbath which he calls eternal that is it was before the Law and must last when it ceaseth for no where doth Tertullian deny the sanctification of the seventh day from the Creation which the Jewes do assert St. Austin contr Faust Manich. whilst he teacheth that the Sabbath and Circumcision were figures saith it is no diverse doctrine namely ours from that of the Jews about the observation of the Sabbath but a different time it was one thing for these things that they must be foretold by figurative prophecies and another thing that they now must be fulfilled by the truth made manifest and accomplished Where Augustine confesseth that both the Jews and Christians observation of the Sabbath is grounded upon the same foundations of Doctrine though the same consideration of time be had amongst both Yea in another place he acknowledgeth that the command of the Sabbaths observation was more enjoyned to us than the Jews The 251 Sermon in August de tempore saith also that the glory of the Sabbath is transferred upon the Lords day that is the positive determination of the seventh day is changed which yet he affirmeth not is abolished For where there is only a mutation of a thing there is not an utter destruction of it Therefore according to the author of that Sermon the Law of the Sabbath is not vanished and made void so that by it we are not obliged to observe any Sabbath Origen grants that every holy and just man ought to observe the Sabbath's festival and he shews how this must be done neither doth he yet speak of that spiritual Sabbath of which we meet with frequent mention in the Fathers but of the Christian Sabbath which now is succeeded into place of the former Sabbath which he shews by the works that are to be done on that day Leaving therefore saith he the Judaical observations of the Sabbath let us see how the Christian ought to observe the Sabbath On the Sabbath day he speaks of the Lords day under that name he ought not to work any of all the worlds actions If therefore thou ceasest from all thy secular works and doest no worldly thing but attendest on spiritual works goest to the Church hearest godly Lectures and Treatises lookest not after present and visible things but at invisible and things future this is the observation of the Christian Sabbath This shews that Origen speaks of the Sabbath as it is to be observed of Christians and not of the spiritual Sabbath or else Christians all their dayes ought not to be troubled with their secular labours which Origen never thought on Athanasius saith that he observed the Sabbath day not as they in the first age Now what else meaneth the observation of the Sabbath in Athanasius but keeping it holy day by vertue of the command in the Decalogue about the Sabbath The image of the Lords day according to Cyprian went before in the Sabbath Whereby he infinuateth that the Lords day is to us what the Sabbath was to the Jews whose place it now supplieth in the
being withdrawn from the cares of temporal things its rest should be spent in spirituals as Chrisostom Hom. 1. de Lazaro Athanasius of the same judgment de Sabbat Circumcis for he saith the end of the Sabbath was the knowledge of the creation and not idleness that men keeping holy that day they might know God who rested on that day having finished the work of Creation In the third Council of Orleans it 's provided that men abstain from rural labour and they shew the end of this abstinence that they might go more easily to Church to pray Therefore by the very dictates of nature the Priests affirmed that Holy dayes were polluted if any work was done upon their proclaimed and moveable Feasts Numa Pompilius ordained that alwayes on the Priests Festivals the Cryers should go before them through the city who should give charge that men should rest and cease from their works He thought it was fit that he who worshipped the Gods should be freed from other things and in worshipping of the Gods to apply the mind as to a thing greatly conducing to piety Therefore the minds of men without a cessation from worldly things cannot be applied in a holy devotion to Divine Worship Handy labour saith Cyril is forbidden on a Feast day that you may exercise your selves more entirely in Divine matters The ancients thus ordained that we must cease on a Festival day from all secular works and no worldly thing is to be done on that day which may hinder its sanctification Now in worldly matters men are intent either upon gain or pleasure but here must be a cessation from both First and foremost the observation of the Lords day is not to be profaned by gainful labour for which cause it was provided for by the ancients that Christians should wholly abstain from all things whereby the body is either wearied or the mind alienated from divine to humane things Which clearly enough shews that they were not of that opinion which Austin reports Seneca sometimes was Seneca derided the Jews especially for their Sabbaths that lost the seventh part of their life time in idleness and did not many urgent affairs in their season Christians were not so intent upon their labour for profit as not to be pulled from it to attend Religion They would not give themselves up to their commodities when the season called for obedience When Origen describes how a Christian ought to observe the Sabbath he concludes nothing of worldly actions must be done and he must abstain from all secular works as we have observed before in Chap. 10. where we cited a place in which there is a truly golden and pious image of the Christian Sabbath which Origen divinely inspired hath happily drawn to the life as they say and in which are elegantly described what things are on that day by Christians to be followed and what to be fled while he teacheth us that leaving earthly works on the Lords day we must attend on Divine which that it may be done with greater advantage we must go to the Church in which he exhorts us to attend on the things of Religion and if men shall faithfully do this they will make it evident to all that they have a greater care of their hope for the future inheritance reserved in Heaven than of the profits of this present life Chrysostom confesses that the Lords day is free from business and labours and hath a rest appointed for it and elsewhere Hom. against those that run to playes he accuseth those that meddle with worldly cares on that day although they may pretend poverty necessity of getting food and other urgent occasions But although Chrysostom seems manifestly â—o think that gainful labour is not on the Lords day to be undertaken by Christians yet some make a question whether according to Chrysostom all the day or only so long as the publick assemblies of the Church are held there ought to be an abstinence from labours especially whenas he doth indulge his hearers when they are returned from the Church-assembly if they shall repeat the Scriptures and discourse of that which they have once heard then go to look after the things which are necessary for this life But I will set down the very words of the Father lest I should either keep in suspense the well-minded Reader or seem to darken the truth You must not saith he when you are returned from the Church-meeting intangle your selves in businesses contrary to this exercise but returning home straightway repeat the holy Scriptures and call your wife and children together to confer of those things that have been spoken and these things being fixed more deeply and thoroughly in their mind than to go and look after the things which are necessary for this life c. it never came into St. Chrysostom's mind who asserts that the Lords day should be free from labour and doth not so much as grant any on the Lords day to labour for getting food or avoiding poverty to give any liberty that they should freely attend any worldly affairs which hinder piety And he that sayes thus will do Chrysostom no wrong but rather he who affirms that he indulges men to use these kind of labours on that day which he often finds fault with will fasten the lye on him And I fear not to say this of them that so assert that by their crooked interpretation they do apply the words of that grave Father to quite another sense than Chrysostom thought of This will be evident with a small adoe to him that observes the cited place and compares him with other places that do occurr in him in which it is Chrysostoms purpose to check them who though in the Church they did attentively enough hear what was said yet being departed and forth with mingling themselves with their secular affairs do extinguish the fire of devotion which the Word praeach'd had kindled in them For this evil he prescribes this remedy that so soon as they are returned home they read the holy Scripture and commune amongst themselves about those things that were spoken which things being deeply fixed in their mind then to go and look after those things that they judge necessary for this life they may freely for him as afterwards Bedâ— relates after the exercises of piety are finished there was liberty to take care to refresh the flesh but to care for any other secular businesses than those that pertained to their sustenance he gave them no liberty Which also we read was done by Gunteramnus Baron 588. 26. Because first the very phrase of Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may in a sense commodious enough be expounded of things pertaining to life so Arrianus translates the words of Chrysostom even Trapezuntius one of Greece approving it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie life to which death is opposed or sustenance and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
on that day and thinks it is to be honoured with Divine Worship for the day which is called the Lords day is by right to be dedicated to the Lord. Constantine the Great about the year 300 ordained that all the Subjects of the Roman Empire should on those dayes called by our Saviours name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rest from all work So Sozomen lib. 1. cap. 8. Divers passages occurr amongst the ancients which shew that no earthly labour for the sake of gain is to be undertaken on that day which would be needless to run over severally since the premises demonstrate the truth to all that reject it not But lest any should be deceived in Can. 29. of the Council of Laodicea held before Constantines time I will add something to illustrate the true meaning thereof In which Christians are commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. that honouring the Lords day they should rest if they can as Christians By which exception if they can Zonaras on Can. 29. Conc. Laodic thinks that labour on the Lords day was prohibited all Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except the Husbandmans works to whom the civil Law grants an indulgence Whose opinion the patrons of labouring on that day do follow But in this doubtless Zonaras derives them and they others who adhere to his gloss For first the very words of the Canon shew that Christians as Christians ought on that day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rest whence it appears that labour on the Lords day is unlawful to Christians Now the exception which the Canon mentions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they can ought rather to be understood with a respect had to the time in which the Council was gathered than to performing namely of harvest labours For the Council was assembled before Constantine the Great entred upon the Empire at what time the inseriour sort of Christians were compelled by their heathen Lords to whom they were subject and not of their own minds to perform worldly works on that day as on others as a long time after that Council was congregated the Christians were forced to sit and see the playes for remedy whereof the Africans ordain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no Christian should be forced to those playes For their sakes therefore who were forced to labour by others was that exception added by the Laodicean Fathers not that labours used on that day were approved by them but because of those that were in bondage to others and by their severe authority or impetuousness compelled to undergo them on the Lords dayes I say for the comfort of these they put in this exception if any contrary to their minds were forced by others to do so Although divers that were stronger in the faith rather died for it than that they would any wayes violate the Lords day as formerly we heard out of Baronius under the reign of Dioclesian And that this which we have brought is the genuine sense of the Laodicean Canon divers authorities of Fathers before the Council of Laodicea wherein Christians are prohibited earthly labours do shew neither can there from thence any in this our age in which all God be thanked have given up their name to Christ take a pretence to defend the using of worldly labour on the Lords day since now it is the fashion as well of Masters as servants to rest from their labours on that day And secondly that Civil Law on whose authority Zonaras exposition depends was made by Constantine of which briefly anon wherein the countrey men had liberty freely to attend their countrey labours on the Lords day Now the Laodicean Fathers being gathered before the first Council of Nice could have no respect unto a law made some time after the meeting of their Council but are to be understood as I said according to the condition of that age in which the Christians although they of themselves rested from labours were by others compelled that had not yet embraced the Christian faith to undergo them In the second Council of Matiscon Can. 1. about the year 588. it is ordained that none give themselves to labours as on private dayes as they speak for this is in a rash manner to give up the Lords day to contempt But the words of the Canon come a little more narrowly to be examined lest at the first sight the Reader be imposed upon through some mens perverse interpretation of them First the Fathers ordain that if any have a Church near him that he betake himself thither These words are not so to be expounded as if none were bound to be present at Church-meetings but those that had neighbouring Churches at hand from which they that lived farther off might at their pleasure be absent He that will attentively read the beginning of that Canon will not say that this was the sense of the Bishops in that Council who had it put upon them by King Guntheramnus's command that by all means they could they look to that the Christian people should not in a rash manner give up the Lords day to contempt and therefore the Bishops admonished all Christians in this matter from which admonition they neither exempt Lawyers nor Countrey men nor the Clergy or Monks as the words of the Canon do shew And when Guntheramnus required it of them that the body of all the people should assemble on that day to exercise their devotion he decrees that those who set at nought this admonition should by right be corrected with canonical severity or the punishment of the Law If therefore he by his own authority according to the vigor of the Bishops decree allowed none a liberty to be absent from Church assemblies none can interpret the aforesaid words of the Canon as if only those that are near to Churches were bound to be present at them since all as well near as far off are bound by one and the same law when therefore they say if any have a Church near him it is the same with Let all go to the Church as afterwards in Concil Foroju Can. 13. Secondly Let none wonder that the Matiscon Fathers reciting the exercises of the L. Day in that Canon do there only make mention of Prayers Hymns as if there were no other exercises of piety besides Prayers and singing of Psalms to attend on that day for afterwards in the same Council they have ordained something of the Sacraments Can. 6. And Guntheramnus doth faithfully charge his Bishops that by frequent preaching they study to amend the people by Gods providence committed to their charge Therefore they declare that no offices of piety be pretermitted on that day Nor do they define those things only for the exercises of Hymns or Prayers but peradventure they mention hymns and prayers because they direct the Canon to the people whose part it was to attend these offices and celebrate the same and not to preach the Word Thirdly The
no weight and in very deed is foolish since not the diligence of husbandry but the virtue of the Sun when it seems good to the bestower of fruits doth afford the abundance of fruits because I say such a law is come forth as vilisies the Lords worship and is a decree differing from those that by the Holy Ghost have gotten the victory against all their adversaries we ordain also which seemed good to the Holy Ghost and the Apostles instituted of him that all persons cease from labour that day whereon our innocency was restored he speaks of the Lords day and let neither husbandmen nor any others go about any unlawful work on that day For if they who observed but a certain shadow and figure did so greatly reverence the Sabbath day that they wholly abstained from all labour how is it not reasonable for those who honour the light of grace and the truth it self to reverence that day which is of God enriched with honour and on which deliverance from shameful destruction was wrought for us Thus Leo Novel 54. Leon. And so according to that common Proverb The later day is scholar to the former what by too much facility which suited not with the Lords solemnity was formerly granted by them that followed who saw the inconvenience of the former liberty was afterwards amended In divers Councils also it was ordained that no rural labours should be exercised on that day as about the year 413. in one and the same year all servile and rural labours and markets are forbidden Concil Aceratensi 14. Can. 16. in Turonensi Can. 40. in Moguntino Can. 37. in Rhemensi Can. 35. in Conc. Aurelianensi 3. where they think fit to determine of rural work that is concerning husbandry or the vineyard or pruning or reaping winnowing or cutting hedge that coming to the Church they moght more easily attend upon prayer Can. 27. Also in Conc. Narbonensi cap. 4. it 's ordained that they should not yoke oxen In Concil Antisiodorensi Can. 16. It is not lawful to yoke oxen on the Lords day or to exercise other labours Also in Concil Calibonensi Can. 18. We define that none at all presume to work any rural labours on the Lords day that is to plow to reap make sale or any thing that pertains to husbandry But although these things do very abundantly shew that on the Lords dayes we are not to employ our work for gainful labour since as well they were to be punished by the supreme authority of the Prince as by the censure of the Church who did the contrary yet there are some who having no respect either to the worship of God or to the promoting mens salvation do affirm that Christians may on the Lords day safely attend any labours when the duties of the publick service are ended to establish which opinion they first wrest the authority of Hierom and them of the third Council of Orleans Hierom. in Epitaphio Paulae ad Eustochium tells us that the women returning from the Church on the Lords day with Paula were busie about their task and either made clothes for themselves or others In the Council of Orleans they determine that on the Lords day that to be lawful which was lawful before to be done only rural labours excepted Hence some gather that men are to cease from their labours no loâ—â—â—r on the Lords dayes than while collectam faciunt as Hierom there speaks But first let the Reader well weigh whether Hierom in that place may seem to speak of womens labour which they bestowed about their works on other than the Lords dayes and whether revertentes ab Ecclesia in him be the same as if he had said when they are not present at Church they are busie at work Nor doth this sense of Hierom's words want reason especially because Hierom sayes they went only to the Church on the Lords day And in another place Hierom contends that on the Sabbath he speaks to those whom Christ had made free not the Jews men should only do those things which pertain to the salvation of the soul Now if those women had on that day plied their labours they would have done somewhat that had not pertained to the souls salvation which by Hierom's judgment they should not have done And of others Hierom speaks who on the Lords dayes did only attend on Prayer and reading Epist. ad Eustochium de custodia virginit But Hierom sayes not this as if on the Lords day to attend the duties of piety had been only appropriated to the Coenobitae of whom he speaks and other Christians on that day had employed their work oâ—â—â—daily labours from which the Coenobitae ceased No by no means But the Holy Father doth distinguish the works undertaken by the Coenobitae on the Lords day from others which they undertook on the other dayes of the week on which they fell about stated works as he speaks and those being ended they attended on Prayer and reading also which thing they also did every day when they had ended their labours but on the Lords day they were intent on nothing else but the duties of piety Secondly If it should be granted that those women did attend their ordinary works on the Lords day it was proper to them onely and then what we must think of that fact appears out of St. Cyprian who while he affirms that the Aquarians did bottom on no author or will of Christ insinuateth this Doctrine to us namely that the custome of some men is not to be followed unless first we enquire whom they followed whose grave authority we may very fitly accommodate to the aforesaid women We are to consider not only what those women did but upon what authority they did it If they attended on the Lords day their daily works and labours they were invited thereunto neither by the authorities of Christ nor his holy Apostles nor the lawful practise of the Church which restrained Christians from those works And I believe no body of a sound mind will impose as a law on other mens shoulders a certain singular custome confirmed by no law or authority but contrary to the general practice of the whole Church especially when Hierom himself and other grave Fathers do conclude that nothing but the works of piety or of some emergent necessity is to be done on that day as formerly from their writings hath been observed We do with St. Austin commend a custom which is known to usurp nothing against the Catholick faith Thirdly Charles the Great in his Constitutions ordains that on the Lords day women sow not their clothes Now we prefer justly the religious ordinance of a pious Emperour depending upon various authorities of Ecclesiastical Canons to a custome of women confirmed by no antiquity Lastly I 'le only add this What if those silly women believed it to be a work of charity by the
which argument I will point at three things namely first I will shew what Scriptures were read in the Church-assembly secondly whose office it was to do this thirdly I will add something of the place out of which the Scriptures were read in the Church-assembly It is evident out of divers authors that those Scriptures were read by whose reading faith was nourished And that is thought by divers men of great name in imitation of the Jews by whom it was an ordinary thing to read Moses and the Prophets in the Synagogues every Sabbath day Acts 13. 15. and 15. 21. This custome of the Jews omitting ceremonials was not onely profitable to the Apostles who upon that occasion every where preached Christ in the Synagogues out of Moses and the Prophets Act. 13. 15. and 17. 2 3. but also was commended by the Apostles to Christians as often as the Church met namely that the writings of the old Prophets should be read and expounded by the modern Prophets 1 Cor. 14. 29. Origen also witnesseth although he be deceived in giving the cause for which this was enjoyned the Church of the Apostles that the Apostles ordained that the books of Jewish Histories should be read in Churches by the Disciples of Christ So he initio Hom. 15. in Josh Moreover there be some that gather out of 2 Cor. 8. 18. where the Apostle saith of Luke With Titus we have sent our brother whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches that not only the Scriptures of the Old Testament were wont to be read while the Apostles were alive but also of the Evangelists about the History and Sermons of Christ Where according to them we may not unfitly observe that even at that time the Gospel of Luke was wont to be read in Churches Paul is not afraid to adjure the Thessalonians that when that Epistle to them was finished it should be read to all the holy brethren 1 Thes 5. 27. and he requires the Colossians that they read the Epistle written from Laodicea and that they should cause that which he sent unto them to be read in the Church of the Laodiceans Col. 4. 16. And Eusebius out of Clement relates that Peter ordained that the Gospel of Mark was to be read in Churches So Euseb Hist l. 2. c. 4. and the same author our of Irenaeus asserteth that Matthew set forth his Gospel for the Hebrews in their own tongue while Paul and Peter preached the Word at Rome After the Apostles death the writings not only of the Prophets and Evangelists but of the Apostles themselves were read in the Church-assemblies as I have said from 1 Thes 5. and Col. 4. Justin Martyr saith that the writings of the Prophets and Apostles were read on Sunday in their assemblies Others afterwards confess the same thing Origen when he reckons up the works to be performed on the Christian Sabbath he mentions the sacred reading in their assemblies where also he speaks of Reading and Treatises and in Ex. Hom. 7. he saith The Lord alwayes rains down from Heaven namely when the holy Oracles were read as he afterwards explains it Manna on our Lords day whence he concludeth that the Christians Lords day is to be preferred to the Jewish Sabbath Tertullian confesses that the Church assembled for to remember those Divine things that were read And elsewhere amongst the Lords day solemnities he affirms that the sacred Scriptures were read de Anima c. 9. Cyprian mentions this reading Ep. 33. in which he writes to the Clergy and people of one Aurelius that was ordained a Reader of him to read the Gospel in the Church c. Eusebius acknowledges that both the Old and New Testament was read in Churches Ambros in Epist ad Soror Ep. 33. Aug. de Civitate Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. These things shew that the Scriptures both of the Old and New Testaments were read and in the fifty ninth Canon of the Council of Laodicea it is ordained that only the Canonical books should be read and in the sixtieth Canon they reckon up the names and order of Canonical Books of both Testaments The same provision is made in the 27th Canon of the Council of Carthage apud Zonar That beside the Canonical Scriptures nothing be read in the Church under the name of Divine Scripture Only they add the Books of Tobit Judith and Esther Yet this must not be concealed not only the writings of the Apostles and Prophets but of divers others who were famous for piety and of great authority in the Church were anciently read in the Church-assemblies Dionysius Corinthiacus apud Euseb reports that Clements Epistle ad Corinth was read on the Lords day Hierom. in Cat. Script Ecclesiast witnesseth that Effraemus Deacon of the Church at Edissa came to such renown that after the reading of the Scriptures his writings were publickly read in some Churches The sufferings of the Martyrs were also read upon their Feasts Concil Carthag Can. 50. But the Commentaries in which the Martyrs conflicts were described were only read over on those dayes whereon their memory was annually celebrated witness Zonaras in Concil Carthag Can. 50. And such humane writings as were read in the Church are to be understood chiefly of the Psalms and Songs which were devised of them to praise God by Eusebius mentions these lib. 5. cap. 28. and lib. 2. 17. Afterwards through the Devils subtilty tares sprung up in the Church and under pretence of these writings Hereticks sowed their false Doctrines which the Fathers in Trull Can. 2. observe in the Constitutions ascribed to Clement to which some things sorged and some things repugnant to Faith are annexed which evil that the Fathers might feasonably prevent they frequently ordained that no Books should be read in the publick Church-assembly but the Holy Scriptures much less that it ever should be safe through them that many dreams which they babled out with a rash attempt like old wife's dotages of vain-talking men should be read among the Holy Scriptures as afterwards by use it fell out because as we have seen they ordained that nothing but the Scriptures should be read in Churches Now for the order according to whose rule all reading of the Scriptures among the ancients was disposed we meet with a few things to be observed out of their Records Whether namely in the primitive Church there were selected parts of the Scriptures which they read or as it was familiar with the Jews on their Sabbath-dayes they read the Scripture in order as the Lords dayes returned till they had finished that work this I say is not certainly known onely what parts of Scripture they read they explained the same for the peoples use as the necessity of the present times did require Tertul. apo c. 39. Ambr. l. 5. ep 33. But afterwards it doth appear that there was an order observed in reading the Scriptures St. Austin mentions the order observed by
DIES DOMINICA OR THE Lords Day Ignat. Epist. ad Magnes After the Sabbath let all that love Christ celebrate the Lords Day as being consecrated to the Lords Resurrection the Queen and Princess of all dayes THE Lords-Day OR A SUCCINCT NARRATION Compiled Out of the Testimonies of H. SCRIPTURE and the Reverend Ancient FATHERS and Divided into Two Books In the former whereof is declared That the observation of the Lords Day was from the Apostles and by the Christian Church solemnized in a continual series that its Institution was Divine and what things do hinder its solemnity In the Later is shewn In what things its Sanctification doth consist In both which also Several Ecclesiastical Antiquities not unworthy to be known are explained Lately Translated out of the Latine Aug. de verb. Apost Serm. 15. The Lords Resurrection hath promised us an eternal day and consecrated for us the Lords Day which is called the Lords Day because it seemeth to belong properly to the Lord. Acta Martyrum apud Baronium an 303. n. 37 c. The Martyrs being called into judgment and ask'd of the Proconsul Whether they had done their Collect or celebrated the Lords day answered with the same words often repeated that they were Christians that they had done thes Lords Collect and celebrated the Lords Day with a congruou devotion of Religion because it could not be intermitted London Printed by E Leach and are to be sold by Nevil Symmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1672. TO THE READER Reader IN the midst of our distractions confusions and desolations our declinings and the increase of wickedness in the land it would be no small reviving to our hopes if we could but procure a more general and conscientious observation of the Lords day I mean not a Judaizing Touch not Taste not Handle not Go but a Sabbath dayes journey Heal not on the Sabbath day Rub not the Ears of Corn to eat c. but a holy diligence all the day in learning the Will of God in reading and hearing his Word in singing and speaking out his praises in calling upon his name in the Communion of Saints in the Sacramental Commemoration of the Death and Resurrection of our Saviour till he come Nor do I mean the preferring of the Name of the Sabbath before the naming of it The Lords Day But the real separation of it for these Holy works from all works that are common and unclean not calling that unclean which God hath cleansed but avoiding all unnecessary things which are a true impediment to the duties of the day and to the edification and comfort of our Souls Could we but procure a general Conscience of this Holy day and work Oh what a blessed means would it prove to the increase of knowledge and holiness among us How could men spend one day of seven in the serious reading and hearing of Gods Word and not grow in the understanding of it How could they spend each week a day in hearing heavenly discourses and in holy prayers praises and thanksgivings and not become themselves more holy if they did this in good earnest and not with hypocritical formality Where there is a profitable publick Ministry what a furtherance would this be to its success Where there is not O what a supply would this be in Families If Parents and Masters did but spend the day in Catechising their Children and Servants and reading to them the Word of God and holy profitable Books and in praying singing of Psalms and fruitful Conferences how much would it make up the loss of a profitable Ministry where there is none But I confess for those many thousand families where none is able thus to Read or Pray the case is hard in these times when they dare not come to their neighbours families that can help them But O that the love of our souls were as strong as natural self-love is in the preservation of our lives If prohibited persons did put the case to me Whether it were lawful for them against their Rector's wills to go beg bread at their neighbours houses rather than famish or feed on grass I think their resolutions would anticipate my answer And if he have not the love of God in him who seeth his brother in need and shutteth up the bowels of compassion from him I may inferr that he neither rightly loveth God nor himself who will suffer his Soul and Family to famish and deny God his Worship and spend the Lords own Day unprofitably and think it a sufficient excuse to say I was forbidden and man must be obeyed Nor will it excuse Neighbours from helping one another who live out of the reach of publick helps as alas too many do especially in the remote parts of the Kingdome to cast the blame on negligent Ministers or to cry out It is the Prelates that famish so many souls nor to complain of the silencing of Faithful Teachers For every man hath his own part to do in building up the City of God And if you do not your own work you do but condemn your selves while you complain of others Was that your Covenant with Christ that you would serve him if others did or if none forbad you or else not If others perform not their duty will you sin for company and yet condemn them If you think they do ill why will you imitate them If well why do you blame them Do you cry out of silent or unprofitable Ministers and do you think that silence and unprofitableness in the Governour of a Family is no crime What if all the rest of the Town denied food or cloathing to the poor Would your obligation to feed and cloath them think you be the less or the greater As ever you would have your families to be under the blessing and protection of God and not exposed to the miseries of such as he forsaketh see that you dedicate them as holy Societies to God and set up his Government over them and his worship among them especially in the Holy Improvement of the Lords Dayes And I take it to be a merciful and comfortable prognostick that God hath suddenly stirred so many to write on this subject and to confute all that is said against this duty And some more are ready if not hindred shortly to come forth Among them all I take this Book to be of singular weight and worth which having declared in my own lately published on this subject it hath occasioned many to enquire after it and a worthy Knight who had this Translation by him to be willing to publish it I confess I intended no more than to provoke the Learned to take more notice of the Book as it is in the Latin Tongue For being strong in the testimonies of Antiquity and the opening of Church-customes on which as an historical evidence of fact I laid in this controversie no small stress I thought it fittest for the perusal of the Learned But seeing it
of mind that the State of his Kingdom waxed worse and that he fought with unhappy success against the Goths the source of so great an evil being a little more deeply sought out he reproved the Bishops which sed not with Gospel Doctrines the people committed to them who by their profligate manners stirred up the wrath of a revenging God against him to prevent which evil for the future it was ordained in a Council That the Lords day should be kept religiously The pattern of this most Christian King while the victory in this our age inclineth to the enemies perswades us devoutly to keep the L. day solemnity for which we have â—ought unsuccessfully almost these twenty years against the enemies of our liberty that have roared in the Churches of God to our great sorrow When we count the causes of this will why should we not apply our minds with Gunther amnus to bewail the heynous violation of the Lords day and with the ancient Fathers who observed that the Lords day was not reverently kept ordained That first of all the Priests then Kings and Princes and all the Faithfull should chiefly see to it that the due observation and Religious Devotion of so great a Day now in so great a part neglected be hereafter for a sign of Christianity more devoutly exhibited and that the Christian Magistrates excellency be humbly desired of the Priests that in honour and reverence of so great a Day all may be put in fear that men presume not to keep markets do their own pleasure and works on this Holy and Venerable Day For when this solemnity is either taken away or neglected there is no more hopes of the other parts of Religion than there is of the bodies safety when the head is cut off Neither can there be used a more excellent remedy for curing the other malady than the holy observation of this Festival for the zeal of Religion waxing cold and purity of holy Doctrine being obscured what will be more fit to heal errours and stirr up the languishing strength of zeal than that an entire Worship be offered up both publickly and privately to God on this day while the holy Word of God is piously preached attentively heard the Sacred Mysteries devoutly and according to Christs institution celebrated Prayers poured into the hearts of the Faithful by the Holy Ghost are with all humility offered up to God Sacred Hymns sound in the Church with a godly joy the afflicted members of Christ and the poor provided for bountifully by the rich and those that are sound in mind do mercifully comfort them that are sorrowful These are those exercises of the Lords Day which will uphold Religion when it is falling which if they be religiously observed of the Church every one seeth how great an access will be made from thence to the Christian Religion which we all profess And these are the things Most Holy Church of Christ which in this elaborate Treatise I do not utter foolishly of my self but humbly offer all things to Thee as they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures where they afforded me any light in discussing of this dispute and the lights of purer Christianity not because as sometime Chrysostome Homil. post prioris exilii reditum Thou stand'st in need of my Doctrine which indeed I acknowledge to be but small but that I might testifie my good will to thee and that at length thy natural Sons to whom Religion is both their care and their pleasure may in some sort see what works they are to attend on that Day and from what to abstain and with what authority the institution of this solemnity is supported With Gods assistance I will briefly shew from the Holy Scriptures and Fathers of better credit asserting all these things Thou hast therefore most Beloved Mother the purpose of my mind in sending forth this little work Do thou then of thy humanity to thy friends pardon the mistakes how great soever they be in collecting these things and take in good part the slenderness of my wit which endeavoured according to its power to benefit chiefly thy natural sons that sojourn in Germany which I love upon many accounts This doth he humbly ask of thee Who loves Thee and Thine with a sincere Love in Christ Theophilus Philo-kuriaces Loncardiensis AN INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS BOOK 1. THe Preface in which first is propounded the Scope of this Treatise Secondly is shewn why we meet with more things about the duties of the Lords Day in the later than in the former Councils Thirdly how far the Church at this day may be obliged by the authorities of Provincial Councils that ordain these duties although some things of lesser value be put among their Canons Fol. 1. Chapter 1. That to the solemn Worship of God a determined time is necessary Concerning the Assemblies of the Apostles and how they were present in the Jewish Synagogues on the Sabbath day 1. Chap. 2. The ordinary time observed for celebrating the publick worship of God after Christs death was the Lords day solemnly used by the Christian Church in the very Apostles age Three Texts of the New Testament namely Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. and Rev. 1 10. are briefly weighed 14. Chap. 3. After the Apostles death the Church met upon other dayes than the Lords The antient Christians observed the Sabbath not as an holy day the differences between the observation of the Lords day and Sabbath How Constantine the Great ordained the Parasceve to be observed Anniversary Festivals were not celebrated with that solemnity as the Lords Day Anniversary Festivals not to be preferred to the Lords days anciently they bowed not the knee on the Lords Day 30. Chap. 4. The chief of the Fathers make mention of the Lords day solemnity the authority whereof depends not upon the Emperours Constitutions When it was first ordained that Judges should cease from hearing Law-suits on the Lords day the Christians were punished for observing it VVhat it is Dominicum agere 52. Chap. 5. The reason of observing the Lords Day It 's called the first day of the week by the Evangelists and Fathers and the Lords day Sunday also and why the Sabbath and Christian Sabbath VVhy the Fathers used so seldome the name Sabbath VVhat Synaxis may signifie with the Ancients 66. Chap. 6. The whole Lords Day is to be sanctified to God and not onely some part thereof 77. Chap. 7. The ordinance of the Lords day is not properly to be reckoned amongst unwritten Traditions It was instituted of Christ by the Apostles The Apostles prerogatives above other Ministers of the Church the things ordained by the Apostles are of Divine right 90. Chap. 8. In the compass of a week one day was sanctified from the beginning of the world This is affirmed by Jews and Christians How Adam had need of the Sabbath Mention of a seventh day observed amongst the Heathen The authorities are weighed wherein the observation
ordained that what sometime the Priest Abimelech asked of David 1 Sam. 21. 4. that should 〈…〉 done by Christians on the Lords Day So in the Council of Friuli Can. 13. this is reputed by some for a trifle Concerning which thing it yet troubled not St. Paul to make a Canon for the married in case of Prayer and Fasting 1 Cor. 7. 5. Put for that part of Friuli's Canon wherein it 's ordained to abstain from our Wives on that day whether it was added by the Fathers or foisted into the Canon by some Sciolist on the Marginal explication of a Carnal work I dispute not I onely assert this if it be their grief that trifles repugnant to the Word of God are obtruded on the Church of Christ in this I commend and accept very well their temper who set at nought whatever point is dissonant from the Holy Soâ—iptures however approved in the judgments of many men but if under the name of trifles as they call them they shall reject those Canons that contradict not the reverend authority of writers I cannot approve their fact in this at least I would be taught this thing of them which they may find out by the whole huge Volume of Councils All the things therein ordained are not approved now adayes by all and yet those Councils are not therefore rejected by wise men Some things enacted in the first Council of Nice which have come to our hands if the authentick acts of the Council have not perished through the injury of time or cunning of the Arrians are over orude which savour not of Athanasius Ofius or Paphnatius's wit and other approved Fathers which were present at the Council and which things are now also antiquated shall we therfore judge all things in the reverend Council which hath so many witnesses to be rejected far be it from us In that Council also it 's ordained that there must be no bowing of the knees on the Lords Dayes or from the Passover to Pentecost in pouring out prayers to God Perhaps there will be some that will think this ordinance worthy derision rather than observation who will not yet for that cause reject the Council Once in a Council at Trulla Spiritual affinity as they call it was forbidden yea there we read an injunction for the fifth Canon says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. for avoiding ridiculous jesters and other spectacles at any time but at this day they esteem it a trifling Canon who judge those tumblers to be rejected not alwayes but even on the very Holy day do permit Christian people to be present at the childish arts of tumblers when the publick exercises of Religion are ended and yet they refuse not all the Canons of that Council I can bring forth many more other examples of Canons determining small matters but I 'le spare this labour At least I add but this when in Provincial Councils of every Province Questions were handled Conc. 1. Constantinop Can. 2. T. 1. p. 510. and nothing was brought to the General Council but what could not fitly be determined in the Provincial it was needful for the Fathers to determine of the propounded questions of what kind or weight soever they were and so if any minute things which by some are reckoned trifles do occurr in the Canons they are rather to be ascribed to others who propounded them to the Fathers assembled in Council than to them determining of them These are the rocks which in the following Treatise by Gods help shall be more clearly explained in their places of which things most courteous Reader I judged it expedient to admonish thee before I dismiss thee to read it over lest in any place thou be at at a stand In which things having briefly prefaced by Gods assistance I hasten to my purpose THE Lords-Day THE FIRST BOOK In which is demonstrated the Solemnity and Antiquity of the Lords Day CHAP. 1. That to the Solemn Worship of God a determined time is necessary Concerning the Assemblies of the Apostles and how the Apostles and other Christians were present in the Jewish Synagogues on the Sabbath Day THat some certain time is to be assigned by Divine Institution on which men ceasing from common affairs are diligently to bend themselves to Divine Worship for Gods glory and the Churches good although no Religion be placed in Holy-dayes I think to be without controversie the custome received amongst Nations of all Ages that namely at a stated time and upon certain dayes all should meet to invocate and worship that Deity which they took for their supreme doth witness this and reason it self doth require the same Conventions also for performing exercises of Piety were alwayes used by the Christian Church in which said exercises it practised what pertained to godliness and the worship of God for which cause the Apostle Heb. 10. 25. allows not of that readiness in Christians to forsake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. that coming to the Synagogue or meeting together and if Christ disdained not to come himself to the Temple and the Jews Synagogues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 4. 16. 1. As his custome was who will he be that shall think the places dedicated for the Churches assemblies are not to be gone unto by Christians But the necessity which Chrysostom at large decyphers de verbis Isaiae of these Assemblies of which more afterwards being admitted we must at this time briefly enquire out the fit season without which the exercise of Divine worship cannot fitly be acted in them for holding of them for the best sign of the time which was solemnized by the Church must be observed from the publick conventions which were held for performing of the Duties of Religion The time assigned for Divine worship amongst the ancient Christians was either extraordinary or ordinary solemnly to celebrate the extraordinary time they were called upon only by an extraordinary occasion when it sell out so while the Apostles were living Luke tells us Acts 12. that many were gathered together in Maries house during St. Peter's imprisonment and for his sake poured out Prayers continually 10 God the occasion of which convention was extraordinary yet did they not therefore intermit the ordinary time of meeting the ancient writers do also witness that such were the meetings of the Christians after the Apostles times when a just occasion was offered who as often as persecutions or publick calamities sell out they then joyned Prayers in their meetings congregated on that occasion and so as it were by making a band in their Prayers to God they compassed him about as they prayed which thing we read was done by the Apostles and Church Acts 4. 23. 31. When the Elders of the People forbad the Apostles they should not preach Christ the Church poured forth Prayers to God The ordinary time for the exercises of Piety was at which they attended Divine worship upon a stated and determinate day to
nata have so named that day but when they speak of it properly then they call it the Lords day which cannot but appear to him that vieweth their writings And thus far of the reason of observing this solemnity and of its names CHAP. VI. The whole Lords day is to be sanctified to God and not onely some part of it THus far these notes although scribled with an hasty pen have told us that Christians must keep holy the Lords day and that they largely enough shew was done from the very Apostles age The second Question which I have propounded follows namely Whether the Church must keep the whole Lords day holy Some there are who grant that the Lords day must be sanctified yet contend that the whole and entire day is not to be celebrated in the religious devotion of Piety in whose judgment as much as this solemnity requires is done if onely some although but some small part thereof be dedicated to Divine Worship neither do they judge otherwise of the Lords day alwayes to be counted dear amongst Christians than the Heathens anciently did of those dayes amongst them called intercisi which were common to the Gods and men for at some hours of them it was lawful to sit in judgement and in some not But who well in his wits shall judge that a day in this manner is to be dedicated to the Good and Great God The Lord hath not reckoned the other dayes of the week thus for our use neither will he suffer willingly his day to be sanctified of us by halves It was provided under the Law that if any had by vow consecrated a thing to God and he afterwards repented of his vow and would not suffer that thing to be sold or prized openly but determined to keep it to himself then was he to be fined in a fifth part over and besides the ordinary estimation of the thing for his levities sake If nothing must be diminished of those things that are dedicated to God although once they were in our own power much less will it be safe to detract any thing from the time consecrated to God but rather add something to it of our own for what is consecrated to God must not be be converted to another use Therefore they that compare the Jews inhabiting Tiberias with others that dwell in the Mountains do judge those and deservedly far to be preferred to these for it was a familiar thing with them who had the shorter day to add something of the profane to the sacred but these that were sited in the Mountains who had the longer day added to the profane taking something from the sacred If it be better in those mens judgment to add of the profane to the sacred than to take from the sacred and add to the profane in what case are they to be reckoned who are not afraid to steal a great part of time from the Lords day consecrated of the Lord by his Apostles to sacred uses and apply it to profane Yet although some here impatient of true Piety do seek a knot in a bulrush as the Proverb is yet by these mens leave I will say He that will follow the wholsome counsel of Irenaeus shall indeed find it is no Gordian Knot Irenaeus gives pious counsel in any question when a disputation doth arise we must have recourse to the most ancient Churches from whom may be learned what we must judge of the present question Indeed if we would but here follow the advice of this Reverend Prelate it will be an easie thing to untie that knot by the authorities of the ancients In the first place when the Fathers speak of sanctifying a day they make mention not of some small portion thereof but of a whole day and to what end should not a day consist of the same termes with us as it did with the ancients Since Austin piously teacheth us that in the equality of all modern years and dayes which have terminated in the same space of time in former ages as have now being determined within the diurnal and nocturnal course of twenty four hours there is the same space of time with the former And for what he addeth of the forty dayes whereon continual great rain is mentioned which were not determined in the space of two hours or little more the same we may safely conclude of the Sanctification of the Lords day since it consists of the same term of hours that other dayes in the week do the manner of its solemnity is not to be judged by the space of two or three houres Nor doth Austin think otherwise if that Sermon may be reckoned among his genuine writings who judgeth that on the Lords dayes we must attend Divine worship only and exhorts to celebrate the Lords day with a religious solemnity as the ancients were commanded about the Sabbath yea and not without indignation doth he reprove those that refused to follow the custom of the Church in this thing who as he speaketh reckon one point of this day to the service of God and the remaining space of the day together with the night to their pleasures According to the grave judgment of this Author whoever he was the entire day and not some small part of it is to be assigned to the service of God and that according to the custom of the Church and though he differ from some others in defining the period of time at which the sanctification of this day should begin namely from Evening yet hath he others agreeing with him in the continuance of this sanctification for before him Origen upbraids some that reckoned one or two hours of the whole day to God and came to Church to Prayer or heard the word of God in transitu but spent their chief care about this world and their belly The same thing doth St. Chrysostom require who thinks that the whole day must be sanctified I think saith he that one of these seven dayes and that of right is to be spent in the worship and service of the God of us all Hom. 3. in Joh. Chrysostom shews that a day must be sanctified and he his own best interpreter will teach us what he understands by the name of a day From the beginning sayes he God insinuated this Doctrine to us teaching us that in the compass of a week one whole day is to be set apart and reserved for our spiritual work Hom. 10. in Genes From his authority it also appeareth that a whole day and not some small portion thereof is to be set apart from other affairs to perform the duties of piety thereon in a spiritual manner The same author more plainly doth seriously contend with his Auditors in another place for sanctifying the whole day Hom. 5. in Math. The Sabbaths according to Irenaeus did teach persevering to serve God the whole day what other thing doth perseverantiam totius diei mean but that a
whole day must be reserved as Chrysostom before to spiritual work As afterwards the Fathers in Conc. Turonensi do speak being sequestred from servile work to persevere in praising God and giving of thanks No otherwise then as anciently among the Romans the daily sacrifices were continued from the beginning of the day to the middle of the following night But I will not weary the Reader by rehearsing apart the testimonies of the several Fathers in a matter so clear whose writings he that will but lightly look into shall grant that a whole day according to their opinion must be assigned to perform religious exercises upon which will better appear from those rules that occurr in their writings for the sanctification of this day three whereof I will not refuse to reckon First they exhort the Church to regard on that day the things that pertain to their souls salvation where Hierom accommodates as he shews in the following words what the Prophet speaks of the Sabbath to those whom Christ hath made free And if any have a mind to see what it is to regard the things that pertain to the souls salvation the fourth Canon Conc. Tarraconensis will inform him namely that men on the Lords day only perform to God the appointed solemnities and what should be done on them we have formerly heard ex Turonensi Concil namely that they should abstain from servile work and persevere to the evening in giving of thanks But lest any one should grant that those exercises of Piety are to be done on that day whenas yet he might deny that the whole day were to be spent in them therefore the Fathers add Secondly That excepting those things that pertain to the fouls salvation nothing else at all must be done on that day So Hierom Austin Conc. Tarracon in the fore-cited places with whom agree also the Fathers in the Council of Friuli who ordain that on the Lords day the vacation must be to no other purpose but for Prayer and other offices of piety And in the Council of Paris it is ordained that it 's convenient for those that are redeemed by the grace of Christ to abstain on that day whereon the Author of Life rose again and gave them hope of a Resurrection from these things that are fore-mentioned i. e. from this worlds pleasures and their own and rural works as there they speak and be filled onely with spiritual joyes and busily vacant with all their heart in restless praises The same particle of restriction is added in Conc. Triburiensi Can. 35. where they ordain that it 's the peoples part on the Lords dayes only to labour in the holy service of God And afterwards they add that they must only attend on God on the Lords dayes Greg. Mag. shews also they were wholly to be employed in prayers on the Lords dayes Thirdly they do not only think that this 〈…〉 must be religiously kept and wholly â—â—ployed in the worship of God on it but â—hey farther do define the term of time which they must spend in the work thereof namely a whole day So Chrysost Hom. 10. in Gen. and Hom. 5. in Math. Let your eyes and hands be spread out to God all that whole day This is to persevere in performing its services until the evening Concil Turon 3. cap. 40. Or as in Conc. Trull cap. 90. From the evenings ingress to the Altar on the Sabbath till the following evening on the Lords day Now if in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established the premises do evidently enough shew that the sanctification of all the day is required since that not only the Fathers do determinate that we must cease from our worldly matters and attend on God but moreover that nothing must be done but a work of Piety on all that day that is from the beginning to the end thereof Neither do I think good to confirm the truth in this matter by reasons over and besides these testimonies that are not to be contemned although they be not to seek wherewith to stop the mouths of dissenters if they be angry and the entire sanctification of the whole day may be vindicated against the too earnest seekers of a profane liberty First As if the day be commanded to be held holy by common sense it follows that a day not some hours is to be sanctified So Aug. Serm. 251. de Temp. Secondly Moreover if there were any term of that dayes holiness before the day it self were determined then such a term would appear either from the Scriptures or from some of the Fathers piously interpreting them but what no where is extant he that can shew it Erit Mihi Magnus Apollo The Ancients who thought good to fast on the Sabbath sometimes continued their fasts to the ninth hour which being past they were not afraid to relaxe their fast and refresh their strength with meat Socrat. Hist l. 5. c. 22. And sometimes till the Cock-crow of the Lords day growing light as in the Sabbath of the great week as Epiphanius teaches in Panario When therefore they judged that they must simply fast on the Sabbath then they added nothing of the termes of the fast before the Sabbath it self ended but because some judged that they must not abstain on all Sabbaths for a whole day from meats therefore they signified how long their fast was to last We may say the same of the Lords day's duration if the Church must not keep holy day by a Religious solemnity from worldly affairs for a whole day then the term without whose knowledge the Church-would be ignorant how long the day were to be sanctified and the minds of men would stick pendulous of this solemnity would some way be known to us from the Scriptures nor would the Holy Ghost have passed it by untouched and formerly we have observed from their writings that the Fathers would determine nothing to be done on this whole day that is from the Sun-rising to the setting but what relates to Piety who being excited with an holy zeal have exploded the half sanctification of the Lords Day Thirdly If the glory of the Jewish Sabbath be translated to the Lords day which is not denied of the Fathers I do not see why we should not interpret this day in the same manner as it was prescribed about the Sabbath to the worshippers of God in old time for to the Jews and that by Divine authoritie it was given in command that they being sequestred from all worldly business through the whole Sabbath should attend Divine Worship alone With what face therefore and upon what authoritie relying can Christians bestow their Lords day or any part thereof in worldly affairs setting aside the worship of God let them look to 't that have a care of their salvation This reason hath the most pious Leo approved with his judgement and authority for
saith he if they that did observe a certain shadow and figure did so greatly reverence the Sabbath Day that they wholly abstained from all work how is it not fitting that those should reverence that day that is honoured of God who love the light of grace and the truth it self 4. Lastly the rule of equity and justice requires the same if we look at what time the Lord hath indulged us for our uses whose large benevolence hath allowed us six whole dayes to overcome the labours of this world and dispatch our own business with Why should it therefore be tedious to us weighing this in an equal ballance for to set apart one whole day for his praise and sincere worship Neither can any one think this an absurd form of arguing who shall but observe Chrysostom arguing in this matter from the duty of servants towards us to our observance towards God he judgeth it ridiculous if we would have our servants alwayes employed in our business and and we give no service to God And we likewise contending for the sanctifying of the whole day do say that it is much more ridiculous if we should reckon those dayes for whole ones which are allowed us to dispatch the affairs of this life in for our use and interpret a day set aside for Gods worship by Divine authority not an entire one but a small part thereof to be dedicated to Divine worship It would be ridiculous yea plainly impious to arrogate to our selves and our affairs what we refuse to bestow on God Chrysostom judgeth it an irreligious thing to consume six dayes in carnal and be unwilling to spend one in spiritual matters So also Leo in the foresaid place How is it not the part of a wholly dissolute Religion whereas one of the seven dayes is consecrated to the honour of God not to preserve it inviolate to God but to make it common But we must not contend with reasons but testimonies for the prejudices of some men who condemn the truth in this matter as novelty and he that shall undervalue the foresaid testimonies of greatest authority will esteem at little reasons although every way valid like the Leviathan that esteemeth iron as straw and brass as rotten wood And therefore I will put an end to this labour And thus far being furnished with the authorities of the ancients I have taught you that they have stood for sanctifying of the whole day which they have judged necessary for the Church How the sacred Exercises of Divine worship performed on that day were so disposed that in performing thereof the whole day was spent by the ancients when I shall speak of the sanctifying of the Lords Day then by the grace of God shall be made manifest CHAP. VII The Ordinance of the Lords day is not to be reckoned amongst unwritten Traditions It was instituted of Christ by the Apostles The Apostles prerogatives above other Ministers of the Church Things ordained of the Apostles are Divine WHen the Jews had observed John to use another form of Doctrine than was commonly received and to begin a new Ceremony of Baptisme they ask who he was i. e. by what authority he did set upon these new things and unheard of in former ages that being informed in that thing they might in time consider what they should do So since that we have found out of Scriptures and Fathers that the Lords day was solemnized by the Church under the Gospel insomuch that mens minds are to be masculously applied to the duties of Piety not on the last as under the Law but first day of the week a question is made by what authority Gods Holy Church doth this thing For it was not so kept holy from the beginning from whence even till the happy Resurrection of our Saviour the Lord commanded that the Seventh day in every week should be held holy and for sanctifying the first day of every week divers men seek for a command which they confidently enough cry out is not extant in all the holy Scriptures and divers more other wise Divines of great note do greatly toyle in heaping up arguments whereby to enervate the Divine Authority of this day It is an ordinary thing with sundry of the Papists although some amongst them especially of the School-men do think otherwise who strenuously contend for unwritten Traditions on whose weak authority as on a solid foundation many of their dotages are grounded to reckon up the observation of the Lords Day among this sort of Traditions which cannot be fince the mention thereof doth so often occurr in the Sacred Word of God Whilst the most learned Dr. Whitaker doth studie soberly to prevent as his manner is this errour of the Papists he is scourged of Gretser Yet the learned Vedelius in his notes upon Ignatius doth strongly defend Whitaker against the vain fooleries of Gretser Others contend that the Lords day should be held solemn â—ure divino Lastly Others do acknowledge it received from Apostolical ordination We will by Gods assistance shew that solemn celebration of the Lords day was instituted of God by the Apostles The Holy Scriptures do testifie that the Lords day was observed of the Church while the Apostles were yet alive nor is there much doubt of this observation This is the onely thing as I said of which the question is Whether this solemnity was instituted of the Apostles or of the Church according to that power allowed them by the Lord And if it be ascribed to the Holy Apostles Whether they of themselves and by their own authority or by Divine command have prescribed it to the Church since the observation of the Lords day grew in use with the Church of Christ while the Apostles were yet alive it seems equitable and agreeable to sound reason to take them for the authors of this observation because the chief care of Ecclesiastical Government was by God devolved upon them every one whereof as a wise master-builder laid a foundation upon which their successors builded and all other modern Doctors of the Church how great soever they were gave place unto them Ignatius for that reason saith of himself I do not command as an Apostle And elsewhere in an Epistle Ad Philadelphienses he doth not challenge Apostolical authority to himself Neither would Ambrose claim Apostolical glory to himself which he acknowledgeth is by right due to them whom the Son of God hath chosen and he affirmeth that by how much we are inferiour to the Apostles in time we are so much inferiour to them in merit Chrysostom also confesses that he is far from the Apostles dignity neither doth he account himself worthy to be called their shadow and Christ hath deservedly joyned them to him as individual companions out of the number of all his Disciples or that I may speak with Tertullian lateri suo adlegavit i. made themselves Legates a latere Secondly He hath sent
other Heathens which I think needless to rehearse here because if any will not believe my relation the aforesaid testimonies of the Poets in Clemens may make the incredulous to believe Euseb de praepar Erang saith that God having finished his works allowed us a day for rest from our labours This he confirms by the authorities of divers Poets And the learned Rivet in dissertat de Sabbato cap. 5. proves that these testimonies are to be understood of the seventh day of every week While Suetonius describes the moderation of Tiberius exhibited even towards his inferiours he tells us amongst other things that Diogenes a certain Grammarian being wont to dispute on the Sabbath dayes at Rhodes would not admit Tiberius to hear him out of his order but by his servant put him off till the seventh day Whence it appears that the seventh day was known to Diogenes although the learned Casaubon on that place of Suetonius thinketh that the observation of weeks which holds at this day used among the Greeks was not commonly received before the times of Tiberius Yet the learned Rivet loc citato proves by divers testimonies that it was in use amongst the Latines so to distinguish their dayes Lampridius in Alexand. Severo tells us that when he was in the City he went up to the Capitol on the seventh day and frequented the Temples We meet with more testimonies to this purpose in the learned Amesius of pious memory in Medul Theolog. lib. 2. cap. 15. sect 10. And now I will conclude with the testimony of Josephus against Appion l. 2. That there is no nation either of Greeks or Barbarians or any where else amongst whom the custome of the seventh day which the Jews used to keep holy was not grown common With whom as we have seen agreeth Clemens Alexandrinus That the custome therefore of celebrating the seventh day was common amongst the Heathens can be doubted by none whether as I said from the instinct of nature or by the ordination of God which came by tradition to the posterity of Adam However if we may credit the fore-mentioned Authors it is certain that the Festival of this solemnity was known to the whole world although most know not the cause of this solemnity which Philo de vita Mosis lib. 3. observes and Theophilus Antiochenus in the fore-cited place Theophilus saith that all men call the seventh day the Sabbath but most know not the cause of its appellation Now that cause which most knew not was Gods resting on it when he had finished in six dayes that stupendious work of Creation which was obliterated amongst the Heathens by a long tract of time although they observed the day as appeareth by the mentioned testimonies This Irenaeus teacheth more at large in the end of the thirtieth chapter of his fourth book whither I send the Reader In the last place I will satisfie the second Question viz If the Gentiles were obliged to observe the Sabbath and the custom of observing it was grown common amongst them why are they never in Scripture reproved of God for profaning the Sabbath who can deny that the Gentiles as well as the Jews were obliged by the instinct of nature to worship God their great Creatour Besides divers of the Heathen had got the knowledge of God the Creation and Sabbath as Clemens Alexandrinus Eusebius c. have plainly taught us Furthermore let him tell us who can why they as well as other men should not be obliged to observe the Sabbath by the Divine Law for we know that a determined time to perform a certain worship is no less necessary to them than others But many reasons there were for which God might reprove the Heathen and yet move no controversie against them about the Sabbath either because its institution was grown obsolete amongst many of the Gentiles though not all or because they had violated the whole worship of God for which cause he reprehends them yet he reproves them not for the Sabbath by name as being the time of worship because the Sabbath was onely ordained for performing the true worship of the true God now the Gentiles worshipped not God but Idols therefore God accuseth them of Idolatry and not for neglecting the Sabbath and in vain would they have had regard of the Sabbath while on the Sabbath they worshipped Idols and not God the author of the Sabbath I might also add here that it 's not manifest that all the sins committed by the Heathens were reprehended in Scripture particularly But the famous Rivet doth answer this objection more at large in whose learned answers they that do not abhorr the truth cannot but acquiesce And thus much for the reasons against the opinion of the Sabbath being observed from the beginning of the world Now to the authorities by which others busie themselves to infringe this opinion these are in number three The first whereof is that of Irenaeus who lib. 4. cap. 30. tells us that Abraham believed God without Circumcision and without the Sabbath The second is of Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew in whom it 's read that Abel and Enoch were just without the observation of the Sabbath and after them Abraham and his posterity untill Moses pleased God And after he adds Before Moses there was no need of celebrating the Sabbath In the third place Tertullian is produced in whom they read that neither Adam nor his off-spring Abel or Noah or Enoch did keep the Sabbath These are the chief places which are brought against the contrary opinion to which before I answer I might say that the Judgments of other Fathers that affirm it might be opposed to the authorities of them that deny it But lest by so saying I should seem to set together the grave Fathers amongst themselves I answer first He that equally weigheth the foresaid testimonies shall easily observe that the Fathers intention in the foresaid places was this that they might teach that men were not justified by observing of the Jewish Sabbath This at the first blush will appear to him that views the places Irenaeus he speaks of the multitude of them that were just before Abraham the Patriarchs and Moses and were justified without these namely without Circumcision and the Sabbath It was therefore Irenaeus his purpose to prove that the Sabbath or Circumcision were not the perfecting of righteousness neither doth Irenaeus simply speak of the observation of the Sabbath but of its observation in order to justification which thing his words do declare And Justin Martyr had the same meaning who disputed against Trypho the Jew propounding to himself means by which mercy might befall him from God as Trypho speaks amongst which he reckons the Sabbath and Circumcision that he might have some hope of salvation Whilst the blessed Martyr opposeth himself to this mans purpose he affirmeth that all the foresaid Fathers who kept the Sabbath pleased
not God Yet doth he not affirm that the observation of the Sabbath was unknown to them but he grants that the Fathers were not justified by it which they also confess who hold fast the foresaid opinion confirmed to be true by a long series of authorities It was not therefore the purpose of the Reverend Fathers to define whether the Sabbath was simply observed of the Patriarchs or not Onely they affirm that by its observation they obtained not righteousness before God nor for that cause did they observe it as the Jews did contend in this question with whom the Fathers had to do And Tertullian is not to be expounded otherwise who attended this also that he might shew against the Jews that the Fathers were not justified by Circumcision the Sabbath or the works of the Law His words do testifie this For he sayes advers Jud. c. 2. He that contendeth that the Sabbath is yet to be observed as a medicine of salvation must teach that those who observed the Sabbath formerly are just c. and thereupon what were formerly objected do follow which in this manner being understood according to the scope of the Author without any injury to the words do make nothing against the observation of the Sabbath from the Creation especially whereas Tertullian himself as formerly we observed hath asserted that the Jews do confess that Gods resting on it did from the beginning sanctifie the seventh day The truth of which assertion Tertullian no where calls into question for if he had not taken it for true then he would not have granted it without a reproof in any wise for their sakes but would have used one or other interpretation either to avoid or clear that place out of Genesis 2. 2 3. which yet he no where does The sanctification therefore of the seventh day from the Creation for which the Jewes stood is granted by Tertullian out of whom it is fetch'd that there was the use of the Sabbath before the Mosaical Law which also Tertullian granteth must continue when that ceaseth Therefore in the second place I answer that these and the like places if any be amongst the Fathers which seem to intimate that the Sabbath was not observed before Moses are not so much to be understood of the Sabbath it self or the observation of the seventh day as of the Jewish observation thereof and its abuse to Justification before God for they contend either that for its observation eternal life befell not the Patriarchs or that it was not observed before Moses according to the Ceremonies wherewith it was afterwards celebrated of the Jews neither ought it to be observed after the coming of Christ which things are affirmed by none at all Thirdly In the foresaid testimonies the Fathers had to do with the Jews who obtruded the Jewish Sabbath on the Christians for which cause when the Fathers mention the Sabbath they speak of it somewhat dishonourably if we look at the Name and Ceremonies of the Sabbath but if we understand the thing it self i. e. the Lords day they have extolled the Sabbath with wonderful praises therefore when they plead against the Jewish Sabbath they altogether reject it but when they appoint it to be celebrated in the Christian manner they greatly honour it Fourthly The Criticks which are well exercised in the writings of the Fathers teach us that it is an usual thing with the Fathers while with all their might they decline one errour they oftentimes do either fall into another or seem in a certain sort to fall into it like Husbandmen as prettily the learned Rivet in Prolegom in Crit. saâ—r cap. 11. who labouring to straiten a crooked stick do sometimes exceed measure and bend the plant into a contrary and diverse form so they know it very often falls out with the most grave Fathers who peruse their disputations with their adversaries for while they contend with their enemies out of an earnest desire to smite them they have sometimes even struck their own companions St. Austins heat against the Manichees carried him from the explication of the Text and those things which he purposed to assert This thing Austin himself when he had finished his Treatise signified to Possidonius and others that dined with him So Possidonius relateth it in the Life of Austin chapter 15. And as the truth of this thing hath appeared in other questions so in this of the Sabbath For while Tertullian and before him Justin Martyr have declared the foresaid opinions about the Sabbath their work was with the Jews who as we said obtruded the Sabbath on the Christians as though without its observation none could obtain eternal life Which errour while the grave Fathers studied to shun they declare this opinion of the Sabbath if in the testimonies cited this was their meaning being observed all that time from the Creation until Moses in expounding of which opinion although they thought to smite the Jews yet considered they not how unwarily they wounded their own companions who to their power were diligent to defend the contrary whose opinions we have formerly recited in this Chapter Lastly None that is but meanly conversant in the writings of the Fathers can be ignorant that some more hard sayings do often occurr in them which unless they be expounded by other places in them are not easily to be admitted Chrysostom saith in his later Sermon De utilitate ex obscuritate prophetiarum in Savils Edition Before Christs coming faith in Christ was not required of the Jews which words without a candid interpretation are not to be admitted for if they be taken absolutely they agree not with the Holy Scriptures as appears from Hebr. 11. in which it is related that the Saints before the former coming of Christ did rely upon him by Faith and for their Faith are commended therefore the genuine sense of this place is to be found out of another place in his former Sermon pag. 652. where of the Jews he saith they looked for the Lamb of God to come that should take away the sins of the world of which the later place affordeth no small light to the Interpretation of the former In like manner are we to judge in examining the foresaid testimonies of the Fathers wherein the Sabbath is denied to be observed from the beginning of the world whose meaning is to be expounded from those Fathers in other places or from others that were their contemporaries If any therefore have a mind to find out Tertullians mind Adv. Jud. cap. 2. let him compare him with Tertullian adv Mercion lib. 4. cap. 12. where he shall find him acknowledging that the Sabbath was holy from the beginning We may judge the same of the other authorities which are cited whose sense is to be sought out either by other places of those authors or by other writers that were contemporaries with them The words of Irenaeus and Justin Martyr do roundly enough expound their scope as before we
have heard by them both which do only contend for this that they may teach that the ancient Fathers were not justified by the Sabbath and Circumcision and add no more CHAP. IX That one day in a week is under the Gospel also to be sanctified The Morality of the fourth Command which is perpetual requireth this Christ hath not abolished the Law How the Sabbath may be said to be a sign between God and the Church THus far of the first Epocha in which we have found that from the beginning of the world one day in the weekly compass was to be set apart for the solemn performing of the worship of God and for the second from Moses to Christs resurrection none doubteth therefore I 'le add nothing of it and will come to the third Epocha of which is the greatest controversie namely Whether under the Gospel in the compass of a week one day be to be sanctified Some men of great name do deny this and some do strongly affirm it which later opinion being grounded upon so many testimonies and reasons of the ancients and the continual practise of the Christian Church I freely embrace for this is neither a new nor an unheard of assertion but by several Divines of a well exercised judgment is sufficiently manifested to all pious souls and prone to the fear of God in demonstrating whereof they have recourse to the morality of the fourth Command in the Decalogue whose moral part is perpetual for it is one of the ten words of God engraven by his own hand in Tables of Stone Exod. 35. 28. Deut. 4. 13. out of which number if the Sabbath should be expunged there would only nine remain Now the Moral part of the Decalogue which remaineth also in the new Law Bonavent l. 3. q. 37. p. 781. as Alexander Hales once wittily is said to be so two manner of wayes one way which is of the very essence of the Decalogue according to the primary intention and so vacation to a time indeterminately is moral in the Decalogue another way it 's said to be moral in the Decalogue which is to determine the Decalogue and according to this vacation on the Lords day is moral in the Decalogue in the time of grace as the seventh day in the time of the Law and that is moral by discipline i. e. by Divine institution and therefore even by the sole instinct of nature it must needs be granted that man at some time must attend upon God yea nature it self dictates that sufficient dayes be set apart to perform his worship And who is to determine those dayes but him whose the day and night are Psal 74. 15. So Alexander Hales The observance of a day indeterminately that at some time we should attend on God is moral in nature and immutable but the observance of a determinate time is moral by discipline by the adding of Divine institution Afterwards he saith when that time ought to be is not for man to determine but God because it is his part to define the certain time for worship whose it is to prescribe the worship it self it pertaineth not to inferiours whose part it is to perform offices to others to determine of a fit time to perform them in Superiours to whom they are to be exhibited do prescribe others when ex officio they ought to attend these Nor can it be otherwise because if the way of setting apart the time for worshipping God in should not depend upon Divine institution the mind of man would hang pendulous in this business neither would it appear to us what dayes would be sufficient since if we look at Gods benefits conferred upon us it would not be sufficient to consecrate the whole course of our life to this work and if we look at our covetousness and sloth how many of us would suffer the very least part of our time saith the famous Mr. D. G. to be cut off either from our labour or rest A certain time is therefore to be defined of God at least for their sakes who attend more upon this world than God as Hierom and left the conscience of men should stick in doubt or God be defrauded of his due worship very reason it self seemeth to require that a certain day should be assigned by the most Blessed and Almighty God especially when as Scotus saith man is bound to no act pro tempore indeterminato to which he is not bound pro aliquo signato because if then worship be not to be exhibited to God by like reason not now and by the same reason of every other time Besides he that will not think much to compare the reason of the present age with the times of Adam the Patriarchs and the Jews he shall see it equal and just to set apart in every seven dayes one whole one for the worship of God For why should the Lord indulge a further liberty to the men of our age in his service than he granted them especially when God since he hath repealed his Gospel is more propitious to us than to them Farther if we weigh the nature of our present men we shall find for certain that no less time is required to the instructing of them than of the ancients And to conclude relaxation from labour is no less necessary in this age to servants and those that live under other mens government than to men in former ages He that without prejudice weigheth these things cannot deny that one day in seven is as well to be set apart for the publick worship of God by Christians as men of the former age I will add nothing of the nature of the Decalogue never abrogated by the blessed coming of Christ Faith in Christ makes not void the Law the matter of which all men acknowledge to be written in mens hearts from the Creation the great Apostle being witness although we acknowledge with the same Apostle Gal. 4. and Col. 2. that the ceremonial and typical observation thereof being fulfilled by Christs coming in the flesh be now ceased This doth also Irenaeus witness adv haeres l. 4. c. 31. who affirmeth that God spoke the words of the Decalogue immediately by himself and thereupon they remain permanent and fixed with us admitting of extension and augmentation but no dissolution by the coming of Christ in the flesh So St. Austin in Psalm 32. Fulfill the Law saith he which the Lord thy God came not to dissolve but to fulfill And certainly no body that throughly weighs with himself the morality of that precept will doubt that the solemnity of the Lords day grew up by vertue of the fourth Command in the Decalogue For it is granted of all that the substance of the Command included in these words Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day i. e. the day of rest not as the seventh day is moral and to be continued for ever But if the Lords day festivity be not bottomed upon the
authority of this command then that morality doth plainly perish when now there is not any other weekly Sabbath besides the Lords day without which as I said the Moral part of the Sabbath in the New Testament would not remain By right therefore as Alexander Hales hath it the vacation of the Lords day is the Moral part of the Decalogue in the time of grace as the seventh day in the time of the Law Moreover some may with great reason doubt why the Jewish Sabbath should be translated to the Lords day which yet we see hath been done for above one thousand six hundred years if so be that Christians be not obliged to observe the fourth Command as it is moral whenas otherwise there would be no need of any festival to succeed in place of the ancient Sabbath But because that Law doth perpetually bind all the worshippers of God to the observation of the Sabbath it necessarily follows that the day on which the Sabbath is to be observed must be determined by some positive Law and is designed by God for this purpose to be the seventh day in the Old Covenant and the the first in the New For it 's not for man saith Alexander Hales quaest 32. fol. 128. to determine but God when that time is c. It 's in Gods power only to define a fit time for performing his worship But we read this question of the Morality of the fourth Command discussed at large by divers amongst whom the famous Wallaeus doth it most excellently who to the great fruit of the Church hath copiously taught us what is Ceremonial and what Moral in writing of that Command of the Sabbath I will not therefore add any more about this question but do send the Reader to the learned labours of others in which this question is examined I will only add this one thing for a conclusion out of the observations of this Learned Divine namely an explication of the Sabbath's being a sign between God and men Since saith he it is in bred by nature in all Nations that in the external worship of that Deity which they take for supreme they should have some Symbole of Document which may shew to others whom they take for God as may be observed in the sacrifices of Bacchus and therefore in the Revelation they that worshipped God and the Lamb are read to have the mark of God in their foreheads Rev. 14. 1. and they that worshipped the Beast received his mark in their forehead or hand Rev. 14. 9. which were nothing else but external tokens by which they would plainly signifie that they worshipped either God or the Beast So of old we read that the Sabbath was instituted of God that it might be a symbole or sign to manifest to all the world who was the God of the Jews So Ezek. 20. 20. the Sabbaths are said to be signs between God and them that it might be known that the Lord was their God Now what it was that was shewn by that sign Moses tells us in divers places especially in Exod. ch 31. 16 17. Therefore the children of Israel shall observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual Covenant It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever he speaks of the Sabbath for in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed As if he should say the pious observation of the Sabbath amongst them when every seventh day returns doth intimate that the Almighty Creatour of Heaven and Earth is their God In this sense Athanasius de Sabbatho Circumcisione saith The Sabbath is a sign whereby the day might be known on which the Creation was finished which being known they might ascend to the knowledge of the Creatour And by observing the Sabbath they attained unto that two manner of wayes First inasmuch as one day of the seven was solemn or because after they had ended their labours in the six dayes they must rest on the seventh Secondly by determining that rest on the last day of the weekly compass both wayes the Jewes signified that they worshipped none other than God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth because whereas they sanctified the seventh day after the six dayes labours were ended they openly professed that they were worshippers of that God who created Heaven and Earth and having finished his labour in beautifying that stupendious work on the seventh day he ceased from working for which cause he enjoyned them the observation of the seventh day that they might follow his fore-going example both in working and in resting He hath commanded saith Philo de Decalogo that whosoever received these Institutions as in other things so in this also they should follow God in working six dayes and resting the seventh and attending on the contemplation of things and study of VVisdome c. Afterwards Follow God thou hast Gods example and prescript in working six dayes And farther they set apart no other day in the weekly course but the seventh for the exercises of piety that they might profess they were the servants of that God which redeemed the Israelites out of the Land of Egypt and brought them out of the house of bondage which is collected from the repetition of the Decalogue Deuteronom 5. 15. where Moses omitting the argument taken from the Creation which he had used in the Decalogue doth excite them to sanctifie the Sabbath from their being freed out of the Land of Egypt namely because whenas they served in the Land of Egypt the Lord their God brought them out thence with a strong hand and stretched out arm and therefore he commanded them that they should observe the very day of the Sabbath in whose morning watch they came out of Egypt as the Learned Junius observes in his notes on Deuteronom 5. out of Exod. 12. 15. This seems to have been the cause of appointing this day rather than any other And thus much of the Jews Sabbath whereby as by a manifest document they professed to worship the Lord the Creator of this universe and their mighty Redeemer out of Egypt for which cause the Sabbath was had for a sign between God and them CHAP. X. A day in every week is to be sanctified under the Gospel which is not the seventh but first the celebrating of the Jewish Sabbath Col. 2. 16. and Gal. 4. 10. examined the places whereon the observation of the Lords Day in the New Testament is bottomed The Fathers acknowledge its Divine authority neither can the Church change that day and substitute another in its place A Stated Day in every Week being granted to perform Gods Worship on it remaineth now farther to find out what day is determined by God for his worship since the Light of the Gospel was up and down dispersed And whereas thus far we have spoken of the Jews Sabbath it remains in the second place to be considered Whether Christians or
Festival namely Christ whom he tells us translated the Sabbath day into the Lords and then denies that the Church of her self or by her own authority did ordain that translation for saith he we set not light by the Sabbath of our selves Therefore Athanasius being Judge it appears that the Church doth not of her self but by the authority of Christ whereby the Lords day was ordained observe its solemnity and honour it as he else where speaketh And let it move no body that while he expresseth the honour wherewith the Church honoureth it he doth not speak in that manner of its institution as of the Sabbath of which when he speaks he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as God hath commanded but when he mentions the Lords day he only saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we hnour the Lords day Nor doth he say that this honour is given of the Church to the Lords day by authority of any Divine precept Let this I say move no body as if Athanasius had acknowledged the institution of this solemnity to be received from the Churches ordination and not Christs for if this grave Prelate had so meant it he would have contradicted himself as appeareth out of the place forecited Homil de sement in which he plainly acknowledgeth not the Church but the Lord to be the author of the Lords day neither can any thing else be inferred from that later phrase which Athanasius useth When Subjects do openly profess that they with all honour do honour their own Kings and Magistrates shall not I therefore conclude that they are not obliged by Divine authority to this duty No verily but the Subjects perform this to their Princes with a most ready will because by Divine Law and authority they are bound to perform this duty So Christians honour the Lords day because the Divine institution of this Festival by Christ which Athanasius makes mention of in the same place requires this by right of them Chrysostom in the often fore-cited place acknowledges God to be the author of instituting one day in the week to be set apart for spiritual work When Eusebius gathers divers arguments to demonstrate the Divine power of Christ above all the Heroes of the Heathens amongst the rest he adds this Who saith he meaning what God of the Heathen or Heroes hath prescribed to all the inhabitants of the whole world whether they be on land or sea that meeting weekly on one day they should celebrate the Lords Festival and ordain that as they fed their bodies with food so they should refresh their Souls with divine instructions Therefore in Eusebius's judgment the solemnity of this day is ascribed to Christs institution And Leo acknowledges this solemnity to be received from the Holy Ghost and Apostles ordained by him Augustine confesses that the Lords day was consecrated by Christs Resurrection where he intimateth that the Church did not only take occasion from the Resurrection of Christ to celebrate this solemnity on that day but that the very Resurrection of Christ did administer it unto Christians and if the Resurrection of Christ hath consecrated the Lords day which he confesses as well in this place as elsewhere Serm. 15. de verbis Apostoli then Christ and no other is to be reputed for the author of its institution for his Resurrection hath consecrated that day and since that time he began to have his festival Moreover if Augustine had not believed that God was the author of this Festival by what right could he have derided Urbicus speaking after this manner as if there were one Lord of the Sabbath and another of the Lords day if he had not esteemed him for the author of the Lords day who was author of the Sabbath the contrary whereof he thought Urbicus judged Augustine would never have blamed him for that which yet the premises do testifie he did And he that shall look over that Epistle shall see that he in round words doth acknowledge that there is one Lord of the Sabbath and Lords day pag. 389. He adds It was made the Lords Day through Christ pag. 383. And while that Learned Father renders a reason why it is called the Lords day he assigns this because saith he the Lord made it And how since he is the author of all dayes yet may be said especially to make that we have before chap. 4. out of Augustin himself explained And after Augustin the Fathers in Concil Forojubensi have also explained this The Lord hath sanctified it by the glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ What needs more It 's enough to point at briefly the Divine institution of this day and these things manifest enough do suffice in a matter smelling of Piety Therefore as Basil the Great sometime concluded his Sermon of the perpetual virginity of the blessed Virgin These reasons saith he we think are sufficient because Christian ears cannot endure the contrary so also we being content with these testimonies which although few in number are yet we trust of great authority with equal estimators of things we will add no more And though many badges of this day have thus far been observed as that Christ rose again on that day Luke 24. 6. on that oftener than once he appeared to his Disciples Joh. 20. 19 26. on that day the Apostles taught and administred the Sacraments Act. 20. 7. on that day John received a Divine Revelation Rev. 1. 10. I could also reckon up others mentioned by divers as on this day the world received its beginning on this by the Resurrection of Christ both death received its destruction and life its beginning on this the Apostles took up thetrumpet of the Gospel to preach to all nations on this lastly the Holy Ghost came down from the Lord on the Apostles More badges are also extant in Austin of the Lords Day Serm. 154. de Tempore And others relate that other Miracles were done on that day These are indeed great badges but because amongst certain some of these are reckoned for uncertain they are not proper enough in their judgment to demonstrate the truth only whereas at every perfect period of time the very Heathens do testifie that certain festival dayes were to be celebrated for some eminent benefits of God conserred upon us and when any thing eminent was ordained of God it was done in honour of this day the reason of whose observation arises not from the foresaid prerogatives but is founded in the authority of God the institutor I am more easily induced to believe with the ancients its solemnity was instituted of God Here I could out of the Fathers tell you the punishments of some that violated the solemnity of the Lords Day In Concil Parisiensi so we read Many of us by the sight of our own countrey men and many of us by the relation of others have been informed that certain men exercising on this day their
they in City were obliged to be present at Church-assemblies Which things being considered I see not to what purpose any should conclude out of the Elib Council that they which live in the Countrey are not to attend on the Lords Festival although in the Canon there be express mention of those who live in Cities because the Bishops and Presbyters to whom it belonged to go before the other members of the Church in celebrating the Lords day did dwell in the Cities and in that age there was not every where a supply of them afforded for the Villages therefore the Fathers of that Synod by name did express these who were supplied with them that laboured in the Word And a long time after the Eliberitan Council was gathered divers Villages were not furnished with Churches witness Chrysostom Hom. 18. in Act. Besides when it 's plain that the unlearned and unbelievers were admitted into the Church-assembly in the Apostles dayes 1 Cor. 14. 23. why should not the Countrey men after the Apostles death be bound to be present at the assemblies of the Church as if they who had bestowed their pains in tilling the earth had forthwith forsworn their barbarity And because they who live in the Countrey are as well Members of Christ as Citizens why should not Christ impart his communion as well to these as those in the exercises of Religion on the Lords dayes It is expresly commanded in the Constitutions which they call the Apostles that on the Lords day servants attend in the Church to hear the Doctrine of Religion And Sozomen tells us that amongst the Arabians and Cyprians he found ordained Bishops in Villages If at that time Bishops were set over some Villages then certes they who inhabited them were instructed by the Bishops in the Doctrine of Christ on all especially the Lords dayes as the custome of the Church was Eusebius also confesseth that men and women old men and children bond and free noble and ignoble learned and unlearned did almost daily assemble together in every place where-ever the men lived to receive the discipline of Christ from the rising of the Sun to the setting thereof If all men of whatever condition or quality were daily intent upon the Doctrine of Christ then they that lived in the Countrey did not refuse it on the Lords day Yea the same Author as formerly we have seen affirmeth that Christ hath prescribed all the inhabitants of the world whether at land or sea to celebrate the Lords day Eusebius therefore acknowledges not that it 's only for Noble men and others of great name to be present at Church-assemblies from which servants and those of inferiour condition should be excluded but saith that the Lord himself hath otherwise commanded Also in Theodoret that pious Emperour Theodosius witnesseth that the doors into the holy Temple are open for servants and beggars and therefore in this age they were present with other Christians in the Church-assembly and were not excluded from the same But let us return to examine that indulgence granted by the Emperour Constantine to Countrey men for working their labours on the Lords day Where first we may make a question with the learned Divine Mr. S. A. Whether any such was ever granted of him for the countrey mens sakes or no since Eusebius who was Constantius's contemporary and who well enough knew all things that the Emperour did speaking of the Law he made about observing the Lords day makes no mention of this indulgence Euseb de vita Constantin l. 4. c. 18. but only relates how the Emperour commanded that all should rest from their works In the same manner Sozomen recites the same law although lib. 1. c. 18. and in both there be a deep silence about excepting country labours Which things being considered it may justly be doubted whether ever such an indulgence were granted by that Emperour of blessed memory But come on and granting this indulgence for the authority of the Book relating it let us seek out the reason and sense thereof This was the true reason of that liberty if there was any granted Because Constantine subjected all the subjects of the Roman Empire whether they had embraced the Christian faith or had not yet tasted it to the law of observing the Lords day witness Eusebius Which though it could be known by no other argument might be judged of by this that he calls not that day in the Church manner as Baronius The Lords day but by the Heathen manner Sunday Thence I say may it be gathered that the same Law was not prescribed by him to Christians only but Heathens also for whose sake he uses an appellation peculiar to them Since therefore the Gentiles also were to rest from their labours by virtue of the Law made by â—…stantine therefore he granted them a liberty to look after their countrey labours Whereas he knew that those who were not turned Christians could not easily be brought in to be bound by the Christians lawes he yielded something for these mens sakes and Constantine was sufficiently hated by them for neglecting their idolatry and therefore by little and little he studied to draw them to the true worship of God as Eusebius ubi supra Moreover the liberty of medling with countrey labours on the Lords day was granted to countrey men only in case of necessity which thing the very words of the indulgence do declare lest through occasion of a moment the profit yielded by the heavenly providence perish by the occasion of one moment the profit of fruits might perish therefore in gathering in the fruits sometimes a regard of a moment may be had no labours are therefore permitted but to undergo which they were induced by a certain necessity lest the fruits should perish in which case also we have observed worldly labour is permitted That exception therefore of Constantine cannot be brought to patronize labour used upon no necessity because he indulged this liberty for the sake of the Heathen only whom he with all lenity studied as far as he could to perswade them to embrace the Christian faith and in case of necessity which being afterwards continued a while Leo declares void by a new law set forth to the contrary and calls that indulgence a decree differing from the Apostles But because Leo doth very aptly answer the reason of this indulgence assigned by Constantine I will set down his very words for the Readers sake Because saith he it is apparent that another law doth contradict that law which commands all to reverence the day of the Lords Resurrection by a cessation from labours which determines that all generally are not prohibited working others have a liberty to work for it saith Let all Judges c. as above in the Law of Constantine the cause of which profaning that day is grounded on no reason for although the preservation of fruits may be pretended yet that is of
example of Dorcas Now I must answer to the authority of the Council of Orleans which was but a Provincial and consisted onely of twenty five Bishops for performing all labours on that day excepting rural in the same manner as sometimes Hierom to Euagrius while he was shewing what difference there was between a Bishop Elder and Deacon he would not have the custom in some sort contrary to his opinion of one City namely Rome to be brought out against him for he being judge the authority of the world was greater than the Citie 's And so I must say here If an indulgence for them had grown into use with the rest of the Church or had been supported by reason or any authority then the sentence of this though Provincial Council had been of some weight but in this their custome being rejected of the Church up and down dispersed is not to be obtruded as a law upon all Then secondly the Bishops being congregated in that Council purposed to obviate as they speak the Jewish observation of the Sabbath And they yield these things lest they should rather seem to set up a Jewish institution than Christian liberty and the very words of the Canon do intimate that the people were perswaded that these things ought not to be done I 'le add nothing of the corrupting that place which Binius judges to be depraved only let others judge what authority is to be given to it it suffices us that the Fathers with one consent do interdict all Christians earthly affairs and worldly works on Lords days although some abounding in their sense do seem to think otherwise Lastly that I may put an end to this Chapter two things now remain to be considered in the Emperours Laws made about the Lords Day which according to some do mightily prejudice its solemnity the first of these is considered in their Manumissions and the second in some certain transactions to be done on the Lords day and since both of these are a civil office some think that certain worldly things for that cause were to be done on that day which were not works of piety To add somewhat of both these offices will not be far from our purpose The indulgence for making free and manumitting granted by the Christian Emperours and to be done on the Lords day could not hinder its religious solemnity which that it may appear the reason of that institution is a little better to be enquired into Constantine of blessed memory studied by laws and all other means to promote the worship of God amongst other things he granted liberty to the Church by law that whoever were made free the Priests being witnesses they should be inrolled into the number of the Roman Citizens So Nicephorus Hist l. 7. c. 46. and Sozomen Hist l. 1. c. 8. And if any desire to see the form of these Manumissions it is extant in the fragments Conc. Toleran and in the learned Instellus his notes in Canones Africanos Can. 64. whither I refer the Reader because it is only my purpose to touch something of the time wherein these Manumissions were done which by Historians and the Emperours laws we see fall out to be on the Lords day and that especially for the honour of the Church and increase of Christian Religion while they by the Bishops were performed in the Church the Bishops were had in greater esteem among the people till as the learned Instellus very well observeth as formerly servants were manumitted in the Temple of the Goddess Feronia so afterwards by the Emperours Constitutions together with their liberty they obtained to be Roman Denizens in the Church No otherwise then as among the Egyptians the cubit wherewith the inundation of Nilus was wont to be marked was no more brought as the custome was to the Temples of the Heathen but from that time to the Churches of the Christians Sozomen 1. c. 8. After this manner the Emperour did earnestly regard the worship of God in making his laws to encrease which he also established that about Manumissions to be made on the Lords day in the Church Moreover servants those for the most part whom their Masters discharged against their will obtained their freedome not without great difficulty as Sozom. therefore the servants as saith Zonaras in Can. 88. Carthagin fled to the Church and if the Bishop determined equally they were manumitted Thereupon the Emperour ordains that all who were by the Priests testimony set at liberty in Churches should be made Denizons of the Roman Commonwealth And afterwards in process of time the Fathers of the Synod thought good to advise the Emperour that this might be done Conc. Carth. Can. 88. Now the benefit of liberty of which the Emperour was desirous as tending to the glory of God was very acceptable to God and for charity sake on that day whose holiness works of charity do not dishonour was also to be performed I could also name another cause assigned in the fragments Conc. Toletan Some thought that they did a thing very acceptable to God and profitable to their own souls if in the Church of some Saint in the presence of the Bishop or the Priests there standing or the noble Laity before the horn of the Altar of that Church send out their servants free by a charter of absolution and freedom from all bonds of servitude But these superstitious Manumissions for remedy of the soul as they speak were observed about the four hundredth year after Christ but that formerly mentioned by Zonaras Sozomen and Nicephorus was the true cause why first the pious Emperours lookt to that these Manumissions were performed on the Lords day which we do not see hindred the Lords solemnity As Manumissions do not obscure this solemnity so certain transactions are lawful on the Lords day Nor can this hinder it that Leo a most earnest defender of the Lords festival did indulge those that were at odds amongst themselves leave to meet on the Lords day vicaria poenitudine whereon they might conferr of their bargains speak of their transactions These which were offices of charity could not destroy the Lords solemnity For that holy man Leo would have adversaries freely and without fear to meet together vicaria poenitudine which the interpreter of the Law expounds by repentance which ought to return by course that is on the Lords dayes or vicaria poenitudo is that which one expecteth from the other by turn be reconciled to one another to effect which reconciliation they might be at their liberty to confer of their bargains and speak of their transactions But all these things were granted by the Emperour not for any worldly end but for renewing their lost friendship which could not obscure the honour of the festival on which the things that pertained to peace and concord were permitted for they then as it were leaving their gift before the Altar went their way that they first might be
reconciled to one another and then come and offer their gift which reconciliation could not be made without mention of their bargains and transactions upon whose account they were at difference And thus much for avoiding worldly affairs and especially gainful labours on the Lords day CHAP. XIII The Lords Day not to be profaned by surfeiting Servants not to be called off from sanctifying the Lords day we ought not fast on the Lords Day whether Ambrose was wont to banquet on that day EVen as the solemn observation of this day is not to be profaned by labour tending to our profit so neither is it for us to give our selves to the pleasures or delights of the world on it We do not saith Primasius in Gal. 4. celebrate festival dayes in luxury and banquettings and that justly for if a work be for bidden on a feast day that by the body may be exercised for necessity of life that we may more entirely attend on Divine matters are not those things by better right prohibited which cannot be done without sin and grievous offending of God It 's for Christians therefore neither by surâ—eiting nor sports to defile the religious observation of this day In celebrating festivals divers of the Fathers do to their power reprove rioting and drunkenness Greg. Naz. when he describes the manner how Christian festivals are to be celebrated admonisheth that we rejoyce not with the varnish of the body nor change of garments and their gorgeousness not in rioting and drunkenness whose fruit you have learned chambering and wantonness are nor let us crown our streets with flowers nor our tables with the deformity of oyntments neither let us adorn our porches nor let our houses shine with a visible light nor sound with a concord and shouting of Minstrels for this is the manner of Heathens celebrating their festivals c. when he judgeth all kind of luxury is to be removed from Christians in their festivals not only because the body being stuffed with meat and overcharged with wine easily falleth into wantonness but because amongst the Heathens with whom the Church in celebrating festivals ought to have nothing common this was an usual thing Festivals are not to be celebrated in drinking off cups of wine but in renewing the spirit of the mind and purging the heart for he that facrificeth to the belly and Bacchus doth more stir up to anger the Lord of the celebrity Scholion 5. in Johannis Chinacâ— gradum decimum quartum de Gula. It grieved Cyril that so many amongst the Christians did on festival dayes give up themselves either to honest sports surfeiting dances or other vanities of the world and he affirms that these rites tend to no other end than the derision of Gods name and slighting of the day and they that follow these things do grievously sin the rather that they go about these things at a more holy time for surely they that give the reins to the belly and pleasures cannot celebrate a festival day St. Chrysostom by two arguments of great weight and authority doth perswade his hearers spiritually to observe the Lords day In the first place from the various good things which we do enjoy on that day and secondly from our happy freedome from evils and at length descends to remove those means whereby that spiritual honour is wont to be hindred not by banquetting not by pouring out wine nor attending on drunkenness in his judgment such wicked deeds as these do no little detract from the honour of the Lords day Yet many in this our age especially the richer sort for these causes cannot avoid a just reprehension who above measure on the Lords day filling themselves with surfeit keep their servants at home to prepare meat finer than ordinary to satisfie their insatiable luxury and think much to give them leave to go to Church to feed their souls with the holy bread of life It once grieved Ambrose that a certain Christian in the time of a fast did draw with him to an hunting some servants that were accidentally hasting to the Church because thereby he heaped others sins on his own pleasures not knowing that he would be both guilty of his own offence and the perdition of the servants And why should not we as well grieve when we see divers professing themselves Christians to the world not to be more careful for promoting the salvation of their Christian servants whilst they hinder them from the publick assemblies of the Church on the Lords day that they may serve their lust Especially while as saith Ambrose they do not consider that although they be servants in condition yet are they brethren by grace for they have as well put on Christ partake of the same Sacraments and have the same God for their father which their Masters have St. Paul would eat no flesh whilst the world stood rather than that his eating should make his brother to offend 1 Cor. 8. 13. David scrupled the very once tasting of the water which was drawn out of the well of Bethlem by his Worthies with the great peril of their lives 2 Sam. 23. With how more heinous a spot do they brand themselves therefore who do expose the souls of their servants whom they detain at home from the publick meeting of the Church to serve their vanities unto so great a danger a wickedness it is rather beseeming those that sacrifice to Bacchus than those that keep a festival to God In the Council of Paris this very same wickedness grieved the Fathers for though the Lords day seemed to be kept in some reverent manner by certain Masters yet was it found very seldome to be observed with due honour of their servants under subjection I wish that the Christian Religion even defiled with the blot of this wickedness in our age were not ill spoken of amongst divers At least I beseech in Christ those that are the cause of others absence from the publick exercises of piety that they would with their servants which they keep at home be pleased to do that which Chrysostom requires of his hearers namely to discourse of what they heard with them that were absent by which means they might hear and learn from them what they lost themselves in preparing of corporal food being held from spiritual Let them consider this who cause those that are under them to be hindred of spiritual food that they may prepare corporal meat for their use Gregory allowed not at all the custom of Laicks feasting ordinarily on Lords dayes from which they could not easily be moved In the mean while I am not ignorant that in the old Church divers Canons are extant of not keeping fasts on the Lords day Although they condemned not a Fast of it self and in the general as a work contrary to Gods command or that is repugnant to his Word because divers illustrious examples thereof are afforded in the rules both
that although one was set over all the Presbyters kept their Churches apart and gathered the people committed to them into assemblies Sozom. Hist l. 1. c. 14. and taught them so gathered together as an assembly Niceph l. 8. c. 11. Neither was this power of teaching the people taken away from the Presbyters of Alexandria until Arius a Presbyter disputing about his doctrine introduced a new one Sozom. 7. 19. Socrates tells us that the Presbyters as well as the Bishops of Caesaria Cappadocia and in Cyprus did interpret the Scriptures l. 5. c. 22. In Conc. Vasens secund Not only in Cities but in all Parishes the power of preaching was given to Presbyters Can. 2. Yea this they were to do in the presence of the Bishop Constit Ap. l. 2. c. 57. The dispencing therefore of the Mysteries of God was committed to Presbyters as well as to Bishops for they are over the Church of Christ and in breaking of the Lords body and bloud are partakers with Bishops and likewise in teaching of the people and in the office of preaching Conc. Aquisgrav 1. c. 8. These and many other things do shew that with the ancients the publick preaching of the Word was committed to Presbyters and for this cause it is determined by the Apostles sentence that double honour is due to them In the third place sometimes this office of treating out of the Scriptures was committed to Deacons For although at first they saw to the collections and distributing of alms yet afterwards they performed other offices in their hands was the care of preserving all order in the holy Church assembly wherefore a Deacon is said to be consecrated not to the Priesthood but to the Ministry Conc. Carth. 4. c. 4. But it is certain that other offices than those that were committed to them from the beginning fell to Deacons yea in Scripture they begun to use Stephen and Philip to take off some part of the Ministry as the Church encreased We read that the Deacons discoursed out of Scripture and preached the Gospel Act. 7. and 8. and that Philip was one of the seven Deacons Act. 21. 8. So Austin thinks too Who ex utroque Quaest in 101. Can. 2. Conc. Ancyrani are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. to preach which power they are deprived of by the authority of that Council if through cowardize they had sacrificed in the torments Fourthly We read that Catechists had sometimes liberty to teach publickly in the Church Origen who had not yet attained to the degree of a Presbyter was asked by Alexander Bishop of Hierusalem and Theoctistus Bishop of the Church in the same Caesaria that he would open the Scriptures in the publick assembly of the Church at Caesaria in Palestine Also Euelpis was asked by Leo Bishop of Laranda Paulinus by Celsus Bishop of Iconium and Theodorus by Atticus Bishop of Synada We read these things in Eusebius Hist l. 6. c. 20. Nicephorus also relates that Origen did interpret the Scriptures amongst them of Alexandria l. 12. c. 34. And no wonder when private men were sometimes permitted to preach the Word of God namely when there were none deputed to that office who might perform it nor could be used any means of faith any other way This did Aedesius and Frumentius among the Indians to their great commendation and the no small profit of the Church where there were none executing any Ecclesiastical function to call together publick assemblies and perform the Divine Mysteries Theodoret also records that a woman converted the Iberi to the truth of Christian Religion Hist l. 1. c. 24. But none doubts but that this was done extraordinarily because this charge was not committed to them according to the order which is to be observed in the Church although Bishops were wont sometimes to exhort those whom they knew to be fit among the Laity that they might thereby something profit the people by expounding the Scriptures and preaching to exercise this charge even in their presence So Eusebius ubi supra CHAP. IV. The manner of expounding Scriptures in use among the ancients Treating begun with Prayer Texts of the Treatises Scriptures being read were applied to the peoples use The Treaters did sometimes stand and sometimes sit after Treating followed Prayers after those were ended a Psalm was sung to praise God THese are they to whom the expounding of Scripture was committed among the ancients which things being declared somewhat remains to be spoken of the manner which was observed by them in ther Expositions In the first place when they were to treat out of Scripture they saluted the people So Optatus contra Parmenianum libro vet And what kind of salutation that was is taught in Const Ap. l. 8 c. 5. Chrysost also in Hom. 3. in Coloss namely the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God the Father and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all c. But afterwards it was usual with the Bishops to salute the people in another manner than the Presbyters which was prohibited in Conc. Bracarensi 1. Can. 21. This salutation being premised whether without further prayer to God they set upon their Treating is doubted by some But if the Love-Feasts in use among Christians were not performed without the office of Prayer for before they sate down they first took a taste of Prayer to God and when the Supper was finished Prayer determined the Feast if I say their banquets were never celebrated but with Prayer to God much less durst they set upon the expounding of the Holy Scriptures without the invocation of Gods name being premised But this I will advertise the Reader of that the industry of Antiquity hath so carelesly touched this part of holy things that there is but a very little which at this day we can find delivered in the Records of the ancients about this matter And neither is it to be wondred at nor is it unusual There are in this age divers Sermons of very learned Divines published which are not uttered but with Prayer to God first made and yet none of those Prayers are prefixed to the printed Copies We may conjecture the same of the Ancients Treatises without any injury to the truth which doubtless the pious Fathers never entred upon without Prayers to God first premised which thing I will now manifest by some testimonies The godly Prayer of a certain holy man is extant in Chrysostom I know saith St. Chrysostom a certain godly man that prayed thus Before these words he said nothing namely We give thanks to thee for all thy benefits which have been conferred on us unworthy wretches from the first to this present day for those we know and those we know not for those that are manifest and those that are not manifest for what have been done in work or word for what have been done voluntarily and unvoluntarily for all things that
observe Socr. l. 7. c. 22. Nor do I remember that I have read any where in the ancients that any man was interdicted who being not deprived of the faculty of preaching by the Church or was not subject to its censure that he should not so often as conveniently he could instruct the people committed to him in the knowledge of the Scriptures Cyprian asked the Presbyters in his absence that they would seriously execute both their own and his part in the instructing the Church of Christ Ep. 5. and he commends the Presbyters that did corroborate every one with their daily exhortations Ep. 40. The Roman Clergy exhorted the Clergy of Carthage to constancy in executing their office and to encourage the Christians to persevere in the confession of Faith and detestation of idolatry by arguments drawn out of the Holy Scriptures Cypr. Ep. 3. But neither Cyprian nor the Romans did prohibit the Presbyters of Carthage from the diligent function of this office but provoked them forward to perform it upon every occasion that was offered This St. Chrysostom teacheth elegantly and pithily Homil. 15. in 2 Tim. while he exciteth all the Doctors of the Church whom he contends ought so to be called because they teach to labour in the Word and Doctrine and stingeth some that say that there is no need of the Word and Doctrine because in his judgment it tendeth no little to the edification of the Church if those that are over the Church excell in the grace of teaching without which many things in the Church-discipline will perish He doth not therefore greatly reprove those that applied themselves to Doctrine but shews they are to be greatly honoured CHAP. VIII On the Lords Dayes they were wont to Treat twice out of the Holy Scriptures THat the ancients when a fit occasion was offered did treat out of the Scripture every day their own records do teach us but as I said in the former Chapter they especially buckled themselves to this work on the Lords day For it beâ—oveth those that are set over Churches on all dayes but especially Lords dayes to teach all the Clergy and people the oracles of piety and the right Religion And as they took pains to explain the Scripture every day so they judged that all times of the day were fit for a spiritual discourse Chrys Hom. 10. in Gen. Yea though night grâ—w on himself being judge it prejudiced not spiritual Doctrine And hence it was that we read that the ancients explained the Scriptures not only in the morning but evening for at both times the Church assembled as is shewn in the first Chapter This their very words will tell us It appears from the beginning of Basils second Hom. that one of those Sermons was had in the morning and the other after noon for he saith We took time in a few words from the first dawning of the day c. Hexaem Hom. 2. and he kept the second Hom. about the evening While on it he interpreted the evening Hom. of the first day he saith These our discourses of that evening being now occupied from this evening do here put an end to our Oration Hexaem Hom. secun circa finem And he saith in the beginning of his third Hom. that one part of these Homilies brought morning aliment and the other evening joy to his hearers In the end of his seventh Hom. he admonishes his hearers to give thanks and to talk among themselves of those things which both early and in the evening his Oration yesterday had offered them In the conclusion of the eighth Hom he puts an end to the morning feast lest the exuberant satiety of speech make his auditors more dull to receive his evening banquets In the beginning of the following Hom. had upon the same day he saith that his Oration had set a banquet before his auditors in the morning and that Oration was had about the evening for he concludes it in this manner Behold the Evening time commands us silence the Sun being now set a pretty while since here therefore we think it meet that this our Oration should bring us to our bed or rest All these to testifie that Basil the Great held a double Treatise out of the Scriptures the same day For he makes mention both of his evening and morning labour undertaken in performing that office by him Neither did Great Chrysostom give place to Basil although he was called Magnus in the diligent treating out of Scripture who saith What we have said to day is very like to that which we yet have determined to speak to day Hom. oportet haereses esse That place doth shew evidently enough that Chrysostom preach'd twice on one and the same day and if the Church were but to meet once a day to hear the word of God with what face could Chrysostom have reproved those his auditors that refused to come after their carnal table to a spiritual banquet which thing we find him to have done not once So Hom. 10. in Gen. Hom. 9. ad Populum Contrariwise he commends those that obeyed this admonition because when they had dined they met in the Church Hom. 10. ad populum In the beginning of 67 Oration T. 6. of the Greek Edition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he saith that he being wearied with the labours of the morning Sermon reserved the rest namely till afternoon and was wonderfully refreshed with the presence of Flavianus This testifies that he preached twice that day otherwise Bishop Flavianus had not been present to hear him in the afternoon He that shall look into the beginning of the second Sermon of Austins in Ps 88. will grant that Austin did the same For he commands his auditors to bend their mind to the rest of the Psalm of which he had been speaking in the morning Being content with these authorities of the Fathers although we meet with much more in them we will add no more And he that shall weigh these in an equal ballance will with a little adoe find that these grave Authors did endure the labour of Treating twice a day out of the Scriptures Now if any one whose palate nauâ—â—ating the old path that leadeth straight to the eternal salvation of the soul and seeking a new one the premises do not please shall object to me that from the aforesaid testimonies it is not evident that the Fathers did undergo those labours in interpreting and treating out of the Scripture twice on the Lords day which I should have proved Surely he that shall say so will not work me much trouble nor will he enervate my opinion of the Fathers labours declared in this sense unless he shall first demonstrate that the Church did on all dayes besides the Lords keep evening assemblies on which they had these Sermons and that they laboured to sanctifie other dayes more than the Lords Dayes which thing I suppose he will demonstrate from their grave
rural works have been slain with Lightning others punished with contraction of their limbs others having their bodies and bones also consumed in an instant by visible fire and on a sudden resolved into ashes have died in great torment as many other terrible judgments have been and to this day are by which it is declared that God is offended at the dishonour of so great a day These tremendous judgments of God do shew that God the avenger of all sin is angry as the Fathers speak at the impious violators of this solemnity But if the holy festival of the Lords Day were not Gods own ordinance his severe anger would not be so hot upon those that are guilty of the violation thereof We therefore of right do esteem the Lords Day above other dayes and that by reason of its solemnity because it was by a positive determination of Christ by the Apostles set apart from other days in the week that it might supply the room of the ancient Sabbath that it might preserve Religion and the external Worship of God both publick lest the disorderly congregating of the people should diminish their faith in Christ and also private that all might be obliged to attend meditations and pious exercises on a certain stated day which otherwise would seldome or never be done by men attending on the world rather than God therefore is the Lords day ordained that they being at liberty from worldly things might give up themselves wholly to Divine matters Lastly It only remaineth that this question may sufficiently be satisfied Whether it be in the Churches power to abrogate the Lords Day and substitute another in its room Surely he that saith that so innocent a custome so long received of the Church and that through authority of God by the Apostles caught not to be troubled with a change seems to be in the right unless any think that now greater authority doth reside in the Church than the Apostles were endued with wherewith it being endued it can change those things which were ordained of the Apostles or unless some greater occasion than the Resurrection of Christ do occurr than which the world never saw a greater miracle And Chrysostom calls the Lords day or the first day of the week Hom. 2. Tom. 6. because of Christs Resurrection the birth day of the whole humane nature Lastly if the custome of the Church from which arguments are not once fetched by the Apostle as 1 Cor. 11. 26. grounded on the word of God be of any right amongst Christians I see not why the Lords Festival celebrared first by them of Hierusalem secondly by them of Troas thirdly by the Galatians and Corinthians fourthly by them of the Isles Rev. 1. fifthly by the Greeks and Latines and lastly by the whole Churh through the world professing Christs name I say why this innocent custome which is attended with no incommodity but much profit happily continued from the very Apostles age hitherto should not be by us derived to our posterity Whilst Julius blames the preposterous irruption of Georgius the Arrian into the Bishoprick of Athanasius he uses this argument It is not fitting that this new manner of canons should be brought into the Church for where is there such an Ecclesiastical Canon or such an Apostolical tradition so we say here It is by no means fitting that a new custome should be introduced against an innocent order so long received by the Church which is neither supported by the Canons of the Church or tradition received from the Apostles None in this found mind can grant that things ordained by the Apostles can be changed of the Church I confess all the ordinances of the Apostles were not of the same kind for some of them pertained to Doctrine some to rites as Wallaeus observes chap. 7. those are perpetual neither any wayes obnoxious to change he must be anathematized that preacheth any other Gospel than what we have received from the Apostles Gal. 1. 8. but these which respect the rites or circumstances of Divine worship are of a double nature for either their causes were singular and such as perpetually should not have place in the Church therefore these ordinances were to be varied because when the cause was taken away the ordinances themselves ceased but other ordinances respecting rites were not to be changed whose occasions perpetually continued in the Church such was the laying on of hands in the ordinations of Ministers and therefore when the causes of ordinances made by the Apostles are changed the ordinations themselves are to be changed but while the cause remains the ordinances also remain unmoved Which things being considered it 's easie to see that the ordinance about the Lords day is not to be varied because no greater cause than what it 's bottomed on can ever occurr for whose sake it should be changed neither hath the Church ever thus far since the Apostles age once attempted this Therefore the foresaid question is superfluous that I may say no worse and altogether unworthy a farther answer especially whenas we know that many priviledges necessary for a Church to be founded were granted by God to the Apostles which were not derived from them to the Doctors of the Church founded for they were personal and could not lawfully be challenged by others which is shewn more at large in the seventh chapter CHAP. XI In what things the sanctification of the Lords day doth consist Where about resting from gainful labours which the Fathers carefully cautioned against that they should not be used on that day A place of Chrysostom Gregory and the Council of Laodicea is explained also a Canon of the Council of Matiscon WE have seen by the judgment of the Fathers that the Lords Day is to be sanctified and that by Divine authority Now it remaineth which we undertook in the third place to be proved to find out in what the solemn observation thereof consisteth The Fathers think that to Christians the Lords day succeeded in place of the old Sabbath and therefore as Hilary speaketh is to be celebrated with the festivity of the Sabbath that is as August Serm. de Temp. 251. even as the ancients observed the Sabbath Now it appeareth by the Scriptures of the Old Testament that the observation of the Jewish Sabbath consisted first in the rest and secondly in the sanctification of this rest and in the observation of these things their records will inform us that the Lords day was solemnized by the ancients As for the rest the Church of Christ hath used it not as necessary of it self to the worship of God but only as an help thereto without which the worship commanded of God could not conveniently be performed of the people For while men are intangled in the affairs of this world they cannot religiously attend as is fitting on the things that pertain to God and his worship The Sabbath was not allowed for idleness but that men