daies by the Saxon Monarchs 4 Of publicke actions civill Ecclesiasticall mixt and military done on the Lords day under the first sixe Norman Kings 5 New Sabbath doctrines brâ—ached in England in King Johns reigne and the miraculous originall of the same 6 The prosecution of the former Story and ill successe therein of the undertakers 7 Restraine of worldly businesse on the Lords day and the other holy dayes admitted in these times in Scotland 8 Restraint of certaine servile workes on Sundayes holy dayes and the Wakes concluded in the Councell of Oxon under King Henry 3. 9 Husbandrie and legall processe prohibited on the Lords day first in the reigne of King Edward 3. 10 Seâ—â—ing of Woollon the Lords day and the solemne Feasts forbidden first by the said King Edward as after Faires and Markets generally by King Henry 6. 11 The Cordwainers of London restrained from selling of their wares on the Lords day and some solemne feasts by King Edward the 4. and the repealing of that Law by King Henry the 8. 11 In what estate the Lords day stood both for the doctrine and the practise in the beginning of the Reigne of the said King Henry CHAP. VIII The Story of the Lords day from the reformation of Religion in this Kingdome till this present time 1 The Doctrine of the Lords day and the Sabbath deliuered by â— sâ—vâ—rall Martyrs conformably unto the judgement of the Protestants before remembred 2 The Lords day and the other holy dayes confessed by all this Kingdome in the Court of Parliament â—o have no other grâ—â—nd than the authoritie of the Church 3 The meaning and occasion of that clause in the Common-Prayer Booke Lord have mercy upon us c. repeated 〈…〉 end of the fourth Commandement 4 That by the Queenes Injunctions and the first Parliament of hâ—r reigne the Lords day was not meant for a Sabbath day 5 The doctrine in the Homilies delivered about the Lords day and the Sabbath 6 The 〈◊〉 and substance of that Homily and thâ—t it proves no Lords day Sabbath but the contrary 7 The first originall of 〈…〉 Sabbathâ—speculaâ—ions in this Church of England by whom and for what cause invented 8 Strange and most monstrous Paradoxes preached on occasion of the former doctrines and other effects thereof 9 What care was taken of the Lords day in King James his Reigne the spreading of the former doctrines and of the Articles of Ireland 10 The Iewish Sabbath set on foot and of King Iames his Declaration about lawfull sports on the Lords day 11 What tracts were writ and published in that Princes Reigne in opposition of the Doctrines before remembred 12 In what estate the Lords day and the other holy dayes have stood in Scotland since the reformation of Religion in that Kingdome 13 Statutes about the Lords day made in the Reigne of our dread Soveraigne now being and the misconstruing of the same his Majestie reviveth and enlargeth the Declaration of King Iames. 14 An exhortation to obedience unto his Majesties most Christian purpose concludes this History An Advertisement to the Reader touching the Errata THat the Errata of this Booke are gâ—â—wne unto so great a number is neither novum crimeâ— nor in auditum We may with farre 〈…〉 complaine thereof than we can amend it yet for the present I have taken the best care I could although not to prevent yet to correct them Such as are meâ—â—ely literall or no impediment to the sense are left unto the Readers care and ingenuity The rest thâ— Greeke alone excepted which both for accent and for letter hath beene exceeding much mistaken are here collected to thy â—and and are these thâ—t follow viz. PART 1. P. 8. l. 14 r. I deny not p. 9 l. 17 r. narratione p. 10 l. 34 r. posaivâ—â— p. 13. l. 10 r. Ames p. 16. l. 25. for which r. what p. 19. l. 4. r. wherein Bodinus p. 21 l. 2 r. multa p. 23 l. 17 r. palliate their p. 27 l. 29 del saith p. 3 r 1 32 r. Sâ—bbatizasse p. 32 l. 22 r. which doth p. 37 r. present p. 57 l. 36 r. dictated p. 76 l. 31 r. notes it of every moneth p. 83 l. 13 r. weekes p. 94 l. 8 for one r. on the. p. 95 l. 34 r. against Marcion p. 104 in marg r. In â—â—ta sua p. 114 l. â—8 r. dedicated p. 121 l. 26 r. Common-wealth p. 135 l 37 for the other r. those p. â—39 r. Issâ—char p. 147 l. 3â— yet was it not p. 161 l. 5 r. Tamuz p. 177 l. 5 r. Load PART 2. Epistle l. 2. r. part p. 12 l. 7 for as it is r. who as 〈◊〉 ls p. 13 l. 5 r. 〈◊〉 Christus p. 23 l. 9 del ancient p. 27 l. 37 r. from whom it seemes p. 47 l. 21 r. decretory ib. l. 25 r. neither for the. p. 49 l. 9 r. 〈◊〉 ib. 17 del Buâ— p. 57 l. 5 r. the old use in p. 58 l. 5 for nor r. now ib. l. 34. r. instituted by ib. l. 35 r. in those p. 62 l. 13 r. as not to p. 66 l. 29. r. intituled p. 69. l. 1. for evill r. civill ib. 11 r. runnes ib. 19 20 for care many r. ceremony p. 71 del up p. 73 l. 22 r. on wednesdayes p. 74 l. 31 â— Iudaisme p. 75 l. 1 r. faire p. 76 l. 11. for Romish r. Iewish ib. l. 23 r. contrived ib. 34 for Two r. To. p. 82. l. 17 for or read on ib. 28 r. followers p. 88 l. 1 r. discreet behaviour p. 91 l. 10 for Easter r. Earth p. 101 l. 10 r. possessed ib. l. 23 r. fift Centurie p. 107 l. â— r. whereas thaâ— p. 112 l. 34 del that p. 116 l. 4 r. wholly p. 130 l. 31 for true r. it s true p. 144 l. 34 r Oviedâ— p. 147 l. 20 r. Chartres p. 175. l. 33 r. Ryveâ— p. 224 l. 13 r. envying p. 226 l. 9 for now in r. now at the first p. 230 l. 37 r. clause p. 253 r. on the lewes p. 255 l. 35 r. the Musicians head p. 258 l. 31 r. with as much violence p. 260 l. 4. for or r. on p. 263 l. 11. r. goe backe a little p. 265. l. 35. r. 560. THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH THE FIRST BOOKE From the Creation of the World to the destruction of the Temple BY PET. HEYLYN EXOD. 31. 15 16. Wherefore the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations it is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever LONDON Printed for Henry Seile and are to bee sold at the Signe of the Tygers-head in Saint Pauls Church-yard 1636. THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH CHAP. I. That the SABBATH was not instituted in the beginning of the World 1 The entrance to the worke in hand 2 That those words Genes 2. And God blessed the seventh Day c. are there delivered as by way of anticipation 3 Anticipations in the Scripture confessed
fell the Temple of the Iews and with it all the ceremonies of the Law of Moses Demonst. l. 1. c. 6 Since when according as Eusebius tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is not lawfull for that people either to sacrifice according to the law or to build a Temple or erect an Altar to consecrate their Priests or anoint their Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or finally to hold their solemne assemblies or any of their Festivals ordained by Moses 8 For that the sabbath was to end with other legall ceremonies is by this apparant first that it was an institute of Mosos and secondlly an institute peculiar to the Iewish Nation both which we have alredy proved and therefore was to end with the law of Moses and the state of Iewrie Fathers there be good store which affirme as much some of the which shall be produced to expresse themselves that we may see what they conceived of the abrogation of the Sabbath And first for Iustin Martyr it is his chiefe scope and purpose in his conference with Trypho Dial. cum Trypâ—on to make it manifest and unquestionable that as there was no use of circumcision before Abrahams time nor of the Sabbath untill Moses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—o neither is there any use of them at this present time that as it tooke beginning then so it was now to have an end Tâ—rtullian in his argument against the Marciâ—â—â—â—es draws out this conclusion Adv. Marc. l 2. Ad â—empus praesentis cause necâ—ssitatem convaluisse non ad perpetui temporis observationem that God ordained the Sabbath upon speâ—iall reasons and as the times did then require not that it should continue alwayes Hom. de Sab. circum S. Athaâ—â—siâ—s thus discourseth When God saith he had finished the first creation he did betake himselfe to rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and therefore those of that creation did celebrate their Sabbath on the seventh day But the accomplishment of the new-creature hath no end at all and therefore God still worketh as the Gospell teacheth Hence is it that we keepe no Sabbath as the antients did expecting an eternall Sabbath which shall have no end That of S. Ambrose Synagoga diem observat ecclesia immortalitatem comes most neare to this Epist. 72. l. 9. But he that speakes most fully to this point is the great S. Austin what he saith shall be delivered under three severall heads First that the Sabbath is quite abrogated Tempore gratiae revelatae observatio illa Sabbati quae unius diâ—i vacatione figurabatur ablata est ab observatione fidelium The keeping of the Sabbath is taken utterly away in this time of Grace De Gen. ad lit l. 4. c. 13. See the like ad Boniâ—ac l. 3. Tom. 7. contr Faust. Man l. 6. c. 4. Qu. ex N. Test 69. Secondly that the Sabbath was not kept in the Church of Christ In illis decem praeceptis excepta sabbati observatione dicatur mihi quid non sit observandum a Christiano de sp lit c. 14. What is there saith the Father in all the Decalogue except the keeping of the sabbath which is not punctually to be observed of every Christian. More of the like occurres â—e Genesi contr Manich. l. 1. c 22. contr Adimant ca 2. Qu. in Exod. l. 2 qu. 173. And thirdly that it iâ— not lawfull for a Christian to observe the sabbath De Vâ—◠〈◊〉 c. 3. For speaking of the law how it was a pâ—edagogue to bring us unto the knowledge of Christ he addes that in those institutes and ordinances Quibus Christianis uti fas non est quale est sabâ—atum circumcisio sacrificia c. which are not lawfull to be used by any Christian such as are the sabbath circumcision sacrifices and such other things many great mysteries were contained And in another place Quisquis diem illum observat sicut litera fonat Dâ— Sp. l. â— c. 14. carnaliter sapit Sapere autem secundum carnem mors est He that doth literally keepe the sabbath savours of the flesh but to savour of the flesh is death Therefore no sabbath to bee kept by the sonnes of life 9 No Sabbath to be kept at all We affirme not so We know there is a Christian Sabbath a Sabbath figured out unto us in the fourth Commandement which every Christian man must keepe that doth desire to enter into the rest of God This is that Sabbath which the Prophâ—t Isaiah hath commended to us Blessed is the man that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it Quid autem sabbatum est quod praecipit observandum c. What sabbath is it saith S. Hierome that is here commanded The following words saith he will informe us that keeping our hands from doing evill This is the sabbath here commanded Si bona faciens quiescat a malis if doing what is good we do rest from sinne Nor was this his conceit alone the later writers of expound it The Prophet in this place saith Ryvet In Dâ—â—â—log thus prophecies of the Chruch of Christ Blessed is the man that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it and keepeth his hands from doing any evill Vbi custodire sabbatum in Ecclesia Christiana est custodire manus suoâ— Ã malo And in these words saith he to keepe a sabbath in a Christian Church is onely to preserue our hands from doing evill The like spirituall sabbath doth the man of God prescribe unto us in the 58. Chapter of his booke If thou turne away thy foot from the sabbath Verse â—3 14. from doing thy pleasure on my holy day c. not doing thine owne way nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth c. What saith S. Hierome unto this It must be understood saith he spiritually Aliâ—quin si haec tantum prohibentur in sabbato In loâ—â—m ergo in aliis sex diebus tribuit ur nobis libertas delinqueâ—di For otherwise if those things above remembred are prohibited onely on the sabbaths then were it lawfull for us on the other dayes to follow our owne sinfull courses speake our owne idle words and pursue our owne voluptuous pleasures which were most foolish to imagine And so saith Ryvet too for the moderne writers Perpetuam ab omnibus operibus nostris vitiosis cessationem c. In Decalog That everlasting rest from all sinfull works which is begun in this life here and finished in the life to come is signified and represented by those words of Isaiah ca. 58. They therefore much mistake these Texts and the meaning of them who grounding thereupon forbid all manner of recreations and lawfull pleasures on their supposed sabbath day as being utterly prohibited by Gods holy Prophet M â—â—mon ap Aiâ—s in Ex 20. The Iews did thus
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But this perhaps was onely in respect of Lectures or Expositions of the Scriptures such as were often used in the greater Citties where there was much people and but little businesse for I conceive not that they met every day in these times to receive the Sacraments Of Wednesday and of Friday it is plaine they did not to say any thing of the Saturday till the next Section Epl. 289. S. Basil names them all together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is saith he a profitable and pious thing every day to communicate and to participate of the blessed body and blood of Christ our Saviour he having told us in plaine termes that Whosoever eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath eternall life We notwithstanding doe communicate but foure times weekely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. on the Lords day the Wednesday the Friday and the Saturday unlesse on any other dayes the memory of some Martyr be perhaps observed Eâ—pos â—â—d â—ath 11. 22. Epiphanius goeth a little further and he deriveth the Wednesdayes and the Fridayes Service even from the Apostles ranking them in the same Antiquity and grounding them upon the same authority that he doth the Sunday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Onely it seemes the differencâ— was that whereas formerly it had beene the custome not to administer the Sacrament on these two dayes being both of them fasting dayes and so accounted long before untill towards evening It had beene changed of late and they did celebrate in the mornings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as on the Lords day was accustomed Whether the meetings on these dayes were of such antiquity as Epiphanius saith they were I will not meddle Certaine it is that they were very antient in the Church of God as may appeare by that of Origen and Tertullian before remembred So that if wee consider eyther the preaching of the word the ministration of the Sacraments or the publicke Prayers the Sunday in the Easterne Churches had no great prerogative above other dayes especially above the Wednesday and the Friday save that the meetings were more solemne and the concourse of people greater than at other times as it is most likely The footesteps of this antient custome are yet to be observed in this Church of England by which it is appointed that no Wednesdayes and Fridayes weekely Can. 25. though they be not holy dayes the Minister at the accustomed houres of Service sâ—all resort to Church and say the Letanie prescribed in the Booke of Common prayer 5 As for the Saturday that retained its wounted credit in the Easterne Church little inferiour to the Lords day if not plainely equall not as a Sabbath thinke not so but as a day designed unto sacred meetings The Constitutions of the Apostles said to be writ by Clemens one of Saint Peters first successours in the Church of Rome appoint both dayes to be observed as solemne Festivalls both of them to be dayes of rest that so the servant might have time to repaire unto the Church for his education Lib 8. c. 3◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Constitution Not that they should denote them wholy unto rest from labour but onely those seâ— times of both which were appointed for the meetings of the Congregation Yet this had an exception too the Saturday before Easter day Lib. 5 cap. 19. whereupon Christ rested in the Grave being exempt from these assemblies and destinated onely unto griefe and fasting And though these constitutions in all likelihood were not writ by Clemens there being many things therein which could not be in use of a long time after yet ancient sure they were as being mentioned in Epiphanius De Scrip. Ecc. in Clemente and as the Cardinall confesseth à Graecis veteribus magni factos much made of by the ancient Graecians though not of such authoritie in the Church of Rome How their authoritie in this point is countenanced by Ignatius we have seene already and wee shall see the same more fully throughout all this Age. And first beginning with the Synod held in Laodicea Can 16. a towne of Phrygia Anno 314. there passed a Canon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 touching the reading of the Gospels with the other Scriptures upon the Saturday or Sabbath that in the time of Lent Canon 49. there should be no oblation made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but on the Saturday and the Lords day onely neither that any Festivall should be then observed in memory of any Martyrs Canon 51. but that their names onely should be commemorated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the Lords day and the Sabbaths Nor was this onely the particular will of those two and thirty Prelates that there assembled it was the practise too of the Alexandrians S. Athanasius Patriarch there affirmes that they assembled on the Sabbath dayes not that they were infected any whit with Iudaisius which was farre from them Hâ—miâ— de Semeâ—te but that they came together on the Sabbath day to worship Iesus Christ the Lord of the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Father hath it So for the Church of Millaine which as before I said in some certaine things followed the Churches of the East it seemes the Saturday was held in a farre esteeme and joyned together with the Sunday Crastino die Sabbato De Sacrament Lib 4. cap. 6. dominico de orationis ordine dicemus as S. Ambrose hath it And probablie his often mention of hesternus dies remembred in the former Section may have relation to the joynt observance of these two dayes and so may that which is reported then out of S. Chrysost. and S. Cyril Easterne Doctors both Hist. Eccles. Lib. 6. cap. 8. Sure I am Socrates counts both dayes for weekely Festivalls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and addes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on them both the Congregation used to be assembled and the whole Liturgie performed Which plainely shewes that in the practise of those Churches they were both regarded both alike observed Gregory Nyssen speakes more home and unto the purpose Some of the people had neglected to come unto the Church upon the Saturday and on the Sunday he thus chides and rebukes them for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 De Castâ—gâ—tione c. with what face saith the Father wilt thou looke upon the Lords day which hast dishonoured the Sabbath knowest thou not that these dayes are sisters and that who ever doth despise the one doth affront the other Sisters indeed and so accounted in those Churches not onely in regard of the publicke meetings but in this also that they were both exempt from the Lenten Fast of which more annon In the meane time we may remember how Saturday iâ— by S. Basil made one of those foure times whereon the Christians of those parts did assemble weekely to receive the Sacrament as before wee noted And finally it is sayd
profestis diebus hoe fiat secus si hoc fiat ex causa honesta intentione non corrupta à persona cui talia non sunt prohibita With which determination I conclude this Chapter CHAP. VIII The story of the Lords-day from the reformation of Religion in this Kingdome till this present time 1 The doctrine of the Sabbath and the Lords day delivered by three severall Martyrs conformably to the iudgement of the Protestants before remembred 2 The Lords day and the other holy dayes confessed by all this Kingdome in the Court of Parliament to have no other ground then the authority of the Church 3 The meaning and occasion of that clause in the Common prayer booke Lord have mercy upon us c. repeated at the end of the fourth Commandment 4 That by the Queenes Injâ—nctions and the first Parliament of her reigne the Lords day was not meant for a Sabbath day 5 The doctrine in the Homilies deliâ—ered about the Lords day and the Sabbath 6 The summe and substance of that Homily and that it makes not any thing for a Lords day Sabbath 7 The first originall of the New Sabbath Speculations in this Church of England by whom and for what cause invented 8 Strange and most monstrous Paradoxes preached on occasion of the former doctrines and of the other effects thereof 9 What care was taken of the Lords day in King Iames his reigne the spâ—eading of the doctrines and of the Articles of Ireland 10 The Iewish Sabbath set on foote and of King Iames his declaration abouâ— lawfull sports on the Lords day 11 What tracts were writte and published in that Princes time in opposition to the doctrines before remembred 12 In what estate the Lords day and the other holy dayes have stood in Scotland since the reformation of Religion in that Kingdome 13 Statutes about the Lords day made by our present Soveraigne and the misconstruing of the same His Majesty reviveth and enlargeth the declaration of King Iames. 14 An exhortation to obedience unto his Majesties most Christian purpose concludes this History 1 THVS are wee safely come to these present times the times of reformation wherein what ever had beene taught or done in the former dayes was publickely brought unto the test and if not well approved of layed aside either as unprofitable or plainely hurtfull So dealt the Reformatours of the Church of England as with other things with that which wee have now in hand the Lords day and the other holy dayes keeping the dayes as many of them as were thought convenient for the advancement of true godlinesse and increase of piety but paring off those superstitious conceits and matters of opinion which had beene enterteined about them But first before wee come to this wee will by way of preparation lay downe the iudgements of some men in the present point men of good quality in their times and such as were content to bee made a sacrifice in the Common cause Of these I shall take notice of three particularly according to to the severall times in the which they lived And first wee will beginne with Master Fryth who suffered in the yeere 1533 who in his declaration of Baptisme thus declares himselfe P. 96. Our forefathers saith hee which were in the beginning of the Church did abrogate the Sabbath to the intent that men might have an ensample of Christian liberty c. Howbeit because it was necessary that a day should be reserved in which the people should come together to heare the word of God they ordayned insteed of the Sabbath which was Saturday the next day following which is Sunday And although they might have kept the Saturday with the Iew as a thing indifferent yet they did much better Some three yeeres after him anno 1536 being the 28 of Henry the eight suffered Master Tyndall who in his answer to Sir Thomas More hath resolved it thus Pag. 287. As for the Sabbath we be Lords over the Sabbath and may yet change it into Munday or into any other day as wee see neede or may make every tenth day holy day onely If we see cause why Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday but to put a difference betweene us and the Iewes neither need wee any holy day at all if the people might bee taught without it Last of all Bishop Hooper sometimes Bishop of Gloucester who suffered in Queene Maries reigne doth in a treatise by him written on the ten Commandements and printed in the yeere 1550 goe the selfe same way Pag 103. Wee may not thinke saith hee that God gave any more holinesse to the Sabbath then to the other dayes For if yee consider Friday Saturday or Sunday in as much as they be dayes and the worke of God the one is no more â—oly then the other but that day is alwayes most holy in the which we most apply and give our selves unto holy works To that end did hee sanctify the Sabbath day not that wee should give our selves to illenesse or such Ethnicall pastime as is now used amongst Ethnicall people but being free that day from the travailles of this world wee might consider the works and benefits of God with thankesgiving heare the word of God honour him and feare him then to learne who and where bee the poore of Christ that want our helpe Thus they and they amongst them have resolved on these foure conclusions First â—hat one day is no more holy then another the Sunday then the Saturday or the Friday further than they are set apart for holy uses Secondly that the Lords day hath no institution from divine authority but was ordained by our fore fathers in the beginning of the Church that so the people might have a Day to come together and heare Gods Word thirdly that still the Church hath power to change the day from Sunday unto Monday or what day shee will And lastly that one day in seven is not the Morall part of the fourth Commandement for M. Tyndall faith expressely that by the Church of God each tenth day onely may be kept holy if wee see cause why So that the mervaile is the greater that any man should now affirme as some men have done that they are willing to lay downe both their Lives and Livings in maintenance of those contrary Opinions which in these latter dayes have been taken up 2 Now that which was affirmed by them in their particulars was not long afterwards made good by the generall Bodie of this Church and State the King the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and all the Commons met in Parliament 5. 6. Edw. 6. cap. 3. anno the fift and sixt of King Edward the sixt where to the honour of Almighty God it was thus enacted For as much as men bee not at all times so mindfull to laud and praise God so readie to resort to heare Gods Holy Word and to come to the holy Communion
c. as their bounden dutie doth require therefore to call men to remembrance of their dutie and to helpe their infinnitie it hath beene wholesomely provided that there should be some certaine times and dayes appointed wherein the Christians should cease from all kind of labour and apply themselves only and wholly unto the aforesaid holy works properly pertaining to true Religion c. Which workes as they may well be called Gods Service so the times especially appointed for the same are called holy dayes Not for the matter or the nature either of the time or day c. for so all dayes and times are of like holinesse but for the nature and condition of such holy workes c. whereunto such times and dayes are sanctified and hallowed that is to say separated from all prophane uses and dedicated not unto any Saint or Creature but onely unto God and his true worship Neither is it to bée thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of dayes prescribed in holy Scripture but the appointment both of the time and also of the number of dayes is left by the authoritie of Gods Word unto the libertie of Christs Church to bée determined and assigned orderly in every Countrey by the discretion of the Rulers and Ministers thereof as they shall iudge most expedient to the true setting forth of Gods glorie and edification of their people Nor is it to be thought that all this Preamble was made in reference to the holy dayes or Saints dayes onely whose being left to the authoritie of the Church was never questioned but in relation to the Lords Day also as by the Act it selfe doth at full appeare for so it followeth in the Act Bee it therefore enacted c. That all the dayes hereafter mentioned shall bee kept and commanded to be kept holy dayes and nonâ— other that is to say all Sundayes in the yeere the Feasts of the Circumcision of our Lord Iesus Christ of the Epiphanie of the Purification with all the rest now kept and there named particularly and that none other day shall be kept and commanded to bee kept holy day and to abstaine from lawfull bodily labour Nay which is more there is a further Clause in the selfe-same Act which plainly shewes that they had no such thought of the Lords day as that it was a Sabbath or so to bee obâ—erved as the Sabbath was and therefore did provide it and enact by the authoritie aforesaid That it shall be lawfull to every Husbandman Labourer Fisherman and to all and every other person and persons of what estate degree or condition he or they be upon the holy dayes aforesaid in Harvest or at any other times in the yeere when necessitie shall so require to labour â—ide fish or worke any kind of worke at their free-wills and pleasure any thing in this Act unto the contrary notwithstanding This is the totall of this Act which if examined well as it ought to bee will yeeld us all those propositions or conclusions before remembred which we collected from the writings of those three particular Martyrs Nor is it to be said that it is repealed and of no authoritie Repealed indeed it was in the first yeere of Queene Mary and stood repealed in Law though otherwise in use and practice all the long Reigne of Queene Elâ—zabeth but in the first yeere of King Iames was revived againe Note here that in the selfe-same Parliament the Common Prayer-Bookâ— now in use being reviewed by many godly Prelates was confirmed and authorized wherein so much of the said Act as doth concerne the names and number of the holy dayes is expressed and as it were incorporate into the same Which makes it manifest that in the purpose of the Church the Sunday was no otherwise esteemed of than another holy day 3 This Statute as before wee said was made in anno 5. 6. of Edward the sixt And in that very Parliament as before wee said the Common prayer-Prayer-Booke was confirmed which still remaines in use amongst us save that there was an alteration or addition of certaine Lessons to be used on every Sunday of the yéere 1. Eliz. cap. 2. the forme of the Letanie altered and corrected and two Sentences added in the deliverie of the Sacrament unto the Communicants Now in this Common Prayer-Booke thus confirmed in the fift and sixt yeeres of King Edward the sixt Cap. 1. it pleased those that had the altering and revising of it that the Commandements which were not in the former Liturgie allowed of in the second of the said Kings Reigne should now be added and accounted as a part of this the people being willed to say after the end of each Commandement Lord havâ— mercie upon us and incline our hearts to keepe this Law Which being used accordingly as well upon the hearing of the fourth Commandement as of any others hath given some men a colour to perswade themselves that certainely it was the meaning of the Church that wee should keepe a Sabbath still though the day be changed and that wee are obliged to doe it by the fourth Commandement Assuredly they who so conclude conclude against the meaning of the Booke and of them that made it Against the meaning of the Booke for if the Booke had so intended that that ejâ—culation was to be understood in a literall sence according as the words are layd downe in terminis it then must be the meaning of the Booke that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seventh day precisely from the Worlds Creation and keepe it in the selfe-same manner as the Iewes once did which no man I presume will say was the meaning of it For of the changing of the day there is nothing said nor nothing intimated but the whole Law laid downe in terminis as the Lord delivered it Against the meaning also of them that made it for they that made the Booke and reviewed it afterwards and caused these Passages and Prayers to be added to it Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Ridley Bishop of London and certaine others of the Prelates then and there assembled were the same men by whose advice and counsaile the Act before remembred about keeping holy dayes was in the selfe-same Parliament drawne up and perfected And is it possible wee should conceive so ill of those reverend persons as that they would erect a Sabbath in the one Act and beat it downe so totally in the other to tell us in the Service-Booke that wee are bound to keepe a Sabbath and that the time and day of Gods publike worship is either pointed out in the fourth Commandement or otherwise ordained by Dâ—vine Authoritie and in the selfe-same breath to tell us that there is neither certaine time nor definite number of dayes prescribed in Scripture but all this left unto the libertie of the Church I say as formerly I said it is impossible wee should thinke so ill of such
Reverend persons nor doe I thinke that any will so thinke hereafter when they have once considered the non sequitur of their owne Conclusions As for the Prayer there used wee may thus expound it according to the doctrine and the practice both of those very times viz that their intent and meaning was to teach the people to pray â—nto the Lord to incline their hearts to keepe that Law as farre as it contained the Law of Nature and had beene entertained in the Christian Church as also to have mercie on them for the neglect thereof in those holy dayes which by the wisdome and authoritie of his Church had beene set apart for Gods publike Service Besides this Prayer was then conceived when there was no suspition that any would make use thereof to introduce a â—ewish Sabbath but when men rather were inclined to the contrarie errour to take away those certaine and appointed times Lords dayes and other holy dayes which by the wisdome of the Church had beene retained in the Reformation The Anabaptists were strongly bent that way as before wee shewed and if wee looke into the Articles of our Church Sâ—â— Art 26. 37 38 39. wee shall then finde what speciall care was taken to suppresse their errours in other points which had tooke footing as it seemes in this Church and Kingdome Therefore the more likely is it that this Clause was added to crush their furious fancies in this particular of not hallowing certaine dayes and times to Gods publike Service Yet I conceive withall that had those Reverend Prelates fore-seene how much their pious purpose would have beene abused by wresting it to introduce a Sabbath which they never meant they would have cast their meaning in another mould 4 Proceed wee to the Reigne of Queene Elizabeth that so much celebrated Princesse and in the first place wee shall meet with her Iujunctions published the first yeere of her Empire in which the Sunday is not onely counted with the other holy dayes but labour at somâ— times permitted and which is more enjoyn'd upon it For thus it pleased her to declare her will and pleasure 〈◊〉 20. 〈…〉 Subiects shall from 〈…〉 their holy day according to 〈…〉 that is in hearing the 〈…〉 and publike 〈…〉 unto God and amendment of the same in reconcâ—ling of themselves charitably to their Neighbours where displeasure hath bâ—ene in offentimes receiving the Communion of the Bodie and Bloud of Christ in visiting the Poore and Sicke using all sobernesse and godly conversation This seemes to be severe enough but what followeth next Yet notwithstanding all Parsons Vicars and Curates shall teach and declare to their Parishioners that they may with a safe and quiet Conscience after their Common Prayer in the tâ—ne of Harvest labour upon the holy and festivall dayes and save that thing which God hath sent And if for any scrupulositie or grudge of Conscience men should superstitiously abstaine from working on these dayes that then they should grievously offend and displease God This makes it evident that Queene Elizabeth in her owne particular tooke not the Lords day for a Sabbath or to be of a different nature from the other holy dayes nor was it taken so by the whole Body of our Church and State in the first Parliament of her Reigne what time it was enacted 1. Eliz c. â— That all and every person and persons inhabiting within this Realme and any other the Queenes Dominions shall diligently and faithfully having no lawfull or reasonable excuse to be absent endevour themselves to resort to their Parish Church or Chappell accustomed or upon reasonable let thereof to some usuall place where Common Prayer shall be used in such time of let upon every Sunday and other dayes ordained and used to be kept as holy dayes and then and there to abide orderly and soberly during the time of Common Prayer Preaching or other Service of God upon paine of punishment c. This Law is still in force and still like to be and by this Law the Sundayes and the holy dayes are alike regarded Nor by the Law onely but by the purpose and intent of holy Church who in her publike Liturgie is as full and large for every one of the holy dayes as for the Sunday the Letanie excepted onely For otherwise by the rule and prescript thereof the same Religious Offices are designed for both the same devout attendance required for both and whatsoever else may make both equall And therefore by this statute and the Common prayer-Prayer-Booke wee are to keepe more Sabbaths then the Lords day Sabbath or else none at all 5 Next looke we on the Homilies part of the publicke monuments of the Church of England set forth and authorized an 1562. being the fourth of that Queenes reigne In that entituled Of the place and time of prayer wee shall finde it thus As concerning the time in which God hath appointed his people to assemble together solemnly it doth appeare by the fourth Commandement c. And albe it this Commandement of God doth not binde Christian people so straitely to observe and keep the utter ceremonies of the Sabbath day as it did the Iewes as touching the forbearing of worke and labour in the time of great necessity and as touching the precise keeping of the seventh day after the manner of the Iewes for wee keepe now the first day which is our Sunday and make that our Sabbath that is our day of rest in honour of our Saviour Christ who as upon that day rose from death conquering the same most triumphantly Yet notwithstanding whatsoever is found in the Commandement apperteining to the law of nature as a thing most godly most iust and needfull for the setting forth of Gods glory ought to bee retained and kept of all good Christian people And therefore by this Commandement we ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull works For like as it appeareth by this Commandement that no man in the six dayes ought to be slothfull and idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and workeday labour to the intent that like as God himselfe wrought six dayes and rested the seaventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour evenso Gods obedient people should use the Sunday holily rest from their Common and daily businesse and also give themselves wholy to heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service So that God doth not onely command the observation of this holy day but also by his owne example doth stirre and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same c. Thus it may plainely appeare that Gods will and Commandement was to have a solemne time and standing day in
thereof not by the workmanship of the Stuffe but the glosse and colour In which it is most strange to see how suddainly men were induced not onely to give way unto it but without more adoe to abett the same till in the end and that in very little time it grew the most bewitching Errour the most popular Deceit that ever had beene set on foot in the Church of England And verily I perswade my selfe that many an honest and well-meaning man both of the Clergie and the Laitie either because of the appearance of the thing it selfe or out of some opinion of those men who first endevoured to promote it became exceedingly affected towards the same as taking it to be a Doctrine sent downe from Heaven for encrease of Pietie So easily did they beleeve it and grew at last so strongly possessed therewith that in the end they would not willingly be perswaded to conceive otherwise thereof than at first they did or thinke they swallowed downe the Hooke when they tooke the Bait. An Hooke indeed which had so fastned them to those men who love to fish in troubled waters that by this artifice there was no small hope conceived amongst them to fortifie their side and make good that cause which till this trimme Deceit was thought of was almost growne desperate Once I am sure that by this meanes the Brethren who before endeavoured to bring all Christian Kings and Princes under the yoke of their Presbyteries made little doubt to bring them under the command of their Sabbath Doctrines And though they failed of that applauded paritie which they so much aimed at in the advancing of their Elderships yet hoped they without more adoe to bring all higher Powers what ever into an equall ranke with the common people in the observance of their Iewish Sabbatarian rigours So Doctor Bound declares himselfe p. 171. The Magistrate saith hee and Governour in authoritie how high soever cannot take any priviledge to himselfe whereby he might be occupied about worldly businesse when other men should rest from labour It seemes they hoped to see the greatest Kings and Princes make suit unto their Consistorie for a Dispensation as often as the great Affaires of State or what cause soever induced them otherwise to spend that Day or any part or parcell of it than by the new Sabbath Doctrine had beene permitted For the endeering of the which as formerly to endeere their Elderships they spared no place or Text of Scripture where the word Elder did occurre and without going to the Heralds had framed a Pedigree thereof from â—ethro from Noahs Arke and from Adam finally so did these men proceed in their new Devices publishing out of holy Writ both the antiquitie and authoritie of their Sabbath day No passage of Gods Booke unransacked where there was mention of a Sabbath whether the legall Sabbath charged the Iewes or the spirituall Sabbath of the Soule from siâ—ne which was not fitted and applyed to the present purpose though if examined as it ought with no better reason than Paveant illi non paveam ego was by an ignorant Priest alledged from Scripture to prove that his Parishioners ought to pave the Chancell Yet upon confidence of these proofes they did alreadie begin to sing Victoria especially by reason of the entertainment which the said Doctrines found with the common people For thus the Doctor boasts himselfe in his second Edition anno 606. as before was said Many godly learned both in their Preachings Writings and Disputations did concurre with him in that argument and that the lives of many Christians in many places of the Kingdome were framed according to his Doctrine p. 61. Particularly in the Epistle to the Reader that within few yeeres three severall profitable Treatises successively were written by three godly learned Preachers Greenehams was one whose ever were the other two that in the mouth of two or three witnesses the doctrine of the Sabbath might bee established Egregiam verò laudem spolia ampla 8 But whatsoever cause hee had thus to boast himselfe in the successe of his new doctrines the Church I am sure had little cause to rejoyce thereat For what did follow hereupon but such monstrous paradoxes and those delivered in the pulpit as would make every good man tremble at the hearing of them First as my Author tells mee it was preached at a market towne in Oxfordshire that to doe any servile worke or businesse on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to kill a man or commit adultery Secondly preached in Somerset-shire tâ—at to throw a bowle on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to kill a man Thirdly in Norfolke that to make a feast or dresse a wedding dinner on the Lords day was as great a sinne as for a Father to take a knife and cut his childes throate Fourthly in Suffolke that to ring more bells then one on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to commit murder I adde what once I heard my selfe at Sergeanâ—â— Inne in Fleet-streete about five yeeres since that temporall death was at this day to be inflicted by the Law of God on the Sabbath-breaker on him that on the Lords day did the works of his daily calling with a grave application unto my masters of the Law that if they did their ordinary workes on the Sabbath day in taking fees and giving Counsell they should consider what they did deserve by the Law of God And certainely these and the like conclusions cannot but â—ollow most directly on the former principles For that the fourth Commandement bee plainely morall obliging us as straitely as it did the Iewes and that the Lords day bee to bee observed according to the prescript of that Commandment it must needs bee that every willfull breach thereof is of no lower nature then Idolatrie or blaspheming of the Name of GOD or any other deadly sinne against the first table and therefore questionlesse as great as murder or adultery or any sin against the second But to goe forwards where I left my Author whome before I spake of being present when the Suffolke Minister was convented for his so lewd and impious doctrine was the occasion that those Sabbatarian errours and impieties were first brought to light and to the knowledge of the state On which discovery as hee tells us this good ensued that the said bookes of the Sabbath were called in and forbidden to bee printed and made common Archbishop Whitguift by his letters and visitations did the one Annâ— 1599. and Sir Iohn Popham Lord Chiefe Iustice did the other Annâ— 1600 at Burie in Suffolke Good remedies indeed had they beene soone inough applied yet not so good as those which formerly were applied to Thacker and his fellow in the aforesaid towne of Burie for publishing the bookes of Brâ—wnâ— against the service of the Church Nor was this all the fruite of so bad a doctrine For by inculcating to the people these new
nititur Verbo Dei was publikely maintained by a Doctor there and by the then Vice-Chancellour so determined neither the following Doctors â—here or any in the other Universitie that I can heare of did ever put up any Antithesis in opposition thereunto At last some foure yeeres after his Majesties Declaration before remembred anno 1622. Doctor Prideaux his Majesties Professour for the Universitie of Oxon. did in the publike Act declare his judgement in this point de Sâ—bbato which afterwards in the yeere 1625. he published to the World with his other Lectures Now in this Speech or Determination hee did thus resolve it First That the Sabbath was not instituted in the first Creation of the World nor ever kept by any of the ancient Patriarkes who lived before the Law of Moses therefore no Morall and perpetuall Precept as the others are Sect. 2. Secondly That the sanctifying of one day in seven is ceremoniall onely and obliged the Iewes not Morall to oblige us Christians to the like observance Sect. 3. 4. Thirdly That the Lords day is founded onely on the Authoritie of the Church guided therein by the practice of the Apostles not on the fourth 〈◊〉 which in the 7. Section he eâ—tituleth a Scandalous Doctrine nor any other authoritie in holy Scripture Sect. 6. 7. Fourthly That the Church hath still authoritie to change the day though such authoritie be not â—it to be put in practise Sâ—ct 7. Fifthly Thâ—â— in the celebration of it there is no such cessation from the workes of labour required of us as was exacted of the Iewes but that wee lawfully may dresse Meat proportionable unto every mans estate and doe such other things as be no hinderance to the publike Service appointed for the day Sect. 8. Sixtly That on the Lords day all Râ—creations whatsoever are to be allowed which honestly may refresh the spirits and encrease mutuall love and neighbourhood amongst us and that the Names whereby the Iewes did use to call their Festivals whereof the Sabbath was the chiefe were borrowed from an Hebrew word which signifies to Dance and to make merry or rejoyce And lastly that it appâ—rtaineâ— to the Christian Magistrate to order and appoint what â—astimeâ— on the Lords day are to be permitted and what prohibited not unto every private person much lesse to every â—anâ— rash Zeale as his owne words are who out of a schismaticall 〈◊〉 debarring men from lawfull Pastimes doth encline to Iâ—daisme Sect. 8. This was the summe and substance of his resolution then which as it gave content unto the sounder and the better part of the Assembly so it did infinitely stomacke and displease the greater numbers such as were formerly possessed with the other Doctrines though they were wiser than to make it a publike Quarrell Onely it pleased M. Bifeild of Surrey in his Reply to a Discoâ—rse of M. Brerewoods of Gresham Colledge anno 1631. to taxe the Doctor as a spreader of wicked Doctrine and much to marvell with himselfe how either he durst be so bold to say P. 161. or having said it could be suffered to put it forth viz. That to establish the Lords day on the fourth Commandement were to encline too â—uch to Iudaisme This the said M. Bifeild thinkes to be a foule aspersion on this faâ—ous Church But in so thinking I conceive that he consulted more his owne opinion and his private interest than any publike maintenance of the Churches cause which was not injured by the Doctor but defended rather But to proceed or rather to goe a little About a yeere before the Doctor thus declared his judgement one Thom. Broad of Gloucestershire â—ad published something in this kind wherein to speake my minde thereof he rather shewed that he disliked those Sabbath Doctrines than durst disprove them And before either M. Brâ—rewood whom before I named had writ a learned Treatise about the Sabbath on a particular occasion therein mentioned but published it was not till after both anno 1629. Adde here to joyne them all together that in the Schooles at Oxon anno 1628. it was maintained by Doctor Robinson now Archâ—eacon of Gloucester viz. Ludos Recreationis gratia in die Dominico non esse prohibitos Divina Lege That Recreations on the Lords day were not at all prohibited by the Word of God 12 As for our neighbour Church of Scotland as they proceeded not at first with that mature deliberation in the reforming of that Church which had beene here observed with us so did they runne upon a Course of Reformation which after was thought fitting to be reformed The Queene was young and absenâ— in the Court of France the Regent was a desolate Widow a Stranger to that Nation and not well obeyed So that the people there possessed by Cnoxe and other of their Teachers tooke the cause in hand and went that way which came most neere â—nto Geneva where this Cnoxe had lived Among the first things wherewithall they were offeâ—ded were the Dâ—nsreis and in the yeere 1592 the Act of the Queene Regent granting licence to keepe the said two feasts was by them repealed Yet finde wee by the Bishop of Brechin in his discourse of the Proceedings at the Synod of 〈◊〉 that notwithstanding all the Acts Civill and Ecclesiasticke made against the superstitious observation and prophane abuse of Zule day the people could never bee induced to labour on that day and wheresoever Divine service was done that day as in townes which have alwaies morning and evening Prayers they were perceived to resort in greater numbers on that day then on any other to the Church As for King Iames of happie memorie hee did not onely keepe the said great festivalls from his youth as there is said but wished them to bee kept by all his subjects yet without abuse and in his Basilicon Doron published Anno 1598 thus declares himselfe that without superstition playes and lawfull games may bee used in May and good cheere at Christmasse Now on the other side as they had quite put downe those daies which had beene dedicated by the Church to religious meetings so they appointed others of their owne authoritie For in their booke of â—â—scipline before remembred it was thus decreed viz. That in every notable towne a day besides the Sunday should bee appointed weekely for Sermons that during the time of Sermon the day should bee kept free from all exercise of labour as well by the master as by the Servant as also that every day in the said great townes there be either Sermon or Prayers with reading of the Scriptures So that it seemeth they onely were â—fraid of the name of holy dayes and were contented well inough with the thing it selfe As for the Lords day in that Kingdome I finde not that it had attained unto the name or nature of a Sabbath day untill that doctrine had beene set on foote amongst us in England For in the booke of discipline set out as formerly was said in
Ioseph nor the Israelites in Aegypt did observe the Sabbath 9 The Israelites not permitted to offer sacrifice while they were in Aegypt 10 Particular proofes that all the morall Law was both knowne and kept amongst the Fathers CHAP. IV. The nature of the fourth Commandement and that the Sabbath was not kept amongst the Gentiles 1 The Sabbath first made knowne in the fall of Mannah 2 The giving of the Decalogue and how farre it bindeth 3 That in the Iudgment of the Fathers in the Christian Church the fourth Commandement is of a different nature from the other nine 4 The Sabbath was first given for a Law by Moses 5 And being given was proper onely to the Iewes 6 What moved the Lord to give the Israelites a Sabbath 7 〈◊〉 the seventh day was rather chosen for the Sabbath than any other 8 The seventh day not more honoured by the Gentiles than the eighth or ninth 9 The Attributes given by some Greeke Poâ—ts to the seventh day no Argument that they kept the Sabbath 10 The Iewes derided for their Sabbath by the Grecians Romans and Aegyptians 11 The division of the yeere into weekes not generally used of old amongst the Gentiles CHAP. V. The practise of the Iewes in such observances as were annexed unto the Sabbath 1 Of some particular adjuncts affixed unto the Iewish Sabbath 2 The Annuall Festivals called Sabbaths in the Booke of God and reckned as a part of the fourth Commandement 3 The Annuall Sabbaths no lesse solemnely observed and celebrated than the weekely were if not more solemnely 4 Of the Parasceve or Preparation to the Sabbath and the solemne Festivals 5 All manner of worke as well prohibited on the Annuall as the weekely Sabbaths 6 What things were lawfull to bee done on the Sabbath dayes 7 Touching the prohibition of not kindling fire and not dressing meat 8 What moved the Gentiles generally to charge the Iewes with fasting on the Sabbath day 9 Touching this prohibition Let no man goe out of his place on the Sabbath day 10 All lawfull recreations as dancing feasting man-like exercises allowed and practised by the Iewes upon their Sabbaths CHAP. VI. Touching the observation of the Sabbath unto the time the people were established in the promised Land 1 The Sabbath noâ— kept constantly during the time the people wandred in the wildernesse 2 Of him that gathered stickes on the Sabbath day 3 Wherein the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist in the time of Moses 4 The Law not ordered to be reade in the Congregation every Sabbath day 5 The sacke of Hiâ—richo and the destruction of that people was upon the Sabbath 6 No Sabbath after this without Circumcision and how that ceremonie could consist with the Sabbaths rest 7 What moved the Iewes to preferre Circumcision before the Sabbath 8 The standing still of the Sunne â—t the prayerâ— of Iosuah c. could noâ— but make some alteration about the Sabbath 9 What waâ— the Priests worke on the Sabbath day and whether it might â—â—and with the Sabbaths rest 10 The 〈◊〉 of the Levites over al the Tribes had 〈◊〉 relation unto the reading of the Law on the Sabbath day CHAP. VII Touching the keeping of the Sabbath from the time of David to the Macchabees 1 Particular necessities must give place to the Law of Nature 2 That Davids flight from Saul was upon the Sabbath 3 What David did being King of Israel in ordering things about the Sabbath 4 Elijahs flight upon the Sabbath and what else hapned on the Sabbath in Elijahs â—ime 5 The limitation of a Sabbath dayes journey not knowâ—e amongst the Iewes when Elisha lived 6 The Lord becomes offended with the Iewish Sabbaths and on what occasion 7 The Sabbath 〈◊〉 by the Samaritans and their straâ—ge â—â—â—ities therein 8 Whether the Sabbaths were observed dâ—ring the captivitie 9 The speciall care of Nehemiah to reforme the Sabbath 10 The weekely reading of the Law on the Sabbath day begun by Ezra 11 No Synagogues nor weekely reading of the Law during the Government of the Kings 12 The Scribes and Doctors of the Law impose new rigours on the people about their Sabbaths CHAP. VIII What doth occurre about the Sabbath from the Macchabees to the destruction of the Temple 1 The Iewes refuse to fight in their owne defence upon the Sabbath and what was ordered thereupon 2 The Pharisees about these times had made the Sabbath burdensome by their traditions 3 Hierusalem twice taken by the Romans on the Sabbath day 4 The Romans many of them Iudaize and take up the Sabbath as other nations did by the Iewes example 5 Whether the Strangers dwelling amongst the Iewes did observe the Sabbath 6 Augustus Caesar very gracious to the Iewes in matters that concerned their Sabbath 7 What our Redeemeâ— taught and did to rectifie the abuses of and in the Sabbath 8 The small ruine of the Temple and the Iewish Ceremonies on a Sabbath day 9 The Sabbath abrogated with the other Ceremonies 10 Wherein consists the Christian Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures and amongst the Fathers 11 The idle and rediculous nicities of the moderne Iewes in their Parasceâ—es and their Sabbaths conclude this first part THE SECOND BOOKE CHAP. I. That there is nothing found in Scripture touching the keeping of the Lords day 1 The Sabbath not intended for a perpetuall ordinance 2 Preparatives unto the dissolution of the Sabbath by our Saviour Christ. 3 The Lords day not enjoyn'd in the place thereof either by Christ or his Apostles but instituted by the authority of the Church 4 Our Saviours Resurrection upon the first day of the weeke and apparition on the same make it not a Sabbath 5 The comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the first day of the weeke makes it not a Sabbath 6 The first day of the weeke was not kept more like a Sabbath than the other dayes by Peter Paul or 〈◊〉 other of the Apostles 7 Saint Paul frequents the Synagogues on the Iewish Sabbath and upon what reasons 8 What was concluded against the Sabbath in the Councell holden at Hierusalem 9 The preaching of Saint Paul at Troas upon the first day of the weeke no Argument that then that day was set apart by the Apostles for religious exercises 10 Collections on the first day of the weeke 1 Cor. 16. conclude as little for that purpose 11 Those places of Saint Paul Galat. 4. 10. Coloss. 2. 16. doe prove in 〈…〉 Lords day untill the end of this first Age and what that title addes unto it CHAP. II. In what estate the Lords day stood from the death of the Apostles to the reigne of Constantine 1 Touching the Orderâ— sâ—â—led by the Apostles for the Congregation 2 The Lords day and the Saturday both Festivals and both observed in the East in Ignatius time 3 The Saturday not without great difficulâ—y made fasting day 4 The controversie about keeping Easter and how much it conduceth to the present businesse 5 The â—east of
either to grant the use of anticipation in the holy Scripture or else to run upon a tenet wherein they are not like to have any seconds I will instance onely in two particulars both Englishmen and both exceeding zealous in the present cause The first is Doctour Bound who first of all did set a foot these Sabbatarian speculations in the Church of England 2. Edit p. 10. wherewith the Church is still disquieted He determines thus I deny saith he but that the Scripture speaketh often of things as though they had been so before because they were so then when the things were written As when it is said of Abraham that hee remooved unto a Mountaine Eastward of Bethel whereas it was not called Bethel till above a hundred yeares after The like may be said of another place in the Booke of Iudges called Bochin c. yet in this place of Genesis it is not so And why not so in this as well as those Because saith he Moses entreateth there of the sanctification of the Sabbath not onely because it was so then when hee wrote that Booke but specially because it was so even from the Creation Which by his leave is not so much a reason of his opinion Medullâ— Thâ—ol l. 2 c. 15. â— 9. as a plain begging of the question The second Doctor Ames the first I take it that sowed Bounds doctrine of the Sabbath in the Netherlands Who saith expresly first and in generall termes hujusmodi prolepseos exemplum nullum in tota scriptura dari posse that no example of the like anticipation can be found in Scripture the contrary whereof is already proved After more warily and in particular de hujusmodi institutione Proleptica that no such institution is set down in Scripture by way of a Prolepsis or Anticipation either in that Book or in any other And herein as before I said he is not like to find any seconds We find it in the sixteenth of Exodus that thus Moses said This is the thing which the Lord commandeth Vers. 32. Fill an Omer of it of the Mannah to be kept for your generations that they may see the bread wherwith I have fed you in the Wildernesse when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt It followeth in the text that as the Lord commanded Moses Vers. 34. so Aaron laid it up before the testimony to be kept Here is an ordinance of Gods an institution of the Lords and this related in the same manner by anticipation as the former was Lyra upon the place affirmes expresly that it is spoken there per anticipationem and so doth Vatablus too in his Annotations on that Scripture But to make sure worke of it I must send Doctor Ames to schoole to Calvin who tels us on this text of Moses non contexuit Moses historiam suo ordine sed narrarem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interposita melius confirmat c. Indeed it could not well be otherwise interpreted For how could Aaron lay up a pot of Mannah to be kept before the testimony when as yet there was neither Arke nor Tabernacle and so no testimony before which to keep it To bring this businesse to an end Moses hath told us in the place before remembred that the children of Israel did eat Mannah forty yeares Vers. 35. which is not otherwise true in that place and time in which he tells it but by the helpe and figure of anticipation And this Saint Austin noted in his questions upon Exodus Qu. 62. significat scriptura per Prolepsin i. e. hoc loco commemorando quod etiam postea factum est And lastly where Amesius sets it downe for certain that no man ever thought of an anticipation in this place of Moses Vers supra qui praejudicio aliquo de observatione diei Dominicae non prius fuit prius anticipatus who was not first possessed with some manifest prejudice against the sanctifying of the Lords day this cannot possibly be said against Tostatus who had no enemy to encounter nor no opinion to oppose and so no prejudice We coÌ„clude then that for this passage of the Scripture we find not any thing unto the contrary but that it was set down in that place and time by a plain and meer anticipation and doth relate unto the time wherein Moses wrote And therefore no sufficient warrant to fetch the institution of the Sabbath from the first beginnings One onely thing I have to adde and that 's the reason which moved Moses to make this mention of the Sabbath even in the first beginning of the Booke of God and so long time before the institution of the same Which doubtlesse was the better to excite the Iewes to observe that day from which they seemed at first to be much averse and therefore were not onely to be minded of it by a Memento in the front of the Commandement but by an intimation of the equity and reason of it even in the entrance of Gods Book derived from Gods first resting on that day after all his works Theodoret hath so resolved it in his Questions on the Book of Genesis Qu 21. Maxime autem Iudaeis ista scribens necessario posuit hoc sanctisific avit eumâ— ut majore cultu prosequantur Sabbatum Hoc enim in legibus sanciendis inquit sex diebus creavit Deus c. 5 I say an intimation of the equitie and reason of it for that 's as much as can be gathered from that place though some have laboured what they could to make the sanctifying of the seventh day therein mentioned a precept given by God to our Father Adam touching the sanctifying of that day to his publicke worship Of this I shall not now say much because the practice will disprove it Onely I cannot but report the minde and judgement of Pererius a learned Iesuite Who amongst other reasons that he hath alleaged to prove the observation of the Sabbath not to have took beginning in the first infancy of the World makes this for one that generally the Fathers have agreed on this Deum non aliud imposuisse Adamo praeceptum omnino positâ—â—â—um nisi illud de non edendo fructu arboris scientiae c. that God imposed no other Law on Adam then that of the forbidden fruit of the Tree of knowledge Of which since he hath instanced in none particularly I will make bold to lay before you some two or three that so out of the mouthes of two or three witnesses the truth hereof may be established And first we have Tertullian Adv. Iudaeos who resolves it thus Namque in principio mundi ipsi Adae Evae legem dedit c. In the beginning of the World the Lord commanded Adam and Eue that they should not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the Garden Which Law saith he had been sufficient for their justification had it been observed For in
of mens secret thoughts yet wee may judge of good mens thoughts by their outward actions Had Ioseph coveted his Masters wife Ioâ— 31. 26. he might have enjoyed her And Iob more home unto the point affirmes expresly of himselfe that his heart was neuer secretly enticed which is the same with this that he did not covet We conclude then that seeing there is particular mention how all the residue of the commandements had been observed and practised by the Saints of old and that no word at all is found which concerns the sanctifying of the Sabbath that certainly there was no Sabbath sanctified in all that time from the Creation to the Law of Moses nor reckoned any part of the Law of Nature or any speciall Ordinance of God CHAP. IV. The nature of the fourth Commandement and that the SABBATH was not kept among the Gentiles 1 The Sabbath first made known in the fall of Mannah 2 The giving of the Decalogue and how farre it bindeth 3 That in the judgement of the Fathers in the Christian Church the fourth Commandement is of a different nature from the other nine 4 The Sabbath was first given for a Law by Moses 5 And being given was proper onely to the Iewes 6 What moved the Lord to give the Israelites a Sabbath 7 Why the seventh day was rather chosen for the Sabbath then any other 8 The seventh day not more honoured by the Gentiles then the eighth or ninth 9 The Attributes given by some Greeke Poets to the seventh day no argument that they kept the Sabbath 10 The Iewes derided for their Sabbath by the Graecians Romans and Egyptians 11 The division of the yeere into weekes not generally used of old amongst the Gentiles 1 THus have wee shewne you how Gods Church continued without any Sabbath the space of 2500. yeares and upwards even till the children of Israel came out of Egypt And if the Saints of God in the line of Seth and the house of Abraham assigned not every seventh day for Gods publick worship it is not to be thought that the posterity of Cain and the sonnes of Canaan were observant of it To proceed therefore in the history of the Lords owne people as they observed no Sabbath when they were in Egypt so neither did they presently after their departure thence The day of their deliverance thence was the seventh day as some conceive it which after was appointed for a Sabbath to them Torniellus I am sure is of that opinion and so is Zanchie two who withall gives it for the reason why the seventh day was rather chosen for the Sabbath In quarium pâ—acep um then any other Populus die septima liberatus fuit ex Aegypto tunc jussit in hujus rei memoriam diem illam sanctificare Which were it so yet could not that day be a Sabbath or a day of rest considering the â—udden and tumultuous manner of their going thence their sonnes and daughters maid servants and men servants the cattell and the strangers within their gates being all put hardly to it and fain to flie away for their life and â—afety And if Saint Austins note be true and the note be his Sâ—rm de temp 154. that on the first day of the week transgressi sunt filii Israel mare rubrum siccis pedibus the Israelites went dry foot over the Red Sea or Sea of Edom then must the day before if any be the Sabbath day the next seventh day after the day of their departure But that day certainly was not kept as a Sabbath day For it was wholly spent in murmuring and complaints against God and Moses Exod. 14. 11. 12. They cryed unto the Lord and they said to Moses why hast thou brought us out of Egypt to die in the wildernesse Had it not been better farre for us to serve the Egyptians Nothing in all this murmurings and seditious clamours that may denote it for a Sabbath for an holy Festivall Nor do we finde that for the after times they made any scruple of journying on that day till the Law was given unto the contrary in Mount Sinai which was the eleventh station after their escape from Egypt It was the fancy of Rabbi Solomon that the Sabbath was first given in Marah and that the sacrifice of the red Coâ— mentioned in the nineteenth of Numbers was instituted at that time also Exod. 15. 26. This fancy founded on thâ—se words in the Booke of Exodus If thou wils diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God c. then will I bring none of those diseases upon thee that I brought on the Egyptians But Torniellus and Tostatus and Lyra though himselfe a Iew count it no other then a Iewish and Rabbinicall folly Sure I am that on the fifteenth day of the second moneth after their departure out of Egypt being that day seven-night before the first Sabbath was discovered in the fall of Mannah we finde not any thing that implies either rest or worship Exod. 16. 2. We read indeed how all the Congregation murmured as they did before against Moses and against Aarâ—â— wishing that they had died in the land of Egypt where they had bread their bâ—llies full rather then be destroyed with Famine So eagerly they murmured that to content them God sent them Quailes that night and rained downe bread from Heaven next morning Was this thinke you the sanctifying of a Sabbath to the Lord their God Indeed the next seventh day that followed was by the Lord commended to them for a Sabbath and ratified by a great and signall miracle the day before wherein it pleased him to give them double what they used togather on the former dayes that they might rest upon the seuenth with the greater comfort This was a preamble or preparative to the following Sabbath for by this miracle this rest of God from raining 〈◊〉 on the seventh day the people came to know which was precisely the seventh day from the Worlds Creation whereof they were quite ignorant at that present time Philo assures us in his third Booke 〈…〉 that the knowledge of that day on which God rested from his works had been quite forgotten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of 〈…〉 which had 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 by this miracle the Lord revived again the remembrance of it And in another place De vita Mosis l. 1. when men had made a long enquiry after the birth day of the World and were yet to seek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. God made it knowne to them by a speciall miracle which had so long beene hidden from their Ancestors The falling of a double portion of Mannah on the sixt day and the not putrifying of it on the seventh was the first light that Moses had to descry the Sabbath which he accordingly commended unto all the people to be a day of rest unto them that as God ceased that day from sending so they should
instruction and true pietie So he or rather out of him Eusebius But here by Philo's leave we must pauâ—e a while This was indeed the custome in our Saviours time and when Philo lived and he was willing as it seemes to fetch the pedigree thereof as farre as possibly hee could So Salianus tells him on the like occasion Videtur Philo Iudaeorum morem in synagogis disserendi antiquitate donare voluisse quem à Christo Apostolis observatum legimus Annales An. 2546. n. 10 The same reply wee make to Iosephus also who tells us of their lawmaker that he appointed not that they should onely heare the Law once or twice a yeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cont. Ap. 2. Deut. 6. 7. but that once every week we should come together to hear the laws that we might perfectly learn the same Which thing saith he all other Law-makers did omit And so did Moses too by Iosephus leave unlesse we make a day and a yeare all one For being now to take his farewell of that people and having oft advised them in his exhortation to meditate on the words that he had spoken even when they tarried in their houses and walked by the way when they rose up and when they went to bed he called the Priests unto him and gave the Law into their hands and into the hands of all the Elders of Israel Verse 31. 9. And hee commanded them and said Verse 10. At the end of every seven yeares in the solemnity of the yeare of release at the Feast of Tabernacles Vers. 11. when all Israel is come to appeare before the Lord their God in the place that thou shalt choose thou shalt reade this Law before Israel in their hearing that they may heare and that they may leâ—rne and feare the Lord your God and observe all the words of this Law to do them Vers. 12. This was the thing decreed by Moses and had beene needlesse if not worse in case hee had before provided that they should have â—he Law read openly unto them every Sabbath day So then by Moses order the Law was to be read publickly every seventh yeare onely in the yeare of release because then servants being manumitted from their bondage and Debtours from their Crediâ—ours all sorts of men might heare the Law with the greater cheerfulnesse and in the Feast of Tabernacles because it lasted longer then the other Festivals and so it might be read with the greater leasure and heard with more attention and then it was but this Law too the booke of Deâ—teronomy This to be done onely in the place which the Lord shall choose to be the seat and receptacle of his holy Tabernacle not in inferiour Townes much lesâ—e petite Villages and yet this thought sufficient to instruct the people in the true knowledge of Gods Law and keeping of his testimonies And indeed happy had they been had they observed this order and decree of Moses and every seventh yeare reade the Law as he appointed they had then questionlesse escaped many of those great afflictions which afterwards God brought upon them for contempt thereof That in the after times the Law was read unto them every Sabbath in their severall Synagogues is most cleere and manifest as by the testimony of Philo and Iosephuâ— before related and by sufficient evidence from the holy Gospel But in these times and after for a thousand yeares there were no Synagogues no publick reading of the Law in the Congregation excepting every seventh yeare onely and that not often Sure I am not so often as it should have beene So that in reference to the people we have but one thing onely to regard as yet touching the keeping of the Sabbath which is rest from labour rest from all manner of worke as the â—aw commanded and how farre this was kept and how farre dispensed with we shal see plainly by the story The private meditations and devotions of particular men stand not upon record at all and therefore we must onely judge by externall actions 5 This said and shewne we will passe over Iordaâ— with the house of Israel and trace their foot-steps in that countrey Ios. 4. 19. This happened on the tenth day of the first moneth or the moneth of Nisan forty dayes after the death of Moses Ann. 2584. That day they pitched their tents in Gilgal And the first thing they did was to erect an Altar in memoriall of it that done to circumcise the people who all the time that they continued in the wildernesse as many as were borne that time were uncircumcised The 14. of the same moneth did they keepe the Passeover 5. 10. 12. and on the morrow after God did cease from raining Mannah the people eating of the fruits of the land of Canaan And here the first Sabbath which they kept as I conjecture was the day before the siege of Hiericho Ios. 5. which â—abbath probably was that very day whereon the Lord appeared to Iosuah and gave him order how he should proceed in that great businesse The morrow after being the first daâ— of the week they began to compasse it as the Lord commanded the Priests some of them bearing the Arke Ios. 6. some going before with Trumpets and the residue of the people some before the Trumpetters some behinde the Arke This did they once a day for sixe dayes together But when the seventh day came which was the Sabbath they compassed the Towne about seven times and the Priests blew the Trumpets and the people shouted and they tooke the Citie destroying in it young and old man woman and children I said it was the Sabbath day for so it is agreed on generally both by Iewes and Christians One of the seven dayes be it which it will must needs be the Sabbath day and be it which it will there had been work enough done on it but the seventh day wheron they went about seven times and destroyed it finally was indeed the Sabbath For first the Iews exprâ—sly say it that the overthrow of Iericho fell upon the Sabbath and that from thence did come the saying Qui sanctificari jussit sabbatum is profanarijussit sabbatum So R. Kimchi hath resolved on the 6. of Iosuah In Ios. 6. qu. â— The like Tostatus tels us is affirmed by R. Solomon who addes that both the falling of the wall and slaughter of that wicked people was purposely deferred In honorem sabbati to adde the greater lustre unto the sabbath Galatine prooves the same out of divers Rabbines L. 11. c. 10. this Solomon before remembred and R. Ioses in the Book called Sedar Oleâ— and many of them joyned togethâ—◠〈…〉 Beresith ketanna or lesser exposition on the 〈…〉 Genesis they all agreeing upon this Dies sabbaâ—â—erâ—â— cum fuit praeliâ—m in Hiericho and againe Non capta fuit Hiericho nisi in sabbato That certainly both the battell and the execution fell upon the
common nothing according to the custome of the former times neither in time or place or any other circumstance For the time although it was the Feast of Tabernacles yet it was the seventh yeere as Moses ordered it that yeare Neh. 8. â— â— which was the first of Nehemiahs comming unto Hierusalem not being the sabbaticall yeare but the third yeare after as Torniellus doth compute it Then for the place it should have beene performed in the Temple onely as both by Moses Ordinance and Iosiahs practice doth at large appeare but now they did it in the street before the Water-gates as the Text informes us So for manner of the reading it was not onely published as it had beene formerly but expounded also Whereof as of a thing never knowne before this reason is laid downe by Torniellus quod lingua Hebraica desierat jam vâ— lgaris esse Chaldaico seu Syriaco idiomate in ejus locuâ—â— surrogato An. 3610. n. â— because the Hebrew tongue wherein the Scriptures were first written was now growne strange unto the people the Chaldee or the Syriack being generally received in the place thereof And last of all for the continuance of this exercise it held out eight dayes all the whole time the Feast continued whereas it was appointed by the Law of Moses that onely the first and last dayes of the Feast of Tabernacles should bee esteemed and solemnized as holy convocations to the Lord their God Levit. 23 35. 36. Here was a totall alteration of the ancient custome and a faire overture to the Priests who were then Rulers of the people to beginne a new a faire instruction to them all that reading of the Law of God was not confined to place or time but that all times and places were alike to his holy word Every seventh day as fit for so good a duty as every seventh yeare was acounted in the former times the Villages and Townes as capable of the Word of God as was the great and glorious Temple of Hierusalem and what prerogative had the Feast of Tabernacles but that the Word of God might be as necessary to be heard on the other Festivals as it was on that The law had first been given them on a Sabbath day and therfore might be read unto them every Sabbath day This might be pleaded in behalfe of this alteration and that great change which followed after in the weekly Sabbaths whereon the Law of God was not onely read unto the people such of them as inhabited over all Iudea but publickly made knowne unto them in all the Prouinces and Townes abroad where they had either Synagogues or habitations God certainly had so disposed it in his heavenly counsailes that so his holy Word might be more generally knowne throughout the World and a more easie way layed open for the admittance and receipt of the Messiah whom he meant to send that so Hierusalem and the Temple might by degrees be lesned in their reputation Iohn 4. â—0 and men might know that neither of them was the onely place where they ought to worship This I am sure of that by this breaking of the custome although an institute of Moses the Law was read more frequently then in times of old there being one other reading of it publickly and before the people related in the thirteenth of Nehemiah when it was neither Feast of Tabernacles nor Sabbaticall yeare for ought we finde in holy Scripture Therefore most like it is that it was the Sabbath which much about those times beganne to be ennobled with the constant reading of the Word in the Congregation First in Hierusalem and after by degrees in most places else as men could fit themselves with convenient Synagogues houses selected for that purpose to heare the Word of God and observe the same Of which times of none before Chap. 6. n 4. those passages of Philâ— Iosephus before remembred touching the weekly reading of the Law and the behaviour of the people in the publick places of assemblies are to be understood and verified as there we noted 11 For that there was no Synagogue nor weekly reading of the Law before these times besideâ— what hath been said already we will now make manifest No Synagoguâ— before these times for there is neither mention of them in all the body of the old Testament nor any use of them in those dayes wherein there were no Congregations in particular places And first there is no mention of them in the old Testament For where it is supposed by some that there were Synagogues in the time of David and for the proofe thereof they produce these words Psal 74. â— they have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land the supposition and the proofe are alike in firme For not to quarrell the Translation which is directly different from the Greek and vulgar Latine and somewhat from the former English this Psalme if writ by David was not composed in reference to any present misery which befell the Church There had been no such havock made thereof in all Davids time as is there complained of Therefore if David writ that Psalme hee writ it as inspired with the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of prophecy did reflect on those wretched times wherein Antiochus laid waste the Church of God and ransacked his inheritance To those most probably must it be referâ—ed the miseries which are there bemoned not being so exactly true in any other time of trouble as it was in this In Psal. 74. Magis probabilis est conjectura ad tempus Antiochi referri has querimonias as Calvin notes it And secondly there was no use of thâ—m before because no reading of the Law in the Congregation of ordinary course and on the Sabbath dayes For had the Law been reade unto the people every Sabbath day wee either should have found some Commandement for it or some practice of it but we meet with neither Rather we find strong arguments to perswade the contrary We read it of Iehosaphat 2. Chron. 17. 7. that in the third yeere of his reigne he sent his Princes Ben-hail and Obadiah and Zechariah and Nathaneel and Micaiah to teach in the Cities of Iudah These were the principall in Commission and unto them he joyned nine Levites and two Priests to beare them company to assist them It followeth Verse 9. And they taught in Iudah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and they went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people And they taught in Iudah and had the Booke of the Law with them This must needs be an needlesse labour in case the people had beene taught every Sabbath day or that the Book of the Law had as then been extant and extant must it be if it had beene read in every Towne and Village over all Iudaea Therefore there was no Synagogue no reading of the Law every Sabbath
day in Ieâ—â—sophats time 2. Kings 22. But that which followes of Iosiah is more full then this That godly Prince intended to repaire the Temple and in pursuite of that intendment Hilkiah the Priest to whom the ordering of the work had been committed found hidden an old Copy of the Law of God which had been given unto them by the hand of Moses This Booke is brought unto the King and read unto him And when the King had heard the words of the Law Verse 11. hee rent his clothes And not so onely but hee gathered together all the Elders of Iudah and Hiâ—rusalem Chap. 23. 1 2. and read in their eares all the words oâ— the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. Had it beene formerly the custome to reade the Law each Sabbath unto all the people it is not to be thought that this good King Iâ—siah could possibly have beene such a stranger to the Law of God or that the finding of the Booke had beene related for so strange an accident when there was scarce a Towne in Iudah but was funished with them Or what need such a suddain calling of all the Elders and on an extraordinary time to heare the Law if they had heard it every Sabbath and that of ordinary course Nay so farre were they at this time from having the Law read amongst them every weekly Sabbath that as it seemes it was not read amongst them in the sabbath of yeares as Moses had before appointed For if it had been read unto them once in seven yeares onely that vertuous Prince had not so soone forgotten the contentâ— thereof Therefore there was no synagogue no weekly reading of the law in Iosiahs dayes And if not then and not before then not at all till Ezras time The finding of the booke of God before remembred is said to happen in the yeare 3412. of the worlds creation not forty yeares before the people were led Captives into Babylon in which short space the Princes being carelesse and the times distracted there could be nothing done that concern'd this businesse Now from this reading of the Law in the time of Ezra unto the Councell holden in Hierusalem there passed 490. yeares or thereabouts Antiquitie sufficient to give just cause to the Apostle there to affirme that Moses in old time in every Citie had them that preached him Act. 15. â—1 being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So that we may conclude for certaine that till these times wherein we are there was no reading of the Law unto the people on the Sabbath dayes and in these times when it was taken up amongst them it was by Ecclesiasticall institution onely no divine authoritie 12 But being taken up on what ground soever it did continue afterwards though perhaps sometimes interrupted untill the finall dissolution of that Church and State and therewithall grew up a libertie of interpretation of the holy words which did at last divide the people into sects and factions Petrus Cunaeus doth affirme that howsoever the Law was read amongst them in the former times De republ l. 2. ca. 17. either in publike or in private yet the bare text was onely read without glosse or descant Interpretatio magistrorum commentatio nulla But in the second Temple when there were no Prophets then did the Scribes and Doctors begin to comment and make their severall expositions on the holy Text Ex quo natae disputationes sententiae contrariae from whence saith he sprung up debates and doubtfull disputations Most probable it is that from this liberty of interpretation sprung up diversity of judgements from whence arose the severall sects of Pharisees Essees and Sadduces who by their difference of opinions did distract the multitude and condemne each other Of whom and what they taught about the Sabbath we shall see next Chapter Nor is it to be doubted but as the reading of the Law did make the people more observant of the Sabbath then they were before so that libertas prophetandi which they had amongst them occasioned many of those rigours which were brought in after The people had before neglected the sabbaticall yeares but now they carefully observed them Iâ—seph Ant li. â—1 ca ulâ— So carefully that when Alexander the Great being in Ierusalem anno 3721 commanded them to aske some boone wherein he might expresse his favour and love unto them the high Priest answered for them all that they desired but leave to exercise the ordinances of their fore-fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that each seventh yeare might be free from tribute because their lands lay then untilled But then againe the libertie and varietie of interpretation bredde no little mischiefe For where in former times according to Gods owne appointment thâ— Sabbath was conceived to be a day of rest whereon both man and beast might refresh themselues and be the more inabled for their ordinary labours by canvassing some Texts of Scripture and wringing bloud from thence instead of comfort they made the Sabbath such an yoke as was insupportable Nor were these weeds of doctrine very long in growing Within an hundred yeares and lesse after Nehemiah the people were so farre from working on the Sabbath day as in his time we see they did and hardly could be weaned from so great a sinne but thought it utterly unlawfull to take sword in hand yea though it were to save their libertie and defend Religion A follie which their neighbour Ptolomie Iâ—sâ—ph Ant. li. 12. c. 1. the great King of Aegypt made especiall use of For having notice of this humour as it was no better he entred the Citie on the Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice and presently without resistance surprised the same the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not laying hand on any weapon or doing any thing in defence thereof but sitting still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an idle slothfulnesse suffered themselues to be subdued by a Tyrant Conquerour This happened Ann. M. 3730. And many more such fruits of so bad a doctrine did there happen afterwards to which now wee hasten CHAP. VIII What doth occurre about the Sabbath from the Maccabees to the destruction of the Temple 1 The Iews refuse to fight in their owne defence upon the Sabbath and what was ordered thereupon 2 The Pharisees about these times had made the Sabbath burdensome by their Traditions 3 Hierusalem twice taken by the Romans on the Sabbath day 4 The Romans many of them Iudaize and take up the Sabbath as other Nations did by the Iews example 5 Augustus Caesar very gratious to the Iews in matters that concerned their Sabbath 6 What our Redeemer taâ—ght and did to rectifie the abuses of and in the Sabbath 7 The finall ruine of the Temple and the Iewish ceremonies on a Sabbath day 8 The Sabbath abrogated with the other Ceremonies 9 Wherein consists the Christian Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures
perfect harmonie and agreement which is betweene this Church and the purest times It is our constant prayer to almighty God aswell that he would strengthen such as do stand and confirme the weake as to raise up those men which are fallen into sinne and errour As are our prayers such should be also our endeavours as universall to all sorts of men as charitable to them in their severall cases and distresses Happy those men who do aright discharge their duties both in their prayers and their performance The blessing of our labours we must leave to him who is all in all without whom all Pauls planting and Apollos watering will yeeld poore increase In which of these three states soever thou art good Christian Reader let me be seech thee kindly to accept his pains which for thy sake were undertaken that so be might in some poore measure be an instrument to strengthen or confirme or raise thee as thy case requires This is the most that I desire and lesse then this thou couldst not do did I not desire it And so fare thee well THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH The second Booke CHAP. I. That there is nothing found in Scripture touching the keeping of the LORDS DAY 1 The Sabbath not intended for a perpetuall ordinance 2 Preparatives unto the dissolution of the Sabbath by our Saviour Christ. 3 The Lords day not enjoyned in the place thereof either by Christ or his Apostles but instituted by the authority of the Church 4 Our Saviours resurrection on the first day of the weeke and apparitions on the same make it not a Sabbath 5 The comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the first day of the weeke makes it not a Sabbath 6 The first day of the weeke not made a Sabbath more than â—thers by Saint Peter Saint Paul or any other of the Apostles 7 Saint Paul frequents the Synagogue on the Iewish Sabbath and upon what reasons 8 What was concluded against the Sabbath in the Councell holden in Hieruâ—alem 9 The preaching of Saint Paul at Troas upon the first day of the weeke no árgument that then that day was set apart by the Apostles for religious exercises 10 Collections on the first day of the week 1. Cor. 16. conclude as little for that purpose 11 Those places of Saint Paul Galat. 4. 10. Coloss. 2. 16. doe prove invincibly that there is no Sabbath to be looked for 12 The first day of the week not called the Lords day untill the end of this first age and what that title addes unto it 1 WEe shewed you in the former book what did occurre about the Sabbath from the Creation of the World to the destruction of the Temple which comprehended the full time of 4000 years and upwards in the opinion of the most and best Chronologers Now for five parts of eight of the time computed from the Creation to the Law being in all 2540 yeares and somwhat more there was no Sabbath knowne at all And for the fifteene hundred being the remainder it was not so observed by the Iewes themselves as if it had been any part of the Law of Nature but sometimes kept and sometimes broken either according as mens private businesses or the affaires of the republicke would give way unto it Never such conscience made thereof as of adultery murder blasphemy or idolatrie no not when as the Scribes and Pharisees had most made it burdensome there being many casus reservati wherein they could dispense with the fourth Commandement though not with any of the other Had they beene all alike equally natural moral as it is conceived they had been all alike observed all alike immutable no jot nor syllable of that law which was ingraft by nature in the soule of man being to fall unto the ground Luk 16. 17. till heaven and earth shall passe away and decay together till the whole frame of Nature for preservation of the which that Law was given be dissolved for ever The Abrogation of the Sabbath which before we spake of shews plainly that it was no part of the Morall law or Law of Nature there being no law naturall Contr. Marc. l. 2 which is not perpetuall Tertullian takes it for confest or at least makes it plaine and evident Temporale fuisse mandatum quod quandâ—que cessaret that it was onely a temporarie constitution which was in time to have an end c. 16. And after him Procopius Gazâ—eus in his notes on Exodus layes downe two severall sorts of laws whereof some were to be perpetuall and some were not of which last sort were Circumcision and the Sabbath Quae dâ—raverunt usque in adventum Christi which lasted till our Saviours comming and he being come Iâ— Col. 2 16. went out insensiblie of themselues For as S. Ambrose rightly tels us Absente imperatore imagâ— ejus habet autoritatem praesente non habet c. What time the Emperour is absent we give some honour to his State or representation but none at all when he is present And so saith he the Sabbaths and new-moones and the other festivals before our Saviours comming had a time of honour during the which they were observed but he being present once they became neglected But heâ—eof wee have spoke more fully in our former booke 2 Neglected not at once and upon the sudden but leasurely and by degrees There were preparatives unto the sabbath as before we shewed before it was proclaimed as a Law by Moses and there were some preparatives required before that law of Moses was to be repealed These we shall easiliest discover if we shall please to looke on our Saviours actions who gave the first hint unto his disciples for the abolishing of the sabbath amongst other ceremonies It 's true that he did frequently repaire unto the synagogues on the sabbath dayes and on those dayes did frequently both reade and expound the Law unto the people Luk. 4. 16. And he came to Nazareth saith the Text where he had beene brought up and as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the sabbath day and stood up to reade It was his custome so to do both when he lived a private life to frequent the Synagogue that other men might do the like by his good example and after when he undertooke the ministerie to expound the Law unto them there that they might be the better by his good instructions Yet did not be conceive that teaching or expounding the word of God was annexed onely to the Synagogue or to the sabbath That most divine and heavenly Sermon which takes up three whole Chapters of S. Matthews Gospell was questionlesse a weeke dayes worke and so were most of those delivered to us in S. Iohn as also that which he did preach unto them from the ship-side and divers others Nay the text tells us Luk 8. 1. that he went through every Citie and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of God Too great a
justification so there was some analogie or proportion which this day seemed to hold with the former Sabbath which might more easily induceâ— them to observe the same For as God rested on the Sabbath from all the works which he had done in the Creation so did the Sonne of God rest also on the day of his resurrection from all the works which he had done in our Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gregory Nyssen notes it for us Orat. in sanct Pâ—scha Yet so that as the Father rested not on the former Sabbath from the works of preservation so neither doth our Saviour rest at any time from perfecting this worke of our redemption by a perpetuall application of the benefit and effects thereof This was the cause and these the motives which did induce the Church in some tract of time to solemnize the day of Christs resurrection as a weekly Festivall though not to keepe it as a Sabbath 4 I say in tract of time for ab initio non fuit sic it was not so in the beginning The very day it selfe was not so observed though it was known to the Apostles in the morning early that the Lord was risen We find not on the newes that they came together for the performance of divine and religious exercises much lesse that they intended it for a Sabbath day or that our Saviour came amongst them untill late at night as in likelihood he would have done had any such performance beene thought necessary as was required unto the making of a Sabbath Nay which is more our blessed Saviour on that dâ—y and two of the Disciples whatsoever the others did were other wise employed then in Sabbath duties For from Hierusalem to Emaus Luke 24. 13. whether the two Disciples went was sixty furlongs which is seven miles and an halfe and so much back again unto Hierusalem which is fifteeene miles And Christ who went the journey with them at least part thereof and left them not untill they came unto 〈◊〉 wâ—s back againe that night and put himselfe into the middest of the Apostles Had he intended it for a Sabbath day doubtlesse he would have rather joyned himself with the Apostles as it is most likely kept themselues together in expectation of the issue and so were most prepared and fitted to beginne the new Christian Sabbath then with those men who contrary to the nature of a Sabbaths rest were now ingaged in a journey and that for ought wee know about worldly businesses Nor may we think but that our Saviour would have told them of so great a faâ—lt as violating the new Christian Sabbath even in the first beginning of it had any Sabbath been intended As for the being of the eleven in a place together that could not have relation to any Sabbath duties or religious exercises being none such were yet commanded but onely to those cares and feares wherewith poore men they were distracted which made them loath to part asunder till they were setled in their hopes or otherwise resolued on somewhat whereunto to trust And where it is conceivâ—d by some that our most blessed Saviour shewed himselfe oftner unto the Apostles upon the first day of the weeke then on any other and therefore by his own appearings did sanctifie that day insteed of the Iewish Sabbath neither the premisses are true nor the sequell necessary The premisses not true for it is no where to be found that he appeared oftner on the first day then any other of the week it being said in holy Scripture that he was seen of them by the space of forty dayes Actâ— 1. 3. as much on one as on another His first appearing after the night following his resurrection which is particularly specified in the book of God was when he shewed himself to Thomas who before was absent Iâ—bâ— 20. 26 That the text tels us was after eight dayes from the time before remeÌ„bred which some coâ—ceive to be the eighth day after or the next first day of the week therupon coÌ„clude that day to be most proper for the Congregations Iâ— Iohn l. â—7 cap. 18. or publick meetings of the Church Diem octâ—â—vum Christus Thomae apparuit Doâ—inicum diem esse necesse est as Saint Cyril hath it Iure igitur sanctae congregationes die octauo in Ecclesia fiunt But where the Greek Text reads it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post octo dies in the vulgar Latine after eight dayes according to our English Bibles that should be rather understood of the ninth or tenth then the eighth day after and therefore could not be upon the first day of the week as it is imagined Now as the premisses are untrue so the Conclusion is unfirme For if our Saviours apparition unto his Disciples were of it selfe sufficient to create a Sabbath then must that day whereon Saint Peter went on fishing Iohn 21. â— be a Sabbath also and so must holy Thursday too it being most evident that Christ appeared on those dayes unto his Apostles So that as yet from our Redeemers resurrection unto his ascention we find not any word or Item of a new Christian Sabbath to be kept amongst them or any evidence for the Lords Day in the foure Evangelists either in precept or in practice 5 The first particular passage which doth occurre in holy Scripture touching the first day of the weeke is that upon that day the Holy Ghost did first come downe on the Apostles and that upon the same Saint Peter preached his first Sermon unto the Iewes and baptized such of them as beleeved there being addâ—d to the Church that day three thousand soules This hapned on the Feast of Pentecost which fell that yeare upon the Sunday or first day of the weeke as elsewhere the Scripture calls it but as it was a speciall and a casuall thing so can it yeeld but little proofe if it yeeld us any that the Lords Day was then observed or that the Holy Ghost did by selecting of that day for his descent on the Apostles intend to dignifie it for Sabbath For first it was a casuall thing that Pentecost should fall that yeare upon the Sunday It was a moveable Feast as unto the day such as did change and shift it selfe according to the position of the Feast of Passeover the rule being this that on what day â—oever the second of the Passeover did fall upon that also fell the great Feast of Pentecost â—mend Temp. l. 2. Nam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 semper eadem est ferâ—a quae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger hath rightly noted So that as often as the Passeover did fall upon the Saturday or Sabbath as this yeare it did then Pentocost â—ell upon the Sunday but when the Passeover did chance to fall upon the Tewsday the Pentecost fell that yeare upon the Wednesday sic de coeteris And if the rule be true as I thinke it is that no sufficient argumeâ—t
recorded to bee made touching the keeping of this day but many actions of great note to bee done upon it These wee will ranke for orders sake under these 5 heades 1 Coronations 2 Synods Ecclesiasticall 3 Councells of Estate 4 Civill businesse and 5 battailes and assaults which we shall summe up briefely in their place and time And first for Coronations which as before I said are mixt kinde of actions compound of sacred and of civill William surnamed Rufus was crowned at Canterbury by Archbishop Lanfrancke the 25 of Sept. being Sunday anno 1087. So was King Steven the 21 of Decemb. being Sunday too anno 1135. On Sunday before Christmasse day was Henry the second crowned at London by Archbishop Theobald anno 1155 and on the Sunday before Septuagesima his daughter Ioane was at Palermo crowned Queene of Sicile Of Richard the first it is recorded that hoysing saile from Barbeflet in Normandie hee arrived safely here upon the Sunday before our Lady day in harvest whence setting towards London there met him his Archbishops Bishops Earles and Barons cum copiosa militum multitudine with a great multitude of Knightly ranke by whose advise and Counsaile he was crowned on a Sunday in September following anno 1189 and after crowned a second time on his returne from thraldome and the holy Land anno 1194. on a Sunday too The royall magnificent forme of his first coronation they who list to see may finde it most exactly represented in Rog. de Houeden And last of all King Iohn was first inaugurated Duke of Normandie by Walter Archbishop of Roane the Sunday after Easter day anno 1200 and on a Sunday after crowned King of England together with Isabell his Queene by Hubert at that time Archbishop of Canterbury For Synods next an 1070 a Councell was assembled at Winchester by the appointement of King William the first and the consent of Alexander then Pope of Rome for the degrading of Stigand Archbishop of Canterbury and this upon the Sunday next after Easter And wee finde mention of a Synod called by Richard Archbishop of Canterbury Anno 1175. the Sunday before holy thursday ad quod concilium venerunt fere omnes Episcopi Abbates Cantuariensis dioeceseos where were assembled almost all the Bishops and Abbats of the whole Province For Councells of Estate there was a solemne meeting called on Trinity Sunday anno 1143 in which assembled Maud the Empresse and all the Lords which held her partie where the Ambassadours from Anjou gave up their account and thereupon it was concluded that the Earle of Gloucester should bee sent thither to negotiate his sisters businesse So in the yeere 1185 when some Embassadours from the East had offered to King Heâ—ry the second the Kingdome of Hierusalem the King desâ—gned the first Sunday in Lent for his day of answer Upon which day there met at London the King the Patriaâ—ke of Hierusalem the Bishops Abbats Earles and Barons of the Realme of England as also William King of Scotland and his brother David with the Earles and Barons of that countrey habito inde cum deliberatione concilio c. and then and there upon mature deliberation it was concluded that though the King accepted not the title yet he would give his people leave to put themselves into the action and take up the Crosse. For civill businesse of another nature we find it on record that on the fourth Sunday in Lent next following the same King Henry Knighted his Sonne Iohn and sent him forthwith into Ireland Knighthood at those times being farre more full of ceremonie then now it is Which being but a preparation to warre and military matters leades us unto such battailes as in these times were fought on Sunday Of which wee finde it in our Annalls that in the yeere 1142. upon a Sunday being Candlemasse day King Sâ—ephen was taken prisoner at the battaile of Lincolne as also that on Holy-Crosse day next after being Sunday too Robert Earle of Gloucester Commander of the adverse forces was taken prisoner at the battaille of Winchester So reade wee that on Sunday the 25 of August anno 1173. the King of France besieged and forced the Castle of Dole in Brittaine belonging to the King of England as also that on Sunday the 26 of September anno 1198. King Richard tooke the Castle of Curceles from the King of France More of this kinde might bee remembred were not these sufficient to shew how anciently it hath been the use of the Kings of England to create Knights and hold their Councells of estate on the Lords day as now they doe Were not the others here remembred sufficient to let us know that our progenitours did not thinke so superstitiously of this day as not to come upon the same unto the crowning of their Kings or the publicke Synods of the Church or if neede were and their occasions so required it to fight as well or the Lords day as on any other Therefore no Lords day Sabbath hitherto in the Realme of England 5 Not hitherto indeed But in the Age that followed next there were some overtures thereof some strange preparatives to begin one For in the very entrance of the 13 Age Rog. de Hovâ—â— den Fulco a French Priest and a notable hypâ—crite as our King Richard counted him and the story proves lighted upon a new Sabbatarian fancy which one of his associates Eustathius Abbat of Flay in Normandie was sent to scatter here in England but finding opposition to his doctrine hee went backe againe the next yeere after being 1202 hee comes better fortified preaching from towne to towne and from place to place ne quis forum rerum venalium diebus Dominicis exerceret that no man should presume to market on the Lords day Where by the way we may observe that notwithstanding all the Canons and Edicts before remembred in the fift Chapter of this booke and the third Section of this Chapter the English kept their marketts on the Lords day as they had done formerly as neither being bound to those which had beene made by forraine states or such as being made at home had long before beene cut in peeces by the sword of the Norman Conqueror Now for the easier bringing of the people to obey their dictates they had to shew a warrant sent from God himselfe as they gave it out The title this Mandatum sanctum Dominicae diei quod de coelo venit in Hierusalem c. An holy mandat touching the Lords day which came downe from Heaven unto Hierusalem found on S. Simeons Altar in Golgotha where Christ was Crucified for the sins of all the world which lying there three dayes and as many nights strooke with such terrour all that saw it that falling on the ground they besought Gods mercy At last the Patriarch and Akarias the Archbishop of I know not whence ventured to take into their hands that dreadfull letter which 〈◊〉 written thus Now wipe your eyes and
stand or fall by the statute of King Edward the sixt before remembred A Canon of an excellent composition For by enjoyning godly and sober conversation and diligent repaire to Church to heare the Word of God and receive the Sacrament they stopped the course of that prophanenesse which formerly had beene complained of and by their ranking of the holy dayes in equall place and height with Sunday and limiting the celebration of the same unto the Orders in that case prescribed by the Church of England shewed plainely their dislike of those Sabbath doctrines which had beene latelie set on foote to the dishonour of the Church and diminution of her authoritie in destinating other dayes to the service of God than their new Saint Sabbath Yet did not this the Churches care either so satisfie their desires or restraine the follies of those men who had embraced the new Sabbath doctâ—ines but that they still went â—orwards to advance that businesse which was now made a part of the common cause no booke being published by that partie either by way of Catechisme or Comment on the ten Commandements or morall pietie or systematicall divinity of all which these last times have produced too many wherein the Sabbath was not pressed upon the consciences of Gods peopleâ— with violence as formerly with authority upon the â—ewes And hereunto they were incouraged a great deale the rather because in Ireland what time his Majesties Commissioners were employed about the setling of that Church Anno 1615. there passed an Article which much confirmed them in their Courses and hath beene often since alleaged to justifie both them and their proceedings The article is this Arâ— 56. The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day is whollie to bee dedicated to the service of God and therefore wee are bound therein to rest from our common and daily businesse and to bestow that leysure upon holy exercises both private and publicke What moved his Majesties Commissioners to this strict austeritie that I cannot say but sure I am that till that time the Lords day never had attained such credit as to bee thought an Article of the Faith though of some mens fancies Nor was it like to bee of long continuance it was so violently followed the whole booke being now called in and in the place thereof the Articles of the Church of England confirmed by Parliament in that Kingdome Anno 1634. 10 Nor was this all the fruit neither of such dangerous doctrines that the Lords day was growne into the reputation of the Iewish Sabbath but some that built on their foundations and ploughed with no other then their heifers endeavoured to bring backe againe the Iewish Sabbath as that which is expressely mentioned in the fourth Commandement and abrogate the Lords day for altogether as having no foundation in it nor warrant by it Of these one Thraske declared himselfe for such in King Iames his time and therewithall tooke up another Iewish doctrine about meates and drinkes as in the time of our dreade Soveraigne now being Theophilus Braborne grounding himselfe on the so much applauded doctrine of the morality of the Sabbath maintained that the Iewish Sabbath ought to bee observed and wrot a large booke in defence thereof which came into the world 1632. For which their Iâ—wish doctrines the first received his censure in the Starre-Chamber and what became of him I know not the other had his doome in the High-Commission and hath since altered his opinion being misguided onely by the principles of some noted men to which hee thought hee might have trusted Of these I have here spoke together because the ground of their opinions so far as it concerned the Sabbath 〈◊〉 the very same they onely making the conclusions which of necessitie must follow from the former premisses iust as the Brownists did before when they abhominated the Communion of the Church of England or the Puritan principles But to proceede This of it selfe had beene sufficient to bring all to ruine but this was not all Not only Iudaisme did beginne but Popery tooke great occasion of increase by the precisenesse of some Magistrates and Ministers in severall places of this Kingdome in hindring people from their recreations on the Sunday the Papists in this Realme being thereby perswaded that no honest mirth or recreation was tolerable in our religion Which being noted by King Iames K. Iames Deâ—â—arat in his progresse through Lancashire it pleased his Majestie to set out his Declaration May 24. Anno 1618. the Court being then at Greenewich to this effect that for his good peoples lawfull recreations his pleasure was that after the end of divine service they should not be disturbed letted or discouraged from any lawfull recreations such as dancing either men or women Archery for men leaping vaulting or any other such harmelesse recreations nor from having of Maâ—-games Whitsun-Ales or Morrice-dances and setting up of May-poles or other sports therewith used so as the same bee had in due and convenient time without impediment or let of divine service and that women should have leave to carrie rushes to the Church for the decoring of it according to their old custome withall prohibiting all unlawfull Games to bee used on the Sundayes onely as beare-baiting bull-baiting enterludes and at all times in the meaner sort of people by law prohibited bowling A Declaration which occasioned much noyse and clamour and many scandalls spreade abroade as if these Counsells had been put into that Princes head by some great Prelates which were then of most power about him But in that point they might have satisfied themselves that this was no Court-doctrine no newdivinity which that learned Prince had beene taught in England He had declared himselfe before when he was King of the Scots onely to the selfe-same purpose as may appeare in his Basilicon Doron published anno 1598. This was the first Blow in effect which had beene given in all his time to the new Lords-Day-Sabbath then so much applauded 11 For howsoever as I said those who had entertained these Sabbatarian Principles spared neither care nor paines to advance the businesse by being instant in season and out of season by publike Writings private Preachings and clandestine insinuations or whatsoever other meanes might tend to the promotion of this Catholike cause yet finde wee none that did oppose it in a publike way though there were many that disliked it Onely one M. Loe of the Church of Exeter declared himselfe in his Effigiatio veri Sabbatismi annâ— 1606. to be of different judgement from them and did lay downe indeed the truest and most justifiable Doctrine of the Sabbath of any Writer in that time But being written in the Latine Tongue it came not to the peoples hands many of those which understood it never meaning to let the people know the Contents thereof And whereas in the yeere 1603. at the Commencement held in Cambridge this Thesis or Proposition Dies Domiâ—â—cus
* Strom. l. 6. Clemens Alexandrinus who gives it both the attributes of holinesse and perfection * Qu. ad Antioch 51. Nazianzen and * Oraâ— â—2 Athanasius are as full as they And here this number seemes to mee to have got the better there being nothing spoken in disgrace of this as was before of the seventh by severall Authours there remembred So that for ought I see in case the argument be good for the morality of the Sabbath we may make every day or any day a Sabbath with as much reason as the seventh and keepe it on the tenth day with best right of all Adâ—o argumenta ab absurdo petita inâ—ptos habent exitus said Lactantius truly Nay by this reason we need not keepe a Sabbath oftner then every thirtieth day or every fiftieth or every hundreth because those numbers have been noted also to containe great mysteries and to be perfecter too then others For Origen hath plainly told us that if wee looke into the Scriptures In Gen hâ—m 2. invenies nulla magnarum rerum gesta sub tricenario quinquegenario contineri we shall find many notable things delivered to us in the numbers of thirtie and fiftie Of fifty more particularly Philo affirmes upon his credit De vita contempl that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holiest and most naturall of all other numbers and Origen conceived so highly of it that he breaks out into a timeo hujus numeri secreta discutere In Num. â—om 8. and durst not touch upon that string So lastly for the Centenary the same Authour tels us that it is plenus and perfectus no one more absolute In Gen. hâ—m 2. Wee may have Sabbaths at our will either too many or too few if this plea be good 11 Yea but perhaps there may be some thing in the Scripture whereby the seventh day may be thought more capable in nature of so high an honour Some have so thought indeed and thereupon have mustered up all those texts of Scripture in which thereâ— hath beene any good expressed or intimated which concernes this number or is reducible unto it Bellarmine never took more pains out of that fruitlesse topick to produce seven Sacraments then they have done from thence to derive the Sabbath I need not either name the men or recite the places both are knowne sufficiently Which kind of proofe if it be good we are but where we were before amongst our Ecclesiasticall and humane Writers In this the Scriptures will not helpe us or give the seventh day naturally and in it selfe more capability or fitnesse for Gods worship then the ninth or tenth For first the Scriptures give not more honour to this number in some texts thereof then it detracts from it in others and secondly they speake as highly of the other numbers as they doe of this The Iesuite Pererius shall stand up In Gen. 6. n. 17. to make good the first and Doctor Cracanthorp to avow the second Pererius first resolves it cleerly numerum Septenarium etiam in rebus pessimis execrandis saepenumero positum esse in Scripturaâ— sacra As for example The evill spirit saith Saint Luke brought with him seven spirits worse then himselfe and out of Mary Magdalen did Christ cast out seven Devils as Saint Marke tels us So in the Revelation Saint Iohn informes us of a Dragon that had seven heads and seven Crownes as also of seven plagues sent into the earth and seven Viols of Gods wrath powred out upon it He might have told us had he listed that the purple beast whereon the great Whore rid had seven heads also and that shee sate upon seven Mountaines It 's true saith hee which David tels us that hee did prayse God seven times a day but then as true it is which â—olomon hath told us that the just man falleth seven times a day So in the booke of Genesis we have seven leane kine and seven thinne eares of Corn as well as seven fat Kine and seven full Eares To proceed no further Pererius hereupon makes this generall resolution of the case Apparet igitur eosdem numeros aeque in bonis malis poni usurpari in sacra scriptura Next whereas those of Rome Contra Spalat cap. 30. as before I noted have gone the same way to find out seven Sacraments our Cracanthorpe to shew the vanitie of that argument doth the like for the proofe of two Quod si nobis fas esset c. If it were lawfull for us to take this course we could produce more for the number of two then they can for seven As for example God made two great lights in the Firmament and gave to man two eyes two eares two feet two hands two armes There were two Nations in the wombe of Rebecca two tables of the Law two Cherubins two Sardonich stones in which were written the names of the sonnes of Israel Thou shalt offer to the Lord two Rams two Turtles two Lambes of an yeere old two young Pigeons two Hee-goats two Oxen for a peace-offering Let us make two Trumpets two Doores of the wood of Olives two Nets two Pillars There were two Hornes of the Lambe two Candle sticks two Olive branches two Witnesses two Prophets two Testaments and upon two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets saith our Saviour Congruentiis facile vinceremus si nobis in â—une campum descendere libet c. We should saith he presume of an easie victory should we thus dally with congruities as doe those of Rome Hence we conclude that by the light of Scripture we find not anything in nature why either every seventh day should or every second day should not be a Sabbath Not to say any thing of the other numbers of which the like might be affirmed if we would trouble our selves about it 12 It s true this tricke of trading in the mysteries of numbers is of long standing in the Church and of no lesse danger first borrowed from the Platonists and the Pythagoreans by the ancient Hereticks Marcion Valentinus Basilides and the rest of that damned crew the better to disguise their errours and their palliate impieties Some of the Fathers afterwards tooke up the devise perhaps to foyle the Hereticks at their own weapons though many of them purposely declined it Sure I am Chrsostome dislikes it In Gen. hâ—m 24 Who on those words in the 7. of Genesis by seven by seven which is the number now debated doth instruct us thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Many saith hee doe tell strange matters of this fact and taking an occasion hence make many observation out of severall numbers Whereas not observation but onely an unseasonable curiositie hath produced those fictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence so many heresies had their first originall For oftentimes that out of our abundance we may fit their fancies wee finde the even or equall number no lesse
particular Ordinances which have been severally affixed to the fourth Commandement either by way of Comment on it or addition to it that which is most considerable is that prohibition in the 35 of Exodus viz. Vers. 12. Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations on the sabbath day The Rabbins some of them conceive that hereby is meant that no man must be beaten or put to death upon the sabbath and then it must be thus expounded yee shall kindle no fire i. e. to burne a man upon the sabbath who is condemned by the Law to that kinde of death and consequently not to put him on that day unto any punishment at all Others of late referre that prohibition unto the building of the Tabernacle in that Chapter mentioned and then the meaning will be this that they should make no fire on the sabbath no though it were to hasten on the worke of the holy Tabernacle Philo restraines it chiefly unto manuall Trades 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such whereby men doe get their livings and then it must be thus interpreted yee shall not kindle any fire that is to doe any common ordinary and servile works like as doe common Bakers Smiths and Brewers by making it part of their usuall trade De vit Mos. l. 3. The later Rabbins almost all and many Christian Writers also taking the hint from Vatablus and Tremelius in their Annotations referre it unto dressing of meat according to the latter custome Nay generally the Iews in the later times were more severe and rigid in the exposition of that Text and would allow no fire at all except in sacred matters onely For whereas Rabbi Aben Ezra had so expounded it Tostat. in Iosuâ— â— q. 2. quod liceat ignem accendere ad calefaciendum si urgeret frigus that it was lawfull to make a fire wherewith to warme ones selfe in the extremity of cold weather though not to dresse meate with it for that dayes expence the Rabbins generally would have proceeded against him as an Hereticke and purposely writ a Booke in confutation of him which they called the Sabbath How this interpretation was thus generally received I cannot say But I am verily perswaded that it was not so in the beginning Ex. 16. 23. and that those words of Moses quae coquenda sunt hodie coquite bake that which yee will bake to day and seeth what ye will seeth which words are commonly produced to justifie and confirme this fancie do prove quite contrary to what some would have them The Text and Context both make it plaine and manifest that the Iewes baked their Mannah on the Sabbath day The people on the sixt day had gathered twice as much as they used to do whereof the Rulers of the Congregation acquainted Moses And Moses said to morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord bake that which yee will bake to day and seeth what yee will seeth and that which remayneth over lay up to be kept untill the morning i. e. As much as you conceive will be sufficient for this present day that bake or boyle according as you use to doe and for the rest let it be laid by to be baked or boyled to morrow that you may have wherewith to feed you on the Sabbath day That this interpretation is most true and proper Iâ—eâ—se 24. appeares by that which followeth in the holy Scripture viz. They laid it up as Moses bade and it did not stinke neither was any worme therein as that which they had kept till morning on some day before Verse 20. This makes it evident that the Mannah was laid up unbaked for otherwise what wonder had it been at all that it did neither breed worme nor stinke had it been baked the day before Things of that nature so preserved are farre enough from putrifying in so short a time This I am verily perswaded was the practice then and for this light unto that practice I must ingenuously confesse my selfe obliged to Theophilus Braborne Chaâ— â— the first that ever looked so neere into Moses meaning And this most likely was the practice of the Iewes in after times even till the Pharisees had almost made the words of God of no effect by their traditions for then came in those many rigid ordinances about this day which made the day and them ridiculous unto all the Heathens Sure I am that the Scriptures call it a day of gladnesse for it was a Festivall and therefore probable it is that they had good cheere And I am sure that D. Boâ—nd the Founder of these Sabbatarian fancies 2 Edit p. 137. 138. though he coÌ„ceive that dressing meat upon the Sabbath was by the words of Moses utterly unlawfull in the time of Mannah yet hee conceives withall that that Commandement was proper onely unto the time of Mannah in the Wildernesse and so to be restrained unto that time onely Therefore by his confession the Iewes for after times might as well dresse their meat on the Sabbath day as on any other notwithstanding this injunction of not kindling fire Indeed why not as well dresse meat as serve it in the attendance of the servant at his Masters Table being no lesse conâ—iderable on the Sabbath day then of the Cookes about the Kitchin especially in those riotous and excessive Feasts which the Iewes kept upon this day however probably they might dresse their meatâ— on the day before 8 I say those riotous and excessive Feasts which the Iewes â—ept upon that day and I have good authoritie for what I say Saint Augustine tels us of them they kept the Sabbath onely * Tract 3. in Ioh. ad luxuriam ebrietatem and that they rested onely * De 10. chordis c. 3. ad nugas luxurias suas that they consumed the day languide luxurioso otio and finally did abuse the same not onely * In Psal 91. deliciis Iudaicis but ad nequitiam * In Psal. 32. even to sinne and naughtinesse Put altogether and we have luxury and drunâ—ennesâ—e and sports and pleasures enough to manifest that they spared not any dainties to set forth their Sabbath though on a Pharisaicall prohibition they forbare to dresse their meats upon it Nay Sympo Isac l. 4. Plutarch layes it to their charge that they did feast it on their Sabbath with no small excesse but of wine eâ—pecially Who thereupon conjectureth that the name of Sabbath had its originall from the Orgies or Feasts of Bacchus whose Priests used often to ingeminate the word Sabbi Sabbi in their drunken Ceremonies Which being so it is the more to be admired that generally the Romans did upbraid this people with their Sabbaths fast Augustus having been at the Bathes Suetâ—n in Octau c. 76. and fasting there a long time together gives notice of it to Tiberius thus ne Iudaâ—ns quideâ— tam diligâ—nter sabbatis jejâ—â—ium 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 any Iâ—w â—ad
in the sixteenth of Exod. v. 27. And therefore stood the more in need not onely of a watch-word or Memento even in the very front of the Law it selfe but of some sharper course to stirre up their memory Therefore this execution was the more reqvisite at this instant aswell because the Iewes by reason of their long abode in a place of continual servile toyle could not be suddainly drawne unto contrary offices without some strong impression of terrour as also because nothing is â—ore needfull then with extremity to punish the first transgressours of those Lawes that do require a more exact observation for the times to come What time this Tragedy was acted is not known for certain By Torniellus it is placed in the yeare 2548. of the Worlds Creation which was some foure yeares after the Law was given More then this is not extant in the Scripture touching the keeping of the Sabbath all the life of Moses What was done after we shall see in the land of Promise 3 In the mean time it is most proper to this place to take a little notice of those severall duties wherein the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist especially that we may know the better what we are to looke for at the peoples hands when wee bring them thither Two things the Lord commanded in his holy Scripture that concern the Sabbath the keeping holy of the same one in relation to the people the other in reference to the Priest In reâ—erence to the people he commaâ—ded onely rest from labour that they should doe no manner of worke and that 's contained expresly in the Law it selfe In reference to the Priest Numb 28. he commanded sacrifice that on the Sabbath day over and above the daily sacrifice there should be offered to the Lord two Lambes of an yeare old without blemish one in the morning and the other in the evening as also to prepare first and then place the Shewbread being twelue loaves one for every Tribe continually before the Lordeâ—very Sabbath day These severall references so divided the Priest might do his part without the people and contrary the people doe their part without the Priest Of any Sabbath duties which were to be performed betweene them wherein the Priest and people were to joyne together the Scriptures are directly silent As for these severall duties that of the Priest the Shew-bread and the sacrifice was not in practice till they came to the Land of Canaan and then though the Priest offered for the people yet he did not with them So that for forty yeares together all the life of Moses the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist onely for ought we finde in a bodily rest a ceasing from the works of their weekly labours and afterwards in that and in the sacrifices which the Priest made for them Which as they seeme to be the greater of the two so was there nothing at all therein in which the people were to doe no not so much except some few as to be spectatours the sacrifices being offered onely in the Tabernacle as in the Temple after when they had a Temple the people being scattered over all thâ— Country in their Townes and Villages Of any reading of the Law or exposition of the same unto the people or publicke forme of prayers to be presented to the Lord in the Congregation wee finde no footstep now nor a long time after None in the time of Moses for hee had hardly perfected the Law before his death the booke of Deâ—teronomy being dedicated by him a very little before God tooke him None in a long time after no not till Nehemiahs dayes as wee shall see hereafter in that place and time The resting of the people was the thing commanded in imitation of Gods rest when his works were finished that as hee rested from the works which hee had created so they might alâ—o rest in memoriall of it But the employment of this rest to partiâ—ular purposes either of contemplation or devâ—tion than not declared unto us in the Word of God but left at large either unto the libertie of the people or the Authoritie of the Church Now what the people did how they imployed this rest of theirs that Philo tels us in his third Booke of the life of Moses Moses saith hee ordained that since the World was finished on the seventh day all of his Common-wealth following therein the course of nature should spend the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Festivall delights resting therein from all their works yet not to spend it as some do in laughter childish sports or as the Romans did their time of publick Feastings in beholding the activity either of the Iester or common Dancers but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the study of true philosophy and in the contemplation of the workes of nature And in another place De Decâ—log He did command saith he that as in other things so in this also they should imitate the Lord their God working six dayes and resting on the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and spending it in meditation of the works of nature as before is said And not so only but that upon that day they should consider of their actions in the weeke before if happily they had offended against the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that so they might correct what was done amisse and be the better armed to offend no more So in his booke de mundi opificio he affirmes the â—ame that they implyed that day in divine Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even for the bettering of their manners and reckoning with their consciences That thus the Iewes did spend the day or some part thereof is very probable and wee may take it well enough upon Philo's word but that they spent it thus by the direction or command of Moses is not so easily proved as it is affirmed though for my part I willingly durst assent unto it For be it Moses so appointed yet this concernes onely the behaviour of particular persons and reflects nothing upon the publick duties in the Congregation 4 It 's true that Philo tels us in a booke not extant how Moses also did ordaine these publick meetings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ap. Euseb. Praepar l. 8 7. What then did Moses order to be done on the Sabbath day He did appoint saith he that we should meet all in some place together and there set down with modesty and a generall silence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heare the Law that none plead ignorance of the same Which custome we continue stiâ—l harkening with wonderfull silence to the Law of God unlesse perhaps we give some joyfull acclamation at the hearing of it some of the Priests if any present or otherwise some of the Elders reading the Law and then expounding it unto us till the night come on Which done the people are dismissed full of divine
began to set at naught the Lord and to forget that God that brought them out of the Land of Egypt when they began to loath his Sabbaths and prophane his Festivals as they did too often the Lord expostulates the matter with them as well for one as for the other When they were weary of the New-moone Amâ—â— 8. 5. and wished it gone that they might sell corn and of the Sabbath because it went not fast enough away that they might set forth wheate to sale the Lord objects against them both the one and the other by his Prophet Amos that they preferred their profit before his pleasure In locum Et Deisolennitates turpis lucri gratia in sua verterent compendia as Saint Hierome hath it When on the other side they did prophane his Sabbaths and the holy Festivals with excesse and furfeiting carowsing wine in bowles 〈◊〉 6. stretching themselues upon their couches and oynting of themselues with the chiefe oyntments the Lord made knowne unto them by his servant Esaiah how much he did dislike their courses The New-moones and Sabbaths Chap. â— â—4 the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemne meeting It seemes they had exceedingly forgot themselues when now their very Festivals were become a sinne Nay God goes further yet your New-moones and your appointed Fâ—asts my soule hateth Chap. 1. 14. they are a trouble to mee I am weary to beare them Your New-moones and your Feasts saith God are not mine Non enim mea sunt quae geritis they are no Feasts of mine Sermo 12. which you so abuse How so Iudaei enim neglectis spiritualibus negotjis quae pro animae salute agenda deus praeceperat omnia legitima sabbati ad ocium luxuriaemque contulere So â—aid Gaudentius Brixianus The Iewes saith he neglecting those spirituall duties which God commanded on that day abused the Sabbaths rest unto ease and luxury Cyrill in Amos 8. For whereas being free from temporall cares they ought to have employed that day to spirituall uses and to have spent the same in modesty and temperanâ—e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the repetition and commemoration of Gods holy Word they on the other side did the contrary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wasting the day in gluttony and drunkennesse and idle delicacies How farre Saint Augustiue chargeth them with the self-same crimes wee have seene before Thus did the house of Israel rebell against the Lord and prophaene his Sabbaths And therefore God did threaten them by the Prophet Hosea Hos. 2. 1â— that hee would cause their mirth to cease their Feast dayes their New-moones and Sabbaths and their solemne Festivals that so they might be punished in the want of that which formerly they had abused 7 And so indeed he did beginning first with those of the revolted Tribes whom he gave over to the hand of Salmanassar the Affyrian by whom they were lead Captive unto parts unknowne and never suffered to returne Those which were planted in their places as they desired in tract of time to know the manner of the God of the Land so for the better means to attaine that knowledge they entertained the Pentateuch or five Books of Moses and with them the Sabbath They were beholding to the Lions which God sent amongst them Otherwise they had never knowne the Sabbath nor the Lord who made it Themselues acknowledge this in an Epistle to Antiochus Epiphanes when hee made havock of the Iewes The Epistle thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. To King Antiochus Epiphanes Ioseph Antiq. li. â— 2. c. 7. the mighty God the suggestion of the Sidonians that dwell at Sichem Our Ancestors enforced by a continuall plague which destroyed their Country this was the Lions before spoken of and induced by an ancient superstition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tooke up a custome to observe that day as holy which the Iewes call the Sabbath So that it seemes by this Epistle that when the Aâ—â—yrian sent backe one of the Priests of Israel to teach this people what was the manner of the God of the Land that at that time they did receive the Sabbath also which was about the yeare of the Worlds Creation 3315. The Priest so sent is said to have been called Dosthai and as the word is mollified in the Greeke Orig 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 4. it is the same with Dositheus who as hee taught these new Samaritans the observation of the Sabbath so as some say he mingled with the same some neaâ— devises oâ— his own For whereas it is said in the Booke of Exodus Let no man go out of his place on the sabbath day this Dositheus if at lest this were hee keeping the letter of the Text did affirme and teach that in what ever posture any man was found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the beginning of the sabbatâ— in the self-same he was to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even untill the evening I say if this were hee and as some say because there was another Dositheus a Samaritan too that lived more neere unto the time of Origen and is most like to be the man However we may take it for a Samaritan device as indeed it was though not so ancient as to take beginning with the first entertainment of the Sabbath in that place and people 8 This transportation of the ten Tribes for their many sins was a faire warning unto those of the house of Iudah to turn unto the Lord amend their lives observe his Sabbaths his sabbata annorum Sabbaths of years aswel as either his weekly or his yearly Sabbaths The Iewes had been regardlesse of them all for neglect of all God resolued to punish them First for the weekly Sabbath that God avenged himselfe upon them for the breach thereof is evident by that one place of Nehemiah Did not your Fathers thus Ch. 13. v. 18 saith he and our God brought this plague upon us and upon our Citie yet yee increase the wrath upon Israel in breaking the Sabbath Next for the Annuall Sabbaths God threatned that he would deprive them of them by his Prophet Hosea as before was said And lastly for his Sabbaths of yeares they had been long neglected almost forgotten if observed at all Torniellus finds three onely kept in all the Scripture Nor are more specified in particular but sure more were kept the certain number of the which may easily be found by the proportion of the punishment God tels them that they should remayn in bondage 2. Chron. 36. 〈◊〉 untill the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths for so long as she lay desolate shee kept sabbath to fulfill threescore and ten yeares So that as many yeares as they were in bondage so many sabbaths of yeares they had neglected Now from the yeare 2593 which was the seventh yeare after their possession of the Land of Canaan unto the yeare 3450 which was
strictest time of the Pharisaicall rigours was accounted lawfull Indeed the maruaile is the lesse that they are so uncharitable to poore Brutâ— creatures when as they take such little pitty upon themselves Crantziâ—â— reports a story of a Iew of Magdeburg who falling on the Saturday into a Prioy would not be taken out because it was the Sabbath day and that the Bishop gave command that there hee should continue on the Sunday also so that betweene both the poore Iew was poysoned with the very stinke The like our Annals do relate of a Iew of Tewkesbury whose story being cast into three riming Verses according to the Poetry of those times I have here presented and translated Dialogâ—ewise as they first made it Tende manus Solomon ut te de stercore tollam Sabbata nostra colo de stercore surgere nolo Sabbata nostra quidem Solomon celebrabis ibidem Friend Solomon thy hands up-reare And from the jakes I will thee beare Our Sabbath I so highly prize That from the place I will not rise Then Solomon without more adoe Our Sabbath thou shalt keepe there too For the continuance of their sabbath as they begin it early on the day before so they prolong it on the day till late at night And this they do in pitie to the souls in Hell wâ—o all the while the Sabbath lasteth have free leave to play For as they tell us silly wretches upon the Eve before the Sabbath it is proclaimed in Hell that every one may goe his way and take his pleasure and when the Sabbath is concluded they are recalled againe to the house of torments I am ashamed to meddle longer in these trifles these dreames and dotages of infatuated men given over to a reprobate sense Nor had I stood so long upon them but that in this Anatomie of the Iewish follies I might let some amongst us see into what dangers they are falling For there are some indeed too many who taking this for granted which they cannot proove that the Lords Day succeeds into the place and rights of the Iewish sabbath and is to be observed by vertue of the fourth Commandement have trenched too neere upon the Rabbins in binding men to nice and scrupulous observances which neither we nor our Fore-fathers were ever able to endure But with what warrant they have made a sabbath day in the Christian Church where there was never any knowne in all times before or upon what authoritie they have presumed to lay heavy burthens upon the consciences of poore men which are free in Christ wee shall the better see by tracing downe the story from our Saviours time unto the times in which wee live But I will here set down and rest beseeching God who enabled me thus farre to guide me onwards to the end Tu qui principio medium medio adjice finem THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH The second Book From the first preaching of the Gospell to these present times By Pet. Heylyn COLOSS. 2. 16 17. Let no man judge you in meate or in drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the SABBATH dayes which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. LONDON Printed by Thomas Harper for Henry Seyle at the Tygers head in Saint Pauls Church-yard 1636. To the Christian Reader ANd such I hope to meet with in this point especially which treating of the affaires of the Christian Church cannot but be displeasing unto tâ—em which are not Christianly affected Our former Book wee destinated to the Iewish part of this enquiry wherein though long it was before we found it yet at the last we found a Sabbath A Sabbath which began with that state and Church and ended also when they were no longer to be called a Nation but a dispersed and scattered ruine of what once they were In that which followeth our enquirie must be more diffused of the same latitude with the Church a Church not limited and confined to some Tribes and Kindreds but generally spreading over all the world We may affirme it of the Gospel what Florus somtimes said of the state of Rome Ita late per orbem terrarum arma circumtulit ut quires ejus legunt non unius populi sed generis humani facta discunt The historie of the Church and of the World are of like extent So that the search herein as unto me it was more painfâ—ll in the doing so unto thee will it be more pleasing being done because of that varietie which it will afford thee And this Part wee have called the History of the Sabbath too although the institution of the Lords Day and entertainment of the same in all times and Ages since that instiâ—ution be the chiefe thing whereof it treateth For being it is said by some that the Lords Day succeeded by the Lords appointment into the place and rights of the Iewish Sabbath so to be caâ—â—ed and so to be observed as the Sabbath was this booke was wholy to bâ— spent in the search thereof whether in all or any Ages of the Church either such doctrine had bin preached or such practice pressed upon the conscience of Gods people And search indeed we did with all care and diligence to see if wee could finde a Sabbath in any evidence of Scripture or writings of the holy Fathers or Edicts of Emperours or Decrees of Councels or finally in any of the publick Acts Monuments of the Christian Church But after serverall searches made upon the alias and the pluries wee still returne Non est inventus and thereupon resolve in the Poets language Et quod invenis usquam esse putes nusquam that which is no where to be found may very strongly be concluded not to be at all Buxdorfius in the 11. Chapter of his Synagoga Iudaica out of Antonius Margarita tels us of the Iews quod die sabbatino praeter animam consuâ—tam praediti sunt alia that on the Sabbath day they have an extraordinary soule infused into them which doth enlarge their hearts and rowze up their spirits Vt Sabbatum multo honorabilius peragere possint that they may celebrate the Sabbath with the greater honour And though this sabbatarie soule may by a Pythagoricall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeme to have transmigrated from the Iewes into the bodies of some Christians in these later dayes yet I am apt to give my selfe good hopes that by presenting to their view the constant practise of Gods Church in all times before and the consent of all Gods Churches at this present they may be dispossessed thereof without great difficulty It is but anima superflua as Buxdorfius cals it and may be better spared then kept because superfluous However I shall easily perswade my selfe that by this generall representation of the estate and practise of the Church of Christ I may confirme the wavering in a right perswasion and assure such as are already well affected by shewing them the
Pâ—ntus a fifth in Rome a sixt in Palestine by Theophilus Bishop of Caesaria the Canons of all which were extant in Eâ—febiâ—â— time and in all which it was concluded for the Sunday By meanes of these Synodicall determinations the Asian Prelates by degrees let fall their rigour and yeelded to the stronger and the â—â—rer side Yet waâ—eringly and with some relapâ—es till the great Councell of Nice backed with the authority of as great an Emperour setled it better then before none but some scattered Schismaticks now and then appearing that durst oppose the resolution of that famous Synod So that you see that whether you looke upon the day appointed for the Iewish Sabbath or on the day appointed for the Iewish Passeover the Lords day found it no small matter to obtaine the victorie And when it had prevailed so farre that both the Feast of Easter was restrained unto it and that it had the honour of the publick meetings of the Congregation yet was not this I mean this last exclusively of all other dayes the former Sabbath the fourth and sixt dayes of the week having some share therein for a long time after as wee shall see more plainly in the following Centuries 6 But first to make an end of this this Centurie affords us three particular writers that have made mention of this day First Iustin Martyr who then lived in Rome doth thus relate Apolog ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vpon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation as being that first day wherein God separating the light and darknesse did create the world and Iesus Christ our Saviour rose againe from the dead This for the day then for the service of the day he describes it thus Vpon the day called Sunday all that abide within the Cities or about the fields doâ— meet together in some place where the records of the Apostles and writings of the Prophets as much as is appointed are read unto us The Reader having done the Priest or Prelate ministreth a word of exhortation that we do imitate those good things which are there repeated Then standing up together we send up our prayers unto the Lord which ended there is delivered unto every one of us bread and wine with water After all this the Priest or Prelate offers up our prayers and thanksgiving as much as in him is to God and all the Clemens Alexandrinus Sâ—rom l. 7. he flourished in the yeare 190 who though hee fetch the pedigree of the Lords Day even as farâ—e as Platâ— which before wee noted yet hee seemes well enough contented that the Lords Day should not be observed at all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We ought saith he to honour and to reverence him whom wee are verily perswaded to be the word our Saviour and our Captaine and in him the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not in selected times as some doe amongst us but alwaâ—es during our whole lives and on all occasions The Royall Prophet tels us that he praysed God seven times a daâ— Whence hee that understands himselfe stands not upon determinate places or appointed Temples 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much lesse on any Festivals or dayes assigned but in all places honours God though he be alone And a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. making our whole lives a continuall Festivall and knowing God to be every where wee prayse him sometimes in the fields and sometimes sailing on the Seas and finally in all the times of our life what ever So in another place of the self-same book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. He that doth lead his life according to the ordinances of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then keeps the Lords Day when he casts away every evill thought and doing things with knowledge and understanding doth glorifie the Lord in his resurrection By which it seemes that whatsoever estimation the Lords Day had attained unto at Rome and Corinth yet either it was not so much esteemed at Alexandria or else this Clemens did not thinke so rightly of it as he should have done 7 Now in the place of Iustin Martyr before remembred there is one speciall circumstance to be consired in reference to our present search for I say nothing here of mingling water with the Wine in the holy Sacrament as not conducinng to the businesse which wee have in hand This is that in their Sundayes service they did use to stand during the time they made their prayers unto the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his words there are Such was the custome of this time and a long time after that though they kneeled on other dayes yet on the Lords day they prayed alwayes standing Yet not upon the Lords day onely but every day from Easter unto Pentecost The reason is thus given by him who made the Responsions ascribed to Iustin that so saith he we might take notice as of our fall by sin so of our restitution by the grace of Christ. Respâ—ad qu 105 Six days we pray upon our knees and that 's in token of our fall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But on the Lords Day wee bow not the knee in token of the Resurrection by which according to the Grace of Christ wee are set free from sinne and the powers of death The like saith he is to be said of the dayes of Pentecost which custome as he tels us and cites Irenaus for his Authour did take beginning even in the times of the Apostles Rather wee may conceive that they used this Ceremony to testifie their faith in the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour which many Heretickâ— of those times did publickly gain-say as before we noted and shall speak more thereof hereafter But whatsoever was the reason it continued long and was confirm'd particularly by the great Synod of Nice what time soâ—e people had begun to neglect this custome The Synod therefore thus determined 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Câ—n. 20. c. that forasmuch as some did use to kneele on the Lords Day and the time of Pentecost that all things in all places might be done with an uniformity it pleased the holy Synod to decree it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that men should stand at those times when they made their prayers For Fathers which avow this custome consult Tertullian lib. de corona mil. S. Basil. l. de Sp. S. c. 27. S. Hierom. adv Luciferian S. Austin Epist 118. S. Hilaries Praefat in Psalm Ambros. Serm. 62 and divers others What time this custome was laid by I can hardly say but sure I am it was not layed aside in a long time after Decret l. 2. tit 9. c. 2. not till the time of Pope Alexander the third who lived about the yeare 1160 For in a Decretall of his confirmatorie of the former custome it was prohibited to kneele on the times remembred Nisi aliquis ex devotione id velit facere in secreto
Which whosoever doth and is upright in thought word and deed adhering alwayes unto God our naturall Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every day is to him a Lords day It seemes too that he had his desire in part it being noted by the Mandeburgians that every day there were assemblies in Alexandria where he lived for hearing of the word of God Et de collectis quotidie celebratis in quibus praedicatum sit verbum Dei Hom. 9. in Isa. significare videtur as they note it from him Indeed the Proem to his severall Homilies seeme to intimate that if they met not every day to heare his Lectures they met very often But being a learned man and one that had a good conceit of his owne abilities he grew offended that there was not as great resort of people every day to heare him as upon the Festivals Of Sunday there is little doubt but that it was observed amongst them and so was Saturday also as we shall see hereafter out of Athanasius Of Wednesday and Friday it is positively said by Sâ—crates Hist. l. 5 c. 21. that on them both the Scriptures were read openly and afterwards expounded by the Doctors of the Church and all things done appointed by the publicke Liturgie save that they did not use to receive the sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And this saith he was the old in Alexandria which he confirmes by the practiâ—e of Origen who was accustomed as he tells us to preach upon these dayes to the Congregâ—â—ion Tertullian too takes speciall notice of these two dayes whereof consult him in his booke adv Psychicos 10 About the middle of this Centurie did Saint Cyprian live another Afâ—ican and he hath left us somewhat although not much which concernes this busines Aurelius Lib. 2. Epist. 5. one of excellent partâ— was made a Reader in the Church I thinke of Carthage which being very welcome newes to the common people Saint Cyprian makes it â—â—wne unto them and withall lets them understand that Sunday was the day appointed for him to begin his Ministerie Et quoniâ—m semper gaudium properat nec mera ferre potest laetitia dominico legit So that as Sunday was a day which they used to meet on so reading of the Scripture was a speciall part of the Sundayes exercise Not as an exercise to spend the time when one doth wait for anothers comming till the assemblie be complete and that without or choice or stint appointed by determinate order as is now used both in the French and Belgicke Churches for what need such an eminent man as Aurelius was be taken out with so much expectation to exercise the Clarks or the Sextons dutie But it was used amongst them then as a chiefe portion of the service which they did to God in hearkening reverently unto his voice It being so ordered in the Church that the whole Bible or the greatest part thereof Preface to 〈◊〉 Common prayer should be read over once a yeare And this that so the Ministers of the congregation by often reading and meditation of Gods Word be stirred up to godlinesse themselves and be the more able toâ— exhort other by wholesome doctrine and to confâ—te them that were Adversaries to the truth as that the people by daily hearing of the Scriptures should profit more and more in the knowledge of God and be the more inflamed with the love of his true Religion Nor for the duties of the people on this day in the Congregation as they used formerly to heare the Word and receive the Sacraments and to powre forth their soules to God in affectionate prayers Decret l. 5. C 7. so much about these times viz. in Ann. 237. it had beene appointed by Pope Fabian that every man and woman should on the Lords day bring a quantitie of bread and wine first to be offered on the Altar and then distributed in the Sacrament A thing that had beene done before as of common course but now exacted as a duty for the neglect whereof Saint Cyprian chides with a rich widdow of his time who neither brought her offering nor otherwise gave any thing to the poore-mans Boxe and therefore did not keepe the Lords day Dâ— pietat Eleemos as she should have done Locuples dives dominicum celebrarete credis quae Corbonam omnino non respicis quae in Dominicum here he meanes the Church sine sacrificio venis quae partem de sacrificio quod pauper obtulit sumis In after times this custome went away by little and little instead of which it was appointed by the Church and retained in ours that Bread and Wine for the Communion shall bee provided by the Churchwardens at the charge of the Parish I should now leave Saint Cyprian here V. l. 3 Epi 8. but that I am to tell you first that he conceives the Lords day to have beene prefigured in the eight day destinate to circumâ—ision Which being but a private opinion of his owne I rather shall referre the Reader unto the place then repeate the words And this is all this Age affords me in the present search 11 For other holy dayes by the Church for Gods publicke service those three Centuries precedent besides the Lords day or the Sunday which came every weeke Origen names the Good Friday as we call it now Cont. Cels. l 8. the Parasceve as he cals it there the feast of Easter and of Penteâ—ost Of Easter we have spoke already For Pentecost or Whitsontide as it began with the Apostles so it continues till this present but not in that solemnitie which before it had For antiently not that day onely which wee call Whitsunday or Pentecost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but all the fiftie dayes from Easter forwards were accounted holy and solemnized with no lesse observation then the sundayes were no kneeling on the one nor upon the other no fasting on the one nor upon the other Of which dayes that of the Ascention or Holy-Thursday being one became in little time to be more highly reckoned of then all the rest as we shall prove hereafter out of Saint Austin But for these 50. dayes aforesaid De Coron 〈◊〉 câ— 3. Tertullian tels us of them thus Die Dominico jejunium nefas ducimus vel de geniculis adorare Eadem immunitate a die Pasehae in Penteâ—osten gaudemus which makes both alike Which words if any thinke too short to reach the point he tels us in another place that all the Festivals of the Gentiles contained not so many dayes as did that one De Idâ— c. 14. Excerpe singulas solennitates nationum in ordinem texe Pentecosten implere non poterunt The like he hath also in his booke adv Psychicos the like Saint Hierom. ad Lucinum the like Saint Ambrose or Maximus Taurinens which of the two soever it was that made those Sermons Serm. 60. 61. In which last it is said expresly of those fifty daies that
to be no ordinance of the Lords that he exacteth no such duty from us and that it is an ecclesiasticall exhortation onely and no more but so And if no more but so it were too great an undertaking to bring all nations of the world to yeeld unto the prescript of a private and particular Canon made onely for a private and particular cause and if no more but so it concludes no Sabbath 8 Yet notwithstanding these restraints from worke and labour the Church did never so resolve it that any worke was in it selfe unlawfull on the Lords day though to advance Gods publicke service it was thought good that men should bee restrained from some kinde of worke that so they might the better attend their prayers and follow their devotions It s true these centuries the fifth and sixth were fully bent to give the Lords day all fit honour not onely in prohibiting unlawfull pleasures but in commanding a forbearance of some lawfull businessâ— such as they sound to yeeld most hinderance to religious duties Yea and some workes of pietie they affixt unto it for its greater honour The Prisoners in the common Gaoles had formerly beene kept in too strictly It was commanded by Honorius and Theodosius at that time Emperous Anno 412. that they should be permitted omnibus diebus dominicis every Lords day to walke abroade with a guard upon them as well to crave the charity of well disposed persons as to repaire unto the Bathes for the refreshing of their bodies Nor did he onely so command it but set a mulct of 20 pound in gold on all such publicke ministers as should disobey the Bishops of the Church being trusted to see it done Where note that going to the Bathes on the Lords day was not thought unlawfull though it required no question corporall labours for had it beene so thought as some thought it afterwards the Prelates of the Church would not have taken it upon them to see the Emperours will fulfilled and the law obeyed A second honour affixt in these Ages to the Lords day is that it was conceived the most proper day for giving holy Orders in the Church of God and a law made by Leo then Pope of Rome and generally since taken up in the Westerne Church that they should bee conferred upon no day else There had beene some regard of Sunday in the times before and so much Leo doth acknowledge Quod ergo a patribus nostris propensiore cura novimus servatum esse Epl. decret 81. a vobis quoque volumus custodiri ut non passim diebus omnibus sacerdotalis ordinatio celebretur But that which was before a voluntary Act is by him made necessary and a law given to all the Churches under his obedience Vt his qui consecrandi sunt nunquam benedictiones nisi in die resurrectionis dominicae tribuantur that ordinations should bee celebrated on the Lords day onely And certainely he gives good reason why it should be so except in extraordinarie and emergent cases wherein the law admits of a dispensation For on that day saith he The holy Ghost descended upon the Apostles and thereby gave us as it were this celestiall rule that on that day alone we should conâ—erre spirituall orders in quo â—ollata sunt omnia dona gratiarum in which the Lord conferred upon his Church all spirituall graces Nay that this busines might be done with the more solemnity and preparation it was appointed that those men who were to be invested with holy Orders should continue fasting from the Eve before that spending all that time in prayer and humbling of themselves before the Lord they might be better â—itted to receive his Graces For much about these times the service of the Lords day was enlarged and multiplyed the Evenings of the day being honoured with religious meetings as the Mornings formerly Yea and the Eves before were reckoned as a part or parcell of the Lords day following Cui a vespere sabbati initium constat ascribi as the same Decretall informes us The 251 Sermon de tempore ascribed unto Saint Aâ—stine doth affirme as much but we are not sure that it is his Note that this Leo entred on the chaire of Rome Anno 440 of our Saviours birth and did continue in the same full 20 years within which space of time he set out this decretall but in what yeare particularly that I cannot finde 10 I say that now the Evenings of the Lords day began to have the honour of religious meetings for ab initio non fuit sic it was not so from the beginning Nor had it beene so now but that almost all sorts of people were restrained from worke aswell by the Imperiall Edicts as by the constitutions of particular Churches by meanes where of the afternoone was left at large to bee disposed of for the best increase of Christian Pietie Nor probably had the Church conceived it necessary had not the admiration which was then generally had of the Monasticke kinde of life facilitated the way unto it For whereas they had bound themselves to set houres of prayer Epitaphium Paulâ— matr Mane hora tertia sexta nona vespere noctis medio at three of the clocke in the morning at sixe at nine and after in the evening and at midnight as S. Hierome tells us the people generally became much affected with their strict devotions and seemed not unwilling to conforme unto them as farre at least as might consist with their vocations upon this willingnesse of the people the service of the Church became more frequent then before and was performed thrice every day in the greater Churches where there were many Priests and Deacons to attend the same namely at sixe and nine before noone and at sometime appointed in the evening for the afternoone accordingly as now wee use it in our Cathedrall and Collegiate Churches But in inferiour townes and pettit villages where possibly the people could not every day attend so often it was conceived sufficient that they should have the morning and the evening prayer sung or sayd them that such as would might come to Church for their devotions and so it is by the appointment of the Rubricke in ouâ— Common Prayer Booke Onely the Sundayes and the holyâ— dayes were to be honoured with two severall meetings in the morning the one at sixe of the Clocke which simply was the morning service the other at nine for the administration of the holy Sacrament and Preaching of the Word to the congregation This did occasion the distinction of the first and second Service as we call them still though now by reason of the peoples sloth and backwardnesse in comming to the Church of God they are in most places joyn'd together So whereas those of the monasticke life did use to solemnize the Eve or Vigils of the Lords day and of other festivals with the peculiar and preparatory service to the day it selfe that profitable and pious custome
on those dayes was not held unlawfull si instent hostes in case the enemie bee at hand though otherwise not to be done where no danger was These are the speciall points observed and published by Tostatus And these I have the rather exactly noted partly that wee may see in what estate the Lords day and the other holy dayes were in the Church of Rome what time the reformation of religion was first â—et on foote but principally to let others see how neere they come in their new fancies and devises unto the nicetieâ— of those men whom they most abhorre 5 Thus stood it as before I sayd both for the doctrine and the practise till men began to looke into the errors and abuses in the Roman Church with a more serious eye than before they did and at first sight they found what little pleased them in this particular Their doctrine pleased them not in making one day holier than another not onely in relation to the use made of them but to a naturall and inherent holinessâ— wherewith they thought they were invested Nor did their practise please much more in that they had imposed so many burdens of restraint upon the consciences of Gods people and thereby made that day a punishment which was intended for the ease of the labouring man Against the doctrine of these men and the whole practise of that Church Calvin declares himselfe in his booke of Institutions And therewith taxeth those of Rome l. 2 cap. 8. p. 34. qui Iudaica opinione populum superioribus seculis imbuerunt who in the times before possessed the peoples mindes with so much Iudaisme that they had changed the day indeed as indishonour of the Iew but otherwise retained the former sanctity thereof which needes must bee saith he if there remaine with us as the Papists taught the same opinion of the mysteries and various significations of dayes and times which the Iewes once had And certainely saith hee we see what dangerous effects have followed on so false a doctrine those which adhere to their instructions having exceedingly out gone the Iewes crassa carnalique Sabbatismi superstitione in their grosse and carnall superstitions about the Sabbath Beza his Scholler and Acates sings the selfe same song In Apocal. 1. v. 10. that howsoever the assemblies of the Lords day were of Apostolicall and divine tradition sic tamen ut Iudaica cessatio ab omni opere non observaretur quoniam hoc plane fuisset judaismum non abolâ—re sed tantum quod ad diem attinet immutare yet so that there was no cessation from worke required as was observed among the Iewes For that saith he had not so much abolished Iudaisme as put it off and changed it to another day And then he addes that this cessation was first brought in by Constantine and afterwards confirmed with more and more restraints by the following Emperours by meanes of which it came to passe that that which first was done for a good intent viz. that men being free from their worldly businesses might wholely give themselves to hearing of the Word of God in merum Iudaismum degenerarit degenerated at the last into downe-right Iudaisme So for the Lutheran Churches Chemnitius chalengeth the Romanists of superstition quasi dominicae diei reliquis diebus festis per se peculiarâ—s quaedam insit sanctitas because they taught the people that the holy dayes considered onely in themselves had a native sanctitie And howsoever for his part hee thinke it requisite that men should be restrained from all such workes as may bee any hinderance unto the sanctifying of the day yet he accounts it but a part of the Iewish leaven nimis scrupulose diebus festis prohibere operas externas quae vel quando non impediunt publicum ministerium so scrupulously to prohibit such externall Actions which are at all no hindrance to Gods publicke service and mans Sabbath duties In Mat. 12. Bucer goes further yet and doth not onely call it a superstition but an apostasie from Christ to thinke that working on the Lords day in it selfe considered is a sinnefull thing Si existimetur operari in eo die per se esse peccatum superstitio gratiae Christi qui ab elementis mundi nos suo sanguine liberavit negatio est as his owne words are Then addes that he did very well approve of the Lords day meetings si eximatur è cordibus hominum opinio necessitatis if men were once dispossessed of these opinions that the day was necessary to be kept that it was holier in it selfe then the other dayes and that to worke upon that day in it selfe was sinnefull Lastly the Churches of the Switzers professe in their Confession that in the keeping of the Lords day they give not the least hint to any Iewish superstitions Neque enim alteram diem altera sanctiorem esse credimns Cap. 24. nec otium deo per se probari existimamus For neither as they sayd doe we conceive one day to be more holy than another or thinke that rest from labour in it selfe considered is any way pleasing unto God By which we plainely may perceive what is the judgement of Protestant Churches in the present point 6 Indeede it is not to be thought that they could otherwise resolve and determine of it considering what their doctrine is of the day it selfe how different they make it from a Sabbath day which doctrine that wee may perceive with the greater ease we will consider it in three propositions in which most agree 1. That the keeping holy one day of seven is not the Morall part of the fourth Commandement or to be reckoned as a part of the law of â—ature 2. That the Lords day is not founded on Divine Commandement but onely on the authority of the Church and 3. That the Church hath still authority to change the day and to transferre it to some other First for the first it seemes that some of Rome considering the restraints before remembred and the new doctrine thence arising about the naturall and inherent holinesse which one day had above another had altered what was formerly delivered amongst the Schoolemen and made the keeping of one day in seven to bee the Morall part of the fourth Commandement This Calvin chargeth them withall that they had taught the people in the former times In stit l. 2. cap. 8. 11. 34. that whatsoever was ceremoniall in the fourth Commandement which was the keeping of the Iewes seventh day had beene long since abrogated remanere vero quod morale est nempe unius diei observationem in hebdomade but that the morall part thereof which was the keeping of one day in seven did continue still With what else is it as before was sayd then in dishonour of the Iewes to change the day and to affixe as great a sanctity thereunto as the Iewes ever did And for his owne part he professeth that howsoever he approved of the Lords
day meetings Non tamen numerum septennarium ita se morari ut ejus servituti ecclesias astringeret yet stood not he so much for the number of seven as to confine the Church unto it If Calvin elsewhere be of another minde and speake of keeping holy one day in seven as a matter necessary which some say he doth either they must accuse him of much inconstancy and forgetfulnesse or else interpret him In decalog with Ryvell as speaking of an ecclesiasticall custome not to be neglected non de necessitate legis divinae and not of any obligation layed upon us by the law of God Neither is he the onely one that hath so determined Simler hath sayd it more expressely Quod dies una cultui divine consecretur ex lege naturae est quod autom haec sit septima In Exod. 20. non octava nona aut decima juris est divini sed ceremonialis That one day should be set apart for Gods publicke worship is the law of nature but that this day should bee the seventh and not the eighth ninth or tenth was of divine appointment but as ceremoniall Loc. 55. Aretius also in his common plaâ—es distinguished betweene the substance of the Sabbath and the time thereof the substance of it which was rest and the workes of piety being in all times to continue tempus autem ut septimo die observetur hoe non fuâ—t necessarium in ecclesia Christi but for the time to keepe it on the seventh day alwayes that was not necessary in the Church of Christ. So also Frankisc Gomarus that great undertaker against Arminius Cap. 5. n. 8. in a booke written purposely de origine institutione Sabbati affirmes for certaine that it can neither be made good by the law of nature or text of Scripture or any solid argument drawne from thence unum è septem diebus ex vi praecepti quarti ad cultum dei necessario observandum that by the fourth Commandement one day in seven is of necessity to be dedicated to Gods service And Ryvet as profest an enemy of the Remonstrants In Exod. 20. p. 190. though for the antiquity of the Sabbath he differeth from the sayd Gomarus yet hee agreeth with him in this not onely making the observance of one day in seven to be meerely positive as in our first part we observed but layes it downe for the received opinion of most of the Reformed Divines unum ex septem diebus non esse necessariâ— eligendum ex vi praecepti ad sacros conventus celebrandos the very same with what Gomarus affirmed before In Examin Conc Tred So lastly for the Lutheran Churches Chemnitius makes it part of our Christian liberty quod nec â—int alligati nec debeant alligari ad certorum vel dierum vel temporum observationes opinione necessitatis in Novo Testamento c. That men are neither bound nor ought to bee unto the observation of any dayes or times as matters necessary under the Gospel of our Saviour though otherwise he account it for a barbarous folly not to observe that day with all due solemnitie which hath for so long time beene kept by the Church of God Therefore in his opinion also the keeping of one day in seven is neither any morall part of the fourth Commandement 〈…〉 or parcell of the law of nature As for the subtile shift of Amesius finding that keeping holy of one day in seven is positive indeed sed immutabilis plane institutionis but such a positive Law as is absolutely immutable doth as much oblige as those which in themselues are plainly naturall and morall it may then serve when there is nothing else to helpe us For that a positive law should be immutable in it selfe and in its owne nature be as universally binding as the morall law is such a peece of learning and of contradiction as never was put up to shew in these latter times But hee had learnt his â—â—rry in England here and durst not broach it but by halues amongst the Hollanders 7 For the next Thesis that the Lords day is not founded on divine Commandement but the authoritie of the Church it is a point so universally resolved on as no one thing more and first we will begin with Caluin who tels us how it was not without good reason that those of old appointed the Lords Day as we call it to supply the place of the Iewish Sabbath 〈◊〉 l. 2. c. 8. â— 3. Non sine delectu daminicum quem vocamus diem veteres in locum sabbati subrâ—garunt as his words there are Where none I hope will think that hee would give our Saviour Christ or his Apostles such a short come off as to include them in the name of Veteres onely which makes it plaine that he conceived it not to be their appointment In Math. 12. Bucer resolues the point more cleerly communi christianorum consensu Dominicum diem publicis Ecclesie conventibus ac requieti publicae dicatuâ—â— esse ipso statim Apostolorum tempore and saith that in the Apostles times the Lords day by the common consent of Christiau people was dedicated unto publick rest In 〈◊〉 and the assembliâ—s of the Church And Peter Martyr upon a question asked why the â—ld seventh day was not kept in the Christian Church makes answere that upon that day and on all the rest wee ought to rest from our owne works the works of sinne Sed quod is magis quam ille eligatur ad 〈◊〉 Deicultum libernâ— fuiâ— Ecclesis per Christum ut 〈◊〉 consuleret quod ex re magis judicaret 〈◊〉 illa pessime judicavit c. That this was rather chose then that for Gods publick service that saith he Christ left totally unto the liberty of the Church to do therein what should seeme most expedient and that the Church did very well in that she did preferre the memory of the resurrection before the memory of the creation These two I have the rather thus joyned together as being sent for into England iâ— King Edwards time and placed by the Protectour in our Vniversities the better to establish 〈◊〉 at that time begun and doubt we not but that they taught the self same doctrine if at the least they touched at all upon that point with that now extant in their writings at the same time with the lived Bullinger Guâ—ltor In Apoc. 1 two great learned men Of these the first informes us hunc 〈◊〉 loco sabbati in memoriam resurgentis Domini delegisse sibi Ecclesiaâ— that in memoriall of our Saviours resurrection the Churches set apart this day in the Sabbaths steed whereon to hold their solemne and religious meetingâ— And after Sponte receperâ—â—â— Eccleâ—iâ— illam diem non legimus cam ullibi praeceptam that of their owne accord and by their own authoritie the Church made choice thereof for the use aforeâ—aid In Act. Ap. 〈◊〉 131.
what is appertaining to the law of Nature Now it pertaines unto the law of Nature that for the times appointed to Gods publicke worship we wholy sequester our selves from all worldly businesses Id. ib. naturale est quod dum Deum colimus ab aliâ—s abstineamus as Tostatus hath it and then the meaning of the Homilie will be briefely this that for those times which are appointed by the Church for the assembly of Gods people we should lay by ouâ— daily businesse all worldly thoughts wholy give our selves to the heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and Service But to encounter them at their own weapon it is expressely said in the Act of Parliament about keeping holy dayes that on the dayes and times appointed as well the other holy dayes as the Sunday Christians should cease from all kinde of labour and only wholy apply themselves to such holy workes as appertaine to true Religion the very same with that delivered in the Hamilie If wholy in the Homilie must bee applied unto the day then it must bee there and then the Saints dayes and the other holy dayes must bee wholy spene in religious exercises When once we see them doe the one wee will bethinke our selves of doing the other As for the residue of that Homilie which consists in popular reproofes and exhorâ—ations that concernes not us in reference to the point in hand The Homilies those parts thereof especially which tend to the correction of manners and reformation of abuses were made agreeable to those times wherein they were first published If in those times men made no difference between the working day holy day but kept their faires and markets and bought and sold and rowed and fâ—rried and drove and carryed and rode and iourneyed and did their other businesse on the Sunday as well as on the other dayes when there was no such need but that they might have tarryed longer they were the more to blame no doubt in trespassing so wilfully against the Canons of the Church Acts of Parliament which had restrained many of the things there specified The Homilie did well to reprove them for it If on the other side they spent the day in ungodlinesse and filthinesse in gluttony and drunkennesse and such like other crying sinnes as are there particularly noted the Prelates of the Church had very ill discharged their duetie had they not tooke some course to have told them of it But what is that to us who doe not spend the Lords day in such filthy steshlinesse what ever one malicious Sycophant hath affirmed therein or what is that to dancing shooting leaping vauâ—ting may-games and meetings of good neighbourhood or any other recreation not by law prohibited being no such ungodlie and filthie Acts as are therein mentioned 7 Thus upon due search made and full examination of all parties we finde no Lords day Sabbath in the booke of Homilies no nor in any writings of particular men in more then 33 yeeres after the Homilies were published I find indeed that in the yeere 1580 the Magistrates of the Cittie of London obtained from Queene Elizabeth that playes and enterludes should no more bee acted on the Sabbath day within the liberties of their Cittie As also that in 83. on the 14 of Ianuary being Sunday many were hurt and eight killed outright by the suddaine falling of the Scaffolds in Paris-garden This shewes that Enterludes and Beare-baitings were then permitted on the Sunday and so they were a long time after though not within the Cittie of London which certainely had not beene suffered had it beene then conceived that Sunday was to bee accounted for a Sabbath But in the yeere 1595 some of that faction which before had laboured with small profit to overthrow the Hierarchy and government of this Church of England now set themselves on worke to ruinate all the orders of it to beaâ—e downe at one blow all dayes and times which by the wisdome and authority of the Church had beene appointed for Gods service and in the steed thereof to erect a Sabbath of their owne devising These Sabbath speculations and presbyterian directions as mine Authour calls them they had beene hammering more then ten yeeres before though they produced them not till now and in producing of them now they introduced saith hee a more then either Iewish or Popish superstition into the Land Rogers in preface to the Articles to the no small blemish of our Christian profession and scandall of the true servants of God and therewith doctrine most erroneous dangerous and Antichristian Of these the principall was one Doctor Bound who published first his Sabbath Doctrines Anno 1595 and after with additions to it and enlargements of it Anno 1606. Wherein he hath affirmed in generall over all the booke that the Commandement of sanctifying every seaventh day as in the Mosaicall decalogue is naturall morall and perpetuall that where all other things in the Iewish Church were so changed that they were cleane taken away as the Priesthood the sacrifices and the Sacraments this day the Sabbath was so chaÌ„ged that it still remaineth p. 91 that there is great reason why we Christians should take our selves as straitly bound to rest upon the Lords day as the Iewes were upoÌ„ their Sabbath for being one of the morall Commandments it bindeth us as well as them being all of equall authority p. 247. And for the Rest upon this Day that it must be a notable and singular Rest a most carefull exact and precise Rest after another manner than men were accustomed p. 124. Then for particulars no buying of Victuals Flesh or Fish Bread or Drinke 158. no Carriers to travaile on that Day 160. nor Parkmen or Drovers 162. Schollers not to studie the liberall Arts nor Lawyers to consult the Case and peruse mens Evidences 163. Sergeants Apparitours and Sumners to be restrained from executing their Offices 164. Iustices not to examine Causes for preservation of the Peace 166. no man to travaile on that Day 192. that Ringing of more Bells than one that Day is not to be justified p. 202. No solemne Feasts to be made on it 206. nor Wedding Dinners 209. with a permission notwithstanding to Lords Knights and Gentlemen hee hoped to finde good welcome for this dispensation p. 211. all lawfull Pleasures and honest Recreations as Shooting Fencing Bowling but Bowling by his leave is no lawfull pleasure for all sorts of people which are permitted on other dayes were on this Day to be forborne 202. no man to speake or talke of Pleasures p. 272. or any other worldly matter 275. Most Magisterially determined indeed more like a Iewish Rabbin than a Christian Doctor Yet Iewish and Rabbinicall though his Doctrine were it carried a faire face and shew of Pietie at the least in the opinion of the common people and such who stood not to examine the true grounds thereof but tooke it up on the appearance such who did judge
6â—0 they call it by no other name then Sunday ordaining that upon â—oure Sâ—ndayes in the yeere which are therein specified the Sacrament of the Lords Supper should bee administred to the people and in the yeere 1592 an Act of King Iames the third about the 〈◊〉 and other Vigills â—o bee kept holy 〈◊〉 Evâ—nsong to 〈◊〉 was annulled and abrogated Which plaâ—â—ely shewes that then they thought not of a Sabbath But when the Sabbath doctrinâ— had beene raised in Eâ—glaâ—d Annâ— 1595 as before was â—aid it found a present enterâ—â—â—ment with the Brethren there who had before 〈◊〉 in their publicke writings to our Puritans here Davisâ—n p. 20. that both their caâ—ses were most â—eerely linked together and thereupon they both tooke up the name of Sabbath and imposed the rigouâ— yet so that they esteeme it lawfull to hold fâ—sts thereon Altare Damasc. p. 669. quod sapissâ—â—â— in Ecclesia 〈…〉 factum est and use it often in that Church which is quite contrary unto the nature of a Sabbath And on the other side they deny it to be the weekely festivall of the resurrection Id. 696. Non sunt dies Dominici â—esta Resurrectioniâ— as they have resolved it which shewes as plainely that they build not the translation of their Sabbath on the same grounds as our men have done In briefe by making up a mixture of a Lords day Sabbath they neither keepe it as the Lords day nor as the Sabbath And in this state things stood untill the yeere 1618. what time some of the Ancient holy dayes were revived againe in the assemblie held at Perth in which among some other rites of the Church of England which were then aâ—mitted it was thus determined viz. As wee abhorre the superstitioâ—s observation of festivall dayes by the Papists and derest all licenâ—ious and prophane abuse thereof by the Common sort of Professours so wee thinke that the inestimable benefits received from God by our Lord Iesâ—â— Christ his Birth Passion Resurrection 〈◊〉 and â—â—nding downe of the Holy Ghost was commendably and godly remembred at certaine particular dayes and times by the whole Church of the world and may bee also now Therefore the Assembly ordaines that every Minister shall upon these dayes have the 〈…〉 and make choise of severall and pertinent Texts of Scripture and frame their Doctrine and Exhortation thereunto and rebuke all superstitious observation and licentious prophanation thereof A thing which much displeased some men of contrarie perswasion first out of feare that this was but a Preamble to make way for all the other holy dayes observed in England And secondly because it seemed that these five Dayes were in all points to be observed as the Lords day was both in the times of the Assembly and after the dissolving of the same But pleased or displeased so it was decreed and so still it stands 13 But to returne againe to England It pleased his Majestie now reigning whom God long preserve upon information of many notable misdemeanours on this day committed â— Carol. 1. in his first Parliament to enact That from thence-forwards there should be no Méetings Assemblies or concourse of people out of their Parishes on the Lords day for any Sports or Pastâ—mes whatsoever nor any Beare-baitings Bull-baitings common Playes Enterludes or any other unlawfull Exercises or Pastimes used by any person or persons in their owne Parishes every offence to be punished by the forfeiture of 3. s. 4 d. This being a Probation Law was to continue till the end of the first Session of the next Parliament And in the next Parliament it was continued till the end of the first Session of the next which was then to come So also was another Act made in the said last Session wherein it was enacted 3. Carol. 1. That no Carrier Waggoner Waine-man Carre-man or Drover travaile thence-forwards on the Lords day on paine that every person and persons sâ— offending shall lose and forfeit 20. s. for every such offence And that no Butcher either by himselfe or any other by his privitie and consent doe kill or sell any Victuall on the said day upon the forfeiture and losse of 6. s. 8. d. Which Statutes being still in force by reason that there hath not been any Session of Parliament since they were enacted many both Magistrates and Ministers either not rightly understanding or wilfully mistaking the intent and meaning of the first brought Dancing and some other lawfull Recreations under the compasâ—e of unlawfull Pastimes in that Act prohibited and thereupon disturbed and punished many of the Kings obedient people onely for using of such Sports as had been authorized by his Majesties Father of blessed memorie Nay which is more it was so publikely avowed and printed by one who had no calling to interprete Lawes except the provocation of his owne ill spirit That Dancing on the Lords day was an unlawfull Pastime punishable by the Statute 1. Carol. 1. which intended so hee saith to suppresse Dancing on the Lords day as well as Beare-baiting Bull-beating Enterludes and common Playes which were not then so rife and common as Dancing when this Law was made Things being at this height it pleased his excellent Majestie King Charles Declarat Observing as hee saith himselfe how much his people were debarred of Recreation and finding in some Counties that under the pretence of taking away abuses there had beene a generall forbidding not onely of ordinarie Meetings but of the Feasts of the Dedication of Churches commonly called Wakes to ratifie and publish the Declaration of his Majesties Father before remembred adding That all those Feasts with others should be observed and that all neighbourhood and freedome with manlike and lawfull Exercises be therein used Commanding all the Iustiâ—es of Assise in their severall Circuits to see that no man doe trouble or molest any of his loyall and dutifull people in or for their lawfull Recreaâ—ions having first done their dutie to God and continuing in obedience unto him and his Lawes and further that publication thereof be made by order from the Bishops through all the Parishes of their severall Diocesses respectively Thus did it please his excellent and sacred Majestie to publish his most pious and religious purpose of opening to his loyall people that libertie of the Day which the Day allowed of and which all Christian States and Churches in all times before had never questioned withall of shutting up that Doore whereat no lesse than Iudaisme would in fine have entred and so in time have over-ran the fairest and most beautifull Church at this day in Christendome And certainely it was a pious and Princely Act nothing inferiour unto that of Constantine or any other Christian King or Emperour before remembred it being no lesse pious in it selfe considered to keepe the holy-dayes free from superstition than to preserve them from prophanenesse especially considering that permission of lawfull Pleasures is no lesse proper to a Festivall than