Dominical day was forbidden by Damasus Fol. 308 D E Constantine admonished all the Subjects of the Roman Empire that they should keep holy the days dedicated to the Saviour and likewise that those which are Sabbaths should be honoured or worshipped and he gave a Law to the Presidents of all Nations that they should observe the Dominical day according to the Nodd or Will of the Emperor and that they should honour the days of the Martyrs Eusebius Fol. 396 At a Synod in Eleberide a City in Spain Can. 26 it pleased them to correct an Errour that they should celebrate a Fast of Fasts jejuniorum superpositionem upon every Sabbath day Fol. 477 G 29th Can. Christians oâ—â—â—ot to Judaize and to rest upon the Sabbath but they are 〈◊〉 upon that same day preferring the Dominical before 〈◊〉 day if this please them let them rest as Christians but iâ— they shall be found to Judaize let them be accursed Anathema sint or excommunicated Fol. 740 A B Pope Sylvester changed the How the 1st day came to be called the Lords day Names as Sunday Monday Tuesday c. of all the days of the week changing the Name of the First day which he called The Lord's day Dominicum dixit c. Fol. 915 A the Wife of the Emperor Valence is called Dominica Fol. 360 A B Primasius shews that in some places of Syria and Egypt men did assemble in the Church upon the Sabbath day and some by night after Supper Fol. 380 G H when the Writers of that Age speak of Fasting they mean Not Dining As Peter and his Con-disciples lived together in Concord so let those live together in Concord who fast upon the Sabbath whom Peter planted and those who dine upon the Sabbath whom his Disciples planted Also he says farther that in one Church it was frequent to have some dining upon the Sabbath others fasting In the Eastern Churches they never fasted upon the Sabbath one Sabbath in the whole year excepted which is Pridie feriarum Paschalis the day before the Passover The Churches of the West on the contrary celebrated a Fast every Sabbath of the week Cent. 5 fol. 381 of this Diversity Augustine speaks If we should say that it is sinful to fast upon the Sabbath day we should damn not only the Church of Rome but also many places near to it and somewhat remote where the same Use is held and remains and if we should think it sinful not to fast upon the Sabbath with a sort of Rashness we should blame so many Eastern Churches and the far-greater part of the Christian World And elsewhere he shews from the beginning that this was peculiar to Rome and to a few Western Churches that they observed the Fast of the Sabbath And of the same Sabbath Fast in the African Churches he saith That one Church and the Churches of One Region have those that do fast upon the Sabbath and who do not fast Fol. 383 That â—â—â—ominical day was observed by some at that time appears out of Augustine Also at Colen the Dominical day was a Festival Vincentius Solemn Max. Taurinen Epise Lucius Cent. 6 Fol. 213 F we read of Dominicus Bishop of Carthage Fol. 370 D Dominicus Bishop Centum Cellences Fol. 411 Dominicus Presbyter and Abbot Fol. 323 C D E F G Synodus Matisconensis secundus held by Command of King Junthran made certain Statutes pertaining to Ecclesiastical Discipline and Ceremonies which they promulgated in a Synodal Epistle in this manner viz. We see the Christian People in an unadvised manner to deliver to contempt the Dominical day and as in private days to indulge continual Labours c. And therefore they determine that every one of themselves in the Holy Churches would instruct the People subject to them to keep the Dominical day c. which if not observed by the Lawyer he is irreparably to lose his Cause and a Country-man or Servant not keeping it is to be beaten with heavier blows of Cudgels Cent. 7 fol. 169 206 We find two other Bishops named Dominicus Fol. 61 D Amongst the days the Dominical is most named for amongst the Senones a People in France near the River Sein Lupus performed the Sacrifice upon the Dominical day Vincentius Also the day of the Sabbath is found amongst some It was the Sabbath day the third hour when the People in the Popilian Market in foro Popilio were oppressed in the Church by Grimoaldus Sabellicus Aenead 8 lib. 2. whereof before Fol. 95 E When they did assemble is not expresly shewn but the most mention is made of the Sabbath and of the Dominical day As it is written of the Emperor Constance in the Book belonging to the Pope In Libro Pontificali That coming to Rome quarta feria which I think was on Wednesday that day he went to the Church of St. Peter to Prayer and upon the Sabbath day to St. Mary's and to Peter's upon the Dominical c. In vitaliano this might be in Lent Fol. 103 The Fathers in a Synod held in a Town in Narbone in France forbad the doing any Country Work upon the Dominical day Cent. 8 fol. 181 A Assemblies at the 〈◊〉 were to be either upon the Dominical days and then 〈◊〉 things only were to be done which pertained to the Worship and Service of God Synod Arelaten in Turonensi or upon the Sabbath day for in some places in memory of the old Religion they used to say the Song of Deuteronomy in which is contain'd the whole state of the ancient People to wit what they deserved by pleasing or displeasing Beda Fol. 201 H They rested upon the Dominical day when in Consilio Dinglefingensi it is thus decreed Teste Aventino Upon the Festival of Sunday intent upon a Divine Rest abstain from prophane Business whoso upon this day useth Carriages or doth such work let his Cattel be common publica sunto i. e. as I think Let him have them that will take them and if he disobediently go on let him be reduc'd to Servitude i. e. Let him be made a Bondman or a Slave And Charles the Great in his Constitutions prohibits all buying or selling in any place on the Dominical day Fol. 203 Upon the Sabbath days a sign being given by the Bells Workmen go away from their Labours Ut annotat Author vitae Crode-gangi and that the Dominical day ought to be observed from Evening to Evening Which for the time of beginning and ending the day I agree was rightly commanded if they had not mistaken the First day for the Sabbath day and now that of Dan. 7. 25 was somewhat near coming to pass Fol. 312 B Upon the Feast of Sunday intent upon a Divine Rest abstain from prophane Business the like with fol. 201 else let him be made a Slave Aventin Cent. 9 fol. 34 E Haymo saith The Lord commanded to rest upon the Sabbath which was a sign of future Rest Fol. 107 H. 108 A
Church of Christ by the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit out of Bonage in and under literal Aegypt we have in Exod. 20. 1 2. I had also thought upon the first Command to have shewn â—hat Faith in Christ though it be the Gift of Faith a Duty â—od Eph. 2. 8. as every other Grace is is a â—uty commanded This is his Command That we believe in his Son Rom. 16. 26. 1 John 3 23 24. And by our Lord Jesus Christ Faith is said to be one of the weightier matters of the Law Mat. 23. 23. The People asked Jesus What shall we do that we may work the works of God Jesus said This is the work of God that ye believe on him which he hath sent John 6. 22 28 29. And the Righteousness by the Faith of Jesus Christ is witnessed by the Law and the Prophets Rom. 3. 21. Which may also pass for a further Proof That the Moral Law still obliges under the Gospel I had also prepared a few Sheets upon the second Command to enquire Whether Forms of Worship graved printed or written not instituted by the Lord but invented by Man are Good Right True Spiritual Christian Worship and Whether forbidden by the Letter of the second Command in the word Pesel about which good Worship there is much in the Old and much in the New Testament As also If the Lord's Prayer were not for Secret Prayer Enter into thy Closet shut thy Door pray to thy Father in secret thy Father who sees in secret shall reward openly Mat. 6. 6 9. All in secret but the Reward which should be open As also about Right Singing from Eph. 5. 18 19. And to have enquired after the import of those words there Psalms If that mean Psalms in the Word Hymns if that mean occasional Singing by such as have that excellent Gift And Spiritual Songs if that mean Songs composed of Spiritual Matter for which the Scriptures are full to furnish the meanest Minister of Christ and others also and all without Rhime And something concerning the horrible Prophaners of God Name by swearing and cursing against the third Command Thâ— Lord will not hold them guiltless I had prepared also some Thoughts about the rest of the Commands and in particular about the fifth Command and thereiâ— about Monarchy but finding I have much to do to recover thâ— word Seventh i. e. one word in the fourth Command I haâ— at present left it out Now seeing Mat. 5. 17 18 19 and Luke 16. 17. do so confâ— the Decalogue how is it that it confirms all the Ten Commanâ— without exception and not the Seventh day which is a part the Decalogue and is a seventh part of Time and one Day of tâ— Week And why should we so hotly oppose it God has plaâ—ly prescribed that day why do we alter it The best Reaâ— that I can give is the marvellous Corruption that is in our Nature which doth incline us to be as Gods and to give Rules to the Divine Majesty and to all the World and puts us upon Pretences to be wiser than God And the earnestness which I find in some for the First day I ascribe to the looseness of others who were for the First day and for Sports and Pastimes also upon it and much to the force of Example and Education we have been long trained up in the observation thereof and so entertained strong Conceits that we are in the right and cannot yet be put out of it though when we are asked we can assign no Command from Christ or his Word for it and yet fiercely contend for it Which shews plainly that it is God's Work to convince the World of this Sin yet means may be used It has been acknowledged that the Advocates for the First day generally mean well but should remember that good Intentions when they run in any Channel besides the Word have been the occasion of bringing in Monkery many Ceremonies great Controversies Errors Divisions and some bloody Wars and many Mischiefs which from the Primitive Times to this day have afflicted and shaken the Churches from which after some years consideration I think there can be no deliverance but by a profeâ—â—ed returning to be ruled in all cases by the plain Word of Christ And Learned Excellent Commenius the only surviving Bishop Commenius if he be yet alive Bishop of Bohemia in his printed Exhortation to the Churches of England upon the Restitution of Charles the Second Ann. Dom. 1660 prophesies our Ruine upon this Rock whilst Christ in his Word teaches one thing and men teach another where he brings in the Lord protesting against us all as no Christians because we keep not the Commands of Christ and when he shall vouchsafe to raise up some Repairers of the Collapsed state of the Church he would haâ—e them give God this Honour to do nothing but according to the Prescript of his Will Exod. 25. 40. all to be after the Paâ—tern in the Mount and to take that for an everlasting Rule â—â— was not thus from the Beginning Mat. 19. 8. and to have a caâ—e that what is not of Divine Institution but contrary thereunto be taken away as a Plant not of the Father's planting Mat. 15. 13. and whatever is instituted by GOD but through Carelesness of Man neglected or hath by Guile been changed be restored Mat. 5. 17 18 19. This Book of Commenius was printed about 1660 upon the occasion of the late King's Restitution wherein as I think he plainly intimates the restoring the Instituted Sabbath by Guile changed but in such terms as Quarrelers might have no certain Advantage he drives at a more thorow Reformation than hitherto hath been in the Churches and to bring us back to the Times of the Apostles wherein consists the true Glory and Happiness of the Churches although Commenius in that same Book fol. 51 52 53 54 says The Custom of the Bâ—hemian Churches was to keep the Dominical day As for those Laws which we call Ceremonial I take them to teach and Command Faith in Christ who was veiled and hid under Typical Ordinances as Sacrifices and Altars which in their very Nature ceased to be farther literally observed when Christ the true Antitype was sacrificed for his People and Circumcision the Passover and the then Priesthood were by his Death taken away and Baptism the Lord's Supper and another more excellent Gospel-Ministry instituted Mat. 28. 19 20. And the Epistles especially that to the Hebrews do open much of the Mysteries of Christ and the many Benefits Believers in him do receive by the several old and new Ordinances now explaining one another and I suppose may be of use for convincing the Jews when their time of Conversion comes and the Law of Sacrifices does discover how Man was justified from the Guilt contracted by transgressing any of the Commands viz. by Christ typified by the Sacrifices and his Righteousness As the Judicials did shew how Transgressors
vowed to God that hereafter they would neither buy nor sell any thing upon the Dominical days unless perhaps Food and Drink to such as passed by They vowed also That of all things which they sold of the value of Five Shillings de singulis quinque salidatis rerum they would give a Farthing or a fourth part to buy a Lamp or Candle for the Church and for the burial of the Poor And for the collecting of this the aforesaid Abbot ordained to be made an hollow piece of Wood in all Parish Churches under the Custody of two or three faithful men where the People should cast in the fore-mentioned Brass The aforesaid Abbot also ordained that an eleemosynarie or Alms-dish or Platter should be daily had to the Table of the Rich in which they should send part of their Meats to the use of those who were Indigent who had not prepared for themselves Which in part was a very charitable Appointment And the same Abbot prohibited That none should buy or sell any thing or litigate in Churches or in the Church-Porch or Church-yardâ— Then the Enemy of Mankind envying these and other Admonitions of this Holy Man put into the Heart of the King and Princes of Darkness so it seems the King and Nobility of England did not keep Sunday at that time that they commanded That all who should keep or observe the aforesaid Traditions and chiefly all who had cast down the Market for things vendible upon the Dominical days should be brought to the King's Court or to the King's Examination to make satisfaction or purge themselves about observing the the Dominical day But our Lord Jesus Christ whom we ought to obey rather than men who illustrated or made famous and as exceedingly renowned dedicated unto himself this day which we call Dominical or Lord's day by his Birth and by his Resurrection by his Coming and by the sending the Holy Spirit upon his Disciples he raised up Miracles of his Virtue and thus manifested it upon some Transgressors of the Dominical day Upon a certain Sabbath after the ninth hour a certain Carpenter in Beverlac making a Wooden Pin against the wholsome Admonitions of his Wife being struck with a Palsie fell to the Ground And a certain Woman knitting after the ninth hour of the Sabbath i. e. after Three of the Clock upon Saturday whilst she was very anxious to knit out part of her Work falling to the Earth struck with a Palsie she became dumb And at Nasfortun a Village of Master Roger Arundle a certain man made for himself Bread baked under the Ashes upon the Sabbath day after the ninth hour and eat of it and reserved to himself part until the Morning which when he brake upon the Dominical day Blood came out of it And he that saw it hath given Testimony and his Testimony is true And at Wakefield upon a certain Sabbath when a Miller after the ninth hour endeavoured to grind his Corn suddenly in the place of Meal there issued out so great a stream of Blood that the Vessel put under was almost filled with Blood and the Mill wheel stood immoveable against the vehement impulse of the Water and those who saw marvelled saying Forgive Lord forgive thy People And in Lincolinsiria whether he mean Lincolnshire or what place else I cannot tell a certain Woman had prepared Dough or 〈◊〉 or Pudding pye which carrying to the Oven after the 〈◊〉 â—ur of the Sabbath she put it into a very hot Oven and 〈◊〉 she had drawn it out she found it not baked and she put it again into the Oven made very hot and on the morning and on Monday when she thought to have found the Bread baked she found the Dough or Pudding-pye unbaked Also in the same Province when a certain Woman had prepared her Dough willing to carry it to the Oven her Husband said to her It is the Sabbath and the ninth hour is now past let it alone until Monday and the Woman obeying her Husband did as he commanded and wrapt the Dough in Linnen and in the morning when she went to look to her Dough lest it should exceed the Vessel because of the Leaven put into it she found by the Divine Will Bread made thereof and well baked without material Fire This is a Change of the Right Hand of the Most High and although the Almighty Lord by these and other Miracles of his Power did invite the People to the observation of the Dominical day yet the People fearing more Kingly and Humane Power than Divine and fearing those more who kill the Body and can do no more than Him who after he hath killed the Body can send the Soul to Hell and fearing more to lose Earthly things than Heavenly and Transitories than Eternals Oh sad as a Dog to the Vomit returned to keep Markets of things saleable upon the Dominical days Haec ille This referrs to England so Scotland did not receive the Change till 1203 and the King and Princes of England would not then agree to change the Sabbath or keep Sunday by this Authority This was I think in the time of King John against whom the Popish Clergy had a great Pique as not favouring their Prelacy and Monks by one of whom he was poysoned So we have here an Authority and for Matter of Fact undedeniable for ought I know or can find of a Council held in Scotland for initiating that is for the first bringing in there the observation of the Dominical day i. e. the first day of the week or Sunday and the King Princes and People of England were then against observing Sunday That Kingdom of Scotland was Christian very early and generally received the Christian Religion about Ann. Dom. 435 as before and has this Honour that they were one of the last in this part of the World which admitted the First day and that was not till 〈◊〉 thousand Two hundred years after Christ And to Binius 〈◊〉 Hoveden and Matthew Paris and to the Records of that Kingdom of Scotland where so great a Transaction cannot probably be lost further Enquirers are referred Which Matter of Fact strikes off One thousand Two hundred years out of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland from the Sixteen hundred years universal Concurrence so confidently affirmed as before And take out 1201 out of 1690 and there remains 489. Which is a Prescription much too modern and weak to alter and lay aside a lesser matter than the ancient establish'd Law of God I may safely leave any Reader to make his own Inferences in so plain a case only there being here and afterward mention made of Judgments inflicted on such as violated the Dominical day this I may say of that though I doubt many supposed Judgments are mistaken wrested and misconstrued and the Instances before given may be better applied to Breakers of the Seventh day Sabbath than of Sunday they being Instances of Facts done about the ninth hour upon
the Sabbath day Yet I know not why without any damage to the Question it may not be admitted that whilst persons are perswaded tho' mistaken any thing is to be religiously observed and yet violate it the Lord might then and may still in like cases punish that Violation by Judgments as we find in the Histories he frequently punished Heathens when they prophaned their Heathenish Worship and Temples Particularly Xerxes's Army who were sent to pillage and destroy the Temple and Oracle of Apollo at Delphos for which themselves had some veneration were said to be destroyed by Thunder and Lightning And Herod's Messengers digging that so they might rifle the Temple for hidden Gold a Fire is said to break out of David's and Solomon's Coffins and to have consumed them to Ashes And Marcus Crassus a Roman Consul and General taking Two thousand Talents of Gold out of the Temple at Jerusalem which Pompey left there his whole Army was routed a little after Crassus was taken and some of that melted Gold poured into his Mouth which was thought a Judgment for that Sacrilege And Caepio a Consul of Rome after he with his Army had destroyed the Church of Tholouse in France and had taken thence a great Mass of Gold the History saâ—â— every man in his Army came to a miserable End whence whâ—n any man was remarkably followed by the Hand of God they used this Proverb saying of him Aurum habet Tolosanum He hath some of the Gold of Tholouse And whatever gross Mistakes some men have been and are still under in their own devised mediums of Worship whereof some have been as that of Apollo at Delphos was plainly Diabolical and others very diverse from what God has instituted in his Word yet how far the Lord may make men Examples of suffer them to be so made for sinning against their own Consciences though they be Misinformed Consciences I cannot tell And I think it may be true also that some Judgments have been executed upon Violaters of the Sabbath whereof the Stick gatherer of old is one famous Example and whereof I could assign some very Signal within these few years past if that were a good way of reasoning And what more there may yet be I know not Christ can vindicate his Commands and recover his own when and by what methods shall please him and to him I wholly leave it But this I am fully satisfied in that he that walks according to his Commands has no manner of cause to fear his Displeasure for obedience to his Will And this I assign as Answer to the many Reflections about Judgments supposed to be inflicted in this Case which Judgments of God I acknowledge to be a great Deep and hard to be fathom'd by the Wisest and are sometimes easie to be wrested both ways by willing Minds but are then best understood when considered as directly punishing Sins against the plain Commands and Word of God Now although this Precedent of Eustachius be somewhat long yet being Seconded by a Council and that transmitted and published to all the World in one of the Volumes of the General and Provincial Councils out of which I have translated it and this passing at the initiating or first bringing in of the Celebration of the First day of the week or Sunday into the Kingdom of Scotland which is famous for having the Gospel early preached there and in this as famous viz. for not receiving this Innovation so soon as some other parts of the World and England being then much of the same mind as before has been said and this being one Precedent which may serve to abate what is printed about the First day as if all the World since Christ and the Apostles time had observed it and as if the Sabbath ever since had been universally laid aside I have therefore inserted it and from hence at present shall only observe That the First day which some call the Dominical or Lord's day was not observed by the Christian Kingdom of Scotland nor I think by England Twelve hundred years after Christ Of the Dominical day the Magdeburgenses say It was ordained in a Council in Scotland about the observation of the Dominical day newly and lately brought into that Kingdom as is before noted out of Binius That it should be holy from the Twelfth hour of Saturday Even till Monday And fol. 788 a Synod in Scotland under Pope Innocent III. An. Dom. 1203 for inaugurating the King and the Feast of the Sabbath which I think might be about a year or two after the Abbot of Flay's being there William King of Scotland called a Council of the Chief of his Kingdom and commanded them to do Homage to his Son Alexander There came also a Legate from the Pope with a Sword and a purple Hat Indulgences and Priviledges to the young King also there it is decreed That Saturday from the Twelfth hour at Noon should be holy That the People should do nothing prophane but apply themselves to things sacred and this they should do even until Monday Boetius lib. 13 de Scotis fol. 788 which place in an hasty seeking I could not find By inaugurating the Sabbath was the more solemn settling of that matter which was as I guess about a year or two before first initiated or brought in by the Abbot of Flay As Binius Or whether this inaugurating were not by the King and Parliament of Scotland because it is said to be by the King and the Council of the Chief of his Kingdom I cannot say but this last seems to me most probable But that makes no difference in the case there and this well agrees with that of the Abbot of Flay as I think about a year or two before And how far this Precedent after the fine Device of the Epistle from Heaven and after this Abbot of Flay's coming to York may reach to this Kingdom of England you may see there I shall quote Binius once more the same Book fol. 1445 where he says At a Council at London celebrated by Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury in the time of Pope Innocent III Ann. Christi 1200 they decree That every Dominical day the Hostia should he renewed The Hostia is the Host in the Popish Mass i. e. a round Wafer Cake which after the Priest's Consecration they suppose to be the Body of Christ The Church of England then and some time before and long after till Edward the Sixth's time were devoted to the Church of Rome howsoever the Kings and Civil Government were disposed whereof we find a little in the President before cited of Eustachius and we have no Statute made for Sunday till that in Edward the Sixth which was but about 150 years since whereof more hereafter And Binius fol. 877 878 In the time of Pope Marcellus II there were some who kept the Sabbath day Sabbatarii which I think was in Rome who it seems held that the Dominical day was not to be
observed Dominicam diem non colendam and this was An. 1555 in the sixteenth Century but they if it be true what is written of them by Popish Writers were otherwise Heretical as in their sence all Dissenters from them are And if they were Hereticks yet this will disprove part of the Assertion before mentioned but frequently the most Orthodox were by them called Hereticks as they are by them and others to this day In Lucius's Thirteenth Century f. 264 B and fol. 357 C D of introducing the Dominical day into Scotland we have before in the Story of the Abbot of Flay and the King's Council of Scotland An. Dom. 1203. Fol. 385 a Synod was held at Oxford An. 1223 by Stephen Archbishop of Canterbury where they determine That all Dominical days be kept with all veneration and a Fast upon the Sabbath c. So that how far some part of England then followed the Example of Scotland is worth further enquiry which is about Twenty one years after that of the Abbot of Flay And this is the sum of what I have collected out of those Books As for the Books quoted by Binius by the Magdeburgenses and by Lucius I had very few of them where those Passages probably would be found more at large which such as are furnished with or have the use of a better Study may collect if they please and give a more exact account thereof But these Writers as to Matters of Fact written by them I take to be of Credit although one of them viz. Binius were a profest Romanist and Canon of the Virgin Mary at Collen and writ permissu superiorunt But the Magdeburgenses and Lucius were Protestants and are generally allowed for ought I know as persons of Fidelity in their Collections So that as to the Matters of Fact which I have brokenly gathered from them some for and some against my Opinion I think there remains little doubt Inferences from what I have collected I leave to the impartial Reader Binius's 13th Century King John about Ann. Dom. 1208 and the Tenth year of his Reign upon occasion of a Popish imposing upon his Prerogative in a Case of Conge-de-lier was excommunicated by the Pope and his Kingdom interdicted which bred so great Troubles at home and abroad as at last forc'd him to lay down his Crown at the Feet of Pandulphus the Pope's Agent After he was humbled by that Excommunication and Interdiction this King An. 15. of his Reign by Writ removes the Market of the City of Exon from the Dominical or first day of the week on which it was formerly held to Monday Prinn's History of the Pope's Usurpations part 3 fol. 17. So that Exon kept Markets on Sunday above 1200 years after Christ And the Market of Launceston was from the first to the fifth day of the week And in the 2d and 3d of Henry III the next King succeeding King John K. Henry III removes another Market in Devon and Ten more in other Counties from the First day to other days of the week Which alteration of Markets which we find before in the Case of the Abbot of Flay King John would not then admit And 6 Hen. III Prinn's Jurisdiction of Courts fol. 153 there is the King's Writ Ballinis de Hastings to answer before the Justices for removing Markets from one day to another without the King's Licence unless it be from the Dominical day It seems some then held Markets on that day but might remove them to another day without the King's Licence And those who desire and need such Presidents may probably there find many more like these these coming to hand upon the perusal of a few Leaves of that voluminous Book In our Records we find by the Writs to summon Parliaments that they were of old appointed to meet upon Sundays Elsyng's Method of holding Parliaments fol. 91 92 in the time of Edw. I Edw. II and Edw. III which Edw. I. succeeded Henry III who succeeded King John But 5 Rich. II. who was deposed by his Popish rebellious Subjects and Clergy and who succeeded Edward III. the Parliament appointed to meet upon Sunday met that day and adjourned till Monday Prinn's Jurisdict of Courts fol. 4. From which time of 5 Rich. II. Prinn says no Parliaments have been summoned to meet on the Dominical days And Prinn thinks Modus tenendi Parliamentum was compiled after 5 Rich. II. for many ancient Parliaments of Edw. I Edw. II and Edw. III were summoned to meet on Sunday on which day the Modus c. says Parliaments ought not to be held but upon all other days that excepted So that it seems in Edward the Third's time Sunday was not much if at all observed by that King and the Civil Government of England See his Jurisd fol. 42 and his Register fol. 10 11 15. England which one lately in his Defence of the First day calls a barbarous and remote Corner of the World had the Gospel here preached in the First Century as Historians say and it was afterward generally entertained for some hundreds of years before they received the Change of the Passover to the Dominical day and by the best Collection I can make with my few Books about 1200 years or more before they received the observation of Sunday and yet had a weekly day of Rest which all the Records of old yet extant and down along to this day did then and do still call the Sabbath day And having once received the Gospel they did not so soon receive Alterations in Religion for the worse as other places nearer to Rome as appears by the Case of the Passover the change of which from the 14th day of the first Moon to the first day of the week was not here admitted as I take it till the Sixth or Seventh Century and then also but in part as appears in the Passage of Bishop Coleman which Alteration Scotland then refused And for the First day it seems to be introduced by the Popes and their Agents by degrees but not generally to obtain in England nor at all in Scotland till the beginning of the 13th Century and without any Law that I can recollect made by the King and Parliament till Edward the Sixth's time 5 6 Edw. VI cap. 3 which Act was made about 150. years since where Sunday and many Holy-days the Feast of All-saints and of Holy Innocents are established Festivals and jumbled all together it seems then esteemed much alike Which Act provides that it shall be lawful for Husband men Labourers Fishermen and all others in Harvest or any time of the year when Necessity shall require to labour ride fish or work any kind of Work at their free will and pleasure upon any of the said days So that the Civil Government of England did never that I find give Countenance to Sunday by any Act till about 150 years since and then allowed a Liberty so large as shews what Esteem they had of
as to Feasts and Fasts Fol. 333 G 334 A The Schism in the East about observing the Passover as the Jews did continues Fol. 369 A B C D and this old Dissention about celebrating the Passover still troubled the Churches some upon one day some upon another so that we may plainly see what bad work these Inventions have made in the Church in former Ages even in the Primitive times Fol. 391 G H 392 A A Synod at Rome where Pope Sylvester the Bishop of the Holy and Apostolick See Prelate of the City of Rome saith about the Solemnity of the Passover It was commanded to all Bishops and Presbyters to keep the observation of the Passover from the Fourteenth of the Moon to the Twenty first Fol. 482 D The Novatians in a Synod constituted That the Feast of the Passover should be celebrated when the Jews celebrated it And fol. 493 A. See fol. 608 C D. 639 B. Fol. 856 B the Jews are said to celebrate the Passover twice in one year Fol. 363 B the Passover was observed as one of the times for Baptizing As for the observation of Easter neither our Saviour nor his Apostles have commanded us any where to observe it which some in the lesser Asia celebrate the Fourteenth day of the Month others in other parts of Asia vary in the Month yet hold it on Saturday and gather that the celebration of the Feast of Easter came up more of Custom than by any Law or Canon Those who keep Easter the Fourteenth day bring the Apostle John for their Author but Rome and the West parts alledge Peter and Paul for themselves And Socrates says he has laid down sufficient to prove that the Feast of Easter began more of Custom than by Command of Christ or any Apostle Soc. 5th Book Chap. 21 Fol. 353 354. Lucius Cent. 5 fol. 384 B the Passover observed and celebrated as an yearly Solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection where we have also the Paschal Vigils or Watchings by Night which I think were at Rome Cent. 6 fol. 170 C all are said to observe the Passover yet there fell out a Contention between the Spaniards and French about the time of celebrating the Paschal day for the French celebrated the Fourteenth of the Calends of May the Spaniard the Twelfth of the Calends of April a pretty great Variation but Sigebert says that Strife was taken away by Miracle for the Spaniards in the time of the Passover wanted Water to baptize which the French had and so it seems it was counted clear from that Accident in that Age that the French were in the right In the Seventh Century fol. 22 E there is said to be a great Contention between the English and Scots about observing the Passover whether it should be observed after the manner of Rome So that these Observations did come from Rome and have plainly served to divide the Christian World but are not instituted in the Scriptures Fol. 72 B That Baptizing amongst the Britains was mostly at the Paschal Solemnity Fol. 76 A At what time or upon what Days or Festivals they did distribute the Supper of the Lord it does not sufficiently appear unless what Caesanus mentions of the time of the Passover Fol. 82 A B About observing the Passover the Britains varied from the Roman Churches as Beda lib. 3 cap. 25 a great Dissention between the Scots and English about this But in a Synod which Theodorus caused afterwards in England it was ordained That the Passover should every where be held upon the Dominical after the Fourteenth day of the Moon of the first Month Ut Pascha ubique servaretur Dominicâ post decimam quartam lunam primi mensis Beda lib. 4 cap. 5. Fol. 104 D Those who did not fast on the day of Christ's Passion were to be debarred from the Paschal Joy this was designed against those who would not fast on the Seventh-day Sabbath Upon the day of our Lord's Birth Clerks are commanded to tell the People what day of the Month the Passover was to be celebrated And fol. 114 G the like And fol. 123 F G Pope John in his Epistle to the Scots reprehends them for observing the Passover different from the Roman Church Tonsures and Unctions and Latin Masses and the Paschal Rite the Popes of Rome obtruded upon the Britains or some of them about the Year Six hundred Sixty six or a little after And there and in fol. 124 we may see many other Romish Rites introducing Fol. 125 B And there were some then who opposed and blamed the Domination of the Pope of Rome Fol. 132 The Britains did not observe the Dominical day of the Passover in its time but from the Fourteenth to the Twentieth day of the Moon But Austin the Pope's Legate endeavoured to perswade the Britains to celebrate the Passover in the Roman manner but Columbanus and Dagaenus Bishops of the Scots and Picts were so tenacious of their own Ceremonies that they would not Eat nor Lodge with those pretended Reformers And in the Isle of Man things came from Disputes to Arms and those addicted to Rome slew as they say 1200 Monks if they do not misreckon who defended the Rights of their Ancestors Fol. 133 The English about that time I think began to observe the Passover in the Romish manner but Bishop Coleman with those with him would not assent but rather left his Bishoprick Fol. 151 G There was some Difference in Spain about this Fol. 190 D E F G H. and fol. 191 192 A Synod is called in Britain about the Controversie of the Passover where the King and his Son differ about it And there is a long Dispute between Bishop Coleman and Presbyter Wilfrid and much of that Dispute is again repeated fol. 289 290 where Osvius the King turns to the Roman Observation of the Passover and Coleman and others who would not receive that Alteration nor the shaving of the Crown returned to Scotland So the Churches are all along beholden to Rome for this Controversie also Cent. 8 fol. 202 B C The Britains i. e. I think the Welch about the Year of Our Lord 731 did not yet celebrate the 〈◊〉 with the English Pictâ— and Scots and other neighbouring People They say the Pictâ— began to celebrate the Passover in the Roman manner Ann. Doâ— 716 Bedâ—â— Sigebertus â—as it Ann. 709 and many German Churches were drawn to the Roman Paschal Celebration And in Spain they differ'd in this from Rome Fol. 290 B C D The Britains still opposed and rejected the Roman Passover Fol. 291 A In the East some observed the Passover one day and some another Cent. 9 fol. 15 E Pope Paschal fol. 185 B. 281 B E made Pope without the Assent of the Emperor Fol. 281 you may read his Character where they say he held the place of Antichrist seven years to Ann. Dom. 824. Cent. 10. We have little that I can find of this matter in the Tenth Century Cent. 11.