Showing the Necessity of Conformity, Treatise · Reformed practices · Part 11
Touching Holy-Dayes.
THeſe are of two ſorts: ſome bearing title to the memoriall of Chriſt our Sauiour, and the parts of our redemption by him performed; as namely, the daies of Chriſt his Natiuitie, Circumciſion, Paſſion, Reſurrection, Aſſenſion, and Deſcenſion of the Holy Ghoſt: ſome others bearing the name and memoriall of the Virgin Mary, the Apoſtles and other of the Saints. The former ſort as they are in eueryevery reformed Church in the world that I hauehave heard of practiſed (excepting in Geneua which onelyonly obſerueth the day of Chriſts Natiuity, Caluin. Epiſt. 118. fol. 215. & Argentorat or Strausbourg, Caluin. Epist. 128. fol. 226.) as namely in the Churches of Denm. Heming. Syntag. in 4. leg. Decal. §. 22. fol. 363. 364. Of Bohem. Harm. Confeſ. §. 16. fol. 179. Saxony and high Germany, Harm. Confeſſ. §. 16. Augustan. fol. 186. Heluetia Harm. Confeſſ. §. 16. Heluet. poſterior. fol. 179. Item in libello de ritibus Eccleſ. Tigur. 8. fol. 1. of Baſil. Polan. Syntagm. lib. 9. cap. 35. fol. 4147. Belgick or Low-Countries as appeareth in the laſt letter of the Browniſts vntounto Iunius laſt letter. Berne. Aretius Problem. loc. 99. fol. 289. Fulke in Rhem. Apoc. 1. 10. fol. 854. and in Gal. 4. 10. §. 5. fol. 63. So do all good and godly iudgements that I could light of (excepting only Piſcator in Gal. 4. 9. 10. 11. obſeruat. fol. 426.) concurre together to approue of them, ſo doth Bucer. Script. Anglican. in cenſura fol. 493. cap. 26. Pet. Martyr. loc. com. inter Epiſtolas fol. 1087. Bulling. in Epiſt. Caluin. 129. fol. 227. Zanch. confeſſ. cap. 25. fol. 250. & in Col. 2. 17. fol. 67. Zepper. de politia Eccleſ. lib. 1. cap. 13. fol. 94. Aretius Problem. de Ferijs fol. 289. Paraeus in Rom. 14. dub. 4. fol. 1203. 1204.
The latter ſort of holy dayes, albeit they be not vſed in ſome Churches, as in Heluetia, Belgia, France, county Palatine, &c. but are by ſundry godly perſons in ſome reſpects miſliked, as Har. confeſſ. §. 16. Heluet. Poster. fol. 175. Bulling. in Ep Caluin. 129. f. 227. & Dec. 2. Ser. 3. f. 126. Caluin. Ep. 278. fol. 456. & Ep. 379. fol. 658. Muſcul. loc. part. 1. in 4. praecept. fol. 133. 134. 135. Zegedine loc. cō. fol. 324. de feſt is Chriſtianorū Oleuian. in Rom. 14. 5. f. 691. 692. Idē in Gal. 4. 10. fol. 95. Rolloc. in Coloſſ. 2. 16. fol. 164. 165. Paraeus in Rom. 14. dub. 4. fol. 1204. 1205. 1206. Bb. Hooper on Command. 4. fol. 48. Paraeus in Rom. 14. Idem exercit. 29. lib. 2. fol. 200. Yet by ſundry reuerend perſons they are excuſed, and by ſome allowed and practiſed in ſundry Churches, as the Churches of the Augustane Confeſſion Daniſh, Bohem. Berne. and others Harm. Confeſſ. §. 16. Bohem. fol. 179. Hemming. ſyntag. in 4. legem Decal. §. 27. 28. fol. 363. 364. Aretius Problem. loc. 99. f. 289. Bucer. ſcript. Anglic. cenſura. cap. 26. fol. 494. allow them vponupon condition that they bee ſanctified by preaching & practiſing of holy duties; and not profaned by ſin, belly cheare and vanitie. Zanchius excuſeth them in that the Fathers who firſt ordained them, did vponupon thoſe dayes worſhip God, and not the Saints and beſides by this, Quod nulla lege prohibebantur id facere quod faciebant de redempt. cap. 19. fol. 601. as alſo in reſpect of their endes of inſtitution, the remembrance of the Saints excellency to our own profit, the declaration of their vertues to Gods glory, and an excitation of mens mindes to thankfullneſſe vntounto God. Idem in Col. 2. 17. fol. 67. And therefore he concludeth, that as thoſe Churches did well to aboliſh the Popiſh ſupeſtitious dayes, which were abuſed to Idolatry; as the day of the Conception and Aſſumption of the Virgin Mary, &c. yea, they alſo did not euill, which for the ſtate of their Church did abrogate omnia praeter diem Dominicum, all dayes, being matters meerely indifferent, and to preuent future ſuperſtition, Zanch. in Coll. 2. 17. fol. 614. & de redempt. cap. 19. lib. 1. fol. 618. yet ſeeing they are matters in their nature indifferent, Liberum est Eccleſiae deligere ſibi dies Festos, EueryEvery Church hath liberty to chuſe holy dayes for the edification of it ſelfe. Idem de redempt. cap. 19. fol. 615. Idem confeſſ. cap. 25. §. 30. fol. 250. on condition that they bee not too many, neither vſed prophanely or ſuperſtitiouſly, or when they be ſo abuſed, if they cannot well be reformed to aboliſh them. Idem de redempt. cap. 19. fol. 615. 618. confeſſ. vbi ſupra. And ſo he affirmeth, that theſe holy dayes ought by no man to be contemned, and that by the example of Chriſt, Zanch. in Col. 2. 17. fol. 67. a. Idem de Redempt. ibid. fol. 612.
The obſeruators on the Harmony of confeſſions on ſect. 16. ad Bohem. 1. doe thus affirme of theſe Holy dayes: As ſome Churches doe ſo farre ſubmit themſelues to their infirmity with whom they conuerſe, as that they doe obſerue theſe holy dayes (titled with the names of the Apoſtles) albeit with an vneuen, yea altogether a repugnant reaſon: So other ſundry Churches being driuen vntounto it by no ſuch neceſſitie, hauehave taken theſe holy dayes alſo, not only as vnprofitable, but alſo in ſome reſpects hurtfull.
Hemingius ſheweth, that there is great difference between the obſeruation of theſe Holy dayes diſtinguiſhed by the names of Saints, as it is performed by the Papiſts and Heathens: The ends of whoſe obſeruing them (being idolatrous and prophane) we abhorre, (ſaith Hemingius) as vnworthy of whom any mention ſhould bee made among Chriſtians, and as it is obſerued among the reformed Churches, whereof he giueth 6. profitable ends: That the hiſtorie of the Church may be the better made knowen: That the benefits of God towards the members of his Church may bee thought vponupon: That thankeſgiuing may be giuen to God for them: That the diuers caſes of the Saints may be conſidered & weighed: That we may imitate the Saints in repentance, life, worſhip, confeſſion, conſtancy, patience, and in other vertues: That laſtly with holy ſighes, we may deſire the communion of Saints, Syntag. ad 4. legem Decal. § 25. 26. 27. 28. fol. 364.
Caluin to the French Church at Mompelgart concerning the not receiuing of feaſts: I could wiſh you to bee more conſtant, yet ſo (vt non litigetis de quibus libet) as yee contend not about all the holy dayes; but about ſuch onelyonly which neither make anything at all for edification, and beſides, doe manifeſt themſelues to bee ſuperſtitious in the very firſt appearance. He giueth inſtance of the holy dayes of the Conception and Aſſumption of the Virgin Mary, [which are built the one on falſe doctrine, the other on a lye] Epiſt. 51. fol. 100.
Againe, In another place, touching Feſtiuall dayes, and other ceremonies, as I ſuppoſe then to be ſubiect to the cenſure of God, which vnderunder the colour of I know not what conformitie and agreement among Churches, hauehave both nouriſhed an inconuenience, and turned aſide the remedy: and it is an hard matter for the godly Brethren to ſubiect themſelues to ſuch things which they apprehend neither to be right, nor profitable, Ita etiam defectus multos tolerandos iudico, vbi emendari non poſſunt; Euen ſo I do iudge that many defects are to be borne withall, where they cannot bee reformed: Wherefore I doe not thinke it fit that any of the Brethren ſhould for this cauſe inſiſt ſo farre, as to depart and ſeparate from the Church, whereof hee is a member, if the greater part of the Church bee carried in a contrary courſe; becauſe in ſuch caſes it ſeemeth vntounto me ſufficient if that which we know to be right be of vsus laboured vntounto: for albeit it bee thruſt vponupon vsus, & malam caudam trahat, and doe draw a long ſome euill effects with all, yet becauſe it is not repugnant to the word of God, concedi poteſt, it may be yeelded vntounto, eſpecially where the greater number doeth ouercome the leſſer, when as there is no poſſible way or meanes for him, which is onelyonly but a member of that body, to porcure and to further reformation, Idem Epist. 379. fol. 658.
Aretius: Becauſe the appointing and determining of Feaſts hath euer beene a matter free, that is, that other Churches may adde other dayes to the Sabbath to bee kept holy, Nihil & in hac re vitij ineſſe iudicamus, Probl. Loc. 99. fol. 289.
Polanus: The obſeruing of holidayes in the beginning of the Chriſtian Primitiue Church, was a matter indifferent, and therefore diſcord and contention for the celebration of them ſhould not bee moued, Polan. Syntag. Tom. 2. lib. 9. cap. 35. fol. 4148.
The Churches of the Low-countries make this Canon for themſelues, as holidayes ſhall bee aboliſhed, excepting the Lords day, and the dayes of Chriſts Natiuity and Aſcenſion; howbeit, if more feſtiuals be to be kept by the Magiſtrates command, the Miniſters muſt be admoniſhed, that they labour by preaching to turne the peoples idleneſſe on thoſe dayes into godly buſineſſe or excerciſe, Ex actis Synod. inferior. German. Middleburgi anno. 1581. canon. 50. apud. Schulbrig. Anacryſi.
Fulk: That other dayes alſo, beſides the Lords day, may bee kept by the Churches ordinance, for the aſſembly of Chriſtians to the exerciſe of religion, wee acknowledge: But that any are ſimply neceſſary, more then be of the Holy Ghoſts appointing in the Scriptures, we deny: In Rhem. Test. ad Gal. 4. 10. §. 5. fol. 603.
Againe, that any contention ſhould ariſe for keeping or not keeping of the ſuch feaſtes, it is a fault in our time, but yet ſuch a fault as was very ancient, as appeareth by the contentions of Victor, and the Biſhops of the Eaſt, for the celebration of Eaſter: and purſued with more bitterneſſe by Victor Biſhop of Rome, then by any of our time. For he preſumed to excommunicate as heretickes, all ſuch as would not keepe Eaſter after his manner, Euſeb. 5. 25. wee acknowledge it was a very auncient cuſtome of the Church, to celebrate the memory of Martyrs, as the Church of Smyrna doeth write in their Epiſtle, Euſeb. 4. 12. For the remembrance of them that hauehave fought before vsus, and for the excerciſe and preparation of them that ſhall fight hereafter. But your Popiſh manner of celebration is nothing like, either in the forme or in the end, for you keepe your holy-dayes, as the Iewes did the feaſt of the Calfe, wherefore it is written; The people ſate downe to eate and drinke, and roſe up againe to play: In your Churches, you ſolemnize them with idolatros worſhipping of the creatures, and their images out of the Churches, with banquetting, reuelling, and idleneſſe, ſo that the people by your feſtiuities of Martyrs, are not taught what true Martyrdome is, nor prepared to ſuffer for Chriſt, but rather to become Epicures, whoſe belly is their God, who glory in their ſhame, &c. In abrogating and retaining of feaſts, our Church hath vſed that libertie, which Chriſtians hauehave in obſeruation of dayes: To conclude we learne by many teſtimonies of the ancient Fathers, how Chriſtian ſolemnities may be kept, that they bee not Iewiſh or Heatheniſh obſeruations, as when they are free from ſuperſtition, idolatrie, or opinion of holineſſe in the times, and when they be kept as things indifferent, wherin the Church may vſe her liberty to appoint or abrogate what is beſt for edification, & not to be ſeruilely bound to keepe thē of neceſſity, as you the Papiſts defend that they are, Fulk. Rhemi. Gal. 4. 10. §. 5. fol. 603. 604. Alſo we ſhew the Chriſtian liberty in reſpecting all dayes alike that are not diſcerned by the commandement of God. As for the doung of your feſtiuities, we condemne as open idolatry by manifeſt texts of ſcripture, forbidding Gods honour to be giuen to creatures, & yet the dayes appointed by the Church for excerciſe of religion wee obſerue, and that without ſuperſtition, Idem in Rom. 14. 5. §. 2. fol. 480. Looke alſo Reu. 1. 10.
Perkins: He reproueth the Papiſts for dedicating many of their Holy-dayes to the honour of Saints and Angels: whereas the dedication of ordinary and ſet dayes, is a part of religious worſhip, hee ſheweth that it is the priuiledge of God to appoint an ordinary day of reſt, and to ſanctifie it to his owne honour. After: Indeede the Church of England obſerueth Holy-dayes, but the Popiſh ſuperſtition is cut off: For firſt, we are bound in conſcience to the obſeruation of theſe dayes: ſecondly, neither doe we place holines in them: thirdly, but we keep them only for orders ſake, that men may come to the Church to heare Gods word: fourthly and though we retaine the names of Saints dayes, yet we giuegive no worſhip to Saints, but to God alone: fiftly, and ſuch dayes as contained nothing in them but ſuperſtition, as the Conception and Aſſumption of the Virgin Mary, we hauehave cut off. Thus doth the Church obſerue dayes with vsus, and no otherwiſe. Indeed the ignorant multitude among vsus faile greatly in obſeruing of dayes: For they greatly ſolemnize the time of the Birth of Chriſt, and then they keepe few or no Markets: But the Lords day is not accordingly reſpected, and men will not be diſſwaded from following on that day, On the Gal. cap. 4. 10. fol. 316.