The Doctrine of the Sabbath, To the reader
To the Godlie and Chriſtian Readers, and namely to the reuerend, wiſe, and godly learned Fathers and brethren, Miniſters and Preachers of the Goſpell, grace and peace hee multiplied.
RIght reuerend and welbeloued in the Lord, when as about nine yeeres ſince I was ſolicited to publiſh my Sermons vponupon the tenne Commaundements, by certaine of my godly brethren auditors then of the ſame, I had manie reaſons that preuailed to diſſwade me from that enterpriſe, and eſpecially be…auſe I thought it ſuperfluous in ſuch great variety of learned writers, of that matter eſpecially; wherein I hauehave been ſince more …onfirmed by all thoſe who of later times hauehave trauailed in that …nde. And moreouer, beſides mine own vnſufficiencie for ſo great … matter. J was of opinion, that hee that bendeth himſelfe vntounto …riting, had neede to hauehave ſome relaxation from preaching, vn…eſſe hee bee of great gifts, and meruailouſly fitted for both, and …herefore being neceſſarilie tyed vntounto the one, I durſt not vnderunder…ake the other; yet their importunitie preuailed thus farre with …ne, as to make triall what I could doe in this commaundement which I had then in hand: whereunto alſo I was the rather indu…ed, becauſe it contained that argument, which as it is of all o…her moſt excellent, ſo it was leaſt of all dealt in by anie, largely, …nd of purpoſe. Hauing then within a fewe moneths, at my best …aſure finiſhed this treatiſe, as diuers of my fellowe Miniſters …n whoſe hands it hath bin) are ſufficient witneſſes, and by them further encouraged to communicate it vntounto all men: I yeelded thereunto, ſlowly indeede becauſe I knewe a reuerend, godly,M. Robert Greenchā. and learned father, who for the moſt part of his life time, greatly trauailing in this matter by his own reading, meditation, and conference, with ſundrie learned men, had long before finiſhed a great volume, and wayted but his opportunity to furniſh it to the preſſe, though I neuer read one leafe of that booke, whome I did for iust cauſe ſo highly reuerence, that I was vnwilling to preiudice any of his godly proceedings, especially in this thing, wherein I knewe he had trauailed aboue most of his time: and thereupon ſuspending my purpoſe for a time, when I had imparted vntounto him what I had done, he gaue me this aduiſe, to take his booke, and to compare it with mine owne, and to make one of them both; which I refuſing, as being vnmeete for ſuch a purpoſe, and not knowing how I ſhould well ſorte out to the Reader ſuch varietie of matter, as was like to ariſe out of them both, nor cunningly to fit the one to the other, as it were to put a new piece of cloth to an old garment, determined wholly to ſuppreſſe mine own, expecting the comming foorth of his in time: whereunto alſo I ſolicited him by writing, and that alſo was my iuſt defence to thoſe that ſtill called vponupon me, for the comming foorth of mine owne. In which expectation I continued, vntill most vntimely, I vnderſtoode to my great grief, and to the vnspeakable loſſe of the Church of God, that hee was fallen a ſleepe in the Lord: And then I reuiued my former purpoſe and reuiſed mine owne labours, in which hauing at the first contented my ſelfe, with the bare proofes out of the ſcriptures, which I then thought ſufficient, especially for that auditorie, to whome they were first ment, did now compare the ſeuerall poſitions therein contained, with the doctrine of former times, and other Churches, as I found the ſame ſet downe in the writings of the fathers Greeke and Latine, new and olde, ſo many as I had, or could conueniently get, and as I had time to reade them: whom I finding to agree with me in the ſame points, or rather my ſelfe with them, was thereby the rather confirmed therin, and thought that by their teſtimony and conſent, as it were by the pillar of truth, I might ſustaine and defend the ſame againſt al thoſe that ſhould oppugne, or gainſay it. Thus hauing ſo many learned men on my ſide, managing the ſame cauſe with me, or rather my ſelfe fighting vnderunder their colours, hauehave at the last brought foorth this treatiſe vntounto the view of the world, and hauehave adventured it vntounto … the cenſures and ſpeeches of all men: wherin as I hauehave ſought the …ory of GOD in the publiſhing of his truth, ſo I pray the ſame …ord, to maintaine, defend, and bleſſe the ſame, ſo far foorth as it … his trueth. And here (derely beloued in the Lorde) as I hauehave …imply, and as it were with a naked breast declared vntounto you, the …auſes of my beginning and proceeding in this worke, and that I …aue not raſhly, and on the ſodaine fallen into theſe opinions, and …hruſt foorth my ſelfe into the world, ſo I moſt humbly craue of …ou this fauoure, that all preiudice and ſinister affection being …ayd aſide, al things might be weighed in an euen ballance, before they be refuſed, as not hauing their iuſt weight, euen there where they might cary ſome ſhew of vntruth, according to the Canoni…all rule of the Apoſtle, much more that al friuolous wranglings, contentions, gaine ſaying, ambitious deſire to ouercome, and peruerſe drawing of things to a wrong ſenſe, beeing forborne, where I ſeeme to erre (as I acknowledge my ſelfe ſubiecte vntounto it) I might charitably and Chriſtianly bee admoniſhed by your godly wiſdomes, that ſo I might alſo either by better proofes ſecond the truth, or els vponupon more mature deliberation retract mine errour, …f there be anie: For I doe moſt willingly ſubmit my ſelfe vntounto the Church of God, by it in all things to bee cenſured and reformed, according to his word. Which I doe ſo much the more earneſtly entreate at your hands, becauſe beſides the conſcience of my great vnſufficiency to deale in ſo weightie a matter before ſo many hundreths, as the Lord in our time hath rayſed vp fit for eueryevery purpoſe, I am not ignorant that this argument of the Sabbath is full of controuerſie, aboue many other points of diuinitie, wherein many learned, & godly men diſſent one from another: which as I was perſwaded of at the firſt ſo now of late, ſince I attempted the …ubliſhing of this booke I hauehave founde it to bee true by a most …nwilling experience, euen among thoſe who for their great va…ietie of all learning deſerue ſingularly to bee admired. And …ough it were to be wiſhed, that we ſhould be like minded, being …one accord, and of one iudgement yet ſeeing wee are men, and hauehave but our meaſure of knowledge, and that in euerie thing, and ſo may eaſily diſſent; in that whereunto wee are come let vsus proceede by one rule, and if any be otherwiſe minded, GOD ſhall reueale the ſame vntounto him. Thus commending my ſelfe vntounto your praiers, and theſe my labours vntounto your fauourable good liking, I bid you moſt heartily farewell in the Lorde, who keepe vsus alwaies his and one anothers in Chriſt. Norton in Suffolke, Iune 27. 1595. next after the yeare of Gods heauie and vnknowen iudgements, by ſundrie tempestes continued and renewed, of boyſterons windes, great raine, and outrage of waters, fearefull thunders and lightnings, pintching dearth, and vntimely fruits, to the deſtruction and loſſe of men, cattell and goods.
Your dutifull brother and fellow ſeruant in the Goſpel of Chriſt: NICHOLAS BOVVNDE.