A Reexamination of the Five Articles Enacted at Perth in 1618, Section 2 · Part 1
Nota. The 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. lines in the 33. page, are not Master Moulines words, but the authours.OF FESTIVALL DAYES.
IN the explication of the first head of the first booke of discipline penned anno 1560, Festivall dayes aboli…ed by our Church.the first yeare of universall reformation, it was thought good, that the feasts of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphanie, with the feasts of Apostles, Martyrs, and Virgine Marie, be utterly abolished, because they are neither commanded nor warranted by the Scripture, and that the obstinate maintainers of those and the like abominations be punished by the civill magistrat. Here utter abolition is craved, and not a reformation of abuses only, and that because observation of such feasts have no warrant from the word. In the generall assembly holden at Edinburgh, anno 1566. the later confession of Helvetia was approved, but with speciall exception against the same five dayes, which are now urged upon us. It was not then the popish observation only, with the popish opinion of worship and merit, but simpliciter all observation, that was disallowed by them. In the assembly holden anno 1575, complaint was made against the ministers and readers beside Aberdeene, because they assembled the people to prayer and preaching upon certaine festivall dayes. Yee see not onelyonly prophanitie, but preaching and prayer of purpose upon festivall dayes were judged rebukable. It was ordained likewise, that complaint be made to the Regent, upon the towne of Dunfreis, for urging and convoying a reader to the Church with tabret and whisle, to reade prayers all the holy dayes of Christmas, upon the refusall of their owne reader. Item, an article was formed to bee presented to the Regent, craving that all dayes heretofore keeped holy in time of papistrie beside the Lords day, be abolished, and that a civ…ll penalty bee inflicted upon the observers. In the assembly holden in Aprill, anno 1577. it was ordained, that the visitour with the advice of the synodall assem…ly, shall admonish ministers, preaching or ministring the communion at Easter or Christmas, or other like superstitious times, or readers reading, to desist, under the pain of deprivation. Ye see reading, preaching, and ministring the communion at th…s… times was forbidden, and not onelyonly cessation from worke, and excesse of banketting, playing, &c. In the ninth head of the first booke of discipline, wee have this reason set downe against E…ster communion, Your honour… ar… not …gnor ant how superstit…ously the people run to that action it Pasche, even as if the time gave vertue to the sacrament, and … the rest of the whol… yeare, they are carelesse and negligent as if it …ppertained not to them, but at that time onelyonly. And for this reason other times were appointed by that booke for that holy action. In the generall assembly holden anno 1590. King James praised God, that he was b…rne to be a king in the sincerest Church of the world, sincerer then the Church of England, for their …ervice was an … …asse in English, sincerer …hen Geneva it selfe; That is Easter and Ch…ist…s.… they observed Pasch and Yoole, and what w…rrant, … for that? In the assembly holden anno 15…6. when the covenant w…s renewed, superst…t…on and idolatrie bre…ing forth in keeping of festivall dayes, setting out of b…nefires, and singing of carrols, are reckoned among the corruptions, which were to bee amended. In the parliament holden anno 1592. wee have acts to this purpose. The pulpits have founded from time to time against all show of observing these dayes. But in the pretended and null-assembly holden at Perth, anno 1618. it was concluded by a number, not having power of voice, or broken with threats or allurements, that every minister shall make commemoration of the birth, passion, resurrection, ascension of Christ, and sending downe of the holy Ghost, upon the dayes appointed for that use, that they make choise of severall and pertinent texts of scriptures, and fraime their doctrin and exhortations accordingly. This their conclusion was …tified by act of counsell, and proclamation was …, upon the 26. of October following, comma…ding cessation from all kinde of labour or … these five dayes, appointed to be dedicate …, to the effect the subjects may the better at end the exercises, which are to be keeped in the Churches at these times.
REASONS AGAINST THE FESTIVALL DAYES.
WE shall consider these dayes, first as they are called holy, next as they are called festivall.
Our first reason.
GOd only hath power to sanctifie a day, The first rea… against festival day…s.and … it holy, that is to separate it from a common …se …o holy exercises. Zaneh…tom. 4. col. 655. Willet Synop. p. 501. Kuchili…us in Catechismo. Perkins. Galat. 4.Zanchius affirmeth, that it is proper to God to choose any person, or any thing to consecrate and sanctifie it to himselfe. Willets, that it belongeth only to the Creatour, to sanctifie the creature. Perkinse, Kuchlinus, and others, say the like. Master Cowper, pretended bishop of Galloway, confessed no King, no church could make an holy day. The like was acknowledged by Master Galloway, in one of his Christmas sermons. But so it is, that God hath permitted six dayes to man for the worke of his calling, and selected the seventh to himselfe, to be spent in his service. Seeing therefore God hath given libertie to man to worke six dayes, and counteth them common and prophane, no man ought to be compelled to keep them holy, but when God himselfe maketh exception, as hee did by the yoke of some anniversarie dayes under the law, or calleth us to a present humiliation or thanksgiving. The civill magistrat may command cessation from worke for a politick end, as weapon-showing, exercise of armes, defence of a city or sort of the countrey, but that is not to enjoyne a holy day, nor yet a meere idle day, but that oeconomicall and privat worke give place to publike and politick. Paraeus in epist ad Romano cap. 14. dub. 4. Tametsi rectè quidem sacra quotidiana concionum & precum publicè instituuntur, tamen omnes ad ea adstringere durum esset.
The Doctour saith, some dayes were made holy, not onelyonly because they were dedicated to the worship of God, but because a speciall worship was appointed by God, and appropriated to them, as the feast of the passeover, or whi…sunday. Other times were holy onelyonly by reason of the use or divine worship performed on them, and not for mysterie or solemne worship appropriated to them. He saith, our divines meane only, that it is only proper to God, to make dayes holy after the first manner, but not after the second, which is false, as may appear by their description of sanctifying a day, which is generally to set it apart to an holy use, and not to a mysticall only. Next, by such an answer men make holy dayes like the Lords day.
His comparison with the temple of Jerusalem, and the synagogues and Christian churches will not helpe him, unlesse the synagogues and Christian churches answer in holinesse to the sabbath and the Lords day, as hee saith, the temple did to the anniversarie feasts, which, I trust, hee will not maintaine. And this same comprison of time and place shall cleare and confirme our argument. For as no man can sanctifie a place, or make it holy but God, that is, set it so apart from all worldly uses, that it shall bee a prophaning of it to entertaine any worldly purpose or …riste in it, or carrie a vessell through it, and to be bound to holy exercises in it, otherwise it cannot bee said to be sanctified, and set apart to God, if it stand up like an idol, so no man can sanctifie a day, that is, set it so apart to God, that when it recurreth weekly, monethly, or yearly, we must not use worldly, but must use holy exercises. But the first is true, none but God can appoint such a place, and under the new testament he hath appointed no such place. Christian churches or houses are builded for the commoditie of Gods people to defend them from the injurie of the weather, to serve them to sit in commodiously, when they are conveened to serve God, which use is civill, and is common to houses builded for civill meetings. The congregation may permit the use of their church to a civill meeting, without prejudice to their owne libertie to meet when they have occasion. Nex…, the congregation is not bound to meet in that house, but may forsake it, and take them to another. But if it were sanctified and set apart to God, they should be bound to use it. Our churches then are dedicate to the communalty of the faithfully, w…thin such a precinct for the uses foresaid, as a stateh…e or judgement hall may bee dedicate to a citie, but they are not sanctified and made holy to God. Our prayers are not more holy or better heard in this or that temple, then at home, Whittakers opera. pag. ….saith Whittaker in his answer to Dur…us, but that God is more moved, when the faithfull meet together to pray. Impertinently doth the Doctour alledge the houres appointed for preaching in the weeke, or prayers morning and evening. For these are not houres sanctified, or consecrated to Gods service, but the most convenient times men finde in their wisedome, when most may resort to hearing of sermons and prayers, which m…y and ought to be changed, when occasions offer a more convenient time. So time is designed occasionally, not dedicat or sanctified. Time is made to serve Gods people, and not Gods people made to serve the time, or to serve God, because it is a holy time.
After I had finished this worke of reexamination, there came to my hands some unsound tractats upon the sabbath. Whereupon I thought good to insert in this place, as the most pertinent, this short disconrse following,