A Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII. Of the honourable eſteeme of this our Lords day, and that it is to be preferred before all other feſtivall dayes.
THere be many reaſons to manifeſt the honourableneſſe of this day, and to preferre it before all other Feſtivalls.
1. The bleſſed Apoſtle hath exalted it with the glorious title of the Lords day, Rev. 1. 10. The Lord Chriſt his day, as Biſhop White ſpeaks, a title proper and peculiar Page of his book 208.to it; Now things and perſons named the Lords, are ſacred and venerable, ſaith he, in the higheſt degree: which day was generally and religiouſly obſerved of all Chriſtians. And albeit the Apoſtles took advantage to goe and teach in the Jewiſh Synagogues upon their Sabbath, yet (ſaith Doctor Pocklington) for which he citeth Euſebius and Page 11. of his Sermon.Ignatius; the bleſſed Martyrs in the Primitive Church, by the doctrine and example of S. Paul and the Apoſtles, ſo unfeignedly abhorred the obſervation of the Jewiſh Sabbath, that they eſteemed the obſervers thereof, and the contemners of the Lords day, the very ſonnes of perdition, and enemies of our Saviour, and ſellers of Chriſt: So diſ-regarded they the one, and honoured the other.
2. The ancient Fathers and others have given it tearmes of honour. Justine Martyr called it Sunday, as many others In Orat. ad Anton.after him, no doubt, as the chiefe of dayes, as the Sunne is the moſt glorious to our eyes above all other planets. In Cod. Just. lib. 3. tit. 12. it is called venerabilis dies Solis, the venerable and much honoured Sunday, as Biſhop White expreſſeth Againſt Brab. page 197. Ad Magneſ.it. Ignatius the Martyr, who lived at leaſt thirty yeares in the dayes of S. John, and was his hearer, calleth the day, the Queene and Paramount of dayes: Euſebius See the quotation of theſe in B. …hite pag. 209.calleth it, the principall and the firſt: S. Chryſoſtome, a royall day: Greg. Nazian. ſaith it is higher than the higheſt, and with admiration wonderfull above all other dayes: S. Baſil, the firſt fruits of dayes: Chryſologus, the primate of dayes: A day above all other dayes to be eſteemed, ſaith Bellarmine and Tom. 1. de cult. ſan…t. cap. 10. 11. lib. 3. On Luke 14. fol. 11. cap. 6.Stella. The Councell at Matiſcon held it the day of our new Birth: Durand ſaith, Dominica dies primatum obtinet, & major eſt inter alios dies, Rational. lib. 7. de feſtivit. Thus we ſee it honourably graced with very high titles, which no other Feſtivall reached unto.
3. The obſervation of this day is not only of Proteſtants, but alſo of Papiſts, held to be de jure divino, and give reaſon for it, as is before manifeſted: But no other holy day ſo held, by any learned Proteſtant, in any reformed Church.
4. Eaſter day, that ſo eſteemed high day, about the obſervation whereof in former times there was ſuch contention (when the conſent for the Lords day was univerſally agreed upon unanimouſly ever) yet for the more honour to it, it was ordeined to be celebrated on the Lords day only, as we finde it to be obſerved to this day.
5. Though the often returne of this our Lords day weekly, maketh vaine people leſſe to eſteem it than other dayes which fall more ſeldome; yet the truth is, in the judgement of the wiſe, thi… day receiveth the more glory and honour: For by being our weekly holy day, it commeth in ſtead of the Jewiſh Sabbath, by the equity of the fourth Commandement, and it is for the great honour of our Lord Jeſus, by the upholding of his Lordſhip ſtill over the Sabbath; betweene which and our weekly Sunday, there is an analogy and proportion, as Doctor Heylin acknowledgeth at large: Page. 11.which is not ſo in any other Feſtivall among Chriſtians.
6 It hath had the ſtart before all other holy dayes, to be firſt honoured with Chriſtian publick meetings, holy Convocations and Aſſemblies, Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. and 11. 20.
7 It was the firſt, for the better obſervation whereof, that had Imperiall Edicts to grace it, and in thoſe Edicts, for reſtraint of work upon other holy daies, yet the cheifeſt care was for the Honour of this day, as doth appeare by this In Serm. de tempore 251. Page 98. 102.Clauſe, Maxime in dominicis diebus, on the Lords dayes moſt ſpecially: For, ſaith Doctor Heylin, the Emperours and Prelates had the ſame affections, both ſorts earneſt, to advance this day above all others. The Emperour Leo, ſaith he, alſo by two ſeverall Edicts made it ſingular above other Feſtifalls.
Laſtly, our Church in Canon 45 preferreth it above all other holy dayes in this, that licenſed Preachers are inioyned to Preach either in their own, or in ſome other Church every Sunday, which order is not taken for other holy dayes.
Thus wee ſee this day to have the preheminence above any other, and indeed, it hath before others antiquity, the authority eſtabliſhing it is divine, the certainty of the day is without alteration, and the unity of judgement, with ſo full a Conſent of all ſorts, in all ages, as may well perſwade us, to give it the glory before any of the reſt of the Feſtivalls; which to equall with it, is void both of reaſon, and religion; as all that which hath been ſaid, ſufficiently proveth.