Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Floating text 2 · Popish error 25
25. That Sunday is no Sabbath, nor of divine inſtitution; that the ſtrict ſanctification of it, is Iewiſh, ſuperſtitious, and Rabbinicall. That May-games, Wakes, Revells, Dancing, Interludes with other ſports and pastimes are not only lawfull, but convenient and neceſſary thereon, not to be reſtrained but incouraged, and the Kings Declaration to that purpoſe, moſt pious and Religious. That two houres only of it, (viz. The time of publik ſervice, and ſermons) are to be kept holy; and that the reſidue may be ſpent in Recreations, or ordinary workes of our calling. That the Lords day Sabbath was never heard of in the world till Dr. Bounds daies: That the Sabbath is not morrall.
THis is the ſubject matter of many whole late printed Books againſt the morallity and ſtrict obſervation of the Lords-day Sabbath: wee ſhall inſtance only in ſome few; beginning with Doctor Pocklington, in his Sunday no Sabbath; where thus he moſt ſcandalouſly and prophanely writes page 6.
What ſhall wee think then of Knox and Whittingham, and their fellowes, that in their letter to Calvin depart from the conſtitution, Ordinance and practice of the Apoſtles and Apoſtolicke men, and call not this day the Lords day, or Sunday, but with the piety of Jeroboam, make ſuch a day of it as they have deviſed in their owne hearts, to ſerve their owne turne, and Anabaptiſing of it after the minde of ſome Iew, hired to be the God Father, therefore call it the Sabbath page 7. This name Sabbath is not a bare name or like a ſpot in their foreheades to know Labans ſheep from Iacobs, but indeed it is a Miſtery of Iniquity intended againſt the Church, &c. page 13. But what doe I ſpeake de integro die of a whole day? do but that in keeping the Lords day which the Widdow did in her Almes that gave two mites; ſic tu duas horas, ſo give the Lord two houres: this if you do not, beware you loſe not integroru mannorum labores, the Labours of many whole yeares, Page 20. Others alſo for the Plots ſake, muſt uphold the name of Sabbath that ſtalking behinde it, they may ſhoot againſt the ſervices appointed for the Lords day. Hence it is, that ſome for want of witte, too much adore the Sabbath as an Image dropt downe from Iupiter, and cry before it as they did before the Golden Calfe, This is an holy day unto the Lord; whereas it is indeed the great Diana of the Epheſians, as they uſe it, whereby the mindes of their Proſelites are ſo perplexed and bewitched, that they cannot reſolve, whether the ſinne be greater to bowle ſhoote or dance on their Sabbath, then to commit Murder, or the Father to cut the throat of his owne child. All which doubts would ſoon be reſolved by plucking of the Vizard of the Sabbath from the face of the Lords day which doth as well and truly become it, as the Crowne of Thorns did the Lord himſelfe. This was plotted to expoſe him to damnable diriſion, and that was plotted to impoſe on it deteſtable ſuperſtition; yet to die for it they will call it a Sabbath, preſuming in their zealous ignorance of guiltfull zeale to be thought to ſpeake the Scripture phraſe, when indeed the Dregs of Aſhdod flow from their Mouthes, p. 21. With us the Sabbath is Saturday, and no day elſe, no ancient Father, nay no learned man, Heathen or Chriſtian took it otherwiſe from the beginning of the world till the beginning of their Schiſme in 1554. page 22. Many that ſee ſo little benefit will be ſuckt out of the conſtitutions of the Apoſtles practiſe and tradition of holy Church, Doctrine of Godly and learned Fathers, that they have got themſelves heapes of Teachers, that to ſerve their owne turnes will call and keepe the Lords day, as a Sabbath, and ſo prophane it with ſuch outcries, that the voyce of truth will become ſilent: but with Moſes, liberavi animam meam.
Doctor Peter Heylin in his Hiſtory of the Sabbath, dedicated to his Majeſty, and printed by the Archbiſhops ſpeciall approbation, is every way as prophane and bitter againſt the morality, and ſtrict obſervation of the Lords-day Sabbath, as Pocklinton; we ſhall inſtance but in a Paſſage or two: The firſt is in his Epiſtle to the Reader, before the ſecond Booke of his Hiſtory, in theſe termes.
And this part we have called the Hiſtory of the Sabbath too; although the inſtitution of the Lords day, and entertainment of the ſame in all times and ages ſince that Inſtitution, be the chiefe thing whereof it treateth: for being it is ſaid by ſome, that the Lords Day ſucceeded by the Lords appointment, into the place and rights of the Jewiſh Sabbath, this booke was wholly to be ſpent in the ſearch therof, whether in all, or any Ages of the Church, either ſuch doctrine had beene preached, or ſuch practiſe preſſed, upon the Conſciences of Gods people. And ſearch indeed we did with all care and diligence to ſee if we could finde a Sabbath in any evidence of Scripture, or writing of the holy Fathers, or edicts of Emperours, or decrees of Councells, or finally in any of the publike Acts and Monuments of the Chriſtian Church, but after ſeverall ſearches made, upon the Alias, and the Pluries wee ſtill returne, Non eſt inventus: and thereupon reſolve in the Poets language. Et quod non invenit uſquam, eſſe putet nuſquam; that which is no where to be found, may very ſtrongly bee concluded not to be at all. Buxdorfius in the eleventh Chapter of his Synagoga Judaica, out of Antonius Margarita tells of the Jewes. Quod die Sabbatino, praeter animam conſuetam, praediti ſunt & alia, that on the Sabbath day, they are perſwaded that they have an extraordinary ſoule infuſed into them, which doth enlarge their hearts, and rouſe up their ſpirits. Ut Sabbatum multo honorabilius peragere poſſint, that they may celebrate the Sabbath with the greater honour. And though this Sabbatharie ſoule, may by a Pythagoricall. foreign ſeeme to have tranſimigrated from the Jewes, into the bodyes of ſome Chriſtians, in theſe latter dayes, yet I am able to give my ſelfe good hopes, that by preſenting to their view, the conſtant practiſe of Gods Church in al times before, and the conſent of all Gods Churches at this preſent, they may be diſpoſſeſed thereof without great difficulties. It is but anima ſuperflua, as Buxdorfius calls it, and may bee better ſpared then kept, becauſe ſuperfluous.
To which wee ſhall annex theſe paſſages in the eight Chapter of this his ſecond Booke Sect. 7. pag. 249. &c. Thus upon ſearch made and full examination of all parties, wee finde no Lords Day-Sabbath in the Booke of Homilies no nor in any writings of particular men, in more then thirty three yeares after the Homilies were publiſhed. Then reciting Doctor Bounds opinion in his book of the Sabbath pag. 211. All lawfull pleaſures and honeſt Recreations, as Shooting, Fencing, Bowling, which are permitted on other dayes; were on this day to bee forborne No man to ſpeake or talke of pleaſures, or any worldly matter, (he ſaith) Moſt Magiſterially determined, more like a Iewiſh Rabbi, then a Chriſtian Doctor. Yet Romiſh and Rabbinicall though this doctrine were, it carried a faire face and ſhew of Piety, at leaſt in the opinion of the Common people, &c. Sect. 8. p. 255. 256. We may perceive by this, that their intent from the beginning, was to cry downe the Holy Dayes, as ſuperſtitious, Popiſh Ordinances; that their new found Sabbath being placed alone, (and Sabbath now it muſt be called) might become more eminent. Nor were the other, though more private effects thereof, of leſſe dangerous nature; the people being ſo inſnared with theſe new devices, and preſſed with rigour more then Jewiſh; that certainly they are in as bad a condition, as were the Iſraelites of old, when they were captivated and kept under by the Scribes and Phariſes. Some I have knowne, (for in this point, I will ſay nothing, without good aſſurance) who in a furious kinde of Zeale, like the madde Propheteſſe in the Poet, have run into the open ſtreets, yea, and ſearched private houſes too, to looke for ſuch as ſpent thoſe houres, on the Lords Day, in lawfull paſtimes, which were not deſtinate by the Church, to Gods publike ſervice, and having found them out, ſcattered the companie, and brake the Inſtruments; and, if my memory faile me not, the Muſitians head too: and, which is more, they thought that they were bound in Conſcience ſo to doe, &c. And ſect. 9. p. 258. He moſt prophanely and ſcurrilouſly ſtiles the Lords-Day; The NEW SAINT SABBATH; And ſect. 13. pag. 269. &c. hee concludes thus. Nay which is more, it was ſo publikely avowed and printed, by one who had no calling to interpret lawes, except the provocation of his own ill ſpirit, That Dancing on the Lords-Day, was an unlawfull pastime, puniſhable by the Statute of 1 Carl. c. 1. which intended (ſo he ſaith) to ſuppreſſe Dancing on the Lords Day as well as Beare-Baiting Bull-Baiting, Enterludes and common Playes, which were not then ſo riſe and common, as dancing, when this Law was made. Things being at this height, it pleaſed His Excellent Majeſtie, Obſerving, as hee ſaith himſelfe, how much his people were debarred of Recreation, and finding in ſome Counties, that The Kings Declaration.under the pretence of taking away of abuſes, there had bin a generall forbidding, not only of ordinary meetings, but of the Feaſts of the Dedication of Churches, commonly called Wakes, to ratifie and publiſh the Declaration of His Majesties Father, before remembred: Adding, that all thoſe feaſts, with others ſhould bee obſerved; and that all Neighbourhood, and freedome with manlike and lawfull exerciſes, be therein uſed; commanding all the Juſtices of Aſſize, in the ſeverall Circuits, to ſee that no man doe trouble or moleſt any of his Loyall and dutifull people, in or for their lawfull recreations, having firſt done their duty to God and continuing in obedience unto His Majeſtie and his Lawes: and further, that publication thereof be made by Order from the Biſhops, through all the pariſhes of their ſeverall Dioceſſes reſpectively.
Thus did it pleaſe His Excellent and Sacred Majeſtie to publiſh His moſt pious and Religious purpoſe, of opening to his Loyall people the liberty of the Day, which the day allowed of, and which *He ſhould have ſaid, No Chriſtian ſtate nor Church rather.all Chriſtian States and Churches in all times before had never queſtioned: withall, of ſhutting up that doore, whereat no leſſe than Judaiſme would in fine bave entred, & ſo in time have over-ran the faireſt and moſt beautifull Church, at this day in Chriſtendome, And certainly, it was a pious and Princely Act, nothing inferiour unto that of Conſtantine or any other Chriſtian King, or Emperour, NOTE.before remembred; it being no leſſe pious in it ſelfe conſidered, to keep the holy dayes free from Superſtition, than to preſerve them from Profaneneſſe; eſpecially conſidering, that permiſſion of lawfull pleaſures, is no leſſe proper to a feſtivall, then reſtraint from labour. Nay, of the two it is more ancient: for in his time, Tertullian tells us, that they did diem Solis laetitiae indulgere, devote the Sunday partly unto mirth and recreation, not to devotion altogether; when in an hundred yeares after Tertullians time, there was no law or conſtitution to reſtraine men from labour this day, in the Chriſtian Church. Yet did not his moſt Excellent Majeſtie finde ſuch obedience in ſome men and ſuch as ſhould have beene examples unto their flockes, as his moſt Chriſtian purpoſe did deſerve: there being ſome, ſo ſetled in the opinion of a Sabbath Day, (a day not heard of in the Church of Chriſt 40. yeares agoe,) that they chooſe rather to deprive the Church of their paines and miniſtrie, than yeeld unto His Majeſties juſt commands, for whoſe ſakes ſpecially, next unto my duty unto God, my Soveraigne and the Church my Mother, I have employed my time and Studdies, to compoſe this Hiſtory: that they may ſee therein in briefe, the practiſe of Gods Church in the times before them, and frame themſelves to do thereafter; caſting aſide thoſe errours in the which they are, and walking in the way which they ought to travell; which way when all is done will bee Via Regia, the Kings High way; as that which is moſt ſafe and of beſt aſſurance, becauſe moſt travellers by Gods people. Our private pathes doe leade us often into errour, and ſometimes alſo into danger, And therefore I beſeech all thoſe who have offended in that kind, to lay aſide their paſſions and their private intereſts, if any are that way miſguided; as alſo not to ſhut their eyes againſt thoſe truths, which are preſented to them for their information; that ſo the King may have the honour of their due Obedience; the Church the comfort of their labours, and conformable miniſtry. For to what purpoſe ſhould they hope, to bee ennobled for their ſufferings, in ſo bad a cauſe which neither hath the Doctrine, of the Scriptures to authorize it, or practiſe of the Church of God, the beſt expoſiter of the Scripture, to confirme, and countenance it? or to be counted conſtant to or in their firſt concluſions, having ſuch weak and dangerous premiſes to ſupport the ſame; ſince conſtancy not rightly grounded, is at beſt but obſtinacy, and many times doth end in Hereſie. Once againe therfore I exhort them even in Gods name, whoſe Miniſters they are, and unto whom they are to give up an account of their imployment; and in the Kings Name, whom as Gods Deputy they are bound to obey, not for wrath only, but for Conſcience ſake, and in the Churches name, whoſe peace they are to ſtuddy above all things elſe, and their owne names, laſtly, whom it moſt concernes, that they deſiſt, and goe not forward in this diſobedience, lest a worſe miſchiefe fall upon them. For my part, I have done my beſt, ſo farre to give them ſatisfaction in this preſent point, (ſo farre forth as the nature of an Hiſtory would permit) as they might thinke it no diſparagment to alter their opinions, and deſert their errors, and change their reſolutions: ſince in ſo doing, they ſhall conforme themſelves unto the practiſe of Gods Church in all times and Ages.
This prophane Doctor in his Epiſtle before Doctor Prideaux, his Lecture of the Sabbath: and in his Moderate Anſwer to Maſter Burton, pag. 50. to 56. 76. 80. 81. 110, 112. hath many paſſages to the ſame effect, againſt the Sabbaths morality, the ſtrict intire Sanctification of the Lords-Day; in yea Juſtification of the Book of ſports, and of the Archbiſhops and Biſhops ſilencing, excommunicating, cenſuting thoſe who refuſed to read it to the people.
The like paſſages we meet with in Biſhop Whites, Doctor Primroſe, and Maſter Joronfides Treatiſes of the Sabbath, in Chriſtopher Dew his Innovations unjuſtly charged, chap. 10. 11, 12. in Edmund Reeve his Communion Booke Catechiſme expounded; wherein the Piety, Neceſſitie, and Vtilitie of His Majeſties Declaration for ſports is extolled above Elah pag. 90. to 108. that theſe Pages were afterwards torne out of the Booke for very ſhame by the Stationer, they were ſo vile, licentious, and diſtaſtfull to moſt.