The Lords Day, Dedication
To the HOLY, ORTHODOX CHURCH OF CHRIST. Happily cleanſed from the filth of POPERY, My dear Mother, GRACE and PEACE.
THe Church of Chriſt in old time, appealed to the Scriptures, Councils, and Records of the Ancients, in deciding of queſtions, whereby the Peace of the Church was diſturbed, or courſe of the Goſpel retarded: and then the Antients did interpret the Scriptures, not as they were by the crooked interpretations of Sectaries, or Hereticks, accomodated to their own dreams, but according to the Analogy of Faith, by the conſent of other Scriptures. In the Church there hath alwayes been great profit by, and very much need of Councils: and in concluſion, if ill-employed men had rejected the Records of the Antients, they were forthwith exploded by the Church.
To theſe, I ſay, did the Church go ſtraightway, as to an holy anchor, when any tempeſt aroſe, as may be ſeen in Siſinnius, who perſwaded Theodoſius, ſtudying to put an end to the unſeaſonable controverſies of that time, foreign,Sozom. 7. 12. &c. to avoid diſputations, with Sectaries, & to require of them, Whether they would receive thoſe, who before the distraction of the Church, were the interpreters of the Scripture and Doctors? Unto whom pronouncing judgment on the queſtions emergent, according to the Scriptures, they ſhould ſubmit themſelves.
I judged the ſame was to be done by me, (O Spouſe of Chriſt, and beloved Mother) when this unhappy queſtion about the Lords Day ſolemnity (alwayes in uſe and eſteem in the Chriſtian Church) aroſe: that the things which the Lord hath written upon this matter in the Holy Records, being firſt obſerved, I might betake my ſelf to the Councils and Records of the Antients: by whoſe engines, (for no new ones do I judge to be neceſſary to vanquiſh the enemies which oppugn the ſolemnity of this Feſtival) I may aſſault the adverſaries of this ordination, both with the authority of Scriptures, and likewiſe with the conſent and records of reverend Antiquity plainly atteſted: in gathering whereof, I thought it expedient to diſcover to Thee the purpoſe of my mind, which take briefly thus.
Firſt of all, I gathered into one, the judgments of the Antients, upon this Subject, not that I aſcribe more to Antiquity than Truth: for that I leave to the Papiſts: but I am determined with St. Hierom, to read the Antients, try Ep. ad Alex.all things, hold fast what is good, and not recede from the faith of the Catholick Church. I run not unweaponed, that is, deprived of ſpiritual knowledge, revealed in Gods Word, to the Antients; as to the Philistian Smiths, for ſharpening my husbandry inſtruments, but becauſe I ſee that the Holy Ghoſt hath very ſparingly delivered himſelf in the Scriptures (although in them he hath recommended to us its name, uſe, and Apoſtolical inſtitution) about the Lords Day, I therefore conſult the Antients, who faithfully retain what they received from the Lord by the Apoſtles, that their pious opinion and practiſe being obſerved, we may obſerve likewiſe what we are to do in this caſe.
Secondly, Divers have ſet out ſundry things upon this ſubject, to the great profit of the Church: but few have touched what was the ſacred practiſe of the more pure Church, in keeping this ſolemnity entirely. Theſe things gave me occaſion to enquire more deeply into the queſtion; not onelyonly to help me againſt my own forgetfulneſs, but alſo to mitigate tediouſneſs to others, into whoſe hands Eccleſiaſtical Writers have not either fallen, or being detained with the weighty offices of their charge, could not peruſe them. *Ut profit hominibus, ſi fieri poteſt, multis; ſi minus, paucis; ſi minus, proximis; ſi minus ſib… Senec. de …tio ſapientis.It was in my deſign hereby to make proviſion for both vacancy and ſtudies, whilſt I preſent unto their eyes a brief account of the antiquity of the Lords Day. This is required of every man, even▪ nature dictating it, That he profit many, if it can be; if not ſo, yet a few; if not ſo, yet his neighbours; if not ſo, yet himſelf.
Thirdly, I judged it not unſeaſonable, in this deplorate ſtate of the Church, to ſet forth this ſolemnity; and that for a two-fold reaſon; becauſe the abominable, and un-chriſtian-like violation of the Lords Day, doth expoſe the holy Worſhip of God Almighty to the wicked's ſcorn: and from hence, even hence, hath flown an inundation of all that miſery, whereby the darkened glory of the Church hath fallen. Alas! with what ſqualor and miſeries, is the face of the Church, ſometimes ſhining and happy, now in all Nations obſcured! They who love it with a ſincere love, do ſee, and lament it; although they who are bewitched with the malignant ſpirit of Popery, ſee, and rejoyce at it: Neither is there among us any Pſ. 74. 9.that knoweth how long; the godly are fallen by the ſword, the little ones are daſhed together; and they that are with child are cut aſunder: oh, woe is me!
—Quis talia fando
Temperat à lacrymis?—
—Who can forbear
At telling ſuch events to ſhed a tear?
This afflicted face of Chriſts Church doth call us to true repentance, in performing whereof, the violation of the Lords Day (which bringeth fuel to this fire) in the Church of every Nation, ought to grieve us. For this Feſtival hath been ſolemnized, as was fit, in the exerciſes of piety, according to the rule of Gods Word, but by few: which the many Fairs upon it, for gainful labour, in all Nations, feaſts, drunkenneſs, dancings, and the impious profanations of it, by Stageplayes, do teſtifie. Theſe flagitious Crimes (which do obſcure the grace of Christianity, and give farther occaſion of ſlander to thoſe who blaſpheme the name of Chriſt; and which the purer Church abhorred) do every where rage on the Lords Dayes, without puniſhment, to the great ſcandal of Religion.
In another reſpect alſo any man ſees that this argument agrees not with the ſecure condition of theſe times: becauſe in this age, if ever, Religion among many, languiſheth under a bare profeſſion of the Goſpel, and its power lies down almoſt extinct, and dead.
I judge the ſanctification of the L. day, to be a preſent remedy for both theſe maladies. Firſt, it will prepare a way to extinguiſh that vehement flame where with the Church is every where a burning. This may eaſily be taught by the example of Gunther amnus, that moſt pious King of France: who, after he had obſerved, not without grief of…onc. Ma…ſ…. 2. c. 1. mind, that the State of his Kingdom waxed worſe, and that he fought with unhappy ſucceſs againſt the Goths; the ſource of ſo great an evil being a little more deeply ſought out, he reproved the Biſhops which ſed not with Goſpel Doctrines the people committed to them, who, by their profligate manners ſtirred up the wrath of a revenging God againſt him: to prevent which evil for the future, it was ordained in a Council, That the Lords day ſhould be kept religiouſly. The pattern of this moſt Chriſtian King, while the victory in this our age inclineth to the enemies, perſwades us devoutly to keep the L. day ſolemnity; for which we have …ought unſucceſsfully almoſt theſe twenty years, againſt the enemies of our liberty, that have roared in the Churches of God, to our great ſorrow. When we count the cauſes of this will, why ſhould we not apply our minds with Gunther amnus to bewail the heynous violation of the Lords day? and with the ancientConc. Pariſ Can. 50. Fathers, who obſerved, that the Lords day was not reverently kept, ordained, That first of all the Prieſts, then Kings and Princes, and all the Faithfull, ſhould chiefly ſee to it, that the due obſervation, and Religious Devotion of ſo great a Day, now in ſo great a part neglected, be hereafter for a ſign of Chriſtianity more devoutly exhibited: and that the Christian Magiſtrates excellency be humbly deſired of the Prieſts, that in honour and reverence of ſo great a Day, all may be put in fear, that men preſume not to keep markets, do their own pleaſure, and works, on this Holy and Venerable Day. For when this ſolemnity is either taken away, or neglected, there is no more hopes of the other parts of Religion, than there is of the bodies ſafety, when the head is cut off.
Neither can there be uſed a more excellent remedy for curing the other malady, than the holy obſervation of this Feſtival; for the zeal of Religion waxing cold, and purity of holy Doctrine being obſcured, what will be more fit to heal errours, and ſtirr up the languiſhing ſtrength of zeal, than that an entire Worſhip be offered up both publickly and privately, to God on this day? while the holy Word of God is piouſly preached, attentively heard: the Sacred Myſteries devoutly, and according to Chriſts inſtitution celebrated: Prayers poured into the hearts of the Faithful, by the Holy Ghoſt, are with all humility offered up to God: Sacred Hymns ſound in the Church, with a godly joy; the afflicted members of Chriſt, and the poor provided for bountifully by the rich; and thoſe that are ſound in mind do mercifully comfort them that are ſorrowful.
Theſe are thoſe exerciſes of the Lords Day, which will uphold Religion, when it is falling: which, if they be religiouſly obſerved of the Church, every one ſeeth how great an acceſs will be made from thence to the Chriſtian Religion, which we all profeſs. And theſe are the things (Moſt Holy Church of Chriſt) which in this elaborate Treatiſe I do not utter fooliſhly of my ſelf: but humbly offer all things to Thee, as they are taken out of the Holy Scriptures (where they afforded me any light in diſcuſſing of this diſpute) and the lights of purer Chriſtianity: not becauſe, as ſometime Chryſoſtome, Homil. poſt prioris exilii reditum; Thou ſtand'ſt in need of my Doctrine, which indeed, I acknowledge to be but ſmall, but that I might testifie my good will to thee, and that at length thy natural Sons (to whom Religion is both their care and their pleaſure) may in ſome ſort ſee what works they are to attend on that Day, and from what to abſtain, and with what authority the inſtitution of this ſolemnity is ſupported. With Gods aſſiſtance I will briefly ſhew from the Holy Scriptures, and Fathers of better credit, aſſerting all theſe things.
Thou haſt therefore (moſt Beloved Mother) the purpoſe of my mind in ſending forth this little work. Do thou then, of thy humanity to thy friends, pardon the miſtakes how great ſoever they be, in collecting theſe things, and take in good part the ſlenderneſs of my wit, which endeavoured according to its power, to benefit chiefly thy natural ſons that ſojourn in Germany (which I love upon many accounts:) This doth he humbly ask of thee,
Who loves Thee and Thine, with a ſincere Love in Chriſt, Theophilus Philo-kuriaces Loncardienſis.