The True Time of the Lords Day Sabbath, Title page – To the reader
A BRIEFE POLEMICALL DISSERTATION, concerning the true Time of the INCHOATION and DETERMINATION OF THE LORDS DAY-SABBATH.
Wherein is clearly and irrefragably manifeſted by Scripture, Reaſon, Authorities, in all Ages till this preſent: that the Lordſday begins and ends at Evening; and ought to be ſolemnized from Evening to Evening: againſt the Novel Errours, Miſtakes of ſuch, who groundleſly aſſert; that it begins and ends at Midnight, or day-breaking, and ought to be ſanctified from Midnight to Midnight, or Morning to Morning: whoſe Arguments are here examined, refuted as unſound, abſurd, frivolous.
Compiled in the Tower of London, and now Publiſhed, for the Information, Reformation of all contrary Judgment or Practiſe.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Swainſwick Eſq.
Levit. 22. 32. From Even to Even ſhall yee rest, or Celebrate your Sabbath.
Capitula Caroli & Ludovici Imperatorum lib. 6. cap. 186. 202. Diem Dominicum ſecundum Reverentiam colite; Opus ſervile, id eſt, Agrum, pratum, viniam, vel ſi qua graviora ſunt, in eo non faciatis; nec cauſas, nec calumnias inter vos ditatis, ſed tantum divinis cultibus ſerviatis, & a veſpera ad veſperā dies Dominicus ſervetur: Placuit ut fideles Diem Dominicum, in quo Dominus reſurrexit, omnes venerabiliter colant. Nam ſi Pagani, ob memoriam & Reverentiam Deorum ſuorum quoſdam dies colunt, & Judaei more carnali Sabbatum carnaliter obſervant, quanto magis iſte dies à Chriſtianis honorifice colendus eſt, ne in illo ſancto die vanis fabulis, aut locutionibus, ſive cantationibus vel Saltationibus, aut diviſionibus, ſtando in biviis & plateis, ut ſolet, in ſerviant: ſed ad Sacerdotem, aut ad aliquom Sapientem hominem & veniant, & eorum praedicationibus & bonis locutionibus, quae ad animam pertinent, utantur, & illo die ſeu Sabbato ad Veſperas, & ad Matutinas, ſive ad Miſſam cum eorum oblationibus, ſi fieri poteſt, omnes cavendo, Kyrie eleiſion, decantent. Similiter Paſtores pecorum eundo & redeundo in campum, & ad domum faciant, ut omnes eos verè Chriſtianos, & devotes cognoſtant.
LONDON, Printed by T. Mabb for Edward Thomas dwelling in Green Arbour, 1655.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
KInde Reader, Give me leave to inform thee of the true Original cauſe impelling me to compile this Diſſertation at leaſt 20 years ſince, whiles a Priſoner in the Tower of London.
When I was a Student and Puny Barreſter in Lincolns Inne, it was the conſtant cuſtome of that Houſe and all other Inns of Court from All-Saints Eve, to Candlemas night, to keep open Revels, Dancing, Dicing and Muſick in their Hals ever Saturday night (as we uſually call it) till eleven or twelve of the clock, and many times till 4. in the morning or later; by reaſon of which abuſe, the Lordſday was much prophaned, and God publike Ordinances on the Lordſday morning, neglected, by the Revellers, Students, Officers, Gameſters, Muſicians and Spectators, who ſlept out the Forenoon Sermons and other divine Exerciſes for the moſt part, either in their Beds or at Church, if they reſorted to it: Which being a great coraſive to my Spirit, grief to my heart, and ſcandall to many Religious Lawyers, Students and our Lecturers. I uſed my beſt endeavours to reform this long continued abuſe; and by my intereſt in ſome pious Benchers of Lincolns Inne, procured them by an Order of Counſel to ſuppreſſe all publique Gaming and Dicing in the Hall, with all Grand Chriſtmaſſes and diſorders on that abuſed Seaſon; and likewiſe to reſtrain the length of their Revels on Saturday nights, by confining them to a certain houre, though they could not totally ſuppreſſe them, as they and I deſired, being over ruled therein by the majority of the Benchers, pleading long preſcription, cuſtome, and unwillingneſſ: to diſpleaſe the Revellers and young Students, for their continuance: Whereupon I did in my Hiſtriomaſtix printed 1632. (Dedicated to the *See the epiſtle Dedicatory.Benchers of Lincolns Inne) produce the Decrees, Laws, Statutes, Canons of many Chriſtian Emperours, Kings, States, Councils, and Reſolutions of Fathers, Caſuiſts, Schoolmen, and Proteſtant Divines Forraign and Domeſtick, to prove the unlawfulneſſe of Stage Plays, Revels, Dancing, Gaming, Sports, and Paſtimes on the Lordſday, and on Saturday nights, (as we uſually ſtiled them) proving at large page 638. to 647. by ſundry Reaſons and Authorities in all ages (there cited) and likewiſe in the Table: That the Lordſday begins Saturday Evening, not at Morning or Midnight following; that ſo, I might in point of Conſcience, ſuppreſſe all Revels, Gaming and diſorders uſed in our Innes of Court and elſewhere throughout the Realm, on Saturday nights, being part of the Lords own dayes, fit to be ſpent in better exerciſes of Piety and devotion.
This Aſſertion of the Lordſdayes inception at Evening, being contrary to the received Opinion of moſt of our Modern Writers and Divines, was looked upon as a ſtrange novelty by many, as well as my Hiſtriom…ſtix, and cenſure of Stage Playes as unlawfull, unchriſtian Paſtimes; for which (though licenſed by Archbiſhop Abhots Chaplain) I was committed Priſoner to the Tower b See a New Diſcovery of the Prelates tyranny, …. 1. &cof London by the Lords of the Councill, Febr. 1. 1632. and afterwards ſeverely cenſured in the Starre Chamber, for it, as ſcandalous to the King, Queen, Court, State through Lawds and others malice and prevailing Power; which Sentence was ſince reverſed by the unanimous Vote of both Houſes of Parliament, as illegal and given without any cauſe at all.
Hereupon for the ſatisfaction of ſome Chriſtian Friends as well Lawyers as Divines, who ſcrupelled this Opinion of the Lordſday…s Evening Inchoa…ion (though they could not anſwer, nor deny the Reaſons and Authorities there produced by me, for its juſtification) I did in the year 1633. compile this Diſſertation, in the Tower… which I communicated to my learned friends of the Law and Miniſtery, who profeſſed themſelves aboundantly ſatisfied with it; ſome of them tranſcribing Copies thereof for their private uſe. After which, to paſſe my Solitary Priſon houres with as much publike benefit, as I could, I went through all the Controverſies touching the Sabboath, Lordſday, and more eſpecially concerning the uſe of Paſtimes on it; which the Kings (or rather Lawds) Declaration for Sports, occaſioned; and Biſhop White, Dr. Heylin, Dr. Pocklington, and others had then raiſed, debated in their Diſcourſ…s, and Hiſtories of the Sabbath; with an intention to have publiſhed them at that Seaſon. But the Printing Preſſes being locked up and ſtrictly watched by Lawd and the Biſhops then ſwaying, againſt all Treatiſes of this Subject in oppoſition to the Anti-Sabbatarian Pamphlets, I was neceſſitated to lay them by for that ſeaſon, and to communicate ſome of them to ſuch friends, who made uſe of them in ſome of their printed Diſcourſes of the Sabboath, and Lordſday, ſince the Prelates power was Ecclipſed: OnelyOnly I then contenting my ſelfe with a Preface to my brother Burtons Divine Tragedy, or Examples of Gods Judgments upon Sabbath-breakers; and ſome neceſſary Additions to the Second Impreſſion of his Dialogue between A. and B. concerning the Sabbaths Morality, and unlawfulneſſe of Paſtimes on the Lordſday, both printed in the year 1636. beyond the Seas, to the great ſatisfaction of godly Chriſtians. After which, Gods Providence diverted my Thoughts and Studies to other ſeaſonable Subjects and Publications, *See my unbiſhoping of Timothy and Titus; Breviate, Qu…nch-coal, Catalogue of testimonies in all agres, Quaeries to Biſhops, Inſtructions for Churchwardens. A Looking Glaſſe for all Lordly Prelates. Antipathy, Appendix to Flagellum Pontifieſs. Remonstrance against ſhip mony, with ſome others not yet printed.againſt our Lordly Prelates pretended Divine Right, Popiſh Innovations, Uſurpations on the Kings Prerogative, and Peoples Liberties, Treaſons, Schiſmes in all ages, which occaſioned their downfall not long after. Theſe wily Foxes being unable to anſwer my Books againſt them, thereupon by A *A New Diſcovery of the Prelates tyranny.Second unrighteous Tyrannical Cenſure in Star-chamber, and extravagant Councel Table Orders ſent me cloſe Priſoner, firſt to Carnarvan Caſtle in Northwales, and from thence to Mountorguiel Caſtle in Jerſey, debarring me the liberty of Pen, Ink, Paper, Books, acceſſe of friends, and all humane converſation, to hinder me from writing; ſeiſed all my Books, Writings, Papers they could meet with, ſearching divers of my friends houſes as well as my Chamber and Study for that end: Yet God… Providence preſerved this ſmall Treatiſe (with ſome others touching the Sabbath Lordſday, and unlawfulneſſe of Sports or Paſtimes on them, againſt which I muſtered up the concurrent opions of Fathers, Councils, Chriſtian Emperours, Princes Edicts, Popiſh, Proteſtant Writers of all ſorts in all Ages, yet unpubliſhed) from their Clutches, and the ſtrict Seaches of other late Grandees ſince; and brought them ſafe to my hands again, when I deemed them quite loſt. Whereupon, conceiving it agreeable to Gods good pleaſure (who miraculouſly preſerved this Diſſertation above twenty years ſpace, during all my Troubles, and amids our publique Wars and revolutions) that it ſhould be made Publike for the Information and benefit of his Church, People, and not be buried in Oblivion; and being the onelyonly compleat Treatiſe of this Subject, I ever yet beard off; which others have but briefly, ſlightly touched, rather then HANDLED in their Diſcourſes oſ the Sabbath or LORDS-DAY; I thereupon reſolved to make it publike, and committed it to the Preſſe, in this Sceptic all age, when too many Divines, as well (as *See Thoms Campanella de Monarchia Hiſpaniae c. 25. 27. and the falſe Jew, or Ramſy his Examination at Newcaſtle, printed 1653.Jeſuits and Sectaries) make it the main part of their Divinity and Religion, to vent and cry up New, empty, frothy notions, Whimſies, fancies, old forgotten Herefies, and uncouth conceipts, in a kinde of new canting language, (which themſelves and others hardly underſtand) to *Acts 20. 30.draw away diſciples after them, and undermine thoſe ancient ſetled truths and Principles of Religion, which all Orthodox Chriſtians in former ages have conſtantly believed, received, practiſed without diſpute; which hath produced very ſad effects, eaten …ut the ſinew, Practiſe of Piety; the life *1 Tim. 3. …. to 7.Power of Godlineſs, as well as the form thereof, and made many ſorward profeſſors heretofore meer Seekers, Self-ſeekers, Sc…pticks, Anti-Scripturiſts, Ranters, Nulliſidians, Hereticks, Separatiſts, Blaſphemers, Covenant-breakers, Antinomians, (trampling all laws of God and men under feet like dirt) and ſome profeſſed Atheiſts as well as Anarchiſts. To prevent which miſchiefs for the future, I ſhall recommend this adviſe of the Apoſtle to all ſincere Chriſtians, 1 John 4. 1. Beloved believe not every ſpirit, but try the ſpirits (by the word of God) whether they are of God; becauſe many falſe Prophets are (now) gone out into the world. *Pro…. 23. 23.Preferre ancient Truth, before new pretended light, as moſt *Luke 5. 39.do old wine before new. *Tertullian de Praeſcript. adv. Haereticos.Illud verius, quod Antiquius: And if ſo, then they need not doubt, but in this Controverſie, I have the truth on my ſide, becauſe all Antiquity concurs unanimouſly with me, as well as the Scriptures. I ſhall conclude with Jer. 6. 16. Thus ſaith the Lord, ſtand yee in the wayes and ſee, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye ſholl find reſt to your Souls. And though many now ſay (as the obſtinate Iſraelites did then to God) we will not walk therein: yet I truſt all the true Saints and Servants of God, will readily obey this divine and ſafe command in theſe *2 Tim. 3. 1, &cpe…illous times of novelty, deſperate Apoſtacy, and Antichriſtian Pride, when too many *2 Theſ. 2. 3, 4.oppoſe and exalt themſelves, above all that is called God, or that is worſhipped, obeying no Laws of God or man, and carrying all Laws Divine and Humane in the arbitrary Rols and Records of their own breaſts, like ſo many Roman Pontifs, making their own *Jam. 4. 13. 15.wils and luſts their onelyonly law; to Gods diſhonour, Religions ſlander, all good mens grief, the ill example of future ages, and haſtning of Gods judgments on us to our Scourge or Ruine.
Farewell.