Treatise Against the Profanation of the Lords Day, Chapter 6 – Chapter 8
CHAP. VI. The Decrees of Councels, as alſo of Godlie Emperours and Princes, for the due obſervation of the Lord's Daye.
FIrſt, then, wee will ſet downe thoſe Canons of ancient and famous Councels, which declare what is forbidden on the Lord's daye; and next, thoſe which ſhowe what is commanded.
Synod. 6. c…p. 8The ſixt Generall Councell, then, forbiddeth all bodilie worke, except that which is for the refreſhment of nature that day.
Thus alſo ſayeth the Councell of Rhemes (holden in the 8…3 yeare of CHRIST,Concil. Rhemenſ. can. 35. and tyme of LEO the third) VponUpon the LORD'S Daye, ſecundùm DOMINI Praeceptum? that is, according to the LORD'S owne commandement, let no man doe anie ſervile worke.
Next, the Councell of Cabilon (holden in the 653 yeare of CHRIST, and tyme of Eugenius) more particularlie ſpeaketh of ſuch works, as having but a ſhort ſeaſon, and are ſubject to ſundrie dangers both of wnde & rayne, and are for the ſuſtentation of the whole Countrey: & yet ſay the Fathers of this Councell,Concil. Cabilen. can. … Wee ordayne vponupon the LORD'S Day, that landward or countreye labour, ſuch as plowing, or reaping of Cornes, or whatſoever belongeth vntounto Huſbandrie, no man preſume to doe.
The reaſon whereof the Councell of Paris (holden in the 550 yeare of CHRIST,Conſit. Pariſ. can. 50▪ and tyme of Pelagius the firſt) giveth thus, ſaying, that thoſe who doe any ſervile labour on this day, decus Chriſtianitatis obfuſcant. &c. that is, they obſcure the honour of Christianitie, & furniſh to thoſe who blaſpheme the Name of CHRIST, more matter of blaſpheming the ſame: Wherefore it becommeth (ſay they) a Christian vponupon that day, to bee exerciſed in divine prayſe, and not in ſervile workes.
Yea, ſuch a ceſſation ſhould bee, ſayeth the Councell of Arles, (holden in the 805 yeare of CHRIST,Council. Ar… lat. cap. 1. and tyme of LEO the firſt) His ſolummodo peractis quae ad DEI cultum, & fervitium pertinere noſcuntur: that is, That thoſe thinges onelie bee performed, which are knowne to belong to GOD'S worſhip and ſervice.
The reaſon whereof, vvhy wee ſhould onelie applye our ſelues on that day to the LORD'S ſervice allanerlie,Concil. Matiſc…n. 2. can. 1. celebratum anno 590. the Councell of MATISCON giveth, ſaying. Wee ought to keepe holie the Lord's daye, whereon wee were begotten of anew, & delivered from our ſinnes; and wherein wee were made to bee, what wee were not before. For wee were (ſay they) the ſervantes of ſinne; but are made by it the ſonnes of Righteouſneſſe: Therefore let our eyes, and handes, all that whole day, bee lifted vp to GOD.
Concerning the religious obſervation lykewyſe of the Lord's day,Novel. 4. Leon. c. 54. thus ſayeth the Imperiall Conſtitution, ſeconding thoſe holie Councels; Wee ordayne, (as it hath alſo pleaſed the holie Ghost, and them who are appoynted by Him) that all men vponupon that holie day, whereon our integritie and libertie was reſtored, rest from labours and neyther Huſbandman, nor anie others, enterpryſe vponupon that daye anie worke, the ſame beeing vnlawfull: For if they who did obſerue the ſhadow and figure, ſo much reverenced this Sabbath, that thereon they abſtayned from all worke whatſoever; what equitie is it, that they who profeſſe the trueth of thoſe figures, and the light of grace, See Aug. ſerm. de tempore 251. & ſerm. 154ſhould not reverence that day, which was ſo greatlie honoured by the LORD Himſelfe, and delyvered vsus from ſhamefull deſtruction.
Sozom. l. 1. cap. 8.Sozomen alſo maketh mention of a law that Conſtantin made for the obſervation of the LORDS day, rendering this reaſon; Becauſe the LORD IESVS did ryſe thereon, and rayſed vsus from our fall in Adam, (ſayeth hee.)
Pipinus Rex. in Concil. For…julienſi, c. 13Lykewyſe ſayeth Pipinus; Wee command, That on that Day all abſtinence bee from ſinfull workes, and all workes of the fleſh, and from all earthlie labour; and, that men attende nothing elſe, but Prayer, and to aſſemble themſelues in the Churches with great devotion of mynde, and with charitie and louelove, that they bleſſe the LORD.
CHAP. VII. The Ancient and Moderne Conſtitutions, both of our owne Church and Kingdome of Scotland, for due obſervation of the LORD'S DAY.
NExt, from beyond Sea, to come nearer home:
In SCOTLAND we find an ancient Coū cell to hauehave beene holden in the yeare 1203, and tyme of Pope Innocent the third; wherein the manner of the religious obſervation of the LORD'S Day was at length ſet downe; as wee hauehave the ſame in the third Tome of the Generall Councels, ſet foorth by Binius, the ſecond part, fol. 668: to wit, That the ſame ſhall bee by ceſſation from ſervile workes, and from ſelling or buying; and, That men devotelie ſhould continue in Prayers, and doing of charitable deedes: one Euſtachius an Abbot there, giving this as a reaſon thereof; Quia CHRISTVS nativitate (ſayeth hee) & reſurrectione ſua, & adventuſao, & miſsione Spiritus Sancti in Diſcipulos ſuos, ſibi hunc diem quem Dominicum vocamus illuſtravit, & celeberrimum dedicavit: that is, Becauſe CHRIST, by His Birth and Reſurrection, alſo by His comming, and ſending the holie Ghoſt vponupon His Diſciples, hath honoured this Day, which wee call THE LORD'S DAY, and dedicated the ſame vntounto Himſelfe, as a most excellent and holie Day.
As alſo in the late Conſtitutions and Canons Eccleſiaſticall, of the Church of SCOTLAND, it is ſet downe, That The publick meetings on the LORDS Daye, Conſtit. & Can. Eccleſ. cap. 9.and other tymes appoynted by the Church, beeing a ſpeciall externall meane to entertayne the communion of the Saynctes, it is therefore ordayned, that the ſame ſhall be carefullie obſerved by all perſons, of what condition ſoever; both in haunting to Divine worſhip, and vſing all due reverence in tyme thereof, and giving all quiet and diligent attendance thervnto.
Lykewyſe for Civill Conſtitutions, wee find it a Statute of King ALEXANDER the ſecond; as wee hauehave in the Booke of Majeſtie, concerning Salmond-Fiſhing in particular; That the water ſhould bee free:Regiam Majest. Tit. Lex aquarum, c. 16. So that no man (ſayeth the Statute) ſhould take fiſhes therin, from Saturnday at night, till Moonday at Sunne-ryſing.
And in the moſt happie Reygne of our late dread Sovereygne, king IAMES, of ever-bleſſed memorie,Iam. 6. parliam. 6. c. 70 it is ſtatuted in Parliament, That no handie-labour nor working bee vponupon the LORD'S Day, nor anie wilfull remayning from divine Worſhip thereon. In both which our Salmond-Fiſhers notoriouſlie tranſgreſſe: and ſo are rebellious both to Divine and Humane Authoritie; and to the Lawes both Ancient and Moderne; of Church, and Commonwealth.
CHAP. VIII. The Ancient and Moderne Conſtitutions, both of the Church and Kingdome of ENGLAND, for due obſervation of the LORD'S DAY.
NExt, if wee view the Ancient Conſtitutions of that Famous and Neyghbour-Church, and Kingdome, of ENGLAND, wee ſhall finde, that in a Canon of a Councell holden by Egbert, Arch-biſhop of Yorke, (anno 784) That the Goſpell is ordayned to be preached to the people everie Lord's day: and, That they duelie convene, of all ſorts, to the hearing thereof. The verie ſame beeing enacted a few yeares before, by Cutbbert, Arch-biſhop of Dorobermia, (anno 747) ordayding,Concil. Cloveſhoniae, c. 14. That this day bee, Cultui divino tantummodo dicatus: that is, That the ſame may bee dedicated onlie vntounto God's worſhip.
As alſo in another Councell holden by the commandement of King Ethelred, Aelfeagus beeing Arch-biſhop of Dorobermia, C…il. Aemanenſe Pambrebritannicum, c. 15.and Vulſtane Arch-biſhop of Yorke, it was decreed, (anno 1009) That the Lord's daye, and ſolemnitie thereof, ſhould bee with great honour celebrated: Nec quicquam in eadem operis agatur ſervilis: that is, And that no ſervile labour bee done therevpon. Conſtit. Eccleſ. c. 15. Canutus lege 14.Which was alſo decreed in the Church Conſtitutions of ENGLAND, and in the reygne of Canutus the Dane, (anno 1026) by a Statute.
Next, from Ancient Eccleſiaſticall Canons, to come to ſuch as are later,Conſtit. & Can. Eccl. cap. 13. wee ſhall finde, that in thoſe which are now in vſe in the Church of ENGLAND, all manner of perſons are ordayned to keepe holie the Lord's daye, commonlie called SVNDAY, according to God's Will, and Orders of the Church: that is, In hearing the Word of God read and taught, in private and publicke Prayers, in receaving the communion of the Bodie and Blood of CHRIST, viſiting the Poore, and Sicke; and in ſuch holie Exercyſes, which are fitting for that day.
And laſt, if wee come from Eccleſiaſticall Canons, to Civill Conſtitutions,Ex Ina regis occid. Sax. lib. cap. 3. in ENGLAND wee ſhall finde in the days of Ina, king of the Weſt-Saxons, (anno 688) that it is ſtatuted by him, That if a Servant worke on the Sunday at the commaundement of his maſter, hee ſhall thence-foorth bee free, and his maſter ſhall paye for his Fyne, thirtie ſhillinges. But if hee doe ſo without the commandement of his maſter, hee ſhall bee ſcourged, except hee redeeme himſelfe, by a pryce, there-from.
And agayne: In the raygne of King EADGAR, about the yeare of GOD 966, it is ſtatuted, That everie one obſerue the Sunday whollie, from Saturndaye evening, to Moondaye morning.
And, latelie,Queene Elizabeth her Injunctions, Artic. 34. Anno 27. Henrici 6. cap. 5. King Iames proclamation alſo at Theobalds, 1603. for keeping the LORDS DAY. In the Religious Conſtitutions of that famous young Prince, EDWARD THE SIXT, and Queene ELIZABETH; of ever-bleſſed memorie, as in their Statutes of Parliament amplie may bee ſeene, and in the Statutes of HENRIE THE SIXT before them; wherein whatſoever may with-drawe men, and their ſervantes, from Divine Service, is forbidden.