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Chap. 2. the. 3. Diuision.
Furthermore seeing the holydayes be ceremonies of the Churche, I see not why we may not heere reuue Augustiues complaynte, that the estate of the Iewes was more tollerable than ours is (I speake in thys poynt of holydayes) for if their holydayes and ours be accounted, we shall be founde (*) 1.1 to haue more than double as many holydayes as they had. And as for all the commodities which we receyue by them, whereby M. Doctor goeth about to proue the goodnesse and lawfulnesse of their institution, as that the Scriptures are there read & expounded, the patience of those Sainctes in their persecution and martyrdome, is to the edifying of the Churche remem∣bred, and yearely renued. I saye that we mighte haue all those commodities without all those daungers whiche I haue spoken of, and without any keeping of yerely memorie of those Saincts, and as it falleth out in better and more profitable sorte. For as I sayde before (*) 1.2 of the keeping of Easter, that it tyeth, and (as it were) fettereth a meditation of the Easter to a sewe dayes, whiche shoulde reache to all our age and tyme of our lyfe: so those celebrations of the memories of Sainctes and Martyrs, streyghten our consideration of them vnto those dayes whych should continually be thought of, and dayly as long as we lyue. And if that it be thoughte so good and profitable a thing that this remembraunce of them shoulde be vpon those dayes wherein they are supposed to haue dyed, yet it followeth not therefore, that after thys remembraunce is celebrated by hearing the Scriptures concernyng them, and prayers made to followe their constancie, that all the rest of the daye shoulde be kepte holy in suche sorte, as men should be debarred of their bodily labours, and of exercising their dayly vocations.
Augustine speaketh not of holydayes in that place, but of other vnprofitable ce∣remonies* 1.3 vsed in particular Churches, neyther grounded of the Scriptures, deter∣mined by Councels, nor confirmed by the custome of the whole Churche. But the holydayes that we reteyne, béeing not onely confirmed by the custome of the whole Churche, but also profitable for the instruction of the people, and vsed for pub∣like prayer, administration of the Sacramentes, and preaching the worde, can not be called burdens, except it be a burden to serue God in praying, in celebrating his sacraments, and in hearing his worde.
And whereas you say, that if theyr holydays & ours be accounted, we shal be found to haue* 1.4 more thā double as many holydays as they had, you speake that whiche you are not able to iustifie. In the. 23, of Leuiticus there is appoynted vnto the Iewes the feast of Ea∣ster: the feast of vnleuened bread: the feast of first fruites: Whitsontide: the feast of trumpets: the feast of reconciliation, and the feast of Tabernacles: whereof the feast of vnleuened bread, and the feast of Tabernacles had eche of them seuen dayes annexed vnto them. And if you wyll adde to these, Iudiths feast, chap. 16. the Macha∣bies feast. 1. Macha. chap. 4. whiche continued eyght dayes togither, and Hesters feast, chap. 9. whiche continued two dayes, you shall finde that our holydayes be some what short in number of theirs: so far are we from hauing more than double as many as they had. But your spirite is acquaynted with suche vntrue assertions.
But you saye, we mighte haue all these commodities without all those daungers. &c. and why not as well this waye whiche the whole Churche hathe from tyme to tyme al∣lowed, as that way whiche certayne particular persons, of their owne heades haue deuysed? There is nothing that you haue to saye agaynst these dayes, but onely their names, and that those memories of Martyrs strayghten our consideration of them vnto those dayes, &c. and that men be inhibited from bodily labour, to serue God: al which I haue answered before, and the latter in parte you confesse: for you woulde haue cer∣tayne dayes appoynted for publike prayer, the celebration of the sacraments, & hea∣ring the worde, and you seeme not to deny but that the remembrance of Saincts and Martyrs may be kepte, onely you mislike, that in the rest of the day men should be debar∣red from their bodily labours, & exercising their dayly vocations. Wel I perceeue that some∣thing