As for M. Caluine, at the practise of him and the Churche where he lined was and i〈1 line〉〈1 line〉, to admitte no one holy day besides the Lordes day, so can it not be shewed out of any parte of his workes (as I thinke) that he approued those holy dayes which are nowe in question. He sayeth in deede in his Institution: that he will not condemne those Churches which vse them: no more do we the Churche of Englande, neyther in this nor in other thinges whiche are meete to be re∣formed. For it is one thing to mistike, an other thing to condemne, and it is one thing to condemne some thing in the Churche, and an other to condemne the Churche for it. And as for the places ci∣ted out of the Epistle to the Galatians, and Collossians, there is no mention of any holydayes ey∣ther to Sainctes, or to any other, and it appeareth also that he defendeth not other Churches, but the churche of Geneua, and answereth not to those which obiecte against the keping of Sainctes dayes, or any holydayes (as they are called) besides the Lordes daye, but against those whiche woulde not haue the lordes day kepte still as a day of reste from bodily labour, as it may appeare both by his place vpon the Collossians, and especially in that which is alleaged out of his Insti∣tutions: and that he meaneth nothing lesse, than such holydayes as you take vpon you to detende, it may appeare first in the place of the Collossians, where he sayeth, that the dayes of reste whiche are vsed of them are vsed for pollicie sake. Nowe it is well knowne, that as it is pollycie and a way to preserue the estate of thinges and to keepe them in a good continuance and successe, that as well the beastes as the menne which labour sixe dayes should rest the seuenth: so it tendeth to no polli∣cie nor wealth of the people, or preseruation of good order, that there shoulde be so many dayes, wherein menne should cease from worke, beyng a thing which breedeth idlenesse, and consequent∣ly pouertie, besides other disorders and vices, which alwayes go in companie with idlenesse. And in the place of his Institutions he declareth himselfe yet more playnely when he sayeth, that those odde holydayes, then are without superstition, when they be ordeyned onely for the obseruing of discipline and order, whereby he giueth to vnderstande, that he would haue them no further holy∣dayes, than for the tyme which is bestowed in the exercise of the discipline and order of the churche, and that for the reste, they should be altogither as other dayes free to be laboured in. And so it ap∣peareth, that the holydayes ascribed vnto Sainctes by the seruice booke, is a iuste cause why a man cannot safely without exception subscribe vnto the seruice booke.
What soeuer M Caluines practise was in the Churche of Geneua, yet in these places dothe his iudgement euidently appeare, neyther doth a man alwayes vse that himselfe, which he alloweth in an other: for there may be circumstances to make that commendable in one place, that is not so in an other.
He that condemneth the thing as vnlawfull, muste also condemne the Churches that vse the same, though not wholly, yet in that poynt. For as muche therefore as M. Caluine did not condemne other Churches for obseruing suche dayes, it is a ma∣nifest argument that he condemned not the obseruing of those dayes in those Chur∣ches. In déede it is one thing to mislike, an other thing to condemne, but he that maketh suche a sturre in the Churche for these matters, as you do, and that so disorderly, can not be sayde onely to mislyke, but also to condemne.
The place of M. Caluine, out of the Epistle to the Galat. is not mente onely of the Lordes daye, but of other dayes also obserued in other reformed Churches, and in that place he maketh a generall answere as it were for them all, as it is soone perceyued by suche as will reade that place. He also that shall per vse his woordes vpon the seconde chapter to the Collossians, shall finde the lyke sense in them. In that he sayeth they be vsed for order and pollicie, wee do not dissent from him, but thinke so in lyke manner, howbeit wée vnderstande as he doth Ecclesiasticall or∣der and pollicie, for in the wordes that go before the place to the Galatians, he say∣eth, that the obseruing of dayes dothe also perteyne, ad Regimen Ecclesiae, to the gouern∣ment* 1.1 of the Churche. What better order and pollicie can there be, than to haue cer∣tayne dayes appoynted wherein the people may reste from bodily labour, to labour spiritually, to heare the worde of God, &c. whiche M. Caluine called order and polli∣cie, and not the externall rest of the Sabboth daye, which is a commaundement of