The Christian divinitie, contained in the divine service of the Church of England summarily, and for the most part in order, according as point on point dependeth, composed; and with the holy Scriptures plainly and plentifully confirmed: written for the furtherance of the peoples understanding in the true religion established by publike authoritie, and for the increase of vnitie in that godly truth eternall. By Edmund Reeve Bachelour in Divinitie, and vicar of the parish of Hayes in Middlesex.

CHAP. 43. Of the due Celebration of Sundayes, and other times required by the Church to be kept holy.

IN the first part of thea Homily concerning the place, and time of prayer; the Church saith: It ap∣peareth to be Gods good will and pleasure, that we should as speciall times, and in speciall places, gather our selves together, to the intent his name might be renowned, and his glory set forth in the congregation and assembly of his Saints. As concerning the time which Almighty God hath appointed his people to assemble together solemnly, it doth appeare by the fourth Commandement of God: Re∣member (saith God) that thou keepe holy the Sabbath day. Vpon the which day, as is plaine in theb Acts of the Apostles, the people accustomably resorted together, and heard diligently the Law and the Prophets read among them. And albeit this Commandement of God doth not binde Christian people so straitly to observe and keepe the utter Ceremonies of the Sabbath day, as it was given unto the Iewes, as touching the forbearing of worke and labour in time of great necessitie, and as touching the precise keeping of the seventh day, after the manner of of the Iewes. For we keepe now thec first day, which is our Sunday, and make that our Sabbath, that is our day of rest, in the honour of our Saviour Christ, who as upon that dayd rose from death, conquering the same most tri∣umphantly: yet notwithstanding, whatsoever is found in the commandement appertaining to the law of nature, as a thing most godly, most just, and needfull for the setting forth of Gods glory, it ought to bee retained and kept of all good Christian people. But alasse, it is lamen∣table

table to see the wicked boldnesse of those that will bee counted Gods people, whoe passe nothing at all of keeping and hallowing the Sunday. And these people are of two sorts. The one sort if they have any businesse to doe, though there be no extreame neede, they must not spare for the Sunday, they must ride and journey on the Sunday, they must drive andf carry on the Sunday, they must row and ferry on the Sunday, they must buy and sell on the Sunday, they must keepe markets and faires on the Sun∣day. Finally, they use all dayes alike, worke-dayes and holi-dayes all are one. The other sort is worse. For al∣though they will not travell nor labour on the Sunday as they doe on the weeke day, yet they will notg rest in holi∣nesse, as God commandeth; but they rest in ungodlinesse and filthinesse, prancing in their pride, pranking and pricking, poynting and painting themselves, to be gorge∣ous and gay: they rest in excesse and superfluity, in gluttony and drunkennesse, like Rats and swine: they rest in brawling and rayling, in quarrelling and figh∣ting: they rest in wantonnesse, in toyish talking, in filthy fleshlinesse, so that it doth too evidently appeare, that God is more dishonoured, and the Devill better served on the Sunday, than upon all the dayes in the weeke besides.

As soone as God had finished heaven and earth and all the same, and had made man, he rested the seventh day, and blessed it, andh sanctified it for man therein to rest also, as Christ saith;i The Sab∣bath was made for man. The Lord saith by Isaiah,k If thou turne away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honou∣rable, and shalt honour him, not doing thine owne wayes, nor finding thine owne pleasure, nor speak∣ing

thine owne words: Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Iacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

The sacredl constitution of the Church concer∣ning the due celebration of Sundayes and Holy∣dayes is ever memorable, viz. All manner of persons within the Church of England shall from henceforth ce∣lebrate and keepe the Lords day, commonly called Sun∣day, and other holy-dayes according to Gods holy will and pleasure, and the Orders of the Church of England pre∣scibed in that behalfe: that is, in hearing the Word of God read and taught; in private and publike prayers; in acknowledging their offences to God, and amendment of the same; in reconciling themselves charitably to their neighbours where displeasure hath beene; in oftentimes receiving the Communion of the body and blood of Christ; in visiting of the poore and sicke, using all godly and so∣ber conversation.

Concerning other times enjoyned by the Church to be observed for holydayes, as Christmas day, &c. it is to be remembred, that because it is the Law of the Church our mother, we ought so to observe them as she requireth. And that the Church hath power to appoint holydayes, it may appeare out of them Homily of fasting, where it is said: We doe not read that Moses ordained by order of Law any dayes of publike fast throughout the whole yeare, more than that one day. The Iewes notwithstanding had more times of common fasting, which the Prophetn Zachary reciteth to bee the fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth moneth. But for

that it appeareth not in the Law, when they were institu∣ted, it is to bee judged, that those other times of fasting, more than the fast of the seventh moneth, were ordained among the Iewes by the appointment of their governours, rather of devotion, than by any expresse Commandement given from God. Vpon the ordinance of this general fast, good men tooke occasion to appoint to themselves private fasts at such times as they did either earnestly lament & bewaile their sinfull lives, or addict thēselves to more fer∣vent prayer, &c. And the Prophet doth not disallow their sequestring of dayes for fasting; but for that they neglectedo judgement, mercy, and humilitie of heart; and (as it seemed) accounted true religion for to consist onely or most chiefely, in observing Ceremonies.

It is written in the booke of Ester, that the Church of God thenp celebrated two dayes in memorie of the Lords most wonderfull protecti∣on of them; and deliverance of them from the plot of Haman. It is not written that they had any law of God requiring it, neither that they received any speciall revelation for to signifie unto them, that they ought so to doe: but that they did it from the Commonq wisedome, with which God endueth his Church at all times.

There is also mention of a seast, in the Gospell according to S. Iohn, called The feast of ther de∣dication, which the Church of God then, the peo∣ple of the Iewes, had along time observed (ins cele∣bration whereof it seemeth that Christ was pre∣sent) which was not ordained by divine Law nor by Revelation: but by the common devotion of the Church, as it is recorded in the Book of Macca∣bees.

Moreover the people of God on such holy dayes were not onely to abstaine from their ordi∣naryt vocation or worke; but also they were to as∣semble unto the place of Gods publike worship, and there to perfome such religious duties as God and his Church had appointed.

The which may appeare out of the booke of Chronicles, where it is delivered, that David ordai∣ned of the ministerie to stand every morning to to thanke and praise the Lord, and likewise at even; and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the Sabbaths, in the new moones, and on theu set feasts by number, according to the order comman∣ded unto them continually before the Lord.

Now concerning the place where holy duties upon Sundaies, and other Holy dayes are to bee performed, the first part of thex homily concerning the place and time of prayer, declareth to bee the ma∣teriall temple or the parish-Church, unto which the peo∣ple are by the Law required for to repaire and duly fre∣quent, where Christ hath promised to beey present, and where he will heare the prayers of thē that call upon him. Our godly predecessours, and the ancient fathers of the primitive Church (saith that Homily) spared not their goods to build Churches, no they spared not their lives in time of persecution, and to hazard their blood, that they might assemble themselves together in Churches. And shall we spare a little labour to come to Churches? Shall neither their example, nor our duty, nor the Commodities (that thereby should come unto us) move us? If we will declare our selves to have the feare of God, if wee will shew our selves true Christians, if wee will be the follow∣ers of Christ our master, and of those godly fathers, which

have lived before us, and have now received the reward of true and faithfull Christians, wee must both willingly, earnestly, & reverently come unto the materiall Churches and Temples to pray, as unto fit places appointed for that use, and that upon the Sabbath day, as at most conveni∣ent time for Gods people, to cease from bodily and worldly businesse, to give themselves to holy rest, and godly con∣templation pertaining to the service of Almighty God: Whereby wee may reconcile our selves to God, be partakers of his holy Sacraments, and bee devout hearers of his holy word, so to bee established in faith to Godward, in hope against all adversity, and in charity toward our neighbours; Also to have our poore and needy neigh∣bours in remembrance, and from the Church to depart better and more godly, than wee came thither. The Lord hath said,p Abide yee every man in his place: Let no man goe out of his place on the seventh (or Sabbath) day. Yet there was prescribed a Sabbath dayesq journey, and that appeareth to be but as un∣to ones owne parish Church ordinarily. The afore∣said Homily saith, That the Tabernacle was as it were the parish Church of the Iewes, being in the Wildernesse, A Chaldee Paraphrase upon Ruth, saith (and the Chaldean Paraphrases are the most ancient inter∣pretations of Moses and the Prophets, which are now common to the Church of God) That we are com∣manded to observe the Sabbath, & good dayes, & not to walke, unlesse 2000 cubits: which distance appeareth to bee the space between the place of the Camp, and the place where the Arke was: as Ioshua said,r There shal be a space between you & it, above 2000 cubits by measure. And such a distance the suburbs belonging to Cities, were to be from them

round about; as it is written in the booke off Num∣bers. Lastly, concerning the due celebration of the Sabbath day, it is also said in the first part of the Homily concerning the right use of the Church: That unto the house or Temple of God, at all times, by common order appointed, are all people that bee godly in∣deed, bound with all diligence to resort, unlesse by sicknes, or other most urgent causes they be letted therefro. And all the same so resorting thither, ought with all quiet∣nesse and reverence there to behave themselves, in doing their bounden duty and service to Almighty God, in the Congregation of the Saints. In the said part of that Homily it is further delivered, That Iesus camet early in the morning into the Temple, and all people came unto him, and hee sate downe and taught them. And in S. Luke it is said:v Iesus taught in the Temple, and all the people came early in the morning unto him; that they might heare him in the Temple. Here yee see as well the diligence of our Saviour in teaching the word of God in the Temple daily, and specially on the Sabbath dayes, as also the readinesse of the people resorting all together, and that early in the morning, into the Temple to heare him. The Lord commāded the people of Israel tow offer more on the Sabbath day, then on any other day. And was it not for ourx instruction in righteous∣nesse, that wee ought on that day to spend more time in every religious exercise, than on any other day cōmonly? The Law of the Church is, that We be present in the Temple, at the beginning of the divine Service, and that (unlesse through some urgent occasion) we depart not untill every part of the divine Service be ended. Also, all persons of every Family, that are able in any wise to understand any part of the publike

worship (unles such as absolute necessitie requireth to stay at home) ought duly to resort unto the church.

When Peter was to preach untoy Cornelius, it ap∣peareth that Cornelius brought his whole houshold with him, as he said: Now are wee all here present before God, to heare all things that are comman∣ded thee of God. And in the Psalme or Song for the Sabbath day, it is expressed at what time in the morning of the Sabbath wee should begin our de∣votion, and untill what time it should continue, where it is said:z It is a good thing to give thankes unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, Omost Highest. To tell of thy loving kindnesse early in the morning: and of thy truth in the night season.

Notes

• a

  T. 2. p. 124, 125, 126.
• b

  Act. 13.14.44. Act. 15.21.
• c

  Act. 20. l. 1 Cor. 16.2. Non inep. è colli∣gitur jam tum consuevisse Chri∣stianos hoc die solennes agere conventus. Annol. ad. Act. 20.7. in Jun. Bibl. vide 1 Cor. 11.20. in Syriaco Teslamento, n••c non in Arabi••o: in utroque men∣tio fit de die Domini nostri. Syrus legit, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Arabs 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 qui••n nev. 1.10. pro eo quod in Graecis exem∣plaribus legitur 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 habet 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in ••••e ••llo primo.
• d

  Mar. 16.6.1.2.
• e

  Ezek 20.12, 13.
• f

  Neh. 13.15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Ier. 17.21.22.
• g

  Isa. 58.13, 14.
• h

  Gen. 2.2, 3.
• i

  Mar. 2.27.
• k

  Isa. 58.13, 14.
• l

  Canon 13.
• Of the celebra∣tion of holy∣dayes.
• m

  T. 2. p. 82, 83.
• n

  Zechar. 7.5.
• o

  Zech. 7.9.10.11.12.
• p

  Esther 9.21.
• q

  Prov. 8.14, 15, 16.
• r

  1 Mac. 4.59.
• s

  Ioh. 10.22.23
• t

  Lev. 23.7.
• u

  1 Chron. 23.30, 31.
• Of the place wherein holy duties are to be performed by people or a cō∣gregation.
• x

  T. 2. p. 126, 127, 128.
• y

  Mat. 18.20.
• T. 2. p. 131.
• p

  Exod. 16.29.
• q

  Act. 1.12.
• T. 2. p. 127.
• Vide Tremel. annot. ad Iam. 2.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• r

  Ios. 3.3, 4.
• f

  Num. 35.5.
• T. 2. p. 2.
• P. 4.
• t

  Ioh. 8.2.
• v

  Luke 21.38.
• w

  Num. 28.9.10
• x

  2 Tim. 3.16.
• In Canon 90. and Article 30. of our Church-discipline also.
• y

  Acts 10.33. Deut. 32.12, 13 Neh. 8.2.
• Hebraea vox 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 à Lexico∣graphis reddita est Lucis mat••∣tinae primordium &c. Hinc verb•••• Arabicum 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Mane, seu ante lucem surrexit. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 autem ab Arabe inter∣pretatum est 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Et 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in Mat. 20.1. exprimit Grae∣cam phrasin 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, summo mane.
• z

  Psal. 92.1, 2.
• According to the Translation of the Psalter in the divine Service.