An examination and confutation of a lawlesse pamphlet, intituled, A briefe answer to a late treatise of the Sabbath-day: digested dialogue-wise betweene two divines, A and B. By Dr. Fr. White, L. Bishop of Ely

B.

Certainly in the Point of Sports and Recreations, Reformed Churches will ut∣terly faile him; yea, and disclaime him too, &c.

For the Ministers of the Seventeene Pro∣vinces reformed, and the neighbouring Churches in Germany, petitioned the States of the Vnited Provinces, for the reforma∣tion of the manifold profanation of the Lord's-day.

Answ.

The Bishop maintaineth not, but opposeth and condemneth all profanation of the Lord's-day. And as for honest and sobe•••• rec••••••tion, the best Divines of the Vnited Provinces, approve the same upon some part of the Lord's-day.

The Divines of Leidan, in Synopsi purioris Theo∣logiae, Disp. 21. write as followeth: Ne{que} tamen omnis recreatio hic prohibetur, ut quae etiam inter fines Sabbati est: scilicet quae divinum cultum non impedit, & sacris peractis, honeste, decenter, mode∣rate, & sine scandalo & offensione fit. Neverthe∣lesse all bodily recreation (upon the Lord's-day) is not

here prohibited, because the same is one of the ends of the Sabbath: namely, such bodily exercise and recre∣ation, as is no impediment to Divine worship, and which is used in honest, decent, and moderate fashion, without scandall or offence, after such time as the sa∣cred and religious offices of the day are performed.

And in like manner Walaus himselfe, (whom the Obiector citeth) de Sab. ••ap. 6. pag. 131. Vltimo quaeritur an recreationis, ••t oblectationis opera fidelib{us} Sabbato sint concessa? Recreationis quaed••m opera, hoc die esse concessa, non 〈…〉〈…〉 Deus inter sines Sabbati, hoc quo{que} refere▪ Exod. 23 〈◊〉〈◊〉 respiret, (Iunius vertit, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 recreetur) filius 〈…〉〈…〉 tuae. Et Christus ipse die Sabbati 〈…〉〈…〉, Luc. 14. Et sanc cum dies Sabbati fuerit fostus, refe•••• quo{que} Laetitiam Coeli, hominis recreatio, at{que} anima & corporis vlres reficit, quemad mod••m sapi••ns inquit, Prov. 17. Animus laetus medicinam facit, spiritus autem fractus exsiccat ossa. At{que} ideo etiam in Eccle∣sia Apostolica, Agapae erant institutae, translatae (ut vi∣detur) ex conviviis sacrificiorum Veteris Testamenti, ad 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 mutuam testandam, & honestam recrea∣tionem usurpandā, 1 Cor. 14.20. Iude v. 12. Imo & dieb••s Domini••is, ad gaudium propter memoriam re∣s•••••••••• 〈…〉〈…〉 ……are in Ecclesia Primitiva, ••••f•••• ••ui•• Aug. Epist. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. ad 〈…〉〈…〉

We dare not deny some kinde of r••creati•••• to bee lawfull upon the Lord's-day▪ for God himselfe makes the refreshing of the sonne of the Handmaid, and of the Stranger, one of the ends why the Sabb••th 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ol……, ••••od. 23.12. And Iunius translates the word refreshed (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 recreated: Also Christ himselfe upon the Sab∣bath-day

went to a Feast, Luke 14.1. And forasmuch as the Sabbath is a Festivall day, ho∣nest recreation upon that day, is a represent of heavenly joy: and according to the Wiseman's saying, Prov. 17.22. A merry heart doth good like a Medicine. Also in the Apostolicall Church, certaine Love-Feasts, called Agapae (being transla∣ted from Feasts used at Sacrifices in the old Law) were ordained to testifie brotherly love among Christians, and for the exercise of honest recrea∣tion: and upon the Lord's-day, to the end Chri∣stians might testifie their rejoycing for the memo∣ry of Christ's Resurrection, it was held a nefari∣ous thing in the Primitive Church, to make that day a fasting day, as S. Augustine sheweth, 86. Ep. ad Casulanum.

Rivetus in Exod. 20.a Honest recreations which refresh the spirits, and cherish mutuall society, ought not to be excluded from the solemnity of that day.

Notes

• a

  Honestae tamen recreationes quae spiritus refocillent, & mutuum alant consortium, à so∣lennitate illius di∣••i non sunt exclu∣dendae.