THERE is no­thynge, that hath ben more mystaken of the Scrybes and Pharise­is, then y^e bodely obseruaunce and kepynge of the Sabboth daye. Because that God or­deyned it not, to the intente that the outwarde ryght and vsage of forbearynge worke and bodelye laboure, shoulde with so muche religion, or ra­ther scrupulosite be regar­ded, but the Sabboth was instituted, to be as it were a shadowe and figure of the spi­rituall reste, from fleshly wor­kes, which a Christian ought [Page] continually to practise, & put in vre in hys liuyng and con­uersation. In consideration wherof, we read that our sa­uiour Christ had lytle respect and lesse reuerence to that It wishe ceremonye of the Sab­both, and buselye laboured to perswade the Iewes, that to put difference betwixt dayes was rancke superstition, and starcke hypocrisye. Wherfore he dyd manye workes on the selfe Sabboth day: [...]eth. x. ij he healed the man y^t had the wythered hande, [...]uc. vi. on the Sabboth daye. The Apostles rubbed out the eares of corne to eate, on the Sabboth daye:Iohn. v. he healed at the pond by the slauter house the man that had bene xxxvi [...] yeares diseased,Iohn. ix. he caused th [...] the blynde borne to se: and [Page] sayeth thys daye in the Go­spell:Iohn. vij. if a man breake not the Sabboth in circumcisynge a chyld, why are ye greued and wode wyth me, because I haue healed a man on y^e Sab­both daye?Luc. xiiij. We reade in S. Luke that oure mayster hea­led on the Sabboth a man diseased wyth the dropsey, and the Phariseis, as theyr wont maner was, murmured, and grudged at that deade. But oure mayster opened, and she­wed euidentelye forthe that, their erroure with thys aun­swere, saying. Which is there amonge you, if hys oxe or asse shoulde fall into a pitte on the Sabboth daye, that woulde not do his beste to rydde hym oute, & yet were not the Sabboth broken therby. And the [Page] reason therof our mayster sheweth, where he sayeth, The sonne of man is Lorde of the Sabboth: that is, man is a­boue the Sabboth, and in his affayers should not haue any eye or consideration to the corporall ceremonye, whosoe­uer were y^e author of it. But because the Iewish Sabboth hath bred, and brought forth great hypocrisye in the Chri­stian churche, it is expedient [...] and neadfull, that we wayg [...] and examine, in what maner man was Lorde of the Sab­both, afore that Iesu Christ [...] suffered, to thintente that the libertye of dayes, y^t we haue in the Christian congregati­on, now syth that Christ hath suffered and is ascended into heauen, maye be the better [...] [Page] more throughly knowē. And lest peraduenture any errour or false opinion shoulde grow in the beginning of this talke, thou muste vnderstande that all sawes, that be founde anye where, eyther be naturall or posityue.

Naturall lawes be those,Natural lawes. that the Lord God hath gra­uen in the naturall reason of man, whyche afterwarde be­inge written in the stonye ta­bles, by mynysterye of Moy­ses, were made playner, and more open, then they were be fore in our conscience. As for example, the lawe of honou­rynge of God, of reuerensing his name, of obeyinge our pa­rentes, and other superiours, of not robbynge, of not com­mittynge adultery, of not kil­lyng, [Page] and finally of not doyn [...] to others that we would no [...] were done to oure selues. These be called by the nam [...] of Goddes lawes, not onely because God appoynted the [...] to Moyses, but also for tha [...] the Lord hath prynted them in the mynde of euerye liuing man. Whych thynge Sayn [...] Paule declareth, where h [...] sayeth,Rom. ij. that the heathen shew the workes of the lawe written in theyr heartes, they [...] owne conscience bering the [...] witnes of y^e same.Two sortes of positiue la­wes. Lawes po­sitiue (which haue theyr orig [...] nall of the lawes of nature b [...] of .ij. sortes. For ether they be Ecclesiasticall or elles the [...] be cyuill Ecclesiasticall lawes whych in the olde Testamen [...] are called ceremoniall)Ecclesi­asticall lawes. wer [...] [Page] ordeyned for the consecrati­on of true fayth, and pure reli­gion in the churche of God.Of the olde Te­stament Of these lawes there were a greate numbre amonge the Hebrues, as the circumcision, the Sabboth, the order of sa­crifices,Lawes of the new. Act. ij. and all the leuiticall obseruaunces. Lykewyse in our Christen churche there is the institution of baptisme, of the Lordes supper,1. Cor. xv [...] of prea­chynge the Gospell, of pray­ers, and collection, or collati­on for the pouertye, wyth all suche other lawes, as con­cerne the mynysterye of the word, and of the Sacramen­tes. These lawes be of God, insomuche as they be appoynted by God in the newe and olde Testamentes. Semblablye [...]ach lawes as be added to these, to thin­ [...] that the churche maye be gouerned [Page] in formall order wythoute confussion, 1. Cor. xiiij Col. ij. oughte to be called Goddes lawes, Wherfore Paul, hauynge se [...] an order in the publike hone­stye, comlynes, and modest [...] behauioure, that should be obserued in the congregation, aswell in men, as in women, sayeth these wordes: if anye man thynke hym selfe a tea­cher or spiritual,1. Cor. xiiij let him know what thynges I wryte vnto you, for they are the cōmaun­dementes of y^e lord God? Verely because y^t in the church or assemblye of the faithfull, eue­rye thynge muste be handled in order with discretion, with confused minglynge.

The seconde sort of lawes posytyue be ciuyll,Ciuill lawes. or politike and Iudityall lawes, whyche are deuysed for the kepynge [Page] of the publike peace, common quiet, and vneuersall honestye in all states of men. These were long ago made and ge­uen by God to Moyses, and syth Moyses tyme euery na­tion hathe inuented theyr pe­culiar and seueral lawes, and constitutions. Whych in lyke maner be named the lawes of God, not onelye because that Moyses enacted them, but also because that princes, common weales & other officers be the ordināces of god, to punyshe malefactours, and promote y^e good doers.Rom. xiij Paul sayeth: there is no power but of God, and the powers that be, are ordeyned of god. Now that these thynges be decla­red, let vs se, which of the fore sayd lawes, a man in the time of Moyses, and before that [Page] Christ had died, was Lord of and aboue: that is, whiche of them he might in case of nead breake, and omitte. Fyrst and formest I saye to you: that the lawes natural,Lawe of nature cānot be broken for anye cause be of such force & strengthe, that nether they ought nor maye be broken for any kinde of necessitye or be­hofe, whatsoeuer: but a man is bound to neglect honour, riches, despyse hymselfe, & con­temne hys owne lyfe, rather then transgresse the lawe of nature. For soner a man shuld entre the fire, then denie god, and be more willing to abyde hangynge by the necke, then blaspheme the name of God, he oughte redilyer dye anye kynd of terrible and dredeful death, then beare false witnes agaynst his neyghboure. Be­cause [Page] there is no maner thing that more straightly bindeth vs, nor more narowly kepeth vs in, and (as it were) pinneth vs vp, then dothe the obedi­ence to god: nether can there be anye greater scourge ouer our heade, then that is due for disobeying the Lorde. For it behoueth that all our neades, all our perillous daungers, al our profitable commodities, geue place and rowme to the obedience of god: for that we alwayes obeye to God, it is neadfull, but to continue styll in thys lyfe mortall, standeth not in such necessitye. The o­ther lawes, that is,Ecclesi­asticall lawes be dispēsed with. ecclesiasti­call, and ciuyll, albeit they be ordeyned of god, yet be not so holye and reuerente, but that they may in causes of necessy­tye, [Page] not only be broken, but al­so altogether dysanulled, as though they neuer had bene. And for profe herof, let vs peruse the ecclesiasticall lawes of y^e Iewes. Those lawes were to be kepte, and done, so longe as the outward gouernmēte of the Iewes endured, & vn­till that Christ was dead and rysen agayne: they were or­deyned of God by the handes of Moyses, for the people of Israell, to the ende, that the name of God should be pray­sed, and the promises made in Christ myghte be taught, and true religion preserued, ne­ther was circumcision, the sabbothe, the sacrifices, & all that solemne and ceremoniall ser­uice, and leuiticall obsequies aboute the tabernacle of the [Page] Iewes, ordeyned and institu­ted for any other purpose thē is afore sayde. Notwithstan­dinge, for so muche as these la­wes were onlye geuen to the people of the Iewes, & to none other nation, therfore the gentiles, and foreyne people were not burdened, nor charged, w^t the kepinge of those statutes, nether did they offend in not kepynge them, for that they were not driuen to liue vnder those constitutions, although they had forsaken Idolatry, and acknowledged one very God, by beleuyng the promy­ses of Iesu Christ. We reade,Exāple. that the people of Niniue re­pented at the preachynge of Ionas, & pleased,Iones. iij. and appea­red God therby,Niniue. yet reade we not, that they were circumcy­sed, [Page] nor y^t they obserued other ecclesiastical lawes of the Ie­wes.Daniel. iij Daniel wytnesseth,Babilon y^t the king of Babilon confessed opē ly the very true god of Israel, & commaunded by proclama­tion, that no man should blas­pheme him, neuerthelesse it is not reade, that the king of Babilon was therfore bownden to y^e ceremonies of Moyses. No the Iewes them selues were not so bounden to these ecclesiasticall lawes, but that they myghte omitte them in tyme of neade, ether for anye cōmoditie, or for anye matter of honestye. Many of the Is­raelites after theyr deliuerye out of Egypt, while they were in the wildernes, were vncir­cūcised as it appeareth in Io­sue.Io [...]ue. v. And very likely it is that [Page] manye Iewes died in the de­serte wythoute circumcision,foreskin. whiche by faith passinge from death vnto life, were not dā ­ned, for hauynge theyr fore­skin. King Dauid fleinge the persecution of Kynge Saul,i. Re. xvij. lest he should dye for hunger,Shewe bread. did eat (both he and his com­pany) of the table of the lord, the holy bread, that was dedicated, & appoynted onely for the vse of the priestes, and yet sinned he not in so doing. By thys example of Dauid oure maister proueth to y^e Iewes, that in neadfull affayres and busynes,Math. xij. y^e sonne of man (that is, euery man) is Lorde of the sabboth. Nether did oure sa­uiour Iesus Christe by these wordes, meane that the Sab­both should not, or oughte not [Page] to be kept at that time, when as yet he was not deade, be shewed therby, on what ma­ner the ceremonies of Moy­ses bounde that nation to the obseruynge of them. For the Iewishe ceremonies (at that tyme) were to be reuerenced by the generall commaunde­mente of God,Dispen­sations. notwythstan­ding, if ether nede, or the pro­fite of any neighbour constrained a Iew to breake them, he was not in suche case bownde to kepe them, because y^t (cause standing) the Iewes was lord of the Sabboth, and offended not in breakynge and omyt­tynge them.

Therfore our sauiour Christ synned not, when he healed sicke and diseased persons on the sabboth day, because that [Page] necessity, & neyghbourly cha­ritye caused him to haue small respect to the outward Sab­both, which was a shadowe & figur of the christian sabboth. So sone as christ was deade and risen agayne, all the cere­monies of the Iewes were vtterly disanulled and repelled: wherfore the Christian man was vnburdened of the hea­uines of them, & only trusted to be saued by y^e grace of God shewed in Iesu Christe. For this cause we christians ought not to make any difference of dayes, nor thynke that one daye is holyer then another. Wherfore S. Paul wold not that a christian,Rom. [...] iudge & think any diuersity betwene day & day,Col. [...]. nor that any man shoulde accuse vs for any fastiual day, [Page] or new mone, or sabboth day, and feared lest he had trauay­led in vayne, in the churche of the Galathians,Gal. iiij. because they were obseruers of dayes: willyng to do vs to vnderstand, y^e to count one day holier then that other, was a thing, that parteyneth to a Iewe, & not to Christen men.

That, whych we haue spo­ken of ceremonies Mosaicall,Ceremonies of y^e new Te­stament. namely that in neade, & other behoues they bound not anye Iewe, we may lykewise saye and affirme of the ecclesiasti­call lawes of Christendome wherof some be autorised by Iesu Christ, and some by the father & elders of our religi­on, y^t the christen fayth myght be preached and taughte in good order. And albeit the ordinances [Page] of our auncestours, be not to be compared to those that god the lord appointeth, yet are they to be obserued, & ought to be reuerently vsed, because that god wold, that in the churche, thynges shuld be ordered in comly maner, and wyth due reuerence. But for so much as these our lawes ceremoniall are made for oure commodity, & not to our losse, therfore the lord would that they should yeld, & geue place to oure necessityes.Necessi­tie is a dispensati­on. There be many christen men vnder the Turke in vylanowse slauery, which can not vse the Sacrament of the Lordes supper, & yet shall they not be condem­ned therefore, so y^t they haue the fayth of Iesu Christ. Many other be entangled & chal­tered [Page] in y^e snares of Antichri­stes hypocrisy, whych can not here the sincere preaching of y^e Gospell, & yet shal not for that cause be condemned, if in the meane while they do beleue & trust in Iesu Christ, al such do not sin, because necessity excu­seth thē. Lyke processe might be made of y^e Iuditial lawes, but I wyll not at thys tyme make any treatise vpon them.

The Phariseis therfore, moued of an hatefull hypocrisye, blamed our maister, as a wyc­ked breaker of the sabboth, & yet vnderstode not for what purpose God had ordeyned the Sabboth. The Lord had an higher respecte, then to the bodely rest, when he cōmaun­de the sabboth in the law, saying to the Iewes: Remembre [Page] that thou kepe holy y^e sabboth daye,Exo. x [...]. syxe dayes shalte thou worke, and the seuenth is the Sabboth of the lord thy god, thou shalt do no worke there on.Iustitution of the sabboth. In thys speche God prin­cipallye sheweth to y^e people of Israell, that a man can not be sanctified nor iustified by hys owne workes, but proueth y^t to come to holines, behoueth to kepe goostly sabboth. This is purport and intent of thys cōmaundement, namely that we oughte to be deade to the workes of our owne flesh, for beare and rest from sinne, and continually haue our medita­tion & study of the kyngdome of god: practisinge our selues in this goostly rest, we sancti­fy the christen Sabboth. For thys consyderation it is (I [Page] thynke) that Austen (writyng vnto Ianuarius) sayeth,Lib. 2. ca. 12. that this commaundemente of the sabboth is figuratiue, & a sha­dow touching the outwarde keping of the daye, whiche is cleane abrogated together, w^t all other shadowes and cere­monies of Moses, by y^e death of Iesu Christ. Wherfore auncient writers saye,thre cau­ses of y^e sabboth. that God appointed the cōmaundment of the sabboth for thre causes.

Fyrste cause.Fyrst, because the lord vnder the commaundemente of the bodely rest, wold haue vnder­standed the spirituall & goostly quiet, wherin the faythfull surceasse from fleshly workes, & geue place to god, to worke in them the workes of the ho­ly Goost.

Seconde cause.The seconde cause why the [Page] Sabboth was commaunded to the Iewes, is that the peo­ple of the Hebrues myghte haue an appointed to heare the word of the Lord.

The thyrde cause is, that seruauntes,Thirde cause. and such as be in subiection and vnder the cōmaundement or rule of others, may haue some ease and disconti­nuaunce of labour.

Thus, albeit y^t we find how the sabboth was instituted for thre causes aforesaide, yet ne­uerthelesse, the principall and chiefe cause why this ceremoniall commaundemente was geuen, is because it shuld syg­nify & importe to vs, the reste from sinne, & halowing of our soules and mindes. For thys cause we read in the old testament, that there was no commaundement [Page] so precisely and straightly geuen to y^e Iewes,Exo. xxxv. as the keping of the Sabboth was, when god cōplayneth y^t al religion was destroied and wasted among the Iewes,Hier. xvii he lamēteth that this sabboth is broken,Qezech. xx that it is not kept not sanctified, as though the lord shuld say:sabboth is all religion. y^t when the sabboth is defiled & despised, there re­maineth no other thing wherwyth God can be honoured. Wherfore the lord commaundeth the religion of the Sab­both, aboue all other spiritual workes, speaking to hys peo­ple on this wise: take heade (o ye childrē of Israel) y^t ye kepe my sabboth,Exo. xixi. because it is a si­gne betwene me and you, tho­rough out your generation, y^t ye may knowe, that I am the [Page] lorde that sanctifie you. Kepe the sabboth, for it is holy vnto you, it is an euerlastyng coue­naunt betwene me & the peo­ple of Israell, and a perpetual signe. By these wordes of the Lord is well perceaued, y^t the sabboth is a signe, wherby the people of Israel may know, y^t god is their sanctifier. A chri­stē man can not become holy, onlesse first of al he crucify the euil desires of his carnal wyl. Therfore y^e straight keping of the ceremonial sabboth is not the thing y^t can make vs holy, but it is a shadow, and sygne, which teacheth vs to leaue of frō our fleshlye workes, y^t the sprite of the lord maye worke in vs the true sanctificatiō,goostlye sabboth. so y^t the carnal wil of the christen man, should geue place to the [Page] sprite of god, his worldly hert to the wil of god. Our bodye w^t all the carnal mēbres ther­of shuld reste from voices & al dishonest workes, y^t god may do in vs hys holy and goostly workes. This is that spiritu­al sabboth, & christen holy day, y^t Paule describeth to the He­brues,Heb. iij. where he sayeth: ther­fore there remaineth a rest vnto the people of god.Heb. iiij. For he y^t is entred into his rest, ceasseth from his workes,Gene. ij. as god dyd frō hys, let vs make hast ther­fore to entre into y^e reste. And forsomuch as a true christian oughte alwayes to subdue & kepe vnder the flesh with it cō cupiscences & lustes,Continuall Sab­both. he ther­fore euery howre kepeth sab­both, & taketh not one daye to be more holy then another.

[Page]This our spirituall sabboth we begin in this mortal lyfe, & from daye to day (as y^e power of the sprite of god encreaseth in vs) we more and more reste frō y^e workes of the fleshe, & be more feruent & forward in ha­lowynge the sabboth.flesh bre­keth sab­both. Gal. v. But be­cause y^e flesh continually wrast­leth & striueth agaynst y^e sprite and abateth him from the perfecte loue therfore no christen mā (whilest he abideth in this flesh) kepeth throughly & per­fectly the sabboth, notwithstā ding at the last, when we shalbe coupled to Iesu Christe, & the kingdome shalbe resigned into the handes of god the fa­ther,1. Cor. xv & god shalbe al in al, then shall we kepe the perfect sab­both. This is that perpetual sabboth, & cōtinuall holy day, [Page] that Esay the Prophet describeth saying:Esay. lxvi there shalbe sab­both after sabboth, and newe mone after new mone, whych also was resembled & shado­wed of the lord god to the Is­raelites, in the outwarde ke­ping of the seuenth day. This is that sabboth, for whych the Prophet so much bewayleth, because y^e wicked went about to take it quite away from the earthe,Psa. lxxiij sayinge: come of, let vs take euery sabboth of god out of the earthe. Other sabboth then thys do not the chyldren of God acknowledge, y^e is, to staye & trust in the merites of Iesu Christ,Christen sabboth. by meane wherof they be iustified, and crucifye their owne fleshe. And forso­much as a christian mā is assuredly certified & knoweth y^t he [Page] hath god for hys father, ther­fore he layeth al his trauayl & grefe vpon him, which taketh care for his childrē. The faith­ful kepe Sabboth, when they say in y^e lordes prayer, o lorde thy wyll be done. By these wordes the faythfull is reple­nished, & fulfilled with y^e sprit of the lorde, & knoweth, y^t it is not behouefull to folowe hys carnal wil, that the wil of god might be done, & accōplyshed. He y^t is the brother of Christ, is guyded by the comfortable sprite, & not by the wysdom of of his flesh. Whether death, or life, shame or honoure, riches, or pouerty, trouble, or prosperity come, the christian man is nether dismayed w^t dispayre, nor puffed vp in pride. For he kepeth diligently the sabboth [Page] of the sprite, & taketh it for certayne, y^t he is in the handes of god. Happy be those Christi­ans that sanctify the heauēly Sabboth in their hertes, yea more then happy maye I call them, for they are no more in dispayre of conscience, they know how much Iesu Christ worketh in theyre myndes, they passe not vpō shadowes, y^t be disanulled & destroyed by the coming of the body of Ie­su Christ. O vnhappy be oure dayes wherin raygneth more superstition, then euer dyd a­monge the Iewes. This is y^e meruelous chere, & reioysing that the Prophet maketh for the solemnitie of the day, dedicated to the lord, saying: sing wyth triumphe vnto god our helper,Psa. lxxx. make ye melody to the [Page] god of Iacob. Lifte vp youre swete tunes of the cymbales: smite vpon your Psalters, & touche clenly the strynges of your swet harpes, blow your trompettes in y^e feast of your new mone, & in the solēne day of your feast. This sōg & tune of the Prophet was expoun­ded of Paule, wher he sayeth:Col. iij. Ephes. vj y^t we shuld in our hertes singe to the lord Psalmes, & spiritu­al songes, reioysing in y^e sprit, and ioyinge in thys sabboth. Wherfore faith ioygned with true confession, & loue, maketh vs to sing to the verye god of Iacob. This reioysing is knowen outwardly of our neigh­boure, by the confession, y^t we make in the name of the great God.psaltery The Psalterye that we smyte on in the solemnitye of [Page] this sabboth is the louynge & thanking of god.Cimbal. The cimbal is the mortifyinge of humane wysdome, the crucifying of all mannes merites, & the deny­ing of al superstitiouse religi­on.Harpe. The harpe, that is played vpon in the feast of y^e sabboth, is the charitie, that we vse toward our neighbour, whyche causeth oure conuersation to be dulcet, and pleasaunt. The trompet is the preaching of y^e gospel,Trōpet. wherwith all christiās be somoned & warned to sanc­tify the feast of the sabboth, for in Iesu Christe is ordeyned y^e euerlastynge Sabboth.

This is the tyme that plea­seth the lord, [...]. Cor. vi. Esay. xli [...]. in which he heareth vs, for this is y^e day of saluation, wherin he succoureth vs. Therfore the christian sabboth [Page] is, that a man dispayre of him selfe, y^t he condemne his owne holynes, & all that, that can come of our owne nature, and put the trust & cōfidence of his saluation in one only Iesu Christ. By this meane man resteth from hys carnall wor­kes, and geueth place for the lord to worke in hys hert the doinges of y^e sprite, wherby y^e lorde consecrateth vs, & halo­weth vs into hys owne ser­uice, as the Prophete sayeth: The lorde that made euerye thing gouerneth al,Psal. xci. for al thinges be in hys handes.Iewes offended The Iew & the hipocrit, that here talke of thys maner sanctify­ing of the sabboth daye, is dis­contented, yea and is starcke woode, his bloude chafeth w^t ­in hym, nether can he abyde y^t [Page] the superstitiouse ceremonie of daies be ouerthrowē. On other side the faythfull man heareth those thynges,the faithfull. reioseth, is glad, & chereful in hy [...] hert sayinge: Praysed be t [...] lord, in whose handes & cust [...] dy is my saluation:Ihon. [...]. I am w [...] assured to be saued, for no [...] can take or pull me out of [...] handes of the eternall fathe [...] The Sabboth therfore is [...] halowed by being ydle,Idlenes is not halowyng nor standing with the fingers [...] der the girdle, nor yet wy [...] ceasing from hand labour o [...] day, as y^e superstitiouse Ie [...] supposeth. Wherfore we re [...] in the Prophet Esay, that [...] sanctifiyng of the sabboth [...] deth not in the outward & [...] dely religion of the holy d [...] but the true halowing is [...] [...]ing [Page] our owne wil, & glorify­ [...]g the lorde. For he sayeth, if [...]ou tourne thy fete from the [...]abboth,Esay. l [...] lviji. so y^t thou do not the [...]ing which pleaseth thy selfe [...] my holy day, thē shalt thou [...] called vnto the pleasaunt, [...]oly & glorious sabboth of the [...]rd, where thou shalt be in ho [...]our, so y^t y^u do not after thyne [...]wne ymagynatyon, nether [...]ke thine owne wil, nor speak [...]hyne owne wordes, thē shalt [...]hou haue thy pleasure in the [...]ord, whych shal cary the high [...]boue the earth, & fede thee w^t [...]he heritage of Iacob thy fa­ [...]her. Nether is there anye doubt, but y^t this ceremony of the day is abrogated by y^e co­ming of Iesu Christ,Ceremonye of time ab­rogated. like as al other ceremonies of y^e Hebru [...]es be. Iesu Christ is y^e truth, [Page] at whose presence all figure [...] be destroyed. Iesu Christe [...] y^e bodye, at whose approchin [...] al shadowes vanishe awaye▪ he alone hath geuen vs th [...] true fulfylling of the sabboth by clothyng vs with hymself throughe his death,Rom. vi. that w [...] being raised agayne with hi [...] might leade a newe life, whe [...] fore all our lyfe shuld be a perpetual sabboth, as I haue sa [...] to you before.

And although there be no d [...] ferences of dayes in the christian congregation,Rom. xiiij yet wo [...] Paule y^t the weake in y^e fayt [...] were borne with, & suffered▪ and that compassion be take [...] vpon suche, as be fre from a [...] kynde of hypocrysye and dissimulation, because manye, y^t haue alredy some knowledge [Page] [...] the word of God, desyre to [...]o styll forwarde. But for y^e [...]ey be felle as chyldren, and [...]ryshed and noseled in anti­ [...]ristes religion, they beleue [...]hat one daye is more holye [...]en another, of more reue­ [...]nce, and more honour then [...]nother, of this hypocrisye [...]rked vp in the swathlynge [...]des, springeth vp also this [...]ther erroure, that the consci [...]nce of the hypocrite & simple [...] cloyed w^t scrupulosity: And [...]hinketh that he committeth as it is commonly termed) a [...]adly synne, if on the holye [...]ay he should go to plowing, [...] do any other maner of hād [...]oure. The Apostle ther­ [...]re wolde,Weake must be borne w^t. that suche feble & [...]eake in the fayth shuld not [...]raight way be deuided from [Page] the churche. For with allo [...] & charitable maner, our du [...] is fyrst to enstructe them, an [...] do them to perceyue & witte [...] of what sorte the christien [...] euangelical liberty is, which is purchased & bought for v [...] by Iesu Christ. Afterwarde [...] when the weake faythed i [...] taught so farre, that he knoweth the libertye of dayes▪ of meates, of rayment, and o [...] all other outwarde workes and neuerthelesse wyll be fro [...] warde, and refuse to enioye [...] christen liberty, then in suche case y^e infirmitie is no leng [...] to be borne with, or suffered▪ bycause so it myght growe to be vncurable. This errour was bytterly blamed of S. Paule, which inflamed with great grefe, rebuked y^e church [Page] [...] y^e Galathians, sayinge:Gal. ii [...]. if ye [...]ue alredy knowē god, why [...]ye tourne backe a freshe to [...] weake and beggerlye ele­ [...]ntes, wherto ye would be [...]unden & thrak seruauntes [...]ayne? Ye obserue dayes, & [...]onethes, and tymes, & yea­ [...]s, I am in feare of you, lest I [...]aue bestowed labour on you [...] vayne.Two causes neuer abrogated The other two cau­ [...]s, for whyche the sabboth of [...]he Iewes was instytuted, were neuer abrogated in any age or tyme: but ought to be obserued of Christen men in the newe testamente, with no lesse earnestnes, thē they were of the Iewes in the old lawe. Wherfore it is expedient and mete, that amonge vs be dayes appoynted, when the church ought to assemble and [Page] come together to heare the preaching of the word of god,Act. ij. Holye day behauiour. to vse oftē the lordes supper, to make common prayer for y^e state of christendome, to make collections of almes for the relefe of the poore,i. Cor. vi & that famili­es & housholdes may be infor­med in the christen religion, & godlines, to visite our fren­des in a christien maner, to visite the sycke, & to practyse suche other lyke holye dedes. Youth of it selfe is vnruly & headye. The vplandishe & fe­ble faythed, sone falle into er­rour,Holye dayes be deadfull wherfore it is necessary for this intent to ordeyne ho­lye dayes, that y^e youthe may be nurtred, and kept in awe▪ and that the ignoraunte may learne to knowe, what christē religion is, and what seruice [Page] is due to be geuen to god.

The thyrde cause, wherfore the sabboth was dyuised, is open & playne by the wordes, that the lord spake to the He­brue people. Thou shalte ob­serue & take hede (sayeth the [...]ord) y^t thy seruaunte, and thy mayde rest them, remembre y^t thou was a seruaunte in the [...]and of Egypt. For these two [...]auses therfore, that be cyuill, [...]e christians must haue cho­ [...]n and determinated dayes, [...] the church may continually [...] exercised & inured, aswel in [...]ardly in workes of the sprit, [...] outwardly in loue toward [...]ur neighbour. For this consi [...]ration the law of the Lord [...]bad the Iewes, only suche [...]orkes on the sabboth daye, [...] letted thē, that they could [Page] haue no leasure or respyte to heare the worde of God,Why worke is forbiddē to do the ordinary oblations and sacrifices, to make publike prayer, and other exercises, full of charitye, and loue. As for ex­ample, they were forboden to tyll the land, to buyld houses, and to do any other ordinary labour on the sabboth day, because such workes held a man busied al the day, y^t he could intend to no other thynge, not­withstanding, because y^e lawe of the sabboth was ceremoni­al to the Iewes, they synned not, if for necessitie, or for the weale & profite of their neighbour, they chaūced some time to breake it, as I haue sayde aboue in thys treatyse.

We Christians be fre from those ceremonies, and those [Page] ordynaunces,Christi­ans be fre. that the Ie­wes were in bondage vnder. Therefore no lawe of meate, of dayes, of clothynge, of pla­ces, can bynde vs to a synne, as it dyd the Iewes. Neuer­thelesse, for so muche as the church can not be cōgregated,Dayes to what vse. and gathered, except there be dayes appointed, wherin the worde of God muste be prea­ched, the lordes supper miny­stred, publike prayer made, & other Christen workes aforementioned must be practised: Therefore oure aunciente fa­thers & elders, haue determi­ned and instituted, that at the lest one day of the weke shuld be bestowed & geuen to these religyouse and deuout seruy­ces.i. Cor. xvi. And in y^e Apostles church the Chrystyans folowynge [Page] the custome of y^e Iewes came together on the sabboth daye, so y^t many yeares the holy congregatiō of christendom vsed the sabboth, for the day dedi­cated to the spirituall gouer­nement. But afterward, whē Christendome increased, and spred abrode, in the tyme of y^e great Constantine, y^t the Ie­wes shuld haue no occasion to glory against vs, & that other shuld not think, y^t a Christian man became a Iew, & lastly to declare to the whole world, y^t one day is not more holy then another, the sabboth was altered into the daye folowynge, which was named of the chri­stians the dominical day,Sōday. [...]o. i. that is, dedicated to the lord. And the kepynge of thys day hath bene alwayes vsed, sythen y^t [Page] in the church, thinges may be done with order, & reuerēce. Now to proue y^t the holy dayes were ordeyned of our aun­cestours for thys polytycall ende,Howe y^e fathers vsed the sabboth & not to make one daye holyer then that other,Lib. 4. suffi­seth the auctority of Tertulli­ane In his boke against Marcion: & Hierome vpon the epi­stle to the Galathians, wher he sayeth: lest the vnordinary congregatynge of the people shuld minish y^e faith in Christ, therfore certaine dayes be appoynted vs, y^t we myghte all mete together, not that, that day, wherin we mete, is more holy or reuerent, but to y^e end y^t more reioysing may come of the mutuall beholding, what­soeuer day we mete. Saynte Augustine also in hys worke [Page] de ciuilate dei, maketh mention of certayne memorialles of holy dayes, as y^e natiuity of y^e lord, the circūcision, y^e passion, the resurrection, y^e ascension, & whit sōday, on whiche daies y^e chri­stians dyd accōpany themsel­ues to heare y^e word of y^e lord, to vse y^e cōmunion, to make cō ­mon prayers, & do other chri­stian dedes. The same is red in the ecclesiastical historye of Eusebius. So y^t oure elders, knewe that ceremoniall holy­nes of the sabboth dayes, as the Iewes did. They onelye on those dayes assemble for the same purpose, y^t the Apo­stles did,Act. ii. The apostles vse on y^e ho­ly daye. whiche continued in doctrine, in prayer, breakyng of bread, & in the communica­ting, y^t is, in aydinge and rele­uing the poore. And it appea­reth [Page] y^t Paule appoynted the day of the sabboth, on whiche day,1. Cor. xvi. at y^e time y^e congregation came together, y^t the churche of Corinth shuld make theire collections of almes, that the poore christians at Hierusalē, which died for hunger, might be releued & succoured. I cō ­clude therfore, y^e christians be fre frō al superstitiouse hypo­crisy of keping the sabboth, & other festiual dayes. The Ie­wes among other feastes,Iohn. x. Fest of tentes. did vse to solēmse a feast of tabernacles, so named because they dwelled vij, dayes in pauiliōs & bothes. This feast was ob­serued in remembraunce, that theire fathers dwelled in the desert and wyldernes in ten­tes, when they were delyue­red frō y^e bondage of Egypt. [Page] According as the Lord com­maunded sayinge: In the se­uenth moneth (whiche agre­eth wyth the moneth of Oc­tober amonge vs) the .xv.Leui. xxx. daye of the moneth shalbe the holy day of the tabernacles, & seuen dayes shall ye lodge in tentes, y^t your posteritye may knowe, how that I made the chyldren of Israel to dwell in bothes when I deliuered thē out of y^e land of Egypt. Thys solemnitie shuld be kept with­out hipocrisye, & superstition, because it was but only a me­moryall, & remembraunce of the benefyte, y^t God had done to their fathers. But the Ie­wes forgetting the meanyng of y^e feast, thought they shulde offende deadly, if on such day­es that were festyuall, they [Page] had done anye bodelye & out­ward worke. In like maner y^e Phariseis expounded vnto y^e people the precept of the Sabboth amisse. The lord sayeth: thou shalte not worke on the sabboth day. This commaundement onlye bounde the Ie­wes frō doynge such labours, as letted the people, that they coulde not come to the com­mon assembly, to be exercysed & occupied in the law and wyl of the Lord, as I haue alredy sayde here to fore.

The laste cause of kepynge the sabboth was,Reste of seruauntes. that the ser­uauntes & labouring persons might haue some quyetnes & releafe of laboure: neuerthe­lesse the Phariseis neglecting the true vnderstandinge of y^e sabboth, had bewrapped and [Page] folden the people in the snare of hypocrisye and vayne su­perstition. Ouer and besydes this,Pharisaicall tra­ditions. they added of their own heade infinite other obseruaū ces and rites, wherwith they brought the people into bet­ter bondage, for they sayd: on the sabboth day men oughte not walke vpō the grasse, leste it wyther, and be deade, nor clymbe trees, nor eate frute gathered on the sabboth day, nor ryde on that daye, leaste the Sabboth were broken, nor washe clothes that were filed, nor blende wine and water, nor kil a flie, nor fede anye thing, nor rede by cādel light, onlesse there be two at the least together in a companye, and innumerable other superstityouse toyes they put to of [Page] their owne brayne, by meane wherof they made the people superstitiouse & hypocrytes.

And they were so earnestly geuen to such nouelties, that they forgate the weyghtye thynges of the lawe, that is, true faythe in God, mercye & pytye towarde their neygh­bour. Of such thynges if per­chaunce they spake any thing to the people, it was done ve­ry coldely, because they were strayghte kepers of thynges of no value, and were satisfy­ed in magnifyinge theyr car­nall Sabboth,Com­mons blinded. by whych meanes they so kepte vnder the vnderstandynge of the com­mon people, that they neuer came to the knowledge of the very truthe. But we Christi­ans, to whome is opened and [Page] declared the gospel, must kept a perpetual sabboth in spryte. For to a christian only belon­geth the true rest of the spiri­tuall Canahan.Heb. iiij. If Iosue had geuen the chyldren of Israell the true quyetnes, when he wente ouer Iordane, GOD wold not eftesones promyse a true reste, nor speake of ano­ther sabboth by the Prophet Dauid,Psa. xxiiij whyche was a longe while after Moyses & Iosue. Therfore Iosue was but a shadowe and figure of Christ,Heb. xiij. Iosue a figure. whyche geueth vs the verye rest, & spirituall sabboth. Let vs kepe a spirituall & goostlye sabboth, and not a carnall, be­cause we haue not here anye continuyng citye, but we seke for one to come. Wherfore let vs (as Paul sayeth) knowe, [...] [Page] [...]oure earthye house of thys dwellyng were destroyed,ij. Cor. [...]. we haue a buyldynge ordeined of god, an house not made w^t hā ­des, but euerlasting in heauē. And therfore in y^e same, let vs lighted, estringe to be clothed with oure mansion, that is in heauen. And a lytle after he sayeth, we that are in thys tabernacle sigh and are greued, for we had rather not be vn­clothed, but be clothed vpon, y^e mortalytye myght be swalo­wed vp of lyfe. Therfore, whilest we be in thys worlde, we can not perfectelye kepe the goostly sabboth: for the fleshe in suche sorte combereth our thoughtes, that we can not cease frō workes of the fleshe, that the spryte of the Lorde myghte onlye in vs kepe the [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] goostly and heauenlye Sab­both, and that we myghte be coupled wyth Iesu Christe our heade, whyche hathe ge­uen vs the true reste, by en­trynge into the most desyred land of Canahan, by the path & passage, that is made and sette open by hys bloude. To whome be glorye worlde wythout ende.

Amen.