THis Psalme is a Psalme of thanksgi­ving, which David song vnto God, when hee was first invested into his kingdome,2. King. 6. and translated the Arke of the Lord from the house of Obed Edom, 2. King. 6. with melody and musicke and greate festivitie; in which he not only exhorteth all mē in a generalitie to praise God, & in specialitie both Iewes and Gentiles, such as were after the spirit borne of the seed of Abraham, and detested Idolatrie as Abraham did: but actually bringeth in himselfe, ver. 17.ver 17. ver. 24. ver. 26. the people in this verse, and the Priests in the 26. verse, glorifying God for these great blessings.

The king both privately alone, and publikely in the cō ­gregation, prepareth himselfe to this thanksgiving, ac­knowledging Gods iustice in humbling him, his mercy in preserving him in the daies of Saule who sought his life, and his bounty in investing him into his kingdom, saying, ver. 22.ver. 22. The stone which the builders refused is now become the head stone in the corner. I who was reiected by Saule and his princes, am now inaugurated into the kingdome. Which though it be here an historical confession,Mat. 5. Act. 2.1. Pet. 2. is not­withstanding a prophetical revelation of the kingdome of [Page] Christ. Matth. 5. Act. 2.1. Pet. 2.

The people provoked by their kings example answere him,ver. 23. This is the Lords doing and it is wonderfull in our eies. And exhort one another to the celebration of that day in which God had wroughte that wonder in investing and crowning him, against whom so many, so great men so long time had conspired: saying: This is the day which the Lord hath made, wee will reioice and be glad in it; and then doe pray for the continuance and long life of their prince and his prosperity, O domine da salutem, ô domine da pros­peritatem. O Lord giue health, giue salvation, O Lord giue prosperitie vnto our king.

Finally the Priests seeing this harmonie and consent in the people,ver. 26. blesse them for it, wish them good lucke, acknow­ledge that great light and blessing to be given of God, and exhorte them to that publike ceremoniall service of God which was vsed in those times.ver. 27. Binde your sacrifices with cordes even to the hornes of the altar.

These words which I haue read vnto you for my text, haue bin heretofore applied by the fathers of the church, sometimes to the celebration of the Nativity, sometimes to the celebration of the resurrectiō of Christ; as wel they may be, this Psalme being figuratiuely and spiritually ap­plied to him, as appeareth by manie places of scripture: but I am to take it this day litterally of the inthronising of David, being the day consecrated to the glory of God for the inauguration of our blessed Soveraigne into this king­dome. In which words I obserue the institution of a festi­val day, and therein, First the occasion of the Institution, which are Gods blessings extraordinary, cowched vnder these words: This is the day which the Lord hath made. Secondly, the author of the Institution: king David. Third­ly, [Page] the End or vse of it; wherin I note an external ioy, Exal­temus, Let vs reioice: and an internal, Laetemur in ea, let vs be glad in it.

First for the Institution and occasion of it.1. Part. Institution. It is certaine that al daies were first made and created by God; hee made the first day, and the second, and the third & the sea­venth, and placed in the firmament a great light, namelie the sunne, which by his presence or absence without al re­spect distinguisheth daies from nights, and one day from another. Neverthelesse though God be the auctor of thē al, yet hee hath put a difference and distinction betweene them, and is said more especially to haue made one then another: more especially the Sabboth and holy-day, then the ordinary day appointed for labour: Propter opera pri­vilegiat a quae fecit in eis, for certaine excellent and privi­ledged workes which he hath done in it.

And this is noted by the wise sonne of Sirach Cap. 33. Who graunting a distinction of daies, but demaunding a reason of it, putteth this question.Eccles. 33. VVhy doth one day excell another seeing the light of the daies of the yeare (that is the life of them) comes of the sunne. & he maketh this answer: The knowledge of the Lord hath parted them a sunder, & he hath disposed by them the times & the solemne feasts: some of them he hath put among the daies to number, & some of them hath he chosen & sanctified, & exalted vn­to feastes: that is, some are festival as the Passeouer, Pente­cost, feast of Tabernacles &c. and some are numerall, the first or second of this or that moneth.

For God hath dealt with daies as with men: for mē are al of the ground, and Adam was created out of the earth, but the Lord hath distinguished thē by great knowledge, & made their waies & reputations diverse: some of them [Page] hath he blessed and exalted, as kinges and princes: & some of them he hath sanctified, and appropriated to himselfe, as Prophets and Priestes: but some hee hath cursed and brought lowe, and put them in meane estate, and place of base calling.

Now the meanes which God vseth in advancing some daies before their fellowes, which are made of the same mettal and substance with them, is some excellent worke, some admirable blessing performed in them, sometimes generally to al mankind, sometimes specially to these or these nations. And according to the generality or speciali­ty, is the quantity of them: and according to the nature & conditiō of the blessing or benefite, is the quality of them. For some are such, Quae tota per vniver sum orbē frequentas ecclesia, which the whole church throughout the whole world doth frequent: some are vsed in this country, in that kingdome. Some are festiuitates magnae, high festival daies: and some are called the lower feastes.

That general & admirable benefit which was done to al mākind by the creatiō of man, & the whole world for mās sake, is offered perpetually to the memory of al mankind by the institutiō of the Sabboth, which although the hea­then in truth scorned,Iuvenal Sa. 14. as appeareth, Iuuenal: Sat. 14. Qui­dam sortiti metuentem Sabbata patrem &c. yet the whole world ought now, and no doubt in the beginning even be­fore Moses law did obserue it, being a part of the decalog, and consequenly in some sort of the law of nature it selfe. And therefore that of Iob 3.4.Iob. 3.4. Chrysost. Dies ille vertatur intene­bras, non requirat eam Deus de super, St. Chrysostome in­terpreteth. Let not God make an holy-day of it. Non diem illam tanquam suam vendicet dominus, let not the Lord ac­count it as his day; & learned interpreters vpon that place [Page] observe, Antiquos patres in lege naturae, forte etiam Iobum, Sabbatizasse: That the auncient fathers vnder the Law of nature and peradventure Iob himselfe, observed the Sab­both.

That general and admirable benefite of our redempti­on which was sufficient for the whole world, but efficient to al the elect of God, as it ought so it hath beene time out of mind celebrated in the feasts of the Conception, Nati­vity, Circūcision, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ by the whole Church of God, dispersed farre and neere over the face of the earth, to the honor of God with praiers and thankesgiving for the special benefits particu­larly called to minde and acknowledged vppon those so­lemne daies. Wherefore Erasmus did not onely absurdly,Erasmus. when he vilified those feasts, and falsely when he said Nul­lus veterum facit vllam festi mentionem, No ancient wri­ter maketh mention of any feast, though cunningly he sea­son it with Quantum memini As far as I remember; but he did amisse also in assigning the reason of the Institution of our Sunday or Dominical day, saying, Diem dominicū pro­babili causa maiores nostros festum esse voluisse, vt populus conveniret ad audiendum sermonem Evangelij That our forefathers were willing to haue the Lords day a feast for a probable or reasonable cause, that the people might as­semble togither to heare the word of the gospel preached. For that is not the onely end, or chiefe end of the Institu­tion of the Lords day, much lesse of other feastes, seeing God is not onely or chiefely worshipped Evangelici ser­monis auditu, by hearing the word preached, sed latria cul­tu, in praising, and magnifying, & lauding God in the me­mory of his manifold blessings. Seeing latria or the wor­shippe of God consisteth especially in praying and thanks­giving, [Page] and is a vertue morall, & not intellectual. Therfore to despise, (as manie do,) or neglect (as most do) cultum la­tria, and gad vp & downe to heare the word preached, as they cal it, is not onely against the lawes of this land, the statutes of our colledges, but against the chiefe Institutiō of the Lords day.

Yet wel-fare the wisedome and discretion of our great grandfathers of blessed memory, the saints of the primi­tiue Church, who provided that vpon the festival daies, the course of the Litargie, the Gospell, and Epistle, the Homile, or Sermon shoulde so bee ordered, that all shoulde rende to the memorie of that blessing, wherevnto that day was sanctified, that so God might bee blessed and magnified for them.

Iuvenal.Beloued Christians were any one of those excellēt fathers aliue, what thinke you would he saie, Quid diceret, aut quid non faceret, nay what would he not do, if he should see the Synagogues of the Iews where Moses was read, more fre­quented vpō the three solemne feasts of Easter, Pentecost, & the Tabernacles, then the temple of Ierusalem whither by the law al ought at those times to resorte to offer vp sa­crifice vnto God: If he should see Oratoria turned into Au­ditoria, Churches into Schooles, our people desiring ra­ther to be [...] knowers, then Seraphim, hot & zealous, crying with the Angels, holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hoasts: our Sabbothes and Festivities not spent nor anie part of them, in cultu latriae, in the divine seruice of God, but in hearing an exercise as some call it; where sometimes the houre is consumed, Nihil dicendo in speaking neuer a wise word, sometimes aliud dicendo in speaking from the daie, from the season, from the text, and sometimes Male dicen­do, in speaking ill, and slaundring their private governours or publike magistrates.

[Page]But I proceed. Not only the forenamed feasts & such like which are called by the Divines, Solennes, Solennes. are institu­ted to the service of God, and occasioned by some extra­ordinary blessing: but other feasts there are, which are cal­led by Macrobius, Satur. 1. ca 16. Imperativae: by Vlpian and other Civilians Extraordinariae: by certaine Cano­nists Repentinae, which are particular to divers nations,Vlpian. & celebrated to the memoriall of Gods particular blessings bestowed on them. Such are they wherein great Kings & Monarches haue either Lucis auspicia (as the Civilians cal them) the daie of their birth; or Ortus imperij the begin­ning of their Raigne. The one is the solemnization of their Nativity: the other, the inauguration into their kingdom: such a one is this here mentioned in my text, instituted to the honor of God, for the great blessing that befel the Iews when David first tooke possession of the kingdome: and such a one is this wee celebrate this day throughout our land, to giue thankes to God for the happy raigne of our Soveraigne Princesse.

Finally, we may cōclude of al Christian feasts whether general to the whole Church, or particular to any nation, as Abulensis doth of the feastes of the Iewes, Omnia festa quae Deus instituit observanda à Iudaeis, fiebant ad recorda­tionem beneficiorum eius, All feasts which God appointed the Iewes to obserue were kept for a remembrance of his benefits, except only the feast of Propitiation, Quod fiebat ad remissionem peccatorum, which was helde for remission of sinnes.

But heere ariseth a doubt, whether Kings and Princes now, or David himselfe heretofore did wel and religiously to honor and glorifie God for this blessing of his inaugu­ration, or anie temporal happines, seeing we must loue & [Page] honor God Propter seipsum, & quia summè bonus est, for himselfe and because he is chiefly good, and not especially for those benefits he giveth vnto vs.

For every temporall benefite is lesse then infinite, but his goodnesse is infinite, therefore his goodnes should ra­ther cause vs to loue and honour him, then his benefites: therefore though poore simple people may honour God for his benefites receiued, and in hope to receiue more, yet David being a Saint and a Prophet, a mā of great per­fections, should haue honored God propter Deum, because he was God, and not because hee possest him of the king­dome.

The aunswere in this scarsitie of time must bee briefe: wherfore I say that a man is boūd to loue & honor God in that degree in which he honoreth him, that is, cultu latriae with divine worship, because he is his God not because he is his benefactour: wherfore if it were possible, as it is not, that any man or other creature could bestow all these be­nefits that God hath vouchsafed vs, yet wee ought not to honor him with divine worship with which we honor God nay so to do were impious Idolatrie: Againe if it were pos­sible, as it is not, that God neuer had, nor euer could bene­fite or blesse vs, yet we were bound to honor him cultu la­tria with divine worship: and there is no doubt David & other princes honoured God cultu latria with divine wor­shippe solum quia Deus est, nō propter beneficia accepta, on­ly because he is God, not for the benefites they haue from him.

But because this latria divine worshippe is not totalitèr determinata namely to these or those ceremonies to these or those times: and men in this worlde cannot bestowe al times vpon it, therefore cultus latria the divine wor­ship [Page] or honor is done vnto God, Quia Deus est, because he is God: but vpon this day or that day, & in this or that mā ­ner, Quia benefactor, because he is our benefactour. And thus much of the Occasion of the Institution of this feast, namely some extraordinary blessing, noted in these words This is the day which the Lord hath made.

The second thing I obserue in the Institutiō is the Au­thor of this feast or holydaie.2. part. This is the day which the Lord hath made; which we are not to vnderstand as though God himselfe had instituted this festivitie; for these words note not the Author, but the occasion of the Institution:Hugo Card. the Lorde who makes al daies is saide to make this specialiter, propter privilegiata opera qua fecit in ea; Huge Card. spe­cially, for the priviledged workes which he did in that day,Glossa in­terlin. Lyra. Propter salutem quam dedit populo & principi: Glossa inter­lin: for the safetie he gaue to prince and people: Propter bonum quod in illa contigit: Lyra. For the good which befel that daie: but the Author of this institution was David himselfe. God gaue the occasion, David the institution.

But because there is a question made euē in these daies, cōcerning the authority of instituting holydaies both vn­der the olde and newe Testament, both among Iewes and Christians, some affirming that in the old law all were in­stituted by God himselfe, or by his commaundement by Moses, and that to the Mosaical law nothing might be ad­ded no not in ceremonies; and forasmuch as the old feasts were abrogated by Christ, and no other instituted by him or his Apostles, except peradventure the Lords day, ther­fore al are vnlawful for want of authoritie in the instituti­on, or institutors of them: may it please you to giue mee leaue to deliver vnto you, of necessitie verie briefly, who haue beene the Authors of feasts and holydaies in both [Page] those times, to both those people.

First by the commaundement of God himselfe by the mouth of Moses were instituted in the old law, the Sab­both in remembrance of the creation of the world: The Passeover in remembrance of the deliveraunce of the first borne: The Pentecost in remembrance of the lawe which was giuen: the feast of the sound of trumpets, as some saie for the deliverance of Isaac, but more probably propter liberationem à servitute quae inter Israelitas fiebat, for the deliverance from that servitude which was vsuall among the Israelites, every sevēth yeare. the feast of Tabernacles, in remembrance that they lived in Tabernacles in the de­sert: The feast of Propitiation for remission of sinnes. The feast of vnleavened bread Quod exierant de Aegypto in mag­no timore & celeritate, for that they came out of Aegypt in great feare & hast: not hauing leisure to leauen the lumpe.

These are al called festivitates regulares, regular, ordi­naria, ordinatie, consuetae vsual, and were instituted and ordained by the commandement of God himselfe. Others there were which were called voluntariae, instituted by the will and commaundement of the Magistrates vpon some iust and reasonable cause: which though they had their institution from the wil & pleasure of the governor, are no part of wil worship [...], (a word much mistaken among many) being not cōtra legem Dei against the law of God, but secundum anologiam legis, according to the analogy of the law, nor brought in at the pleasure of private fancies without al authoritie.

Festum de­dicationis.Such a one was the feast of the dedication of the Tem­ple called Festum Encoeniorum, which was constituted in remembrance of the reedifying of the Temple vnder Zo­robabel: this is mentioned, Ioan. 10. Facta sunt Encoenia, [Page] & hyems erat, It was the feast of the Dedication, & it was winter, for it was in December: and was celebrated by our Saviour.

Such a one was the feast which was called Festum sor­tium, the feast of lots, or Festum Mardochai, Festū Ma [...] ­dochaei. Hester. c. 9. Mardochaeus his feast, when by the meanes of Hester and Mardochaeus the Iewes were delivered from the slaughter of Haman, & it is mentioned in the booke of Hester.

Such a one was the feast of Purification, Festū Puri­ficationis. when Iudas & they that were with him purified the Temple which the Gentiles before had polluted. Which feast the Hebrewes cal Cassen, of this in the 2. Mat. 1.2. Mach. 1.

And finally such a one was Festumignis the feast of fire,Festūignis. instituted by the Iewes after they came from the captivi­tie of Babylon, & found the fire of the alter which lay hid in a pit or well 70. yeares and was turned into thicke and grosse water, to be kindled againe, & with the flame there­of to consume the sacrifice vpon the Alter, 2. Mach. 1.2. Mach 1.

Moreouer the Iewes did not only adde to the number of the feasts instituted by Moses, but they augmented the solemnitie of certaine of those feasts which Moses appoin­ted. For whereas Dies Calendarum or Neomenia the first day of the month or feast of new Moones,Neomeni [...]. was appointed only for sacrifice vnto God, Propter beneficium gubernatio­nis, and not mentioned in the 23. of Levit. Lev. 23. where are na­med al the solemne festivities: yet the Iewes out of their devotion ad augmentandum cultum divinum for the en­crease of the service of God did appoint that the Calends or Neomeniae should bee Vacativae ab opere: not only to offer sacrifice in, but in which they should abstaine from al servile labour, and so made it an holyday and great solem­nitie.

[Page] Psal. 81.To this solemnity it was brought in Davids time: Ps. 81 Buccinate in Neomenia tuba, insigni die solennitatis ve­strae, Blow vp the trumpet in the new moone: &c. now no day was insignis, notable, except is were free from labour: for then every other festiuitie had beene more famous.

And it seemeth to haue bin thus solemnely vsed in Eli­zeus his time, to whom whē the Shunamite woman went for her dead sonne, her husband said to her: Quam ob cau­sam vadis ad eum hodic, 4. Reg 4. non sunt Calendae nec sabbathū. 4. Reg. 4. Why doest thou goe vnto him, this day is neither the Calēds nor the Sabboth; which argues that they were freed from labour, because her husband insinuated that shee should goe vpon a day when he might bee at leasure from his buisines: making in that respect a similitude be­tweene the Calends and Sabboth.

Augustine.And it was observed till the time of S. Austine among the Iewes, and so in al probability till now: for S. Austine by way of reproofe faith of the Iewish women in his time Foeminae Hebraeorū melius nerēt, vel aliquid operis facerēt, quam in Neomenijs suis impudicè saltarent. The Hebrew women were better spinne, or doe any worke, then immo­destly daunce in their new moones so that this seemeth to be a true rule which the Divines putt Non licebat Iudaeis diminuere festivitates quas Deus posuerat, licebat tamē eas augmentare. The Iewes might not lessen those feastes which God had appointed them, yet notwithstanding it was lawful for them to augment them.

Now for the newe Testament, the Legislator himselfe Christ Iesus instituted no holiday: for in his life time hee did not abrogate the lawe of Moses, but observed those feastes: neither did the Apostles vntil such time as the law of Moses being deade, it might be buried honestly: for [Page] the Christian religion had not so many ceremonies nor holidaies, neither was it convenient that it should, in the cradle, as it had in the strength and ful age of it: as also the people of Israel in their infancie in the desert, though the ceremonial law were then given, yet observed but little till they came to the land of promise, neither then also, till that was in peace, and the people of Israel in the height of their glory.

Nevertheles in the Apostles times, as appeareth in the new testament, the Lords day our Sunday was instituted in remēbrance of the resurrection of our Saviour Christ: and S. Austine ascribeth most of the greater festivities to the authority of the Apostles or general coūsels: ad Ianuar: August ad Ianuar. but Ambrose vpon Luke nameth the Pētecost or Whit­sunday to haue bin observed by S. Paule himselfe.Ambrose. Apud E­phesios Paulus Pentecosten celebrat, relaxat animam, Pentecost. Pauli. quia fi­dei cernebat ardore feruentes, Paule kept the Pentecost a­mong the Ephesians, and enlarged his heart, because he saw them fervent in the zeale of faith. It is not probable that he kept the Iewes Penticost among the heathen con­verted to Christ.

St. Austine Ser. 130. de tempore, Augustine Ser. 130 de Temp. Parasceve. 1. Cor. 5. notes that St. Paul did insinuate the celebration of the Passion of our Saviour. 1. Cor. 5. saying Magister gentium docet propter crucem an­nua festa constitui, epulemur inquit non in fermento veteri, The maister of the Gentiles teacheth that annual feastes must be appointed for the passion, and saith that we must feast but not in the olde leaven; and saith he, adijciens cau­sam agendae, solennitatis, ait quoniam pascha nostrum pro nobis immolatus est Christus, yeelding a reason why wee keepe a solemnity, because our Passeover Christ hath bin offered for vs. And St. Origen who was not long from the [Page] Apostles times, speaking against Celsus of holidaies, saith Dies festos, Origen. contra Celsum. Dominicos, Parasceves, & Pētecostes vnusquis­ (que) fidelis celebrat, Every faithful mā celebrateth, holidaies, the feast of the Passion & Pentecost.

Augustine.In the times of St Augustine, which are within the cō ­passe of the pure primitiue church these solemnities were multiplied,Aug. Ps. 72. Aug. 27. tract. Super Ioan. & not only the feasts of the Apostles celebra­ted, but of many Martyres, as of St Cyprian, St. Laurēce, and Sixtus the Martyr. vpon the 72. Psal. & the 27. tract super. Ioan. and thus farre nothing amisse, til the Calen­der being overcharged with false and counterfeite popish saints, we reduced it to the compasse of our most auncient and Christian festiuities.

Al which festivities notwithstanding this reformation haue found their enemies, and oppugning arguments, as also this daie which now we celebrate.

The former haue two sorts of adversaries and those op­posite and in extremities, for some are prophane in abro­gating them, some superstitious in the observation of thē.

Petrobu­siani.Of the former sort were those prophane Petrobusiani of whom we read of in St-Bernardes life, and our late Ana­baptistes, who hold that these holidaies are [...], that no man hath, nor ever had, since Moses auctority to institute them in the old testament, nor in the new except the Apostles, who instituted, as they say, the Sunday only, and affirme moreover that al festival daies belōg to the ce­remonial law of Moses, & therfore ought not to be amōg Christians, seeing the ceremonies of the old law were ful­filled by Christ, and so consequently abrogated: never cō ­sidering that we vse many ceremonials which were in the law of Moses, and abrogated also, sed non ex vi legis Mo­saicae, sed ex ratione legis, but not by the vertue or force of [Page] Moses his law, but only in regard of the reason therof; and many feasts not in remembrance of the blessings done to the Iewes, but by Christ vnto Christians.

The textes they alleadge are these. Coloss. 2.16.Col. 2.16. Let no man iudge you in meate or in drinke, or in the part of an ho­lyday: you obserue daies and moneths, and yeares, I feare you least I haue laboured in vaine amongst you, Gal. 4.10.Gal. 4.10. Alius iudicat inter diem & diem, alius iudicat omnē diem, Rom 14.5.Rom. 14.5. Some iudge betwixte day and day, and some call into iudge­ment every day. But the first and the last are referred to the feasts of the Iewes, & the second to the solemnities of the Gentiles, as appeareth by the natural course of those texts and the exposition of the fathers vpon those places.

But we haue for the warrant of our holydaies, first ex­emplum legis Mosaicae, the example of Moses his law, which is alleadged by them that are learned for one reason why our Saviour Christ did institute none: then Rationem legis Mosaicae, the reason of Moses his lawe, to wit, a remem­brance of Gods blessings. And thirdly, the practise and au­thoritie of Christ his Church, since his comming, fourth­ly, the promise of Christ,Mat. 18.4. If two or three hee gathered togi­ther in my name I will be in the midst of them, how much more if the whole congregation were assembled, which with an army of praiers shoulde enforce his mercy. And lastly, the counsel of the Apostle, 1. Cor. 4.1. Cor 4. Omnia decenter & ordine fiant, Everything must be done decently and in or­der. But what order or [...]ecencie would be found, if everie man should serue God at his owne pleasure, at his owne time, after his owne manner.

They who are superstitious in observing of holydaies are of two sorts; for either they obserue superstitious feasts or obserue the true feasts superstitiously.

[Page] Papistes.Of the former sort are the Papists who obserue the me­mory of so many fabulous and ridiculous Saints, whose Legends are the scoffe and scorne of the world.

Ebionites.And also the old Ebionites, heretickes who taught that Christians should obserue the feasts both of the olde and new testament,Euseb hist. eccle. lib 3. cap. 27. Greg. 11. epist. 3. both the Sabboth and the Lords daie also, as appeareth, Euseb. hist. eccles. lib. 3. cap. 27. Which error many would haue reviued in Saint Gregorie his time, as appeareth, lib. 11. epist. 3. and they saie that the Christians which now liue in Ethiopia obserue them both.

Epiphan. haer. 30. Iraen. l. 1. ca. 26.Now Saint Paule doth so manifestly crosse this opinion of the Ebionites that they therfore refused his writings, & termed him an Apostata, as Eusebius testifieth in the same place, Epiphan. haer. 30. Iraen. li. 1. ca. 26.

Centuria­tores.And yet the Centuriatores Magdeburgenses doe not lie, as the Iesuits falslie charge them, when they saie Apo­stolum Paulum indifferenter observasse Sabbatha & domi­nicum, that the Apostle Paule did indifferentlie obserue both the Sabboth and the Lords day; for so he did a long time; for the Apostles are noted in the first times after Christ, Iudaizare & Sabbatizare to be a Iew to a Iew, and a Christian to a Gentile, to winne both.

Saint Paul observed the Sab­both. Act. 13.That Saint Paule observed the Sabboth appeareth in the 13. of the Acts, where Paule and Barnabas are said to enter into the Sinagogue vpon the Sabboth day. In the same place they entreate the Gentiles that the next Sabboth they might preach to them, Act. 16. and Saint Paule disputed three Sab­boths at Thessalonica. Act. 16.

Act. 20.That hee likewise obserued the Lordes daie, appeareth Act. 20. where it is saide that the brethren came togither, vno Sabbathorum, idest, die Dominica, ad frangendum panē vpō the first day of the Sabboth, that is, the Lords day, to [Page] breake bread: for in a fewe of the first yeares the Apostles observed certaine ceremonial lawes of Moses because of the weake brethren among the Iewes, as thinges indiffe­rent, and became Iewes to the Iewes to gaine the Iewes: but when the obstinate Iewes and false brethren required the obseruation of the lawe as necessary to salvation, they resisted them earnestly, and stoutly defended the doctrine of the abrogation of the law; and liberty of the Gospel: yea St. Paule reprooved St. Peter at Antioche when hee did Iudaizare in favour or feare of the false brethren Gal. 2.Gal. 2. & taught that the law was so farre abrogated, that if any mā were circumcised, or observed other ceremonies of the law as necessary to saluation, he could not be saued. Gal. 5.Gal. 5.

And this was the cause why the Ebionites called St. Paule an Apostata because at the first he observed the ce­remonies of the law, and afterward refused them vtterly, and preached against them.

They that obserue the true feasts superstitiously are such as doe Iudaizare, which wil see their neighbour perish be­fore they wil relieue him on the Sabboth day: such was he even of this shire, who lately when his fathers ribbes were broken would not ride for a bone-setter on the Sabboth day: such a one was he who in my memory went out from among vs, and preached in a market towne in this shire, that it was a greater sin to doe servile opus in Sabbathe & so to violate it, then to do murther or commit adultery: because the commandement of keeping the Sabboth be­longes to the first table, and murther and adultery but to the second.

But to speake briefely to the point (for I haue far to goe and little time to spend.) The reason is of no force, but the positiōs be pestelent: for the abstaining from labour which [Page] is but a ceremonie, is de iure humano, not de iure divino; and therefore the violating of this commaundement in that point is not so grievous a sinne, though it pertaine to the first table, as murther and adultery, which is against Gods expresse law in the second table.

For may it please you in a worde to vnderstand that in the cōmandement of keeping the Sabboth, there is some­what moral, and somewhat ceremonial.

1 It is ceremonial that the Sabboth should be on this or that day, and therfore it is changed to the Sunday.

2 The quantity of observing it is ceremonial, as to ab­staine from al labour, from dressing our meate, and kind­ling our fire Exod. 35.Exod. 35. this also is ceased: we being not so 3 streightned in our feasts as the Iewes were. 3. It is ceremo­nial that for one whole day or 24. howers wee should ab­stain 4 frō labor. 4. It is ceremonial that this should once be done in every seaven daies. These two last ceremonies are not changed in Christianity because they had no special signification: those two former were chāged, Quia vmbra erant futurorum because they were figures of thinges to come, and when the truth came the figures did vanish.

It is moral that some time should be allowed to the ser­vice of God, that we might remēber his benefits & mag­nifie his holy name: to breake this law which is de iure diui­no, that is, to dedicate no time to the service of God, is worse then adultery, worse thē murther, but to breake the ceremonies of it, which are de iure humano, is not so great a sinne as murther or adultery which are of the second ta­ble, & de iure divino, against the expresse law of God him­selfe.

Nowe I come to the enemies of this Solemnity which now we celebrate, of which since a right reverend & lear­ned [Page] brother of ours hath written very religiously,D. Holland learned­ly, and largely, I shal neede to say the lesse; yet thus much briefely. That Reynolds, Sanders, Stapleton and the rest of the rigide and salt humored Papists take exception espe­cially against two points in this Solēnity: the first is at the Institutiō, as if it were without auctority (for that it is now amōg our solemnities we wil not deny:) the second against the manner of solemnizing it, as though we preferred it before the feastes of our Sauiour Christ.

For the former, that the magistrate hath had both au­ctority and practise of instituting holidaies vpon extraor­dinary occasiōs of Gods blessings, hath bin proved both by the examples vnder the Law, and vnder the Gospel.

That the Iewes poterant quotidie instituere festiuitates quarū obseruatio duraret singulis annis, vel fieret solum se­mel, Abulensi [...] might daily institute holidaies the observation whereof might either continue every yeare or onely be held once, is A­bulensis assertion. 1. Paral. cap. 16. q. 14. That they appoin­ted annual, you haue heard before vnder Mardacheus, Ne­hemias, Iudas Machabaeus, that they augmented in cere­monies some yeare more then other the feasts appointed in the lawe,2: Esd: 8 [...] appeareth both in Esdras time when the feast of Tabernacles was so royally solemnized that it is said Non fecerūt à diebus Iosua (filij Nun) talia filii Israel vs (que) ad diem illum 2. Esà. 8. The children of Israell never did such things, no not from the daies of Ioshua the sonne of Nun vnto that day and Iosias celebrated such a Passeover in the 18. yeare of his raigne when he had purged the Tē ­ple of the Idols,4. Reg: 2 [...]. Quale non fuerat actum a temporibus Iudi­cum Israelit arum vs (que) ad Iosiam. 4. Reg. 23. as had not beene from the times of the Iudges of Israel vnto Iosias. That they appointed such as are called by the Civilians Repentina, [Page] instituted for once vpon a suddeine occasion, appeareth by David who while the Arke was in his house faciebat omnes dies solennes propter honorem Arca, saltem ad obser­vationem ceremoniarū, made every day a solemne day for the honour of the arke, at the least concerning the ob­servation of ceremonies. Abulens. and solemnised the daie of his inauguration into his kingdome in this Psal.

That the Christiā magistrate hath at least as much au­thority in constituting newe festivities, and augmenting the olde, as the Iewes had, cannot with any probability be denied. They not only appointed the feastes which con­cerne our redemption, but the memorials of the Apostles, & some holy Martyres. Constantine held a feast for ioy of the setling of the Gospel & Christianity in his time:Euseb. lib. 1. de vita Cō ­stantini. Other Emperors celebrated auspicia lucis, the day of their birth: other Ortum imperij, the beginning of their raigne: other festiuitates repentinas suddeine feastes, vpō ioy for victo­rie over Gods enemies, the Turkes, and infidels. Al which argue suficient auctority, both for the institution and aug­mentation of this festivity.

Which although it had his original at the first frō that of St. Paule.1. Tim. 2. 1. Tim. 2. where he exhorteth supplications, praiers, thankesgivings, intercessions, to be made for kings, & for all that are in auctority: Especially seeing we had at­tained to that end proposed by the Apostle, namely by reason of her Maiesties raigne to haue liberty to leade a peaceable and quiet life in all godlines & honesty: Yet for as­much as since that time it hath bin confirmed by the con­sent and approbation of the magistrate, and by note in the Calender, and by special praiers appointed for it, I see no reason,Caluino [...]irc. l. 2. c. 18. but an high measure of malice only, in Reynolds in his Caluine-T [...]es to liken it to the encrease & progresse of [Page] that Idolatrie mentioned in the 14. of Wisedome ver. 14.15.16. Where the father made an image for his dead son, and worshipped it as a God, and ordained ceremonies and sa­crafices, which grewe to a custome in processe of time, & was made a law; except peradventure he thinke that there is onely a progresse in sinne & not in virtue, as in their socie­ties from slaunder to libelling: a progresse in Idolatry, as in their Churches from an Image to an Idol, from an Idol to al heathenish ceremonies & superstitiōs, but no progresse in true religion either inwardly from faith to faith, & frō grace to grace, or outwardly from lesse to more worship, from fewer to more devour and religious ceremonies, which I haue observed before to haue beene the course of Gods Church, both in the olde and new Testament.

To conclude this pointe. If the particular Church of England had auctority in Queene Maries daies to appoint two solemne & Anniversarie Masses to be yerely celebra­ted in St. Maries, the one on the 18. of Februarie beeing the Nativity of Queene Marie, & the other on the first of October, on which she was crowned, at which Masses the whole Vniversity should bee present from the beginning to the end, and there devoutly pray for the good estate of the King and the Queene, and for the peace of this their gra­ces Realme, and moreover appointed two solemne proces­sions vpon the same daies being matters of greater solem­nity then now we vse in these our meetings: I doubt not to affirme that the particular Church of England hath also auctority sufficient to institute, if so it please, the celebrati­on of the Nativity, and inauguration of her excellent Ma­iestie, with publike sermons, common praiers, & thankes­giving for her godly & peaceable raigne, & the vnspeake­able blessing received by her, the chosen instrument of [Page] God for our good.

The other accusation is against the manner of solemni­zing it,Saunders. with ringing, and bonfires, and anthims, and sermons, and feastings, not onely solemnely, but solennis­simè most solemnely, as though it were preferred before Ea­ster and Christmas, the blessed memorials of our Saviour Christ.

But may it please you to vnderstand that one feast or holiday is said to be more solemne or greater then another for many causes.

1 Because wee abstaine more from worke in it, then in anie other; in this sense the Sabboth among the Iews, was more solemne then other feasts. Nowe forasmuch as no man is forbidden bodilie labor this daie, which they are on Sun­daies and other great Festivities, therefore you see that in this respect it is inferiour to them.

2 Secondly one feast was more solemne then another, because more ceremonies were vsed in it thē in others: thus though the Sabboth were absolutely the chiefe feast of the Iewes, yet in this respect without preiudice to the ho­nor of the Sabboth, every feast among the Iews was grea­ter then the Sabboth, in as much as they had al more cere­monies belonging to them by the law of Moses: to graunt then that wee had more ceremonies in the divine service this day then on Christmas day, doth not argue this solē ­nitie greater then it.

3 Thirdly one feast was more solemne thē another, Because more assembled togither for the celebratiō of the feast: thus the three feasts of Easter, Whit-suntide, and the Taberna­cles, in which al the people were boūd to ascend vp to of­fer sacrifice in the Temple of Ierusalē, were coūted grea­ter then the Sabboth, and al other feasts. Now forasmuch [Page] as no man is forced by law to this solemnity, and fewe so­lemnize it but the better sorte of the people, & masters of families, in this respect it is inferiour to the Sabboth & o­ther our solemne feastes, to which al men with their fami­lies by law are forced to resort.

Lastly one feast was more solemne then another, Be­cause 4 it was celebrated with greater magnificence and iote: thus the celebration of the Passeover was most famous in the time of king Iosias, who when he had purged the land from al Idolatry, celebrated the Passeover so magnificent­ly, that the like was not done, A diebus Iudicum qui iudica­verunt Israel. 4. Reg. 23. from the daies of the Iudges which iudged Israell, and in this respect for the ioy and magnifi­cence which is vsed in it, this day which now we celebrate is a most solemne day, like the day mentioned in my texte, the verie end of the institution of it being, exultare & la­tari in ea, to reioice both inwardlie and outwardlie in it, which is the last point I intende to speake of.

If this then be the end of the institution of this solemni­tie, laetari & exultare in ea to reioice and be glad in it, that is, gaudere in domino vehementer, as S. Paule saith, Phil. 4.Phil. 4. to reioice in the Lord greatly gaudere in domino non in do­no, to reioice in the Lord, not in the gift: that is, Non prop­ter donum finaliter, sedde dono materialiter, not finallie for the gift, but materially of the gift, & it be done in the high­est degree: both inwardly, delectatione voluntatis in bono acquisito in the gladnes of the minde for the good gotten in this great blessing which we now remember: and out­wardly, per redundationem in exultatione, that is in extra­saltatione, quia ab anima in corpus salit, in abundance of ioy, when the delight of our soule doth as it were leap forth into our body, so that we doe every one in particular pro­test [Page] with the Prophet David, Psal. 84. Cor meum & caro mea exulta­verunt in Deum vivū, both my hart inwardly, & my flesh outwardly haue reioiced in the living God, and that in the highest degree, with al readines and alacritie, evē to dan­cing as David did when the Arke was brought home, or to melodious musicke as in this Psalme in the day of his inauguration; seeing it is a rule, Facientes ex gaudio faciūt sicut facientes exhabitu, those that doe any thing in ioie doe it as if it were done by habit, and facilitie: what preiu­dice I beseech you is this to our most Christian solemni­ties, which are soleuniores in many other and greater re­spectes?

Psal. 73.Wherefore whosoever thou be Priest or Iesuite which saiest in thy hart, Quie scere faciamus festivitates eorum à terra, as the wickedman in the Psalme, let vs take away their feasts and solemnities, from the face of the earth, ei­ther by our treason on her Maiesties person, or invasion of her country, or by libels and vndermining sophismes, take heede what you doe, Non est iocandum cum dijs, It is ill ie­sting with Gods, Princes are the Gods of the earth, Gods immediate lieuetenants, to whom hee hath imparted his name, and vouchsafed them a great parte of his externall worship it is ill iesting with them: to scoffe, or to raile at them, to libell against thē or their subiects, either for their allegeance, or religious dueties to God in their behalfe, is a­gainst that notable rule in the law of God,Exod. 22. Principi populi non maledices, thou shalte not revile the prince of the peo­ple. He that curseth his Father or Mother, much more hee that curseth the father of his cuntry, the Crowes of the vallies will plucke out his eies, his flesh shall be foode for the fowles of the aire: God himselfe who hath placed thē in his seat to governe the earth and the provinces of it, wil [Page] defende them with many guardes, even as the apple of an eie is defended: it is not flying into forraine countries that can deliver you from your alleagiance, or from punish­ment due for the violating of it. Coelum non hominem mu­tant qui trans mare currunt, you may flie beyond the seas from the natural aire of your natiue coūtry, but not from your selues, nor your natural alleagiance, no (as I may say) from that natural, or rather supernatural vēgeance which attendeth on you: for God either putteth a hooke in your nostrels and brings you backe againe the same way you went to suffer condigne punishment for these lewde and most vnchristian practises; or you perish miserably like runagates and vagabonds, or exiled malefactours in a for­raine countrey.

But to passe over this sort of malitious cavillers (be­cause I hope and verily thinke that not any one ill affected doth heare me this day, howsoever we be slandred by our mothers children, that we swarme with Papists, that wee fall away dayly in great multitudes, that our chiefe divines whom some note vnder the name of Formalists, are ready to ioine both heart and hand with them, to the incredible incouragement of all sortes of Romanistes, and to the dis­honour of her Maiesties government, the discredit of this Christian societie, the disparagement of their own iudge­ments and discretion, who wound to the heart that religi­on they pretend to defend: of which vpon farther occasiō surely we will hereafter haue further discourse. To passe ouer this & come to our selues, let vs embrace as wee haue begun the example of this people in the inauguration of king David, and this good counsel of the Apostle,2 Pet. 2. Deum timete, Regem honorate, feare God, and honor the king; ho­nor him in thy heart, honor him with thy handes and sub­stance, [Page] honor him with thy tongue: practise no disloialtie, speake no disloialty, thinke no disloialty, no not in thy least thought, in thy secret chamber; for besides that the fowles of the aire will bewraie it, and the clowdes of thy discon­tented countenance discover it, as I told you of late, there is ever a progresse in sinne, it neuer stands stil, it stands not at one stay, but passeth secretly from evill thoughts to ill wordes, and from ill words to fowle actions, and then it is ripe and calleth for his punishment.

And surelie God is verie iealous of the honour of Prin­ces, and least we should in anie sorte despise them and bee disobedient vnto them, because wee be all made of one mould of the earth, as the daies of the yeare of one sunne in the firmament, and therefore are all pares in esse naturae equall one to another in nature, that there might be a dif­ference in esse merali in civile being, God honoreth Prin­ces with his owne name, so that they are called Gods, and Gods annointed, and the sonnes of the most high: he calleth them by his owne name, and furnisheth them with divine and supernatural qualities.

1 Prov: 16:For there is divinatio in labijs regis, divination in the lips of the king, Prov. 16. so that they do often foresee, fore­speake,1: Sam. 10: and foretell things to come, and it is noted in the first kings that ever God instituted: for as soone as Samuell powred the viol of oile vpon Saule he was changed into a­nother man, and the spirit of God falling vpon him hee did prophecie among the Prophets: and as soone as David was annointed by Samuell the scripture saith, Directus est spiritus domini in David à die illa & deinceps, 1. Sam: 16: 1. Sam. 16. The spirite of the Lorde came vpon David from that daie forwardes: and when Caiphas who was the high Priest sit­ting in the Consistorie saide, Expedit quod vnus moriatur [Page] pro populo, It is expedient that one should die for the peo­ple, he said not that of himselfe, saith the text, sed cum erat pōtifex ill us anni prophetavit, but in that he was the high Priest that yeare he did prophecie.

Secondly, there is a certaine depth in the hart of a king. 2 Prov. 25. VVhich none can seeke out, even higher then the heaven, & deeper then the earth. Prov. 25.

Thirdly, they haue gifts of healing incureable diseases,3 which are miraculous and aboue nature, so that when Ve­spasian was seene to performe such a cure, the people cō ­cluded he should be Emperour as Tacitus notes.Tacitus.

Fourthly,4 they haue power absolute without limitation accountable only to God for their actions.

Fifthly they haue authoritie to blesse their dutifull and loyall subiects, and they are blessed:5 & authoritie to curse their subiects disobedient, & they are cursed with tempo­ral curse, as I could prooue both by reason and examples out of the scriptures if the time would permit.

And as God is iealous of their honour, so much more of their safeties, and therefore he sets a guarde of Angels a­bout them. He keepeth them as the apple of his eie; Psal. 17. He hides them vnder the shaddow of his wings: he will not haue them touched, Touch not my annointed, Psalm. 105. Everie touch with hart, with hand, with tongue, is treason laesa maiestas, the maiestie of the Prince is wounded by it, and therfore David was sorrie at the hart when he cut but the lap of Saules garment. 1. Sam. 24.6.

Finally he revengeth their wrongs before his own; trea­sons against thē before blasphemies against himselfe prop­ter bonum vniversi for the good of mankind; and more se­verely then his owne with temporal punishment.

If I should instaunce in these giftes and graces where­withal [Page] God hath plentifully endowed her excellent maie­stie, and stand to amplifie the wonderful depth of the wis­dome of her hart, evidēt to her Coūsel in her most weigh­tie affaires, to her subiects generally in her divine speaches at every parliament, to vs in particular in her excellent o­rations beyond admiration and imitation: or this gifte of prophecie, as I may call it, whereby shee hath foreseene, foretold, and, if I may so saie, forespoken that which an or­dinarie wisdome could not imagine: or her manifold bles­sings on well deserving subiectes, confirmed as it may seeme, by God to them and their posterity, if they walke in loialtie and true obedience: or the supernatural cures of weake diseased people, amounting to the number of three or foure hundred a yeare: or the divine providēce of God in defending her as the apple of his eie, from so many trea­sons, conspiracies, rebellions at home & abroade; it might be thought by some of the maligners of this festivity, that I stand more vpon the praises of my earthly mistres, then vpon the honor and glory of my heavenly Lorde and Ma­ster.

Wherfore leaving these things to your particular cōsi­deratiōs, let vs conclude with that other part of St. Paules coūsel, with honoring praising & magnifying God the au­ctor and preserver of this great blessing: & because no ce­remony was ever more acceptable to him then oblation and sacrifice, and sacrificia legalia sacrifices of the Lawe be abrogated, let vs offer to him our spiritual sacrifice.

First our almes, the workes of mercie & charity, which is the oblation of our temporal substāce; & St. Paule calles it Hostiam acceptam & placentem Deo, a sacrifice accepta­ble and pleasing vnto God. Phil. 4. Phil. 4.

Secondly the humbling and mortifying of our bodies, [Page] which is the oblation of our corporal substance,Rom. 12. & St. Paul calles it. Rom. 12. Hostiam vinentem, sāctam, Deo placen­tem, a living sacrifice holy and pleasing vnto God.

Thirdly our devotions in praising and magnifying God for this admirable blessing; which is the oblation of our spiritual substance,Heb. 13. and St. Paule calles it Heb. 13 [...] the sacrifice of praise, and interpretes it, the fruit of their lippes which confesse his name: and Ose, Ose: the calues of our lippes, and our Prophet, Psal. 26, Hostiam vociferatio­nis, and Lyra, hostiam iubilationis, that is, the sacrifice of thankesgiving and ioy.

To conclude, as her excellent Maiestie with the Pro­phet David in this Psal. cries out in remembrāce of Gods benefites in his miraculous preserving her so many yeares from so many dangers, Non moriar sed viuam I shal not die but liue, vt narrē opera domini, that I may declare the workes of the Lord.

As we with the Priestes in this Psalme doe benedicere populo ex domo dei, blesse the people of the house of God, ce­lebrating his benignity saying, Deus dominus, & illuxit no­bis, God is our Lord, and hath as this day illightened vs with the light of the Gospel, and as it is in the olde translation, doe constituere diem solennem in condensis, so that the peo­ple of God come togither in densitate plebis, as Lyra cals it, in great abundance, and vs (que) ad cernua altaris, so that the Church is filled even to the doores.

So let al good subiects ioyne with this people in cele­brating this day, and sing Haec est dies quam fecit dominus, exultemus & latemur in ea, This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad therein. O domine da sa­lutem, O domine da prosperitatem, O Lord send her salvati­on, O Lord send her prosperity: Non moriatur sed vivat, [Page] let her not die but liue, that shee may declare thy wonde­rous workes to many generations: that wee solemnizing many of these daies to the glory of thy name, and comfort and ioy of our owne harts, may after this triumphing, tri­vmph and reioyce with thee in body and soule in thy ever­lasting kingdome: through Iesus Christ our Lord: to whō with the Father and the holy Ghost be all power honour and glory both now and ever. Amen.