Of the Christian Sabbath a godly treatise of master julius of milan, translated out of Italian into English, by Thomas Langley.  Exod. xx. 
¶ Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day.  
Anno Domini. 1552. Mense Maio.   

¶ To his very entire friend master William jews of London, Thomas Laugley wisheth grace and peace in Christ.  
THE discipline of good conversation (gentle Master jews) standeth chiefly, or rather altogether in ij. points: that is, in doctrine, and exercise. By doctrine is taught to know what should be done, by that other, men be brought to custom, that they be willing & ready to put in execution that, which they have learned. And the one of these with out the other is maimed & unperfect. Wherefore Moses seemeth to have taken better form of government, than any politic ruler of the heathen, in his laws making. For where the Lacedæmonians and Cretians ordered all by doings and use, without much a do making in words: and contrary wise the Athenians spent long space in decrees making, but were slack in requiring the performance of the same: Moses most diligently hath coupled And joined them so together, that neither he parted good custom of living from doctrine, nor suffered doctrine to be without enuring of works. But because they should agreeably be matched, he aswell made laws for rest and forbearing of works, as he did for the diligence of labour to be occupied, not that their ceasing from works should maintain idleness and sloth, but that thereby they might be guided by knowledge, and that their offences should not be cloaked or excused by ignorance. For that day, that they rested (which they named therefore the Sabbath, and was not once or twice in the year, but every week once on the seventh day) they came together to here the law of God, wherein was contained all such things, as they should do and express in their behaviour.  
The manner of their coming together (as Philo telleth) was thus. When the ordinary day came, they assembled to their temples with much speed, and there did sit giving good audience, & diligenteare to the scriptures, unless at times with one accord, they spoke a word in commendation of that, that was there said, & red, and the priest or one of the elders rehearsed the law, and expounded it, and this fashion they used at the seventh day, till the evening tide, and then departed. By means whereof they needed not to ask of the lawyers what they should do, nor could be in their evil discharged by any coloured excuse of lack of knowledge, but the husband to the wife, the father to his children, masters to their servants, declared the commandments of the law. Thus was doctrine taught one day, & exercise and practise all the week after, was put in execution, and used.  
Whatsoever labour letted them from resorting to the hearing of the law, was straightly forbidden, & sharp pain appointed for correction of the offenders therein. Now if this precise order was used on the Sabbath day, under Moses, & his doctrine so duly taught, and all to bring men to a civil order, & outward righteousness: how much more needful is it, that we, which profess christ, be busied in learning the laws of the gospel, the law of the spirit, the word of life, which whosoever knoweth, shall receive for their obedience & honest conversation not only reward temporal in this life, but also in the world to come salvation of our souls, & life everlasting. Let it not therefore grieve us, which be in the daylight of the gospel, on the days of assembling together devoutly to use ourselves: seeing the hebrews, the were hud●● the cloudy shadow & letter of the law, showed themselves so willing & forward to observe the same. For albeit the jewish Sabbath touching the seventh day be abrogated & expelled, yet is not the commandment of the Sabbath sanctifying disannulled, but remaineth still as a headful part of christian religion, containing all such due service, as belongeth to the glory of god. And for that cause our elders (when otherwise blind ignorance had overshadowed the hole world, that the Sabbath might reverently be hallowed) ordained by act of parliament, that in this realm no fairs nor markets should be kept upon the sunday, or other solemn feast, as upon christmas day, easter day, with sunday, & ascension day, as appeareth in the acts of Henry the vi king of this realm. But now, when for our knowledge we should be better: through unbridled liberty, we be grown to such badness, that all (law of god & man) set aside, men be wholly given over to follow their lusts on the sabbath days, not only by going to markets, fairs, & gazing games, but also by misusing their time, (that should be spent in reading or hearing of the word of god, in prayer, and visiting of the poor) in bear baiting, hawking, hunting, dancing, carding, dicing, banqueting & other kinds of riot & surfeiting. And thus make those days most unholy of all the week, & worthier to be named idle days for their evil occupying of the rest, then holy days for any hallowed working: where our rest from works of body should be an earnest exercising of our spirits in ghostly doings. Wherefore it is to be wished, that a reformation and redress might be taken therein by the magistrates, for the restoring of the sabbath to it own proper kind. And because I perceived that this treatise of master julius of milan, declareth & handleth this matter at large, I thought good (so as I could) to turn it into our native speech, that thereby the christian readers might learn what their office is on the holy days, & see how far we be swerved out of frame from the true natural use thereof. And albeit the argument be universal, & meet for all men for the matter, yet it specially seemeth very fitting, that it be dedicated to your gentleness: aswell for that you be given to the study of the Italian tongue (the by reading hereof you might be an Aristarchus to examine how near I have gone to the Italian Phrase, & meaning of the author) as also because it was my duty to show some testimony unto you, of the good heart the I have borne to you, ever sithenwe w●re first conversant together, in familiarity of company, and conference of study, which as it began long agone, so hath it still continued, fixed & steadfast on my behalf. Pleaseth it you therefore to accept in good part this token small in quantity, but great both for godliness of the work, & good will of the presenter, & chief for that it is your wont gentleness to set much by any gift, the cometh from your hearty friends. And I shall daily, as occasion & opportunity serveth further utter my faithful love toward you, by such things as my ability shallbe sufficient to perform, & be a continual petitioner to god for your prosperous health long to endure. Far you heartily well. From Headcrone the xxi of March. 1552.   

¶ Of the Christian Sabbath.  
THERE is nothing, that hath been more mistaken of the scribes and Phariseis, then the bodily observance and keeping of the Sabbath day. Because that God ordained it not, to the intent that the outward right and usage of forbearing work and bodily labour, should with so much religion, or rather scrupulosity be regarded, but the Sabbath was instituted, to be as it were a shadow and figure of the spiritual rest, from fleshly works, which a Christian ought continually to practise, & put in ure in his living and conversation. In consideration whereof, we read that our saviour Christ had little respect and less reverence to that It wish ceremony of the Sabbath, and busily laboured to persuade the jews, that to put difference betwixt days was rank superstition, and stark hypocrisy. Wherefore he did many works on the self Sabbath day: 
●eth. x. ij  he healed the man that had the withered hand, 
●uc. vi.  on the Sabbath day. The Apostles rubbed out the ears of corn to eat, on the Sabbath day: 
john. v.  he healed at the pond by the slauter house the man that had been xxxvi● years diseased, 
john. ix.  he caused th● the blind borne to see: and sayeth this day in the Gospel: 
john. seven.  if a man break not the Sabbath in circumcising a child, why are ye grieved and wooed with me, because I have healed a man on the Sabbath day? 
Luc. xiv.  We read in S. Luke that our master healed on the Sabbath a man diseased with the dropsy, and the Phariseis, as their wont manner was, murmured, and grudged at that dead. But our master opened, and showed evidently forth that, their error with this answer, saying. Which is there among you, if his ox or ass should fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, that would not do his best to rid him out, & yet were not the Sabbath broken thereby. And the reason thereof our master showeth, where he sayeth, The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath: that is, man is above the Sabbath, and in his affairs should not have any eye or consideration to the corporal ceremony, whosoever were the author of it. But because the jewish Sabbath hath bred, and brought forth great hypocrisy in the Christian church, it is expedient● and needful, that we weigh and examine, in what manner man was Lord of the Sabbath, afore that jesus Christ● suffered, to th'intent that the liberty of days, that we have in the Christian congregation, now sith that Christ hath suffered and is ascended into heaven, may be the better 〈◊〉 more thoroughly known. And lest peradventure any error or false opinion should grow in the beginning of this talk, thou must understand that all saws, that be found any where, either be natural or positive.  
Natural laws be those, 
Natural laws.  that the Lord God hath graven in the natural reason of man, which afterward being written in the stony tables, by ministry of Moses, were made plainer, and more open, than they were before in our conscience. As for example, the law of honouring of God, of reverencing his name, of obeying our parents, and other superiors, of not robbing, of not committing adultery, of not killing, and finally of not doyne to others that we would no● were done to ourselves. These be called by the nam● of God's laws, not only because God appointed the● to Moses, but also for tha● the Lord hath printed them in the mind of every living man. Which thing Sayn● Paul declareth, where h● sayeth, 
Rom. ij.  that the heathen show the works of the law written in their hearts, they● own conscience bearing the● witness of the same. 
Two sorts of positive laws.  laws positive (which have their original of the laws of nature b● of two sorts. For either they be Ecclesiastical or else the● be civil Ecclesiastical laws which in the old Testament are called ceremonial) 
Ecclesiastical laws.  wer● ordained for the consecration of true faith, and pure religion in the church of God. 
Of the old Testament  Of these laws there were a great numbered among the hebrews, as the circumcision, the Sabbath, the order of sacrifices, 
Laws of the new. Act. ij.  and all the levitical observances. Likewise in our Christian church there is the institution of baptism, of the lords supper, 
1. Cor. xv●  of preaching the Gospel, of prayers, and collection, or collation for the poverty, with all such other laws, as concern the ministry of the word, and of the Sacraments. These laws be of God, insomuch as they be appointed by God in the new and old Testaments. semblably ●ach laws as be added to these, to thin●●● that the church may be governed in formal order without confusion, 
1. Cor. xiv Col. ij.  ought to be called Gods laws, Wherefore Paul, having se● an order in the public honesty, comeliness, and modest● behaviour, that should be observed in the congregation, aswell in men, as in women, sayeth these words: if any man think himself a teacher or spiritual, 
1. Cor. xiv  let him know what things I write unto you, for they are the commandments of the lord God? Verily because that in the church or assembly of the faithful, every thing must be handled in order with discretion, with confused mingling.  
The second sort of laws positive be civil, 
Civil laws.  or politic and judityall laws, which are devised for the keeping of the public peace, common quiet, and uneversall honesty in all states of men. These were long ago made and given by God to Moses, and sith Moses' time every nation hath invented their peculiar and several laws, and constitutions. Which in like manner be named the laws of God, not only because that Moses enacted them, but also because that princes, common weals & other officers be the ordinances of god, to punish malefactors, and promote the good doers. 
Rom. xiii  Paul sayeth: there is no power but of God, and the powers that be, are ordained of god. Now that these things be declared, let us see, which of the foresaid laws, a man in the time of Moses, and before that Christ had died, was Lord of and above: that is, which of them he might in case of nead break, and omit. first and formest I say to you: that the laws natural, 
Law of nature cannot be broken for any cause  be of such force & strength, that neither they ought nor may be broken for any kind of necessity or behoof, whatsoever: but a man is bound to neglect honour, riches, despise himself, & contemn his own life, rather than transgress the law of nature. For sooner a man should entre the fire, then deny god, and be more willing to abide hanging by the neck, then blaspheme the name of God, he ought redilyer die any kind of terrible and dreadful death, then bear false witness against his neighbour. Because there is no manner thing that more straightly bindeth us, nor more narrowly keepeth us in, and (as it were) pinneth us up, then doth the obedience to god: neither can there be any greater scourge over our head, then that is due for disobeying the Lord. For it behoveth that all our needs, all our perilous dangers, all our profitable commodities, give place and room to the obedience of god: for that we always obey to God, it is needful, but to continue still in this life mortal, standeth not in such necessity. The other laws, that is, 
Ecclesiastical laws be dispensed with.  ecclesiastical, and civil, albeit they be ordained of god, yet be not so holy and reverent, but that they may in causes of necessity, not only be broken, but also altogether dysanulled, as though they never had been. And for proof hereof, let us peruse the ecclesiastical laws of the jews. Those laws were to be kept, and done, so long as the outward government of the jews endured, & until that Christ was dead and risen again: they were ordained of God by the hands of Moses, for the people of Israel, to the end, that the name of God should be praised, and the promises made in Christ might be taught, and true religion preserved, neither was circumcision, the sabbothe, the sacrifices, & all that solemn and ceremonial service, and levitical obsequies about the tabernacle of the jews, ordained and instituted for any other purpose than is afore said. notwithstanding, for so much as these laws were only given to the people of the jews, & to none other nation, therefore the gentiles, and foreign people were not burdened, nor charged, with the keeping of those statutes, neither did they offend in not keeping them, for that they were not driven to live under those constitutions, although they had forsaken Idolatry, and acknowledged one very God, by believing the promises of jesus Christ. We read, 
Example.  that the people of Ninive repent at the preaching of jonas, & pleased, 
jones. iij.  and appeared God thereby, 
Ninive.  yet read we not, that they were circumcised, nor that they observed other ecclesiastical laws of the jews. 
Daniel. iij  Daniel witnesseth, 
Babylon  that the king of Babylon confessed openly the very true god of Israel, & commanded by proclamation, that no man should blaspheme him, nevertheless it is not read, that the king of Babylon was therefore bounden to the ceremonies of Moses. No the jews themselves were not so bounden to these ecclesiastical laws, but that they might omit them in time of need, either for any commodity, or for any matter of honesty. Many of the Israelites after their delivery out of Egypt, while they were in the wilderness, were uncircumcised as it appeareth in joshua. 
Io●ue. v.  And very likely it is that many jews died in the desert without circumcision, 
foreskin.  which by faith passing from death unto life, were not damned, for having their foreskin. King David fleing the persecution of King Saul, 
i Re. xvij.  lest he should die for hunger, 
Show bread.  did eat (both he and his company) of the table of the lord, the holy bread, that was dedicated, & appointed only for the use of the priests, and yet sinned he not in so doing. By this example of David our master proveth to the jews, that in needful affairs and business, 
Math. xii.  the son of man (that is, every man) is Lord of the sabbath. Nether did our saviour jesus Christ by these words, mean that the Sabbath should not, or ought not to be kept at that time, when as yet he was not dead, be showed thereby, on what manner the ceremonies of Moses' bound that nation to the observing of them. For the Jewish ceremonies (at that time) were to be reverenced by the general commandment of God, 
Dispensations.  notwithstanding, if either need, or the profit of any neighbour constrained a jew to break them, he was not in such case bound to keep them, because that (cause standing) the jews was lord of the Sabbath, and offended not in breaking and omitting them.  
Therefore our saviour Christ sinned not, when he healed sick and diseased persons on the sabbath day, because that necessity, & neyghbourly charity caused him to have small respect to the outward Sabbath, which was a shadow & figure of the christian sabbath. So soon as christ was dead and risen again, all the ceremonies of the jews were utterly disannulled and repelled: wherefore the Christian man was unburdened of the heaviness of them, & only trusted to be saved by the grace of God showed in jesus Christ. For this cause we christians ought not to make any difference of days, nor think that one day is holier than another. Wherefore S. Paul would not that a christian, 
Rom. ●●●●  judge & think any diversity between day & day, 
Col. ●●.  nor that any man should accuse us for any fastival day, or new moan, or sabbath day, and feared lest he had travailed in vain, in the church of the Galathians, 
Gal. iiij.  because they were observers of days: willing to do us to understand, the to count one day holier than that other, was a thing, that pertaineth to a jew, & not to Christian men.  
That, which we have spoken of ceremonies Mosaical, 
Ceremonies of the new Testament.  namely that in need, & other behoves they bound not any jew, we may likewise say and affirm of the ecclesiastical laws of Christendom whereof some be authorised by jesus Christ, and some by the father & elders of our religion, that the christian faith might be preached and taught in good order. And albeit the ordinances of our ancestors, be not to be compared to those that god the lord appointeth, yet are they to be observed, & aught to be reverently used, because that god would, that in the church, things should be ordered in comely manner, and with due reverence. But for so much as these our laws ceremonial are made for our commodity, & not to our loss, therefore the lord would that they should yield, & give place to our necessities. 
Necessity is a dispensation.  There be many christian men under the Turk in vylanowse slavery, which can not use the Sacrament of the lords supper, & yet shall they not be condemned therefore, so that they have the faith of jesus Christ. Many other be entangled & chaltered in the snares of Antichristes' hypocrisy, which can not here the sincere preaching of the Gospel, & yet shall not for that cause be condemned, if in the mean while they do believe & trust in jesus Christ, all such do not sin, because necessity excuseth them. Like process might be made of the judicial laws, but I will not at this time make any treatise upon them.  
The Phariseis therefore, moved of an hateful hypocrisy, blamed our master, as a wicked breaker of the sabbath, & yet understood not for what purpose God had ordained the Sabbath. The Lord had an higher respect, then to the bodily rest, when he command the sabbath in the law, saying to the jews: Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day, 
Exo. x●.  six days shalt thou work, and the seventh is the Sabbath of the lord thy god, thou shalt do no work there on. 
institution of the sabbath.  In this speech God principally showeth to the people of Israel, that a man can not be sanctified nor justified by his own works, but proveth that to come to holiness, behoveth to keep ghostly sabbath. This is purport and intent of this commandment, namely that we ought to be dead to the works of our own flesh, for bear and rest from sin, and continually have our meditation & study of the kingdom of god: practising ourselves in this ghostly rest, we sanctify the christian Sabbath. For this consideration it is (I think) that Austen (writing unto januarius) sayeth, 
Lib. 2. ca 12.  that this commandment of the sabbath is figurative, & a shadow touching the outward keeping of the day, which is clean abrogated together, with all other shadows and ceremonies of Moses, by the death of jesus Christ. Wherefore ancient writers say, 
three causes of the sabbath.  that God appointed the commandment of the sabbath for three causes.  

first cause.  first, because the lord under the commandment of the bodily rest, would have understanded the spiritual & ghostly quiet, wherein the faithful surcease from fleshly works, & give place to god, to work in them the works of the holy ghost.  

second cause.  The second cause why the Sabbath was commanded to the jews, is that the people of the hebrews might have an appointed to hear the word of the Lord.  
The third cause is, that servants, 
third cause.  and such as be in subjection and under the commandment or rule of others, may have some ease and discontinuance of labour.  
Thus, albeit that we find how the sabbath was instituted for three causes aforesaid, yet nevertheless, the principal and chief cause why this ceremonial commandment was given, is because it should signify & import to us, the rest from sin, & hallowing of our souls and minds. For this cause we read in the old testament, that there was no commandment so precisely and straightly given to the jews, 
Exo. xxxv.  as the keeping of the Sabbath was, when god complaineth that all religion was destroyed and wasted among the jews, 
Hier. xvii  he lamenteth that this sabbath is broken, 
Qezech. xx  that it is not kept not sanctified, as though the lord should say: 
sabbath is all religion.  that when the sabbath is defiled & despised, there remaineth no other thing wherewith God can be honoured. Wherefore the lord commandeth the religion of the Sabbath, above all other spiritual works, speaking to his people on this wise: take head (o ye children of Israel) that ye keep my sabbath, 
Exo. xixi.  because it is a sign between me and you, through out your generation, that ye may know, that I am the lord that sanctify you. Keep the sabbath, for it is holy unto you, it is an everlasting covenant between me & the people of Israel, and a perpetual sign. By these words of the Lord is well perceived, that the sabbath is a sign, whereby the people of Israel may know, that god is their sanctifier. A christian man can not become holy, unless first of all he crucify the evil desires of his carnal will. Therefore the strait keeping of the ceremonial sabbath is not the thing that can make us holy, but it is a shadow, and sign, which teacheth us to leave of from our fleshly works, that the spirit of the lord may work in us the true sanctification, 
ghostly sabbath.  so that the carnal will of the christian man, should give place to the spirit of god, his worldly heart to the will of god. Our body with all the carnal members thereof should rest from voices & all dishonest works, that god may do in us his holy and ghostly works. This is that spiritual sabbath, & christian holy day, that Paul describeth to the hebrews, 
Heb. iij.  where he sayeth: therefore there remaineth a rest unto the people of god. 
Heb. iiij.  For he that is entered into his rest, ceaseth from his works, 
Gene. ij.  as god did from his, let us make haste therefore to enter into the rest. And forsomuch as a true christian ought always to subdue & keep under the flesh with it concupiscences & lusts, 
Continual Sabbath.  he therefore every hour keepeth sabbath, & taketh not one day to be more holy than another.  
This our spiritual sabbath we begin in this mortal life, & from day to day (as the power of the spirit of god increaseth in us) we more and more rest from the works of the flesh, & be more fervent & forward in hallowing the sabbath. 
flesh breaketh sabbath. Gal. v.  But because the flesh continually wrestleth & striveth against the spirit and abateth him from the perfect love therefore no christian man (whilst he abideth in this flesh) keepeth thoroughly & perfectly the sabbath, notwithstanding at the last, when we shallbe coupled to jesus Christ, & the kingdom shallbe resigned into the hands of god the father, 
1. Cor. xv  & god shallbe all in all, then shall we keep the perfect sabbath. This is that perpetual sabbath, & continual holy day, that Esay the Prophet describeth saying: 
Esay. lxvi  there shallbe sabbath after sabbath, and new moan after new moan, which also was resembled & shadowed of the lord god to the Israelites, in the outward keeping of the seventh day. This is that sabbath, for which the Prophet so much bewaileth, because the wicked went about to take it quite away from the earth, 
Psa. lxxiij  saying: come of, let us take every sabbath of god out of the earth. Other sabbath than this do not the children of God acknowledge, the is, to stay & trust in the merits of jesus Christ, 
Christian sabbath.  by mean whereof they be justified, and crucify their own flesh. And forsomuch as a christian man is assuredly certified & knoweth that he hath god for his father, therefore he layeth all his travail & grief upon him, which taketh care for his children. The faithful keep Sabbath, when they say in the lords prayer, o lord thy will be done. By these words the faithful is replenished, & fulfilled with the spirit of the lord, & knoweth, that it is not behoveful to follow his carnal will, that the will of god might be done, & accomplished. He that is the brother of Christ, is guided by the comfortable spirit, & not by the wisdom of of his flesh. Whether death, or life, shame or honour, riches, or poverty, trouble, or prosperity come, the christian man is neither dismayed with despair, nor puffed up in pride. For he keepeth diligently the sabbath of the spirit, & taketh it for certain, that he is in the hands of god. Happy be those Christians that sanctify the heavenvly Sabbath in their hearts, yea more than happy may I call them, for they are no more in despair of conscience, they know how much jesus Christ worketh in their minds, they pass not upon shadows, that be disannulled & destroyed by the coming of the body of jesus Christ. O unhappy be our days wherein reigneth more superstition, than ever did among the jews. This is the marvelous cheer, & rejoicing that the Prophet maketh for the solemnity of the day, dedicated to the lord, saying: sing with triumph unto god our helper, 
Psa. lxxx.  make ye melody to the god of jacob. Lift up your sweet tunes of the cymbals: smite upon your Psalters, & touch cleanly the strings of your sweat haps, blow your trumpets in the feast of your new moan, & in the solemn day of your feast. This song & tune of the Prophet was expounded of Paul, where he sayeth: 
Col. iij. Ephes. uj  that we should in our hearts sing to the lord Psalms, & spiritual songs, rejoicing in the spirit, and ioyinge in this sabbath. Wherefore faith joined with true confession, & love, maketh us to sing to the very god of jacob. This rejoicing is known outwardly of our neighbour, by the confession, that we make in the name of the great God. 
psaltery  The Psalterye that we smite on in the solemnity of this sabbath is the loving & thanking of god. 
Cimbal.  The cimbal is the mortifying of human wisdom, the crucifying of all man's merits, & the denying of all superstitious religion. 
Harp.  The harp, that is played upon in the feast of the sabbath, is the charity, that we use toward our neighbour, which causeth our conversation to be dulcet, and pleasant. The trumpet is the preaching of the gospel, 
Trumpet.  wherewith all christians be summoned & warned to sanctify the feast of the sabbath, for in jesus Christ is ordained the everlasting Sabbath.  
This is the time that pleaseth the lord, 
●. Cor. vi. Esay. xli●.  in which he heareth us, for this is the day of salvation, wherein he succoureth us. Therefore the christian sabbath is, that a man despair of himself, that he condemn his own holiness, & all that, that can come of our own nature, and put the trust & confidence of his salvation in one only jesus Christ. By this mean man resteth from his carnal works, and giveth place for the lord to work in his heart the doings of the spirit, whereby the lord consecrateth us, & halloweth us into his own service, as the Prophet sayeth: The lord that made every thing governeth all, 
Psal. xci.  for all things be in his hands. 
jews' offended  The jew & the hypocrite, that here talk of this manner sanctifying of the sabbath day, is discontented, yea and is stark wood, his blood chafeth within him, neither can he abide that the superstitious ceremony of days be overthrown. On other side the faithful man heareth those things, 
the faithful.  reioseth, is glad, & cheerful in hy● heart saying: Praised be t● lord, in whose hands & custody is my salvation: 
Ihon. ●.  I am w● assured to be saved, for no 〈◊〉 can take or pull me out of 〈◊〉 hands of the eternal father The Sabbath therefore is 〈◊〉 hallowed by being idle, 
Idleness is not hallowing  nor standing with the fingers ●●der the girdle, nor yet wy● ceasing from hand labour o●● day, as the superstitious Ie●● supposeth. Wherefore we re●● in the Prophet Esay, that 〈◊〉 sanctifying of the sabbath ●●●deth not in the outward & ●●●●dely religion of the holy d●● but the true hallowing is ●●●●ing our own will, & glorifying the lord. For he sayeth, if ●ou turn thy feet from the sabbath, 
Esay. l●●● lviji.  so that thou do not the ●●ing which pleaseth thyself 〈◊〉 my holy day, them shalt thou 〈◊〉 called unto the pleasant, ●oly & glorious sabbath of the ●●rd, where thou shalt be in ho●our, so that thou do not after thine twne imagination, neither ●●ke thine own will, nor speak ●hyne own words, them shalt ●hou have thy pleasure in the ●ord, which shall carry the high above the earth, & feed thee wt●he heritage of jacob thy father. Nether is there any doubt, but that this ceremony of the day is abrogated by the coming of jesus Christ, 
ceremony of time abrogated.  like as all other ceremonies of the Hebru●es be. jesus Christ is the truth, at whose presence all figure● be destroyed. jesus Christ 〈◊〉 the body, at whose approaching all shadows vanish away▪ he alone hath given us th● true fulfilling of the sabbath by clothing us with himself through his death, 
Rom. vi.  that w●● being raised again with hi● might lead a new life, wherefore all our life should be a perpetual sabbath, as I have sa● to you before.  
And although there be no differences of days in the christian congregation, 
Rom. xiv  yet wo●● Paul that the weak in the faith were borne with, & suffered▪ and that compassion be take● upon such, as be free from a● kind of hypocrisy and dissimulation, because many, that have already some knowledge 〈◊〉 the word of God, desire to ●o still forward. But for ye●●ey befell as children, and ●●ryshed and nuzzled in anti●●ristes religion, they believe ●hat one day is more holy ●●en another, of more reverence, and more honour than ●nother, of this hypocrisy ●●rked up in the swaddling ●●des, springeth up also this ●ther error, that the conscience of the hypocrite & simple 〈◊〉 cloyed with scrupulosity: And ●hinketh that he committeth as it is commonly termed) a ●●adly sin, if on the holy ●ay he should go to ploughing, 〈◊〉 do any other manner of hand ●●oure. The Apostle therefore would, 
Weak must be borne with.  that such feeble & ●●eake in the faith should not strait way be divided from the church. For with allo● & charitable manner, our du●● is first to instruct them, an● do them to perceive & witte● of what sort the christian 〈◊〉 evangelical liberty is, which is purchased & bought for v● by jesus Christ. Afterwards when the weak faythed i● taught so far, that he knoweth the liberty of days▪ of meats, of raiment, and o● all other outward works and nevertheless will be fro●warde, and refuse to enjoy 〈◊〉 christian liberty, then in such case the infirmity is no leng●● to be borne with, or suffered▪ because so it might grow to be uncurable. This error was bitterly blamed of S. Paul, which inflamed with great grief, rebuked the church 〈◊〉 the Galathians, saying: 
Gal. ii●●.  if ye ●●ue already known god, why ●●ye turn back a fresh to 〈◊〉 weak and beggarly elements, whereto ye would be ●●unden & thrak servants ●●ayne? Ye observe days, & ●●onethes, and times, & yea●●s, I am in fear of you, lest I ●aue bestowed labour on you 〈◊〉 vain. 
Two causes never abrogated  The other two cau●●s, for which the sabbath of ●he jews' was instituted, were never abrogated in any age or time: but aught to be observed of Christian men in the new testament, with no less earnestness, than they were of the jews in the old law. Wherefore it is expedient and meet, that among us be days appointed, when the church ought to assemble and come together to hear the preaching of the word of god, 
Act. ij.  
Holy day behaviour.  to use often the lords supper, to make common prayer for the state of christendom, to make collections of alms for the relief of the poor, 
i Cor. vi  & that families & households may be informed in the christian religion, & godliness, to visit our friends in a christian manner, to visit the sick, & to practise such other like holy deeds. Youth of itself is unruly & heady. The uplandish & feeble faythed, soon fall into error, 
Holy days be dreadful  wherefore it is necessary for this intent to ordain holy days, that the youth may be nurtured, and kept in awe▪ and that the ignorant may learn to know, what christian religion is, and what service is due to be given to god.  
The third cause, wherefore the sabbath was devised, is open & plain by the words, that the lord spoke to the Hebrew people. Thou shalt observe & take heed (sayeth the ●ord) that thy servant, and thy maid rest them, remember that thou was a servant in the ●and of Egypt. For these two ●auses therefore, that be civil, ●e christians must have cho●●n and determinated days, 〈◊〉 the church may continually 〈◊〉 exercised & enured, aswell in hardly in works of the spirit, 〈◊〉 outwardly in love toward ●ur neighbour. For this consideration the law of the Lord forbade the jews, only such corks on the sabbath day, 〈◊〉 letted them, that they could have no leisure or respite to hear the word of God, 
Why work is forbidden  to do the ordinary oblations and sacrifices, to make public prayer, and other exercises, full of charity, and love. As for example, they were foreboden to till the land, to build houses, and to do any other ordinary labour on the sabbath day, because such works held a man busied all the day, that he could intend to no other thing, notwithstanding, because the law of the sabbath was ceremonial to the jews, they sinned not, if for necessity, or for the weal & profit of their neighbour, they chanced some time to break it, as I have said above in this treatise.  
We Christians be free from those ceremonies, and those ordinances, 
Christians be free.  that the jews were in bondage under. Therefore no law of meat, of days, of clothing, of places, can bind us to a sin, as it did the jews. Nevertheless, for so much as the church can not be congregated, 
Days to what use.  and gathered, except there be days appointed, wherein the word of God must be preached, the lords supper ministered, public prayer made, & other Christian works aforementioned must be practised: Therefore our ancient fathers & elders, have determined and instituted, that at the  one day of the week should be bestowed & given to these religious and devout services. 
i Cor. xvi.  And in the Apostles church the christians following the custom of the jews came together on the sabbath day, so that many years the holy congregation of christendom used the sabbath, for the day dedicated to the spiritual government. But afterward, when Christendom increased, and spread abroad, in the time of the great Constantine, that the jews should have no occasion to glory against us, & that other should not think, that a Christian man became a jew, & lastly to declare to the whole world, that one day is not more holy than another, the sabbath was altered into the day following, which was named of the christians the dominical day, 
Sunday. ●●o. i.  that is, dedicated to the lord. And the keeping of this day hath been always used, sithen that in the church, things may be done with order, & reverence. Now to prove that the holy days were ordained of our ancestors for this political end, 
How the fathers used the sabbath  & not to make one day holier than that other, 
Lib. 4.  sufficeth the authority of tertullian In his book against Martion: & Jerome upon the epistle to the Galathians, where he sayeth: lest the unordinary congregating of the people should minish the faith in Christ, therefore certain days be appointed us, that we might all meet together, not that, that day, wherein we meet, is more holy or reverent, but to the end that more rejoicing may come of the mutual beholding, whatsoever day we meet. saint Augustine also in his work de ciuilate dei, maketh mention of certain memorials of holy days, as the nativity of the lord, the circumcision, the passion, the resurrection, the ascension, & whit sunday, on which days the christians did accompany themselves to hear the word of the lord, to use the communion, to make common prayers, & do other christian deeds. The same is red in the ecclesiastical history of Eusebius. So that our elders, knew that ceremonial holiness of the sabbath days, as the jews did. They only on those days assemble for the same purpose, that the Apostles did, 
Act. two. The apostles use on the holy day.  which continued in doctrine, in prayer, breaking of bread, & in the communicating, that is, in aiding and relieving the poor. And it appeareth that Paul appointed the day of the sabbath, on which day, 
1. Cor. xvi.  at the time the congregation came together, that the church of Corinth should make their collections of alms, that the poor christians at Jerusalem, which died for hunger, might be relieved & succoured. I conclude therefore, the christians be free from all superstitious hypocrisy of keeping the sabbath, & other festival days. The jews among other feasts, 
john. x. Fest of tents.  did use to solemmse a feast of tabernacles, so named because they dwelled seven, days in pavilions & booths. This feast was observed in remembrance, that their fathers dwelled in the desert and wilderness in tents, when they were delivered from the bondage of Egypt. According as the Lord commanded saying: In the seventh month (which agreeth with the month of October among us) the xu 
Levi. thirty.  day of the month shallbe the holy day of the tabernacles, & seven days shall ye lodge in tents, that your posterity may know, how that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I delivered them out of the land of Egypt. This solemnity should be kept without hypocrisy, & superstition, because it was but only a memorial, & remembrance of the benefit, that God had done to their fathers. But the jews forgetting the meaning of the feast, thought they should offend deadly, if on such days that were festival, they had done any bodily & outward work. In like manner the Phariseis expounded unto the people the precept of the Sabbath amiss. The lord sayeth: thou shalt not work on the sabbath day. This commandment only bound the jews from doing such labours, as letted the people, that they could not come to the common assembly, to be exercised & occupied in the law and will of the Lord, as I have already said here tofore.  
The last cause of keeping the sabbath was, 
rest of servants.  that the servants & labouring persons might have some quietness & releafe of labour: nevertheless the Phariseis neglecting the true understanding of the sabbath, had bewrapped and folden the people in the snare of hypocrisy and vain superstition. Over and besides this, 
Pharisaical traditions.  they added of their own head infinite other observances and rites, wherewith they brought the people into better bondage, for they said: on the sabbath day men ought not walk upon the grass, lest it wither, and be dead, nor climb trees, nor eat fruit gathered on the sabbath day, nor ride on that day, least the Sabbath were broken, nor wash clothes that were filled, nor blend wine and water, nor kill a fly, nor feed any thing, nor read by candle light, unless there be two at the least together in a company, and innumerable other superstityouse toys they put to of their own brain, by mean whereof they made the people superstitious & hypocrites.  
And they were so earnestly given to such novelties, that they forgot the weighty things of the law, that is, true faith in God, mercy & pity toward their neighbour. Of such things if perchance they spoke any thing to the people, it was done very coldly, because they were straight keepers of things of no value, and were satisfied in magnifying their carnal Sabbath, 
Commons blinded.  by which means they so kept under the understanding of the common people, that they never came to the knowledge of the very truth. But we Christians, to whom is opened and declared the gospel, must kept a perpetual sabbath in sprite. For to a christian only belongeth the true rest of the spiritual Canahan. 
Heb. iiij.  If joshua had given the children of Israel the true quietness, when he went over jordane, GOD would not eftsoons promise a true rest, nor speak of another sabbath by the Prophet David, 
Psa. xxiv  which was a long while after Moses & joshua. Therefore joshua was but a shadow and figure of Christ, 
Heb. xiii. joshua a figure.  which giveth us the very rest, & spiritual sabbath. Let us keep a spiritual & ghostly sabbath, and not a carnal, because we have not here any continuing city, but we seek for one to come. Wherefore let us (as Paul sayeth) know, 〈◊〉 ●oure earthy house of this dwelling were destroyed, 
ij. Cor. ●.  we have a building ordained of god, an house not made with hands, but everlasting in heaven. And therefore in the same, let us lighted, estringe to be clothed with our mansion, that is in heaven. And a little after he sayeth, we that are in this tabernacle sigh and are grieved, for we had rather not be unclothed, but be clothed upon, the mortality might be swallowed up of life. Therefore, whilst we be in this world, we can not perfectly keep the ghostly sabbath: for the flesh in such sort combereth our thoughts, that we can not cease from works of the flesh, that the sprite of the Lord might only in us keep the ghostly and heavenly Sabbath, and that we might be coupled with jesus Christ our head, which hath given us the true rest, by entering into the most desired land of Canahan, by the path & passage, that is made and set open by his blood. To whom be glory world without end.  
Amen.   

☞ Faults escaped.  
The seven. leaf b. the last live for consecration read conservation.  
The viii. leaf b. the xviij. live for with read without.   

¶ Imprinted at London in Paul's churchyard, at the sign of the George by William Reddell. In the year of our Lord. 1552.  
Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.