Greenham - Houston-Packer Collection BX9315 .G82 1601

ef treat; feof theSabboth. taftimonies ofGodsfauour, raft° more bountifully ofGods power in imminentandfeare- fulldaungers, and more liberally haue experience ofhis providence intheirmarueilous preferuation,'rhentheirbrethrenontheland ,Ithinketheyoughtnottobelcfl zealous, butmorecareful' ofthéworfhipofGod,then others on theland.Though then theprefcript forme ofthe law cannot alwayes bevied, and yetthe proportion oldie law maybe obfer- ued : and feeingGod is theLord ofthe feas aswell as he is thegouernourofthe land, he is Theprophases no left°to be worshipped in the one then inthe other:and yet thewant ofthis his worfhip ofmany fea- bathdif}inguifhed the feafairingmen fromothers by their mont}rousprophanenes, and funngmen. brutifh irreligioufnes.And yet inthatthis euili is not fogenerall,but thateuen in that cal- ling thereare fbmethatfeare theLord,it is manifeft thatthefault is notin thecailing,which in it felfe is lawfull,but inthecorruptions oftheperfons,who aredegenerated into an hel- lifh acheifine. Now concerning Potts thusmuchbriefly : Eitherthe Potts trauaile on the Lords day Ttifls. vponneceffitie,or without neceffrtie.Ifthey got on the necefrarieaffaires of theland, and fuchas by forellacking would be more dangerous, and the fpeedie difpatchingof them wouldbemoreprofitable tothe whole bodieofthcrealme,;the libertitispermitted, and is greater or left° according to the granitic and flendernesof their affaires : but if they haue no neceffitie, the rule of God his lawes take hold on them. Howbeitfor the mol} part fubiet}s are not fo precifely to iudge of them, becaufe princes matters are not knowneto all men : but they areratherto pray, that both the princes heart may be right herein, and that the Lord would moue themeuernore tovie thofe wayeswhich are mot} conuenient. Andthus much generally of the vfualiworkesof our calling. It remained'to fpeake of thofeworkeswhich haue notthe ordinarie courteofthe weckedayes,butare neuerthelelfe vledat certaine fee times and feafons, as Faires incertaine moneths and quarters of the yeere,asthefeeding in thewinter and in thefpring time, and the harueftin flimsier andin Antumne.Hereuntowe may addefpecialliourneyes taken inhandnotvfually,but extra- ordinariiy,and thegatheringofSaffron=the timeoftheyeere.All which thingshaue their feuerall feafons,andarevnnaturally taruft on the Lords ownetimes,howfoeuer men have pretended a neceflìcie,and fiefh and bloodhunting afterlibertie,difputeth tothe contrary. Fut}as for FairesandMarkets,wlhich bypolitike,wife,and worldly men on the Lords dales 0fFairesand aremaintained,itagueththewantofgodlywifedomewheretheybevfed,becaufewithout Markets. any prejudice to the worlhip of God they maynot conuenientlybeobferued.For if none- eeífitte, profit, nor pleafure could caufe thePapiftstohaue their Faireson their Chrithnas . day,Ealier day,holyThurfday, and Corpus Chriftiday ; then it is a fhamefor vs, that in truth and zealeought to got before them, todefile the Lords day herewith : yea Iadde, it is intolerable,becaufea firmeftatuteand ctujU law enforceth a plaine inhibition ofall fuels worldly conuents and attemblieson that day. ThereFaires arefor the molt parteitherfo- Ietnne marts and of greatercontinuance, or petie markets andof lellèrefort: if they be more folemnemarkets, then thecontinuance of the gaine in the weeke dayes mayedify affoord the Lordhisright on theSabboth dayes:ifthey hecticpetie markets,then theyare within the compatie offeuen dayes, andthey maybevfedon thefixe dayes betweene the Sabboths,not charging the Lords day with them. Concerning feeding time and harueft, wehaue heard them onthe Sabboth byexpreffe seed timeand words forbidden in Exodus. Andhere onething makethme tomarueile, whymen plead° harueft rather for thelibertie ofthe hornet}, thenof the feedingtime, when thetime is for theone and for the other,and hethat rearmed theone,reftrameththeother:yeaand there is more wifedomne and hellelabour required in the fèeding, and thereisletfeneed and more labour vied in the reapingtime. And yetmany thinkeitftrange to lowand plowon the Sabboth stisdsto of day,who make no coutciencetomow, reape, andcart Iton that day. Buthereto thecom- men. mandement let vs ioyne the promife. If webe careieffeto prouidefor theworfhip ofGod, the Lordwill cafe himfelfeofcaringfor vs. But,ifwe firft fichethekingdome of God, and hisrìghteoufnes, all there things fhall begiuen untovs. Andin truth the necetitieofdie haruet}rather charger' vs with many moeduties on theLords day, thendifehaegeeh vs S z of 195

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