NOt out of any humour or desire of being in action , or that I love to have my hands in any of those publike quarrels , wherewith our peace hath beene disturbed : but that posteritie might not say , we have beene wanting , for our parts , to your information , and the direction of Gods people in the wayes of truth ; have I adventured on this Story . A Story which shall represent unto you the constant practise of Gods Church in the present busines , from the Creation to these daies : that so you may the better see , how you are gone astray from the paths of truth , and tendries of Antiquity , and from the present judgement of all Men and Churches . The Arguments whereto you trust , and upon seeming strength whereof you have beene emboldned to presse these Sabbatarian Doctrines upon the consciences of poore people , I purpose not to meddle with in this Discourse . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . They have beene elsewhere throughly canvassed , and all those seeming strengths beate downe , by which you were your selves misguided ; and by the which you have since wrought on the affections of unlearned men , or such at least , that judged not of them by their weight , but by their numbers . But where you give it out , as in matter of fact , how that the Sabbath was ordained by God in Paradise , and kept accordingly by all the Patriarkes , before Moses time ; or otherwise ingraft by nature in the soule of man , and so in use also amongst the Gentiles : in that , I have adventured to let men see , that you are very much mistaken , and tell us things directly contrary unto truth of Story . Next , where it is the ground-worke of all your building , that the Commandement of the Sabbath , is morall , naturall , and perpetuall ; as punctually to be observed , as any other of the first or second Table : I doubt not but it will appeare by this following History , that it was never so esteemed of by the Iewes themselves ; no not when as the observation of the same , was most severely pressed upon them by the Law and Prophets , nor when the day was made most burdensome unto them , by the Scribes and Pharisees . Lastly , whereas you make the Lords day to be an institution of our Saviour Christ , confirmed by the continuall usage of the holy Apostles , and both by him and them imposed , as a perpetuall ordinance , on the Christian Church ; making your selves beleeve , that so it was observed in the times before , as you have taught us to observe it in these latter dayes : I have made manifest to the world , that there is no such matter to be found at all , either in any writings of the Apostles , or monument of true Antiquity , or in the practise of the middle or the present Churches : What said I , of the present Churches ? so I said indeed ; and doubt not but it will appeare so in this following Storie : the present Churches , all of them , both Greeke and Latin , together with the Protestants of what name soever , being farre different , both in their Doctrine and their practice , from these new conceptions . And here I cannot chuse but note , that whereas those who first did set on foot these Doctrines , in all their other practises to subvert this Church , did beare themselves continually on the authority of Calvin , and the example of those Churches , which came most neere unto the Plat-forme of Geneva : in these their Sabbath-speculations , they had not onely none to follow ; but they found Calvin , and Geneva , and those other Churches , directly contrary unto them . However in all other matters , they cryed up Calvin and his writings , making his Bookes the very Canon , to which both Discipline and Doctrine was to be confirmed : Hooker in ●i● Preface . yet hic magister non tenetur , here by his leave they would forsake him , and leave him fairely to himselfe , that they themselves might have the glory of a new invention .

For you my Brethren , and beloved in our Lord and Saviour , as I doe willingly beleeve , that you have entertain'd these tenets upon misperswasion , not out of any ill intentions to the Church , your Mother ; and that it is an errour in your judgements onely , not of your affections : so upon that beliefe , have I spared no paines , as much as in me is , to remove that errour , and rectifie what is amisse in your opinion . I hope you are not of those men , Quos non persuadebis , etiamsi persuaseris , who either hate to be reformed ; or have so farre espoused a quarrell , that neither truth nor reason , can divorce them from it . Nor would I gladly you should be of their resolutions , Qui volunt id verum esse quod credunt , nolunt id credere quod verum est ; who are more apt to thinke all true which themselves beleeve , than be perswaded to beleeve such things as are true indeed . In confidence whereof , as I was first induced to compose this Historie ; so in continuance of those hopes , I have presumed to addresse it to you , to tender it to your perusall , and to submit it to your censure : that if you are not better furnished , you may learne from hence , that you have trusted more unto other men , than you had just reason . It is my chiefe endeavour , as it is my prayer , that possibly I may behold Ierusalem in prosperity , all my life long ▪ Nor doubt I by the grace of God , to reduce some of you at the least , to such conformity with the practise of the Catholicke Church ; that even your hands may also labour in the advancement and promotion of that full prosp●rity , which I so desire . This that I may the better doe , I shall present you , as I said , with the true Story of the Sabbath : and therin lay before your eyes , both what the Doctrine was , and what the practise , of all former times ; and how it stands in both respects , with all Gods Churches , at this present . First , for the Sabbath , I shall shew you , that it was not instituted by the Lord in Paradise , nor naturally imprinted in the soule of man , nor ever kept by any of the antient Fathers , before Moses time : and this , not generally said , and no more but so ; but proved particularly and successively , in a continued descent of times and men . Next , that being given unto the Iewes by Moses , it was not so observed or reckned of , as any of the morall precepts ; but sometimes kept , and sometimes not ; according as mens private businesses , or the necessities of the state , might give way unto it : and finally was for ever abrogated , with the other ce●emonies , at the destruction of the Temple . As for the Gentiles all this while , it shall hereby appeare , that they tooke no more notice of it , ( except a little , at the latter end of the Iewish State ) than to deride both it , and all them that kept it . Then for the Lords day , that it was not instituted by our Saviour Christ , commanded by the Apostles , or ordained first by any other authority , than the voluntary consecration of it , by the Church , to religious uses : and being consecrated to those uses , was not advanced to that esteeme , which it now enjoyes , but leisurely and by degrees , partly by the Edicts of sec●lar Princes , partly by Canons of particular Councels , and finally by the Decretals of severall Popes , and ●rders of inferiour Prelates : and being so advanced , is subject still , as many Protestant Doctors say , to the Authority of the Church , to be retained , or changed , as the Church thinkes fit . Finally , that in all Ages heretofore , and in all Churches at this present , it neither was nor is esteemed of as a Sabbath day : nor reckned of so neere a kin to the former Sabbath , but that at all such leisure times , as were not destinate by the Church to Gods publike service ; men might apply their mindes and bestow their thoughts , either about their businesses , or upon their pleasures , such as are lawfull in themselves , and not prohibited by those powers , under which they lived . Which shewed and manifestly proved unto you , I doubt not but those paper-walls , which have beene raised heretofore to defend these Doctrines , how faire soever they may seeme to the outward eye , and whatsoever colours have beene laid upon them ; will in the end appeare unto you to be but paper-walls indeed : some beaten downe by the report onely of those many Canons , which have successively beene mounted in the Church of God ; either to fortifie the Lords day , which it selfe did institute , or cast downe those Iewish fancies , which some had laboured to restore . Such passages as occurred concerning England , I purposely ha●e deferred till the two last Chapters , that you may looke upon the actions of our Ancestours with a cleerer eye : both those who lived at the first planting of Religion ; and those who had so great an hand , in the reforming of the same . And yet not looke upon them only , but by comparing your 〈◊〉 Doctrines , with those which were delivered in the former times ; your severe practice , with the innocent●libertie which they used amongst them : you may the better see your errours , and what strange incens● you have offered in the Church of God . A way , in which I have the rather made choise to wa●●e , that by the practice of the Church in generall , you may the better judge of those Texts of Scripture , which seeme to you to speake in the behalfe of that new Divinitie , which you have preached unto the people : and by the practise of this Church particularly , it may with greater case be shewed you , that you did never sucke these Doctrines from your Mothers brests .

It is an observation a●● a ●ule in Law ; that custome is the best interpreter of a doubtfull statute ; and wee are lesson'd thereupon , to cast our eyes , in all such questionable matters , unto the practice of the state in the selfe-same case . De ligi● . & lo●ga consuet . Si de interpretatione legis quaeritur , imprimis inspiciendum est , quo jure civitas retro in hujusmodi casibus usa fuit : Consuedo enim optima interpretat ●o l●g●● est . If you submit unto this rule , and stand unto the Plea which you oft have made : I verily perswade my selfe that you will quickely finde your errour ; and that withall you will discover , how to abet a new and dangerous Doctrine , you have deserted the whole practise of the Christian Church , which for the space of 1600. yeeres , hath been embraced and followed by all godly men . These are the hopes which we project unto our selves . The cause of this out undertaking , was your information ; and the chiefe end we aime at is your reformation : Your selves , my Brethren , and your good , if I may procure it , are the occasion and the recompence of these poore all prejudice , which possibly you may be possessed withall , either in reference to the Argument , or unto the Author : and 〈◊〉 per●use thi● following Story , with as much ●●●●glenesse of 〈…〉 of truth , and in●ocation of Gods Spirit to finde out the same ; as was by me used in the writing of it . It is your welfare which I aime a● , as before was said ; your restitution to your functions , and reconciliation to the Church , from which you are at point of falling : that wee with you , and you with us , laying aside those jealousies and distrusts , which commonly attend o● divided minds ; may joyne our hearts and hands together for the advancement of Gods Honour , and the Churches peace . And God even our owne God , shall give 〈◊〉 his blessing .

For others which shall reade this Storie , whether by you misguided , or yet left entire ; I doe desire them to take notice , that there i● none so much a stranger to good Arts and Learning , whom in this case and kind of writing , I dare not trust with the full cognizance of the cause herein related . In points of Law , when as the matter seemes to be above the wit of common persons ; or otherwise is so involved and intricate , that there hath beene no Precedent thereof in former times : it is put off to a demurrer , and argued by my Lords the Iudges , with their best maturitie of deliberation . But in a matter of fact , we put our selves upon an ordinarie Iurie , not doubting , if the evidence prove faire , the Witnesses of faith unquestioned , and the Records without suspition of imposture , but they will doe their conscience , and finde for Plaintiffe or Defend●nt , as the cause appeares . So in the businesse ▪ now in ●and , that part thereof which consists most of argument , and strength of disputation , in the examining of those reasons which Pro or Con have been alledged ; are by me lef● to be discussed and weighed by them , who either by their place are called , or by their learning are inabled to so great a businesse . But for the point of practice , which is matter of fact , how long it was , before the Sabbath was commanded , and how it was observed , being once commanded ; how the Lords day hath stood in the Christian Church , by what authority first instituted , in what kinde regarded : these things are offered to the judgement and consideration of the meanest Reader . No man that is to be returned on the present Iury , but may be able to give up his verdict , touching the title now in question ▪ unlesse hee come with passion , and so will not heare , or else with prejudice and so will not value , the evidence which is produced for his information . For my part , I shall deale ingenuously , as the cause requires , as of sworne counsell to the truth ; not using any of the mysteries or Arts of pleading , but as the holy Fathers of the Church , the learned Writers of all Ages , themost renowned Divines of these latter times , and finally as the publicke Monuments and Records of most Nations christned have furnished me in this enquirie . What these , or any of them have herein either said , or done , or otherwise left upon the Register for our direction , I shall lay downe in order , in their severall times ; either the times in which they lived , or whereof they writ : that so we may the better see the whole succession both of the doctrine , and the practise of Gods Church , in the present businesse ▪ And this with all integritie and sincere proceeding , not making use of any Author , who hath been probably suspected of fraud or forgery ; nor dealing otherwise in this search , than as becomes a man who aimes at nothing more than Gods publike service , and the conducting of Gods people in the wayes of truth . This is the summe of what I had to say in this present Preface ; beseeching God , the God of truth , yea the truth it selfe , to give us a right understanding , and a good wi●l to doe thereafter .