The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)Gillespie, George
Religion
The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)
Gillespie, George
Church of Scotland -- History; Gillespie, George, 1613-1648
they are set, constant, and anniversary times, observed for permanent and
continuing causes, and not moveable or mutable, as fasts which are
appointed for occurring causes, and therefore may be infinite. I conclude
that, since God’s word hath given us a general command for occasional
fasts, and likewise particularly determined sundry things anent the
causes, occasions, nature, and manner of fastings, we may well say with
Cartwright,(172) that days of fasting are appointed at “such times, and
upon such occasions, as the Scripture doth set forth; wherein because the
church commandeth nothing, but that which God commandeth, the religious
observation of them, falleth unto the obedience of the fourth commandment,
as well as of the seventh day itself.”
_Sect._ 7. The Bishop presseth us with a fourth argument,(173) taken from
the calling of people in great towns from their ordinary labours to divine
service, which argument Tilen also beateth upon.(174) _Ans._ There is huge
difference betwixt the rest which is enjoined upon anniversary
festivities, and the rest which is required during the time of the weekly
meetings for divine worship. For, 1. Upon festival days, rest from labour
is required all the day over, whereas, upon the days of ordinary and
weekly meetings, rest is required only during the time of public worship.
2. Cessation from labour, for prayers or preaching on those appointed days
of the week, at some occasions may be omitted; but the rest and
commemoration appointed by the church, to be precisely observed upon the
anniversary festival days, must not be omitted, in the Bishop’s
judgment.(175) 3. Men are straitly commanded and compelled to rest from
labour upon holidays; but to leave work to come to the ordinary weekly
meetings, they are only exhorted. And here I mark how the Bishop
contradicteth himself; for in one place where his antagonist maintaineth
truly, that the craftsman cannot be lawfully commanded nor compelled to
leave his work and to go to public divine service, except on the day that
the Lord hath sanctified, he replieth,(176) “If he may be lawfully
commanded to cease from his labour during the time of divine service, he
may be as lawfully compelled to obey the command.” Who can give these
words any sense, or see anything in them said against his antagonist’s
position, except he be taken to say, that the craftsman may be both
commanded and compelled to leave his work and go to divine service on the
week-days appointed for the same? Nay, he laboureth to prove thus much out
of the ninth head of the _First Book of Discipline_, which saith, “In
great towns we think expedient, that every day there be either sermon or
common prayers,” &c., where there is nothing of compulsion, or a forcing
command, only there is an exhortation. But ere the Bishop have said much,
he forgetteth himself, and tells us,(177) that it were against equity and
charity to adstrict the husbandman to leave his plough so oft as the days
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The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2) — John Shaqi
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