The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians…

Dancing indeed they do not suffer; But this is not in relation to the Sunday, but the sport it self, which is held unlawful, and generally forbidden in the French Churches: which strictness as some note, considering how the French do delight in dancing, hath been a great hinderance to the growth of the reformed religion in that Kingdom.

Dancing indeed they doe not suffer; But this is not in relation to the Sunday, but the sport it selfe, which is held unlawfull, and generally forbidden in the French Churches: which strictnesse as some note, considering how the French doe delight in dancing, hath beene a great hinderance to the growth of the reformed religion in that Kingdome.

The Doctor indeed saith, that Calvin, Bullenger, Bucerus, ¹Brentius, Chemnitius, Ursine and others of the reformed Churches affirm, that still the Church hath power to change the Lords Day to some other; but he neither cites their words, nor quotes any place out of their writings. And as for Calvin, whom this Prefacer proposeth as chief, and the rest as thinking no otherwise thereof, then he did; I make no doubt but the passage in Calvin is instit. 2. cap. 8. sect. 34. ⟨p. 126⟩where thus he writeth, Neque sic tamen septenarium numerum moror, ut ejus servituti Ecclesiam astringerem, I do not so regard the number of seven; as to tie the Church to the servitude thereof; which considered in it self, might intimate that in his opinion, it is indifferent whether we keep holy one day in seven, or one day in fourteen; but the words immediately following do manifest his meaning to be far otherwise, as namely, that we are not so tied to a seventh, but that we may solemnize other days also, by our holy assemblies. For thus it follows, Neque enim damnavero qui alios conventibus suis solennes dies habeant. I condemn not them that keep other days holy: will any man suppose that some there were, well known to Calvin, who kept other days solemn, and not the Lords Day; and that these men Calvin would not condemn? And Gomarus, who is most opposite to us in this argument, professeth, that seeing not only a time, but a sufficient proportion of time is to be set apart for Divine service, therefore we must now under the Gospel, allow rather a better proportion of time for Divine service than a worse. And in this also Rivetus rests, in his answer to the first argument of Walaeus, contending for one day in seven, as necessarily to be allowed to the worship of God.