{{center|ANNOTATIONS.
CHAP. II.
Observation of holy dayes by Gods instruction.2. The seventh day.) Al creatures being made in their kinds in six dayes, complete and perfect, God not needing (as men often doe in their workes) to perfect, polish, or amend the same, rested the seventh day: and therfore the natural perfection of Gods workes is attributed to the seventh day, and the supernatural perfecting of men in eternal life, after the Resurrection, is attributed to the eight day, as S. Augustin and other fathers teach. in Psal 6. & 11.And for this cause God blessed and sanctified the seventh day: and after we have in the Decalogue or ten commandements, that this day al should rest and abstaine from workes, yea and keep it festival, occupying themselves in spiritual exercises, service, and special worship of God, as the Jewes did even til Christs and his Apostles time, Act 13, 14
Levit. 23.praying and hearing the word of God read and expounded in the Sabboath day. Observation of festival dayes is religious, not Judaical, nor heathnish.Wherby we see that distinction of dayes pertaineth to Religion the people of God thus observing the Sabboth in memorie of the Creation, and divers other feasts, in memorie of other benefits. And we now keep the Sunday holy in memorie of Christs Resurrection, and other feasts in grateful remembrance of other Mysteries of Christs Nativitie, the comming of the Holy Ghost, and the like. Yea also feasts of his Blessed Mother, and other Saints, for the benefits received from Christ by them, and for more honour to Christ in them. So this Catholike observation of feasts is neither Judaical (which also in the Law was good, but good but now is abrogated) nor heathnish, for we honour not Jupiter, nor Juno, nor anie false God or Goddesse, but our Lord God Creatour and Redeemer, and for his sake his best servants. Wherof see the Annotations in the English new Testament. 4. chap. to the Galathians. Honour of Saints is to the greater honour of Christ.Wherto we here only adde these wordes of S. Basil, which may serve for a general answer to the most common objection. Homil. in 40 Martyres.Honor servorum redundat in communum Dominum. The honour of the servants redoundeth to the common Lord, or Master. So, saith he, the honour of Saints is the honour of Christ their Lord and ours.
Why a particular positive law, besides the general lawes of God and nature, was given to man.17. Of the tree of knowledge.) Besides the law of nature, by which Man was bound to direct al his actions according to the rule of reason; and besides the supernatural divine law, by which he was bound to believe and trust in God, and to love him above al things, having received the guifts of faith, hope, and charitie; God gave him another particular law, that he should not eate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.lib. 8. de Gen. ad lit. c. 11.
Psal. 25. And that for two special reasons, which S. Augustin noteth upon this place. First reason.First, that God might declare himselfe to be Lord of man. Which was absolutely necessarie for man, and nothing at al profitable to God, who nedeth not our service, but we without his dominion should utterly fal to nothing. Nec enim ipso non creante, &c. For he not creating us, neither could we have bene, nor he not conserving us could we remaine, nor he not governing us, could we live rightly. Wherfore he only is our true Lord, whom not for his, but for our owne profite and salvation we serve. 2. reason.The other reason was, that God might give man matter wherin to exercise the vertue of obedience, and to shew himselfe a subject of God. Which could not be so properly and effectually declared by keeping other lawes, nor the enormitie of disobedience appeare so evidently as by fulfilling of Gods wil commanding him, or by doing his owne wil, moved to the contrarie, in a thing of it-selfe indifferent, and only made unlawful, because it was forbid. The sinne of disobedience.But let us heare S. Augustines owne wordes. Necporuit melius aut diligentius conimendari quantum malum sit sola inobedientia, &c. Neither could it (saith this great Doctour) be better, nor more exactly signified how bad a thing sole disobedience is, then where a man became guiltie of iniquitie, because he touched that thing contrarie to prohibition
