Original Douay–Rheims AnnotationsLeviticus 23

The festivities.

As other laws written by Moyses concerning Sacrifices, Sacraments, Degrees hindering marriage, punishments of sins, and the like, are partly moral, pertaining to the law of nature, partly ceremonial, or judicial, which may be altered: ^[1] so this law of festivities is partly moral, for that all men are bound to keep some festival days in honour of God, partly ceremonial, and so the Sabbath day was kept holy in the old Testament, the seventh day of the week, and other feasts, the days here prescribed. But these particular feasts and times are abrogated by Christ, whom they prefigured. In so much that now it is not lawful to keep them ^[2], for it would signify that Christ were not come, as S. Paul teacheth ( Rom. 14. Galat 4. Colloss. 2. and in other places) and it were plain Judaism, and Heresy condemned by the Counsel of Laodicia cap. 29. accursing them that Judaize abstaining that day from works. S. Gregory also refuteth this heresy, li. 11. Epist. 3. shewing that Antichrist will embrace it favouring the Jews: ^[3] In places whereof the next day (which we call Sunday) is made a perpetual holy day, by authority of the Church, and called dies Dominica, our Lord's day (Apoc. 1.) And this change the Protestants confess to be lawful and necessary, though we have no other express scripture, when, or by whom it was done, but only that S. John had his revelation in our Lord's day, but by perpetual tradition all Christians know, that the day after the sabbath is our weekly holy day, in memory of Christ's Resurrection the same day; and in figure of the general resurrection of all men, and of life everlasting to the blessed. S. Aug. li. 22. c. 30. civit. & Epist. 119. c. 15. and S. Hierome Epist. ad Hedib. ^[4] The same reason and authority do also warrant the change of other feasts, and institution of new, in honour of God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, his Mother, and other Saints, and in memory of benefits received, as here we see in the old Testament diverse were commanded by God, some also instituted long after Moyses, as by Mardocheus and other Jews, Esther 9 and the restoration with new dedication of the altar. 1. Machab. 4. observed by our Saviour Joan. 10. v. 22.

• 1 Festival days pertain to the service of God.
• 2 It is heresy to keep the Sabbath holy day.
• 3 In place thereof we keep Sunday.
• 4 Other feasts also changed, and new instituted by the same authority.