Sunday 28 August 1664

(Lord’s day). Up and with my boy alone to church, the first time I have had anybody to attend me to church a great while. Home to dinner, and there met Creed, who dined, and we merry together, as his learning is such and judgment that I cannot but be pleased with it. After dinner I took him to church, into our gallery, with me, but slept the best part of the sermon, which was a most silly one. So he and I to walk to the ’Change a while, talking from one pleasant discourse to another, and so home, and thither came my uncle Wight and aunt, and supped with us mighty merry. And Creed lay with us all night, and so to bed, very merry to think how Mr. Holliard (who came in this evening to see me) makes nothing, but proving as a most clear thing that Rome is Antichrist.


19 Annotations

First Reading

tg  •  Link

Sam's relationship with Creed is interesting. He has many great days with Creed, like today, but there is an underlying suspicion that has pervaded past entries. Perhaps because of the earlier professional rivalry between the two? And then Uncle Wight and wife show up to sup very merrily. I guess the uncle's "indecent proposal" was not that upsetting or maybe not taken too seriously.

Cum Grano Salis  •  Link

Samuell was tired of his Pew being dirty and using his own ragged clothe to dedust his patch for his derriere, now he has his lad use his cuff to wipe the dust and remove the perishing flys.

Bradford  •  Link

Can someone supply the L&M reading of this passage?

"Up the first time I have had great while. Home to dined, and with my boy alone to church anybody to attend me to church a dinner,"

the rest being clear enough, and not suggestive of hangover.

Terry F  •  Link

Bradford, look at today's first post.

jeannine  •  Link

"the first time I have had anybody to attend me to church a great while"

Terry I think that the real translation was "the first time I have had anybody to keep me from snoring in church for a great while...." Wonder if it's proper for the little lad to be elbowing his Master to keep him from dozing off? Maybe this is a warm up service to get Tom's nudging reflexes broken in for the real challenge of that infamously boring Scottish preacher!

Robert Gertz  •  Link

This one puzzles me...

"...very merry to think how Mr. Holliard (who came in this evening to see me) makes nothing, but proving as a most clear thing that Rome is Antichrist."

Considering Sam's deep respect for Hollier is the annotation right and is this really a reference to his surgeon? Or has some foolish minister of similar name crept in?

Of course as a Catholic I must admit whoever is quite right. How did he figure us out?

Robert Gertz  •  Link

What a merry time Bess must have had with Uncle...

JWB  •  Link

Clubable Sam's Sunday

Always a good day when your doctor comes to visit & does not talk about you. Suspect something akin to Stockholm syndrome in relationship.

Robert Gertz  •  Link

Of course perhaps there is an alternative explanation in all the "merry" references for the "Home to dined..."

"Sam'l?"

"Mr...er...Mrs Pups...Pepys. I have...hic...brought a...hic...guest. A friend as it were." heavy dignity, attempt at sober look.

"Sam'l. You swore a sacred vow to lay off heavy drink."

"Now, Bessie...Been how long since me last real bender?"

"Ma'am." Creed, equal dog...er dignity. "I must 'poligize. Yes. Tis I meself who have brought Mr. Popps, your husband, to this disgraceful condishon. I fear, madame...I have too much prevailed upon his god...er good...hic...nature."

"Well said...hic...Creed." Sam nods. "Tis a tur...True soul you are."

"And you, Pepys."

"Ma'am. It's Mr. Wight and his missus." Besse, eyeing the two men now embracing.

"Oh, lovely."

"Doubt he'll notice, ma'am. He's potted too." Besse notes.

"Charming..." What could make for a more lovely Sunday than an afternoon with three drunken louts playing "lets grope Bess"?

"Ah, niece." red-faced Wight beaming... "Have you p'haps?..."

"No, uncle."
***

Australian Susan  •  Link

Rome as AntiChrist

Ever since Bibles appeared in the vernacular and the authority of the Pope in the English Church was removed, there was growing in England firstly a desire for an alternative authority - which was provided by total reliance on the Bible in some parts of the Christian multitude in England (this became known as the Paper Pope - one poor authority replacing another in cynical minds.) And secondly, a desire to prove that the turning away from Papal Authority was justified.As the Bible was held by many to be totally inerrant, its pages were assiduously searched by some for evidence [sic] that Rome and Papal Authority were the Anti Christ of the Book of Revelation and all the evil things described therein. For example: "I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-coloured beast, full of the names of blasphemy...and the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abomination and filthiness of her fornication; and upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.." and so on for a long while. (Rev. 17 - KJV). This led to Rome being refered to as Babylon, and the Pope as the Whore of Babylon. I think Sam may be indicating he thinks such activities are a waste of brain power. Maybe.John Knox denounced Mary, Queen of Scots by quoting such passages to her as he felt she held to a faith which was corrupt, but then he considered that women should not rule - resulting in his famed quotation about the "monstrous regiment" [meaning "ruling"] - referring to the cousin Queens Elizabeth and Mary.

Australian Susan  •  Link

The AntiChrist Myth
This was the doctoral thesis topic of a friend of ours. Here is some information he was published on the web about this.
http://wiki.faithfutures.org/inde…

Second Reading

Marquess  •  Link

What a load of nonsense about the Catholic Church being the Anti Christ, when it was Christ himself who handed the keys of the Chruch to St.Peter and the pope is the successor of St.Peter. Therefore to act contrary to this covenant, is to act against Christ.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

✹ Australian Susan on 29 Aug 2007 • Link • Flag
The AntiChrist Myth
This was the doctoral thesis topic of a friend of ours. Here is some information he was published on the web about this.
http://wiki.faithfutures.org/inde…...

Sadly this has "disappeared." When posting it could be helpful to later annotators if a brief synopsis of appropriate highlights is also included. On the other hand, do we have an Anti-Christ expert in our midst? (Never thought I'd ask such a question!)

Terry Foreman  •  Link

I'm no Anti-Christ expert, but I went to the Main Page of this website (JesusDatabase) and searched for antichrist. The first hit was Antichrist Myth

http://wiki.faithfutures.org/inde…
The question of the origins and early development of the Antichrist myth was the focus of my doctoral research at the University of Queensland. The dissertation was subsequently published by Walter de Gruyter in the series Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZNW, 59 - 1991).[1]

By arrangement with the publisher, selections from that book will be made available here as a catalyst for new research and further discussion as some years have now passed since the original publication of the book.

This page will serve as a gateway to the selections, with links being added to the Table of Contents when an extract is available on this site.

Terry Foreman  •  Link

San Diego Sarah, it turns out the link I found is the same as the link posted by
Australian Susan. Ha ha ha!

Louise Hudson  •  Link

I wondered what a boy would do when "attending" Sam to church. Thanks to Cum Grano Salis and Jeannette, I have a better idea. As for Rome being the Antichrist, I wouldn't touch that one with a 10-foot pole.

San Diego Sarah  •  Link

"I wondered what a boy would do when "attending" Sam to church." Since he was a trained chorister, sing loudly for a start. Also elbow Pepys awake if he snored too loudly. Look at the girls is likely. Church wasn't the refined, quiet, meditative experience we have today ... cats and dogs hunted rats and mice; the poor had to stand for hours on end; there was no Sunday School so children were doing what children do. In short, self-conscious bedlam.

Louise Hudson  •  Link

I'm afraid you're right SDS. It's a wonder Sam could sleep so well during sermons with all that racket.

Log in to post an annotation.

If you don't have an account, then register here.