by 1. his power 2. his jealousie How jealousie is ascribed to God Why humane affections are ascribed to God CHAP. IX page 224 Of the Commination wherein 1. The censure of the sin 2. The punishment 1. In the censure The sin viz. of Idolatry Is called 1. Hatred of God How God can be hated 2. Iniquity The punishment visitation upon the children The 〈◊〉 of this punishment by 1. The greatnesse 2. The multiplicity 3. The continuance Of Gods justice in punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children That it is not unjust in respect of the father nor 2. of the sin The use of all CHAP. X. page 228 The third part of the sanction a promise of mercy Gods rewards proceed from mercy which is the fountain of all our happinesse His mercy is promised to the 1000 generation the threatning extends onely to the third and fourth The object of his mercy such as love him Our love must be manifested by keeping his Commandements How they must be kept The benefit they will keep and preserve us The Exposition of the third Commandement CHAP. I. page 231 The general scope of the third Commandement Of glorifying the name of God by praise The manner how it must be done Several motives to stir men up to the duty CHAP. II. page 234 What is meant by Gods name The use of names 1. To distinguish 2. To dignifie Gods name in respect of his Essence Attributes and works and how they are to be reverenced What it is to take his Name as glorious as necessary Glorifying his Name inwardly outwardly by confessing defending it remembring it honourable mention of it threefold it must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 often 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well spoken of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 venerable Applyed to our own actions by prayer and to others by blessing c. Of glorifying it in our lives What it is to take Gods Name in vain in respect of 1. the end 2. agent 3. the work CHAP. III. page 239 Of taking Gods Name by an oath The causes and grounds of an oath The parts of it Contestation Execration How God is glorified by an oath What is here commanded 1. To swear In what cases For Gods glory Mans necessity For the publick good The Oath Ex Officio whether lawful or no. Of private and voluntary oathes 2. To swear by God not by Idols or Creatures 3. Not to take his Name in vain but to swear in 1. Truth in oathes assertorie promissorie 2. Judgement 3. Justice Against voluntary oathes whether lawful Of swearing from the heart The means to be used against vain swearing The signes of keeping this Commandement Of drawing others to keep it CHAP. IV. page 250 What a vow is Whether a bare purpose without a promise Whether a thing commanded may be the matter of a vow The necessity and use of vows in respect of God of our selves What things a man may vow se suos sua Vows in the times of the Gospel Of performing vows Qualifications in a vow for the person the matter The time of vowing Of paying our vows CHAP. V. page 255 Of glorifying Gods Name from the heart The means of glorifying it The signes Of causing others to glorifie it The second part of this precept the Commination Reasons why such a threatning is here denounced Gods punishing the breach of this Commandment by visible judgements God is jealous of his Name The Exposition of the Fourth Commandement CHAP. I. page 259 The excellent order of the Commandements Why God himself appointed a set time for publick worship Why this Commandement is larger then the rest Six special things to be observed in this Commandement which are not in the rest The general parts of it 1. The precept 2. The reasons In the precept 1. The affirmative part what is meant by Sabbath what by sanctifying How things sanctified differ from other things God sanctified it not for himself but for us We must sanctifie it 1. In our estimation of it 2. In our use of it CHAP. II. page 262 What is commanded here 1. A rest 2. Sanctification Rest is required not for it self but for the duties of sanctification Reasons that the Sabbath is not wholly nor principally remonial Addition 21. out of the Authors other works declaring his meaning in two things 1. That the Lords day is Jure Divino 2. That the Jewish Sabbath is abolisht by Christs death proved by him at large out of Scriptures and Antiquity in his Speech against Trask in Star-Chamber CHAP. III. page 268 Additional considerations upon the doctrine of the Sabbath laid down in seven conclusions 1. It is certain some time is to be set apart for publick worship proved by Schoolmen Canonists and Reasons 2. Certain that the law of Nature doth not dictate the proportion of seven or any other in particular 3. It is most probable that the seventh day was appointed by God from the beginning as a day of publick worship in memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely This proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick Declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some Schoolmen late Divines 5. The fourth Commandement is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Iewish-sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expired How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of the Sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the Sabbath 7. The Sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Councel of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner CHAP. IV. page 276 Reasons of this Commandement 1. Gods liberality in allowing us six dayes and requiring but one for himself 2. The seventh is his own proper day Who are comprehended in the prohibition 1. The Master of the family 2. Children 3. Servants 4. Cattel 5. Strangers The general reasons of this precept 1. Gods rest from the creation Addition 22. Moral reasons sometimes given of a ceremonial precept The reason why a rest and why on this day are different things out of Maimon Abenezra 2. Reason the benefit coming to mankinde by the creation 3. Reason God blessed the seventh day CHAP. V. page 280 How far this rest is to be kept Why this word remember is prefixed Such work to be forborn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend holy duties Mans opposition to God when
sabbath is jure divino in which point learned men do differ and of which we shall speak something hereafter yet that the 〈◊〉 sabbath which as it concerned the jews in a perculiar manner is litterally injoyned by the fourth Commandment is abolisht by the death of Christ is his opinion clearly expressed elswhere Of the 〈◊〉 he speaks in one of his sermons of the resurrection on 1 Cor. 11. 16. where labouring to prove the feast of Easter to be as ancient as the Apostles among other arguments he brings one from the Lords day in these words But we have a more sure ground then all these The Lords day hath testimony in Scripture I insist upon that that Easter day must needs be as ancient as it For how came it to be the Lords day but that as it is in the Psalm The Lord made it And why made he it but because the stone cast aside that is Christ was made the head of the corner that is because then the Lord rose because his resurrection fell upon it Where he plainly affirmes the Lords day to be so made by the Lord himself and that because Christ rose upon that day Now for the other point that the jews sabbath was ceremonial and abrogated by Christs death is proved at large by his speech in star-chamber against Trask published inter opera posthuma where among other things he speaks 〈◊〉 The Apostle inter alia reckoning up diverse others concludes with the sabbath and immediately upon it addes Which all are but shadows of things to come Sabbath and all but the body is Christ. The body had the shadow to vanish that which was to come when it is come to what end any figure of it it ceaseth too That to hold the shadow of the Sabbath is to continue is to hold Christ the bodie is not yet come It hath been ever the Churches doctrine That Christ made an end of all Sabbaths by his Sabbath in the grave That Sabbath was the last of them and that the Lords day came presently in place of it Dominicus dies Christi resurrectione declaratus est Christianis ex illo caepit habere festivitatem suam saith Augustine The Lords day was by the resurrection of Christ declared to be the Christians day and from that very time of Christs resurrection it began to be celebrated as the Christian mans festival For the Sabbath had reference to the old creation but in Christ we are a new Creature a new creation by him and so to have a new Sabbath and vetera transierunt no reference to the old We. By whom he made the world saith the Apostle of Christ. So two worlds there were The first that ended at Christs Passion saith Athanasius And therefore then the Sun without any eclypse went out of it self The second which began with Christs resurrection and that day initium novae creaturae the beginning and so the feast of them that are in Christ a new creature It is diduced plainly The Gospels keep one word all four and tell us Christ arose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 una sabbatorum that is after the Hebrew phrase the first day of the week The Apostles they kept their meetings on that day and S. Luke keeps the very same word exactly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to exclude all errour on that day they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is held their synaxes their solemn assemblies to preach to pray to break bread to celebrate the Lords supper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lords supper on the Lords day for these two onely the day and the supper have the Epithet of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominicum in the scriptures to shew that Dominicum is alike to be taken in both This for the practise then If you will have it in precept The Apostle gives it and in the same word still that against 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of their assembly every one should lay apart what God should move him to offer to the collection of the Saints and then offer it which was so ever in use that the day of oblations so have we it in practise and 〈◊〉 both even till Socrates time who keeps the same word still 〈◊〉 5. cap. 22. This day this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came to have the name of Dies Dominicus in the Apostles times and is so expressely called then by Saint John in the Revelation Revel 1. 10. And that name from that day to this hath holden still which continuance of it from the Apostles age may be deduced down from father to father even to the Council of Nice and lower I trust we need not to follow it no doubt is made of it since then by any that hath read any thing I should hold you to long too cite them in particular I avow it on my credit there is not any ecclesiastical writer in whom it is not to be found Ignatius whom I would not name but that I finde his words in Nazianzen Justin. Martyr Dion sius Bishop of Corinth in Euseb. lib. 4. Irenaeus Clemens Alexandr Tertull Origen Cyprian every one And that we may put it past all question Justine Martyr who lived in the very next age to the Apostles and Tertullian who lived the next age to him both say directly 〈◊〉 solemn assemblies of the Christians were that day ever on Sunday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Justine die solis saith 〈◊〉 and leave the 〈◊〉 to their Saturn either in their Apologies offered by them to the Emperours Justine made two in his second Tertullian but one the sixteenth chapter of his that of the true day there can be no manner of doubt A thing so 〈◊〉 so well known even to the Heathen themselves as it was in the Acts of the Martyrs ever an usual question of theirs even of course in their examining What Dominicum servasti Hold you the Sunday and their answer known they all aver it Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian I cannot intermit it not the Lords day in any wise These are examples enough I will adde but an authority and a censure and so end The authority I will refer you to is of the great Athanasius great for his learning for his vertue for his labour and for his sufferings but above all great for his Creed Tertullian had written a book de cibis Judaicis which we have so another de 〈◊〉 Judaico which we have lost but it is supplied by Athanasius his book de sabbato circumcisione for he puts them and so they must go together Circumcision and the Sabbath In which he is so clear and so full for the abolishing of the 〈◊〉 day and the succeeding of the Lords day in place of it as no man can wish more and the treatise is no long one neither Now as in the other of meats so in this will I end with censure It is
memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely this proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some School-men late Divines 5 The fourth Commandment is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Jewish sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expir'd How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of Iewish sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the sabbath 7. The sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Council of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner The whole doctrine of the sabbath and Lords day handled in seven conclusions FOr the more cleare understanding of this point of the sabbath and of the reasons which are here produced and of this discourse upon that subject I shall briefly lay down that which I conceive most agreeable to the truth in certain propositions or conclusions distinguishing things certain from such as are onely probable and submitting all to the iudicious and learned reader 1. It is certain that some time ought to be set apart for publick worship and that this is required by the law of nature which dictates to every one that as God ought to be worshipped so some special time must be set apart for that imployment and therefore as when God created the world he is said to have concreated time with it so when he commands a publick worship he commands withall some time for that use without which it cannot be performed and therefore it is confessed by all divines ancient and modern and by men of all professions except familists and such fanatick spirits that some time ought to be set apart for holy duties as due by the immutable law of nature morale est quantum ad hoc quod homo 〈◊〉 aliquod tempus ad vacandum divinis c. saith Aquinas secunda secundae q. 112. It is moral that every man depute some time for religious duties and with him joyntly agree all the rest of the Schoolmen modern divines and others The very law of nature saith our learned Hooker requires no lesse the sanctification of times then of places persons and things for which cause it hath plased God heretofore as of the rest so of times likewise to exact some part by way of perpetual homage And so we finde the Heathen which had no other then the law of nature to direct them had their solemne feasts and set dayes appointed for the worship of their supposed deities This therefore I lay down as certain because questionedby none 2. I conceive it to be likewise certain that the law of nature doth not in particular dictate what day or time ought to be set apart for publick worship but that the determination of the time or dayes in special is from positive laws either of God or men and therefore that the limitation of a seventh day or the 7 th day from the creation or any other particular proportion cannot be deduced necessarily from any natural principle but must be referrd to some positive law either divine or humane This appears in that there can no natural reason be given why one day more then another or why a seventh rather then a sixth or eighth should necessarily be consecrated to God all dayes being in themselves alike and none in themselves more excellent then others those things which are natural and simply or purely moral are evident to all by the light of nature or may by necessary consequence be deduced from some principle which is evident such laws concern things good or evil in themselves and therefore do immutably binde all persons in all places alike but the limitation of a special day is not it is neither a principle evident in it self nor can by necessary consequence be derived from any such principle and therefore cannot be referred to any natural law or dictate of reason Therefore not only the schoolmen generally nemine contradicente with the Casuists and Canonists but the most modern divines some few excepted do generally agree in this as well as in the former conclusion and though some make the observation of the Lords day under the Gospel to be unchangable and so in some sort moral as the sabbath was under the law yet this they ground not upon any natural law but upon positive divine Law and those that seem to make it a dictate of nature mean nothing else but that there is a congruity in reason and that this time being fixt by Christ is unalterable by any humane power The reason given by some why a memento is prefixed before the fourth Commmandement and none else is because that Nature doth not dictate any particular day and therefore men need to be put in minde of the day appointed by God Filencius tract 27. cap. 1. n. 4. Ex Thom. 1. 2. q. 100. a. 7. 2. 2. q. 122. a. 4. ad 3. Bonavent Richard aliis in 3. Sent. Dist. 37. and before them S. Chrysost. saith that the Sabbath is a precept not made known to us by our Consciences as the other precepts are and that God therefore gives reasons of this as because he rested the seventh day and because they were servants in Egypt c. whereas in those that are purely moral as Thou shalt do no murther c. he gives the Precept barely without any reason at all and that because our consciences had taught us this before and because he speaks to those that knew reason sufficient Tom. 6. p. 542. Edit Savil. 3. It is probable that the seventh day was appointed by positive divine law from the begining as the day for publick worship to praise God for the creation of the world c. and so did oblige all mankinde though as a Sabbath or day of symbolical rest it was afterward particularly given to the Jews by Moses For it is the opinion not only of some Jewish Doctors but of learned men among our selves that in the 4 h Commandment the sanctifying of the seventh day and the rest then commanded are several distinct things and that the first refer to the creation of the world as the cause the other to the Egyptian bondage out of which they were delivered and that therefore the one belonged to all men the other onely to the Jews for which cause the Sabbath is said to be a signe between God and
them Exod. 31. 13. of which opinion seem to be Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 30. and Euseb. hist. 1. cap 4. And thus that of Genesis 2. of Gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day may be expounded cleerly and litterally without any forced interpretation that God did then sanctifie and appoint that day to be kept holy by a joyful remembrance of the creation and by other holy duties solemnly to be performed to him as Creator of all that being the birth day of the world which God the Lord of all would have observed as Princes who appoint the birth-day of their sons to be kept by their subjects For though I know diverse learned men both ancient and modern do otherwise expound the words either of Gods sanctifying the day in himself by a rest or cessation from those emanations of his power and goodnesse or by destinating the day to be observed afterwards or that the words are spoken by anticipation viz. that Moses writing that history after the Sabbath was given saith that Gods resting on the seventh day was the cause why afterwards viz. when the Law was given he sanctified that day yet the other exposition seems to be more cleer and genuine that the sanctification by holy duties was commanded then and that the rest from all labours was one of the ceremonies given afterwards to the Jews And to this those words of Moses Deuter. 5. 12. seem to relate when after the Commandment of sanctifying the Sabbath day he addes As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to wit long before from the beginning of the world and in Exod. 20. 10 I take the same to be the meaning of the words the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God that is the day consecrated to God from the beginning Therefore 〈◊〉 collects from those words in Job 38. 4. 7. where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning stars sung together and all the sons of God shouted for joy that upon the seventh day when the world was finisht the Angels who who are stiled the sons of God kept the sabbath And though I will not peremptorily affirme that the Angels kept it yet I take it to be very probable that the people of God the Patriarches and other holy men as they had publick sacrifices and forms of worship so they had some set times for the ordinary performance thereof which is most likely to have been on this day it is hardly credible that in the time of Enoch men should separate themselves from the sons of Cain by calling upon the name of the Lord that is by some publick worship and as learned Drusius thinks by some publick forms or liturgies without some set and solemn time for the performance thereof And Calvin himself though far from the sabbatarian errors yet thinks that the frequent sacrifices performed by Abraham and the other Patriarches were usually upon this day and therefore concludes it probable that the sanctification of it was before the Law And seeing there never was any nation in the world but had some certain and set dayes for their religious exercises can it be imagined that the people of God for those many hundred years before the flood and after even when they were grown into great multitudes in Egypt when they lived for divers hundred years should all that time be without any certain time when to worship God that they should have their sacrifices their priests viz the eldest of the family their altars and consecrated places their tithes which was Gods portion appointed by divine positive law from the beginning as may be elswhere proved and yet have no certain dayes for solemne worship this seemes to me altogether incredible especially if we consider that it is morally impossible that religion should long continue and be preserved among any people without some certain time for the publick exercise thereof And therefore though there be no expresse mention of any such dayes yet I make no question but they observed some and if any then surely this day Besides the ceasing of the manna to fall upon the seventh day for some time before the Law was given is an argument that the sabbath was known before as a day sacred to God though it begun then first to be kept as a day of rest which was afterwards prescribed by a law And hence it was that some relicks of this day were found among the Heathen though much obliterated because not written in their hearts by nature and a high esteeme they had of the seventh day as appears by Clem. Strom. 5. Euseb. praepar l. 13. c. 12. who out of Hesiod mencions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux septuma sancta 10 Septius Adv. Appi. l. 2. circa finem Philo de die septimo shew that there was no nation so barbarous but that they honoured the seventh day and that it was the holy day not for one nation but for all the world The same is gathered from Homer and Callimachus by Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. The like we finde in Theophilus Ant. lib. 2. ad Autolicum Suetonius in Tiberio 32. Philostratus l. 3. c. 13. Dion Carthus l. 33. Lucian Tibullus and others And wheras Iustine Martyr Tertullian and others of the fathers say often that before the law holy men pleased God without keeping the sabbath they understand by sabbatizing not the publick praise and worship of God but the Jewish rest upon the sabbath which its true was proper to them and symbolical and was not observed by the Patriarchs And that they mean this may gathered from Tertull. l. 4. contra Marcion Hoc priviliigium donatum sabbato a primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jeiunii dico where we see he derives the sabbath as a day of rejoycing from the beginning of the world and thereupon grounds the custom of not fasting on that day and yet the same man denies that the Patriarchs kept the sabbath that is the Jewish symbolical 〈◊〉 4. The fourth conclusion which I shall propound likewise as probable at least is that the Lords day which the Christian Church observes instead of the sabbath is of divine institution that as the seventh day from the Creation was instituted by God himself by a positive law obliging all the world so the Lords day is by positive Law obliging all Christians to the end of all the world instituted by authority from Christ who changed the day by his resurrection from the seventh to the first day of the week and that the Apostles published and ordained it not as ordinary rulers and gouernours of the Church but as speciall extraordinary legates of Christ by order from him and therefore the Church now hath no power to alter this day This assertion follows upon the former for if the sabbath was instituted by God before the Law and did oblige all mankinde as we have shewed already for
day consecrate our selves wholly to God Now here will arise some questions Whether the strict Commandment given to the Jews of kindling no fire and consequently of dressing no meat upon the Sabbath be to be observed by us Christians To this we answer Negatively for this was Ceremonial and belonged onely to the Jews For it is a general rule that every moral or eternal dutie of the Law may be performed by all men at all times But they which inhabit under the North-pole as it is well known cannot be without fire one day and to let it go out were to their utter destruction and so they that dwell under the burning Zone under the Equinoctial cannot well keep their meat above one day so that this being Ceremonial the Christian is exempted from the observing of it as being a thing not observable through the whole world though it might have been observed by the Jews and therefore was it a peculiar precept to them onely because they had no obstacle but might have kept it 2. The second question is Whether the six several works formerly prohibited the Jews be absolutely forbidden to Christians as to travail c. For answer to this we will go no further then the Precept it self The Sabbath must be remembred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our rest must be ad sanctificandum to sanctifie it the outward rest is destinate sanctificationi to sanctity ideo quiescimus ut sanctificemus we therefore rest because we should sanctifie so that where our rest is not destinata sanctificationi applied to sanctification it is not required and where sanctification cannot be sine quiete without rest there a rest is required Certain it is that a man may rest and not sanctifie so likewise he may sanctifie and not rest and therefore in the first case it is said there are many resters and but few sanctifiers Now sanctification consists either 1. In the means of sanctification Or 2. in declaring our inward sanctification by the practise and works of it in our lives And where the rest is not necessary for one of these or not destinated to them it being a subordinate thing it may be forborn The rule in Logick is tantum destinati sumendum est quantum prodest ad finem we must take so much of that which is appointed for the end as conduceth to the attaining of that end As in the case of Medicine so much is to be taken as will serve to the end for which it is taken Again for the means of sanctification Christ defending his Disciples against the Jews who were altogether urgers of the bodily rest onely sheweth that the rest in regard of the sanctification may be broken as in the Priest in sacrificing that time being the most laborious time for him as it is now the greatest day of labour for our Minister was blamelesse because he was in opere cultus Divini imployed in the work of Gods worship We read also in the Acts of the Apostles of a Sabbath dayes journey and of the like in the Old Testament where the Shunamitish woman coming to her husband for the Asse he saith to her Wherefore wilt thou go to the Prophet to day It is neither new moon nor Sabbath as if the custom had been then to go to the Prophet that day when they had no publick meetings elsewhere So that where publick and lawful assemblies are not a man may take a Sabbath dayes journey to joyn in publick worship with others Thus much for the first part of sanctification But this is lesse acceptable to God then the other part which is the practise of sanctification for this is the end the other but the means and therefore our Saviour being reproved by the Pharisees for a work of healing upon the Sabbath tells them that if they had known what this meaneth which he citeth out of the Prophet 〈◊〉 I will have mercy and not sacrifice you would not have condemned the guiltlesse Mercy being indeed a practical work of sanctification and preferred before the means So that in regard of the practise of sanctification a man may leave the very means as to shew a work of mercy As if there should happen a fire or a man or woman to fall into a swoun or a woman to be in travail in time of divine service or sermon we are to leave the means and practise the work in shewing mercy by saving the life or goods of those that need our help and would otherwise have perished for it is a true rule that periculum vitae pellit Sabbatum the danger of life excludes the Sabbath For as God will be glorified on this day for the works of his Creation the memorial whereof was a cause of the institution of this day from the beginning so no lesse is he glorified in the preservation of his creatures We read that our Saviour Christ was careful to save the fragments and commanded them to be taken up and his reason was because he would have nothing lost If not the least much less the life of any thing may be lost and if he be careful of the life of other things how much more then think you is he careful for the life of man He practised himself this work of mercy upon the Sabbath upon the man that was in peril of his life And indeed Necessitas facit legem exlegem Necessity makes law an Outlaw In the Law it is said Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or his Ox fall down by the way and hide thy self from them but thou shalt surely help to lift them up again Nay we see in the Law that God himself is not so strict in observing the practise as many now adayes are For in one place where he appointeth the sanctification of the 7 th day Sabbath and prohibits all works yet he hath there a Proviso Save that which every man must eat that may be done of you And in the Gospel our Saviour tells the Jews that they watered their cattel on the Sabbath day But we must take this caution by the way that we use not this liberty according to the flesh nor as a cloak as the Apostles speak and that these works of Mercy in preserving the life of Man and beasts and other of Gods creatures be used presente non imminente necessitate in case of present not imminent necessity As when any present danger appears against my life I am to defend my self for in presenti necessitate quisque Magistratus est quisque personam Dei habet ut potius occidat quam occidatur in urgent and present necessity every one is a Magistrate and representeth the person of God to kill rather then to be killed But if the danger be not present but onely imminent as one tells me there is wait laid to kill me I must then repair to the Magistrate so that for present necessity or peril there is
were some then as there are now that having given Almes on the Sunday would recover it the other dayes of the week either by oppressing and dealing hardly with the poor or by undermining those they dealt with Therefore the last caution must be out of the Prophet The Lord of hosts shall be exalted in judgment the holy Ghost shall be sanctified in justice that is a mans mercy must not make him unrighteous So that the conclusion of this point is if a man doe dare rem suam Deo se peccato aut daemoni give his substance to God and himself to sin or the devil and thereby give quod minus est Creatori quod majus inimico the lesse to his Creatour and the greater to his Enemy he is far from keeping the sabbath aright in the point of performing the works of Mercy Now concerning the spiritual part of the works of mercy which is to be done to the Spirit of him that needs it S. Augustine saith Est quaedam charitas quae de sacculo non erogatur there is a charity which is not taken out of the bag or purse such mercies are called Spirituales Elemozynae or misericordiae spiritual Almes which are so much more excellent then the other as they do mederi miseriae principalioris partis take order for the relief of the more principal part of man the soul. And there are seven of this kinde 1. The first concernes the good which is to be performed to draw him to it and it consists of three branches 1. The instruction of the young and others that are ignorant the Prophet describes the reward of such They that turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the stars for ever 2. The second branch is the giving of good and christian advice to him that is in doubt hearty counsel by a friend is by Solomon compared to oyntment and perfume that reioyce the heart 3. The last is the exhorting him that is slack in some good duty so did the prophet David And this was one of the instructions Saint Paul gave to Timothy to charge rich men to do good and be rich in good works c. 2. Another is Comforting them that are in distresse Saint Paul calleth this comforting them which are in trouble and supporting the weak and flere cum flentibus weeping with them that weep 3. A third is that work of spiritual mercy which our Saviour made a part of Church discipline reproving of our brother privately for his fault and the Apostle biddeth us to warne them that are unruly A 〈◊〉 is the pardoning of those that offend us according to our Saviours Rule we must first be reconciled to our brother before we offer our gift at the AlAltar and if he will not be reconciled then pray for him It was aswell Christs practise as his counsel Father forgive them So did the Proto-martyr Stephen Gregory saith Qui dat et non dimittit he that giveth and forgiveth not doth a work that is not acceptable to God sed si dimittet 〈◊〉 non det but he that forgiveth though he give not shall be forgiven of God as oft as he forgiveth others si tu ponas limitem Deus tibi ponet limitem If thou settest bounds to thy forgiving God will do the like to thee but if thou for givest without limit nor puttest bounds to thy brothers offence by pardo ning it God will put no limit to his pardonnig of thy sinne 5. Another is in Rom. 15. 1. we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Alter alterius onera portate beare ye one anothers burden Gal. 6. 2. 1 Thess. 5. 14. 6. The sixth is taken out of Saint James Praying for one another even for our enemies it was Christs counsel Matthew 5. 44. and his practise Luk. 23. 34. And this is reputed for a work of mercy Augustine saith Causaberis 〈◊〉 te non possedocere you may perhaps cavil and say thou canst not teach some are as forward to advise you as you them and that you have not the gift of comforting or if you rebuke them for their faults they will despise you But for this and the two last works of mercy there can be no excuse nunquid dices non possum dimittere 〈◊〉 to forgive one that hath offended thee to bear with him to pray for him these things may be alwayes done ut malitia ignoscatur nulla excellentia nulla sapientia nullis divitiis opus est To pardon wrong done to us and so to beare with the weak and to pray for any there is neither excellency nor wisdom nor riches requisite or necessary 7. The last is the reconciling of them that be at variance or the making peace between man and man By this act as our Saviour tells us we shew our selves to be the children of God and as he further saith there will a blessing follow peace makers But here falleth in an obiection what if they will not be reconciled Augustine answereth it If thou hast done thy good will pacificus es thou art a peace maker And these are the seven fruits of mercy spiritual Besides these whatsoever is a work according to the Law of God is also acceptable but especially these CHAP. VIII The second rule of homogenea Fasting reduced hither Commanded under the Gospel 1. Publick fasts for averting of evil of punishment which is either malum grastans or impendens or of sinne for procureing of good 2. Private fasts and the 〈◊〉 of them The parts of a fast 1. External abstinence from meat sleep costly apparrel pleasure servile work almes then to be given Secondly internal humiliation for sinne promise of reformation The third rule our fast and observation of the Lords day must be spiritual Thus far we have proceeded according to the first rule of extension that where any thing is commanded the contrary is forbidden and e contra Come we now as in the former to the rule of Homogenea that is where any thing is Commanded there all things are commanded that are of the same kinde which is the second rule And we finde in the law that the day of humiliation or fasting is called a sabbath and so may be reduced hither as homogeneal Saint Augustine said well that if the state of Innocency had continued then had there 〈◊〉 one day only to have bin observed by Christians and that to have been spent onely in the duty of prayse and thanksgiving But since the fall of Adam there are such defects and wants in our souls that God is not onely to be glorified sacrificio Eucharistiae by the sacrifice of Praise but also sacrificio spiritus contribulati 〈◊〉 by the sacrifice of a troubled and humbled spirit his reason is 〈◊〉 bonum perfecte ut volumns non possumus because we cannot performe
the essential part of it as a day of publick worship and praise to the honour of the Creator and that the ceremonial and symbolical part by a typicall rest from labour was that ' which properly concerned the Jews then it wil necessarily follow that the sabbath onely in this latter respect expired at the death of Christ and that the other part which was the observation of the seventh day as a day of publick praise in honour of the Creatour of all having no reference to Christ for wherein did the observation of a certain day for divine worship typifie Christ or his benefits but being grounded upon moral reasons and not given onely to the Jews ought to continue still unlesse it were altered by the same authority to wit divine and therefore the day being altered de facto as appears by the perpetual practise of the Christian Church to the first day of the week it will clearly follow that this could be done by no lesse then divine authority and so the observation of the Lords day may be truely said to be Jure divino as enjoyned by him who is Lord of the sabbath and therefore had power to alter the day which he did by his Apostles Neither is it needful which some vrge that a cleere precept of Christ should be brought for this out of the new testament It is sufficient if by necessary consequence it can be deduced from scripture and though in matters of faith which are of absolute necessity to salvation for all to know it may be granted that they are all expressed in scripture yet for other matters that concern the discipline order and government of the Church it was not necessary to have them expressed in writing though many of them be occasionally mentioned it was sufficient that they might be known by the daily practise of the Church wherein every one might read them written in large and Capital letters which universal practise and traditio of the Church in these matters he that shall denie or question may by the like reason question the authors and number of the books of Canonical scripture and whether they were written by men divinely inspired and so by consequence may question the authority of the scripture it self which is conveyed to us no otherwise then by the universal and Catholick tradition of the Church Besides how dangerous it is that the publick exercise of Christian religion should depend upon so week a foundation as authority humane wch may alter its own constitutions is subject to manifold errours I leave to the prudent and judicious Christian to consider The Lords day then I conceive to be grounded upon divine authority not onely in regard that all authority is from God and so divine for so all humane laws might be said to be by divine authority for it is true which learned Breerewood saith there may be divine authority for humane decrees and as Molina saith well Licet quae a regia aliis legitimis inferioribus potestatibus rite praecipiuntur sunt de jure positivo quod tamen illis post quam it a constitutae sunt pareatur est de jure divino cum legitime omnes potestates a Deo sunt Deique vices suo ordine tenent dumque illis obedimus earumque precepta servamus Deo pariter in illis paremus Deique praeceptum voluntatem exequimur though the commands of Kings and other inferiour lawful powers are onely by positive law yet that their constitutions be obeyed is by divine law for all lawful powers are from God and are his Deputies in their order so that when we obey them and keep their Commandments we do also obey God in them and fulfill his will and Commandment But I mean by divine authority that which is immediately divine in regard of the subject God or Christ himself who ordained and appointed this day though it were publisht to the world by the Apostles as the messengers of Christ as they publisht the Gospel and those things for which they had commission from Christ. It is true that the Apostles instituted other things as ordinary governours of the Church which are in themselves changeable as cannot be denied as their orders about widows saluting with a holy kisse and the like which are now antiquated But that the Lords day was not of this latter sort but of the former besides the former reasons which are stronger then any I have seen to the contrary may be likewise evinced by the testimony of the Church and of the most learned and eminent Doctors of it in several ages whose testimony in matters of fact and things of this nature is the best way that I know to prove what is not cleerely and evidently set down in scriptures and that wherein the conscience may most safely rest That text of Psal. 118 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made let us reioyce and beglad in it is generally by the fathers applied to the Lords day as made or instituted by the Lord so among others Athanasius Ambrose Chrysostom Augustine expound it Justin Martyr in 2 Aponl Antonim saith Apostolus a Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebritatem accepisse That the Apostles received from Christ himself the celebrity of this day Athanasius saith 〈◊〉 sabbati Dominus in diem Dominicum transtulit that the Lord himself hath transferred the solemnity of the sabbath to the Lords day Hom. de semente and in the forementioned Hom. upon these words all things are delivered to me by my father Infers the Lords day to be of divine institution Cyrill l. 12 in John Cap. 58. speaking of the apparitions of Christ upon this day saith that Christ thereby sanctified this day for solemne assemblies Chrysostom on Gen. 2. 3. saith here God from the beginning intimates this doctrine to us to lay aside and separate one day in every week for spiritual exercises Saint Augustine Epist. 119. seems to say the same that the Lords day was declared by the resurrection of Christ ab illo not ab illa caepit habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him that is from Christ it began to be made a festival Lactantius and others tell us that the primitive Christians expected Christs returne to judgement on that day by general tradition which shews they thought it unalterable and so no humane constitution Besides particular testimonies we have the publick testimony of the Church in her canons generally received in the the Christian world Cap. 〈◊〉 Feriis where it is said tam veteris quam 〈◊〉 testamenti pagina septimum diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the old and new Testament have appointed the seventh day for mans rest In that famous constitution of Leo the Emperor 〈◊〉 54. for the keeping of the Lords day it is said we ought not to encroach upon that one day which God hath chosen for his own honour Among the canonists some of the chief are expressly for the divine right
of the Lords day as Abbas Panormit in c. 3 de Feriis Anchor and others and of the latter canonists 〈◊〉 at large proves the festivtiy of the Lords day ab Apostolis divina institutione edoctis 〈◊〉 fuisse that it was appointed by the 〈◊〉 instructed therein by divine institution Variar 〈◊〉 l. 4. c. 19. n. 5. and that to make it a humane institution were nimis indecorum wch he makes to be the opinion of some men and not generally received And though most of the Schoolmen following Aquinas herein make it onely an ecclesiastical constitution of the Apostles which they do upon this ground that Christ gave no special precepts but onely about faith and the sacraments which if it could be here insisted upon might ealsiy be proved false yet even of them some are for the divine right as Augr. l de verbo Feri e. ss 3. and Sylvest verb. Dominica who affirmes it to be the common opinon in his time and for the rest who are for the jus ecclesiasticum diverse of them say that though the day be absolutely alterable yet morally and practically it is immutable because this change can never be put in practise as Suarez saith and that it is so fixed and deeply rooted and so agreeable to right reason that it can never be changed ob defectum causae because there be no such cause to change it as there was to fix it on this day and that therfore the holy Ghost would never permit the Church to change it because such a change could not be for edification so Fileucius tract ' 3. cap. 2. n. 16. 17. and Ballarmine saith 〈◊〉 divinum requirebat ut 〈◊〉 dies Hebdomadis dicaretur cultui divino that by divine right one day of the week ought to be consecrated to divine worship Decultu sanct lib. 3. cap. 11. de die Dominico If we come lower down divers eminent divines of the reformed Churches go this way though its true that both of Luthers and Calvins followers some seeme to encline to the other opinion as Peter Martyr loco citato Junius in his notes upon 〈◊〉 in cap. 16. Apol. And in his lectures on Gen 23. Piscator in Apoc. 1. 10. Tylnus syntag loc 44. p. 276. to whom diverse others may be added If we come to our own church The homily of the time and place of prayer is full and copious expressely affirming and that often that God hath commanded the observation of the Sunday or Lords day which being the publike voice of the Church ought in points doubtful to have so much weight with every son of the Church as to turn the scale when it hangs in aequilibrio to which we may adde our learned Author that great light of this Church in the places forequoted and that judicious and 〈◊〉 Hooker that Malleus Schismatieorum who is very peremptory in the point as having studied it throughly Eccles. Polit. lib. 5. n. 17. to whom may be added Doctor Fullk on Revelation 1. Doctor Hackwell 〈◊〉 with many others of great learning and judgement not to mention that Rabble of our disaffected Clergie whose Schismatical and factious practises together with that ignorance and pride which is generally seen in most of them and their Jewish principles which they go upon may justly render their judgements suspected so that their authority can be of little weight with judicious pious and peaceable men and therefore I should suspect this opinion if it were not 〈◊〉 by better reasons and authority then these men bring Now to these reasons and testimonies if we adde How Christ honoured that day with his resurrection his apparitions to his Disciples after and sending the Holy Ghost on that day the practise of the Apostles and the first Christians having their religious meetings on that day the title of the Lords day which it had given in S. Johns time together with those high titles and encomiums of the day given by Ignatius Chrysostome Athanasius 〈◊〉 S. Augustine Leo and others of the Fathers calling it the Queen and Princesse of dayes the Royal day the most holy Festival the first and chief of all dayes the venerable day c. we may well conclude both that it was the will of Christ that day should be kept holy to him and that the Church esteemed it no lesse then divine not a humane constitution 5. Fiftly concerning the fourth Commandment whether it be in force or what we are tied to by vertue of the fourth Commandment I answer 1. It is certain there is a moral equity in the fourth Commandment which extends to us under the Gospel viz. that some time be set apart for publick worship and that not lesse then a seventh part for if God thought it fit in his wisdom to require a seventh part before Christs coming in all reason we that live now after his coming ought to give him as much at least we having received greater benefits then they that lived before Christ by Christ now exhibited and having better and clearer promises with a greater measure of the 〈◊〉 now ordinarily given so that a greater measure of mortification to the world is now required and therefore we ought as little or rather far lesse then they to minde worldly affairs and to have our thoughts more raised up to heavenly things In regard of which moral equity this precept extends to all times and persons and is therefore put among the other Commandements which are purely moral and so retaines its power of obligation and therefore the Church hath just cause to retain it in the Liturgie and by that usuall Antiphona at the end of this Commandment as well as of the rest to pray Lord have mercy upon us and encline our hearts to keep this Law 2. Secondly in regard of the particular day litterally enjoyned by this Commandment it is certain it doth not oblige any since Christ for the special day here required is the seventh from the Creation not a seventh day in general as some without any ground affirme but that seventh day in special which was then observed which was no other then the seventh from the Creation for though the first part of the Commandement specifies not the day but requires onely to sanctifie the Sabbath yet the reason added doth plainly limit the day to the seventh day from the Creation and cannot be extended to the Lords day without manifest absurdity for who would not think this reason ridiculous God made heaven and earth in six dayes and rested on the seventh therefore we ought in imitation of him to rest on the first day when he began to work besides that the text saith expressely that the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it that is not a seventh day but that seventh day viz. the seventh from the Creation And therefore those who would ground the Lords day upon the letter of the fourth Commandment must of necessity fall into Judaisme and observe the Saturday Sabbath which was the errour
an exemption the Lord hath resigned his right into our hands but not upon an imminent peril or necessity which may be prevented or avoided On the other side we are to observe another Proviso We must be careful that because God seeth the heart and we are to deal with him we be sure the danger could not be prevented nor the work be deferred but that present danger and necessity enforceth us to it For we must not draw a necessity upon our selves or pretend a necessity when there is none because God will not be mocked though we may delude the eyes of men This is to be remembred because of the practise of some who Inne their harvest on the Sunday pretending that it is not Gods will that any of his creatures should perish which is true and might lessen the offence if they did it onely for preserving the creature and not for their own gain and profit which if they pretend let them know that God sees their hearts and knows their intentions Therefore for tryal of men in this case it were good if to put a dfference between their works on that day and upon other dayes they would do as they did 1 Cor. 16. 2. lay up on the first day of the week whatsoever they gain or save by their work on that day and give it to the poor by this means it would appear with what hearts they wrought on this day whether onely to save the Creature or out of a desire of lucre and gain Thus we see what rest is commanded and how these cases may be resolved 3. But here ariseth another question When we have rested is that all we are to do Surely no. It is not sufficient that we rest if we do not sanctifie too Leo said of the people of his time that on this day their care was bene vestiri nibil agere keep holy day by wearing gay clothes and doing nothing Now as S. Paul said of bodily labour that it profitteth little so we may say of bodily rest that it profiteth lesse This rest is to holinesse and not to idlenesse We must not be 〈◊〉 on that day of rest To keep a Sabbath therefore and not be able to give accompt of some good thing done by us in it is that which the Fathers call Sabbatum boum asinorum the oxen and asses keep as good a sabbath as such do Besides these Idle sabbath keepers there are two other sorts of people that are neither idle nor well imployed 1. Of the first sort Augustine speaks and they were either 1. such as did vacare 〈◊〉 theatris spectaculis choreis spend their time in pastimes shewes stage-playes and dancing or else those that 2. gave themselves on the Sabbath venationi to hunting To which Leo addes such as did vacare chartis rationibus commessationibus passed the day in playing at Cards and in revelling and so addicted were they to these things as that they were not at al occupied in any work ofsanctification These mens Sabbath as Augustine well observeth is like that of the people in Exodus Cras observabimus 〈◊〉 Jebovae To morrow shall be a sabbath to the Lord they would keep a sabbath to him but it should be as in the next verse to eat and drink and play this sabbath I say was kept to the Calf and therefore he calleth it Sabbatum vituli 〈◊〉 the sabbath of the golden Calf For as we may not keep open markets go to plough or to Law on that day so neither should we spend the time in hunting nor yet in dancing and sporting Nor spend our time ordained for sanctification in beholding sights stageplaies and the like Not because these are in themselves evil or unlawful but in that they hinder our sanctification against such prophanation of this day severe order was taken by diverse councels as Concil Gangr 5. Can. 8. Concil Agath 38. Can. 1. Some christians in the primitive times were so far from this that they would sit in the oratory all the Lords day praying and hearing without eating or drinking insomuch as by their long fasting diverse diseases grew among them wherupon the same council of Gangra in Paphlagonia held 〈◊〉 Dom. 327. Was forced to make a Canon with an Anathema annexed to it against those who thenceforward should fast upon the Lords day But though we shall not need to fear such zeal in our times yet it sheweth to us the great and excellent examples of abstinence used in the Primitive Church to make them more fit for the service of God 1. The other sort are they that spend their time this day in gluttony Lust drunkennesse and such like vices which ought not at any time much lesse on that day be practised For if the affaires of our calling or the sports lawful on another day must not be used on this day much lesse any vice which is unlawful at any time for hereby a double iniquity is committed 1. first because the commandment is violated and this day seemes to be picked and singled out of all other dayes despitefully against the Majesty of God 2. Secondly because it is an abuse of the Creatures of God and a breach of other commandments And therefore as the other was Sabbatum Tyri so these do celebrare sabbatum 〈◊〉 keep a sabbath to the devil CHAP. VI. The second thing commanded is sanctification which is the end of the 〈◊〉 The kindes of sanctification publick and private How the holy Ghost works in 〈◊〉 sanctification The special acts wherein the sanctification of the day consists 1. prayer 2. The word read and preached 3. Meditation of what we have heard and upon the works of God out of Psal. 92. 4. Conference 5. Praise 6. Sacraments and discipline at special times The end of these means our sanctification and Gods glory TO what end then must this rest be why to holines we must apply it to that end to which God hath appointed it and use that holily which God hath sanctified The right sabbath is called Deliciae 〈◊〉 the delight of the Lord wherein he taketh pleasure and that is truly observed when we not onely cease from our own work as those of our calling but of those of our corrupt nature and will by ceasing from that which is pleasant in our own eyes this is to keep Sabbatum 〈◊〉 a sabbath the delight of the Lord to make it a day honour God and to learn Gods wil and having learnt it to practise it whereby he may blesse us and bring us to the inheritance of our heavenly rest Whereas on the contrary if the high-wayes of Sion complain that none come to her sanctuary or that if we come we so behave our selves in it that the adversary mock at her sabbaths Then God himself will take acourse as the prophet speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nostrarum he will cast dong upun our faces even the
not his brother hanged his look his countenance fell Laban upon displeasure taken against Jacob altered his countenance it was not to him as before S. Jerome upon the 16 verse of the 80 Psalm saith there is 〈◊〉 increpationis a chiding countenance and 〈◊〉 detractationis a countenance that can detract which is as the Wise man saith when one doth harden his face or put on a bold face when he is rebuked or hath as David saith a proud look whereby he doth as much as in him lies 〈◊〉 laedere dishonour him by his looks Elisha saith that if he had not reverenced the face of the king of Judah he would not once have looked upon Jehoram intimating that to Superiours especially being godly reverence must be shewed and that it may be shewen even in the looks For Superiours because as they say their power is bottomlesse so their abuses are bottomlesse therefore there are certain signes of a good government 1. The Prophet tells us that in a good government the eyes of them that see shall not need to wink and the mouth of them that can speak shall not need to be silent a man may speak the truth freely without danger or controll a flagitious man shall not be called Good Sir and as it is verse 5. the base shall not be called liberal nor the churl bountiful He gives us to understand that in an ill government a man must see and not see as the Poet said Quod scis 〈◊〉 We may see this in the examples of Esay and Amos. Amos lived in the dayes of Vzziah and Jeroboam and he tells us that then it was a time for the prudent to keep silence because it was an evil time A wise man must hold his peace lest it should fare with him as with the Levite when the Danites cried Tace hold thy peace which he was forced to do lest they should have slain him It was certainly no signe of good government when our Saviour for saying he was not bound to accuse himself before Caiaphas was 〈◊〉 on the face by a Catchpole and when Ananias commanded S. Paul to be smitten on the mouth because he pleaded his own cause whereas Esay living in the dayes of Hezekiah a good king durst say to Shebna Who are you whence come you and God deal thus and thus with you 2. A second signe of evil government is when men cannot have justice but are delayed by those that should right them S. Paul notwithstanding his appeal to 〈◊〉 could get no justice because Nero being upheld by his under governours must also uphold them Achish could confesse that David was upright yet he told him he must not go with him for fear of displeasing the Lords of the Philistims 3. Another signe is by their speech which the Heathen observed A good Governour saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is my duty and I must do it An evil Governour will say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have power and I may do it He boasts with Saul I can give you vineyards c. and with Pilate I have power to crucisie thee and power to let thee go 4. A fourth signe is out of Menander when their eye-brows swell so that they will refuse to amend what is amisse If there be any fault and if you tell them not of it they will say Why did you not tell me of it and if you do they will say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we will consider of it and then it shall be as much amended as if it had never been mentioned and also you shall when opportunity serves be remembred with some mark of displeasure as one too busy or pragmatical When one told Joah of Absaloms hanging in a tree he asked him why he did not kill him but the other replied that considering the kings strict charge to the contrary Joah himself if the fact had been done by another would have been ready to accuse him to the king and to have him punished 5. It is a signe of ill government when Religion is pretended to stop justice It was much practised in the primitive times and oft complained of by the Fathers If any of the Rulers or Officers had wronged a Christian Bishop and he had complained to the Emperour who promised justice and appointed a day for hearing then would the Deputy come and say This man is a Christian he ought to be patient and to forgive injuries and not to go to law it s against the principles of his religion And thus they were dismissed without justice and reproached for their labour So it is often with others especially if any Clergie-man seek for justce 6. Lastly The thriving of the righteous is a good signe In his dayes saith the Psalmist shall the righteous flourish But on the contrary when as the Heathen observed The flatterer is chief in esteem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Sycophant the next and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the lewd and naughty person is the third This is a signe of ill government Such a Sycophant was Doeg who accused David to Saul and made him pursue him his crime was such that there was no sacrifice appointed by the Law to 〈◊〉 it and therefore David said Let him be cursed before the Lord. It is reported that when Caesar first entred upon his tyrannical government he gave preferment sic 〈◊〉 non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tamen inquinaret ornamenta so that the men had no honor by them but dishonor was brought upon the preferments and these places of preferment are discredited when unworthy men as Sycophants and lewd persons are placed in them by governours 6. The sixt rule for expounding the precepts is that we do not onely observe them our selves but cause them to be observed by others According to this we must not onely honour our Superiours but draw others to this duty The negative precept is given by the Wise man My son Fear God and the King and 〈◊〉 not with those that are given to change c We must neither be principals nor accessories in any rebellious course against our Soveraign neither do any thing of our selves nor draw others to joyn with us in any such unlawful course An example we have in David when he had Saul at 〈◊〉 he would not hurt him himself nor would he suffer Abishai to destroy him for who saith he can stretch out his hand against the Lords anointed and be innocent And as they contain a dehortation from disobedience and rebellion so e contra we have an exhortation for obedience and subjection Gedaliah as he was willing to submit himself to the Chaldees so he exhorts others Let us serve the king of Babel and it shall be well with us When any shall rise in the gain-saying of Corah against Moses or Aaron we must not onely not joyn with them but withdraw others from them and say with Moses
possunt which cannot be performed by those that are busied with worldly or secular affairs So many of the Fathers that write upon this place vacate videte quia ego sum Dominus Be still and know that I am God shew that by the rule of natural wisdom the Philosophers held Postulandum esse secessum ut melius intendamus a vacation from worldly affairs is necessary that we may the better intend contemplate on heavenly things Our heads must not be occupied with worldly thoughts when we are about the affairs of the soul not that the works of the other six dayes are evil in themselves but because they are apt to distract the minde from that which is proper to this day Now Otium Rest being the first part it is a very strange thing that the nature of man should be altogether so averse from Gods will that when the Precept is difficult and laborious requiring some pains and travail then they will be idle and where this precept is not laborious but easy as this to rest they will rather then not break the Commandment take pains that is they will even against their nature make themselvs businesse and pick out that day of all the dayes of the week that he hath chosen so that it shall be a kinde of policy to make advantage of that day and to finde out some labour on that day on which he hath forbid us to labour And so much for the easinesse of the Commandment and the perversenesse of man We finde in Scripture six several kindes of prohibitions from working on this day 1. Before the Law given when the people departed from Elim and came to the wildernesse of Sin there was a prohibition from gathering Manna there was better food to gather of which he that eateth shall live for ever The Lord is to be tasted 2. A second is As there must be no gathering of Manna nor going out to gather it that day so there must be no buying of it though it should be brought to us So Nehemiah protested against buying and selling which sheweth the unlawfulnesse of it because on that day is Mercatura animae it is the market day of the soul buying and selling on that day is forbidden 3. A third is that which the Prophet Jerem. mentions that is the carrying of burthens on that day and the better to dissuade the people from that kinde of work the Prophet promiseth in the person of God great blessings to them if they forbear and threatneth great plagues upon them if they did not for if they made that their day of 〈◊〉 God would send upon them a burden which they should sink under viz. Captivity and desolation by the Enemy he would kindle a fire in Jerusalem and burn up the gates and palaces thereof verse ult 4. Another thing prohibited by the Law is working in harvest time because the inning of harvest and gathering of grapes might seem to be a matter of great necessity Six dayes shalt thou work but on the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing time and in harvest time thou shalt rest so that the provision for the whole common-wealth must give place unto the rest of this day 5. A fifth thing prohibited is Travailing or Journeying on the Sabbath day Cras erit Sabbatum jehovae maneat quisque in loco suo neque egrediatur quisquam die septimo to morrow is the Sabbath of the Lord Abide ye every man in his place let no man go out of his place the seventh day 6. The last is above the rest For whereas God in the three Chapters before had given Moses a platform for the building of a Tabernacle and taken order that he should go presently in hand with it yet in the 31 Chapter he saith notwithstanding Verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep whosever worketh on that day the same person shall be surely put to death Which is as much as if he had said Though that work may seem most lawful and tending most to my glory of all other yet ye shall not break the Sabbath to do it and so verse 15 he gives an universal restraint whosoever doth any manner of work on that day shall be put to death any manner of work an universal prohibition and the penalty threatned was accordingly executed upon him that gathered sticks Numb 6. 15. 35. he was stoned to death by Gods special appointment And the Lord tells the people that if they pollute the Sabbath by bearing burdens he would kindle such a fire in the gates of Jerusalem that should devour the palaces of it and not be quenched The Prophets generally urge the observation of this Commandment above the rest And we may observe that there hath seldom been any strange visitation by fire but where there hath some notorious prophanation of the Sabbath gone before So that when it shall please God to visit us with the like judgement we may conjecture what hath been the cause of it Concerning the rest now required on the Lords day and the difference thereof from the Jewish symbolical rest which was therefore more strict see the former Additional observation observation 6. Therefore to conclude this point let them that go out to gather Manna carry burdens buy and sell gather harvest journey and travail up and down or do any the most lawful work not think these things to be otium sanctum or Sabbatum Jehovae a holy rest or the Sabbath of the Lord but as Leo saith Sabbatum Tyri the Sabbath of Tyre The Councel of Mentz held in the time of Charlemain Anno Dom. 813 hath this Canon Omnes 〈◊〉 Dominicos cum omni veneratione decrevimus observari a servili opere abstineri ut 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 minime sit nec placitum ubi aliquis ad mortem vel poenam judicetur we have decreed that all the Lords dayes be observed with all reverence and that servile labour shall be forborne and that no market be kept on those dayes nor that any Courts be kept either to condemn men to death or punish them Those that offend are to be deprived of the communion for three years And the Council of Tyburis Anno 895. in the time of the Emperor Arnulph hath one Canon to the like purpose as well for the observation of other holy dayes as the Lords day In the second Council of Mascon held anno 582 severe punishments were to be inflicted upon those that should not observe the Lords day and that toto die all the day long As it was larger for the fault so it was milder for the punishment for they suspended those that violated this Canon from the Communion but for half a year so strict were they for the sanctifying of this day and that as one saith because God requires the rest not for the rest it self sed quia hoc die Deo tantummodo vacandum because we must this