commandement from being a Law of Nature according to your exposition of a thing that hath in it native ilnesse for to make an image setting aside the circumstance to bow to it is no more evil than for a servant to worke setting aside this circumstance on the Sabbath This your slye arguing savours of Popery which hath thrust out the second Commandement as a positive and ceremoniall Law upon the same grounds And when you say that the prohibition of other things is caused by their native illnesse if you meane their illnesse was before the Law not understanding by Law the promulgation thereof but the Law of Nature written in the heart of man inasmuch as this Law is the expresse righteousnesse of God it is a blasphemous Tenet for hereby transgression shall bee where there is no Law and a chiefe evill a summum malum as well as a chiefe good or an absolute goodnesse out of God which this illnesse swerveth from For my part I cannot tell how any thing should bee evill natively but evill because it is defective of good which good perfecting man is the Law of righteousnesse If by prohibition you meane the promulgation of the Law then I say that this maketh not the thing prohibited unlawfull but onely makes the sinne the greater in them that yet offend after God by lively voyce hath renewed those obliterated precepts offuscated with sinne in the heart of man Thirdly the Commandement it selfe in these five things you say is meerely Ceremoniall brought in by positive Law and is not of the Law of Nature first to observe one day in seven secondly to observe a certaine day of that number thirdly to observe the seventh in the ranke fourthly to observe a whole day by the revolution of the Sunne fifthly to observe it with severe exactnesse of restraining all worke This you essay to prove first by a place of Scripture secondly by the example of the Patriarchs and thirdly by the absurditie that else will follow This matter shall bee more largely discussed because it will much cleare the Doctrine of the Sabbath for now you strike at the roote of it and would lay Religion on the ground but your owne staffe will breake your backe which you give by the handle into our hands This you yeeld that the secret instinct of nature hath taught all men even the prophanest Gentiles that some time is to be set apart and dedicated to the solemne worship of God as set times to be spent in sacrifice and devotion Now goe on this instinct is the Law written in their hearts therefore the Sabbath is a Law of Nature But did this instinct of Nature guide them to your former five particulars about the time of worship If it did and that the sheards hereof are found among the Gentiles you cannot nor any other for you conclude unlesse you will play the mad-men with reason that every of them hath lesse than moralitie and perpetuitie in it It is true the Gentiles a thousand wayes depraved the use of the Sabbath by keeping holyday to their Idols saith Aretius y Aret. problem loc 55. de Sabb. obser they also wrested the name to a wanton and ridiculous signification in which notwithstanding there hath remained some footsteps of the ancient originall to which serò tandem Gentes redire debuerunt at length the Gentiles though late ought to returne To omit their depravations see in them the footsteps of every particular First the Gentiles set apart certaine and constant dayes not moveable and wandring Macrobius saith there are foure kinds of publike holydayes Feriarum that is dayes vacant from pleading and labour Stative Conceptive Imperative and nundinative and the Stative are common to all the people on certaine and set dayes and moneths and noted with standing observations in their Calendars Secondly they observed a certaine day of seven and particularly the seventh Hesiod saith z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesiod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seventh day is a holyday Lampridius telleth of Alexander Severus that on the seventh day when he was in the City he went up to the Capitoll and frequented the Temple Homer saith the seventh day is holy and was the day in which all things were perfected and on which we depart from the bankes of Hell Callimachus saith the like and that it is the birth-day chiefe and perfect a Clemens Alexandr stromat l. 5. Clemens Alexandrinus sheweth b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alex. l. 5. strom that not onely the Hebrewes but the Greekes also knew the seventh day holy And Eusebius c Euseb de prepar Evang. l. 13. c. 7. affirmeth that almost all as well Philosophers as Poets knew that the seventh day was more sacred And Philo d Philo. lib. 2. de vita Mosis the Iew saith Who doth not honour that sacred day which returneth every weeke The seventh day holydayes were wont to be granted to children in Schooles among them e Lucianus in Pseudo logista Certaine of the Ethnicke Doctors were wont onely to dispute on the Sabbaths f Aul Gell. l. 13. c. 2. Sueton. Lib. 3. Seneca g Senec. ep 95. in his 95. Epistle shewing that exhortations are not enough but wee need obliging precepts yea the decrees of wisedome bee reckoneth up the Sabbath as the festivall day for Religion but condemneth their manner of observing it when he saith Let us forbid any one to light a candle on the Sabbaths for neither doe the gods want light and men themselves are not delighted with smoke he worshippeth God who knoweth him h Macrob. Saturn l. 1. c. 7. Macrobius sheweth that Saturne of whom is the name of Saturday was honoured with Candles lighted at his Altars and wax-Tapers offered on his dayes Aretius hath these words i Aret. problem loc de Sabbathi observ The Greekes and Latines call the Sabbath The day of rest which the Gentiles But before I passe over this point I would take off the exceptions of one Franciscus Gomarus ſ Gomarus de Investigat sententiae originis sabbati cap. 4. pag. 42. a Germane who pleades that these allegations for the seventh dayes celebrity observed among the Gentiles are insufficient and the consequence thence drawne to proove this to have ought of the Law of Nature in it infirme The insufficiency of allegations out of the Poets hee would evince from this that those Poets talke as the proverbe is of Garlike but we speak of Onions and though Clemens Alexandrinus Eusebius alledge them yet for this cause they deserve little credit because they speake of the seventh but the Poets only of a seventh I answere that they must needs availe and be of force to any that hath reason for be it they spake not of that seventh from the Creation yet that they speake of the celebrity of a seventh maketh wholly and sufficiently to proove that they were guided to a seventh and if they knew
aeternum diem consecravit nobis Dominicum Domini Qui vocatur Dominicus ipse propriè videtur ad Dominum pertinere quia eo die Dominus resurrexit Aug. de verbis Apost Serm. 15. Dominicum ergò diem Apostoli Apostolici viri ideò religiosâ— solennitate habeâ—dum sanxerunt quia in eodem Redemptor noster â— mortuis resurrexit Serm. de temp 251. The Lords Resurrection hath promised us an eternall day and hath consecrated to us the Dominicall day of the Lord. The day which is called the Lords day it seemeth properly to pertaine to the Lord because that day the Lord rose againe The same Father tells us that in this resurrection of Christ the Apostles and Apostolicall men saw as much he saith the Lords day the Apostles and Apostolicall men have ordained with religious solemnity to be kept because in the same our Redeemer rose from the dead Ignatius r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad Magnâ—s giveth this for the onely Reason binding every one to keepe this day saying Let every one that loveth Christ celebrate the Lords day the day pertaining to the Resurrection the Queene and Prince of all dayes Athanasius Å¿ Athanas de Sabbat circumcis Psal 118. 124. calls the Lords day in which Christ renewed the old Man the beginning of the new Creature and therefore hee saith when hee had renewed the Creature which was made within sixe dayes he would have that day consecrated to this instauration which the Spirit foretells in the Psalme This is the day which the Lord hath made Iunius t Tempus ad conventus sacros semper est dies octavus quem inde à resurrectione Christi Ecclesia vocavit Dominicum quod Christus suaresurrectione sacto sacris coetibus dicavit quem Apostoli observarunt coetibus dicatum esse docâ—erunt quem Christiana Ecclesia dictis corum obsequens facta imitans concelebrat Eccles lib. 1. cap. 4. sub sinem speaking of the time necessary to publike worship saith It is the eighth day for ever which the Church from the resurrection of Christ hath called the Lords day which Christ by his resurrection and deed hath dedicated to holy assemblies which the Apostles have observed and have taught that it is dedicated thereto and which the Christian Church obedient to their words and imitating their deeds doth joyntly celebrate In the Preface to the Assembly of the Church of Scotland at Perth Anno 1618. the question being moved how the particular and materiall day may bee knowne that the Christian Church should observe the answer is that the particular day was demonstrated by our Saviours Resurrection and his apparitions made thereon by the Apostolicall practice and the perpetuall observation of the Church ever since that time of the day which in Scripture is called the Lords day as that which the Iewes observed was called the Lords Sabbath because as the one was appointed by the Lord for a memoriall of his rest after the Creation so the other was instituted by the Lord for a memoriall of his Resurrection after the Redemption For this we must hold as a sure ground whatever the Catholike Church hath observed in all Ages and is found in Scripture expressely to have been practised by Christ and the Apostles such as is the sanctification of the Lords day the same most certainely was instituted by the Lord to bee observed and his practice in Word of the Lord and of equall worth as if the Lord by voice from heaven had spoken it and more sure for us than such a voice 1 Pet. 1. 12 25. and 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. Whence it is cleare that the Gospell preached by the Apostles with the holy Ghost sent downe from heaven is the Word of the Lord that endureth for ever Secondly it was enjoyned by the Apostles precept and observed by them enjoyned and the worke of the day in part prescribed 1 Cor. 16. 2. observed Act. 20. 7. Thirdly the Apostle saith that which you have seene and heard in me that doe and the God of peace shall be with you Phil. 4. 9. But this was seene and heard of to bee done by him Act. 20. 7. Therefore do it Perkins on Gal. 4. vers 10. Fourthly if the same reason grounded on Gods Word be as well for the first day of the weeke as it was once for the Sabbath of the Iewes then we are as certainely tyed by the Lord to the observation of this day as they were for their Sabbath for the same reason is of the same force But there is the same reason therefore wee are bound by the Lord. That there is the same reason is apparant by those three places laid together Exod. 20. 10. Mat. 12. 8. Ioh. 5. 23. The maine reason of the Iewes Sabbath is because it was the Sabbath of the Lord. In like manner ours is the Sabbath of the Lord Christ when hee had finished the worke of our redemption for which cause hee taketh this name the son of man is even Lord of the Sabbath as if in more words he should say when God the Father had once ended the making of the world hee rested and published himselfe to be the Lord of that rest and dedicated it to himselfe giving it the name of the Sabbath of the Lord. In like manner when I shall have finished the worke of mans Redemption I will rest have the day of my rest dedicated unto my selfe for which cause I say that the sonne of man is even Lord of the Sabbath also it shall be called the Lords day And thus the will of the Father shall be fulfilled which is that as they honoured the Father in keeping the Sabbath betwixt the Creation and Redemption so they should honour the Sonne in keeping the Sabbath betwixt the redemption and consummation of the world Fifthly the judgments of God fearefully and to miracles lighting on the contemners and prophaners of this day by worldlinesse the opposition of godlesse and most evill men the Conscience working on men for the observation and against the neglect thereof the errors of Familists Anabaptists Papists and such loose pleaders as you and others have shewed themselves to be are strong and impregnable arguments for the Divine Authority of it together with the contradictions and the grosse opinions you are forced to runne into which argue that you rebell against the light in you and your prophane Atheisticall hearts would have that true which yet your owne light disproveth in the truths that are forced thereby to drop from you Sixthly yea I shall through Gods grace evince this that it is of the Lords owne institution for besides that his resurrection institutes it as I sayd before First it is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Which cannot bee for any reason but because it is of the Lords institution for so first the phrase his day not by creation for so all daies are his not by destinatioÌ„ for that
intendeth a time yet to come and so the day of generall judgement is his 1 Thes 5. 2. but by consecration and choise and institution a fourth way I would heare designed and then I shall bee ready to make answer SecoÌ„dly the like phrases of Scripture prove it in the same case in Exod. 20. 10. the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord in other ordinances of Christ the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 10. the Table of the Lord 1. Cor. 10. 21. his ministry 1. Tim. 1. 12. Thirdly the manner of predication sheweth x Thom. Aquin. 3. q. 16. art 3. that this day belongeth to him by his owne assuming properly for it s predicated of him denominatively because it is said to bee of the Lord denominatively the man Christ is not the Lords but the Lord but his will hand Passion is lightly called the Lords Will the Lords hand the Lords passion for that which is of and belonging properly to the Lord is called the Lords â—he first day of the weeke saith Tylenus g Is destinated Primus Hebdomadis dies sacris congressiâ—us destinatus est isque non modo ab Apostolis observatus sed etiam ab ipso Christo institutê° videri potest quem hoc die in conventus discipulorum venisse testatur historia Evangelica Tylen Synt. loc 44. p. 276. to holy assemblies and that not alone observed of the Apostles Act. 20. 17. 1 Cor. 16. 1. But also it may bee seene to be Instituted by Christ himselfe whom the evangelicall History doth testifie to have come this day into the assemblies of the Disciples Ioh. 20. 19 26. Polyander Rivet Walaeus Thysius affirme h Hic dies absolutè non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tantum sed denominativè cum articulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nominari coepit Apoc. 1. 10. nempe non solum quod eo resurrexit Dominus vivum se exhibuit sedetiam quod ei rei imò universim Dominò imò à Domino sacratus dediâ—aiusque esset Qualiter coena Domini 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatur locus conventus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecâ—tiosâ—lemnis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scitè declarat Aug. de verbis Apost Serm. 15. Si autem Apostolicae institutionis divinae quoque fuâ—rit authoritatis synops pur Theo. 2. disp 1. p. 263. that this day began to be named not onely the day of the Lord but also denominatively the Lords day Apoc. 1. 10. To wit not only because the Lord rose thereon and presented himselfe alive but also because it was made holy and dedicated to that thing yea wholly to the Lord yea and of the Lord so sanctified and dedicated like as also the Supper of the Lord is called the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. 20. and the place of assemblies the Lords and the solemne prayer The Lords Prayer as wittily Augustine declareth in his fifteenth Sermon of the words of the Apostle But if it were of Apostolike Institution it were also of Divine authoritie Bishop Andrewes saith i Serm. 13. of the Resur p. 529. the Lords day hath testimony in Scripture for how came it to bee the Lords day But that as it is in the Psalmest the Lord made it and why made he it but because on it the stone cast aside that is Christ was made the head stone of the corner that is because then the Lord arose because his resurrection fell on it Who altered it I answer saith Master Attersol k Attersoll on Numb 15. vers 3â— p. 644. Christ himselfe is the Author of this change the Apostles often teach that whatsoever they taught they received it from Christ they learned it at his hands before either by word of his mouth or by revelation of his Spirit but the Apostles enjoyned the first day of the weeke to be kept as a Sabbath of rest 1 Cor. 16. 1. Master Barker l On the fourth Commandement p. 186. God did change the dayes and to shew the alteration the Apostles gave this day the name of the Lords day they themselves kept it and ordained that the Churches in their time should observe it Our renowned Champion Doctor Fulke in the confutation of the Rhemists saith m Dr. Fulke on Reve. 1. 10. sect 6. To change the Lords day and keepe it upon Monday Tuesday or any other day the Church hath no authoritie for it is not a matter of indifferencie but a necessarie prescription of Christ himselfe delivered to us by his Apostles Christ did appoint the new Sabbath saith Wolphius n Wolph Chronol l. 2. c. 1. when our last enemy death being overcome hee made an end of the labours of our Redemption which in his humanitie were to be borne and the next day with the new man restored he brought out a new time the time of our Redemption and of the new Covenant Adde hereunto Docter Bownd in the booke of the Sabbath commended by that painefull and learned Divine Doctor Willet and Doctor Iones in two latine epistles prefixed To conclude this matter the Apostles made this day the Lords day by a declaratorie consecration which Christ himselfe made before the Lords day by a fundamentall and binding relation to wit His resurrection thereon and by blessed and actuall applycation to his use in his apparitions and expositions thereon and by institution in his deedes and words for the Apostles taught to doe but what Christ commanded Matth. 28. 20. Act. 1. 3. CHAP. XXII Breerwood Pag. 38 39. HOw then hath the first day of the weeke gained the celebration and solemnity to become the Sabaoth of the Christians By the constitution of the Church and onely by that yet of that most ancient Church I confesse that next followed the ascention of our redeemer But yet all this is but Ius humanum it is but the decree of Secondly but you go about to prove the Iewes Sabbath ceremoniall because first it was a signe of difference betweene Iewes and Gentiles and part of the partition wall The first part of this proofe was answered before it was a signe betweene God and them that the Lord sanctified them so the Sanctification of the Sabbath understand it of ours is still a signe that God sanctifieth a man every signe is not a ceremonie as every living creature is not a man The Sabbath was a signe of the creation saith Athaenasiuâ— r Athanas de Sabbato Circumcis yet not therefore a ceremonie The second part of your proofe implyed when you say it was a part of the partition wall is very unsound the partition wall Å¿ Zanch. in Ephes 2. v. 14. 15. spoken of in Ephe. 2. 14. was the Law of Commandements contained in ordinances spoken of in the next verse which was not the Law morall but the ceremoniall therefore you must prove first the Sabbath to bee ceremoniall and then wee yeeld it is taken away and so farre forth as you can make that good Thirdly againe to prove it
and vilifying of God Thirdly but what an argument is here The obligation of our thankefulnesse is more than theirs though the obligation of his commandement be lesse herein therefore the Christian should be more devout than the Iew. I had thought the commandement had bound to Devotion and the greater the more I had thought the Greatnesse of benefits whence the debt of thankfulnesse is greatned had increased the obligation of the commandement and our obedience to it But now you yeeld his commandement some what obligeth on our Sabbath though lesse when before you utterly denyed any breach of any divine commandement in laboring that day and so any obligation To strengthen this argument you expresse your wish that most religiously with all abstinence and all attendance it were kept Doe you wish this with all your heart and yet bend all your might to overthrow the commandement of God Would you or could you thinke that your wish should prevaile more than Apostolike truth Fourthly have wee in one breath these contradictory sentences No constitution of the Church obliging to the strict desisting from labour And the constitutions of some ancient Councels restraining that prophanation Fifthly you come in with the Edicts of Princes as one that would have the observation of the Lords day depend upon constitutions of the Church and Edicts of Princes only and so not to differ from another holy day Most wicked Popish worse than Popish and against all the famous lights ancient and moderne Or doe you mention Princes Edicts and Churches constitutions to glose with ours Ours detest your Tenet and you seeke herein to wound Church and Prince for how they hold of the Lords day that it is directly grounded on the fourth commandement appeareth in the Liturgie in the booke of Homilies and in the Statutes and godly Provisions for redresse of prophanations This is the Doctrine of our Church d Homil. of the place and time of prayer part 1. pag. 125. By this commandement speaking of the fourth wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this commandement that no man in the sixe daies ought to bee slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke-day labour of these lawes to reject their commandements touching matter of worke or service on the Sabaoth or any other day Answer First I might put off all this still because it is upon this false ground that the Commandement of God doth not enjoyne our Sabbath with the like But I willingly goe on with you to see if there bee one true stitch through your whole Discourse And here before wee come to particulars h Though the Lawes of men should not take hold of servants in this case yet the Lawes of God doe let all note that that odious terme and calumniating phrase of Servants rebellion against their masters is your owne and commeth from an evill heart and crafty head We teach that Princes unlawfull commands are not to bee executed yet we teach not that any so commanded must rebell but not obey and be so farre from rebellion if it should be urged that hee suffer even to blood patiently without so much as reviling judging or the like but onely committing his cause to him that judgeth righteously But to come to your matter you hold First That the Churches Constitutions and the Edicts of Princes never intended to forbid light and labourlesse worke nor doe their censures take hold on men therefore Secondly against this what the Doctrine of our Church is you heard before which taught that God condemned all weekely and worke-day labour all common businesse and to give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises c. The doctrine of the Church of Ireland i Articles of Religion in a Synod at Dublin 1615. is consonant hereunto which teacheth thus The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day is wholly to be dedicated to the service of God and therefore wee are bound therein to rest from our common and daily businesse and to bestow that leasure upon holy exercises both publike and private In a Councell k Concilium Matiscon 2. c. 1. in the yeare 588. it was decreed that no worke on the Lords day bee done but the eyes and hands stretched out to God that whole day and that if a Countrey man or servant should neglect this wholesome Law he should bee beaten with more grievous strokes of Clubbes For these things saith that Councell pacifie God and remoove the judgements of diseases and barrennesse And againe understanding while they sate in the Councell l C. 4. that some absented themselves from the Assemblies they decreed under paine of Anathema that on all Lords dayes all both men and women received the Communion In another General Synod there was made this decree m Sancitum est ut domini in suis ditionibus diebus dominicis prohibeant nundiâ—as annuas sâ—ptimanales item conventicula in Tabernis compotationes alearum chartarum similes varios lusus concentus musicorum instrumentorum usum atque choreas Synod general Petricoviensis Anno 1578. It is ordained that the Lords in their severall dominions doe prohibit on the Lords dayes the yearely and weekely Faires also meetings in Tavernes Compotations or Gossipings Dice Cards and divers the like sports singing in Concents as now many in merry meetings have their singing of Catches and their roarings as they are called the use of musicall Instruments and Dancing In a Councell at Nice it was ordered that those who either kept Court bought or sold or otherwise prophaned the Sabbath should bee prohibited the Communion because that whole day we ought onely to rest and spread abroad our hands-in prayer to God n Toto hoc die tantummodò vacandum quia toto hoc die manus Deo expandendae Canutus o Canutus lege 14. 15. a King in this Land before the Conquest enacted in a Councell at Winchester that Sunday should be kept holy and Faires Courts Huntings and worldly workes on that day should be forborne Guntramnus p Praeceptio Guntramni ad Episcop dat in Concil Matiscon 2. King of France commanded that on the Lords day no bodily worke should be done besides what was prepared to eate to maintaine life conveniently Secondly you affirme that neither constitution of the Church nor edict of Princes doe free servants from their Masters power to command them to worke or their obedience to worke at their Masters command that day more than others Thirdly what the Doctrine of our Church is in this point is cleare in the Homily of the place and time of prayer delivered in these words Sithence which time meaning the time of our
danger and a stinte set beyond which if they went their judiciall lawes condemned them to death as you ignorantly avouch Thirdly you say that the name of Sabbath was never applyed to the Lords day by any Apostle or other Christian for many hundred yeeres after Christ The Apostle in Heb. 49. doubted not to apply the name of Sabbath to the Christian people and our rest saying That the People of God have their Sabbatisme left unto them Yet admit your strong conceit had bin as strong a Truth what would follow thence That our Saviour intended our Sabbath in that place of Matthew because the Apostles call it the Lords day In no case For to use the name of distinction in times of the Church wherein the Saturday was called Sabbath cannot either make the Apostles faultie or the name of Sabbath incompatible to that day The seventh Section answered First that at the time of the siege of Ierusalem all ceremonies Zuares de lâ—gib l. 9 c. 19. of the old law were deadly you denie and we affirme for if our Saviours death be not the time of the ceremonies deadlinesse you confesse you lost your labour to the one halfe of your Reply hereto indeede St Hierome sets that for the period but you have not answered one of his arguments but to let that passe the terme prefixed is this Looke when the Ceremoniall law was dead throughout the whole world it began at the same time to bee deadly also through the world now the ceremoniall law was dead when the Gospell was published for that obliging the other ceased to oblige and that published the other was utterly evacuated Therefore in that point of time in which a sufficient promulgation of the Gospell was accomplished instantly the old law was deadly This you partly saw when you said in this Section and not onely dead they were but deadly also I confesse to Christians to whom he was certainely revealed to be the Saviour This time was before the eversion of Ierusalem as the Apostle testifieth in Col. 1. 6. that the Gospell was come unto and brought forth fruite also in all the world and proclaimeth to the Churches that the Ceremoniall law was deadly both in that Epistle to the y Col. 2. 20. 21. Gal. 5. 3 4. 4. 9. 10. 11. Colossians and in the Epistle to the Galathians Secondly for your assertion about the old Sabbath that it did remaine and was observed in the East Churches three hundred yeeres and above after our Saviours death it is utterly false that it was observed either Iewishly or as a Sabbath or in Obedience to the fourth Commandement No such observation was Anathematized in the Councell z Ignat. ad magn of Laodicea and Ignatius charged those Christians to worke that day If you meane this observation was the performance of some religious duties publikely then you might say every day in the weeke was observed religiously by them for that is knowne that many of the Greeke fathers as well as the Latine preached every day and a Aug. Ianuar. Ep. 11â— Augustine tels of divers customes in the Churches Some communicated at the Lords table every day some some certaine dayes some on the ancient Sabbath and the Lords day some onely on the Lords day But you must needs intend the Iewish observation of the Sabbath for these words you adde all ceremonies therefore and particularly of the old Sabbath at the time by you mentioned were not deadly Thirdly and when you say that the name of Sabbath was not given in the Church to any other day than the Iewes Sabbath for more hundred of yeeres than three hundred Augustine saith b Serm. de temp 251. So we also sanctifie the Sabbath the Lord saying Ye shall not doe any worke therein The eighth ninth tenth eleventh and twelfth Sections answered In the eighth Section you set forth slanderous reports of Master Byfield which you tooke in by retayle some about his Doctrine concerning late repentance of this the Church of England knoweth his wholesome propositions imprinted in his bookes on the Coloss and on the first Epistle of Peter Some about his Discipline as you terme it but those in and about Chester know his goings in and out then among them In the fourth page of the Treatise you tell of Rebellion against mens lawes and mischiefes to the common-wealth and in the 53. page that few drew so freely of this vessell as he all which cannot agree to a resolution of a private case and those words wherewith Mr Byfield chargeth you and you deny viz. that this doctrine tended to the corrupting of the estate where your kindred and acquaintance and your selfe had lived are expresse in a letter written Iune the ninth 1611. Therefore he justly charged you for charging him unjustly in these respects and did not calumniate you And whereas you say that the doctrine of the Sabbath which you opposed was not for pulpits but for Corners you might have knowne it hath sounded in pulpits and is in print by divers Divines This of the ninth Section But what doe I indeed these nor the other Sections containe nothing worthy an Answere The hands are joyned with scorners and the replies borrowed from wicked men let them alone The thirteenth Section answered That you did adjure Mr Byfield which yet you deny will be manifest if your forme of speech in the end of your Treatise and the nature of an Adjuration be compared together * Zauch in tertium precept de adjuratione An Adjuration is an action in which in the Name of God or by his Name either we require an oath of any one whereby hee should binde himselfe to doe or not to doe something or wee binde him to it by command or intreaty without an oath exacted and that our desire may be more surely obtained we interpose the Name of God Your words are these I challenge you as you will answere it at the judgement Seat of Almighty God when your accounting day shall come to repaire the ruine you have made in his Conscience True here you require not an oath to binde him to this yet you require it with an interposition of the Name of God and a denunciation secretly of Gods anger if he doe it not and so you fall under the second kinde of Adjurations The fourteenth Section answered Here begin Mr Byfields reasons why he would not yeeld to answere the Treatise though adjured Mr Breerwood would refell them Take M. Byfields words together and they are a sufficient reason for every strangers vaine challenge ought not to be answered Now this challenge of M. Breerwoods was vaine because the Injury was but a Conceit no Reality and the doctrine of M. Breerwood abundantly answered in Writers at his hand Thus all M. Breerwoods words are to no purpose and a meere beating of the Ayre By the way note M. Breerwoods Parenthesies no man lesse curious or inquisitive of other mens affaires neither
his masters authority though not obey his unlawfull commands and be so farre from resisting that he must suffer patiently the hard usage of an evill master and endure stripes rather than offend God in all committing his cause to him that judgeth righteously And for the servants more full direction in this thing one case of Conscience I would here briefely decide which is this what workes may servants doe on the Sabbath and in what are they under their masters command and bound to obey them Answ To conceive hereof plainely There are foure sorts of workes lawfull on the Sabbath First workes of holinesse Secondly workes of mercy Thirdly workes that are in their nature servile yet doe directly respect the present worship of God as out travell to the places of Gods worship for these workes become now holy workes and are not ours but Gods workes Fourthly workes of common honesty that is workes that make to the comely decent and orderly performance of Gods worship and our carriage and behaviour therein Such are the tolling of a bell for the calling of the Assembly the comely and modest dresse of the body provided that it be not vaine curious nor aske much time but be thrust into the narrowest roome that may bee The spreading of our Table so that state be not taken up and all things bee prepared before as much as may bee with the like By workes of mercy I meane not onely the necessarie labours in the helpe of the sicke and of women in travell and of beasts out of a pit with the like but also all those that are called workes of necessity which I rather call workes of mercy because they are therefore necessary as they tend to the preservation of things not from feared or suspected but eminent and imminent and present danger and the worke it selfe must be done in mercy not in covetousnesse or other respects Now of this sort are these workes labour in provision of convenient foode tendance of cattell fight for defence of our country being assailed riding of postes on the affaires of the state in causes of present and imminent danger In all these the master hath power to command and so hath the superiour over him that is under his charge and the servant is bound to obey The master may command him the workes of mercy and the workes servile that directly looke to the worship of God or to goe with him to the Sermon though many miles off if it cannot bee had neerer hand and as the master may take his horse and ride thither his servant going on foote so may hee command his servant for this purpose to saddle his horse as in 2 King 4. 22 23. The question of the Shunamites husband sheweth who to his wife desiring one of the Asses to bee made ready and a servant to be sent her that she might go to the man of God saith on this wise Wherefore wilt thougo to him to day it is neither now moone nor Sabbath It was then their custome so to doe on the Sabbath and new moone In like manner the master may injoyne the servant such workes as tend to necessary provision of foode and tending of children in the family c. Yet here againe some things seeme to fight with the sanctification of the day First if the master shall strictly stand upon his state and distance for if the familie-necessities in respect of young children should necessarily require the presence of some constantly at home the master may not keepe his servant hereby constantly from the publike worship but rather sometimes change turnes with him Much lesse may he desire such unnecessary superfluities as may cause absence from the Assemblies for this is to feede thy carcase on the life blood of the soules of thy servants Deale in all plainenesse of heart and know thou hast to deale with God The servant must be sure the worke is unlawfull before he offer to withdraw his obedience but thou maist sinne in that worke in which thy servant sinneth not because thou art bound to search more into the nature of thy necessities Secondly if the master set not his businesse in so wise and discreet an order that without all unnecessary hinderances hee and all his houshold may sanctifie the day and keepe it holy Thirdly if the master remember not that he is a God and that both by communication of name and power to provide for and see to the servants and his housholds rest and therein respect that mercy which God would have shewen to servants yea to cattell on that day CHAP. XVIII Breerwood Pag. 30 31 32. Object BVt yet one scruple remaineth because every person that did any Exod. 31. 14 15. worke on the Sabaoth day was by the law to be cut off from his people and to dye the death every person therefore the Servant as well as the master Sol. I answere that the judiciall commandement is to be understood of the same persons to whom the morall commandement was given the commandement touching punishment of them to whom the commandement touching the offence was imposed but I proved before that the morall commandement was not imposed to servants as servants but to them that were at liberty All they therefore that did any worke on the Sabaoth were to dye the death by the judiciall law they I say that did it not they that were made to doe it which were as well passive as active in doing of it namely they that did it of election as free that might abstaine from worke and would not not they that did it of injunction and necessitie as servants that would abstaine from worke and might not whose condition was such that they would not worke by their masters direction might be made to worke by their masters compulsion for a hard case it were if poore servants to whom no commandement to cease from worke was given by God and yet might be compelled to worke by men should dye for it if they did so worke It is therefore to be understood of them that worke willingly of themselves or as authors cause others to worke as masters doe their servants not of them who onely as ministers and against their wills are set to worke And rather because the worke of the servant that I say which he doth by the commandement of his master to whom for matter of labour he is meerely subordinate even reason and equity will interpret the masters worke And certainely that God accounteth it so the declaration of that Precept in another place doth make manifest Six daies thou shalt doe thy worke and the seventh day thou shalt rest that Exod. 23 12. thine Oxe and thinâ— Asse and thy Sonne and thy Maide c. may be refreshed for is it not manifest that the servants worke is accounted the masters seeing the rest from the masters worke is the refreshing of the servants the master therefore who by the morall law was commanded that his servants should
nothing for are not one day in a yeere yeerely certaine dayes and so of the rest and if that some shall say they are enough though others speake against it who shal tel which of these two sides sides with the truth when what is enough you hold God hath not particularly determined yea but Gomarus saith that what dayes are sufficient may be gathered out of the precept of the Sabbath namely that they be either not more seldome or else a little more oft than the Sabbaths of the Israelites as the indulgence of God in giving that precept sheweth For when the Lord for his clemency sake tooke one of seven onely to his worship for the Israelites men of a stiffe-necke and pressed with the heavy yoke of feasts and other ceremonies how shall more seldome suffice among Christians that are free from that yoke and burden Very good Can any looke on this without griefe and laughter If out of the precept you must gather your sufficient dayes why will you not take the dayes God hath in precept warranted for sufficient and sufficiently blessed one of seven the seventh If this your sufficiency must be gathered from the precept and that too as you gather that they bee more to us than were to Iewes then we are to have two Sabbaths a weeke at the least and the Church erred that Anathematized the keepers of Saturday in the time of the Gospell and still erreth that never saw this yet much lesse observed it Or if you say no they must not be Sabbaths how then gather you this sufficiency of the dayes out of the fourth Commandement which concerneth the Sabbath and not halfe holidaies and other feasts and if the Iewes were yoked with observation of feasts therfore Gods clemency would they should keep but the seventh day What an insupportable yoke doe you lay upon Christians that must as you say keepe more than one of seven or else they keepe not a sufficient number all the Iewish feasts would hardly arise to the number that two in a weeke constantly doe amount to and what interfearing is here One of the seven daies of the weeke in perpetuall revolution is not necessarily to be observed by force of the fourth Commandement And yet fewer than one a weeke cannot be sufficient and that by vertue of the fourth Commandement What would you have more than one a weeke by vertue of the Commandement and therefore you say one is not necessary Or is that which is onely sufficient not necessary Why then take that which is insufficient and let that be yet necessary even one when you will and more when you will now this day now that you may do them all a favour to take them over by turnes Thus farre for Gomarus in this thing Secondly that one whole day be kept holy and no lesse is morall and not ceremoniall you yeelde that the commandement for a Sabbath is morall now God never mentioned lesse than a day saying Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day the distinction also of time by the Lord of time cleareth this for the whole weeke is divided into seven daies and every of those dayes consisteth of 24. houres David in his Psalme for the Sabbath day b Psal 92. title with verse 2. describeth the time thus It is good to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night meaning every Sabbath day morning and night as the title sheweth The apparition of our Saviour at the night of the day of his Resurrection in the midst of the Disciples assembled c Ioh 20. 19. Profunda jam nocte it being now very late at night saith Areâ—ius proveth that the night following of the day of Sabbath take here day for the day-light betweene sunne and sunne is of the Sabbath and lastly the celebration of the Lords day by Paul at Troas in Act. 20. 7. out of which saith Mr. Perkins I note two things First that the night mentioned there was a part of the seventh day of Pauls abode at Troas for if it were not so then he had staied at least a night longer and so more than seven dayes because he should have staied part of another day Secondly that this night was part of the Sabbath which they then kept For the Apostles keepe it in manner of a Sabbath in the exercises of piety and divine worship Answer This also suffereth just exception both in it selfe and in reference to the matter in hand it bindeth you yeeld because Gods command bindeth to obey the Churches just constitutions Consider it is Gods Command that bindeth and not the Churches but as it is Gods Now Gods Command bindeth equally and to despise Christ and despise him in his Apostles in as much as he saith He that despiseth you despiseth me is alike sinfull or what if it binde not equally to take your owne words if it bind enough to make the transgressor a sinner before God For this was never questioned whether the Master or Servant were the greater sinner in the servants working on the Sabbath Againe it bindeth equally by your owne doctrine because you say in pag. 43. lib. 1. it is of the Church guided by the Spirit of God unlesse you will say that the doctrine of the New Testament preached and written by men with the Holy Ghost sent downe from Heaven is of lesse binding power than the Ten Commandements delivered on Mount Sinai which runneth against not onely all Christian religion but also those Texts in speciall Heb. 2. 2 3. 12. CHAP. XXVIII Breerwood Pag. 43 44 45. BVt if you aske me how farre doth that constitution of the Church oblige the conscience I answere you as farre as it doth command you will desire no more further it cannot It cannot oblige farther than it doth ordaine it cannot bind the conscience for guiltinesse further than it doth for obedience because all guiltinesse both presuppose disobedience now that the Church ordained solemne assemblies of Christians to bee celebrated that day to the honour of God and in them the invocation of Gods holy name thankes-giving hearing of the holy Scriptures and receiving of the Sacraments is not denied It is out of question all antiquity affordeth plentifull remembrance of it But that it injoyneth that severe and exact vacation from all workes on the Lords day which the commandement of God required in the Iewes Sabaoth you will never prove It relisheth too much of the Iewish Ceremonies to be proved by Christian divinity for this is no proofe of it that the Lords day is succeeded in place of the Sabaoth or as some Divines tearme it as the heyre of the Sabaoth It is I say no proofe at all except it were established by the same authority and the observance of it charged with the same strictnesse of commandement for if it succeed the Sabaoth in place must it therefore succeed in equall precisenesse of observation So if the Pope succeedeth Peter in place
precedent words of the administration of the Lords Supper But we after those things for the remainder of the time doe ever remember one another of these things and those of us which have any thing helpe every one that wants and are alwayes together one with another A little after hee saith that the assemblies on that day were frequented of all in Citie and Countrie prayer preaching and the Sacrament was administred Collections for the poore which was after the assemblies distributed to the needy imprisoned stranger with the like whom they visited Tertullian in that 16 chapter of his Apologie against the Gentiles gives this as one cause of their conjecture that Christians worshipped the Sunne because they kept the Sunday Holy Wee give our selves to joy saith hee the Sunday for another farre wide reason than in honour of Diem solis laetitiae indulgemus the Sunne are we in the second place from them which appoint Saturday to idlenesse and feeding themselves also wandring from the Iewish custome which they know not What meaneth he hereby but that such a solemnitie is kept and ought to bee by Christians as should exceede in that kinde the feasts of the nations and Heathen as in his booke of Idolatrie chap. 14. he speaketh Ignatius speaketh enough to any man not prepossessed for he saith let every lover of Christ celebrate the Lords day as festivall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word signifieth a solemne festivall free from worke and workeday labour That others also of the ancients did understand this celebration to be with exact vacation is evident Saint Austin saith come ye to the Church every Lords day for if the unhappy Iewes doe celebrate the Sabbath with such devotion that in it no earthly workes were done how much more ought Christians to bee vacant to God alone on the Lords day and come together for the Salvation of their soules Againe Apostles and Apostolike men have therefore ordained that the Lords day be kept with religious solemnitie because in it our Redeemer arose from the Dead and which is therefore called the Lords day that in it abstaining from earthly affaires and the enticements of the world we may serve onely in divine worship That of Saint Clement is also worthy note neither on the Lords dayes which are dayes of joyfulnesse doe we grant any thing may be said or done besides holinesse Austin also in the sixt booke de Civitate Dei chap. 11. speaking of Seneca's scoffing at the Iewes Sabbath that they lost the seventh part of their time in vacancie addeth this Notwithstanding he durst not speake of the Christians even then most contrarie to the Iewes on either part lest either hee should praise them against the old custome of his owne Countrey or reprove them perhaps against his owne will Saint Austine likewise reproveth their telling of tales their slanders playing at dice and such unprofitable sports as if one part of the day were set apart for dutie to God and the rest of the day together with the night to their owne pleasures In the same place also he condemnes walking about the fields and woods when they should bee at Serm. 251. De Temp. Divine Service with clamour and laughter and saith the day must be sequestred a rurali opere ab omni negotio from countrey worke and all businesse that wee may give our selves wholly to the worship of God Saint Chrysostome speaking of the fitnesse of the Lords day for almes saith it is a convenient time to practise liberalitie with a ready and willing minde not onely in this regard but also because it hath rest remission freedome and vacation from labours Saint Ambrose q Ambros tom 3. Serm. 1. de granosinapis p. 225. reproving the peoples neglect of Church on the Lords dayes saith Whatsoever brother is not present at the Lords Sacraments of necessity he is with God a forsaker of the Divine truth For how can he excuse himselfe who preparing his dinner at home on the day of the Sacraments contemneth that heavenly Banket and taking care of the belly neglecteth the physicke of his soule The same Father in another place r Id. Serm. 33. pag. 259. tom 3. saith Let us all the day bee conversant in prayer or reading hee that cannot reade let him aske of some holy man that he may bee fed with his conference let no secular acts hinder divine acts let no Table-play carry away the mind let no pleasure of Dogs call away the senses let no dispatch of a businesse pervert the mind with covetousnesse True this Father in this place speaketh of a Fast but we know that a Fast and Sabbath are alike for the point of rest Saint ſ Hieron ad Rustich Dominicos dies orationi tantum lectionibus vacant Hierom also On the Lords day saith he they onely give themselves to prayer and reading Secondly now for your contrary evidences what if they also make for us You alleage a constitution of Constantines Iurge First the same Emperours Constitutions found in Ecclesiasticall Writers Eusebius in his life saith Wherefore he ordained that all that obeyed the Romane Empire should rest from all labour on the dayes that are called from our Saviours Name Further hee saith of this Christian Emperour He taught all his hoste to honour this day diligently those that partooke of the Divine Faith hee gave them leasure to frequent the Assemblies that no impediment should hinder their attendance on prayer but others that had no savor of Divine Doctrine hee gave charge of them by another Law that they should goe into the open fields of the Suburbs on the Lords day and that there altogether should use the same forme of prayer to God when asigne was given of some one of them for said he we ought not to use speares and place the hope of our affaires in weapons and bodily strength Sozomen in his tripartite history testifieth thus That day which is called the Lords day which the Hebrewes call the first day which the Grecians attribute to the Sunne and which is before the seventh day he ordained that all should cease from suites and other businesses and should onely bee occupied in prayers upon it t Sozom Hist Eccles tripert l. 1. c. 10. Behold Constantine against Constantine Secondly your Constitution is read Cod. l. 3. tit 12 l. 3. This Constitution was reversed by Leo the Emperour and another made in these words We ordaine according to the true meaning of the holy Ghost and of the Apostles thereby directed that on the sacred day wherein our integrity was restored all doe rest and surcease labour that neither husbandmen nor other on that day put their hands to forbidden workes for if the Iewes did so much reverence their Sabbath which was but a shadow of ours are not we which inhabit the light and truth of grace bound to honour that day which the Lord himselfe hath honoured and hath therein delivered
hath rejected the freedome of a freeman to God and Righteousnesse Could you see none of these limitations to restraine your boundlesse glosse Againe the Apostles Doctrine admits of this limitation That the commandment of the master bee of things possible as well as lawfull and therefore Abrahams servant putteth the doubt Gen. 24. 5. What if she will not come And is in that case set free Yea it admits also of another limitation That it bee of things though in their nature lawfull yet not exceeding so farre the strength of nature that the servant so doing shall manifestly ruine his body as to toyle night and day to toyle all dayes and not have a day in the weeke to take breath Now tell me doth not the law of Nature bound the master in respect of time And as it hath these limitations so it hath this distinction servants owe to their masters subjection and obedience obedience is limited to their lawfull command with the like subjection reacheth to submission to their wrongfull and unjust corrections and usage as in 1 Pet. 2. 18 19. Bee subject to your masters for conscience towards God endure griefe suffering wrongfully Even where the servant may not obey he must be subject Secondly having thus cleared the Apostles doctrine let us see what you say to prove your Tenet agreeable ours disagreeable thereto First you take hold of the words in all things to conclude the servants yeelding to the masters exacting of labour that day to be no sinne for then say you he would not command them to obey in all things but would have excepted that I answer by the same reason you may conclude the servants yeelding to the master in any other unlawfull commands to be no sinne because he is commanded to obey in all things without exception of that particular But if you say that is excepted in the former limitations so say I that this is also as hath beene proved Obedience of subjection the servant oweth to his master in unjust dealings with him and the Apostles perswading servants of those dayes to such things sheweth that masters did wrongfully binde and buffet for well doing n 1 Pet. 2. 19. Tel me was it for working or truth and fidelitie and not for pietie and the worship of God And therefore may not I say with better probabilitie than you have spoken that it was for intermission of labour on the times of the holy assemblies Will any correct their servants for performing the duties of the secōd Table or the secret duties of the first It must needs be then that that wel◠doing was publike worship of God for which chiefly Heathen masters buffetted Christian servants And thus your very Texts have implyedly this particular in them that servants should not doe ill or leave the doing well for the frowardnesse of the master and not obey unlawfull commands but beare wrongfull stripes for thereunto are they called for piety the duties of Gods worship submit to the stripe rather thā quit the service of God Now in that you say it cannot be that the Gentiles that did not beleeve should respect religion so as not to exact their servants worke I answer they certainely did in that point of the Sabbath through a speciall providence of God and the inclination of soule to this law of nature which is in part written in the harts of all men for S. Austine x De illis sanè Iudaeis cum loqueretur ait cùm interim usque eò sceleratissim◠gentis consuetudo convaluit ut per omnes jam terras recepta sit victi victoribus leges dederunt Mirabatur haec dicens quod divinitus agcretur ignorans subjecit planè sententiam quia significaret quid de illorum sacramentorum ratione sentiret ait enim illi tamen causas ritus sui noverunt major pars populi facit quod cur faciat ignorat August De Civit. Dei lib. 6. cap. 11. tels as much who relating the saying of Seneca concerning the Iewes and the Sabbath hath these words truely when he speaketh of those Iewes he saith When in the meane while the custome of that most wicked nation hath so farre prevailed that now through all lands it is received the conquered give lawes to the conquerors Speaking these things he wondred being ignorant what was wrought of God he set downe plainly his opiniō in which he might signifie what he thought concerning the reason of their Sacraments for he saith but they know the causes of their rites and the greater part of the people doth that which they know not why they doe it See how the Sabbath had prevailed among all Heathen In Seneca's dayes who lived in the time of the Apostle Paul but what is that to the Lords day Yea thence easily you may gather how they could well afford one day in a weeke to worship and Saint Austine in the same place saith that though Seneca reproved the Iewes for losing a seventh part of their time in keeping Sabbath yet would not mention the Christians to reproove their rites in any kinde lest hee should either praise them against the received custome of his Countrey or reprove them against his owne heart Note it was saith this Father a speciall worke of God that the Sabbath should have that prevalencie amongst Heathens And for the Christians rites of worship he could not speake of them but in prayse unlesse he should have gone against his conscience and therefore silently passeth them over But secondly you affirme that their withdrawing of their obedience would have caused the name and doctrine of God to bee blasphemed I answer their modest and humble refusall of the worke would adorne the doctrine and not dishonor it and if they should forsake the assemblies they forsake their God and religion the Heathen well knew it who were so observant in their superstition It may seeme by the Apostles rules given to servants and wives that more of them were converted than of masters and husbands and the assemblies of the Lords day more constantly frequented of all that had given up their names to Christ Now as the rendering a reason of the hope that was in them to the Magistrate performed with meeknesse and feare honoured God and his Doctrine so the rendering of an account how they worshipped God on the day of assemblies viz the Lords day as may appeare by the Apologie of Iustin Martyr for them who in that Apologie renders a reason of their worship of God and of the day spent wholly in that worship What the Apostle saith upon the Christians readinesse thus to give a reason of his hope may rightly be applyed to the Christian servants readinesse to yeeld himselfe wholly to God that day and to render the reason thereof with meekenesse and feare And who is that will harme you if you doe that which is good 1 Pet. 3. But this submissive withdrawing you tearme by the odious name of disobedience very
Those that hold against the antiquity of the Commandement of the Sabbath that it was not given to Adam yet give no such interpretation of those words God sanctified the seventh day Not Master Broad not Doctor Prideaâ—x not Gomarus not Tostatus and Pererius nor any that I have met withall but they make it an institution by anticipation of which afterwards your selfe perceived it was too bold an assertion to say that the ever blessed Creator laid downe a Law for himself with apromise of blessednesse annexed and therefore confesse that both Gods resting and sanctifying of that day were exemplary to men though you would not they should bee obligatory till the commandement in Sin and Sinai But what then have you done If the Sabbath bee instituted in Paradise as you acknowledge from that place in Gen. 2. and this be exemplary to men as likewise you confesse how can it bee lesse than obligatory to men though it bee not delivered in a forme of words expresly mandatory Gods action which he would have exemplary cannot be lesse than obligatory Secondly but you say this sanctification might be in destination ordained then to holines but not to be applied till the time of the Law Was it ordained then to holinesse It was not then at mans liberty to spend it to other imployment than that to which it was ordained Gods preparation of a time to sanctification 2000. yeares before it should be sanctified is without example intimation in any Text or solid reason Had he ordained it then to holinesse What God hath sanctified why call you it common or how can you thinke that Adam and the Patriarchs would make it common The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say you signifieth a preparation as well as an actuall application to holinesse I could tell you that the word is used both in way of praise and dispraise as Rabbi David Kinchi observeth is it therefore to bee taken in dispraise here But to close with you the word signifieth to prepare apply it now to the seventh day and it noteth that God blessed and prepared the seventh day above other daies of the weeke to bee set apart to rest and the memory of the great worke of the Creation that so piety and religion for ever among posterity Gentiles aswell as Iewes might be nourished Had this beene driven out of use among the Holy Seed as it was among the Gentiles Satan had soone thrust on them also as hee did on the Gentiles the fiction of the worlds eternity and had blowne away as all memory of the Creation so also all faith and true piety out of the minds of men Now such a preparation which is the actuall separation of a thing to use is not of destination but present readinesse and such is the preparation this word signifieth as may bee seene in Rabbi Mardochai Nathans concordance When this word concernes holinesse for sometimes it signifieth preparation in generall as in Micah 3. 5. to prepare warre it signifieth to make holy Lev. 21. 23. to declare holinesse Ezek. 39. 27. to set a part to an holy use Ioel 1. 14. to command that it bee sanctified Exod. 13. 2. But to destinate aforehand without present and actuall separation of the thing so soone as it doth exist and is capable of that to which it is separated which must needs be your meaning hath no warrant of Scripture or Author that I know of For those places in Exo. 19. 10. Iosh 3. 5. and 7. 13. As they all meane by sanctifying to sanctifie by command that they bee sanctified so they speake not of a Destination of them to sanctity or a preparation without actuall application to holinesse but a present sanctifying themselves that day that they might be the fitter for attendance on the Lord it is not read thus in Exo. 19. 10 11. Sanctifie them against the third day but sanctifie them to day and to morrow and be ready against the third day So true is it also of the Sabbath sanctifie this Sabbath and the next Sabbath and every Sabbath It is senselesse to talke of a preparatory sanctification without application that were to separate to holines and yet to let it lye common Kades in Galilee Ioh. 20. was sanctified that is separated for a City of refuge was it only destinated and not actually set apart to that use Besides all those sanctifications are of persons not of times was there ever a set time sanctified and the time not separated to sanctity actually But what do I fighting with suppositions you say it might so signifie not it doth so How many interpreters ancient and moderne do say it doth signifie to command that it bee sanctified Thirdly you go on to a third evasion and say it might be a command and institution by anticipation shewing why not when God instituted the Sabbath That cannot be because Moses makes an Historicall narration of the creation according to seven daies time and in every day distinguisheth it by its proper worke and comming to the seventh he saith that was Gods resting day which was not inferiour to any of the sixe because God wrought no eminent worke of Creation thereon but extolled above them because it was not a day of empty rest but inriched above the other and advanced by Gods blessing and sanctifying of it that is he ordained it a time of greater and more holy workes and crowned those workes with richer fruit Esa 58. 14. and did chuse it above the rest to an holy use And that hee then sanctified that day both the connexion of the words sheweth and the words of the fouâ—th commandement in sixe daies hee made all hee rested the seventh and therefore blessed it This Anticipation never came into any mans mind who was not first anticipated with some prejudice about the observation of the Lords day the Iewes never dreamt of it and in the new Testament no such thing is taught or intimated The Authors of that opinion yeeld it is probable that the seventh day was observed froÌ„ the beginning Zuar de dieb festis Moreover there can be produced out of Scripture no example of such an Anticipation there is an Anticipation of the names of some places with the like but not an anticipation of an institution Besides the perfection of the creation on that day is twice joyned with the Sanctification of it in the same manner and phrase in which the creation both of man and of other living Creatures is joyned with the blessing of them Gen. 2. 2 3. with Gen. 1. 21 22 27 28. The new Testament confirmes our Text which teacheth that the people of God partake in the Old Testament of d Heb. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. a twofold rest in this life the rest of the Sabbath and the rest in Canaan but David speaking in the 45. Psal of a rest speaketh not of the Sabbath rest for that was from the beginning of the world nor of that in Canaan for that
wrongfully for he is to be obedient to his lawfull commands that day and to his unjust corrections for the Lords sake which will breake the heart of any Master and winne him but your course would take away the very practice of religion in the servant for where is religion if the publike worship be gone Nor will this deprive them of their service but make them in higher esteeme as Ioseph was and the famous courtier Daniel for refusing to obey the king decree when Parasites shall bee loathed and cast out Yet if this should not alwaies be the Spirit of glory and of God will rest upon him that suffers in these cases If this bee the blasphemie wee must avoide we all are undone while we are saith Tertullian y let his name be blasphemed in the observation and Tertul. de Idolat ca. 14. not the exorbitation of discipline so long as we are proved not reproved this malediction of preserved discipline is the benediction of Gods Name This would propagate the Gospell as in Daniels case is to be seene and in the case of the three children This is absolute meekenesse obedience humilitie and patience and such servants for their vertue and the profit that commeth to their masters by their faithfull service in the times and seasons due and their unfained respect even when they receive wrong shall carry in the eyes of the vilest high respects and praise but if your course were held that the servant should neglect the assemblies to doe his masters worke on that day we speake of workes unlawfull to be done on the Sabbath and should carry an heart to God while his feete and hands carried him to his masters worke which is all one as if one should sweare with his tongue and thinke to keepe his heart unsworne then where is the solemne worship of God And that gone where is Religion And that gone what vertue And that gone what profitable service Masters that respect but their owne lucre can conne you little thankes for this doctrine Besides this were the scandall and defamation of the Gospell for ever that whereas all Religions teach the followers thereof a time for pietie with all attendance of body and soule for that time this Christian Religion should teach that the servant hath no time at all nor doth God require it of him but the contrary if his master will but bid him worke This can be no seminarie of disturbance or contumacie for he is subject to his masters power for correction so as not to resist in wrongfull sufferings but yours sheweth it manifestly while it leaveth a man in anothers hands against two such principles that when they have beene by tyrannie prest to goe against them rebellion hath ever followed The principles are these First God must bee solemnely and publikely worshipped and that on some times weekly in which hee is to bee attended upon without avocations Secondly that Nature sheweth the preservation of it selfe Now to go about to blot out sense of God religion to keepe men to taskes of insupportable burdens which nature breaketh under while it beares them this is the ready way to overturne all This alienates not masters from their Christian servants let the experience of all ages shew it In this nation the servants that make conscience of the Sabbath are sought after by all sober and wise masters that onely are wise for the world for these are those that will not be night-walkers nor drunkards nor filchers with the like I know none but choose such and greatly affect them and for their fidelity otherwise and industry give them great liberties for Gods worship True I have heard of some of our Gentry that will by no meanes have such a servant especially to waite on their persons or to be their Clerkes but one may easily smell the reason it is not for any matter of Sabbaths labour or rest but first there is a divellish principle amongst them that it is for their reputation to have their men such as will make the servant of their neighbour-Gentleman Answer First that the subjection due to men in respect of obedience to execute their commands extendeth only so farre as it may not diminish the empire of God hath been sufficiently proved but you call for antiquity to beare out the servant in refusing his masters commands of servile worke on the Lords day I shewed you before out of Chrysostome what he taught were the bounds which a servant might not passe namely the commandements of God if the master command ought against them he may by no meanes execute his masters command Tertullian b Tertul. lib. de Idolat c. 17. saith that if a servant doe but by some word helpe the sacrifice he shall be accounted a minister of the sinne of idolatry he speakes of them as attending on their masters and that the place Give to Casar the things that are Caesars binds no subject to keepe the daies consecrated to idoles nor to set up lights at their doores or Laurell branches on their doore posts And then saith further c Ibid. ca. 15. it is well added and to God the things that are Gods Vnto which lay but that which went before in Chapter 14. d Ibid. cap. 14. where hee saith the Ethnickes have every festivall day yeerely once the Christian hath his on the eight day lay these together I say according to the true meaning of that Author and it is cleare that the servant might not for his masters command keepe a day in honour to an idoll nor any way be minister of that sinne nor might he neglect the day consecrated in honour to God for his master Clemens Alexandrinus e Clemens Alex. stromat l. 4. hath these words Discipline is necessary to all sorts of men and vertue since all tend to felicity And after quotation of the texts in Ephes 5. Col. 3. and 4. He concludeth out of these Therefore it is manifest to us what the unitie that is of faith is and is shewed also who is perfect wherefore the servant and the woman shall professe philosophy be any against it and exceedingly resisting although punishment hang â—ver their heads from their masters and husbands The free man also though the tyrant threaten death to him though he be led to judgement and drawne to utmost torments and runne the hazzard of all his goods and fortunes shall by no meanes abstaine from piety and the true worship of God nor shall ever dissent from it the woman likewise which dwelleth with an evill husband and the sonne if he have an evill father or the servant that hath an evill master pursuing vertue with a valiant and generous mind But as it is comely and honest for the man to dye both for vertue and for liberty and for himselfe so also is it for the woman for this is not proper to the nature of males but of good folkes Therefore both old and young both woman and servant