taken away and David appointed in his stead I am bound by the selfe same Law to honour David Even so is the accommodation of this fourth Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy this is the Commandement what day soever it be applyed unto The accommodation is the seventh day is the Sabbath day to keep it holy this the Commandement doth binde us unto as long as the day is unchanged and not taken away But the day being altered yet the Commandement abideth and is of forcâ— when another day is appointed in its roome as is now our Lords day And therefore the Commandement is Remember the Lords day to keep it holy From whence here note that as the taking away of Saul took not away the Commandement of honouring the King and Davids comming in Sauls stead held up the practice of the same Commandement Even so the taking away of the seventh day took not away the authoritie of the fourth Commandement and the bringing in of the Lords day in stead thereof holdeth up the practice of it and by it we are bound to observe this day as the Jewes their day And therefore may we pray as our Church teacheth us Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law And that without any Judaizing at all CHAP. XII That this day cannot be changed WEe have heard how that the day is of a divine institution and therefore is not subject to alteration by man The Church saith our learned Doctor On Rev 1. 10. In Cases of Consc ca. 16. In his Thesis Fulk hath no authority to change it so holds Master Perkins Bishop Lakes speaking of Christs resurrection giveth this reason saying as no man can change the work to another day so no man can therefore change the day This is an undoubted rule in Theology saith that learned man 2. What honour and dignity the Holy Ghost giveth unto a day cannot by the authority of man be taken from it to put it upon any other day but the first day of the week hath by the holy spirit this superscription set upon it The Lords day therefore it is not alterable by any to any other day to call that the Lords day 3. If the Church can change it then hath the Church authority to weaken the grounds on which the observation of the day was first setled but that she hath not or else can bring better reasons for the alteration else it were folly to alter it but there never was hitherto nor now is nor ever shall be any such reason to alter the day as there was for setling of the day to wit the blessed resurrection of the Lord Jesus of the excellent glory of which work yee have heard before Therefore the Church cannot change it into another day 4. Whosoever changeth one thing for another in matters of an high nature must have equall power with the first Institutors or receive authority so to do from them But the Church hath not such authority in her selfe or by delegation from either Christ or from his Apostles And therefore cannot change the day 5. It hath beene ratified by many Synods by ancient Councells by Imperiall Constitutions and Edicts of Kings established by the Lawes of Kingdomes and Countreys as it cannot be altered 6. The long continued custome of observing it from the first day in the Apostles time by the whole Primitive Church and by all Christian Churches since in all ages for these 1600 yeares without any gain-saying maketh it unalterable it being observed upon such grounds as is before mentioned To conclude to what purpose is it for any now to hold the change thereof when never from the beginning there was ever any one particular Church any Synod or Councell or any Orthodox writer in ancient times attempted it Nor ever durst any power on earth goe about it But all the holy Fathers and piously learned have with free consent endeavoured the setling and honouring of this day as may appeare in their writings and praises of the same as shall be manifest in the next chapter It is not therefore changeable either absolutely or practically nor have Christians at any time saith Bishop White judged it reasonable or convenient to alter such an ancient and well grounded custome which is commonly reputed to bee an Apostolicall tradition To this let me adde in the last place the judgement of that reverend Authour of the Antidote That seeing the observation of the Lords day hath beene confirmed by so many Constitutions Ecclesiasticall and Imperiall and hath withall continued with such uniforme consent through the whole Christian world for so many ages ever since the Apostles times the Church not to dispute what she may or may not doe ex plenitudine potestatis ought not to attempt the altering of it to any other day of the week CHAP. XIII Of the honourable esteeme of this our Lords day and that it is to be preferred before all other festivall dayes THere be many reasons to manifest the honourablenesse of this day and to preferre it before all other Festivalls 1. The blessed Apostle hath exalted it with the glorious title of the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. The Lord Christ his day as Bishop White speaks a title proper and peculiar Page of his book 208. to it Now things and persons named the Lords are sacred and venerable saith he in the highest degree which day was generally and religiously observed of all Christians And albeit the Apostles took advantage to goe and teach in the Jewish Synagogues upon their Sabbath yet saith Doctor Pocklington for which he citeth Eusebius and Page 11. of his Sermon Ignatius the blessed Martyrs in the Primitive Church by the doctrine and example of S. Paul and the Apostles so unfeignedly abhorred the observation of the Jewish Sabbath that they esteemed the observers thereof and the contemners of the Lords day the very sonnes of perdition and enemies of our Saviour and sellers of Christ So dis-regarded they the one and honoured the other 2. The ancient Fathers and others have given it tearmes of honour Justine Martyr called it Sunday as many others In Orat. ad Anton. after him no doubt as the chiefe of dayes as the Sunne is the most glorious to our eyes above all other planets In Cod. Just. lib. 3. tit 12. it is called venerabilis dies Solis the venerable and much honoured Sunday as Bishop White expresseth Against Brab page 197. Ad Magnes it Ignatius the Martyr who lived at least thirty yeares in the dayes of S. John and was his hearer calleth the day the Queene and Paramount of dayes Eusebius See the quotation of these in B. â—hite pag. 209. calleth it the principall and the first S. Chrysostome a royall day Greg. Nazian saith it is higher than the highest and with admiration wonderfull above all other dayes S. Basil the first fruits of dayes Chrysologus the primate of dayes A day above all
commonly are they which follow most after sports And experience telleth us that such as most love pleasure are the least takers of pains the greatest Loyterers and the laziest work-men and labourers The third sort which get hardly their living with the sweat of their brows poore men and their poore children crave quiet rest and not painfull pastime For sports are often performed with greater labour of the body than the work of a mans vocation Rest is best for these and sporting and pastime needlesse in respect of their bodies 2 They are not needfull for the minde and spirit For what good can sports gameing and pastime afford man in this respect on this day after he hath been in Gods house Can they sharpen his desire to returne more chearefully to delight in holy duties It is impossible and the clean contrary is found by experience in such as turne the Sabbaths holy rest and their time which should be for meditation into pleasureable recreations They cannot this day set an edge on nor sharpen the spirit to make the body more vivacious chearfull and lively to goe about a mans calling trade art or profession in the week following 1 Sports and pastimes on one day have no such vigour and force to hold up the spirits for an after dayes worke It is the nights rest and not the sporting on the Lords day that doth it 2 They are not seasonable recreations on this day to quicken the spirits by them For seasonable recreations is in labouring time and is to be intermixt betweene labour and labour for to refresh the wearinesse of the spirits to returne speedily againe to labour Recreation is or should be as a baite to a Traveller a bit and away as a whetting to a Mowers sithe to cut afresh or as an houres sleepe in the day time short and sweet to a wearied man that must hold to his work But the Lords day is not the time of Labour but of rest There is a rest a night before there is a rest on the day and the nights rest following What needs then recreation in the time of so much rest when recreation hath ever relation to labour and not to ease 3 There is no cause of the dulling and blunting of the spirits on this day that there should need sports and pastimes for recreation For if the spirits be wearyed this day it is one of these waies following 1 Either with bodily labour about worldly businesse which ought not to be done which rather men should with tears bewaile than leaving labour to runne to sports for recreation 2 Or with the rest of the body in doing nothing but either standing idlely sit chatting or lying asleep like beasts and so become drowzie or lazie Because most persons ignorant of the heavenly use of an holy rest know not how to bestow the time but either about the world or about pleasures when they are out of the Church But the well instructed know how to spend it better and if slouthfull drowsinesse should take hold on them they know how to stirre their bodies by walking and in walking to meditate on Christ and his benefits alone or to have some to conferre with or to goe else alone to prayer or having a family to instruct them and so shake of their slouth and not by gaming sporting and playing 3 Or else the spirits are dull by going to the Church and there continuing for the time If this be alledged 1 I aske how long are such persons in the whole dayes space at the Church In some Parishes and too many of them one houre in the forenoone and lesse in the afternoone or an houre and halfe in the forenoone and as much in the afternoone and grant to the utmost in the whole day three houres and a halfe or foure houres and that also at divided times with a long pause betweene perhaps of three or foure houres Can foure houres in and about Christs Service and Worship in twenty foure dull and weaken the spirits of any which carry the name of Christians and have any life of saving grace in them 2 I aske againe of these lovers of pleasures first whether they come soone to Church and are at the beginning and so abide to the end Secondly while they stay there doe they not sleep or doe they not sit idlely gazing about or are they not carryed away with many by-thoughts If so as too true can they then plead the dulling of their spirits by so staying sinfully in the Congregation drawing neare with their bodies but in soule and heart be farre from God 3 I aske them are they indeed devout Worshippers and attentive hearers and doe they so understand themselves that they know what they have beene doing what they have reaped thereby then surely they cannot depart away dull in spirit but bee glad of that they have heard Act. 13. 48. Neh. 8. 12. glorifying the word of the Lord and so depart away with joy because they have understood the words declared to them Neither is it possible that they should be so possessed with such prophane dotage and folly that they should think if they found any dulnesse in hearing that sporting and playing gaming and pastime to be the meanes to remove such spirituall dulnesse and to recover their spirits to a more chearfull and quicker attendance to Gods word with joyfulnesse of minde and heart in the use of Gods ordinance So to think is both without religion and also void of very reason it selfe Therefore from hence and from the substance of all that hath beene said I conclude that on this day sports games and pastimes are needlesse and to be forborne And here I end praying thus for my selfe and others Oh Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep thy Law And this our sacred day to the honour of thy Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ And from Judaizing and Paganizing And from all prophanesse good Lord deliver us JOHN 7. 17. If any man will doe his will hee shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or no. Finis hujus Operis
is contained only in these words Remember thou the Sabbath day to keep it holy I. Moses in the repetition of the Law Deut. 5. 12. sheweth us this plainly who upon the words of the Commandement Keep the Sabbath day to sanctifie it addeth immediately these words as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee between the precept and the next words following Sixe days shalt thou labour c. And so evidently telleth us which be the words of the Commandement and thereto holdeth our thoughts so we may not take any of the following words to be any part of the substance of the Commandement II. The learned have set the Commandement apart by it self in a distinct Verse Exo. 20. 8. from the words following III. The Lord himself in the promulgation of the Law in every other of the Commandements where reasons be added maketh a difference between the Commandement and the reasons annexed as we may see in the second third and fifth and therefore so here IV. Every reasonable mans understanding giveth him to know a difference between a Commandement and that which for some cause is annexed thereto as here we may clearly see it SECTION IX Of the meaning of the words of the Commandement THus knowing the Commandement it is fit to understand the meaning Remember that is be mindefull of it so that thou forget it not call it to minde think upon it and consider the Sabbath as a day to be observed and kept and therefore Moses putteth keep for Remember Deut. 5. 12. The Sabbath day that is the rest day for Sabbath signifieth cessation and rest taken from Gods rest Gen. 2. 2. Moses calleth it the Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 15. Sabbatum cessationis and this rest is Requies sancta Exod. 31. 15. an holy Sabbath Exod. 16. 23. Nebe 9. 14. and the day is an holy day Exod. 35. 2. But not so the rest nor day in themselves but a rest unto Lord Exod. 16. 23. 25. and 35. 2. holy to the Lord Exod. 31. 15. Sanctificata as some translation hath it set apart and separated to the service of God as a sanctified rest and day which the Lord calleth his holy day Isai 58. 31. To keep it holy This is the end of remembring the Sabbath day to sanctifie it that is as God did set it apart and ordained it for holy uses and his woâ—ship so we are to count it the Lords seperating it from other days and bestowing the rest and the day of rest upon the Lord for that end and use for which he hath made the rest and the day holy This is to keep it holy From the Commandement thus understood we may observe 1. That a Sabbath a rest is imposed upon us Exod. 23. 12. 2. That God hath appointed a day for this rest 3. That both the rest and day are holy sanctified for holy uses to the Lord. 4. That we are to keep holy the rest day or the day of rest both the rest and the day SECTION X. Of the rest upon the Sabbath THE Commandement chargeth us with rest with this must we begin and keep the day without this no Sabbath day It hath it denomination from rest The day for the holy use of the rest is said to be blessed Exod. 20. 11. And from Gods resting he is said to blesse and sanctifie it Gen. 2. 3. This rest is principally mentioned the day is called the rest of the holy Sabbath The rest of the holy rest Exod. 16. 23. the Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 15. Therefore this is the first thing in the first place to be observed in the keeping of the day holy unto the Lord which is by making our rest holy to him by imploying our rest holily For the day is kept for the rest sake by Gods own example and because of the holy use of the rest upon that day wherein we do rest and not for the days sake for without the rest we could not keep the day nor would God have commanded the day but for that he rested and made the rest holy for holy uses on that day The Consideration of this would cut off much prophanesse and make us better observers of the day unto the Lord. SECTION XI Of the day for the rest THe Lord having imposed rest upon us in the next place he enjoyneth us a day for the rest Time is necessary for all things and without time we cannot rest Nature and experience teacheth this This time allotted by God is a day but in the Commandement the day is not determinately set down it pitcheth upon no certain set day But the Commandement is Remember the Sabbath day to wit what day soever to keep it holy So the holy observation of the day is the substance of the comet This generality is agreeable to the Naturalitie of the Law And thus the Lord delivered the Commandement 1. To lay down in it the naturality of the Law aswell as in the rest of the Commandements 2. And so to hold up the perpetuity of it with all the other precepts 3. To teach that no one certain set day is of the very substance of the Commandement Therefore is it propounded indifinitly without limitation 4. To inform us that the seventh day from the Creation as Bishop Andrews doth hold in his Catechiticall doctrine is not of the substance of the Commandement 5. This was for an admittance of the Changeablenesse of the day For this Commandement being affirmative and propounded in generall termes maketh it applicative to this or that day To this while it remaineth and to that which may come in the roome of it when this is changed and taken away as thus Honour the King to wit whosoever is King If Saul be See this Simile in the next Treatise more at large King honour him when he is dead and David be King honour him So is it in this Commandement Keep holy the Sabbath day while the seventh day from the Creation is the Sabbath keep it holy if it be changed and the first day of the week be the Sabbath then keep it holy God foreseeing it necessary that the seventh day from the Creation was to be changed he propounded the Law so as to make the day alterable as being for the time by way of application belonging unto the Commandement but not of the substance no more then Sâ—ul was of the substance of this Commandement Honour the King If this had been or were well pondered the Controversie of the Sabbath had been prevented and should cease â—ow to trouble the Church SECTION XII Of the words annexed to the Commandement WHen God gave this his Commandement he himself annexed words unto the Commandement purposely to guide his people in the right understanding of this Precept and to binde them by reasons to the obedience thereof unto the worlds end To all the Commandements God made a Preface to enforce obedience to all of them even from his Covenant of Grace made with Abraham