of his spirit and that we are too much possessed with the delights of this world and so lye in some one sinne or other whereas on the contrarie then may wee be assured that our desire is to please God that willingly we doe not continue in any sinne that wee vse the creatures and blessings of God aright that the spirit is in vs gouerneth vs by the word when we find our hearts in the midst of our mirth sweetly moued to sing spirituall songs spiritually But to make an ende of this matter that wee might take vpon vs this duetie so cheerefully as we should let vs in a word consider of that which the Prophet speakes of it Psal 147. that I might not stand vpon euery place that commendeth it vnto vs Praise the Lord sayth hee there for it is a good thing to sing vnto our God Psal 147.1 for it is a pleasant thing and praise is comely where the Prophet exhorting men vnto it To sing Psalmes is good pleasant and comely sayth it is good pleasant and comely And first of all it is good for it is commanded of God and looke how many times it is commended vnto vs by precept or practise in the scripture so many proofes are there of the goodnes of it Then it is not only good but pleasant for many things are good but bitter as afflictiō and some things are pleasant which are not good as sinne and so though the beginning bee sweete the ende is sower and when the pleasure is ended the payne abideth but here is pleasure without payne and of this the good fruite and pleasure abideth euer Last of all it is comely as he sayth in another Psalme also it becommeth the righteous to bee thankefull Psalm 33.1 and to sing praises Vnto which agreeth that of the Apostle Let no filthie communication Ephe. 5.4 nor foolish talking nor iesting proceede out of your mouthes which things are not comely but rather giuing of thankes as it becommeth the Saints For this commendeth vs vnto God and vnto men and herein are wee like vnto the Angels in heauen who sing vnto the Lord a new song continually Reuel 14.3 So that euen as the vngodly haue a grace in their wickednesse and are the better liked of among the vngodly though indeed they are then most deformed so this maketh vs comely before God and louely in the eyes of his Church when we hauing prepared our hearts thereunto doe sing with affection with reuerence and with vnderstanding For otherwise euen as a costly garment may be comely in it selfe yet it shal not become vs vnlesse we be fit for it What maketh it comely it be wel put vpon vs so though to sing be neuer so comely in it owne nature yet it becommeth not vs except wee bee prepared for it and doe sing Dauids Psalmes with Dauids spirit Therefore the Apostle writing to the Ephesians willeth them in singing to make melodie in their hearts to the Lord not to sing with their tongue Ephe. 5.19 and frō the lips outward as we say And to the Colossians Coloss 3.16 To sing with a grace in their hearts to the Lord that it might not only come from the inwarde feeling of their heart but also bring grace and profit to the hearers when as they doe not vtter an vnprofitable sound but their heart going before their tongue and it mouing their lips they might themselues bee first of all affected therewith and so beget the like affections in others Seeing then that goodnes pleasure and comelines do all of them meet together in this one thing let vs the rather be in loue with it set our hearts vpon it and whereas these are the things most of all regarded and especiallie sought for of all men and yet seldomest found now that they doe all of them meete with vs as it were and ioyntly offer themselues vnto vs in this one thing let vs be rauished with the loue of it vnlesse we be men voyd of al affections or such as haue set our hearts vpon other things before and let vs intertaine this seruice of God into our houses and giue credit vnto it that we might be bettered with the goodnes that it bringeth and be more comfortable with the true pleasure that it affoordeth and more comely with the excellent beautie that it will put vpon vs. And so I conclude with the confession of Augustine who by his owne experience greatly commendeth the singing of Psalmes when he sayth August lib. 9. confess cap. 6. that oftentimes for ioy he wept in the Church of God being moued with sweet melodie that was made there And for this cause Dauid is called the sweete singer of Israel 2. Sam. 23. ◠because of the excellent and heauenly Psalmes which he as a Prophet made for the Church of God 2. Chron. 29.30 whereby they were raised vp to all spirituall mirth in singing of them The last thing of all is that wee remember especially to put all things in practise which wee haue learned out of the word The workes of mercie are to be practised vpon this day and that wee begin vpon that very day to doe all dueties of loue vnto men and that wee shew mercie vnto them then especially Whereunto that we might be made the more fit the whole worship of God and the Sabbath it selfe is ordained in so much that the Lord would haue euery whit of it to cease euen vpon the Sabbath rather then mercie should not be shewed to the full or any dutie of it neglected to our brethren when both of them cannot bee done together as wee haue seene it before more at large And seeing it is the Lords day and therefore we must bee occupied about all his worke wholly and he hath in his word commended to our care the widowe the fatherlesse the poore and the stranger as those whom he especially regardeth we ought vpon this day most of all to feede the hungrie to clothe the naked to lodge the harborlesse to visit the sicke and the prisoners when besides that we haue rested from all our owne workes that wee might be occupied about the workes of the Lord we haue so much mercie of the Lord God shewed vnto vs that wee might shewe it vnto others and hee doth after an extraordinarie manner open vnto vs al the treasures of his goodnesse that thereby we might be moued to take pitie vpon others So that he which is then hard hearted to his brother there is no great pitie to bee looked for at his hands and he which then neglecteth to testifie his loue aboundantly to men whē he should of purpose giue ouer himself to all dueties of godlines what hope can there bee that he will doe them vpon other dayes in the weeke when he shall haue fewer meanes to further him thereunto and more to withdrawe him there from And that this is an especiall thing
the Sabbath was first of al ordained For as when Dauid sayth Psal 40.6 Sacrifice and burnt offering thou diddest not desire but mine eares hast thou prepared burnt offering and sinne offering hast thou not required then sayd I loe I come to doe thy will O my God as it is written of me in the roule of thy booke for thy law is within my heart He doth not say that the Lord required no sacrifice and burnt offering at all for he had commaunded them in his word but he testifieth that all sacrifice and all the outward worship is nothing accepted when it is seuered from obedience and when wee thereby are not made more fit to obey God in all other dueties euen as it is expounded in another place 1. Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as when the voyce of the Lord is obeyed Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken is better then the fat of rammes So the Prophet Esay in the place aboue mentioned expounding the lawe as it was the chiefest office of a Prophet preacheth vnto them the true interpretation of it that though all Gods seruice bee obserued in euery outward poynt vpon the Sabbath yet all is ceremoniall without these fruites appearing in vs afterwards neither is it done in that manner that GOD alloweth or that they thereby could looke to inherite that promise which in the same place hee maketh to them that shall truely keepe holie the Sabbath And thus are all other places to bee vnderstood which are of the like nature in this Prophet and others neither doe they proue that to rest from sinne is a proper duetie of this Commandement more then any other to which purpose they are alleadged of some that I may speake it with their fauour but onely shewe what should bee the fruite of these exercises both vpon that day and all other besides And therefore in like manner the same Prophet exhorting the Iewes to vnfained repentantance for their sinne and a diligent care to please God framing their liues according to his word in all dueties to his maiestie and to their brethren and then promiseth all manner of blessings vnto them so doing in the midst of this exhortation once or twise speaketh of sanctifying the Sabbath day as a chiefe meanes to bring them to this saying He that keepeth the Sabbath and polluteth it not and keepeth his hand from doing any ill And verse Esay 56.2 4. He that keepeth my sabbaths and chooseth the thing that pleaseth me and taketh hold of my couenant Wherein as he declareth vnto them that this is the way to come to this faith and repentance which hath those promises annexed vnto them euen to serue God in all parts of his worship vpon the Sabbath so he there requireth this at their hands that they would in such wise sanctifie the day that they may be thus altered and chaunged thereby Whereunto agreeth that which is in the Prophet Ezekiell where he telleth the Iewes how many meanes the Lord had bestowed vpon them to doe them good and yet how vnprofitable they were vnder them and therefore that their sinne was so much the greater and their punishment so much the more due speaking of their forefathers I gaue them my statutes Ezek. 20.11.12 and declared my iudgements vnto them which if a man doe hee shall liue in them Moreouer also I gaue them my sabbaths to bee a signe betweene mee and them that they might knowe that I am the Lord that sanctifie them Which mercie of his he continued with their posteritie for he said vnto their children in the wildernes verse 19. Walke in my statutes and keepe my iudgements and doe them 20. And sanctifie my Sabbaths and they shall be a signe betweene me and you that yee may knowe that I am the Lord your God c. His meaning is that hee offered vnto them life euerlasting in his holy worde hee gaue them also the Sabbaths wherein they being wholly and profitably occupyed in all the exercises of religion might thereby knowe that the Lorde their God would by his holy spirite worke in them all that faith and obedience which he required of them that they might come to life euerlasting So then he required of them so to behaue themselues on the Sabbaths as that thereby they might attaine vnto that for which he especially gaue them vnto them But this may bee sufficient to let vs see into so playne and easie a matter as this namely that though we come to the Churche all our life euery Sabbath and remaine there from the beginning to the ending yet onely so many dayes no more haue we kept holy as we ought by how many wee haue been bettered and furthered I meane in the waies of our saluation and made more fit to serue God and our brethren thereby Here we haue cause to repent vs of our vnprofitable cō ming to the Church what shall wee say then to all our vnprofitable wandrings to the Church and home againe And how shall we giue an account to the Lord for them And if the case stand so betwixt the Lord vs that many times when we thought our selues best occupied euen that is turned into sin vnto vs what great cause haue we to be truely humbled before him by repentance for our sinnes that so wee might bee exalted of him in due time And in deede this is so great an euill that wee cannot tell where to make an ende of it For letting passe all the dayes of our vanitie and ignorance spent either in poperie or in the light of the Gospell wherein wee were alwaies vnprofitable in the seruice of God wee may with heauie hearts remember how many times since our calling we haue met in the Church with the least profit that may be or rather none at all in respect of the meanes that did offer vnto vs so great profite in so much that though our profiting in worldly things haue been so great that it may be seene a farre off yet our increase in heauenly things is so small or rather none at all that it cannot bee descryed come as nere as you will And when as in all other things we doe reioyce at the greatnes of our gayne whether wee looke within the doores or without in the house or the fieldes to our cattell or to our goods onely in spirituall matters I will not say our gayne is so small but our decaye and losse is so great that wee haue great cause to be ashamed of it And though from the markets and fayres we come not without some prouision yet vpon the Sabbath which is the market day for our soules we come home many times and carrie nothing whereby we might liue the better the whole weeke following To be short though from a common person we haue not many times departed without some profit yet from the minister of Gods word euen
so I conclude with P. Martyr Of euery seuen daies one must be reserued to God P. Martyr in Gen. 2. he meaneth one whole day not a peece of it Therefore there must needes be certaine other holie dueties and parts of Gods worship which wee must walke in the rest of the day when the congregation is dissolued and when wee are alone by our selues which are the priuate religious exercises of a Christian man in which he sanctifieth the rest of the Sabbath and they are all such parts of Gods seruice which a man can doe by himselfe alone or with others of his houshold or neighbours whereby he might prepare himselfe or them for the publike ministerie which is the chiefest or afterwards make it most profitable to himselfe or them Vnto which it seemeth Master Bucer had respect whē as he speaking of such things as are to be done vpon the Sabbath and hauing named those that are publike Bucer in Matth. 12.11 as to heare the word to receiue the Sacraments to prouide for the poore vnto them addeth In the first part of the day wee ought to prepare our selues for the publike assemblies Instituere ad pietatem familiam to instruct a mans houshold vnto goldines In the former part of the day therefore euery one must prepare himselfe for the Church that hee might come thither with profite for if in all worldly things that bee of any moment we doe prepare our selues then much more ought we to doe it in heauenly whereunto wee are most vnfit as they in themselues are the greatest especially when the benefit of them is so great if we be prepared and the daunger is so perilous if we be vnprepared for the preaching of the word is the sauour of life vnto life 2. Cor. 2.15 or the sauour of death vnto death And in the Sacramēt is offered vnto vs the bodie and bloud of Christ 1. Cor. 11.24 to nourish vs vp vnto euerlasting life but if we eate and drinke vnworthily we procure Gods iudgement against our selues 29 The Lord in speaking to his people from heauen in an extraordinarie manner Exod. 19. did command them to be prepared extraordinarily by which practise of his he declared that in the ordinarie ministerie of the word there ought to bee some ordinarie preparation if wee will bee partakers of it with profite The ground is prepared for the seede the stomacke for meate the whole bodie for phisicke this is the immortall seed 1. Pet. 1.23 whereby we are begotten into an assured hope of a farre better life This is the food and phisick of our soules whereby our life is preserued and we kept from eternall death therefore we must bee prepared for it The want of which preparation is the cause that the word is so vnprofitablie heard of a great many And this is so much the more diligently to be marked because it is so little known lesse practised in the world For if the daye were as long againe as the longest in the middest of Sommer a great many would spend away the time I know not how and neither at home nor in the way nor at the Church thinke to prepare themselues one whitte And if they haue made a few prayers at their first comming in then if seruice bee not begunne they are as ready to talke of any worldly matter with any that will giue them the hearing as euer they were if it were halfe an hower together yea though the minister be there vntil he begin the first word for want of which preparation either they can receiue nothing or it dooth them no good which is the very chiefe cause of so much fruitlesse hearing of so many good sermons as is euery where that they which otherwise haue good wits and great affections here are both senselesse and without feeling so that they sit more be like stockes then men conceiuing no more then the very stooles they sit vpon carrying away no more then they brought with them And if it be not so what is the cause that many reasonable men hearing one man at one time speaking one and the same worde of God so plainly that if it were possible young children might vnderstand it some shal so greatly profit by it Matth. 11.19 that wisedome should be iustified of her children others shall so meerely not conceiue one word as though they had been deaffe a sleepe or in a trance or starke dead all the while And that it is so indeed let the intolerable ignorance of men euery where after this long preaching of the word Vnder the most happie raigne of her gracious Maiestie whome God still long preserue to that ende and ad as many happie yeares vnto he raigne as may be speake for it and see whether wee complaine before wee haue cause Nay let mens owne wofull experience tell themselues that when they haue most prepared themselues they haue most profited by the publicke ministerie and contrariwise then haue they been most vnprofitable at it when they haue come most vnreuerently and vprepared to it In so much that a man of meaner giftes shall some times bee more profitable to them when they are thus prepared then another that hath more excellent graces at whom they may well wonder but receiue no profit by him when they be not propared for it I know the Lord is mercifull and he doth not alwayes deale with men according to their deserts therefore many times when they come vnprepared he blesseth his owne ordinance vnto thē Matth. 28.20 that he might performe the trueth of that promise which hee hath annexed vnto it and his mercie is aboue al our sinnes but how can men looke for any such thing ordinarilie And doth he not it vnto them to teach them that he would bestow vpon thē greater mercie by these meanes if they would prepare themselues for it How wee out to prepare our selues before wee come to the Church But how shall men prepare themselues Surely first of all let them bee perswaded that they ought to prepare themselues and this is the beginning of their preparation then let them examine themselues not onely how they haue spent the weeke past and euery daye in it calling themselues to an account before God what sinnes they haue committed day or night to bee humbled for them what benefites receiued that they might bee thankefull and what dueties they haue done that they might bee comforted therein all which though they bee shortlie spoken they are not so soone done here is not so much neede of a good capacitie to conceiue as a good conscience to practise but also generally what is their estate what graces they want what bee their sinnes past what their infirmities present and because the Lorde hath appoynted his worship to comfort vs ouer these let vs pray vnto God before hand that the prayers of the Church might be directed the Minister of the word so
his fauor more assured of his promises and made more fit to serue him Euen as in the scriptures The seruants of God haue greatly profited in faith obedience by the consideratiō of his creatures we may see many times how the spirit of God sendeth vs to the creatures to bee confirmed by them in the things that are spoken of God in the word and the seruants of God haue by them strengthened their faith in the promises which they had learned out of Gods word before The Prophet Esay chap. 40. propoūding vnto the people most excellent promises whereof they should bee made partakers in the time of the Gospell which hee doth in the former part of the chapter frō the 12. verse he beginneth to confirme them in the certaine trueth of the same by the consideration of Gods omnipotent power whereby hee made all things at the first in such a wonderfull order that thereby they might bee assured that nothing should bee able to hinder him from bringing that to passe which he haid promised to his Church but that they should looke most certainly for it saying Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and waighed the mountaines in a waight and the hils in a ballance So likewise the Prophet Ieremie in his 33. chapter promising mising vnto the church deliuerance out of their trouble doth perswade them of the infallible truth of Gods word herein by setting before their eyes the immutable course of nature in the continuall interchange of the day and night Thus sayth the Lord Iere. 33.20 if you can breake tny couenant of the day and my couenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season 21. then may my couenant bee broken with Dauid my seruant that he should not haue a sonne to raigne vpon his throne and with the Leuits and Priests my ministers 22. As the armie of heauen cannot be numbred neither the sand of the sea measured so will I multiplie the seede of Dauid my seruant and the Leuits that minister vnto me The Psalmes most of all are full of this matter and as it is a booke of practise especially so it is plentifull in these meditations and the treatise would be long if I should but in order reckon vp the principall places there tending to this purpose yet the waightines of the matter will not suffer me to passe ouer them all It is most apparant how Dauid in the 8. Psalme stirreth vp himselfe and all mankinde to praise the Lord for his great liberalitie towards them appearing in this that as he made him at the first Lord and ruler ouer all his creatures in heauen and earth so he hath restored him into the same dignitie by Christ when he had iustly lost it before because of his sinne when he thus beginneth and endeth the Psalme O Lord our gouernour Psal 8.19 how excellent is thy name in all the world And in another Psalme the Prophet complaineth of the greatnes of his affliction and being almost discouraged because the Lord deferred his helpe so long that he might not vtterly sink down vnder the heauie waight of his grieuous tentation Psal 77.10 strengtheneth his faith by remembring Gods former works that he might haue hope of his mercie towards himselfe I remembred the yeares of the rtght hande of the most high 11. I remembred the workes of the Lord certainly I remembred thy wonders of old 12. I did also meditate of all thy workes and did deuise of thine acts So likewise in the 22. Psalme the man of God being in such extremitie that he was almost past all hope beginneth with this heauie complaint Et. 21.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and art so farre from my health and from the voyce of my roring But afterwards commeth to this verse 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliuer them 5. They called vpon thee and were deliuered they trusted in thee and were not confounded And then he sayth vers 10. I was cast vpon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers bellie Where we see he getteth hope at the last of being heard and deliuered by the consideration of Gods workes both generally done to his seruants in times past and particularly shewed to himselfe heretofore And there is great reason of this for the Lord is alwaies like himselfe and Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for euer and therefore will doe as he hath done for there is no respect either of persons Psal 25.10 or times with him but all the wayes of God are mercie and trueth not only mercie in the beginning but trueth in the midst and ending For this cause the seruant of God thus praieth in the Psalme 119. Et. 119.132 Looke vpon me and be mercifull vnto me as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy name And vers 149. Heare my voyce according to thy louing kindnes O Lord quicken me according to thy custome In both which places we see how he prayeth to God that he would shewe him that mercie which he was wont to shew to him himselfe others in the like case heretofore so by the former works of God strengtheneth himselfe in prayer Thus wee may easilie vnderstand what profit we might get by the earnest meditation and wise conference about the works of God which are done in great wisedome thereby to confirme vs in the trueth of those things that are written in the word and to draw vs to those dueties that are required of vs in the same and so generally to further vs in all godlinesse and therefore a thing not to bee neglected at any time but most of all to bee practised vpon the Lords day that we might leaue nothing vndone which might make all Gods worship most profitable vnto vs and make vs fitter vnto all other dueties which is the end why the Sabbath was ordained In the 104. Psalme the Prophet speaking of the wonderfull workes of God and the marueilous gouerning preseruing of them beginneth thus Et 104.1 My soule praise thou the Lord and towards the midst breaketh forth into this speech O Lord how manifold are thy workes vers 24. in wisedome hast thou made them all And in the end concludeth with Glorie be to the Lord for euer And 33. I will sing vnto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I liue Hereby declaring what ought to bee wrought in all men by the reuerent cōsidering of Gods works and that we should not muse or speake of them vnprofitably but with that glorie vnto God and comfort to our selues which he requireth of vs and no doubt many of his children doe But that I might drawe to an ende one word of that which as it is most plaine so it is most comfortable
Gods workes will teach vs to profit by al things and in all estates Therefore if men will needes ouerlooke their grounds vpon the Lords daye as sometimes they must and bee dealing with their cattell talking about them let their cogitation and speeches tend to this ende and then in so dooing they may sanctifie a part of the daye otherwise they shall be as merely worldly vpon that daye as in any other of the sixe And in deed if we would thus bend our mindes and pray to God for his spirite and vse to doe it we should neuer want matter of profit to our selues and others in what estate and condition soeuer wee were about whatsoeuer wee had to deale either in the day or in the night at home or abroade alone by our selues or with others for thus in a meane estate of life whereas the wicked doe complaine and are not satisfied but enuie them that are aboue thē we might behold the goodnes of God towards vs prouiding so wel for vs according to the desire of the wise man Prou. 30.8 Giue me not pouertie or riches feed me with foode conuenient for mee 9. Least I bee full and denye thee and say who is the Lord Or least I bee poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine If wee bee vnder the crosse either pouertie sicknes or any other distresse whereas the men of this world doe repine and grudge let vs vnderstand the wise dealing of our father towards vs Who by this meanes Rom. 8.29.17 maketh vs like vnto the image of his sonne that wee suffering with him might also be glorified with him If the Lord hath blessed vs with the aboundance of all things though the greater sort be puffed vp thereby and by abusing of them doe forget God let vs thereby bee humbled and vsing them well not haue our mindes set too much vpon them and know whiles we are here in the body we are absent from the Lorde and that this is but an earthly tabernacle which must be destroyed looking for an house not made with hands eternall in the heauens If then there bee so many good things here below what is the happines prepared aboue If so great contentation vpon earth what is the fulnes of ioye in heauen And not onely thus but whither soeuer we doe turne our eyes we shal haue matter not onelie to keepe vs from idlenes but to prouoke vs to all profitablenes For when the sunne ariseth how might it tell vs of the comforte of the sunne of righteousnes arising in our hearts How might the spring of the yeare put vs in minde of our regeneration and new birth What would the darkenes of the night teach vs but the horror and feare of ignorance where there is not Gods worde Would not our meate leade vs to the spirituall foode of our soules And our apparell to the righteousnes of Christ Iesus that being clothed therewith wee might bee comely before God and men and not ashamed And to be short if we were not beastes and no men might not our sleepe forewarne vs of death our bedde of the graue our rising againe in the morning of the day of our resurrection Thus al the creatures should lift vs vp to the creator and thus to be occupyed about them are the very works of the Sabbath indeede Thus if we did see or heare any of the iudgements of God vpon our selues or others wee should thinke and speake of them with humilitie and feare of any of his benefites with great ioy and comfort whereas now men for the most part doe neither the one nor the other And though I know very wel that the proper place to speak of these things is in the third cōmandement where the Lord willeth vs in al our thoughtes wordes deeds to seeke and set forth his glorie and therefore so alwaies to deale with his creatures that his most glorious name might appeare thereby For he is the creator of all things and this is his name yet to doe them vpon the Sabbath is the very worke of that day in which we should vse all the meanes that might make the publike ministery most profitable vnto vs and either drawe vs nearer vnto God or make vs more fitte to doe dueties to our brethren Therefore let vs set our hand to this trueth confessing that it is our bounden dutie to serue God in this right vse of his creatures and workes let vs be sorrowfull that wee haue ouerslipped this duetie so carelesly heretofore and let vs bee assured that it hath bereaued vs of much godlines that otherwise might haue been in vs and made vs so much the lesse profitable vnto others and therefore in the feare of God and in the care of our own Saluation let vs purpose performe this duetie most carefully hereafter that the blessing of God might be more vpon vs and we haue the testimonie of a good conscience of Gods creatures witnessing for vs and not against vs. And let vs be so much the more carefull of it in good earnest But all sortes doe greatlie fayle in it by how much we knowe too well that the common practise of most men is so farre from it In so much that euen they of the vniuersitie that make it their profession to search out the nature of Gods workes and to see furthest into them and therefore must needs haue many and deepe meditations besides often and long disputations about them doe not so much as propounde this vnto themselues and therefore no maruell if they neuer attaine vnto it namelie to beholde in them the inuisible things of God Gods wonderfull work in them thereby either to be confirmed in any part of his word or stirred vp to any duetie vnto God or men but they haue in stead of these many both vaine and too curious and also false and vntrue discourses about these with themselues and others euen vpon the Sabbath And I am sure that in the countrey men are not free from this sinne for it falleth out in them euen of the better sorte either of ignorance or negligence that when they haue sanctified the Sabbath in some other part of Gods worship this hath not been so much as once thought of Nay euen then when they endeuoured themselues to meditate conferre about Gods worde which is the chiefe they haue not done the like about his workes and so haue lost some further commoditie of the worde that they might haue reaped when thus they might haue been taught as it were by a double schoolemaster especially when the Lord punisheth vs for neglecting some parte of his seruice and we doe not vse al the meanes that God hath appoynted to serue his prouidence by Therefore let vs remember among all other things that wee haue heard of before to make this one parte of our priuat seruice of God vpon his holy day and so I shal grow to an end For as it
are not practised which the law requireth for the helping of it forward thither neither are all things done which might be by lawe for the true sanctifiyng of the Sabbath euerie where whether we respect those things that might procure a learned ministerie in time or compell them to preach oftener that can doe it or make the people come to it more diligently and profite by it more effectuallie then they doe which whiles it be more carefully laboured after what hope can there be that they should be any more committed vnto vs when we are so vnfaithfull in this that we haue For as they preposterously labour to reforme the Church that haue no care to reforme themselues and vndiscreetly complaining of some disorders there doe not practise better orders in their houses vpon themselues and theirs do hinder it and keep them backe so they that labour for more meanes to sanctifie the Sabbath and are carelesse in practising those that they haue doe stay such good blessings as God might otherwise bestow vpon his Church this way Therefore we may conclude that all gouernors in the common wealth must in their seuerall places endeuour by all meanes that GOD hath giuen them The great good that redoundes to the common wealth therby that all the subiects of the land doe ordinarily sanctifie the Sabbath as well as themselues and that it be not vnhallowed of them either for want of good lawes in that behalfe or the due executing of them which that they might the rather doe besides the precise commandement of God binding them thereunto and the examples of godly rulers in times past perswading them likewise that they may in their godly wisedomes consider that then are they most like to bee true subiects vnto them when they do first giue themselues in true subiection vnto the Lord and then are they most readie to withdrawe their obedience from their superiours when they haue withdrawen their hearts from God before by a false religion He that will honor the king must feare God And as our Sauiour Christ teacheth Prou. 24.21 Math. 22.39 The second commaundement is like the first that is the obedience of the second table floweth out of the obedience to the first in so much that they are most like of conscience to serue their prince that of conscience doe serue God and none so readie to rebell agaist them if oportunitie doe serue as those that haue rebelled and hardened their hearts against Gods worde before For proofe of which if wee will but take a short view of all the treacheries and treasons intended against her maiesties most royall person since the beginning of her most happy raigne whom God of his goodnes preserue vnto the full course of nature or rather beyond it we shall finde that they haue beene in those who were either of a false religion and therefore being enemies to God must needs be enemies to his annoynted or else of no religion at all so made no difference of persons but onely sought themselues And besides that all tumults and commotions for the most part haue beene first broached in those quarters of the land where for want of the preaching of the word they were ignorant of their dueties both to God and their Prince and on the contrarie that in those places of her dominion her highnes hath alwaies found the people most truelie and true hearted where the word hath been most syncerely preached and in a godly life most purely receiued And it must needs be so for besides that all dueties to our superiours done of conscience spring of this that we are persuaded by Gods word that they are set ouer vs by God in his roome and therefore for his sake and conscience to him wee doe giue tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whom custome feare to whom feare Rom. 13.7 honour to whom honour And where is this wanting which must needes bee where the worde is seldome or neuer taught there euery misliking will mooue to withdrawe duetie besides this I say which is much the Lorde promiseth to honour them that honour him and threatneth to dishonour them that dishonour him 1. Sam. 3. and therefore when they honour him in their subiectes by causing them to serue him and keepe his Sabbath hee will honour them with their obedience so when they dishonour him in their people by suffering them to neglect his seruice and pollute his Sabbaths then he dishonoreth them by their stubornnes and rebellion Thus we haue hitherto seene that it is the duetie of all rulers high and low in the common wealth and in priuate houses to cause them that are vnder their gouernement not onely to rest vpon the Sabbath but also and especially to bestowe the day of rest in Gods seruice and that they must not bee indifferent in this and leaue it to mens choyce but be sure that it be done of them indeed seeing God hath giuen them such authoritie ouer them to that ende and therefore will require it at their handes And this is the second and last part of this commaundement A conclusion with an application of all to our selues and others teaching vs the true manner of keeping holy the day in all the publike meanes of Gods worship and priuate exercises of religion which euery one of vs ought so to walke in that thereby we might be the fitter to do all other dueties especially to shew mercy vnto our brethren as at all other times so most of all vpon this very daye But if we consider how our selues and others haue practised all these parts of Gods seruice publikely priuatly what fruite hath come thereon we shal find that either wee haue for the most part neglected them or vsed them to no purpose and so haue not attained vnto the principall end of the Sabbath which is that whereby we might bee fashioned vnto the image of God and begin that Sabbath here that shall bee for euer continued in heauen And here when I looke to the common course of men on this day I may iustly complaine with the learned man master Musculus Muscul in praecept 4. Non Christo sed nostris delitijs feriamur Men rest not to serue the Lord Iesus Christ but their owne delights in so much that there is no time more prophanely and corruptly spent then the Lords day which in name and shewe is dedicated to religon but men by their deeds openly shewe without all controulment that they doe consecrate them to the pleasures of the fleshe euen to Bacchus and Venus August in Psal 91. So that as Augustine saide Howe much better were it for men to plow vpon the Sabbath daie then to dance so we may say of these men Howe much better were it for them I meane lesse euill to bee occupied about some worldly busines then about these things wherein they serue not Christ but Sathan And yet I am affraide that herein many are fallen into
with his whole heart and mind attend vpon these as the worship of God required which he could not doe so long as in any part he should be occupied about the other Now if the perfectest man that euer was could not do this and therefore stood in need of this liberalitie of God in giuing him a day of rest how shall not we bee too foolish in thinking that we we I say that haue not only lost all the excellent graces that Adam was furnished with but also in stead of them great corruptioÌ„ hath ouerwhelmed vs so that our mindes are dull in concerning the goodnes of God in his word and workes and our hearts voyd of the true sense and feeling of it yet we should bee able to haue all our worldly businesse still in our hands and in our heads not resting from them any day and therewithall to haue the same vnderstanding and wit of ours so conceiuing and desiring by prayer the mercie of God in the Worde in the Sacraments and in all other things of God requireth Luk. 10.27 with all our heart with all our soule with all our strength and with all our thought Or rather must we not needes confesse as the trueth is that beâ—ng more bound to the seruice of God then Adam was â—n respect of our sinne yet are lesse able to performe it â—hen he in any tollerable measure when wee haue done all that we can and therefore haue more neede of a day of rest then he that nothing might hinder vs. Muscul loc com praecept 4. For if the bird that she might flye must flutter with her wings and deliuer her selfe from all things that might stay her shall wee thinke that it makes no matter if wee come not to Gods seruice with minds and affections freed from all lets in which we must in our spirits bee lifted vp higher then it is possible for any bird by flying to attaine vnto And doth not wofull experience tel vs that when we haue freed our hands from worldly matters neuer so much yet wee cannot so soone free our mindes from them and being once free they will yet renew themselues within vs without any present occasion by reason of our corruption euen in the Church and will iustle out as it were the meditation of Gods seruice many times whereof Gods children doe complaine how vnruly then wrould they be if there were not a day to rest from the occasions of them and how should wee euer bee occupied in the word and in prayer and the other parts of Gods worship with any good acceptation to God and comfortable practise to our selues if we should neuer a day rest in bodie from the labours of this world that in mind and heart we might be free from the cogitations studies delights and desires of the same So that we are not onely not to thinke the Sabbath to be needlesse as many Atheists prophane and ignorant men doe but also we are to be perswaded that we our selues should alwaies haue been ignorant prophane and Atheists not seruing God at all but continually drowned in â—he things of this world by reason of the workes in the sixe daies or at the least dissembling counterfeit and hypocritical seruing God rather in ceremonie and in shew theÌ„ in that manner of sinceritie truth which he requireth if God had not in respect of our weaknes at first appoynted a day to rest in from all things that might any way stay and hinder vs in it and now in regarde of the same weaknes but much more because of the sin which is within vs had not commanded the same to bee continued for our further good Gualt in Act. 13. Homil. 88. And so I may say with Master Gualter Because we are distracted with diuers businesse Necesse fuit it was necessarie that some time should be appoynted free fromal cares and busines in which wee should employ our selues wholly in soule and bodie about those things which doe make for the seruice of God Muscul in praecept 4. because in it as it is truely sayd Animum requirit non dimidiatum sed integrum God requireth not halfe but the whole soule and minde And that I might remember my former promise of being short in so large a matter wee may briefly consider the necessitie of continuing the Sabbath vnto all ages It is necessarie that a daye should be sanctified if wee remember that the Lord would haue Adam to sanctifie and keepe holie one seuerall day in the weeke by it selfe that by those holie meanes of Gods seruice whereof his soule did stand in neede as his bodie did of corporal food he might keepe himselfe in that perfect estate which he was placed in which he had also power to doe For though he was so glorious and excellent as he was and shined in all vertues of soule and bodie farre aboue the Sunne which he might haue possessed for euer yet so it was by Gods woÌ„derfull dispensation that there were notable meanes ordained for both without which they could not be and therefore as in respect of his bodie there was aboundance of pleasant fruit in the garden to eate of Gen. 2.9 so in regard of his soule there was the word of God euen the Commandements the perfect knowledge whereof he had the sacrament of his life alreadie receiued of God Gen. 1.26 and Coloss 3.10 compared together Gen. 2.9 and to bee continued by him the tree that was in the middest of the garden he was commanded to pray and giue thankes and there was the wonderfull excellent frame of the world to stirre him vp to these things So that as his bodily life â—ould not be preserued God ordayning it so without â—â—e vse of his creatures and therefore hee willed him to â—â—dresse the garden and keepe it in the sixe dayes Gen. 2.15 that it might yeeld those things vnto him So the life of God which was in him could not continue without those hoâ—y and spirituall meanes appointed for that purpose and â—herefore hee was commaunded to keepe holy the seuenth day verse .3 that in the more plentifull vse of all the meanes vpon that day he might both make a supply of that which could not be done on the other dayes and also thereby be continued in all strength to doe all other dueties the dayes following Now if Adam because hee might fall did stand in need of this day to preserue him from falling how much more we being so horribly fallen alreadie as wee bee doe stand in neede of it againe againe to bring our selues backe into that estate from whence we are fallen and as it were to recouer our first footing if it was needfull for Adam I say being nowe most perfect to haue a day allotted out vnto him by true sanctifying of which he might still abide in his perfection can we bee so froward to imagine that now it is not most needfull for vs being so
quaest 123. art 4. Opus seruile ad salutem alterius non violat Sabbathum A bodily labour that is taken in hand for the health of another doth not breake the Sabbath inde est and hereunto it is lawfull to giue phisicke vnto all men vpon the Sabbath day And that I might not staÌ„d long in the particulars which are infinite if there bee any sodaine interruption of waters if any casualtie by fire vpon mens houses or gooâ—â— if any breaking into shops or houses by theeues or such like we ought so to meete with these present occasions which by no wisedome could haue beene preuented at another time for they were but nowe seene nay they did but euen nowe offer and shewe themselues as may most seem for the benefit of men in preseruing the creatures which as they were made in the beginning so are still to be preserued for his vse neither can they decay without his great losse and hinderance in so much that vpon these occasions men may not only be absent from the Church but also if they were nowe in the mids of Gods seruice might safely depart from it yea somtimes vnto the leauing of no one person in the Church And to this purpose is the similitude of a learned man Beda in Mar. 2. Talis haec causa c. Herein the cause that mooues men is such as in the day of a publike fast wherein Si quis aeger leiuniuÌ„ corrumperet nulla ratione reus tenetur If any man through sicknes be driuen to eate and so breake the fast in no wise he is to be condemned Last of all not onely men Many things of necessitie must be done to the cattell vpon this day but the bruite beasts must haue all such dueties performed vnto them which of necessitie they cannot want without their perill as the cattell must bee foddered in the winter time and the beasts must be milked at all times of the yeare and the oxe must be loosed from the stall and driuen to the water Luk 13.15 And this is that which our Sauiour Christ me liueth when he sayth in this chapter of Matth. I will haue mercie and not sacrifice In the which place he doth not refuse sacrifices for they were commanded by God but he speaketh in comparison as though he had sayd The Lord had rather haue mercie shewed to men then sacrifice offered to himselfe so that comparing these dueties mercie with sacrifice he preferreth the one before the other and sayth hee had rather haue this then that when both of them cannot be had together but if the one but performed the other must bee neglected then would he haue vs leaue the sacrifice and shew mercie in helping others Gen. 2.24 So that as it is sayd in another case A man shall leaue his father and mother and cleaue to his wife Not meaning the he should altogether forsake them but shewing that the bond of marriage is greater then the bond of nature betweene parents and children and therefore the duties more necessarily required he compareth the one with the other and sayth that if present duetie be required of me to my parents and yet at the same time my wife standeth in neede of my helpe so that I cannot doe both together but must needes leaue one vndone I must make choyce of the wife as the principall and forsake the father in comparison of her Euen so the spirit of God here by sacrifice at by one kinde meaning generally the whole worship of God he would haue vs so to offer it vnto him as that in the meane season wee neglect no occasioÌ„ of shewing mercie vnto any of his creatures which he offereth vnto vs but rather first of all to shew mercie and then to offer sacrifice As he sayth in another place First be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Matth. 5.22 For seeing that the whole seruice of God is ordained for this cause among many others that we might be made more fit to helpe our brethren and to shewe all dueties of mercie vnto them all other must giue place vnto this when necessitie so requireth According to that which Master Gualter sayth Gualt in Marc. 2. Homil 22. Omnia externa All outward things must giue place vnto loue least wee lay a snare vpon them quos necessitas ineuitabilis aliò vocat whom ineuitable necessitie doth call another way or at whose hands the present necessitie that cannot bee auoyded doth require another thing And that this is the true meaning of the lawe of resting appeareth more cleerely by that which Christ Iesus speaketh of it in the Gospell after S. Marke Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath That is the day of rest was appointed for the benefite of man not onely of him but of all other creatures and therefore it must bee so obserued as may be most beneficiall vnto them and the rest in it must giue place to them and not they to it so that it were against the meaning of the law-giuer to abuse the rest vnto the hurt of them and that men should vnder the pretence of resting withdrawe all their labour from them who by present necessitie did call for it and require it at our hands For seeing that the end of it is that the creatures might bee preserued in their best estate which without some rest could neuer long continue if now by labouring I preserue that which otherwise if I rested from helping it would perish I haue by labour attained vnto the very end of rest which without labour I could not and thus in labouring I haue not broken the commandement of rest but kept it in one of the principall ends for which it was instituted namely the profit and commoditie of all the creatures here belowe In which respect our Lorde Christ maintaineth the doing of his Disciples in gathering the corne and eating it for that thereby their fraile and wearie bodies being refreshed and getting new strength which otherwise would haue fainted as wanting their ordinarie food were made stronger and more able to follow their master Now seeing that the Lord in commaunding to rest had regarde to his creatures that could not want it namely that the breasts might be made more seruiceable vnto men and men more fit to doe duties vnto their brethren and vnto God in their calling because his Disciples were fitted vnto this by that labour which necessitie put vpon them and if they had not so laboured they should haue been more vnfit therefore in this worke the commandement of resting was not broken nay it was especially obserued Thus as we haue seene the commandement of resting is so straight indeed as it seemed best vnto his wisedom who made all things for himselfe yet in giuing it he hath had regard vnto our good and therefore hath made it so large that within the compasse of it there is libertie giuen
an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath daies For he speaketh of many euen of all those which vnto the Iewes were commanded vpon the same condition that the Sabbath day was and were of like nature to it and therefore he findeth fault with the Galathians for obseruing them Galat. 4.10 vers 9. saying Ye obserue daies and moneths and times which he calleth weake and beggerly rudiments because now there was no vse of them but all of them being taken away onely the Sabbath is reserued for vs. Therefore who is so blind that will not see and so obstinate that will not confesse that though we be bound to the keeping of the Sabbath as the Iewes were yet neither the libertie of the Gospell is taken from vs nor the bondage of the law cast vpon vs. Nay who is so vnthankfull for this great libertie in these daies aboue that which the first people of God had that vnder the pretence of it he will breake out to the doing of whatsoeuer liketh himselfe vpon the day of rest and set open a doore of all licentiousnes vnto others Matth. 18.6.7 but woe be vnto the world because of offences it is necessarie that offences should come but woe bee vnto them by whom they doe come it were better for them that a milstone were hanged about their neckes and they were drowned in the bottome of the sea Therefore let vs be otherwise minded and take it to be our bounden duetie most carefully to rest from the ordinarie workes of our calling vpon the Sabbath whatsoeuer may be spoken or imagined to the contrarie And the rather that wee might doe it Gods punishments vpon the breakers of the Sabbath let vs consider of the iudgements of God that haue come vpon men for breaking the Sabbath By which sensible kind of perswasion euen experience the mistresse of fooles they in the Councell at Paris laboured to perswade vnto a more religious keeping of the day Concil Paris lib. 1. cap. 50. when after they had iustly complained that as many other things so also the obseruation of the Sabbath was greatly decayed through the abuse of Christian libertie in that men too much followed the delights of the world and their owne worldly pleasures both wicked and dangerous they further adde Multi nanque nostrum visu multi etiam quorundam relatu didicimus c. For many of vs haue beene eye-witnesses many haue intelligence of it by the relation of others that some men vpon this day being about their husbandrie haue been striken with thunder some haue been maimed and made lame some haue had their bodies euen bones and all burnt in a moment with visible fire and haue consumed to ashes and many other iudgements of God haue been and are daily whereby it is declared that God is offended with the dishonour of so great a day And the Centuriators of Magdeburge Cent. 12. cap. 6. intreating of the manners of Christians made report out of another historie that a certaine husbandman in Parochia Gemilacensi grinding corne vpon the Lords day the meale began to burne Anno Dom. 1126. Which though it might seeme to bee a thing meere casuall yet they set it downe as a iudgement of God vpon him for breaking the Sabbath As also that which they speake in the same place of one of the Kings of Denmarke Ecclesiast hist Centur. 12. ibid. who when as he contrarie to the admonition of the Priests who desired him to deferre it would needes vpon the day of Pentecost make warre with his enemie dyed in the battell But that may be better knowne vnto vs all which is written in the 2. booke of Macchabees of Nicanor the Iewes enemie who would needes set vpon them on the Sabbath from which when other the Iewes that were compelled to be with him could by no meanes disswade him hee was slaine in the battell and himselfe most miserably but deseruedly handled euen the parts of his bodie shamefully dismembred as in that historie you may reade more at large And I am sure our time hath not wanted examples in this kinde whosoeuer hath obserued them when sometimes in the Faires vpon this day by sudden floods the wares haue swumme in the streetes sometime the scaffolds at playes haue fallen downe to the hurting and endangering of many sometime one thing some time another hath fallen out of which we must say as Christ saith of the Galileans they were not the greatest sinnes in England Luk. 13.2.3 but vnlesse wee repent and amend we must all likewise perish He punishes some to shew the rest what they must looke for if they continue hee punisheth not all here in this world to teach vs there is a day of iudgement reserued for the rest And therefore it was well alleaged in a prouinciall councell to perswade vnto the better obseruation of the Sabbath Matisconens concil 2. cap. 1. Haec omnia By dooing of these things wee shall both pacifie the wrath of God towards vs and also turne away and remoue his heauie plagues as sicknesses and scarsitie And here I may remember vnto you if it be not altogether out of place the historie of him Numb 15.32 who in the time of the law gathering stickes was stoned to death for it by the iudgement of Moses from the mouth of God of which M. Caluin saith That this is the summe of the historie Cal. in hunc locum that by the death of this one man was ratified the religious obseruation of the sabbath day that afterwardes it might haue more reuerence by which seuere punishment it is apparant that he did not so much offend of ignorance as of a grosse contempt of the law whereby it came to passe that he made none account to subuert and corrupt all holie orders As it appeareth also by the circumstance of the text going immediatlie before where is set down the difference of punishments vpon malefactors who sinne of ignorance and of contempt or as it is saide there with an high hand which latter should be punished with death and then followes immediatlie this historie as an example or proofe of it whereby it appeareth that though not euery breach of this commandement is to bee punished with death yet the open and contemptuous breaking of it doth deserue it as all other sinnes of the like nature in other the Commandements of the first and second table as an Atheist he that offereth vnto other Gods that blasphemeth the name of the liuing God that curseth father and mother that committeth murther c. which iudgements when the magistrates doe fayle to execute then the Lord doth it himselfe vpon some few to shewe what should bee done to all the rest and what they may looke for if they doe not repent But to proceede in this matter according to my purpose Vpon the Lords daye we ought to rest from al honest recreations and lawfull delightes it
is most certaine that we are not onely commanded to rest from these that we haue spoken of but from al other things which might hinder vs from the sanctifying of the sabbath as well as these of which sorte are all honest recreations and lawfull pleasures which are permitted vnto vs vpon the other dayes to further vs in the workes of our callings which we doe stand in neede of euen as of meate and drinke and sleep for if those worldly duties which we are commanded to walke in and be of necessitie required and without the which the common wealth cannot stand at all are then forbidden when we should attend vpon the Lords work because we cannot bee wholie occupyed in both much more those things which serue but for pleasure without the which mankind may continue though not so well continue must be giuen ouer because we cannot haue the present delight in the vse of them and yet at the same time bee occupyed in the hearing of the word such other parts of Gods holie worship and seruice as he requireth of vs vpon the Sabbath day Nay because men cannot be both at Church seruing God with the rest of their people and in their houses sporting themselues with their companions together nor in the great congregation praysing God with their brethren and in the open fieldes playing with their fellowes at one time And God vpon the sabbath requireth these of them therefore the other must giue place to it and we must not thinke it sufficient that wee doe no worke vpon the sabbath and in the meane season be occupyed about all manner of delights but wee must cease as well from the one as from the other And wee must doe it so much the more by how much the workes of our recreation are lesse needefull then the workes of our vocation and yet doe more hinder vs from the sanctifying of the sabbath then they For experience which is the mistresse of very fooles may teach vs and our nature is such that it must needes be so how much we are moued with delectable things euery one in his kinde some this way another that how marueilouslie they do affect vs how all our senses are taken vp with them and all the parts of soule and bodie wholie possessed with them that for the present time none of them can be occupied about the Lords work immediatlie at least wise as they should be Therefore vpon this day all sortes of men must giue ouer vtterlie all shooting hunting hawking tennise fensing bowling or such like and they must haue no more dealing with them then the artificer with his trade or husband man with his plowe and as men must not come to Church with their bowes and arrowes in their hands so neither with their hawkes vpon their fists which they hadde neede to doe so much the lesse because a liuing creature which is stirring which must so beheld in the eye of the bearer and in the open view of others is more able to hinder the minde from being attentiue then a senselesse creature or a peece of a sticke which a man may cast behinde him or throw where he list Obiection And be it that the faulkner say it troubleth him not one whit because by custome he doth not so account of it though I am sure he is more hindered by it in prayer and in hearing the word then if he had it not at all Answere yet how if others should be hindered by it which haue not their senses so at commaundement that they can keepe them from such vaine and hurtfull spectacles Is it not a sufficient cause to keepe them out of the Church where all things should be done both of the minister and people to the edifying and building vp of one another in godlines 1. Cor. 14.26 and not to the pulling downe and destroying of them therein And if they themselues would be ashamed to holde them vpon their fiftes when they should receiue the sacrament vpon what ground doe they holde them in the ministerie of the word Vnlesse they will lightlier regarde the worde then the sacrament or put asunder those things which God hath ioyned So then wee see they are greatlie deceiued who when vpon this daye they haue abstained from all kinde of worke doe thinke they haue marueilouslie kept the commandemeÌ„t though in the meane season they haue been occupyed in all kinde of pleasure and delights because they know no meane betweene working and playing thinke it sufficient that they restraine themselues of the one and then giue themselues all libertie to the other Now if these and such like honest and lawfull recreations doe hinder men in obeying the commandement of rest in so much that they can in no wise stand together what shall we say of so many vnlawfull games as are vsed euery where Much more from all vnlawfull pastimes Ephe. 5.16 which onely and truelie are called pastimes as they be because there is nothing in them but a mere idle and fruitelesse mispending of the time and passing of it away which they should redeeme If such as be tollerable at other times vpon this daye are inexcusable because they hinder vs from sanctifying the daye what profitable shew of reason can be brought for the maintenance of those which being at all other times worthie to bee condemned yet vpon this daye are most commonly practised and are made as it were proper and peculiar vnto it as though the time did make them lawfull and gaue some priuiledge and credit vnto them Here therefore wee may iustly complaine vnto God and men of the manifolde abuses and sundrie breaches of this holy rest by all the disorder and confusion that accompanieth Lords of misrule wherein whole dayes nights are spent euen vpon the sabbaths and at that time especiallie when they would seeme to be most deuoute keeping the remembrance of the greatest benefite that euer was or can bee bestowed vpon mankinde euen the birth and incarnation of Christ Iesus and therefore they will not worke at all for sooth that they might giue themselues more wholie to the consideration of it as they should but that their dooing doe manifestlie speake against them that they doe celebrate the feast of the drunken god Bacchus rather then any thing else So that here we may iustlie complaine with that ancient father and godly diuine Bullinger in Apoc. concio 4. as he did in his dayes That whereas Dauid when hee was vnder Saules persecution chiefely bewaileth that hee had not free accesse vnto the Lordes tabernacle our men count it one of the chiefest happines neuer to come into the companie of the Sainâ—es Et die dominico abuti ad lusus and to abuse the Lordes day vnto gaming Musculin Matth. 12.11 vnto drinking vnto dauncing and vnto prophane things And with another learned man Vanitati student die dominico Many giue themselues wholie to vanitie vpon the Lords day and spend away
we haue washed our hands clean from the workes of our calling so that none of them do cleaue to our fingers that this were an acceptable obedience vnto God when in the meane season our mindes are as worldly as euer they were and our thoughts bee as fresh vpon them and our affections are raysed vp to as great delight in them as though wee were in the middest of them But as the whole lawe is spirituall so this commandement hath a spirituall trueth in it and contenteth not it selfe with an outward obedience but requireth the inward truth of the heart that as we make a shew of resting from earthly things so we should doe it indeede without the which the other is but a fruitlesse and idle ceremonie For seeing this is the very end of putting our selues apart from all worldly busines that our mindes might not be entangled with them which because they must needes be so long as wee are dealing about them such is our nature that we cannot doe things and haue no feeling of them as though we were a sleepe or in a traunce therefore doe we dispatch our hands of them that our mindes might not bee disturbed by them Seeing then this is the principall ende that wee aime at to vnburden our mindes of these earthly cares that we might bee more quicke and free in Gods worship wee must especially labour for it and not stay in these other which though they be great in themselues yet are they but helpes and furtherances vnto this in so much that if on the Sabbath we leaue all our worke at home and come neuer so farre from it to the Church yet if our mindes be working as it were because they are occupied about it and wee would bee working if wee might and if we might not be knowne and if wee might not be punished or blamed and our mindes haue carried vs this way that wee would gladly haue stollen a working cunningly as wee say if wee might not haue been spied all that we doe is but meere hypocrisie so farre are we from the true obedience of this commandement And this wee haue seene sufficiently proued heretofore that we therefore rest from all worldly things Vt paratiores promptiores ad cultum diuinum as sayth S. Augustine in that excellent sermon of his That we might be more readie fit for Gods seruice Agust de tēp serm 251. when there is nothing to encomber vs and wee leaue at that time terrenam sollicitudinem the care of earthly things that wee might the more easily attend vpon the word of God which we cannot if still our mindes haue these burthens vpon them and be not released from worldly thoughts which presse them downe from being lifted vp vnto that heauenly life Master Caluin in his Sermons vpon Deut. giueth this reason why Christians should not goe to lawe vpon the Sabbath Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 39. Because vpon that day euery man ought to withdraw himselfe to Godward to minde his works that we may all of vs be prouoked to serue and honour him And afterwards addeth Common meetings are made that mē might heare the common doctrine of saluation and it is good reason that on the Sabbath day all other cares and thoughts should be layd aside And in another Sermon he sayth For we must rest Idem serm 34. and how rest forsooth wee must abide still and quiet our thought must not stirre to wander and deuise this and that Gualt in Act 13. Homil 88. For as Master Gualter sayth God doth therfore call the Sabbath his day that wee might knowe when that day is Ab omnibus alijs curis studijs abstinendum est that wee ought to abstaine from all other cares and dueties According vnto which exquisite rule if we doe measure out the obedience of all men we shall easily see how short they are of that perfect righteousnes which is here required and that many shall bee euen then found breakers of this commandement when they did most of all presume of the keeping of it and were puffed vp with a speciall pride for it For let vs graunt it vnto them which it may bee is true that they haue borne themselues in an euen and ciuill course not breaking out into any open contempt or wilfull and grosse breach of this Commandement yet if they will call themselues before Gods iudgement seate they shall find that many of these times they had a good desire to worke and would faine haue been at it if they might haue been couered and as wee say their fingers did tickle at it which as it hath been true at other times so most of all when as wee imagined that we might haue gained something if we would haue wrought and our ceasing from it was something vnprofitable vnto vs as in the time of any common Fayres or in the dayes of haruest of whom the Prophet Amos iustly complaineth speaking in their person Amos. 8.5 When will this new moone be gone that we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheate But if we iudge this doctrine too seuere and we cannot yeeld vnto it let vs compare this Commandement with the other which bee of the like nature with it and it may be they will perswade vs and leade vs into the trueth of it In the second Commandement we know that not only the making and worshipping of Images is forbidden but also to set vp an Idoll in our heart and to wish that we had it and to bee desirous to returne vnto Poperie liking of those times better then of this time of the Gospell and to be gaping after the Masse so that we are readie to imbrace it if it were thrust vpon vs againe and we could be very well contented with it so that we want but the oportunitie to furnish a Masse So in this not onely the bodily labour is forbidden which the lawes of men may prouide for but also the cogitations and desires of the minde towards them which none is able to meete with but the Lord that this law might bee like vnto himselfe And seeing that as our Sauiour Christ expoundeth the law he that is angrie with his brother vnadauisedly is guiltie of the law of murther Matth. 5.22 vers 28. And whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie alreadie with her in his hearte why should we not say that hee that looketh on his busines with a mind desirous to bee occupied about them hath broken the commaundement of resting alreadie in his heart vnlesse he will make the one vnlike the other and to bee as it were of another broode For is not this that dignitie and preferment which wee giue to all the whole lawe of God aboue all the lawes of men that as they doe behold but the words and works of men therefore their lawes can forbid and punish sinne but when it thus breaketh out bewrayeth
haue done amisse in this we shall not be able to abide it or to answer one worde for a thousand so great cause haue wee to be humbled before God and to repent vs not onely for our sinnes generallie but particularlie for breaking the Sabbath that so we might see how greatlie we do stand in neede of Christ Iesus without whom we should haue perished so many thousand times and how vnspeakable the loue of God is towards vs in him in deliuering from so endlesse miserie so many times deserued by the testimonie of our owne conscience more by the iudgement of him who is greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and knoweth all things And thus we truely vnderstanding and rightly applying the lawe it shall be indeed as it is most properlie called our schoolemaster vnto Christ Gal. 3.24 that wee might bee made righteous by faith and leade vs by the hand vnto our Sauiour when it letteth vs set as in a glasse how in our selues we are more then lost and that none can saue vs but onely he who is truelie called Matth. 1.21 Iesus because hee saueth his people from their sinnes Of whose saluation then may we bee assured that we are truelie partakers when besides the perswasion of the forgiuenes of our sinnes we haue power from him to dye vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnes as well in this commandement as in any other seeing that he hath not onely borne the punishment of sinne but also tooke it away and as he became a sacrifice for sinne 1. Iohn 3.8 Ephes 4.8 Coloss 2.15 so he came to destroy the workes of the diuell and hauing ascended vp on high hath led captiuitie captiue and spoyled the prince of darkenes who is throwne out and hath giuen rich giftes vnto men not onely vnto his church generallie but particularlie to euery member of the same so that now if any man be in Chrst Iesus he is a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 and he himselfe now liueth no more but Christ Iesus liueth in him Galat. 2.20 But if we be the olde men wee had wont to bee and bee no more carefull to obserue the rest of the sabbath then we haue been in times past then are we not as yet partakers of the benefite of Christ and so are vnder the curse of the lawe which one daye will sease vpon vs to our endlesse confusion 2. Pet. 1.10 Therefore let vs labour to make sure our election and calling by Gods workes and let vs striue to be perswaded that the Lord hath passed ouer the faultes of our youth wherby we haue infinitelie broken the holy rest of the Sabbath in thought worde and deed in the blindenes of poperie and light of the Gospell openlie and secretlie at home and abroad alone by our selues and with others and that the Lord hath receiued the sacrifice of his sonne as a ful recompence for them by that same second grace which wee haue receiued from the strength of his sacrifice that we doe giue our selues whollie to serue him in all holy obedience vnto this commandement more carefullie in all time to come and that by his grace wee are inabled thereunto and to desire continually to growe in it all which wee know can come from none other then from him who hath obtained it of his father for vs. And thus the lawe shall keepe vs also with Christ that we fall not away from him when it teacheth vs daylie to growe in humilitie for our sinnes past and maketh vs to be carefull of dueties to come Phil. 2.12 labouring to finish out our saluation in feare and in trembling The second booke declaring the seuerall parts of Gods worship whereby we ought publikely and priuately to sanctifie and keepe holy the Lords Day with other and by our selues Deut. 5.12 Keepe the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee 13. Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all thy worke 14. But the seuenth day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke therein thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy manseruant nor thy mayde nor thine oxe nor thine asse neither any of thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates that thy manseruant and thy mayde may rest as well as thou 15. For remember that thou wast a seruant in the landâ— of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and a stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabbath day THe second and last part of this Commandement is The second part of the Commandement is to sanctifie the daye of Rest that wee carefullie spend the day of Rest vpon the holy seruice of God alone which though it be last in order yet is the chiefe and principall thing in the Commandement and that whereunto the ceasing from labour is to be referred and without which the other is vnperfect and as it were a shadowe without the bodie Which that it is so indeede do appeareth by the very wordes of the Lord and the order of them pronounced from heauen as we haue alreadie seene Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy which also Moses preciselie commandeth in repeating the Law to the Israelites before his death Deut. 5.12 Obserue the Sabbath day to sanctifie it â—s the Lord thy God hath commanded thee which daye wee are then rightlie said to sanctifie or keepe holy when we bestowe it vpon the seruice of God which is most holy and so by making it proper vnto that which is holy both we and the daye are hallowed thereby Iohn 10.36 Zanc. de tribus Eloh pan 2. lib. 3. cap. 9. That great learned man Master Zanchius the diuinitie reader at Heidelberge entreating vpon that place of Iohn whom the father hath sanctified saith that to be sanctified signifieth to bee consecrated vnto God and to bee put apart from other things vnto an holy vse and so is God said to haue sanctified vnto himselfe the Sabbath daye that is to haue selected it from the other dayes and to haue consecrated it to himselfe And this significatioÌ„ is very common in the scripture wherupon the people also of God are said to be sanctified vnto God and in this sense Christ taketh where when he saith that he was sanctified of the father for he alone of all the three persons and of all other creatures was ordained vnto the office of the mediator and to be the head of the Church euen before he tooke vpon him our flesh Chrysost in Gen. 2. Homil. 10. Whereunto agreeth that of Chrysostome Quid est What is the meaning of this He hath sanctified it he hath distinguished it from other dayes and we see to what end For as M. Bullinger saith God hath sanctified the Sabbath not that one day in it owne nature Bulling in Rom. 14.5 is better then another or because he delighteth
so straightly requireth at their hands As we may see in the scriptures how they that feared God liuing in the corrupt times of the Church and so not hauing their ordinarie teachers haue vpon the Sabbath day frequented those places though farre off where by the doctrine of the word they might sanctifie the day in some good acceptable manner In which consideration the Shunamite as it is recorded in the second booke of the Kings when his wife tolde him that she was going to the Prophet 2 King 4.23 but concealed the cause from him which was for the restoring of her sonne to life which she had obtained by his meanes before he demaundeth of her why she should goe that day seeing that it was neither new moone nor the Sabbath day as though he had sayd if it had been any of these daies which the Lord had commanded to be kept holy then no maruaile if she hastened thitherward so fast For so it ought to be and so it appeareth she vsed to doe that by hearing of his doctrine she might keepe holie the day and so thereby bee furthered in all other holie dueties In this respect I would to God wee might say of our time Iustin Martyr Apolâ—g 2. as Iustine Martyr doth of his Die qui solis dicitur omnes qui in oppidis vel agris morantur in vnum locum conueniunt Vpon the day that is called Sunday all that dwell in the townes or villages doe meete in one place and for the space of an houre the canonical scriptures of the Prophets Apostles are read It is a Canon in the prouincial Councell of Malisgon That if any man haue a Church neere them they should goe together and there vpon the Lords day to bee occupied in prayer c. Where their meaning was not to dispense with them that were further off but to inioyne all to goe to their next Churches And in another Councell this is the maine reason why they should giue ouer all worldly affayres Quo facilius ad ecclesiam venientes Concil Alater 3. cap. 27. That they might the more easily come to the Church and pray c. And vnto this doth that learned father and Bishop Augustine exhort his auditors in a sermon which I haue often alleadged which is worthie of all men for this purpose to be read ouer August de teÌ„p sermon 251. Let no man separate himselfe from diuine seruice Neque otiosus quis domi remaneat neither let any man tarrie idling at home Idle when other are gone to the Church Which also as it is very Christianly prouided for vnder her most excellent Maiestie both by statute and also by her Iniunctions Q. Iniunct articl 46. that all should resort vnto their parishes vpon all Sundaies and there to continue the whole time of godly seruice vnder the paine of penaltie So it had been happie for this land if in all places it had been executed but with halfe that care that it was first meant But I may complaine of it with Master Caluin Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 34 rather theÌ„ amend it That whereas if we were so feruent in the loue of God as wee should all would morning and euening assemble themselues together to the end they might be edified more and more in the seruice of God we see that with much adoe men will assemble themselues on the Sunday and that many are to bee holden to this order by force and violence and a little after it sufficeth not that euery one withdraw himself to his owne house either to reade the holie scriptures or to pray vnto God but it behoueth that we come into the companie of the faithfull and there declare the concord and agreement we haue with the whole bodie of the Church and celebrate in such wise this order as the Lord hath commaunded So then as wee haue seene heretofore that it is lawfull vpon these occasions to trauaile vpon the day of rest now we learne that it is necessarie not only tolerated but inioyned vnto vs because it is the day that must be sanctified and therefore all labours commanded whereby wee may hallowe it in the best manner Therefore let vs in all conscience and care to serue God cast away such vaine pretences as that the weather is too hot or too cold the wayes are too foule the iourney too long and a thousand more which might hinder vs at any time froÌ„ the preaching of the word and common prayer in which consisteth the head and the foote of keeping holie the Sabbath day For these are so necessarie and haue been so continually practised of the Church by succession as it were from hand to hand deliuered to the posteritie that wee should too much degenerate from them if wee should debarre our selues from these holie things The Apostle writing to the Corinthians where he had before taught euery Sabbath day and so by his example and doctrine shewed them the right manner of keeping holie the day when afterwards some great abuses were crept into the Church he writeth vnto them and correcteth the faults that were in their solemne assemblies vpon the Lords day as appeareth most plainly in the processe of the whole chapter but more especially when he so many times repeateth their generall comming together Corin. 11.17.18.20 seeing then he findeth fault with the corruptions in prayer prophecying or preaching and the Sacrament it is most euident and must needes bee granted that these were the holie exercises vpon that day vsually in their common meetings whereby the day was made holie vnto the Lord and most glorious to them If theÌ„ it be so as it cannot be denyed vnles we will denye the cleere light of the Sunne at midday that the chiefest poynt of hallowing the Sabbath day consisteth in comming to Gods house where he offereth vnto vs the speciall parts of his seruice to be occupied in and no where so much as there Where the word is not preaâ—hed or men come not to it this day cannot be hallowed as it ought then it must needes bee subscribed vnto that in Poperie and al false religion there is nothing els but a meere prophaning of the day by abominable idolatrie and superstition and so many daies as we were vnder that intolerable bondage we were set free from Gods seruice and so long liued wee in a continuall breach of this Commandement And not onely so but wheresoeuer the preaching of the word is not or where men haue it and come not to it there can they not sanctifie the day in that manner that they should because they want the principall part of Gods seruice and that which should direct them in all others and make them most profitable vnto them Which if it be so as wee cannot with the least shew of reason deny it then what cause haue wee to be sorrie for our selues and others Which haue so many times broken this law by wilfull absenting
doe stand in neede to sanctifie the Sabbath againe and againe in all the meanes of Gods worship and especially then in the most principall that thereby happily we might be recouered into our former estate Nay what a blockish presumption were it for a man to thinke that Adam was bound to sanctifie the Sabbath according to the Commandement that being holie and righteous still he might haue been preserued in the fauour of God for euer and that we our selues being through sinne fallen away from his loue might make lesse account of these meanes whereby he doth first of all offer himselfe to be recōciled vnto vs and then neuer to fall away from that estate as though it were not so needfull for vs to sanctifie the day by them Therefore let vs confesse that these are though not all yet the most especiall parts of Gods seruice wherein wee are to bee occupied vpon the Sabbath and without which we are nothing neere that manner of keeping holie the day which the Lord requireth at our hands And so I conclude this poynt with the saying of Master Gualter Dei bonitatem exosculemur Gualt in Mark 1. Homil 11. Let vs thankefully acknowledge the goodnes of God who hath consecrated vnto his seruice that rest which wee stand in neede of for the refreshing of our bodies least that it should degenerate into filthie and hurtfull idlenes And here because wee speake of the Lords seruice which onely sanctifieth the day wee must consider All these parts of Gods seruice must be performed with our whole hearts and not onely outwardly of a custome Ioh. 4 24. that he is a spirit and therefore will be worshipped of vs in spirit and in trueth and therefore in all the aboue named parts of his worship we must performe a spirituall obedience if we will serue him so that whensoeuer the word is read preached or heard the Sacraments ministred and receiued and prayers made vpon the Sabbath of custome and not for conscience sake because we would doe as others doe and would not be noted to be singular and so in doing of these things we as it were doe them not For hearing we vnderstand not reading we conceiue not praying we desire not and all is done in the letter and not in the spirit wee serue our selues rather then God and so though the day bee holie wee make it not holie to him and for his sake Thus many when they haue seemed most of all to haue kept holy the day haue done nothing lesse thē that Therefore as wee must repent vs of all our hypocrisie in Gods seruice so wee must at all times endeuour that the holie exercises bee not vnhallowed of vs least the Lords seruice being neglected which is spirituall in al things we be found breakers of the Commaundement in that very thing wherein we did most of all presume that wee had kept it and if the best things that wee doe bee thus iustly refused what shall become of those which in our owne eyes carrie not that credite with them much more in the eyes of the Lord who examineth all things more narrowly Furthermore And so as by them we may be furthered in our saluation because the Lord in commanding vs to serue him hath not so much respect to himselfe who hath no neede of vs as to our owne good which may by this meanes be procured we must so behaue our selues in all the parts of Gods worship as may bring greatest profite to our soules health 1. Cor. 14.26 For in the Church of God all things must be done to edifying that al may learne and haue comfort as it is in the 31. verse of the same chapter And therfore in the 11. chapter finding fault iustly with the abuses that were in their meetings generally he chargeth thē with this 1. Cor. 11.17 that they came not together with profite Therefore both minister people must so behaue themselues in Gods house that they may depart with profit to themselues others Which that they might attain vnto they must vse all such good meanes priuatly both before and after the publike exercises as might make thē most profitable which what they be we shall hereafter see more particularly and in the very worship it selfe behaue our selues so reuerently and attentiuely as whereby greatest commoditie might redound to vs. And indeed as Master Caluin sayth Caluin in Exod. 20.8 in this Commandement is included a promise For God promiseth that as he hath sanctified the seuenth day for his seruice so he will thereby sanctifie them that rightly keepe it and therefore the promise of this blessing should be a principall motiue to our obedience And if in all other things we are carefull not so much to vse them as to vse them to the best aduantage why should we not put that out to the greatest gayne which in it owne nature is most gainfull indeede For seeing that there is nothing in the world that hath so great a promise made vnto it as the publike seruice of GOD should we not so behaue our selues in it that wee might be made partakers of it And whereas it is blessed for our sakes with the full treasure of all Gods graces in this life and eternall happines in the ende can it bee but a most grieuous sinne by our negligence to spoyle it of that honour and to make it vnprofitable to our selues Wherefore though I am not ignorant that the proper place to speake of the manner of Gods worship is in another Commaundement where also it hath been handled at large yet because all things comprehended in the other Commandements must bee practised vpon the Sabbath we must vnderstand that it is not impertinent to this treatise and that the Sabbath is then onely truely sanctified when of Gods worship there commeth some fruite and commoditie vnto vs. For this cause the Prophet Esay telleth the Iewes that then they shall haue truely sanctified the Sabbath and made it holie to the Lord when thereby they are made more able to rest from vanitie and sinne both in word deede and be made more fit to serue the Lord in all dueties afterwards Esay 58.13 If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will vpon my holie day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shall honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word Where his meaning is not that the whole sanctifying of the Sabbath consisteth onely in these as though he would exclude all the Sacrifices the reading and the preaching of the lawe prayer and the whole ministerie of that time established by the Lord whereof he speaketh not a word but he rather aimeth at this to correct their hypocrisie in these things and to shewe them that all was to no purpose vnlesse this fruite followed of it for which cause the whole worship of God and
in that place where he hath the greatest blessing of being profitable to others that any can haue in the world and none so great as hee wee haue departed and that vpon the Sabbath without any profite at all wherein our sinne is so much the greater that for the most parte men doe not see it and so cannot be grieued for it And what is the cause of all this S. Augustine in his time complaineth of many great abuses in the Churche which hinder men from profiting all which and many more are true in our time when hauing spoken before of them that are ranging in the fieldes when they should be at Church addeth Adhuc quod detestabilius est August de tēp serm 251. Besides which is worste some comming to the Church doores enter not in or tarrie not there with silence to the ende but when there is diuine reading within then they abroade are talking either of other matters or quarelling one with another or playing To whom he saith afterwardes Do not giue your selues to playing abroade but to praying and singing within And afterwardes in the same place he speaketh to them that are in the Church saying Doe not talke one with another while you are at Church but bee quiet for there are many especially certaine women Quae ita in ecclesia garriunt who so chat in the Church and are so full of words that neither themselues heare that which is read nor suffer others to heare and then hee concludeth Should there bee such meetings in the house of God in such an order or should they so behaue themselues in the sight of God and of his holy Angels It is prouided by publike authoritie That no man woman Q. Iniunct articl 38. or childe should be otherwise occupyed in the time of seruice then in quiet attendance to heare marke and vnderstand that that is read preached and ministred but how pitifully the execution of this is neglected in many places it is too lamentable to consider And if this were all wee might holde our peace The Ministers in many places are the cause why the people doe not profit but this mischiefe stretcheth it selfe out further for alas many of Gods people liue vnder such vnprofitable Ministers that it is not so much as to be hope for ordinarily that any profit should come from them at all for besides that that many cannot so much as distinctly read so that they may profitably be vnderstood I would to God it were not so there are many that can but reade and what is the profit of that though I confesse it is great in it selfe vnto the endlesse profit that commeth by preaching And let them but one shew vs the spirit of God who must be the onely iudge in this matter euer speaking so magnificenlty of the one as of the other Others that doe preach had as good almost holde their peace for they cannot deuide the word of God aright 2. Tim. 2.5 neither are they the mise dispensers of Gods mysteries Matth. 24.45 and stewardes of his house who should giue to euery one of his people their owne meate in due season Zach. 11.15 but haue taken vnto themselues the instruments of a foolish shepheard whose right armes is dryed vp and their right eye is cleane put out that they haue no skill to discharge their dueties in any profitable measure neither doe they make it part of their care and studie to speake most profitably to their people but either care not what they saye or else seeke their credit and estimation in that which they doe say What shall wee saye then to these vnprofitable men which cause so many of Gods people to bee vnprofitable and euen in those things from whence greatest profite should redound vnto them and vpon that very day which is especially appoynted for their profit How will they wash their hands of so many vnprofitable assembles whereof they haue been the very cause themselues nay they haue brought vp a vile slander vpon the house of God which is the most beautifull and fruitfull place in the world because they haue shut out the profitable preaching of the word which maketh all other things more profitable In so much that many say what good shall I get by going to the Church what can I heare there which I may not heare or read at home Haue I not the Bible and booke of common preyer at home which saying of theirs though I doe not allow of yet you see whence it ensueth and woe bee to them by whom such offences come but this one thing will require a seuerall treatise and I must remember my purpose though I haue well remembred it all this time I meane I must bee as briefe in euery thing as the time doth require the waightines of the matter wit permit There are yet other holy dueties publikely to bee performed vpon the Sabbath day whereby it is sanctified but I haue stood the longer vpon these because they are most principall most common vnto all least regarded of all I will bee shorter in them which followe Vpon the Lords day the poore ought publikely to prouided for To make common prouision for such poore as be in euery congregation or if they bee able to haue a care of others adioyning vnto them is a worke most acceptable vnto God profitable to our brethren commanded to be done and practised of the Church most of all vpon the Sabbath For this is that order which the Apostle established in the Churches of Galatia and at Corinth for the relieuing of the poore saintes at Ierusalem much more then did they it for those that were amongst themselues Euerie first day of the weeke let euery one of you put aside and lay vp as God hath prospered him 1. Cor. 16.2 that then there bee no gatherring when I come When men haue beene prospered the whole weeke before and they come vpon the Lords day to acknowledge it and to giue tha thanks vnto God for the same the lord would haue thē declare their faith namely that they haue receiued all from him by bestowing vpon them who are in great neede the which that they might doe the rather they haue the worde that might prouoke them vnto it wherein are many goodly promises concerning the fatherly prouidence of God watching ouer them for good in this life that serue him and that he hath prouided for them a kingdome in heauen that he will requite it them double whatsoeuer they giue vnto the poore in his name and for his sake in so much that the giuing of a cup of cold water shall not be lost Math. 10.42 for he that hath pitie vpon the poore Prou. 19.17 lendeth vnto the Lord and looke whatsoeuer he layeth out it shall be repayed For the Lorde Iesus Christ will account Math. 25.40 whatsoeuer wee haue done vnto the least of his brethren as though we had done it vnto
way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp In both which places although he doth lay this onely vpon the fathers and children by name yet his purpose is not so to restraine it vnto thē as though others might think themselues free from it especially seeing it is made generall in other places of the scripture but because they are vsually together in one familie he sheweth in their persons what should bee the talke of men in their common meetings as also because by this meanes the feare and seruice of God might bee planted in their ofspring being conueyned as it were by hand from father to son he declareth in them what should be the exercises of all sortes of men that religion might not dye with themselues but might bee established with their posteritie The Prophet speaketh more generally of it in the Psalm With my lippes haue I declared all the iudgements of thy mouth confessing thus much of himselfe Psal 119. part 2. that he vsed to speake of the word of God to others not thereby commending himself vnto men but as the Prophet of God shewing in his owne person what should be the exercise of all the faithfull For when as he had sayd in the former verse that he diligētly sought the Lord in his word wherein especially he is to be found and therefore gaue himselfe to the reading and hearing of it and in both he prayed to him for the direction of his holie spirit that he might not wander from the true meaning and practise of it and that which had thus learned by the blessing of Gods spirit he layd vp in his heart then he sayth He talked of it with others for their benefite and his owne further good And indeede the Prophet Malachie noteth out the godly in his time by this marke that they conferred one with another of the scripture which they had heard whō he thus writeth Malac. 3.16 Then spake they that feared the Lord euery one to his neighbour c. where though it be not precisely named of what they conferred yet in the context and words of the Prophet it is easily gathered For wheras hee prophecieth of the preaching of the Gospell by Iohn the Baptist and our Sauiour Christ wherein saluation is offered to the obedient and destruction threatned to the rebellious the Prophet setteth downe what was the fruite of this preaching namely that the vngodly made a mocke of it whose words are first of al set down and reproued vers 13. Your words haue been stout against me sayth the Lord of hosts c. Afterwards hee declareth what was wrought in the godly namely that they conferred of those things diligently among themselues both of the iudgements denounced that fearing they might auoyd them and of the promises that beleeuing them they might comforted ouer them incourage themselues to waite vpon God for the accomplishment of them Which we know to be so not only by the opposition of them and the wicked whose words must needs bee contrarie but especially for that which followeth where it is sayd that the Lord listened to their conference that is allowed of it and promised to blesse them for it vers 16 And the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought vpon his name 17. And they shal be to me sayth the Lord of hosts in that day that I shall doe this for a flocke and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him Thus we may easily perceiue that it is the duetie of all the true worshippers of God to conferre of his worde which as they ought to doe at other times so most of all Especially vpon the Lords day when they haue lately heard it and so thereby haue some greater occasion to doe it and are thereby as it were the rather prouoked vnto it if they will not doe it then it is to be feared that at other times they will more neglect it and if whensoeuer we heare the word wee ought to talke of it vnlesse we will lose a great part of the fruite of it thē most of all vpon the Sabbath when we haue the word after an especiall manner and besides haue ceased to talke of other worldly matters that wee might attend vpon this the better And this is the chiefe cause why we should leaue talking of worldly maters that neither our mouthes nor eares being filled with them wee might haue all the partes of soule and body taken vp with the seruice of God euen our mouths with speaking of it our eares with listning vnto the worde of God Which as it is a thing of rare profit so it is smally practised of men for how fewe shall you finde that will vpon the Sabbath prouoke themselues Which yet in greatly neglected and stirre vp others to speake of that which they haue heard or that will either offer any occasion of such speech vnto others or take it when it is offered by them Nay wee shall finde that our nature is so wholly corrupt in this thing that wee had rather speake of and listen vnto the things of the world many houres then vnto heauenly things the least moment of time yea euen vpon the Lordes day in so much that some haue tounge at will and words enough till their mouth runne ouer and you shall neuer finde them but they will haue something to say so long as you talke not onely of the lawfull commodities and pleasures of this life but of vaine and friuolous matters yea let any begin to speake of any part of Gods worship then they will either interrupt it by returning to their old matters vnlesse some be as constant in pursuing of it as they will be obstinate in crossing it or else they are sodainely striken into their dumpes and haue not a word to say Psal 19. part 2. The Prophet in the forenamed place first sayth I haue hid thy promise in my heart What is the cause that there is no more talke and conferēce about the word of God that I might not sinne against thee and then addeth with my lips haue I declared all the iudgment of thy mouth By ioyning of which two together in this order he telleth vs that if we wil speak profitably vnto others we must first haue the word within vs that not lightly sloating in our braine but deeply setled and hidden in our hearts Whereunto agreeth that exhortation which the Apostle maketh vnto the whole Church of God at Colossa Colos 30.16 Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plentuously in all wisedome teaching and admonishing your selues mutuallie in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songes In which as hee willeth them to conferre of the scriptures to the profit one another so be sheweth them how they shall come vnto it euen that they are filled with it before hand without which a
man either can say do thing at all or that which hee doth shall bee very colde and vnprofitable and it may easily bee perceiued that it commeth but from the teeth outward as we say neither hath it that power of the spirite which ought to bee and no doubt is in the communication of many of Gods children And here is that common prouerbe verified that our Sauiour Christ alledgeth in the Gospell Math. 12 34. Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh men are not most vsually speaking of that which they know best but vpon which their heart is most set and they take greatest pleasure in or are most afraid of c. Then if wee will by this most certaine rule of truth measure what is in the hearts of men and how they are there mooued at the hearing and reading of the worde either one way or other we shall find that the most part of men if they bee not voyde of the knowledge of it altogether yet they haue no sence or feeling of it in their hearts neither doth it affect them one whit but are benummed as it were that waye seeing that they are no more often in speaking of it And let vs cease maruailing why they are so prodigall of their tongue in all other matters and in these are more niggardly and sparing of it then they should seeing that they are so stuffed with the one but they like vnto vessels filled with new wine which will breake if they haue no vent and of the other they haue so little or rather nothing in them at all that you can scarsely wring out any thing from them Which as it is a great sinne in men an especial neglecting of a notable part of Gods worship vpon this holy day What fruit we might get by such conferences and what we lose by neglecting thē so it is most assuredly a cause why all that which they haue receiued in the publike ministerie is either so soone lost or remayneth so vprofitably with them For what if men heare and read neuer so diligently if he neuer speak of it afterwardes is it possible that he should remember it so fruitefully in time to come as otherwise he might Doth not experience teach all men that those schollers are like to proue best learned which will conferre one with another about that which the master hath read vnto them before And they that doe studie hard thēselues if they doe not conferre with others besides that they shal stick fast many times can goe no further whereas they might be holpen out by others euē that also which they haue gotten cannot bee so deepelie setled in them as otherwise it might So it must needes bee that if wee talke not of the Scriptures wee shall forget much of that which we haue learned neither shall we be so profitable vnto others as the Lord would haue vs. There bee many that complaine they haue ill memories and when they bee iustly founde faulte with for not profiting as they should say they cannot remember it and it is true but in the meane season they marke not how the fault is in themselues that they might amend it for they are not carefull to speak of that which they haue heard and so to remember it to themselues and others but as soone as they are out of the Church doores they fall into other matters and so put the other cleane out especiallie when they continue in the former the rest of the daye and will not giue that time vnto these that they should For presuppose they haue the best memories in the world yet hearing a strange thing if they will neuer tell it vnto others or make reporte of it any more how can they long remember it Nay must they not needes soone forget it On the contrarie we shall finde it to be most true by sufficient trial that they which haue but weake naturall giftes yet through age all are now more weakened and decayed shall notwithstanding be able to tell you along tale with all the circumstances of time place persons c. which they neuer heard but once in their liues and that it may be twentie or fortie yeares since but of the stories of the Bible which they haue that very day read and besides haue heard them twentie times before they shall bee able to say very little or nothing to the purpose And what can we iudge to be the cause of this but that they haue told the one so many times to their neighbours and haue gone it ouer and ouer againe which maketh them so cunning in it and of the other they haue scarce once opened their mouthes to speake and therfore all is so cleane forgotten Thus men may complaine as long as they wil make excuses to blinde the eyes of others and to deceiue their owne hearts but God is not deceiued who seeth the fruitelesse talking vnnecessarie iangling about al other matters euen vpon his own holy day when they haue said little or nothing of those which did most of all concerne them Therefore let vs vnfainedly sorrowfull that wee haue not heretofore so carefullie sanctified the Lords day in this part of his worship as he required of vs and let vs confesse that we haue been iustly punished therein that we haue lost a great part of that fruite which otherwise we might haue reaped our selues from Gods worship and bestowed vpon others let vs hereafter be more carefull to spend some part of the daye in such holy conferences as maybe profitable both to our selues and we discharged of our dueties to God thereby And whereas wee haue a thousand things within vs and without vs to hinder vs from it let vs cast them away and seeing the duetie is so necessarie the commoditie thereof so great also let vs endeauour our selues and call vpon others most earnestly to performe it Some are ashamed to talke of the Scriptures For why should wee bee ashamed of it And seeing that the shame of the worlde hath not kept vs heretofore from vngodly communications vnto which shame iustly belongth why should it hold vs back from all christian conferences of which we shal neuer haue cause to be ashamed Nay why should wee not haue our mouthes filled full of all good words out eares open to heare them from others that it might appeare wee are now ashamed that wee haue spent so much heretofore in speaking and hearing those things whereof there came nothing but hurt to our selues and others And that wee may not bee so ignorant as to imagine Others thinke that it belongs onely to the Minister and not to the common people that to conferre of the Scriptures is proper to the ministers and not belonging to the common people which once to dreame of is a thing more meete for the darke night of poperie wherein it was defended them of the midday of the Gospel which doth so manifestlie gainesay
worke altogether impertinent to that daye he doth iustifie it and sheweth that it is most proper vnto it because it is the day of shewing mercy and therefore if men do nay ought to loose the oxe to the water much more might he loose the daughter of God from her infirmitie of soule and bodie And hee doth not so much dispute what he might do as shew what euery one ought to doe For if it were a breach of the Sabbath to neglect any duty to the other creatures then much more to withdraw our hand from our brethren when they doe stande in neede of our helpe And in the Chapter immediatlie following when hee had healed a man of the dropsie vpon the Sabbath daye he proueth the lawfulnes of the fact by the like reason It came to passe that when Iesus was entered into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisies vpon the Sabbath day to eate bread Luke 14.1 they watched him 2. And behold there was a certaine man before him which had the dropsie 3. Then Iesus answering spake vnto the expounders of the law and Pharisies saying is it lawfull to heale vppon the Sabbath daye 4. And they held their peace Then he tooke him and healed him and let him goe 5. And answered them saying which of you shall haue an oxe or an asse fallen into a pitte and will not straight way pull him out on the Sabbath daye 6. And they could not answer him againe to these things But the time would not serue to stand vpon all the places which shew that this is a peculiar work of the Sabbath to helpe the helpelesse to strengthen the weake succour them that are in necessitie thereby to shew that wee are well perswaded of the loue of our heauenly father when wee are so readie to shew our loue to the rest of his children our brethren I will therefore conclude with that which is set downe by Mathew That Iesus went into a synagogue 10. Matth. 12.10 And beholde there was a man which had his hand dryed vp and they asked him saying Is it lawful to heale vpon the Sabbath day That they might accuse him 11. And he answered them and sayd what man shall there be among you that shall haue a sheepe and if it fall on the Sabbath daye into a pitte will not he take it and lift it out 12. How much more then is a man better then a sheepe Therefore it is lawfull to doe wel on the Sabbath day 13. Then said he to the man stretch forth thy hand and hee stretched it forth and it was made whole as the other In all which places we may note that it is alwaies precisely noted that Christ Iesus did all these mercifull deeds vpon the Sabbath thereby to declare how parte of sanctifying the day consisteth in them and also how the men of this worlde did finde faulte with them which sheweth how farre they are from dooing any such things themselues and that the Lord Christ doth replie vpon them with such reasons as generally concerne all men to the ende that they might knowe that they were not things properlie belonging to himselfe but generally to be followed of all men Vnto this may bee referred the making of peace betweene man and man especiallie that wee should seeke peace our selues and take it when it is offered Whereunto it seemeth the lawes of the Emperours had respect when they commande not onlie that the courtes should be shut vp but also Respirent à controuersijs litigantes Le. finali C. de ferijs Let the parties leaue of all controuersies and haue a time of peace Ad sese simul veniant Let them come one to another let them be sorrie and repent one to another let them make peace and agreement and speake of compounding the matter among themselues And in thus doing they should shew great pitie to others and to themselues whereas otherwise by endlesse suites they many times most cruelly begger one another Therefore in fewe wordes this is the thing that we haue to remember in this place that we ought to be ready to helpe all that bee in need according to our habilitie and their necessitie and by our presence and other helpes to bee as comfortable to them as may bee inlarging the bowels of compassion towards them and putting the same affection vpon vs which is in them euen for the Lordes sake who hath shewed mercie vnto vs and whose creatures they be and so make it the Lord his work Which that we might do so much the rather We ought to visite them that be in miserie it is profitable for vs to goe vnto them which cannot come to vs to looke vpon them which cannot see vs and to heare them speake that many times crie haue none to heare them that the lamentable spectacle of their miserie might mooue our hard hearts to pittie them and in pittie to helpe them so much the more willinglie for though the things that wee heare may touch vs greatlie yet nothing in comparison of that which wee see that is the sense of mouing especially in so much that though we may partlie gesse of our selues what is the great extremitie of others and partlie vnderstand it by the true reporte of them that haue seene it and so bee moued to helpe yet nothing so much as when wee haue been at them our selues and seene the ruines of their houses and the nakednes of their bodies the hardnes of their lodging the thinnesse of their dyet and hard fare when wee haue beheld these with our eyes and touched the colde irons of the prisoners and marked the vneasie stockes that they are locked vnto and the lothsome dungeons that they lye in and haue been eyewitnesses of their extreame torments and grieuous diseases then if our hearts be not as hard as flint and if wee haue not put off all brotherlie kindnes and forgotten that we be men our bowels may begin to yearne vpon them and that which was in vs but a sparckle of loue before shal breake out into a great flame the heate whereof shall comfort them and that one droppe of compassion which was before in vs shall multiplie it selfe into a great riuer the streame whereof shall refresh the heauie heart and dryed soule of our brother M. Bucer speaking of the works of this day amongst other saith Visitare infirmos to visite the sicke Bucer in Matth. 12.11 For as beggers when they would haue men to pitie them lay open their sores because that though things be neuer so great in themselues yet til they bee seen we wil hardly beleeue them therefore we doe the poore wrong manie times in iudging their estate to bee better then it is so therby is shewed what is the nature of all that if we will shew mercy to others so cheerefullie as we should we must visite them in their necessitie and not turne our eyes away from beholding their neede And
the promises of this life and the life to come So then by all this it may most euidently appeare both by the words of the commandement and by the practise of the best men in the old and new Testament that this duetie is layd vpon all householders diligently to ouersee the wayes of their familie that they serue God as in all other dueties so especially in sanctifying the Sabbath as they will answere to the contrarie at their perill to him that hath put them in authoritie and as they will giue an account for their soules which otherwise might perish through their default Which though it bee so seuerely inioyned in all men But in our time it is for the most part wholly neglected and vnder so great a paine layd vpon them yet it is so generally neglected of the greatest part that we may rather complaine of it iustly with griefe then haue any hope of the speedie reforming of it For besides that a great many haue no care to sanctifie the day themselues and therefore cannot with any conscience require it of their seruants and children but either set them to worke or to play and to do any thing vpon that day sauing that which they should and doe encourage them thereunto by their owne ill example and words there be others also who though they seeme to haue some care to keepe holie the day themselues and haue indeede yet either through ignorance or negligence do not once looke to their housholde whether they come to Church or no and sit there attentiuely and continue there with profit to the ending nor how they spend the rest of the day but being demaunded where their seruants were how chance they came not to Church c. they answere securely and as they thinke sufficiently as though it were a thing meerely impertinēt vnto them that they cannot tell they do not hinder them from the Church they may come if they will and they are of age to looke to themselues and they are past boyes now and I cannot tell what But they must consider besides that which hath been alreadie spoken concerning this matter that they do too foolishly and grosly imagine to stoppe as it were the mouth of the Lord with that simple answere in his busines which they will not receiue at their seruants hands in their owne For in the sixe dayes when their seruants are in their owne busines they will not let them come and goe at their owne pleasure and content themselues with a bare imagination that they be at their workes but will be sure of it and therfore set them to it looke vpon them in the doing of it call them to an account for it which if it bee well done in themselues because they knowe otherwise they will be negligent how must it not needes then bee a great vnthankfulnes in them vnto God that vpon his day which is but one among seuen his seruice should be so slenderly looked vnto that there is no such diligence vsed towards their seruants that they might performe it And how must it not needes be a great iniurie to their seruants who are naturally for the most part more negligent and carelesse in Gods seruice by reason of their corruption then they can be in the seruice of men to bee depriued of that benefit of their gouernours which is the chiefest and for which cause especially they are committed to their gouernment namely to be furthered by thē in the seruice of God but vse them more like beasts then men euen that they might be seruiceable vnto them and then care not whether they serue God or the diuell We know that seruants looke to be preferred by their masters and so there is good reason when they haue serued them faithfully but what kinde of rewarde is this that when they haue bestowed some earthly benefit vpon them by hauing no care to make them serue the Lord and sanctifie his Sabbaths doe in the ende not onely make them lose the euerlasting reward but preserue them to eternall destruction Moreouer there are a companie of idle seruing men who being brought vp idly all the sixe dayes and in thē hauing nothing at all to doe and are neuer almost looked after vpon the seuenth day are as idle Especially in great households where there are many seruants and as little regarded as vpon the other and as they neuer almost doe any good dayes worke to their masters for they haue nothing to doe so much lesse doe they spend any Sabbath in the Lords seruice but they especially are left to goe and come at their will Others that haue any office of great charge and attendance as the Cookes and Butlers such like in great houses seldome or neuer come to the Church and that but by peeces either when halfe is done or els they are readie to depart before halfe bee ended and so both hinder the Lord from that seruice which he should haue by them and them from that blessing which they should inherit this way and both cause the name of God to be ill spoken of and pul vpon themselues and them that curse which belongeth to the continual polluting of the Sabbath And how can they looke that that seruice and that meate and drinke should doe them good which is thus prepared and bought as it were with the continuall daunger of the soules of their seruants besides the dishonour of the name of God When Dauid had inconsideratly desired to drinke of the water of Bethleem three mightie men brake into the hoste of the Philistines and drew water and brought it to him but he would not drinke thereof but powred it for an offring to the Lord and sayd 2. Sam. 23.15.16 O Lord be it farre from me that I should doe thus is not this the bloud of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues How much lesse then ought men to eate and drinke that for which their seruants doe venture the liues of their soules And besides if we doe iustly finde fault with them who doe neuer or seldome preach to the people committed to their charge and so cause their soules to starue and dye eternally how can they be blameles who seldome or neuer bring their seruants to the preaching of the word And must they not needes be culpable of the same iudgement before God seeing it is all one with the seruants whether they liue in the places where the word of God is not preached at al or if it be yet they come not vnto it Obiection But where as men are readie to obiect that in a great familie many must needs be absent Answer I grant it to be true in some part that is at some time and vpon some occasion but so ordinarily and so continually as they themselues in their owne consciences are priuie of who make this obiection I know no necessitie that can excuse that Nay I am sure that the Lord hath layd no
himselfe 2. Cor. 9.6 and so hee that soweth plentifully shall reape plentifully Besides all this then are we made partakers of the sacraments wherin the Lord offereth his sonne Iesus Christ crucified vnto vs with all the merits of his death by whō we are made heyres of the whole world and there hee giueth vs libertie to aske of him whatsoeuer wee want and hath promised to giue it vs 1. Ioh. 5.14 when we pray in the name of his sonne according to his will Seeing then we haue so many things in possession and so many more in hope right which as it is alwaies so by faith so we see it most cleerely when by thus many meanes it is testified vnto vs therefore as they that doe come from a rich spoyle doe send gifts to their friends in token of ioy and plenty as Dauid in the spoyle of the Amalekites 1. Sam. 30.26 so the Lorde would haue vs to witnesse vnto the others the ioye that wee haue in his fauour the riches of our inheritance which we possesse already by faith and hope in the end to come vnto as by many other meanes so especially by our liberality to others for his sake whom he to that ende offereth vnto vs as it is sayd Iohn 12.8 The poore yee shall haue alwaies with you Thus after the returne out of captiuitie when Ezra the Priest did vpon the first day of the moneth which was a Sabbath reade and expound the lawe of GOD to the whole congregation of the Iewes for the knowledge of which he exhorted them to bee thankfull among other things he willeth them to haue a care of the poore So eate of the fat Nehem. 8.10 and drinke the sweete and send part vnto them for whom none is prepared for this day is holy vnto our lord Iustine Martyr speaking of the order of Christians vpon the Lords day in his time among other things sayth Conferuntur eleemosynae Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Almes is giuen according to the discretion of euery man for the reliefe of the poore the fatherlesse the sicke and those that are banished but herein they obserued this order as it is sayd there that it being giuen vnto the custodie of one it was afterwards distributed according to discretion Bucer in Mat. 12.11 And Bucer amongst other dueties to bee performed vpon this day sayth wee ought Conferre in pauperes to prouide for the poore And indeede if men will not be liberall then when they haue so many meanes to drawe them vnto it what hope can we haue that they will bee so at other times when they shall haue none of them Therefore men may say what they will that they doe thus and thus bestow at home but who will beleeue them when they doe finde them so straight handed then when the Lorde doth offer so much vnto them that they might bee more able cheerefully to shew mercy vnto others Therefore though I cannot like of the disordered gathering for the poore that is in many places where in the time of diuine seruice you shall see men go vp and down asking receiuing changing and bestowing of money wherein many times you shall haue them so disagree that they are louder then the minister and the rest stand looking and listning vnto them leauing the worship of God as though it did not concerne them and thus all is confused So yet I am persuaded that this is tire fittest time to make this prouision and I presume that it is not the meaning of our godly wise rulers in the Church and common wealth who are abused herein that any such thing should bee done but that the gathering being made at some other time of the day they might haue it in readines before hand to bestowe at the end of seruice vpon the needie according to their discretion or generally to take some good order that God might bee best serued our brethren relieued and no man iustly offended But wee may say of this thing as the Papists doe of the priuate Masse which they cannot defend that the iniquitie of the people brought it in For when men thorowen couetousnes would not followe the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.2 to put some thing apart for the poore as they should finde God had blessed them and so bring that with them and haue it in a readines being perswaded that it is a dutie 2. Cor. 9 7. which God requireth of them and so doe it cheerefully as vnto him who hath promised to reward it but it being left to their discretion they haue shifted it off as they might and whē diuine seruice was ended and now nothing more was to bee done in the Church but that they would not carrie it then the collectors for the poore were compelled to take them there in the middest of Gods seruice when for very shame by starting they could not refuse But from the beginning it was not so and seeing God is not the author of confusion 1. Cor. 14.33 40 all things in the Church must be done honestly and in good order And these are the common and publike dueties which are to be performed in the assemblies of the people and which cannot be done but where there is a visible church established How wee ought priuatly to spend the rest of the day when the publike assemblies are dissolued which hath her ordinarie meetings which where it is yet they continue not together the whole day neither can nor indeede is it required of them and yet the whole day must bee hallowed as we haue seene in part and it shall more fully appeare vnto vs here after For God sanctified from the beginning the seuenth day Concil Turon cap. 40. not a parcell of it onely and in the Councel of Turon it was decreed that they should rest from all worke and be occupied in praysing Gods name vsque ad vesperam even vnto the euening Concil Paris cap. 1. And in the Councel of Paris they say Let your eyes and hands be lifted vp vnto God toto illo die August de tēp serm 251. all that day For as S. Augustine very well sayth Wee must not thinke that a little peece of that day is sufficient for Gods seruice and all the rest we may bestow at our pleasures For as we haue seene before therefore are they called the Lords Sabbaths and in the new Testament the Lords dayes because they are wholie to be imployed in his seruice And therefore Master Caluin very excellently sayth Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. Let vs knowe that the Sunday is not ordained for vs onely to come to the sermon but to the end wee might imploy the rest of the time to laude and praise God For as one as one very learnedly obserueth It is not simply sayd Muscul praecept 4. Remember the Sabbath but the Sabbath day and not the things of the day but the day it selfe And