yeeld not the speciality to bee morall you turne out one commandement of the ten from being morall for all your generality for to say that this is the morality of the commandment no more that some time shuld be sequestred to divine worship maketh this commandment no more morall then the building of the Tabernacle or Temple is morall for therein this perpetuall will of God was shewed that some place must bee assigned for Church assemblies and publike worship By this also it will follow that the Papists that in their Catechismes render the fourth commandement thus keepe holy the festivall dayes doe render the full sâ—nse of it Which being yeelded this also will follow that you may aswell put it downe thus frequent the assemblies Moreover all the feast daies of the Iewes conteined this generall equity Lastly then God should in this command nothing to particular men because it is not in their power to institute these daies and so nothing shal be commanded to them further than what publike persons shall injoyne be it but one day in the yeere and for them neither is there any thing commanded in speciall and they sinne not if they appoint but one day in a Moone or if they appoint but one in a quarter then also the Feasts of Christs Nativity of Easter of Whitsontide c. are of equall authority with the Lords day which thing what eares can heare with patience These also are constitutions of the ancient primitive Church CHAP. XXV Breerwood Pag. 39 40 41. BVt what of that What if the consecration of the Sabaoth was by the Church translated to the first day of the weeke Was therefore the commandement of God translated also That that day ought to be observed under the same obligation with the Sabaoth For if the commandement of God were not translated by the Church together with the celebration from the seventh day to the first day then is working on the first no violation of Gods commandement Was the commandement of God then translated from the Sabaoth to the Lords day by the decree of the Church No the Church did it not let mee see the act The Church could not doe it let me see the authority the Church could not translate the commandement to the first day which God himselfe had namely limited to the seventh For could the Church make that Gods commandement which was not his commandement Gods commandment was to rest on the seventh day and worke on the first therefore to rest on the first and worke on the seventh was not his commandement For doth the same commandement of God enioyne both labour and rest on the same day is there fast and lose in the same commandement â—â—th God Thou shalt work on the first day saith that and worke â—â— the seventh saith this Can the Church make these the same commandement But say the Church hath this incredible and uncoâ—ceivable power Say it may forbid to worke on the first day by the vertue of the very same precept That doth neither expresly command or license to worke on that day Say that the Church of God may translate the commandement of God from one day to another at their pleasure did they it therefore I spake before of their authority whether they might doe it I enquire now of the act whether they did it did the Church I say ever constitute that the same obligation of Gods commandement which lay on the Iewes for keeping of the Sabaoth day should be translated and laid upon the Christians for keeping of the Lords day Did the Church this no no they did it not all the wit and learning in the World will not prove it Answer First this reasoning is on false grounds supposed as hath beene proved and therefore fals to the ground Secondly yet take their owne grounds If the Church have powre to translate the day and consecrate it a Sabbath they may have power and had so to translate the Commandement for the Commandement is but the consecration of the Sabbath and determination thereof to a certaine day And if they doe not translate the Commandement yet the Commandement stands in force for that day to which by just power they have translated the Sabbath For the Commandement is in force as a law of nature you confesse for the celebration of a Sabbath or else you deny a moralitie in any part of that Commandement but if that your moralitie stand as without doubt it doth then is working on that day equally a violation of the Commandement of God as working on the seventh from the creation for then it was sinfull because that day was then Sabbath and now it is so because this is now Sabbath Thirdly and for those quaeres let me see the Act Let me see the Authoritie as they may bee retorted to your conceite of their translating the seventh day and consecrating it a Sabbath so in the true sense of consecrating that day you have seen before the Act and Authority and may now see if you winke not that the Commandement is not translated but remaines the same it was namely to keepe holy the Sabbath day Neither is there a making of that Gods Commandement which was not his nor yet doth the commandment containe any impossibilities and contradictions Distingue tempora tolle dubia Distinguish the times and the doubts vanish the Commandement enjoyneth rest and holinesse Sabbath-like on the Lords Sabbath then that seventh day now this seventh day and of both is it true the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Then the seventh day was it and so enjoyned thereon Now the first day of the weeke and so enjoyned thereon Hence this reasoning is easily answered First God commanded to worke on the first and rest on the seventh therefore to rest on the first and work on the seventh was not his Commandement it was not then it is now moreover sixe dayes thou shalt worke doth not point out which sixe daies and the seventh day will containe both ours and theirs and their seventh they knew then by the worke of Creation as our seventh we know by the worke of Redemption For the authoritie and Act of the Church we need it not the Scripture as before hath saved the labour But that the act of this power was put forth the Church hath acknowledged and your selfe doe while you yeeld the first day consecrated Sabbath CHAP. XXVI Breerwood Pag. 41 42 43. Object BVt you may object if the old Sabaoth vanished and the commandement of God was limited and fixed to that day only then is one of Gods commandements perished Sol. I answere that the generality of that commandement to keepe a Sabaoth wherein God might be honoured was morall But the speciality of it namely to keepe 1 one day of seven 2 the seventh 3 one whole day 4 with precise vacancy from all worke were meerely ceremoniall the specialitie then of the commandements are vanished But for the generality of it it
and vilifying of God Thirdly but what an argument is here The obligation of our thankefulnesse is more than theirs though the obligation of his commandement be lesse herein therefore the Christian should be more devout than the Iew. I had thought the commandement had bound to Devotion and the greater the more I had thought the Greatnesse of benefits whence the debt of thankfulnesse is greatned had increased the obligation of the commandement and our obedience to it But now you yeeld his commandement some what obligeth on our Sabbath though lesse when before you utterly denyed any breach of any divine commandement in laboring that day and so any obligation To strengthen this argument you expresse your wish that most religiously with all abstinence and all attendance it were kept Doe you wish this with all your heart and yet bend all your might to overthrow the commandement of God Would you or could you thinke that your wish should prevaile more than Apostolike truth Fourthly have wee in one breath these contradictory sentences No constitution of the Church obliging to the strict desisting from labour And the constitutions of some ancient Councels restraining that prophanation Fifthly you come in with the Edicts of Princes as one that would have the observation of the Lords day depend upon constitutions of the Church and Edicts of Princes only and so not to differ from another holy day Most wicked Popish worse than Popish and against all the famous lights ancient and moderne Or doe you mention Princes Edicts and Churches constitutions to glose with ours Ours detest your Tenet and you seeke herein to wound Church and Prince for how they hold of the Lords day that it is directly grounded on the fourth commandement appeareth in the Liturgie in the booke of Homilies and in the Statutes and godly Provisions for redresse of prophanations This is the Doctrine of our Church d Homil. of the place and time of prayer part 1. pag. 125. By this commandement speaking of the fourth wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this commandement that no man in the sixe daies ought to bee slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke-day labour of these lawes to reject their commandements touching matter of worke or service on the Sabaoth or any other day Answer First I might put off all this still because it is upon this false ground that the Commandement of God doth not enjoyne our Sabbath with the like But I willingly goe on with you to see if there bee one true stitch through your whole Discourse And here before wee come to particulars h Though the Lawes of men should not take hold of servants in this case yet the Lawes of God doe let all note that that odious terme and calumniating phrase of Servants rebellion against their masters is your owne and commeth from an evill heart and crafty head We teach that Princes unlawfull commands are not to bee executed yet we teach not that any so commanded must rebell but not obey and be so farre from rebellion if it should be urged that hee suffer even to blood patiently without so much as reviling judging or the like but onely committing his cause to him that judgeth righteously But to come to your matter you hold First That the Churches Constitutions and the Edicts of Princes never intended to forbid light and labourlesse worke nor doe their censures take hold on men therefore Secondly against this what the Doctrine of our Church is you heard before which taught that God condemned all weekely and worke-day labour all common businesse and to give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises c. The doctrine of the Church of Ireland i Articles of Religion in a Synod at Dublin 1615. is consonant hereunto which teacheth thus The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day is wholly to be dedicated to the service of God and therefore wee are bound therein to rest from our common and daily businesse and to bestow that leasure upon holy exercises both publike and private In a Councell k Concilium Matiscon 2. c. 1. in the yeare 588. it was decreed that no worke on the Lords day bee done but the eyes and hands stretched out to God that whole day and that if a Countrey man or servant should neglect this wholesome Law he should bee beaten with more grievous strokes of Clubbes For these things saith that Councell pacifie God and remoove the judgements of diseases and barrennesse And againe understanding while they sate in the Councell l C. 4. that some absented themselves from the Assemblies they decreed under paine of Anathema that on all Lords dayes all both men and women received the Communion In another General Synod there was made this decree m Sancitum est ut domini in suis ditionibus diebus dominicis prohibeant nundiâ—as annuas sâ—ptimanales item conventicula in Tabernis compotationes alearum chartarum similes varios lusus concentus musicorum instrumentorum usum atque choreas Synod general Petricoviensis Anno 1578. It is ordained that the Lords in their severall dominions doe prohibit on the Lords dayes the yearely and weekely Faires also meetings in Tavernes Compotations or Gossipings Dice Cards and divers the like sports singing in Concents as now many in merry meetings have their singing of Catches and their roarings as they are called the use of musicall Instruments and Dancing In a Councell at Nice it was ordered that those who either kept Court bought or sold or otherwise prophaned the Sabbath should bee prohibited the Communion because that whole day we ought onely to rest and spread abroad our hands-in prayer to God n Toto hoc die tantummodò vacandum quia toto hoc die manus Deo expandendae Canutus o Canutus lege 14. 15. a King in this Land before the Conquest enacted in a Councell at Winchester that Sunday should be kept holy and Faires Courts Huntings and worldly workes on that day should be forborne Guntramnus p Praeceptio Guntramni ad Episcop dat in Concil Matiscon 2. King of France commanded that on the Lords day no bodily worke should be done besides what was prepared to eate to maintaine life conveniently Secondly you affirme that neither constitution of the Church nor edict of Princes doe free servants from their Masters power to command them to worke or their obedience to worke at their Masters command that day more than others Thirdly what the Doctrine of our Church is in this point is cleare in the Homily of the place and time of prayer delivered in these words Sithence which time meaning the time of our
his master d Iob 31. 13 14. It fights with that common honour both master and servant are equally estated in by creation e Vers 15. Did not hee that made the master in the wombe make him And did not one fashion them in the wombe It fights with the eternall Law in the fifth Commandement in which the master of the servant is required that he be to his servant in his manners a brother in his office a father f 2 King 5. 13. things incompatible to bruite beasts and man Command 5. 2 King 5. Thirdly and howsoever the condition of a slave was harder than that of an ordinary servant or one hired yet our question hath been all this while of Iewish servants and so of Christian servants now the Iew in service might not bee used as a slave or bond-servant but as an hired servant as in Levit. 25. 39 40. The Iew that was a servant was still a brother in Religion and so to be used in his service and labour not so the oxe Fourthly for the duty of subjects to their superiours to cleare the whole matter these grounds I lay downe First subjects are bound to obey their superiours onely in those things in which themselves are subjected to their superiors in which the superiors themselves are not contrary respect guiltinesse hath somewhat of good in it and is of God and in this regard God can separate guilt from sinne But partly it followeth sinne as that which floweth from out of sinne and is the desert and merit of punishment and so it participates of the nature of sinne and is quid vitiosum a thing vitious and in this respect it cannot bee separated from sinne This double consideration of guiltinesse is intimated in Rom. 1. 32. We know the judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death This is the nature of guiltinesse but the forme of sinne can no way bee separated from sinne and yet the sinne be sinne that were a contradiction The forme of sinne is in no respect good that were likewise a contradiction Thirdly besides this you say first there are two things in every sinne the act and guilt as the matter and forme yet in the same breath you tell of three things in every sin the Act the Anomy or unlawfulnesse and the Guilt This for the application of your Schoole-termes Fourthly hence you say it appeareth manifestly that his is the guiltinesse whose the transgression is and his the transgression to whom the law was prescribed as a Rule and that is the masters c. what coherence is here because guiltinesse is in your stile the forme of sinne therefore his is the guiltinesse whose is the transgression Is guiltinesse and transgression all one and is not transgression the forme of sinne This is then in your owne sense as much as to say his is the sinne whose is the sinne A faire conclusion but no marvaile you were thus puzled here for your reasoning should thus have runne from your owne grounds The Act wherewith the commandement of the Sabbath is violated is the servants therefore the guilt is the servants for whoso violates the Law hee is guilty and thus not only the master that commands the worke but the servant that doth the work violating the command of God is guilty What followeth in this section of yours hath been partly answered already and followeth to bee answered below in its more proper place CHAP. IX Breerwood Pag. 12 13. But you will reply perhaps that the comandement touching servants rest on the Sabaoth is given to their Masters indeede but not only to them but to their servants also No such matter for if it be let that appeare and set downe the clause wherein it is manifestly expressed or necessarily implied that servants are forbidden all labour on the Sabaoth day as servants I say touching matter of service or labour imposed on them by their Masters for that in those workes which servants doe on the Sabaoth day of themselves and not as proceeding from their Masters injunction but from their owne election it is no question but they transgresse the commandement but those workes they doe not as servants that is at anothers command but as in the condition of their service or favour of their Masters they retaine some degree of liberty and have some disposition of themselves permitted unto them so in that respect fall into the clause of free men viz. the first clause of the commandement Thou shalt doe no worke but to servants as servants in case they bee commanded to worke which is our question there is no clause of the commandement imposed Answer First this indeed is our just exception against your doctrine that the commandement though given chiefely to masters in those words of specification authorising and appointing them not onely to cease their labour by themselves or any under them but to cause them to cease and to cause them to sanctifie the day for outward conformity yet is given also to and imposed on sonne and daughter man and maide and when you aske for the expresse or implied precept reaching them as servants you have the same expressely in that clause thy servant shall not worke and in that other Thou shalt doe no worke as hath been hitherto abundantly and unanswerably prooved and is of plaine light to manifest it selfe Therefore when you call the first clause of the comandement thou shalt doe no worke the clause of freemen thereby implying that the latter is of bondmen ding the losse of things according to that in Deut. 22. Thou shalt bring home thy brothers erring oxe and therefore a corporall worke pertaining to preserve the health of ones owne body doth not violate the Sabbath as to eate and such like whereby the health of the body is preserved So the Iewes fought Macchab. 2. Elias travelled fleeing from Iezabel and the Disciples pluckt the eares of Corne on the Sabbath c. This Schooleman saith that the bodily workes whereby man serveth man of all other bodily labours are forbidden this day and to the other the servant as well as the freeman is bound freely to apply himselfe And that these workes of servants doe contrary the observance of the Sabbath and hinder the application of the man that serves to divine things CHAP. X. Breerwood Pag. 13 14. WHereby may easily and clearely bee discerned the difference betwixt the equity and wisdome of Almighty God in the constitution of the Law of the Sabaoth obliging Parents and Masters and owners for the children and servants and cattell that are merely under their powers and the rashnesse and iniquity of wretched men interpreting the law as immediatly and directly obliging the children and servants themselves for good Sir consider it well and tell me whether it be more equall to impose the law of ceasing from worke to the servants themselves or to their masters in whose power they are Servants are not homines
not bound to obey and thus being a freeman by your former doctrine the commandement is in force upon him and hee sinneth if he worke at his masters command this day Thirdly and as these grounds are wicked which you interlace your argument withall and therefore do not strengthen but weaken your reason so where your ground is good your consequence is naught This is indeed true which you say that the master hath over his servant a coactive and corrective power But what a miserable consequence is this Masters have a coactive power therfore there is no wisdom justice or equitie in the Almighty to give a coÌ„mandement to a servant in obeying whereof he is lyable to the stripes of a wicked master Nay God requires servants to undergoe wrongfull buffetings patiently 1 Pet. 2. 18 19. and yet hee is wise and just and equall in so doing CHAP. XI Breerwood Pag 15. IT was therefore much more agreeable both to the wisdome and justice of Almighty God to impose the commandement rather on the Masters than on the servants for thereby was prâ—vented the disobedience of servants to their masters and the punishment that might attend on that and the breach of the law of nations all which the other had occasioned and yet the masters were in no sort wronged for their servants remained in their power no lesse on the Sabaoth than the other sixe common daies only the Lord did qualifie and determine the act or execution of that power on the Sabaoth day namely to command their servants cessation from bodily labour and instead of that to exâ—rcise themselves in spirituall workes of holinesse it was I say to establish the commandement in such forme more agreeable to the wisdome and justice of God Answer First in this continuance of your former reason partly you charge our doctrine and partly you cleare your owne First you charge ours as occasioning servants disobedience to their masters and servants punishment by their masters and the breach of the Law of nations but yours as you say prevents all this Wee affirme that the giving of the commandement of the Sabbath to servants as well as to masters though to masters as those that should preserve this Law if those under them would violate it occasioneth none of these three evils First it occasioneth not any disobedience to masters for at the most it giveth but power to the servant submissely to refuse the unlawfull command of his master and not to cast off subjection to his authoritie to the first he is not bound and therefore is not disobedient when hee obeyeth not but on the contrary if he should yeeld to doe the thing that is unlawfull he is a man pleaser And to the second he yeelds himselfe in his submisse refusall and acknowledgeth his power to the full when he gives up himselfe that day to bee commanded by him in things pertaining to the worship of God in which thing alone God hath allowed the master the acting or execution of his power over his servant for that day The reason hereof your selfe suggests when you say the servant remaines in his masters power no lesse this day than any other but to other and better ends unto which ends viz. respecting the worship of God you confesse the masters power for the time is determined in respect of the execution thereof And who seeth not then that if the execution of their power bee bounded the servant is not to fulfill the boundlesse and unlawfull puttings forth of that power here it is enough to be a patient meerely and by no meanes an agent So then the servant remaineth no lesse in the masters power but to higher ends but more free to Gods service while the master may not call him off by unjust exactions And so farre is this from occasioning any disobedience that it occasioneth and properly effecteth in the servants heart a conscionable and produceth in his life an entire and singlehearted obedience to his master as to the Lord. Inasmuch as they are hereby brought to the house of God where they learn all duty to God and man though their master should bee wicked and so returne to their masters fruitful faithfull and conscionable serving them not with eye-service but with all uprightnesse to which the feare of God will bind them But the unfaithfull to God will be unfaithfull to man Oh the wisedome of God that provides for particular men and societies by this his Law better than they could or would for themselves Secondly this occasioneth not any punishment wilfully incurred if then it come it may patiently yea joyfully be borne for this is thanke-worthy with God q 1 Pet. 2. 18. 19. But we see by experience that as religious observing the duties of the Sabbath maketh one faithfull in his Calling all the weeke and as fideliâ—ie is in it selfe amiable and to the master profitable so many evill and covetous masters will willingly chuse such servants give them willingly that liberty on the Sabbath which themselves care not for nor feare sinfully to forgoe Moreover if any master should bestow blowes on his servant for going to Church when his master on the Sabbath commands him to the works of his calling this very precept requireth the Magistrate to relieve the servant against the injury of a wicked master when it giveth the Magistrate charge to see the Sabbath kept by all within his gate and the supreme Magistrate to punish the inferiour Magistrates neglects or injust impositions as wee see in Nehemiah who contended with the Nobles for prophaning the Sabbath by unjust impositions of worke upon inferiours And so you see also the justice and equity of God in providing for the servant both in soule and body Thirdly for the Law of Nations if you take it stricktly and properly it is simply and universally a positive Law as saith Iohn de Salas r Ius gentium est simpliciter universè jus positivuÌ„ Ioh. de Salas tract de leg q. 91. disp 2. sect 3. and is thus described by Zuarez it is the common Law of all Nations not by instinct of nature alone but constituted and ordained by their use Å¿ Et jus coÌ„mune omnium gentium non instinctu solius naturae sed usu earum constituâ—um Zuarez de leg l. 2. c. 19. It is that which al Nations wel-ordered do use for use requiring and humane necessities Nations of men have ordained to themselves certaine Rites or Lawes Of this sort of Lawes these examples are reckoned up by Isidore t Ius Gentium est sedium occupatio aedificatio munitio bella captivitates servitutes postliminia foedera pacis induciae legatorum non violandorum religio coÌ„nubia inter alienigenas probibita Isid Orig. l. 5. c. 6. first possessions or the taking up of our abodes secondly building thirdly munition fourthly warres fifthly captivity sixthly servitude seventhly recovery of possessions lost or alienated unlawfully eighthly covenants of peace ninthly truces tenthly the
commandement which you cite doth properly signifie Thirdly all thy worke as opposed to workes of sanctification that is of piety and mercy properly though they bee not servile worke properly so called or mechanicall as the study and exercise of the Liberall Arts for these concerne naturall and civill things and looke not immediatly to the worship of God nor the unavoidable necessities of man It is apparant then that servile workes or workes of ministry about our callings and so servants worke is in a speciall manner prohibited Now then take your owne argument The worke permitted on the sixe daies is prohibited the seventh the in sense with the middle word with which it is the selfe same in sound If the first then it is opposed to all that dutie of the Sabbath which consists in the immediate honour of God done with the full complacency of hart therein and the honorable mention of it in our words and discourse as is cleare in the Text to him that duly weigheth it Now say Is not the servants conteined in this word thy pleasure as that which is no duty of Gods worship publike or private If the second then it is not al that is forbidden and so your argument fals but rather concernes as many learned and conscionable Divines deliver our works of recreation or sports which we finde out though at other times lawfull which take off the heart from holy duties for God hath found us another recreation chiefely on that day if any will be merry let him sing Psalmes as in Ps 92. The Title compared with the Psalme would have the Sabbaths duties our delight Fourthly Now whereas you lay this for a ground that the election of mans will is the proper forme of actuall sin I wonder how you should so mistake but that Divinity was not your covenanted Wife but only your Concubine which for a turne you use and in the use you ravish Ataxy or irregularity is the proper forme of sinne actuall be the Ataxy in thoughts in desires in deeds or in words Moreover election of the will is an act and good and therefore by no meanes the forme of sinne and if you say you speake not of election but this election namely the unruly and inordinate election tell me is the election or the unrulinesse the forme of sinne unrulinesse doubtlesse which informeth both the election that is sinnefull and the action that is sinfull And whereas you say that outward unlawfull actions are but expressions of sinne and not sinne properly if they bee unlawfull actions they bee sinnefull actions properly so called for you yeelded before according to the truth of Scripture and reason pag. 12. that sinne formally is nothing else but unlawfulnesse unlesse you will say that sinne formally is not sinne properly A proper position For your reason whereby you would maintaine this that sinne hath her residence and inhesion in the soule it selfe and passeth forth of it the actions outward carry onely the tincture of sinne therefore they are not sinne I reply If they carry the tincture of sinne then are they sinnefull Againe are they died with sinne and yet hath sinne no inhesion nor residence in them This is strange and for the residence of sinne it is not in the soule alone a Peccat um est in â—bjecto occasion â—liter in intellectu originaliter in voluntate formaliter in membris quoad usum Saint Paul saith the law of sinne is in our members Rom. 7. 23. and wee know sinne commeth by propagation but the soule is not propagated only the body commeth and is traduced from the parents I would know where in this propagation sinne hath its inhesion and whether an unfitnesse and perversenesse fighting with the rightnesse and aptnesse God approveth bee not traduced and doe not naturally sticke in the very bodily faculties And when you say sinne only consisteth in the exorbitancy of the will it is most false sounder philosophy refelleth this for Aristotle b Arist lib. 3. Ethic. c. 1. excuseth not from a fault the things that are offended in or done amisse against ones will through ignorance and Divinity teacheth that errors in judgement and ignorances c Ignorantia excâ—sat non a toto sed à tanto when it is of things which of dutie wee should know are sinnes that the want of originall righteousnesse and the defects of graces are sinne And Thomas d saith that so is every habit and Act deprived of due order The habit also of sinne is first in the understanding because all sinne commeth from error which is in the understanding consider it also in its absolute act without working with the will so sinne is firstin it Vpon such rotten props what building can bee reared Yet let us take notice of your reasoning for further satisfaction to all and the utter subversion of this new learning It stands thus The minister of another mans sinne being but the minister of anothers exorbitant will no further sinneth than his owne will concurreth thereunto The servant doing his masters worke on the Sabbath not of election but in obedience to his master is but the minister of anothers exorbitant will and his owne will no way concurreth therewith therfore so doing hee sinneth not instrument in the workes of his Master and conferreth also will I answere he conferreth will indeede if hee be a good servant by reason of the obligation of obedience wherein he standeth to his master but yet not absolute but conditionall will not the selfe election but only the obedience an yeelding of his will and th 〈…〉 onely as it is his masters worke not as it is his masters sinne for the worke on the Sabaoth hauing sinne annexed to it and so being a sinnefull worke the servant and the mastster must divide it betwixt them the worke is the servants and the sinne is the masters for the servant doth but his duty in obeying his masters commandemet but the master transgresseth his in disobeying Gods commandement touching his servants ceasing from that labour Answer First why should we feare to say the eye beholding vanitie sinneth and so of the tongue loose to blaspheme slander and lye For first they move irregularly secondly they are the weapons of sin thirdly in them sin is finished to the bringing forth of death both on body and soule fourthly these are the sinnes of both body and soule and not of either apart fifthly the sinne is made greater by the outward acting in respect of the extent thereof it having now invaded the body and not onely possessed the soule so that there is filthinesse of flesh aswell as of the spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. and in respect of the dammage it bringeth to others either by way of scandall and offence or by some reall discommodity as slaughter defamation with the like sixthly and hence it is that certaine punishments are rightly inflicted for the outward acting of some sinne which never could have place for
Talents and Gifts of God should bee hidden in such earth One point of wisedome you have learned from the men of this generation that when your cause is too weake to indure any strong assault you would helpe it by chusing you an Adversary whom you could contemne as many wayes none of the ablest that so you might enter into almost all the degrees of triumph before any field was pitched But let not the Champion pride himselfe the stones of the Brooke that refresheth the Sanctuary of God may smite the forehead of his presumption In your writings I consider matter and manner In the manner I find strange scoffes unchristian censures confident bold and swelling brags of the clearenesse of your Conceits with an unseemely deale of such unsavory stuffe all this I wholly passe over as unworthy to be conceived in the brest or vented in the writings of any Scholer The matter is both propounded and of purpose repeated many times over in severall trickes of elocution the better to give a lustre to opinion it selfe The repetition I omit likewise In the propounding of the matter two things are principall fact and opinion In matter of fact you are troubled that your Kinsman should be seduced and ruined by the poison of ill advice sucked from my mouth This you would be answered in And to this you have been answered that it is a falshood raised by your Kinsman if hee affirme it and magnified and blowne to the highest by your selfe And you doe well to hold fast the pretence of your opinion that such counsell was given or else I cannot see so much as a glimpse of any colour why you shuld in this spitefull manner use me or any Minister of the Gospell when you have no occasion given you And so you may be answered as touching matter of fact Thus farre Christian Reader thou hast Master N. Byfieldâ— Answer to this Treatise the rest had been printed and I had saved my labour if we had had a perfect Coppy It is likely they that set forth Master Breerwoods have one which they conceale and put in stead thereof a Letter written to Master Breerwood refusing on good grounds to give an answere which they call Master Byfields answer So indigâ—ely every way hath that worthy man been used in this businesse Out of this that hath been set downe I leave every one to judge of the occasion and of the spirit of the man solution they are abundantly discovered his knowledge in those briefe grounds for the Sabbath which hee hath laid his zeale that sweetly guided stifled that fire of contention beginning to flame so that it brake not forth and therein no small measure of charity to the soule of the Opposer which being resty and set to contend wanted but one to answer that matter might bee ministred for him to worke upon and to the soules of all when these boisterous windes should be kept in their dennes of privacy and laied with a short and grave repulse What want of zeale for the truth could there bee in this case when the opposition being privat was dangerous only to the Opposer and if hee should make it publike would have raised an holy Armie of defendants in both the famous Cities and other parts of the Kingdome to the great impeachment of the Opposers reputation who disperseth his loose and Atheisticall conceites upon an occasion occasionlesse Or what want of Charity It never commanded to attend the saying of every Prater nor requireth more than reprehension â— Ioh. 1â— of the error with arguments to confirme the truth this is Direction There may bee never the lesse zeale for the truth where is wanting a zealous affectation of quarreling about the truth and there may bee no want of charity where yet the erroneous person remaines unreformed What impressions of excesses his letter contained shall bee seene God willing in time and place convenient But this I say your excesses not only swarme in your Reply but also in this Preface stand out to the view For you say you are hopelesse of him and yet you will provoke him to give satisfaction and to disclaime his error Would not satisfaction and disclaiming of an error answer your hopes Or delight you to provoke to give that which you cannot hope for only that you might provoke What Hopelesse if hee cannot bee provoked and hope enough if hee bee provoked enough What Nothing satisfaction with you but to call the truth error when you call it error Againe you intend you say to abate his stomacke and high conceit Would you abate it by invectives scoffes Ale-house language with the like such as is scattered in this Reply In this case therefore I hold it no way against just and plaine dealing to give an answer to your words that have any shew of truth and sobernesse and by no meanes to put downe verbatim your words Syllabicall froth before this my ensuing answer For though while you seemed to seeke satisfaction to your arguments I could afford you the first place yet now that you jeere at the person and thinke to scoffe out the truth held by my dearest Brother I can give you no place in my bookes The first Section of the Reply answered First herein Master Breerwood being charged by Master Byfield that he opposed Gods Sabbath cryeth out Farre be it from him he acknowledgeth the Sabbath of Iewes and Christians to be both of them Gods Sabbath Compare then what he saith here with what he said in the former Treatise and beleeve your owne eyes Here hee saith I acknowledge on the Christian Sabbath the worship of God and vacancy from all worldly affaires which may impeach that worship to bee by the morall Law Before hee said pag. 42. The celebration of the Lords day can with no enforcement of reason be drawne out of the moralitie of the fourth Commandement Is not the Lords day the Christian Sabbath you speake of And is the celebration thereof any other than the worship of God thereon and vacancy from labour that may impeach that worship Pag. 37. To worke on the Lords day is no breach of any divine command Pag. 33. Onely workes of toyle and tending to gaine are restrained by the commandement Againe he saith he never taught worse of Gods Sabbath enjoy himselfe No the c Lord rested on the seventh that he might teach thee to rest the seventh Or did God ever consecrate to himselfe either day or place for any other cause than that he might bâ—stow sanctification and benediction on men when they did in an holy manner observe them Gods personall sanctification of the Sabbath say you was nothing else but his resting in himselfe that resting from creation was his Sabbath that resting in himselfe was the sanctifying it other institution or sanctification will never be proved Tell me why did you not goe on in your new interpretation and shew how he blessed it and wherein that consisted The Text saith He blessed it also