from God against presumptuous transgressions Num. 15. 30 31. He bringeth this for an instance thereof immediately Verse 32. 2. Because he sinned against two accessory precepts concerning the Sabbath The one that none should go out on that day about worldly businesse as to labour for food Exod. 16. 29. The other that none should kindle a fire then Exod. 35. 3. Now Contrary to these this man went out into the Wildernesse to gather sticks no doubt to kindle a fire Therefore he sinned against the first in going forth about such a businesse and in his intention to kindle and make a fire against the second therefore his sin was great while these two accessory precepts stood in force But these being not perpetuall this punishment on him proveth not the point of such a precise strictnesse of the fourth Commandement to be ever observed of the Israelites V. And lastly He bringeth in the holy women followers of Christ who would not annoint Christs body on the Sabbath day but rested from that work as the Text saith according to the Commandement as thinking themselves bound to so precise an observation by the Commandement Answ I These words according to the Commandement may be thus expounded that is as they understood it by the Jewes interpretation superstitiously For these godly women being trained up by the then Doctors of the Church observed the Sabbath as they had learned it from them And albeit the work was to the honour of Christ yet for that it was not of necessity to be done on that day nor at all in respect of Christs body but only a Custome for an honourable buriall therefore they did rest from doing that work on that day II. Take the rest according to the true meaning of the Commandement which imposed rest this their rest was according to the Commandement and in that they did not this work it was according to the Commandement forbidding servile work as the words in the Directory are to be understood For they could not annoint him but they must first buy their spices and oyntments which they might not do buying and selling on the Sabbath being forbidden That they could not buy them on the Fryday as we speak is evident For it was late ere Christs body was taken from the Crosse at even Matth. 27. 57. then they did awaite to see his buriall Luk. 23. 55. in which space the Sabbath was come on for they reckoned from the Evening to the Evening and therefore stayed they till after the Sabbath to buy them Mark 16. 1. Thus we see his proofes no proofes to argue any precise strictnesse in the words Thou shalt do no work more to them then to us by the Law SECTION XXI Of the reason added unto the Directory with the Conclusion THe Lord himself addeth a reason unto his former words why he giveth us Six dayes and reserveth the Seventh to himself for that in six dayes he made all things and rested the Seventh day In which words he layeth down as an unalterable ground of apportionating time between God and us which is his own example of working six dayes and resting the Seventh in the beginning of the world which as they be past and irrevocable so is this portioning of time between him and us to be perpetuall else were his example thus propounded in his Donation and reservation to no purpose He in this dividing of the dayes of the week thus between him and us reflected upon himself looked onely to what himself had done and so gave so many dayes to us and reserved onely one to himself Now what can be more permanent than Gods own self in his own irrevocable Acts from the worlds beginning to be laid for the foundation of this his thus apportioning the week to us The Lord our God having thus laid down before them his unchangeable reservation of the Seventh day for himself after his irrevocable gift of six dayes to us he concludeth with these words Wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it It s agreed on all hands that here are the words of the Institution of the Sabbath not one of the late Writers gainsayeth this that I have read or heard of The main of the Controversie is that here is say they the first Institution the ground of the Prolepsis in Gen. 2. 2. and we say they be a repetition of the Institution laid down before in that place of Genesis where no Prolepsis is For as the Lord here in the former words repeateth what he did in six dayes and that he rested the seventh day so he repeateth his Institution of the Sabbath then what he did with the day on which he rested that is because he had finished all his work in six dayes and rested the seventh day he blessed and sanctified it to shew them here by this 1. The Antiquity of the Sabbath day from the beginning 2. The Stability thereof also grounded so upon Gods rest not alterable 3. Why he charged the Commandement of keeping holy the Sabbath day upon them among the other Precepts and that also with a Memento above any of the rest For in the repetition here of the Institution the Lord keepeth the word Sabbath in the Commandement saying He blessed the Sabbath day and not as commonly we read it he blessed the Seventh day lest any should make that individuall Seventh day on which God rested to be of the substance of the Commandement which God in his wisdom let it be well observed left out in the Precept and here again in the repetition of the Institution and onely nameth the Sabbath what Seventh day soever it be either that for the time or another in the room of it which Sabbath is the blessed and hallowed day of the Lord and so to be accounted of for ever as appeareth by all that hath been said if men be not disposed to wrangle against the truth From all which is before delivered it s very apparent that this fourth Commandement is no way Ceremoniall True taking it in an indefinite notion commanding the sanctifying of one day in seven but a permanent Law to the worlds end and not Ceremoniall as in the following Sections I shall make it manifest SECTION XXII The Arguments to prove it Ceremoniall answered MEn disposed to wipe out this Commandement out of the Decalogue fain would make it Ceremoniall but their arguments brought for this purpose are of no validity They say it was Ceremoniall I. For the exact strictnesse of it which they have imagined but I have proved it to be onely an imagination For that strict observation which was kept was but for a time and from accessory Commandements not from the fourth Commandement it self II. In their keeping of that seventh day But the Seventh day is not of the substance of the Commandement and a seventh day is proved to be perpetuall Nor was the seventh in the first Institution Ceremoniall And the Church observeth still a Seventh day III.
for that they prophaned the day At Chidlington in the edge of Hertford-shire not farre from Hitchin upon an holy day a company of fellowes intended a match at foot-ball some of them were come into the Church and to call the rest together one tolled the Bell presently it began to thunder and on a sudden was seene a black ball to come tumbling downe a hill neare by and came directly to the Church and there flew into the Bell-Free and first slew him that tolled the bell then flustred about the Church and hurt divers and at last did buise in sunder leaving behinde it a filthie stinch like to brimstone Now albeit this was not on the Lords day yet were they thus fearefully punished First In plotting an unlawfull sport on that day against the authority of the Magistrate Secondly By making the Church a consecrated place their randevouze Thirdly by prophanely toling a Bell the principall use whereof was to give notice to the people to come and serve God and not to draw youths to vaine and unlawfull sports Fourthly and lastly in purposing to spend the time dedicated to sacred uses in their boisterous rude and harmeful spoâ—ting Thus we see how we may take notice of the judgments for breach of the Sabbath though punishments of the like nature yea sometimes worse happen upon other daies To Conclude this it is not good to take off our awefull thoughts from Gods hand upon breakers of the Sabbath least we grow presumptuous and fall into sinne and so procure to our selves the deserved judgements which have light upon others And let us consider how God threats to destory such Psa 28. 5. as regard not his workes and the operation of his hand Lastly some are so farre from having any regard at all to this argument drawne from the judgements of God as they hold the allegation of them in this cause to be impious rashnesse impious and rash presumption vaine observations next allied to superstition yea a prophane kinde of observation a strangly presumptuous and dareing manner to perke up into Gods throne and a taking upon men to reade the darke and divine Characters of the causes of his inscrutable judgements and an unsufferable arrogancy in such as produce them making God to beare false witnesse foolishly triumphing before the victory with saying Loe the judgements of God Loe the judgements of the Lord out of Heaven making them speake Gods indignation against the prophanation of the Lords day What should move any thus to condemne and censure such as bring Gods judgements against the prophaners of the Lords day They may perhaps better know with in themselves than they yet have expressed unto others If any have failed in trueth of Story or related examples not to purpose or what if but common and ordinary yet true yet may examples be memorable though common and ordinary for God makes them so common because he would not have them forgotten or that have put Causam pro non Causa they are left to answere for themselves For my part I suppose without feare of mens fore-mentioned heavie doome that we may with lowly reverence and with an holy awefullnesse of divine Majesty soberly observe his judgements and for those Reasons First the Scriptures are full of examples of Gods judgements to teach us to observe them now as then they were For whatsoever is written is written for our learning according to the nature of the things left us to read and understand Secondly Our Saviour Christ minded his Hearers of the destruction of the old world of Sodome and of Lots wife to make use thereof for their instruction Thirdly Saint Paul mentioneth fore-past judgements not 1. Cor. 10. to the Jewes among whom they happened but to converted Gentiles the Corinthians He nameth the sinnes and then the punishments and telleth them that they were written for ensamples and for our admonition that we should not doe as they did If judgements past serve for this use are we not to make the same use of judgements present which dayly happen among us I doubt not but we may and ought so to doe Fourthly The holy Psalmist layeth it down as a sin and threatneth destruction as a punishment because they regarded not they did not consider nor understood as the word Psal 2â— 5. signifieth the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands The like doth the Prophet Esai in his time complain Esay 5. 12. of they were given to fcastings and wine and to the Pipe and other musicall instruments but they regarded not the work of the Lord neither Considered the operation of his hands as many in our times and especially on the solemne We are taught to magnifie his worke which men behold Iob 36. 24. Pro. 21. 11. daies set apart for Gods worship At which times if evills befall any of them are wee slightly to passe them by Should we not learne by other mens harmes to take out a lesson for our selves when the Scorner is punished the Simple is made wise saith Salomon Fifthly It is a duty yea a grace commended in the Godly Esa 26. 9. 10. that they will learne righteousnes when they see the judgements of God in the earth but it is cleane contrary to the wicked they will not behold the Majesty of the Lord when he 〈◊〉 â—hem and when they behold others punished yet they â—ill not learne righteousnesse Marke how the Prophet here â—â—dgeth them for wicked who from judgement on others and from his favour towards themselves will not learne righteousnesse Sixthly I have shewed that 800 yeeres ago how the Reverend Prelates at the Synod in Paris laid to heart the fearefull judgements which befell some for the prophanation of the Lords day Gualter as you have heard durst averre boldly confidently saying that it was not to be doubted that the prophanation of the Lords day was not the least cause of the evils and calamities in those times Bellarmine durst say as much In the exhortation added to our Fast-Booke is it not acknowledged that the plague hapned among other sinnes for the polluting and not keeping holy the Lords day Learned men from time to time have made Catalogues of such judgements as have hapned upon this day The Authour of the Practise of Pietie a book thirty five times reprinted allowed by authority and dedicated to our Now Dread Soveraigne when he was Duke of Yorke and after when he was Prince of Wales rehearseth many judgements upon Sabbath-breakers as he calleth them and is bold in the Conclusion to affirme that those judgements which he mentioneth may be sufficient unto them whose hearts are not seared how wrathfully God is displeased with them who are wilfull prophaners of the Lords day What shall we say of all these Reverend Fathers aforetime of our Reverend Prelates in their exhortation of Learned Divines aswell Papists as Protestants in their observation of judgments and applying them for the breach of the
A Threefold TREATISE OF THE SABBATH distinctly divided into The PATRIARCHALL SABBATH MOSAICALL SABBATH CHRISTIAN SABBATH For the better clearing and manifestation of the truth in this Controversie concerning the weekly Sabbath By Richard Bernard Rectour of Batcombe Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee Deut. 5. 12. LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Edward Blackmore and are to bee sold at the signe of the Angel in S. Pauls Church-yard 1641. To the right Honourable the Lords Temporall in the High Court of Parliament To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the House of Commons more especially To the Grand Committee for Religion To the Committee for the Remonstrance To the Committee for Ministers maintenance and suppression of scandalous Ministers more particularly To the Knights and Burgesses of Somerset-shire or Parliament-men dwelling in that County namely Sir JOHN PAULETT Knight Sir WIL. PORTMAN Baronet Sir JOHN STOWELL Knight of the Bath Sir RALPH HOPTON Knight of the Bath Sir FRANCIS POPHAM K. Sir EDWARD RODNEY K. Sir PETER WROTH K. Mr. DIGBY Mr. POPHAM Mr. LUTTERILL Mr. BASSET Mr. SMITH Mr. PHELIPS Mr. PYNE Mr. HUNT Mr. KIRTON Mr. SEARLE Mr. JOHN ASHE Right Honourable Lords and you the Honourable Assembly of the House of Commons THere hath been no Christian Church beyond the seas departed from Rome which hath given so much honourable respect unto the Lords day our Christian Sabbath as wee here in this our flourishing Kingdome and Nation And it was our glory so to honour the Lord Christ and it will be our great unhappinesse to faile in this our Christian duty so confirmed by Scripture and the generall practice of all true worshippers of his glorious name throughout the whole Christian world the space of these sixteene hundred yeares Yet in this our time and of late dayes are stepped up among us certaine vaine men prophane enough who have attempted to deprive Christ Jesus of his glory in the religious observation of this day grounded upon his glorious Resurrection and us of our spirituall consolation in keeping an whole day set apart for his worship and service For this end books upon books have beene written and by licence passed the Presse to take away the morallity of the fourth Commandement never in any age heretofore doubted of to make also people beleeve that our Christian Sabbath hath no warrant from thence and that it is not of divine institution but alterable from that first day of the week equallizing their devised holy-dayes with it and allowing also the like vaine sports upon this day as upon the other dayes calling such as religiously set the whole day apart for holy uses Sabbatarians and Iudaizers thus reproaching and in their sense belying those that more truly honour Christ than they doe And that they might securely go on in these their prophane errours without controule and perswade the more inconsiderate sort that what they have written are truths and unanswerable they have stopped the meanes of printing sound Antidotes to their empoysoned propositions whereupon they have beene bold to insult over godly orthodox Divines with too many words of insolency scorne and much contempt which they have borne with great patience waiting the Lords leisure till he should bee pleased in his good time to give liberty for the publishing of their learned labours which have of long time lien by them And now blessed be God the time is come the way is made open by your honourable wisdomes goodnesse power and authority for godly and learned men to discover the vaine boastings and the folly of those evill ones to the view of all Some of ours proceed polemically and have made answer fully to the best esteemed of those prophane writers Some only write positively to discover the truth and to make it knowne in a plaine way that the meanest capacity may bee rightly enformed This way have I taken in this threefold Treatise humbly craving pardon for my bold presumption in presenting to your honourable view these my weak endeavours But the cause is Christs and so deserves acceptation and promotion God hath appointed you at this time as his worthiest and meetest instruments for this end I cannot therefore seek for other Patrons in exalting the honour of Christ which by these men hath been so dishonoured and his people so abused For the redresse whereof as you have nobly begun so to proceed on to do ever valiantly in the best service of your God there shall not be wanting the hearty and earnest prayers of Your humble Servant and Suppliant RICHARD BERNARD London March 26. 1641. Faults to be corrected PAge 3. line 21. for grant read ground pag. 50. l. 24. for raigne read raine pag. 57. l. 12. for no read only pag. 59. l. 12. for to read by pag. 71. l. 6. for fourtum read quartum pag. 73. l. 31. dele before pag. 78. l. 28. for John read Josua pag. 95. l. 22. set and after the word rest pag. 127. l. 21. for plaucit read placuit The rest of the escapes I pray the Gentle Reader to correct The Contents of the Patriarchall Sabbath SECTION 1. OF the first Sabbath and why called Patriarchall SECT 2. Of the conceit of an Anticipation or Prolepsis and what it is SECT 3. Arguments against this Anticipation or Prolepsis SECT 4. Of another conceit concerning Destination and what it is also confuted SECT 5. Of the true understanding of the words in Gen. 2. 3. SECT 6. That in Gen. 2. 3. is the Institution of the Sabbath SECT 7. The Institution was binding and required the observation of the Sabbath from the beginning SECT 8. The Sabbath was observed of Gods people before the Law given at Mount Sinai OF THE PATRIARCHALL SABBATH AND THE ORIGINALL THEREOF Gen. 2. 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it SECTION I. Of the first Sabbath and why called Patriarchall IN these words is the institution of the Sabbath before the Law given on Mount Sinai I call it the Patriarchall Sabbath because it was known and observed of the holy Fathers of Adam and of the other Patriarkes till Moses and Israel received the Law And to distinguish it from the Mosaicall and Christian Sabbaths of which in the two Treatises following Some there be and more of late than heretofore that do deny the Sabbath to be here instituted Because say some of them for they be not all of one minde that Moses delivered the words by a figure called Anticipation or Prolepsis Other some that they be words of destination that in time to come the seventh day should be blessed and sanctified to Israel for the Sabbath day and so the words not to be taken for a present Institution of the Sabbath day then So the Question is whether the Sabbath day in this place of Genesis hath its first ground and establishment and here its first institution Many of the Ancients some of the
way of a Parenthesis Argument 5. THey have no ground whereupon to settle their Prolepsis no Scripture have ever any of them alleadged but either the sixteenth of Exod. or the twentieth and eleventh verse But in neither of these can they fetch their rise for it Not out of Exod. the sixteenth for there are no words of Gods blessing and sanctifying the day mentioned in all that chapter Not out of Exod. the twentieth for the reasons forenamed in the third argument Therefore in the words Gen. 2. 3. is no Prolepsis Argument 6. EVery Anticipation in holy Story hath its ground for it within some convenient space of time Usually and commonly the thing anticipated is recorded within the same book where the Prolepsis is Sometime in the same chapter Jud. 15. 14. 17. and 2. 1. 5. Gen. 31. 21. 47. Sometime in the same verse of the chapter as in Gen. 33. 17. Sometime in the next chapter as in Josh 4. 19. and 5. 9. Most usually in the same book though somewhat farther off in chapters as in Gen. 12. 8. and 28. 19. yet the space then within a mans age Seldome in any other book though sometime as that in the first of Samuel 17. 54. and in the second of Sam. 5. 7. when there is a continuation of the story of the same person whose act is the ground of the Anticipation as is cleare in this instance of David where the Anticipation and the act of David are within the terme of his life But here is a supposed Anticipation not of a few yeares or the age of a man but the space of one world for 1657 yeares and then into another for the space of 450 and odde yeares in the whole 2450 and more yeares A monstrous birth of a leaping Prolepsis for so many generations not to be assented unto Argument 7. IN every true Prolepsis the very selfe same singular thing is to be understood in the Anticipation and that whereon it dependeth As Bethel in Gen. 12. 8. is the selfe same in Gen. 28. 19. not another Bethel But the seventh day in Gen. 2. 3. is not the very selfe same singular and individuall seventh day in Exod. 20. 11. as it was confessed but the same in likenesse saith one and in successive revolution but the nature of an Anticipation doth not admit of such a distinction And here note further that the words of Exod. 20. 11. whence they doe ground their Prolepsis have not the word seventh day in them for in Exod. 20. 11. it is said Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it But in Gen. 2. 3. it is said He blessed the seventh day so as Moses kept not to the word precisely as he ought if in Gen. 2. 3. there were a true Prolepsis Therefore there is none Argument 8 and last EVery true Prolepsis is raised upon a sure ground and not upon a meere and uncertaine supposition as is manifest in all the former instances and in any other that may be produced But this Prolepsis is grounded upon a meere and uncertaine supposition which is this that Moses wrote his story of Genesis after he heard the Law promulgated upon Mount Sinai where he heard God to blesse and sanctifie the seventh day to Israel and therefore in writing of Genesis he occasionally Pererius is of opinion that Moses wrote Genesis in Midian Euseb Casariensis holds it written before the Israelites comming out of Aegypt lib. 7. cap. 2. de Praepa Evang. inserted the words in Gen. 2. 3. by way of a Parenthesis But till they can prove this every one may see their sandy building and withall admire that any learned men dare thus to wrastle with their wits to overthrow a divine institution Thus much for this Anticipation SECTION IV. Of another conceit concerning Destination and what it is also confuted IT is cleare that there is no Anticipation in the words which some perhaps well weighing have devised another shift to darken the plaine narration that here should not be conceived a present institution of the first Sabbath and this is by interpreting the words by way of Destination which stiffely some maintaine contrary to the opinion and judgement of many learned men aswell Papist as Protestant Divines as afterwards shall be shewed For better proceeding herein to shew the error and to cleare the truth let us see first what they meane by Destination to wit Gods purpose and intention to have the seventh 1 What is meant by Destination day mentioned in Gen. 2. 3. to be the Sabbath day in actuall use after the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai 2450 yeares after Gods creation of the world and his resting on the first seventh day this is their conceited Destination of the day Next before I come to their Reasons let us see what they yeeld us First that God bestowed a speciall prerogative and preferment 2 Our agreement upon the seventh day setting it apart from the rest of the week That this was done saith a learned Opposite we all agree but when it was done is the question Secondly it is said further that when God had ended his workes he ordained and appointed that the seventh day the day of his owne rest should bee that on which his Church should rest and follow his example and this was that great blessing and prerogative bestowed on that day Thirdly it is moreover granted that the seventh day was from the beginning the day of Gods rest and might have been imployed as the Lords Sabbath and some dayes doubtlesse were thus bestowed and perhaps this Fourthly and lastly that the cause and reason of the Sabbaths sanctification to wit Gods rest was from the beginning though the sanctification it selfe was a long time after From all this note First that the seventh day was the day of Gods own rest Secondly that this his rest was the cause or reason of the Sabbaths sanctification Thirdly that as God actually rested so he then actually sanctified the day deputed and consecrated it unto rest Fourthly that this his rest was exemplarie he ordayning and appointing that the Church should follow his example Fiftly that he set it apart from the rest of the weeke Sixthly and so bestowed upon it a speciall prerogative and perferment and a great blessing which was his appointing it the day of the Churches resting and following his example Seventhly that that day might have beene imployed as the Lords Sabbath that some dayes doubtlesse were thus imployed and perhaps the seventh day it selfe Thus farre wee accord and if well weighed it might easily overthrow their discord from us and bring them home to us for our disagreement is only in this Wee say that all this which they yeeld was for the time present by way of actuall use and employment 3. Our discord They say it was only by Destination and Gods purpose to have it so after he should give his Law on Mount-Sinai after the destruction of the
words historically whereby it might be understood in the history what then God did and what plainely hee appointed men to doe afterwards for so it lost not the nature of an historicall narration both in telling of the thing done and in the appointing of what should be done if it be I say with a cleare expression as is required in the nature of a Story Reason 2. THere is no Destination of that thing for future time only which hath actuall being and aptnesse in it for present imployment For future Destination is only for deficiency in these two respects But the seventh day was from the beginning the day of Gods rest and the ground of mans rest this is granted And that day had its ability and every way was as fit then for an holy Sabbath as ever it was afterwards This is true from the Adversaries grant to wit that from the beginning it might have beene imployed as the Lords Sabbath and perhaps had so it then had an aptnesse to be an holy Sabbath Therefore Destination for only time to come is an idle imagination Reason 3. IF it bee with a doubtlesse that from the beginning some dayes were imployed as the Lords Sabbaths and is granted for a truth Then without doubt was the seventh day from the beginning so imployed as the Lords Sabbaths For what day could they so groundedly take for a Sabbath as Gods onely rest-day or what day could they so properly hold to be the Lords Sabbath as his owne day which himselfe blessed and sanctified as the Text saith and is denied of none Therefore the seventh day from the beginning being bestowed as the Lords Sabbath the observers of the day held it fit for present use and conceived it not in the words of the text a future destination for so long time as is groundlessely imagined Reason 4. THat which belonged alike to all from the worlds beginning to be observed by all the same to bee passed over as not observeable of any but destinated to a peculiar sort which should bee borne after many generations is not reasonably conceived to be true but to bee held as a feigned untruth But such a thing is this imagined future destination For it put off Adam Seth all the holy men of God 1600 yeeres before the Floud Noah and Shem with the other holy Patriarchs till Abraham after the Floud and from Abraham to Moses and to Israels deliverance out of Aegypt from observing the day of Gods rest and therein the remembrance of the worke and Worlds creation alike belonging unto all as if it had only concerned the Israelites and not the holy Fathers from the beginning which none will averre I suppose Therefore this Destination is but a fiction Reason 5. THe ground of the future Destination of the observation of the seventh day being false the Destination it selfe falleth and is false as will be granted But the ground of this their Destination which some lay to build it upon is false viz. the Israelites deliverance out of Egypt for their proofe out of Deut. 5. 15. faileth them as before is made manifest Therefore there is no such Destination as is pretended Reason 6. IF God did on the seventh day actually rest and at the same time actually sanctified it as is confessed to bee for the present the Churches Sabbath Then he put Adam into the right of actuall use of the day and not destinated it only for the time to come But Gods actuall resting was the ground of his actuall sanctifying of the day and his actuall sanctifying of the day made it ready for present use neithe was there any thing that could hinder Adam from observing of it at that present for the Lords owne Sabbath And if it be perhaps said that a Father having many sonnes may determine one to be his heire yet not presently put him into the possession I answer that may be because the Father will not dispossesse himselfe of that himselfe stands in need of And also that sonne may perhaps die before him and before his other brethren Therefore is not this simily fit for this purpose neither doth it any thing weaken the argument Reason 7. THere is not the least intimation in the Text of any decree of a future Destination and deed to be done but a plaine narration of that which then was done For Moses sayth God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Againe the words before in verse second concerning Gods ending his work and his resting on that seventh day and the reason added to the reason in the words of verse third why he blessed and sanctified it binde the act of God to be understood of the time then and not of a time foure and twenty hundred yeeres after Moreover Moses the Penman wriâ—eth the Storie of Gods resting as an act done then as all acknowledge so he speaketh of his blessing and sanctifying the first seventh day as then blessed and sanctified For he holdeth in all the same forme of speech He ended he rested he blessed he sanctified when he did the former he did the later as the words shew without any variation at the first reading of them to any indifferent judgement Lastly no instance in holy Writ can be produced to defend such a glosse and to make such a comment upon a Text so cleare as this is Let them bring forth any one Scripture to warrant such an interpretation in an Hystoricall narration Reason 8. GOds work is ever the ground of every Festivall ordained for a remembrance thereof and solemnly to bee kept of those of that time when the work was wrought and not destinated to a day observed for many ages after see for this all the Festivalls in Scripture ordained either by God or man The work of God had its present remembrance upon the institution of the day when it was to be observed for the memoriall thereof It is absurdly unreasonable to think that God working a work never to be forgotten will appoint a day to bee observed for the remembrance thereof to none then living but onely to those who should live 2400 and odde yeers after Reason 9. GOds own words in Exod. 20. 11. make Moses discourse in Gen. 2. 3. to bee understood of the then blessing and sanctifying the day For God sayth not Exod. 20. 11. Wherefore I the Lord now at this present doe blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath day but hee spake as all reasonable apprehensions may easily conceive with relation to his acts past as to his works on the first six dayes so to his rest on the seventh day blessing and sanctifying the Sabbath Reason 10. THe six dayes of Gods work were presently exemplary and all men in the Church from the creation have taken them for present use What reason is there in the Text Gen. 2. 3. to conceit a Destination of the use of the seventh day not examplarie till 2400 yeers after Can it reasonably be imagined 1 That God would informe
it hee had rested from all his work which God made and created So hee rested because he rested But now if the whole third verse be in the Parenthesis then as I said the benefit of the day in which God rested is taken from us that is the blessing and sanctifying of it for our use Therefore for these reasons wee may not admit of a Parenthesis nor is there any such thing in the Hebrew Text nor in the Greek nor in Pagine nor in Vatablus translation nor in the Caldee Paraphrase nor in Montanus nor in Tremelius and Iunius nor in the Vulgar Edition nor in our last learned English translation This new Parenthesis is but an idle conception brought forth to blunder the cleare streame of the Text. SECTION VI. That in Gen. 2. 3. is the Institution of the Sabbath THe words in Gen. 2. 3. are the Institution of the first Sabbath 1 The name Sabbath doth take its originall from Gods resting on this seventh day for so the word signifieth cessavit requievit This also wee learne from the fourth Commandement in Exod. 20. 8. where God nameth the word Sabbath which in the tenth verse is applyed unto this seventh day and in the eleventh verse the reason is rendred why it is called Sabbath because God rested on the seventh day So that Gods owne resting on this day made it a Sabbath 2 It being by Gods resting made a Sabbath day hee did therefore blesse it Now to blesse a day is no where spoken of God in the whole Bible but here and in Exod. 20. 11. And therefore by that in Exod. 20. 11. wee must seek out the meaning of this in Gensis which will appeare to bee this that he blessed it that is by sanctifying it for the later word giveth the sense of the former the conjunction and comming betwixt benedixit and sanctificavit is exegeticall put expositively as is usuall in the Hebrew speech when two verbes come together and very learned men thus expound the place So Calvin Vatablus Paraeus and others but to come to Gods owne exposition in Exod. 20. which is this By his rest he made the seventh day Sabbath and it being a Sabbath by his rest he did blesse it that is sanctified it that is appointed it to be kept holy as it is in the words of the fourth Commandement For the better confirmation of this exposition we must understand that the Commandement given Exod. 20. 8. is deduced from his resting blessing and sanctifying this seventh day spoken of in Gen. 2. 2. 3. and repeated Exod. 20. 11. for the Commandement of God is an inference from it thus Because I rested blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day therefore I command thee to keep it holy Now albeit there be three words in Genes Rest blessed sanctified yet in the Commandement hee mentioneth only the word Sabbath and the keeping of it holy First the word Sabbath day hath relation to his rest then to keep it holy hath relation to sanctified or hallowed it in which is included the word blessed For Gods blessing of it is the sanctifying and consecration of the day to be kept holy to the Lord And indeed this was a great blessing of the Lord for mans heavenly and spirituall good many wayes This exposition is strengthened by Exod. 16. 23. where it is said too morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Here the word blessed is not spoken of as to call it the blessed Sabbath but the word holy is mentioned only having reference to Gods sanctifying of it and including therein his blessing of it Now the words thus cleerely opened they must needs argue the Institution of the Sabbath For first here is a Sabbath made which Christ telleth us was for man Mark 2. 27. Secondly here is Gods owne example for mans imitation as is evident in Exod. 20. by Gods urging his own example for resting on the Sabbath Thirdly here are his words of institution in that it is said He blessed it and sanctified it that is hee ordained it to bee an holy Sabbath unto the Lord to bee dedicated to his own service as Moses informeth us before the Law was promulgated Exod. 16. 23. Fourthly and lastly hee confirmeth it with a reason in the end of the third verse of Gen. 2. Therefore it is the Lords institution for to bee his Sabbath day and to bee kept holy of us as the Commandement also teacheth and appointeth us to doe 3 The Lord in the promulgation of the Law doth fetch from this place of Genesis the originall of the Sabbath laying the ground of his precept to keep it holy upon the institution 〈◊〉 in Exod. 20. 11. 4. In Exod. 31. It is worth our observation that there the keeping of the Sabbath is not urged from the Commandment ☞ lately given in the Decalogue as reason would in mans judgement but from the first seventh dayes rest and refreshment after his six dayes work as we may read in the 15. 16 17. verses of that chapter 5. Moses in Exod. 16. 26. maketh mention of six dayes and of the seventh day Sabbath and telleth them that God had given them the Sabbath verse 29. speaking of it as a time before For as six dayes were before so also was the seventh day the Sabbath for when some did break it ver 27. the Lord faith How long will ye refuse to keep my Commandments and Laws He would not have said How long for the breach only of the first seventh day Sabbath if they had not done so long before Therefore the seventh day was Sabbath long before this time of gathering the Manna 6. S. Paul speaking of a Rest or keeping a Sabbath to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. fetcheth from the originall Gods own rest on the seventh day even from the Creation verse 4. 7. Jewish Doctors have been of this opinion Genebrad in his Chron. citeth foure Broughton in his consent of Scripture noteth two Ramban on Gen. 26. Aben-Ezar on Exod. 20 and Peter Martyr on Genesis alleadgeth Rabbi Agnon Philo Iudaeus demundi opificio is of this judgement For he saith the seventh day God vouchsafed to call it holy And Tertullian cannot deny that the Jews held the day to be sanctified from the worlds beginning Lib. 4. advers Iudaeos 8. Doctor Rivet out of Wallaeus on the fourth Commandment doth reckon up to this purpose the consent of thirty famous Protestant Divines Luther Zuinglius Calvin Peter Martyr Bullinger Zanchius Vrsinus and others to the number of thirty I say yet he mentioneth not learned Paraeus Mercerus Perkins Willet Amesius Selneccerus Aretius and Piscator and very many more which might be named holding the institution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 3. 9. Of this opinion are learned Papists whom the same Doctor Rivet quoteth also as August Steuchus Eugubinus Gilbertus Genebrad Iacobus Salianus Cornelius a lapide Catharinus Ribera hereunto adde Thomas Aquinas on Genes 2. 10. Ancient Fathers are
alleadged for this purpose Ciprian Epiphanius Origen Chrysostome Hierome Athanisius S. Augustine Some Fathers produced as of a contrary opinion are not to be understood of a bare naturall Sabbath which we plead for but as the Sabbath ceremonious as the Jews held it and so these Fathers deny the observation of it Lastly our learned Translators of our English Bible are of this judgement or they who have prefixed the Contents to the second chapter of Genesis in which are these words The first Sabbath And this is allowed to be read in our Churches SECTION VII The Institution was binding and required the observation of the Sabbath from the beginning THis Institution was virtually binding as a Law requiring abservation of man even of Adam in his innocency 1. Though in Terminis the words be not * To sanctifie a day is either to keep it holy or to make it holy and seeing God keeps not any day more holy than another the meaning must be that he made it holy which is as much as to command the keeping of it holy And this my Lord of Armach justifieth preceptive yet had they in them virtually a Commandment For God in giving his Law deduceth out of this his institution a Commandment as before is shewed For Gods Commandments do arise and are imposed upon man not from his absolute authority as if he commanded because he would so command this or that but he doth it upon good reason which reason carrieth the force of a Commandment As for instance God brought Israel out of Egypt and great bondage whereupon God frameth to them his first Commandment in the Law and forbiddeth them to have any other God besides him Now what if God had not thus in form of words imposed this precept upon them had not his act of their so great deliverance bound them as a Law to have him only to be their God yes without doubt it carried with it the force and nature of that Commandment Even so here God having rested from his work made the seventh day a Sabbath blessing and sanctifying it for man for it was made for man Mark 2. 27. though the Commandment of keeping holy the Sabbath had not been published yet Gods rest Gods example in resting and his blessing and sanctifying the day for man had been as a precept Paraeus saith the words are preceptive and Marius a learned man saith they were a Commandment For Gods own example propounded to man for imitation is as if he had said Do as you see me do else it is to no purpose to propound himself to us for an example And Gods acts in this nature * This way our Homily takes teaching that as obedient children we should imitate our heavenly Father in this imitable and for mans use binde men to make that same use of his acts for which use and end he did so as his blessing and sanctifying the Sabbath for to keep it holy to him did binde them to keep it holy as Gods Commandment in the promulgation of the Law Exo. 20. 8. grounded upon this his act sufficiently evidenceth 2. The keeping holy the Sabbath day is called Gods Law before the Law at Sinai Exo. 16. 4. For the Law in this place is the keeping of the seventh day holy as a Law for what Law in all the sixteenth chapter was there else by which God would try his people concerning the keeping thereof but the keeping holy the Sabbath as the maine of the chapter touching their Manna in gathering it the sixt day in Gods preserving it from Worms and stinking in Gods not rayning it on the seventh day in Moses commanding to have them keep in on the seventh day tended all to the keeping of the Sabbath to the Lord which is the Law mentioned in verse 4. 3. Some going out to gather Manna on that day the Lord rebuketh the people for refusing of a long time to keep his Commandements and Lawes saying how long will yee refuse to keep my Commandements and Lawes Exod. 16. 28. In which words we may observe these things First that the people had Commandements and Lawes before this time and so before the giving of the Law at Sinai Secondly that the Lawes and Commandements were not mens but Gods for he acknowledgeth them for his owne saying my Commandements and my Lawes Thirdly in these words is comprehended the rest of the holy Sabbath to the Lord of which he maketh mention in the three and twenty five and twenty six and twenty verses before the reproofe of the breach thereof in this twenty eighth verse For some going out to gather Mannah on this day he taxeth them for refusing to keep his Commandements and Lawes which hee would not have done if the seventh day an holy Sabbath had beene none of them Fourthly that these his Commandements and Lawes they had knowne and had refused to keep for a long time before for he saith How long refuse yee to keep them Understanding among these the Commandement of the Sabbath which being reckoned among the Commandements it must needs be of a binding power If any man aske me where doe we before this time finde mention of any such Commandements and Lawes I answer in Gen. 26. 5. which Abraham kept and taught his to keep Gen. 18. 19. and if you would know how they learned them the Text there tells you from Gods voyce which voyce Abraham obeyed for God never suffered his people to live by the unwritten Law in mans nature without his positive Lawes after the fall yea hee gave a positive Law to Adam before in his estate of innocency SECTION VIII The Sabbath was observed of Gods people before the Law given at Mount Sinai THe Sabbath being instituted of God Gen. 2. 3. it was observed of Gods people before the Law at Sinai 1. It must needs bee that Adam observed it else he did neglect the institution and Gods imitable example to stirre him up to the same Now if Adam did neglect it it must needs be First either of ignorance which could not be for as he knew the Lords work of six dayes so could he not be ignorant of Gods rest the seventh day this he saw being created before though he must be taught the six dayes work either by Gods secret inspiration or by instruction of his voyce Therefore Adam was not ignorant of this first institution of the Sabbath Secondly if he neglected it wittingly it was no lesse than contempt which to conceit of Adam could neither stand with his state of innocency before his fall nor with his state of grace after his fall Therefore seeing Adam did neither of ignorance nor knowledge neglect it he then observed it and if he knew it and observed it without all question he would teach others to observe it he being after the fall one of the holy men of God a teacher and instructer of Gods people as hee is reckoned in Gen. 5. amongst the teachers in those dayes
men for profanation of the Sabbath and the contempt of that his holy institution Here I might annex the Patriarch Noah his observation of the number of seven againe and againe in sending out the Dove Gen. 8. 10. 12. and likewise being come out of the Arke in his sacrificing an acceptable offering to God on the seven and twentieth day of the Month in which hee came forth Gen. 8. 14. 20. 25. like enough to bee the observation of the first Sabbath in the new world so let me conceive it till any can shew me plainely the contrarie Howsoever it was we see the number of seven was observed herein by him as being mindfull of the seventh day of Gods resting and sanctifying it for a Sabbath For I would faine know why the number of seven should bee so observed of God and holy men not only by Noah but by Abraham in some cases except it were to minde them of Gods seventh day the first time of the mention of seventh which God so blessed and sanctified in making the seventh day his resting day As for the conceit of perfection in the number of seven I conceive it to bee without ground of Scripture except with relation to Gods seventh day blessed and sanctified 4 Saint Paul in Heb. 4. speaketh of Gods rest on the seventh day when God finished his work and of the participation of that rest as Bishop Lakes saith two wayes Typically and Spiritually the first by Ioshua giving the Israelites rest in Canaan and the second by Christ a rest from sinne here and a spirituall blessednesse hereafter The Apostle telleth us that an entrance was made into the seventh daies rest instituted by God when hee had finished his work and rested thereon into which man entred and rested as also did the Israelites into the Typicall rest by Ioshua and so doe the Israelites of God into the spirituall rest by Jesus Christ Now as wee Christian beleevers doe partake of our rest and as the Israelite beleevers enjoyed the Typicall rest so did the holy Patriarches and Fathers enjoy the seventh day Sabbaths rest and kept that rest for to what purpose else is that first rest mentioned 5 Genebrad in his Chron. saith that the Hebrewes held that Noah and the rest of the Fathers did keep the Sabbath once sanctified by God and citeth Rabbi Iohai Pater Rabbi Simeonis Rabbi Moses Hadarsan and Rabbi Salomò Aben Esra on Exod. 20. is also of this judgement 6 It is most cleare that God gave to the holy men of God his Lawes to live by his Charge his Commandements his Statutes and his Lawes and they observed them so it is said of Abraham the prime Patriarch who also was acquainted therewith Gen. 26. 5. The godly were followers of good things walking with God Gen. 5. 22. and 6. 9. They vexed at the sinfull courses of men 2 Pet. 2. 8. 9. They preached against their impieties Iude 14. 15. 1 Pet. 3. 20. and God threatned destruction to the world therefore Gen. 6. 3 7. and accordingly did destroy them Gen. 7. 19. Now if God gave his Lawes and reproved sinne and punished sinne would hee amongst these his Lawes the particulars whereof are not mentioned suffer his first institution his blessed and sanctified seventh day Sabbath to bee unthought of and to bee neglected May wee reasonably think that the godly having received other Lawes and observed and kept them as the Text sayth they did that they would carelessely omit to observe this institution of the Sabbath amongst those his Lawes Statutes and Commandements 7 Before any feast mentioned by Gods appointment Moses and Aaron and the Elders of the people Exod. 3. 18. could speak of a feast to be kept unto the Lord before Pharaoh Exod. 5 1. on which they were to offer sacrifices unto the Lord verse 3. Now what Festivall day could this bee but the seventh day Sabbath for as yet no other Festivalls were instituted Therefore how ever it was that in Egypt perhaps in time of their cruell bondage and only towards the end of it they could not observe the Sabbath this hinders not to apply it to the Sabbath because Moses spake to Pharaoh in the terme of a Feast and Sacrifice because it was better understood of Pharaoh than if peradventure hee had mentioned the name Sabbath which they might keep in Egypt in the dayes of those Kings which knew Ioseph before the extremity of their bondage 8 The fourth Commandement and all words thereto added telleth us that the Sabbath day was kept holy before the time that it was written in the Tables of Stone First the prefixed Memento telleth us so much that it was before observed and God would still have it carefully kept for the Memento hath respect unto the time past Secondly the manner of this delivery of this Commandement may perswade us to this for the other Commandements are uttered imperatively so as they inforce the dutie as in the fifth Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother the duty charged is Honour and in the other Commandements the sin is forbidden as Thou shalt not take my name in vaine Thou shalt doe no murther and so of the rest But now in the fourth Commandement the Lord falleth not upon the maine of the precept as to say keep holy the Sabbath day but the imperative speech is laid upon the word Remember saying Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy cleane otherwise than in any other of the rest of the precepts and the reason hereof is for that hee had before instituted it and it had been before observed of the Israelites as in the next reason is clearely proved Therefore hee sayth not keep holy the Sabbath as now instituted but thus Remember to keep holy the Sabbath as if hee had said as it hath been before observed of you and still to bee kept holy Thirdly all the principall words annexed to the Commandement tell us of no new thing then imposed but what was well enough known and made use of before as first six dayes for labour they were allowed before Exod. 16. 4. 5. Secondly the seventh day to be the Sabbath this also in plain words Moses had taught them Exod. 16 23. 26. Thirdly of the Lord their God which they knew from Abrahams dayes Gen. 17. 7. and by Moses in Egypt Exod. 6. 7. Fourthly That in it they should not doe any manner of work this they were forewarned of Exod. 16. 29. and some were reproved for offending vers 28. Fiftly that in six dayes God made heaven and earth c. This was evident of old time unto the Fathers Gen. 24. 3. 7. And lastly that hee rested the seventh day blessed and hallowed the Sabbath Gods owne words of the institution Gen. 2. 2. 3. So that we see it clear from the fourth Commandement and the words thereto annexed that this Law was known practised before it was given in Horeb. 9 And lastly to make up all sure Moses telleth us in
plain words that the seventh day Sabbath was kept Exod. 16. 30. and that the people rested on the seventh day which he saith was a Sabbath to the Lord verse 25. the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord verse 23. Now this Text being so cleare that it cannot be denied except one dare say Moses lyed Some have endeavoured to darken the truth and to becloud the antiquitie of the Sabbath in the former institution and use thereof by being pleased to vent their erroneous conception and to say but without any ground of reason that this Chapter Exod. 16. speaketh of the first institution of the Sabbath But for answer hereto I doe deny that any such institution can here be proved and to make this cleare looke into the Text and observe two things first what God spake secondly what God did to finde an institution first God himselfe spake of giving of Manna also of gathering a certaine rate every day and on the sixth day twice as much verse 4. 5. 23. but in all this chapter God speaks not so much as one word of the seventh day Sabbath nor doth he say that hee blessed or sanctified it nor doth Moses write any such thing of God in this chapter as he speaketh of Gods resting blessing and sanctifying it in Gen. 2. 3. as hee should have done if any anticipation were there with relation to this place secondly what God spake in verse 28. is implicitly of the Sabbath first wrapping it up among his Commandements and Lawes given before this time to them and their Fathers so farre is he from instituting a Sabbath in this place Secondly he reproveth them for the breach of it as already commanded before with other his Commandements and precepts there mentioned Now if God spake no words of the Sabbath but what the people were to doe in six dayes and especially on the sixth God passing by the very naming of the seventh day and where he speaketh of it implicitly it is only by way of reproofe to the people for transgressing and breaking of it How can here be the institution of the Sabbath seeing God doth not so much as name it but reproves the breach of it which implyeth it to have beene before this time else should he have reproved them for a transgression and a sin whereof there was no Law Next let us see what Gods acts were whether they will afford an institution First hee gave them the Manna vers 15. but this blessing was only on the six working dayes what is this to the institution of the Sabbath truly no more than his six dayes work in the Creation for the institution of the seventh day for a Sabbath Secondly he preserved the Manna gathered on the sixth day in the morning from breeding of wormes and from stinking being kept over night to bee eaten on the seventh day what is this to the institution of the day The blessing was not the blessing of the day but of the eating of the Manna on the Sabbath day for which cause God did preserve it that they might keep the Sabbath before this time blessed and sanctified Gen. 2. 3. Thus we see that neither by any words of God nor by his deeds can here bee proved the seventh dayes institution for the Sabbath Secondly let us see what may bee gathered from Moses for institution of the Sabbath here in this time True it is that hee nameth the seventh day three or or foure times in this Chapter which he saith was the Sabbath but not as an institution neither could Moses institute the Sabbath for what God here did not he could not doe but he mentioneth here the Sabbath 1 As a reason why hee approved the peoples act in gathering on the sixth day two Omers because the next day the morrow after was the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord Exod. 16. 23. Here is no institution nor reason alleadged for it as in Gen. 2. 3. but it is brought as a reason for a thing of another nature to approve of the collection of a double rate of Manna on the sixth day 2 He nameth it againe in verse 25. but occasioned by the Manna which was that they should eat the reserved Manna for that none was to be found that day in the fields because it was the Sabbath day on which they were to rest So here is a reason why they should not goe and seek Manna but to eat what was gathered before but no institution of the day but an appointment of the meanes used for to rest on the day formerly instituted 3 Hee mentioneth it againe in verse 26. to the same purpose to keep them within on the seventh day Sabbath because six dayes the Lord would give it them to gather but on the seventh day Sabbath there should none be found which words make no institution but are an information for the preventing of the breach of the Sabbath 4 He nameth it in verse 29. upon the Lords reproving them for the breach of the Sabbath by some going forth to seek Manna contrary to so much fore-warning given by Moses whereupon Moses dealeth a little more roundly with them as a man having authority saying See for the Lord hath given you the Sabbath therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two dayes abide yee every man in his place let no man goe out of his place on the Sabbath day In these words Moses first commands every man to abide within and that none should goe out to seek it on the seventh day These be the only words of any Command about the Sabbath in this chapter which doe not institute the day but serve only to prevent the peoples sinning any more in going out to seek it as they had done Secondly Moses giveth two reasons for his so strict a charge laid upon them which he would have them to see and consider of for the better restraining of themselves from the breach of the Sabbath The first is from Gods grace and favour that he had given them the Sabbath And the other is that he allowed them on the sixth day the bread of two dayes Where out of these words let us observe two things The first is that the mentioning of the Sabbath commeth only in still occasionally concerning the Manna and not of purpose to institute a Sabbath but wholly in all the foure places it is spoken of either of gathering the double rate of Manna or of the eating the Manna reserved or of gathering Manna on every of the six dayes or of tarrying within and not to goe out to seek it when it was not to be found and all this to this end that the Sabbath might be kept more carefully of the people as the event plainly sheweth For upon these considerations about the Manna the people harkened to Moses and did rest on the seventh day verse 30. The second thing wherewith I will and may conclude my answer is that which may satisfie
any not wilfully averse from the truth the change of the tense in the two reasons Moses speaking of Gods giving of Manna because it was at this time given whilst the people were in the wildernesse of Zin Exod. 16. 1. saith in the present tense Dat vobis he giveth you in the sixth day the bread of two dayes but speaking of the Sabbath he uttereth the words in the preterperfect tense Jehovah dedit vobis ipsum Sabbatum The Lord hath given to you the Sabbath as that same which was of old which evidently declareth the Sabbath to have beene before this time and not now at this present in this place instituted For if it had beene now at this time given as the Manna was Moses would have said he giveth you the Sabbath and not he hath given it Having thus answered this place of Exod. 16. yet one thing remaineth to be removed as a great block in the way which is the silent passing over the observation of the Sabbath from the Creation till the rayning of Manna and therefore they are bold to conclude from a meere Negative that there was no observation of the Sabbath Answ 1. I have proved the institution Gen. 2. 3. which is enough to prove that they ought to have observed which if they did not was sin in them but the reverence we owe to those holy men of God bindeth us to think better of them than so 2. I have shewed my reasons why wee are to bee perswaded that the Sabbath was kept of them of more force to confirme this assertion than such a weak argument from the bare silent passing it over historically can bee of any validity to refell it For as the historicall narration of Moses speaketh nothing of the observation of the day after the institution of it so we may finde after it was commanded on Mount Sinai that no mention is made of any observation of the day in all the book of Joshua nor in the book of the Judges nor in Ruth nor in the first or second of Samuel nor in the first book of the Kings shall we therefore conclude that in all this time valiant Joshua the Princes of the people the worthy Judges holy Samuel zealous David and others did not observe the Sabbath In all the History of Hester no mention is made of God will we therefore say hee was not then knowne or worshipped of Mordecai Hester and the religious Jewes God by his spirit directed the holy Penmen to write so in such manner and of such things as he in his heavenly wisdome thought fittest to make rehearsall of to posterities and not to embolden men to deny such and such things not to have beene because the Lord was not pleased to mention them If we should thus reason what an ill face of a Church would we imagine to have beene in the world till Moses his dayes For the better clearing of this point and to manifest the absurd and impious reasoning from the silence of Scripture in this sort I will divide the times from the Creation till Moses and then let men see the silent passing over of many things and whether men dare to deny the observation of the Sabbath upon that only very selfe same ground 1. From the Creation to the fall how long is uncertain the Story is only in two chapters and no more In this space is not one word of Adams worshipping of God not a word of any holy duties practised May we think therefore he performed no such thing to God If we be ashamed so to conclude from the silence of the Scripture herein why dare any deny Adams observation of the Sabbath upon no other ground seeing he knew it to be instituted and had Gods example of resting before him for his imitation But yee will perhaps say that Adam could not keep it because he fell before the Sabbath day Answ Learned Zanchius is confident to affirme that Christ took an humane shape and conferred with Adam and taught him how to keep the Sabbath to the Lord. And it seemes to me somewhat unlikely that God would suffer Adam to fall the very day of his creation First Adam was made the sixth day what time is not noted let it be in the morning it cannot be then first because of the things to be done before he fell 1. All sorts of beasts and foules were brought to him to name them every severall sort according to their natures which took up some time 2. He was cast into a deepe sleepe 3. A rib was taken out of his side and thereof the woman was made 4. The Lord brought her to Adam and married them who spake of her and of the conjunction of man and wife 5. God put them into Paradise to dresse the Garden and gave them a Commandement all which took up some space of time Secondly in respect of the time of the temptation the Serpents comming into the Garden then the conference betweene him and Eve and after betweene Eve and Adam the temptation was not so suddenly begun and ended as the shortnesse of the Story may seeme to intimate Thirdly the things done after the fall 1. A confused shame of face to see themselves naked 2. Their sowing leaves to cover their nakednesse 3. Their hiding themselves which was in the coole of the day 4. Their examination and answer and then the sentence after upon all Fourthly and lastly the casting of them forth of Paradise All which may give us to think that these things could not well happen upon his day of creation 2. It is not likely that Eve would so suddenly straggle from her husbands company and so immediately to be set upon by the Serpent as soone as they were in the Garden 3. They could not conceive of the excellency of their state of perfection nor of the efficacy of Gods blessed image and likenesse in them if they had enjoyed no time for the expression thereof For what time could they have had together to discerne of each others excellency to contemplate upon Gods creatures to behold their glorious habitation and to praise God for his goodnesse if they had fallen the same day 4. The words of Gods approbation of all his works he saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Gen. 1. 31. which approbation he gave of them at the end of the sixth day For upon the words written by Moses of Gods seeing all things very good he addeth and the Evening and the Morning was the sixth day that is the day naturall was finished for so the words are to be understood of every of the other five dayes verse 5. 8. 13. 19. 23. Now God speaking in the end of the sixth day so well of all his works if Adam had fallen on that day and God had cursed the earth for mans sin how could it be said that hee saw every thing good when through the sin of man all things on a sudden came to be
for in observing the Sabbath day we professe the God of Israel as the first Commandment teacheth Then in assembling together and worshipping God we do what the second Commandment bindeth us to do and when on that day we contemplate upon the creatures take occasion thereby to praise him and shew an outward holy behaviour to advance his glory we do what the third Commandment commandeth us to do so that the holy observation of the day to the Lord keepeth up a publick practice of all our duties to every Commandment of the first Table therefore no marvell it was that God took order so soon for the keeping of the Sabbath day III. Because God intended not untill this time to set out any glorious face of his Church historically unto us but rather other things happening in the course of times from the fall as in the Story doth appear unto this time 1. From the Fall to the Floud the ill fruits of Adams fall and the increase of sin to mans destruction is recorded 2. From the Floud to Abraham the planting of the world by people with their presumptuous sinning causing them to be scattered over the face of the earth according to their distinct languages 3. From Abraham to Israels going into Egypt God moved Moses to record the carriage of Abraham Isaac and Jacob as private families upon which the Church consisted living among idolaters as pilgrims and strangers while they were in Canaan till God brought them into Egypt 4. From the entrance into Egypt to their mighty deliverance God was pleased to instruct Moses to set down how Joseph came into Egypt his troubles and honour how by him Israel came into Egypt by Josephs means the peaceable rest there till another King arose and then of their heavie bondage till God sent Moses to free them But now God intending to make glorious his people and his worship more publickly to be observed of all Israel at one set time weekly Moses relateth the Lords pleasure concerning the Sabbath not to have it neglected but solemnely to be kept as an holy rest unto the Lord according to Gods first institution thereof Gen. 2. 3. And thus much for the Patriarchall-Sabbath before the Law published upon mount Sinai FJNJS A TREATISE OF THE MOSAICALL-SABBATH By Richard Bernard Rector of Batcomb EXOD. 31. 15. Six dayes may work be done but in the Seventh is the Sabbath of rest holy to the Lord whosoever doth any work in the Sabbath day he shall surely be put to death LONDON Printed for Edward Blackmore and are to be sold at the signe of the Angel in Pauls Church-yard 1641. The Contents 1. WHy it is called so 2. Of the Law of the ten Commandments 3. Of the Naturalitie of the Law 4. Of the Externallitie or Positivenesse of the Law 5. Of the Spirituallitie of the Law 6. Of the Moralitie of the Law 7. That there are ten Commandments 8. Of the fourth Commandment in what words contained 9. Of the meaning of the words of the Commandment 10. Of the rest upon the Sabbath 11. Of the day for the rest 12. Of the words annexed to the Commandment 13. Of the scope of the words 14. Of the directorie in the words 15. That one day in seven must be the Sabbath day 16. Of the seventh day Sabbath 17. Of the six dayes work 18. Of the restriction from work on the seventh day Sabbath 19. Of works which might be done on the Sabbath 20. Of the rigorous strictnesse supposed to be put upon the Israelites that day 21. Of the reason added unto the directorie with the conclusion 22. The arguments to prove it ceremoniall answered 23. That the fourth Commandment is no part ceremoniall 24. The fourth Commandment is a perpetuall Precept 25. How much of the Mosaicall Sabbath is in the Commandment to be kept holy 26. How the day was kept 27. Of Judaizing and true understanding thereof OF THE MOSAICALL SABBATH SECTION I. Why it is called so I Call the Sabbath here Mosaicall not as any new Sabbath from the former being the same with the Patriarchall Sabbath farther now ratified and established Nor do I so name it as if Moses were the institutor of it or no publisher of it But because God the Lord of the Sabbath did give this Commandement of the Sabbath with the rest of his divine precepts when he had ordained Moses the Ruler over his people Israel under him and for that he delivered to Moses the two Tables in which the Commandements were written to deliver them unto the people SECTION II. Of the Law of the ten Commandements THe Law of which the precept of the Sabbath is part is said by the Apostle to be holy and spirituall Rom. 7. 12 14. and if that Commandement Thou shalt not lust be boly just and good so is the whole Law and every Commandement thereof His encomiis legem integram orâ—at Apostolus saith Paroeus This whole Law hath in it Naturalitie Positivenesse Spiritualitie and Moralitie SECTION III. Of the Naturalitie of the Law 1. THe Naturalitie of the Law is so much thereof as by the principles of Divinitie in Nature written in all mens hearts Rom. 2. 14 15. and furthered by the common light of Christ Joh. 1. 9. may be known and assented unto And this knowledge is more or lesse as Naturall men partake of that naturall light for from hence ariseth the difference in naturall men and not from the common principles which be one and the same in all men From this Naturalitie in the Law it may be called the Law of Nature not so as if it were the work of Nature but for that it s in every mans nature God writing it in every mans heart Rom. 2. 15. since the fall at the time of the souls infusion into the body as God did to Adam before his fall This Naturalitie of the Law consists in generalls and cannot reach to true Specialities without some further help and better direction yet by deductions it may go far towards the Specialities This serves to make all men inexcusable Rom. 1. 20. SECTION IV. Of the Externalitie or Positivenesse of the Law THe Externalitie or Positivenesse of this Law is the openly making known of Gods Will in the Commandements given by word of mouth and after written in the two Tables of Stone This Externalitie of precepts the Lord added for his Church unto those generall rules and principles in nature and to that common light in all men For the Lord never suffered his Church to be only directed by that light in nature never since Adams fall who having it in perfection could not guide himself to it And therefore we read before Moses days of Gods Word of his speaking to Adam Noah and to Abraham viva Voce giving his charge Commandements Statutes and Laws of which the Lord maketh mention to Isaac telling him that in keeping these Abraham obeyed his voyce Gen. 26. 5. This Positivenesse or Externalitie is to guide
is contained only in these words Remember thou the Sabbath day to keep it holy I. Moses in the repetition of the Law Deut. 5. 12. sheweth us this plainly who upon the words of the Commandement Keep the Sabbath day to sanctifie it addeth immediately these words as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee between the precept and the next words following Sixe days shalt thou labour c. And so evidently telleth us which be the words of the Commandement and thereto holdeth our thoughts so we may not take any of the following words to be any part of the substance of the Commandement II. The learned have set the Commandement apart by it self in a distinct Verse Exo. 20. 8. from the words following III. The Lord himself in the promulgation of the Law in every other of the Commandements where reasons be added maketh a difference between the Commandement and the reasons annexed as we may see in the second third and fifth and therefore so here IV. Every reasonable mans understanding giveth him to know a difference between a Commandement and that which for some cause is annexed thereto as here we may clearly see it SECTION IX Of the meaning of the words of the Commandement THus knowing the Commandement it is fit to understand the meaning Remember that is be mindefull of it so that thou forget it not call it to minde think upon it and consider the Sabbath as a day to be observed and kept and therefore Moses putteth keep for Remember Deut. 5. 12. The Sabbath day that is the rest day for Sabbath signifieth cessation and rest taken from Gods rest Gen. 2. 2. Moses calleth it the Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 15. Sabbatum cessationis and this rest is Requies sancta Exod. 31. 15. an holy Sabbath Exod. 16. 23. Nebe 9. 14. and the day is an holy day Exod. 35. 2. But not so the rest nor day in themselves but a rest unto Lord Exod. 16. 23. 25. and 35. 2. holy to the Lord Exod. 31. 15. Sanctificata as some translation hath it set apart and separated to the service of God as a sanctified rest and day which the Lord calleth his holy day Isai 58. 31. To keep it holy This is the end of remembring the Sabbath day to sanctifie it that is as God did set it apart and ordained it for holy uses and his woâ—ship so we are to count it the Lords seperating it from other days and bestowing the rest and the day of rest upon the Lord for that end and use for which he hath made the rest and the day holy This is to keep it holy From the Commandement thus understood we may observe 1. That a Sabbath a rest is imposed upon us Exod. 23. 12. 2. That God hath appointed a day for this rest 3. That both the rest and day are holy sanctified for holy uses to the Lord. 4. That we are to keep holy the rest day or the day of rest both the rest and the day SECTION X. Of the rest upon the Sabbath THE Commandement chargeth us with rest with this must we begin and keep the day without this no Sabbath day It hath it denomination from rest The day for the holy use of the rest is said to be blessed Exod. 20. 11. And from Gods resting he is said to blesse and sanctifie it Gen. 2. 3. This rest is principally mentioned the day is called the rest of the holy Sabbath The rest of the holy rest Exod. 16. 23. the Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 15. Therefore this is the first thing in the first place to be observed in the keeping of the day holy unto the Lord which is by making our rest holy to him by imploying our rest holily For the day is kept for the rest sake by Gods own example and because of the holy use of the rest upon that day wherein we do rest and not for the days sake for without the rest we could not keep the day nor would God have commanded the day but for that he rested and made the rest holy for holy uses on that day The Consideration of this would cut off much prophanesse and make us better observers of the day unto the Lord. SECTION XI Of the day for the rest THe Lord having imposed rest upon us in the next place he enjoyneth us a day for the rest Time is necessary for all things and without time we cannot rest Nature and experience teacheth this This time allotted by God is a day but in the Commandement the day is not determinately set down it pitcheth upon no certain set day But the Commandement is Remember the Sabbath day to wit what day soever to keep it holy So the holy observation of the day is the substance of the comet This generality is agreeable to the Naturalitie of the Law And thus the Lord delivered the Commandement 1. To lay down in it the naturality of the Law aswell as in the rest of the Commandements 2. And so to hold up the perpetuity of it with all the other precepts 3. To teach that no one certain set day is of the very substance of the Commandement Therefore is it propounded indifinitly without limitation 4. To inform us that the seventh day from the Creation as Bishop Andrews doth hold in his Catechiticall doctrine is not of the substance of the Commandement 5. This was for an admittance of the Changeablenesse of the day For this Commandement being affirmative and propounded in generall termes maketh it applicative to this or that day To this while it remaineth and to that which may come in the roome of it when this is changed and taken away as thus Honour the King to wit whosoever is King If Saul be See this Simile in the next Treatise more at large King honour him when he is dead and David be King honour him So is it in this Commandement Keep holy the Sabbath day while the seventh day from the Creation is the Sabbath keep it holy if it be changed and the first day of the week be the Sabbath then keep it holy God foreseeing it necessary that the seventh day from the Creation was to be changed he propounded the Law so as to make the day alterable as being for the time by way of application belonging unto the Commandement but not of the substance no more then Sâ—ul was of the substance of this Commandement Honour the King If this had been or were well pondered the Controversie of the Sabbath had been prevented and should cease â—ow to trouble the Church SECTION XII Of the words annexed to the Commandement WHen God gave this his Commandement he himself annexed words unto the Commandement purposely to guide his people in the right understanding of this Precept and to binde them by reasons to the obedience thereof unto the worlds end To all the Commandements God made a Preface to enforce obedience to all of them even from his Covenant of Grace made with Abraham
to be his God and the God of his seed after him Gen. 17. 7. calling himself The Lord their God in giving his Law and remembring them of that their great deliverance which he had promised also unto Abraham Gen. 15. 13 14. To the second third and fifth Commandements he added reasons all which the learned take to be for the ratification of the Commandements and to urge us to keep them and so do interpret the words accordingly The words of God knit to this Commandement have no doubt been added for the like purpose even to be a Confirmation and an establishment of the Precept and the perpetuity thereof and to move us to keep it Yet neverthelesse of late divers have endeavoured to fish out of the words matter to change the nature of the Commandement from Morall as they speak to Ceremoniall and to take away so the perpetuity of the Commandement and there withall mens hearts and consciences from affecting and obeying it as being no Commandement now obliging any Christian and so do they rob God of one of his Commandements sacrilegiously But the words are so to be interpreted according to Gods intention as may uphold the nature and perpetuity of the Precept as the words annexed to the other Commandements do very forcibly as also to binde us unto a carefull keeping of the Precept as they do very effectually and do meet with all that which our corrupt nature may perversly object against our obedience thereunto In the words we are to note 1. The Scope of all the words 2. The Matter which is 1. A Directory guiding to the observation of the Commandement in Gods allowing of us sixe dayes and the reserving of the Seventh to himself 2. A reason of his thus approportionating time between him and us for labour and rest 3. A Conclusion in the last words upon which this fourth Commandement is raised As if God had said I have from the beginning blessed and hallowed the Sabbath day therefore I do command them to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Thus inforcing the Commandement from the prime institution Note it well So as the Commandement is a binding Law from the first institution for the Sabbaths more solemn observation for ever SECTION XIII Of the scope of the words THe scope and use of the words is to take man from his own bottome For after the Lords Memento before the Commandement to forget oblivion and forgetfulnesse of it through worldly distractions He closely answereth and meeteth with mans corruption which might hinder him in submitting to this Commandement If any man should be unwilling to give God a day he sheweth his bounty in giving us fix for fear of repining If any man shall think six dayes not enough for his worldly affairs the Lord prescribeth a means which is labour by which he may finish all that he hath to do if he loyter not nor busie himself in other mens matters If any man should undervalue the seventh day as of mans devising God to prevent this contempt here challengeth it to himself and presenteth himself in his Soveraign authority over us saying it is the * This is remarkably of great force to direct us aright in our Christian Sabbath For the day of the Lords rest must be the day of our rest Now the day of the Lords rest may be either the day of the Lord our Creators rest or the day of the Lord our Redeemers rest Sabbath of the Lord thy God If any man should suppose that he might deferre off to the Sabbath day some of his week dayes works the Lord doth inhibite him from doing any such manner of work for fear of incroaching upon his Sabbath If any man should claim any exemption for himself or any under him God cometh with his charge upon parents and masters upon children and upon strangers for fear of any misapplying it onely to some or a conceit of any dispensation for other some If any man should ask an example of imitation and perhaps presume to neglect it because great men little regard it God hath given us his own example both for labour on Sixe dayes and rest on the Seventh day If any man should doubt of any good hereby and enquire and aske what good and benefit he might reap by the observation of this day more than of any other The Lord telleth him that he hath blessed the day for him And lastly if any man should leave his worldly businesse and might now follow his vain pleasures The Lord telleth him that he hath sanctified it to holy uses Thus God fortifieth his Commandement and wisely meeteth with mans corruptions to keep us in a carefull observation of this Commandement SECTION XIV Of the Directory in the words THe words are to be a perpetual direction in what space of time and what day in that space we are to take for the Sabbath day For the words of the Commandement being generall and not appropriated to any particular day or speciality of time God would not have his people either the Israelites then or the Israel of God in any age to be ignorant of the time or day but to be able certainly to determine and to be resolved of the day without any doubtfull disputation concerning the same as all might and may if we will use this Directory for our guide herein I say it s a Directory for it s not brought as a reason of the Commandement because here is no such connexion of the words to the Commandement with a For as the reasons are in the two other Commandements but here the Lord without any such connexive word presently saith Six dayes shalt thou labour c. as if he had said I will direct thee lest thou mistake the generality of the Precept in application how thou must know in what space of time and on what day in that space thou maist keep my Sabbath SECTION XV. That one day in Seven must be the Sabbath day FOr this number God exceedeth not here first mentioning Sixe and then a Seventh day and no more So as within this time limited is the Sabbath day In the beginning of time God made the mensuration of all time to be onely Seven dayes Gen. 1. 31 2. 2 which was afterwards called a week Gen. 29. 28. The Week then consisting of seven dayes must be the compasse in which to finde the Sabbath The first Sabbath was within a week to which the words of God here hath reference Whether nature doth teach to consecrate one day of seven to God as Zâ—nch inâ—â—tum praeceptum holdeth is not here to be disputed It s enough that we have Gods example from the beginning and here his Word for a seventh day The practice of Gods Church is grounded hereon which from time to time from age to age thousand of yeers have observed one day in a week for the Sabbath One Master Dowe saith in his discourse of the Sabbath that many grave and
judicious Divines both ancient and modern judge the institution of one day in seven to be perpetuall For this he insteed of all citeth Chrysostome on Gen. 2. 3. and Master Hooker in his Eccl. Pol. pag. 379. Who saith Gods immutable Law exacteth this of us as a duty for ever Reason may leade to think that God would not here mention only so many dayes and no more upon the giving of the Commandement if it were not for this end Gods will and Commandement saith our Homily of prayer was to have a standing day in the week for people to come together It s very reasonable to give God one day of seven 1. Because God in his wisedome chose his day within that compasse 2. That this his choice is most fit to be imitated He knew that a day in this space was most necessary for us to observe 3. For that a week is the first and principall space of time and all times of moneths and yeers are but the revolution of a week from the worlds beginning For this see Doctor Rivet in his dissertation De origine Sabbati which being so what reasonable man will deny to give God his day within this space the first the chief and the shortest space of all other times and that which is the fittest For that the space of a week between Sabbath and Sabbath is not too farre a sunder to make us forget our dutie nor yet the return too quick to hinder man in his labour for the necessaries of his life and state saith Master Dow. SECTION XVI Of the seventh day Sabbath AS we see it must be one day in the week so we by the Lord are directed to the seventh day in the week 1. By God his free donation of six dayes to us for to labour in and to do all that we have to do our common and ordinary businesses must be all done and ended in this space which space he presently after the Commandement allotteth unto us He first telleth us what and how many dayes in the week are ours before he tels us which is the day that is his 1. That so we might learn where to begin to finde out the Sabbath 2. By appropriating unto himself the seventh day for Sabbath The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God This seventh day here spoken of is not that one individuall singular seventh day of the Creation on which God rested but a seventh day after the six dayes given to us For. 2. As the six dayes allowed us are not the very six dayes in which God created the world which were gone and past but only six dayes in likenesse and revolution no more is this the self same seventh day but another in likenesse by revolution So it is as if he had said I allow the six dayes together for your labour in the week be those six dayes what dayes soever begon and reckoned together But the seventh day following those six dayes is mine It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 2. That first seventh day and the first six dayes mentioned in the first and second chapters of Genesis are understood by God in the words following as a reason added to this direction of God why he giveth us for ever six dayes and reserveth the seventh day alwayes for himself because he wrought those six dayes and rested that seventh day which words of God are not the reason of the Commandement but of his giving us six dayes and his reserving to himself the seventh day 3. Gods conclusion concerning the fourth Commandement helpeth us in this For in the end he turneth his speech unto the very words of the Commandement saying Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it He saith not that seventh day but the Sabbath day that is the rest of that first Seventh as a Sabbath for ever fall it upon another seventh day whatsoever it be The seventh day therefore is ever the Sabbath day 1. By Gods irrevocable donation of six dayes unto us 2. By our acceptation of so many dayes in the week to our selves from all times unto this day If from Gods words in this direction here we dare without doubt or scruple take our six dayes are we not then tyed to give him the seventh day by the like authority who reserved to himself at the same time when he gave us our six that we should afford him the seventh 3. By Gods proposing his own example as a perpetuall pattern to be followed of us in his six dayes labour and in his seventh dayes rest For saith that ever honoured Bishop Lakes what time God himself took for his work and for his rest the same did he assign to men and made his pattern a perpetuall Law In his Thesis the 8. 4. For that the seventh part of time God did chuse to himself before before fall and so Gods ordinance is everlasting as the world a portion of time eternall as the same reverend Father affirmeth in his 25 Thesis and 32. See also for this very fully Master Hooker in his fifth Book of Eccles Pol. Sect. 70. 5. Because if a man had stood in his full perfection not only our first parents but all his posterity had observed the first seventh day But sin not any Ceremony made that day alterable saith the same Father as it now is altered upon the recreation of all things by Christ But yet is still the same portion of time kept a seventh day in the week This alterablenesse of that seventh day through sin is a reason why God in giving the fourth Commandement delivered as I have said the same in such a generall manner SECTION XVII Of the fix dayes work THese six dayes are called working dayes Ezek 46. 1. in them men are to labour which labour is to be imployed in doing work and it must be all and it must be thy work so labouring to do all that thou hast to do that is which by thy profession Art trade and calling belongeth unto thee to labour in and to do The words are a permission put only by a concession in six dayes may work be done Exod. 31. 15. and not preceptive but as they have respect to the Sabbath day for the better observing of it when we neglect not our businesse on the six dayes nor deferre any thing thereof unto the seventh day For the Lord in the first Table commandeth mans duty to himself and how to expresse his love to him which is the sum of the first Table Matth. 22 37. and not what man should do for his corporall and outward estate for that belongeth to the second Table Therefore in these words is a preparation for the Sabbath and a prevention for hindering our spirituall rest and also our bodily toyle for our selves in and about our ordinary calling when the day of rest is come Yet here we are not so tyed to labour in these dayes but that God must have herein religious duties performed to
him of every one privately Psal 55. 17. Dan. 6. 10. 13. and some part of the day to his service publikly if he appoint it as under Moses he did a dayly worship and offering of Sacrifices morning and evening yea he may take a whole day as once in a moneth once in a yeer as he ordained Festivalls in Israel and when he calleth for publike Fasting by his judgements Joel 2. 15. or for publike thanksgiving by some singular mercies we are to set some time apart for the same as the Jews did Ester 9. 19 22. SECTION XVIII Of the Restriction from work on the Seventh day Sabbath IN the six dayes we are to do all that we have to do but on the Sabbath day neither we our selves nor any under our power to restrain them nor our Cattell are to do any manner of work These words being here to be taken as a rule of direction for ever touching the Sabbath They must so be understood as may stand with the perpetuity of the Commandement for holy rest and sanctification of the day in holy duties The words we must know are no Commandement no more then the former words Six dayes shalt thou labour The Lord useth not to adde * It was fit if nor necessary not only to prescribe the portion of time to be set apart for Gods service but also the particularity of the day or not to leav◠that to the 〈◊〉 of man precepts to his precepts for observation of them If they were a precept it should be negative and so binde from all works for ever But we finde that albeit some works were forbidden yet God allowed divers works to be done on the Sabbath day The words therefore are only a restriction from some works but not a negative forbidding of every work without exception The works from which we are here restrained this day are such works as upon other dayes we may do and not the work of sin which never ought to be done such are servile mechanick works of our ordinary profession trade occupation and calling lawfully to be done in the other six dayes which thus I prove 1. This restriction is from the liberty of our labour and the doing of all we have to do in the allowed six dayes Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work then presently followeth the restraint But the Seventh day is the Sabbath in it no manner of work to wit of the nature of the former Six dayes work 2. Because here is mention of men and maid-servants and cattell which commonly are set about such works 3. For that God propounds his pattern for resting on his Seventh day from his work of his Creation in the severall Sixe dayes 4. Other Scriptures do strengthen this Exposition as a restriction from such kinde of weeks work on those working dayes In Exod. 34. 21. there Earing time and Harvest is mentioned in which time about such things men are not to labour on the Sabbath day As the work about Husbandry is restrained so buying and selling of Corne yea thoughts and speeches about the same were forbidden Amos 8. 5. buying and selling of wares and of Victuals Neh. 10. 31. 13. 16 17 18. Carrying of burthens and doing any such work on the Sabbath Jer. 17. 21 22 24 27. All which Husbandry buying and selling carrying of burthens Nebemiah sharply reproved and called it the prophaning of the Sabbath Neb. 13. 15 16 18 19. These be the works from which they were restrained on the Sabbath day But the Prophet Esay concerning the Spirituality of the Commandement goeth further and telleth them that they were to call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honorable and to turn away their feet from the Sabbath this he expoundeth to be the not doing of our own pleasure on the Lords holy day which he sets forth in three things 1. In not doing our own wayes 2. In not finding our own pleasures 3. In not speaking our own words Then the Prophet telleth us that this is to honour God and that herein we shew that we delight our selves in the Lord Esay 58. 13 14. Lastly they were restrained to hold themselves from all that which is 1. Against the Naturality of the Law as not to keep the day to the Lord but to travell the whole day work the whole day or play the whole day 2. Against the Externality which is in outward holy rest and sanctity as to lie lazily at home sleeping to go to Church unprepared Eccl. 5. 1. as men go to any other place 3. Against the Spirituality delighting in vanity and not in the Lord that day 4. Against Morality when men carry not themselves in a decent seemly behaviour becoming holinesse but rudely either in or out of the Assemblies SECTION XIX Of the works which might be done on the Sabbath NOw lest any should gather from all afore delivered that not only servile works are restrained as in Lev. 23. 7 8 21 35 36. Numb 28. 25. 29. 1. but also all other works from Exod. 20. 10. and that upon pain of death Exod. 31. 14 15. 35. 2. Lev. 23. 3. we are to know what works for all this were allowed to be done on the Sabbath day 1. Works of Piety commanded to be done on the Sabbath which be not our works but Divine not humane as reading and preaching the Word Act. 15. 21. 13. the killing of Beasts for Sacrifice and what work soever was in and about Gods worship and service Numb 28. 9 10. 1 Chr. 23. 31. 2 Chron. 8. 13. the ordering the Lamps Lev. 24. 3. and putting new bread before the Lord Lev. 24. 8. 1 Chron. 9. 32. 2 Chron. 2. 4. for as the Jews themselves spake in the Temple there was no Sabbath for that the rest on that day gave place to the labour in and about Gods service there see Fran. Lucas on Matth. 12. 5. So to Circumcise an Infant Joh. 7. 23. when the eighth day fell on the Sabbath 2. Work or labour tending to piety and Gods worship as to blow a Trumpet Num. 10. 2 10. for the assembly as we do ring a Bel. To travell to the Prophet 1 Kin. 4. 23. Psa 84. 6 7. thence was a Sabbath dayes journey Act. 1. 12. about two miles fifteen Furlongs compare these three texts together this in Act. 1. 12. with Luk. 24. 50. and Job 11. 18. To go in and out on the Sabbath about the service of the Temple 2 King 11. 5 7 9. To stand watchmen in time of need by command of authority to prevent in others the prophaning of the Sabbath Neb. 13. 22. III. Works of preservation from Gods own example Exod. 16. who albeit he rested the seventh day from his works of creation yet not from his work of preservation of all that which he had made So although he would not rain Mannah on the Sabbath day yet would he preserve it from worms and from stinking on the
day were to shew their delight in the Lord count the day honourable to the Lord and learn to expresse self denyall of their own thoughts delights and work Is 58. 13 14. 6. On this day they did not fast Judith 8. 6. but made merry for it was called the day of their gladnesse Num. 10. 10. wherein they might cheerfully refresh themselves and send relief unto the poor after such former duties done towards the Evening but this mirth was for their understanding of the Word Neh. 8. 9 10 11 12. It is true that this holy day to the Lord was the feast of Tabernacles but why they might not now do so on the Sabbath day I see nothing to the contrary For the strict precepts in the Wildernesse were out of date and the Primitive Church who observed our Christian Sabbath in the roome of the Jewish did make a feast after the end of Divine service See for the observation of that Sabbath Philo Judaeus de vita Mosis de vita Contempla De legatione sua ad Cajum Câ—sarem cited by Wallâ—us de Sab. pag. 127. 134. 135. 136. See also Dav. Kimchâ—on Psa 92. cited by Goniarus in his Book de Sab. pag. 81. SECTION XXVII Of Judaizing and true understanding thereof IT pleased some to taxe others of Judaisme concerning the Sabbath day And why of Judaisme know they why Judaisme was from the Jews but the Sabbath was long before this name became peculiar to a single tribe in Israel Judah so called Seeing they fasten as they must Judaisme upon the Jews let us see after this Tribe was separated from the ten tribes of Israel how they did Sabbatize for so we shall behold their Judaisme that we may judge with righteous judgement For the better understanding hereof let us consider the Jews as before Christs coming when he was come and afterwards in the times following Of these we must have a twofold consideration as faultlesse or faulty 1. As Faultlesse this is no Judaizing for in our discourse its taken in ill part They ever held and do hold the fourth Commandment perpetuall and so ought we as is before proved They held the seventh day Sabbath from the Creatâ—on which they had a warrant from God to do till the Resurrection of Christ so farre faultlesse without Judaizing in an ill sense As faulty and thus I. Before the coming of Christ we shall read that they were 1. Observers of the Sabbath in a bare rest from servile work but then doing their own waies finding their own pleasures not delighting themselves in the Lord nor labouring for Self-denyall on that day Of this their Sabbatizing the Prophet Isaiah speaketh who herein laboured to reform them Isai 58. 13 14. 2. Great prophaners of the Sabbath as appeareth by the Prophets complaints Jer. 17. 27. Ezech. 20. 13 16 21 24 and 22. 8. By Gods punishing of them driving them out of their Land as Captives for tbe breach of the Sabbath 2 Chron. 36. 21. as God had threatned Levit. 26. 34 35. By the Story in Nebe 13. 15 18. where Nehemiah telleth them that the prophaning of the Sabbath was the sin of their Fathers and the evill of their captivity befell them for it Now who with us do so Judaize and Sabbatize both these wayes let the world judge II. At Christs coming we may read That the Jews ceasing from such former prophanesse now were become grosly superstitious not allowing such things to be done as might be lawfully done without the breach of the fourth Commandement as in former instances are cleared This foolish superstition our Saviour confuted by word and by his works And therefore none of sound judgement with us do so Sabbatize our onely care is to observe the Commandement as the godly Jews did shewed in the former 26 Section and as the holy rest requireth in keeping the day holy as set apart for holy ends without putting any holinesse in the day it self III. After Christs Ascension and his Kingdome erected the Jews did faulty in their Sabbatizing 1. In observing the Seventh day from the Creation which was at that time out of date and now not to be observed of any Christian if any do these be Sabbatarians and do properly Judaize and not others It s a foul sin to belye and slander men and to brand them with names of reproach falsly 2. In carnally keeping the Sabbath as the Imperiall Edict of Charles the Great doth speak for these kept it in idlenesse in dancing and revelling See Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magn. St. Augustine de consensu Evangelist lib. 2. cap. 77. This Jewish Sabbatizing let those be blamed for who are guilty and the fault be where it is Thus much for the Mosaicall Sabbath FINIS A Large TREATISE OF THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH THE LORDS DAY also now commonly called SUNDAY By Richard Bernard Rectour of Batcombe Wee ought to doe all things for the truth but nothing against it for hee that striveth against the truth striveth against God for God is truth Let every friend of Christ observe the Lords day Ignatius in Ep. ad Magnes In the honour of Christ his Resurrection Clem. Rom. Const lib. 7. cap. 24. LONDON Printed by R. Bishop for Edward Blackmore at the signe of the Angel in Pauls Church-yard The Contents of this Treatise Chapter 1. THe Preface shewing wherein wee generally consent and agree in one Chap. 2. Of the title of Lords day and of the name Sunday Chap. 3. Of the name Sabbath given to this our Lords day or Sunday Chap. 4. Of the Reasons why it may be so called without offence Chap. 5. In what circuit of time this day hath beene kept to wit weekly with the Reason thereof Chap. 6. Of the first day of the week that it is the Lords day and also the seventh day Chap. 7. Of the time when this first day began to be the Lords day and upon what ground Chap. 8. Of the divers opinions concerning the beginning and ending of the Lords day and wherein Conscience may rest it selfe Chap. 9. The authority is divine by which it was established Chap. 10. It is of divine authority from Christ himselfe Chap. 11. Of some Objections which may be made against it answered Chap. 12. That this day cannot be changed Chap. 13. Of the honourable esteeme of this our Lords day and that it is to be preferred before all other festivall dayes Chap. 14. This day is to be kept holy and the whole day too Chap. 15. How this day is to bee kept holy morally as the ancient Sabbath was kept Chap. 16. How our Lords day was kept in the Apostles dayes and the Primitive times Chap. 17. How our Church would have our Sunday kept holy Chap. 18. How Christian Emperours would have it kept by their Imperiall Constitutions Chap. 19. How it was to be kept by the Edicts of Christian Kings in this our Kingdome Chap. 20. How our late Soveraigne King James and now our King
darknesse the Lords people observed a weekely Sabbath day then surely we should be ungratefull and negligent of our own salvation if we yeld not to God a weekly day or a sufficient time for his service as well as the Iews did Thus you see how we agree in the proportion of time one day in the week according to Gods designation of time and the equity of the Law CHAP. VI. Of the first day of the week that it is the Lords day and also the seventh day AS we must have a day within the week so is it needfull to know which day in the week it is which we are to observe for the Lords day else should wee be uncertaine for one would keep one day and others another day In Scripture the first day in the week mentioned in Mat. 28. 1. Mark 16. 2. 9. Luk. 24. 1. Joh. 20. 1. 19. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. is that which is called in Rev. 1. 10. the Lords day So saith S. August the first day of the week is that day Epig. 86. qui postea Dies Dominicus appellatus est S. Cyrill affirmeth In Iohn lib. 8. cap. 58. Apost 2. the very same Our Sunday saith Justine Martyr is the first day of the week Our Homily saith the first day after the Jewish Sabbath is our Sunday It is our Lords day said the Divines in Ireland The former Scriptures are interpreted See the many Exposit cited by Master Spr. pag. 61. by all Expositors the Fathers Greek and Latine the later writers Protestants and Papists to bee the Lords day It cannot well be dâ—nyed saith B. White that the first day of every week was the Christian weekly holy day It is manifest saith Doctor Pocklington that the first day of the week is the Lords day and to strengthen more this truth learned Beza saith that he hath read in a Manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added to the Text in 1 Cor. 16. 2. so Crispine in his Greek Lexicon This first day of the week hath beene observed for our Lords day ever and no true Christian Church can be named that ever brake off the custome of this day This universall unity of so Catholique a custome is sufficient to settle any Christian in his faith of this truth that the first day of the week is the Lords day For what better Expositor than the Churches continuall practice and observation which must needs bee from a setled judgement of the truth of the time observed Our Church telleth us in the Homily that this custome hath beene kept in all ages without any gaine-saying And although this day after the Jewish account bee the first day of the week yet neverthelesse it keepeth the proportion of time in the Commandement the seventh part of a week so as it may be called the seventh day though not that seventh day I say the seventh day Let none here make a stir about the seventh and a seventh for the seventh day and not a seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God for the particle the and not a is to bee prefixed to seventh and not only because of the six dayes in which the world was made the dayes of the Creation as is commonly and onely so supposed to bee taken but for the donation of six dayes to us by God and that in the promulgation of this Law and Commandement as is in the former Treatise shewed Alwayes in counting of numbers we our selves in any ordinary number of seven when six is taken out doe not say there remaineth a seventh but the seventh for a should note an uncetainty but the doth not God of seventh dayes for there are no more in a week nor ever was hath given us for ever irrevocably six of them for to labour in and to doe all that wee have to doe Exod. 20. 9. These dayes we take to our selves as Gods gift from his words in the Law Now if we have six of the seven certainly knowne unto us can we reasonably say a seventh is the Lords or the seventh is his A seventh may be spoken of whole numbers where a certainty is not determined nor pitched upon nor taken out but where the number is no more but seven in a week as none heretofore nor any now count more there six being taken out for us the seventh is left as a certaine day not to bee doubted of for the Lord. So as yet the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God both by Gods donation of six to us and our counting our dayes to come to the seventh having taken to us the six For our first day of the week is Munday and so wee account forward to the Lords day as the seventh day and our Sabbath and resting day And most fit it is that wee should still hold the seventh day for our Sabbath * Dies dominica representat mâ—moriam Creation is mundi non minus quam Sabbagim nam die dominica incepit mundus fieri unde Iustinus Apo. 2. Et Leo Epist ad Dioscorum dicunt diem dominicam colitam ob memoriam mundi Creationis quà m ob resurrectionem Christi Bellarm. de â—â—lâ—u sanct lib. 3. cap. 110. that we might whilst we honour the Sonne in finishing the work of our redemption not forget the honour of his Father for his perfecting of the work of the worlds Creation and his resting from the same which cannot bee by observing any other day but the seventh day CHAP. VII Of the time when this first day began to be the Lords day and upon what ground THis first day observed was the very first day immediately Mat. 28. 1. Mar. 16. 2. 9. Luke 24. 1. Iob. 20. 1. 19. Ad Magnes after the Jewish Sabbath so the Scriptures confirme it to us whereto agreeth the exhortation of Ignatius After the Sabbath let every friend of Christ make the Lords day a solemne Festivall And the reason of this was because of the Lords resurrection S. Aug. ad Ian. epi. 119. 130. De verbo Apo. ser 15. Epi. 93. by which the Lords day was declared to Christians and from that time began to be celebrated and in another place it is said that the Lords Resurrection promised us an eternall day and it did consecrate unto us the Lords day And Leo saith the same Dominicum diem nobis Salvatoris resurrectio Lib. 8. c. 33. consecravit In the constitutions of the Apostles it is Ca. 50. ordained to be kept holy in the memoriall of the resurrection so a Councell held at Paris in Anno 829 ordeined the like Bishop White alleadging reasons why the Lords day was Against Brab pag. 269. 270. preferred before other weekly dayes saith that the Primitive Church could have made choyce of no other day of the week more proper and convenient for the solemne and religious worship and service of Christ Great was this work saith Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we
pag. 213. the observation of the Lords day among Apostolicall traditions and Saint Augustine proveth it by his former generall In his Ser. p. 24 see also more rule saith the same Father Bishop White Doctor Pocklington saith that Saint Paul had ordered in Galatia and Corinth that his Disciples were to have their meetings on the first day of the week whereunto they submitted themselves and so did saith In pag. 5. he the whole Church of God by their example for ever after He telleth us also that the Apostles and Disciples of Christ thought it fit to appoint and command the day to be kept holy And indeed in the place of 1. Cor. 16. 2. is a plain Apostolicall ordinance which carrieth the force of a Commandment In Gen. 2. 3. on fâ—urth Com. as Piscator noteth and Bishop Hooper which albeit it be about a Collection yet he appointeth it upon the first day of the week And heare for this what the Learned Bishop White saith of this place Although this text of Saint Against Brab 211. Paul make no expresse mention of Church-assemblies this day yet because it was the Custome of Christians and likewise a thing convenient to give almes upon the Church-dayes it cannot well be gainsaid but that if in Corinth and Galatia the first day of every week was appointed to be the day for almes and charitable contributions the same was also the Christians weekly holy day for their religious assemblies This opinion for the Apostolicall tradition as it hath the fuffrage of the ancient so of later writers men very Learned Beza saith it is Apostolicae verae divinâ— traditionis Apostoli In Rev. 1. 10. In Gen. Rhem. on Rev. 1. 10. Hos confes Rom. Catech. on 3. Com. Ielisins fol. 292. Cat. Rom. on 3. precept Bell. Tom 1. de cult sancto li. 3. ca. 10. 11. with others cited by Sprint pag. 13. saith Mercer in Dominicum diem converterunt to wit the Sabbath Hereto agree many Papistes who hold that the Lords day was established by the Apostles and that Jussu Dominico as some say by Christs Commandment And that these places Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. Rev. 1. 10. do manifestly confirm the same Doctor Heylin acknowledgeth without doubting that the religious observation of this day had the approbation and authority of the Apostles and may very well be accounted amongst Apostolicall traditions Now their authority is no lesse than divine 1. Because they were instructed by Jesus Christ himselfe in all things which he heard from his Father John 15. 15. who gave them Commandments concerning the Kingdom of God by the infusion of his spirit to make them receive the same Act. 1. 2. Secondly For that they had this holy spirit to guide them into all truth John 16. 13. in teaching both for matter Act. 2. 4. 14. and 4. 8. and manner 1. Cor. 2. 13. Act. 2. 4. In answering Adversaries Matth. 10. 20. Mar. 13. 11. Luk. 12. 12. In resolving doubts Act. 10. 19. and 11. 12. In decreeing Canons and judging of Controversies for setling of mens minds in the Church Act. 15. 28. In rebukeing sharply the wicked Act. 13. 9. In ordering matters in the Congregation 1. Cor. 14. 37. with cap. 7. 13. In ordination of Ministers whom they ordained in every Church Act. 14. 23. and these so ordained by them are said to be set over the people by the Holy Ghost Act. 20. 28. no doubt because the holy Apostles were guided by the Holy Ghost in such ordinations yea in their advice about things indifferent they had assistance of Gods spirit 1. Cor. 7. 40. Now then put all these things together can it be imagined that the Apostles observing this day Act. 20. 7. and setting a glorious title upon it Rev. 1. 10. that it can be other than divine they guided herein by the Holy Ghost who ordained also upon this day the first day of the week to prepare for the poor and why on this day because as Bishop White saith it was the Christians weekly holy-day which being as is afore witnessed Apostolicall and the Apostles so in all things guided by the holy Ghost this day must needs be of Divine authority This the Church of Auspurg Act. 7. confesseth that the day was changed by Apostolicall authority directed by the spirit Lastly as it is in these respects of Divine authority so farther also because it hath Jesus Christ the Institutor of it Of which in the next Chapter CHAP. X. It is of divine authority from Christ himselfe THis sacred day is of so divine authority as that by many reasons it may be proved to be appointed by Christ himselfe To hold this is neither a Novelty nor a tenent of singularity Apol. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In frontes Hom. de Semente Wallaeus citeth other Test in his dis de Sab. See Wilâ—et his Synop. Pap. fol. 500. 1. It is no novelty for Justine Martyr saith that the Apostles received it from Christ Athanasius telleth us that the solemnity of the Sabbath was translated unto the Lords day by the Lord himselfe who sheweth at large that it is of Christs institution from the words of Matth. 28. 18. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth It is said in the constitution of the Emperour Leo that the Lord himselfe did chuse it for his honour 2. It is no singular opinion for it hath the assent of many learned men Junius on Gen. 2. saith it is not by humane tradition sed ipsius Christi observatione instituto Tilenus in Synt. Loc. 44. pag. 276. holds it to bee ab ipso Christo institutus Bishop Andrews in his Sermon on the resurrection pag. 529. saith how can it be the Lords day but that the Lord made it Bishop Lakes in his Sermon on the Eucha saith that Christ did substitute the Lords day in the place of the Jewish Sabbath Doctor Fulk on Rev. 1. 10. affirmeth that it is a necessary prescription of Christ himselfe Of this judgement is Doctor Lindsey Bishop of Brechen in his preface to the assembly at Perth in Scotland and many other Divines And the Arguments to prove it are these following Argument 1. THe day which the Lord made he is the Authour and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to advance 1 Sam. 12. 6. so to observe and celebrate Schindelerus in his Dict. De Saâ— circumcis so doth the B. of Ely D. Andr. so Procopius on Gen. 1. Epi. 119. ca 13. ad Ian. Institutor of But this day which is the day of his resurrection Psal 118. 24. is the day which the Lord hath made it is honoured and preferred before other dayes to be observed and celebrated therefore he is the Institutor of it This day Athanasius understandeth of the Lords day the day of his resurrection as doth S. Peter who alleadgeth this Psalme for Christ after his resurrection Act. 4. 10 11. and indeed as the Psalmist
the Commandements of God 1. Cor. 14. 37. And it is acknowledged of all that the whole Catholick Church from that time till this day hath duly observed the same Therefore is it one of those things commanded by Christ to be observed and taught by his Apostles which the whole world hath so religiously kept hitherto And it will not bee denied that such an universall religious observation can have any lesse ground for it than the authority of God himselfe being so unanimously kept in all ages for these 1600 yeeres without gaine-saying as our Homily avoucheth very plainely Argument 5. EIther himselfe instituted this day for his publick worship or left it to others to appoint it for that end But he left it not to others Therefore he instituted it himselfe for his publick worship That he left it not to others to institute wee may thus reason 1 God his Father when he had ordained his worship did not leave to Moses nor to Israel his Church to appoint a solemn day for it but he himselfe instituted it Exod. 20. 8. When the Idolaters in Israel Exod. 32. did invent a worship they that invented it instituted a day for it verse 5. Jeroboam devised a worship which when he had done he ordained a day for it 1 King 12. 32. 33. So did Nebuchadnezzar devise an Idoll and a worship for it and appointed the dedication and day of the solemne worship Dan. 3. 2. The miscreant Prophet Mahomet as hee gave a Law and prescribed a worship so hee himselfe instituted his day for the same and did not leave it to the arbitrary will and pleasure of his Worshippers to ordaine and appoint Therefore from all this I conclude unlesse Christ should doe as his Father did and be lesse carefull of a day for the solemnitie of his set worship than the very Idolaters hee must bee the Institutor of this day which we observe to him For it cannot be proved that at any time in any age of the world that any publick worship was ever invented to be observed but the very Authour and Inventor thereof was also himselfe the Institutor of the day for that worship not leaving it to any others will to appoint the same for him 2 If Christ left it to others as to his Apostles then either before his ascension during his abode with them which is absurd to conceit or after his ascension if any doe think so then it will follow that from his resurrection to his ascension the space of six weeks the Church had no set day under Christ publickly to doe him solemne service For the other seventh day hee took away by his lying that whole day in the grave so that if he appointed no other day for it himselfe the Church had then for that space no such day But as I have proved Christ blessed the day of his resurrection and in this space from his resurrection to his ascension the Apostles and Church observed it And therefore he ordeined it and left it not to them 3 Wee are to understand that there are some circumstances about Gods worship which he hath ever reserved to his own authoritie and never left them determinable to any but to himselfe such bee these which doe concurre about the observation of the Lords day The first circumstance of this kinde is that which concerneth the very substance for time of performing of publick worship whether one day in a yeere in a moneth in a week or whether a part or some few houres of the day be to be set apart for his service or the whole day bee his The determination of this time is substantiall and God alwayes appointed the same as the ordaining of the Sabbath day and other holy dayes set apart by God doe manifest The second circumstance is that whereof there is no reason to sway or guide the judgement this way or that way but the will of God must bee needfull to the determining of it Such a circumstance is the proportioning of time and rest on the Lords day for Gods service For if reason could regulate it then should it bee the Law of nature but by his written Law and revealed will hath God ordered it The third circumstance is that which is of universall observation by all which none but God can impose by his supreme authoritie to which all are alike equally subject And such an universall circumstance is this for observation of this day by all Christian people and by the generall consent of the whole Church of Christ in all ages Therefore this day was not left to the Apostles to be determined but appointed by Christ himselfe Undoubtedly Christ would imitate his Father and set a day for his publick worship as he did And can we suppose our Lord Jesus Christ to bee lesse carefull than the Turkish Mahomet or other Idoll Worshippers in ordaining a solemn day for his publick service But if this day which we observe be not of his appointment then have wee none for all other dayes are the ordinances of the Church and observed only by humane authoritie 4 That which the Apostles did observe not only by inspiration but by way of injunction and command from Christ here on earth through the Holy Ghost that hee ordained and left it not to them to ordaine But the Apostles did observe the Lords day not only by inspiration but by way of injunction and commandement from Christ here on earth through the Holy Ghost And therefore he left it not to his Apostles The Minor is thus proved from Act. 1. 2. where it is said that Christ Jesus through the Holy Ghost gave Commandements to his Apostles in which Commandements is included the Lords day as before is proved which Commandement with the rest he gave them through the Holy Ghost that is he in giving them did convey his holy Spirit into them to make them to understand them to retaine them in memory to make conscience to observe them and to teach others to observe them as commanded from him for so much these words through the Holy Ghost import when hee gave them Commandements and spake of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God So that through the Holy Ghost here is not meant as afterwards the divine inspiration of the Spirit directing them as occasion served to ordaine things expedient and profitable for the Churches of Christ which he himselfe immediately commanded not but left them to them as by the wisdome of his spirit they should be informed But here is to be understood the then operation of his Spirit upon them to receive the Commandemets which at that present in his own person he gave them which they should observe and teach others to observe as his own Commandements and as he himselfe had charged them to doe in Matt. 28. 20. when as here in Acts 1. he was to depart from them and to ascend up to his Father Of other things after Christs ascension the Apostles spake from the
of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 8. Ergo the only Institutor of it Now for the better understanding of Christ his being Lord of the Sabbath we must know three things 1 How he is Lord of the Sabbath and that is as he is God-Man and Man-God for it is said in the Text The Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath 2 Whence he hath this Lordship even from God his Father who hath given him the Kingdome all power in heaven and in earth Mat. 28. 18. delivering all things into his hands John 13. 3. and 3. 35. Luk. 10. 22. having committed all judgement to his sonne and made him both Lord and Christ John 5. 22. Act. 2. 36. 3 How long he holdeth this his Lordship Rule and Dominion even till the consummation of all things till God be all in all never laying it down untill all things be fulfilled 1 Cor. 15. 24. 28. Therefore is he yet the Lord of the Sabbath the Sabbath is his till the worlds end and hee retaineth his right still therein his right in the fourth Commandement which right must bee shewed either in retaining of the seventh day on which God rested and to which the Commandement was accommodated till his second comming by the change of it or in his substituting another day in steed thereof But we see that seventh day altered and therefore hee sheweth himselfe Lord of the Sabbath by appointing this his day for else should the other have remained under the Gospel or if not then no other being ordained in its steed by him he had lost his Lorship over the Sabbath which here he challenged a right in and still keepeth untill his second comming Argument 10. TEnthly and lastly to these reasons may be added the judgement of the Parliament the representative body of all this Kingdome with his Majesties royall assent in the first yeere of his happy raigne which is this That the keeping of the Lords day holy is a principall part of the true service of God which words are an acknowledgment that the Lord was the Institutor of the Sabbath for it is no service to God much lesse a principall part of his service for that may be mans will-worship but cannot be service unto God unlesse hee himselfe bee the Institutor and Authour of it CHAP. XI Of some Objections which may bee made against it answered Object 1. IT is not commanded in the New Testament Ergo hee instituted it not Ans 1. If it were not yet might hee bee the Institutor of it by his resting blessing and observing the day as his Fathers resting and blessing the seventh day was his institution of it as is proved in the first Treatise 2. I have shewed that Christ gave Commandements of the things pertayning to the kingdome of God whereof the observation of this day is one And therefore hee gave Commandement concerning this day Object 2. It is not expresly commanded Answ 1. This objection is made before to which I have in part answered 2. I answer further that our book of Homilies telleth In Homily of Prayer us againe and againe that there is expresse Commandement for it The Authors of this book say there is The Objectors say there is not set one against the other To the book all the Ministers in the Church of England have subscribed but not to this Objection against it 3. I answer there is in the New Testament no formall expression of any of the other Commandements of the first Table neither of the first nor second nor third because they stood in force and therefore no need formally to expresse them no more need was there for any such expression of this First because the fourth Commandement stood still in force as well as the rest for first Christ did challenge Lordship over this fourth Commandement in his assumed humane nature Matth. 12. 8. to shew that in his state of humiliation hee lost not his authoritie over it Secondly because the changing of the seventh day into another day was not the taking away of the fourth Commandement but only the accommodation of the same Commandment to our Lords day for the continuation of it still For if the fourth Commandement bee not observed in keeping of this our Lords day then will it follow 1 That either there is no fourth Commandement and so not ten Commandements which number hath bin observed without addition or diminution to this day the space of 3221 yeeres in Gods Church both of the Jewes and of the Gentiles or else if it be one of the Tenne as God gave it Exo. 20. for one of them then have we lived in sinfull neglect of this Commandement now this 1600 yeeres 2 It will follow that Christ hath lost his Lordship of it or suffered one of his Fathers Commandements to be carelesly neglected neither of which may bee granted without indignitie offered to Christ and his truth 3 That Christ had not come to fulfill but to destroy the Law contrary to Matth. 5. 17. for if he neither kept the former day but took it away nor ordeined certainely in the roome of it another day he had destroyed this Law 4 It also will follow that the Sonne should not be honoured of all men as they have honoured the Father with the fourth Commandement and with a set day by his appointment for his publick worship and solemn service But all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father Ioh. 5. 23. And therefore with this fourth Commandement and with a set day by his appointment for his publick and solemne worship and service should he be honoured Object 3. The taking away of the seventh day appointed by God disanulleth the Commandement it selfe Answ Not so for we must wisely understand and discerne betweene the substance of the Commandement and circumstance between the substance of the Commandement it selfe and the accommodation thereof unto a day See the other Treatise The Commandement is Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy This only is the Commandement so by Moses it is cleare note it well in Deut. 5. 12. The application and accommodation of the Commandement was unto the seventh day which day may be taken away as not of the substance but a circumstance of the Commandement of the Sabbath rest day applyed unto that seventh day and yet the Commandement be still of force As for example in the accommodation of another precept thus Honour the King 1 Pet. 2. 17. This is a Commandement whosoever is King The accommodation of that may be thus Saul is King this is not of the substance of the Commandement yet while Saul is King we are commanded to honour King Saul but in time Saul is taken away neverthelesse the Commandement Honour the King is of force to another person in his stead as David succeeding the Commandement is honour King David The same Commandement which bindeth me to honour the King bindeth me to honour Saul while he is King And when Saul is
hee highly pleaseth God who keepeth holy the whole day For by the judgment of the King and the whole State such a one as keepeth it is performing a principall part of the true Service of God Thirdly In prohibiting on this day all meetings assemblies or concourse of people out of their owne Parishes for any sportes or pastimes whatsoever All Beare-baitings Bull-baitings Common Plaies Enterludes or any other unlawfull exercises or pastimes Also that no Carryer Waggoner Waine-man Car-man or Drover travell on the Lords day Or any Butcher by himselfe or by any other with his privitie and consent kill or sell any victuall on this day Hereto may I adde our Common Law by which as the Sages in the Law have resolved it That the day is exempted from Law-dayes publik Sessions in Courts of Justice and that no plea is to be holden no writ of a Scire facias must beare date on a Sunday for if it doe it is an errour so a Fine levied with Proclamations if the Proclamations bee made on this day all of them are held erroneous acts And all this was for the solemnitie of the day as also the intent that the people might apply themselves to prayer and Gods publick Worship and Service Thus we see the honourablenesse of this day and the high esteeme thereof as it hath beene and still ought to bee in our Kingdome amongst all faithfull Christians CHAP. XXI What Councels and Synods have decreed touching the observation of this day IT cannot be but where Emperours and Kings have taken care for keeping holy the Lords day they had the judgâ—ment of the godly Divines in their times But to cleare more this point let us see what hath by the learned beene decreed concerning this The Councell of Carthage decreed to petition the Emperour then that there might bee no Shewes nor other See Dr. Heylin pag. 101. 111. pag. 112. Playes on the Lords day c. The Councell held at Aragon would have no sentence pronounced in any cause on the Lords day The third Councell at Orleance informeth us that husbandry reaping hedging and such servile works were prohibited The Councell at Mascon decreed that the day should be kept holy calling it the Lords day the day of our new birth the everlasting day of rest insinuated unto us under the shadow of the seventh day or Sabbath in the Law and the Prophets On this day none were to meddle in Litigious Controversies in actions or Law Suits nor prepare his Oxen for daily labour but to goe to the Church and there powre out his soule in teares and prayers celebrate the day with one accord offer unto God their free and voluntary service exercise themselves in Hymnes and singing praises unto God being intent thereon in minde and body c. The Councell at Dingulosinum in Bavaria determined that upon Sunday every one being intent upon Divine rest should abstaine from prophane or common businesses In the Councell of Angiers tradesmen were appointed to lay by their labours and among those the Miller and the Barber The Councell at Coleine decreed that the people should be diligently admonished why other holy dayes but especially the Lords day which hath beene alwayes famous in the Church from the Apostles time were instituted to wit that all might equally come together to heare the Word of the Lord to receive the Sacraments to apply their mindes to God alone to be spent only in Prayers Hymnes Psalmes and spirituall Songs And here were prohibited Playes Dances wicked Discourses filthy Songs all Luxurie and Victualling Houses were commanded to be shut up Concilium Bituriense exhorteth saying Let them practice nothing but that which savours of pietie and there are prohibited prophane Assemblies ryotous Feasts Dances Morices disguises Stage Playes and going to Alehouses Concilium Basiliense forbad Dice and Tables and would that such as did walke with chaste eyes modesty and gravitie should not goe to Dancing In a Synod held at Friuli it was decreed That all Christian men should with all reverence and devotion honour the Lords day and abstaine from all carnall acts Etiam * So S. Augu. in 244. Serm. de tempore à propriis conjugibus and all earthly labours and goe to the Church devoutly A Synode held in Aken or Aquiâ—granum 800. yeeres agoe held that in reverence to the Lords day it should no more bee lawfull to marry or bee married In a Roman Synod under Leo the fourth it was decreed that no Market no not for meat should be kept and no person should receive judgment on that day And under Alexander the third in a Councell of Compeigne it was ordained that none should bee doomed to death or condemned to bodily punishment In a Synod at Coy it was decreed that men should doe no servile work nor take any journey A Synod at Petricow in Poloniae forbad Taverne-meetings Dice Cards and such like pastimes as also instrumentall musick and Dancing CHAP. XXII What Popes the Canon Law Archbishops Bishops and other learned men have said concerning the hallowing of this day 1 Popes POpe Alexander the third saith that both the old and new Testament depute the seventh day unto rest Pope Gregory the ninth commanded a restraint from labour both of man and beast In Pope Eugenius his time the Princes and Prelates as Doctor Heylin confesseth did agree together to raise the Lords day to as high a pitch as they fairely might and a Canon was made by that Pope in a Synod at Rome 800 yeares agoe to forbid businesses and works of labour criminall causes and vaine sports on the Lords day and other Festivalls Pope Gregory in Epist 3. lib. 11. held it not lawfull for any to See Ios Bentham his society of Sects pag. 154. citing Leo the first and Leo the third their decrees for carefull observation of the Lords day bath themselves out of luxury and pleasure on the Lords day but that wee should rest from our earthly labours and by all meanes abide in prayers c. By the Canon Law grinding hath beene inhibited and by the same Lawes travelling hath beene forbidden and counted a mortall sinne See at large Doctor Heylin out of Tostatus the strictnesse of the observation of the Lords day and holy dayes let me adde one thing out of Summa Angel tit interrogationes in confessione The Priests did ask the confitents as a sinne whether they had used pastimes and dancings on the Lords day Our Linwood the Canonist de Consecr Dist 3. ca. Jemina saith Die Dominico nihil aliud agendum nisi Deo vacandum nulla operatio in illa die sancta agatur nisi tantum Hymnis Psalmis Canticis spiritualibus dies illa transigatur 2 Archbishops and Bishops ARchbishop Islips with the assent and counsell of the Prelates assembled in a Synod 1349 decreed that there should bee a generall restraint from all manner of servile work and that the Sunday should begin at the Saturday at Evening Cuthbert
which many took upon the Lords day was strucken with a dead palsey all over one side and with blindnesse and dumbnesse so as he could neither goe see nor speak and lying thus in miserable paine died within a short time after the stroke of God upon him These few instances may serve for the immediate hand of God upon prophaners of the Lords day I passe by how filthy drunkards have felt the Lords hand against them on this day CHAP. XXV Of exemplary judgements mediate from God against the prophaners of the Lords day CHristians in name should be Christians indeed and one further another unto goodnesse especially on the Lords day which should bee provocative to good duties and to the stirring of us up to shew the vertue of Christ his resurrection in us and our Christian love one to another as at all times so chiefly on this day but where lusts rule and persons are prophane the Lord leaveth them to themselves to become his instruments to punish their prophanation of this day as appeareth by these examples Some on the Lords day would goe to Bowles a forbidden game to the common sort at which play two falling out the one threw a bowle at the other and struck him so on the head as the bloud issued out of which blow hee dyed shortly after Certaine youthes contrary to the order in the declaration would goe out of their owne Parish on the Lords day into another to play at Fives the Mother of one of these earnestly diswaded him but goe he would and returning homewards at night with his companions they fell first to justling after to boxing so as their bloud being moved one of his fellowes stabbed him in the left side and so wounded him as he dyed the next day at night At a Wake on the Lords day among others two sitting and drinking till late at night fell out but at first they were parted a while after commeth one of them in againe and seeing the other sitting by the fire with his back towards him commeth behind him and with an hatchet chineth him downe the back so as his bowels fell out the cruell murtherer flying and being hotly pursued leaped into a river and drowned himselfe A wanton Maide hyred on the Lords day a fellow to go to the next Parish to fetch thence a Ministrell not warranted by the Declaration that shee and others might Dance but that night was shee gotten with child which at the time of its birth she murthered and was put to death for the same confessing the occasion of her ill hap to be her prophanation of the Lords day Upon a Whitsunday in the afternoone two fellowes meeting at the Ball again not allowed by the Declaration the one killed the other Also upon a Lords day in the afternoone one with much contempt against his Minister as appeared by his words would take up Cudgells to play with another a sport not allowed them but at the second or third bout one of his eyes was struck out of his head A fellow drunk at the Church-house where he dwelt on the the Lords day a foule sin both for the time and place was the next day so given over of God as hee became his owne executioner and hanged himselfe One dâ—â—posed to revell-rout without due bounds of prescribed order would in the Church-house keep an Ale on the â—ords-day and other dayes both night and day without controule But see the Lords hand on the Sunday night his youngest sonne was taken for stealing of a purse out of anothers pocket while he lay drunk in the Church-house on the board and that week his eldest son was by one stabd to death A poore man after hee had heard a good Sermon as hee said when he came from the barre unto a Minister would go to a Revell an ill name for Christians meeting together into another Parish where occasionally falling out with one he killed him running out of the Church-yard to doe the bloody fact for which at the next Assisses he was excuted lamenting his ill hap that he could not tarry at home More instances of quarrelling fighting and killing of one another might bee given to terrifie men from such sinfull wayes and from such prophanesse of the Lords day especially consecrated to the laud and honour of Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour CHAP. XXVI Of examples of casuall judgements against the Prophaners of the Lords day OF such like judgements as happen as it were at unawares unexpectedly I have given instances in holy writ And therefore by the recording of them God would have us not only to take notice of such but also to make good use of them as the Lord shall direct us in wisedome in charity and well-mindednesse so to doe For it must indeed bee acknowledged that in this sort of judgements the particular application to particular persons for this and that act is not easie but requireth prudency of circumspection and carefull observation of all circumstances concurring to make a true use of them in the application to others though not the like difficult in all nor yet so hard for the parties upon whom such casuall judgements doe fall to apply them home to themselves for instruction And therefore have they beene observed and recorded Among very many take these few examples Famous and memorable is the fall of the Scaffold in Paris garden where many were gathered together on the Stowes Chron. Lords day to see the rude sport of Bear-baiting the fall whereof flew eight persons and many others were hurt and sore bruised A great number gathered on this day to see a Play acted Doctor Beard in his Theatre in a chamber the floore fell downe by meanes whereof many were hurt and some kild Stratford upon Avon was twice on fire and both times on the Lords day whereby it was almost consumed chiefly for prophaning the Lords day and for contemning the word of God out of the mouth of his faithfull Ministers These two instances are cited by Bishop Bayly Teverton whose remembrance saith mine Authour made his heart to bleed was twice also almost utterly consumed with fire 400 houses at once in a flame and in the first fire were about fifty persons consumed which was for the horrible prophanation of the Lords day occasioned chiefly by their Munday-market Of the first judgement they were fore-warned by their Preacher telling them that some heavy judgement God would bring upon the Towne as it hapned not long after his death Two brethren on the Lords day in the forenoone came from a Market-towne to an Uncle they had there to dine after dinner they took horse againe but had not gone farre but one of the horses fell downe dead who going back againe to their Uncles house the other horse being put up into the Stable within an houre or two after died in the place One would ride after dinner on the Lords day about a worldly businesse which he needed
not then to have done and therefore was diswaded from it but goe hee would his way was over a bridge on which when he came a puffe of wind blew his hat into the river which he seeking to recover by going into the river both he and his horse were drowned nor could he be found till fishes had foulely devoured his flesh The Magdeburgenses report that a husbandman grinding his corne on the Lords day the meale was set on fire And it is knowne to many that a Millers wife setting her Mill on going and she busie in her Mill on the Lords day in the morning the Mill-house fell upon her and kild her of which by the fall of a Stone there but a few dayes or but a week before shee had a faire warning given yet not making good use of it she there ended her dayes Fourteene youths adventuring to play at foot-ball upon the river of Trent on the Sabbath day when it was as they thought hard frozen meeting together in a shove the Ice brake and they were all drowned I might here rehearse many more casuall judgements of many sorts which have hapned upon such as have prophaned this day Fires have beene kindled it not being known how in time of peoples ryoting on this day which burnt downe many houses Some in one place some in another on this day some going out to swimme have beene drowned Some riding to merriments which commonly neglect divine service have fallen from their horses and broken their necks More of this kinde might be rehearsed but let mee conclude with the words of the Authour of the Practice of Piety If these be not sufficient to terrifie thy heart from the wilfull prophanation of the Lords day proceed on in thy prophanation it may bee the Lord will make thee the next example to teach others to keep his Sabbaths better CHAP. XXVII Of objections which may be or are made against the produceing of Judgements in this case with answers thereto AS mens understanding leadeth them so are their hearts affected more or lesse seeme the thing never so dreadfull or terrifying to our common apprehensions as I finde in this particular case Some reject these and other like relations as fabulous and so give no credit to them holding them perhaps for Piae fraudes as formerly were the Popish legends to move feare in peoples hearts with telling of tales These fore-mentioned examples are none such it is a foule sinne to bely God nor need his cause any lies to strengthen it we live now in a clearer light than to be led away altogether with fabulous relations Others because some of the judgements seeme casuall and so commonly held in this very respect make a tush at the allegation of them But however some be apprehended as casuall many being immediate from God none but the Heathen Philistimes Priests will judge them meere chances And for such as be casuall let us consider that a Sparrow cannot light on the ground without the will and providence of our heavenly Father And are the haires of our head numbred Certainly then things which seeme most contingent and such acts as these judged so casuall must needs fall out by the will of God and the guidance of his speciall providence and his divine hand And therefore not to bee lightly passed over with a tush and slighted as a meere accident without due observation and use Some think that there is not much heed to be taken of these judgements concerning this day for that the selfe same may bee found to fall out at other times and other holydayes And therefore nothing can be concluded more peculiarly for this day than for any other from these judgements No doubt but it may so happen and fall out that a Drunkard may fall from his horse and break his neck aswell on any other holy day as on the Lords day A Cudgel-player may on another day be hurt and have his eye struck out as well as on this day One may kill another houses may bee on fire and men by swimming may bee drowned aswell at other times as on the Lords day The like accidents may fall alike at all times for God though he punish the prophanation of his owne day with his judgements yet he reserves not any speciall judgements to be inflicted upon Sabbath-breakers as peculiar to them for that sinne For if so men would not thus dispute the case and sleight the argument for the judgement would clearely decide the controversie and put men to silence But as I have said the same punishments may light upon all sorts of offenders alike at any time Neverthelesse wee may not neglect to take good notice of Gods hand not only in generall to conceive where such hurts and harms happen that there is sinne which hath procured it upon such persons as vaine and ill disposed for we are to judge otherwise of afflictions on the Godly which happen upon a Job for triall but also to endeavour to finde out the sinne in particular in a sober search and godly humility And thus much must we doe for the work of Conscience which stirreth not upon an only generality but upon knowledge of this or that particular sinne applyed home to our selves upon the breach of some precept Thus shall we instruct our selves by observing judgements to take heed of particular sinnes Now to finde out the sinne and the sinner in his sinne which God pointeth out by his hand upon him 1 Enquire into the transgression of the Law for by it commeth the knowledge of sinne which is the transgression of the Law upon this ground we cannot misse of the sinne 2 In the next place ponder seriously all the concurring circumstances concerning the punishment happening And here note 1 The notorious qualities of the person upon whom the judgement lights whether he be a common swearer drunkard fornicator a despiser of holy duties or grossely carelesse of them 2 What evill he was saying or doing when the punishment befell him 3 Where hee was in what place prohibited 4 His intention discovered to be nought ungodly or unjust 5 How he did or speake in an evill manner Lastly the time is very considerable when any such thing was done at what time the judgement hapned By all these concurring circumstances duely weighed with mature deliberation the divine hand may be observed very usefully even in common and such as be called casuall accidents As for instance A May-pole set up on the Lords day falleth and killeth one one is set up upon a holy day in time of divine service which killeth another as instances may be given The first hapneth for the prophanation of the day because they brake the divine ordinance of God who hath appointed the observation and keeping holy of the day The other for the prophane contempt of Gods divine service on that other day To play at foot-ball on the Sunday the example is fearfull of fourteene drowned together playing on the ice
commonly are they which follow most after sports And experience telleth us that such as most love pleasure are the least takers of pains the greatest Loyterers and the laziest work-men and labourers The third sort which get hardly their living with the sweat of their brows poore men and their poore children crave quiet rest and not painfull pastime For sports are often performed with greater labour of the body than the work of a mans vocation Rest is best for these and sporting and pastime needlesse in respect of their bodies 2 They are not needfull for the minde and spirit For what good can sports gameing and pastime afford man in this respect on this day after he hath been in Gods house Can they sharpen his desire to returne more chearefully to delight in holy duties It is impossible and the clean contrary is found by experience in such as turne the Sabbaths holy rest and their time which should be for meditation into pleasureable recreations They cannot this day set an edge on nor sharpen the spirit to make the body more vivacious chearfull and lively to goe about a mans calling trade art or profession in the week following 1 Sports and pastimes on one day have no such vigour and force to hold up the spirits for an after dayes worke It is the nights rest and not the sporting on the Lords day that doth it 2 They are not seasonable recreations on this day to quicken the spirits by them For seasonable recreations is in labouring time and is to be intermixt betweene labour and labour for to refresh the wearinesse of the spirits to returne speedily againe to labour Recreation is or should be as a baite to a Traveller a bit and away as a whetting to a Mowers sithe to cut afresh or as an houres sleepe in the day time short and sweet to a wearied man that must hold to his work But the Lords day is not the time of Labour but of rest There is a rest a night before there is a rest on the day and the nights rest following What needs then recreation in the time of so much rest when recreation hath ever relation to labour and not to ease 3 There is no cause of the dulling and blunting of the spirits on this day that there should need sports and pastimes for recreation For if the spirits be wearyed this day it is one of these waies following 1 Either with bodily labour about worldly businesse which ought not to be done which rather men should with tears bewaile than leaving labour to runne to sports for recreation 2 Or with the rest of the body in doing nothing but either standing idlely sit chatting or lying asleep like beasts and so become drowzie or lazie Because most persons ignorant of the heavenly use of an holy rest know not how to bestow the time but either about the world or about pleasures when they are out of the Church But the well instructed know how to spend it better and if slouthfull drowsinesse should take hold on them they know how to stirre their bodies by walking and in walking to meditate on Christ and his benefits alone or to have some to conferre with or to goe else alone to prayer or having a family to instruct them and so shake of their slouth and not by gaming sporting and playing 3 Or else the spirits are dull by going to the Church and there continuing for the time If this be alledged 1 I aske how long are such persons in the whole dayes space at the Church In some Parishes and too many of them one houre in the forenoone and lesse in the afternoone or an houre and halfe in the forenoone and as much in the afternoone and grant to the utmost in the whole day three houres and a halfe or foure houres and that also at divided times with a long pause betweene perhaps of three or foure houres Can foure houres in and about Christs Service and Worship in twenty foure dull and weaken the spirits of any which carry the name of Christians and have any life of saving grace in them 2 I aske againe of these lovers of pleasures first whether they come soone to Church and are at the beginning and so abide to the end Secondly while they stay there doe they not sleep or doe they not sit idlely gazing about or are they not carryed away with many by-thoughts If so as too true can they then plead the dulling of their spirits by so staying sinfully in the Congregation drawing neare with their bodies but in soule and heart be farre from God 3 I aske them are they indeed devout Worshippers and attentive hearers and doe they so understand themselves that they know what they have beene doing what they have reaped thereby then surely they cannot depart away dull in spirit but bee glad of that they have heard Act. 13. 48. Neh. 8. 12. glorifying the word of the Lord and so depart away with joy because they have understood the words declared to them Neither is it possible that they should be so possessed with such prophane dotage and folly that they should think if they found any dulnesse in hearing that sporting and playing gaming and pastime to be the meanes to remove such spirituall dulnesse and to recover their spirits to a more chearfull and quicker attendance to Gods word with joyfulnesse of minde and heart in the use of Gods ordinance So to think is both without religion and also void of very reason it selfe Therefore from hence and from the substance of all that hath beene said I conclude that on this day sports games and pastimes are needlesse and to be forborne And here I end praying thus for my selfe and others Oh Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep thy Law And this our sacred day to the honour of thy Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ And from Judaizing and Paganizing And from all prophanesse good Lord deliver us JOHN 7. 17. If any man will doe his will hee shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or no. Finis hujus Operis