signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 page 56 57 58. CHAP. XIIII Sheweth What worke for kinde is forbidden on the Sabbath and how the Aduersaries argument makes against him page 59 60. The text in Esa 58. 13. vindicated from his false glosse and vnfolded page 60 61 62. Diuers things about the forme and residence of sinne page 62 63. How farre this is true that the Minister of anothers exorbitant will sinneth not page 64. The vanitie of that distinction that the Seruants worke done in obedience to his Master is his naturally not Morally pag. 64 65. CHAP. XV. Sheweth How sinne is attributed to the members and that properly the man sinneth page 66 67. The faultinesse of our Aduersaries Reasoning about a Naturall and Voluntary Instrument of sinne page 67 68. What takes Voluntarinesse from a deed and the danger of that speech worke on the Sabbath hath sinne annexed to it page 68. CHAP. XVI Prooueth these particulars The Seruants working on the Sabbath impeacheth his seruing of God page 72 73. The Distinction of forbidding Nakedly and Immediately is vaine and freeth not him that doth the thing forbidden from sin page 73 74. The specification of the Seruant in the Commandement makes his working neuer the lesse his sinne but the more and the venime of that word Exception page 74 75. The Gouernour is charged more then the gouerned in respect of a Politicall obseruance of the Commandement not of a personall page 75. The fourth Commandement is a Law of Nature by Reasons Authorities and the Aduersaries owne words page 75 76 77. To worke on the Sabbath is euill materially page 78 79. The danger of that Position that prohibitions in the Commandements are caused by the Natiue illnesse of that which is prohibited page 79. The footsteps of euery specialtie in the fourth Commandement found among the Gentiles page 80 81 82 83 84. Gomarus exceptions against this answered page 84 to 87. Our Aduersaries reasons answered with a proofe that the fourth Commandement was kept by the Patriarkes before the Law giuen in Sinai page 87 to 90. CHAP. XVII Prooueth that the Seruant in such worke sinneth as consenter to his Masters sinne where the wayes of partaking with other mens sins are layd downe page 92 93 94. Decideth a great Case viz. what workes Seruants may doe on the Sabbath page 94 95. With Cautions both to Master and Seruant page 96. CHAP. XVIII Sheweth that the Seruant in this case may breake the Morall Law and yet not fall vnder the Iudiciall Law page 98. Some fearefull examples of Gods justice on Inferiours working that day at the command of Superiours page 98 to 102. CHAP. XIX Prooueth that light workes that are our owne are forbidden on the Sabbath by foure arguments page 104 105. A large explication of the meaning of the Hebrew word Melachah page 105 106. Authorities to prooue this Doctrine page 107 108. CHAP. XX. Our Aduersaries senselesse Answer to that place Exod. 35. 3. with the true meaning thereof page 109 110. The clearing of the Instances of our Sauiour in commanding some workes to be done on the Sabbath page 111. That that which some Diuines terme Christian libertie on the Sabbath is no other then Christian dutie to the eternall Law and was the Iewes freedome also page 111 to 114. CHAP. XXI Sheweth that to worke on the Lords day is a breach of the fourth Commandement pag. 116. 117. Where to find the Lords Sabbath pag. 117. 118. Authorities to prooue this page 118. 119. That the Lord Christ translated the day and that it is of diuine authority and of the Lords owne institution pag. 120. to 127. CHAP. XXII Sheweth the weakenesse of our Aduersaries position that the Lords day is by constitution of the most ancient Church and therefore Jus humanum a humane law and how he jumpes with Arminians and Papists pag. 128. CHAP. XXIII Examineth our aduersaries doctrine about the abolishing of the Iewes Sabbath and the proofes to prooue it ceremoniall pag. 129. 130. Declareth there is no ceremony in the fourth Commandement yet if there had beene it cannot cause the Sabbath to vanish pag. 131. 132. CHAP. XXIIII Sheweth the absurdity of this opinion that the Sabbath was translated by the Church and of the distinction of his generality and speciality of the Commandement pag. 133. 134. CHAP. XXV Prooueth notwithstanding that if the Church haue just power to translate the day the Commandement needes no translation but stands in force to binde vs to that day pag. 135. 136. CHAP. XXVI Prooueth that the speciality of the fourth Commandement inioyning one day of seuen and the seuenth and a whole day and that with precise vacancy from worke is morall pag. 138. to 144. In speciall that Gomarus his evasions are frigid and senselesse page 140 141. That the Commandement yeeldeth inforcing consequents for the Lords day page 144. CHAP. XXVII Prooueth that the Commandement of God bindeth equally and as strongly for the Lords day as it did for the Iewish Sabbath pag. 146. CHAP. XXVIII Disprooueth the distinction of Sanctification and exact vacation on the Sabbath and the Instance of the Popes Succession of Peter Idlely applyed to the Lords daies Succession of the Iewish Sabbath page 147 148. CHAP. XXIX Deliuereth Authorities of Fathers to prooue a generall restraint of labours on the Lords day page 149 to 152. The constitution of Constantine answered by constitutions of the same Emperour and by that of Leo with an Apologie in briefe for Constantine page 152 153. The clearing of the Councell of Laodicea page 154 155 156. CHAP. XXX Sheweth the vanitie of our Aduersaries Reasons and wish to perswade notwithstanding his Doctrine as devout an obseruation of the Lords day as the Iewes held of their day page 157 158 159. The sound Doctrine of our Church concerning the Sabbath and the full concord betweene it and ours with the plaine dissent thereof from our Aduersaries page 159 160 161. CHAP. XXXI Deliuereth Constitutions of Churches and Edicts of Princes that forbid and censure light workes page 162 163. Constitutions that bound Masters in commanding and free the Seruants in obeying that day page 163 164. CHAP. XXXII Sheweth three limitations laid downe by the Apostles touching Seruants obedience page 167 168. There can come no dishonour to the Gospel nor inconuenience to seruants dwelling with heathen masters by their obseruing of the Sabbath pag. 170. 171. 172. This doctrine is no seminary of disturbance or contumacy p. 173. The obedience to this command doth not alienate masters from their Christian seruants pag. 173. 174. CHAP. XXXIII Sheweth that Antiquity doth beare out the seruant in refusing the doing of seruile workes at his masters command vpon the Lords day pag. 176. 177. That the cause of the persecution of Christians was their withdrawing of themselues from obedience to their superiours pag. 178. What the Heathens and many of the Papists doe teach concerning this doctrine pag. 179. CHAP. XXXIV Sheweth that
place Prove all things hold fast that which is good 1 Thes 5. 21. Ill applyed to try that reasoning that blots out one precept of the Decalogue Oppose that Text Whosoever therefore shall breake one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so hee shall be called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven but whosoever shall doe and teach them the same shall bee called great in the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 5. 19. The second place For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodnesse and righteousnesse and truth proving what is acceptable to the Lord. Ephes 5. 9 10. Ill applyed against the worke of the Spirit in Christians and the intent of the Lord. See those Texts I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall bee my people Ierem. 31. 33. Heb. 8. 11. The Lord is well-pleased for his righteousnesse sake he will magnifie the Law and make it honourable Esay 42. 21. The third place Holy Father Sanctifie them through thy truth Thy Word is truth Ioh. 17. 17. Ill applied against the great things of the Law written by Gods owne finger Looke to that Text I have written to him the great things of my Law but they were counted as a strange thing Hos 8. 12. Thirdly now for the matter controverted this learned Treatise hath in it the occasion and the substance We take the last first that all may the better judge of every passage onely out of the first part viz. the occasion thereof The Case of Conscience questioned must be proposed to cleare the words of the whole Discourse that the force of the arguments against it in this Treatise may bee seene and the blunting of their edge if they have any or the unsheathing of them that all may see they are but woodden Daggers may be apparant to eveâ—y understanding The Author of this Treatise states it thus and so opposeth it as untruth Breerwood Pag. 3. THat for a servant to do light businesses or any other worke on the Sabaoth day although it were such worke as might lawfully be done on another day and although he did it not of his owne disposition but only in obedience to his masters command yet was a sinne and transgression of Gods Commandement touching the Sabaoth and that he was not bound to yeeld nay that he sinned against God in yeelding obedience to every such commandement of his masters that day which by the precept of Almighty God was wholly precisely consecrated to rest and the service of God This is the point oppugned by our Adversary whose reasons shall be delivered in his owne words and confuted I will neither adde nor diminish but onely cut it into parts that every part may receive its answer apart This prefaced I proceed CHAP. I. Breerwood Pag. 4. l. 29. YOu are a teacher of Gods word within the compasse of that word I will stay with you and by it examine with your patience whether this frame of your Doctrine bee grounded on the rock or on the sand on the firme rock of Gods Law or on the fickle sand of your own fantasie misunderstanding the Law and so whether it tend to the edification or ruine of the Church For touching the commandement of the Sabaoth vpon which I averre this Doctrine of yours cannot bee grounded lay it before you and consider it well and tell me to whom is the charge of servants ceasing from worke on the Sabaoth day given Is it to the servants themselves or to their masters It is given of servants I confesse their worke is the matter of the Commandement But I demand whether it be given and imposed to the servants themselves or to the masters whose servants they are For if the Commandement bee not given to them then doe they not transgresse the Commandements if by their masters they bee set to worke but the masters to whom the Law was given that the servant should not worke and consequently the sinne is their masters and not theirs so if the Law be not imposed to them then it requireth no obedience of them it obligeth them not therefore is neither the transgression of it any sinne to them but only to those to whom it was given as a Law Answer First the Commandement is given to servants also the Words are Thou nor thy servant which referred to the former Thou shalt doe no manner of worke can have no other sense than this thou shalt doe no manner of worke that art the master nor thy seruant shall do no manner of worke a Father and sonne sonne and daughter bond and free were bound religiously to observe it Doct. Slater in the Ministers portion pag. 95. the Commandement of ceasing from worke not giuen of him onely but to him also For how know you that the commandement is given to the master but because the Lord saith thou meaning that hast a servant shalt doe no manner of worke And can you bee so purblind as not to see the Commandement is given aswell to the servant when it is thus delivered in the same forme Thy servant shall doe no manner of worke Nay consider you the Publisher for as for the Author hee knoweth already by the issue whether his collection hence were sound or no and if he might have the favour the Saints had that aroseat our Saviours resurrection Iam perswaded hee would judge this Treatise to the fire and therefore you the Publisher I say and all yee that feare God and know that a bored eare is the best Sacrifice consider The Commandement is given to the servant as a servant and as thy servant I will not worke maiest thou say but my servant shall his worke is mine by Covenant The Lord with whom there is neither bond nor free interposeth and saith not thou shalt not command him to worke but thus thy servant shall not worke What is this but to say as servant and as thine hee shall not worke As if hee said at other times his worke is thine but now his worke is mine thy covenant shall not infringe his covenant with his God As thy servant he is not thine in thy workes or servile workes that day but the Lords freeman yet thy servant that day by thee to be injoyned to the Lords worke Gods servant to be free from thy works Thou must observe the Commandement in thine owne person and preserve it in the persons under thy charge thy servant must doe no manner of thy servile worke that day but must bee thy servant to bee ordered for the Lords worke Consider it well and see the matter forbidden is the servile cares and labors of the houshold both of masters about servants and of Servants towards their Masters Secondly and seeing we are afforded by your good leave to consider the Commandement let us with your patience for I cannot but thinke the heart of any deceiving or deceived is not onely stumbled but convinced by
15. God doth prescribe which hath not the reason and nature of a benefit simply but of a duty and office that is from the Empire of God And afterwards explaining himselfe he addeth I say simply a benefit for God requires no duty of his creature which is not in the thing it selfe a benefit but that is simply a benefit in which no nature of a duty towards God doth shew it selfe Now follow this Rule and who sees not that this precept Thy servant shall doe no worke on the Sabbath hath in it chiefly the nature of office and duty the servant oweth to God as well as the master even the observation of the Sabbath to God though in a second place here is a matter of fatherly indulgence God graciously tendring the servants as he doth also the very bruite beast for whose ease he mercifully provides that day Now Master Publisher if you have any mind to put questions you shall have leave if you please to aske as many more CHAP. 4. Breerwood Pag. 7. NOw that that clause of the Commandement touching servants was not given to the sevants themselves but to their masters in whose power and disposition they are the text and tenour of the commandement doth clearly import for marke it well and answere me to whom is this speech directed Neither thy sonne nor thy daughter shall doe any worke on the Sabaoth day is it not to the Parents For can this manner of speech thy sonne thy daughter be rightly directed to any other than the parent and is not by the same reason the clause that next followeth neither shall thy man servant nor thy maid-servant doe any worke on the Sabaoth day directed to the Masters of such servants Seeing that phrase of speech thy man-servant thy maidservant cannot rightly bee used to any other It is therefore as cleare as the Sunne even to meane understandings if they will give but meane attendance to the tenour of Gods commandements rather than the fond interpretations and depravations of men that that clause of the commandement touching servants cessation from working on the Sabaoth is not given to servants themselves but to their masters concerning them Answer First this proofe is sufficiently overthrowne by all the former arguments yet I adde This precept is directed to the parents restraining the use of their power to interrupt and injoyning the use of their power to preserve the sanctification of the day and to the sonne and daughter also not to worke at the houshold worke for saith God g Levit. 23. 3. The seventh day is the Sabbath of rest and holy convocation yee shall doe no worke therein it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings Who are these charged in the word yee Who but yee that stand bound to come to the holy convocations yee that constitute families therefore yee children as well as yee parents Secondly and to free all that subscribe to this truth from feare of so much as any private interpretation and to cast it bee commanded nor intreated licence would serve their turne but to the masters whose desire of gaine by the servants labour might stand betwixt the Sabaoth and the servants rest and to make an end with the Text with the last words of it what is it that the Lord for these reasons commanded was it barely to keepe and observe the Sabaoth as it is in the vulgar English Latine and Greeke translations No they are all short it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to make a day of rest Deut. 5. 15. Now to make it to bee so importeth not onely to observe it himselfe but to cause others also to observe it which is evidently the property of masters and governours wherefore seeing both the commandement touching servants rest from labour on the Sabaoth day and reasons added by Moses to perswade that point and draw their mindes to obsequiousnesse are evidently directed to the Masters and not neither of both to the servants themselves I take it out of all question as cleare as the Sunshine at midday that if servants by their masters command doe any worke on the Sabaoth the sinne is not theirs who as touching their bodily labour are meerely subject to their Masters power but it is their masters sinne For their sinne it is that transgresse the law they transgresse the law who are obliged by it they are obliged by it to whom it was given and imposed and given it was as I have plentifully proved onely to Masters Answer First your first way of confirming your exposition was by instance then you goe on to proofes from texts whereof the first taken out of the commandement was taken off in the former Chapter this is your second proofe built on the text in Deu. 5. And here because you flaunt it out in many words and in many of them glance at things as if they made to your purpose besides the maine of your argument I thus reply first to your reason drawne from the text secondly to some chiefe passages in the venting of it The substance of the reasoning is this in briefe Moses applyeth the precept of servants rest to the masters that were slaves in Egypt but now ransomed and set in the estate of freemen that they should allow their servants rest and make the Sabbath a resting day therefore the commandement thou shalt not doe any worke is given onely to the masters It is applyed to the masters therefore given to them were a right consequence but therefore to them onely is fallacious for more is in the consequent than was in the Antecedent and if you put the word only into the Antecedent then both the propositions are false For in Levit. 19. 3. as above was specified Moses applyeth it to children And the argument is yet unsolid for it stands thus Moses applieth it in his expositions onely to masters therefore it was given onely to masters for applications are according to severall occasions but not alwaies extended to the utmost breadth of the precept and yet in all this Moses fidelitie no way impeached inasmuch as he faithfully applieth where it most needeth as occasion serveth keeping the bounds of truth These consequents from this place as you expound it may be gathered therefore that reason binds not servants or this therefore the master sinnes most ungratefully that will disturbe his servants rest or this therefore it is given chiefly to the masters as those that must not onely keepe but make a Sabbath all which wee yeeld but the mind that once is big of a new fancy maketh all that it feedeth upon nourish that fancy Secondly the truth is the Lord by Moses pleades in those words the reason of the right that hee hath to command thy servant rest who is his freeman by vertue of that redemption the servant as well as the master called into the liberty of his holy people as appeareth in the Preface to the Decalogue Exod. 20. and in Exod.
not worke on the Sabaoth was by the judiciall to be punished with death if the servant did worke that day by his commandement Answer First that place is to be understood of the presumptuous offender as appeareth in Numb 15. 35 36. with that in vers 30 31. The soule that doth ought presumptuously reproacheth the Lord and shall be cut off For if the sinne were of ignorance infirmity and errour he was bound to bring a sinne-offring vers 27 28. thus the Iewes understand that place in Exodus Now the servants worke at the masters command will not come under a wilfull and presumptuous sinne yet that law sheweth this truth that men for breach of Sabbath shall be punished according to the nature of their offence so shall he that forgoeth Gods to doe his masters worke This is the true Answere you meerly trifle and therefore the force of the objection lieth still upon you and your Answere falls like an untimely fruite or rotten nut And your hard cases for they seeme full of pitty and yet would have a servant to be in the condition of a beast are meer conceits And for that phrase of yours saying The servants may be compelled to work by men speaking there of such worke as the fourth commandement hath forbidden doth contradict your former Tenet expressely who say that the master may not command his servant to worke may he not command him and may he yet compell him Good stuffe I promise you Secondly in this place also seeing you offer to our thoughts Gods judiciall Law and so his judiciary proceeding I urge you with the just hand of Gods yengeance that lighteth oftentimes on children and servants working at the command of their parents and masters on that day God punisheth none but those that offend lesse or more But this ungodlinesse he hath punished from heaven And all wise Christians will esteeme more of one Demonstration of Gods wrath than of two hundered sophisticated Rhetoricall Demonstrations of any Disputer in the world At Kimstat a towne in France m Iob. siâ—col l. 3. De mirac there lived in the yeere 1559. a certaine covetous woman who was so greedy of gaine that shee would not frequent the Church her selfe nor suffer any of her family to doe it but continually toyled a bout drving and pilling of flaxe and doing other houshold businesses neither would she bee reclaimed by her neighbours who admonished and disswaded her from such unseasonable workes One Sabbath day as they were thus busily occupied fire seemed to issue out of the flaxe without doing any hurt The next Sabbath it tooke fire indeed but was quickly extinct Yet this wretch continued obstinate in her prophanenesse even the third Sabbath when the flax againe taking fire could not bee quenched till it burnt her and two of her children to death for though they were recovered out of the fire alive yet the next day they all three died and that which was much to be wondred at a young infant in the cradle was taken out of the midst of the flame without any hurt God we see tooke vengeance on the children that wrought at the mothers commandement Are there not strange punishments for the workers of iniquitie n Iob 31. 3. Above fifty persons were consumed in the fire which burnt the towne of Fevertone in Devonshire in the yeere 1598. where 400. dwelling houses were all at once on fire and consumed for their horrible prophanation of the Lords day Can any thinke that of those fifty none were children and servants whose worke that day had been usually abused Here also Christian Reader I thought it my part to lay before thy more serious consideration these notable and late examples of Gods wrath from heaven against mens ungodlinesse on the Sabbath day Blackesmith by trade he is yet alive the Lord give him an heart to repent and all the Towne to learne by that hand of God this woman was with her yong childe in her armes within her owne gate looking on them and so it was that while she looked on one of the greatest ropes failed and broke and the Pole fell downe upon the pale that parteth their gate and the streete and the upper end of it with the fall lapped over and strucke the childe on the head in the mothers armes and killed it It was the edge of the weather-cocke that hit the childe on the head marke it well and cleft the skull and it dyed the next day It is time for thee Lord to worke for men have made voide thy Law Psal 119. 126. The Lord is known by the judgement which he executeth The wicked is snared in the worke of his owne hands Higgaion Selah Psal 9. 16. That place in Exo. 23. 12. which commeth in on the left side is abusively rendred by you when you read that thy son and thy maide may be refreshed whereas it is thus in the text the sonne of thine handmaid and when you say it is manifest that the servants worke is accounted the masters seeing the rest from the masters worke is the refreshing of the servant is it not as manifest that it is the servants when the rest is his refreshing For by another rest I am not refreshed if I worke and what if in some respects it may be called the masters worke is it therefore no sinne in the servant to doe it This is a begging of the question and a shame in a professed Disputant CHAP. XIX Breerwood Pag. 32 33 34. ANd thus have I proved my assertion namely that the commandement of the Sabaoth was not given nor fit to be given to the servants themselves but to their governours both by arguments of reason which is the rule of men and authoritie of Scriptures which is the rule of Christians and cannot finde any thing materiall in either of both that may reprove it but yet if I should admit which I doubt you will never prove that the commandement was directly given to servants themselves as servants and that they might lawfully disobey their masters touching those workes whereby the precept of the Sabaoth might bee transgressed yet have I another exception against your doctrine namely for condemning every light worke such as inviting of guests or fetching of wine from a neighbours house or giving a horse provender for these are the very instances which bred the question for transgression of Gods commandements forbidden on the Sabaoth no it is not the commandements importeth no such thing for it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is every worke but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is there forbidden that is every servile worke for such the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly doth import and servile worke by the interpretation of the best Divines is accounted either that which is attended with the toyle of the body or at least intended and directed to lucre and gaine of riches with some care of the minde such as mens ordinary worke is wont to
so to inferiors in 1 Pet. 2. p. 737. Secondly good masters not onely license but teach their servants to keepe Gods Sabbath and worship him Commandement 4. Gen. 18. 19. in 1 Pet. 2. p. 736. Thirdly masters doe not onely wickedly in restraining their servants from the meanes of their salvation or comfort but doe foolishly also in hindering them of that meanes that should make them good servants in 1 Pet. 2. p. 725. Fourthly they may not make their servants breake Gods Sabbath to satisfie their wils in Col. 3. 23. p. 130. In these Aphorismes that faithfull servant of Iesus Christ being dead yet speaketh unto which let me adde a word or two that thou mightest on all hands be leftready to duty in this behalfe Remember if thou be a servant that in workes of holinesse mercy and necessitie the masters power is to be obeyed in subjection to his commands for in those is he under God for God and over thee Then it is thy praise to follow Isa 41. 2. him in the lawfull use of his power at his foote Lastly the well-ordered houshold of that worthily praised Centurion should be the platforme for families that intend their welbeing When hee bad his servant goe he went and come he came and doe this and he did it if thou bee a master and hadst such servants wouldest thou couldest thou serve Ier. 43. 9. thy selfe of them I am perswaded there is not the most covetous and prophane Atheist but hee hath so much sense of a deitie and so much conscience yeelding and heart giving and relenting that he would sometimes in a moode proclayme to his houshold the Lords libertie Is it so indeede my prayer shall bee for thee that of this deede thou mayest never repent and pollute Gods Name with those wretched Israelites lest it should hasten desolation on thy house and name thy repentance may bee farre better bestowed upon the remainder of other sinnes against other the Holy Lawes of God To which worke I leave thee and all others that know that Repentance towards God and Faith towards the Lord Iesus is that which summeth up Christianitie among those that follow the Truth in Love the Lord answere us all with strength in our soules that alwayes we may labor fervently one for another in prayers that wee may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God So prayeth Yours in the Lord RICHARD BYFIELD THE CONTENTS OF THE BOOKE THE PREFACE THE Preface of this Confutation sheweth The illiteratenesse and vanitie of the Title pag. 1 2 3. The abusiue application of holy Texts to such a Treatise p. 4. The state of the Question opposed by Mr. Breerewood pag. 5. CHAP. I. The first Chapter deliuers The plaine sense of the words of the fourth Commandement which concerne the persons to whom it is giuen page 6. Seuen reasons from the Commandement it selfe to auouch that exposition page 7. 8. Two texts in the old Testament to confirme it viz. Ier. 17. 20. Exod. 34. 21. page 9. The Infirmenesse of Mr. Breerwoods Collection page 9 10. An argument taken out of Gal. 5. 3. to prooue our exposition pag. 10. A grosse absurditie and wicked against the soules of inferiours arising from the contrary doctrine of our aduersary page 10. The singularitie and Noueltie of this opinion page 10. CHAP. II. Containeth Two things that make Precepts parallel and equally obliging page 11 12. A distinction to cleare this page 12. Another argument to prooue that the fourth Commandement is giuen to seruants taken out of the Rom. 3. 19. Many arguments to prooue that the stranger-Moabite eating the Passeouer sinned though he were inuited page 13 14. Instances proouing that a commandement in forme of words giuen of and not to one may yet be sinned against by him of whom it is so giuen page 13 14. A retortion of M. Breerwoods argument page 14 15. CHAP. III. Sheweth The weakenesse of that instance of the Precept of a Prince applyed to confirme his exposition page 15. The greatnesse of the Seruants sinne that neglects attendance on Christ vpon the Sabbath vnder the similitude of a Prince gathered out of Aquinas page 16. How commandements that are priuiledges binde the priuiledged and therefore if the commandement were of seruants and not to them yet it obligeth them page 16 17. A further proofe that the fourth Commandement is giuen to Seruants also page 17 18. CHAP. IIII. Prooueth that the fourth Commandement is giuen to Children out of Lev. 23. 3. and 19 3. and therefore to Seruants page 19 20. CHAP. V. Sheweth Our Aduersaries vnsound Reasoning from the Text in Deut. 5. page 22 23. The meaning of that text page 23. Many passages in his vnfolding the place in Deut. 5. lyable to just exceptions page 24 25 26 27. CHAP. VI. Deliuereth The difference betweene the Oxes and the Seruants subjection to the fourth Commandement page 28. Two arguments drawne thence to prooue that the Commandement obligeth Seruants page 28 29. Further proofes hereof page 29 30. A Rule to know when Precepts that are alike for forme of words yet doe not oblige alike page 30. CHAP. VII Sheweth That the Seruant working on the Sabbath at his Masters commandement sinneth though the wrought Oxe sinne not p. 31 32. The Horridnesse of that position that the Seruant and the Oxe or Asse are alike subject to their Masters page 32 33. Three Rules that guide Subjects in obedience to their Superiours page 33 34. CHAP. VIII Deliuereth the examination of our Aduersaries explication of that distinction of the matter and forme of sinne page 35 36. The Infirmenesse of his Reasoning from thence page 36. CHAP. IX Sheweth further What clause of the Commandement bindeth seruants as seruants page 37 38. Another argument drawne from the Texts Exod. 20. 1 20 21. and 35. 1 2. page 38. The exposition of the Commandement by Thomas Aquinas page 38 39 40. CHAP. X. Sheweth the weakenesse of the aduersaries reason taken from the wisedome and equitie of God page 41 42. Diuers vnsound passages let fall in laying down that Reason pag. 42. In speciall the falsehood of this that the Seruants are voide of power and libertie to obey Gods Commandement on the Sabbath if their Master bid them worke page 42 43. CHAP. XI Cleareth our Doctrine from vnjust aspersions and prooueth that it occasioneth No Disobedience to Masters page 44 45. No hard vsage to the Seruant page 45 46. No breach of the Law of Nations where many things about the Law of Nations page 46 47. Chargeth our Aduersaries Doctrine to produce these three euils page 47 48. Confirmeth further our Doctrine page 48 49. CHAP. XII Sheweth How our Aduersaries Reason from Gods goodnesse is faultie for forme and matter page 50 51 52 53. That his Doctrine casteth into mischiefes and Inconueniences page 54. CHAP. XIII Sheweth the abuse of that place in Neh. 13. which is vnfolded and maketh for vs A justification of our English translation and the
Master Breerwoods doctrine is like the waters of Marah and Meribah page 181. That the fruites of this doctrine can be no other but disturbance and sedition by fiue consequences that follow vpon it pag. 181. 182. CHAP. XXXV Answereth Master Breerwoods prouocation and adiuration to a polemicke discourse pag. 183. CHAP. XXXVI Sheweth the true relation of the occasion of the controuersie betwixt Master Breerwood and Master Byfield That Master Byfield did not indeed giue any such aduice to John Breerwood That this pretended scruple did not make John Breerwood disobedient to his Master who would not vrge him nor did it occasion his hard vsage nor tend to his ruine his Master being deceiued with his false pretences desired the more to inioy him THE SECOND PART CONTAINES A BRIEFE SVRVEY OF Master BREERVVOODS Reply and Sheweth THAT Master Byfields declining of the controuersie with Master Breerwood could not impeach his Knowledge Zeale or Charity pag. 193. 194. 195. That Master Breerwood opposeth Gods Sabbath pag. 195. 196. That the Commandement concerning the Rest and Sanctification of the Sabbath was giuen to Adam pag. 197. Diuers distinctions vsed by Master Breerwood against this truth answered pag. 197. 198. 199. 200. The true sence of the words of the text Genesis 2. verse 2 3. pag. 202. Authorities to confirme that exposition pag. 203. 204. 205. 206. 207. The Commandement concerning the Sabbath was one of the ten perpetuall words from the beginning pag. 208 209. That place in the 56. of Esay 4 5. must be vnderstood of the Christian Sabbath pag. 210. No mysticall Sabbath spoken of in the Scripture pag. 210. The Sabbath translated by the authority of Christ pag. 211 212. That place in Matthew 24. 20. meant of the Christian Sabbath prooued at large pag. 213 214. That the Ceremonies of the old Law were deadly at the time of the siege of Jerusalem pag. 215. That the old Sabbath was not obserued in the East Churches 300. yeeres after our Sauiours death as Master Breerwood affirmeth pag. 216. The sufficiency of Master Byfields Reasons not to answere the Treatise at that time sent to him by Master Breerwood pag. 218 to 222. A letter of Master Breerwoods in which hee promiseth that this controuersie betweene him and Master Byfield shall neuer be made publique pag. 223 c. FINIS ⧠A TABLE OF THE ABSVRD AND GROSSE POsitions that lye scattered in this Treatise of the Sabbath written by Master BREERWOOD 1 THe seruant as touching bodily labour is meerely subiect to his Masters power pag. 11. 2. The seruant as touching bodily seruice incident to mankinde is in like degree of subiection to his Master as is the Oxe and Asse pag. 11. 3. Children are meerely vnder their Parents power as the Cattell are vnder their owners pag. 13. 4. Seruants are vnder their Masters power for seruice onely pag. 14. 5. A seruant cannot justly performe any labour which his Master forbids nor omit any which his Master commands pag. 14. 6. If the fourth Commandement * be giuen to seruants they cannot keepe it Their calling carrieth a necessity of breaking the Law as this Author would haue it as they are the seruants of men pag. 17. 7. The compassion and goodnesse of God is such that it agreeth not therewith to giue to man such a Commandement which through the wickednesse of other men he cannot keepe without an inconuenience and mischiefe that is without sharpe punishment pag. 17. 8. Sinne essentially is nothing else but the inordinate and vnruly election or resolution of the will varying from the Scripture or Gods Law pag. 19. 9. Outward vnlawfull actions are not sinne properly pag. 19. 10. Actions are no whit further sinfull then they are voluntary pag. 20. 11. The guilt of sinne is the forme of sinne pag. 12. 12. The eie beholding vanity the tongue loose to blaspheme slander and lie and the hand stretched out to shead blood sinne not pag. 20. 13. To worke on the Lords day is certainely no breach of any diuine Commandement pag. 37. 14. The designement of the first day of the weeke to be Sabbath is but ceremoniall pag. 42. 15. Gods resting from Creation was his Sabbath and his resting in himselfe the sanctification thereof other institution or sanctification of the Sabbath in Paradise will neuer bee prooued out of the place in Gen. 2. 2. pag. 63 64. 16. The Sabbath for the morall part of it I keepe his owne phrase became in the wildernesse on Sinai one of the ten perpetuall words not before pag. 67. 17. By the Iudiciall law of Moses it was death for a man in case of necessity or danger to depart from the place of his residence on the Sabbath further then a Sabbath-dayes iourney pag. 73. FINIS THE PREFACE BEfore I touch upon this Antisabbato-Dominicall Pamphlet to grapple with it it is requisite briefly to skan the title and sentences of Scripture prefixed and to propose the case or question controverted First the Booke is intituled A learned Treatise of the Sabaoth What the Treatise affords shall bee seene anon God willing the Title savours of little learning wherein for Sabbath is written Sabaoth which signifieth hostes as in a Esay 1. 9. Esay Vnlesse the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a remnant What hostes bringeth in this Treatise What the hostes of flies of which Saint Austine speaketh b Serm. de temp 95. Consideremus ergo cur ibi decem praecepta hic decemplagae memorentur ideo sine dubio quia in illis erant vulnera inâ—stis medicamenta Attendite tertiam plagam huic tertio praecepts contrariam Cyniphesnati sunt in terra Aegyptide lino muscae minutissimae inquiretissimae inordinate volantes in oculos irruenâ—â—s non permittentes hominem quirescere dum abiguntur iâ—erum irruunt dum expulsae suerint iterum redeunt Quales istae sunt muscae tolâ—s sunt homines inquieti qui Sabbaâ—â—m spiritalitèr observares id est bonis operibus studere lectioni vel orationi insistâ—re nolâ—nt Who comparing the ten Precepts and ten Plagues of Egypt together as the diseases and the medicines doth paralell the plague of flies to the Commandement of the Sabbath and thus applyeth it Such as â—â—e saith he these Dog-flies or Lice as our Translation readeth it Exod. 8. 16. such are unquiet men which will not spiritually observe the Sabbath that is which will not study good workes nor insist in reading and prayer Hold yee the Precept beware of the Plague These are hostes under the command of that Don-Beelzebub c The Lord of Flies I would haue imputed this to the Printers oversight if either the Errata had mentioned it or the whole Treatise in any one place had given the tâ—ue Orthography Well but be it so the Treatise plyed to this Discourse and therefore how prophanely abused to Gods high dishonour appeareth by setting other places to them and applying them to the matter in hand Take them thus The first
the servants executing I affirme that were given more to servants than to others and crosseth your former words where you say their labour is forbidden for if they labour is it not their labour and so on the contrary Or to the words directly and immediately you yeeld then that servants labour is forbidden indirectly and immediately The truth is that which is nakedly forbidden is directly forbidden and that which is immediately forbidden is sinfull to be done though mediately mediately or immediately takes not away the edge of the precept or power of the commander Thirdly you say The other commandements were imposed without specification or exception of any person whatsoever and therefore hold all men under an equall obligation but this not so Answ What arguing is this This commandement is with specification and the servant is specified and his worke of service to his master on the Sabbath specified and prohibited therefore it bindeth him not it is not his sinne Nay the specification maketh it the more his sinne and God provided by this enumeration of the persons as all have and will agree unlesse any should use your false glasse that this rest might by no meanes be violated Master Attersoll * Vpon Numb chap. 28. vers 11 12 13. p. 1142. saw in this enumeration not a freeing of the servants and subjects from the obligation because a charge is laid on the Governours to see that others keepe the day but a reason to perswade the inferiour the more chearefully to keepe it thus he saith The charge is laid on Governours that inferiours might yeeld chearefully to Gods will considering how strait a charge God hath given to all Governours And that he meant by Gods will the commandement here imposed upon and binding servants from doing their masters worke though commanded is apparant by his words in the same place which runne thus Many fathers urge their children many masters command their servants to goe about their owne businesse and send them from place to place at that time when they should attend to the holy Commandement of the Lord whereas both of them might well and lawfully reply to their fathers and masters and say with Christ our Saviour Luk. 2. 49. Wist yee not that I must be about my Fathers businesse That word exception is venemous as if some persons were excepted by that specification of persons in the fourth Commandement these are cankred words and evill that will quickly corrupt good manners Therefore Christian Reader I give thee this note as an Antidote and that it may be the more strong to expell poyson know that the specification of persons in a precept negative cannot be an exception of those parties from under that precept if specified in the prohibition not excepted And for the equall obligation that holds all men alike under the other Commandements it is the same also in this for if you say the commandement more obligeth Governours I answer It doth so in respect of their politicall observing of the command as they are Governours and so ought to see this Law kept and not violated and thus they are bound more and otherwise than other men to every of the other nine Commandements For the Magistrate is the keeper or preserver of both m Custos utriusque tabulae Tables of the Law But in respect of their personall observance hereof it is equally charged on them as on the servant and subject and so it is also in the rest of the precepts Fourthly you say this commandement is of a different sort from others therefore it otherwise obligeth and you give three things to shew this difference first the nature of it secondly the matter prohibited thirdly the command it selfe First for the nature of this Law you say It is a Law ingraven in the Tables of stone but not on the Tables of mens heart nor any Law of nature You make this distinction that there are revealed Lawes in the Decalogue which are not the secret Lawes of Nature the Lawes ingraven in stone by the singer of God were not all of them the Lawes of Nature Against this I presse you with reasons authorities and of the other Commandements in the nature and property of the things as you say and so you give three instances two of them have been already answered namely that the labour of the servant is wholly subject to another mans command and that the commandement only forbiddeth the master his servants worke The third difference which now we will God willing scanne is this That the thing forbidden viz. servile worke and so the servants worke is not evill materially and ex suo genere as the matter of other commandements is nor evill of its owne nature but onely because it is prohibited and therefore you hold it is no Law of nature Here first consider how farre wide this is to your scope and the question in hand for what if the matter prohibited be evill but onely by prohibition would not that prohibition make it sinfull of lawfull and that to the servant I le give you an instance in a precept ceremoniall God commanded that no leaven should be in their houses during the Feast of unleavened bread suppose the master should command his servant to make in those dayes leavened bread if the servant did it the servant sinned as well as his master Secondly the proposition it selfe is faulty for the matter of the second Commandement is not evill materially any more than the matter of the fourth to make an image or likenesse of any thing in heaven earth or sea is not evill but onely circumstantially as to make it to bow to it If you say to make it to bow to it is the matter of the Commandement as indeed it is then I say to worke on the Sabbath is the matter of this Commandement and as to make an image to bow to it is evill materially and of its owne nature so to spend the Sabbath I say not that seventh day but the Sabbath the consecrated time of Gods worship in our labour is evill materially And therefore the masters command cannot excuse the servants worke that day And now hence I further reason against you thus Though the second Commandement forbid to make images which is not evill in it selfe but onely with this circumstance added to make them to bow to them yet he that maketh them for another that he knoweth will worship them breaketh the second Commandement therefore in this Commandement the servant that worketh at his masters commandement whom he knoweth to abuse his labour in this kind breaketh this Commandement Now by your Rule the servant commanded to make an image which he knoweth his master would abuse to worship it ought to make it because to make a likenesse or image is not simply evill Thirdly when you hold that the Law of Nature is of those things only that are evill by their property and nature this passage received thrusts out the second
Sabbath pag. 168. I ad the equitie of it sheweth that it is not the lightnesse of the worke if it bee once opposed to Gods that makes it that day sinlesse Ceremoniall is a meere phansie you must flie to some other reason and you might have knowne it hath beene alledged by divers to bee this that the Lord there answered a particular case about working at the Tabernacle and prohibits every worke though never so light about the erection thereof for that day because it tended not immediately to the worship of God and thus now at this day it were sinfull to build Churches on the Sabbath or to kindle a fire to prepare or fit any worke thereabout So the precept about the boyling and baking of the Manna gathered on the sixt day that it might not be left till the Sabbath to be then dressed was b Vatablus in locum Trem. Junius Bysh Babingt in v 4. of Ch. 31. Exod. pag. 319. A precept that concerned that present time while the Manna fell that they might see the miraculous power of God in the keeping of it without corrupting till the next day and because on the Sabbath they should not finde it in the field Consider it well if to kindle a fire to prepare things for the building of a Church be unlawfull which your selfe hold to be a light worke and cannot but confesse to be no worke of private gaine then certainely much more are all other light workes forbidden that fall not under the works afore-rehearsed Thirdly but let us see what you alledge in our Saviour He approved of the letting of the Oxe to the water of rubbing the eares of corne He made clay to annoint the eyes of the blinde He bade the lame man healed take up his bed What then Are therefore light workes to be done It is no light worke to make clay and carry beds or that cannot be your reason nay your instances are all wide from your purpose you neede clay or glue to glue them together Christ alloweth not these workes of letting the Oxe to water and rubbing the eares of Corne because they are light but because they were workes of mercie to save life that could not bee deferred and did those other workes himselfe not because they were light but inlightning He commanded the impotent man to carry his bed not because it was laborlesse for it was laborsome and therefore did he prescribe him that and no light worke to shew his perfect soundnesse and the truth of the miracle to excite him and all to glorifie God Mayer in his English Catechisme explained pag 262. sheweth that all the reasons of the Commandements binde us and reach to us as to the Iewes and alledgeth it to prove that this Law is of force for every one of us aswel as Iewes and as much in force as any of the other nine pag. 261. Fourthly thus we neede not dispensation for our Saviour but a pardon for your abuse of his blessed words and deeds That also which you alledge touching his being under the Law cuts the throat of your solution to the objection and gives us just cause to consider and conclude that all that you or any other Divine hath ever said for the Christians freedome on the Lords day will bee found but the Iewes freedome which both they might have had and had also by the Law of the fourth Commandement had not their superstition or superstitious teachers wrongd the Law and them for see what Christ did on the Sabbath and allowed and in that behold those burdens of Iewish superstition abandoned and that as some call it of Christian libertie which yet are no other than matter of Christian dutie to the eternall and morall Law delivered in the fourth Commandement First you would have allowed a comfortable use of the Creatures not onely an use for meere necessitie God ever gave it on this day for the Sabbath was a festivall ever The Iewes were usually as too many are now for want of right collation of Scriptures together either superstitious or sacrilegious Fifthly you would that things that tend to decency might be done without which the ordinances cannot bee so used to order and edification They ever might The Priests might blow their Trumpets and Hornes on the Sabbath day for the assembling of the people Numb 10. 2. So may our Bells be thus rung Sixthly it is not against Christian liberty to have the precise day appointed of God it was not against the liberty and glory of our nature in integritie And tell me I pray you whether it make more to Christian liberty to observe a day by the constitution of the Church or by institution of God whose Service is perfect liberty Yea since it is usuall with God to powre upon the Church on the Lords day the holy Ghost which is the Spirit of liberty certainely it never returnes but it increaseth that liberty with greater accessions daily That which some Divines have said that the Sabbath in the Law was a day n In se per se sanctus Per se pars instrumentum â—ultûs in it selfe and of it selfe holy and was of it selfe a part and instrument of piety in respect of the rest I cannot see how it can bee grounded on the Commandement or any other Scripture the Commandement is Remember the Sabbath or resting day to keepe it holy it was sanctified and the rest injoyned that it might be subservient to piety and holinesse as also the Lords day is If any such thing were found to belong to that day it was accessary and if ought of type were in it to the Iewes it was not injoyned in the precept but given as an appendix to it and so is taken away by Christ and no way bindeth us to the use thereof CHAP. XXI Breerwood Pag. 36 37. BVt let that be admitted also first that the commandement was immediatly given to servants Secondly that it was given touching the lightest degree of workes Let servants bee the persons and those workes the matter to whom and of which the commandement was given is your doctrine yet justified hereby subject to no other reproofe The persons have afforded me exceptions against it because the commandment was not given to servants And the matter because it was not imposed touching that light sort of works the time also will because it cannot be understood of the Lords day for what day was it of which the charge of vacation was so strictly given Was it not the seventh day of the weeke The seventh saith the precept is the Sabaoth of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt doe no worke And why the seventh Because in sixe dayes the Lord finished all the workes of creation and rested the seventh day therefore he sanctified the seventh day and what day is it whereof we question The Lords day That the first day of the weeke It is therefore the seventh day of the weeke the Sabaoth of
the Jewes not the first day of the weeke the Sabaoth of Christians that was so strictly by Gods commandement destined to rest Therefore the workes done on the Sabaoth day are no transgressions of Gods commandements Object But you will say the old Sabaoth is abolished and the celebration of it translated to the first day of the weeke Translated by whom By any commandement of God Where is it The holy Scripture we know to be sufficient it containeth all the commandements of God whether of things to be done or to be avoided or to be beleeved Sol. Let me heare either one precept one Word of God out of the old Testament that it should be translated or one precept one word of the Sonne of God out of the new Testament commanding it to bee translated I say one word of any of his Apostles intimating that by Christs commandement it was translated It is certaine that there is none Therfore it is evident that the solemnitie of the Lords day was not established Iure divino Not by any commandement of God and consequently that to worke on that day is certainely no breach of any Divine commandement Answer You proceed and would prove this wicked assertion That it is no breach of any Divine commandement for a servant at the commandement of his master nay for any one on his owne head to worke on our Sabbath which is the Lords day the first day of the weeke First the commandement say you cannot be understood of the Lords day Why I pray you can you understand it of any other day save the Sabbath day Doth not the tenor of the precept sound thus Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it You yeeld in the next breath that the Lords day is the Christians Sabbath You must then yeeld that the commandement is understood of it You would bee thus understood and take it very hainously that you should be said to oppose Gods Sabbath do you No you doe not nor ever did Farre bee it from you to thinke it were to wrong you to write it were to calumniate you thus you pleade for your selfe in the first section of your Reply pag. 61 62. Yet lo now the commandement cannot be understood of the Lords day Why then say man the Lords day is not the Sabbath for of the Sabbath is the commandement Secondly but to your reasoning for it is not reason nor religion What day was it of which the charge was so strictly given was it not of the seventh day of the weeke say you Yes indeed of the seventh as the precept was first applied to man But aske againe Why of the seventh more than the sixth And the Lord answereth Because it was the Sabbath of the Lord for wheÌ„ it ceaseth to be the Lords Sabbath the commandement is not of it as you also acknowledge or else why keepe you it not Yet the commandement standeth in full vigor viz. of sanctifying and resting on the Sabbath To the Iewes the seventh from the Creation was the Sabbath the commandement stood in vigor to them for that day to the Christian the seventh even the first day of the weeke is the Sabbath the commandement stands in vigor to them also for that day Therefore he saith not Remember thou sanctifie the seventh day and keep it Sabbath nor thou shalt doe no worke on the Sabbath day for it is the seventh but he saith Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it and Thou shalt do no worke on the seventh for it is the Sabbath This Reason you leape and yet you aske a Why And why the seventh Because God rested thereon and sanctified the seventh day Here you violate first the words of the commandement written with Gods owne finger and then the sense for it is thus read o Exod. 20. 11. Therefore hee sanctified the Sabbath day or resting day and so hee sanctified our Sabbath day as well as theirs for the Sabbath he sanctified be it what day hee shall be pleased to nominate a matter of infinite comfort to us that desire to doe the duties of the day with faith in Gods both blessing and acceptation And hereby your conclusion is utterly weakened Thirdly this reason is given both as a reason of the rest on that day and as a plaine declaration of the institution of that Sabbath day and of this day in the precept now Hee rested the seventh day Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it When did hee so Gen. 2. 3. In the beginning Yea he did sanctifie the seventh Yea then he sanctified the Sabbath it was instituted when he blessed and sanctified it and this was in the Creation But how was this done The very worke of the day instituted the day which was this the Lords resting blessing and sanctifying it Now this teacheth us that the institution of the Sabbath in respect of the determination of the time is to bee looked for in the worke of God Gods resting blessing and sanctifying the seventh day made it the Sabbath day therefore in the commandement it is said The seventh is the Sabbath and the following words shew how it was made the Sabbath and what day he blesseth and sanctifieth is the Sabbath Now Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath by whom the worlds were made Col. 1. 16. by whom also they are renewed looke in his worke and find undoubtedly the making and institution of the day to the world renewed the seventh day he lay in the grave here was no worke of blessing and sanctifying but the first day of the weeke very early he arose and appeared to his Disciples and unfolded the Scriptures and opened their understandings to understand them The fourth commandement to speake all clearely stands in p Nomine Sabbathi nobis significatur quòd in nostris debeamus nos Sabbathiê â—â— Hoc est quiescere ab illis operibus à quibus Iudaei quiescere jubebantur Zanch. de red l. 1. c. 19. force to us and the Lords resurrection resting from the worke of our redemption and rejoycing in it blessing it with that worke with divers apparitions that very day and sanctifying it with spending it among his Disciples in his presence bodily now glorified in heavenly expositions and operations upon their hearts and in the returne of the day many times and in speciall upon the returne of it at Whitsontide with the mission of the Holy Ghost This I say applieth and determineth it to this day we now observe And as the Iewes are sent to seeke the precise day in the Lords resting from the workes of Creation so we are sent to the rest from the worke of redemption The institution of this day is clearely in the very worke of the Resurrection as the institution of the seventh day was in the worke of finishing the Creation This hath been anciently taught and still is sparsed in the writings of the godly learned S. Augustine saith q Domini resuscitatio promisit nobis
aeternum diem consecravit nobis Dominicum Domini Qui vocatur Dominicus ipse propriè videtur ad Dominum pertinere quia eo die Dominus resurrexit Aug. de verbis Apost Serm. 15. Dominicum ergò diem Apostoli Apostolici viri ideò religiosâ— solennitate habeâ—dum sanxerunt quia in eodem Redemptor noster â— mortuis resurrexit Serm. de temp 251. The Lords Resurrection hath promised us an eternall day and hath consecrated to us the Dominicall day of the Lord. The day which is called the Lords day it seemeth properly to pertaine to the Lord because that day the Lord rose againe The same Father tells us that in this resurrection of Christ the Apostles and Apostolicall men saw as much he saith the Lords day the Apostles and Apostolicall men have ordained with religious solemnity to be kept because in the same our Redeemer rose from the dead Ignatius r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epist ad Magnâ—s giveth this for the onely Reason binding every one to keepe this day saying Let every one that loveth Christ celebrate the Lords day the day pertaining to the Resurrection the Queene and Prince of all dayes Athanasius Å¿ Athanas de Sabbat circumcis Psal 118. 124. calls the Lords day in which Christ renewed the old Man the beginning of the new Creature and therefore hee saith when hee had renewed the Creature which was made within sixe dayes he would have that day consecrated to this instauration which the Spirit foretells in the Psalme This is the day which the Lord hath made Iunius t Tempus ad conventus sacros semper est dies octavus quem inde à resurrectione Christi Ecclesia vocavit Dominicum quod Christus suaresurrectione sacto sacris coetibus dicavit quem Apostoli observarunt coetibus dicatum esse docâ—erunt quem Christiana Ecclesia dictis corum obsequens facta imitans concelebrat Eccles lib. 1. cap. 4. sub sinem speaking of the time necessary to publike worship saith It is the eighth day for ever which the Church from the resurrection of Christ hath called the Lords day which Christ by his resurrection and deed hath dedicated to holy assemblies which the Apostles have observed and have taught that it is dedicated thereto and which the Christian Church obedient to their words and imitating their deeds doth joyntly celebrate In the Preface to the Assembly of the Church of Scotland at Perth Anno 1618. the question being moved how the particular and materiall day may bee knowne that the Christian Church should observe the answer is that the particular day was demonstrated by our Saviours Resurrection and his apparitions made thereon by the Apostolicall practice and the perpetuall observation of the Church ever since that time of the day which in Scripture is called the Lords day as that which the Iewes observed was called the Lords Sabbath because as the one was appointed by the Lord for a memoriall of his rest after the Creation so the other was instituted by the Lord for a memoriall of his Resurrection after the Redemption For this we must hold as a sure ground whatever the Catholike Church hath observed in all Ages and is found in Scripture expressely to have been practised by Christ and the Apostles such as is the sanctification of the Lords day the same most certainely was instituted by the Lord to bee observed and his practice in Word of the Lord and of equall worth as if the Lord by voice from heaven had spoken it and more sure for us than such a voice 1 Pet. 1. 12 25. and 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. Whence it is cleare that the Gospell preached by the Apostles with the holy Ghost sent downe from heaven is the Word of the Lord that endureth for ever Secondly it was enjoyned by the Apostles precept and observed by them enjoyned and the worke of the day in part prescribed 1 Cor. 16. 2. observed Act. 20. 7. Thirdly the Apostle saith that which you have seene and heard in me that doe and the God of peace shall be with you Phil. 4. 9. But this was seene and heard of to bee done by him Act. 20. 7. Therefore do it Perkins on Gal. 4. vers 10. Fourthly if the same reason grounded on Gods Word be as well for the first day of the weeke as it was once for the Sabbath of the Iewes then we are as certainely tyed by the Lord to the observation of this day as they were for their Sabbath for the same reason is of the same force But there is the same reason therefore wee are bound by the Lord. That there is the same reason is apparant by those three places laid together Exod. 20. 10. Mat. 12. 8. Ioh. 5. 23. The maine reason of the Iewes Sabbath is because it was the Sabbath of the Lord. In like manner ours is the Sabbath of the Lord Christ when hee had finished the worke of our redemption for which cause hee taketh this name the son of man is even Lord of the Sabbath as if in more words he should say when God the Father had once ended the making of the world hee rested and published himselfe to be the Lord of that rest and dedicated it to himselfe giving it the name of the Sabbath of the Lord. In like manner when I shall have finished the worke of mans Redemption I will rest have the day of my rest dedicated unto my selfe for which cause I say that the sonne of man is even Lord of the Sabbath also it shall be called the Lords day And thus the will of the Father shall be fulfilled which is that as they honoured the Father in keeping the Sabbath betwixt the Creation and Redemption so they should honour the Sonne in keeping the Sabbath betwixt the redemption and consummation of the world Fifthly the judgments of God fearefully and to miracles lighting on the contemners and prophaners of this day by worldlinesse the opposition of godlesse and most evill men the Conscience working on men for the observation and against the neglect thereof the errors of Familists Anabaptists Papists and such loose pleaders as you and others have shewed themselves to be are strong and impregnable arguments for the Divine Authority of it together with the contradictions and the grosse opinions you are forced to runne into which argue that you rebell against the light in you and your prophane Atheisticall hearts would have that true which yet your owne light disproveth in the truths that are forced thereby to drop from you Sixthly yea I shall through Gods grace evince this that it is of the Lords owne institution for besides that his resurrection institutes it as I sayd before First it is called the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. Which cannot bee for any reason but because it is of the Lords institution for so first the phrase his day not by creation for so all daies are his not by destinatioÌ„ for that
is a law of nature and remaineth But as the speciality of that commandement implyeth plaine contradiction with the sabbaticall of the Lords day so the generality of it can enforce nothing for it for these are miserable consequents indeed plaine fallacies of the consequeÌ„t that God hath sometime commanded vacancy for his honour therefore he hath commanded the first day of the weeke to be that time or this God hath commanded us some time to rest therefore that time we must precisely abstaine from all manner of workes can the Church make these good consequences If it cannot the celebration of the Lords day can with no enforcement of reason be deduced out of the morality of Gods commandement But if you will reply that the Church hath established the first day of the weeke to be the Christians Sabaoth not by way of consequence as deducing it out of commandement but meerely by authority appropriating and fixing Gods morall commandement to it you may say your pleasure but I shall neither beleeve nor you prove that such authority belongs to the Church or that such an act hath beene established by the Church which I am sure you can never doe neither of both for seeing that all Divines acknowledge that the singling out of such a day to be sanctified namely the seventh rather than any other was meerely ceremoniall although it was Gods owne designation I hope that you will confesse the speciall designement of the first day of the weeke to that honour before other daies being made only by the Church to be also but ceremoniall But certaine it is that no ceremonies which come not under the obligation of Gods morall law should oblige to the observation of ceremonies Therefore it will never consist with reason that the morall law of God can by any authoritie of the Church oblige Christians to the celebration of the Lords day It is not therefore the translation of the old commandement of God from the one day to the other which yet if it were translated can oblige servants no otherwise than it did under the old law but the institution of a new commandement of the Church her selfe yet guided by the spirit of God that consecrated that day to the solemne service of God Answer First this objection we owne and for your distinction thus disprove it Your granted Generality is commanded in the commandements fore-going in which God that commands a worship commands also time for it as when he created the world time was concreated of necessity Besides this vaine conceit was before blowne up Therefore if all you name and put into the speciality of the Commandement be meerely ceremoniall we have no fourth Commandement distinct from the former Secondly for your speciality which you say is all meerly ceremoniall we proved before that the light of nature would prove the contrary and now we assault every particular with the sword of the spirit that the hairy scalpe of it may be wounded and in the welding of the same put our hands on the hands of the Lords Worthies to fetch the blowes with more force First that one day of seven and particularly the seventh is not ceremoniall is evident by the commandement which delivered with Gods owne mouth in the mount and charged by way of command is no other than morall and indispensable And by the celebration of the Christian Sabbath in the New testament which was on the seventh day viz. the first day of the weeke and was constantly in weekely revolution celebrated Calvin saith y Calvin in quarâ—uÌ„ praecâ—ptum diem unum separat a reliquis ab omnibus terrenis negotiis curis immâ—neÌ„ quoad hanc partem nobis cum veteri populo communis est Sabbaâ—i necessitas ut die uno liberi simus atque ita melius parati tam ad discendum qudm ad fidem nostram testandum God separateth one day from the rest and wills that it be free from all earthly businesse and cares In this respect the necessity of the Sabbath is common to us with the ancient people that one day wee be free and so the better prepared as well to learne as to testifie our faith so Peter Martyr on Gen. 2. and Mast Perkins on Gal. 4. 10. and infinite many more The Apostles knew and that by the Scriptures saith learned Fulke that one day of seven was appointed to be observed for ever during the world consecrated to the publike exercises of Gods true Religion The Church of Scotland saith that the Preface to the assembly at Perth day commanded in the Law formally must remaine and ever bee the seventh after sixe dayes worke Chemnitius z Chemnit examen Concil trident cap. de dieb fest Tam Veteris quà m Novi Testamenti pagina septimaÌ„ diem ad humanam quietem specialiter deputat id est interprete Zuâ—rez de diebus festis Cap. 1. utrúmque Testamentun appro bavit morem deputandi ad quietem humanam septimum quenque diem hebdomadae quod est formaliter deputate septimuÌ„ dicm licet materialiter non idem dies fuerit semper deputatus hoc modo verum est scptimum diem in lege veteri esse Sabbathum in nova verò esse dominicam diem De fcriis cap. licet who with the Lutherans ascribeth too much in this thing to the Churches liberty yet affirmeth truely thus much This is that which is said usually and truely that the New Testament in the commandement of keeping holy the Sabbath day abrogated not the Genus the generall which is morall but the species the speciall that is hath not taken away the generall which is the seventh day for this is naturall but the speciall or particular namely that seventh day which the Iewes kept in remembrance of the first Creation Alexander the third Pope of Rome affirmeth that the page as well of the old as the new Testament hath specially deputed the seventh day to humane rest that is by the interpretation of Zuarez both Testaments have approved the manner of deputing every seventh day of the weeke to humane Rest which is to depute the seventh day formally although the same day materially hath not alwaies been deputed and by this meanes it is true that that seventh day in the old law was Sabbath but in the New the Lords day is Sabbath M. Attersoll on Numbers 15. 35. p. 645. well observeth that if one day in seven be not morall and perpetuall a man may say that one day in seven weekes or seven yeeres is enough and so at length it shall be said wee are not bound to meet together publikely above one day in a 100. yeers But this absurdity Gomarus a that holds the contrary opinion thinketh hee Gomarus de invest haeret orig Sab. c. 5. pa. 61. Certi dies sufficientes hath evaded by these words when he holdeth that not only certaine daies but also sufficient dayes be observed for Gods worship But this is just
nothing for are not one day in a yeere yeerely certaine dayes and so of the rest and if that some shall say they are enough though others speake against it who shal tel which of these two sides sides with the truth when what is enough you hold God hath not particularly determined yea but Gomarus saith that what dayes are sufficient may be gathered out of the precept of the Sabbath namely that they be either not more seldome or else a little more oft than the Sabbaths of the Israelites as the indulgence of God in giving that precept sheweth For when the Lord for his clemency sake tooke one of seven onely to his worship for the Israelites men of a stiffe-necke and pressed with the heavy yoke of feasts and other ceremonies how shall more seldome suffice among Christians that are free from that yoke and burden Very good Can any looke on this without griefe and laughter If out of the precept you must gather your sufficient dayes why will you not take the dayes God hath in precept warranted for sufficient and sufficiently blessed one of seven the seventh If this your sufficiency must be gathered from the precept and that too as you gather that they bee more to us than were to Iewes then we are to have two Sabbaths a weeke at the least and the Church erred that Anathematized the keepers of Saturday in the time of the Gospell and still erreth that never saw this yet much lesse observed it Or if you say no they must not be Sabbaths how then gather you this sufficiency of the dayes out of the fourth Commandement which concerneth the Sabbath and not halfe holidaies and other feasts and if the Iewes were yoked with observation of feasts therfore Gods clemency would they should keep but the seventh day What an insupportable yoke doe you lay upon Christians that must as you say keepe more than one of seven or else they keepe not a sufficient number all the Iewish feasts would hardly arise to the number that two in a weeke constantly doe amount to and what interfearing is here One of the seven daies of the weeke in perpetuall revolution is not necessarily to be observed by force of the fourth Commandement And yet fewer than one a weeke cannot be sufficient and that by vertue of the fourth Commandement What would you have more than one a weeke by vertue of the Commandement and therefore you say one is not necessary Or is that which is onely sufficient not necessary Why then take that which is insufficient and let that be yet necessary even one when you will and more when you will now this day now that you may do them all a favour to take them over by turnes Thus farre for Gomarus in this thing Secondly that one whole day be kept holy and no lesse is morall and not ceremoniall you yeelde that the commandement for a Sabbath is morall now God never mentioned lesse than a day saying Remember thou keepe holy the Sabbath day the distinction also of time by the Lord of time cleareth this for the whole weeke is divided into seven daies and every of those dayes consisteth of 24. houres David in his Psalme for the Sabbath day b Psal 92. title with verse 2. describeth the time thus It is good to shew forth thy loving kindnesse in the morning and thy faithfulnesse every night meaning every Sabbath day morning and night as the title sheweth The apparition of our Saviour at the night of the day of his Resurrection in the midst of the Disciples assembled c Ioh 20. 19. Profunda jam nocte it being now very late at night saith Areâ—ius proveth that the night following of the day of Sabbath take here day for the day-light betweene sunne and sunne is of the Sabbath and lastly the celebration of the Lords day by Paul at Troas in Act. 20. 7. out of which saith Mr. Perkins I note two things First that the night mentioned there was a part of the seventh day of Pauls abode at Troas for if it were not so then he had staied at least a night longer and so more than seven dayes because he should have staied part of another day Secondly that this night was part of the Sabbath which they then kept For the Apostles keepe it in manner of a Sabbath in the exercises of piety and divine worship Answer This also suffereth just exception both in it selfe and in reference to the matter in hand it bindeth you yeeld because Gods command bindeth to obey the Churches just constitutions Consider it is Gods Command that bindeth and not the Churches but as it is Gods Now Gods Command bindeth equally and to despise Christ and despise him in his Apostles in as much as he saith He that despiseth you despiseth me is alike sinfull or what if it binde not equally to take your owne words if it bind enough to make the transgressor a sinner before God For this was never questioned whether the Master or Servant were the greater sinner in the servants working on the Sabbath Againe it bindeth equally by your owne doctrine because you say in pag. 43. lib. 1. it is of the Church guided by the Spirit of God unlesse you will say that the doctrine of the New Testament preached and written by men with the Holy Ghost sent downe from Heaven is of lesse binding power than the Ten Commandements delivered on Mount Sinai which runneth against not onely all Christian religion but also those Texts in speciall Heb. 2. 2 3. 12. CHAP. XXVIII Breerwood Pag. 43 44 45. BVt if you aske me how farre doth that constitution of the Church oblige the conscience I answere you as farre as it doth command you will desire no more further it cannot It cannot oblige farther than it doth ordaine it cannot bind the conscience for guiltinesse further than it doth for obedience because all guiltinesse both presuppose disobedience now that the Church ordained solemne assemblies of Christians to bee celebrated that day to the honour of God and in them the invocation of Gods holy name thankes-giving hearing of the holy Scriptures and receiving of the Sacraments is not denied It is out of question all antiquity affordeth plentifull remembrance of it But that it injoyneth that severe and exact vacation from all workes on the Lords day which the commandement of God required in the Iewes Sabaoth you will never prove It relisheth too much of the Iewish Ceremonies to be proved by Christian divinity for this is no proofe of it that the Lords day is succeeded in place of the Sabaoth or as some Divines tearme it as the heyre of the Sabaoth It is I say no proofe at all except it were established by the same authority and the observance of it charged with the same strictnesse of commandement for if it succeed the Sabaoth in place must it therefore succeed in equall precisenesse of observation So if the Pope succeedeth Peter in place
must he therefore succeede him in equality of power The Lords day therefore succeedeth the Sabaoth in the point of sanctification for celebration of the assemblies for the Church hath precisely commanded that but not in the point of exact and extreme vacation from every kind of worke for that the Church hath not commanded and so although the Lords day may well be tearmed the heire of the Sabaoth yet is it not ex asse haeres as the civill Lawyers speake It inheriteth not the whole right of the Sabaoth for that right and prerogative of the Sabaoth was not given to the Sabaoth and its heires it was no fee simple and if I may speake in the Lawyers stile it was onely a tenure for tearme of life namely during the life of the ceremoniall law which life ended in the death of our Saviour This reason therefore of the succession of the Lords day in place of the Sabaoth is no reason Answer First what was acknowledged by the Church as injoyned by the point of vacancie from all labour without the least rellish of Iewish ceremonies wee shall see in the next Chapter Here onely wee examine your supposed confutation of a reason to prove it which reason is this The Lords day is succeeded in the place of the Sabbath or as some say as Heire of the Sabbath therefore to bee kept Sabbath-like You confute it thus If it succeeds it in place must it succeede in equall precisenesse of observation No It succeeded in point of Sanctification not of exact vacation I reply your distinction is not distinct for if in Sanctification then in exact vacation namely vacation Sabbaticall for if in the end in the meanes necessary to that end and for that end ordained which is exact vacation so farre as it may further Sanctification Now for your playing on the termes about an Heire it is frivolous Secondly for your instance in the Pope succeeding Peter arguing from place to power it little conduceth to this matter for the Pope succeedeth not in place Apostolicall if he did I should not much doubt of his power Apostolicall Had there beene a certaine Commandement of God to shew that God in his eternall Law commanded his people to obey the Apostolicall place But by place you mean roome not Officiall function and then what kinne betweene your instance and the matter in hand CHAP. XXIX Breerwood Pag. 45 46 47. ANy other reason besides this or else authority which I might in your behalfe object to my selfe I know none worthy mentioning for the commandement of God as I have proved is not of this day The commandement of the Church is of this day but not of these workes neither will all the histories of the ancient Church nor canons of the ancient councels nor any other monuments or registers of antiquity afford you as I am certainely perswaded search them as curiously as you can record of any such constitution of the Church for the generall restraint of workes on the Lords day You may finde I know in some of the ancient Fathers much sounding the prerogative of that day as that it was a holy day in * Hist Eccles lib. 4. cap. 22. Eusebius a day of Christian emblies in * Apolog. 2. Iustin Martyr and a day of rejoycing in * Apolog. c. 16 Tertullian a festivall day in * Epi. ad mag Ignatius and some more of the like but doth any of all these import or imply a generall restraint a desistance from all worke No they doe not neither shall you finde in these nor in any other records of antiquity any constitutions of the Apostles and of the first Church extant to that effect no nor any relation or remembrance that such a constitution had ever beene made by them nay I finde cleare evidence to the contrary for would Constantine the Great that most holy Emperour and best nursing Father of Christian religion that ever Prince was would he I say have licensed by his decree the country people freely liberè liciteque are the words of the constitution to attend their sowing of graine setting of vines and other husbandry on the Lords day if those workes had beene forbidden by the commandement of God or decree of the Apostles and first Church Or would the Fathers in the councell of Laodicea one of the most ancient and approved councells of the Church inioyne the vacancy of the Lords day with this condition And if men can Certainely servants full ill can if they be constrained by their Masters to worke would they I say have added such a condition had it beene simply unlawfull for all sorts of people by the ancient sanctification of the first Church to doe any worke that day It appeareth therefore that there were no such universall constitutions of the Church The actuall forbearing of all workes by some Christians that day stand not on nor on the exhortations of some ancient Fathers to that purpose some remembrances of both are to be found I know but these are particular examples and perswasions constitutions of the Church they are not edicts of sundry Princes likewise and decrees of some provinciall councells are extant I confesse in record to the same effect and those are constitutions indeede but partly not of the Church partly not universall nor very ancient and therefore are no sanctions to oblige the whole Church which beside the law of God and decrees of the Apostles to whom the government of the whole Church by our Saviour was committed and the canons of the universall Synods no positive constitution can doe Answer Having made it evident that the Commandement of God stands in force for our Sabbath I might easily cast off all that you shall say to the end of your Discourse but to cleare and scoure the coast and make it apparant that what you say is nothing and all maketh for us who in this thing hold the Truth we proceede You say you finde nothing for the generall restraint of works on the Lords day in any Historie cannon monument and register of Antiquitie but cleare evidence to the contrarie First for the first let the places you alleage speake out that all may heare them and not be blindly huddled up That in Euseb l. 4. cap. 22. is a passage in the Epistle of Dionysius Bishop of Corinth to Soter Bishop of Rome concerning the accustomed reading of the Epistle of Clement to the Corinths in their publike assemblies on the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lords day of which hee saith thus Wee have spent or passed through to the end of it the Lords day to day an Holy day Now to spend the Lords day throughout an holy day is not to spend any of it in servile worke let Scripture Heathen writers and all men testifie this was done saith that Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After their ancient custome Iustin Martyr after he hath recorded all the duties of their publike assemblies addeth this having spoken in the
precedent words of the administration of the Lords Supper But we after those things for the remainder of the time doe ever remember one another of these things and those of us which have any thing helpe every one that wants and are alwayes together one with another A little after hee saith that the assemblies on that day were frequented of all in Citie and Countrie prayer preaching and the Sacrament was administred Collections for the poore which was after the assemblies distributed to the needy imprisoned stranger with the like whom they visited Tertullian in that 16 chapter of his Apologie against the Gentiles gives this as one cause of their conjecture that Christians worshipped the Sunne because they kept the Sunday Holy Wee give our selves to joy saith hee the Sunday for another farre wide reason than in honour of Diem solis laetitiae indulgemus the Sunne are we in the second place from them which appoint Saturday to idlenesse and feeding themselves also wandring from the Iewish custome which they know not What meaneth he hereby but that such a solemnitie is kept and ought to bee by Christians as should exceede in that kinde the feasts of the nations and Heathen as in his booke of Idolatrie chap. 14. he speaketh Ignatius speaketh enough to any man not prepossessed for he saith let every lover of Christ celebrate the Lords day as festivall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greek word signifieth a solemne festivall free from worke and workeday labour That others also of the ancients did understand this celebration to be with exact vacation is evident Saint Austin saith come ye to the Church every Lords day for if the unhappy Iewes doe celebrate the Sabbath with such devotion that in it no earthly workes were done how much more ought Christians to bee vacant to God alone on the Lords day and come together for the Salvation of their soules Againe Apostles and Apostolike men have therefore ordained that the Lords day be kept with religious solemnitie because in it our Redeemer arose from the Dead and which is therefore called the Lords day that in it abstaining from earthly affaires and the enticements of the world we may serve onely in divine worship That of Saint Clement is also worthy note neither on the Lords dayes which are dayes of joyfulnesse doe we grant any thing may be said or done besides holinesse Austin also in the sixt booke de Civitate Dei chap. 11. speaking of Seneca's scoffing at the Iewes Sabbath that they lost the seventh part of their time in vacancie addeth this Notwithstanding he durst not speake of the Christians even then most contrarie to the Iewes on either part lest either hee should praise them against the old custome of his owne Countrey or reprove them perhaps against his owne will Saint Austine likewise reproveth their telling of tales their slanders playing at dice and such unprofitable sports as if one part of the day were set apart for dutie to God and the rest of the day together with the night to their owne pleasures In the same place also he condemnes walking about the fields and woods when they should bee at Serm. 251. De Temp. Divine Service with clamour and laughter and saith the day must be sequestred a rurali opere ab omni negotio from countrey worke and all businesse that wee may give our selves wholly to the worship of God Saint Chrysostome speaking of the fitnesse of the Lords day for almes saith it is a convenient time to practise liberalitie with a ready and willing minde not onely in this regard but also because it hath rest remission freedome and vacation from labours Saint Ambrose q Ambros tom 3. Serm. 1. de granosinapis p. 225. reproving the peoples neglect of Church on the Lords dayes saith Whatsoever brother is not present at the Lords Sacraments of necessity he is with God a forsaker of the Divine truth For how can he excuse himselfe who preparing his dinner at home on the day of the Sacraments contemneth that heavenly Banket and taking care of the belly neglecteth the physicke of his soule The same Father in another place r Id. Serm. 33. pag. 259. tom 3. saith Let us all the day bee conversant in prayer or reading hee that cannot reade let him aske of some holy man that he may bee fed with his conference let no secular acts hinder divine acts let no Table-play carry away the mind let no pleasure of Dogs call away the senses let no dispatch of a businesse pervert the mind with covetousnesse True this Father in this place speaketh of a Fast but we know that a Fast and Sabbath are alike for the point of rest Saint ſ Hieron ad Rustich Dominicos dies orationi tantum lectionibus vacant Hierom also On the Lords day saith he they onely give themselves to prayer and reading Secondly now for your contrary evidences what if they also make for us You alleage a constitution of Constantines Iurge First the same Emperours Constitutions found in Ecclesiasticall Writers Eusebius in his life saith Wherefore he ordained that all that obeyed the Romane Empire should rest from all labour on the dayes that are called from our Saviours Name Further hee saith of this Christian Emperour He taught all his hoste to honour this day diligently those that partooke of the Divine Faith hee gave them leasure to frequent the Assemblies that no impediment should hinder their attendance on prayer but others that had no savor of Divine Doctrine hee gave charge of them by another Law that they should goe into the open fields of the Suburbs on the Lords day and that there altogether should use the same forme of prayer to God when asigne was given of some one of them for said he we ought not to use speares and place the hope of our affaires in weapons and bodily strength Sozomen in his tripartite history testifieth thus That day which is called the Lords day which the Hebrewes call the first day which the Grecians attribute to the Sunne and which is before the seventh day he ordained that all should cease from suites and other businesses and should onely bee occupied in prayers upon it t Sozom Hist Eccles tripert l. 1. c. 10. Behold Constantine against Constantine Secondly your Constitution is read Cod. l. 3. tit 12 l. 3. This Constitution was reversed by Leo the Emperour and another made in these words We ordaine according to the true meaning of the holy Ghost and of the Apostles thereby directed that on the sacred day wherein our integrity was restored all doe rest and surcease labour that neither husbandmen nor other on that day put their hands to forbidden workes for if the Iewes did so much reverence their Sabbath which was but a shadow of ours are not we which inhabit the light and truth of grace bound to honour that day which the Lord himselfe hath honoured and hath therein delivered
us both from dishonour and from death Are we not bound to keepe it singular and inviolable well contenting our selves with so liberall a grant of the rest and not incroaching upon that one which God hath chosen to his honour Were it not wretchlesse neglect of Religion to make that very day common and to thinke we may doe with it as with the rest The title of this Constitution is this u Iustin tom 3. p. 459. Leon. Iraper constit 54. Vt Dominicis diebus omnes ab operibus vacent That all men should cease from workes on the Lords dayes This Constitution of Leo is approved by Master Hooker x Hooker eccles polit l. 5. sect 71. pag. 385. and that of Constantine called an over-great facility under pretence of the miscarriage of the fruits of the earth by unseasonable weather Yet this may bee said for that renowned Emperour hee gave that as a concâ—ssory Law which proves nothing unlesse it bee the hardnesse of mens hearts So Moses permitted men to put away their wives and Aaron agreed to it and yet none can reason thence that they were not of Christs mind in that matter Say the same for Constantine The Councell of Laodicâ—a is abused by you in your Allegation thereof for the Canon of that Councell according to the Greeke is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Christians y Concil Laod. Can. 29. ought not to Iudaize and to rest on the Sabbath as they are Christians but if they be found to Iudaize let them be Anathema from Christ or with Christ The Annotation upon it is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deest Of this Originall I find three Latine Translations The first Quod non oportet Christianâ—s Iudaïzare ociari in Sabbato sed operarieos in eodem die preferentes autem in veneratione diem Dominicum si vacare voluerint ut Christiani hoc faciant quod si reperti fuerint Iudaïzare Anathe ma sint à Christo Thus in English z Translat Dionysâ—i exigui That Christians ought not to judaize and rest on the Sabbath but worke on that day and preferring the Lords day in reverence if they will bee vacant as Christians doe this thing but if they bee found to Iudaize let them be Anathema from Christ The second Non oportet Christianos Iudaïzare in Sabbatho vacare sed operari eos in eadem die Dominicam preponendo eidem diei si hoc eis placet vacent tanquam Christiani quod si inventi fuerint Iudaïzare Anathema sit In English a Translat Isidori Mercatoris Christians ought not to Iudaize and to surcease labour on the Sabbath but worke on that day preferring the Lords day before that day if this please them they may be vacant as Christians but if they be found to Iudaize let him be Anathema The third Quod non oportet Christianos Iudaïzare in Sabbato ociari sedipso eo die operari diem autem Dominicum preferentes ociari si modo possint ut Christiâ—â—os quod si inventi fuerint ut Iudaïzantes sint Anathema apud ChristuÌ„ b Gentianus Hervetus That Christians ought not to Iudaize and rest on the Sabbath but worke that day but preferring the Lords day they ought to rest as Christians if so be they can and if they bee found as Iudaizing let them be Anathema with Christ Here note three things first that the Sabbath here spoken of is Saturday which was the Iewes Sabbath Secondly that the last is by all acknowledged for the worst translation indeed they are all rather paraphrases and glosses than translations Thirdly the two first plainely carry this sense that provided they preferre the Lords day in honour and reverence above the Iewes Sabbath and that they doe not Iudaize if this please them they may rest the Saturday too And the last translation in my opinion and according to the pointing thereof as I find it in the Author foundeth thus preferring the Lords day they must rest if so be they can do it as Christians not as Iudaizers Now how the Iewes did rest on their Sabbath in those primitive times is cleare in Ignatius and others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In English as followeth Therefore saith that blessed Martyr c Ignat. epist ad Magnes let us not Sabbatize after the Iewish manner as rejoycing in idlenesse for he that doth not labour let him not eare for in the sweat of thy face thou shalt eate thy bread say the Oracles but let every of us keepe Sabbath spiritually rejoycing in the meditation of the Law not in the remission of the body admiring the workmanship of God not eating things of the day before nor drinking things lukewarme nor walking measured spaces nor rejoycing in dancings and mad shoutings and clappings of the hands and feet Now was it not needfull to say if they can they should rest the Lords day like Christians and not like Iewes in an idle wanton luxurious and lascivious rest which was rather idlenesse and sloth than rest rather madnesse like those that kept Bacchus Feast than rest But this Alleager taketh to the worst Translation and fasteneth upon that clause which by no meanes will bee admitted to your Tenet is no breach of any divine commandement What by freely May he doe it so he doe it with reluctancy What by every man Are some priviledged As the Tempter said to Eve Yea hath God said Ye shall not eate of every Tree of the Garden Some need no priviledge for some will not labour any day these need no such liberty to worke extraordinarily the Lords day your liberty were their bondage on any day or may some freely prophane it though not every man Or ordinary labour in none will prophane it Or will ordinarily labour in some prophane it but only extraordinary labour in other How too shall one know this ordinary and extraordinary labour apart What meane you to say Would I set at liberty because in your opinion there is no command of God to bind therfore can you bind and loose Secondly it is meet say you that all worldly affaires be abandoned that day and that it be dedicated wholly to the honor of God What meet to doe that which no Law of God of Apostles of universall Synods did ever require as you spake but now What is it meet for a present purpose To distill your poyson closely which shall runne like oyle into the bones of Church and Common-wealth and none stay it while the devout heart shall be put off with this flappe It is meet indeed It is meete that Christians should bee as devout in rest and sanctity on the Lords day as the Iewes on their Sabbath That is all one as to say according to what you have taught before that a man should be as devout in the commands of his owne heart as in Gods command for so you make it and in the precepts of men as in Gods what deifying is here of men
and vilifying of God Thirdly but what an argument is here The obligation of our thankefulnesse is more than theirs though the obligation of his commandement be lesse herein therefore the Christian should be more devout than the Iew. I had thought the commandement had bound to Devotion and the greater the more I had thought the Greatnesse of benefits whence the debt of thankfulnesse is greatned had increased the obligation of the commandement and our obedience to it But now you yeeld his commandement some what obligeth on our Sabbath though lesse when before you utterly denyed any breach of any divine commandement in laboring that day and so any obligation To strengthen this argument you expresse your wish that most religiously with all abstinence and all attendance it were kept Doe you wish this with all your heart and yet bend all your might to overthrow the commandement of God Would you or could you thinke that your wish should prevaile more than Apostolike truth Fourthly have wee in one breath these contradictory sentences No constitution of the Church obliging to the strict desisting from labour And the constitutions of some ancient Councels restraining that prophanation Fifthly you come in with the Edicts of Princes as one that would have the observation of the Lords day depend upon constitutions of the Church and Edicts of Princes only and so not to differ from another holy day Most wicked Popish worse than Popish and against all the famous lights ancient and moderne Or doe you mention Princes Edicts and Churches constitutions to glose with ours Ours detest your Tenet and you seeke herein to wound Church and Prince for how they hold of the Lords day that it is directly grounded on the fourth commandement appeareth in the Liturgie in the booke of Homilies and in the Statutes and godly Provisions for redresse of prophanations This is the Doctrine of our Church d Homil. of the place and time of prayer part 1. pag. 125. By this commandement speaking of the fourth wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from our lawfull and needfull workes For like as it appeareth by this commandement that no man in the sixe daies ought to bee slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that state wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekely and worke-day labour of these lawes to reject their commandements touching matter of worke or service on the Sabaoth or any other day Answer First I might put off all this still because it is upon this false ground that the Commandement of God doth not enjoyne our Sabbath with the like But I willingly goe on with you to see if there bee one true stitch through your whole Discourse And here before wee come to particulars h Though the Lawes of men should not take hold of servants in this case yet the Lawes of God doe let all note that that odious terme and calumniating phrase of Servants rebellion against their masters is your owne and commeth from an evill heart and crafty head We teach that Princes unlawfull commands are not to bee executed yet we teach not that any so commanded must rebell but not obey and be so farre from rebellion if it should be urged that hee suffer even to blood patiently without so much as reviling judging or the like but onely committing his cause to him that judgeth righteously But to come to your matter you hold First That the Churches Constitutions and the Edicts of Princes never intended to forbid light and labourlesse worke nor doe their censures take hold on men therefore Secondly against this what the Doctrine of our Church is you heard before which taught that God condemned all weekely and worke-day labour all common businesse and to give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises c. The doctrine of the Church of Ireland i Articles of Religion in a Synod at Dublin 1615. is consonant hereunto which teacheth thus The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day is wholly to be dedicated to the service of God and therefore wee are bound therein to rest from our common and daily businesse and to bestow that leasure upon holy exercises both publike and private In a Councell k Concilium Matiscon 2. c. 1. in the yeare 588. it was decreed that no worke on the Lords day bee done but the eyes and hands stretched out to God that whole day and that if a Countrey man or servant should neglect this wholesome Law he should bee beaten with more grievous strokes of Clubbes For these things saith that Councell pacifie God and remoove the judgements of diseases and barrennesse And againe understanding while they sate in the Councell l C. 4. that some absented themselves from the Assemblies they decreed under paine of Anathema that on all Lords dayes all both men and women received the Communion In another General Synod there was made this decree m Sancitum est ut domini in suis ditionibus diebus dominicis prohibeant nundiâ—as annuas sâ—ptimanales item conventicula in Tabernis compotationes alearum chartarum similes varios lusus concentus musicorum instrumentorum usum atque choreas Synod general Petricoviensis Anno 1578. It is ordained that the Lords in their severall dominions doe prohibit on the Lords dayes the yearely and weekely Faires also meetings in Tavernes Compotations or Gossipings Dice Cards and divers the like sports singing in Concents as now many in merry meetings have their singing of Catches and their roarings as they are called the use of musicall Instruments and Dancing In a Councell at Nice it was ordered that those who either kept Court bought or sold or otherwise prophaned the Sabbath should bee prohibited the Communion because that whole day we ought onely to rest and spread abroad our hands-in prayer to God n Toto hoc die tantummodò vacandum quia toto hoc die manus Deo expandendae Canutus o Canutus lege 14. 15. a King in this Land before the Conquest enacted in a Councell at Winchester that Sunday should be kept holy and Faires Courts Huntings and worldly workes on that day should be forborne Guntramnus p Praeceptio Guntramni ad Episcop dat in Concil Matiscon 2. King of France commanded that on the Lords day no bodily worke should be done besides what was prepared to eate to maintaine life conveniently Secondly you affirme that neither constitution of the Church nor edict of Princes doe free servants from their Masters power to command them to worke or their obedience to worke at their Masters command that day more than others Thirdly what the Doctrine of our Church is in this point is cleare in the Homily of the place and time of prayer delivered in these words Sithence which time meaning the time of our
Saviours ascension Gods people hath alwayes in all ages without any gaine-saying used to come together ken of which was the point of the Apostles doctrine I especially remembred you of That God I say which commanded and that doctrine which instructed servants to disobey their Masters and by depriving them of their service caused their hindrance The Apostle knew full well this was not the way to propagate the Gospell and enlarge the kingdome of Christ he knew it was Christian meekenes and obedience and humility and patience that must doe it and therefore hee commandeth Christian servants to give their masters all honour to obey them in all things and to please them in al things that so their masters seeing them more serviceable and profitable servants and withall more vertuous than others were might sooner be drawne to like of the religion that made them such whereas the contrary would have bin manifestly a scandall and grievous impeachment to the propagation of the Gospell and defamed it for a doctrine of contumacy and disobedience and for a seminary as it were of disturbance and sedition of families and common-wealths And not onely alienated the affections of masters from their Christian servants but inflamed all men with indignation and hatred against the Christian religion and the Professors of it Such therefore evidently is the importance and intendment of the Apostles doctrine as unpartiall men whom prejudice or selfe conceipt leads not away may soone discerne very farre differing from this doctrine of yours Touching which point of the Apostles instruction given to servants for this effectuall and generall obedience you will not reply I hope as some have done that at first indeede it was permitted for the good of the Church lest the increase of it and proceeding of the Gospell should be hindred by offence given to the Gentiles For would that have beene permitted if it had beene unlawfull Or could the Church of God bee increased by the sinnes of men His Church increased by that whereby himselfe was dishonoured Or would the Apostles have permitted men to sinne as now Iesuites do for the good of the Church nay exhorted and commanded to it who had himselfe expresly taught that wee must not doe evill that good may come of it No neither of both can bee because either of both were a staine and derogation to the righteousnesse of God the intention therefore of the Apostles was simple without all trickes of policie to teach servants all exact and entire obedience to their masters touching all workes that belong to the dutie of servants namely that were in themselves honest and lawfull without excepting of any day Answer First here you would prove your Tenet for servants obedience to their masters commands for worke on the Lords day even worke prohibited to bee more agreeable to the Apostles Doctrine than the contrary and to this end you alledge Texts to prove their obedience in al things to all masters at all times and thence conclude the answerablenesse of yours the unanswerablenesse of ours thereunto First object that you bring no proofe of Scripture to confirme this your universall obedience at all times viz. on the Sabbath day though you should have done it especially the doctrine of the Commandement touching cessation of worke lying so fully upon the servant If you reply that there is no exception of time I answer there is exception of obedience to unlawfull commands and such are workes otherwise lawfull enjoyned to bee done on the Sabbath and so we have equivalent exceptions to that of time Your ground therefore which you lay and say it is founded on Apostolike truth namely that Apostles permit servants no point of libertie but command them obedience without exception of master of labour or of time we thus impugne The Apostles Doctrine touching servants obedience doth admit of three limitations by themselves expressed First it must be an obedience in the Lord n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scholia that is according to the will of the Lord in all things in which godlinesse may not be overthrowne in all things provided that we admit of nothing against the Lord. If the masters covenant should crosse the covenant of the servant as he is a man and Christian to his God it is sinfull in the making if such should be made and worse in the keeping and alwayes voide ipso facto The ground of this limitation is this that all authoritie and superioritie is derived from God and subordinate to him therefore the command of an inferior power binds not to obedience when it is contrary to the precept of the superior power as Durand o Durand lib. 2. distinct 39. quaest 5. well noteth That therefore of Gregorie touching wives must bee held touching servants for ever p Sic placeat uxor voluntati conjugis ut non displiceat voluntati conditoris Let the wife so please the will of her husband that she doe not displease the Will of her Creator This limitation excepts the servants labour in servile worke on the Sabbath or Lords day Secondly it must bee an obedience wherein they abide with God in their service that is in the observation of the Commandements of God saith the ordinarie Glosse q Glossa interlin and saith Lyra r 1 Cor. 7. 20 24 Lyra. as farre as pertaines to those things which are not repugnant to the state of Faith thus also your doctrine is plainely condemned for God hath provided by his unchangeable Law that one day in seven the servants shall rest from their labour and with their master attend on God with whom there is neither master nor servant Thirdly yea but the master commands him to worke then otherwise indeede he ought not Nay the Apostles doctrine hath yet a third limitation That they be not the servants of men Vpon which place saith Chrysostome ſ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost tom 3. in 1 Cor. 7. 23. pag. 362. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. pag. 363. There are bounds set of God to servants and how farre they ought to keepe them this is also ordered by Law and they may not passe over them for when the master enjoyneth none of those things which are displeasing to God and disallowed hee ought to follow and obey but beyond this by no meanes for thus the servant is a free man And if thou yeeld any further although thou were free thou art become a slave This therefore he intimates saying bee yee not the servants of men And not farre after he briefly expounds it thus t Obey not men that command absurd things yea neither yeeld to their owne selves Are not these Commandements of the masters for servile worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 absurd and without place and footing in Gods Word are they not of things displeasing to God These these are the servants limits beyond which if hee passe hee is the servant of men even of mens humours and a very slave because hee
wrongfully for he is to be obedient to his lawfull commands that day and to his unjust corrections for the Lords sake which will breake the heart of any Master and winne him but your course would take away the very practice of religion in the servant for where is religion if the publike worship be gone Nor will this deprive them of their service but make them in higher esteeme as Ioseph was and the famous courtier Daniel for refusing to obey the king decree when Parasites shall bee loathed and cast out Yet if this should not alwaies be the Spirit of glory and of God will rest upon him that suffers in these cases If this bee the blasphemie wee must avoide we all are undone while we are saith Tertullian y let his name be blasphemed in the observation and Tertul. de Idolat ca. 14. not the exorbitation of discipline so long as we are proved not reproved this malediction of preserved discipline is the benediction of Gods Name This would propagate the Gospell as in Daniels case is to be seene and in the case of the three children This is absolute meekenesse obedience humilitie and patience and such servants for their vertue and the profit that commeth to their masters by their faithfull service in the times and seasons due and their unfained respect even when they receive wrong shall carry in the eyes of the vilest high respects and praise but if your course were held that the servant should neglect the assemblies to doe his masters worke on that day we speake of workes unlawfull to be done on the Sabbath and should carry an heart to God while his feete and hands carried him to his masters worke which is all one as if one should sweare with his tongue and thinke to keepe his heart unsworne then where is the solemne worship of God And that gone where is Religion And that gone what vertue And that gone what profitable service Masters that respect but their owne lucre can conne you little thankes for this doctrine Besides this were the scandall and defamation of the Gospell for ever that whereas all Religions teach the followers thereof a time for pietie with all attendance of body and soule for that time this Christian Religion should teach that the servant hath no time at all nor doth God require it of him but the contrary if his master will but bid him worke This can be no seminarie of disturbance or contumacie for he is subject to his masters power for correction so as not to resist in wrongfull sufferings but yours sheweth it manifestly while it leaveth a man in anothers hands against two such principles that when they have beene by tyrannie prest to goe against them rebellion hath ever followed The principles are these First God must bee solemnely and publikely worshipped and that on some times weekly in which hee is to bee attended upon without avocations Secondly that Nature sheweth the preservation of it selfe Now to go about to blot out sense of God religion to keepe men to taskes of insupportable burdens which nature breaketh under while it beares them this is the ready way to overturne all This alienates not masters from their Christian servants let the experience of all ages shew it In this nation the servants that make conscience of the Sabbath are sought after by all sober and wise masters that onely are wise for the world for these are those that will not be night-walkers nor drunkards nor filchers with the like I know none but choose such and greatly affect them and for their fidelity otherwise and industry give them great liberties for Gods worship True I have heard of some of our Gentry that will by no meanes have such a servant especially to waite on their persons or to be their Clerkes but one may easily smell the reason it is not for any matter of Sabbaths labour or rest but first there is a divellish principle amongst them that it is for their reputation to have their men such as will make the servant of their neighbour-Gentleman Answer First that the subjection due to men in respect of obedience to execute their commands extendeth only so farre as it may not diminish the empire of God hath been sufficiently proved but you call for antiquity to beare out the servant in refusing his masters commands of servile worke on the Lords day I shewed you before out of Chrysostome what he taught were the bounds which a servant might not passe namely the commandements of God if the master command ought against them he may by no meanes execute his masters command Tertullian b Tertul. lib. de Idolat c. 17. saith that if a servant doe but by some word helpe the sacrifice he shall be accounted a minister of the sinne of idolatry he speakes of them as attending on their masters and that the place Give to Casar the things that are Caesars binds no subject to keepe the daies consecrated to idoles nor to set up lights at their doores or Laurell branches on their doore posts And then saith further c Ibid. ca. 15. it is well added and to God the things that are Gods Vnto which lay but that which went before in Chapter 14. d Ibid. cap. 14. where hee saith the Ethnickes have every festivall day yeerely once the Christian hath his on the eight day lay these together I say according to the true meaning of that Author and it is cleare that the servant might not for his masters command keepe a day in honour to an idoll nor any way be minister of that sinne nor might he neglect the day consecrated in honour to God for his master Clemens Alexandrinus e Clemens Alex. stromat l. 4. hath these words Discipline is necessary to all sorts of men and vertue since all tend to felicity And after quotation of the texts in Ephes 5. Col. 3. and 4. He concludeth out of these Therefore it is manifest to us what the unitie that is of faith is and is shewed also who is perfect wherefore the servant and the woman shall professe philosophy be any against it and exceedingly resisting although punishment hang â—ver their heads from their masters and husbands The free man also though the tyrant threaten death to him though he be led to judgement and drawne to utmost torments and runne the hazzard of all his goods and fortunes shall by no meanes abstaine from piety and the true worship of God nor shall ever dissent from it the woman likewise which dwelleth with an evill husband and the sonne if he have an evill father or the servant that hath an evill master pursuing vertue with a valiant and generous mind But as it is comely and honest for the man to dye both for vertue and for liberty and for himselfe so also is it for the woman for this is not proper to the nature of males but of good folkes Therefore both old and young both woman and servant
was past therefore of a third rest hee must needs speake Lastly the Prophet gathered a perpetuall Rule and Law for marriage from the first example in the creation of married persons Mal. 2. 15. Made hee not one And wherefore one Because hee sought a godly seed So here did not God rest the seventh day but why the seventh that wee should sanctifie to God the seventh Yea but the Prophet made no such collection Yes such a one though not that very one And a greater than that Prophet God himselfe puts into us that very collection when he saith that he Rested and that he blessed and sanctified this his resting day Fourthly you would make good your conceite by shewing the needlesnesse of such a command when there was no toyle to the body nor distraction to the mind that called for Rest or sanctification one day in seven There was labour in Paradise Gen. 2. 15. And therefore there might bee need of a Rest There was danger of sinne in Paradise and therefore need of some speciall time by Gods ordinance and that time blessed of him to uphold the sanctification of the soule If you reply there was no such toyle in labour I answer it was no toyle to God to worke the sixe dayes and yet God rested the seventh Besides God that knew mans estate knew reasons for his commandement and therefore it is ill divining against the light of Gods truth And if it had beene but a commandement of triall man ought to have obeyed Fifthly hitherto of the eversion of your Tenet now for the Text in Gen. 2. 2 3. That the true sense of the words is this The Lord blessed the seventh day that is hee appointed it to be a Fountaine of blessing to the observers of that day and sanctified it That is Commanded it to be set apart by men from common businesses and applied to holy uses That this I say is the true sense not only the Hebrew and Greeke words do both give but the universall opinion of Divines ancient and moderne Cyprian writes thus e Cyprian de Spiritu Sancto sc edition Pamelianam Antuerp 1589. This sacred number of seven obtained authority from the creation of the World because the first workes of God were made in sixe daies and the seventh day was consecrated to rest as holy hallowing honored with the solemnity of abidding and entitled to the Spirit the Sanctifier Epiphanius speaketh thus of those words in the Gospell of Saint Luke It came to passe on the second first Sabbath f Epiphan advers Haeres lib. 2. tom 1. contra Hares Anoetâ—n Haeres 51. that the first Sabbath is that which was defined from the beginning and called so of the Lord in the Creation of the world which returneth by circuit according to the revolution of seven dayes from that time untill now but the second Sabbath is that which is described by the Law Origen answereth Celsus objecting against the History of the Creation that God like some Artificer that were wearied should need a resting and vacation in this manner g Origen contra Celsum lib. 6. fol. 81. Truely this man seeth not after the creation of the world as soone as the world was made what a one the day of the Sabbath and of God resting was in which both men rest to God and keep this day a festivall unto him which have dispatched their workes on the sixt day and because they let passe nothing that is urgent they ascend by contemplation to the feast day of the just and blessed men Chrysostome unfolds the Text in Genesis thus h Chrysost tomâ— in Gen. serm 10. sc edit Savilianam What is this and hee sanctified it he separated it Then the Divine Scripture teaching us the cause also for which it is said hee sanctified it addeth because in it he rested from all his workes which hee began to make Now hence God giveth to us darkely i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this instruction that we set apart and separate one day in the circuit of every weeke to the use of spirituall things for for this cause did the Lord finish all the fabricke of the world in six daies and honouring the seventh with his blessing sanctified it Hierome was of the mind that the k Hieron tradit Hebr. in Genes Sabbath was instituted in the beginning who reprehends the Iewes idlenesse on their Sabbath and empty rest in which yet they gloried from the example of God who in the beginning wrought on the day which he blessed and so brake the Sabbath in the Iewes sense Learned Mercerus upon this place following the choise and greatest Lights saith I doubt not but by the first fathers before the Law this day was solemne and sacred God himselfe being their teacher c. That the people of God might know that the Fathers observed it not of themselves but as taught of God to reteine them in the exercise of Gods worship Athanasius l Athanas de Sabbat circumcis also giveth his voice Who sheweth that that seventh day had its observation among all men of those generations from the creation to the resurrection of our Saviour Augustine was of this mind When God saith he m August ad Casul epist 86. sanctified the seventh day because in it he rested from all his works he expressed not any thing concerning the fast or dinner of the Sabbath The Fathers alledged by Gomarus that plead the Sabbath was not kept by the Fathers before Moses as Iustin Martyr Tertullian Irenaeus and Eusebius are to bee understood of the Ceremoniall observation thereof and so the Fathers were no observers of the Sabbath as those ancients rightly maintained against the Iewes and wee readily subscribe unto it and that they thus meant is apparent by some passages in their foresaid bookes Iustin Martyr in his Dialogue with Tryphon the Iew saith Neither thinke ye it grievous that we drinke some warme thing on the Sabbath seeing God also governeth the world on this day in like manner as he doth on other dayes And Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes saith That the temporall observation of the Sabbath ceaseth as it is a type Irenaeus also affirmeth in his booke against Heresies lib. 4. c. 3. That the precepts spoken by Gods owne voice receive not diminution but increase by our Saviours comming which precepts he saith were naturall liberall and common to all And in his 30. chap. of the same booke he saith That the godly Fathers had the substance of the Decalogue written in their hearts and soules and had in themselves the righteousnesse of the Law Beda therefore upon the sixt chapter of Luke maketh a distinction betweene the observation of the legall Sabbath and the liberty of the Naturall Sabbath which till Moses time was like other dayes See hee acknowledgeth a Naturall Sabbath under those first times of liberty Annexe to these the Iewish Doctors Philo thus openeth the Text
purpose which we intend I know not they are words of a disjoynted minde The fifth Section answered Concerning the authoritie that translated the Sabbath you say it is certaine that the translation thereof was actually and immediatly prescribed by the Church Deale ingenuously and shew me where if in Scripture then I answer that it was not immediatly prescribed by the Church for the Apostles were not Authors of the institution but Ministers of Christ and pen-men of the holy Ghost If in Ecclesiasticall writers I answer they all referre us to the Apostles and the Scriptures This opinion therefore is so farre from certaine that it is certainely false You say againe that certainely Christ never gave his Apostles particular charge of Instituting a new Sabbath either while hee conversed with them on Earth or afterwards by Revelation How know you this The Apostles delivered many things that the Evangelists did not set downe nor themselves expresly say they received them from the Lords mouth that they concealed Christs Command from the Church that is this particular expression in so many words that Christ commanded it this makes to prove it was given them in charge by Christ for else whē the Apostles enjoyned it they would have said of that their injunction as of other things x 1 Cor. 7. 6. 12. 25. We speake this by permission not by commandement wee have no commandement of the Lord but wee speake our judgement Herein speake wee not the Lord. This institution then to use your owne language of a new day of solemnitie in stead of the old Sabbath was of the exigence and necessitie of the Apostles commission not of the libertie The Apostles did nothing in ordering the Church but from Ioh 14. 26. and by Christ either by precept or by example or by divine inspiration It is out of question they had speciall warrant from Christ in expresse charge when you compare together their precept and practice with those two Texts Math. 28. 20. Act. 1. The first enjoyning the Apostles to teach what hee commanded and to teach and baptize in which ordinances teaching such things he would bee with them to the worlds end The latter declaring that Christ spake the things pertaining to the kingdome of God to his disciples in those fortie dayes before his assension For all that you say therefore it is certaine the Sabbath was translated by the same authoritie that first commanded it The Sixt Section answered First concerning that place in Matth. 24. 20. first you affirme that it is understood by all Divines of the old Sabbath by all the ancient without exception by all the latter for ought you know Could you know the judgement of the Ancients to be such because they held that there was a transgression of a law in hasting their flight on the Sabbath Did they hold thinke you that the fourth Commandement was in force then for the sanctifying of the Iewes Sabbath Or was there any other than the fourth Commandement which could bee transgressed by flight on the Sabbath Hierome saith That our Saviour bid them pray that their flight might not be in the winter nor on the Sabbath day because in the one the extremity of cold forbids to goe to the wildernesse and to lie hid in mountaines and desarts in the other there is either the transgression of the Law if they be willing to flie or imminent death if they abide Thus runneth also the ordinarie glosse and what a vaine boast is this concerning the judgement of the Ancients when they all almost give no other interpretation of that Text than what is Allegoricall as Origen Austine and others Many later Divines by Sabbath understand all inconveniences of flight caused by the necessary and enjoyned attendance on Gods worship This little favoureth your opinion and most understand the place of the Christian Sabbath And that this is the proper sense of the place will bee manifest to him that observeth three things First the persons to whom these words were spoken viz. to the Disciples privately and apart on the Mount of Olives vers 3. Secondly the time immediately before his death hee spake of that which should fall out fortie yeeres after Thirdly the intent of our Saviour which was to shew the great evils should then come to passe and the miserable exigents the enemies should put them to Now if it be not spoken of the Christian Sabbath what force could there bee in our Saviours speech saying pray that your flight bee not on the Sabbath who hereby intended to signifie that it should bee a singular griefe to them to flie on that day If the Sabbath had not beene in force what vexation had it beene to the Disciples to flie on that day more than any other nay it had beene an argument of comfort and our Saviour might have shewed them then that it was a singular mercie of God to them in such straites that now they were ridde of the obligation to the Sabbath and so might flie on that day as well as any of the rest otherwise they had more neede to have prayed for knowledge to see their libertie in Christ than to pray that they might not flie on such a Sabbath as should binde them but onely in their owne conceit Christ in this place acknowledgeth this day as His for it is manifest that this flight happened about forty yeares after when the Iewish Sabbath was gone As therefore when God gave to the people the Law of the Sabbath on Mount Sinai He said Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it Holy so the Lord Iesus in the Mount of Olives commands that they should studiously remember even in their Prayers the Christian Sabbath many yeeres before lest when the calamity came its holy rest should bee intercepted with the noyse of warlike tumults and with a tumultuary slight Secondly you say that to flie farre off on the Lords day in case of necessitie was never held unlawfull but on that Sabbath it was If it were not unlawfull to flie on the Lords day in such cases doth that make that it is not inconvenient and a griefe to a Christian heart to bee forced that day to forgoe the worship of God and misse the Lord in his ordinances and to taste that day of his heavie wrath in which he expects and uses to taste of his comforting and satiating blessings It was not unlawfull to flie in the winter yet it was needfull to pray that this flight might not then be and was it ever unlawfull in case of danger to flie on the Sabbath Have you forgot all while you eagerly pursue your owne phantasie The Iewes hold that being set upon by Theeves or enemies it was lawfull to flie that day as Rabbi Thanchuma teacheth in Ilmedenu 83. 4. the old rule amongst them is knowne to all Perill of life driveth away the Sabbath and as well knowne is their practice in the Maccabees The Sabbath-dayes journey was not an allowance in case of
the peoples edification it conferreth a speciall interest in Gods promises to ministers in the discharge of their function which are not few or of small effects The 25. Section answered What a childish exception is this Lastly after finally Could not you sue that finally ends the reasons against your demand and challenge of an answer and lastly concludes the letter Your spirit would not have spared Paul but have given him a jerke if hee had stood in your way In the Epistle to the Philippians he saith finally my brethren chap. 3. vers 1. and againe finally brethren chap. 4. vers 8. Why charge you him of singular boldnesse to Deceive others when yet your selfe never saw but one soule infected namely your kinsman pag. 80. And there too your sight failed you and your selfe acknowledged it a little before in pag. 95. And where is your zeale or charity to hide such a precious truth as you thought this to be and not to impart it to others for their good The conclusion of the Answer to the Reply But it may be the Publishers zeale charity was great and good he would not bury such a piece His zeale to the law to fire out one precept of the decalogue make God a lyar who said with lively voice ten commandements he gave his charity to servants that they might be under their masters and not under Gods command upon the day of the Dole of Gods grace and blessings chiefely spirituall His zeale to the Lord Christ so great as not to afford him his right in royalty over his own day His charity to M. Byfield that in such a distance of time found best opportunity to vent this hasty yet dead rotten and forgotten birth His charity to the Church that shee should be the Doner of such a gift out of a plenary power to elevate it to its Dignity worth and use and then bestow it on the Lord. His zeale to his owne promotion in the Church for can any think it some pure love to Master Byfield and not rather to his owne ends Balaams wages would guilt even Balaams way But I hope hee will find no Balaks in this famous Church His zeale and charity to Master Breerwood that would have none of his writings perish no not this which himselfe had buried in oblivion or else entombed his owne faith and promise before himselfe was interred for see I produce thee here a letter of his owne hand writing imprinted after the originall word for word which runneth thus To my approved very good Friend and loving Cosen Master Iohn Ratclyffe Alderman of Chester at his house in the North-gate-street give this with speed At Chester GOod Cosin I heartily salute you and your Wife and little Ones and beseech Almighty God to blesse both you and them I have received the money by Graunge with your Letter For the twenty pound I have sent my Mother an acquittance here inclosed which I pray you to deliver her There was thirteene pound over which I delivered to my Nephew Robert and willed him to have the like care of your discharge I heartily thanke you for your care and paines in my behalfe about the sending of that money Touching my Nephew Iohn whether he justly charged Master Byfield or no the one affirming and the other denying it let the just Iudge of all men and of all causes determine to whose sentence and the testimonies of their owne consciences I leave it Notwithstanding I thinke I had good reason to perswade me it was as my Nephew a a I thinke he should have beleeved Master Byfield before his Nephew said For first I saw he loved and respected Master Byfield very much Secondly as it seemed it came from him somewhat unwillingly as if hee was a fraid to procure Master Byfield any displeasure Thirdly other Chester men reported the like opinions to have growne in their servants and they laid the blame on him b b That vile aspersions were cast on Master Byfield at Chester by many loose persons there most unjustly and causelesly is a thing well knowne Fourthly I perceived by Master Byfields late letter his judgement was that works on the Sabbath those at least that might imply breach of Sabbath whatsoever workes those were ought not be performed by servants albeit their Masters commanded them Confounding as I thought many things unskillfully which should more carefully bee distinguished As first the persons to whom and the persons of whom the commandement was given Secondly the workes which servants do of their owne free motion and those which they doe by their masters imposition Thirdly the Lords day in relation to Gods commandement with the old Sabbath as also the breach of Sabbath with breach of the commandement of the Sabbath and the like And although you remember not for your part nor my Cosen your wife the proposing of any such case at your table where hee saith it was done c c Those at the Table testified there was no such Case proposed and answered yet Master Breerwood will by reasons perswade himselfe there was yet it is like he should best remeÌ„ber it whom it nearest touched that it should I say have deepest impression in his remembrance as it found deepest impression as it seemed in his Conscience Yet whether in truth the vexation of his conscience were the cause of that distemper or he made as you say a stratagem of religioÌ„ to cloke some other secret devise I am not able to determine but must referre it to him that is the searcher and Iudge of all secrets But yet I should be sorrie hee should adde that horrible hypocrisie to his other sinnes And yet d d This that followes overthroweth the force of all his former reasons and evinceth that Master Ratclyffs conjecture was more probable than Mâ—ster Breewoods as I dare not accuse him so neither am I able perfectly to cleare and excuse him of it for notwithstanding the outward shew and pretence hee continueth to make of religion more than ever hee did I saw withall his disobedience his disquietnesse his impatience his selfe-conceit his contempt of his friends and their counsell not to be continued only but increased Evill ensignes indeed as it seemes to mee of a sanctified and religious heart knowing as I doe the fruits of Gods spirit to be meeknes peace long-suffering gentlenesse and such like which can not inhabit with the other in one soule Gods holy will bee done in him whose mercy I daily by my prayers sollicite for him and in the infinitenesse of Gods mercy alone is all the remainders of my hope Now touching the difference betwixt Master Byfield and my selfe the prosecuting whereof you earnestly will me to cease you shall obtaine of me Cosen to cease were it a greater matter so there proceed from him no further cause to provoke mee Evill I wish him none at all not the falling of a haire from him although I have freely reprehended that
yeeld not the speciality to bee morall you turne out one commandement of the ten from being morall for all your generality for to say that this is the morality of the commandment no more that some time shuld be sequestred to divine worship maketh this commandment no more morall then the building of the Tabernacle or Temple is morall for therein this perpetuall will of God was shewed that some place must bee assigned for Church assemblies and publike worship By this also it will follow that the Papists that in their Catechismes render the fourth commandement thus keepe holy the festivall dayes doe render the full sâ—nse of it Which being yeelded this also will follow that you may aswell put it downe thus frequent the assemblies Moreover all the feast daies of the Iewes conteined this generall equity Lastly then God should in this command nothing to particular men because it is not in their power to institute these daies and so nothing shal be commanded to them further than what publike persons shall injoyne be it but one day in the yeere and for them neither is there any thing commanded in speciall and they sinne not if they appoint but one day in a Moone or if they appoint but one in a quarter then also the Feasts of Christs Nativity of Easter of Whitsontide c. are of equall authority with the Lords day which thing what eares can heare with patience These also are constitutions of the ancient primitive Church CHAP. XXV Breerwood Pag. 39 40 41. BVt what of that What if the consecration of the Sabaoth was by the Church translated to the first day of the weeke Was therefore the commandement of God translated also That that day ought to be observed under the same obligation with the Sabaoth For if the commandement of God were not translated by the Church together with the celebration from the seventh day to the first day then is working on the first no violation of Gods commandement Was the commandement of God then translated from the Sabaoth to the Lords day by the decree of the Church No the Church did it not let mee see the act The Church could not doe it let me see the authority the Church could not translate the commandement to the first day which God himselfe had namely limited to the seventh For could the Church make that Gods commandement which was not his commandement Gods commandment was to rest on the seventh day and worke on the first therefore to rest on the first and worke on the seventh was not his commandement For doth the same commandement of God enioyne both labour and rest on the same day is there fast and lose in the same commandement â—â—th God Thou shalt work on the first day saith that and worke â—â— the seventh saith this Can the Church make these the same commandement But say the Church hath this incredible and uncoâ—ceivable power Say it may forbid to worke on the first day by the vertue of the very same precept That doth neither expresly command or license to worke on that day Say that the Church of God may translate the commandement of God from one day to another at their pleasure did they it therefore I spake before of their authority whether they might doe it I enquire now of the act whether they did it did the Church I say ever constitute that the same obligation of Gods commandement which lay on the Iewes for keeping of the Sabaoth day should be translated and laid upon the Christians for keeping of the Lords day Did the Church this no no they did it not all the wit and learning in the World will not prove it Answer First this reasoning is on false grounds supposed as hath beene proved and therefore fals to the ground Secondly yet take their owne grounds If the Church have powre to translate the day and consecrate it a Sabbath they may have power and had so to translate the Commandement for the Commandement is but the consecration of the Sabbath and determination thereof to a certaine day And if they doe not translate the Commandement yet the Commandement stands in force for that day to which by just power they have translated the Sabbath For the Commandement is in force as a law of nature you confesse for the celebration of a Sabbath or else you deny a moralitie in any part of that Commandement but if that your moralitie stand as without doubt it doth then is working on that day equally a violation of the Commandement of God as working on the seventh from the creation for then it was sinfull because that day was then Sabbath and now it is so because this is now Sabbath Thirdly and for those quaeres let me see the Act Let me see the Authoritie as they may bee retorted to your conceite of their translating the seventh day and consecrating it a Sabbath so in the true sense of consecrating that day you have seen before the Act and Authority and may now see if you winke not that the Commandement is not translated but remaines the same it was namely to keepe holy the Sabbath day Neither is there a making of that Gods Commandement which was not his nor yet doth the commandment containe any impossibilities and contradictions Distingue tempora tolle dubia Distinguish the times and the doubts vanish the Commandement enjoyneth rest and holinesse Sabbath-like on the Lords Sabbath then that seventh day now this seventh day and of both is it true the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Then the seventh day was it and so enjoyned thereon Now the first day of the weeke and so enjoyned thereon Hence this reasoning is easily answered First God commanded to worke on the first and rest on the seventh therefore to rest on the first and work on the seventh was not his Commandement it was not then it is now moreover sixe dayes thou shalt worke doth not point out which sixe daies and the seventh day will containe both ours and theirs and their seventh they knew then by the worke of Creation as our seventh we know by the worke of Redemption For the authoritie and Act of the Church we need it not the Scripture as before hath saved the labour But that the act of this power was put forth the Church hath acknowledged and your selfe doe while you yeeld the first day consecrated Sabbath CHAP. XXVI Breerwood Pag. 41 42 43. Object BVt you may object if the old Sabaoth vanished and the commandement of God was limited and fixed to that day only then is one of Gods commandements perished Sol. I answere that the generality of that commandement to keepe a Sabaoth wherein God might be honoured was morall But the speciality of it namely to keepe 1 one day of seven 2 the seventh 3 one whole day 4 with precise vacancy from all worke were meerely ceremoniall the specialitie then of the commandements are vanished But for the generality of it it