to rest but that euen to rest froÌ„ labour though it be a meere worldly thing in it owne nature yet is a singular part of our obedience to God vpon that day when it is so many times required so often vrged and as it is neere pressed vpon vs with words doubled and tripled yea and that by God himselfe who is not flowing with words in a barren cause but sheweth vnto vs the waightines of his Commandement by the force of his words and the seueritie of his lawes by his most significant and patheticall speeches The reason why the Lord would haue men to rest vpon this day is manifold The chiefest cause of resting is that we might wholly attend vpon Gods worship the first and principall is that which was from the beginning that men might be the more fit to sanctifie it in the holy seruice of God which because they could not doe with all the powers of their soule and bodie as the worship of God requireth so long as they are about their worldly businesse because they must needes take vp their wits and their willes the vnderstanding and the heart either in whole or in part so long as they bee conuersant in them therefore that wee might so doe as hee requireth hee would haue vs rest from that which might hinder vs from it and because the affayres of this world and his worship are two distinct things he would haue vs rest from the one that we might bee occupied in the other Thus speaketh S. Augustine August de teÌ„p serm 251. Sciendum est fratres charissimi We must vnderstand dearly beloued brethren that it was therefore commanded not onely of our holie fathers as he saith there but of God that we should rest especially on the Lords day that ceasing from all worldly busines we might be more prompt and readie for the worship of God when we should haue no let to hinder vs from it For as wee haue seene alreadie our nature is not onely â—o now but was so in Adam that he could not doe both these at once and therefore as he was willed by God to sanctifie the seuenth day so he willed him therefore to rest from dressing the garden in that he called it a Sabbath day that is a day of rest and this reason as it did straightly binde Adam to rest vpon it so doth it all his posteritie much more Afterwards there were other causes adioyned vnto this which made this necessitie of resting a great deale stronger A lesse principâ—ll cause is the retayning of our bodily strength and by name for because that through sinne the bodie of man is weakened all the naturall humours of it being corrupted and hauing lost the first vigor and strength of it and therefore is now subiect to paine to wearisomnes to sicknes and to death and so standeth in neede of ease and craueth rest as that without the which it cannot long continue therfore in respect of this men had need to rest so much the more that by the rest of the seuenth day they being refeshed might bee more enabled euen in the strength of their bodies to do the works of their calling cheerefully Adam and his posteritie if they had continued in their first estate should haue labored vpon the sixe daies but their labour should haue bin no labour vnto them I meane they should not haue laboured with wearisomnes and with payne for these are the punishments of sinne and the forerunners of death threatning a dissollution of the bodie in time but then there should haue been no death yet they were bound to this rest for the forenamed cause but now when as besides that labour is through Gods iust punishment become so laboursome vnto vs and work is so full of paine and trauaile maketh wearie according as it is sayd In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate bread Gen. 3.19 then wee see there is greater cause we should rest on this day and we are as it were with a double chaine bound vnto it Therefore in thâ— 5 of Deut. where Moses repeateth the law shewing hâ—â— great cause there is why they should rest vpon the Sabbath he alleadgeth this in the end of the 14. verse that thy manseruant and thy mayd may rest as well as thou speaking of them who as they are most subiect to labor so therefore doe most of all stand in need of this benefite of rest Afterwards when this law was giuen to the Iewes by the hand of Moses as in the obseruation of it they had many Ceremonies proper to themselues so in the ende and cause of this rest there was something ioyned vnto it which bound them vnto it most straightly and yet appertaining to no other people but them and though all the people in the world were equally bound to rest vpon the Sabbath day and there was great reason to binde euery one of them vnto it yet the Iewes had moe reasons then any other and in their rest was some speciall consideration which could not enforce or compell any other but themselues And of this nature is that whereof Moses speaketh in the next verse of this very chapter Deut. 5.15 Remember that thou wast a seruant in the Land of Aegypt and that the Lorde thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to observe the sabbath day The Iewes were bound to it more specially for a memorial of their deliuerance out of Egypt and a seale of their deliueraÌ„ce by Christ In which place he maketh the day of rest to bee a memoriall to the Iewes of their resting from their heauie burthens and intolerable labours in the land of Egypt when the Lorde ridde them out of the cruell hands of Pharaoh and so because that benefite was a pledge vnto them of their eternall deliuerie and redemption by Christ from sinne and the miserable thraldome of it euen the Lord did assure them of it by this miraculous deliuerance according to the manner of teaching in those times wherein the truth of this doctrine was not so plainely reuealed therefore this rest also vpon the sabbath was vnto them a type and figure of that eternall rest from sinne which they should haue by the Messiah and the one was most liuely shadowed out vnto them in the other for these causes also were they bound to rest vpon the sabbath which bound none but them because they onely were partakers of the redemption from Egypt wherein they onely were in bondage and so to rest vpon it that in resting they might both thankefully remember the happie and often desired rest from the endles worke in Egypt that oppressed them which none other could doe but they and also with faith to meditate vpon the hoped and eternall rest from the deadly workes of sinne in themselues by Christ and to behold the performance of the one in the other euen the bodie in
the ignorant to admonish the vnruly to bring home them that goe astray to bind vp the broken hearted to strengthen the feeble to encourage theÌ„ that be occupied in well doing and in one worde so to helpe them in the lesse that the chiefe and principall bee not neglected wherein true loue especially doth consist and wherein the Lord is serued of vs most of all And this is that which is spoken of our Sauiour Christ in the place aboue mentioned that hee not onely healed the woman vpon the Sabbath of her bodily disease Luk. 13.16 but deliuered her from the chaynes of the diuell with which she had beene long held For it is euident in the Gospell that besides the infirmitie of her body there was an extraordinary worke of Sathan wherby as she was strangely possessed so it wrought in her many strong passions from all which she being deliuered by Christ Iesus receiued euen in that especialy the most mercy at his hands Therefore among al the works of God we must be persuaded that this is none of the least to shewe mercie vnto the distressed soules of our brethren for this is the mercy of the most mercifull euen Christ Iesus himselfe from whom as we haue receiued many great mercies so none to this that he hath redeemed our soules from eternall destruction and when we were sunke downe into the bottomlesse pit of all misery hee came thither in vnspeakable loue to fetch vs out and reconciled vs to his Father and hath made vs heires of euerlasting life And let vs be so much more mindfull of this duetie by how much the fewest in the worlde doe thinke of it no not they that otherwise are mindfull to shewe mercy in all outward things And thus wee see that none can bee exempted from these dueties for though euery one cannot goe into the houses of the poore neither is it meete that some should because of their personages and calling yet they may make enquirie of them and send vnto them and exhort others to do the like and pray for them and may with their equals haue such profitable conferences that they may shewe great mercy to their soules by drawing them neerer to the kingdome of heauen and drawing them further off from the pit of hell And they that be poore and therfore it may be imagined they can shew no mercy at all for they haue not wherewith must first of all consider Mark 12.43 the poore widowe that gaue but two mytes how it was accepted and that the Lord accepteth of euery one not according to his deedes but according to his good will and secondarily that if they will instruct admonish comfort their brethren and pray for them they shall shewe the greatest mercy vnto them that may bee and doe that worke which is most acceptable vnto God and therefore most peculiar to the Sabbath So then that we might be persuaded of the excellency of this duty aboue all others let vs coâ—sider of that which the spirite of God speaketh of it Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And indeede all our profession is nothing and the shew of religion that we make is vaine except it bring forth these fruites in vs as the same Apostle witnesseth Chap. 1 27. Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowe in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Not that there is no religion but this but that by these fruits it shall appeare whether our religion be good or no and whether we be profitably occupied therein or no euen when all the publike and priuate exercises of the same doe prepare vs to shew mercy vnto our brethren and make vs more fitte thereunto Therefore whereas wee haue seene in the former part of this treatise that notwithstanding the precise commandement of resting such dueties were permitted as the preseâ—t necessitie of any creature did require now wee doe furâ—her vnderstand that they be by the commandement of God necessarily laid vpon vs that they are in the number of those works of God which that we might wholly doe we are commanded to rest from our owne All superiours ought to be carefull that their inferiours do keepe holy the day as well as themselues Now the Lord would not onely haue vs to keepe holy the Sabbath our selues in all the partes of his worshippe publike and priuate which wee haue seene heretofore but also that euery one shoud in his seueral place and roome carefully take order that so many as bee committed to his charge should sanctifie the daye as well as himselfe which though it be true in all other commandements namely that whatsoeuer we are bound to do our selues we must bee meanes to further other in doing the same because the loue of God and of our neighbours spreadeth it selfe ouer all the commaundements and therefore though it be not expressed it is necessarily vnderstood yet in this commaundement it is so much the more required because besides the analogie and proportion betweene it and the other commandements doth inforce it the very words themselues doe bind vs thereunto For when it is said Thou and thy sonne thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maide though he speaketh by name onely of resting vpon the Sabbath yet because the ende of that is that the day might be sanctified looke howe many reasons we haue seene before binding the inferiours to rest and the superiours to prouide that they doe so indeed so many are there compelling them to sanctifie the day in their own persons and in so manie as belong vnto them Therefore when first of all it is generally sayde in the commandement Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy and afterwards The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is which must bee dedicated vnto his seruice and in the end you must therefore rest that you might serue him in it as hee requireth and then nameth the seuerall parties that should rest his meaning is to declare vnto them the right ende of their resting and so speaking by name to the gouernours saying Thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maid the stranger that is within thy gates to shewe vnto them that it is not sufficient for them to looke that they vnder their gouernement should rest vnlesse they sanctifie the day of rest also which they must be so much carefull of by how much the sanctification of the day is greater theÌ„ the ceasing to worke vpon it as the end whereunto this is but referred and therefore if it bee a sinne in them at any time not to haue a sufficient regard vnto them that they do not worke then
reuised mine owne labours in which hauing at the first contented my selfe with the bare proofes out of the scriptures which I then thought sufficient especially for that auditorie to whome they were first ment did now compare the seuerall positions therein contained with the doctrine of former times and other Churches as I found the same set downe in the writings of the fathers Greeke and Latine new and olde so many as I had or could conueniently get and as I had time to reade them whom I finding to agree with me in the same points or rather my selfe with them was thereby the rather confirmed therin and thought that by their testimony and consent as it were by the pillar of truth I might sustaine and defend the same against al those that should oppugne or gainsay it Thus hauing so many learned men on my side managing the same cause with me or rather my selfe fighting vnder their colours haue at the last brought foorth this treatise vnto the view of the world and haue adventured it vnto 〈◊〉 the censures and speeches of all men wherin as I haue sought the â—â—ory of GOD in the publishing of his truth so I pray the same â—ord to maintaine defend and blesse the same so far foorth as it 〈◊〉 his trueth And here derely beloued in the Lorde as I haue â—â—imply and as it were with a naked breast declared vnto you the â—auses of my beginning and proceeding in this worke and that I â—aue not rashly and on the sodaine fallen into these opinions and â—hrust foorth my selfe into the world so I most humbly craue of â—ou this fauoure that all preiudice and sinister affection being â—ayd aside al things might be weighed in an euen ballance before they be refused as not hauing their iust weight euen there where they might cary some shew of vntruth according to the Canoniâ—all rule of the Apostle much more that al friuolous wranglings contentions gaine saying ambitious desire to ouercome and peruerse drawing of things to a wrong sense beeing forborne where I seeme to erre as I acknowledge my selfe subiecte vnto it I might charitably and Christianly bee admonished by your godly wisdomes that so I might also either by better proofes second the truth or els vpon more mature deliberation retract mine errour â—f there be anie For I doe most willingly submit my selfe vnto the Church of God by it in all things to bee censured and reformed according to his word Which I doe so much the more earnestly entreate at your hands because besides the conscience of my great vnsufficiency to deale in so weightie a matter before so many hundreths as the Lord in our time hath raysed vp fit for euery purpose I am not ignorant that this argument of the Sabbath is full of controuersie aboue many other points of diuinitie wherein many learned godly men dissent one from another which as I was perswaded of at the first so now of late since I attempted the â—ublishing of this booke I haue founde it to bee true by a most â—nwilling experience euen among those who for their great vaâ—ietie of all learning deserue singularly to bee admired And â—â—ough it were to be wished that we should be like minded being â—â—one accord and of one iudgement yet seeing wee are men and haue but our measure of knowledge and that in euerie thing and so may easily dissent in that whereunto wee are come let vs proceede by one rule and if any be otherwise minded GOD shall reueale the same vnto him Thus commending my selfe vnto your praiers and these my labours vnto your fauourable good liking I bid you most heartily farewell in the Lorde who keepe vs alwaies his and one anothers in Christ Norton in Suffolke Iune 27. 1595. next after the yeare of Gods heauie and vnknowen iudgements by sundrie tempestes continued and renewed of boysterons windes great raine and outrage of waters fearefull thunders and lightnings pintching dearth and vntimely fruits to the destruction and losse of men cattell and goods Your dutifull brother and fellow seruant in the Gospel of Christ NICHOLAS BOVVNDE The first booke shewing the Institution and necessarie Continuance of the Sabbath and from what seuerall things we are commanded to rest vpon that day Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holie 9. Sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke 10. But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy manseruant nor thy mayd nor thy beast nor the stranger that is within thy gates 11. For in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth and the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day wherefore the Lord blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it AS in the first Commandement the substance of Gods worship is set downe and in the second the manner of it in the third the end so here the time when and how long this should be openly and publikly thus practised In giuing of which Commandement the Lord vseth such manner of words and matter as might most stirre vs vp to the carefull keeping of it for in the practise of it consisteth the practise of all the other and in the neglect of it is the neglect of all religion Our naturall corruption rebellion therefore against this Commandement especially appeareth in that the Lord stirreth vs vp to it so many wayes yea in the first pronouncing of it How this CoÌ„mandement differeth from all the rest For first whereas in the other Commandements he contenteth himselfe with bare commanding this or forbidding that yet to this he putteth an especial marke saying Remember that is thinke of it afore hand for indeed the want of remembring it in due time is many times one cause that it is no better obserued when it commeth And in Deuter. Deut. 5.12 Moses repeating the Law forgetteth not this word but vseth another of like importance saying Obserue or looke vnto the Sabbath to sanctifie it and further addeth As the Lord thy God commandeth thee referring them to the first giuing of it yea euen in this marking Secondarily in all the other Commandements when he simply forbiddeth a sinne it is to be vnderstood that he commandeth the contrary vertue though not expressed and when he willeth the good to be done he forbiddeth the contrary euill though it bee not named as wee haue seene in expounding the other Commandements yet in this not onely the good is plainly commaunded Keepe holy the Sabbath day but the euill is expresly forbidden In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke Thirdly it differeth from all other Commandements in that the Lord hath adioyned more reasons to it then to any other because our nature is most against the obseruation of it for whereas some Commandements haue no reason at all ioyned vnto them and especially in the second table in which our nature is not so corrupt
I shuld obstinately coÌ„tend with any where â—he Lord hath giuen any authoritie to his Church ordiâ—arily and perpetually to sanctifie any day except that â—hich he hath sanctified himselfe For I holde this with â—ther learned men as a principle in diuinitie that it belonâ—â—th onely to God to sanctifie the day as it belongeth to him to sanctifie any other thing to his owne worship Muscul loc com praecept 4. Deus est qui sanctificat sayth Musculus Jt is God that doth sanctifie that is who of common or prophane thinges makes holy it is duetie religiously to obserue according to his word the things that are sanctified of him nostrae potestatis non est sanctificare it is not in our power to make holy at our pleasure the things that God hath not sanctified if any man shall attempt it hee not onely therein is superstitions and not religious but also doth therein chalenge that to himselfe by a rashnes that cannot be excused which belongeth onely vnto God And as wee know not how to worship him but that we are sure by his worde that hee hath sanctified such and such things to that end namely hath appointed the preaching of his word the administration of the Sacraments and calling vpon his name for that purpose and therefore in vsing of these we promise our selues to be blessed of him for he hath himselfe established them by his owne mouth and therefore his blessing must needes accompany them So at what time we should neglect all other things and wholly apply our selues vnto these wee are wholly ignorant but that we know he hath sanctified the seuenth day and blessed it for this cause and it was as needfull for the Lord in respect of our selues to tell vs which was the day as to tell vs that there ought to be a day and so much the more by how much our nature is more corrupt in one then in the other For all they which either by the light of reason or knowledge of Gods worde haue attained to this trueth that there ought to be a day seuered from the rest to this ende yet haue not gone so farre with one consent to set downe this very seuenth day For that I might not speake of the Gentiles who kept so many holydaies as we know they did yet could not away with the Sabbath of the Iewes which was vpon the seuenth the very practise of the Papists doth declare how blinde wee are in this matter who vnto the seuenth day which the Lord hath sanctified haue adioyned so many other daies as the second third or fourth day of the weeke and all of them indifferently as they fall out and made them equal with the seuenth in sanctifying of them nay many times preferring them aboue it in that they haue appointed a more solemn kind of seruice vpon some of theÌ„ then vpoÌ„ the seuenth and iudging it a greater sinne to trauell or worke vpon some of them then vpon the seuenth wherin yea if their religion were good they could not ordinarily looke for such a blessing of God as vpon the other Besides there bee other who iustly condemning the Papists for this intrusion of dayes yet are persuaded not onely that the day which wee nowe keepe may bee changed by the Church without any offence but that the number of seuen may bee altered contrary to that which hath continued from the beginning Therefore we must needes acknowledge it to be the singular wisedome and mercy of God towardes his Church thus by sanctifiyng the seuenth day to ende the strife For as we see in Gods seruice when men goe away from his word there is no end of deuising that which hee alloweth not and they fall vpon euery thing sauing vpon that they should so in appointing the day if wee be not ruled by the worde wee shall find by experience that euery day will seeme more conuenient to vs then that at leastwise we shall seeme to haue as good reason to keepe any other as the seuenth Now seeing it appertaineth onely vnto God to blesse vs It belongeth onely to God to sanctifie any creature it caÌ„not belong to any but him to appoint the meanes whereby hee will conuey this blessing vnto vs and hee hath not onely sanctified the meanes but hath especially blessed the seuenth day for those purposes and dealing with it we deale with that which hath an especiall blessing vpon it for our sakes For this cause we vse in the sacraments the water the bread the wine rather then any other thing in the world we look assuredly to receiue that blessing from these creatures which we cannot from any other because GOD hath sanctified them for this purpose and hath put that rich blessing vpon them for our good which no other creature hath vnder the sunne In so much that if any one would minister or receiue the Sacraments in any other elements then these he should not finde that blessing of the forgiuenes of sinnes and newnes of life which the Lorde doth by these meanes conuey vnto his Church For as no man in the worlde can of himselfe make this promise vnto men that they shall bee washed and clensed from their sinnes by the bloud of Christ and that by his body and bloud they shall be nourished in soule and in body vnto euerlasting life so none in the worlde can appoint out the meanes whereby God will conuey these inestimable treasures vnto vs put vs into the possession of them and make vs assured of them which when himselfe hath done wee cheerefully looke for that good from them because hee is faithfull and true that hath sayd hee hath thus blessed them for vs. In regard of which as the Iewes did faithfully keepe that seueth day to the end which they knew by the word which onely God blessed and sanctified for their vse so it was vnlawfull for them to change it for any other because they had not that warrant that they should be specially blessed vnto them as they had for this which being that very day vpon which the Lorde himselfe rested from all his worke which hee made hee did therefore blesse this seuenth day and sanctified it Gen 2.2 because that in it hee had rested from all his worke that God had created and made to that ende that they obseruing that day rather then any other might therein bee made like to their creator and might shewe by their practise that they worshipped him whom they knew euen him that as he had made an especiall couenant with them to saue them so he was able to doe it for it was euen hee who when he had made the whole worlde in sixe daies rested vpon the seuenth and therefore sanctified it and none but that that this work of his might be had in an euerlasting remembrance And when all the Gentiles round about sayd that they worshipped euery one of them the true God and yet they did not thus knowe him
by his word and by his works and therefore made him but am Idoll they by their practise in obseruing that seuenth day did shewe that they did know him aright and so made him knowne vnto others the glorie of which worke had beene obscured and darkened if they had changed the number of that day which the Lord in wisedome left to his Church to bee obserucd in the policie and discipline of it when hee might haue appointed some other that so the benefit of our creation might alwaies with praise be remembred in the Church according as it is said in the words of the commaundement In sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth Exod. 20.11 the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which in the verse going before hee calleth the seuenth day Thus we learne that God did not onely blesse it but blesse it for this cause and so wee see that the Sabbath must needs be still vpon the seuenth day as it alwaies hath beene But now concerning this very speciall seuenth day Why we keep another seuenth day and not that which was from the beginning that now we keepe in the time of the Gospell that is well knowne that it is not the same it was from the beginning which God himselfe did sanctifie and whereof hee speaketh in this Commandement for it was the day going before ours which in latine retaineth his ancient name and is called the Sabbath which we also grant Dies Sabbathi but so that we confesse it must alwaies remaine neuer to be changed any more and that all men must keepe holy this seuenth day and none other which was vnto them not the seuenth but the first day of the weeke as it is so called many times in the new Testament and so it still standeth in force that we are bound vnto the seuenth day though not vnto that very seuenth Concerning the time and persons by whom and when the day was changed it appeareth in the new Testament that it was done in the time of the Apostles by the Apostles themselues and that together with the day the name was changed and was in the beginning called the first day of the weeke afterwards the Lords day It was changed in the Apostles time Acts 20.7 Now that it was changed in the Apostles time it appeareth by that which we reade in the Acts. The first day of the weeke the disciples being come together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued the preaching vnto midnight In which Scripture we see that now at this time the Churches in some places vsed to haue their publique assemblies vpon this day and that all the parts of Gods worship proper to the Sabbath were exercised vpon this day as the preaching of the word receiuing the sacraments and common prayer and that the Apostles consented to the practise of this for Paul preached at this generall meeting And it appeareth by the circumstance of the story that this was then ordinarie though not in all places at the first for this meeting was not vpon this speciall presence of Paul for hee had taryed there now seuen dayes in all but they met to receiue the sacrament as it may bee gathered that it was an vsuall thing in the Church to receiue it euery sabbath and vpon this occasion Paul preached and because hee was to depart on the next daye and so they knew not when they should heare him againe therefore hee continued preaching so long as hee did Vnto which may be adioyned that which he writeth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 16.2 Euery first daye of the weeke let euery one of you put aside by himselfe and lay vp as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come where he willeth them to do that vpon this day which is most agreeable to the sabbath Namely to gather for the poore which is the fittest day for that purpose and therefore no doubt chosen out by the Apostle both for that reason he alleageth that the weeke being ended and a man seeing how God hath blessed him in it hee might accordingly extend his liberalitie and chiefly because it ought to be then when wen heare the word that by it they might be most of all stirred vp vnto it and are made partakers of the Sacraments and prayers of the Church and so thereby receiue most mercies at Gods hand that out of their abundance they might supply the necessitie of others Seeing then in the wisedome of the spirite it seemed good vnto the Apostle that there should bee a common gathering among the Corinthians as well as among others for the persecuted Saints we must needes presume of him that hee did chuse out the fittest time to further so waightie a matter and wee haue heard that that is the most conuenient time when the Church being met together they are ocupied in so many parts of Gods seruice which might moue their hearts to greatest pity and liberalitie and seeing hee appointeth this collection to be made the first day of the week we may be most assured that this day was allotted out vnto all the forenamed things among them also though they bee not here specefied in expresse words especially when wee haue the like alreadie in the place of the Acts aboue mentioned And vnto this practise of theirs the Apostle consenteth and as it were giueth his voice for hee willeth them to doe it vpon the day All which doe shewe at least wise thus much that this alteration and change was made in the time of the Apostles and while they liued the Sabbath day of the Iewes by little and little wearing away with the rest of the Iewish worship Neither could so great a matter be done all at once anl generally be practised in euery Church together seeing the Magistrates were not then Christians and so they could not haue the help of ciuill authoritie for the establishing of this constitution by lawe compelling all men thereunto but as the Gospell did enlarge it selfe further spread abroad men did willingly giue their names vnto it so they did consent vnto this exchange as vnto other decrees of the Church M. Fox in Apoc 1.10 Vnto this agree all the learned Master Foxe that worthie historiographer and diuine as hee alleadgeth it out of Saint Augustine sayth Hereby wee doe vnderstand that the first institution of the Lords day Vel ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus c. Is deriued euen from the very Apostles time vnto vs. Sozom. eccles hist lib. 1. cap. 8. Therefore whereas Sozomene in his ecclesiasticall historie reporteth that the first Christian Emperour Constantine the great did by law establish the Lords day which was of the Gentiles called Sunday as he saith Master Bullinger saith it is to be vnderstood that he Bulling in Apoc concio 4.
day wherein the redemption and the second and the newe world was ended Euen as not only Iustine Martyr doth ioyne both these together when hee sheweth that in his time the Church did publikely meet vpon this day Iustin. Mart. Apolog. 2. doth because it was the first day wherin God beganne to make the world and also because vpon that day Iesus Christ our Sauiour did rise froÌ„ the dead but also Saint Augustine speaking many excellent things in the commendation of this day August de teÌ„p serm 251. ioyneth these together It is apparant that this day is famous in the scriptures seeing it was the first day of the world and the day of Christs resurrection And so the memory of the one doth not put out the glory of the other but being added vnto it as a further honour doth increase the dignitie of it so much the more euen as Iacob was more renowmed of God when he was also called Israell Gen. 32.28 Thus we doe conclude this matter in one word that this very day which the Church obserueth in all places is that which must endure to the end of the world as hauing his authoritie not from man but from God himselfe and is that very day which is now commended vnto vs in the commandement And now all these things being thus premised which of necessitie must first haue beene spoken of the order and time and my purpose requireth that I should according to your expectation proceede in the wordes of the coÌ„mandement it selfe as it was first pronounced by the Lord froÌ„ heaueÌ„ after written by Moses in the 20. chap. of Exodus ver 8. Diuision of the text into the commandement and the reasons of it Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy c. to the ende of the 11. verse In all which words we haue two principall things to consider of the first is the commandement it selfe in the 8. verse the other is the reasons which are vsed to persuade men vnto the obedience of it in the other three verses Concerning the commandement it selfe as it consisteth of two wordes as it were so in the true vnderstanding of them two consisteth the whole meaning of the commandment The first is the Sabbath day or day of rest which wee are willed to remember the second is the sanctification of the Sabbaâ—h or keeping holy the day of rest which we are willed to be carefull of The Sabbath day As by it is noted out one speciall day namely the seuenth as it is afterwards declared The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God yet because it hath the name of the nature of it for it is so called because of the rest that is proper vnto it it doth shew vnto vs The first thing in the commaÌ„dement is to rest vpon the seuenth day what is the first thing required in this commandement namely that vpon the seuenth day we should rest for the Sabbath day in the first tongue wherein it was pronounced and written signifieth as much as the day of rest yet so as that in the beginning it was the proper name of the seuenth day because there were no other dayes of rest appointed by God but onely that But afterwardes when the Lorde gaue vnto the Iewes the ceremoniall law hee appointed also vnto them certaine other daies in the yeare as appeareth in the bookes of Moses and is well knowne vnto men in which he commanded them to rest and to keepe them holy therefore they hauing the nature of the first and onely Sabbath are called in the scriptures Sabbath daies as the yearely day of purifiyng and clensing the people as it is set downe in Leuiticus Leuit. 13.31 is called a Sabbath because that in it they were commanded to doe as vpon the Sabbath according as it is written The tenth day of the seuenth month you shall humble your soules and doe no worke at all this shall bee a Sabbath of Rest vnto you And so the first and last day of euery other feast had the same name because it was of the same nature whereunto the Apostle hath respect Colos 2.16 Let no man therefore condenme you in meate and drink or in respect of an holyday or of the newe Moone of the Sabbaths speaking of many in the plural number where hee proueth that Christ hath set vs free from all the ceremonies of the Iewes and that they are in no wise to be a dioyned vnto the Gospell in so much that we are not bound to that distinction of meates and daies that they were no not of the Sabbath daies neither to keepe that one which we do in that manner and to that end that they did in euery point neither to keepe the other Sabbath dayes at all which they had Thus generally the name of Sabbath was giuen vnto euery day of rest but principall and in it owne nature it noted out that Sabbath day which was the seuenth and more improperly by a tropicall speech that was made common to all the other But yet so as that alwaies the name did declare the nature of it and doth shewe vnto as that the Lords requireth of vs that vpon that day wee should rest indeede For though it bee not alwaies true among men who may be deceiued that the things which they name haue those properties in them which their names doe import as when Dauid named his sonne Absalom he was nothing lesse then his fathers peace yet when the lord giueth names vnto things who fully knoweth what is the nature of euery thing and maketh it to bee that which hee calleth it it is alwaies true that the name is not frustrate and idle making a shewe of more then the thing can affoord and therefore as when he named the child that should be borne of the Virgin Mary Iesus he made him a Sauiour indeede according to his name so when he called the seuenth day a Sabbath day he willed and commanded that men shoul rest vpon it and that men can no more take away rest from it then they may alter and change the name of it And that there ought to be a most notable and singular rest vpon this day A very exact and precise rest must then be kept and that it should be nothing els but a day of rest and though men may rest vpon the other sixe daies for their benefite and good yet that the rest vpon this must be a most carefull exact and precise rest after an other manner then men for the most part doe performe it appeareth very plainly in the scripture where besides the manifold Commandements of keeping the Sabbath which is a day of rest this very thing is so particularly and so often and in such expresse words vrged and repeated that men should then rest As Exod. 16. Exod. 16.23 when he would perswade the people to rest vpon the seuenth day from gathering and preparing Manna he telleth them
the Vniuersities Hereupon it commeth to passe that many of the best people can say no more then they haue heard and they will alleadge that thus they haue been taught but how to vse that they know not nay they forget a great deale of that which they haue learned So then as it is in the common prouerbe not the greatest Clerkes are alwaies the wisest men nor they that haue most knowledge are alwaies fittest to gouerne but they who labour to bring their knowledge into practise and applie it vnto the time by comparing things past with theÌ„ that be present and foreseeing as much as they can what will followe afterward So not the greatest hearers and readers of the word are the godliest men and like to doe most good vnto themselues and others but the greatest musers and meditatours thereupon and they are like to bee so much the more profitable because that whereas reading indeede doth better our affections but most of al doth increase our knowledge this so increaseth knowledge in vs as that it especially breedeth good affections in vs and quickeneth them vp most effectually wheÌ„ they be begun before and we know that our affections be as it were the feete of our soules and doe more carrie vs to euery thing then our knowledge Therefore seeing the profite of meditation is so great and the neglect of it bringeth so great losse it standeth vs in hand that so all the parts of Gods publike worship might be as profitable to vs as they be in their owne nature that we should not only prepare our selues to them before we come as wee haue seene heretofore but also diligently meditate vpoÌ„ euery thing done in the Church afterwards But I pray you let vs consider of it a little further and so we shall soone and this matter let vs presume the best â—eacheth that is hauing a scholer of a most excellent wit very apt to receiue any thing that is taught yet if he doe not vse to meditate vpon that which hath been read vnto him what great learning can he attaine vnto nay how little hope must there needes be of him How much more then must it of necessitie bee that wee being so blind and dull of conceiuing in Gods worship as wee be should not be vnprofitable partakers of euery thing that is done most profitably in the Church when wee neglect meditation that is the chiefest thing to keepe it and to bring it vnto profit Therefore vs be sorie that in times past we haue made the seruice of God vpon the Sabbath day so vnprofitable to our owne soules as wee haue done by neglecting this part of Gods worship vpon it which as it is most worthie in it selfe so would haue brought great commoditie to our selues and let vs purpose hereafter that wee will not passe away the Sabbath without godly meditations and that this shall bee one thing wherein will spend the time that we haue free from the publike exercise in meditation of things read and heard before and let vs pray vnto God for his holie spirit that we may performe our godly purposes The which that wee might doe euery one of vs to the greatest profite let tho simpler sort consider this An example to teach the simpler sort how to meditate for whose sake I speake it which the learned knowe very well alreadie that when they will meditate they must so call things into their remembrance as that they stay not there but then applying the same further vnto themselues they consider whether it was a vertue that was commended vnto them then to examine whether they finde it in themselues or no if yea then giue thanks to God for it and vse them meanes to continue it seeing it it so excellent if no then be sorrie for it and pray to God that he might giue it if it be a sinne condemned if you finde in your selfe present or that it hath been in times past then whether you haue â—epeniâ—d you of it sufficiently and pray to God for the forgiuenes of it if not giue thankes to God that hath kept you from it and beware least you fall into it hereafter seeing it is so dangerous If they bee the promises of God that haue been preached unto you then coÌ„sider how you beleeue them and what comfort you take in them and labour to enioy them If they bee the threatnings of Gods iudgements looke vnto this what feare is wrought in you thereby hatred of sinne to anoyd them euen as the promises doe bring forth a loue vnto godlines with a great many meditations more which the spirit of God will teach vs if we pray to him for it and bee acquainted with this exercise all which for breuities fake I omit only these I haue set downe as a taste to leade vs vnto the rest and least that any thing should be left for want of vnderstanding euen of the rudest I had rather seeme tedious trouble some to the learned of whom I am to craue pardon that I haue been so long in this matter then obscure and vnprofitable to the other For I mine owne selfe would not haue thought that the professors of the word lead so neglected this duetie as they haue and were so ignorant in it and therefore so vprofitable in all Gods seruice as I know many of them bo vntil I found it to be most true by that certaine experience which I am sorrie for Therefore to conclude wee may well perceiue what great reason there is that we should account this to be one of those priuat exercises whereby we should sanctifie the Sabbath and keep it holy as we are commanded vnto which wee must adioyne as another part of Gods seruice We ought priuatly to conferre and talke of Gods word one with another and a most excellent helpe of our infrimities the conferring and talking with other of that which wee haue in the word read or heard especially seeing both it is commended vnto vs in the scripture and also by experience we shall finde the profit of it to be so great to our selues and others For first of all this is that which Moses so earnestly commendeth into the Israelites before his death These words which I commaund this day Deut. 6.6 shall be in thine heart 7. And thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp Then the which charge nothing can bee more plaine as it is most vehement For he would haue them all times and in all places to bee occupied about the wife and sober talking of Gods word The which is afterwards repeated almost in the very same words as a thing especially to bee regarded Ye shall reach these my words vnto your children Chap. 11.19 speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the
to bee regarded vpon the Lords day appeareth by that which Moses speaketh of it Deut. 5.14 The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not doe any worke therein thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy manseruant nor thy maidseruant nor thy oxe nor thy asse neither any of thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates that thy manseruant and thy maidseruant may rest as well as thou Where he maketh this a reason why rest is vpon the Sabbath day especially to bee giuen vnto all that are imployed vnto any bodily labour euen vnto the dumbe beast that they might be eased thereby without the which their estate were too intollerable And therefore it appeareth that the Lord would haue men exercised vnto pitie vpon this day most of all when by his Prophet he perswadeth them to ease their seruaÌ„ts cattel of their labour vpon this day least otherwise by continuance they should be most cruelly oppressed Whereunto agreeth that which is most plaine to conceiue and forcible to moue Exod. 23.12 Sixe daies shalt thou labour to doe thy worke and in the seuenth day shalt thou rest that thine oxe and thine asse may rest and the sonne of thy maid and the stranger may bee refreshed Where besides that it is to be obserued that in the former part of the chapter hee speaketh of shewing mercie and compassion as to the poore man in his cause to the enemies oxe going astray to his asse lying vnder his burden to him that is wrongfully oppressed to the stranger that is farre from his owne countrie and friends and to the fields and vineyards that they might rest vpon the seuenth yeare for the benefite of the poore and the cattell as may most euidently appeare vnto him that will but reade the text and then adioyneth this vnto it as that which is of the like nature and kind the words themselues that he vseth in setting of it downe doe sufficiently declare that mercy must be especially regarded vpon this day when hee reckoneth so many by name that most of all stande in neede of it and would haue them to rest because otherwise they cannot sufficiently bee refreshed and drawe their breath with ease as it were euen as the worde doth import as hath beene declared before Hereupon the Prophet Ieremie speaking of sanctifying the Sabbath Iere. 17.21.22 requireth of them that they shuld set their seruants free from their burdens and their worke By all which it may be most certainely gathered that all louing kindnes and pitie is to be shewed vnto our brethren as at all other times so most of all vpon the Sabbath and more then after an vsuall manner when it is one of the ends why it was ordayned by GOD and therefore the thing whereunto we ought to haue an especiall regard most of all if we consider the practise of it in the whole new Testament For it is written of our Sauiour Christ by the Euangelists in the Gospell that vsually hee vpon the Sabbath daies visited the sicke healed the cripples restored the blind to their sight and doth not onely defend his doings herein by the law against the cauils of his aduersaries but also leaueth his owne example in this to be our president and patterne to followe whereof that is a proof that Saint Iohn testifieth in many words There was a feast of the Iewes Iohn 5.1 and Iesus went vp to Ierusalem 2. And there is by the sheepe market a poole called in Hebrue Bethesda hauing fiue portes 3. In the which lay a great multitude of people of sicke folke of blinde halt and withered wayting for the moouing of the water 4. For an Angell went downe at a certaine time into the poole and troubled the water whosoeuer then first after the stirring of the water stepped in was healed of whatsoeuer disease hee had 5. And a certaine man was there which had beene diseased eight and thirtie yeares 6. When Iesus sawe him lye and knew that hee now long time had beene diseased he said vnto him wilt thou be made whole 7. The sicke man answered him Sir I haue no man to put mee into the poole when the water is troubled but while I am comming another steppeth downe before mee 8. Iesus sayd vnto him Rise take vp thy bed and walke and the same day was the Sabbath Where wee see that our Sauiour Christ commeth of purpose to the place where a great many of impotent and diseased people vsed to lie vpon the Sabbath and healed one of them And in the seuenth chapter he defendeth this fact of his saying Chap. 7.23 If a man vpon the Sabbath receiue circumcision that the lawe of Moses should not be broken be ye angrie with me because I haue made a man euery whit whole on the Sabbath day If the law of circumcision doe bind men to minister and receiue it vpon the Sabbath then much more doth the lawe of loue bind men to shewe mercy vpon the Sabbath seeing that it is appointed of God not to hinder vs from but to further vs in all his works among which the relieuing of them that bee in necessitie is one of the chiefe and principall And as the Lord Iesus Christ came not to destroy the lawe but to fulfill it Math. 5.17 so hee obserued it very carefully in this poynt and being most full of compassion did declare it aboundantly by taking all oportunitie to succour them that were in miserie euen vpon the Sabbath as the fittest time for it For this is that also which Saint Luke reporteth of him in his gospel That he taught in one of the Synagogues on the Sabbath day 11. Luk. 13.10 And beholde there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeâ—res was bowed together and could not lift vp her selfe in any wise 12. When Iesus saw her hee called her to him and saide to her Woman thou art loosed from thy disease 13. And he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight againe and glorified God 14. And the ruler of the Synagogue was mooued with indignation because that Iesus had healed on the Sabbath day and sayd vnto the people there are sixe dayes in which men ought to worke in them therefore come and be healed not on the Sabbath day 15. Then answered him the Lorde and sayd Hypocrite doth not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose his oxe or his asse from the stall and leade him away to the water 16. And ought not this daughter of Abraham whome Sathan hath bound loe eighteene yeares be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day Where we doe euidently see that Iesus Christ not onely in wonderfull great pitie vnto this long diseased creature bestoweth the benefite of health vpon her but also when as the rulers of the Synagogue either through a grosse ignorance or palpable hypocrisie did find fault with it as a
worke altogether impertinent to that daye he doth iustifie it and sheweth that it is most proper vnto it because it is the day of shewing mercy and therefore if men do nay ought to loose the oxe to the water much more might he loose the daughter of God from her infirmitie of soule and bodie And hee doth not so much dispute what he might do as shew what euery one ought to doe For if it were a breach of the Sabbath to neglect any duty to the other creatures then much more to withdraw our hand from our brethren when they doe stande in neede of our helpe And in the Chapter immediatlie following when hee had healed a man of the dropsie vpon the Sabbath daye he proueth the lawfulnes of the fact by the like reason It came to passe that when Iesus was entered into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisies vpon the Sabbath day to eate bread Luke 14.1 they watched him 2. And behold there was a certaine man before him which had the dropsie 3. Then Iesus answering spake vnto the expounders of the law and Pharisies saying is it lawfull to heale vppon the Sabbath daye 4. And they held their peace Then he tooke him and healed him and let him goe 5. And answered them saying which of you shall haue an oxe or an asse fallen into a pitte and will not straight way pull him out on the Sabbath daye 6. And they could not answer him againe to these things But the time would not serue to stand vpon all the places which shew that this is a peculiar work of the Sabbath to helpe the helpelesse to strengthen the weake succour them that are in necessitie thereby to shew that wee are well perswaded of the loue of our heauenly father when wee are so readie to shew our loue to the rest of his children our brethren I will therefore conclude with that which is set downe by Mathew That Iesus went into a synagogue 10. Matth. 12.10 And beholde there was a man which had his hand dryed vp and they asked him saying Is it lawful to heale vpon the Sabbath day That they might accuse him 11. And he answered them and sayd what man shall there be among you that shall haue a sheepe and if it fall on the Sabbath daye into a pitte will not he take it and lift it out 12. How much more then is a man better then a sheepe Therefore it is lawfull to doe wel on the Sabbath day 13. Then said he to the man stretch forth thy hand and hee stretched it forth and it was made whole as the other In all which places we may note that it is alwaies precisely noted that Christ Iesus did all these mercifull deeds vpon the Sabbath thereby to declare how parte of sanctifying the day consisteth in them and also how the men of this worlde did finde faulte with them which sheweth how farre they are from dooing any such things themselues and that the Lord Christ doth replie vpon them with such reasons as generally concerne all men to the ende that they might knowe that they were not things properlie belonging to himselfe but generally to be followed of all men Vnto this may bee referred the making of peace betweene man and man especiallie that wee should seeke peace our selues and take it when it is offered Whereunto it seemeth the lawes of the Emperours had respect when they commande not onlie that the courtes should be shut vp but also Respirent à controuersijs litigantes Le. finali C. de ferijs Let the parties leaue of all controuersies and haue a time of peace Ad sese simul veniant Let them come one to another let them be sorrie and repent one to another let them make peace and agreement and speake of compounding the matter among themselues And in thus doing they should shew great pitie to others and to themselues whereas otherwise by endlesse suites they many times most cruelly begger one another Therefore in fewe wordes this is the thing that we haue to remember in this place that we ought to be ready to helpe all that bee in need according to our habilitie and their necessitie and by our presence and other helpes to bee as comfortable to them as may bee inlarging the bowels of compassion towards them and putting the same affection vpon vs which is in them euen for the Lordes sake who hath shewed mercie vnto vs and whose creatures they be and so make it the Lord his work Which that we might do so much the rather We ought to visite them that be in miserie it is profitable for vs to goe vnto them which cannot come to vs to looke vpon them which cannot see vs and to heare them speake that many times crie haue none to heare them that the lamentable spectacle of their miserie might mooue our hard hearts to pittie them and in pittie to helpe them so much the more willinglie for though the things that wee heare may touch vs greatlie yet nothing in comparison of that which wee see that is the sense of mouing especially in so much that though we may partlie gesse of our selues what is the great extremitie of others and partlie vnderstand it by the true reporte of them that haue seene it and so bee moued to helpe yet nothing so much as when wee haue been at them our selues and seene the ruines of their houses and the nakednes of their bodies the hardnes of their lodging the thinnesse of their dyet and hard fare when wee haue beheld these with our eyes and touched the colde irons of the prisoners and marked the vneasie stockes that they are locked vnto and the lothsome dungeons that they lye in and haue been eyewitnesses of their extreame torments and grieuous diseases then if our hearts be not as hard as flint and if wee haue not put off all brotherlie kindnes and forgotten that we be men our bowels may begin to yearne vpon them and that which was in vs but a sparckle of loue before shal breake out into a great flame the heate whereof shall comfort them and that one droppe of compassion which was before in vs shall multiplie it selfe into a great riuer the streame whereof shall refresh the heauie heart and dryed soule of our brother M. Bucer speaking of the works of this day amongst other saith Visitare infirmos to visite the sicke Bucer in Matth. 12.11 For as beggers when they would haue men to pitie them lay open their sores because that though things be neuer so great in themselues yet til they bee seen we wil hardly beleeue them therefore we doe the poore wrong manie times in iudging their estate to bee better then it is so therby is shewed what is the nature of all that if we will shew mercy to others so cheerefullie as we should we must visite them in their necessitie and not turne our eyes away from beholding their neede And
the promises of this life and the life to come So then by all this it may most euidently appeare both by the words of the commandement and by the practise of the best men in the old and new Testament that this duetie is layd vpon all householders diligently to ouersee the wayes of their familie that they serue God as in all other dueties so especially in sanctifying the Sabbath as they will answere to the contrarie at their perill to him that hath put them in authoritie and as they will giue an account for their soules which otherwise might perish through their default Which though it bee so seuerely inioyned in all men But in our time it is for the most part wholly neglected and vnder so great a paine layd vpon them yet it is so generally neglected of the greatest part that we may rather complaine of it iustly with griefe then haue any hope of the speedie reforming of it For besides that a great many haue no care to sanctifie the day themselues and therefore cannot with any conscience require it of their seruants and children but either set them to worke or to play and to do any thing vpon that day sauing that which they should and doe encourage them thereunto by their owne ill example and words there be others also who though they seeme to haue some care to keepe holie the day themselues and haue indeede yet either through ignorance or negligence do not once looke to their housholde whether they come to Church or no and sit there attentiuely and continue there with profit to the ending nor how they spend the rest of the day but being demaunded where their seruants were how chance they came not to Church c. they answere securely and as they thinke sufficiently as though it were a thing meerely impertinēt vnto them that they cannot tell they do not hinder them from the Church they may come if they will and they are of age to looke to themselues and they are past boyes now and I cannot tell what But they must consider besides that which hath been alreadie spoken concerning this matter that they do too foolishly and grosly imagine to stoppe as it were the mouth of the Lord with that simple answere in his busines which they will not receiue at their seruants hands in their owne For in the sixe dayes when their seruants are in their owne busines they will not let them come and goe at their owne pleasure and content themselues with a bare imagination that they be at their workes but will be sure of it and therfore set them to it looke vpon them in the doing of it call them to an account for it which if it bee well done in themselues because they knowe otherwise they will be negligent how must it not needes then bee a great vnthankfulnes in them vnto God that vpon his day which is but one among seuen his seruice should be so slenderly looked vnto that there is no such diligence vsed towards their seruants that they might performe it And how must it not needes be a great iniurie to their seruants who are naturally for the most part more negligent and carelesse in Gods seruice by reason of their corruption then they can be in the seruice of men to bee depriued of that benefit of their gouernours which is the chiefest and for which cause especially they are committed to their gouernment namely to be furthered by thē in the seruice of God but vse them more like beasts then men euen that they might be seruiceable vnto them and then care not whether they serue God or the diuell We know that seruants looke to be preferred by their masters and so there is good reason when they haue serued them faithfully but what kinde of rewarde is this that when they haue bestowed some earthly benefit vpon them by hauing no care to make them serue the Lord and sanctifie his Sabbaths doe in the ende not onely make them lose the euerlasting reward but preserue them to eternall destruction Moreouer there are a companie of idle seruing men who being brought vp idly all the sixe dayes and in thē hauing nothing at all to doe and are neuer almost looked after vpon the seuenth day are as idle Especially in great households where there are many seruants and as little regarded as vpon the other and as they neuer almost doe any good dayes worke to their masters for they haue nothing to doe so much lesse doe they spend any Sabbath in the Lords seruice but they especially are left to goe and come at their will Others that haue any office of great charge and attendance as the Cookes and Butlers such like in great houses seldome or neuer come to the Church and that but by peeces either when halfe is done or els they are readie to depart before halfe bee ended and so both hinder the Lord from that seruice which he should haue by them and them from that blessing which they should inherit this way and both cause the name of God to be ill spoken of and pul vpon themselues and them that curse which belongeth to the continual polluting of the Sabbath And how can they looke that that seruice and that meate and drinke should doe them good which is thus prepared and bought as it were with the continuall daunger of the soules of their seruants besides the dishonour of the name of God When Dauid had inconsideratly desired to drinke of the water of Bethleem three mightie men brake into the hoste of the Philistines and drew water and brought it to him but he would not drinke thereof but powred it for an offring to the Lord and sayd 2. Sam. 23.15.16 O Lord be it farre from me that I should doe thus is not this the bloud of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues How much lesse then ought men to eate and drinke that for which their seruants doe venture the liues of their soules And besides if we doe iustly finde fault with them who doe neuer or seldome preach to the people committed to their charge and so cause their soules to starue and dye eternally how can they be blameles who seldome or neuer bring their seruants to the preaching of the word And must they not needes be culpable of the same iudgement before God seeing it is all one with the seruants whether they liue in the places where the word of God is not preached at al or if it be yet they come not vnto it Obiection But where as men are readie to obiect that in a great familie many must needs be absent Answer I grant it to be true in some part that is at some time and vpon some occasion but so ordinarily and so continually as they themselues in their owne consciences are priuie of who make this obiection I know no necessitie that can excuse that Nay I am sure that the Lord hath layd no
as hauing the light of it shining more cleerely within vs for the preseruation of the societie of mankinde in Common-wealths as Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale c. yet in the first table in which we are as blind as beetles euery Commandement hath some reason annexed vnto it As in the first The first Commandement hath one reâ—son ioyned to it I the Lord am thy God which brought thee out of c. Where because of that mercifull Couenant that he hath made with vs to blesse vs in all things eternally which as he first made it in Christ so he confirmed it in our miraculous Redemption wrought by him whereof the deliuerance out of Egypt was a type and figure therefore he requireth that wee should serue him with all that wee haue and none but him and so that we should take him only to be our God And the third Commandement one In the third Commandement there is one reason vsed namely that the Lord will most assuredly and seuerely punish all them that do dishonor his name and therefore we are charged not at any time to empaire his credit but rather most highly to aduance it as the very end wherefore we were first created Yet the second Commandement is more fortified The seconde CommandemeÌ„t hath two and hath as it were a double barre I meane tvvo reasons as against the which the vanitie of our reason and crookednes of our heart hath yet more appeared in so cunningly deuising and willingly embracing so many kinds of false religion neither conceiuing nor liking that true manner of Gods seruice which he hath prescribed in his holie word And therefore as he requireth that neither in an Image nor in any thing els deuised by vs we should serue him but according to his owne wisedome and wil made knowne vnto vs in his written word so he first wil plentifully reward in mercie euen to the thousand generation them that shall in loue thus serue him according to his Commandement and secondarily howsoeuer passing ouer many other sinnes yet as a louing and iealous husband will prosecute to the full the punishment of that spirituall adulterie whereby the hatred vnto God appeareth in that the heart is stolen away from him by a false worship But yet in this fourth Commandement the Lord goeth beyond all that hath been spoken The 4. Commandement hath three and bindeth vs vp with a threefold cord that can hardly be broken For he setteth downe three reasons not onely to commend vnto vs the excellencie and to shew the necessitie of keeping of it but also to giue vs to vnderstand how rebellious and corrupt our nature is here especially As it is indeed for many are not perswaded that there should be any day at all kept others doe not agree vpon the day which it should be some preferre other daies before it or make them equall with it they that are otherwise minded yet are not established in the precise resting and straight ceasing from so many things as God requireth much lesse doe men agree vpon the publike and priuate manner of sanctifying and keeping it holie Therefore the Lord doth not onely command it but also first sheweth vs the equitie of it in that he hath giuen vs sixe daies to be occupied in for our selues and therefore it is good reason that we should rest vpon the seuenth to attend vpon his busines as it were Secondarily we should doe it so much the rather because he hath gone before vs in his owne example who therefore rested vpon the seuenth day when he had created the whole world in sixe that wee thereby might the rather be allured vnto that order which he was purposed to establish namely that wee should rest vpon the 7. day from our owne works as God did from his and so be like vnto our Creator Thirdly and most especially that we should doe thus because God hath bestowed an especiall blessing vpon this day distinct from the rest euen the blessing of sanctification and therefore it is not lawfull for vs to vse it to any other end but to this holie sanctified end for which God in the beginning created it The fourth difference of this commandement from all the rest Last of all whereas all the other Commandements are giuen forth in such manner of words as binde onely our selues Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine Thou shalt not steale c. though I grant that more is implyed and they not only binde vs thus to looke to our selues but to so many also as bee committed to our â—â—arge the Lord hauing giuen vs authoritie ouerthem â—â—at we might see them practise all the lawes of both Taâ—â—les so much as lyeth in vs yet I say much is not exâ—ressed in the deliuerie of them but in this Commandement in expresse words God speaketh to vs and chargeth vs with the care not onely of our selues but others â—lso saying Thou and thy son thy daughter thy manseruaÌ„t thy maidseruaÌ„t thy cattell the stranger that is within thy gates Thus we see how many waies this CoÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is charged vpon vs by the Lord how straightly he requireth it at our haÌ„ds how in the very giuing of it al things are ioyned vnto it by God himself that might commend â—â—t vnto vs with greatest credite and care of obedience It remaineth that wee should see That the Sabbath ought to be continued what are the speciall things contained in it but first of all it is needfull to proue vnto you that the Sabbath ought still to be continued with vs because without this perswasion all doctrine or exhortation tending to the true manner of sanctifying it falleth to the ground and is vnfruitfull First of all therefore it appeareth in the storie of Genesis that it was from the beginning Gen. 2.3 and that the seuenth day was sanctified at the first so soone as it was made in so much that Adam and his posteritie if they had continued in their first righteous estate should haue kept that day holie aboue the rest seeing the Lord sanctified it for their sakes and though it be so indeede that they should haue been occupied in some honest calling and work vpon the sixe daies according as it is sayd to Adam that the Lord put the man into the garden of Eden Gen. 2.16 that he might dresse it and â—eepe it yet notwithstanding vpon the seuenth day they â—hould haue ceased from all wordly labour and giuen â—hemselues to the meditation of Gods glorious workes and haue been occupied in some more immediate parts of his seruice according to the former Commandement And that we might vnderstand indeede that the law of sanctifying the Sabbath is so ancient the Prophet Moses in Genesis doth of purpose vse the same words which the Lord God himselfe doth in pronouncing it as it is set downe in Exodus namely
Lords Supper Why then might not the day be changed nay 1. Cor. 10. was it not the great wisedome of God to change the day with all these to shewe that there was a thorowe change indeede in the whole gouernmeÌ„t of the Church of the Iewes wheÌ„ the day it selfe vpon which all the other things were practised was changed together with them And whereas all other things were so chaÌ„ged that they were cleane takeÌ„ away as the Priesthood the sacrifices and sacraments this day was so changed that it yet remaineth which sheweth that though all the other were ceremoniall and therfore had an ende this onely was morall and therefore abideth still So saith Master Gualter Gualt in Mal. 3. Homil. 23. The Primitiue Church thought it did abolish the Iewish Sabbath Olim illud sacruÌ„ non aboleuit yet it tooke not away the holy day of rest but did translate the obseruation of it vnto the day following therefore there is the same vse of it now which was of the Sabbath in times past among the true worshippers of God Why the Apostles changed the sabbath of the Iewes into this day that we now keep rather then any other When thus it seemed good to the Apostles vpon these waightie considerations being herein gouerned by the holy Ghost to change this day they were directed by the same spirite aduisedly to chuse this day which we now keepe and must keepe to the end of the world rather then any other vpon speciall groundes and most singular reasons laide open to the Church who seeing into them and being perswaded by theÌ„ gaue their free consent vnto it For seeing that our God and sauiour Iesus Christ taking vpon him the wonderfull worke of our Redemption did finish and make an ende of it vpon that day when he did most victoriously rise from the dead and so declare that he had conquered all and that he dying in the state of a condemned sinner for vs taking vpon him all the punishment that was due to vs euen to the ransaking and confounding of all the partes of his soule and bodie Luk. 22.41.44 with droppes of water and blood trickling down from him when hee kneeled vpon the colde grounde and to the powring forth of that lamentable crie with great anguish My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And being thus caried to the graue Math. 27.46 and put vnder the ground as a man forlorne and cast away death holding him fast and chayning him vp as it were for the space of three dayes and three nights hee did notwithstanding all this at the time appoynted Act. 2.24 euen vpon this very day loose the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that hee should be holden of it and rising vp with wonderfull great glorie dâ—d shew that all things were ended and that hee had redeemed mankinde and all the Creatures into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 according as it is set downe in the Gospell When the first day of the weeke began to dawne Math. 28 1. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre and behold there was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and came and rolled backe the stone from the dore of the sepulchre and sate vpon it and sayd to the women feare ye not for I knowe that you seeke Iesus that was crucified he is not here for he is risen as he said Now that it might appeare that all the Ceremonies of the Iewes were at this time ended in him that was the fulfilling of them and that all those shadowes were taken away by his death who was the substance and bodie of them Because Christ did rise from the dead on that day they did make choyse of that day specially vpon which he rising againe from all things which he suffered did declare that he had ouercome and ended them indeede And besides that it might be an effectuall teaching to the Church that al the libertie and freedome from sinne from hell and death and from the eternall wrath of God is purchased vnto them by the accursed death shamefull sufferings of Christ Iesus vpon the Crosse by none other and that all glorie happines and life commeth vnto them from his righteousnes and glorious resurrection they did preferre this day aboue any other as most worthie in the which he hauing before suffered all these intolerable things for them and being pressed downe with them euen vnto death did afterwards recouering himselfe as it were and gathering new strength like vnto the most victorious lyon of the tribe of Iuda did I say Reuel 5.5 Rom. 1.4 mightilie raise vp himselfe in glorie for their sakes by the inuincible power of his Godhead Chrysostome among the sundrie names which he reckoneth vp that this day had in the Primitiue Church sayth it was therefore called the Lords day Chrysost serm 5. de resur Quia solemnis erat memoriae resurrectionis Christi because was solemnely appoynted for the memorie of the resurrection of Christ August epist ad Ianuar. 119 cap. 13 ad Casul 86. Whereunto agreeth S. Augustine The Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the resurrection of the Lord vpon that day And in another place The Apostles did appoynt the Lords day in stead of the Iewish Sabbath Idem de temp serm 251. Quia in eo redemptor noster à mortuis resurrexit because vpon that day our redeemer did rise from the dead which also therefore is called the Lords day So that not so much the Apostles as Christ himselfe brought in this chaunge and was the author of this day And this is that which one sayth Wolph chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Nouum Christus Sabbathum substituit Christ did appoynt the new Sabbath when our last enemie death being ouercome he made an end of the labors of our redemption which in his humanitie were to be borne and the next day with the new man restored he brought out of the graue a new time the time of our redemption and of the new Couenant and did prepare an euerlasting Sabbath into the which himselfe then entered for vs also at the time appoynted by vertue of his resurrection to be entered into therefore as in the time of the Creation that day which was first of the Creation finished was made holiâ— for the worship of God so now in the time of the redemption that day which is first after the finishing of it is to bee accounted holie of vs. August de teÌ„p serm 251. It appeareth in the Scripture sayth S. Augustine that this day is of great account for it is the first day of the world in it were formed the Elements in it were created the Angels in it Christ rose from the dead in it the holie Ghost descended vpon the Apostles and God first rained Manna in the wildernesse so that by these and
called the Lords day because it declareth vnto vs Christ crucified and raised vp againe and it is worthilie commanded to bee kept as the Lords day that wee might giue thankes vnto thee O Lord Christ for all these benefites for say they there is that grace bestowed vpon vs by thee Quae sua magnitudine omnia beneficia obscurat which by the greatnes and as it were brightnes of it doth obscure and darken all other So that though the day was once changed vpon these considerations nay they being such as they be it could not but be changed yet for so much as the like cause cā neuer be offered vnto men to moue them to enter into this consultation therefore the day must not onely not be changed any more but it must not so much as enter into mens thoughts to goe about to change it And therefore I doe so much the more maruaile at him who sayth That the keeping holie of the Lords day is not commanded by the authoritie of the Gospell Brētius in Leuit 23 2. but rather receiued into vse by the publike consent of the Church And a little after The obseruation of the Lords day is profitable not to be reiected but yet it is not to be accounted for a commandement of the Gospell but rather for a ciuill ordination And That the Church might haue appoynted but one day among ten or foreteene Idem in Leuit. 25.8 for the publike rest and Gods seruice And That herein consisteth part of our Christian libertie that it is lawfull if so be it be done by publike authoritie to keepe holie weekelie not onely not the Lords day but as they call them Munday Tuesday or any other day Wherein that we might be the rather established we must remember that not only that name of the day was changed together with it but it was changed into that very name it hath now vpon these speciall reasons that we haue alreadie heard The name of the Sabbath was changed into the name of the Lords day which also must be retained For it is called the Lords day euen of the Lord Iesus and it hath the honorable name of him who vpō that day did arise in greatest honor in so much that we ought not onely to keepe the day but to keepe it in his right name especially seeing part of the honour of it is in the name For as we doe breed reuerence of the Sacrament in mens hearts by speaking of it after his owne proper name the Lords Supper the cuppe of the Lord the Lords table 1. Cor. 11.20.27 and 10.21 so it maketh the day more highly to bee esteemed as it ought when we call it by his right name religiously the Lords day and doe not miscall it by a wrong name as the heathen haue done prophanely the Sunday who hauing ascribed the gouernment of the seuen daies in the weeke vnto the seuen Planets and hauing accordingly giuen them their names as appeareth more euidently in the Latin Dies solis Lunae Martis c then in our English names yet so it is that any of the daies might be called Sunday as well as that which is without any offence But it is not so in the name of the Lords day for as by it can bee ment no other day but that which wee keepe for our Sabbath so the name cannot be imparted to any other day without sacriledge Therefore as the Iewes did carefully retaine the name of the Sabath according to the first institution so ought we to acquaint our selues with the name of the Lords day Thus did the Christians vse to call it in former times as it is well obserued by that ancient writer Beda Mos Christianus appellat Beda in Luk. 24.1 It is the manner of the Christians to call it the Lords day because of the resurrection of our Lord where he sayth that not onely now and then they did so speake but that it was an vsuall maner among them And we had need to doe it so much the more because it behooueth vs to vse al good meanes to aduance the credite of this day in mens consciences in these prophane and irreligious times especially wherin as the contempt of all religion appeareth in many places so especially it bewrayeth it selfe in this that the Lords day is euery where so vnhallowed Nowe if the wisedome of the world hath taught the heathen to be so circumspect in their generations as by the false names of dayes to keepe the memorie and honour of their false gods should not the wisedome of Gods spirite teach vs to bee as carefull in our generations to take into our mouthes that holy name of the Lords day which as it is commended vnto vs in the word not deuised by man as the other so it doth greatly aduāce the dignity of the day as that which is deriued from the name of the most high And if a mortall man doth take himselfe to bee disgraced Therein consisteth part of the honor of this day not onely when hee is called by a wrong name but also when hee hath not his right name and iust titles giuen vnto him so no doubt the honour of the day appeareth not to be so great as it is when it wanteth that most excellent name by the which it is commended vnto vs in the scriptures I grant indeed it will seeme strange vnto vs at the first to change the name as all new things for a while bee strange but wee knowe that euery thing must haue a beginning and that which is at the first begun in a fewe particulars is afterwards in time receiued of multitude so by custome groweth into a law that hardly can bee changed Therefore as there was a time in which the names of the heathen were vnknowen and yet by the obstinatee endeuours of some when they were begun they were receiued and so continued euen so if any man would begin himselfe thus to ve the name of the Lords day though he were alone at the first I doubt not but in a fewe generations the true and holy name should be receiued among vs. But to returne to that which we spake of before wee haue plainly seene that the day and the name ought thus to bee changed whereby the Sabbath is made now so much the more excellent and renowmed vnder the Gospell then it was in the time of the law because that wheras the one caried vpon it indeed the badge of the creation of the world which made it famous vpon this is engrauen the liuely Image of the redemption of the world which maketh it so much the more famous by howe much the benefite of the one exceedeth the benefite of the other not onely that but it freshly representeth the memorie of the first creation also and so by a double marke is more highly commended that being the very day in which the creation of the first and olde world was begun and the
To morowe is the rest of the holie Sabbath vnto the Lord where he is not contented to say to morowe is the Sabbath which was as much to them and was so knowne as the day of rest to vs but he doubleth the word and sayth It is the rest of the holie Sabbath as though he had sayd It is a day of rest euen of the holie rest indeede noting out ths necessitie of the rest and how straightly the Lord requireth it of them and that the rest might not be omitted at all Exod. 31.15 Vnto which agreeth that which is in the 31. chapter where he doth not onely say that he that worketh about the Tabernacle vpon the seuenth day should dye the death but also addeth as it were giuing a reason of it the seuenth day is the the Sabbath of the holie rest vnto the Lord. Where he both calleth it the Sabbath day as it were expounding it the day of rest and though in the first tongue both the words be of one nature and signifie one thing yet it hath seemed good to the Interpretors thus to translate them that retaining the proper name of the day in one the other might shew the nature of it and both of them ioyned together might declare how necessarily the rest is to bee adioyned vnto the day and what a principall regard the Lord hath vnto that in this Commandement which is of men least of all considered And as Moses in the Mount had receiued this from God in so plaine words that notwithstanding all that was to bee done the Sabbath must be a day of rest So in Exod. 35.2 he comming to declare all that should bee done beginneth with this namely with resting vpon the Sabbath in so many words giueth it in charge vnto the people in how many he had receiued it from the Lord in the chapter mentioned before Sixe daies thou shalt worke but the seuenth day shall be vnto you the holie Sabbath of rest vnto to the Lorde whosoeuer doth any worke therein shall dye where besides the ciuill punishment of death vpon those that did not rest which he forgetteth not as he had receiued it he doubleth the word rest vnto the people as the Lord did to him before Leuit. 16.31 calling it the sabbath of Rest So in Leuit. 16. though he speaketh not of this very seuenth day but of the day of pacifying as wee haue seene before yet because it had the nature and name of the Sabbath he doth not only say In it doe no worke at all but also calleth it a sabbath of Rest Leuit. 23.18 as also in the 23. chapter of the same booke where he speaketh of it againe and with more words standeth in requiring the Rest at their hands as you shall doe no worke the same day vers 30. and euery person that shall doe any worke that same day the same person also will I destroy from among his people ver 31. you shall doe no worke therefore and in the ende concludeth 32. this shal be vnto you a sabbath of rest Out of which places wee must needes confesse that the Lords meaning is not to fray vs with a vaine shew of words but that he as earnestly commandeth the thing as the words bee many that he vseth for our dulnes sake For if the wisedome of a man bee discerned in that his words be proportionall vnto his matter and that thereby wee know the matter is waightie when his words are many then much more must we be perswaded that the holie scripture was written by such a heauenly wisedom that it containeth not a confused heape of vaine and vnprofitable wordes and that it is full of idle repetitions which were blasphemie to thinke but that the Lorde hath in wisedome tempered his speech for our good and framed it to our capacitie and therefore foreseeing the pronenes of our nature to breake out in this Commandement hath set vp so many barres as it were against vs and doth thus beate that into our eares which we are so vnwilling to heare and more loth to followe And here that I might not seeme tedious vnto you let vs in one worde consider of that which is in this same chapter spoken of the seuenth day it selfe therfore no exception can bee made against it in the 3. chap 23 3. verse of the same chapter where the Lord speaking of the yearely feasts which they should keep beginneth with that which was the chiefest euen the Sabbath and commanding them first of all to rest vpon it which is indeede the first thing required vpon that day vseth thus many wordes Sixe daies shall worke be done but in the seuenth day shall be the sabbath of rest you shall doe no worke therein it is the sabbath of the Lord in dwellings where he is not contented twise to haue repeated the word sabbath which signifieth rest and further to adde that no worke should bee done therein but repeateth the wordes as wee haue seene heretofore calling it the sabbath of rest that is the rest euen the most notable rest giuing them to vnderstand that vpon that day they must rest yea they must rest indeede But I will shut vp this poynt with that which is in the 25. Leuit. 25.4 chapter of the same booke of Leuiticus where the Lord speaking of that rest that should be giuen vnto the land euery seuenth yeare which was a childish instruction to them of the nature of the Sabbath according to the dispensation of those times that they might knowe how necessarie it was for them to rest vpon the seuenth day doth very straightly require that the land should rest vpon the seuenth yeare and therefore doth so speake of the rest of the land as of the rest of the Sabbath because that was a figure of it The seuenth yeare shal be a sabbath of rest vnto the land it shall bee the Lords sabbath thou shalt neither sowe thy field nor cut thy vineyard where as we see he doth not only call that yeare twise a Sabbath that is a rest and forbiddeth them vnder two kindes that were the chiefe all manner of worke but calleth it the sabbath of rest vnto the land Shewing how necessarie a thing it was that the land should rest that the shadowe might bee like the bodie and that this rudiment might teach them that for the which it was ordained he telleth them that vnto the land a singular rest is to bee performed vpon the seuenth yeare because the like speciall rest is to bee obserued vpon the seuenth day Thus wee haue hetherto seene concerning this matter not onely that the Lord requireth in this Commandement that we should rest vpon the seuenth day but how necessarily he requireth it of vs and what great care we ought to haue of it and that it is a greater sinne to work vpon that day then it is taken to be and that it is not an indifferēt thing to work or
the shaddowe which none other are bound vnto but they So that the Iewes hauing these reasons to moue thē to this rest besides the aboue mētioned were more seuerely tied vnto it thē any other people but yet so that it was required at the handes of all men long before these causes were annexed vnto it and therefore though these be remoued and taken away yea and the people to whome they onely appertained yet notwithstanding the Sabbath and day of Rest is not gone with them but is still in his first vertue and ancient strength which vpon good groundes it had in the beginning which I doe therefore speak least that men might ignorantly imagine that because the Sabbath and rest was a figure and shadowe of another thing to that people that now the bodie being come Which being taken away yet we are still straightly bound to rest vpon the sabbath and therefore the shadowe remoued the sabbath should be no more and the rest should haue an end seeing that the sabbath of rest was for many hundreth yeare before the Iewes were much more before it was made a figure vnto them The which thing that it might not seeme strange vnto vs we may consider the like almost in euery morall precept which though euery one of them was from the beginning yet as they were giuen to the people of the Iewes had certaine things added vnto them as accessory helpes to keepe them in the better obedience of them which now being taken away againe the first commandements themselues haue lost nothing of their former authoritie but doe binde as much as euer they did Thus all kings and princes are still bound to prouide that the true religion of God be publikely professed in all places of their dominions farre and neere though they be deliuered from this rudimentall instruction of writing the Lawe of God vpon the borders of their coasts Iosh 8.32 which the Iewes were precisely tyed vnto that they might be holpen in the other Thus all householders must have a care still of instructing their familie in the feare of the Lord that it may bee saide of them as of Abraham Gen. 18.19 Hee commanded his sonnes and household after him to keepe the way of the Lorde and to doe righteousnes and iudgement and that they may say with Ioshua Iosh 24.15 I and my household will serue the Lord though they be deliuered by Christ from the Iewish ceremonie of writing the Law Deut. 6.8 vpon the poastes of their dores and vpon their gates Thus euery Christian is still charged to meditate vpon the law of God day and night Psal 1.2 Colos 3.16 and to haue Gods worde dwelling in him plenteously in all wisdome though that be taken away which was vnto the Iewes a childish instruction of this commaundement which they were bound vnto to further them in the obedience of the other namely Deut. 6.8 of hauing it written vpon their bracelets and vpon their frontlets The like mighty be said of many other things though the ceremonie of singing in such musicall times and playing vpon instruments in the Temple to serue God by them as were vsed in the Law appoynted by the Prophets Dauid and Nathan be taken away vnder the Gospell as meerely Iewish which did signifie vnto them the glorie and acceptation before God of the spirituall worship commanded yet the truth of this which was before remaineth still Colos 3 1◠that we should teach our selues in Psalmes and Himnes and spirituall songes singing with a grace in our hearts to the Lord. Though the fruitefull and pleasant Land of Canaan be taken away which was specially ment vnto the Iewes in the promise ioyned to the fift Commandement yet the promise of long life here in the earth is not taken away from obedient children but is as large and as sure as euer it was and now the whole world is blessed vnto vs in stead of it By all which wee see that it hath been an vsuall thing vnto the Commandements that were before the Iewes to adioyne certaine things to further them in the better keeping of them which onely agreed vnto them which when they were taken away with that people to whom onely they were ment that yet the first Commandements did not only not dye with thē but being reuiued as it were doe continue to this day as those which haue lost nothing of their vertue nor suffered any ecclipse by taking away of the other And it is no good reason to say this commandement had such a ceremonie ioyned vnto it therefore the whole Commandement is ceremoniall or the ceremonie of this Commandement is ended therefore the Commandement is taken away for then all the forenamed things which are so commended to vs in the new Testament should be disanulled which no man will say because all the Iewish ceremonies belonging to them are quite vanished and as it were melted away like snow before the sunne All which is most true in the sabbath of the holy rest wherein we haue seene that the rest was commanded at the first and we say it is still required notwithstanding we grant that in respect of the Iewes in time was adioyned vnto it the remembrance of both their deliuerances The one from Egypt by Moses which was past the other from sin by Christ that was to come in respect of which as it was a monument of a thing already performed so it was a figure of another thing promised and hoped for and therefore though the ceremonie of the rest be ended and the figure of it be taken away with that which was the substance of it and the shadow of it bee ouershadowed as it were with the body which was Christ yet there is no reason why the rest it selfe should bee taken away which was commaunded long before any such type or figure or shadow was adioyned vnto it Insomuch that we still keepe the rest of the sabbath but not to that ende that the Iewes kept it not as a badge of our deliuerance from Egypt in the which wee neuer were nor as a token of our freedome from that bondage wherewith we neuer were oppressed neither as a figure of our redemption to be wrought by Christ which in his worde most clearely wee see is alreadie performed nor that in it wee might as in a shadow obscurely and darkely behold our eternall resting and ceasing from sinne which he hath already purchased vnto vs in his death and hath in his Gospell most liuely poynted out before our eyes but we doe obserue the rest and confesse that it most neerely concerneth vs because of the first institution that we resting from our ordinarie businesse might bestowe the daye in the holy seruice of God in the which we cannot in any acceptable manner be occupied at all vnlesse we rest from the other according to the Commaundement Bulling in Rom. 14.5 Euen as M. Bullinger also doth very excellently set it downe The
of the yeare and that in the most necessary times and businesse that belong to mans life they must rest because God hath commanded it preferring his worship and the obedience to his commandements before all their owne priuate gaine and commoditie whatsoeuer And Master Caluin vpon this place saith Whereas the Lord doth expresly bid vs rest in the time of earing and haruest Caluin in Exod 34.21 it is not as though he did giue vs libertie for all the yeare besides but hereby doth more restraine vs because no necessitie ought to interrupt this holy obseruation otherwise it might seeme to haue some honest pretence if because of continuall raine or other vnseasonable weather the time of sowing were not so commodious that husbandmen might bee exempted from this lawes least by their resting a dearth should follow And so also might they thinke for gathering in the Corne least it should rotte vpon the ground Atqui Deus nullam dispensationem admittit But GOD admits no dispensation but that the seuenth day should bee kept Etiam cum periculo communis iacturae Euen with the danger of some common losse So that whatsoeuer our corrupt reason and the diuell might minister vnto vs for the dissuading of vs from this obedience yet if our care be vnfainedly to please GOD indeede and that wee would haue the testimonie of a good conscience in the things that wee doe before God not seruing him in hypocrisie after our owne harts lusts deceiuing our selues whatsoeuer we imagine to the contrarie we had need to haue at least as euident and plaine places of the scripture for the iustifiyng of our manifold businesse and great working vpon the Sabbath which is too common euery where as this one is euident and pregnant against them vnlesse we will haue it appeare that we make no conscience of our doings at al or rather that we do wittingly and willingly transgresse the knowen trueth and destroy the lawe of God Psal 119. part 17. as the Prophet speaketh For no doubt vpon this ground and the persuasion of this lawe that worthie and thrise noble Nehemiah dealt so zealously as it is written of him in the 13. chapter of that booke when hee saw men worke vpon the Sabbath in the time of haruest according to that wicked custome that had growen vp in the time of the captiuitie and did so mightily set himselfe against that manifest breach of the Commandement though it was not so taken before that through Gods good hand vpon him he preuailed in the end Nehem. 13.15 In those daies saw I in Iudah them that troad winepresses vpon the Sabbath and that brought in sheaues and which laded asses also with wine grapes and figges and all burthens and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the Sabbath day 17. Then reproued I the Rulers of Iudah and sayd vnto them what euill thing is this that you doe and breake the Sabbath day did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this citie yet you encrease the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the Sabbath In which words as it is euident that he speaketh against working vpon the Sabbath in the haruest time for he nameth such things as are proper vnto haruest as the bringing in of sheaues figges and grapes which were their fruite and the treading of winepresses so he chargeth them that thus to doe was an euill thing worthie of reproofe nay of punishment as he afterward threatneth it he sayth that they breake the Sabbath in so doing and did encrease the wrath of God against Israel euen as it was the cause that he had taken such punishment vpon their fathers alreadie Where it seemeth he had respect vnto the prophesie of Ieremie who had long before threatned destruction vnto Ierusalem Ierem. 17.27 for the polluting of the Sabbath and namely in this of open carrying and recarrying of things into Ierusalem When he sayth But if ye will not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath day and not to beare a burthen nor to goe through the gates of Ierusalem in the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates therof and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof and it shall not bee quenched And Master Caluin writing vpon this place sayth Caluin in hunc â—â—â—um Hoc emphatiè additur There is a great emphasis in this that he speakes of the gates of Ierusalem for it was not lawfull to doe any of those things in the fields and solitarie places it was therefore a great contempt to come so openly into the citie But to returne to the scripture alleadged before What can bee spoken more plainly then this for the ouerthrow of all such vaine excuses as men doe forge in their owne braine and for the establishing of this doctrine that to rest vpon the Sabbath is so necessarie that the imagined necessitie of haruest will not excuse our working before God neither will it goe for payment before him Which wee may assure our selues that those men did wel vnderstand out of the scriptures who in their Councell so decreed Instituimus We ordaine that vpon the Lords day Cabilonens concil cap. 18. nullus penitus praesumat no man at all presume to doe any worke of husbandrie that is to say not to plow to reape corne or what soeuer pertaineth to the husbanding of their ground For as Irenaeus sayth Non vetabat lex Iren. contra haeres lib. 4. cap. 20. The lawe did not forbid those that were hungrie to take meate and to eate of such things as were at hand metere auteÌ„ colligere in horreuÌ„ vetabat but it did forbid to reape and to carrie it into the barne And here that I might make an end of this place before I go any further this may most certainly be gathered from it that if the rest of the Sabbath will not beare this working no not in haruest without the breach of it then much lesse will it suffer the ordinarie keeping of Faires and Markets vpon that day 4 No faires to be kept vpon the Lords day the buying and selling of wares the carrying and recarrying of them for we see how all these abuses being among them this godly gouernour Nehemiah in the wisedome of the spirit espieth them and in the zeale of the same can in no wise winke at them for thus it is written of him in the same place as wee haue alreadie heard in part vers 15. In these dayes saw I in Iudah those that trode Winepresses on the Sabbath and I protested to them in the day that they sold victuals 16. There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein which brought fish and all wares and sold on the Sabbath vnto the children of Iudah euen in Ierusalem 19 And when the gates began to be darke before the Sabbath I commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my seruants set I
at the gates that there should be no burthen brought in on the Sabbath day 20. So the chapmen and Marchants of all marchandise remained once or twise all night without Ierusalem 21. And I protested among them and sayd vnto them why tarrie ye all night about the wall If you doe it once againe I will lay hands vpon you From that time they came no more vpon the Sabbath Out of which description of their vngodlie practise in the storie it is as cleere as the noone day that there was a common market or faire vpon the Sabbath it is set out so plainly and in so many words for there was selling of all wares and there were both Marchants and chapmen not onely within Ierusalem but which came from other places to buy and sell but he reproueth the one and the other and conuicteth them all of the manifest breach of the Sabbath in not obseruing the rest of it yea euen those that sold victuals and those that did but carrie things to and fro And so this scripture teacheth vs that the holie rest of the Sabbath is so inuiolably to bee obserued that no persons at any time may breake it no not vnder the pretence of buying and selling then when most may be gained either waies no nor vnder the colour that they doe but carrie things to bee bought or sold no nor vnder the shewe of doing that which might seeme most tolerable as buying and selling of victuals All which things are so palpable and grosse a breach of that Commandement which requireth a resting from such things that they are not onely condemned in the iudgement of them that haue seene most cleerely by the light of the word but also of such as being stone blind and therefore could not discerne them with the eye yet were able with their hands as it were to feele them For in the very depth of Poperie it was by the authoritie of the Parliament ordained Ann. 27. Hen. 6 cap. 5. That all manner of Faires and Markets should vpon the Sundaies cleerely cease and that there should not be any shewing of goods and marchandises vpon the same vnder paine of forfaiture of all the goods aforesayd so shewed to the Lord of the Franchise and therefore by authoritie aforesayd power was granted vnto all such as had no daies to keepe their Faires but these that they might keepe the same three daies before or after they signifying the same by proclamation vnto the Countrey aforehand And they which of old time had by speciall Commission sufficient daies before or after should in the manner as is aforesayd keepe their Faires and Markets the sayd Sundaies except Where also it is worthie to bee considered by what reasons the King the Lords spirituall and temporall and the whole Commons of this Realme of England were then induced vnto this resolution as they bee set downe at large in this statute Namely they did consider that I might vse their owne words the abominable iniuries and offences done to almightie God by the occasions of Faires and Markets vpon these daies accustomably and miserably holden and vsed in the Realme of England In which daies for great earthly couetousnes the people were more willingly vexed and in bodily labour troubled then in other workedaies as in fastning making their boothes and stalles lifting and setting their marchandise outward and homeward as though they had nothing in memorie the horrible defiling of their soule in buying and selling and so specially withdrawing themselues and their seruants from diuine seruice These are the words of the Statute in which though I am not ignorant that they made other daies in the weeke Saints daies as they bee called equall in this thing with the Lords day nay preferred them before it according to the ignorance of those times yet it is sufficient for my purpose that the Sundaies so called were not excluded but rather with the other included in a branch of this Statute Yea this law was in force here in this land long before this time euen before the Conquest when as in the daies of Canutus Canutus lege 14. 15. amongst other lawes made by a councell of his sages at Winchester which as some write are yet extant it was enacted Item that Sunday be kept holie Faires Courts Huntings and worldly worke on that day to bee forborne But to shut vp this matter in a word we doe vnderstand that the Lord hath not only by his generall Commandements often repeated shewed vnto vs that a rest vpon this day must needes bee obserued of vs but also hath in particulars met with all these exceptions of times and busines which might least of all seeme to be included within the compasse of it that we might not measure the length and breadth of this rest by the crooked rule of our owne imagination as the greatest part doe but by the vndeceiueable line of his holie word which is only able to giue vs the full measure of it But yet if you further demaund from what things wee should rest seeing it is agreed vpon among vs that wee must rest indeede 5 We must rest from whatsoeuer doth hinder vs from Gods seruice surely the answere partly appeareth by that which hath been alreadie spoken and doth more fullie arise from the words of the text For first of all seeing the principall end of resting is that the day time might be sanctified in the holie worship of God as the Worde the Sacraments and prayer it must of necessitie followe that whatsoeuer thing doth hinder vs from spēding the time profitably in these things we must rest from them And therfore wee see that alwaies this reason is brought why wee should rest from other things euen that wee might giue ouer our selues to Gods seruice As when Augustine sayth August de tēp serm 251. We are commanded to rest vpon the Lords day from earthly businesse that wee might bee more fit for Gods seruice And also in a Councel held vnder Charles the Great in which many worldly things are expresly by name forbidden as husbandrie keeping of Courts dealing in marchandise Arelat Synod 4 cap. 16. c. This is the conclusion His solummodo peractis those things onely being done quae noscuntur which are knowne to appertaine to the seruice of God So that I may say generally as M. Caluine saith Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 34 Wee ought to cease from those workes which hinder the workes of God let vs from calling vpon his name or stay vs from exercising our selues in his holy word Secondarily it may appeare by that opposition which is made betweene the workes of the sixe dayes and the Rest of the seuenth day that whatsoeuer are the workes of their calling wherein they are occupied in the sixe dayes from them they must rest vpon the seuenth according as it is said As from the workes of our callings Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy
worke but the seuenth daye is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke that is any of that worke which thou vsest to doe vpon the sixe dayes which is also proued by the example and patterne of Gods Rest who in sixe dayes made the Heauen and the earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day from which time he hath not rested from doing euery thing for he preserueth and gouerneth the things that hee hath made but hee resteth from such workes as he did vpon those sixe dayes namely of making new kindes of creatures or framing any more worlds which example of his must be our imitation for he rested for our sakes to teach vs that though we haue our seuerall callings wherein we must be diligently occupyed in the sixe dayes yet we must rest vpon the seuenth and rest from those things which we vsually doe vpon the sixe dayes by vertue of our calling for so hee rested himselfe Therefore whereas one man is occupyed in this thing and another in that and euery man hath or ought to haue some speciall businesse to attend vpon in the sixe dayes and being in an honest calling hee should labour in it diligently that he might not eate the breade of idlenes he ought vpon the seuenth day to put himselfe apart from all those affayres and as though they did not appertaine vnto him to haue no dealing with them And this is that which TertulliaÌ„ saith speaking of the seuenth day Tertul. aduers Marcion lib. 3. In it thou shalt not doe any worke Quod vtÃque tuum What worke saith he thine owne worke Consequens n. est vt ea opera sabbatho auferret quae sex diebus suprà indixerat for it must needes follow that he should forbid those workes vpon the sabbath day which he had before appoynted for the sixe dayes and therefore hee further addeth Tua id est humana quotidiana I say thine owne workes are forbidden that is worldly and dayly businesse So that here wee neede not to descend further into particulars or to vse many words for the opening of this matter it doth so plainely offer it selfe vnto vs that it may bee both seen and felt of vs and here needeth no great capacitie for the conceiuing of this poynt For if we liue not altogether in idlenes vnprofitably spending away the time and our selues and be as it were an heauie and vnprofitable burthen vpon the earth whereof there be two many in the world and it is one of the greatest sinnes of our time if I say we can but tell what is our daylie businesse and wherein we are or should be occupyed euen these are the things that be ment in this commandement that we should rest from So that here we had neede rather of a good conscience that might moue vs in the feare of God in a carefull obedience to his commandements to enter into this rest which we haue seen so many waies commended vnto vs and that euery one must examine his owne proper workes and so hee shall easely discerne what be the very special things from which he must rest as though they did not belong vnto him at all Thus shall the labourer perceiue that vpon this day he must rest from his dayes labour whether it be digging or thrashing or hedging or any thing else and the artificer from his dayly crafte and trade of making such things as bee incident to his calling and the husbandmen from sowing and tilling and manuring the earth and gathering the fruites of it and such like yea euen in the time of haruest as we haue seene Exod. 34. To this end besides that that hath been alleaged heretofore for this purpose I may put you in minde of one of those worthie Lawes which Charles the Emperor deliuered vnto his visiters whom he sent with his authoritie to reforme the Church Item we decree Centur. 8. Eccles luster c. 6. that as God hath commanded no seruile worke be taken in hand on the Lords day as also the Prince my father of blessed memorie gaue charge by his Synodall edict to wit no kinde of husbandrie neither cutting of vines nor tilling the ground neither reaping nor mowing nor hedging neither rooting or felling of trees nor digging in rockes nor building nor gardening nor hunting The women likewise to forbeare al Manuall worke as weauing sowing embroydring kemming of woll dressing of flaxe shearing of sheep and washing of clothes c. The Marchant and chapman must rest from buying and selling of wares making of bargaines vpon this day yea euen from buying of victuals fish or flesh meate breade or drinke for the sixe dayes are giuen them to make their prouision in as it hath been alreadie declared vnto vs out of Nehemiah 13. And whereas this abuse was common among the Iewes in the time of their captiuitie by reason of the great ignorance and because they were mingled with the heathen after their returne vnder Nehemiah when things began to be reformed they bound themselues by couenant to redresse this fault also for this was one article in the couenant Nehem. 10.31 That if the peâ—ple of the land brought ware on the sabbath or any victuals to sell that they would not take it of them on the sabbath and on the holy dayes Wolph lib. 3. in Nehem. 10. And M. Wolphius very excellentlie vpon this place Ijs vtuntur verbis They vse such wordes as doe somewhat declare that this custome had been among them that if other forraine people who had no conscience of the sabbath had brought any corne or wares vpon the sabbaths they preferring their owne commoditie and lusts before the obseruation of the sabbath they did not sticke to buy all that of them whatsoeuer it was By what meanes both the religious obseruation of the sabbath and the number of them that offered sacrifices and heard the word of God was greatly decayed because they were occupied about other things And whereas they speake of the people of the land thereby meaning other nations they secretly preuent their obiection who might reply that the strangers in no case were to bee tyed vnto the Lawes of the Iewes and that this delay was to their hinderance if they might not be ridde of their wares before the day following and that many of them did offend of ignorance and that if they should be thus hindered it would come to passe in time that they would bring nothing and by that meanes the Citie should want victuals and things necessary all which did cary with it a very probable shew of reason Nehemias aliam rationem init Nehemias he taketh another course sheweth that the ancient lawes of our forefathers yea of God and for religion ought to be so esteemed of vs that we should not suffer them to be broken for any strangers sake And the same Wolphius doth further adde That this people doth promise
might be occupied about worldly busines when other men should rest from them For the Lord beginneth with them first saying Thou euen thou that art a father a master a gouernour and hast any within thy gouernment and vnder thy hand as it were within thy gates And al that be in subiection And as the gouernour may not pretend his authoritie for excuse as though hee might escape by that no more may the inferiour his subiection as though that should hide him seeing the Lord who is gouernour of both speaketh vnto both and nameth both whether he be sonne or daughter manseruant or maydseruant bond or free borne at home or a stranger as it is in the words of the text And there is great reason of this if we consider the subiects themselues and especially the seruāts As seruants especially whose condition were intolerable and not to be borne if when they haue for many daies been wearied with continuall labour they should not haue some good time to rest in and the Lord in his wisedom hath appoynted one whole day in seuen and therefore no lesse can be giuen And seeing that the rest was made for man that is Mark 2.27 appointed for the benefit and commoditie of man there can be no shewe of reason that they should want it who doe stand in most neede of the benefite of it but because it is most commodious vnto seruants it ought especially to be affoorded vnto them And therfore Exod. 23. Exod. 23.12 where this lawe is repeated hee bringeth this reason That the sonne and the mayd and the stranger should rest namely Arias Mont. Vattabl Tremel Deut. 5.14 that he might bee refreshed thereby and as it were take his breath as the word doth import and is so translated by the most skilfull in that tongue And in Deut. when Moses would perswade the gouernours willingly to bestow vpon their seruants this benefit of rest he willeth them to remember the heauie bondage of Egypt in the which they had no rest that by their own experience they might confesse that it was equall and iust before God and men that the wearied seruants should haue rest Master Caluin vpon this place sayth Let thy seruant rest and why For thou wast sometime in bondage Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 35 the time hath been thou couldest haue wished that one had giuen thee some rest and release from thy labours thou oughtest then to vse such gentlenes towards them which are vnder thy hand If thou wert in bondage wouldest thou not that one should giue thee some release Wouldest thou alwayes bee oppressed with labour and trauaile Surely by thy good will thou wouldest not it behoueth then that thou beare also with others And how full of discomfort and continuall miserie should their liues be if this comfortable refreshing common vnto all the creatures euen to the oxe and the asse should bee denied vnto them Moreouer if the masters doe but looke to their owne priuate gaine they may bee induced to shewe this mercie vnto their seruants that thereby they might be more inabled vnto all new dueties of their calling the weeke following hauing thereby renewed their strength which otherwise would haue decayed which when it is not in that conuenient measure extended towards them that the Lord requireth some of them fall into sicknes others into great weakenes and manifold aches lamenes in their limmes or haue their bodies consumed and their bloud dried vp before the naturall terme of their life bee expired wherein besides the crueltie offered vnto their persons they doe wrong vnto themselues that they cannot inioy their labours so long and with so great profite as otherwise no doubt they might doe And this is that which Master Caluin in the same place obserueth Caluin ibid. When you shall haue this consideration namely of dealing thus mercifully with your seruants then shall you knowe that this day shall further serue you for some earthly profite and commoditie albeit in the meane time this is not that you ought to seeke after To speake in a word our Lord in this place declareth vnto vs that which in like manner hath been pronounced by Iesus Christ Matth. 6.33 that when we shall seeke the kingdome of God all other things shall be cast vpon vs. But last of all if wee looke into that which is the chiefest the honor and seruice of God in sanctifying the Sabbath which he as straightly requireth at the hands of the seruants as of the masters Ephe. 6.9 Coloss 3.11 seeing there is no respect of persons before him neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond or free For he that is called in the Lord being a seruant 1. Cor. 7.22 is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant Therefore that they might serue their high Lord and heauenly master who is aboue all and Lord ouer al vpon the seuenth day as they haue serued their earthly masters vpon the sixe we must needes confesse that they also ought to rest from those workes of their calling which otherwise would hinder them in it or altogether keepe them from it vnles besides the hinderance of their saluation wee would set our selues against the glorie of God to our endles confusion whilest wee hinder them from doing that seruice that he requireth of them seeing because of our busines they can in no wise performe it vnto him The like is to bee sayd in some part of the beasts The cattell must rest vpon this day as the oxe and the asse or any other cattell as wee haue alreadie heard it Deut. 5.14 that they also might haue the benefite of rest which they cannot want that so they might more commodiously be preserued for the vse of man for the which purpose they were made in the beginning and which is the very end of this rest And therefore it is sayd of them also In the seuenth day thou shalt rest Exod. 23.12 that thine oxe and thine asse may rest and be refreshed But chiefly and aboue all this was commanded vnto them that thereby as by a sure bond themselues might bee kept vnder obedience of this rest whom it did most of al concerne when they did see that the beasts themselues might not breake beyond the libertie of it of whom notwithstanding the Lord had a lesse principall regard but as they might be seruiceable vnto men in this behalfe Euen as Master Caluin doth very plainly lay it foorth intreating of this matter Caluin vpon Deut. ◠ser 35. This was to the end the Iewes seeing the stables closed vp should be put in minde to say God setteth here before our eyes this signe euē in the bruit beasts and this is to the end that wee on our part should be the better kept and holden in his seruice Thus it behoued the Iewes deeplie to weigh euen in the bruit beasts this visible
prince of the Iewes Nehe. 13.15 after their returne from the captiuitie as it is set downe in the last chapter of that booke where he thus speaketh of himselfe In those daies saw I them in Iudah that trode wine presses on the sabbath and that brought in sheaues and which laded asses also with wine grapes and figges and all burdens and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the sabbath day and I protested to them in the day that they solde victuales 16. There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein which brought fish and all wares and solde on the sabbath vnto the children of Iudah and in Ierusalem 17. Then reproued I the rulers of Iudah and saide vnto them What euill is this that ye doe and breake the sabbath daye 18. Did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this citie Yet yee encrease the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the sabbath 19. And when the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke before the sabbath I commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not bee opened till after the sabbath and some of my seruants set I at the gates that there should no burdē be brought in on the sabbath day 20. So the chapmen and marchants of al marchandize remained once or twise al night without Ierusalem 21. And I protested among them and said vnto them why tarrie ye all night about the wall if ye doe it once againe I will lay hands vpon you From that time came they no more vpon the sabbath In which words is fullie described vnto vs a most liuely picture both of that religious boldnes and zealous courage that should be in a magistrate bending al his force to the suppressing of such abuses as doe most dishonour the name of God as the breaking of the sabbath and also of the good blessing and prosperous successe of God vpon the worthie labours and Christian interprises of all such For though this abuse of prophaning the sabbath by breaking the rest of it so many waies as we see was so vniuersall and that through the iniquitie of the time preuayled so long that it had gotten a strong head and could not bee bridled at the first for though the gates were shut yet they tarried without at the wals all night hoping to come in in the morning with the formost according to their former custome so obstinate and peruerse were they in their wickednes yet when hee was as constant in Gods cause which he knew he had taken in hand as they were froward in their sinne God gaue him to deale so wisely being not discouraged first by proclayming the lawe of resting which he knew before was in the word then by threatning imprisonment vpon them that would not keep it commanding the inferiour magistrates to looke to the execution of it and rebuking them for their negligence and sloth in it in former times fearing them by the consideration of Gods iudgement euen their present captiuitie which came vpon their forefathers from the which they were not all returned and into the which or some other they might fall againe because of this one sinne that hee preuayled with them euen as it is set downe to his great commendation and to the singular incouraging of all Christian Magistrates in their offices What good successe God gaue him in it to the vnspeakeable comfort of the church and the immortall prayse of God that from that time they came no more vpon the sabbath A worthie rewarde for so noble an enterprise an honourable triumph for so rare a conquest And if we doe see so happie an ende of the trauaile of one man in so corrupt a time dealing against a sinne so deepelie rooted so publickely defended by the practise of the common people so generallie winked at by the inferiour magistrates and that in Iudah and in Ierusalem what hope might wee haue of the blessed endeuours of so many Nehemias in a time more religious among so many worthie gouernours in the Church and common-wealth if our sinnes did not hinder it and if they would deale in the faith and zeale and constancie of Nehemiah and wee would helpe them with our prayers That so first of all it might bee established by a generall meeting of all estates ciuill and ecclesiasticall as it was in his dayes by the Priests Leuits and chiefe of the people that none should doe any thing contrarie to the obseruation of the sabbath Nehe. 10.8.9.14 no not vnder the pretēce of dealing with strangers and then that those lawes might be diligently executed with great seueritie vpon all transgressors yea though they were strangers as they were in his time rebuking and sharplie punishing all inferiour officers by whose negligence the faulte should bee committed as hee did with great grauitie and moderation So then to drawe this whole treatise into a narrowe roome and to shut it vp in a worde the summe of all is that the Lord hath commanded so precise a rest vnto all sortes of men that it may not by any fraude deceite or circumuention whatsoeuer be broken but that hee will most seuerely require it at their hands vnder the payne of his euerlasting displeasure And this is the first duetie here required that both wee our selues and all vnder vs doe vpon the seuenth day rest from all such workes as by vertue of our callings appertaine vnto vs vpon the other sixe and this is the thing that wee should bee perswaded of Obiection If men should thus rest from all worke how should they liue But now if any vngodly man through the coueteousnes that is in him cannot yeeld vnto this because hee sauoureth not the things that bee of God but is worldlie minded and therefore is ready to obiect and say if we doe not labour how shall we eate you see the world is hard and things are at a great price and we haue a charge of wife and children that must bee cared for and when wee haue wrought sore the whole sixe dayes it will scarsely find vs bread therefore what reason is it to binde vs from working vpon the seuenth And why may not a poore man then earne a pennie as well as at any other time What I thinke you would haue vs to starue It is true in deede as M. Caluin saith Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. That all of vs naturally are of that minde that if we endeuour to mounte on hye to the heauenlie life and bestowe our studies herein we thinke we shall dye for hunger and this shall be to turne vs from our profites and commodities For as hee further saith the diuell commeth alwaies to perswade vs vnder this shadow and wilines that if we imploy our selues to the seruice of God we must needs dye of famine and that we liue to be pittied of others for our miserie Answer Therefore for answer I first of all say as he doth Of a truth we cannot serue
most expedient for vs. Moreouer Take heede that we bring not a necessitie vpō our selues which God layeth not on vs. when we doe vnderstand that such things are necessarie which wee goe about and they bee so in truth for they cannot be deferred herein lyeth not the whole matter for it may bee that they might well haue been done before and so are not simplie necessarie but in respect namely of our carelesnes and slothfulnes who did not foresee and prouide for it accordingly as wee might haue done and thus euery thing that might bee done vpon the sixe dayes shal be made necessarie for the seuenth But this necessitie because wee doe wilfullie bring it vpon our selues and the Lord is not the authour of it who must be the iudge of it it will not carrie out the credit of our dooings neither will it bee a sufficient plea for vs before the Lord who to meete with all such vaine pretences at the first willeth vs to remember the sabbath before hand and to remember it to this ende that nothing might let vs from keeping it holy and therefore so to dispose of our busines aforehand that nothing doe hinder vs from resting vpon it For certainely if men doe still remember how many dayes to the sabbath and that when it comes it must needes be a day of rest if they had any care to keepe it they would not entangle themselues with more busines then the time would permit that they might not worke vpon the sabbath vnder the colour of necessitie because something is not done which they haue wilfullie taken vpon them more then they ought to doe And hereunto it seemeth they had respect in the councell Concil Matiscon 1. cap. 1. where it was thus decreed Nemo sibi talem necessitatem imponat Let no man impose vpon him such a necessitie that may compell him to yoke his oxen where they speake of a necessitie that a man through his owne defaulte brings vpon himselfe 1 An example thereof As for example that I may speake vnto the capacitie of the rudest if any artificer shoulde promise so much worke to be made readie against such a day which now he seeth cannot bee done vnlesse he and his seruants doe worke vpon the Sabbath should therevpon ignorantly deceiue himselfe and say surely this must needs be done and I cannot put it off beyond such a time without great losse and therefore taketh courage to himselfe and worketh some part of that day this will not excuse him for the Lord that willeth him to rest vpon that day commandeth him also to remember the day long before that when it comes he might rest vpon it But men doe wilfully flatter themselues in their sinnes and are glad when they can smooth out their matters and put this glasse vpon thē that they could not be deferred though it be not so indeed And therefore when the Lords day is the furthest time to the which they may safely deferre their busines but yet might doe them before will carelesly let passe all the dayes of the weeke vnregarded and then suddenly because there is no more time remaining put them in practise vpon that day going themselues to this towne to speake with such a partie and sending out their seruants to other places about other things and yet will not be perswaded forsooth but that all is well and that they haue very great reason for their doings for this is that which they will stand to iustifie they can proue it before all men that the thing was merueilous necessarie for it could not be deferred but in the meane season they wil conceale that from you which marres al againe which their owne conscience tels a great many and a wise man may easily espie it in the rest that they haue carelesly pretermitted the oportunitie of doing it at another time when it might haue bin as well or more conueniently done And that I might not be tedious in so plaine a matter though my purpose bee to speake most profitably and therefore tarrie in it the longer I will shewe you the like in a case that I haue had experience of my selfe 2 Another example when I did once dealt with one for labouring vpon the Sabbath namely for washing hempe out of the water in which it had been layd a rotting the partie answered me that it could tarrie no longer but must needs then be drawne out otherwise all should be lost which whether it be so or no I leaue it to bee iudged of others for I confesse I haue no great skill that way my selfe yet by further speech finding that they know how many dayes it must lye in the water I sayd vnto him that they might haue preuented it if they would haue remembred the Sabbath and therefore to haue counted their dayes and put the hempe into the water that they might haue drawne it out againe one or two dayes before or after the Sabbath So then the trueth is that many times such things must be done of necessitie and they are come to that passe that wee cannot auoyde it but then we must doe it with an heauie heart and sorrowfull mind lamenting our former negligence that did not foresee it and bewayling our carelesnes that we did not prouide for it praying to God to forgiue vs our sinne which though it be not wilful and of presumption yet proceedeth of ignorance and want of care at least to remember neither can it bee excused Therefore when a man is to appeare at Westminster Hall in the Terme 3 Another example or hath another such like busines and the day of his appearance be vpon the Munday or Tuesday he must not therefore presume to trauaile vpon the Lords day which is a day of rest because he can say it is necessarie that I should be there against such a time for the Lord in giuing this commandemēt hath in wisdome prefixed this word remember before it and Moses in repeating the Law Deut. 5. Dot not forget it but faithfully keepes it saying obserue or marke it that from hence wee might learne so to dispose of all iourneyes and trauailes that somewhere we might obserue and keepe a sabbath or day of rest If we say we had forgotten it and the time stole vpon vs before we were aware wee must vnderstand that all this is nothing but vaine fig leaues which will not couer our nakednes from the eyes of him that seeth al things before whom ignorance wil not excuse when hee hath in his word taught vs what to doe much lesse will careles forgetfulnes preuaile when hee hath commanded vs to remember it Let vs therefore in good earnest cast away all the cloakes of sin and let vs not willingly be seduced for that onely the Lorde iudgeth to bee necessarie at this time which by no heedful remembrance or marking 4 Another example we could haue done before howsoeuer in the vanitie of our owne
braines wee may iudge to the contrarie So that if any man when he hath had the whole weeke before him to make his prouision will neglect the oportunitie and passe the time ouer and then goe vpon the Lords day to the butchers or such like places to buie victuals hoping to get a better penniworth or because he would not lette his busines before or for that he maketh no difference of dayes and all this while grosselie imagineth that hee committeth no sinne excusing his fact with this that meate must needes bee had and it cannot bee deferred daubing it vp as it were with the vntempered morter of necessitie hee must bee admonished that howsoeuer hee may set a fayre face on his before men and may bleare their eyes that cannot well see yet in Gods iudgement iâ— is lesse then nothing who must be iudge of all but will melt away as snowe before the sunne seeing that hee hath to cut off the head and tayle of those idle pretences spoken aloude and proclaymed long agoe that the sabbath is to bee obserued and remembred for these causes which we must doe so much the rather because he promiseth vnto vs that in sixe dayes we shall be able to doe all our worke for so is it in the wordes of the commandement Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke Euery man in the sixe dayes may doe all his worke in which words because he vseth it as a reason to perswade vs to rest vpon the seuenth day there must needs bee secretly included as there is a promise of the blessing of God vpon our labours in the sixe dayes that in them we shal be able to do al our work euen al our work I say which properlie belongeth vnto vs and which the Lord would haue vs to doe and therefore calleth it our worke As Master Caluin noteth vpon these wordes Calu. in Exod. 20.8 Vniuersum opus All thy worke hereby saith he is signified that though the sabbath be taken away there will be time enough for all our busines otherwise this reason we see were insufficient to perswade men to rest vpon the seuenth day if in the sixe wee might truelie obiect they cannot doe all their worke But the Lord who knoweth what hee would haue vs to doe and therefore what is our worke better then wee our selues and what is our strength to doe it and what time we haue allotted out for it he saith in the sixe days we may doe all our worke and this he speaketh to the busiest bodie in the worlde and to the most couetous who knoweth no ende of working whereby any gayne is gotten and therefore when we take vpon vs so many things that we are ouerwhelmed with them cannot bring them to an ende with the end of the sixe dayes then haue we intermedled with that which belongs not vnto vs and haue entered as it were vpon other mens busines and it is not the Lord but the diuell that hath set vs on worke and he will one day pay vs our hyre Master Caluin doth lay forth this whole matter very plentifully in most significant wordes Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. and followes it with great power in his sermons vpon Deuteronomie When it is sayd Thou shalt labour sixe dayes our Lords would hereby signifie vnto vs that wee ought not to complaine of yeelding vnto him one certaine day when hee leaueth vnto vs sixe for one as if hee did say shall the cost and charge bee great vnto you to chuse one day which may bee wholly giuen to my seruice that you doe no other thing in it but reade and exercise your selues in my lawe or heare my doctrine which shall bee preached vnto you a day to come to the Temple to the end you may there be confirmed by the sacrifices which are there made a day to call vpon my name to declare and protest that you are of the number and companie of my people ought this to bee grieuous and troublesome vnto you seeing you haue sixe daies free to traffique and to doe your busines in when I vse such gentlenes towards you that I demand but one day of seuen is not this an ouer greâ—t vnthankefulnes on your part if you complaine of this time as being euill imployed If you bee such couetous and niggardly wretches as not to spare me one seuenth part of the time I haue giuen you your whole life wheresoeuer the sunne shineth vpon you you ought to acknowledge my goodnes and how that I am a liberall father towards you for this sunne which J make to shine is to giue you a meane to goe and walke by to the end that euery one may doe his busines and yet for all this why is it that I shall not haue one day among seuen in which euery one should withdrawe himselfe from his trauaile and labour that you bee not wrapped in the care of the worlde and so haue no care to thinke vpon me Now then we see that this sentence of trauailing the sixe dayes is not placed as a commandement but is rather a permission which God giueth and that to reproch the vnthankefulnes of men if they obserue not the Sabbath day and sanctifie it in such sort as we haue spoken So then when men shall haue well considered of this thing they shall be conuinced that God beareth with them as a father which should shew himselfe pitifull to his children and therefore let vs take diligent heede that we be not vngratefull but be prouoked and allured to serue our God so much the more seeing he commandeth vs not those things which might seem ouer bitter and painefull vnto vs but hath a due regard to our power and abilitie therefore when he beareth with vs after this manner and leaueth vnto vs our profits and commodities so much more dissolute wicked and inexcusable are wee if we be not inflamed to yeeld our selues wholly vnto him Thus farre Master Caluin See then what an impudency and rebellion this is that men are growen vnto the Lord sayth In sixe daies they may doe all their worke and therefore willeth them to rest vpon the seuenth and they most wickedly crie out as loud with more then a whorish face by their speeches and practises that in sixe daies they cannot doe all their worke and therefore they take vp also all our part of the seuenth what a crueltie then is this that they charge the Lord withall that he should bind them vnder the paine of eternall condemnation to rest vpon the seuenth day and yet should not giue them sufficient time vpon the other dayes to end their worke in which once but to imagine were horrible impietie But let vs iustifie the Lord in his mercie and confesse as the truth is that wee ought so much the more carefully to remember the Sabbath to rest vpon it because in the sixe daies wee may doe all our worke if wee will pray vnto God for
is most certaine that we are not onely commanded to rest from these that we haue spoken of but from al other things which might hinder vs from the sanctifying of the sabbath as well as these of which sorte are all honest recreations and lawfull pleasures which are permitted vnto vs vpon the other dayes to further vs in the workes of our callings which we doe stand in neede of euen as of meate and drinke and sleep for if those worldly duties which we are commanded to walke in and be of necessitie required and without the which the common wealth cannot stand at all are then forbidden when we should attend vpon the Lords work because we cannot bee wholie occupyed in both much more those things which serue but for pleasure without the which mankind may continue though not so well continue must be giuen ouer because we cannot haue the present delight in the vse of them and yet at the same time bee occupyed in the hearing of the word such other parts of Gods holie worship and seruice as he requireth of vs vpon the Sabbath day Nay because men cannot be both at Church seruing God with the rest of their people and in their houses sporting themselues with their companions together nor in the great congregation praysing God with their brethren and in the open fieldes playing with their fellowes at one time And God vpon the sabbath requireth these of them therefore the other must giue place to it and we must not thinke it sufficient that wee doe no worke vpon the sabbath and in the meane season be occupyed about all manner of delights but wee must cease as well from the one as from the other And wee must doe it so much the more by how much the workes of our recreation are lesse needefull then the workes of our vocation and yet doe more hinder vs from the sanctifying of the sabbath then they For experience which is the mistresse of very fooles may teach vs and our nature is such that it must needes be so how much we are moued with delectable things euery one in his kinde some this way another that how marueilouslie they do affect vs how all our senses are taken vp with them and all the parts of soule and bodie wholie possessed with them that for the present time none of them can be occupied about the Lords work immediatlie at least wise as they should be Therefore vpon this day all sortes of men must giue ouer vtterlie all shooting hunting hawking tennise fensing bowling or such like and they must haue no more dealing with them then the artificer with his trade or husband man with his plowe and as men must not come to Church with their bowes and arrowes in their hands so neither with their hawkes vpon their fists which they hadde neede to doe so much the lesse because a liuing creature which is stirring which must so beheld in the eye of the bearer and in the open view of others is more able to hinder the minde from being attentiue then a senselesse creature or a peece of a sticke which a man may cast behinde him or throw where he list Obiection And be it that the faulkner say it troubleth him not one whit because by custome he doth not so account of it though I am sure he is more hindered by it in prayer and in hearing the word then if he had it not at all Answere yet how if others should be hindered by it which haue not their senses so at commaundement that they can keepe them from such vaine and hurtfull spectacles Is it not a sufficient cause to keepe them out of the Church where all things should be done both of the minister and people to the edifying and building vp of one another in godlines 1. Cor. 14.26 and not to the pulling downe and destroying of them therein And if they themselues would be ashamed to holde them vpon their fiftes when they should receiue the sacrament vpon what ground doe they holde them in the ministerie of the word Vnlesse they will lightlier regarde the worde then the sacrament or put asunder those things which God hath ioyned So then wee see they are greatlie deceiued who when vpon this daye they haue abstained from all kinde of worke doe thinke they haue marueilouslie kept the commandemeÌ„t though in the meane season they haue been occupyed in all kinde of pleasure and delights because they know no meane betweene working and playing thinke it sufficient that they restraine themselues of the one and then giue themselues all libertie to the other Now if these and such like honest and lawfull recreations doe hinder men in obeying the commandement of rest in so much that they can in no wise stand together what shall we say of so many vnlawfull games as are vsed euery where Much more from all vnlawfull pastimes Ephe. 5.16 which onely and truelie are called pastimes as they be because there is nothing in them but a mere idle and fruitelesse mispending of the time and passing of it away which they should redeeme If such as be tollerable at other times vpon this daye are inexcusable because they hinder vs from sanctifying the daye what profitable shew of reason can be brought for the maintenance of those which being at all other times worthie to bee condemned yet vpon this daye are most commonly practised and are made as it were proper and peculiar vnto it as though the time did make them lawfull and gaue some priuiledge and credit vnto them Here therefore wee may iustly complaine vnto God and men of the manifolde abuses and sundrie breaches of this holy rest by all the disorder and confusion that accompanieth Lords of misrule wherein whole dayes nights are spent euen vpon the sabbaths and at that time especiallie when they would seeme to be most deuoute keeping the remembrance of the greatest benefite that euer was or can bee bestowed vpon mankinde euen the birth and incarnation of Christ Iesus and therefore they will not worke at all for sooth that they might giue themselues more wholie to the consideration of it as they should but that their dooing doe manifestlie speake against them that they doe celebrate the feast of the drunken god Bacchus rather then any thing else So that here we may iustlie complaine with that ancient father and godly diuine Bullinger in Apoc. concio 4. as he did in his dayes That whereas Dauid when hee was vnder Saules persecution chiefely bewaileth that hee had not free accesse vnto the Lordes tabernacle our men count it one of the chiefest happines neuer to come into the companie of the Sainâ—es Et die dominico abuti ad lusus and to abuse the Lordes day vnto gaming Musculin Matth. 12.11 vnto drinking vnto dauncing and vnto prophane things And with another learned man Vanitati student die dominico Many giue themselues wholie to vanitie vpon the Lords day and spend away
we haue washed our hands clean from the workes of our calling so that none of them do cleaue to our fingers that this were an acceptable obedience vnto God when in the meane season our mindes are as worldly as euer they were and our thoughts bee as fresh vpon them and our affections are raysed vp to as great delight in them as though wee were in the middest of them But as the whole lawe is spirituall so this commandement hath a spirituall trueth in it and contenteth not it selfe with an outward obedience but requireth the inward truth of the heart that as we make a shew of resting from earthly things so we should doe it indeede without the which the other is but a fruitlesse and idle ceremonie For seeing this is the very end of putting our selues apart from all worldly busines that our mindes might not be entangled with them which because they must needes be so long as wee are dealing about them such is our nature that we cannot doe things and haue no feeling of them as though we were a sleepe or in a traunce therefore doe we dispatch our hands of them that our mindes might not bee disturbed by them Seeing then this is the principall ende that wee aime at to vnburden our mindes of these earthly cares that we might bee more quicke and free in Gods worship wee must especially labour for it and not stay in these other which though they be great in themselues yet are they but helpes and furtherances vnto this in so much that if on the Sabbath we leaue all our worke at home and come neuer so farre from it to the Church yet if our mindes be working as it were because they are occupied about it and wee would bee working if wee might and if we might not be knowne and if wee might not be punished or blamed and our mindes haue carried vs this way that wee would gladly haue stollen a working cunningly as wee say if wee might not haue been spied all that we doe is but meere hypocrisie so farre are we from the true obedience of this commandement And this wee haue seene sufficiently proued heretofore that we therefore rest from all worldly things Vt paratiores promptiores ad cultum diuinum as sayth S. Augustine in that excellent sermon of his That we might be more readie fit for Gods seruice Agust de tēp serm 251. when there is nothing to encomber vs and wee leaue at that time terrenam sollicitudinem the care of earthly things that wee might the more easily attend vpon the word of God which we cannot if still our mindes haue these burthens vpon them and be not released from worldly thoughts which presse them downe from being lifted vp vnto that heauenly life Master Caluin in his Sermons vpon Deut. giueth this reason why Christians should not goe to lawe vpon the Sabbath Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 39. Because vpon that day euery man ought to withdraw himselfe to Godward to minde his works that we may all of vs be prouoked to serue and honour him And afterwards addeth Common meetings are made that mē might heare the common doctrine of saluation and it is good reason that on the Sabbath day all other cares and thoughts should be layd aside And in another Sermon he sayth For we must rest Idem serm 34. and how rest forsooth wee must abide still and quiet our thought must not stirre to wander and deuise this and that Gualt in Act 13. Homil 88. For as Master Gualter sayth God doth therfore call the Sabbath his day that wee might knowe when that day is Ab omnibus alijs curis studijs abstinendum est that wee ought to abstaine from all other cares and dueties According vnto which exquisite rule if we doe measure out the obedience of all men we shall easily see how short they are of that perfect righteousnes which is here required and that many shall bee euen then found breakers of this commandement when they did most of all presume of the keeping of it and were puffed vp with a speciall pride for it For let vs graunt it vnto them which it may bee is true that they haue borne themselues in an euen and ciuill course not breaking out into any open contempt or wilfull and grosse breach of this Commandement yet if they will call themselues before Gods iudgement seate they shall find that many of these times they had a good desire to worke and would faine haue been at it if they might haue been couered and as wee say their fingers did tickle at it which as it hath been true at other times so most of all when as wee imagined that we might haue gained something if we would haue wrought and our ceasing from it was something vnprofitable vnto vs as in the time of any common Fayres or in the dayes of haruest of whom the Prophet Amos iustly complaineth speaking in their person Amos. 8.5 When will this new moone be gone that we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheate But if we iudge this doctrine too seuere and we cannot yeeld vnto it let vs compare this Commandement with the other which bee of the like nature with it and it may be they will perswade vs and leade vs into the trueth of it In the second Commandement we know that not only the making and worshipping of Images is forbidden but also to set vp an Idoll in our heart and to wish that we had it and to bee desirous to returne vnto Poperie liking of those times better then of this time of the Gospell and to be gaping after the Masse so that we are readie to imbrace it if it were thrust vpon vs againe and we could be very well contented with it so that we want but the oportunitie to furnish a Masse So in this not onely the bodily labour is forbidden which the lawes of men may prouide for but also the cogitations and desires of the minde towards them which none is able to meete with but the Lord that this law might bee like vnto himselfe And seeing that as our Sauiour Christ expoundeth the law he that is angrie with his brother vnadauisedly is guiltie of the law of murther Matth. 5.22 vers 28. And whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie alreadie with her in his hearte why should we not say that hee that looketh on his busines with a mind desirous to bee occupied about them hath broken the commaundement of resting alreadie in his heart vnlesse he will make the one vnlike the other and to bee as it were of another broode For is not this that dignitie and preferment which wee giue to all the whole lawe of God aboue all the lawes of men that as they doe behold but the words and works of men therefore their lawes can forbid and punish sinne but when it thus breaketh out bewrayeth
honour of his name and dedicated vnto his seruice And as he giueth vs libertie to worke our owne worke vpon the sixe dayes so he commaundeth vs straightly to cease from them vpon the seuenth that we might worke for the Lord seeing it is appointed to bee a day of resting from all other affaires for the Lords busines sake And last of all hee addeth that whereas the Lorde did create the worlde in sixe daies hee himselfe entered into a new worke distinct from the former vpon the seuenth and therefore bestowed an especiall blessing vpon that day which all the rest haue not euen the blessing of sanctification that it might be kept holy to himselfe For as Master Caluin sayth Benedixit sanctificauit Caluin in Gen. 2.3 secundum verbum est exegeticum prioris Of these two words the Lord blessed and sanctified the latter doth expound the former Pet. Mart. in Gen. 2. Whereunto agreeeth Peter Martyr To blesse is to giue and bestow something this did he chiefly giue vnto it that therein wee should rest and apply our selues to the seruice of God which so many words aboundantly testifie that the waightiest thing in this commandement is that the day of rest should bee bestowed vpon Gods seruice in so much that if we had attained vnto the perfect obseruing of the rest yet we are not come to the end and goale as it were of this commandement no not vnto the midde way of it which is so much the more diligently to be taken heed vnto because many through a grosse and palpable ignorance and want of religion as they cannot be persuaded of that precise rest which we haue seene here commanded so more prophanely dreame that though not all yet the greatest part of obedience vnto this commandement consisteth in abstaining from al worldly busines and therefore they that haue some care of this yet neuer or very seldome thinke of the other and making some conscience of working that day thinke it to bee a veniall or no sinne at all to neglecte the seruice of God which is most especially required or at least wise not to be throughly occupied about it Cal in Exod. 20.12 as the Lord on that day doth require For as Master Caluin sayth God was not delighted with the idlenes of his people but when hee bad them rest vpon the seuenth day there was relation to an other end For as the same man saith in another place This were a very bare and naked thing Idem vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. that our hands onely and our feete should rest and that nothing else should bee done What must we doe then wee ought to apply this rest vnto a more high and excellent thing And a little after he shewes it more particularly saying When our shop windowes are shut in on the sunday when wee trauaile not after the common order and fashion of men this is to the ende wee should haue more liberty and leasure to attend on that which God commandeth that is to wit to be taught by his word to assemble our selues together to make confession of our faith to call on his name to exercise our selues in the vse of his sacraments Therefore the seruant of God Moses to meete with this grosse corruption in the 5. of Deuteronomie doth not onely vse the forenamed word of sanctifying the day but further addeth in the same place As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee Deut. 5.12 making the greatest part of the commandement to consist in hallowing of the day For when God sanctified the day Iunij praelect in Gen. 2.3 he commanded man to sanctifie it that is to bestowe it in holy exercises So then looke howe many reasons there were before for the establishing of the day of rest so many more are there for the keeping it holy seeing this is the principall end of resting that it might be hallowed which because it cannot be in that manner that it should vnlesse we doe rest for we cannot wholly bestow it vpon Gods seruice if wee bestowe it vpon our busines in whole or in part therefore that this principall might haue his due roome al other things must giue place vnto it And though there were many other causes of ordaining the day of rest as we haue alreadie seene yet none so chiefe and principall as this For Adam being in paradise whiles he had not yet sinned though he was therefore exempted from many causes of resting which his posteritie did stande in need of yet for this cause was bound vnto it as much as any that resting from the works of the garden he might sanctifie it according to the commandement which otherwise he could not doe And therefore in the wordes of the commandement we are willed to remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy Therefore we ought to remember the Sabbath to this end especially not so much remembring that we rest vpon it as that we sanctifie the time of our rest and therfore remember to rest before hand that nothing might hinder vs from the worship of God vpon the day of rest but therfore rest and therefore remember to rest that the seruice of God might bee taken in hand And as it is a sin not to be carefull of the Sabbath that we might rest vpon it so it is a greater sinne not to obserue it that it might be a Sabbath vnto the Lorde by sanctifying of it and if for want of heedfulnes any thing do compell vs to worke vpon the day of rest it is our sinne in not marking the Sabbath day so if by our negligence we cannot sanctifie the day of rest vnto the Lorde it is a greater sinne of not remēbring to keepe it holy which is the first greatest thing in this commandement Master Musculus sayth Polluitur Sabbathum cum cuius gratia instituitur Muscul in Math. 12.11 à plerisque plane non curatur The Sabbath is broken of many when they consider not to what end it was ordained How many in the world can and do remember well enough the Sabbath day to rest vpon it but how fewe doe remember to imploy that time about the Lords busines and so to keepe it holy One maketh account of the Sabbath day for this ende another reckoneth of it for that and euery one remembreth it for some purpose but the Lord would haue vs to remember it that wee might altogether bestowe it vpon his worship yet none almost looketh vnto that Therefore it was the wisdome of God to meet with this blockishnes of our who remember euery thing sauing that that we should and those good things which we doe remember wee thinke of them to farre other ends then wee ought to doe and to tell vs plainly that this is the chiefest ende of marking the Sabbath that we might keepe it holy which if we doe not as we cannot so well marke it as we should so wee doe marke it to a wrong ende and doe
so straightly requireth at their hands As we may see in the scriptures how they that feared God liuing in the corrupt times of the Church and so not hauing their ordinarie teachers haue vpon the Sabbath day frequented those places though farre off where by the doctrine of the word they might sanctifie the day in some good acceptable manner In which consideration the Shunamite as it is recorded in the second booke of the Kings when his wife tolde him that she was going to the Prophet 2 King 4.23 but concealed the cause from him which was for the restoring of her sonne to life which she had obtained by his meanes before he demaundeth of her why she should goe that day seeing that it was neither new moone nor the Sabbath day as though he had sayd if it had been any of these daies which the Lord had commanded to be kept holy then no maruaile if she hastened thitherward so fast For so it ought to be and so it appeareth she vsed to doe that by hearing of his doctrine she might keepe holie the day and so thereby bee furthered in all other holie dueties In this respect I would to God wee might say of our time Iustin Martyr Apolâ—g 2. as Iustine Martyr doth of his Die qui solis dicitur omnes qui in oppidis vel agris morantur in vnum locum conueniunt Vpon the day that is called Sunday all that dwell in the townes or villages doe meete in one place and for the space of an houre the canonical scriptures of the Prophets Apostles are read It is a Canon in the prouincial Councell of Malisgon That if any man haue a Church neere them they should goe together and there vpon the Lords day to bee occupied in prayer c. Where their meaning was not to dispense with them that were further off but to inioyne all to goe to their next Churches And in another Councell this is the maine reason why they should giue ouer all worldly affayres Quo facilius ad ecclesiam venientes Concil Alater 3. cap. 27. That they might the more easily come to the Church and pray c. And vnto this doth that learned father and Bishop Augustine exhort his auditors in a sermon which I haue often alleadged which is worthie of all men for this purpose to be read ouer August de teÌ„p sermon 251. Let no man separate himselfe from diuine seruice Neque otiosus quis domi remaneat neither let any man tarrie idling at home Idle when other are gone to the Church Which also as it is very Christianly prouided for vnder her most excellent Maiestie both by statute and also by her Iniunctions Q. Iniunct articl 46. that all should resort vnto their parishes vpon all Sundaies and there to continue the whole time of godly seruice vnder the paine of penaltie So it had been happie for this land if in all places it had been executed but with halfe that care that it was first meant But I may complaine of it with Master Caluin Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 34 rather theÌ„ amend it That whereas if we were so feruent in the loue of God as wee should all would morning and euening assemble themselues together to the end they might be edified more and more in the seruice of God we see that with much adoe men will assemble themselues on the Sunday and that many are to bee holden to this order by force and violence and a little after it sufficeth not that euery one withdraw himself to his owne house either to reade the holie scriptures or to pray vnto God but it behoueth that we come into the companie of the faithfull and there declare the concord and agreement we haue with the whole bodie of the Church and celebrate in such wise this order as the Lord hath commaunded So then as wee haue seene heretofore that it is lawfull vpon these occasions to trauaile vpon the day of rest now we learne that it is necessarie not only tolerated but inioyned vnto vs because it is the day that must be sanctified and therefore all labours commanded whereby wee may hallowe it in the best manner Therefore let vs in all conscience and care to serue God cast away such vaine pretences as that the weather is too hot or too cold the wayes are too foule the iourney too long and a thousand more which might hinder vs at any time froÌ„ the preaching of the word and common prayer in which consisteth the head and the foote of keeping holie the Sabbath day For these are so necessarie and haue been so continually practised of the Church by succession as it were from hand to hand deliuered to the posteritie that wee should too much degenerate from them if wee should debarre our selues from these holie things The Apostle writing to the Corinthians where he had before taught euery Sabbath day and so by his example and doctrine shewed them the right manner of keeping holie the day when afterwards some great abuses were crept into the Church he writeth vnto them and correcteth the faults that were in their solemne assemblies vpon the Lords day as appeareth most plainly in the processe of the whole chapter but more especially when he so many times repeateth their generall comming together Corin. 11.17.18.20 seeing then he findeth fault with the corruptions in prayer prophecying or preaching and the Sacrament it is most euident and must needes bee granted that these were the holie exercises vpon that day vsually in their common meetings whereby the day was made holie vnto the Lord and most glorious to them If theÌ„ it be so as it cannot be denyed vnles we will denye the cleere light of the Sunne at midday that the chiefest poynt of hallowing the Sabbath day consisteth in comming to Gods house where he offereth vnto vs the speciall parts of his seruice to be occupied in and no where so much as there Where the word is not preaâ—hed or men come not to it this day cannot be hallowed as it ought then it must needes bee subscribed vnto that in Poperie and al false religion there is nothing els but a meere prophaning of the day by abominable idolatrie and superstition and so many daies as we were vnder that intolerable bondage we were set free from Gods seruice and so long liued wee in a continuall breach of this Commandement And not onely so but wheresoeuer the preaching of the word is not or where men haue it and come not to it there can they not sanctifie the day in that manner that they should because they want the principall part of Gods seruice and that which should direct them in all others and make them most profitable vnto them Which if it be so as wee cannot with the least shew of reason deny it then what cause haue wee to be sorrie for our selues and others Which haue so many times broken this law by wilfull absenting
he be let him goe to the Church vpon the Lords daye And they bring their reason For it is iust that wee all celebrate this daye vnanimiter with one consent or all together in which we are made that which wee were not before for wee were the seruants of sinne but by it we are made the children of righteousnes August de temp serm 251 S. Augustine complaineth in his time of this abuse in one kinde Adhuc quoque quod valde dolendum est conqueri vobiscum volo I will further complaine vnto you of one thing for which there is great cause to bee grieued that there are some especially the great mightie men of this world who when they come to the church haue no deuotion to praise God but compell the Minister to curtall the seruice and to saye it accordiog to their pleasure and will not permit him to follow the order of the Church for their bellies sake and coueteousnes as though but one little parte of the daye were appoynted for Gods seruice and all the rest of the daye together with the night were ordained for their pleasures See how truelie hee setteth out as it were in their colours the manner of a great many in our time So that how many times soeuer we haue made vnnecessarie delayes and haue been afraide as it were least wee should come too soon though in al worldly matters we suspect that wee should come too late and wee are loath to lose the least part of that which might make for our profite we haue hindered our selues from dooing some parte of Gods seruice which the rest of our bretheren haue been occupied in and so haue not done vnto him all that same seruice which he required of vs vpon that daye which must be dedicated vnto him alone And least that we might imagine that the Lorde doth not so strictly require this seruice at our hands besides that wee must remember that it hath been proued vnto vs out of the word and declared how the practise of the Church in all times hath yeelded vnto it if wee doe further consider the reasons why the Lord would be thus openly and together of all his seruants worshipped wee shall easilie perceiue that they stand still in force and binde vs as much as euer any before so that wee cannot iustly say it is true in deed it was thus once God would haue vs to serue him publikely in the Church but now it is not so necessarie we haue more libertie then others and so discharge our selues of our obedience to God at least wise of some part of it For first of all the Lorde would haue such solemne assemblies of his people in one place worshipping him together in those principall partes of his seruice which otherwise cannot bee done and hath not left it to euery mans discretion alone in some corner to serue him when it pleaseth himselfe though hee require that of euery one also Mâ—tth 6.6 euen that entring into his chamber hee should shut the dore and there praye vnto him in secret which will rewarde him openly but would haue all resorte to the common meetings and there ioyntlie to agree in his seruice praysing him in the assemblies Psal 107.31.32 and declaring his name vnto our brethren in the middest of the congregation that thereby his Church might be knowne and discerned in this world from the synagogues of the idolaters and conuenticles of the Schismatickes that so it being as a citie set vpon an hill which cannot bee hid Matth 15.14 and the mountaine of the house of the Lorde being prepared in the top of the mountaines and exalted aboue the hils Esay 2.2 all nations might slow vnto it and they descrying it a farre off might repayre vnto it as the Eagles doe resorte thither where the dead carcas is Luk. 17.37 And so not onely the godlie might incourage one another saying Come and let vs go vp to the mountain of the Lord Esay 2.3 to the house of the God of Iacob and hee will teach vs his waies and wee will walke in his pathes For the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Ierusalem but also that all the wicked which should by apostasie forsake it and reuolt from it or through contempt not ioyne themselues vnto it as too many haue and doe still in our time might iustly be condemned and left without all excuse where it should be so visible and as it were palpable vnto them Gualt in Marc. 3. Homil. 23. And therefore as Master Gualter sayth They that vse the Sabbath day rightly Sacros coetus adeunt goe to the publike assemblies to heare the word of God and pray and the same man in another place Idem in Act. 17 Homil. 108. It is euident that it was the ancient custome of the people of God to frequent the holy meetings for which cause we doe reade that holy daies and holy places in time past were ordayned of God Whereupon he inferreth in the same place that their peruersnes is to be detested who doe prophanely scoffe at the publike meetings of Christians wherein they manifestly bewray that they are not touched with any desire of wholesome doctrine or true religion For there the Lord doth offer vnto his Church those most notable and singular meanes of their saluation A commendation of the preaching of the worde which there is to be had Rom. 1.16 which as they cannot want so they can find no where but there for there is the preaching of the word which is Gods owne arme and power to saue all them that beleeue in so much that without the ministerie and preaching of those Rom. 1.16 that haue the publike authoritie and callings of the Church most ordinarily men are not saued Rom 10.14 as the Apostle saith How can they beleeue without a Preacher And how can they preach vnlesse they bee sent 1. Pet. 1.23 For indeede this is the incorruptible seede whereby we are borne againe without which we cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen Chap. 2.2 and this is that syncere milke whereby as new borne babes we are nourished and grow vnto eternall life Aâ—â—s 8.31 euen that word that is preached in so much that wee cannot vnderstand what is read vnderstande I meane to saluation except we haue a guide to preach vnto vs who may giue the sence Nehem. 8.8 and cause vs to vnderstand the reading For our Lord Iesus Christ when he ascended vp an hye and led captiuitie captiue Ephe. 4.8 vnto 17. gaue rich and plentiful giftes vnto men pastors and teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the building vp of the body of Christ til we al meet together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the sonne of God vnto a perfect man and vnto the ful measure of the age of Christ that we
way to heauen vnto hell if the Lord bee not more mercifull vnto him and why should we be loath to depart from the seruice of them that haue no care to serue God Or can we looke that they should do any faithful seruice vnto vs that are so vnfaithfull in the seruice of God But as concerning the rest if any bee religious this is the best meane to retaine them if they bee but indifferent this may winne them if they bee falling away To haue such good orders in our houses is not the next way to driue away our seruants from vs. this may recouer them for what shall wee thinke of all the godly fathers in times past That when they vowed diligently to looke to their households that they should serue God with them and did constantly performe it that then they had no seruants at al Was so great a man as Iehoshua without seruants when he promised before so many witnesses that he and his house would serue the Lord Was Dauid left alone and constrained to doe all himselfe when as being a mightie King he bound himself vnto it by that song which he made for the same purpose wherein he sayth Psal 101.6.7 Mine eyes shall be vnto the faithfull of the land that they may dwel with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me there shall no deceitfull person dwell in mine house he that telleth lyes shall not remaine in my sight Had not Abraham a great houshold when he was able of the sudden to carrie foorth with him of them that were borne and brought vp in his house three hundred and eighteene men in armour Gen. 14.14 to rescue his brother Lot of whom notwithstanding it is sayd Chap. 18.19 that he would teach his household the way of the Lord as it appeareth he did indeede when by his onely perswasion at the word of God Chap. 17.23 all the males were contented to be circumcised and to receiue that sacrament vnknowne before and painfull and also ignominious to the flesh if they had looked onely to the outward signe And must not that worthie Captaine of an hundred Italian souldiers needs haue a greater familie then many of these that cauill at this doctrine of whom the spirit of trueth reporteth Acts. 10.2 that he feared God and all his houshold Obiection What shall we thinke of all these men Shall we ignorantly presume to the further deceiuing of our selues hardning of vs in this sinne that the times were then better good seruants were more plentifull Answer Or must we not needes confesse as the trueth is indeede that these men vsed more meanes to make their seruants the seruants of God then men doe now adayes and that so the blessing of God was greater vpon them And is it not set downe in writing for our learning to shew vs what is that which we might looke for at Gods hands if wee would walke in the same way that they did seeing there is no respect of persons times or places with him But this much concerning this matter may be sufficient in which I haue been vnwillingly carried further then I was purposed at the first though now I do not repent me of it because the waightines of the matter is such that I doe not what might haue been well spared and with silence passed ouer Now that all households might be thus prepared vnto and furthered in the true sanctifying of the Sabbath it behoueth all Kings Princes ought to make lawes for the sanctifying of the Sabbath and all inferiour Mâ—gistrates see the same diligently put in execution Princes and Rulers that professe the true religion to inact such lawes and to see them diligently executed whereby the honour of God in hallowing these dayes might bee maintained And looke how straightly euery householder is bound to keepe all his familie in the obedience of this Commandement so seuerely will it be required at their hands if al their people and subiects throughout the whole land or any of them doe faile in it through any default of theirs And the Lord will require it of them so much the more seuerely by how much they haue more power to bring euery thing to passe within their dominion then a priuat man hath in his household and the offence that is publike is greater then that which is priuat And that this is their very duetie indeede appeareth first by the words of the Commaundement where he speaketh generally of them that be within the gates namely either of the house or of the citie which because it is the furthest part of those places therefore by them as vnder one kinde hee comprehendeth all the parts of any their iurisdiction euen the furthest and though it bee spoken by name but of one part of this commandement and that of the least which is to rest from labour yet it must needes be vnderstoode of the other parte which is the greatest and whereunto the other is but referred as it hath been oftentimes alreadie sayd in this treatise For if to abstaine from worke be a thing of such moment before the Lord vpon his Sabbath and day of rest that he will haue gouernours restraine their subiects from it then to sanctifie his holie day and to bestowe it vpon his seruice must needes much more bee a thing of that importance with him that he would haue all rulers compell their subiects vnto it Therfore looke how many reasons and examples haue been before alleadged to proue that they ought to stay men from working vpon that day so many are there to induce them to inioyne all to keepe holie the day for which end especially they command the rest and without which it is meerely ciuill and not religious And for this cause did the Lord command his people Israel Deut. 27.3 to write his lawe vpon the pillars in the borders of their land both that the people might bee kept in the knowledge and obedience of it Ecclesiast hist Cent. 1. lib. 2. cap 4. and that the Magistrates might euery where see the execution of it and knowe that it is their duetie to see it practised in all parts of their dominion euen to the very borders of them And if the Magistrate be truely called as he is indeede the keeper of the tables of Gods law that is one set vp in his roome furnished with his authoritie and power to that end that he might see the whole law of God euen the first and second table and euery Commandement in them put in execution then it must needes appertaine vnto him to prouide that the Sabbath bee hallowed wherein consisteth the obseruation of all the other Commandements in the first table A practise whereof we haue in the daies of Ioash King of Iudah in the very first entrance of his raigne whom when Iehoiadah the hye Priest had by the consent of the Rulers annoynted King 2. King 11.17 he made a
that superstition of the Iewes which that graue father singularly wel deseruing of al the Church of God Beza in Cantic SoloÌ„ Homil. 30. Master Beza speaketh of When it is counted such a great sinne to open a shop windowe Non item si lusum si potatum si scortatum fuerit But not so great if a man vpon this day giue himselfe to gaming to swilling and to playing the harlot Yea as another learned diuine sayth Gualt in Act. 13. Homil. 88. Hodie eò res deuenit In our time things are so come to passe that amongst Christians they may be accounted very good men who breake the Sabbath by their handie labor when they most doe prophane it with horrible wickednes neither at any time doe they more offend in pride and disdaine in drunkennes ryot lust then vpon that day which should be wholly consecrated vnto God and to the meditation of his workes and of our eternall rest And seeing these thinges are done openly and commonly sayth hee doe we yet maruaile what is the cause of the calamities of our time And Master Bucer complaineth yet a great deale more Bucer in Psal 92. I am nihil ferè scelerum est Now there is almost no wickednes which is not especially committed vpon the Lords holy day there is opâ—â—â—â—ying drinking filthy dauncing harlotting fighting and quarrelling and I would to God greater things then these were not committed I will not say as he sayth Et nusquam ferè licentiùs quam in ipsis principum Episcoporum aulis For I hope better things of them and such as accompanie saluation but in too many places of towne and countrie So that I may say of them as father Chrysostome doth Chrysost de Lazar. conciâ— pri Thou hast receiued the Sabbath day of God to clense thy soule from sinne and thou vpon that day dost most of all â—ommit sinne Whereupon it comes to passe that all the weeke following they are so much the more wicked bâ— how much that which was appointed for their good they haue turned into sin vnto themselues so that as the Gospell which in it selfe is the sauour of life vnto liâ—e by mens abuse is turned into the sauour of death aâ—d the bread of the Lords table which is the food of life is turned into poyson when men doe not rightly therein discerne of the Lords body and so by eating it and driâ—king the Lords cuppe 1. Cor. 11.29 they procure his iudgement against â—hemselues so this day of the Lords resurrection which is therefore the day of life vnto vs is by their wickednes â—ade vnto them the day of euerlasting death Euen as Master Caluin sayth Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. When the Sunday is spent not onely in games and pastimes full of vanitie but in things which are altogether contrary vnto God that men thinke they haue nâ—t celebrated the Sunday except GOD therein be by many and sundrie waies offended when men I say vnhallow in such sort this holy day which God hath instituted to leade vs vnto himselfe is it any maruaile if wee become brutish and beastlie in our doings all the rest of the weeke But to reserue all such prophane beasts vnto the iudgement of God whose holy daye of rest as they doe despise so vnlesse they repent and amend GOD hath sworne long agoe Heb. 3.18 that they shall neuer enter into his heaueÌ„ly rest There are others of whom in the same place he speaketh Caluin ibid. Who glut themselues by ryotting and are shut vp in their houses because they dare not shew a manifest contempt of their duetie in the open streetes so that the Sunday is to them a retreat to withdraw themselues from the congregation of God whereby one may see what affection they haue to all Christianitie and the seruice of God when by this which was giuen vs for an aide and helpe to drawe neerer vnto God they take occasion to withdraw themselues the further from him For as he sayth a little before if we imploy the Sunday to make good cheere to sport our selues to goe to games and pastimes shall God in this bee honoured Is not this a mockery Is not this an vnhallowing of his name But let vs that be Christians be of another minde and let vs as Saint Augustine sayth shewe our selues Christians by keeping holy the Lords day August ad Casul â—pist 86. vnto whom so manie as feare God let me say as they did at the Councell of Paris Concil Paris lib. 3. cap. 5. Salubriter admonemus We do admonish all the faithfull for the saluation good of their soules that they would giue due honour and reuerence vnto the Lords day because the dishonour of it is both contrarie vnto Christian religion and doth without all doubt bring destruction to the soules of all that continue it And there is great reason of it For seeing that daye is appointed for all the partes of Gods worship Bulling in Ier. câ—ncio 65. He that despiseth the Sabbath makes no great account of the true religion as master Bullinger very wisely noteth and therefore the Sabbath is many times put for the practise of all religion and the Prophets when they complaine of the decay of all religion say that the Sabbaths are polluted as hee also obserueth in the same place according to which rule if wee will iudge of the religioÌ„ of men we shall find that amongst a great many it is very little or none at all because they haue not that due care of the Sabbath that they should And thus saith Master Caluin Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. that the Prophet Ieremie in many places rebuking the Iewes for breaking of the Sabbath speakes vnto them as if they had in generall broken the whole law and not without cause for he which setteth at naught the Sabbath daye hath cast vnder foote all Gods seruice as much as is in him and if the Sabbath daye be not obserued all the rest shall be worth nothing Now besides seeing the end of all is that the fruit of Gods worship might appeare in our godly conuersation to the glorie of his name and our eternall saluation euen as it was ordayned of God at the first to keepe Adam in his integritie if we by the grace of God escape all these horrible prophanations of this daye and haue attained vnto some tolerable care of keeping holy the day then let vs see what we are bettered thereby and what is the fruite of our profession thereon For then may wee haue comfort that we vse it aright when there proceeds that good of it thereby for which God ordained it and which wee see it bringeth forth in many others And therefore I may say with Master Bucer Bucer in Mat. 12.11 if we do truely and religiously serue God vpon the Lords day aboue all others Declarent hoc mores Let our manners shewe it let the holinesse
of our life testifie it let our workes proue it for who will beleeue that hee hath beene present at the assemblies of the Church and hath heard the worde of God with a syncere heart and a true faith who bestowes the rest not onely of that day as he sayth but of his life not onely more vainely but more wickedly Let vs therefore in the feare of God and as wee haue a care of our owne soules repent vs earnestly of that that is past and praye vnto him that in all time to come we might make more conscience of obseruing the Lords day in all the parts of his worship publikely and priuately and that wee may bring forth the fruite of them all more plentifully all the daies both of the weeke following and of our whole life to the glory and praise of his holy name the vnspeakable comfort and endlesse saluation of our owne soules the good example of his Church the stopping of the mouthes of the wicked and the leauing of them without excuse and that in and by our onely Lorde redeemer and mediatour Iesus Christ through the operation of his holy spirit to which blessed Trinitie in vnitie for his grace vpon me in finishing this work and for all other his mercies bee ascribed as most due all honour glorie and praise both now for euermore Amen FINIS A Table of the principall matter contained in the first Booke THis Commandement in foure things differs from al the rest pag. 1. 2. 3. 4 That there ought to be a Sabbath day continually kept of al men to the end of the world pag. 5 The Sabbath day was kept from the beginning of the world before it was pronounced vpon Mount Sinay pag. 6 The lawe of the Sabbath is naturall ibid. 7. 8 The Gospell hath not taken away the obseruation of the Sabbath pag. 9. 10 The Sabbath was ordained for 2. principall ends pag. 11. 12 It is necessarie that there should be one day of rest in the weeke ibid. 13 It is necessarie that one day in the weeke shoulde bee sanctified pag. 14. 15. 16 If there were no Sabbath Gods worship would bee altogether neglected pag. 17. 18. 19 Obiections to disproue the continuāce of the Sabbath vnder the Gospell answered p. 20. 21. c. The Sabbath ought to be vpō the seuenth day and vpon none other pag. 30. 31. 32 And vpon this seuenth day that we now keepe pag. 33. 35 This change of the day was made by the Apostles p. 36. 38 Why the Apostles chaunged the Iewish Sabbath into this day that we now keepe rather then into any other p. 42. 43. c. This day must neuer be changed but continue to the end of the world pag. 47 It is and must now bee called the Lords day pag. 48 The first thing commaunded is to rest vpon this day pag. 51 A very exact and precise rest must be kept pag. 53. 54 The causes of this rest p. 57. 58 From what things wee ought to rest pag 63. 64. c. All sorts of men high and low are commanded to rest p. 82 c. The cattell must rest pag. 85 Wee must not compell others to worke for vs. p. 89. c. They that be in authority must restraine other from working pag. 93. c. Obiect how shall men liue if they worke not Answered p 98. c. What bodily labour may bee vsed vpon this day p. 102. c. Euery man in the sixe dayes may doe all his worke pag. 119 Obiection If wee bee bound thus straightly to rest wee are in as great bondage vnder the Gospell as the Iewes Answered pag. 124. c. Sundry iudgements of God vpon the breakers of the Sabbath pag. 128. 129. c. Wee ought to rest also vpon this day from al honest recreations and lawfull delights p. 131. c. And from speaking and hearing of worldly matters p. 137. c And from hauing our mindes occupied about the same p. 140 Obiection Who is able then to keepe this Commandement Answered pag. 144. An application of all this to our selues pag. 146 FINIS The principall matters in the second Booke THe second thing in the Commandement is to sanctifie the day of rest pag. 149. 150 It is then sanctified c. ibid. Which is principally required in this Commandement 153. c. We must remember the Sabbath to this end especially p. 156. c. The sanctificatiō of the day is precisely vrged in many c. p. 158 Then the daylie seruice of God was doubled p. 161 Our Church assemblies ought to be vpon this day p. 162 At which time men ought to bee there present p. 164 Then ought Gods worde to bee preached p. 166. c. All men should goe where they may heare it p. 169 c. Where it is not preached heard the day cannot be hallowed as it should p. 172 They that cannot or will not preach are causes of vnhallowing this day p. 173 Wee must be present at the rest of diuine seruice frō the beginning to the end therof p. 174 175. c. God would haue vs to serue him publikely in the Church p. 177 Sundry reasons to perswade therunto p. 178 After what manner and to what end we ought c. p 183 Wee must repent for our vnprofitable comming to church 188 Publike collection for the poore ought to be made c. p. 191 How wee ought priuatly to spend the rest of the day 194 Wee must prepare our selues before we come to church c. 195 How we ought to prepare c. 198 We must reade the scriptures priuatly at home 200 Wee must vse priuate meditation vpon that we haue c. 203 What meditation is and the great fruits thereof 203. 205 How vnprofitable we are for want of meditation 207 Wee ought priuatly to talke and conferre c. 210 The profit of such cōferēces 219 What hinders men frō thē p. 216 With whō we ought to cōfer 220 Wee ought to meditate and conferre also of Gods works 222 Which will teach vs to profit by al things and in all estates 230 There ought to be singing c. 235 The fruit of singing Psalmes 239 Singing of Psalmes is greatly decayed 241 The cause of this decay 242 The praise and commendation of singing Psalmes 244 The workes of mercie ought to bee practised especially on this day 246 We ought then to visit them that be in miserie 252 The spiritual works of mercie are then especially to bee done to mens soules 255 All superiours ought to bee careful that their inferiours c 258 In our time this is greatly neglected c. 263 Lawes should bee made and well executed c. 274 The great good that redounds to the cōmon-wealth thereby 275 A Conclusion with an application of al to our selues others 281 FINIS