these my labours vnder the liuerie of your honourable fauour Wherein although there be nothing answerable vnto your greatnes yet if as the finger serueth to point vnto the Sunne and the iuyce of a Limmon to ingraue aswell as Aqua fortis so this may serue to point vnto that which I would but cannot attaine vnto sufficiently to make knowne your Honours worthinesse and something to expresse the thankfulnes of my heart I wanting better meanes to vtter it I shall thinke my selfe not to haue attained the lowest degree of happinesse in my low estate And thus humbly crauing of your Honour pardon for my boldnes I cease any further to interrupt you from your waightier affaires yet not ceasing in my best wishes vpon my knees to pray vnto that God who is good without qualitie great without quantitie infinite without place and euerlasting without time that hee would long preserue your Honour amongst vs that the Prince may long enioy you such a subiect the Common-wealth such a Councellour the Church such a stay the truth such a Champion the souldier such a Leader and learning such a Patron and after this life here ended there to enioy with him another that neuer shall haue end Your Honours in all dutie most bounden GEORGE WIDLEY A TABLE OF ALL SVCH THINGS AS ARE contained in the seuerall chapters of euery booke The first booke CHAP. I. HOw the whole law is distributed pag. 1. 2 How the first table hath reasons annexed which the second for the most part wanteth pag. 3 What force these reasons of the fourth Commaundement haue to perswade vs to obedience 4 What things this Commaundement containeth in it in speciall aboue the rest 6 How this fourth Commandement is analysed or diuided 6 CHAP. II. How many sorts of Sabbaths there were among the Iewes 7 How the morall and ceremoniall Sabbaths differ 8 What vse the ceremonies had vnto the Iewes 10 Whether the Sabbath be perpetuall 13 CHAP. III. The time of the Sabbath or rest changed 31 To what day it was changed 37 Why the time of the Sabbath was changed 38 Whether it may be changed againe 53 Whether we may still call it the Sabbath 52 Whether by the Lords day Reue. 1. 10. be meant our Sabbath or day of rest 43 Obiections against the Sabbath answered 46 CHAP. IIII. Whether the whole day naturall be to bekept 57 How the night is to be kept 60 When the Sabbath beginneth and endeth 61 The second booke CHAP. I. That wee must prepare our selues to sanctifie the Sabbath and why 63 Wherein this preparation doth consist 68. 69 CHAP. II. Rest commanded 72 This rest must be a solemne rest 73 What workes are forbidden to bee done vpon the Sabbath 74. 75. 76. 77 What works be allowed to be done vpō the Sab. 90. 91. 92. 93 With what cautions workes of necessitie must be done 95 CHAP. III. Whether recreations may be allowed vpon the Sabbath 98 Whether pastimes as dauncing c. vpon the Sabbath may be allowed 102 Whether the Sabbath may be broken by our speech 113 Whether it may be broken in thought 118 Whether a man may doe the things commanded to be done vpon the Sabbath and yet breake the Sabbath 117 CHAP. IIII. Whether the rest of the Sabbath must be sanctified 119. and how 120 What these duties are which be required to the sanctitie of the Sabbath 123 Whether we be enioyned to come to the publique assemblie vpon the Sabbath 224. and how to demeane our selues there 126. 127. 128 Whether the word must be preached vpon the Sabbath 130 Whether the people be bound to heare it vpon the Sab. 132 Obiections to the contrarie answered ibid. Whether the Sacraments and discipline bee duties of the Sabbath 136. 137 CHAP. V. Duties both publique and priuate to be done vpon the Sabbath as first prayer 138. 139 Reading of the Scriptures 141 Singing of Psalmes 144 Catechisme 145 Workes of mercie 149 CHAP. VI. Priuate duties vpon the Sabbath which are meditation 152 Conference 156 Sloth pride dumme Ministerie le ts to the sanctification of the Sabbath 150. 161 The third booke CHAP. I. Whether euery man is bound in his owne person to keepe the Sabbath 164 Whether euery man be bound to see those that are vnder him to keepe the Sabbath 166 Whether the father be bound to see that the sonne keepe the Sabbath 169 Whether the master be bound to see that the seruant keepe the Sabbath 171 CHAP. II. Whether wee be bound to see that our cattell rest vpon the Sabbath and why 177 Whether we be bound to see that the stranger rest that is within our gates and why 179 Whether euery man be bound to hinder the iustruments of euill 182 Whether we be bound to labour to bring others to the knowledge of God 186 Whether toleration of a false religion may not be suffered 186 Whether the gouernours be bound to compell Idolaters to worship the true God 190 The fourth booke CHAP. I. In what manner the first reason of this Commandement perswadeth to the keeping of the Sabbath 195. 196. 197 Whether all Gods commandements are grounded vpon reason 199 Whether it bee sinne not to dispatch our worldly businesse vpon the sixe daies 200 Whether it be not lawfull vpon any of the sixe daies to vse recreation for the health of the bodie 203 Whether a man may consecrate any one or more of the sixe daies to Gods seruice 206 CHAP. II. How the second reason of this commandement perswadeth to the keeping of the Sabbath 208 How God is our Lord and how he is our God and what we thence learne 209. 211 To whom we must consecrate daies 215 CHAP. III. How the third reason perswadeth vs to keepe the Sab. 216 How farre we are to follow examples 217 Wherein we are to imitate God and wherein not 221 How God may be said to rest and the vse of the words 222 CHAP. IIII. How the fourth reason here brought perswadeth to the keekeeping of the Sabbath 228 What it is to blesse and ballow the Sabbath namely to blesse the keepers of it 219 Whether the breakers be accursed 219 The end of the Table THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH HANDLED IN FOVRE BOOKES THE FIRST BOOKE TREAting of the Sabbath day CHAP. I. The distribution of the whole law Sect. 1. The Commaundements of the first Table haue their reasons annexed Sect. 2. The reasons annexed to the fourth Commaundement Sect. 3. The contents of the fourth Commaundement Sect. 4. The analysis of it Sect. 5. § Sect. 1 THe whole law which is a doctrine requiring what men ought to be and condemning them for not being perfectlie such as they ought being at large deliuered in the whole volume of the Scriptures is notwithstanding for the helpe The distribution of the whole law of mans memorie abridged by God himselfe in those tenne words which he spake on the Mount Sinai and writ in two tables of stone as it were in a booke of two
labour which this is one doubt that sticketh vp like a thorne in a drunkards hand wherewith hee hurteth himselfe and others namely that euery day is a Sabbath or rest from sinne and that therfore now wee are not any more bound to keepe any particular Sabbath Now to proue that we must keep euery day a Sabbath they alleage that Heb. 4. 10. where it is said that he that is entred into this rest hath ceased from his owne workes as God did from his and that therefore we must euery day keepe a rest from sinne To which I answere Were it so that all they that vrge this did it of a desire and loue they haue to the Lords Sabbath they were the lesse to bee blamed howbeit it is certaine that they pleade this most that least delight in the Sabbath when it comes and they doe it not that they would haue other daies to be kept as the Sabbath but because they would haue the Sabbath to be kept but as another day But howsoeuer yet I do not see how out of that place they may make this appeare For first I see not how Gods resting from his workes may be a figure of our resting from our sinfull workes there being no proportion between them which alwaies is betweene the signe and the thing signified Secondly if this rest were a signe or figure of our rest from sinne it must be so vnto Adam also for the law was giuen vnto him Now how could that be a figure vnto him of his resting from sinne when as yet hee had not sinned Thirdly be it that there were such a rest yet what doth the keeping of this rest morally hinder the keeping of that from sinne nay rather is it not a principall meanes for the furtherance thereof For doth not rest from wordly affaires and imployment in holie duties take away all occasions of sinne Fourthly were it granted that we must rest euery day from sinne yet this their collection that therefore wee should not rest from labour to keepe the Sabbath holy followeth not therupon no more than because a man is bound to receiue euery morsell of meate with giuing thankes that therefore he should say he were not bound to receiue the Lords Supper otherwise than as common bread or rather not to receiue the Lords Supper at all because he euery day receiueth bread with giuing of thankes Fiftly that which in that place is made significant was the seuenth day from the creation for the text saith he speaketh in a certaine place of the seuenth day not of the Sabbath Whereby it is plaine that that which was significant was the seuenth day from the creation on which God is there said to rest and it might be this was a signe that they should in the like manner rest vpon the seuenth day from their works as God did from his to which end Gods example is brought as a reason to perswade vs to rest because God rested as also it might bee a signe of our eternall rest in heauen And that indeede the Apostle meaneth there when hee saith vers 10. that hee which hath entred into his rest that is into heauen hath ceased from his owne workes What of sinne No but of his calling for this rest Adam should haue entred into though he had neuer sinned But last of all be it that in this place he meaneth this rest from sinne to bee shadowed out yet that rest is in heauen but in this life no man hath or indeed can rest from his sinfull workes as God did from his workes which the Apostle affirmeth of those that haue entred into his rest But this argument how wind-shaken it is I hope euery man seeth I will spend therefore no more time to pluck this thorne out of the drunkards hand It resteth that I should here answere that which is vrged by some out of the Epistle vnto the Coloss chap. 2. vers 16 17. Let no man condemne you in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbaths But because we shall haue a more fit oportunitie offered to speake of it in the next chapter I therefore thither remit the reader That which remaineth to be spoken of last of all is the vse of this that being the Sabbath is perpetuall therefore men take heed how they suffer this truth to be wrested away from them by the cunning sleights of Sathan or be drawne on by the alurements of euill men to abuse it to their owne pleasures or profits to runne ride or sport themselues vpon it as if it were lawfull as vpon another day or as if God had neuer said the word keepe it holy And this much as touching the first point namely that the Sabbath is perpetuall CHAP. III. The time of the rest not perpetuall Sect. 1. It was meet the Sabbath day should be changed Sect. 2. How the Sabbath is changed and yet perpetuall Sect. 3. The Sabbath changed from the seuenth day to the first Sect. 4. The reasons of that change Sect. 5. 6. 7. 8. Obiections to the contrarie answered Sect. 9. 10. Whether wee may call it still the Sabbath day Sect. 11. Whether the time of the Sabbath may not be changed againe Sect. 12. § Sect. 1 BVt now as is the rest so is not the day or time of the rest perpetuall The time of the rest not perpetuall for if you marke God saith not remember the seuenth day to rest vpon it but remember the day of rest which is the second thing that we obserue in this commandement and giueth vs occasion to consider of another question Which is whether the Apostles might chaunge the Sabbath vnto any other day then that which the Iewes kept Which they might doe first because the seuenth day kept amongst the Iewes was ceremoniall and did shadow out vnto vs our eternall rest as appeareth Heb. 4. 4. 10. which was one cause that moued the Apostles to chaunge the day As also they might doe it because they found no limited day set downe in the commaundement For as for that which followeth afterwards the seuenth is the Sabbath it is no part of the morall precept but onely an explication of it For if that were a part of it then this also must be a part sixe daies shalt thou labour which to graunt were absurd because then we should make duties betwixt man and man to bee taught in the first table which onely teacheth man this dutie to God and the second the dutie of man to man as Christ sheweth Matth. 22. 38. as also they being two things so contrarie as rest and labour I cannot see but they must also be two commaundements Besides all this in the reasons there be many things that concerned onely the Iewes as in the fifth commaundement Honour thy father and mother the reason is that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Now it is certaine that this promise had only reference vnto
enough for vs to forbeare our works and so to keepe it idly but we must rest to keep it holily therefore it is called a holie Sabbath and a holy rest and here remember to keepe holy the rest It is true that the first thing that is here commanded is rest but it is not the principall thing Rest is but the huske but sanctification is the almond rest is but the shadow but sanctification is the bodie rest is but the meanes but sanctification is the end and if wee doe but cease from our labours and do no good it is nothing but the oxes Sabbath if we come to Church for nothing but to sleepe that is Eutychus Sabbath if wee cease from our labours and follow riotousnesse that is worse that is the golden calses Sabbath they sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Exo. 32 or if we keepe it onely vpon constraint that is the Princes Sabbath and not Gods Lament 1. 7. it is said that the enemies of the Church of God seeing their Sabbaths they laughed at them how iustly I know not but this I am sure if the diuell see vs keepe such Sabbaths he wil laugh at them but the Lord will say Goe your waies I know you not nor your Sabbaths and Who required these Sabbaths at your hands Esai 1. 12 13. It behooueth vs therefore to doe that which hee exhorteth vs vnto in so many places of the Scripture namely to sanctifie his Sabbath § Sect. 2 But here I know it will bee demaunded how is this day sanctified seeing all daies are alike and What it is to sanctifie a thing one hath no more holinesse than another in themselues The bread and the wine in the Lords Supper haue no more holinesse in them of themselues than other bread and wine the water in Baptisme is in it selfe but as other water the trees in Paradise of life and of the knowledge of good and euil in themselues were but as other trees what is it then that maketh them holier namely this that they are put apart from other things vnto a holy vse and so are the bread and wine holie in the Lords Supper so is the water in Baptisme so were the trees in Paradise so were the Priests holie so were their garments holie so was the Temple holie and so is this day holie But this way the day is rather said to be holie in regard of the institution which is from God who hath only power thus to sanctifie but there is another holinesse which is in the obseruation and in that respect wee are said to keepe it holie The manner of which sanctification the Prophet Esay expresseth thus If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will vpon mine holy day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word then shalt thou delight in the Lord c. Esai 58. 13. In all which words hee doth nothing else but set downe the keeping of the Sabbath And first to shew the rest of this day he cals it a Sabbath Secondly to shew it must be sanctified hee calleth it his holy day Now as touching the rest of this day first he requireth a bodily rest of thee to turne away thy foote from it that thou breake it not viz. by any bodily labour Secondly hee requireth a spirituall rest from sinne also thou must not doe thine owne will vpon it Hauing thus shewed the rest then he sheweth the sanctification of this rest First it must bee called a delight so that we must take comfort in the approching of it and our hearts must leape within vs as the babe did in Elizabeth at the approching of Mary For this is the day of our prouision this is the market of the soule wherein we must furnish our selues of that spirituall Manna the foode of our soules in the strength of which wee must walke all the weeke following as Elias did after his refection by the Angell Secondly it must not bee our delight as some delight in that day to spend it on their lusts but it must be a delight to consecrate it and that not vnto our Whitson Lords and Ladies vnto our groues and hill-altars vnto our May-bowers and shreenes of pleasure not vnto our Theaters to gaze in nor vnto our fields to walke in but it must be consecrated as glorious vnto the Lord. And therefore as Hanna desired her sonne that she might offer him vp vnto the Lord 1. Sam. 1 so must we this day that wee may consecrate it vnto the Lord. Lastly because the nature and propertie of things consecrate vnto the Lord is that they may not be other waies imployed than vnto his honour and vse therefore hee addeth that thou shalt honour him vpon this day to serue him and to giue worship vnto his name and that wee may the more safely keepe it he shewes how wee breake it For danger is not well auoided vnlesse it be foreseene and knowen he setteth downe therefore three things which must be looked vnto that wee breake not his Sabbath our workes our thoughts and words and first for our workes wee must not doe them not doing saith he thine owne waies Secondly for our thoughts wee must not thinke them thought is not free neither are our tongues our owne for wee must not speake a vaine word So then to conclude will you know who keepeth holie the Sabbath Esay telleth you he that keepes the rest of this day that keepes it as the Lords holy day that cals it his delight that consecrateth it as glorious vnto the Lord that doth not his owne waies that thinketh not his owne thoughts that speaketh not a vaine word he is the man that keepeth the Lords Sabbath and he it is whom the Lord wil honour and make to mount vpon the high places of the earth and heauen also § Sect. 3 Hitherto hath the Prophet giuen vnto vs the true patterne of a Sabbath which euery Christian is bound to obserue as being both the summe of this and the same with this precept of the Sabbath which we haue in hand the keeping of which holy consisteth in the performance of the duties of holinesse which are of three sorts publique priuate or mixt of all which wee will seuerally speak and first of the publique And because these duties cannot bee well performed without the helps and meanes conducing thereunto wee will therefore first shew the things required to the performance of these publique duties which are in this precept commaunded as well as the duties themselues and they be these foure First that we assemble our selues for there can be no publique exercise without a publique assemblie Secondly that the assemblie must bee timely Thirdly our demeanour whilest we be in the assemblie And fourthly our continuance in the assemblie § Sect. 4 And first that vpon the
prepare thy selfe before it come for thou art forgetfull that there is any difference betwixt this and other daies therefore saith he remember This is as it were the first stake Secondly he doth not only giue this commandement but he afterwards explaines it to the full sheing not only what workes are forbidden vpon this day to be done but also vnto whom and why Thirdly least thou shouldest bee drawne away by the example of great men to breake it hee sets before thee the example of him that is higher than the highest who did keepe it God himselfe did keepe it A rare example and a thing that he specisies not in any of the rest nor scarce againe in the whole Scripture so that in these three things this commandement is alone and neither these nor the like things may be found in any of the rest expressed You must thinke God had a meaning in it and what else can it be but that hee would haue this commandement vnderstood and remembred as being most necessarie for vs to know because vpon this day we are taught how to walke in the obedience of all the rest Which that wee may the better attaine vnto let vs see what things offer themselues in this commandement to be examined and considered of CHAP. II. The diuerse kindes of Sabbaths Sect. 1. The difference betwixt the morall and the ceremoniall Sabbaths Sect. 2. The vse of the ceremonies to the Iewes Sect. 3. That the Sabbath is perpetuall Sect. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Arguments to the contrarie answered Sect. 11. and 12. § Sect. 1 THese words being thus vnfolded it now remaineth that we proceede to the handling of them And first of the Sabbath day or day of rest that I may bee vnderstood of what rest I intreate How many sorts of Sabbaths there were amongst the Iewes We are to consider that amongst the Iewes there were two kinds of Sabbaths one of yeeres another of daies That of yeeres was euery seuenth yeere in which they might not sowe their land but let it rest or euery seuen times seuen yeeres which was the yeere of Iubile in which bondmen went out free and alienated possessions returned againe vnto the owners Leuit. 25. 10. Of these Sabbath of yeeres we intend in this place no further discourse we come therfore vnto that other part of the diuision namely the Sabbath of daies And here againe I must distinguish for the Sabbath of daies was also two-fold ceremoniall and morall Now of the first sort were all the Sabbaths that were instituted by Moses in the ceremoniall law such as were the Passeouer Pentecost the new Moone and the feast of Tabernacles which Leuit. 23. are called Sabbaths Of the second sort which wee call morall is that Sabbath which is commanded in the Decalogue or tenne Commandements of which here in this treatise our purpose is to write § Sect. 2 Now betwixt this morall Sabbath which we so call because it is a part of that law which giueth instruction for manners and these other ceremoniall Sabbaths there is great difference which Moses Leuit. 23. 37 38 pointeth at where The differēce betwixt the morall and the ceremoniall Sabbaths hauing spoken before in the chapter both of this Sabbath and of those feasts before named hee concludeth his speech of the feasts thus These are saith he the feasts of the Lord which ye shall call holy conuocations c. besides the Sabbath of the Lord that is besides those Sabbaths which they were to keep euery seuenth day Now the difference was First this morall Sabbath God himselfe spake it immediatly Exod. 20. 1. and afterwards writ it in tables of stone with his owne finger Deut. 9. 10. and therefore Exod. 32. 16. these tables are said to be the worke of God and this writing to be the writing of God ingrauen in the tables And this he writ not once but when the tables were broken he wrote in the second time Exod. 34. 1. And lest any man should say that God also spake and writ the rest when Moses Deut. 5. 22. had rehearsed the tenne Commandements vnto the Israelites he addeth that all these words God spake and added no more but wrote them vpon two tables and when he had written them as appeareth Deut. 4. 13 14. hee commanded Moses at the same time that he should teach them ordinances and lawes which they should obserue in the land which they went to possesse So that this is manifest that the Decalogue or tenne words was only spoken and written by God but all the rest added by Moses which is the first difference Secondly this morall Sabbath was more ancient For it had his institution as appeareth Gen. 2. 2 the very next day after mans creation yea and his obseruation together with his institution for God himselfe rested vpon it where as those ceremoniall Sabbaths tooke their beginning but from Moses Thirdly it was also more holy for where as vpon this day it was not lawfull for the Iewes to dresse their meate Exod 16. 23. nor to kindle a fire Exod. 35. 3. vpon these ceremoniall Sabbaths it was permitted vnto them to doe it Exod. 12. 16. And lastly it was more durable for the couenant of the moral Sabbath was an euerlasting couenant Exod. 31. 16. as also shall anon further appeare whereas the other was but a vanishing shadow and to last but vnto the comming of Christ for it was foretold by Daniel that the Messiah should cause the sacrifice to cease Dan. 9. 27. And that the Iewes knew well enough in that Iohn being demaunded by them what he was and denying that he was either the Christ or Elias or any of the Prophets They demanded again of him why he did then baptize thereby intimating that vnles he were one of these he might chaunge nothing in the Law wherin they secretly graunted that these might doe it And as the Messiah had authoritie in himselfe to change the ceremoniall law of Moses so might he also change these ceremoniall Sabbaths they being a part of that law which was ceremoniall which also hee did And therefore saith the Apostle Let no man condemne you in respect of an holie day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbaths which were but a shadow of things to come namely of our eternall rest in heauen which wee obtaine by faith in Christ Which Sabbath the Iewes thought did shadow out only their rest in Canaan but the Apostle Heb. 4. vers 8. confuteth them for saith he if Iesus that is Iosua had giuen them rest then Dauid would not after that day haue spoken of another rest saying that God sware in his wrath that the vnbeleeuing should not enter into his rest for their vnbeliefe sake yet this rest in heauen remaineth now vnto the children of God that is to the beleeuers although the shadowes thereof be done away the bodie which is Christ being come § Sect. 3 Indeede it pleased God in the minoritie
was a people or called after the name of their father Iacob yea I say long before there was any promise made vnto Abraham their father Neither yet alone did God then keepe it but did also institute it to be kept Yea but it was not kept will some man say What then shall the disobedience of some make the law of God of none effect God forbid though neither yet can I yeeld that it was not kept For what if the keeping of it bee not mentioned doth it therefore follow that it was not kept Were all things that were done by the Fathers written by Moses If they should I suppose the world it selfe would not haue contained the bookes but these things which are written are written for our leraning Rom. 15. 4. And to this end is the institution of the Sabbath recorded by Moses that we might thence learne the obseruation therof seeing that God did institute it to that end to bee obserued vnlesse wee will say that God did institute a day for rest which yet he would haue no man to rest vpon But to take away all wrangling the truth is the obseruation of this day is also shewed by Moses before the giuing of the law aswell as the institution and so shewed as that he sheweth it not once to be kept by God himselfe in the creation Gen. 2. 2 but againe in the wildernesse in that he ceased to raine downe Manna vpon the Sabbath Exod. 16. 15. Loe thus twice hee obserueth God keeping of it And to this hee addeth the practise of man also for Exod. 16. he sheweth how the Israelites kept it in the wildernes when as yet the ceremoniall law was not giuen by which it is certaine that this law was perpetuall § Sect. 9 And that it is so me thinkes I neede bring no other proofes than the reasons themselues For The reasons of the precept proue the perpetuitie of the Sabbath where the reasons be generall do they not binde in generall from one to euery one euen from the free denison to the straunger And where the reasons bee perpetuall doe they not implie the perpetuitie of the commandement otherwise the reasons should perswade when the commandement were ended Now the reasons that here are vsed to perswade vnto the keeping of the commaundement being perpetuall what shall we iudge of the commaundement but that it is also perpetuall and bindeth vs aswell as the Iewes for are not these reasons to all men and at all times alike Doth not God giue vnto euery one sixe daies aswell as vnto the Iewes and then is not euery one bound to keepe a seuenth aswell as the Iewes Is not the Lord thy God aswell as theirs and must not thou then keepe his Sabbath aswell as they Or did he rest onely for their example and not for thine also Or haue they need onely to be blessed and not thou also Then these reasons perswading thee aswell as them and now aswell as then doe they not pleade for the perpetuitie of this commandement and proue that it is no vanishing shadow but a lasting precept and to remaine for euer § Sect. 10 But what neede I to alleage so many reasons to perswade in a thing so apparant were there The perpetual vse of the Sabbath prooueth the Sabbath perpetuall no more but this one reason namely the continuall vse and neede wee haue of the Sabbath to perswade the perpetuitie of the Sabbath it were sufficient For if there were no time to call vs backe how farre would that corruption wherewith wee are warmed in our mothers wombes carrie vs like a mightie streame or current from all godlinesse How deepe would we diue into the things of this world if wee should neuer bee pulled out If there were no time to water that seede that is sowen in our hearts wee should become as a garden that hath no water Isai 1. 31. where euery thing dieth Yea how easily would our hearts become like vnto the sluggards garden that is ouergrowne with thornes and nettles which couer the face thereof Pro. 24. 31. And if the best men notwithstanding the best meanes be many times ouertaken Lord what shall we poore men thinke shall become of vs If there were no time set downe by God vnto vs for his seruice and if it were left vnto our owne discretions when should wee finde a time would wee not pleade as the Iewes in the building of the Temple The time is not yet come Hag. 1. 2. And therefore I say being wee haue such continuall vse and neede of it what doth it els but perswade the continuance of it vnto vs To conclude therefore this point if this law The conclusion of all be the same with the law of nature if established by the Apostle if confirmed by Christ if instituted before the people was to whom the ceremoniall law was giuen if warranted fortie yeres after the ceremoniall law was abolished if the reasons be now as effectuall to perswade vs to the obedience thereof as euer and the vse also now as great as euer we may truly conclude that seeing in the institution it was not ceremoniall it cannot in processe of time become ceremoniall but as it came in with the world so it must end with the world And from this must not a Christian be driuen no not for all the world § Sect. 11 But notwithstanding the euidence of this truth yet there haue bin obiections of two sorts Arguments pretending to prooue the law to be abolished answered found out to weaken the trueth thereof some whereby they endeuour to prooue the whole law abolished others that if not the whole law yet at least that the Sabbath is abolished Now to prooue that the whole law is abolished they alleage that 1. Tim. 1. 9. To the iust there is no law and that Rom. 6. 14. We are not vnder the law but vnder grace To which to answere in a word it is true that we are not vnder the correction of the law For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Rom. 8. 1. Yet we are vnder the direction of it For ibid. ver 7. the flesh is condemned as an enemie vnto God in that it is not subiect vnto the law Secondly wee are not vnder the law as it was giuen by Moses but as it is warranted by Christ Thirdly wee are not vnder the rigor of the law for Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the law Galath 3. 13. from the curse of the law saith the Apostle not from the law And therby it is that now his commaundements are not grieuous vnto his Ioh. 5. 3 but wee willingly subiect and giue our selues seruants vnto it to receiue direction from it c. But of this sufficient it being something besides my purpose § Sect. 12 Come wee therefore vnto those that more neerely concerne the matter in hand amongst Our rest from sinne taketh not away our rest from
but that together with the day it must be quite cashered from the rest of the cōmandements as vnprofitable This it is the diuell knoweth that by the keeping of this commandement his kingdom is most of all shaken and therefore hee laboureth aboue all to shake at least if not to ouerthrow this time appointed for the worship of God § Sect. 10 Yea but in that place of the Galatians the Apostle seemeth altogether to disallow set times That of the Galatians falsely vrged by some answered in so much as he saith he is afraid that he hath bestowed his labour vpon them in vaine because they obserue daies and times But of those that vrge this I would know whether they thinke that the Apostle in this place condemneth all set times or some onely if they shall say all indifferently then it shall not be lawfull for the Church at all to appoint any set times no not for the deliuerie of the word and Sacraments which whosoeuer maintaineth is an absolute Atheist and seeketh no lesse than the ruine of Christ and his kingdome and of all religion amongst men How be it this I know those that vrge this will not allow of it to haue a day set for Gods worship being a thing both tending to edification and good order Now if they will say that it condemneth but some set daies then it either condemneth those which the Church then kept or those which the Iewes kept for there were not a third sort of daies at that time If they shall say those which the Church then kept I would know of them whether the Church might not then as lawfully appoint daies for Gods seruice as now the Apostles being then of the Church and lead by that spirit that could not erre And secondly whether they might not appoint the first day of the weeke as well as any other all daies being as they say indifferently alike Both which things if they will graunt I see not how the Apostle might iustly blame them for vsing their christian libertie in making choise of some day for to keepe the Lords Sabbath vpon Whom if hee might not iustly blame for vsing their libertie much lesse then might hee so sharply rebuke them as to stand in feare of them for the keeping of such a day as if by it all his labours had been to none effect or purpose Yea if the keeping of such times had been so bad he should haue yet done much worse himselfe to haue kept it with them which yet hee doth Act. 20. 7. But this hee should haue added aboue all that hee should speake against times set and yet should himselfe set times as we see he did in the Church of Corinth yea and in this very Church of Galatia appoint collections to be made euery first day of the weeke as wee may see 1. Cor. 16. 1 all which things or any of them once to conceiue of so great an Apostle were intollerable It remaineth therefore necessarily that they must bee vnderstood of those Iewish daies and times and yeres And that they were such appeareth euidently Col. 2. 17 where he sheweth that these daies were shadowes of things to come which onely was proper to those Iewish daies and no other And indeed the truth was thus there were crept into these Churches certaine false Apostles that laboured to ioyne Moses with Christ and to inthral their consciences with the ceremoniall yoke as though they were in conscience bound yet to keep the ceremonial law the retaining of which was no lesse than in effect to denie Christ to bee come who was the bodie of all those ceremoniall shadowes Which he obseruing beginneth to be afraid of them as he saith least they should by this meanes haue made his preaching of Christ Iesus to haue been of none effect vnto them Now as for our parts we are so farre from Iudaizing as that we retaine neither any conscience of their daies nor yet the daies themselues And therefore we obserue the Sabbath vpon the first day of the weeke whereas they kept it vpon the seuenth as hath been heretofore sufficiently declared that thereby we may be sure to auoide all Iudaisme Moreouer being the day is chaunged it will §. Sect. 11. be demanded and of some is whether we ought not for the auoiding of Iudaisme to forbeare to call it the Sabbath day Whereto for my part I answere that although I know that all things ceremoniall in the Sabbath bee abolished yet I could neuer learne that the name was any ceremonie and therefore I see not but that it may bee vsed with that indifferencie as wee vse other names it being fit and apt to expresse the nature of that which we would signifie by it Secondly being the rest is perpetuall as I haue prooued why should it not carrie with it the perpetuitie of the name of rest But why then were new names giuen vnto it Not because the old names were abolished or might not bee vsed but they were inforced to vse other names for distinctions sake for if they had not called the Sabbath by some other name they could not haue been so wel vnderstood whether they had spoken of the Iewes Sabbath that was to bee abolished or of ours therefore to auoide this ambiguitie they call it by another name that they might thereby be the better vnderstood But now being that the Iewes Sabbath day is quite abolished and that custome hath made it familiar and vse carried it vnto our Sabbath I see not but that we may indifferently vse the name of Sabbath euen as any of the rest of the names of the day especially then when wee doe desire most to expresse the rest of the day as when wee would expresse the change of it to call it the first day of the weeke and when the reason of the change to call it the Lords day so when we would expresse the rest to call it the Sabbath day And this much as touching the chaunge of the Sabbath vnto the first day of the weeke § Sect. 12 But now vpon this which I haue shewed that the time of the Sabbath might be and was iustly changed by the Apostles it will be demaunded and of some is though ouer busily I confesse for we should be more readie to keepe than to alter the constitutions of the Apostles yet I say it will be demaunded whether the Church may not chaunge the day of the Sabbath vnto any other day of the weeke To which I answere that although the Church hath power Gods warrant going before vpon some extraordinarie occasion as plague famine sword or such like vpon any of the weeke daies to institute a fast as in Ioel. 2. 15. Sanctifie a fast or a feast as Hest 9. The feast of Purim is instituted or to turne a fast into a feast Zach. 8. 19. The fast of the fourth moneth and the fast of the fifth shall be vnto the house of Iudah ioy and gladnesse Yet to
thine owne thou wouldest not endure For if thou hauing seuen pounds in thy purse shouldest giue sixe of them to some debaushed souldier if hee should wastfully spend that thou gauest him on harlots and then afterwards should come and take from thee all the remainder sauing two or three shillings wouldest thou not thinke that he did incroch two much vpon thee wouldest thou not say he hath robbed me And bee not these as great theeues that rob God as those that rob men Doubtlesse they be greater and therefore take no part of this day from God to spend vpon thy lusts for it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and take heede how thou wrong him and curtoll his day as Hanun did Dauids seruants garments 2. Sam. 10. 4 for hee will not take this wrong at thine hands Againe in the third reason where God proposeth himselfe vnto thee for an example to follow looke how long a time God rested so long a time must thou rest But hee rested the seuenth day wholy for he made nothing the seuenth day but finished all in sixe daies and therefore must thou rest a whole day as hee did Lastly in the last reason looke what time God blessed and sanctified to be kept holie that time ought in right to be kept holie for this is the nature and propertie of things sanctified they being set apart from the common vse may not otherwise be imployed than vnto his honour as appeareth Leuit. 27. 28. Yea Nebuchadnezzar as very a beast as he was yet would not put the vessels of the house of God to a common vse but put them in the house of his God Dan. 1. 2. but now I say God blessed and sanctified the whole day which he rested on and therefore the whole day must be kept holie And in very truth is not a whole day needfull for the performance of a whole seruice and worship of God to heare the word and minister the Sacraments pray reade meditate conferre instruct And why then doe men thinke that they haue sufficiently kept the Sabbath if they heare diuine seruice as they call it in the forenoone and in the afternoone thinking that they may doe all the rest of the day what they list as though God forsooth would take that at mans hands which a man will not at his seruants to worke an houre or two and to play all the rest of the day But the Apostle you will say willeth that we should condemne no man in part of an holie day Col. 2. 16. True neither in respect of an whole holie day such as hee there meaneth that is a Iewish holie day which as I haue shewed before you are not bound vnto But this is the Lords day and it is the Lords Sabbath which you must keepe holie and wholie holie vnto him as you haue seene alreadie prooued for 1. the day 2. preparation thereunto 3. rest and 4. holinesse these foure things being in the commandement expressed we must obserue for euer as being morall and not ceremoniall § Sect. 2 Though neither yet is this sufficie to keepe the Sabbath day from morning to night for they are deceiued that thinke that the Sabbath is ended when the Sunne is fet but wee must keepe the night also for it is a part of the day naturall of which here is mention for so Moses Gen. 1. accounteth the euening and the morning but one day so that the artificiall day and the night make but one day naturall which is the seuenth part of the weeke and is Gods and therefore the night must bee kept holie aswell as the day for that is a part of the Sabbath Therefore Psalm 92 which is called a Psalme of the Sabbath Dauid saith not onely that he will declare Gods louing kindnes in the morning but his truth also in the night And Paul being at Troas taught vntill midnight and then celebrated the Lords Supper which was a Sabbath daies exercise thereby shewing that the night was a part of the Sabbath also Though neither yet doe I speake it to this end that wee should keepe it in the same manner as Paul did I know it well it was extraordinarie but yet neuerthelesse in the nature of a night we are more holily to repose our selues that night than at other times A fault in those that other nights pray with their families but this night ouerpasse it esteeming it sufficient that they haue prayed at the Church § Sect. 3 But here I know it will be demaunded when the Sabbath beginneth and whether wee must keepe the night before the Sabbath or the night following Answ True it is that the Iewes kept their Sabbath the night before the day for Leuit 23. 32. from euen to euen shall you celebrate your Sabbath but wee begin our Sabbath at the dawning of the day for these reasons first because Christ rose in the dawning it was necessarie our Sabbath being to be kept in remembrance thereof that our day should then begin Secondly to put a difference betwixt the Iewish Sabbath and the true Christian Sabbath it was needfull that ours should begin at morning when by the resurrection of Christ the world began to bee renewed whereas the other began at night when the world in the creation was finished Thirdly that the night following is accounted a part of the day precedent we see Act. 20. vers 7. where it is said that Paul preached at Troas vntill midnight being the next morning to depart hauing staied there as the text sheweth vers 6. seuen daies but if the last night had not been a part of the seuenth day then he had staied at least a night longer than seuen daies and so more than seuen daies for hee should haue staied part of another day But that this night was a part of the Sabbath which they then kept doth yet further appeare in that the Apostle keepeth this night in the manner of a Sabbath with performing the exercise of holinesse therein as also in that being to depart hee would not depart till the rest were ended Which I obserue in that it is said ver 11 that he communed with them till the dawning of the day and so departed both which circumstances concurre well with this to prooue that hee held the night following to be a part of the Sabbath Now if any man will say that by this reason we may iustifie the deliuerie of the word and Sacrament in the night I graunt it the time being as this was a time of persecution otherwise not But this to keepe the night of the Sabbath in the nature of the night I take to be no extraordinarie but an ordinarie thing such as is now also required of vs and I presse it no further than to shew the practise of the Church from which wee ought not rashly or vnaduisedly to dissent And this hath been obserued euer sithence the Apostles times to be iust who keep the day first and call the night following
thou rather disobey God than chastise thy sonne Yea haddest thou rather let him stand vnder the heauie wrath of God which burneth vnto the bottome of hell for breaking his Sabbath than to correct him then woe worth the time may thy childe say that euer hee knew the that lettest him thus to die for want of correction And this much shortly concerning the duties of parents towards their children in compelling them to keepe the Sabbath § Sect. 3 The next dutie is of Masters towards their seruants who are so farre foorth bound to see The master must see that the seruant keep the Sabbath their seruants keepe the Sabbath as themselues For God will haue them his seruants aswell as theirs and to doe his businesse vpon the seuenth day aswell as their masters vpon the sixe daies And this in truth wee ought to doe if not in this regard that God commaundeth vs whose commaund should be of greatest authoritie with vs yet at least that we may shew our selues good gouernours and that we gouerne them as tendring their good ouer whom we are set and wherein can we more tender them than in bringing them vnto the knowledge of the chiefe good euen vnto the sauing knowledge of God in Iesus Christ And if we will not yet gouerne as tendring their good yet at least let vs doe it as tendring our owne for be yee well assured that he that is not faithfull to God will neuer be faithfull to thee and that hee that will not serue God truly will neuer ferue thee truly Well hee may serue thee so long as thine eye is vpon him but when thy backe is turned his seruice is ended But the seruant that feareth the Lord will be as faithfull vnto thee when thou lookest off as when thou lookest on for hee knowes well that a greater than thy selfe looketh vpon him to whom hee must answere for his seruice done to thee Let this therefore at least teach thee thy dutie to thy seruants Yea but will some Master say my seruants wil not thus be held in by you No will who holds them in then to their worke in the weeke daies If any shall then start aside from your businesse you will easily finde meanes to inforce him and can you finde no meanes to inforce him to Gods businesse Yea but they will not vpon the Sabbath bee held in but they will then haue their libertie Then let them haue it altogether and discharge them For wilt thou haue him that will not serue God to serue thee thou oughtest at least to be as carefull for Gods seruice as for thine owne Now thou wilt not keepe a seruant that will not faithfully doe thy businesse how much lesse then shouldest thou keepe one that will not serue the Lord Dauid would neuer haue done it for saith he a wicked person shall not dwell in my house Psal 101. Yea but how shall my worke bee done then Get thee such seruants as doe feare the Lord that was it that Dauid purposed first with himselfe Mine eyes saith he shall be vnto the faithfull of the land And He that walketh in a perfect heart he shall serue me vers 6. ibid. And they indeed bee the best seruants for they serue not with eye seruice but as the seruants of Christ as seruing the Lord in thy businesse and not thee Ephes 6. 6. Yea but wee cannot get such It may be so because you do not walke as Dauid did in the middest of your house with a perfect heart vers 2. Therefore they will not dwell with you which if you did you should not neede to seeke for seruants would seeke you fast enough Yea if you did so walke by Gods blessing though you did not finde them such yet you would make them such but this is the miserie of it our seruants must bee sent abroad euery Sabbath in errands and trifling businesses riding and running and posting as if it were for life as if it were on other daies in the weeke as if no commandement were from God to the contrarie So our owne turnes be serued wee care not how God be serued wee shew thereby that wee loue our selues more than God And our seruants seeing vs not to make conscience of Gods businesse they grow to make as little conscience of ours especially they being by this meanes depriued of the benefit of the word whereby they should bee taught better to discharge their duties towards their masters And thus much for that that the master ought to see that his seruant keepe the Sabbath And as this instructeth the master in his dutie to his seruant so also it containeth in it matter of comfort for the seruant For they may hence obserue the kindnes and loue of God towards him that notwithstanding their seruitude yet hee is mindfull of them they think poore wretches that because God hath laid this state of seruitude vpon them therefore hee regardeth them not no no it is not so but he thinkes vpon them and remembers them euery Sabbath vouchsafing as it were to looke downe from heauen vpon them in giuing them a rest promising them as it were in that rest that one day they shall thoroughly rest from their labours and rest with him in heauen where they shal be no more in seruitude but shall be the Lords free men Therefore you seruants thinke of this and learne to serue him on his Sabbath that hath not alone in his flesh serued you but will assuredly in that flesh saue you and giue you a perpetuall rest if you serue him And behold this he requires at your hands then doe it for you cannot serue a better master Lay aside then your foolish vanities your idle delights and impertinent sports be no more the seruants of sinne but as in the whole course of your liues so on this day especially bee yee the Lords seruants loe hee offers it Now who is it that would not serue his Prince if he might but their seruice is nothing to this for euen Princes themselues sue to bee Gods seruants as Dauid though it were but in a meane place as to bee a doore-keeper yet he would thinke himselfe happie let this therefore be your resolution to serue the Lord. You will say peraduenture you would but you cannot your masters lay such burthens vpō you And surely this I know many masters lay greater burthens vpon their seruants on the Sabbath than in any daies of the weeke besides they deale therein like Pharaoh when the people desired to go to serue the Lord then he laid more worke vpon them Exod. 5. 9 so when they should goe to heare the word of the Lord then they lay more businesse vpon them In this case what shal the poore seruant doe shall hee doe Gods businesse or his masters Surely whether it be better to obey God or man masters iudge you Act. 4. vers 19. Though neither herein doe I intend to exempt the seruant from being subiect to his master
lawgiuer himselfe gone before you in keeping this commaundement let me then exhort you as the Apostle doth Ephes 5. 1. Be you followers of God as deare children and walke as ye haue him for an example Now louing children will followe their parents then if you be children I say if louing children you wil follow him Now I know in generall that euery man will subscribe vnto this that they must follow God in keeping his Sabbath but yet come and presse them to yeeld obedience in the particular duties there you shal haue them as the young man in the Gospell they then depart sorrowfull that makes them to scratch where it doth not itch What must they doe nothing but heare pray meditate c. Nay if it had been onely to forbeare the doing of some worldly businesse which they greatly cared not for the doing of at any time they would haue forborne but now vpon this day to forgo their afternoone sports and playes and to sit as they terme it moping in a corner this is too hard Well but I say if you bee Gods children you will follow him yea and more than any sonne imitateth the father for the father begetteth his sonne but like vnto him in substance but God begetteth his children like vnto him in qualities They be holy as he is holy mercifull as he is mercifull and will imitate him in all his doings and therefore in this they will keepe the Sabbath as he kept it otherwise they are no children but bastards I say bastards on the mothers side but not on the fathers for were they his true children they would be also his deare children as in this place and would follow him § Sect. 2 Yea but will some man say what a stirre is here about following of God what would I haue them to doe and I thinke I would haue them assaile to make a new heauen and a new earth because God made them both Not so neither but I would haue them labour sixe daies and rest the seuenth as God did But that they may be the more fully answered the workes which God hath wrought are of three sorts Whereof the first are such as are miraculous as to giue sight vnto the blind to fast fourtie daies to walk vpon the waters to raise the dead c. Now these are to bee wondred at but not to be imitated because the gift of working miracles ceaseth in the Church and it is a note of Antichrist now to worke wonders 2. Thess 2. 9. The second sort of works are works of our redemption as the sonne of God to become the sonne of man to be borne of a virgin to beare our sinnes to die for vs to rise againe and to ascend into heauen Now these are works to be beleeued but not to be imitated vnlesse it bee in a certaine similitude or resemblance that as Christ was conceiued and borne so he should bee conceiued and borne in vs Gal. 4. 19. And as Christ died for sinne 1. Cor. 15. 3. so we should die to sinne Rom. 6. 2. As Christ in his flesh was crucified vpon the crosse so should we crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof Galath 4. 24. As Christ being dead for our sinne was buried so wee being dead to sin should also be buried with him by baptisme Rom. 6. 4. As Christ being buried rose againe so must we being buried with him by baptisme rise again to walke in newnes of life vers 5. As Christ being risen did ascend so must we risen from the graue of sinne ascend by setting our affections on things aboue Coloss 3. 2. And hereupon grew that rule that whatsoeuer Christ did for vs the same he did in vs. Lastly the third sort of duties are morall duties commaunded in the law and these are the workes wherein he is to bee imitated by vs. Examples whereof he giueth vs Mat. 11. 29. Of meeknes Learne of me that I am humble and meeke In Iohn of loue and brotherly kindnes Ioh. 13. 15. I haue giuen you an example And in this place of working sixe daies and resting the seuenth Indeede hee could haue finished all his workes in one houre or with a word speaking but hee would worke about them sixe daies and rest the seuenth for our example And therefore as Christ said Haue you not read what Dauid did how when hee was an hungred c. So haue you not read what the Lord did how when he made the heauens and the earth he laboured sixe daies and rested the seuenth haue you not read it I say if you haue then againe I say as Christ in another case Goe and doe the like Luk. 10. 37. that is rest as he did For not the worke but the rest is that which is proposed vnto thee § Sect. 3 But here is one doubt more that may be moued in this place and that is how God can be said to rest that is a pure act in himself and alwaies worketh or how he can be said to worke that alwaies resteth in his action The answere is he alwaies worketh and alwaies resteth in himselfe but in this place he is said to rest or to worke in respect of his creatures To rest I say in that hee ceaseth to make any more creatures yet not to rest from preseruing them being made For God was not idle on the seuenth day but did sustaine and preserue the creatures which hee before had made otherwise they would haue come to nothing And therein wee are taught that though on the Sabbath it bee not lawfull to labour to increase that wee haue yet it is lawfull to saue and preserue that we haue and this he teacheth vs here by his owne example And so much touching the sense and force of these words § Sect. 4 Now the vse of these words is foure-fold First they serue to confute those that stand so much vpon the examples of others let a man demand of thē why they do so prophane the Lords day by their vnlawful games sports by their riding and running abroad in errands by their trudging and posting to Faires and Markets they will answere they doe but as others doe and they that are better men and haue more knowledge than they do so and if it were not lawfull they would not doe it would such a Iustice or such a Preacher bowle or banquet or ride about vpon the Sabbath if it were not lawfull And when they haue thus answered they thinke they haue spoken to the matter passing well But I wonder seeing they will bee lead by example why they doe not looke vnto God and follow his example which is the best of all for I am sure that there is none of those which they follow is worthie to bee named the same day with him none so learned none of such authoritie as he may not a man then returne this their answere vpon them when they shall say such and such that are learned and of authoritie do breake the
his Epistle ad Magnesianos not only that this day was chosen of the Church but also why it was done namely that all occasions might be cut off from the Christians of Iudaizing And August tom 2. ad Ianuar. Epist 119. saith that the Lords day was deliuered to Christians by the Lords resurrection and thereof it began to be celebrated And last of al Cyril in Ioh. lib. 17. cap. 58. saith it must needes bee that the eighth day on which Christ appeared to Thomas must bee the Lords day Loe thus haue you a clowde of witnesses all testifying this day to bee the Lords day but of the other daies which they call feasts no such matter Neither yet had these feasts been so ancient would any of them so iustly deserued the name of the Lords day as this because in nothing he did so much shew himselfe to be Lord as in this his rising againe from the dead for therefore hee died and rose againe that hee might bee Lord of the quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. And therefore as the Lord would haue the Israelites after their comming out of Egypt there and then to begin the account of their moneths in remembrance of their great deliuerance from their bondage in which they were in vnder Pharaoh Exodus 21. 2. so would hee haue vs in remembrance of our great deliuerance from the thraldome of sinne and spirituall bondage of the diuell by Christs suffering and rising againe there and then to begin our account The conclusion then of this point is that seeing the seuenth from the creation was not commanded in the morall law but was ceremoniall and therefore meete to be changed and being it might bee done without any preiudice to the commaundement The Apostles did well to change the time of the Sabbath which was kept euery seuenth from the creation into the seuenth from the redemption § Sect. 9 Hauing thus made the truth of this point euident it remaineth now that we remoue such lets Obiections answered and cleere such doubts as may any waies seeme to arise in the hearts of men whereby they might be hindred from admitting this truth And here first may these places of the Apostle Galat. 4. 10. and Col. 2. 16 17. incomber some whose mindes are not so well established in the present truth in the first of which places the Apostle seemeth to condemne all set times and in the second to cleere men from any iust imputation or condemnation for the not keeping of them and by name of the Sabbaths so that it may seeme we are set free from keeping any Sabbaths at all for saith the Apostle Let no man condemne you in respect of the Sabbath For answere whereunto as I will not greatly contend for the time of the Sabbath it being as I haue alreadie shewed done away and the abolishing thereof may by this place iustly be warranted for hee here speaking against the obseruation of times especially those that were Iewish it may as iustly be extended against the time of the Iewish Sabbath as any other feast amongst them especially being that the time of the Sabbath is called the Sabbath as in this commandement the seuenth is the Sabbath that is the time of the Sabbath and Leuit. 23. 3. The seuenth shall be the Sabbath of rest that is the time of rest or the time of the Sabbath As I say I will not contend with them for the day which the Iewes kept it being abolished so by no meanes can I be drawne so much as once to imagine that therefore the Sabbath should be together with the Iewish day abolished being that Christ hath warranted the whole law and euery iot or tittle of it to remaine Yea but you will say the Sabbath it selfe is ceremoniall for Exod. 31. 13. it is made a signe of our sanctification A signe what then Is it therefore a ceremonie and shadow Is there no difference thinke you betweene a signe and a shadow For my part I haue euer held that shadowes signifie things to come but signes things alreadie come aswell as to come Againe shadowes and the bodie or substance of them can neuer bee together but when the one is come the other is gone and where the one beginneth there the other endeth but the signe and the thing signified neuer agree better than when they goe together Indeede I confesse the shadowes may in some sense bee said to bee signes but that all signes should bee shadowes that will neuer bee made good by the dint of any argument be it neuer so sharpe As for example the signes in Egypt were tokens of Gods anger yet they were not shadowes the Sacraments are signes confirming our faith Rom. 4. 10. yet no shadowes the miracles that Christ wrought were signes shewing foorth his glorie Ioh. 2. 11 yet no shadowes the Rainbow was a signe putting God in minde of his couenant that hee would not againe the second time drowne the earth Gen. 9. 13. and 15 and then may not the Sabbath also be a signe that is a document or instruction to teach vs our sanctification or a signe memoratiue to put vs in minde of our sanctification but that it must presently therewith become a shadow Why then become not all these signes shadowes aswel as it Indeede I confesse that the strict keeping of the rest by the Iewes commanded Exo. 16. 23. was a shadow as also was the seuenth day yet that the rest commanded in the precept was so or had any ceremonie annexed that I denie But be it so that the rest in the commandement had also a signification added vnto it yet from the beginning it was not so but came afterwards and was made so vnto the Iewes who were to be lead on vnto Christ by these things as children by their A. b. c. and first elements as it were of religion and may not this that is meerely accidentall and added vnto it fall away but that it must destroy that also with it which is substantiall If this should be graunted I see not but that the whole law must also be abolished because there was no commandement but had some ceremonie or other as I haue alreadie prooued added vnto it Yea and the Sacraments must also bee done away because the outward signes were shadowes and so we should be without either word or Sacrament with which this would suite well to abolish the time of them both that there might not bee so much as any speech of God or godlinesse But how farre much better haue the Apostles done who haue abolished that which was ceremoniall and added vnto the morall law retaining and keeping still the substance and law it selfe as also they doe in retaining and keeping the same Sacraments which the Iewes had 1. Cor. 10. 3 4 though they chaunge the signes which they had And what I pray you hath this commaundement deserued why it should not finde the like fauour with the rest to remaine although the day bee changed
by the name of the day precedent And so much for the day of rest THE SECOND BOOK TREATING OF THE DVTIES OF THE SABBATH CHAP. I. Of the preparation vnto the Sabbath by remembring it before hand Sect. 1. 2. The things to be remembred are to settle our affaires Sect. 3. And our affections Sect. 4. § Sect. 1 IN the former discourse we haue seene these foure things handled First that the Sabbath is perpetuall Secondly that the day is changed Thirdly that it cannot againe be changed And fourthly that the whole day must be kept holie All which things being discussed it remaineth that we proceede vnto the handling of the duties of the day And first I will speake of the preparation vnto the Sabbath which we are put in minde of when he wils vs to remember this day which words import so much as if hee should haue said Thou art by nature forgetfull and negligent in the performance of any holie dutie and therefore thou haddest neede to thinke vpon this day before hand and to remember it that thou Why the word remember is placed before the commandement maist bee prepared to keepe it holie And me thinkes God deales in this like a Master that giuing many things in charge vnto his seruants yet one thing in speciall aboue all saith he remember this So dealeth God in this case Thou shalt haue none other Gods Thou shalt not make any grauen image Thou shalt not take my name in vaine these commaundements thou shalt obserue but especially remember this to sanctifie my Sabbath And although this word remember bee placed but in the beginning yet it hath a reference vnto euery word in this commandement for he requireth not onely that we should remember the day when it is comming but also we must remember to rest vpon it when it is come Neither is it sufficient that we rest on that day but we must remember to sanctifie that rest and that thou must remember to do thy self and not that alone but that thy children and seruants also doe it Indeed were it not that wee were more negligent in this than in any other dutie God would not haue vsed this speciall remembrance but seeing in good things wee are like the Disciples that slept though thrice admonished when the Pharisies could wake well enough without any admonition at all God therfore willeth vs to remember the Sabbath thereby as it were stirring vs vp to the performance of our duties And as God willeth vs to remember in regard of our forgetfulnesse in good matters so doth he will vs much more to remember in regard of the easinesse that is in our nature to bee drawne away to that which is euill from Gods seruice When Balaam heard a messenger sent with that ambassage I will promote thee to great honour what haste made hee to bee gone to Balac though hee went vpon the point of a sword Numb 22. 21. The young man as soone as euer hee heard that Syren in the Prouerbs sing Come let vs take our fill of loue hee followes her straight way though as an oxe vnto the slaughter Pro. 7. 12. Which easinesse of ours to bee insnared and inticed God obseruing as a most louing friend willeth vs to be aduised and before hand to remember that we who by nature are so facill and easie be not abused § Sect. 2 But much more doth he will vs to remember in regard of our manifold lets and excuses which we pretend and to let passe those lets which one once sported himselfe merrily with as the couerlet the partlet the phillet and the frontlet which things many times bee le ts vnto vs as when wee lie too long in bed or stand a good part of the day in trimming yet they bee not the greatest lets How say you to those lets which kept those that were bidden vnto the wedding that they could not come as merchandise a farme fiue yoke of oxen a wife and such like Are not these things many times le ts vnto vs that we cannot keepe the Sabbath Now for the preuenting of all these God willeth vs to remember that it is his Sabbath thereby shewing vs that the very respect of the Sabbath must weigh downe all our worldly lets O but faith the master when hee should goe to Church I must needes goe talke with my seruants and tell them what they shall doe the next weeke Yea but thou must remember to goe to Church for God will talke with thee and tell thee what thou shalt doe the next weeke I but saith the seruant my master commaunded me and I must go do my masters businesse Yea but God saith thou must goe doe his businesse hee commaunds both thee and thy master too and therefore remember the Sabbath saith hee Yea but will some man say I must needs go doe a thing I forgot to doe the last weeke The more shame for thee for doth not God will thee to remember it Yea but I had forgotten it and therefore now I must goe doe it Indeed as if because through negligence thou going from home and leauing thy cloake behind if it should chance to raine and thou wanting thy cloake shouldest therefore meeting thy neighbour take away his were it therefore lawfull because thou haddest forgotten thine So wilt thou because through thy negligence thou forgettest thy businesse when thou shouldest haue done it wilt thou I say therefore take Gods time and imploy it about thy businesse Well I dispute not whether it be lawfull to doe it but this I am sure it is sinfull for thee to forget to doe it before for thou shouldest haue remembred it and indeede this doth nothing but argue thy vnto wardnes vnto good things for thou vsest not so to pleade in the weeke daies when thou shouldest goe about thy worldly businesse Sir I haue forgotten this day to pray with my familie to instruct them to reade some part of the Scripture c. Thou neuer remembrest this in the weeke or if thou doest thou presently dispensest with thy selfe for the omission of it but on the Sabbath thou easily remembrest any of thy worldly businesse and thou wilt not omit to do them though holinesse it selfe attend thee in the meane season Which easily sheweth what it is that runneth in our minds namely our worldly affaires for these we remember at euery turne and not onely so but we forecast all inconueniences before hand As for example is a man going to a market or faire before he goes he sits down first and forecasts what things he lackes where and of whom he may buy them at the best hand yea he remembers all his wants and rather than hee will forget any of them when he comes thither hee will set them downe in writing tables or binde a threed about his finger to put him in remembrance or else commaund some of his seruants to remember him when he cōmeth thither that he may be sure to dispatch all his
more will I thinke that when God did forbid works of our ordinarie vocation that he meant to allow works of pleasure such as are our works of recreations and pastimes as we call them Which will the better appeare if wee consider the reason why these workes of our ordinarie vocation are forbidden vs vpon the Sabbath which is not that they are vnlawfull in themselues but because they destroy the rest and take vp the mind that it cannot be imployed in Gods businesse now these doing the same things are by the same reasons forbidden Wee must vnderstand therefore that this commandement is of the same nature with the rest and as in them by one sinne forbidden are vnderstood all of the same kinde as by murther is forbidden all crueltie whether inward or outward and by adulterie all wantonnes and vncleannes as offending against chastitie Matth. 5. so by these seruile workes named as breaking the rest of the Sabbath are forbidden al workes that breake the rest of the Sabbath onely those excepted which God hath dispensed with of which before And therefore all such workes as are done for recreation as bowling shooting hunting hawking wrestling playing at cat and such like howsoeuer in the weeke they may be allowed yet are vpon this day vtterly vnlawfull and forbidden Yea and me thinks the reason standeth more strongly against them for as from that Leuit. 19. 15. Thou shalt not fauour the poore in iudgement A man may implie a portion from the stronger that hee must then much lesse fauour the rich So here thou maist not doe any worke of thine ordinary vocation vpon the Sabbath which yet at other times thou art commaunded to doe then much lesse maist thou doe the workes which no where are required of thee but onely by way of permission are at sometimes allowed And surely if you marke it you shall finde more danger in these of the last sort than in the other for that they more carrie away the minde from God than these of our ordinarie vocation doe for who is it that had not rather goe to Church than goe to work but who is it I speake of the multitude that had not rather goe to play than goe to Church But when then will some one demaund shall wee haue time for recreation if not vpon the Sabbath If thou wilt haue time for that allow part of thine owne for that is thy worke and therfore thou must allow part of thy time to doe it in but Gods time thou maist not for that he hath reserued for his owne businesse Let me aske thee one question If thou shouldest allow vnto thy seruāt of thy sixe daies fiue whole daies to do his businesse and to recreate himselfe in them and shouldest reserue vnto thy selfe but one wouldest thou take it well at his hands if thou chiding him for neglect of thy businesse vpon that day he should answer when should I vse recreation if not now Which answere if thou wilt not take at thy seruants hands doest thou thinke that God will accept of it at thine that hath dealt more liberallie with thee than thou with thy seruant And therfore out vpon it that thou shouldest offer this vnto him vpon his Sabbath to pleade thus for libertie and recreation when yet in truth all the recreations in the world cannot be answerable vnto the recreations of the Sabbath for what can recreate or refresh a man more than to drinke of the waters of life What can glad a man more than to heare of the forgiuenes of his sinnes To one that is in prison fast bound in fetters what greater recreation than to heare of his inlargement and what greater comfort than to come vnto the sealing of his pardon And are these things offered vnto vs vpon the Sabbath and yet doe we like children runne after butterflies and let these things alone If wee doe it well shewes that since we were created we neuer were yet recreated and borne againe for if we were the enioying of these things would be vnto vs aboue all the recreations in the world But then here it will be demaunded of me Not al recreations at all times vpon the Sabbath vnlawfull whether I doe vtterly disallow all recreations vpon the Sabbath Not so neither for it may sometimes come so to passe that recreation may bee more necessarie for a man than his meate as also it may so fall in the weeke daies yea and sometimes the setling of a mans minde free such is partly the corruption and partly the weaknes of our nature may bee a furtherance vnto vs in the performance of the duties of godlinesse as well as in other duties of our owne And therefore so farre foorth as it is either of necessitie for the present preseruation of our health or of necessitie for the present furtherance and fitting of vs vnto the seruice of God we may vse it But by this allowance will some say euill men will take liberty vnto themselues vnder these pretences to prophane the Sabbath by their sports Answ It may well be so that they which stumble at Christ to their ruine and they that wrest his word to their owne condemnation will also wrest this libertie to bring themselues into the bondage of sinne yet must not this let vs to giue that allowance vnto Gods children which hee hath left him in his word But as for such as abuse their libertie I admonish them in the feare of God that they make not Gods commandements like cheuerell laces to stretch them euery waie to their owne bents and purposes For if they doe I appeale vnto the highest Iudge of all the earth that they haue no such libertie giuen them And therefore if they take it their blood bee vpon their owne heads if they bring themselues by their libertie to bee the sonnes of bondage But as for the children of God I know they will and shall finish their saluation with feare and trembling And thus wee haue seene how these workes of recreations are also forbidden vs vpon the Sabbath § Sect. 2 The third sort of workes which are here forbidden vs are our sports which commonly wee Pastimes vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath call pastimes which indeed though they be but recreations in their owne nature yet as wine by his long standing becommeth vineger so doe these sports and recreations by the excessiue vse or rather abuse of them become sinfull that is when wee vse them not to make our selues thereby fit to redeeme time which the Apostle requireth but rather to spend time and vainely to passe it And therefore if the former were vnlawfull which did after a sort build vp a man then how much more these that destroy a man who by the excessiue vse of them is made vnfit vnto the performance of any duties of which sort of pastimes are stage-plaies cards and dice-playing vpon the Sabbath as also Beare-baitings Cock-pits and such like All which in particular to confute were
idle word especially for those that they shall thus vainly babble foorth vpon the Sabbath And so much touching the outward breach of the Sabbath But yet here is not all for a man to cease from §. Sect. 4. these outward workes for these concerne the very beasts as well as man we must therefore consider that as a man doth consist of two parts a bodie and a soule so God hath a regard vnto them both and as he requires of the bodie an externall rest that no labour may hinder holinesse so he requires of the soule an internall rest from all sinne and that rest indeed is proper to man and it is to rest from the workes of the flesh which Esay 58. 13. are also called our waies or workes and these are properly and indeede seruile and the worst kinde of seruile workes of all others And therefore as other thy workes are here forbidden which are seruile because they hinder holinesse so these kinde of seruile workes aboue all others are forbidden because they not onely hinder holinesse but are opposite vnto it so farre foorth as hee which is subiect vnto them is free from holinesse Rom. 6. 20. Against these therfore it is that Esay so bitterly inueigheth I cannot abide your Sabbaths c. Esai 1. 13. But why so vers 15. he giueth a reason for your hands are full of blood And Esai 58. when they come vnto him in hypocrisie and seemed to finde fault with God that he would not accept their fast which had the nature of a Sabbath and as appeareth in the end of the chapter is called his holy day God yeeldeth them a reason why he did not accept it Behold saith he ye fast to strife and vnto debate to smite with the fist of wickednesse vers 4. Hauing thus shewed their fast then he rates them for it vers 5. Is it such a fast saith he that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day call yee this a fast or an acceptable day vnto the Lord c. And hauing thus rated them then he shewes them what a true fast is to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burthens to take away the yoke and putting foorth of the finger vnderstand to any euill work and wicked speaking if any man doe these things hee keepes a true rest I know well this rest from our sinnes must bee kept in the whole course of our liues yet vpon the Sabbath aboue all wee must take heede that sinne enter not vpon vs because it is opposite vnto the sanctitie thereof § Sect. 5 And as wee must haue a speciall care of committing any sinne because that is truly seruile so must we take heede that we doe not make the duties of holinesse seruile also by not regarding the manner of doing them which is that they bee done in faith and in obedience to Gods commandement For if wee shall doe these workes to that end that we may merit by the doing of them either the fauour of God or man then they become seruile works also and we haue our reward Or if wee doe them in hypocrisie the manner of doing them aright not obserued then God regardeth them not For he that in this manner killeth an oxe is as if hee slew a man and he that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges head his oblation is as swines blood and his incense as the blessing of an Idoll Esai 66. 3. And therefore Matth. 7. Christ calleth such workers of iniquitie because though they did good workes for they prophecied and cast out diuels yet they did them not well but in hypocrisie for God doth not onely require at a mans hands that he doe good but also that he doe it well for if thou doest well saith God to Cain shall it not be accepted He doth not say if thou doest good it shall be accepted but if thou doest well to shew that good things must be well done And that he meaneth so appeareth in that which he presently addeth But if thou doest not well saith he sin lieth at the doore thereby putting it out of doubt that if a good thing be not well done it is sinne and in regard hereof it is that Esai chap. 58. reckoneth the hypocrite a Sabbath-breaker though hee did humble himselfe by fasting c. And therefore let the hypocrite and popish meritmonger bee well assured that though they digge deepe to couer their sinnes and dissemble deeply with God at the Church yet let them be well assured I say that their owne sinne will finde them out Num. 32. 23. and that it will waite and tarrie them like their dogges at the doore yea and will hunt them and neuer leaue them vntill it haue brought them vnto destruction if they learne not to serue the Lord aright And lastly as the soule must keep this Sabbath or rest from sin vpon this day especially so must we look also that our minds and thoughts be not carried away with the meditation of worldlie matters For God requireth not onely thy bodie but thy soule yea thy very thoughts Luk. 10. 27. And howsoeuer vpon the weeke it be lawfull for thee to ponder these things yet vpon the Sabbath thou must not thinke thine owne will Esai 58. 13. A man must not therefore busie his head vpon the Sabbath about his worldly businesse nor about the effecting of his delights in the weeke following but he must bee wholie as it were another man from that which he was in the weeke before and he must vpon the Sabbath let fall the care of these earthly things as Elias did his mantle when hee was rapt vp into heauen To conclude therefore this point of the rest whosoeuer vpon the Sabbath doth no seruile worke of his ordinarie vocation neither in his house at home nor in the citie nor in the fields abroad nor at sea sauing onely such as are of necessitie to be done or are for the performance of Gods worship commanded or else warranted by his extraordinary command and also forbeareth all recreations sports playes or pastimes keeping his tongue from vaine words and his heart from wickednesse and worldly cares hee truly and in deede keepeth the rest of the Sabbath And this much touching the first dutie required in the obseruation of the Sabbath which is to rest CHAP. IIII. The rest of the Sabbath must bee sanctified Sect. 1. What it is to sanctifie a thing Sect. 2. The duties of the Sabbath are publique priuate or mixt Sect. 3. On the Sabbath there must be a publique assemblie Sect. 4. How we are to behaue our selues in it Sect. 5. The publique duties are preaching and hearing Sect. 6. Administring and partaking the Sacrament Sect. 7. Execution of discipline Sect. 8. § Sect. 1 THat rest is here commanded we haue alreadie seene but that is not all this The rest of the Sabbath must be sanctified rest must bee sanctified For it is not
eate the Lords Supper And hereupon doth the Church define a Sacrament to bee a publike action And in the Primatiue Church it was vsually deliuered vpon the Sabbath therefore it was called dies panis In regard of this no complaint can sufficiently bewaile the backwardnes of this age whereinto we are fallen that some scarce once in a whole Iubile of Sabbaths nay if law had not prouided to the contrarie scarce once in a whole Iubile of yeeres would bee partakers of the Sacrament which we see euidently in that they come no oftner vnto the Lords table than they are compelled Moses was like to haue bin slaine for the neglect of circumcision What shall wee thinke the neglect of this will bring vpon vs And if vnworthie taking make vs liable vnto iudgement 1. Corinth 11 what shall we thinke of this not taking at all When Christ talked with the Iewes of a bread from heauen euery man would haue it Ioh. 6. 34. This is so and yet no man calleth for it though the price bee vnualuable and the vertue no lesse than the communion of the bodie and blood of Christ And if the very hemme of his garment had vertue to heale vncurable diseases how much more shall this his bodie heale vs if we be truly partakers of it But surely for such as take it onely by constraint and compulsion well they may finde the cloathes where Christ his bodie was but not his bodie And because they receiue it not worthily and with comfort but of constraint therefore in steed of a seale of his mercie they may receiue a pledge of his wrath And so much for the second dutie § Sect. 8 The third publique dutie is the administration of discipline admonition reprehension excommunication The execution of discipline a dutie of the Sabbath c. A publique worke also of the Sabbath to looke vnto the manners of men to admonish them that are vnruly 1. Thess 5. and to deliuer the obstinate sinner vnto Sathan that his soule may be saued And this the Apostle sheweth also to be a worke of the Sabbath 1. Cor. 5. 5. where he willeth them that when they were gathered together in the name of the Lord Iesus they should deliuer ouer the incestuous person vnto Sathan Now their assemblie was vpon the Sabbath as before hath been shewed and therefore that should then also be done as a worke of the Sabbath CHAP. V. Of mixt duties Sect. 1. Namely prayer Sect. 2. Reading the Scriptures Sect. 3. Singing Psalmes Sect. 4 Catechising Sect. 5. And shewing mercie Sect. 6. § Sect. 1 THE next duties that follow to bee handled are such as are mixt of which sorte are prayer thanksgiuing singing of Psalmes catechising almes c. which I terme mixt because they are such as may bee done in publique or in priuate which also are to bee performed vpon the Sabbath as they shal be best fitting with the time and place Now many men when they haue bin at Church they thinke they may doe all the rest of the day what they list As the harlot when she had payed her vowes she thought she might play the harlot Prou. 7. So do many they serue God in the forenoone and the flesh and the diuell in the after-noone But they must know that God doth require the whole day to be spent in holy duties And therefore as thou maist in no part of the day breake the rest by labour so much lesse maist thou breake the holinesse for God commaundeth the one aswell as the other holinesse aswell as rest nay rest should not haue been commaunded but for holinesse And therefore as I haue shewed before it was a sin to breake the rest so is it much more to breake the Sabbath by omitting the duties of holinesse Indeed thou art not tied to spend the whole day in the publique exercises before mentioned neither were the Iewes for they had but their sacrifice euening and morning Numb 28. and prayers with their sacrifice as appeareth Luk. 1. 10 in that the people prayed whilest the incense was a burning Then they had a lecture of the Law and Prophets Act. 13. 15 after that preaching For when they had read the Law they gaue the sense thereof and caused the people to vnderstand the reading Nehem. 8. 8 and then thanksgiuing All which cōtinued not the whole day but the congregation was dismissed at mid-day Nehem. 8. 10. 12. And they returned at three of the clocke at what time Peter and Iohn went vp to pray which is called the ninth houre answering vnto our third at what time also was the euening sacrifice But yet the interim before betwixt and after was spent either in priuate exercises of godlinesse or else in these which are both priuate and publique which are therefore noted and obserued in the practise of the Church that wee might draw them also into imitation which being at other times of the weeke to bee done so much more were they on the Sabbath and the exercises of religion being vpon that day doubled Numb 28 why should God bee now lesse serued vnder the Gospell than hee was vnder the Law § Sect. 2 To come therefore vnto these duties which we call mixt first of prayer Which that it is an exercise The mixt duties are first Prayer of the Sabbath is euident in that his house is called the house of prayer Ioh. 2. and the word cannot be without it Therefore Neh. 8. Ezra before he preached praised God And though Christ would haue vs to pray in priuate Matth. 6. yet God requireth the same to be done also in the assemblies Psal 107. 32 and that not alone by the teacher as Dauid in the midst of the congregation would praise the Lord when hee did declare his name Psal 22. 22. but by the people also Therfore when Zachary was burning of incense within the people were in prayer without Luk. 1. 10 which as it must bee done in the morning so also at night For Dauid would haue his prayer as the incense which was the first thing the Priest did when hee came into the Temple and the lifting vp of his hands as the euening sacrifice Psal 142. which was on the Sabbath at night offered so must our prayers be It maketh me the more to marueile at some kinde of men that thinke if they haue been at seruice as they call it in the fore-noone that God is beholding vnto them for that and that they are not bound to returne againe in the after-noone but that they consecrate vnto some pastimes as though they had been at Church in the morning to aske God leaue to goe to play in the after-noone Now as this is a publique exercise of the Sabbath and must go before and after the word so also at other times or else why are wee commaunded to pray continually 1. Thess 5. 17. and in all things to giue thankes Yea God to shew how well he likes it compares it to