that either it must begin in some one place or other first before it began in any place else either East or West thereto or else that it was infinite without any first beginning at all Either of which no understanding man will affirme much lesse that the day of Gods rest begins sooner in one place then in another Secondly I have proved sufficiently that the day of Gods rest could not be the same with the Iews Sabbath-day nor the same kinde of day and that all and every of the dayes of the creation were farre different from week-dayes that were in use with the Iews or are or at any time have been in use with men To this purpose I have shewed what kinde of dayes our week-dayes be and what the Iews week-dayes be and what the dayes of the creation were and how they all differ in kinde from each other in Chap. 2 3 4 5 6. And then what kinde of day the Sabbath-day must be in Chap. 7. Thirdly I have shew'd what day the Sabbath-day is to be in respect of order and tale That it is to be the seventh day Not the seventh day from the first beginning of the creation nor the seventh from any set Era or Epoche but the seventh day from the time we begin the week for labour where we live in Chap. 8. Concerning which I have shewed why the Lord set the Israelites a time when they after they came out of Egypt must begin their week whereby in count of their week-dayes and so also of their seventh sacred day they differed from all other Nations in Chap. 8 9 10. and what weeks be and the difference between a week and the week and between a seventh day of the week and the seventh day of the week which last is the Lords day or Sabbath of the Lord in Chap. 11 12. and also the antiquity of weeks and the answer unto to the main objection thereto in Chap. 13 14. Fourthly I have shewed that Sunday was of old the seventh day of the week with the Gentiles and most probably was the seventh day of the week also with the Patriarchs before the flood and hath continued with Christians their seventh day of the week even unto this present day and doubtlesse ever will to the worlds end in Chap. 15. Christian Reader my hearty desire is that thou and all other the obedient servants of Iesus Christ be rightly informed concerning our observation of the Sabbath-day Haply thou didst before the reading hereof hold that this fourth Commandment is a branch of the moral law that it is agreeable to the law of nature to have a day in seven to be for Gods worship that Sunday is our christian Sabbath as Saterday was the Jews Sabbath and that as God wrought six dayes and rested the seventh and consecrated the seventh day unto holinesse and rest even so all Gods obedient people should not be slothful but diligent in their callings on the six work dayes and rest on the Sunday according to Gods example and keep it holy If this was thine opinon thou wert in the right and didst hold nothing in all these but what godly and learned men and the servants of Iesus Christ did generally teach in former time the people of God here in England as may plainly appear to thee if thou readest only that Homily which is for the time and place of Gods worship But since that subtile heads have been imployed to the subverting hereof and bringing in a dangerous errour opening a floodgate to all licentionsnesse on the Lords Sabbath they have publickly taught and published to the world that the seventh day commanded to be kept holy is none other but the day of Gods rest They would bring People in hand that the Iewes Sabbath was the very seventh day from the Creation and none other but that to be the seventh day of the week with any People and so Sunday to be with us the first day of the week To this end I suppose they would have the name of our Sabbath-day which the Jewes called in their tongue The first day of the Sabbath to be translated as it is in our Bibles not The Lords day or Sunday by which names Christians whose Ancestors were Gentiles ever called it but The first day of the week that so People may conceive hereby though a new name doth not alter the nature of the thing that Sunday with us is not in order the seventh day of the week viz. the day following the six dayes of labour but the day going before the six dayes of labour with us and therefore not the Sabbath-day here commanded for the rooting out of which errour and confirming all in the truth concerning the Lords day I have sent abroad this little Tract If now by thy serious perusal hereof thou art the more encouraged to render the Lord his due honour in the heedful observation of the Lords day which with us is Sunday not for customs sake because thy fore-fathers and the Church of God ever observed the same since the time of the Apostles nor for that the Magistrates have commanded us to keep this day holy Nor for that the seventh-day-Sabbath is abolished and this to be a new Sabbath instituted but for that God in this his law which is perpetual and unalterable hath commanded thee and all People expresly to keep holy the seventh day Give God the glory and lift up a Prayer unto him for me a poor sinner T. C. The Synopsis or Abridgement of the whole Tract In this fourth Commandment there be two parts viz. 1. The duty commanded in which we be to know What day the Sabbath of the Lord is concerning which know 1. What kinde of day the sabbath-Sabbath-day is and therin note There be foure kindes of dayes which we shall meet with in the Holy Scripture which are these viz. the Artificial day Chap. 1. Universal day Chap. 2. Horizontal day Chap. 3. Meridional day Chap. 4. They differ every one from the other The Artificial day differeth from all other Chap. 5. The Universal day differeth from all other Chap. 5. Horizontal and Meridional dayes differ one from the other Chap. 6. Which of these foure kindes of days is the Lords Sabbath Chap. 7. 2. What day the Sabbath-day is to be in respect of orderand tale wherein note 1. The Sabbath-day is the seventh day of the week that is the day following the six known dayes of labour Chap. 8. 2. The cause why the Jewes had Saterday for their Sabbath was to take them off from the Assyrian idolatries concerning which note that 1. The Assyrian idolatries were their worshipping the Sun and the other planets all called the Host of heaven And also their worshipping Belus called Baal Chap. 9. 2. From their example all nations as well as Israel worshipped the Sun Chap. 9. 3. Among many meanes God used to take the Jewes off from worshipping the Sun one was that instead of Sunday they must have Saterday
their seventh day sacred Chap. 10 3. The vain opinion of some who think that the Sabbath that is the seventh day of the week must be the day of Gods rest Chap. 11 4. What a week is and what the week is and that the seventh day of the week is the Sabbath Also why many of the ancient Writers called the Jewes Sabbath the day of Gods rest sith they knew that it could not be that very day Chap. 12 5. Weeks proved to be from all Antiquity Chap. 13 6. Week-dayes had their names from the planets as they were the Heathen-gods and not from their supposed hourely Government Chap. 14 7. Sunday was the Gentiles seventh day of the week sacred to the Sun and most probably was the seventh day sacred with the Patriarchs before Noahs flood Also that Christians did not neither ought to have chosen any other then the Sunday for their seventh sacred day although it had been much abused before to idolatry Chap. 15 What it is to keep holy and sanctifie the Sabbath day Chap. 16 2. The Lords special provision to bring all people to a heedful keeping the duty commanded set out in sundry particulars Chap. 17 THE SEVENTH-DAY Sabbath EXOD. 20.8 9 10 11. Remember the Sabbath-day to keep it holy Six dayes shalt thou labour and c. CHAP. I. The Division of the Text. The Artificial Day THe Lord God who made Heaven and Earth and all for the good of man made man for his own honour in his own Image and to bear his Image in the world to his glory done by the due observation of the Moral Law whereof this fourth Commandement is a part in which God maketh known unto man the special time and day which he hath destinated unto his worship commanding man to sanctifie the same and keep it holy to the Lord. In this text are these two parts First the duty commanded which is to keep holy the Sabbath-day Secondly the care and provision had by the Lord for mans heedful keeping and observing the same in all the other words and branches of this Commandement I will first treat of the duty commanded and in it for our better observing the Sabbath-day we are to know First what the Sabbath-day is that is here commanded to be sanctified Secondly what it is to sanctifie the same or to keep it holy Touching the former of these we are to know First what kinde of day the Sabbath is to be Secondly what day it is to be in order or tale Concerning the former of these There be foure kindes of dayes which we shall meet with in holy Scripture 1. The Artificial day 2. The Universal day 3. The Horizontal day 4. The Meridional day These termes or appellations I confesse are not common but the use of them is needful for the better distinguishing them one from the other whereby it may the better appear which of these kindes of days the Sabbath-day ought to be And now I will 1. Shew what every of them is 2. How they differ the one from the other 3. Which of these kindes of days man is to observe and keep for his Sabbath Of the Artificial day The Artificial day as it is generally taken is the whole time between Sun-rising and Sun-setting with any people This kinde of day was especially in use with the Jewes They divided this day alwayes into twelve equal parts which they called hours which hours were ever proportionable to the day In Summer-time the longer their day was the longer were their houres and at Winter when their day was not ten of our houres yet was it twelve of theirs Of this kinde of day mention is made in divers places of sacred Scripture a Iohn 11.9 Psal 104.23 Mat. 20.2 3 6. And the houres thereof are now called Jewes houres b Horae Jndaicae And Antique houres c Horae Antiquae for that not only the Jewes but other nations also did anciently so divide the day into twelve such houres Thus was their Dial divided into twelve houre-lines whereof the fifth Persius d Pers Sat. 3. Quinta dum linea tangitur umbrá will have to note out the fifth houre with them which is about ten of the Clock with us Martial e Mart. li. 4. Epigr. 8. Prima salutantes atque altera continet â—oâ—a c. also in twelve verses distinguisheth the twelve houres of the day then in use in the like manner CHAP. II. The Vniversal day The dayes of the Creation Why Moses set the Evening before the Morning THe Vniversal day is that which is one and the same day in all places through the whole Universe as well in respect of its beginning as of its duration and ending It is not one day at one part of the earth and another day at another part but when it beginneth or endeth any where it beginneth or endeth every where at the same time This kinde of Day cannot properly be said to begin either in the East or in the West or at Sun-rising or at Sun setting or at Midnight or at Noon as other kinde of dayes do For there is neither East nor West nor Sun-rising nor Sun-setting nor midnight nor noon in respect of the world though in respect of the parts of the world all and every of these may be said to be yet so as what is East or morning to one part is West or Sun-setting to another part and midnight to one part is midday to another part but neither of them properly can be so said to be the whole world Such kinde of dayes were those which Moses spake of in the first of Genesis a Gen. 1.5 8 13 19 23.31 And of which mention is made in this text and elsewhere b Ex. 20.11 and 31.17 Acts 2.20 Rev. 6.17 2 Pet. 2.9 and 3.7 10. Ioel. 2.31 In six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth c. and rested the seventh day That these dayes which some do terme and fitly enough may be called The dayes of the Creation were such Universal dayes I will endeavour to clear by giving instances in every of them which Moses spake of in rehearsing the Works of the Creation The first of those seven dayes was such an Universal day when it began any where it began every where no where then was it no day nor any other then the first day The first things God made were day and night or light and darknesse They were neither of them in time before the other but were both coëtaneous There was in nature before though not in time a mixed or confused darknesse which Moses called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Gen. 1.2 which Arias Montanus correcting Pagnin translateth and calleth it Caligo it was neither perfect day nor perfect night But when God had thence formed the light and made it to shine out of the darknesse d 2 Cor. 4.6 and had divided the light from the darknesse so as that they should never
little Every degree that you went westward you pieced your day and made it the three hundred and sixtieth part of a day longer then it was but therewithal you losed the three hundred and sixtieth part of your day in tale you must look to lose one way if you gain another way In your travel of the whole round which is three hundred and sixty degrees you gained a whole day in the length of your dayes but you have lost thereby a whole day in tale For tell me when it was Sunday here at your coming home what day was it then with you Indeed quoth Iohn it was but Saturday with us and I wondred much why we in the count of the dayes of our week came still a day short of what they counted here But I pray tell me what counsel you will give me in the case between me and my brother why quoth Ployden be ruled by me and feare not make one voyage more and go back the same way that you came and you shall certainly finde again the day which you lost and then come to me and I will warrant your Case Though now I approve not Ploydens judgement in every point yet I say what he told Iohn of the lengthening his dayes and losing a day in tale at his return whereby he had not lived so many week-dayes as his brother Iohannes had by a day is very true whether he counted the week by Horizontal or by Meridional days But yet Iohn lived as many Universal days as did his brother and losed not one hour or minute of an houre of the Vniversal day it could neither be lengthened or shortened by continual travel When the Sun came to that Meridian in which it was when it began the fifth sixth or seventh day at the first Creation then did the Vniversal day end and the next began both with Iohn and with his brother though they were half the Compasse of the earth distant from each other 2. Week-dayes whether they be Horizontal or Meridional cannot be the same in all places much lesse can their parts or houres be the same But the Universal day is not only the same day in all places but every part or houre of that day is without any variation the same every where The last day in which Christ shall come to judge the world which must needs be on two week-dayes with People if it be on Sunday with some it will be on Saterday or Munday with some others and on different times also of the week-day if it shall be at midnight with some not only mid-night of security b Mat. 25.6 13 24.39 50. but in respect of the week-day it will be at noon with some others c. Yet will it be on one and the same Universal day therefore every where in holy Scripture that time is called a day c Iohn 6.39.40 54.11.24 Acts 2.20 Mat. 10.15 not dayes It shall not be on one day here and on another day elsewhere but on one and the same day It wil be a general day of judgement not only in respect of all conditions of men but also of all places they shal be gather'd from the foure windes d Mar. 13.27 from all quarters of the world Yea his coming shall then be not only on one and the same Vniversal or general day but on one and the same houre of that day in respect of all People In an houre of that day the trumpet shall sound e Mat. 24.36 1 Thes 4.16 then all in all places shall heare the voice thereof at that same moment even at the twinkling of an eye f 1 Cor. 1â— 52 In vaine shall the plea of any be alledging that it is Tuesday then with some people and it is but Munday with us O let us tarry till Tuesday too or that it is but one of the Clock with us and it is three or more with others and therefore too soon for them No for their account of the day will not serve the turn All shall finde that houre to be a general houre of a general or Universal day that is not sooner in one place then in another CHAP. VI. The difference between Horizontal and Meridional dayes THere is not a little difference between the Meridional and the Horizontal day as may appear by what hath been before said First they differ in length and duration for the Meridional day whereby the Jewes counted the dayes of their moneths and we the dayes of our weeks and moneths is in time foure and twenty houres without any sensible difference But the Horizontal day by which the Jewes count the dayes of their weeks from Sun-setting to Sun-setting or from Sun-rising to Sun-rising by which some other have counted the dayes of their week is sometimes in some places near five and twenty houres and at some other time in the same places it will be but about three and twenty houres in length When I say the Horizontal day is the time between Sun-setting and Sun-setting or between Sun-rising and Sun-rising I mean so in all places in and between the temperate zones and not in places near either of the Poles where it is continual day-light for many dayes together From Sun-setting to Sun-setting in those places cannot properly be termed a day having in it many revolutions of the Sun never was it in use with any People to mete out unto them their week moneth year or age Men living in such places measure out their weeks and moneths by Meridional dayes as we do Neither is there any mention made of such dayes any where in sacred Scripture and it is of such kinde of dayes as are there mentioned which I promised to speak of c See chap. 1. Secondly they differ much in respect of their beginning and ending Here in York and other places of England there is sometimes five sometimes eight and never so little as three houres difference between their beginnings and the like between their endings Whence it must follow that every of the week-dayes with the Jewes consisted partly of two dayes of their moneth and that every day of the moneth with them consisted partly of two of their week-dayes the dayes of their moneth being meridional and their dayes of the week Horizontal dayes as I said before The knowledge hereof is very useful for the reconciling divers places and resolving divers doubts in the sacred Scripture about the Jewes customes in observing their feasts as for instance if it be demanded 1. Whether the Israelites ate the Passeover in Egypt and came out of Egypt from Rameses on one and the same day Sith it is said that on the fourteenth day at Even they ate the Passeover b Exod. 12.8 but it was the next day being the morrow after viz. the fifteenth day when they came from Rameses d Num. 33.3 Or whether our Saviour Christ ate the Passeover with his disciples and after that suffered death on the Crosse on one
places having one and the same Horizon must have their day to be one and the same and to begin at one and the same time 8. The seventh day which God blessed and sanctified and commanded in this law to be kept holy was not the day of Gods rest For this cannot any where be known when it beginneth or endeth and if it should be known yet all Gods people in all places could not keep the same though they had never fallen by Adam And whether there was or was not an inversion of the day made as aforesaid yet the day of Gods rest could not be the same day with the Iewes Sabbath for this they did or might keep from Sun-setting to Sun-setting in Arabia Jerusalem Babylon Rome Spaine Ophyr and in all other places of their abode but the day of Gods rest they did not nor possibly could they keep the same from Sun-setting to Sun-setting in all places where any of them had their abode unlesse the surface of the earth had been plain and not round 9. The Iewes had not rested on the seventh day according to Gods example had they not rested on that very seventh day on which God rested 9. The Iewes neither did nor could keep that very seventh day on which God rested in all places as hath been shewed But as we according to Gods example work six dayes and rest the 7th so did they As the Sunday with Christians was ever the day following their 6 days of labour so was the Saterday with the Iewes 10. The Iewes Sabbath-day being the day of Gods rest and the day which God appointed by this law to be kept holy is wholly abolished and abrogated by the coming of the Messias and no other day is commanded by the Lord instead thereof therefore it now resteth in the power of the Church and Magistrates to appoint what day they please for Gods publick worship 10. The Jewes Sabbath-day was not the day of Gods rest as hath been shewed Neither as it was the Saterday their seventh from their first gathering Quails and Manna Nor as it began at the setting of the Sun was it directly by this law commanded to any In these respects it was Ceremonial and abolished That which is expressed in this Commandment they and all else are still bonnd to which is that having wrought the six dayes of labour they rest on the seventh day according to Gods example and keep it holy to the Lord. From this neither they nor any else living is freed It is Gods law it will be great impiety and intrenching into the Prerogative of the most high God for any persons whatsoever and under any pretence soever to seek the alteration or change hereof or to set and appoint any other day for Gods publick worship in the stead of that which he himself hath set and appointed If the earth be plain all and every one of the ten before-going are true but if round they must be all false If the earth be round all and every one of the ten before-going are true but if plain they all must needs be false I Having now shewed the opinion of the most concerning weeks the ground from whence that and many other errours sprang among which this is none of the least That the day of Gods rest the precise seventh day from the beginning of the Creation was the seventh day which God commanded his Church in this law to keep holy as if the seventh day which God blessed and sanctified and commanded us in this Law should not relate to the six dayes labour of the week in use with men where they live but to the six first days of the Creation and so should be with people where ever they dwell the very day of Gods rest from whence all our many and great contentions about the Sabbath have been raised and fostered I will in the next shew what weeks are CHAP. XII What a Week is The Seventh day of the Week is the Lords day A Week is the space of time made by seven whole dayes without intermission By seven dayes I mean seven such dayes as are all of one and the same kinde If any of them be horizontall dayes they are all to be horizontal dayes such as were the seven dayes of the Week with the Jews And if any be meridional they are all to be meridional dayes as are the dayes of the week with Christians The Jews Sabbath or seventg day was from Sun-fettinh to Sun-setting therefore so should the six dayes of their week be also The six dayes of our week are from midnight to midnight and therefore the seventh is not to be from Sun-setting to Sun-setting but from midnight to midnight also The seventh day must relate to the six dayes before-going The seventh day which was the day of Gods rest cannot relate to the six days of work with any people Nor can the seventh day of the week with any people relate to the six dayes of Gods work at the creation these were not of the same kinde of dayes with the week-dayes that now are or at any time heretofore have been or can be in use with men as I have already fully proved a See Chap. 5. That seven whole dayes without intermission from any time as from Sunday to Sunday or from Saterday to Saterday or from Munday to Munday is a week may appear First from the several names and appellations by which a week is called with people of several tongues and languages Our ancient Saxons we from them call it Sennight and two such weeks fortnight that is seven nights and fourteen nights The Romans called it Septimana that is seven mornings taking the morning for the whole day as the Saxons did the night With the Greeks it was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is defined to be Intervallum septem dierum That is seven dayes The Hebrews called a week not seven nights as the Saxons did nor seven mornings as the Romans did but as the Greeks did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seven dayes or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a seveny of dayes Secondly frequently in holy Scripture seven dayes from any set time is counted a week Laban bade Jacob fulfill her week b Gen 23.27 meaning the seven dayes of Leas marriage Such was the usual time for marriage-feasts in those dayes c Iudg. 14.10 12. If a woman was at any time delivered of a man-child she was to be unclean seven dayes or a week but if she was delivered of a maid-childe d Lev. 12 2 5. she was to be unclean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is two weeks And so is it in our last Translation The Lord appointed the Jews to count for their feast of Pentecost called their feast of weeks thus On the morrow after the feast-day of the Passeover which never fell on the same day of the week two years together shalt thou number unto thee seven weeks f Levit. 23.11 15
by the names of the Planets and so have they continued to call them even to this day The Jewes are now a weak People yet there is not a Prince or Power on earth able to withdraw them from their superstitious custome of keeping the Saterday sacred yea the believing Jewes as was shewed in the Apostles time and in many years after could not be wonne by any means that the Christians might use to give over their Saterday-Sabbath and for unities sake to keep the Lords day on the Sunday except a very few of them who better knew and acknowledged their liberty by Christ How impossible may we then think it to be for any to bring to passe that all Christians in all quarters of the world should leave off their observing the Sunday sacred and have another day in stead thereof In vain therefore would it have been for poor Christians at first to have assayed the same These reasons if there were no more may suffice to shew that although all dayes be in themselves indifferent yet Christians should not have well done had they endeavoured to have changed their seventh sacred day from Sunday to any other week-day no not to Thursday though it was the day of Christ his glorious Ascension nor to Friday though it was the day in which Christ paid our ransome but betrer to retain the same day as they did and which the Church of Christ hath since that kept even to this present time and by Gods grace will so do unto the end CHAP. XVI The Sabbath-day is to be sanctified Works of Piety Government and of Nature only are to be done on the Sabbath-day c. the necessary helpes thereunto THere hath been before shewed that the Sabbath-day in this law commanded to be kept holy is not a part of a day as is the Artificial day but an whole day And that it is not such a kinde of day as are the dayes of the Creation mentioned in the first of Genesis but such a kinde of day as is or hath been in use with men And also that it is not in tale the fifth sixth eighth or nineth day but the seventh not the seventh day of the moneth but the seventh day of the week the day following the six known dayes of labour where men dwell and inhabit Which day with Christians is vulgarly called Sunday otherwise more fitly and as indeed it is The Lords day even our Sabbath-day to the Lord. Now in the next place is to be shewed how the Lords day is to be sanctified To the sanctification of the sabbath-Sabbath-day of the Lord which we call the Lords day two things are required 1. That we keep it a day of rest 2. That we sanctifie that time of rest That we are to keep it a day of rest the Scripture fully sheweth On the seventh day thou shalt rest in earing time and in harvest d Exod. 34.21 The like have we in divers other places of Scripture calling it a day of rest All men are to cease from the works of their calling which on other dayes they lawfully may yea and ought to do for the maintenance of themselves and theirs Six dayes shall work be done but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest ye shall do no work therein f Lev. 23.3 So are the words here in this law Thou shalt not do any work But whereas we are here forbidden to do any work we must not so understand the words as if on the Sabbath-day we should rest from all kinde and manner of works and so do no work at all upon that day the words of the text do not bear such a sense These are the words of the Commandment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not do all thy trade Art or occupation and such are the words of the text in divers other places of Scripture a Deut. 5.14 Exod. 35.2 and 31.15 Lev. 23.3 7. Val. Schindler in his Pentaglot on the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 telleth us thus The Rabbines take 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Art or vocation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plural for Arts and vocations So Arias Montanus also correcteth Pagnines translation of the Bible that whereas Pagnine hath it Non facies omne opus he turneth it Non facies omnem functionem b Deut. 5.14 where Pagnine translateth thus Omnis quifecerit in eo opus c. Montanus hath it Omnis faciens in eo functionem c Exod. 35.2 Where Pagnine saith Omnis faciens opus in die Sabbati it is thus to be read according to Montanus Omnis faciens opificium in die cessationis d Exod. 31.15 c. The like may be seen in divers other places of Scripture so translated by the one and so corrected by the other Whence we may gather that the true meaning of these words commonly read in our translations Thou shalt not do any work is not that we should do no manner of work at all but that we should do on the Sabbath-day no manner of the works of our trade function and occupation The Smith is not to work at his Anvil nor the Shoomaker with his Awle nor any other about any works that belong to mens trade and profession which on the six dayes of labour they may and should do for getting their maintenance and livelihood There be some other works which on every day may lawfully be done even on the Sabbath-day it self without the least breach of this law and they are of three sorts 1. Works of Piety 2. Works of Government towards the creature subjected to us 3. Works needful to the preservation of mans life These works may be done on every day without any violation to the Law of the Sabbath Neither doth the law of the Sabbath abridge us from doing them on any day What God ordained before ever the seventh day was in being was not and is not nulled or abridged by the law of the Sabbath but these works were before ordained by the Lord. First Man was made and had his being to serve God to honour and worship him to perform duties of Piety in such manner as he should appoint him The doing of these duties on the Sabbath-day doth no violation to the law of the Sabbath Men doing them may be said to break or profane the Sabbath yet not break the law of the Sabbath When we have been diligent on the Sabbath-day in doing service unto God and the duties he requireth of us for his honour we may therein be said not to make the day a day of rest but to break the rest or Sabbath yet not to break the Commandment by doing these works Thus Christ told the Pharisees that the Priests in the Temple did profane the Sabbath and are blamelesse a Mat. 12.5 Sure they could not be said to be blamelesse had they by their sacrificing bullocks or sheep broken the Commandment they brake the Sabbath they made it not
Gentiles saith he following the motion of the planets gave to each day the name of that particular planet by which the first houre of the day was governed as their Astrologers had taught them a Heyl. par 2. pag. 61. And he assumeth that Astrologers found out this knowledge of the Planetary government but in later times All the Chaldean Astrologers all the Magicians among the Persians he held to be ignorant herein and therefore during the Assyrian and Persian Monarchy weeks not to be in use Yea he tells us farther that neither the Greeks nor Romans when they were in their greatest flourish for Arts and Empire had weeks because they had not as then gotten this supposed excellency of Astrology to know by the motions of the planets what planet governed the first hour in every day b Heyl. part 1. pag. 84. Though the planets had as some say this orderly and hourely government even from the day of their creation Yet the Doctor holds that neither Plato nor Pythagoras nor any of the famous Astronomers before Eudoxus had gotten this excellency First saith he the Greeks learnt the motions of the planets of Eudoxus and therefore could not know the week before He doth grant that they might have great Astrologers among them and yet be ignorant of this hourely government of the planets whereby they constantly point out the week and the dayes of the week For he saith of the Romans that they were well enough acquainted with the planets in their later times Yet they divided not their Calendar into weeks till neer about the time of Dionisius Exiguus who lived about the year of Christ 520 a Heyl. par 1. pag. 84. But he holdes that they being ignorant of the Scriptures could not have weeks before they had gotten this knowledge by the motions of the planets And from hence concludeth that the Chaldees Persians Greeks and Romans all the foure great Monarchies did observe no Sabbaths because they did observe no weeks In answer hereunto I say that if it be true which the Doctor would that without the holy Scripture weeks could not be known but by the knowledge of the said hourely government of the Planets and that this government of the Planets was not found till the Egyptians of late times and Eudoxus from them had gotten the knowledge thereof it must needs be confessed not only what the Doctor thence inferreth that all the four great Monarchies did observe no Sabbath because they did observe no weeks But that the Patriarchs before the flood and all Nations and people whatsoever the Jews only excepted were without a Sabbath-day and could not have the seventh day sacred with any of them till about the time of Eudoxus who was Platoes scholler because they neither had nor could have weeks before But for answer in plain termes It is very untrue what the Doctor alleadgeth There was never any such hourly government of the planets found out but feigned Neither had the week-dayes their names first from the planets governing the first houre of the day Both which I will clear and make apparent Touching the former There is no such hourely government found out in deed and truth but there hath such an one feigned to be and that upon a new order or situation of the planets made by Astronomers in later times For in ancient times the Moon was held to be the lowest planet and the Sunne to be next unto her and all the other five planets to be above the Sunne This was the order of the planets generally held in ancient times by Astronomers c Macrob. in Somn Scip. l. 1. cap. 19. Plut. brev de Decr. Not l. 2. Clov de Sphae pag. 7.9 excepting very few as Aristarcus Samius and two or three other whom Copernicus follow'd making the Sunne to be below them all but afterward about Eudoxus time or not long after Astronomers partly by the aspects and parallaxes of the planets and partly by the difference of the time in which they finished their courses found out a new order and situation of them making the Sunne to be the middle planet three to be above him and three below him according to this common versicle Post SIM SVM sequitur ultima Luna subest This new-found order of the planets set many Wits to the grinding-stone a sharpening to bring forth so me rare inventions in laud of the planets new situation Two whereof that were more remarkable remain yet in memory The one was that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which as many say was the ground of Musick a Macrob. Clav. de sphaera pag. 84. Feigning the week dayes to answer the supposed harmony of the Spheres every fourth planet in that order perpetually to sound out the name of the next succeeding day The other was this hourly government before-said first brought to light in Egypt as is supposed by which it will so fall out that let every planet be supposed to govern his houre successively according to this new order it will so fall out that the planet which shall come to rule the frst houre of the next day will be the very same whose name that day doth bear Both these I confesse are very witty but a mere fansie And they who urge from hence that the planets have such an hourly rule and government given them by their Creatour by which every one in seven dayes doth constantly and by course Rule the first houre of a week-day and that thereby men came to have seven dayes to the week and to call the dayes of the week by the names of the planets orderly as they came to governe the first houre of the day are meerly deluded For had there been in truth such an hourly government given them and had they exercised the same then sure First Adam should have gotten this knowledge before all men And then it would follow hence that men had weeks from the beginning even from this hourly Rule of the planets butindeed Adam had better ground for weeks then the Planets could afford which was Gods working six dayes and resting the seventh 2. If Adam had not known this rarity or if he had known it and would reveal it to none of his children Yet the Astrologers before the flood would doubtlesse have found out the same they were most excellent in the knowledge of Astrologie as Josephus and many other in their writings tell us they had such experiments in and of their observations which men in future times living not the tenth of their dayes could never attain unto Doubtlesse had there been such a Rule indeed they would have known it and also written this rarity in those Pillars Josephus mentioneth a Joseph Anti. Jud. l. 1. c. 4 8. that future ages might not be ignorant thereof Surely those long-lived Astrologers deserved not to be of that name and fame if ignorant of the said hourly government of the planets had there been any such Rule or government
a day of rest from these works and so were said to profane it that is in respect of these labours they made it common with other dayes all dayes being alike lawful or common for doing works of Piety Secondly works of Government of the Creatures subjected unto man were ordained of the Lord before man was made Let us make man saith God in our image after our likenesse and let them have dominion over c b Gen. 1.26 28 and when God had made man he commanded them to have dominion over the fish of the sea over the fowle over cattel and over every living thing upon the earth This law and ordinance was not repealed or nulled by any succeding law Man is to exercise this his Rule and Government committed unto him on any day If fire should threaten to destroy house or houses corne or such like on the Sabbath-day man is as well bound to use his power in suppressing the same on the Sabbath-day as on any other If water indanger drowning of cattel or if cattel strive together whereby some are like to perish and man do not succour and seek to preserve what was in danger because it was on the Sabbath-day he sheweth himself to be a bad Governour of the creature or if he should suffer sheep or other cattel to perish for want of foddering folding or housing them as need requireth he is not worthy to have the Government of cattel The like Isay concerning works needful for the preservation of mans life When Adam was in the state of innocency before ever the seventh day was even on the day of his Creation the Lord ordained him food Behold I have given you said God every herbe bearing seed some whereof were Physical which is upon the face of all the earth and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed to you it shall be for meat d Gen. 1.29 It was Gods Will and Ordinance then that man being made a living soul should use the means for the preservation of his life And this his ordinance was never repealed by any succeeding law All these three kinde of works may be done on the Sabbath-day as well as on other dayes alwayes provided that there be no irregularity in performing them We must have regard to necessity requiring present help when this giveth way the duties more excellent are more especially to be regarded And as these works may be done on the Lords day so may the necessary helps thereunto be then done also A man may on the Sabbath-day travel on foot to the meeting place and assembly of Gods people and if he cannot well go on foot he may ride Also as men may feed folde or house their Cattel on the Lords day so may they use the necessary helps thereto which could not be done the day before And so also may they not only eat drink sleep and take Physick according as need requireth but also may use needfull helps thereunto as heating their meat and such like for all stomacks cannot feed on cold meat But let all take heed lest under a pretence of necessity he robs God of his due honour and his conscience of true peace Object But here some will object that this Commandment tyed the Jews from kindling any fire on their Sabbath-day If then we are bound to keep this law as strictly as the Jews were we ought not to kindle fire at all upon the Sabbath-day for any occasion whatsoever though for saving ones life Answer To which I answer that this precept in Exodus the five and thirtieth Chapter b Exod. 35.3 and third Verse forbade the Jews not from making any fire at all whether it be a help towards the duties of piety or mens health and safety But from making fire whereby it should be a help towards their trades occupations or functions which are expresly forbidden to be done in this commandment on the Sabbath-day And that this is the meaning may appear for that First this precept hath an eye and refiecteth on the words immediately going before in the former verse in which is a rehearsal of the summe of this fourth commandment In these words according to the Hebrew text d Arias Monte. Six dayes shall function occupation or trade be done and in the seventh day there shall be to you holinesse a rest of cessation to the Lord every one doing his function in that day shall die Then immediately followeth There shall no fire be kindled in all your habitations in the day of cessation The works about mens personal callings and functions for getting wealth being forbidden in the former verse in this is forbidden the means tending thereto as the kindling of fire And haply kindling fire is here mentioned rather then any other means for that they being all Brickmakers in Egypt before they kindled fire throughout their habitations for the burning their tale of Bricks But when workes are lawful and needful to be done on the Sabbath-day such as are works of piety and works of preserving the life of man the necessary helps thereunto as making fire is lawful also Secondly the continued and never blamed practice of the Jews of making fire on the sabbath-Sabbath-day for these duties proveth the same They were never at any time blamed for making fire on the Sabbath for these duties as farre as we can read in sacred Scripture The man that was put to death for gathering wood whether to fagot it or to adde it to his Pile or heap is not expressed on the Sabbath-day b Num. 15.32 doth make nothing hereto And that they did make fire on the Sabbath-dayes for these duties is undeniable How else should the meat-offrings baken in ovens and in pannes and in frying-pannes be made which they were to bring to the Priests as obligations d Levit. 2.4 5 7. How else could the Shewbread be baked which were constantly provided and set on the pure Table of the Lord every Sabbath day f Levit. 24.5 6 c. And how else should the Paschal lambe be roasted when the feast of the Passeover fell on the Sabbath-day Every family was then to eat rostmeat throughout their habitations and the remaines to be burnt in the fire that nothing be left untill the morning g Exod. 12.10 Sure these things could not be done without making fire In like manner did they make fire on the Sabbath for preservation of their life and health For doubtlesse the Israelites baked and sod their Manna on their Sabbath-dayes as they did on the other dayes of the week Cold Manna and unpound would not agree with many mens stomakes on the Sabbath who on every of the other dayes did eat it hot either baked or sodden On every of the other six dayes they gathered every man according to his eating an Omer for every man b Exod. 16.16 18. And then ground it or beat it in a mortar and baked it in pannes and
that we should keep holy the Sabbath-day hath been at large handled before now it resteth that I speak somewhat of the second part also which I will do briefly in this Chapter In this second part is set out in many words the great care and provision had of the Lord that men should observe this law and keep holy the Sabbath-day as God commandeth And this provision of the Lord standeth not in one two or three only but in many and weighty inducements and reasons the least of which should have been sufficient to inforce our obedience had not our hearts been hardened and we most rebellious wilfully refusing to yield obedience unto the same The several inducements and reasons the Lord used to win us unto obedience to this law are these First is the Caveat prefixed only to this and to none other of the Commandments Remember Remember the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it This charge of heedfulnesse would mightily work upon an obedient heart he would every day of his six be thinking how to do and dispatch all his businesses in those dayes that when the seventh day come he may freely without any incumbrance betake himself to the worship and service of his God and when it cometh will be mindeful of the day and careful of observing and keeping the same holy as his God commandeth Secondly the Lord hath here plainly pointed out unto man what day is the Sabbath-day which he should sanctifie The Lord hath affixed as it were an Index to this law that as the true houre of the day is known and pointed out by the Index or Finger in a Dial whereby he that can but tell the number of the hour-lines may easily know what houre of the day it is so here he that can but tell the dayes of the week may easily tell what day is the Sabbath-day Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath The seventh day is the Sabbath not the seventh day from thy birth nor the seventh day from the first beginning of the Creation nor from any set Epoche for then it would have put the most skilful Mathematicians to a stand for the finding out when this seventh day should begin but it is the day following the six dayes of labour In what countrey soever a man is though he is not well skilled in the language of that place and doth not understand what the names of the week-dayes signifie yet if he can tell which be their six work-dayes he may then tell also which is their seventh day It maketh not much by what names the dayes of the week be called nor what the signification of either or any of the week-dayes should be The seventh day of the week with Christians hath been called by divers several names and that even by Christians themselves such as these Sunday The Lords day The first day of the week and in later times it hath been called also the Sabbath-day but in the first times Christians would not call it the Sabbath-day because all the Gentiles detested the name of Sabbath as the Jewes did the name of Sunday as before is shewed neither could they relish this name for a good while after their Conversion It is not much matter by which of these names we call our seventh day nor whether we understand the signification of the name as what Sunday or The Lords day or The first day of the week do signifie or why we do so call our seventh day Though he do not know it to be called Sunday from our Heathen Ancestors who called this day so in honour of the Sun whom they worshipped nor know it to be called the Lords day because it is his Sabbath who sanctified it nor know it to be called the first day of the week for that the Jewes called this day the first of the Sabbath and so was called by them in sacred Scripture and for that the latter Translators of the Bible would have this name by which the Jews called it to be in our tongue called the first day of the week So as that now we count it not the day of the Sun as our Heathen Ancestors did nor count it to be the first of our work-dayes or first in order and tale of our week-dayes as the Jewes did The name of the day doth neither adde nor alter any thing of the nature thereof Thirdly here is set down the equity of this law It is so reasonable that none need complain The Lord alloweth man six dayes and reserveth but one for himself Six dayes shalt thou labour and do all that thou hast to do but the seventh is the Sabbath How unreasonable are such who are not contented with the Lords liberal allowance but incroach on the Lords day also which he reserved for his own honour and worship Fourthly in that the Lord did in many words set down so punctually 1. The works from which men are restrained 2. The persons who are restrained The works forbidden are all kinde of Trades Professions and Occupations which on other dayes men do or may use for getting their living and maintenance There is no word in English which doth so fully expresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which here the Lord forbiddeth to be done as doth Function Art or Occupation as I shewed before so that none can excuse himself saying that his Profession requireth little or no labour of the body as do husbandry and divers other Handicrafts for God forbids 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all Vocations Functions or Occupations Men ought to abstain from all their works of what Profession or Vocation soever they be Yea these works are not only forbidden in respect of the labour of the hand but of the tongue and minde also we should not be talking of them neither should our hearts and mindes run on them on the Lords day As God for the furtherance of mans true obedience to this law hath fully shewed the works we are forbidden to do so doth he also as fully and in many words shew who are forbidden to do any of these works Thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor c. Whosoever hath any authority and command over himself must not only be careful that he himself abstain from his labours but also if he hath authority and command over others as sonne daughter man or maid Oxe or Asse he is to see that they also cease from all work-day-labours on the seventh day he is not to imploy any of them he nor any of his may imploy either Oxe or Asse nor lend or let them to hire for their labour on the seventh day or on any part of that day The Lords expressions are large herein that so all pretences and excuses may be taken away Fifthly the Lord sheweth here and would have us to know that we have no right unto the seventh day nor to any part thereof for doing of our own works thereon for the seventh day is the Lords day