reuised mine owne labours in which hauing at the first contented my selfe with the bare proofes out of the scriptures which I then thought sufficient especially for that auditorie to whome they were first ment did now compare the seuerall positions therein contained with the doctrine of former times and other Churches as I found the same set downe in the writings of the fathers Greeke and Latine new and olde so many as I had or could conueniently get and as I had time to reade them whom I finding to agree with me in the same points or rather my selfe with them was thereby the rather confirmed therin and thought that by their testimony and consent as it were by the pillar of truth I might sustaine and defend the same against al those that should oppugne or gainsay it Thus hauing so many learned men on my side managing the same cause with me or rather my selfe fighting vnder their colours haue at the last brought foorth this treatise vnto the view of the world and haue adventured it vnto 〈◊〉 the censures and speeches of all men wherin as I haue sought the â—â—ory of GOD in the publishing of his truth so I pray the same â—ord to maintaine defend and blesse the same so far foorth as it 〈◊〉 his trueth And here derely beloued in the Lorde as I haue â—â—imply and as it were with a naked breast declared vnto you the â—auses of my beginning and proceeding in this worke and that I â—aue not rashly and on the sodaine fallen into these opinions and â—hrust foorth my selfe into the world so I most humbly craue of â—ou this fauoure that all preiudice and sinister affection being â—ayd aside al things might be weighed in an euen ballance before they be refused as not hauing their iust weight euen there where they might cary some shew of vntruth according to the Canoniâ—all rule of the Apostle much more that al friuolous wranglings contentions gaine saying ambitious desire to ouercome and peruerse drawing of things to a wrong sense beeing forborne where I seeme to erre as I acknowledge my selfe subiecte vnto it I might charitably and Christianly bee admonished by your godly wisdomes that so I might also either by better proofes second the truth or els vpon more mature deliberation retract mine errour â—f there be anie For I doe most willingly submit my selfe vnto the Church of God by it in all things to bee censured and reformed according to his word Which I doe so much the more earnestly entreate at your hands because besides the conscience of my great vnsufficiency to deale in so weightie a matter before so many hundreths as the Lord in our time hath raysed vp fit for euery purpose I am not ignorant that this argument of the Sabbath is full of controuersie aboue many other points of diuinitie wherein many learned godly men dissent one from another which as I was perswaded of at the first so now of late since I attempted the â—ublishing of this booke I haue founde it to bee true by a most â—nwilling experience euen among those who for their great vaâ—ietie of all learning deserue singularly to bee admired And â—â—ough it were to be wished that we should be like minded being â—â—one accord and of one iudgement yet seeing wee are men and haue but our measure of knowledge and that in euerie thing and so may easily dissent in that whereunto wee are come let vs proceede by one rule and if any be otherwise minded GOD shall reueale the same vnto him Thus commending my selfe vnto your praiers and these my labours vnto your fauourable good liking I bid you most heartily farewell in the Lorde who keepe vs alwaies his and one anothers in Christ Norton in Suffolke Iune 27. 1595. next after the yeare of Gods heauie and vnknowen iudgements by sundrie tempestes continued and renewed of boysterons windes great raine and outrage of waters fearefull thunders and lightnings pintching dearth and vntimely fruits to the destruction and losse of men cattell and goods Your dutifull brother and fellow seruant in the Gospel of Christ NICHOLAS BOVVNDE The first booke shewing the Institution and necessarie Continuance of the Sabbath and from what seuerall things we are commanded to rest vpon that day Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holie 9. Sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke 10. But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy manseruant nor thy mayd nor thy beast nor the stranger that is within thy gates 11. For in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth and the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day wherefore the Lord blessed the seuenth day and hallowed it AS in the first Commandement the substance of Gods worship is set downe and in the second the manner of it in the third the end so here the time when and how long this should be openly and publikly thus practised In giuing of which Commandement the Lord vseth such manner of words and matter as might most stirre vs vp to the carefull keeping of it for in the practise of it consisteth the practise of all the other and in the neglect of it is the neglect of all religion Our naturall corruption rebellion therefore against this Commandement especially appeareth in that the Lord stirreth vs vp to it so many wayes yea in the first pronouncing of it How this CoÌ„mandement differeth from all the rest For first whereas in the other Commandements he contenteth himselfe with bare commanding this or forbidding that yet to this he putteth an especial marke saying Remember that is thinke of it afore hand for indeed the want of remembring it in due time is many times one cause that it is no better obserued when it commeth And in Deuter. Deut. 5.12 Moses repeating the Law forgetteth not this word but vseth another of like importance saying Obserue or looke vnto the Sabbath to sanctifie it and further addeth As the Lord thy God commandeth thee referring them to the first giuing of it yea euen in this marking Secondarily in all the other Commandements when he simply forbiddeth a sinne it is to be vnderstood that he commandeth the contrary vertue though not expressed and when he willeth the good to be done he forbiddeth the contrary euill though it bee not named as wee haue seene in expounding the other Commandements yet in this not onely the good is plainly commaunded Keepe holy the Sabbath day but the euill is expresly forbidden In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke Thirdly it differeth from all other Commandements in that the Lord hath adioyned more reasons to it then to any other because our nature is most against the obseruation of it for whereas some Commandements haue no reason at all ioyned vnto them and especially in the second table in which our nature is not so corrupt
he may perswade himselfe to eate what and when and where and how it pleaseth himselfe but as the Apostle saith All the Creatures of God are sanctified our vse by the word and by prayer 1. Tim. 4.5 and thefore if we will haue the right vse of them wee must so vse them as the worde requireth and pray vnto GOD for his blessing in the sober vsage of them so must we say of the Rest which God hath commanded vs to sanctifie and keepe holy the sanctification of which was the highest and most principall end of it according to the Commandement Remember the sabbath day that is the day of Rest to kâ—epe it holy and therefore though the Rest was made for man and man hath the disposition of it yet man being made for the glorie 〈◊〉 God he must so vse his Rest as by the sanctifying of it â—e may bring glorie to God indeed And therefore the â—ame Master Gualter a little after saith Gualt ibid. These things are â—ot so to be vnderstood as though it were lawfull for vs in â—hese things to appoynt or doe at our pleasure what liked vs â—est but Christ doth here teach the right vse of all outward â—hings least that we should through superstition abuse those â—hings vnto the hurt of our selues or other men which God â—ath appoynted for our safegard and good Therefore let vs marke how our sauiour Christ doth saye Man was not made for the sabbath or rest but he doth not say man was not made for the sanctifying of the Sabbath or keeping â—oly the day of Rest For as it is true that all the Creatures were made for mans vse and therefore they were made before him that he being made might vse them so man was made that hee might keepe the whole lawe of God â—nd euery part of it and therefore it was not giuen out â—ill man was made so man is aboue the Creatures but â—he lawe is aboue him and hee is made to worship God to â—allow his name and to sanctifie his sabbath And so I may say with Peter Martir Here consider the order of things P. Martir in Gen. 2. some things are created for man therefore man was made â—fter them but man was made for the seruice of God thereâ—ore straight way after the Creation was brought in the â—lessing and sanctification of the sabbath And thus wee may conclude the truth of this doctrine â—hat wee haue in hand notwithstanding any thing that â—ath been spoken against it namely that as there hath â—een a sabbath day from the beginning so there is great â—â—ason that it should continue to the ending and though had neuer so many aduersaries that haue bent their â—â—ree against it yet they are not able to ouerthrowe it as â—â—ing that which is strengthened by Gods Commandeâ—â—nt and as it were fortified by his owne hand yet I am not ignorant that it hath many and mightie enemies â—nd those that haue a great deale more to say against it then I haue vttered nay I doe not thinke that there is any one poynt of our Religion that is so in controuersie among the learned of all sortes as this of the sabbath wherein many friendes doe disagree but my purpose is not to deale so farre which thing I leaue to them that haue trauailed a great deale more then my selfe in this matter and I doe praye that this my labour might bee a spurre to the godly learned to take more paynes in so worthie an argument and to publish abroad that which I knowe some haue in their handes concerning this doctrine though I haue not read the same and then I would thinke I had reaped a sufficient fruite of my labour and in the meane season I will remember my purpose to conteine my selfe within the compasse of my first preachings Now as we haue hitherto seen that there ought to be a Sabbath day so it remaineth that we should heare vpon what day this Sabbath should bee kept and which is that very day that is sanctified for that purpose For I know it is not agreed vpon among them that doe truely hold that there ought to be a Sabbath which is that very day vpon which the Sabbath should alwaies bee Herein the Lord hath beene mercifull vnto his Church and succoured the infirmitie of man in this behalfe and decided the endlesse contention that might haue beene about this matter The Sabbath ought to be vpon the seuenth day and vpon none other Gen. 3.2 Exod. 30.10 Deut. 5.14 in that he hath told vs that it is the seuenth day which he hath sanctified for that purpose For it is in expresse words sayd in Genesis that God blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it and in Exodus The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and afterwardes the same words bee repeated by Moses in Deuteronomie Therefore it must needes be vpon that day and vpon none other for the Lord himselfe sanctified that day and appointed it for that purpose August epistol ad â—anisar 119 cap. 10. and none but it And therefore it is truely said of that great clerke Saint Augustine De solo Sabbatho dictum est c. This is said onely of the Sabbath GOD sanctified the seuenth day In so much that a man being in conscience persuaded that he shuld keepe holy vnto the Lord some one day or other should ignorantly chuse out some other day neglecting the seuenth to sanctifie it by resting from his labours and wholly applying himselfe to Gods seruice he could not looke for that blessing from GOD which no doubt the Church of God doth find at his hands vpon that day by vertue of his especiall promise for he blessed that day and sanctified it Pet. Mart. in Gen. 2. And as Peter Martyr alledgeth it out of Rabbi Agnon This blessing doth light vpon those who obserue and sanctifie the same Sabbath that God hath appointed and wee doe not reade that hee bestowed that blessing vpon any other day which we know he did vpon the seuenth So that the substance of this law is naturall as Master Iunius sayâ—h Iunij pralect in Gen. 2.3 and to bee obserued of all men alike namely that euery seuenth day should bee holy vnto God And so it is true not onely that of euery seuen daies as Peter Martyr saith one must bee reserued vnto God Pet. Mart. in Gen. 2. and a little after it is perpetuall that one day in the weeke should bee reserued for the seruice of God but that this must be vpon the seuenth In setting downe of which I doe not so farre forget my selfe but that I remember that some whom with all humilitie I doe reuerence in the Lord and giue thankes vnto him for their labours that I say they are otherwise minded and do not thinke that the Church is necessarily tyed to the number of seuen in obseruing the day Yet I doe not see bee it farre from me that
the shaddowe which none other are bound vnto but they So that the Iewes hauing these reasons to moue thē to this rest besides the aboue mētioned were more seuerely tied vnto it thē any other people but yet so that it was required at the handes of all men long before these causes were annexed vnto it and therefore though these be remoued and taken away yea and the people to whome they onely appertained yet notwithstanding the Sabbath and day of Rest is not gone with them but is still in his first vertue and ancient strength which vpon good groundes it had in the beginning which I doe therefore speak least that men might ignorantly imagine that because the Sabbath and rest was a figure and shadowe of another thing to that people that now the bodie being come Which being taken away yet we are still straightly bound to rest vpon the sabbath and therefore the shadowe remoued the sabbath should be no more and the rest should haue an end seeing that the sabbath of rest was for many hundreth yeare before the Iewes were much more before it was made a figure vnto them The which thing that it might not seeme strange vnto vs we may consider the like almost in euery morall precept which though euery one of them was from the beginning yet as they were giuen to the people of the Iewes had certaine things added vnto them as accessory helpes to keepe them in the better obedience of them which now being taken away againe the first commandements themselues haue lost nothing of their former authoritie but doe binde as much as euer they did Thus all kings and princes are still bound to prouide that the true religion of God be publikely professed in all places of their dominions farre and neere though they be deliuered from this rudimentall instruction of writing the Lawe of God vpon the borders of their coasts Iosh 8.32 which the Iewes were precisely tyed vnto that they might be holpen in the other Thus all householders must have a care still of instructing their familie in the feare of the Lord that it may bee saide of them as of Abraham Gen. 18.19 Hee commanded his sonnes and household after him to keepe the way of the Lorde and to doe righteousnes and iudgement and that they may say with Ioshua Iosh 24.15 I and my household will serue the Lord though they be deliuered by Christ from the Iewish ceremonie of writing the Law Deut. 6.8 vpon the poastes of their dores and vpon their gates Thus euery Christian is still charged to meditate vpon the law of God day and night Psal 1.2 Colos 3.16 and to haue Gods worde dwelling in him plenteously in all wisdome though that be taken away which was vnto the Iewes a childish instruction of this commaundement which they were bound vnto to further them in the obedience of the other namely Deut. 6.8 of hauing it written vpon their bracelets and vpon their frontlets The like mighty be said of many other things though the ceremonie of singing in such musicall times and playing vpon instruments in the Temple to serue God by them as were vsed in the Law appoynted by the Prophets Dauid and Nathan be taken away vnder the Gospell as meerely Iewish which did signifie vnto them the glorie and acceptation before God of the spirituall worship commanded yet the truth of this which was before remaineth still Colos 3 1◠that we should teach our selues in Psalmes and Himnes and spirituall songes singing with a grace in our hearts to the Lord. Though the fruitefull and pleasant Land of Canaan be taken away which was specially ment vnto the Iewes in the promise ioyned to the fift Commandement yet the promise of long life here in the earth is not taken away from obedient children but is as large and as sure as euer it was and now the whole world is blessed vnto vs in stead of it By all which wee see that it hath been an vsuall thing vnto the Commandements that were before the Iewes to adioyne certaine things to further them in the better keeping of them which onely agreed vnto them which when they were taken away with that people to whom onely they were ment that yet the first Commandements did not only not dye with thē but being reuiued as it were doe continue to this day as those which haue lost nothing of their vertue nor suffered any ecclipse by taking away of the other And it is no good reason to say this commandement had such a ceremonie ioyned vnto it therefore the whole Commandement is ceremoniall or the ceremonie of this Commandement is ended therefore the Commandement is taken away for then all the forenamed things which are so commended to vs in the new Testament should be disanulled which no man will say because all the Iewish ceremonies belonging to them are quite vanished and as it were melted away like snow before the sunne All which is most true in the sabbath of the holy rest wherein we haue seene that the rest was commanded at the first and we say it is still required notwithstanding we grant that in respect of the Iewes in time was adioyned vnto it the remembrance of both their deliuerances The one from Egypt by Moses which was past the other from sin by Christ that was to come in respect of which as it was a monument of a thing already performed so it was a figure of another thing promised and hoped for and therefore though the ceremonie of the rest be ended and the figure of it be taken away with that which was the substance of it and the shadow of it bee ouershadowed as it were with the body which was Christ yet there is no reason why the rest it selfe should bee taken away which was commaunded long before any such type or figure or shadow was adioyned vnto it Insomuch that we still keepe the rest of the sabbath but not to that ende that the Iewes kept it not as a badge of our deliuerance from Egypt in the which wee neuer were nor as a token of our freedome from that bondage wherewith we neuer were oppressed neither as a figure of our redemption to be wrought by Christ which in his worde most clearely wee see is alreadie performed nor that in it wee might as in a shadow obscurely and darkely behold our eternall resting and ceasing from sinne which he hath already purchased vnto vs in his death and hath in his Gospell most liuely poynted out before our eyes but we doe obserue the rest and confesse that it most neerely concerneth vs because of the first institution that we resting from our ordinarie businesse might bestowe the daye in the holy seruice of God in the which we cannot in any acceptable manner be occupied at all vnlesse we rest from the other according to the Commaundement Bulling in Rom. 14.5 Euen as M. Bullinger also doth very excellently set it downe The
Lords Supper Why then might not the day be changed nay 1. Cor. 10. was it not the great wisedome of God to change the day with all these to shewe that there was a thorowe change indeede in the whole gouernmeÌ„t of the Church of the Iewes wheÌ„ the day it selfe vpon which all the other things were practised was changed together with them And whereas all other things were so chaÌ„ged that they were cleane takeÌ„ away as the Priesthood the sacrifices and sacraments this day was so changed that it yet remaineth which sheweth that though all the other were ceremoniall and therfore had an ende this onely was morall and therefore abideth still So saith Master Gualter Gualt in Mal. 3. Homil. 23. The Primitiue Church thought it did abolish the Iewish Sabbath Olim illud sacruÌ„ non aboleuit yet it tooke not away the holy day of rest but did translate the obseruation of it vnto the day following therefore there is the same vse of it now which was of the Sabbath in times past among the true worshippers of God Why the Apostles changed the sabbath of the Iewes into this day that we now keep rather then any other When thus it seemed good to the Apostles vpon these waightie considerations being herein gouerned by the holy Ghost to change this day they were directed by the same spirite aduisedly to chuse this day which we now keepe and must keepe to the end of the world rather then any other vpon speciall groundes and most singular reasons laide open to the Church who seeing into them and being perswaded by theÌ„ gaue their free consent vnto it For seeing that our God and sauiour Iesus Christ taking vpon him the wonderfull worke of our Redemption did finish and make an ende of it vpon that day when he did most victoriously rise from the dead and so declare that he had conquered all and that he dying in the state of a condemned sinner for vs taking vpon him all the punishment that was due to vs euen to the ransaking and confounding of all the partes of his soule and bodie Luk. 22.41.44 with droppes of water and blood trickling down from him when hee kneeled vpon the colde grounde and to the powring forth of that lamentable crie with great anguish My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And being thus caried to the graue Math. 27.46 and put vnder the ground as a man forlorne and cast away death holding him fast and chayning him vp as it were for the space of three dayes and three nights hee did notwithstanding all this at the time appoynted Act. 2.24 euen vpon this very day loose the sorrowes of death because it was vnpossible that hee should be holden of it and rising vp with wonderfull great glorie dâ—d shew that all things were ended and that hee had redeemed mankinde and all the Creatures into the glorious libertie of the sonnes of God Rom. 8.21 according as it is set downe in the Gospell When the first day of the weeke began to dawne Math. 28 1. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the sepulchre and behold there was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lord descended from heauen and came and rolled backe the stone from the dore of the sepulchre and sate vpon it and sayd to the women feare ye not for I knowe that you seeke Iesus that was crucified he is not here for he is risen as he said Now that it might appeare that all the Ceremonies of the Iewes were at this time ended in him that was the fulfilling of them and that all those shadowes were taken away by his death who was the substance and bodie of them Because Christ did rise from the dead on that day they did make choyse of that day specially vpon which he rising againe from all things which he suffered did declare that he had ouercome and ended them indeede And besides that it might be an effectuall teaching to the Church that al the libertie and freedome from sinne from hell and death and from the eternall wrath of God is purchased vnto them by the accursed death shamefull sufferings of Christ Iesus vpon the Crosse by none other and that all glorie happines and life commeth vnto them from his righteousnes and glorious resurrection they did preferre this day aboue any other as most worthie in the which he hauing before suffered all these intolerable things for them and being pressed downe with them euen vnto death did afterwards recouering himselfe as it were and gathering new strength like vnto the most victorious lyon of the tribe of Iuda did I say Reuel 5.5 Rom. 1.4 mightilie raise vp himselfe in glorie for their sakes by the inuincible power of his Godhead Chrysostome among the sundrie names which he reckoneth vp that this day had in the Primitiue Church sayth it was therefore called the Lords day Chrysost serm 5. de resur Quia solemnis erat memoriae resurrectionis Christi because was solemnely appoynted for the memorie of the resurrection of Christ August epist ad Ianuar. 119 cap. 13 ad Casul 86. Whereunto agreeth S. Augustine The Lords day was declared vnto the Church by the resurrection of the Lord vpon that day And in another place The Apostles did appoynt the Lords day in stead of the Iewish Sabbath Idem de temp serm 251. Quia in eo redemptor noster à mortuis resurrexit because vpon that day our redeemer did rise from the dead which also therefore is called the Lords day So that not so much the Apostles as Christ himselfe brought in this chaunge and was the author of this day And this is that which one sayth Wolph chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Nouum Christus Sabbathum substituit Christ did appoynt the new Sabbath when our last enemie death being ouercome he made an end of the labors of our redemption which in his humanitie were to be borne and the next day with the new man restored he brought out of the graue a new time the time of our redemption and of the new Couenant and did prepare an euerlasting Sabbath into the which himselfe then entered for vs also at the time appoynted by vertue of his resurrection to be entered into therefore as in the time of the Creation that day which was first of the Creation finished was made holiâ— for the worship of God so now in the time of the redemption that day which is first after the finishing of it is to bee accounted holie of vs. August de teÌ„p serm 251. It appeareth in the Scripture sayth S. Augustine that this day is of great account for it is the first day of the world in it were formed the Elements in it were created the Angels in it Christ rose from the dead in it the holie Ghost descended vpon the Apostles and God first rained Manna in the wildernesse so that by these and
worke but the seuenth daye is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke that is any of that worke which thou vsest to doe vpon the sixe dayes which is also proued by the example and patterne of Gods Rest who in sixe dayes made the Heauen and the earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day from which time he hath not rested from doing euery thing for he preserueth and gouerneth the things that hee hath made but hee resteth from such workes as he did vpon those sixe dayes namely of making new kindes of creatures or framing any more worlds which example of his must be our imitation for he rested for our sakes to teach vs that though we haue our seuerall callings wherein we must be diligently occupyed in the sixe dayes yet we must rest vpon the seuenth and rest from those things which we vsually doe vpon the sixe dayes by vertue of our calling for so hee rested himselfe Therefore whereas one man is occupyed in this thing and another in that and euery man hath or ought to haue some speciall businesse to attend vpon in the sixe dayes and being in an honest calling hee should labour in it diligently that he might not eate the breade of idlenes he ought vpon the seuenth day to put himselfe apart from all those affayres and as though they did not appertaine vnto him to haue no dealing with them And this is that which TertulliaÌ„ saith speaking of the seuenth day Tertul. aduers Marcion lib. 3. In it thou shalt not doe any worke Quod vtÃque tuum What worke saith he thine owne worke Consequens n. est vt ea opera sabbatho auferret quae sex diebus suprà indixerat for it must needes follow that he should forbid those workes vpon the sabbath day which he had before appoynted for the sixe dayes and therefore hee further addeth Tua id est humana quotidiana I say thine owne workes are forbidden that is worldly and dayly businesse So that here wee neede not to descend further into particulars or to vse many words for the opening of this matter it doth so plainely offer it selfe vnto vs that it may bee both seen and felt of vs and here needeth no great capacitie for the conceiuing of this poynt For if we liue not altogether in idlenes vnprofitably spending away the time and our selues and be as it were an heauie and vnprofitable burthen vpon the earth whereof there be two many in the world and it is one of the greatest sinnes of our time if I say we can but tell what is our daylie businesse and wherein we are or should be occupyed euen these are the things that be ment in this commandement that we should rest from So that here we had neede rather of a good conscience that might moue vs in the feare of God in a carefull obedience to his commandements to enter into this rest which we haue seen so many waies commended vnto vs and that euery one must examine his owne proper workes and so hee shall easely discerne what be the very special things from which he must rest as though they did not belong vnto him at all Thus shall the labourer perceiue that vpon this day he must rest from his dayes labour whether it be digging or thrashing or hedging or any thing else and the artificer from his dayly crafte and trade of making such things as bee incident to his calling and the husbandmen from sowing and tilling and manuring the earth and gathering the fruites of it and such like yea euen in the time of haruest as we haue seene Exod. 34. To this end besides that that hath been alleaged heretofore for this purpose I may put you in minde of one of those worthie Lawes which Charles the Emperor deliuered vnto his visiters whom he sent with his authoritie to reforme the Church Item we decree Centur. 8. Eccles luster c. 6. that as God hath commanded no seruile worke be taken in hand on the Lords day as also the Prince my father of blessed memorie gaue charge by his Synodall edict to wit no kinde of husbandrie neither cutting of vines nor tilling the ground neither reaping nor mowing nor hedging neither rooting or felling of trees nor digging in rockes nor building nor gardening nor hunting The women likewise to forbeare al Manuall worke as weauing sowing embroydring kemming of woll dressing of flaxe shearing of sheep and washing of clothes c. The Marchant and chapman must rest from buying and selling of wares making of bargaines vpon this day yea euen from buying of victuals fish or flesh meate breade or drinke for the sixe dayes are giuen them to make their prouision in as it hath been alreadie declared vnto vs out of Nehemiah 13. And whereas this abuse was common among the Iewes in the time of their captiuitie by reason of the great ignorance and because they were mingled with the heathen after their returne vnder Nehemiah when things began to be reformed they bound themselues by couenant to redresse this fault also for this was one article in the couenant Nehem. 10.31 That if the peâ—ple of the land brought ware on the sabbath or any victuals to sell that they would not take it of them on the sabbath and on the holy dayes Wolph lib. 3. in Nehem. 10. And M. Wolphius very excellentlie vpon this place Ijs vtuntur verbis They vse such wordes as doe somewhat declare that this custome had been among them that if other forraine people who had no conscience of the sabbath had brought any corne or wares vpon the sabbaths they preferring their owne commoditie and lusts before the obseruation of the sabbath they did not sticke to buy all that of them whatsoeuer it was By what meanes both the religious obseruation of the sabbath and the number of them that offered sacrifices and heard the word of God was greatly decayed because they were occupied about other things And whereas they speake of the people of the land thereby meaning other nations they secretly preuent their obiection who might reply that the strangers in no case were to bee tyed vnto the Lawes of the Iewes and that this delay was to their hinderance if they might not be ridde of their wares before the day following and that many of them did offend of ignorance and that if they should be thus hindered it would come to passe in time that they would bring nothing and by that meanes the Citie should want victuals and things necessary all which did cary with it a very probable shew of reason Nehemias aliam rationem init Nehemias he taketh another course sheweth that the ancient lawes of our forefathers yea of God and for religion ought to be so esteemed of vs that we should not suffer them to be broken for any strangers sake And the same Wolphius doth further adde That this people doth promise
prince of the Iewes Nehe. 13.15 after their returne from the captiuitie as it is set downe in the last chapter of that booke where he thus speaketh of himselfe In those daies saw I them in Iudah that trode wine presses on the sabbath and that brought in sheaues and which laded asses also with wine grapes and figges and all burdens and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the sabbath day and I protested to them in the day that they solde victuales 16. There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein which brought fish and all wares and solde on the sabbath vnto the children of Iudah and in Ierusalem 17. Then reproued I the rulers of Iudah and saide vnto them What euill is this that ye doe and breake the sabbath daye 18. Did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this citie Yet yee encrease the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the sabbath 19. And when the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke before the sabbath I commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not bee opened till after the sabbath and some of my seruants set I at the gates that there should no burdē be brought in on the sabbath day 20. So the chapmen and marchants of al marchandize remained once or twise al night without Ierusalem 21. And I protested among them and said vnto them why tarrie ye all night about the wall if ye doe it once againe I will lay hands vpon you From that time came they no more vpon the sabbath In which words is fullie described vnto vs a most liuely picture both of that religious boldnes and zealous courage that should be in a magistrate bending al his force to the suppressing of such abuses as doe most dishonour the name of God as the breaking of the sabbath and also of the good blessing and prosperous successe of God vpon the worthie labours and Christian interprises of all such For though this abuse of prophaning the sabbath by breaking the rest of it so many waies as we see was so vniuersall and that through the iniquitie of the time preuayled so long that it had gotten a strong head and could not bee bridled at the first for though the gates were shut yet they tarried without at the wals all night hoping to come in in the morning with the formost according to their former custome so obstinate and peruerse were they in their wickednes yet when hee was as constant in Gods cause which he knew he had taken in hand as they were froward in their sinne God gaue him to deale so wisely being not discouraged first by proclayming the lawe of resting which he knew before was in the word then by threatning imprisonment vpon them that would not keep it commanding the inferiour magistrates to looke to the execution of it and rebuking them for their negligence and sloth in it in former times fearing them by the consideration of Gods iudgement euen their present captiuitie which came vpon their forefathers from the which they were not all returned and into the which or some other they might fall againe because of this one sinne that hee preuayled with them euen as it is set downe to his great commendation and to the singular incouraging of all Christian Magistrates in their offices What good successe God gaue him in it to the vnspeakeable comfort of the church and the immortall prayse of God that from that time they came no more vpon the sabbath A worthie rewarde for so noble an enterprise an honourable triumph for so rare a conquest And if we doe see so happie an ende of the trauaile of one man in so corrupt a time dealing against a sinne so deepelie rooted so publickely defended by the practise of the common people so generallie winked at by the inferiour magistrates and that in Iudah and in Ierusalem what hope might wee haue of the blessed endeuours of so many Nehemias in a time more religious among so many worthie gouernours in the Church and common-wealth if our sinnes did not hinder it and if they would deale in the faith and zeale and constancie of Nehemiah and wee would helpe them with our prayers That so first of all it might bee established by a generall meeting of all estates ciuill and ecclesiasticall as it was in his dayes by the Priests Leuits and chiefe of the people that none should doe any thing contrarie to the obseruation of the sabbath Nehe. 10.8.9.14 no not vnder the pretēce of dealing with strangers and then that those lawes might be diligently executed with great seueritie vpon all transgressors yea though they were strangers as they were in his time rebuking and sharplie punishing all inferiour officers by whose negligence the faulte should bee committed as hee did with great grauitie and moderation So then to drawe this whole treatise into a narrowe roome and to shut it vp in a worde the summe of all is that the Lord hath commanded so precise a rest vnto all sortes of men that it may not by any fraude deceite or circumuention whatsoeuer be broken but that hee will most seuerely require it at their hands vnder the payne of his euerlasting displeasure And this is the first duetie here required that both wee our selues and all vnder vs doe vpon the seuenth day rest from all such workes as by vertue of our callings appertaine vnto vs vpon the other sixe and this is the thing that wee should bee perswaded of Obiection If men should thus rest from all worke how should they liue But now if any vngodly man through the coueteousnes that is in him cannot yeeld vnto this because hee sauoureth not the things that bee of God but is worldlie minded and therefore is ready to obiect and say if we doe not labour how shall we eate you see the world is hard and things are at a great price and we haue a charge of wife and children that must bee cared for and when wee haue wrought sore the whole sixe dayes it will scarsely find vs bread therefore what reason is it to binde vs from working vpon the seuenth And why may not a poore man then earne a pennie as well as at any other time What I thinke you would haue vs to starue It is true in deede as M. Caluin saith Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. That all of vs naturally are of that minde that if we endeuour to mounte on hye to the heauenlie life and bestowe our studies herein we thinke we shall dye for hunger and this shall be to turne vs from our profites and commodities For as hee further saith the diuell commeth alwaies to perswade vs vnder this shadow and wilines that if we imploy our selues to the seruice of God we must needs dye of famine and that we liue to be pittied of others for our miserie Answer Therefore for answer I first of all say as he doth Of a truth we cannot serue