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
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
braines wee may iudge to the contrarie So that if any man when he hath had the whole weeke before him to make his prouision will neglect the oportunitie and passe the time ouer and then goe vpon the Lords day to the butchers or such like places to buie victuals hoping to get a better penniworth or because he would not lette his busines before or for that he maketh no difference of dayes and all this while grosselie imagineth that hee committeth no sinne excusing his fact with this that meate must needes bee had and it cannot bee deferred daubing it vp as it were with the vntempered morter of necessitie hee must bee admonished that howsoeuer hee may set a fayre face on his before men and may bleare their eyes that cannot well see yet in Gods iudgement iâ— is lesse then nothing who must be iudge of all but will melt away as snowe before the sunne seeing that hee hath to cut off the head and tayle of those idle pretences spoken aloude and proclaymed long agoe that the sabbath is to bee obserued and remembred for these causes which we must doe so much the rather because he promiseth vnto vs that in sixe dayes we shall be able to doe all our worke for so is it in the wordes of the commandement Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke Euery man in the sixe dayes may doe all his worke in which words because he vseth it as a reason to perswade vs to rest vpon the seuenth day there must needs bee secretly included as there is a promise of the blessing of God vpon our labours in the sixe dayes that in them we shal be able to do al our work euen al our work I say which properlie belongeth vnto vs and which the Lord would haue vs to doe and therefore calleth it our worke As Master Caluin noteth vpon these wordes Calu. in Exod. 20.8 Vniuersum opus All thy worke hereby saith he is signified that though the sabbath be taken away there will be time enough for all our busines otherwise this reason we see were insufficient to perswade men to rest vpon the seuenth day if in the sixe wee might truelie obiect they cannot doe all their worke But the Lord who knoweth what hee would haue vs to doe and therefore what is our worke better then wee our selues and what is our strength to doe it and what time we haue allotted out for it he saith in the sixe days we may doe all our worke and this he speaketh to the busiest bodie in the worlde and to the most couetous who knoweth no ende of working whereby any gayne is gotten and therefore when we take vpon vs so many things that we are ouerwhelmed with them cannot bring them to an ende with the end of the sixe dayes then haue we intermedled with that which belongs not vnto vs and haue entered as it were vpon other mens busines and it is not the Lord but the diuell that hath set vs on worke and he will one day pay vs our hyre Master Caluin doth lay forth this whole matter very plentifully in most significant wordes Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. and followes it with great power in his sermons vpon Deuteronomie When it is sayd Thou shalt labour sixe dayes our Lords would hereby signifie vnto vs that wee ought not to complaine of yeelding vnto him one certaine day when hee leaueth vnto vs sixe for one as if hee did say shall the cost and charge bee great vnto you to chuse one day which may bee wholly giuen to my seruice that you doe no other thing in it but reade and exercise your selues in my lawe or heare my doctrine which shall bee preached vnto you a day to come to the Temple to the end you may there be confirmed by the sacrifices which are there made a day to call vpon my name to declare and protest that you are of the number and companie of my people ought this to bee grieuous and troublesome vnto you seeing you haue sixe daies free to traffique and to doe your busines in when I vse such gentlenes towards you that I demand but one day of seuen is not this an ouer greâ—t vnthankefulnes on your part if you complaine of this time as being euill imployed If you bee such couetous and niggardly wretches as not to spare me one seuenth part of the time I haue giuen you your whole life wheresoeuer the sunne shineth vpon you you ought to acknowledge my goodnes and how that I am a liberall father towards you for this sunne which J make to shine is to giue you a meane to goe and walke by to the end that euery one may doe his busines and yet for all this why is it that I shall not haue one day among seuen in which euery one should withdrawe himselfe from his trauaile and labour that you bee not wrapped in the care of the worlde and so haue no care to thinke vpon me Now then we see that this sentence of trauailing the sixe dayes is not placed as a commandement but is rather a permission which God giueth and that to reproch the vnthankefulnes of men if they obserue not the Sabbath day and sanctifie it in such sort as we haue spoken So then when men shall haue well considered of this thing they shall be conuinced that God beareth with them as a father which should shew himselfe pitifull to his children and therefore let vs take diligent heede that we be not vngratefull but be prouoked and allured to serue our God so much the more seeing he commandeth vs not those things which might seem ouer bitter and painefull vnto vs but hath a due regard to our power and abilitie therefore when he beareth with vs after this manner and leaueth vnto vs our profits and commodities so much more dissolute wicked and inexcusable are wee if we be not inflamed to yeeld our selues wholly vnto him Thus farre Master Caluin See then what an impudency and rebellion this is that men are growen vnto the Lord sayth In sixe daies they may doe all their worke and therefore willeth them to rest vpon the seuenth and they most wickedly crie out as loud with more then a whorish face by their speeches and practises that in sixe daies they cannot doe all their worke and therefore they take vp also all our part of the seuenth what a crueltie then is this that they charge the Lord withall that he should bind them vnder the paine of eternall condemnation to rest vpon the seuenth day and yet should not giue them sufficient time vpon the other dayes to end their worke in which once but to imagine were horrible impietie But let vs iustifie the Lord in his mercie and confesse as the truth is that wee ought so much the more carefully to remember the Sabbath to rest vpon it because in the sixe daies wee may doe all our worke if wee will pray vnto God for
yoke of bondage lieth still vpon our neckes that was vpon them and the freedome purchased by Christ is of none account the libertie proper to a Christian man nothing worth the Gospell hath no preferment aboue the lawe Answer We are not bound to rest for those ends and purposes for which they did For answere vnto the which we must consider that first of all wee are deliuered from that manner of keeping the Sabbath which the Iewes were tyed vnto at that it might put thē in remembrance of that great rest which the Lord bestowed vpon them from the continuall and intolerable worke in Egypt by the hand of Moses and that thereby their hope might bee nourished of the Messiah to come by whom they should haue a perpetuall Sabbath and rest from sinne in the kingdome of heauen begun hereupon earth vnto the which ends they were bound to haue a principall respect and so to keepe the Sabbath as they might most profite in these euen in thankfulnes for the benefit receiued and in hope of that that was promised neither of which because they can appertaine vnto vs for we haue not been in Egypt and therefore cannot remember our deliuerie from thence and Christ Iesus is alreadie come and hath entered into his rest and therefore we neede not to hope for it that though we be bound to the same rest with the Iewes yet our condition is more easie and tolerable in that we bee freed from these appertenances and these other burthens are not layd vpon vs. The which we shall be so much the rather perswaded of if we looke into that libertie 2 We haue also more libertie then they in the manner of sanctifying the day which is brought vnto vs by Christ concerning the sanctifying also of the day of rest which consisteth in such a multitude of purificatiōs washings and clensings and in such a great number of sacrifices and oblations al which were doubled vpon the Sabbath and therefore the obseruation of the Sabbath was more laborious and painfull vnto them and sooner might they offend in it in stead of which we haue fewer things to doe and they be more simple plaine and easie as the hearing of the word receiuing of the Sacraments and prayer And generally as our estate is better then of the Iewes in regard of the whole worship of God which is now more euident shorter not so compound more significant and with lesse difficultie so vpon the Sabbath because the whole worship is to be performed in consideration of that also great are our priuiledges aboue theirs as in all other things so in the obseruation of the Sabbath Hebr. 1.1 Moreouer whereas God in old times spake sundrie times and in diuers manners vnto them and therefore their knowledge of the law was not so great as ours in these last daies wherein he hath spoken vnto vs once by his sonne neither were their graces and gifts so many and excellent ordinarily Act. 2.20 as they be now when God hath powred out his spirit vpon all flesh and therefore they being like vnto children 3 And we are set free from al the childish rudimēts annexed vnto this day and we vnto men growne they stoode in need of many moe helpes to further them in the obseruation of this commandement then we doe and which though they were bound vnto yet we are freed from As they were commanded to let their ground rest euery seuenth yeare and that is called her Sabbath with many other such like things Therefore as we haue great freedome in all other commandements aboue them so in this For must wee not needes confesse that though wee are still bound as the Iewes were Psalm 1.2 to meditate vpon the law of God day and night yet for so much as we are not commanded to carrie it about in the skirts of our garments Deut. 6.8 and vpon other bracelets as they were and though we be not exempted from teaching our children no more then they yet because we are not charged with the writing of it vpon our gates vers 9. and the posts of our doores as they were must wee not acknowledge I say that euen in those things that we are bound vnto in common with the Iewes wee haue more libertie then euer they had So is it in the Sabbath though wee be bound to keepe the rest yet because we are freed from many rudiments of it which as childish instructions to further them in it they were bound vnto as wee haue seene in the former part of this treatise wee must thankfully professe that the Lord hath dealt more liberally with vs then with them Therefore euen as the childe which is set to reade must name euery letter apart and distinctly by it selfe and spell euery sillable that so he might bee holpen forward to reading which when hee hath attained vnto though still he be bound to reade yet he is freed spelling naming euery letter as he had wont to doe and that were a great bondage and wearisomnes to binde him vnto it still nay it were altogether ridiculous and childish in him indeede So now though we bee charged to rest vpon the Sabbath yet when wee are not ouercharged with those Iewish ceremonies which they being children had giuen them as furtherances vnto thē let vs not complaine before we haue cause Galat. 4.3 neither murmure against God because we cannot bee so licentious as we would seeing we bee at such libertie as we be and as it pleaseth the Lord to bestow vpon vs and let vs be so much the more carefull to rest by how much we haue but this one thing to attend vpon and are made free from many other which might hinder vs. Vnto all which if I shall adde this in the last place I will make an ende of this matter that besides these great priuiledges which we haue spoken of Christ Iesus in the Gospel hath offered vnto vs somewhat more euen in this commandement that we haue now in hand 4 And from the obseruation of many other Sabbaths which they had That though wee bee restrained vpon this day from worke both hand and foot as the Iewes were yet haue we libertie to work vpon many other For they were bound vnto a great many of other dayes which had the nature of the Sabbath and therefore are so called many times and vpon the which they might not worke which as it appeareth in many other places of the scripture so especially in Leuit. the 23. where they are reckoned vp in order beginning with the Sabbath vnto which is adioyned the Passeouer the feast of the first fruites of trumpets and of tabernacles and euery one of these had more daies then one proper vnto them as appeareth in that chapter most largely besides the first day of euery new Moone from all which wee are now freed as appeareth by the Apostle Coloss 2.16 Let no man condemne you in respect of
haue done amisse in this we shall not be able to abide it or to answer one worde for a thousand so great cause haue wee to be humbled before God and to repent vs not onely for our sinnes generallie but particularlie for breaking the Sabbath that so we might see how greatlie we do stand in neede of Christ Iesus without whom we should haue perished so many thousand times and how vnspeakable the loue of God is towards vs in him in deliuering from so endlesse miserie so many times deserued by the testimonie of our owne conscience more by the iudgement of him who is greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and knoweth all things And thus we truely vnderstanding and rightly applying the lawe it shall be indeed as it is most properlie called our schoolemaster vnto Christ Gal. 3.24 that wee might bee made righteous by faith and leade vs by the hand vnto our Sauiour when it letteth vs set as in a glasse how in our selues we are more then lost and that none can saue vs but onely he who is truelie called Matth. 1.21 Iesus because hee saueth his people from their sinnes Of whose saluation then may we bee assured that we are truelie partakers when besides the perswasion of the forgiuenes of our sinnes we haue power from him to dye vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnes as well in this commandement as in any other seeing that he hath not onely borne the punishment of sinne but also tooke it away and as he became a sacrifice for sinne 1. Iohn 3.8 Ephes 4.8 Coloss 2.15 so he came to destroy the workes of the diuell and hauing ascended vp on high hath led captiuitie captiue and spoyled the prince of darkenes who is throwne out and hath giuen rich giftes vnto men not onely vnto his church generallie but particularlie to euery member of the same so that now if any man be in Chrst Iesus he is a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 and he himselfe now liueth no more but Christ Iesus liueth in him Galat. 2.20 But if we be the olde men wee had wont to bee and bee no more carefull to obserue the rest of the sabbath then we haue been in times past then are we not as yet partakers of the benefite of Christ and so are vnder the curse of the lawe which one daye will sease vpon vs to our endlesse confusion 2. Pet. 1.10 Therefore let vs labour to make sure our election and calling by Gods workes and let vs striue to be perswaded that the Lord hath passed ouer the faultes of our youth wherby we haue infinitelie broken the holy rest of the Sabbath in thought worde and deed in the blindenes of poperie and light of the Gospell openlie and secretlie at home and abroad alone by our selues and with others and that the Lord hath receiued the sacrifice of his sonne as a ful recompence for them by that same second grace which wee haue receiued from the strength of his sacrifice that we doe giue our selues whollie to serue him in all holy obedience vnto this commandement more carefullie in all time to come and that by his grace wee are inabled thereunto and to desire continually to growe in it all which wee know can come from none other then from him who hath obtained it of his father for vs. And thus the lawe shall keepe vs also with Christ that we fall not away from him when it teacheth vs daylie to growe in humilitie for our sinnes past and maketh vs to be carefull of dueties to come Phil. 2.12 labouring to finish out our saluation in feare and in trembling The second booke declaring the seuerall parts of Gods worship whereby we ought publikely and priuately to sanctifie and keepe holy the Lords Day with other and by our selues Deut. 5.12 Keepe the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee 13. Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all thy worke 14. But the seuenth day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke therein thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy manseruant nor thy mayde nor thine oxe nor thine asse neither any of thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates that thy manseruant and thy mayde may rest as well as thou 15. For remember that thou wast a seruant in the landâ— of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and a stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabbath day THe second and last part of this Commandement is The second part of the Commandement is to sanctifie the daye of Rest that wee carefullie spend the day of Rest vpon the holy seruice of God alone which though it be last in order yet is the chiefe and principall thing in the Commandement and that whereunto the ceasing from labour is to be referred and without which the other is vnperfect and as it were a shadowe without the bodie Which that it is so indeede do appeareth by the very wordes of the Lord and the order of them pronounced from heauen as we haue alreadie seene Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy which also Moses preciselie commandeth in repeating the Law to the Israelites before his death Deut. 5.12 Obserue the Sabbath day to sanctifie it â—s the Lord thy God hath commanded thee which daye wee are then rightlie said to sanctifie or keepe holy when we bestowe it vpon the seruice of God which is most holy and so by making it proper vnto that which is holy both we and the daye are hallowed thereby Iohn 10.36 Zanc. de tribus Eloh pan 2. lib. 3. cap. 9. That great learned man Master Zanchius the diuinitie reader at Heidelberge entreating vpon that place of Iohn whom the father hath sanctified saith that to be sanctified signifieth to bee consecrated vnto God and to bee put apart from other things vnto an holy vse and so is God said to haue sanctified vnto himselfe the Sabbath daye that is to haue selected it from the other dayes and to haue consecrated it to himselfe And this significatioÌ„ is very common in the scripture wherupon the people also of God are said to be sanctified vnto God and in this sense Christ taketh where when he saith that he was sanctified of the father for he alone of all the three persons and of all other creatures was ordained vnto the office of the mediator and to be the head of the Church euen before he tooke vpon him our flesh Chrysost in Gen. 2. Homil. 10. Whereunto agreeth that of Chrysostome Quid est What is the meaning of this He hath sanctified it he hath distinguished it from other dayes and we see to what end For as M. Bullinger saith God hath sanctified the Sabbath not that one day in it owne nature Bulling in Rom. 14.5 is better then another or because he delighteth
honour of his name and dedicated vnto his seruice And as he giueth vs libertie to worke our owne worke vpon the sixe dayes so he commaundeth vs straightly to cease from them vpon the seuenth that we might worke for the Lord seeing it is appointed to bee a day of resting from all other affaires for the Lords busines sake And last of all hee addeth that whereas the Lorde did create the worlde in sixe daies hee himselfe entered into a new worke distinct from the former vpon the seuenth and therefore bestowed an especiall blessing vpon that day which all the rest haue not euen the blessing of sanctification that it might be kept holy to himselfe For as Master Caluin sayth Benedixit sanctificauit Caluin in Gen. 2.3 secundum verbum est exegeticum prioris Of these two words the Lord blessed and sanctified the latter doth expound the former Pet. Mart. in Gen. 2. Whereunto agreeeth Peter Martyr To blesse is to giue and bestow something this did he chiefly giue vnto it that therein wee should rest and apply our selues to the seruice of God which so many words aboundantly testifie that the waightiest thing in this commandement is that the day of rest should bee bestowed vpon Gods seruice in so much that if we had attained vnto the perfect obseruing of the rest yet we are not come to the end and goale as it were of this commandement no not vnto the midde way of it which is so much the more diligently to be taken heed vnto because many through a grosse and palpable ignorance and want of religion as they cannot be persuaded of that precise rest which we haue seene here commanded so more prophanely dreame that though not all yet the greatest part of obedience vnto this commandement consisteth in abstaining from al worldly busines and therefore they that haue some care of this yet neuer or very seldome thinke of the other and making some conscience of working that day thinke it to bee a veniall or no sinne at all to neglecte the seruice of God which is most especially required or at least wise not to be throughly occupied about it Cal in Exod. 20.12 as the Lord on that day doth require For as Master Caluin sayth God was not delighted with the idlenes of his people but when hee bad them rest vpon the seuenth day there was relation to an other end For as the same man saith in another place This were a very bare and naked thing Idem vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. that our hands onely and our feete should rest and that nothing else should bee done What must we doe then wee ought to apply this rest vnto a more high and excellent thing And a little after he shewes it more particularly saying When our shop windowes are shut in on the sunday when wee trauaile not after the common order and fashion of men this is to the ende wee should haue more liberty and leasure to attend on that which God commandeth that is to wit to be taught by his word to assemble our selues together to make confession of our faith to call on his name to exercise our selues in the vse of his sacraments Therefore the seruant of God Moses to meete with this grosse corruption in the 5. of Deuteronomie doth not onely vse the forenamed word of sanctifying the day but further addeth in the same place As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee Deut. 5.12 making the greatest part of the commandement to consist in hallowing of the day For when God sanctified the day Iunij praelect in Gen. 2.3 he commanded man to sanctifie it that is to bestowe it in holy exercises So then looke howe many reasons there were before for the establishing of the day of rest so many more are there for the keeping it holy seeing this is the principall end of resting that it might be hallowed which because it cannot be in that manner that it should vnlesse we doe rest for we cannot wholly bestow it vpon Gods seruice if wee bestowe it vpon our busines in whole or in part therefore that this principall might haue his due roome al other things must giue place vnto it And though there were many other causes of ordaining the day of rest as we haue alreadie seene yet none so chiefe and principall as this For Adam being in paradise whiles he had not yet sinned though he was therefore exempted from many causes of resting which his posteritie did stande in need of yet for this cause was bound vnto it as much as any that resting from the works of the garden he might sanctifie it according to the commandement which otherwise he could not doe And therefore in the wordes of the commandement we are willed to remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy Therefore we ought to remember the Sabbath to this end especially not so much remembring that we rest vpon it as that we sanctifie the time of our rest and therfore remember to rest before hand that nothing might hinder vs from the worship of God vpon the day of rest but therfore rest and therefore remember to rest that the seruice of God might bee taken in hand And as it is a sin not to be carefull of the Sabbath that we might rest vpon it so it is a greater sinne not to obserue it that it might be a Sabbath vnto the Lorde by sanctifying of it and if for want of heedfulnes any thing do compell vs to worke vpon the day of rest it is our sinne in not marking the Sabbath day so if by our negligence we cannot sanctifie the day of rest vnto the Lorde it is a greater sinne of not remēbring to keepe it holy which is the first greatest thing in this commandement Master Musculus sayth Polluitur Sabbathum cum cuius gratia instituitur Muscul in Math. 12.11 à plerisque plane non curatur The Sabbath is broken of many when they consider not to what end it was ordained How many in the world can and do remember well enough the Sabbath day to rest vpon it but how fewe doe remember to imploy that time about the Lords busines and so to keepe it holy One maketh account of the Sabbath day for this ende another reckoneth of it for that and euery one remembreth it for some purpose but the Lord would haue vs to remember it that wee might altogether bestowe it vpon his worship yet none almost looketh vnto that Therefore it was the wisdome of God to meet with this blockishnes of our who remember euery thing sauing that that we should and those good things which we doe remember wee thinke of them to farre other ends then wee ought to doe and to tell vs plainly that this is the chiefest ende of marking the Sabbath that we might keepe it holy which if we doe not as we cannot so well marke it as we should so wee doe marke it to a wrong ende and doe
other times but to bee occupied altogether in the holy seruice of God and in an holy place And this was a thing not peculiarly belonging to some one day but generallie commanded and practised vpon euery Sabbath day namely to haue holy meetings that the day might be kept holy And indeed it was so inseparably adioyned vnto the Sabbath that it was not onely ordinarie vpon the seuenth day which is onely properly called the Sabbath but vpon all other festiuall dayes of the Iewes commanded by God vnto them to obserue which had also the nature of the first and true Sabbath as appeareth most plentifullie in this one forenamed chapter of Leuiticus in many verses where their seuerall feastes are reckoned vp of which as he afterwards speaketh in particulars Leuit. 23.4 so thus of them all in generall These are the feasts of the Lord and holy conuocations which yee shall proclayme in their seasons calling them feastes vnto the Lord that is dayes of reioycing before him thanksgiuing to him for his benefites and praying to God for the continuance of them wherein that they might bee furthered they had the exercises of the worde and offering vp of sacrifices euen as they did rest from their other busines that they might wholy attend vpon these and so the conuocations or assemblies of the people were holie which if it were true of those daies that were but appurtenances vnto the weekely Sabbath then must it needes much more be verified of it whereunto all the other were referred And if the other dayes could not be feastes vnto the Lord as they are called vnlesse they were holie assemblies then much lesse can this bee a Sabbath vnto the Lord which is the very name of it vnlesse their meetings be in the Lord and for his worships sake For this cause the Prophet Esay calleth it the Lords holie day and a day consecrated as glorious vnto the Lord saying If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath Esay 58.13 from doing thy will on my holie day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious vnto the Lord and shalt honour him c. whereby he doth declare that the especiall thing in the Sabbath day is the honor and seruice of God vpon which we must so altogether attend that it may appeare that wee haue dedicated the day vnto him indeede and made this the chiefe glorie of it that it is holie vnto him Therefore it was commanded in the lawe that the sacrifices and so consequently al other parts of Gods worship which were neuer seuered from them should bee doubled vpō the Sabbath day And then the daily seruice of God was doubled that so they might altogether be occupied about them and doe nothing els the whole time being taken vp with them as is in expresse words set downe by Moses Numb 28. Num. 28.9.10 where hauing spoken before of the daily morning and euening sacrifice he addeth But on the Sabbath day ye shall offer two lambes of a yeare old without spot and two tenth deales of fine flower for a meate offering mingled with oyle and the drinke offering thereof this is the burnt offering of euery Sabbath beside the continuall burnt offering and drinke offering thereof And Chrysostome speaking of this thing sayth Chrysost de Lazar. conc 1. The Sabbath was not giuen for idlenes sake but rather that wee being drawne away from the cares of temporall things might bestow all our leisure vpon spirituall things Nam sacerdos eo die duplicat hostiam For sayth he the priest vpon that day doth double his sacrifice And if wee looke into the 17. chapter of the Prophet Ieremie where he promiseth from God a blessing to the Iewes if they would keepe the Sabbath and threatneth a most grieuous destruction to them if they did breake it wee shall finde that in many verses speaking of the true manner of keeping that Commandement how he not onely requireth a resting from bodily labour but also the bestowing of it vpon Gods seruice when alwaies he ioyneth these two together Iere. 17.22 25.27 If ye doe no worke but sanctifie the Sabbath as I commanded your fathers Whereunto agreeth the practise of the whole Church from time to time as appeareth by the very reading of the storie of the new Testament in which from the one end of it vnto the other nothing is more cleare then the ordinarie reading preaching and hearing of the law publikely with all the rest of Gods seruice practised vpon the Sabbath with one consent which as it is confirmed by infinite testimonies so the time would not serue to stand vpon them I will content my selfe with that one which is set downe in the Acts of the Apostles For Moses of old time hath in euery citie them that preach him Act. 15.21 seeing he is read in the Synagogues euery Sabbath day And when the day was chaunged all the exercises of religion were chaunged together with it and did still accompanie it In the time of the Gospell these meetings are and ought to be vpon the Lords day So that the holie meetings of the Church were vpon the first day of the weeke I call them holie as before because they were taken in hand and continued only for the holie seruice of God as it is apparant in the 20. chapter of the same booke besides many other places where the Euangelist S. Luke writeth thus The first day of the weeke the Disciples being come together to breake bread Paul preacheth vnto them Act. 20.7 c. Whereunto no doubt the Apostle S. Iohn had respect in his Reuelation when he calleth this new day Reuel 1.10 by this new name the Lords day deriuing it from the Lord Iesus who was made Lord and heire of all things who as hee did rise againe vpon this day so he did institute a new seruice and a new ministerie and a new day in the honour of the new worke which he had now finished So that it is true which Master Bucer sayth Communi Christianorum consensu dies Dominicus cōuentibus ecclesijs publicis dicatus fuit ipso statim tēpore Apostolorū Bucer in Mat. 12.11 The Lords day was appoynted for the common assemblies of the Church euen in the Apostles time And therefore as it hath been declared before this was not first brought in by the Christian Emperours but allowed and approued by them or rather by publike authoritie established whereas the Christians did without law by the authoritie of Gods word obserue it before So that it may truely be called the Lords day as it is indeed not only because the Lord Iesus did arise from the dead vpon that day and so declared that he had made an end of the worke of our redemption but also and especially because by seruing of him vpon that day in that manner that he hath appoynted not onely the memorie of it is kept but we are made
teach vs that these are the meanes to sanctifie it by and that they are proper vnto the day Now though prayer be not here named yet we are to presume that neither the word nor sacraments were ministred withouth it seeing the fruite of both dependeth vpon the blessing of God which is obtained by prayer and seeing that in other places they are ioyned together And that the ministrie of the word is so vnseparably ioyned to the Sabbath and hath alwaies beene further appeareth by that which is most plainely in many words set downe in the 13. Acts 13.14 chapter of the same storie where it is thus written When Paul and Barnabas departed from Perga they came to Antiochia a citie of Pisidia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and sate downe 15. And after the lecture of the law and Prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent vnto them saying Ye men and brethren if yee haue any worde of exhortation for the people say on 16. Then Paul stood vp and beckened with the hande and sayd Men of Israell c. as followeth in that chapter to the 42. verse where againe it is written that when they were come out of the Synagogue of the Iewes the Gentiles besought that they would preach these wordes to them the next Sabbath day 44. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole citie to heare the world of GOD which words doe sufficiently shew that it hath alwaies beene diligently obserued of the Church to sanctifie the Sabbath day in the publike reading and preaching of the word as in the most singular part of Gods seruice For Paul came and founde the Church alreadie met together vpon the Sabbath and reading the lawe and the Prophets and then was desired to preach and afterwards being desired to preach againe they came and heard him vpon the Sabbath And in the 15. chapter wee haue heard alreadie That Moses hath of old time Acts 15.21 in euery citie them that preach him seeing he is read euery Sabbath day in the Synagogues Besides that which is written of Paul in the 17. Chap 17.1.2.3 chapter that he comming to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iewes as his manner was went in vnto them and three Sabbath daies disputed with them by the scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must haue suffered and risen againe from the dead and this is Iesus Christ whom sayd he I preach vnto you But it were an endlesse labour though profitable in order to reckon vp all the seuerall places which shewe that these are the holy works of the Sabbath which the Lord requiteth all men to bee occupied in if they will sanctifie the day according to his commandement and as the practise of the Church giueth vs example And vpon these considerations it seemeth it was enacted in a councell held in Germanie vnder Charles the great for the maintaining of the publike preaching euery Lords day Concil Mogūt cap. 25. that Si forte Episcopus If the Bishop be not at home or be sicke or vpon any other vrgent cause be not able himselfe Nunquam tamen desit diebus Dominicis qui verbum Dei praedicet Yet let it bee so prouided that there neuer want one to preach the worde of God vnto the people on the Lords daies Phil. Melanct. in praecept 3. Master Melancthon reckoning vp many parts of sanctifying the Sabbath sayth Piè fungi ministerio where he makes this not onely one but the principall thing for a man well to discharge his ministerie in which answer he includeth the preaching of the word because a little before he sayth that the Prophets when they lament the desolation of the Sabbath they complaine Abolitum esse ministerium docendi That the ministerie of teaching was abolished and that the priests lips did not keepe knowledge But as themselues say they were dumme dogs and delighted in sleeping Bucer in Mat. 12.11 And Master Bucer in this argument writing of the practise of that Church wherein himselfe liued sayth Dominicis diebus in singulis Parochijs ad minimum duae si non tres habentur conciones Vpon the Lords dayes in euery parish there are two sermons at the least if not three Which also as it may be truely sayd of a great number of Churches in England for the space of these many yeares vnder the most happy raigne of her maiestie to the great glory of God her singular renowne and the saluation of many soules so in that respect we are to bow our knees vnto God day and night for the preseruation of her royal maiestie that it may be so by her meanes for euer as also that in those places where it is yet wanting it might be brought in in Gods most blessed time if our vnthankfulnes doe not hinder vs euen as that zealous and good King Iehosaphat could not doe all things in his time that he would for the reformation of the Church because the people then had not prepared their hearts to serue the GOD of their fathers 2. Chron. 20.33 Therefore to be short let vs looke vnto that which is in the chapter immediatly following Chap. 18.4 That Paul abiding at Corinth disputed in the Synagogue euery Sabbath day and exhorted the Iewes and the Grecians Here the holy Ghost witnesseth of him that hee did openly teach the scriptures euery Sabbath day and in the forenamed place that it was his manner so to doe then it must needs be the custome of the Church to come to the publike ministrie of the word vpon those dayes Al men ought to resort to those places where the word is preached and it must be a common manner with them which is spoken to this end that we might not be of that brutish mind that some are of that know no other thing to do vpon the Sabbath but to rest and take their ease and therfore lye many times at home sleeping most prophanely and so their oxe and their asse in ceasing from their worke keepe as good a Sabbath as they neither to be so ignorant as others are who content thēselues with their owne priuate readings at home or with the bare reading of the word in the Church neglecting the preaching of it not labouring to procure it to themselues nor repairing to those places in the meane season where it is though it be the chiefest part of Gods seruice and therefore the most especiall meanes whereby the Sabbath is sanctified and without the which all other things in the seruice of God are lesse accepted of God and more vnprofitable to our owne selues Therefore how many places of scripture haue wee seene before commanding vs so straightly to sanctifie the Sabbath so many are there binding all men of what estate and cōdition soeuer to listen after the preaching of the word and to be at it euery Sabbath if they haue any care to discharge themselues of that obedience vnto God which he
the ignorant to admonish the vnruly to bring home them that goe astray to bind vp the broken hearted to strengthen the feeble to encourage theÌ„ that be occupied in well doing and in one worde so to helpe them in the lesse that the chiefe and principall bee not neglected wherein true loue especially doth consist and wherein the Lord is serued of vs most of all And this is that which is spoken of our Sauiour Christ in the place aboue mentioned that hee not onely healed the woman vpon the Sabbath of her bodily disease Luk. 13.16 but deliuered her from the chaynes of the diuell with which she had beene long held For it is euident in the Gospell that besides the infirmitie of her body there was an extraordinary worke of Sathan wherby as she was strangely possessed so it wrought in her many strong passions from all which she being deliuered by Christ Iesus receiued euen in that especialy the most mercy at his hands Therefore among al the works of God we must be persuaded that this is none of the least to shewe mercie vnto the distressed soules of our brethren for this is the mercy of the most mercifull euen Christ Iesus himselfe from whom as we haue receiued many great mercies so none to this that he hath redeemed our soules from eternall destruction and when we were sunke downe into the bottomlesse pit of all misery hee came thither in vnspeakable loue to fetch vs out and reconciled vs to his Father and hath made vs heires of euerlasting life And let vs be so much more mindfull of this duetie by how much the fewest in the worlde doe thinke of it no not they that otherwise are mindfull to shewe mercy in all outward things And thus wee see that none can bee exempted from these dueties for though euery one cannot goe into the houses of the poore neither is it meete that some should because of their personages and calling yet they may make enquirie of them and send vnto them and exhort others to do the like and pray for them and may with their equals haue such profitable conferences that they may shewe great mercy to their soules by drawing them neerer to the kingdome of heauen and drawing them further off from the pit of hell And they that be poore and therfore it may be imagined they can shew no mercy at all for they haue not wherewith must first of all consider Mark 12.43 the poore widowe that gaue but two mytes how it was accepted and that the Lord accepteth of euery one not according to his deedes but according to his good will and secondarily that if they will instruct admonish comfort their brethren and pray for them they shall shewe the greatest mercy vnto them that may bee and doe that worke which is most acceptable vnto God and therefore most peculiar to the Sabbath So then that we might be persuaded of the excellency of this duty aboue all others let vs coâ—sider of that which the spirite of God speaketh of it Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And indeede all our profession is nothing and the shew of religion that we make is vaine except it bring forth these fruites in vs as the same Apostle witnesseth Chap. 1 27. Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowe in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Not that there is no religion but this but that by these fruits it shall appeare whether our religion be good or no and whether we be profitably occupied therein or no euen when all the publike and priuate exercises of the same doe prepare vs to shew mercy vnto our brethren and make vs more fitte thereunto Therefore whereas wee haue seene in the former part of this treatise that notwithstanding the precise commandement of resting such dueties were permitted as the preseâ—t necessitie of any creature did require now wee doe furâ—her vnderstand that they be by the commandement of God necessarily laid vpon vs that they are in the number of those works of God which that we might wholly doe we are commanded to rest from our owne All superiours ought to be carefull that their inferiours do keepe holy the day as well as themselues Now the Lord would not onely haue vs to keepe holy the Sabbath our selues in all the partes of his worshippe publike and priuate which wee haue seene heretofore but also that euery one shoud in his seueral place and roome carefully take order that so many as bee committed to his charge should sanctifie the daye as well as himselfe which though it be true in all other commandements namely that whatsoeuer we are bound to do our selues we must bee meanes to further other in doing the same because the loue of God and of our neighbours spreadeth it selfe ouer all the commaundements and therefore though it be not expressed it is necessarily vnderstood yet in this commaundement it is so much the more required because besides the analogie and proportion betweene it and the other commandements doth inforce it the very words themselues doe bind vs thereunto For when it is said Thou and thy sonne thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maide though he speaketh by name onely of resting vpon the Sabbath yet because the ende of that is that the day might be sanctified looke howe many reasons we haue seene before binding the inferiours to rest and the superiours to prouide that they doe so indeed so many are there compelling them to sanctifie the day in their own persons and in so manie as belong vnto them Therefore when first of all it is generally sayde in the commandement Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy and afterwards The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is which must bee dedicated vnto his seruice and in the end you must therefore rest that you might serue him in it as hee requireth and then nameth the seuerall parties that should rest his meaning is to declare vnto them the right ende of their resting and so speaking by name to the gouernours saying Thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maid the stranger that is within thy gates to shewe vnto them that it is not sufficient for them to looke that they vnder their gouernement should rest vnlesse they sanctifie the day of rest also which they must be so much carefull of by how much the sanctification of the day is greater theÌ„ the ceasing to worke vpon it as the end whereunto this is but referred and therefore if it bee a sinne in them at any time not to haue a sufficient regard vnto them that they do not worke then
way to heauen vnto hell if the Lord bee not more mercifull vnto him and why should we be loath to depart from the seruice of them that haue no care to serue God Or can we looke that they should do any faithful seruice vnto vs that are so vnfaithfull in the seruice of God But as concerning the rest if any bee religious this is the best meane to retaine them if they bee but indifferent this may winne them if they bee falling away To haue such good orders in our houses is not the next way to driue away our seruants from vs. this may recouer them for what shall wee thinke of all the godly fathers in times past That when they vowed diligently to looke to their households that they should serue God with them and did constantly performe it that then they had no seruants at al Was so great a man as Iehoshua without seruants when he promised before so many witnesses that he and his house would serue the Lord Was Dauid left alone and constrained to doe all himselfe when as being a mightie King he bound himself vnto it by that song which he made for the same purpose wherein he sayth Psal 101.6.7 Mine eyes shall be vnto the faithfull of the land that they may dwel with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue me there shall no deceitfull person dwell in mine house he that telleth lyes shall not remaine in my sight Had not Abraham a great houshold when he was able of the sudden to carrie foorth with him of them that were borne and brought vp in his house three hundred and eighteene men in armour Gen. 14.14 to rescue his brother Lot of whom notwithstanding it is sayd Chap. 18.19 that he would teach his household the way of the Lord as it appeareth he did indeede when by his onely perswasion at the word of God Chap. 17.23 all the males were contented to be circumcised and to receiue that sacrament vnknowne before and painfull and also ignominious to the flesh if they had looked onely to the outward signe And must not that worthie Captaine of an hundred Italian souldiers needs haue a greater familie then many of these that cauill at this doctrine of whom the spirit of trueth reporteth Acts. 10.2 that he feared God and all his houshold Obiection What shall we thinke of all these men Shall we ignorantly presume to the further deceiuing of our selues hardning of vs in this sinne that the times were then better good seruants were more plentifull Answer Or must we not needes confesse as the trueth is indeede that these men vsed more meanes to make their seruants the seruants of God then men doe now adayes and that so the blessing of God was greater vpon them And is it not set downe in writing for our learning to shew vs what is that which we might looke for at Gods hands if wee would walke in the same way that they did seeing there is no respect of persons times or places with him But this much concerning this matter may be sufficient in which I haue been vnwillingly carried further then I was purposed at the first though now I do not repent me of it because the waightines of the matter is such that I doe not what might haue been well spared and with silence passed ouer Now that all households might be thus prepared vnto and furthered in the true sanctifying of the Sabbath it behoueth all Kings Princes ought to make lawes for the sanctifying of the Sabbath and all inferiour Mâ—gistrates see the same diligently put in execution Princes and Rulers that professe the true religion to inact such lawes and to see them diligently executed whereby the honour of God in hallowing these dayes might bee maintained And looke how straightly euery householder is bound to keepe all his familie in the obedience of this Commandement so seuerely will it be required at their hands if al their people and subiects throughout the whole land or any of them doe faile in it through any default of theirs And the Lord will require it of them so much the more seuerely by how much they haue more power to bring euery thing to passe within their dominion then a priuat man hath in his household and the offence that is publike is greater then that which is priuat And that this is their very duetie indeede appeareth first by the words of the Commaundement where he speaketh generally of them that be within the gates namely either of the house or of the citie which because it is the furthest part of those places therefore by them as vnder one kinde hee comprehendeth all the parts of any their iurisdiction euen the furthest and though it bee spoken by name but of one part of this commandement and that of the least which is to rest from labour yet it must needes be vnderstoode of the other parte which is the greatest and whereunto the other is but referred as it hath been oftentimes alreadie sayd in this treatise For if to abstaine from worke be a thing of such moment before the Lord vpon his Sabbath and day of rest that he will haue gouernours restraine their subiects from it then to sanctifie his holie day and to bestowe it vpon his seruice must needes much more bee a thing of that importance with him that he would haue all rulers compell their subiects vnto it Therfore looke how many reasons and examples haue been before alleadged to proue that they ought to stay men from working vpon that day so many are there to induce them to inioyne all to keepe holie the day for which end especially they command the rest and without which it is meerely ciuill and not religious And for this cause did the Lord command his people Israel Deut. 27.3 to write his lawe vpon the pillars in the borders of their land both that the people might bee kept in the knowledge and obedience of it Ecclesiast hist Cent. 1. lib. 2. cap 4. and that the Magistrates might euery where see the execution of it and knowe that it is their duetie to see it practised in all parts of their dominion euen to the very borders of them And if the Magistrate be truely called as he is indeede the keeper of the tables of Gods law that is one set vp in his roome furnished with his authoritie and power to that end that he might see the whole law of God euen the first and second table and euery Commandement in them put in execution then it must needes appertaine vnto him to prouide that the Sabbath bee hallowed wherein consisteth the obseruation of all the other Commandements in the first table A practise whereof we haue in the daies of Ioash King of Iudah in the very first entrance of his raigne whom when Iehoiadah the hye Priest had by the consent of the Rulers annoynted King 2. King 11.17 he made a
God to the stoping of the mouthes of them that gainsay it the 〈◊〉 condemnation of them that enquire not after the â—eth of it and the praise of our God not onely that the â—â—bbath ought to be continued but that wee take it as a â—â—incipall mercie that the Lord hath reserued it vnto 〈◊〉 Now it remaineth that I should descend into the particulars of this Commandement which also I would presently doe were it not that certaine obiections which men make against this trueth which doubtles also may arise in your mindes did lye in the way It is dangerous to reason against a known trueth which are first to 〈◊〉 remoued wherein generally wee are to bee aduised and carefull how at any time wee dispute against any trueth plainly proued and when the doctrine is substantially confirmed how wee stande reasoning against it which as I haue often taught so I take it to bee a safe way least when we will not receive the trueth in loue 2. Thess 2.10.11 that we might be saued God giue vs ouer to effectuall illusions that wee might beleeue lyes then shall wee thinke euery shew of reason that either our owne corrupt vnderstanding shall teach vs or any wicked man shall buzze in our eares the diuell working in both by Gods iust iudgement to bee of more force for the ouerthrowing of that which is taught then al that hath been spoken or can be to vphold it But if in this case any reason be offered vnto vs let vs first of all suspect it draw our hearts to a misliking of it so shall we be fitter to reason against it as the Apostle teacheth vs in many places and namely in the 6. to the Romanes Shall we continue still in sinne Rom. 6.1 that grace may abound God forbid As if he should say fie vpon that God keepe vs from it Secondly let vs know that though wee cannot answere the doubt that yet we must not giue ouer our perswasion in the trueth For if it be a principle in Philosophie that a foole may obiect more sometimes then a wise man can answere much more is it true in Diuinitie that wee hauing sinne in vs out or measure and the spirit of God but in measure the one can teach vs to obiect or conceiue more against the trueth then by the other wee shall bee able to answere and say for it Last of all let vs say with the Apostle 2. Cor. 13.8 I can doe nothing against the trueth but for the trueth and therefore that wit and reason wee haue let vs rather spende it in learning the proofes to maintaine the trueth which is the safest way to continue in it then to intangle and as it were to snarle our selues in those doubts against the trueth which as they be many so are they endles and dangerous But concerning the obiections against this speciall truth my purpose is not to meete with euery one of theÌ„ for I knowe them not neither can any man for as the trueth is one and certaine so errors are infinite and without number in so much that looke how many men there bee in the world so many obiections there bee made against one principle in religion and so many moe as that euery man may haue a world of doubts within himselfe yet some I will briefly remember and those especially which I haue obserued to bee most rise in the mouthes of that people with which I haue had most dealing in this matter Obiect 1 The Sabbath belongs onely to the Iewes First of all they ignorantly say as all obiections doe arise from the ignorance of the trueth that the Sabbath is a Iewish thing beloÌ„ging only to that people so not appertaining vnto vs. Against which all that that wee haue alreadie spoken and heard doth most euidently and openly and as it were with a lowd voyce speake For it hath been substantially proued Answer that this Commandement did no more begin with the people of the Iewes then any other may that it was 2000. yeares and more before euer they were a people and it hath continued now 1500. yeares and more in the Church since the Iewes were no people and when all Iewish things haue been abrogated onely this hath continued still in the Church in his owne proper force that it might appeare that it was of a nature farre differing from them hauing neither beginning nor ending together with them And this is that which a learned man master Wolphius saith when hauing before spoken of other festiuall daies of the Iewes now abrogated hee addeth Wolph Chronol lib. 2 cap. 1. Sabbathum autem dierum ordinarium perpetuum c. But the ordinary and perpetuall Sabbath of daies that is the seuenth day by this name hee opposing it to the Sabbath of weekes and yeares is not to bee reckoned among the figures and ceremonies of the Iewes both because it was ordained in Paradise before the fall of man for the worship of God and also it is commanded in the Decalogue which containeth in it nothing ceremoniall nothing typicall nothing to be abrogated for in that I hold the position of the Schooleman to be true The precepts of the Decalogue are indispensibilia not to be dispensed withall Thom. 1ae 2ae quaest 100. And therefore the vrging of this commandement vpon the Church of God at this day so straightly is not to bring them into the intollerable bondage of the Iewes from which they are deliuered by Christ nor to lay vpon them that yoake which neither they nor their fathers were able to beare Acts 15.10 but to chalenge them with that ancient obedience which God alwaies required at their hands and from which they were neuer free Nay to shake off our obedience to that whereunto the Church hath alwaies yeelded vnder this pretence in so waightie a matter is to abuse our libertie to turne it into licentiousnes and to set open a windowe vnto all kinde of prophanenesse Obiect 2 Moreouer whereas others are driuen to confesse that there ought to be a Sabbath still remaining with vs because they cannot deny a thing so euidently proued in the olde and newe Testament yet notwitstanding they say it is to be vnderstoode The Sabbath is a continuall resting from sinne not so much of any one day nor the resting from any speciall worldly labour as of the whole life of a Christian and the continuall resting from sinne which is the spirituall and true Sabbath and so not any one day but euery day is commended vnto vs that in them wee should rest from our owne workes which is sinne and so keep a continuall Sabbath sanctifying euery day and putting it apart to the doing of Gods holy seruice and that alone which if we doe then doe we truely keepe the Sabbath though we be occupied in the affaires of our calling For this is that say they which the Prophet Esay commendeth vnto vs when he sayth that
such like markes the Lords day is made famous And in another place he saith further Idem de temp serm 154. This is the day in which the children of Israel passed through the red sea drie foote in which the Lord Iesus was baptised in Iordan in which he turned water into wine in Cana of Galile in which he fedde 5000. men with fiue loaues in the desert in which he came into his Disciples when the doores were shut in which we hope that he shall come to iudgement Many other things are spoken of this day as that vpon it Christ was borne vpon this day the old Couenant and Testament was changed into the new especially of some of the Rabbins Wolph chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. as Wolphinus obserueth Vpon this day Aaron and his sonnes were consecrated to their office and the Princes did begin to offer to the Tabernacle So that as the Psalmist sayth of Ierusalem Glorious things are spoken of thee thou citie of God so we may say many excellent things are spoken of this day All which whether they be true or no we cannot tel and yet if they were they are all nothing to this The resurrection of Christ which alone hath made it famous and hath giuen it that honor which all the other besides are not able to doe So that in this respect it may bee truely sayd of this day as it is in the Psalme Psalm 118.15 This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs be glad and reioyce in it For this Psalm principally pertaineth vnto the Messiah of whom Dauid was a type and figure as Master Beza noteth Beza paraphr in hunc Psal So that here the day of the Lords resurrection is commended vnto vs wherein he being deliuered from death is made the head of the corner as Dauid being deliuered from his enemies was made the head of the people So that I say as for the memorie of the first Creation that seuenth day was sanctified by the Lord in which he rested from his work and thereby declared that al things were most perfect when hee wrought no more vpon which consideration the whole worlde was bound to keepe that day vntill the comming of Christ euen so he at his comming taking vpoÌ„ him the creating as it were of a new world I meane the renewing of it and redeeming of it from sin and from that bondage Rom. 8.21 corruption and vanitie as the Apostle speaketh wherein all the creatures were by reason of sinne and faithfully performing all things to the full not leauing of any iot or title thereof from the beginning of his life to the last moment of his death yea and in his death and buriall and Resurrection most of all after which time he suffered no more but entered into his rest and vpon that day he began and so continueth it for euer that the most famous and worthiâ— memorie of his second creation might not bee inferiour to the first but that the beautie and glorie of it might shine more excellently in the Church Therefore this day was appoynted and none but this could be ordained then that of the other as indeede it was greater therefore this day was ordained by speciall aduice and none but this day could be chosen to be the Sabbath and day of Rest which Christ Iesus the Creator of the new world rested from his work of the new creation for thus indeede the Prophets doe speake of the time of the Messiah that then all things should be made new Esay 65.17 I will create new heauens and a new earth and the former shall not be remembred nor come into minde because the price of their renewing was then fully payed And againe for this cause when the sayd Prophets doe speake but of the time vnto Christs comming they expresse it in these words for euer as they are willed to keepe the holie feast of the Passâ—ouer vnto the Lorde throughout their generations by an ordinance for euer Exod. 12.12 and so likewise the other sacrament of Circumcision is called by the Lord an euerlasting couenant Gen. 17.14 because then the first world had an end that I might so speake and the new world began in which respect the time of the Gospell is called the world to come Heb. 2.5 And therefore as the Church by keeping the first seuenth day did testifie that they worshipped and depended vpon that God which rested himselfe vpon that day from the work of creation and therefore sanctified it so we by keeping this seuenth day doe witnesse not onely to all the Church but to all Turkes Infidels Panims and Atheists in the world that we serue and looke assuredly to be saued by that Lord Iesus Christ and by none other who by his resurrection vpoÌ„ this day did rest froÌ„ the worke of our Redemption which he had fully ended and brought to perfection Neither did the Church iudâ—e amisse P. Martir in Gen. 2. sayth P. Martir if in obseruing the Lords day it preferred the memorie of our present restoring that is the resurrection of Christ before the finishing of the workmanship of the world And againe For this cause saith a learned writer euen because of Christs resurrection when the day was changed the change was made Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. A feria septima in primam From the seuenth day of the weeke into the first and the beginning of the Sabbath is not now from the euening but from the morning at what time the Lord did rise againe And lastly The cause of this change sayth Iunius is the resurrection of Christ Iunij praelect in Gen. 2.3 and the benefite of the restoring of the Church by Christ the remembrance of which benefite did succeede into the place of the memorie of the creation Non humana traditione sed Christi ipsius obseruatione instituto not by the tradition of man but by the obseruation appointment of Christ who both on the day of his resurrection and on euery eight day after vnto his ascension into heauen did appeare vnto his Disciples and come into their assemblie Like vnto the which This day must neuer be changed but continue vnto the ende of the world because nothing can euer fall out in the world comparable vnto it in glorie and power therefore this day must continue in his first honor of sanctification vnto the end of all things and no day bee set vp like to it or it changed into any other day least the wonderfull glorie of that thing bee darkened and the infinite power of it weakened I meane the glorious and mightie worke of our Redemption which by the sanctification of this Sabbath is commended vnto vs and we by keeping that holie still do commend it to our posteritie And this is it which is alleadged as a reason of the obseruation of this day in the Apostles constitutions Constit. Apostol lib. 7. c. 37. It is
day wherein the redemption and the second and the newe world was ended Euen as not only Iustine Martyr doth ioyne both these together when hee sheweth that in his time the Church did publikely meet vpon this day Iustin. Mart. Apolog. 2. doth because it was the first day wherin God beganne to make the world and also because vpon that day Iesus Christ our Sauiour did rise froÌ„ the dead but also Saint Augustine speaking many excellent things in the commendation of this day August de teÌ„p serm 251. ioyneth these together It is apparant that this day is famous in the scriptures seeing it was the first day of the world and the day of Christs resurrection And so the memory of the one doth not put out the glory of the other but being added vnto it as a further honour doth increase the dignitie of it so much the more euen as Iacob was more renowmed of God when he was also called Israell Gen. 32.28 Thus we doe conclude this matter in one word that this very day which the Church obserueth in all places is that which must endure to the end of the world as hauing his authoritie not from man but from God himselfe and is that very day which is now commended vnto vs in the commandement And now all these things being thus premised which of necessitie must first haue beene spoken of the order and time and my purpose requireth that I should according to your expectation proceede in the wordes of the coÌ„mandement it selfe as it was first pronounced by the Lord froÌ„ heaueÌ„ after written by Moses in the 20. chap. of Exodus ver 8. Diuision of the text into the commandement and the reasons of it Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy c. to the ende of the 11. verse In all which words we haue two principall things to consider of the first is the commandement it selfe in the 8. verse the other is the reasons which are vsed to persuade men vnto the obedience of it in the other three verses Concerning the commandement it selfe as it consisteth of two wordes as it were so in the true vnderstanding of them two consisteth the whole meaning of the commandment The first is the Sabbath day or day of rest which wee are willed to remember the second is the sanctification of the Sabbaâ—h or keeping holy the day of rest which we are willed to be carefull of The Sabbath day As by it is noted out one speciall day namely the seuenth as it is afterwards declared The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God yet because it hath the name of the nature of it for it is so called because of the rest that is proper vnto it it doth shew vnto vs The first thing in the commaÌ„dement is to rest vpon the seuenth day what is the first thing required in this commandement namely that vpon the seuenth day we should rest for the Sabbath day in the first tongue wherein it was pronounced and written signifieth as much as the day of rest yet so as that in the beginning it was the proper name of the seuenth day because there were no other dayes of rest appointed by God but onely that But afterwardes when the Lorde gaue vnto the Iewes the ceremoniall law hee appointed also vnto them certaine other daies in the yeare as appeareth in the bookes of Moses and is well knowne vnto men in which he commanded them to rest and to keepe them holy therefore they hauing the nature of the first and onely Sabbath are called in the scriptures Sabbath daies as the yearely day of purifiyng and clensing the people as it is set downe in Leuiticus Leuit. 13.31 is called a Sabbath because that in it they were commanded to doe as vpon the Sabbath according as it is written The tenth day of the seuenth month you shall humble your soules and doe no worke at all this shall bee a Sabbath of Rest vnto you And so the first and last day of euery other feast had the same name because it was of the same nature whereunto the Apostle hath respect Colos 2.16 Let no man therefore condenme you in meate and drink or in respect of an holyday or of the newe Moone of the Sabbaths speaking of many in the plural number where hee proueth that Christ hath set vs free from all the ceremonies of the Iewes and that they are in no wise to be a dioyned vnto the Gospell in so much that we are not bound to that distinction of meates and daies that they were no not of the Sabbath daies neither to keepe that one which we do in that manner and to that end that they did in euery point neither to keepe the other Sabbath dayes at all which they had Thus generally the name of Sabbath was giuen vnto euery day of rest but principall and in it owne nature it noted out that Sabbath day which was the seuenth and more improperly by a tropicall speech that was made common to all the other But yet so as that alwaies the name did declare the nature of it and doth shewe vnto as that the Lords requireth of vs that vpon that day wee should rest indeede For though it bee not alwaies true among men who may be deceiued that the things which they name haue those properties in them which their names doe import as when Dauid named his sonne Absalom he was nothing lesse then his fathers peace yet when the lord giueth names vnto things who fully knoweth what is the nature of euery thing and maketh it to bee that which hee calleth it it is alwaies true that the name is not frustrate and idle making a shewe of more then the thing can affoord and therefore as when he named the child that should be borne of the Virgin Mary Iesus he made him a Sauiour indeede according to his name so when he called the seuenth day a Sabbath day he willed and commanded that men shoul rest vpon it and that men can no more take away rest from it then they may alter and change the name of it And that there ought to be a most notable and singular rest vpon this day A very exact and precise rest must then be kept and that it should be nothing els but a day of rest and though men may rest vpon the other sixe daies for their benefite and good yet that the rest vpon this must be a most carefull exact and precise rest after an other manner then men for the most part doe performe it appeareth very plainly in the scripture where besides the manifold Commandements of keeping the Sabbath which is a day of rest this very thing is so particularly and so often and in such expresse words vrged and repeated that men should then rest As Exod. 16. Exod. 16.23 when he would perswade the people to rest vpon the seuenth day from gathering and preparing Manna he telleth them
To morowe is the rest of the holie Sabbath vnto the Lord where he is not contented to say to morowe is the Sabbath which was as much to them and was so knowne as the day of rest to vs but he doubleth the word and sayth It is the rest of the holie Sabbath as though he had sayd It is a day of rest euen of the holie rest indeede noting out ths necessitie of the rest and how straightly the Lord requireth it of them and that the rest might not be omitted at all Exod. 31.15 Vnto which agreeth that which is in the 31. chapter where he doth not onely say that he that worketh about the Tabernacle vpon the seuenth day should dye the death but also addeth as it were giuing a reason of it the seuenth day is the the Sabbath of the holie rest vnto the Lord. Where he both calleth it the Sabbath day as it were expounding it the day of rest and though in the first tongue both the words be of one nature and signifie one thing yet it hath seemed good to the Interpretors thus to translate them that retaining the proper name of the day in one the other might shew the nature of it and both of them ioyned together might declare how necessarily the rest is to bee adioyned vnto the day and what a principall regard the Lord hath vnto that in this Commandement which is of men least of all considered And as Moses in the Mount had receiued this from God in so plaine words that notwithstanding all that was to bee done the Sabbath must be a day of rest So in Exod. 35.2 he comming to declare all that should bee done beginneth with this namely with resting vpon the Sabbath in so many words giueth it in charge vnto the people in how many he had receiued it from the Lord in the chapter mentioned before Sixe daies thou shalt worke but the seuenth day shall be vnto you the holie Sabbath of rest vnto to the Lorde whosoeuer doth any worke therein shall dye where besides the ciuill punishment of death vpon those that did not rest which he forgetteth not as he had receiued it he doubleth the word rest vnto the people as the Lord did to him before Leuit. 16.31 calling it the sabbath of Rest So in Leuit. 16. though he speaketh not of this very seuenth day but of the day of pacifying as wee haue seene before yet because it had the nature and name of the Sabbath he doth not only say In it doe no worke at all but also calleth it a sabbath of Rest Leuit. 23.18 as also in the 23. chapter of the same booke where he speaketh of it againe and with more words standeth in requiring the Rest at their hands as you shall doe no worke the same day vers 30. and euery person that shall doe any worke that same day the same person also will I destroy from among his people ver 31. you shall doe no worke therefore and in the ende concludeth 32. this shal be vnto you a sabbath of rest Out of which places wee must needes confesse that the Lords meaning is not to fray vs with a vaine shew of words but that he as earnestly commandeth the thing as the words bee many that he vseth for our dulnes sake For if the wisedome of a man bee discerned in that his words be proportionall vnto his matter and that thereby wee know the matter is waightie when his words are many then much more must we be perswaded that the holie scripture was written by such a heauenly wisedom that it containeth not a confused heape of vaine and vnprofitable wordes and that it is full of idle repetitions which were blasphemie to thinke but that the Lorde hath in wisedome tempered his speech for our good and framed it to our capacitie and therefore foreseeing the pronenes of our nature to breake out in this Commandement hath set vp so many barres as it were against vs and doth thus beate that into our eares which we are so vnwilling to heare and more loth to followe And here that I might not seeme tedious vnto you let vs in one worde consider of that which is in this same chapter spoken of the seuenth day it selfe therfore no exception can bee made against it in the 3. chap 23 3. verse of the same chapter where the Lord speaking of the yearely feasts which they should keep beginneth with that which was the chiefest euen the Sabbath and commanding them first of all to rest vpon it which is indeede the first thing required vpon that day vseth thus many wordes Sixe daies shall worke be done but in the seuenth day shall be the sabbath of rest you shall doe no worke therein it is the sabbath of the Lord in dwellings where he is not contented twise to haue repeated the word sabbath which signifieth rest and further to adde that no worke should bee done therein but repeateth the wordes as wee haue seene heretofore calling it the sabbath of rest that is the rest euen the most notable rest giuing them to vnderstand that vpon that day they must rest yea they must rest indeede But I will shut vp this poynt with that which is in the 25. Leuit. 25.4 chapter of the same booke of Leuiticus where the Lord speaking of that rest that should be giuen vnto the land euery seuenth yeare which was a childish instruction to them of the nature of the Sabbath according to the dispensation of those times that they might knowe how necessarie it was for them to rest vpon the seuenth day doth very straightly require that the land should rest vpon the seuenth yeare and therefore doth so speake of the rest of the land as of the rest of the Sabbath because that was a figure of it The seuenth yeare shal be a sabbath of rest vnto the land it shall bee the Lords sabbath thou shalt neither sowe thy field nor cut thy vineyard where as we see he doth not only call that yeare twise a Sabbath that is a rest and forbiddeth them vnder two kindes that were the chiefe all manner of worke but calleth it the sabbath of rest vnto the land Shewing how necessarie a thing it was that the land should rest that the shadowe might bee like the bodie and that this rudiment might teach them that for the which it was ordained he telleth them that vnto the land a singular rest is to bee performed vpon the seuenth yeare because the like speciall rest is to bee obserued vpon the seuenth day Thus wee haue hetherto seene concerning this matter not onely that the Lord requireth in this Commandement that we should rest vpon the seuenth day but how necessarily he requireth it of vs and what great care we ought to haue of it and that it is a greater sinne to work vpon that day then it is taken to be and that it is not an indifferēt thing to work or
sabbath is ordayned of God not for rest in it selfe for he no where alloweth idlenes therefore the rest of the sabbath is commanded for another end namely for the diligent studie of religion for it is therefore commanded to rest from handy labours vt hoc totum tempus impendamus that wee might bestowe this whole time in the exercise of Religion And this wee doe see that as to rest vpon that day is the first thing required so for what cause it was appoynted which as it did bind men from the beginning so we can neuer looke to be exempted from it And that we might yet bee the more throughly persuaded of this one point From what things particularly wee are commanded to rest and more cleerely see into the trueth of it let vs vnto all this that hath beene spoken adde that for a further proofe which we find in the scripture that the Lorde doth not onely thus often require that men should rest that they should doe no worke doubling the word Rest in many places and going ouer it againe and againe that if it were possible we might conceiue it and yeeld vnto it though not at the first yet at the last but also more largely and fully descendeth into particulars forbidding them by name to worke in such and such things and at such times as might carrie with them the greatest probabilitie of being exempted and might make the greatest shew of giuing priuiledge to worke that all excuse might bee taken from them who in the pride of their wittes cannot conceiue nor in the stubbornnes of their harts will yeelde vnto this commandement of so precise a rest neither will haue their handes and their feete so shortly tyed vp but will needes breake out vpon that day most vngodlily to the doing of that which seemeth good in their owne eyes 1 From gathering and preparing Manna Exod. 16.23 This is that which is spoken Exod. 16. concerning the gathering and preparing of Manna which was their dayly food that vpon the seuenth day they should rest from both To morrowe is the rest of the holy Sabbath of the Lord bake that to day which you will bake and seeth that which you will seeth and all that remaineth lay it vp to bee kept till the morning for you And afterward verse 26. Sixe daies shall ye gather it but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath in it shall be none Here you see that hee would not haue them worke about the prouision of their foode when it might bee done the day before and that now when they were fed from hand to mouth as it were because they were not made to feede themselues but to liue to Gods glorie he would haue them so to eate and so to prouide for their eating that the rest vpon the Sabbath might not be interrupted and therefore not to gather or prouide vpon that day which would haue taken vp a great part of it and so they could not haue sanctified it as they ought Whereunto wee may adioyne that which is spoken concerning the making of the Tabernacle 2 From doing any thing about building the Tabeâ—nacle Exod. 31.13 first by the Lord himselfe vnto Moses in many words Speake then also vnto the children of Israell and say notwithstanding keepe you my Sabbath vers 14 Whosoeuer worketh therein the same person shall be euen cut off from among his people vers 15. Sixe daies shall men worke but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the holy rest vnto the Lord whosoeuer doth any worke in the Sabbath day shall dye the death vers 16. Wherefore the children of Israell shall keepe the Sabbath that they may rest throughout their generations for an euerlasting couenant Where the Lord doth teach theÌ„ that the rest of the Sabbath was of such importance that hee would haue the making of the Tabernacle to giue place vnto it and though it was the place wherein the Lord should be worshipped and therefore much might haue been sayd for the defence of those that should haue wrought vpon the Sabbath about it yet because it was not alreadie sanctified to that end and so was not holy and therefore the working about it in it owne nature meerely ciuill and worldly therefore he would not haue it hinder them from that which was aboue all worldly things euen his owne seruice which that they might performe in such wise as they should he willeth them to rest from all other worke yea from working about the Tabernacle And afterward when Moses commeth to speake vnto the people of the same matter hee forgetteth not this charge but placeth it in the beginning of his speech vnto them as a thing most waightie as appeareth in the same booke Exod. 35.1 These are the wordes which the Lorde hath commanded that you should doe them 2. Sixe daies thou shalt worke but the seuenth day shall bee vnto you the holy Sabbath of Rest vnto the Lorde whosoeuer doth any worke therein shall die 3. You shall kindle no fire throughout all your habitations vpon the Sabbath day and so goeth on to the declaration of that which appertained to the Tabernacle as followeth in that chapter As though he should haue sayd notwithstanding all this which you are to do about the rearing of the Tabernacle you must obserue the rest vpon the Sabbath as you had wont to do the sixe daies are appointed for it but vpon the seuenth doe nothing no not so much as make a fire to heate any tooles or to prepare and dresse any thing that belongeth vnto it And though I am not ignorant that some doe otherwise expound this last verse whom I doe esteeme in the Lord as I ought yet considering the place that it occupieth and that it goeth immediately before his speech concerning the Tabernacle I am persuaded that this is the true and natiue sense of it Must we not needes then think that to rest vpoÌ„ the sabbath is a thing that the Lord highly regardeth when hee would haue it kept yea to the delaying as it were of the building of the Tabernacle And what excuses shall men haue before God for their needlesse working and superfluous trauailes when so excellent a worke as this might not be excused And here we may not let that passe which is so worthy remembrance concerning this matter spokeÌ„ by the Lord himselfe as it is by Moses set downe Sixe daies shalt thou worke Exod. 34.21 and in the seuenth day thou shalt rest both in earing time and haruest thou shalt rest Where besides that in so few words 3 In the time of sowing and haruest he doth twise vse this word rest it is to be marked that to rest vpon the seuenth day is so necessarie that hee of purpose chuseth out the fittest times for men to worke in and those that might seeme most to be excepted as seed time and haruest and forbiddeth them by name to worke vpon the Sabbath yea in these times
the Iudges to heare the controuersies of men pleading before them And generally in one word that I might not stand vpon the particulars which are infinite euery man in his seuerall roome place or calling high or low bond or free olde or yong ruler or ruled one and other Yet in themselues they are good necessary and lawfull but not vpon this day euen from him that sitteth vpon the throne to the maid seruant that is at the Mill and the captiue that is in prison must rest from their ordinarie works which are vpon other dayes not onely lawfull and commendable but also necessary yet vpon this day are so wholly to be left that they can in no wise agree with it no more then light agreeth with darknes and resting with working So that when wee doe forbid men all worldly trauell and labour vpon the Lordes day as the thinges from which God their creator would haue them rest according to the plaine words of his Commandement we do not finde fault with such works wee doe not condemne the things we iudge them not to be wicked and vngodly but we confesse with all humilitie as becommeth vs that they bee lawfull commodious and necessarie and wee will ascribe as much vnto them as themselues can iustly chalenge but wee say at this time and vpon this day they are vnnecessary vnfruitfull and vnlawfull because the Lorde hath forbidden them that other thinges might be done The circumstances of time place c. change the nature of our actions Neither must it seeme strange vnto vs that the time should thus change and alter the nature and qualitie of things making that vnlawfull which was lawful before for so we see it is in all other circumstances of places persons and ends according to the diuersitie of which one and the same thing is not onely diuerse from but also cleane contrarie to it selfe Many things are commendable in the Magistrate and doe deserue great praise as the cutting off of the malefactor Rom. 13.4 that so sinne might bee taken away seeing hee beareth not the sworde in vaine which if a priuate man shuld but attempt it were a thing intollerable most seuerely to be punished as our Sauior Christ saith Mat. 26.52 All that take the sworde shall perish with the sword So in other thinges we know that to giue almes is a sacrifice Prou. 19. that the Lorde is well pleased with in so much that he accounteth all that wee giue to the poore as lent to himselfe and he promiseth to repay it vs in the greatest time of our neede but to giue it before men that we might be seen of them doth so defile and staine this most excellent vertue and as it were change the nature of it Matth. 6.1 as that it hath no promise of reward from God at all nay it is plainely forbidden of him For men to sleepe in their houses vpon their beds or otherwise to take their naturall rest is allowable and that without the which they cannot continue but to sleepe in the Church Act. 20.9 and in the time of diuine seruice and ministery of the word sacraments and prayer is not only forbidden but hath been most seuerely punished Euen so that worke which is not onely permitted but also commanded vpon the sixe dayes and which might not bee left vndone yet is altogether forbidden on the seuenth day as vnlawfull that with the denouncing of most fearefull punishments vpon them that will not obey as wee haue seene heretofore in the gathering of Manna building the Tabernacle buying of victuales and selling Therefore as no reasonable man will saye this or that is lawfull in it owne nature therefore euery man may doe it and euery where and at all times so it is no good reason to say God hath commanded vs to doe these things therefore why should we rest from them vpon this day vnlesse wee can shew that vpon that day also he hath commaunded them but let vs rather say as the truth is The Lord hath commanded vs to doe these things vpon the sixe dayes therefore we must rest from them vpon the seuenth And in so dooing our purpose is not to perswade men to idlenes and to do nothing neither is it the meaning of the commaundement but to rest from those workes of our owne that are forbidden that we might wholy and without all lette be occupied about those workes of God which hee hath prescribed as shall hereafter more euidently appeare vnto vs. But that we might yet more deepely consider of this and be more fullie perswaded that the Lord would haue this generall rest from euery thing so carefully obserued and that no kinde of worke should be done by any besides the first and generall commandement of resting that we haue seene All degrees of meÌ„ both high and lowe are commaunded to rest vpon the Lords day he more particularlie forbiddeth all estates and degrees of men as well the principall as the accessorie and helpes all manner of worke and not onely them but all other creatures which are most fit for it and whose labour man might be most readie to abuse for the breaking and interrupting of this rest as it appeareth in the wordes following as they are set downe in the 10. verse of this 20. chapter of Exodus In it thou shalt not do any worke thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy manseruant nor thy maide nor thy beast nor thy stranger which is within thy gates And is repeated againe Deut. 5.14 in as many or more wordes Thou shalt not doe any worke therein thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy manseruant nor thy maide nor thine oxe nor thine asse neither any of thy cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates that thy manseruant and thy mayde seruant may rest as wel as thou In which places we doe see that there is none of any calling or estate whatsoeuer nor of any kinde or sexe or age that may be exempted from this rest but that particularlie and by name all gouernours both in the familie and common wealth and all vnder gouernment are charged with it whether it bee father or childe sonne or daughter mayster or seruant man or mayde magistrate or people freedenison or borne without the liberties euen to the stranger and so many as be within their gates that is within the compasse of their iurisdiction and gouernement yea and the very beastes themselues whereof some are named as the Oxe and the Asse which are the chiefe and were most vsually occupyed among the Iewes and therefore no worke is to bee done any where seeing there is none to doe it for euery one is by name expressely forbidden without the exception of any person Therefore concerning these particulars more fully we may perceiue As the Magistâ—ate and gouernour that the magistrate and gouernour in authoritie how hye soeuer cannot take any priuiledge vnto himselfe whereby he
it themselues and it is accounted vnto them as their owne worke hee forbiddeth them also to doe their worldly busines vpon the Sabbath by their seruants by their cattel and by the stranger and contrariwise commandeth them to rest as it were in the persons of euery one of these So that the ample and full meaning of this comandement concerning the rest is that wee worke not at all We must not compell others to worke for vs and so to do our busines by them neither directly nor indirectly in our owne persons or by others openly or couertly or vnder hand as it were not onely abstayning from worke our selues but not setting labourers to worke for vs not thinking it to bee sufficient if we trauell not our selues when in the meane season we cause others to runne and ride and goe for vs which is to bee marked of vs so much the rather because that in any which make some shewe of religion and would seeme to be deuout in this do notwithstanding through a grosse ignorance palpable hypocrisie deceiue themselues and others in doing many thinges by their seruants and others sending them to fayres causing them to worke in haruest appointing them to other busines which themselues are ashamed of and therefore will not so much as once bee seene in them Therefore wee must not compell others to worke for vs as for example that we might see it in one kind and thereby iudge of the rest I will take that which is too common euery where wee must not enforce Taylors and shoomakers to worke for vs vpon the Sabbath by too straitly exacting that we haue our apparell vpon that day though they truly tell vs and we should in loue beleeue them that they cannot compasse it against such a time or cause them to trauell for vs vpon that day in bringing home of our stuffe whereas other daies are appointed for such purposes And that wee might yet better vnderstand it in another kinde the master when hee is driuen of necessitie to leaue some of his seruants at home when the rest goe to the Church may not vnder this colour inioyne him so many thinges to doe in his absence that he cannot in any tolerable manner sanctifie the Sabbath and obserue the rest though he would but leauing onely such things as of necessitie must be done it is in his choice to rest if he will Obiection And whereas men doe reply that it is all one whether they command them any thing to doe or no because they be not so wel occupied as they shuld it were better for them to be doing somthing then to sit idle Answer Surely if we compel them to work by ouer charging them they cannot rest though they would but if wee giue them libertie and there be no default in vs then if they will not make conscience of keeping this commaundement at least wise our handes are free from their bloud it shall be vpon their owne heads And when wee thus giue them libertie to rest our meaning is not to nourish them in idlenes but to set them free from all other thinges that they might attend vpon the works of the Lord. Many do thus abuse their seruants Neither must masters deale so cruelly with their seruants as to ouerlay them with their owne busines the whole weeke and to holde them to it so straitely that they will giue them no time to doe any thing for themselues though there be neuer so great need but onely the Sabbath day and so hinder them from keeping their rest and indeede for the most part this is onely the seruants day what time soeuer hee can gaine vpon it from his masters busines that is his own and none but that and therfore many of them are driuen to doe many thinges vpon that day for themselues vnwillingly which otherwise they would not doe at all as trauelling to their friends mending their apparell and such like So that in this respect we haue iust cause to complaine as they did in the councell at Paris Dies Dominicus vtcunque à quibusdam dominis venerandò custodiri videtur Concil Paris lib. 1. cap. 50. à conseruis seruitio eorum pressis perrarò debito honore coli videtur Howsoeuer it may appeare that the Lordes day is some thing reuerently kept of some masters yet of their seruants whom they abuse and oppresse in their seruice we see it very seldome times to be kept as it ought But the maisters are guiltie of their sinne But this commandement doth teach vs that masters and gouernours must be so farre from causing their seruants to work vpon this day for themselues and others that they must not leaue it indifferently to their seruants to chuse whether they will worke or no but they are charged to ouersee them and looke vnto them so that they may be sure that they doe rest indeede and to keep them from work yea though they would fall vnto it of their owne accord For though the commaundement of resting belongeth generally to all and therefore the seruants and children are named yet the speech is directed vnto the father and the master that they might looke to the execution of it when as it is sayd In it thou shalt doe no worke thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maid-seruant And as they haue authoritie ouer their seruants and children to commaund them and to punish them if they disobey so he chargeth them to exercise their dominion ouer them in this in compelling them to obey the commandement of God who hath set them ouer them in his roome to that end which if they neglect to doe the sinne of the children and of the seruants shall kindle the fire of Gods wrath against them the flame of which shall breake out to the destruction of the fathers and masters also because they haue their part in the sin by not keeping them in obedience vnto God whom he placed vnder them for the same purpose Thus wee may vnderstand that this commandement of resting is so large and stretcheth it selfe out so farre that it reacheth vnto men of all sorts ages degrees sexes and callings in so much that none can be aduanced so high that he should bee without the reach of it nay the higher hee is in calling and the more he hath vnder his gouernement the more straightly is hee bound vnto it not onely to obserue that in his owne person The commandement of superiours doth not excuse the inâ—eriours in working for them vpon the Lords day but in all them that bee committed vnto him and concerning all inferiours either seruants children labourers artificers or any other that do not worke for themselues but for others that their inferioritie and subiection will not excuse them in doing any worke for they also are especially some of them particularly named in the commandement and the other are included in it and they must remember that which
vs to doe all such things as doe not directly hinder the sanctification of the Sabbath or if they bee against it in their owne nature yet necessitie that could not bee foreseene nor deferred crauing them at our hands they are iudged to be farre vnlike vnto themselues and haue as it were a new qualitie put vpon them And here is the olde prouerbe of the heathen true Necessitas non habet ferias Necessitie as it is without lawes so without holie daies And though it bee so that we are giuen to take too much libertie to our selues and therefore had neede to bee restrained vnto the full and it were more profitable for vs to heare from what things wee should rest then wherein wee may labour yet there is a trueth in all things which must bee knowne and though some are readie to abuse it yet therefore it must not be kept from them who haue care rightly to vse it For though they that bee ignorant will be ignorant still yet wisedome shall be iustified of her children Which is to be considered of vs the rather least any through a grosse superstition should fall into the extremitie of the Iewes of whom it is written and namely of certaine heretikes called Essaei Cent. 1. lib. 1. cap. 5. that they are ouer precise in this rest so that they dresse all their meate the day before vpon that day they kindle no fire they remoue no vessell Aluum non purgant they doe not ease themselues And in this respect Mac. 2.3.4 Mattathias and the rest of the Iewes condemned iustly the fact of their brethren who for lack of defence suffered themselues their wiues and children to the number of 1000. soules to bee slaine of their enemies vpon the Sabbath day P. Ram. comment de rellig lib. 2 cap. 6. Concerning which fact of theirs also a learned man sayth Superstitio fuit ex ignorantia It was a superstition bred in them for want of the true knowledge of the law of God Hereunto also may bee referred that which the most famous Historiographer and Diuine Master Foxe reporteth in his worthie booke of the Acts and Monuments of the Church sayth hee Master Foxe Some English histories make mention of a Iew who about the yeare of our Lord 1257. fell into a priuie at Tâ—kesbury vpon a Sabbath day who for the great reuerence he had to his holy Sabbath would not suffer himselfe to be plucked out and so Lord Richard Earle of Glocester hearing of it would not suffer him to bee drawne out vpon the Sunday for reuerence of the holie day and thus the wretched superstitious Iew remaining there till munday was found dead in the dung Therefore let vs acknowledge the bountifulnes of God there where it might seeme vnto vs that we are most of all restrained and let vs not breake his hands and cast his cords from vs but vse his freedome well that he hath set vs in and seeing we haue libertie to doe things of necessitie let vs not venture vpon them too boldly but first of all be sure that they be necessarie and therefore lawfull And let vs not imagine a necessitie and dreame of it when there is none nor bee of the number of those whom Salomon of in the Prouerbes Prou. 20.25 Who deuoure the holie things and then inquire after the vowes that is first doe the thing and then inquire whether it be lawfull or no but let vs see in the wisedome of Gods spirit What workes are necessarie and therefore lawfull vpon this day and what are not whether it may not conueniently bee deferred vntill some other time and therefore not necessarie so no worke of the Sabbath and therefore abstaine from it For the wise men of this world make many things necessarie which indeede are not by doing many things then when the ought not to bee done to preuent a necessitie which they haue imagined may fall out in time But if they will say it is now necessarie they must bee sure that it cannot bee deferred For what maketh a thing necessarie in this time but that no other time will serue coÌ„ueniently for it To this agrees that which a learned writer sayth Si quis roger If any man demaund Wolph lib. 3. in Nehe. 9.14 what is lawfull or not lawfull to be done vpon the Sabbath sayth he Tenendum est respoÌ„sum Sceuolae he must answer as Sceuola did who being asked what was lawfull to be done vpon the holie daies it is reported that hee made answere Euen that which would haue hurt if it had not been done Which is true Exod. 54.21 if it be rightly vnderstood Therefore they which in the time of haruest and hayfield worke vpon the Sabbath contrarie to the expresse words of God as we haue seene heretofore for feare of the change of weather and least that happily some thing might be lost vnlesse they can say certainly that to morowe there will be such weather and therefore it will be lost how can they tell that onely this present time is necessarie for it and that no other time in the world can serue for it and therfore it must needes then be done For how if it fall out otherwise on the morow Shall not both other men condemne them of follie and themselues also bee iudges against themselues that the things might haue been deferred and therefore that there was no such necessitie as they presumed vpon Obiection But say they vnto vs how if it had fallen out so and so Was it not good to prouide for the best We answer them as it is in the coÌ„mon prouerbe Answere How if the skie had fallen As no man that hath any religion and care of his dutie to God will voluntarilie absent himselfe froÌ„ church for feare of that which might come to passe he knowes not when as that if theeues come he may call for helpe or if he spye his neighbours house on fire hee may giue warning of it or will wander vp and downe in his pastures fearing least a sheepe should be fallen into a ditch that he might helpe it out so ought we not in any other time of an imagined necessitie and without iust cause suspected doe that vpon the sabbath which otherwise wee will confesse ought to haue been done neither would we haue taken it in hand at all but taking the occasion of that which present necessitie doth offer vnto vs in deed we must committe the successe of those things vnto the Lord which we could by no wisedome foresee though he hath giuen vs libertie to iudge of the time present yet he hath reserued this preeminence to himselfe alone to be iudge of the time to come and he would haue vs for the dispensation of that to depend vpon his prouidence in obedience to his commandement who hath promised to giue vs fit times for the accomplishment of all things here below so farre forth as he knoweth it to be
wisedome in our calling and so we shall be deliuered from that necessitie of working many times which otherwise we doe voluntarily pull vpon our selues Thus wee may conclude this point that seeing the Lord of his great liberalitie euen vpon that day wherein hee requireth our rest most precisely hath not cast vs into that bondage that we should doe nothing at all but hath left vs that freedome that in needfull things we may labour it standeth vs in hand so much the more carefully to looke to our selues that wee be sure the things we go about could not haue bin done before not deferred any longer and therefore were necessary to be done at that time which when wee bee throughly persuaded of by Gods word then may wee in faith and a good conscience take them in hand knowing that the Lord exempteth vs as it were at that presēt from the generall lawe of resting and by some speciall occasion calleth vs to worke and therefore wee doe it as vnto him Works of necessitie vpon the Lords day must not be done for gaine but of mercy and pitie In which consideration wee ought not to take any thing for our worldly labours vpon the Sabbath and we should not make a gaine of our trauaile vpon that day if necessitie driue vs vnto it for we do it not as a worke of our calling from the which wee must cease nor as that by the which wee get our liuing with which wee must not meddle but only because some of the creatures doe stand in neede of our helpe for whose preseruation the day of rest is appointed and therefore in pitie and compassion vnto them we yeelde them our labour and doe it as a deed of mercy and vnto the Lord. And therfore though that constitution of Gregorie the 9. Cent. 13. cap. 6. be not in all points sound when he saith Let men and cattell rest vpon the Lords day vnlesse vrgent necessitie compell them vel nisi gratis fiat or vnlesse it be done freely for the poore or for the Church because the free doing of a thing will not excuse it when there is no necessitie or when it is not a worke proper vnto this day yet it seemeth that herein he aymed at the truth when he requires that that which is done should not be for gaine but of loue to the poore and to the Church of God and therefore freely And this is that indeed which commonly men do pretend when they are charged with their needlesse trauailings that it was a good deed to help such a one in miserie and it did lye vpon his vndoing and hee could not but doe it for very pitie and a great deale more they can say for themselues Therefore let it appeare by their doings that nothing mooued them but pitie and that of very conscience to relieue the necessity of others thy were mooued vnto it by not onely not receiuing but not looking for any reward of men no more then you doe of the almes which you giue and for visiting the sicke and imprisoned that so it may be counted as an holy worke indeed when you doe it not respecting your owne profite in it but onely the good of others Therefore let the Phisition or chirurgian and such as attend vpon the sicke or are any wayes imployed about him take nothing for their paines vpon the Sabbath but let them doe it freely that it may be a gift and not accounted as a work of their calling but a deede of loue and the apothecarie though he receiue money for his stuffe yet let his labour be free The like must be vnderstoode of all other works of necessitie And therefore if the lawyer counsellor or sergeant will needs trauaile then about his clients cause let him doe it onely for Gods sake and not bee occupied about it as a worldly thing and a matter of gaine for that is proper to the sixe daies in the which God would haue them in the sweat of their face to eate their bread Obiection But if they say it may be the men with and for whom we deale stand in no such need of our liberalitie nay they would thinke scorne of it and they may better giue vs a pound then wee them a penny Answer then yet at least wise dedicate it to the poore and taking it with the one hand giue it with the other that you may haue the testimony of a good conscience the spirite of God bearing you witnes that your worke was onely for the Lorde as this day is appointed out wholly for his seruice and that no priuate commoditie of your owne mooued you vnto it for the Lord hath giuen you the sixe dayes to make prouision for yourselfe for otherwise we shall make no difference betwixt the sixe daies and the seuenth the works of the one and of the other if we shall in all of them alike be conuersant in the same things with the same minde and for the same ende and purpose Therefore that I might end this matter we doe see that excepting these cases of necessitie in which the Lord would haue vs thus cheerefully to be occupied as about the works of mercy and his seruice onely from whence no gaine is to be looked for 1. Tim. 6.6 though godlines indeed be great gaine and he that hath pitie vpon the poore lendeth vnto the Lorde and looke what he layeth out Prou. 19.17 it shall be repayed him wee are bound most straitly in this commandement to rest and that the Lord looketh for a rare and singular kinde of rest euen such a one as wee haue heard out of his worde and that hee will not dispence with vs in any wise but as it hath beene shewed and therefore that wee ought to haue a principall respect and regard vnto it as to the thing that doth most neerely concerne vs. And in this one point though I am not ignorant that I haue a great cloud of aduersaries against me who are otherwise minded and cannot be thus persuaded as indeed many things in this commandement are greatly controuersied yea among the learned as in any one that I know yet I desire them in the feare of God that as they will obserue the rule of the Apostle Iames 1.19 who would haue vs swift to heare slowe to speake and slow to wrath they would indifferently and as it were in an eeuen ballance weigh such things at haue been alreadie alledged for the proofe of it before they begin to giue out their censures against it Obiection If we be thus straitly bound to rest we are still in as great bondage as the Iewes were vnder the law Therefore whereas some men might hereupon gather that if the case be thus betwixt the Lorde and vs in the matter of the Sabbath and that the commandement of resting doth stand in such force and strength and bindeth vs so strongly as it doth then our estate is no better then the Iewes the same
we haue washed our hands clean from the workes of our calling so that none of them do cleaue to our fingers that this were an acceptable obedience vnto God when in the meane season our mindes are as worldly as euer they were and our thoughts bee as fresh vpon them and our affections are raysed vp to as great delight in them as though wee were in the middest of them But as the whole lawe is spirituall so this commandement hath a spirituall trueth in it and contenteth not it selfe with an outward obedience but requireth the inward truth of the heart that as we make a shew of resting from earthly things so we should doe it indeede without the which the other is but a fruitlesse and idle ceremonie For seeing this is the very end of putting our selues apart from all worldly busines that our mindes might not be entangled with them which because they must needes be so long as wee are dealing about them such is our nature that we cannot doe things and haue no feeling of them as though we were a sleepe or in a traunce therefore doe we dispatch our hands of them that our mindes might not bee disturbed by them Seeing then this is the principall ende that wee aime at to vnburden our mindes of these earthly cares that we might bee more quicke and free in Gods worship wee must especially labour for it and not stay in these other which though they be great in themselues yet are they but helpes and furtherances vnto this in so much that if on the Sabbath we leaue all our worke at home and come neuer so farre from it to the Church yet if our mindes be working as it were because they are occupied about it and wee would bee working if wee might and if we might not be knowne and if wee might not be punished or blamed and our mindes haue carried vs this way that wee would gladly haue stollen a working cunningly as wee say if wee might not haue been spied all that we doe is but meere hypocrisie so farre are we from the true obedience of this commandement And this wee haue seene sufficiently proued heretofore that we therefore rest from all worldly things Vt paratiores promptiores ad cultum diuinum as sayth S. Augustine in that excellent sermon of his That we might be more readie fit for Gods seruice Agust de tēp serm 251. when there is nothing to encomber vs and wee leaue at that time terrenam sollicitudinem the care of earthly things that wee might the more easily attend vpon the word of God which we cannot if still our mindes haue these burthens vpon them and be not released from worldly thoughts which presse them downe from being lifted vp vnto that heauenly life Master Caluin in his Sermons vpon Deut. giueth this reason why Christians should not goe to lawe vpon the Sabbath Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 39. Because vpon that day euery man ought to withdraw himselfe to Godward to minde his works that we may all of vs be prouoked to serue and honour him And afterwards addeth Common meetings are made that mē might heare the common doctrine of saluation and it is good reason that on the Sabbath day all other cares and thoughts should be layd aside And in another Sermon he sayth For we must rest Idem serm 34. and how rest forsooth wee must abide still and quiet our thought must not stirre to wander and deuise this and that Gualt in Act 13. Homil 88. For as Master Gualter sayth God doth therfore call the Sabbath his day that wee might knowe when that day is Ab omnibus alijs curis studijs abstinendum est that wee ought to abstaine from all other cares and dueties According vnto which exquisite rule if we doe measure out the obedience of all men we shall easily see how short they are of that perfect righteousnes which is here required and that many shall bee euen then found breakers of this commandement when they did most of all presume of the keeping of it and were puffed vp with a speciall pride for it For let vs graunt it vnto them which it may bee is true that they haue borne themselues in an euen and ciuill course not breaking out into any open contempt or wilfull and grosse breach of this Commandement yet if they will call themselues before Gods iudgement seate they shall find that many of these times they had a good desire to worke and would faine haue been at it if they might haue been couered and as wee say their fingers did tickle at it which as it hath been true at other times so most of all when as wee imagined that we might haue gained something if we would haue wrought and our ceasing from it was something vnprofitable vnto vs as in the time of any common Fayres or in the dayes of haruest of whom the Prophet Amos iustly complaineth speaking in their person Amos. 8.5 When will this new moone be gone that we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheate But if we iudge this doctrine too seuere and we cannot yeeld vnto it let vs compare this Commandement with the other which bee of the like nature with it and it may be they will perswade vs and leade vs into the trueth of it In the second Commandement we know that not only the making and worshipping of Images is forbidden but also to set vp an Idoll in our heart and to wish that we had it and to bee desirous to returne vnto Poperie liking of those times better then of this time of the Gospell and to be gaping after the Masse so that we are readie to imbrace it if it were thrust vpon vs againe and we could be very well contented with it so that we want but the oportunitie to furnish a Masse So in this not onely the bodily labour is forbidden which the lawes of men may prouide for but also the cogitations and desires of the minde towards them which none is able to meete with but the Lord that this law might bee like vnto himselfe And seeing that as our Sauiour Christ expoundeth the law he that is angrie with his brother vnadauisedly is guiltie of the law of murther Matth. 5.22 vers 28. And whosoeuer looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adulterie alreadie with her in his hearte why should we not say that hee that looketh on his busines with a mind desirous to bee occupied about them hath broken the commaundement of resting alreadie in his heart vnlesse he will make the one vnlike the other and to bee as it were of another broode For is not this that dignitie and preferment which wee giue to all the whole lawe of God aboue all the lawes of men that as they doe behold but the words and works of men therefore their lawes can forbid and punish sinne but when it thus breaketh out bewrayeth
as it were take our markes amisse of it Master Caluin vpon these words sayth Hinc colligimus Wee gather from hence that God speakes not of a small matter Caluin in Exod. 20.8 when he commends the sanctification of the Sabbath not in a word but doth exhort them vnto the diligent marking of it and so doth pronounce that their want of care to marke is a breach of the commandement And Master Musculus vpon the same words saith Notādum quod It is to be noted that he doth not simply say Sanctifie the Sabbath day but remember to do it This kind of commanding is not light but waightie hereby is signified Muscul in eundem locum that a matter of great importance is commaunded and that which by no meanes is to bee neglected but with great care to be kept For so do parents and masters vse to commend the doing of those things vnto their seruants children which aboue all other things they would haue least of all neglected So then if it be necessary to rest vpon this day as it hath been strongly prooued vnto vs then is it much more necessary to sanctifie the day as we haue seene in part and it shall more fully appeare vnto vs hereafter Which wee had need so much the more carefully to take heede vnto because the common practise of men is so cleane contrarie vnto it and the sinne as it is more common so it is greater and more dangerous And now we may more plainely vnderstand the great necessitie of that precise rest which hath beene so often spoken of and is so hardly receiued euen for because that otherwise we cannot so keepe it holy vnto the Lord as we ought to doe For this is the law of things consecrated vnto the Lord that they may not otherwise be imployed thē to his vse they must not be partly his partly ours but altogether his if they be holy to him therfore seeing the day must bee hallowed it must not be vsed in other affaires sauing in the lords busines it must not be partly ours by dooing our owne worke and partly the Lords by dooing his but his alone as it is called a Sabbath vnto the Lorde and therefore we are willed to doe no manner of worke in it And that the truth of this doctrine might appeare vnto vs so clearely as the noone daye The sanctification of this day is very precisely vrged in the Scriptures euen that the Sabbath ought most vndoubtedlie to be sanctified of all sortes let vs vnto all this which hath been alreadie spoken adde the consideration of so many scriptures wherein the spirit of God speaking of the Sabbath doth in most significant words commende according to our capacitie this truth againe and againe to vs. And first of all in the sixteene chapter of Exodus Exod. 16.23 vers 25. To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath vnto the Lord and afterwards To day is the sabbath vnto the Lord in both which places he calleth it a Sabbath vnto the Lord and in the former place an holy rest not onely shewing that they should rest vpon it but especially to what ende namely that they might keepe the day holy vnto the Lord by seruing of him and therefore he standeth vpon it calling it an holie rest and further adding a Sabbath vnto the Lord as purposing to let them see into the most especiall end of their resting euen the sanctification of the daye in the holy seruice of God Moreouer in the thirtie one chapter of the same booke Exod. 31.14.15 Ye shall keepe the Sabbath for it is holie vnto you Sixe dayes shall men worke but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the holy rest vnto the Lord where he calleth it both holie and holy vnto the Lord shewing what manner of rest it must bee not an idlenes or sleepie taking of our rest and ease but a carefull spending of that time in Gods seruice in which we must rest from all other things especially for that purpose Likewise in the 35. chapter of the same booke Sixe dayes shalt thou worke Exod. 35.2 but the seuenth day shall be vnto you the holy day of rest vnto the Lord where Moses declaring that message vnto the people which he had receiued before from the Lord for them telleth it to them fully and in the same number of wordes almost straightly requiring at their hands the keeping holy of the Sabbath day as a thing of great importance as appeareth by his speech so earnest and doubled calling it an holy Sabbath and then a day of rest vnto the Lord. But what should I here stand vpon all the places of Gods word in the olde and new testament which are infinite giuing most certaine testimonie and authenticall credite to this doctrine the time would not serue and the treatise would grow into a greater volume then I am willing it should these may suffice to shew vnto vs that the keeping holy of the Sabbath day must be the principall matter in this commaundement and as it were stand in the first ranke when it is in so many places and in such ample wordes commended and recommended vnto vs. For if it be the wisdome of a seruant there to be very attentiue where his master vseth many words and to be assured that that is a matter of great waight then much more ought wee to iudge the hallowing of the Sabbath daye to bee a thing then the which nothing ought more to be regarded of vs when vnto the words of Remembring and Marking that are set in the beginning of the commandement this thing also is in so many words spoken vnto vs and as it were beaten into our eares That I might not speake any thing of such other places wherein the seruing of God in the place appoynted by himselfe is adioyned vnto such exhortations as are made for the keeping of the Sabbath thereby declaring by what meanes especially the Sabbath is kept holie Leuit. 19.30 as ye shall keep my Sabbath and reuerence my sanctuarie where the Prophet Moses exhorting the Israelites to the diligent keeping of the Sabbath daye speaketh vnto them of that worship of God which was practised in the sanctuarie as the onely way to keepe it Vnto which agreeth that which is set downe in the 23. chapter of the same booke Sixe dayes shall worke be done Leuit. 23.3 but in the seuenth day shall be the sabbath of rest an holy conuocation Ye shall do no worke therein it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings For in this place hee doth not onely call it a sabbath vnto the Lorde so many times before but also saith Holy assemblies were cōmanded to be kept vpō these dayes that vpon it must be an holie assemblie which assemblie then should be holie because they must meete for an holy purpose not to deale about any worldly affayres which notwithstanding they did at
of his spirit and that we are too much possessed with the delights of this world and so lye in some one sinne or other whereas on the contrarie then may wee be assured that our desire is to please God that willingly we doe not continue in any sinne that wee vse the creatures and blessings of God aright that the spirit is in vs gouerneth vs by the word when we find our hearts in the midst of our mirth sweetly moued to sing spirituall songs spiritually But to make an ende of this matter that wee might take vpon vs this duetie so cheerefully as we should let vs in a word consider of that which the Prophet speakes of it Psal 147. that I might not stand vpon euery place that commendeth it vnto vs Praise the Lord sayth hee there for it is a good thing to sing vnto our God Psal 147.1 for it is a pleasant thing and praise is comely where the Prophet exhorting men vnto it To sing Psalmes is good pleasant and comely sayth it is good pleasant and comely And first of all it is good for it is commanded of God and looke how many times it is commended vnto vs by precept or practise in the scripture so many proofes are there of the goodnes of it Then it is not only good but pleasant for many things are good but bitter as afflictiō and some things are pleasant which are not good as sinne and so though the beginning bee sweete the ende is sower and when the pleasure is ended the payne abideth but here is pleasure without payne and of this the good fruite and pleasure abideth euer Last of all it is comely as he sayth in another Psalme also it becommeth the righteous to bee thankefull Psalm 33.1 and to sing praises Vnto which agreeth that of the Apostle Let no filthie communication Ephe. 5.4 nor foolish talking nor iesting proceede out of your mouthes which things are not comely but rather giuing of thankes as it becommeth the Saints For this commendeth vs vnto God and vnto men and herein are wee like vnto the Angels in heauen who sing vnto the Lord a new song continually Reuel 14.3 So that euen as the vngodly haue a grace in their wickednesse and are the better liked of among the vngodly though indeed they are then most deformed so this maketh vs comely before God and louely in the eyes of his Church when we hauing prepared our hearts thereunto doe sing with affection with reuerence and with vnderstanding For otherwise euen as a costly garment may be comely in it selfe yet it shal not become vs vnlesse we be fit for it What maketh it comely it be wel put vpon vs so though to sing be neuer so comely in it owne nature yet it becommeth not vs except wee bee prepared for it and doe sing Dauids Psalmes with Dauids spirit Therefore the Apostle writing to the Ephesians willeth them in singing to make melodie in their hearts to the Lord not to sing with their tongue Ephe. 5.19 and frō the lips outward as we say And to the Colossians Coloss 3.16 To sing with a grace in their hearts to the Lord that it might not only come from the inwarde feeling of their heart but also bring grace and profit to the hearers when as they doe not vtter an vnprofitable sound but their heart going before their tongue and it mouing their lips they might themselues bee first of all affected therewith and so beget the like affections in others Seeing then that goodnes pleasure and comelines do all of them meet together in this one thing let vs the rather be in loue with it set our hearts vpon it and whereas these are the things most of all regarded and especiallie sought for of all men and yet seldomest found now that they doe all of them meete with vs as it were and ioyntly offer themselues vnto vs in this one thing let vs be rauished with the loue of it vnlesse we be men voyd of al affections or such as haue set our hearts vpon other things before and let vs intertaine this seruice of God into our houses and giue credit vnto it that we might be bettered with the goodnes that it bringeth and be more comfortable with the true pleasure that it affoordeth and more comely with the excellent beautie that it will put vpon vs. And so I conclude with the confession of Augustine who by his owne experience greatly commendeth the singing of Psalmes when he sayth August lib. 9. confess cap. 6. that oftentimes for ioy he wept in the Church of God being moued with sweet melodie that was made there And for this cause Dauid is called the sweete singer of Israel 2. Sam. 23. ◠because of the excellent and heauenly Psalmes which he as a Prophet made for the Church of God 2. Chron. 29.30 whereby they were raised vp to all spirituall mirth in singing of them The last thing of all is that wee remember especially to put all things in practise which wee haue learned out of the word The workes of mercie are to be practised vpon this day and that wee begin vpon that very day to doe all dueties of loue vnto men and that wee shew mercie vnto them then especially Whereunto that we might be made the more fit the whole worship of God and the Sabbath it selfe is ordained in so much that the Lord would haue euery whit of it to cease euen vpon the Sabbath rather then mercie should not be shewed to the full or any dutie of it neglected to our brethren when both of them cannot bee done together as wee haue seene it before more at large And seeing it is the Lords day and therefore we must bee occupied about all his worke wholly and he hath in his word commended to our care the widowe the fatherlesse the poore and the stranger as those whom he especially regardeth we ought vpon this day most of all to feede the hungrie to clothe the naked to lodge the harborlesse to visit the sicke and the prisoners when besides that we haue rested from all our owne workes that wee might be occupied about the workes of the Lord we haue so much mercie of the Lord God shewed vnto vs that wee might shewe it vnto others and hee doth after an extraordinarie manner open vnto vs al the treasures of his goodnesse that thereby we might be moued to take pitie vpon others So that he which is then hard hearted to his brother there is no great pitie to bee looked for at his hands and he which then neglecteth to testifie his loue aboundantly to men whē he should of purpose giue ouer himself to all dueties of godlines what hope can there bee that he will doe them vpon other dayes in the weeke when he shall haue fewer meanes to further him thereunto and more to withdrawe him there from And that this is an especiall thing
as hauing the light of it shining more cleerely within vs for the preseruation of the societie of mankinde in Common-wealths as Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale c. yet in the first table in which we are as blind as beetles euery Commandement hath some reason annexed vnto it As in the first The first Commandement hath one reâ—son ioyned to it I the Lord am thy God which brought thee out of c. Where because of that mercifull Couenant that he hath made with vs to blesse vs in all things eternally which as he first made it in Christ so he confirmed it in our miraculous Redemption wrought by him whereof the deliuerance out of Egypt was a type and figure therefore he requireth that wee should serue him with all that wee haue and none but him and so that we should take him only to be our God And the third Commandement one In the third Commandement there is one reason vsed namely that the Lord will most assuredly and seuerely punish all them that do dishonor his name and therefore we are charged not at any time to empaire his credit but rather most highly to aduance it as the very end wherefore we were first created Yet the second Commandement is more fortified The seconde CommandemeÌ„t hath two and hath as it were a double barre I meane tvvo reasons as against the which the vanitie of our reason and crookednes of our heart hath yet more appeared in so cunningly deuising and willingly embracing so many kinds of false religion neither conceiuing nor liking that true manner of Gods seruice which he hath prescribed in his holie word And therefore as he requireth that neither in an Image nor in any thing els deuised by vs we should serue him but according to his owne wisedome and wil made knowne vnto vs in his written word so he first wil plentifully reward in mercie euen to the thousand generation them that shall in loue thus serue him according to his Commandement and secondarily howsoeuer passing ouer many other sinnes yet as a louing and iealous husband will prosecute to the full the punishment of that spirituall adulterie whereby the hatred vnto God appeareth in that the heart is stolen away from him by a false worship But yet in this fourth Commandement the Lord goeth beyond all that hath been spoken The 4. Commandement hath three and bindeth vs vp with a threefold cord that can hardly be broken For he setteth downe three reasons not onely to commend vnto vs the excellencie and to shew the necessitie of keeping of it but also to giue vs to vnderstand how rebellious and corrupt our nature is here especially As it is indeed for many are not perswaded that there should be any day at all kept others doe not agree vpon the day which it should be some preferre other daies before it or make them equall with it they that are otherwise minded yet are not established in the precise resting and straight ceasing from so many things as God requireth much lesse doe men agree vpon the publike and priuate manner of sanctifying and keeping it holie Therefore the Lord doth not onely command it but also first sheweth vs the equitie of it in that he hath giuen vs sixe daies to be occupied in for our selues and therefore it is good reason that we should rest vpon the seuenth to attend vpon his busines as it were Secondarily we should doe it so much the rather because he hath gone before vs in his owne example who therefore rested vpon the seuenth day when he had created the whole world in sixe that wee thereby might the rather be allured vnto that order which he was purposed to establish namely that wee should rest vpon the 7. day from our owne works as God did from his and so be like vnto our Creator Thirdly and most especially that we should doe thus because God hath bestowed an especiall blessing vpon this day distinct from the rest euen the blessing of sanctification and therefore it is not lawfull for vs to vse it to any other end but to this holie sanctified end for which God in the beginning created it The fourth difference of this commandement from all the rest Last of all whereas all the other Commandements are giuen forth in such manner of words as binde onely our selues Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine Thou shalt not steale c. though I grant that more is implyed and they not only binde vs thus to looke to our selues but to so many also as bee committed to our â—â—arge the Lord hauing giuen vs authoritie ouerthem â—â—at we might see them practise all the lawes of both Taâ—â—les so much as lyeth in vs yet I say much is not exâ—ressed in the deliuerie of them but in this Commandement in expresse words God speaketh to vs and chargeth vs with the care not onely of our selues but others â—lso saying Thou and thy son thy daughter thy manseruaÌ„t thy maidseruaÌ„t thy cattell the stranger that is within thy gates Thus we see how many waies this CoÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is charged vpon vs by the Lord how straightly he requireth it at our haÌ„ds how in the very giuing of it al things are ioyned vnto it by God himself that might commend â—â—t vnto vs with greatest credite and care of obedience It remaineth that wee should see That the Sabbath ought to be continued what are the speciall things contained in it but first of all it is needfull to proue vnto you that the Sabbath ought still to be continued with vs because without this perswasion all doctrine or exhortation tending to the true manner of sanctifying it falleth to the ground and is vnfruitfull First of all therefore it appeareth in the storie of Genesis that it was from the beginning Gen. 2.3 and that the seuenth day was sanctified at the first so soone as it was made in so much that Adam and his posteritie if they had continued in their first righteous estate should haue kept that day holie aboue the rest seeing the Lord sanctified it for their sakes and though it be so indeede that they should haue been occupied in some honest calling and work vpon the sixe daies according as it is sayd to Adam that the Lord put the man into the garden of Eden Gen. 2.16 that he might dresse it and â—eepe it yet notwithstanding vpon the seuenth day they â—hould haue ceased from all wordly labour and giuen â—hemselues to the meditation of Gods glorious workes and haue been occupied in some more immediate parts of his seruice according to the former Commandement And that we might vnderstand indeede that the law of sanctifying the Sabbath is so ancient the Prophet Moses in Genesis doth of purpose vse the same words which the Lord God himselfe doth in pronouncing it as it is set downe in Exodus namely
that he blessed the seuenth day and sanctified it and that in it God rested from all his worke which he made to teach vs assuredly that this Commandement of the Sabbath * P. Martir in Gen. 2. was no more then first giuen when it was pronounced from heauen by the Lord then any other the Morall precepts nay that it hath so much antiquitie as the seuenth day hath being for so soone as the day was so soone was it sanctified that wee might know Rulling in Rom. 4.5 that as it came in with the first man so it must not goe out but with the last man and as it was in the beginning of the world so it must continue to the ending of the same and as the first seuenth day was sanctified so must the last be and as God bestowed this blessing vpon it in the most perfecte estate of man so must it be reserued with it till he be restored to his perfection againe The Church of God did keepe the Sabbath from the beginning before it was pronounced vpon Mount Sinai And we shall be so much the rather perswaded of this if we consider how the Church of God vpon the consideration of the first institution of the Sabbath did retaine by tradition the true knowledge and practise of this Commandement as well as any other part of the word from Adam vnto the comming of the Israelites into the wildernesse passing ouer the red sea from out of Egypt before the giuing of the law as appeareth in Exodus when Moses exhorting them vpon this new occasion of gathering and preparing Manna to the sanctifying of the Sabbath still notwithstanding that as they had done before and therefore to rest now from both saying Bake that to day which you will bake Exod. 16.23 and seeth that which you will seeth and all that remaineth lay it vp to be kept till the morning for you first speaketh of the Sabbath immediatlie following as of a knowne thing vnto them in the former part of the verse to morowe is the rest of the holie Sabbath vnto the Lord vpon which bare notice of the Sabbath next ensuing hee could not haue so forcibly required the â—â—sting from worke if it had not been a thing that they â—ere long acquainted with Besides in this same place he perswadeth them vnto â—t with the same reason that the Lord vseth in promulgating of it and almost in the same wordes sauing that that which is there generally spokeÌ„ is here applyed to the particular occasion Sixe dayes shall you gather it verse 26. but in the seuenth day is the Sabbath to shew vs also that they knew the equitie of this commandement from the beginning Moreouer when some did breake this commandement so reasonable so well knowne in seeking for Manna Moses reprouing them at the worde of the Lord sayth in the words following verse 29. Behold how the Lord hath giuen you the Sabbath speaking of the time past therefore he giueth the sixt day bread for two daies tarrie therefore euery man in his place Last of all Moses testifieth of the people in the 30. verse Tremelius Iunius that afterward they rested euery Sabbath as some doe reade it and as yet the law was not giuen And therefore vnder correction I thinke it not true that is auouched by a learned man when hee saith Conuinci non potest Muscul loc com praecept 4. c. It cannot be proued that the Sabbath or rest of the seuenth day was kept before the giuing of the law either from Adam before the floud vnto Noah or after the floud vnto Moses or of Abraham and his posteritie For as a learned and ancient father and Bishop saith Iam hîc ab initio c. Here now euen from the beginning God hath insinuated this doctrine vnto vs teaceing vs In circulo hebdomadis dieÌ„ vnuÌ„ Chrysost in Gen. 2. Homil. 18. that in the â—oÌ„passe of a weeke one whole day is to be put apart for a â—pirituall rest vnto God Vnto all which may be added â—â—at for proofe that this commandement is naturall morall and perpetuall that I say may bee added which was practised among the Gentiles and all the heathen concerning the keeping holy of certaine dayes though altogether ignorant of the lawe of Moses The Gentiles by the light of nature kept some daies holy for though it was so that they knew not the institution of the seuenth day much lesse did they keepe it yet some daies by a common consent they seuered from their worldly affaires and dedicated them to the seruice of their Gods nay though they did altogether so hate the onely true holy day that neither would they obserue it themselues and also mocked the Iewes for obseruing it Iere. Lament 3.7 yet of themselues they erected other dayes which they appointed to a holy and religious vse which euidently declareth that the lawe of the Sabboth was so deeply grauen in the hart of man at the first by God himselfe that howsoeuer the print of it was by the fall of Adam and by sin growing in the posteritie was I say greatly mangled and defaced so that it could not be read yet it was not so wholly raced out but that some deformed scratches and is it were scarres of it did appeare And therefore though they could not attaine to the knowledge of the day much lesse the true maner of sanctifying it without the word yet that there should be a day differing from other in vse sequestred from the common affaires of the world and consecrated to the worship of God this was that which did shew it selfe to them whether they would or no. Herein therefore I agree with the Schooleman who sayth Thom. Aquin. 2 a. 2 ae quaest 122. art 4. That the commandement of sanctifiyng the Sabbath is partly morall morall in as much as a man doth appoint a certaine time of his life to attend vpon heauenly things for there is a naturall inclination in man to depute a certaine time for euery necessary thing as for the receiving of his meate for sleepe and for other such things and therefore he doth according to the direction of naturall reason appoint a certaine time for his spirituall refreshing wherby his soule is refreshed in God And as in the secoÌ„d commandement though they knew not the true seruice of God as being without his word yet that hee should some wayes outwardly beworshipped they were fully assured as apâ—eareth by their superstition and Idolatrie So the very â—ay that God had blessed to this ende they vnderstood not neither could doe without the lawe yet that there â—ought to be some day they held vndoubtedly as appeareth by their practise when they had sanctified so many daies to themselues And that this Sabbath day The Gospell hath not taken away the obseruation of the Sabbath which hath that commendation of antiquitie and consent which wee haue heard ought to
any of you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart this mans religion is vaine And so telleth vs that a maÌ„ may be sayd to be of a good religion indeed when he serueth God in the word Sacraments and prayer so that thereby he is made more fit to doe all dueties vnto men especially to shew mercie to the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie So that a man can no more vnder that fore-named pretence out of Esay take away the obseruing of one particular day distinct and put apart from the rest to Gods vse in his seruice and yet to imagine that the law of the Sabbath should not bee broken then bee may from this other place of Iames conclude that to heare the preaching of the word to receiue the Sacraments to pray vnto God are none of the things which God requireth neither doth pure region consist in them but as wee would rightly iudge â—im to mistake the scripture that should vpon this or any such place as certaine schismatikes or rather heretikes haue done seuer and cut themselues off from the publike meetings of the Church and that manner of Gods seruice which is now receiued among vs. So that we say that hee is led with some priuate sense of his owne and dooth not wisely consider the circumstance of the text nor indifferently compare it with the bodie of the rest of the Scriptures which shall vpon that other place of Esay disanull the keeping of any one certaine daye and so to race out as it were that Commandement out of the Canon of the Scripture But that I might not stand too long in one thing I will hasten to that which followeth Obiect 3 The aduersaries of this truth haue also snatched something out of the new Testament to impugne it and haue left no corner vnsought from whence they might gaine any thing to confirme them in their error They say Christ hath taken away the Sabbath in the Gospell Mark 2.27 that Christ taketh it away in the Gospell of Marke and other places where he saith that the Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath therefore it must serue man and not man be bound vnto it it is at the will and disposition of man and is to bee ordered by him and he not to be brought into the seruitude and bondage of it it is in his power to keepe it or not to keepe it and how and after what manner to keep it seeing it was made for him Answer For answere vnto which first I may say as Master Caluin sayth vpon the miracle of healing him that was sicke of the palsie Videndum c. We must remember what kinde of defence Christ doth vse Caluin in Ioh. 5.17 he doth not say that the law of keeping the Sabbath was temporarie and now to be abrogated but rather doth denye that he hath broken this law Then the same Master Caluin sets downe his iudgement plainly of this matter Caluin in hunc locum Falluntur meo iudicio c. They are deceiued in my opinion who thinke that here the Sabbath is altogether abrogated seeing that our Sauiour Christ doth but simplie teach what is the right vse of it for although he had sayd before that he was the Lord of the Sabbath yet the time of abrogating things was not yet come because the vaile of the Temple was not rent in sunder And therefore wee must further remember that our Sauiour Christ being the onely Prophet of the Church and perfectly knowing the will of his father Iohn 1.18 1.2 as being in his bosome and a teacher sent of God into the world at that ignorant time when the trueth was so darkened by the false glosses and corrupt interpretations of the teachers yea almost put out doth in this and other like places entreating of the Sabbath interprete the true meaning of the law bringing it into light and redeeming it as it were from the thicke mists of ignorance into which the Rabbins and Doctors of the Church had throwne it And as in that notable sermon which he maketh Matth. 5.6 â—nd 7. chapters he doth not dispute against the law but against their false meaning and corrupt sense vnto which they had wrested it so here he sheweth that it was neuer the meaning of this Commandement that the rest vpon the Sabbath day should bee so seuerely required that for want of things necessarie man should take hurt â—hereby seeing that the Sabbath and day of rest was ordained by God for the profite and commoditie of man and not for his hinderance and so iustifieth the doing of â—is Disciples in gathering corne preparing and eating it because that otherwise they should haue fainted in their iourney for so it was that they so followed their Lord and master trauailing from towne to towne to preach that they had no leisure to eate their meate therefore going through the corne fields they gathered here and there to satisfie their weake and wearie bodies Now whereas the Pharisies that were present were offended at it because â—t stood not with their tradition of resting from all bodily â—abour our Sauiour Christ vpon that occasioÌ„ teacheth the â—rue maner end of resting vpoÌ„ the Sabbath which was â—om the beginning bringeth not in any new libertie which was not granted before saying The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath where we must vnderstand that by Sabbath he meaneth the Rest euen as the word doth import and so it is true indeede that God ordained a time of rest for mans sake that he being holpen thereby and his nature refreshed might bee made more fit to doe the workes of God and his owne workes in his calling So that the Pharisies did peruert the right end of resting when they turned it to the hurt of man for want of doing such things as the nature of man did presently stand in need of as now the Disciples being readie to faint if they had not gathered for themselues they should haue been more vnfit to serue God in their callings And this selfe same thing Master Gualter very learnedly obserueth Gualt in Mar. 2. Homil. 22. Sabbathi otium Deus hominis causa instituit God hath ordained rest or ceasing from worke vpon the Sabbath for man We must vse rest and all Gods creatures to fuâ—ther vs in his seruice So to draw these things into a narrow roome I grant vnto them that rest was made and ordained for man as meate and drink apparrel and sleep and all other things here belowe and man was made to glorifie God and therefore he is so to eate and drinke sleepe and rest as he thereby may bee furthered in the seruice of God and a man can no more from hence gather that a man may vse the day of rest at his pleasure and that it is in his owne power to dispose of it as it liketh him best then
of the yeare and that in the most necessary times and businesse that belong to mans life they must rest because God hath commanded it preferring his worship and the obedience to his commandements before all their owne priuate gaine and commoditie whatsoeuer And Master Caluin vpon this place saith Whereas the Lord doth expresly bid vs rest in the time of earing and haruest Caluin in Exod 34.21 it is not as though he did giue vs libertie for all the yeare besides but hereby doth more restraine vs because no necessitie ought to interrupt this holy obseruation otherwise it might seeme to haue some honest pretence if because of continuall raine or other vnseasonable weather the time of sowing were not so commodious that husbandmen might bee exempted from this lawes least by their resting a dearth should follow And so also might they thinke for gathering in the Corne least it should rotte vpon the ground Atqui Deus nullam dispensationem admittit But GOD admits no dispensation but that the seuenth day should bee kept Etiam cum periculo communis iacturae Euen with the danger of some common losse So that whatsoeuer our corrupt reason and the diuell might minister vnto vs for the dissuading of vs from this obedience yet if our care be vnfainedly to please GOD indeede and that wee would haue the testimonie of a good conscience in the things that wee doe before God not seruing him in hypocrisie after our owne harts lusts deceiuing our selues whatsoeuer we imagine to the contrarie we had need to haue at least as euident and plaine places of the scripture for the iustifiyng of our manifold businesse and great working vpon the Sabbath which is too common euery where as this one is euident and pregnant against them vnlesse we will haue it appeare that we make no conscience of our doings at al or rather that we do wittingly and willingly transgresse the knowen trueth and destroy the lawe of God Psal 119. part 17. as the Prophet speaketh For no doubt vpon this ground and the persuasion of this lawe that worthie and thrise noble Nehemiah dealt so zealously as it is written of him in the 13. chapter of that booke when hee saw men worke vpon the Sabbath in the time of haruest according to that wicked custome that had growen vp in the time of the captiuitie and did so mightily set himselfe against that manifest breach of the Commandement though it was not so taken before that through Gods good hand vpon him he preuailed in the end Nehem. 13.15 In those daies saw I in Iudah them that troad winepresses vpon the Sabbath and that brought in sheaues and which laded asses also with wine grapes and figges and all burthens and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the Sabbath day 17. Then reproued I the Rulers of Iudah and sayd vnto them what euill thing is this that you doe and breake the Sabbath day did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this citie yet you encrease the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the Sabbath In which words as it is euident that he speaketh against working vpon the Sabbath in the haruest time for he nameth such things as are proper vnto haruest as the bringing in of sheaues figges and grapes which were their fruite and the treading of winepresses so he chargeth them that thus to doe was an euill thing worthie of reproofe nay of punishment as he afterward threatneth it he sayth that they breake the Sabbath in so doing and did encrease the wrath of God against Israel euen as it was the cause that he had taken such punishment vpon their fathers alreadie Where it seemeth he had respect vnto the prophesie of Ieremie who had long before threatned destruction vnto Ierusalem Ierem. 17.27 for the polluting of the Sabbath and namely in this of open carrying and recarrying of things into Ierusalem When he sayth But if ye will not heare me to sanctifie the Sabbath day and not to beare a burthen nor to goe through the gates of Ierusalem in the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates therof and it shall deuoure the palaces thereof and it shall not bee quenched And Master Caluin writing vpon this place sayth Caluin in hunc â—â—â—um Hoc emphatiè additur There is a great emphasis in this that he speakes of the gates of Ierusalem for it was not lawfull to doe any of those things in the fields and solitarie places it was therefore a great contempt to come so openly into the citie But to returne to the scripture alleadged before What can bee spoken more plainly then this for the ouerthrow of all such vaine excuses as men doe forge in their owne braine and for the establishing of this doctrine that to rest vpon the Sabbath is so necessarie that the imagined necessitie of haruest will not excuse our working before God neither will it goe for payment before him Which wee may assure our selues that those men did wel vnderstand out of the scriptures who in their Councell so decreed Instituimus We ordaine that vpon the Lords day Cabilonens concil cap. 18. nullus penitus praesumat no man at all presume to doe any worke of husbandrie that is to say not to plow to reape corne or what soeuer pertaineth to the husbanding of their ground For as Irenaeus sayth Non vetabat lex Iren. contra haeres lib. 4. cap. 20. The lawe did not forbid those that were hungrie to take meate and to eate of such things as were at hand metere auteÌ„ colligere in horreuÌ„ vetabat but it did forbid to reape and to carrie it into the barne And here that I might make an end of this place before I go any further this may most certainly be gathered from it that if the rest of the Sabbath will not beare this working no not in haruest without the breach of it then much lesse will it suffer the ordinarie keeping of Faires and Markets vpon that day 4 No faires to be kept vpon the Lords day the buying and selling of wares the carrying and recarrying of them for we see how all these abuses being among them this godly gouernour Nehemiah in the wisedome of the spirit espieth them and in the zeale of the same can in no wise winke at them for thus it is written of him in the same place as wee haue alreadie heard in part vers 15. In these dayes saw I in Iudah those that trode Winepresses on the Sabbath and I protested to them in the day that they sold victuals 16. There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein which brought fish and all wares and sold on the Sabbath vnto the children of Iudah euen in Ierusalem 19 And when the gates began to be darke before the Sabbath I commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath and some of my seruants set I
at the gates that there should be no burthen brought in on the Sabbath day 20. So the chapmen and Marchants of all marchandise remained once or twise all night without Ierusalem 21. And I protested among them and sayd vnto them why tarrie ye all night about the wall If you doe it once againe I will lay hands vpon you From that time they came no more vpon the Sabbath Out of which description of their vngodlie practise in the storie it is as cleere as the noone day that there was a common market or faire vpon the Sabbath it is set out so plainly and in so many words for there was selling of all wares and there were both Marchants and chapmen not onely within Ierusalem but which came from other places to buy and sell but he reproueth the one and the other and conuicteth them all of the manifest breach of the Sabbath in not obseruing the rest of it yea euen those that sold victuals and those that did but carrie things to and fro And so this scripture teacheth vs that the holie rest of the Sabbath is so inuiolably to bee obserued that no persons at any time may breake it no not vnder the pretence of buying and selling then when most may be gained either waies no nor vnder the colour that they doe but carrie things to bee bought or sold no nor vnder the shewe of doing that which might seeme most tolerable as buying and selling of victuals All which things are so palpable and grosse a breach of that Commandement which requireth a resting from such things that they are not onely condemned in the iudgement of them that haue seene most cleerely by the light of the word but also of such as being stone blind and therefore could not discerne them with the eye yet were able with their hands as it were to feele them For in the very depth of Poperie it was by the authoritie of the Parliament ordained Ann. 27. Hen. 6 cap. 5. That all manner of Faires and Markets should vpon the Sundaies cleerely cease and that there should not be any shewing of goods and marchandises vpon the same vnder paine of forfaiture of all the goods aforesayd so shewed to the Lord of the Franchise and therefore by authoritie aforesayd power was granted vnto all such as had no daies to keepe their Faires but these that they might keepe the same three daies before or after they signifying the same by proclamation vnto the Countrey aforehand And they which of old time had by speciall Commission sufficient daies before or after should in the manner as is aforesayd keepe their Faires and Markets the sayd Sundaies except Where also it is worthie to bee considered by what reasons the King the Lords spirituall and temporall and the whole Commons of this Realme of England were then induced vnto this resolution as they bee set downe at large in this statute Namely they did consider that I might vse their owne words the abominable iniuries and offences done to almightie God by the occasions of Faires and Markets vpon these daies accustomably and miserably holden and vsed in the Realme of England In which daies for great earthly couetousnes the people were more willingly vexed and in bodily labour troubled then in other workedaies as in fastning making their boothes and stalles lifting and setting their marchandise outward and homeward as though they had nothing in memorie the horrible defiling of their soule in buying and selling and so specially withdrawing themselues and their seruants from diuine seruice These are the words of the Statute in which though I am not ignorant that they made other daies in the weeke Saints daies as they bee called equall in this thing with the Lords day nay preferred them before it according to the ignorance of those times yet it is sufficient for my purpose that the Sundaies so called were not excluded but rather with the other included in a branch of this Statute Yea this law was in force here in this land long before this time euen before the Conquest when as in the daies of Canutus Canutus lege 14. 15. amongst other lawes made by a councell of his sages at Winchester which as some write are yet extant it was enacted Item that Sunday be kept holie Faires Courts Huntings and worldly worke on that day to bee forborne But to shut vp this matter in a word we doe vnderstand that the Lord hath not only by his generall Commandements often repeated shewed vnto vs that a rest vpon this day must needes bee obserued of vs but also hath in particulars met with all these exceptions of times and busines which might least of all seeme to be included within the compasse of it that we might not measure the length and breadth of this rest by the crooked rule of our owne imagination as the greatest part doe but by the vndeceiueable line of his holie word which is only able to giue vs the full measure of it But yet if you further demaund from what things wee should rest seeing it is agreed vpon among vs that wee must rest indeede 5 We must rest from whatsoeuer doth hinder vs from Gods seruice surely the answere partly appeareth by that which hath been alreadie spoken and doth more fullie arise from the words of the text For first of all seeing the principall end of resting is that the day time might be sanctified in the holie worship of God as the Worde the Sacraments and prayer it must of necessitie followe that whatsoeuer thing doth hinder vs from spēding the time profitably in these things we must rest from them And therfore wee see that alwaies this reason is brought why wee should rest from other things euen that wee might giue ouer our selues to Gods seruice As when Augustine sayth August de tēp serm 251. We are commanded to rest vpon the Lords day from earthly businesse that wee might bee more fit for Gods seruice And also in a Councel held vnder Charles the Great in which many worldly things are expresly by name forbidden as husbandrie keeping of Courts dealing in marchandise Arelat Synod 4 cap. 16. c. This is the conclusion His solummodo peractis those things onely being done quae noscuntur which are knowne to appertaine to the seruice of God So that I may say generally as M. Caluine saith Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 34 Wee ought to cease from those workes which hinder the workes of God let vs from calling vpon his name or stay vs from exercising our selues in his holy word Secondarily it may appeare by that opposition which is made betweene the workes of the sixe dayes and the Rest of the seuenth day that whatsoeuer are the workes of their calling wherein they are occupied in the sixe dayes from them they must rest vpon the seuenth according as it is said As from the workes of our callings Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy
that in the reuiuing of this law they would doe after this manner vt si peregrini mercatores that if the Marchants that were strangers should bring any marchandise thither without their priuitie or against their will that notwithstanding it should be vnlawfull for any of the Citizens of Ierusalem to buye of them whereby they did hope in time it would come to passe that the Marchants will they nill they shoulde giue ouer bringing to sell when they should perceiue there were no buyers at all And truly as if there were no receiuers there would bee no theeties so if there were no buyers on the Lordes daye the sellers would soone shut vp their shopwindowes Let all that haue offended this way repent and amend by the example of this people And wee may further vnderstand how these things by many excellent lawes in sundry places haue beene condemned and namely those that were made vnder Charles about the yeare 1313. when as one sayth Ne in Dominicis diebus publica mercata exerceantur Wee forbid that publike marchandise should be vsed on the Lords day And an other Item interdicitur Arelate Synod 4. cap. 16. Turonens Synod 3. cap. 40. Rhemens Synod cap. 35. ne mercata vsquam fiaÌ„t die Dominica Also it is forbidden that trading of marchants should be vsed any where vpon the Lords day And againe Ne diebus Dominicis secundum Domini praeceptum quilibet mercata exerceat It is forbidden according to the Lords commandement that any man should vse buying and selling vpon the Lords day Where we see it is not onely forbidden to all men and in all places but they say also it is according to the commandement of the Lord. Now though we bee not come thus farre yet it were much better theÌ„ it is Queens Iniunct art 34. if in all places that were practised which they are bound vnto namely That no Inholder or Alehouse keeper should vse to sell meate or drinke in the time of Common prayer preaching or reading of the Scriptures The Carrier must cease to carrie and recarrie things bought and sold from place to place as appeareth in the same chapter where he chargeth them that in doing of these things they did breake the Sabbath or not obserue the Rest. The Prophet Ieremie complaines of this in his time and speaketh against it as a breach of the sabbath Take heede to your soules and beare no burden on the Sabbath day nor bring it in by the gates of Ierusalem Iere. 17.21.22 neither carry forth burdens out of your houses on the Sabbath day neither doe ye any worke but sanctifie the Sabbath as I commaunded your fathers where hee willeth them to leaue carying that they might sanctifie the sabbath therby insinuating that they cannot stand together but the one must needes be taken away that the other might be established And Master Caluin vpon this place sayth Caluin in hunc locum It appeareth that they were growen to great boldnes when they did so openly breake the Sabbath thereby declaring his iudgement that open carriages doe bewray an open contempt of the Sabbath The Schoolemaster must rest from teaching and the Scholler from studying the liberall artes and humane sciences as those which are his peculiar labour in the sixe dayes and as it were his dayly work The Lawyer and the Client whether plaintiffe or defendaÌ„t must vpon this day giue ouer their suites and their pleading and not onely rest from going to Westminster hall but also from studying the case reading of euidences and such like as themselues best of all doe know and their Clerks also from writing of the same For the same constitutions that bind them from publike pleading whereof there are many as themselues may knowe the reason vpon which they are grounded and which in them is alledged being drawen from the word of God and containing in it the equitie of this Commaundement doth restraine these also because they must needs hinder theÌ„ from the seruice of God either altogether or in a great part in which wholly with all possible fruite we should be occupied vpon this day The lawes of the Christian Emperours Leg. final C. de ferijs Leo and Anton doe very particularly meet with them in this case Dominicum itaque diem Therefore wee decree that the Lords day should be honoured and reuerently esteemed and therefore let it bee free from all executions let no man then be troubled with any summons let no man be compelled to bring forth his suretie let the Apparitor or serâ—eaÌ„t hold his peace let there be no aduocates let not the dreadfull voice of the Cryer bee heard The Phisitian must leaue off the reading of Galene and Hippocrates and rest from the studying of the Anatomie the diseases the simples and compounds For of all such as vpon this day leaue the excellencie of Gods worde and the study therof and attend vpon humane arts which in comparison of this are as low as may be there hath beene iust complaint made long agoe Descendunt hodie nonnulli Vpon this day many come downe from the height of Gods worde Beda in lib. 2. cap. 8. in Sam. vnto the which they should ascend Et legendo Dialecticos Rhetores Poetas gentilium ad exercendum ingenium terrestre quasi ad fabros Philistim pro exacuendis siluestris siue ruralis culturae ferramentis inermes hoc est spirituali scientia priuati conueniunt And by reading of Logicians Rhetoricians and Poets of the Gentiles for the exercising of their earthly wit they as it were come to the Smithes of the Philistims to sharpen their countrie tooles for husbandrie being spoyled of their weapons that is being voyd of spirituall vnderstanding Where he sheweth that as it was a very base thing for the Iewes to goe from the high country of Iudea to the Philistims for the sharpning of their tooles so it is too vnseemely a thing for christians vpoÌ„ the lords day to leaue the excelleÌ„t study of the scriptures for any humane science whatsoeuer which is lower theÌ„ this without al degree of coÌ„parison that therein indeed they shew themselues voyd of heaueÌ„ly wisedome The Iusticer Iudge must rest froÌ„ sitting vpon the bench place of Iustice iudicially examining determining of causes between partie and partie about matters for the preseruation of the peace and otherwise and also from examining of causes more particularly at home reseruing the malefactors rather to some other day in the weeke neither ought they to sit vpon Commissions or be occupied in such like as doe iustly belong to their offices Saith Master Caluin Caluin in Exod 20.8 Though it were lawfull to defend a man from wronge and to helpe him that was wronged if any man should violently set vpon his neighbour on the Lords day because present necessity would not suffer it to be delayed Audire duos litigantes Iudicibus fas non fuit Yet it was not lawfull for
signe which was giuen to the ende this might restraine them so much the more and that they should be admonished by this meane to obserue the Sabbath day with all reuerence Ionah 3.7 And thus as in the daies of Ionah when the King of Niniue proclaimed a fast he sayd Let neither man nor beast bullocke nor sheepe taste any thing neither feede or drinke water but let man and beast put on sackcloth that by the sight of it they might be taught the greatnes of their sinnes and be the rather moued thereby to a more earnest repentance for the same Exod. 19.12 And as in the giuing of the law when the Lord would strike into the hearts of all the people a reuerence of his maiestie that they might the more obediently receiue his worde and content themselues with that manner and measure of reuealing himselfe vnto them that hee was then purposed in his wisedome to vse towards them and knew to bee most expedient for them and therfore would not haue them come neere the mountaine to gaze and too curiously to search after that which was not lawfull for them to know and therefore commanded Moses to set vp markes vnto the people round about the Mount charging them also not to breake out beyond them vnder the paine of a most execrable death and therefore would haue the very beast that should touch the mountaine bee stoned or striken through with darts to moue the people vnto a deeper consideration of it for whose sake onely euery thing there was then done Euen so here that all men might most carefully obserue that rest vnto the Lord which is so acceptable vnto him hee commaunded the bruit beasts and vnreasonable creatures to rest not that he had any care of them in giuing his law to whom it doth not appertaine but hauing a singular regard of his people and therefore taking away from among them all things that might bee any occasion to withdraw them from the obedience of this rest euen the working of the cattell and giuing vnto them all the good meanes that might make for their better proceeding herein euen the resting of the oxe and the asse For which cause also he commanded that the strangers And the strangers that be of another religion borne out of the stocke of Israel nor of the linage of the Iewes yet now adioyned vnto that people and being vnder their gouernment should howsoeuer in other things they knew not the true God of Israel neither did serue him according to his word yet in this should at leastwise bee subiect to the outward discipline and order of the Church and haue their rest common with them that thus the Church whom the Lord especially regarded whither soeuer it did looke and cast her eyes might haue nothing as a snare to entangle her by beholding the strangers and cattle to worke when themselues did rest And for the same cause he bound the strangers as well as his owne people to the outward obseruation of other lawes and statutes so farre forth as did make for the vniformitie of the Church and edification of it in godlines by their example Whereunto agreeth that Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. and is almost the same in words which Master Caluin writeth in his sermons of this matter For wee know sayth he that if things contrarie to the seruice of God be permitted although one shall happilie say these which offend are not of our societie and companie we shall notwithstanding by their euill examples be induced to follow them if the strangers had beene permitted to labour among the Iewes what might haue happened thereby The Iewes would haue had dealings with them and so haue defiled themselues they would haue made small difference between this day and others For when examples are set before our eies we are easily led away to that which is euill And in the same place a little after hee thus concludes So then to the ende all such occasion of transgressing against this rest might be remoued and that this day might bee obserued with greater reuerence as God willed that the beasts and cattel should rest so commandeth he that the strangers doe the like although they were of another faith and religion And as the Passeouer though it were a Sacrament only belonging vnto the Iewes and the difference of meates and of cleane and vncleane thinges was proper vnto them yet the Lorde would haue the strangers that dwelt among them be subiect to the same lawes for the good of his people and so that otherwise he would not haue them to haue any dealing with them for he threatneth to cut them off from his people which appeareth as in other places of the Scripture so Exod. 12.19 and Leuit. 17.12.15 All which doe euidently declare that the Lorde would haue this holy Sabbath of rest without all interruption and gainsaying to be duely obserued on all sides when vnto the particular commanding of all estates by name to rest he hath adioyned the beasts and the strangers vpon whom be layes the like charge The ground also had her Sabbath rest And to make an end of this matter that the excellencie and dignitie of this rest nay the necessitie of it may be knowne farre and neere to be so great as it is indeed the Lord did commaund the ground to keepe her sabbath and rest and so vpon it did engraue the liuely image of this true rest that by this babish instruction meete for the time they might learne of what moment waight the Sabbath was when as thus al creatures should stoup and doe homage vnto it yea the very insensible ground should not bee free from the subiection of it as it is at large in many wordes set downe by Moses Leuit. 25.3 Sixe yeares thou shalt sowe thy fielde and sixe yeares thou shalt cut thy vineyeard and gather the fruite thereof 4. But the seuenth yeare shall be a Sabbath of rest vnto the land it shall bee the LORDS Sabbath thou shalt neither sowe thy fielde nor cut thy vineyard that which groweth of it owne accord of thy haruest thou shalt not reape neither gather the grapes that thou hast left vnlaboured for it shall bee a yeare of rest vnto the lande All which thinges thus at large vnfoulded and layd forth before our eyes may determine and make an ende of this matter if vnto them I doe adde this one thing that whereas men might haue gone about to withdraw their obedience from this rest defrauding the law as it were vnder a vaine pretence of resting themselues whiles in the meane season they did abuse the labour of their seruants their cattel and the strangers to the doing of many of their owne works vpon the Sabbath contrarie to the true intent of the law giuer hee is not contented to haue in most plaine wordes forbidden them to worke themselues but because whatsoeuer they doe by others they are said to doe
to that which wee haue seene thus plentifully proued vnto vs. All bodily labour is not forbidden vpō this day All which must so bee taken not as though my meaning were that there should be nothing at al done and that it were vtterly vnlawfull to doe any thing at all For certaine bodily labours were alwaies permitted vpon the Sabbath yea euen then when the rest was most exactly required of the Lord and precisely obserued by men as appeareth by that which is written in the Gospell by S. Matthew in many words Matth. 12.1 At that time Iesus went on a Sabbath day through the corne and his Disciples were an hungred and began to plucke the eares of corne and to eate 2 And when the Pharisies sawe it they sayd vnto him Behold thy Disciples doe that which is not lawfull to doe vpon the Sabbath day 3. But he sayd vnto them Haue ye not read what Dauid did when he was an hungred and they that were with him 4. How he entred into the house of God and eate the Shewe bread which was not lawfull for him to eate neither for them that werewith him but onely for the Priests 5. Or haue ye not read in the lawe how that on the Sabbath daies the Priests in the temple breake the Sabbath and are blameles 6. But I say vnto you that here is one greater then the temple wherefore if ye know what this is I will haue mercie not sacrifice ye would not haue condemned the innocents Saint Marke recording the same storie addeth this The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Mark 2.27 28. Wherefore the sonne of man is euen Lord of the Sabbath But S. Matthew proceedeth further in the forenamed chapter to declare the doctrine concerning such works as may be done vpon the day of rest by the practises and speeches of our Sauiour Christ For he addeth Matth. 12.9 And Iesus departed thence and came into their Synagogue 10. And behold there was a man which had his hand dried vp and they asked him saying Is it lawfull to heale vpon the Sabbath day that they might accuse him 11. And he sayd vnto them what man shall there be among you that shall haue a sheepe and if it fall on a Sabbath day into a pit will not he take it and lift it out 12. How much more then is a man better then a sheepe therefore it is lawfull to doe well on a Sabbath day 13. Then sayd he to the man stretch forth thy hand and he stretched it foorth and it was made whole as the other This portion of holie scripture doth shew vnto vs that certaine workes may be done vpon the Sabbath and in part what they are therefore as from this and such like places wee doe rightly take libertie vnto our selues to worke in certaine cases vpon the Sabbath so we must be warie that we take no other libertie then that which the word affoordeth if we be desirous in good conscience to approue our selues before God and to iustifie our doings in the sight of men so that wee may not vnder this pretence presume that euery thing is lawfull because something is permitted abusing Gods liberalitie and our owne libertie turning it into carnall licentiousnes worldly prophanenes But seeing we haue heard in how many places and how straightly the Lord requireth that all men should rest wee might bee assured that the thing which wee doe is of the nature of those which are permitted vnto vs and that we haue good ground for it not rashly aduenturing vpon things and doing them at all aduenture as it were and because wee our selues in our owne corrupt reason haue so conceiued of them Therefore we shall learne out of this scripture what things may lawfully bee done of vs without the breach of the commandement of rest First of all such bodily labours are permitted As that which directly pertaineth to the seruice of God as doe immediatly and directly concerne the worship of God and without the which hee cannot be serued of vs according to his worde For this cause it was permitted vnto the Priests nay they were commanded to sley beasts and to prepare them for sacrifices and offer them vp according to the lawe about the which they tooke so much the more paines vpon that day then vpon any other of the week by how much the sacrifices were increased for besides the daily sacrifices Numb 8.9 morning and euening there was a speciall sacrifice for the Sabbath and all this being commaunded in the lawe our Sauiour Christ sayth They in doing of it were blamelesse therefore whereas hee sayth that the priests in the Temple breake the Sabbath hee doth not meane that they did so indeed For hee affirmeth that they are blameles but speaking according to the meaning of the Pharisies who would condemne the fact of his Disciples in gathering the eares of corne to satisfie their hunger saith if euery bodily labour bee a breach of the Sabbath then the Priests in the Temple brake it but they are blamelesse in so doing As going to Church though it be farre off to preach or heare Gods word therefore they brake it not Thus we doe grant that men may trauaile to the places of Gods worship where the publike assemblies and meetings of the Church bee because otherwise they cannot ioyne with them in the communion of the worde sacraments and prayer and though they be farre distant in situation of dwelling from the common place of meeting yet it is permitted vnto them to trauaile by land or by water on horsebacke or on foote thereunto nay they are commanded to doe it and they may not vnder the colour of a long iourney tary at home idly taking their ease For euen as the slaying of beasts is meerely in it owne nature a worldly and bodily labour yet the Temple which was sanctified did change the nature of it and made it holy so to trauaile and to ride or goe to and fro vpon the Sabbath is altogether painefull and laborsome to the body but to take this paines to preach or to heare the word maketh it an holy worke and is warranted by the scripture as in this very place wee see how our Sauiour Christ and his disciples trauaile from towne to towne to preach the Gospell and take such paines that they are hungrie and faint in the way In like manner that all things might be done in order and comelines in the Church as it is meete and therefore that the whole congregation might meete together at one time there must be some notice giuen of it to the people by the sound of some thing And loring bels to call mē to the Church For the which purpose as the trumpets and hornes of the Priests and Leuites were ordained vnder the law so we haue the ringing of belles amongst vs. Therefore I do not see how the common iangling of belles that is
vsed in too many places and the disordered ringing at other times of the Sabbath and for other ends should bee a worke of the Sabbath and how it can then be iustified yet the ringing of one bell according to the custome of the place at one time and the same or some other at another time to call the people together that they might come with one consent as it were one man which meeting would otherwise be scattered and confused that so all might bee present at the seruice of God froÌ„ the beginning to the ending as it is rightly called common prayer so it might be common to all indeede and not priuate to a few this ende maketh the labour acceptable vnto God though it be a worke yet it hindereth not the obseruing of the rest commanded vpon that day And to prepare necessary and conuenient foode for euery one Moreouer God hath giuen to men libertie vpon this day to prepare that food which is meete and conuenient for euery one that their bodies being thereby comfortably refreshed through Gods blessing they might bee the rather thereby sitted vnto the cheerefull proceeding in his seruice which otherwise through their weaknes might faint and giue ouer in the mids of it for such is our nature that we stand in need of a continuall repayring by the creatures that euery day therfore though as wee haue seene the buying and selling of victuals and carying of them to and fro was forbidden seeing that the other sixe dayes are giuen vnto men for these purposes yet the preparing of them and making them seruiceable for the vse of man according to the necessitie of euery one is that which cannot bee done at other times and yet men cannot want it if they fruitfully hold out in sanctifiyng the Sabbath vnto the ende and therefore this maketh it lawfull vnto all men when they doe it in that manner and measure that may most of all further them in Gods worship which is the chiefest thing vpon that day to be considered and vnto the which all other things ought to be referred Thus our Lord Iesus doth maintaine the fact of his Disciples in gathering the corne in the fields against the cauils of the Pharisies for they were wearie and hungrie and had no meate neither place nor time to prouide any in therefore they tooke that which was offered vnto them in the way gather it and dresse it as it were for themselues And thus doth the Schooleman truely say of this place Thom. 2. â— 2 ae quaest 123. art 4. Excusat discipulos suos Christ excuseth his disciples who gathered the eares of corne vpon the Sabbath Propter necessitatem quam patiebantur because of the present necessitie that they were in And whatsoeuer the time present doth necessarily require though it belong not to Gods seruice Last of all and generally concerning this matter what things soeuer the time preseÌ„t doth necessarily require to be done for our own furtherance the commoditie of our brethren or the benefite or preseruation of any of the creatures which cannot be deferred vnto another day without losse or hinderance neither could any waies be preuided for before For â—he occasion was but newe offered though they doe no wayes belong to any part of Gods seruice immediatly Nay I will say more and but the truth though they doe keepe vs from it or call vs away when we bee at it yet they are permitted vnto vs and we may lawfully doe them though they be neuer so painfull and full of labour without any offence against the law of the Sabbath wherein notwithstanding bodily rest is so straitly required as wee haue learned And therefore it is truely sayd Opus corporale Thom. Aquin. ibidem A corporall labor pertaining to the preseruation of a mans owne boyd life or health when it is necessary breakes not the Sabbath Where hee brings in the example of Helias in this case flying for the space of many Sabbaths together from the persecution of Iezabell Such is the great liberalitie and mercy of God towards vs that all men might bee left without excuse before his iudgement seate that will not obserue this rest of the Sabbath which when hee requireth of them neuer so exactly for their good giueth vnto them notwithstanding so great libertie of working to encourage them thereunto if not at least to the stopping of their mouthes in their iust condemnation And this is that which is spoken in this chapter Math. 12.11 That if the sheepe bee now in the ditch it must bee presently holpen out least it miscarrie Therefore that wee might see the trueth of this generall rule in some few particulars for better edifying and instruction in godlines though there may not be mustering and surueying of souldiers Example hereof trayning vp of men in the feates of warre ordinarily vpon the Sabbath yet if the enemie bee now a comming or bee alreadie in the campe or hath layd siege to the walles then it is lawfull with all force of men and munition of warre to meete with him to fight against him and to defend our countrie and to haue continuall watch and warde in armes for these purposes the present necessitie requireth it it cannot abide no delay Tho. Aquin. ibid. quaest 40. art 4. And herein also the same Doctor of schoole diuinitie as they call it sayth truely It is lawfull to make warre for the preseruation of the commoÌ„ wealth and defence of the faithfull Si tamen necessitas hoc postulat If necessitie doe require it where he giueth this reason for this were to tempt God if any should in such an imminent necessitie abstaine from warre Sed necessitate cessante But when this necessitie doth cease it is not lawfull to warre I will not say as hee sayth In diebus festis Vpon the holy daies but in diebus Dominicis vpon the Lords dayes Beda in marc 2.23 1. Mach. 2.40.41 For as Beda sayth Necessitas excusat Necessitie doth excuse the fact where he alledgeth the example of the Machabees who did well vpon that day in defending themselues by armes against their enemies and they made a decree at that same time as it is set downe in that historie saying 9.44 Whosoeuer shall come to make battell with vs vpon the Sabbath day we will fight against him that we dye not all as our brethren were murthered in secret places Againe if any person be dangerously sicke he ought to haue all such comforts as are meete for him and therfore some must attend vpon him others runne or ride to the phisitian apothecary or chirurgian and all of them ought to trauaile or deale for him when there is such need and the disease bee so great that the longer it bee deferred the more shall the partie bee indangered and the disease will grow more incurable For this very example is brought by the aboue named Schooleman Tho. Aquin. secunda 2.
an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath daies For he speaketh of many euen of all those which vnto the Iewes were commanded vpon the same condition that the Sabbath day was and were of like nature to it and therefore he findeth fault with the Galathians for obseruing them Galat. 4.10 vers 9. saying Ye obserue daies and moneths and times which he calleth weake and beggerly rudiments because now there was no vse of them but all of them being taken away onely the Sabbath is reserued for vs. Therefore who is so blind that will not see and so obstinate that will not confesse that though we be bound to the keeping of the Sabbath as the Iewes were yet neither the libertie of the Gospell is taken from vs nor the bondage of the law cast vpon vs. Nay who is so vnthankfull for this great libertie in these daies aboue that which the first people of God had that vnder the pretence of it he will breake out to the doing of whatsoeuer liketh himselfe vpon the day of rest and set open a doore of all licentiousnes vnto others Matth. 18.6.7 but woe be vnto the world because of offences it is necessarie that offences should come but woe bee vnto them by whom they doe come it were better for them that a milstone were hanged about their neckes and they were drowned in the bottome of the sea Therefore let vs be otherwise minded and take it to be our bounden duetie most carefully to rest from the ordinarie workes of our calling vpon the Sabbath whatsoeuer may be spoken or imagined to the contrarie And the rather that wee might doe it Gods punishments vpon the breakers of the Sabbath let vs consider of the iudgements of God that haue come vpon men for breaking the Sabbath By which sensible kind of perswasion euen experience the mistresse of fooles they in the Councell at Paris laboured to perswade vnto a more religious keeping of the day Concil Paris lib. 1. cap. 50. when after they had iustly complained that as many other things so also the obseruation of the Sabbath was greatly decayed through the abuse of Christian libertie in that men too much followed the delights of the world and their owne worldly pleasures both wicked and dangerous they further adde Multi nanque nostrum visu multi etiam quorundam relatu didicimus c. For many of vs haue beene eye-witnesses many haue intelligence of it by the relation of others that some men vpon this day being about their husbandrie haue been striken with thunder some haue been maimed and made lame some haue had their bodies euen bones and all burnt in a moment with visible fire and haue consumed to ashes and many other iudgements of God haue been and are daily whereby it is declared that God is offended with the dishonour of so great a day And the Centuriators of Magdeburge Cent. 12. cap. 6. intreating of the manners of Christians made report out of another historie that a certaine husbandman in Parochia Gemilacensi grinding corne vpon the Lords day the meale began to burne Anno Dom. 1126. Which though it might seeme to bee a thing meere casuall yet they set it downe as a iudgement of God vpon him for breaking the Sabbath As also that which they speake in the same place of one of the Kings of Denmarke Ecclesiast hist Centur. 12. ibid. who when as he contrarie to the admonition of the Priests who desired him to deferre it would needes vpon the day of Pentecost make warre with his enemie dyed in the battell But that may be better knowne vnto vs all which is written in the 2. booke of Macchabees of Nicanor the Iewes enemie who would needes set vpon them on the Sabbath from which when other the Iewes that were compelled to be with him could by no meanes disswade him hee was slaine in the battell and himselfe most miserably but deseruedly handled euen the parts of his bodie shamefully dismembred as in that historie you may reade more at large And I am sure our time hath not wanted examples in this kinde whosoeuer hath obserued them when sometimes in the Faires vpon this day by sudden floods the wares haue swumme in the streetes sometime the scaffolds at playes haue fallen downe to the hurting and endangering of many sometime one thing some time another hath fallen out of which we must say as Christ saith of the Galileans they were not the greatest sinnes in England Luk. 13.2.3 but vnlesse wee repent and amend we must all likewise perish He punishes some to shew the rest what they must looke for if they continue hee punisheth not all here in this world to teach vs there is a day of iudgement reserued for the rest And therefore it was well alleaged in a prouinciall councell to perswade vnto the better obseruation of the Sabbath Matisconens concil 2. cap. 1. Haec omnia By dooing of these things wee shall both pacifie the wrath of God towards vs and also turne away and remoue his heauie plagues as sicknesses and scarsitie And here I may remember vnto you if it be not altogether out of place the historie of him Numb 15.32 who in the time of the law gathering stickes was stoned to death for it by the iudgement of Moses from the mouth of God of which M. Caluin saith That this is the summe of the historie Cal. in hunc locum that by the death of this one man was ratified the religious obseruation of the sabbath day that afterwardes it might haue more reuerence by which seuere punishment it is apparant that he did not so much offend of ignorance as of a grosse contempt of the law whereby it came to passe that he made none account to subuert and corrupt all holie orders As it appeareth also by the circumstance of the text going immediatlie before where is set down the difference of punishments vpon malefactors who sinne of ignorance and of contempt or as it is saide there with an high hand which latter should be punished with death and then followes immediatlie this historie as an example or proofe of it whereby it appeareth that though not euery breach of this commandement is to bee punished with death yet the open and contemptuous breaking of it doth deserue it as all other sinnes of the like nature in other the Commandements of the first and second table as an Atheist he that offereth vnto other Gods that blasphemeth the name of the liuing God that curseth father and mother that committeth murther c. which iudgements when the magistrates doe fayle to execute then the Lord doth it himselfe vpon some few to shewe what should bee done to all the rest and what they may looke for if they doe not repent But to proceede in this matter according to my purpose Vpon the Lords daye we ought to rest from al honest recreations and lawfull delightes it
is most certaine that we are not onely commanded to rest from these that we haue spoken of but from al other things which might hinder vs from the sanctifying of the sabbath as well as these of which sorte are all honest recreations and lawfull pleasures which are permitted vnto vs vpon the other dayes to further vs in the workes of our callings which we doe stand in neede of euen as of meate and drinke and sleep for if those worldly duties which we are commanded to walke in and be of necessitie required and without the which the common wealth cannot stand at all are then forbidden when we should attend vpon the Lords work because we cannot bee wholie occupyed in both much more those things which serue but for pleasure without the which mankind may continue though not so well continue must be giuen ouer because we cannot haue the present delight in the vse of them and yet at the same time bee occupyed in the hearing of the word such other parts of Gods holie worship and seruice as he requireth of vs vpon the Sabbath day Nay because men cannot be both at Church seruing God with the rest of their people and in their houses sporting themselues with their companions together nor in the great congregation praysing God with their brethren and in the open fieldes playing with their fellowes at one time And God vpon the sabbath requireth these of them therefore the other must giue place to it and we must not thinke it sufficient that wee doe no worke vpon the sabbath and in the meane season be occupyed about all manner of delights but wee must cease as well from the one as from the other And wee must doe it so much the more by how much the workes of our recreation are lesse needefull then the workes of our vocation and yet doe more hinder vs from the sanctifying of the sabbath then they For experience which is the mistresse of very fooles may teach vs and our nature is such that it must needes be so how much we are moued with delectable things euery one in his kinde some this way another that how marueilouslie they do affect vs how all our senses are taken vp with them and all the parts of soule and bodie wholie possessed with them that for the present time none of them can be occupied about the Lords work immediatlie at least wise as they should be Therefore vpon this day all sortes of men must giue ouer vtterlie all shooting hunting hawking tennise fensing bowling or such like and they must haue no more dealing with them then the artificer with his trade or husband man with his plowe and as men must not come to Church with their bowes and arrowes in their hands so neither with their hawkes vpon their fists which they hadde neede to doe so much the lesse because a liuing creature which is stirring which must so beheld in the eye of the bearer and in the open view of others is more able to hinder the minde from being attentiue then a senselesse creature or a peece of a sticke which a man may cast behinde him or throw where he list Obiection And be it that the faulkner say it troubleth him not one whit because by custome he doth not so account of it though I am sure he is more hindered by it in prayer and in hearing the word then if he had it not at all Answere yet how if others should be hindered by it which haue not their senses so at commaundement that they can keepe them from such vaine and hurtfull spectacles Is it not a sufficient cause to keepe them out of the Church where all things should be done both of the minister and people to the edifying and building vp of one another in godlines 1. Cor. 14.26 and not to the pulling downe and destroying of them therein And if they themselues would be ashamed to holde them vpon their fiftes when they should receiue the sacrament vpon what ground doe they holde them in the ministerie of the word Vnlesse they will lightlier regarde the worde then the sacrament or put asunder those things which God hath ioyned So then wee see they are greatlie deceiued who when vpon this daye they haue abstained from all kinde of worke doe thinke they haue marueilouslie kept the commandemeÌ„t though in the meane season they haue been occupyed in all kinde of pleasure and delights because they know no meane betweene working and playing thinke it sufficient that they restraine themselues of the one and then giue themselues all libertie to the other Now if these and such like honest and lawfull recreations doe hinder men in obeying the commandement of rest in so much that they can in no wise stand together what shall we say of so many vnlawfull games as are vsed euery where Much more from all vnlawfull pastimes Ephe. 5.16 which onely and truelie are called pastimes as they be because there is nothing in them but a mere idle and fruitelesse mispending of the time and passing of it away which they should redeeme If such as be tollerable at other times vpon this daye are inexcusable because they hinder vs from sanctifying the daye what profitable shew of reason can be brought for the maintenance of those which being at all other times worthie to bee condemned yet vpon this daye are most commonly practised and are made as it were proper and peculiar vnto it as though the time did make them lawfull and gaue some priuiledge and credit vnto them Here therefore wee may iustly complaine vnto God and men of the manifolde abuses and sundrie breaches of this holy rest by all the disorder and confusion that accompanieth Lords of misrule wherein whole dayes nights are spent euen vpon the sabbaths and at that time especiallie when they would seeme to be most deuoute keeping the remembrance of the greatest benefite that euer was or can bee bestowed vpon mankinde euen the birth and incarnation of Christ Iesus and therefore they will not worke at all for sooth that they might giue themselues more wholie to the consideration of it as they should but that their dooing doe manifestlie speake against them that they doe celebrate the feast of the drunken god Bacchus rather then any thing else So that here we may iustlie complaine with that ancient father and godly diuine Bullinger in Apoc. concio 4. as he did in his dayes That whereas Dauid when hee was vnder Saules persecution chiefely bewaileth that hee had not free accesse vnto the Lordes tabernacle our men count it one of the chiefest happines neuer to come into the companie of the Sainâ—es Et die dominico abuti ad lusus and to abuse the Lordes day vnto gaming Musculin Matth. 12.11 vnto drinking vnto dauncing and vnto prophane things And with another learned man Vanitati student die dominico Many giue themselues wholie to vanitie vpon the Lords day and spend away
men to rest from such workes and pleasures as wee haue seene We must rest also from speaking and hearing of worldly matters but also from speaking and talking of them seeing his purpose is not onely to restraine the hand and the foote but the lippes and tongue also because they hinder our selues and others from keeping holy the day as well as any thing else For vnlesse we will restraine and shorten this commandement more then all the other why should not idle words bee forbidden here as well as in all the rest And seeing in the first both Atheisme prophane speeches are forbidden it is a sin against the second cōmandement to name false gods vs well as to worship them Psal 16.4 and in the third the name of God is dishonoured by our vngodly conuersation and by our vaine and false othes why should not the lawe of the Sabbath bee as large in forbidding long communication and large discourses about worldly busines and pleasures as well as the things themselues especially when wee see the same equitie and proportion in the lawes of the second table also In which not only murder is forbidden but all rayling words Math. 5.22 proud and scornefull speeches and that lawe which forbiddeth adulterie Ephes 4.29 ◠3 sayth that no filthy communication must proceed out of your mouthes therefore seeing the other commandements are giuen to frame the whole body of man and euery part of it vnto obedience why should it not be presumed of the commandement of the Sabbath also that it ordereth our words as well as our works especially seeing the one is more disordered then the other and they which can rule their hands and their feet cannot so well gouerne their tongues of which trueth seem it neuer so new and strange vnto vs though no truth indeede be new we shall so much the rather be persuaded if we consider that much talke about worldly matters doth as well hinder the sanctification of the day as much worke and so much the more because wee may worke with our selues alone yet cannot talke but with others and so doe hinder both our selues and them For our mindes cannot bee wholly set vpon the worship of God as they should and at the same time bee speaking of and listning vnto the affaires of this life euen of our commodities profites and pleasures Besides that the Lord would haue our mouthes and eares otherwise occupied vpon this day as well as our handes and feete as shall more fully appeare hereafter So that vpon this day men must cease from making of bargaines and broaking of matters from talking about their marchandise trades from questioning and debating of things about their cattel corne and white meate and generally from all worldly matters incident to our calling and then we must speake with new tongues as it were and put newe words into our mouthes as well as new works into our hands that it may appeare vnto all men which beholde vs that it is a day of rest indeede when wee thus rest in whole not in part and that it is a new day differing from the other sixe when we are so altogether made new and as it were differ from that which we were before both in worde and deede And therefore we must be farre from the practise of a great many who make this the onely day of reckoning with their seruants and of accounts with their labourers and chapmen and bestow it for the most part in hearing what hath been done the weeke before and prescribing what should be done the weeke following Much lesse should we draw neere the practise of such who as they know no end of their pleasures so they can neuer make an end of talking and hearing of them so ouerfilled are they with them that out of the aboundance of their hearts their mouthes must needes speake and as they haue many fruitles discourses abuot their hawking and hunting at home in their houses before and after it besides that which they haue abroad in their fields when they are in the game so that there is more time and words mispent afterwards about it then was well spent before in it euen so they make all daies alike and looke how farre their hawkes are from their fists and their dogges from their heeles vpon that day so farre are the vnprofitable and endlesse tales concerning the same from their mouthes and cares and a little lesse because when necessitie driueth them to leaue the one because they are at their meate such like yet they cannot giue ouer the other but pursue it to the vttermost euen to the disturbance of others and filling their heads so full of vanitie as their own are besides their owne sinne in abusing of the time and the dishonor of Gods name in breaking of the Sabbath And now if vnto all this which hath been spoken you will giue me leaue to adde but one thing more you shall see how absolute and perfect this lawe is euen like vnto the lawgiuer himselfe who as he is a spirit so will bee worshipped in spirit and trueth in all the seuerall parts of his worship which he requireth in euery one of his commandements For this is that which was deliuered vnto vs in the first entrance into the Commandements namely that the whole lawe of God was giuen vnto whole man and as the Lord God created him both in soule and bodie redeemed him by Christ Iesus sanctifieth and preserueth here and is purposed elsewhere to glorifie him in both for euer so he hath set him down that forme of obedience whereby in both he might bee reformed to that image according to the which hee was first created in righteousnes and true holines and therefore in this commandement doth shew vs And from hauing our minds occupied about the same what in bodie and soule wee should keepe vs from euen that we must rest from hauing our mindes occupied about all those things which are not lawfull to be done vpon that day and that we must not only lay our worldly busines out of our hands but put them out of our heads so that we may not spend our time in studying about the workes of our calling nor beate our heads about thē laying platformes as it were for the weeke following and so haue our heads fully fraught with thē but wee must haue our vnderstanding and affections cleane emptie voyd of them that there may be roome for such heauenly meditations to dwell in vs as the Lord would haue vs to be filled with them Caluin in Gen. 2.3 Master Caluin expounding these words The Lord blessed the seuenth day sayth this blessing is nothing els but a solemne consecration Qua sibi Deus studia occupationes asserit die septimo whereby the Lord doth chalenge to himselfe vpon the seuenth day all our studies and labours and therefore wee must not be such grosse hypocrites as to imagine that if
in that place where he hath the greatest blessing of being profitable to others that any can haue in the world and none so great as hee wee haue departed and that vpon the Sabbath without any profite at all wherein our sinne is so much the greater that for the most parte men doe not see it and so cannot be grieued for it And what is the cause of all this S. Augustine in his time complaineth of many great abuses in the Churche which hinder men from profiting all which and many more are true in our time when hauing spoken before of them that are ranging in the fieldes when they should be at Church addeth Adhuc quod detestabilius est August de tēp serm 251. Besides which is worste some comming to the Church doores enter not in or tarrie not there with silence to the ende but when there is diuine reading within then they abroade are talking either of other matters or quarelling one with another or playing To whom he saith afterwardes Do not giue your selues to playing abroade but to praying and singing within And afterwardes in the same place he speaketh to them that are in the Church saying Doe not talke one with another while you are at Church but bee quiet for there are many especially certaine women Quae ita in ecclesia garriunt who so chat in the Church and are so full of words that neither themselues heare that which is read nor suffer others to heare and then hee concludeth Should there bee such meetings in the house of God in such an order or should they so behaue themselues in the sight of God and of his holy Angels It is prouided by publike authoritie That no man woman Q. Iniunct articl 38. or childe should be otherwise occupyed in the time of seruice then in quiet attendance to heare marke and vnderstand that that is read preached and ministred but how pitifully the execution of this is neglected in many places it is too lamentable to consider And if this were all wee might holde our peace The Ministers in many places are the cause why the people doe not profit but this mischiefe stretcheth it selfe out further for alas many of Gods people liue vnder such vnprofitable Ministers that it is not so much as to be hope for ordinarily that any profit should come from them at all for besides that that many cannot so much as distinctly read so that they may profitably be vnderstood I would to God it were not so there are many that can but reade and what is the profit of that though I confesse it is great in it selfe vnto the endlesse profit that commeth by preaching And let them but one shew vs the spirit of God who must be the onely iudge in this matter euer speaking so magnificenlty of the one as of the other Others that doe preach had as good almost holde their peace for they cannot deuide the word of God aright 2. Tim. 2.5 neither are they the mise dispensers of Gods mysteries Matth. 24.45 and stewardes of his house who should giue to euery one of his people their owne meate in due season Zach. 11.15 but haue taken vnto themselues the instruments of a foolish shepheard whose right armes is dryed vp and their right eye is cleane put out that they haue no skill to discharge their dueties in any profitable measure neither doe they make it part of their care and studie to speake most profitably to their people but either care not what they saye or else seeke their credit and estimation in that which they doe say What shall wee saye then to these vnprofitable men which cause so many of Gods people to bee vnprofitable and euen in those things from whence greatest profite should redound vnto them and vpon that very day which is especially appoynted for their profit How will they wash their hands of so many vnprofitable assembles whereof they haue been the very cause themselues nay they haue brought vp a vile slander vpon the house of God which is the most beautifull and fruitfull place in the world because they haue shut out the profitable preaching of the word which maketh all other things more profitable In so much that many say what good shall I get by going to the Church what can I heare there which I may not heare or read at home Haue I not the Bible and booke of common preyer at home which saying of theirs though I doe not allow of yet you see whence it ensueth and woe bee to them by whom such offences come but this one thing will require a seuerall treatise and I must remember my purpose though I haue well remembred it all this time I meane I must bee as briefe in euery thing as the time doth require the waightines of the matter wit permit There are yet other holy dueties publikely to bee performed vpon the Sabbath day whereby it is sanctified but I haue stood the longer vpon these because they are most principall most common vnto all least regarded of all I will bee shorter in them which followe Vpon the Lords day the poore ought publikely to prouided for To make common prouision for such poore as be in euery congregation or if they bee able to haue a care of others adioyning vnto them is a worke most acceptable vnto God profitable to our brethren commanded to be done and practised of the Church most of all vpon the Sabbath For this is that order which the Apostle established in the Churches of Galatia and at Corinth for the relieuing of the poore saintes at Ierusalem much more then did they it for those that were amongst themselues Euerie first day of the weeke let euery one of you put aside and lay vp as God hath prospered him 1. Cor. 16.2 that then there bee no gatherring when I come When men haue beene prospered the whole weeke before and they come vpon the Lords day to acknowledge it and to giue tha thanks vnto God for the same the lord would haue thē declare their faith namely that they haue receiued all from him by bestowing vpon them who are in great neede the which that they might doe the rather they haue the worde that might prouoke them vnto it wherein are many goodly promises concerning the fatherly prouidence of God watching ouer them for good in this life that serue him and that he hath prouided for them a kingdome in heauen that he will requite it them double whatsoeuer they giue vnto the poore in his name and for his sake in so much that the giuing of a cup of cold water shall not be lost Math. 10.42 for he that hath pitie vpon the poore Prou. 19.17 lendeth vnto the Lord and looke whatsoeuer he layeth out it shall be repayed For the Lorde Iesus Christ will account Math. 25.40 whatsoeuer wee haue done vnto the least of his brethren as though we had done it vnto
Gods workes will teach vs to profit by al things and in all estates Therefore if men will needes ouerlooke their grounds vpon the Lords daye as sometimes they must and bee dealing with their cattell talking about them let their cogitation and speeches tend to this ende and then in so dooing they may sanctifie a part of the daye otherwise they shall be as merely worldly vpon that daye as in any other of the sixe And in deed if we would thus bend our mindes and pray to God for his spirite and vse to doe it we should neuer want matter of profit to our selues and others in what estate and condition soeuer wee were about whatsoeuer wee had to deale either in the day or in the night at home or abroade alone by our selues or with others for thus in a meane estate of life whereas the wicked doe complaine and are not satisfied but enuie them that are aboue thē we might behold the goodnes of God towards vs prouiding so wel for vs according to the desire of the wise man Prou. 30.8 Giue me not pouertie or riches feed me with foode conuenient for mee 9. Least I bee full and denye thee and say who is the Lord Or least I bee poore and steale and take the name of my God in vaine If wee bee vnder the crosse either pouertie sicknes or any other distresse whereas the men of this world doe repine and grudge let vs vnderstand the wise dealing of our father towards vs Who by this meanes Rom. 8.29.17 maketh vs like vnto the image of his sonne that wee suffering with him might also be glorified with him If the Lord hath blessed vs with the aboundance of all things though the greater sort be puffed vp thereby and by abusing of them doe forget God let vs thereby bee humbled and vsing them well not haue our mindes set too much vpon them and know whiles we are here in the body we are absent from the Lorde and that this is but an earthly tabernacle which must be destroyed looking for an house not made with hands eternall in the heauens If then there bee so many good things here below what is the happines prepared aboue If so great contentation vpon earth what is the fulnes of ioye in heauen And not onely thus but whither soeuer we doe turne our eyes we shal haue matter not onelie to keepe vs from idlenes but to prouoke vs to all profitablenes For when the sunne ariseth how might it tell vs of the comforte of the sunne of righteousnes arising in our hearts How might the spring of the yeare put vs in minde of our regeneration and new birth What would the darkenes of the night teach vs but the horror and feare of ignorance where there is not Gods worde Would not our meate leade vs to the spirituall foode of our soules And our apparell to the righteousnes of Christ Iesus that being clothed therewith wee might bee comely before God and men and not ashamed And to be short if we were not beastes and no men might not our sleepe forewarne vs of death our bedde of the graue our rising againe in the morning of the day of our resurrection Thus al the creatures should lift vs vp to the creator and thus to be occupyed about them are the very works of the Sabbath indeede Thus if we did see or heare any of the iudgements of God vpon our selues or others wee should thinke and speake of them with humilitie and feare of any of his benefites with great ioy and comfort whereas now men for the most part doe neither the one nor the other And though I know very wel that the proper place to speak of these things is in the third cōmandement where the Lord willeth vs in al our thoughtes wordes deeds to seeke and set forth his glorie and therefore so alwaies to deale with his creatures that his most glorious name might appeare thereby For he is the creator of all things and this is his name yet to doe them vpon the Sabbath is the very worke of that day in which we should vse all the meanes that might make the publike ministery most profitable vnto vs and either drawe vs nearer vnto God or make vs more fitte to doe dueties to our brethren Therefore let vs set our hand to this trueth confessing that it is our bounden dutie to serue God in this right vse of his creatures and workes let vs be sorrowfull that wee haue ouerslipped this duetie so carelesly heretofore and let vs bee assured that it hath bereaued vs of much godlines that otherwise might haue been in vs and made vs so much the lesse profitable vnto others and therefore in the feare of God and in the care of our own Saluation let vs purpose performe this duetie most carefully hereafter that the blessing of God might be more vpon vs and we haue the testimonie of a good conscience of Gods creatures witnessing for vs and not against vs. And let vs be so much the more carefull of it in good earnest But all sortes doe greatlie fayle in it by how much we knowe too well that the common practise of most men is so farre from it In so much that euen they of the vniuersitie that make it their profession to search out the nature of Gods workes and to see furthest into them and therefore must needs haue many and deepe meditations besides often and long disputations about them doe not so much as propounde this vnto themselues and therefore no maruell if they neuer attaine vnto it namelie to beholde in them the inuisible things of God Gods wonderfull work in them thereby either to be confirmed in any part of his word or stirred vp to any duetie vnto God or men but they haue in stead of these many both vaine and too curious and also false and vntrue discourses about these with themselues and others euen vpon the Sabbath And I am sure that in the countrey men are not free from this sinne for it falleth out in them euen of the better sorte either of ignorance or negligence that when they haue sanctified the Sabbath in some other part of Gods worship this hath not been so much as once thought of Nay euen then when they endeuoured themselues to meditate conferre about Gods worde which is the chiefe they haue not done the like about his workes and so haue lost some further commoditie of the worde that they might haue reaped when thus they might haue been taught as it were by a double schoolemaster especially when the Lord punisheth vs for neglecting some parte of his seruice and we doe not vse al the meanes that God hath appoynted to serue his prouidence by Therefore let vs remember among all other things that wee haue heard of before to make this one parte of our priuat seruice of God vpon his holy day and so I shal grow to an end For as it
to bee regarded vpon the Lords day appeareth by that which Moses speaketh of it Deut. 5.14 The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not doe any worke therein thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy manseruant nor thy maidseruant nor thy oxe nor thy asse neither any of thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates that thy manseruant and thy maidseruant may rest as well as thou Where he maketh this a reason why rest is vpon the Sabbath day especially to bee giuen vnto all that are imployed vnto any bodily labour euen vnto the dumbe beast that they might be eased thereby without the which their estate were too intollerable And therefore it appeareth that the Lord would haue men exercised vnto pitie vpon this day most of all when by his Prophet he perswadeth them to ease their seruaÌ„ts cattel of their labour vpon this day least otherwise by continuance they should be most cruelly oppressed Whereunto agreeth that which is most plaine to conceiue and forcible to moue Exod. 23.12 Sixe daies shalt thou labour to doe thy worke and in the seuenth day shalt thou rest that thine oxe and thine asse may rest and the sonne of thy maid and the stranger may bee refreshed Where besides that it is to be obserued that in the former part of the chapter hee speaketh of shewing mercie and compassion as to the poore man in his cause to the enemies oxe going astray to his asse lying vnder his burden to him that is wrongfully oppressed to the stranger that is farre from his owne countrie and friends and to the fields and vineyards that they might rest vpon the seuenth yeare for the benefite of the poore and the cattell as may most euidently appeare vnto him that will but reade the text and then adioyneth this vnto it as that which is of the like nature and kind the words themselues that he vseth in setting of it downe doe sufficiently declare that mercy must be especially regarded vpon this day when hee reckoneth so many by name that most of all stande in neede of it and would haue them to rest because otherwise they cannot sufficiently bee refreshed and drawe their breath with ease as it were euen as the worde doth import as hath beene declared before Hereupon the Prophet Ieremie speaking of sanctifying the Sabbath Iere. 17.21.22 requireth of them that they shuld set their seruants free from their burdens and their worke By all which it may be most certainely gathered that all louing kindnes and pitie is to be shewed vnto our brethren as at all other times so most of all vpon the Sabbath and more then after an vsuall manner when it is one of the ends why it was ordayned by GOD and therefore the thing whereunto we ought to haue an especiall regard most of all if we consider the practise of it in the whole new Testament For it is written of our Sauiour Christ by the Euangelists in the Gospell that vsually hee vpon the Sabbath daies visited the sicke healed the cripples restored the blind to their sight and doth not onely defend his doings herein by the law against the cauils of his aduersaries but also leaueth his owne example in this to be our president and patterne to followe whereof that is a proof that Saint Iohn testifieth in many words There was a feast of the Iewes Iohn 5.1 and Iesus went vp to Ierusalem 2. And there is by the sheepe market a poole called in Hebrue Bethesda hauing fiue portes 3. In the which lay a great multitude of people of sicke folke of blinde halt and withered wayting for the moouing of the water 4. For an Angell went downe at a certaine time into the poole and troubled the water whosoeuer then first after the stirring of the water stepped in was healed of whatsoeuer disease hee had 5. And a certaine man was there which had beene diseased eight and thirtie yeares 6. When Iesus sawe him lye and knew that hee now long time had beene diseased he said vnto him wilt thou be made whole 7. The sicke man answered him Sir I haue no man to put mee into the poole when the water is troubled but while I am comming another steppeth downe before mee 8. Iesus sayd vnto him Rise take vp thy bed and walke and the same day was the Sabbath Where wee see that our Sauiour Christ commeth of purpose to the place where a great many of impotent and diseased people vsed to lie vpon the Sabbath and healed one of them And in the seuenth chapter he defendeth this fact of his saying Chap. 7.23 If a man vpon the Sabbath receiue circumcision that the lawe of Moses should not be broken be ye angrie with me because I haue made a man euery whit whole on the Sabbath day If the law of circumcision doe bind men to minister and receiue it vpon the Sabbath then much more doth the lawe of loue bind men to shewe mercy vpon the Sabbath seeing that it is appointed of God not to hinder vs from but to further vs in all his works among which the relieuing of them that bee in necessitie is one of the chiefe and principall And as the Lord Iesus Christ came not to destroy the lawe but to fulfill it Math. 5.17 so hee obserued it very carefully in this poynt and being most full of compassion did declare it aboundantly by taking all oportunitie to succour them that were in miserie euen vpon the Sabbath as the fittest time for it For this is that also which Saint Luke reporteth of him in his gospel That he taught in one of the Synagogues on the Sabbath day 11. Luk. 13.10 And beholde there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeâ—res was bowed together and could not lift vp her selfe in any wise 12. When Iesus saw her hee called her to him and saide to her Woman thou art loosed from thy disease 13. And he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight againe and glorified God 14. And the ruler of the Synagogue was mooued with indignation because that Iesus had healed on the Sabbath day and sayd vnto the people there are sixe dayes in which men ought to worke in them therefore come and be healed not on the Sabbath day 15. Then answered him the Lorde and sayd Hypocrite doth not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose his oxe or his asse from the stall and leade him away to the water 16. And ought not this daughter of Abraham whome Sathan hath bound loe eighteene yeares be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day Where we doe euidently see that Iesus Christ not onely in wonderfull great pitie vnto this long diseased creature bestoweth the benefite of health vpon her but also when as the rulers of the Synagogue either through a grosse ignorance or palpable hypocrisie did find fault with it as a
worke altogether impertinent to that daye he doth iustifie it and sheweth that it is most proper vnto it because it is the day of shewing mercy and therefore if men do nay ought to loose the oxe to the water much more might he loose the daughter of God from her infirmitie of soule and bodie And hee doth not so much dispute what he might do as shew what euery one ought to doe For if it were a breach of the Sabbath to neglect any duty to the other creatures then much more to withdraw our hand from our brethren when they doe stande in neede of our helpe And in the Chapter immediatlie following when hee had healed a man of the dropsie vpon the Sabbath daye he proueth the lawfulnes of the fact by the like reason It came to passe that when Iesus was entered into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisies vpon the Sabbath day to eate bread Luke 14.1 they watched him 2. And behold there was a certaine man before him which had the dropsie 3. Then Iesus answering spake vnto the expounders of the law and Pharisies saying is it lawfull to heale vppon the Sabbath daye 4. And they held their peace Then he tooke him and healed him and let him goe 5. And answered them saying which of you shall haue an oxe or an asse fallen into a pitte and will not straight way pull him out on the Sabbath daye 6. And they could not answer him againe to these things But the time would not serue to stand vpon all the places which shew that this is a peculiar work of the Sabbath to helpe the helpelesse to strengthen the weake succour them that are in necessitie thereby to shew that wee are well perswaded of the loue of our heauenly father when wee are so readie to shew our loue to the rest of his children our brethren I will therefore conclude with that which is set downe by Mathew That Iesus went into a synagogue 10. Matth. 12.10 And beholde there was a man which had his hand dryed vp and they asked him saying Is it lawful to heale vpon the Sabbath day That they might accuse him 11. And he answered them and sayd what man shall there be among you that shall haue a sheepe and if it fall on the Sabbath daye into a pitte will not he take it and lift it out 12. How much more then is a man better then a sheepe Therefore it is lawfull to doe wel on the Sabbath day 13. Then said he to the man stretch forth thy hand and hee stretched it forth and it was made whole as the other In all which places we may note that it is alwaies precisely noted that Christ Iesus did all these mercifull deeds vpon the Sabbath thereby to declare how parte of sanctifying the day consisteth in them and also how the men of this worlde did finde faulte with them which sheweth how farre they are from dooing any such things themselues and that the Lord Christ doth replie vpon them with such reasons as generally concerne all men to the ende that they might knowe that they were not things properlie belonging to himselfe but generally to be followed of all men Vnto this may bee referred the making of peace betweene man and man especiallie that wee should seeke peace our selues and take it when it is offered Whereunto it seemeth the lawes of the Emperours had respect when they commande not onlie that the courtes should be shut vp but also Respirent à controuersijs litigantes Le. finali C. de ferijs Let the parties leaue of all controuersies and haue a time of peace Ad sese simul veniant Let them come one to another let them be sorrie and repent one to another let them make peace and agreement and speake of compounding the matter among themselues And in thus doing they should shew great pitie to others and to themselues whereas otherwise by endlesse suites they many times most cruelly begger one another Therefore in fewe wordes this is the thing that we haue to remember in this place that we ought to be ready to helpe all that bee in need according to our habilitie and their necessitie and by our presence and other helpes to bee as comfortable to them as may bee inlarging the bowels of compassion towards them and putting the same affection vpon vs which is in them euen for the Lordes sake who hath shewed mercie vnto vs and whose creatures they be and so make it the Lord his work Which that we might do so much the rather We ought to visite them that be in miserie it is profitable for vs to goe vnto them which cannot come to vs to looke vpon them which cannot see vs and to heare them speake that many times crie haue none to heare them that the lamentable spectacle of their miserie might mooue our hard hearts to pittie them and in pittie to helpe them so much the more willinglie for though the things that wee heare may touch vs greatlie yet nothing in comparison of that which wee see that is the sense of mouing especially in so much that though we may partlie gesse of our selues what is the great extremitie of others and partlie vnderstand it by the true reporte of them that haue seene it and so bee moued to helpe yet nothing so much as when wee haue been at them our selues and seene the ruines of their houses and the nakednes of their bodies the hardnes of their lodging the thinnesse of their dyet and hard fare when wee haue beheld these with our eyes and touched the colde irons of the prisoners and marked the vneasie stockes that they are locked vnto and the lothsome dungeons that they lye in and haue been eyewitnesses of their extreame torments and grieuous diseases then if our hearts be not as hard as flint and if wee haue not put off all brotherlie kindnes and forgotten that we be men our bowels may begin to yearne vpon them and that which was in vs but a sparckle of loue before shal breake out into a great flame the heate whereof shall comfort them and that one droppe of compassion which was before in vs shall multiplie it selfe into a great riuer the streame whereof shall refresh the heauie heart and dryed soule of our brother M. Bucer speaking of the works of this day amongst other saith Visitare infirmos to visite the sicke Bucer in Matth. 12.11 For as beggers when they would haue men to pitie them lay open their sores because that though things be neuer so great in themselues yet til they bee seen we wil hardly beleeue them therefore we doe the poore wrong manie times in iudging their estate to bee better then it is so therby is shewed what is the nature of all that if we will shew mercy to others so cheerefullie as we should we must visite them in their necessitie and not turne our eyes away from beholding their neede And
of our life testifie it let our workes proue it for who will beleeue that hee hath beene present at the assemblies of the Church and hath heard the worde of God with a syncere heart and a true faith who bestowes the rest not onely of that day as he sayth but of his life not onely more vainely but more wickedly Let vs therefore in the feare of God and as wee haue a care of our owne soules repent vs earnestly of that that is past and praye vnto him that in all time to come we might make more conscience of obseruing the Lords day in all the parts of his worship publikely and priuately and that wee may bring forth the fruite of them all more plentifully all the daies both of the weeke following and of our whole life to the glory and praise of his holy name the vnspeakable comfort and endlesse saluation of our owne soules the good example of his Church the stopping of the mouthes of the wicked and the leauing of them without excuse and that in and by our onely Lorde redeemer and mediatour Iesus Christ through the operation of his holy spirit to which blessed Trinitie in vnitie for his grace vpon me in finishing this work and for all other his mercies bee ascribed as most due all honour glorie and praise both now for euermore Amen FINIS A Table of the principall matter contained in the first Booke THis Commandement in foure things differs from al the rest pag. 1. 2. 3. 4 That there ought to be a Sabbath day continually kept of al men to the end of the world pag. 5 The Sabbath day was kept from the beginning of the world before it was pronounced vpon Mount Sinay pag. 6 The lawe of the Sabbath is naturall ibid. 7. 8 The Gospell hath not taken away the obseruation of the Sabbath pag. 9. 10 The Sabbath was ordained for 2. principall ends pag. 11. 12 It is necessarie that there should be one day of rest in the weeke ibid. 13 It is necessarie that one day in the weeke shoulde bee sanctified pag. 14. 15. 16 If there were no Sabbath Gods worship would bee altogether neglected pag. 17. 18. 19 Obiections to disproue the continuāce of the Sabbath vnder the Gospell answered p. 20. 21. c. The Sabbath ought to be vpō the seuenth day and vpon none other pag. 30. 31. 32 And vpon this seuenth day that we now keepe pag. 33. 35 This change of the day was made by the Apostles p. 36. 38 Why the Apostles chaunged the Iewish Sabbath into this day that we now keepe rather then into any other p. 42. 43. c. This day must neuer be changed but continue to the end of the world pag. 47 It is and must now bee called the Lords day pag. 48 The first thing commaunded is to rest vpon this day pag. 51 A very exact and precise rest must be kept pag. 53. 54 The causes of this rest p. 57. 58 From what things wee ought to rest pag 63. 64. c. All sorts of men high and low are commanded to rest p. 82 c. The cattell must rest pag. 85 Wee must not compell others to worke for vs. p. 89. c. They that be in authority must restraine other from working pag. 93. c. Obiect how shall men liue if they worke not Answered p 98. c. What bodily labour may bee vsed vpon this day p. 102. c. Euery man in the sixe dayes may doe all his worke pag. 119 Obiection If wee bee bound thus straightly to rest wee are in as great bondage vnder the Gospell as the Iewes Answered pag. 124. c. Sundry iudgements of God vpon the breakers of the Sabbath pag. 128. 129. c. Wee ought to rest also vpon this day from al honest recreations and lawfull delights p. 131. c. And from speaking and hearing of worldly matters p. 137. c And from hauing our mindes occupied about the same p. 140 Obiection Who is able then to keepe this Commandement Answered pag. 144. An application of all this to our selues pag. 146 FINIS The principall matters in the second Booke THe second thing in the Commandement is to sanctifie the day of rest pag. 149. 150 It is then sanctified c. ibid. Which is principally required in this Commandement 153. c. We must remember the Sabbath to this end especially p. 156. c. The sanctificatiō of the day is precisely vrged in many c. p. 158 Then the daylie seruice of God was doubled p. 161 Our Church assemblies ought to be vpon this day p. 162 At which time men ought to bee there present p. 164 Then ought Gods worde to bee preached p. 166. c. All men should goe where they may heare it p. 169 c. Where it is not preached heard the day cannot be hallowed as it should p. 172 They that cannot or will not preach are causes of vnhallowing this day p. 173 Wee must be present at the rest of diuine seruice frō the beginning to the end therof p. 174 175. c. God would haue vs to serue him publikely in the Church p. 177 Sundry reasons to perswade therunto p. 178 After what manner and to what end we ought c. p 183 Wee must repent for our vnprofitable comming to church 188 Publike collection for the poore ought to be made c. p. 191 How wee ought priuatly to spend the rest of the day 194 Wee must prepare our selues before we come to church c. 195 How we ought to prepare c. 198 We must reade the scriptures priuatly at home 200 Wee must vse priuate meditation vpon that we haue c. 203 What meditation is and the great fruits thereof 203. 205 How vnprofitable we are for want of meditation 207 Wee ought priuatly to talke and conferre c. 210 The profit of such cōferēces 219 What hinders men frō thē p. 216 With whō we ought to cōfer 220 Wee ought to meditate and conferre also of Gods works 222 Which will teach vs to profit by al things and in all estates 230 There ought to be singing c. 235 The fruit of singing Psalmes 239 Singing of Psalmes is greatly decayed 241 The cause of this decay 242 The praise and commendation of singing Psalmes 244 The workes of mercie ought to bee practised especially on this day 246 We ought then to visit them that be in miserie 252 The spiritual works of mercie are then especially to bee done to mens soules 255 All superiours ought to bee careful that their inferiours c 258 In our time this is greatly neglected c. 263 Lawes should bee made and well executed c. 274 The great good that redounds to the cōmon-wealth thereby 275 A Conclusion with an application of al to our selues others 281 FINIS
the time in their delightes in feasting in drunkennes in whoring Whereupon it comes to passe there at no time seene more vanitie filthines and riote then vpon that day which should be accounted holy vnto the Lord. August in enarrationem tituli Psal 91. So that here that saying of S. Augustine is true Quanto melius est arare quam saltare How much better is it for men vpon this day to goe to plow then to dancing Yet if wee had this one complaint onely to make it may be we could hold our peace but because wee may iustly say with the Lord in the Prophet behold a thousand abhominations more Ezek. 8.13.15 we must needs renew our complaint of the ordinarie Enterludes and Stage-playes wherein some spend their whole life and when they die their conscience vncomfortablie telles them that they haue not wrought but played all their dayes and also of the common Bearebaytings Bulbaytings Cockefightings and such like wherein there is nothing els but an vnnaturall pleasinhg of our eyes and feeding our affections with the crueltie of one creature against another to no purpose of the May-games and setting vp of May-poles and of so many other as the very wisedome of men hath iudged vnlawfull and therefore not to bee suffered in a Christian common wealth much more hath the word of God condemned them as the vnfruitfull workes of darknes and more meete for the night either of Atheisme among the Heathen from whence they sprung or Idolatrie among the Papists in which they grewe vp then for to day and cleere light of the Gospell in which we doe liue and therefore as it is a sinne to bee occupied about them at any time so a double sinne at this time and if we ought to rest from them altogether then most of all vpon the Sabbath and day of rest and if they be workes not agreeable to the daies of our own works then much lesse with the day of the Lords worke And here we had need to pray that the ancient lawes of Christian Princes Emperors might be reuiued and where they be that withall leueritie they might be put in execution whereby a number of abuses might be constrained to shrinke in their hornes which nowe without all controulment too shamelesly lift vp their heads here in England Canutus in his lawes among other thinges which he forbad vpon the Lords day Canutus lege 15. as we haue seene before sayth Let huntings and all worldly worke bee forborne And in the impeâ—iall lawes the same thinges with great seueritie are forbidden for when it is first sayd Dominicum dâ—em semper honorabilem ita decernimus Wee decree that the Lordes day should alwaies bee so honorable and reuerenced c. Then it followeth Leg. final C. de ferijâ— Nihil eodem die sibi vendicet scena theatralis Vpon that day let there be no state playes or other games nor the lamentable spectacles of fighting with wild beasts Etiamsi in nostram nataleÌ„ celebranda solemnitas inciderit differatur Though it so fall out that the solemnitie of our birth day should then be kept let it be deferred Si quis vnquam spectaculis interesse c. Let all his goods be confiscated and lose them Whosoeuer shall be present at any spectacles or games they say die festo I would it were with vs but die Dominico vpon the Lords day August de temp serm 251 Saint Augustine amongst many other thinges which he dissuadeth his hearers from vpon the Lords day in his sermons sayth Neque in venatione se occupet diabolico mancipetur officio Neither let any man vpon this day bee occupied in hunting and herein become the diuels seruant to doe his busines by ranging the fieldes and the woods shouting hollowing crying out Most of all ought such things to be kept out of the Church neither should men be suffered so to play the fooles there nor to come in thither from their games with such vnseemely behauiour as in some places they doe in this respect we had need of the doore keepers that were vnder the law to keepe out such prophane dogges and filthie swine for as one man saith complaining of sundry abuses of the Lords day Et quod omnium turpissimum est And that which is most shamefull of all Muscul in Math. 12.11 men runne with such vanitie and imprudencie vnto the assemblies of the Church when others meete to exercise the discipline of faith of modestie and of the framing of their whole life I say they come thither with no lesse want of modestie Quam si ad vanissimas saltationes impudica spectacula Then if the people were called together vnto most vaine dancing and shamelesse spectacles Nihil est disciminis inter habitum saltantium ecclesias ingredientium There is no difference betweene the attyre and behauiour of dauncers and of them that come into the Church Notwithstanding I am not of that minde neither would I be mistaken to think that men shuld neuer take their delight It is not vnlawfull to vse recreations we onely restraine men from theÌ„ vpon this day and that all recreation were sinfull I am not so stoicall to binde men onely vnto things of necessitie seeing the Lord of his great mercie hath giuen so many for pleasure be it farre from mee that I lay any heauier burden vpon any man then the Lorde himselfe hath layd For I know that to all things there is an appointed time and a time to euery purpose vnder the sunne But as in the former treatise we did not condemne the works of mens callings because we iudged them vnlawfull vpon the day of rest nay we held them commendable and necessarie and therefore would haue men faithfully to trauaile in them vpon the sixe dayes that so they might rest from them vpon the seuenth when they haue done all their worke before So in determining that we must giue ouer then our ordinarie recreations we do not conclude that they should altogether be left but aduise men rather to take them at some other time and wee doe exhort them that be in gouernement to giue some time to their children and seruants for their honest recreation vpon other dayes that they be not driuen to take it vpon this seeing they can no more want it altogether then their ordinary food And as we haue seen they are bound to giue them some time to worke for themselues vnlesse they will by their ouer much straightnes compel them to it vpon the day of rest so must they spare also some fewe houres for their refreshing now and then seeing they can no more want the one then the other But that we might throughly perceiue the largenes of this rest and know the full measure of it for our good we must stretch out our line yet further for it extendeth it selfe beyond all this that hath beene spoken for in this commandement the Lord doth not onely bind