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
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
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
to rest but that euen to rest froÌ„ labour though it be a meere worldly thing in it owne nature yet is a singular part of our obedience to God vpon that day when it is so many times required so often vrged and as it is neere pressed vpon vs with words doubled and tripled yea and that by God himselfe who is not flowing with words in a barren cause but sheweth vnto vs the waightines of his Commandement by the force of his words and the seueritie of his lawes by his most significant and patheticall speeches The reason why the Lord would haue men to rest vpon this day is manifold The chiefest cause of resting is that we might wholly attend vpon Gods worship the first and principall is that which was from the beginning that men might be the more fit to sanctifie it in the holy seruice of God which because they could not doe with all the powers of their soule and bodie as the worship of God requireth so long as they are about their worldly businesse because they must needes take vp their wits and their willes the vnderstanding and the heart either in whole or in part so long as they bee conuersant in them therefore that wee might so doe as hee requireth hee would haue vs rest from that which might hinder vs from it and because the affayres of this world and his worship are two distinct things he would haue vs rest from the one that we might bee occupied in the other Thus speaketh S. Augustine August de teÌ„p serm 251. Sciendum est fratres charissimi We must vnderstand dearly beloued brethren that it was therefore commanded not onely of our holie fathers as he saith there but of God that we should rest especially on the Lords day that ceasing from all worldly busines we might be more prompt and readie for the worship of God when we should haue no let to hinder vs from it For as wee haue seene alreadie our nature is not onely â—o now but was so in Adam that he could not doe both these at once and therefore as he was willed by God to sanctifie the seuenth day so he willed him therefore to rest from dressing the garden in that he called it a Sabbath day that is a day of rest and this reason as it did straightly binde Adam to rest vpon it so doth it all his posteritie much more Afterwards there were other causes adioyned vnto this which made this necessitie of resting a great deale stronger A lesse principâ—ll cause is the retayning of our bodily strength and by name for because that through sinne the bodie of man is weakened all the naturall humours of it being corrupted and hauing lost the first vigor and strength of it and therefore is now subiect to paine to wearisomnes to sicknes and to death and so standeth in neede of ease and craueth rest as that without the which it cannot long continue therfore in respect of this men had need to rest so much the more that by the rest of the seuenth day they being refeshed might bee more enabled euen in the strength of their bodies to do the works of their calling cheerefully Adam and his posteritie if they had continued in their first estate should haue labored vpon the sixe daies but their labour should haue bin no labour vnto them I meane they should not haue laboured with wearisomnes and with payne for these are the punishments of sinne and the forerunners of death threatning a dissollution of the bodie in time but then there should haue been no death yet they were bound to this rest for the forenamed cause but now when as besides that labour is through Gods iust punishment become so laboursome vnto vs and work is so full of paine and trauaile maketh wearie according as it is sayd In the sweate of thy face thou shalt eate bread Gen. 3.19 then wee see there is greater cause we should rest on this day and we are as it were with a double chaine bound vnto it Therefore in thâ— 5 of Deut. where Moses repeateth the law shewing hâ—â— great cause there is why they should rest vpon the Sabbath he alleadgeth this in the end of the 14. verse that thy manseruant and thy mayd may rest as well as thou speaking of them who as they are most subiect to labor so therefore doe most of all stand in need of this benefite of rest Afterwards when this law was giuen to the Iewes by the hand of Moses as in the obseruation of it they had many Ceremonies proper to themselues so in the ende and cause of this rest there was something ioyned vnto it which bound them vnto it most straightly and yet appertaining to no other people but them and though all the people in the world were equally bound to rest vpon the Sabbath day and there was great reason to binde euery one of them vnto it yet the Iewes had moe reasons then any other and in their rest was some speciall consideration which could not enforce or compell any other but themselues And of this nature is that whereof Moses speaketh in the next verse of this very chapter Deut. 5.15 Remember that thou wast a seruant in the Land of Aegypt and that the Lorde thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to observe the sabbath day The Iewes were bound to it more specially for a memorial of their deliuerance out of Egypt and a seale of their deliueraÌ„ce by Christ In which place he maketh the day of rest to bee a memoriall to the Iewes of their resting from their heauie burthens and intolerable labours in the land of Egypt when the Lorde ridde them out of the cruell hands of Pharaoh and so because that benefite was a pledge vnto them of their eternall deliuerie and redemption by Christ from sinne and the miserable thraldome of it euen the Lord did assure them of it by this miraculous deliuerance according to the manner of teaching in those times wherein the truth of this doctrine was not so plainely reuealed therefore this rest also vpon the sabbath was vnto them a type and figure of that eternall rest from sinne which they should haue by the Messiah and the one was most liuely shadowed out vnto them in the other for these causes also were they bound to rest vpon the sabbath which bound none but them because they onely were partakers of the redemption from Egypt wherein they onely were in bondage and so to rest vpon it that in resting they might both thankefully remember the happie and often desired rest from the endles worke in Egypt that oppressed them which none other could doe but they and also with faith to meditate vpon the hoped and eternall rest from the deadly workes of sinne in themselues by Christ and to behold the performance of the one in the other euen the bodie in
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
at the gates that there should be no burthen brought in on the Sabbath day 20. So the chapmen and Marchants of all marchandise remained once or twise all night without Ierusalem 21. And I protested among them and sayd vnto them why tarrie ye all night about the wall If you doe it once againe I will lay hands vpon you From that time they came no more vpon the Sabbath Out of which description of their vngodlie practise in the storie it is as cleere as the noone day that there was a common market or faire vpon the Sabbath it is set out so plainly and in so many words for there was selling of all wares and there were both Marchants and chapmen not onely within Ierusalem but which came from other places to buy and sell but he reproueth the one and the other and conuicteth them all of the manifest breach of the Sabbath in not obseruing the rest of it yea euen those that sold victuals and those that did but carrie things to and fro And so this scripture teacheth vs that the holie rest of the Sabbath is so inuiolably to bee obserued that no persons at any time may breake it no not vnder the pretence of buying and selling then when most may be gained either waies no nor vnder the colour that they doe but carrie things to bee bought or sold no nor vnder the shewe of doing that which might seeme most tolerable as buying and selling of victuals All which things are so palpable and grosse a breach of that Commandement which requireth a resting from such things that they are not onely condemned in the iudgement of them that haue seene most cleerely by the light of the word but also of such as being stone blind and therefore could not discerne them with the eye yet were able with their hands as it were to feele them For in the very depth of Poperie it was by the authoritie of the Parliament ordained Ann. 27. Hen. 6 cap. 5. That all manner of Faires and Markets should vpon the Sundaies cleerely cease and that there should not be any shewing of goods and marchandises vpon the same vnder paine of forfaiture of all the goods aforesayd so shewed to the Lord of the Franchise and therefore by authoritie aforesayd power was granted vnto all such as had no daies to keepe their Faires but these that they might keepe the same three daies before or after they signifying the same by proclamation vnto the Countrey aforehand And they which of old time had by speciall Commission sufficient daies before or after should in the manner as is aforesayd keepe their Faires and Markets the sayd Sundaies except Where also it is worthie to bee considered by what reasons the King the Lords spirituall and temporall and the whole Commons of this Realme of England were then induced vnto this resolution as they bee set downe at large in this statute Namely they did consider that I might vse their owne words the abominable iniuries and offences done to almightie God by the occasions of Faires and Markets vpon these daies accustomably and miserably holden and vsed in the Realme of England In which daies for great earthly couetousnes the people were more willingly vexed and in bodily labour troubled then in other workedaies as in fastning making their boothes and stalles lifting and setting their marchandise outward and homeward as though they had nothing in memorie the horrible defiling of their soule in buying and selling and so specially withdrawing themselues and their seruants from diuine seruice These are the words of the Statute in which though I am not ignorant that they made other daies in the weeke Saints daies as they bee called equall in this thing with the Lords day nay preferred them before it according to the ignorance of those times yet it is sufficient for my purpose that the Sundaies so called were not excluded but rather with the other included in a branch of this Statute Yea this law was in force here in this land long before this time euen before the Conquest when as in the daies of Canutus Canutus lege 14. 15. amongst other lawes made by a councell of his sages at Winchester which as some write are yet extant it was enacted Item that Sunday be kept holie Faires Courts Huntings and worldly worke on that day to bee forborne But to shut vp this matter in a word we doe vnderstand that the Lord hath not only by his generall Commandements often repeated shewed vnto vs that a rest vpon this day must needes bee obserued of vs but also hath in particulars met with all these exceptions of times and busines which might least of all seeme to be included within the compasse of it that we might not measure the length and breadth of this rest by the crooked rule of our owne imagination as the greatest part doe but by the vndeceiueable line of his holie word which is only able to giue vs the full measure of it But yet if you further demaund from what things wee should rest seeing it is agreed vpon among vs that wee must rest indeede 5 We must rest from whatsoeuer doth hinder vs from Gods seruice surely the answere partly appeareth by that which hath been alreadie spoken and doth more fullie arise from the words of the text For first of all seeing the principall end of resting is that the day time might be sanctified in the holie worship of God as the Worde the Sacraments and prayer it must of necessitie followe that whatsoeuer thing doth hinder vs from spēding the time profitably in these things we must rest from them And therfore wee see that alwaies this reason is brought why wee should rest from other things euen that wee might giue ouer our selues to Gods seruice As when Augustine sayth August de tēp serm 251. We are commanded to rest vpon the Lords day from earthly businesse that wee might bee more fit for Gods seruice And also in a Councel held vnder Charles the Great in which many worldly things are expresly by name forbidden as husbandrie keeping of Courts dealing in marchandise Arelat Synod 4 cap. 16. c. This is the conclusion His solummodo peractis those things onely being done quae noscuntur which are knowne to appertaine to the seruice of God So that I may say generally as M. Caluine saith Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 34 Wee ought to cease from those workes which hinder the workes of God let vs from calling vpon his name or stay vs from exercising our selues in his holy word Secondarily it may appeare by that opposition which is made betweene the workes of the sixe dayes and the Rest of the seuenth day that whatsoeuer are the workes of their calling wherein they are occupied in the sixe dayes from them they must rest vpon the seuenth according as it is said As from the workes of our callings Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy
worke but the seuenth daye is the sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke that is any of that worke which thou vsest to doe vpon the sixe dayes which is also proued by the example and patterne of Gods Rest who in sixe dayes made the Heauen and the earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day from which time he hath not rested from doing euery thing for he preserueth and gouerneth the things that hee hath made but hee resteth from such workes as he did vpon those sixe dayes namely of making new kindes of creatures or framing any more worlds which example of his must be our imitation for he rested for our sakes to teach vs that though we haue our seuerall callings wherein we must be diligently occupyed in the sixe dayes yet we must rest vpon the seuenth and rest from those things which we vsually doe vpon the sixe dayes by vertue of our calling for so hee rested himselfe Therefore whereas one man is occupyed in this thing and another in that and euery man hath or ought to haue some speciall businesse to attend vpon in the sixe dayes and being in an honest calling hee should labour in it diligently that he might not eate the breade of idlenes he ought vpon the seuenth day to put himselfe apart from all those affayres and as though they did not appertaine vnto him to haue no dealing with them And this is that which TertulliaÌ„ saith speaking of the seuenth day Tertul. aduers Marcion lib. 3. In it thou shalt not doe any worke Quod vtÃque tuum What worke saith he thine owne worke Consequens n. est vt ea opera sabbatho auferret quae sex diebus suprà indixerat for it must needes follow that he should forbid those workes vpon the sabbath day which he had before appoynted for the sixe dayes and therefore hee further addeth Tua id est humana quotidiana I say thine owne workes are forbidden that is worldly and dayly businesse So that here wee neede not to descend further into particulars or to vse many words for the opening of this matter it doth so plainely offer it selfe vnto vs that it may bee both seen and felt of vs and here needeth no great capacitie for the conceiuing of this poynt For if we liue not altogether in idlenes vnprofitably spending away the time and our selues and be as it were an heauie and vnprofitable burthen vpon the earth whereof there be two many in the world and it is one of the greatest sinnes of our time if I say we can but tell what is our daylie businesse and wherein we are or should be occupyed euen these are the things that be ment in this commandement that we should rest from So that here we had neede rather of a good conscience that might moue vs in the feare of God in a carefull obedience to his commandements to enter into this rest which we haue seen so many waies commended vnto vs and that euery one must examine his owne proper workes and so hee shall easely discerne what be the very special things from which he must rest as though they did not belong vnto him at all Thus shall the labourer perceiue that vpon this day he must rest from his dayes labour whether it be digging or thrashing or hedging or any thing else and the artificer from his dayly crafte and trade of making such things as bee incident to his calling and the husbandmen from sowing and tilling and manuring the earth and gathering the fruites of it and such like yea euen in the time of haruest as we haue seene Exod. 34. To this end besides that that hath been alleaged heretofore for this purpose I may put you in minde of one of those worthie Lawes which Charles the Emperor deliuered vnto his visiters whom he sent with his authoritie to reforme the Church Item we decree Centur. 8. Eccles luster c. 6. that as God hath commanded no seruile worke be taken in hand on the Lords day as also the Prince my father of blessed memorie gaue charge by his Synodall edict to wit no kinde of husbandrie neither cutting of vines nor tilling the ground neither reaping nor mowing nor hedging neither rooting or felling of trees nor digging in rockes nor building nor gardening nor hunting The women likewise to forbeare al Manuall worke as weauing sowing embroydring kemming of woll dressing of flaxe shearing of sheep and washing of clothes c. The Marchant and chapman must rest from buying and selling of wares making of bargaines vpon this day yea euen from buying of victuals fish or flesh meate breade or drinke for the sixe dayes are giuen them to make their prouision in as it hath been alreadie declared vnto vs out of Nehemiah 13. And whereas this abuse was common among the Iewes in the time of their captiuitie by reason of the great ignorance and because they were mingled with the heathen after their returne vnder Nehemiah when things began to be reformed they bound themselues by couenant to redresse this fault also for this was one article in the couenant Nehem. 10.31 That if the peâ—ple of the land brought ware on the sabbath or any victuals to sell that they would not take it of them on the sabbath and on the holy dayes Wolph lib. 3. in Nehem. 10. And M. Wolphius very excellentlie vpon this place Ijs vtuntur verbis They vse such wordes as doe somewhat declare that this custome had been among them that if other forraine people who had no conscience of the sabbath had brought any corne or wares vpon the sabbaths they preferring their owne commoditie and lusts before the obseruation of the sabbath they did not sticke to buy all that of them whatsoeuer it was By what meanes both the religious obseruation of the sabbath and the number of them that offered sacrifices and heard the word of God was greatly decayed because they were occupied about other things And whereas they speake of the people of the land thereby meaning other nations they secretly preuent their obiection who might reply that the strangers in no case were to bee tyed vnto the Lawes of the Iewes and that this delay was to their hinderance if they might not be ridde of their wares before the day following and that many of them did offend of ignorance and that if they should be thus hindered it would come to passe in time that they would bring nothing and by that meanes the Citie should want victuals and things necessary all which did cary with it a very probable shew of reason Nehemias aliam rationem init Nehemias he taketh another course sheweth that the ancient lawes of our forefathers yea of God and for religion ought to be so esteemed of vs that we should not suffer them to be broken for any strangers sake And the same Wolphius doth further adde That this people doth promise
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
prince of the Iewes Nehe. 13.15 after their returne from the captiuitie as it is set downe in the last chapter of that booke where he thus speaketh of himselfe In those daies saw I them in Iudah that trode wine presses on the sabbath and that brought in sheaues and which laded asses also with wine grapes and figges and all burdens and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the sabbath day and I protested to them in the day that they solde victuales 16. There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein which brought fish and all wares and solde on the sabbath vnto the children of Iudah and in Ierusalem 17. Then reproued I the rulers of Iudah and saide vnto them What euill is this that ye doe and breake the sabbath daye 18. Did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs and vpon this citie Yet yee encrease the wrath vpon Israel in breaking the sabbath 19. And when the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke before the sabbath I commanded to shut the gates and charged that they should not bee opened till after the sabbath and some of my seruants set I at the gates that there should no burdē be brought in on the sabbath day 20. So the chapmen and marchants of al marchandize remained once or twise al night without Ierusalem 21. And I protested among them and said vnto them why tarrie ye all night about the wall if ye doe it once againe I will lay hands vpon you From that time came they no more vpon the sabbath In which words is fullie described vnto vs a most liuely picture both of that religious boldnes and zealous courage that should be in a magistrate bending al his force to the suppressing of such abuses as doe most dishonour the name of God as the breaking of the sabbath and also of the good blessing and prosperous successe of God vpon the worthie labours and Christian interprises of all such For though this abuse of prophaning the sabbath by breaking the rest of it so many waies as we see was so vniuersall and that through the iniquitie of the time preuayled so long that it had gotten a strong head and could not bee bridled at the first for though the gates were shut yet they tarried without at the wals all night hoping to come in in the morning with the formost according to their former custome so obstinate and peruerse were they in their wickednes yet when hee was as constant in Gods cause which he knew he had taken in hand as they were froward in their sinne God gaue him to deale so wisely being not discouraged first by proclayming the lawe of resting which he knew before was in the word then by threatning imprisonment vpon them that would not keep it commanding the inferiour magistrates to looke to the execution of it and rebuking them for their negligence and sloth in it in former times fearing them by the consideration of Gods iudgement euen their present captiuitie which came vpon their forefathers from the which they were not all returned and into the which or some other they might fall againe because of this one sinne that hee preuayled with them euen as it is set downe to his great commendation and to the singular incouraging of all Christian Magistrates in their offices What good successe God gaue him in it to the vnspeakeable comfort of the church and the immortall prayse of God that from that time they came no more vpon the sabbath A worthie rewarde for so noble an enterprise an honourable triumph for so rare a conquest And if we doe see so happie an ende of the trauaile of one man in so corrupt a time dealing against a sinne so deepelie rooted so publickely defended by the practise of the common people so generallie winked at by the inferiour magistrates and that in Iudah and in Ierusalem what hope might wee haue of the blessed endeuours of so many Nehemias in a time more religious among so many worthie gouernours in the Church and common-wealth if our sinnes did not hinder it and if they would deale in the faith and zeale and constancie of Nehemiah and wee would helpe them with our prayers That so first of all it might bee established by a generall meeting of all estates ciuill and ecclesiasticall as it was in his dayes by the Priests Leuits and chiefe of the people that none should doe any thing contrarie to the obseruation of the sabbath Nehe. 10.8.9.14 no not vnder the pretēce of dealing with strangers and then that those lawes might be diligently executed with great seueritie vpon all transgressors yea though they were strangers as they were in his time rebuking and sharplie punishing all inferiour officers by whose negligence the faulte should bee committed as hee did with great grauitie and moderation So then to drawe this whole treatise into a narrowe roome and to shut it vp in a worde the summe of all is that the Lord hath commanded so precise a rest vnto all sortes of men that it may not by any fraude deceite or circumuention whatsoeuer be broken but that hee will most seuerely require it at their hands vnder the payne of his euerlasting displeasure And this is the first duetie here required that both wee our selues and all vnder vs doe vpon the seuenth day rest from all such workes as by vertue of our callings appertaine vnto vs vpon the other sixe and this is the thing that wee should bee perswaded of Obiection If men should thus rest from all worke how should they liue But now if any vngodly man through the coueteousnes that is in him cannot yeeld vnto this because hee sauoureth not the things that bee of God but is worldlie minded and therefore is ready to obiect and say if we doe not labour how shall we eate you see the world is hard and things are at a great price and we haue a charge of wife and children that must bee cared for and when wee haue wrought sore the whole sixe dayes it will scarsely find vs bread therefore what reason is it to binde vs from working vpon the seuenth And why may not a poore man then earne a pennie as well as at any other time What I thinke you would haue vs to starue It is true in deede as M. Caluin saith Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. That all of vs naturally are of that minde that if we endeuour to mounte on hye to the heauenlie life and bestowe our studies herein we thinke we shall dye for hunger and this shall be to turne vs from our profites and commodities For as hee further saith the diuell commeth alwaies to perswade vs vnder this shadow and wilines that if we imploy our selues to the seruice of God we must needs dye of famine and that we liue to be pittied of others for our miserie Answer Therefore for answer I first of all say as he doth Of a truth we cannot serue
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
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
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
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
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
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
vpon the holy Sabbath we must not doe our owne will nor doe our owne waies nor seeke our owne will for thus many wordes there hee vseth but consecrate it as glorious vnto the Lord Esay 58.13 Loe say they he requireth this on the Sabbath that we should rest from doing our own will and this alone which ought to bee perpetuall not restrayned to any certaine day and therefore the Sabbath that he speaketh of is of this nature and of none other And of this iudgement there are too many in the world not onely those who vnder this colour doe abolish this day as the Familists and other prophane men but also those who retaining the day make this the principall thing in it to rest from sinne which I take to bee generall to the whole lawe and common to all dayes and therefore they doe restraine these words No worke Thy worke Any seruile worke vnto sinne and make it almost proper vnto that at leastwise principally to include it and therefore vnder that pretence take more libertie to themselues vpon this day then they should so that they rest from sinne And of this minde are not onely the Schoolemen but also so many newe and olde writers that I need not to name any from whom with all humilitie reseruing their due praise to themselues let mee a while with your fauours differ in iudgement without all suspition of singularitie till you heare what I can say to the contrarie Vnto this therefore wee doe first of all answere Answer that the Prophet Moses doth oftentimes speake of a set day and the seuenth day is oftentimes repeated and he standeth vpon a day and therefore if Esay bee otherwise taken he is against Moses one Prophet against another which cannot bee and thus by the authoritie of Moses in those daies his mouth might soone haue been stopped Secondarily To râ—st from sinne is the fruite of the true keeping holie of the Sabbath we say that the true meaning of the Prophet in that place is to teach the right manner of sanctifying the Sabbath indeede and therefore he correcteth that abuse which was among them by name that they straightly obseruing the outward rests had not that care of the fruitfull vse of Gods worship which they should haue had but either altogether neglected it or did it but in Ceremonie Therefore he telleth them that all their resting was to no purpose if they did not so spend that time in the holy seruice of God as that thereby they might be made afterward more fit to rest from sinne and to doe Gods will and so doth giue them to vnderstand that theÌ„ they had sanctified the Sabbath indeed when as thereby they were more furthered in the spirituall rest not altogether taking away the Sabbath day but shewing what fruit shuld come therof without the which the other was but an outward and bare and vnprofitable Ceremonie Whereunto agreeth Master Caluin Cal. in Exod. 20.8 Legitimus Sabbati vsus The right vse of the Sabbath must be referred to our sanctification and the deniall of our selues He doth not say that this is all in all but that we must make this good vse of the day to profite thereby in mortification and that must the fruite of the worship of God therein And that this is the proper meaning and naturall sense of the place further appeareth by that which goeth before in the same chapter Esay 58.5.6 Is it such a fast that I haue choâ—â—â—n that a man should afflict his soule for a day As also it is of keeping the day of fast and to bowe downe his head as a bulrush and to lye downe in sacke cloth and ashes wilt thou call this a fasting or an acceptable day vnto the Lord Is not this the fast that I haue chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed goe free and that ye breake euery yoake Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungry that thou bring the poore that wander into thy house When thou seest the naked that thou couer him and hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh In all which words it cannot be the meaning of the Prophet to take away the outward abstinence froÌ„ the creatures of God in the day of fasting which was commanded in the law and the Prophets and warranted by our Sauiour Christ afterward in the Gospel according to the nature of it but to shew that though they did fast neuer so much so that their bodies were brought lowe thereby and made weake like a bulrush yet that their hearts were haughtie and proude stil hard and cruell to their brethren and were not thereby humbled in their soules before God and men and did not shewe their humiliation according as they did outwardly professe it by the ceremonie of fasting did not shewe it I say by the deedes of loue vnto men that all their fasting was not regarded of the Lord neither was it acceptable vnto him So that in both the places he speaketh incomparison as in many other places of the scriptures giuing vs to vnderstand assuredly that neither the ceremonie of fasting was allowed of God though commanded by him vnles that afterwards by the fruites of true humilitie they did shew that they had vsed it in trueth neither the precise obseruing of the Rest vpon the Sabbath was pleasing in his eyes though necessarilie required by him vnles by the power that they got therby against sinne to rest from it they did declare that by the religious vse of Gods holie seruice they had sanctified it aright so that he doth not forbid the one to establish the other but sheweth that it is in vaine and to no purpose when it is secured from that end for which it was ordained and bringeth not foorth that fruite which it would doe if it were rightly vsed As we may see the spirit of God speaking thus And it must be the fruit of all true religioÌ„ Iam. 1.27 Pure religioÌ„ and vndefiled euen before God the father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widows in their aduersitie and to keep himselfe vnspotted of the world Where his purpose is not to exclude all the parts of Gods seruice as though no religion consisted in the hearing of Gods word receiuing the Sacraments and praying and as though if a man did â—eade an outward ciuill life so that he could not be openly charged with any sinne among men but were pitifull to the poore then it made no matter of what religion hee were for this was all in all but he speaketh against the hypocrisie of such as making a great shewe of religion and carrying the name of professors there appeared no fruites of true religion in their liues and conuersations assuring them that all their religion was in vaine more in shewe then in trueth vnlesse these fruites did followe vpon it as appeared by the verse immediatly going before If
I shuld obstinately coÌ„tend with any where â—he Lord hath giuen any authoritie to his Church ordiâ—arily and perpetually to sanctifie any day except that â—hich he hath sanctified himselfe For I holde this with â—ther learned men as a principle in diuinitie that it belonâ—â—th onely to God to sanctifie the day as it belongeth to him to sanctifie any other thing to his owne worship Muscul loc com praecept 4. Deus est qui sanctificat sayth Musculus Jt is God that doth sanctifie that is who of common or prophane thinges makes holy it is duetie religiously to obserue according to his word the things that are sanctified of him nostrae potestatis non est sanctificare it is not in our power to make holy at our pleasure the things that God hath not sanctified if any man shall attempt it hee not onely therein is superstitions and not religious but also doth therein chalenge that to himselfe by a rashnes that cannot be excused which belongeth onely vnto God And as wee know not how to worship him but that we are sure by his worde that hee hath sanctified such and such things to that end namely hath appointed the preaching of his word the administration of the Sacraments and calling vpon his name for that purpose and therefore in vsing of these we promise our selues to be blessed of him for he hath himselfe established them by his owne mouth and therefore his blessing must needes accompany them So at what time we should neglect all other things and wholly apply our selues vnto these wee are wholly ignorant but that we know he hath sanctified the seuenth day and blessed it for this cause and it was as needfull for the Lord in respect of our selues to tell vs which was the day as to tell vs that there ought to be a day and so much the more by how much our nature is more corrupt in one then in the other For all they which either by the light of reason or knowledge of Gods worde haue attained to this trueth that there ought to be a day seuered from the rest to this ende yet haue not gone so farre with one consent to set downe this very seuenth day For that I might not speake of the Gentiles who kept so many holydaies as we know they did yet could not away with the Sabbath of the Iewes which was vpon the seuenth the very practise of the Papists doth declare how blinde wee are in this matter who vnto the seuenth day which the Lord hath sanctified haue adioyned so many other daies as the second third or fourth day of the weeke and all of them indifferently as they fall out and made them equal with the seuenth in sanctifying of them nay many times preferring them aboue it in that they haue appointed a more solemn kind of seruice vpon some of theÌ„ then vpoÌ„ the seuenth and iudging it a greater sinne to trauell or worke vpon some of them then vpon the seuenth wherin yea if their religion were good they could not ordinarily looke for such a blessing of God as vpon the other Besides there bee other who iustly condemning the Papists for this intrusion of dayes yet are persuaded not onely that the day which wee nowe keepe may bee changed by the Church without any offence but that the number of seuen may bee altered contrary to that which hath continued from the beginning Therefore we must needes acknowledge it to be the singular wisedome and mercy of God towardes his Church thus by sanctifiyng the seuenth day to ende the strife For as we see in Gods seruice when men goe away from his word there is no end of deuising that which hee alloweth not and they fall vpon euery thing sauing vpon that they should so in appointing the day if wee be not ruled by the worde wee shall find by experience that euery day will seeme more conuenient to vs then that at leastwise we shall seeme to haue as good reason to keepe any other as the seuenth Now seeing it appertaineth onely vnto God to blesse vs It belongeth onely to God to sanctifie any creature it caÌ„not belong to any but him to appoint the meanes whereby hee will conuey this blessing vnto vs and hee hath not onely sanctified the meanes but hath especially blessed the seuenth day for those purposes and dealing with it we deale with that which hath an especiall blessing vpon it for our sakes For this cause we vse in the sacraments the water the bread the wine rather then any other thing in the world we look assuredly to receiue that blessing from these creatures which we cannot from any other because GOD hath sanctified them for this purpose and hath put that rich blessing vpon them for our good which no other creature hath vnder the sunne In so much that if any one would minister or receiue the Sacraments in any other elements then these he should not finde that blessing of the forgiuenes of sinnes and newnes of life which the Lorde doth by these meanes conuey vnto his Church For as no man in the worlde can of himselfe make this promise vnto men that they shall bee washed and clensed from their sinnes by the bloud of Christ and that by his body and bloud they shall be nourished in soule and in body vnto euerlasting life so none in the worlde can appoint out the meanes whereby God will conuey these inestimable treasures vnto vs put vs into the possession of them and make vs assured of them which when himselfe hath done wee cheerefully looke for that good from them because hee is faithfull and true that hath sayd hee hath thus blessed them for vs. In regard of which as the Iewes did faithfully keepe that seueth day to the end which they knew by the word which onely God blessed and sanctified for their vse so it was vnlawfull for them to change it for any other because they had not that warrant that they should be specially blessed vnto them as they had for this which being that very day vpon which the Lorde himselfe rested from all his worke which hee made hee did therefore blesse this seuenth day and sanctified it Gen 2.2 because that in it hee had rested from all his worke that God had created and made to that ende that they obseruing that day rather then any other might therein bee made like to their creator and might shewe by their practise that they worshipped him whom they knew euen him that as he had made an especiall couenant with them to saue them so he was able to doe it for it was euen hee who when he had made the whole worlde in sixe daies rested vpon the seuenth and therefore sanctified it and none but that that this work of his might be had in an euerlasting remembrance And when all the Gentiles round about sayd that they worshipped euery one of them the true God and yet they did not thus knowe him
might be occupied about worldly busines when other men should rest from them For the Lord beginneth with them first saying Thou euen thou that art a father a master a gouernour and hast any within thy gouernment and vnder thy hand as it were within thy gates And al that be in subiection And as the gouernour may not pretend his authoritie for excuse as though hee might escape by that no more may the inferiour his subiection as though that should hide him seeing the Lord who is gouernour of both speaketh vnto both and nameth both whether he be sonne or daughter manseruant or maydseruant bond or free borne at home or a stranger as it is in the words of the text And there is great reason of this if we consider the subiects themselues and especially the seruāts As seruants especially whose condition were intolerable and not to be borne if when they haue for many daies been wearied with continuall labour they should not haue some good time to rest in and the Lord in his wisedom hath appoynted one whole day in seuen and therefore no lesse can be giuen And seeing that the rest was made for man that is Mark 2.27 appointed for the benefit and commoditie of man there can be no shewe of reason that they should want it who doe stand in most neede of the benefite of it but because it is most commodious vnto seruants it ought especially to be affoorded vnto them And therfore Exod. 23. Exod. 23.12 where this lawe is repeated hee bringeth this reason That the sonne and the mayd and the stranger should rest namely Arias Mont. Vattabl Tremel Deut. 5.14 that he might bee refreshed thereby and as it were take his breath as the word doth import and is so translated by the most skilfull in that tongue And in Deut. when Moses would perswade the gouernours willingly to bestow vpon their seruants this benefit of rest he willeth them to remember the heauie bondage of Egypt in the which they had no rest that by their own experience they might confesse that it was equall and iust before God and men that the wearied seruants should haue rest Master Caluin vpon this place sayth Let thy seruant rest and why For thou wast sometime in bondage Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 35 the time hath been thou couldest haue wished that one had giuen thee some rest and release from thy labours thou oughtest then to vse such gentlenes towards them which are vnder thy hand If thou wert in bondage wouldest thou not that one should giue thee some release Wouldest thou alwayes bee oppressed with labour and trauaile Surely by thy good will thou wouldest not it behoueth then that thou beare also with others And how full of discomfort and continuall miserie should their liues be if this comfortable refreshing common vnto all the creatures euen to the oxe and the asse should bee denied vnto them Moreouer if the masters doe but looke to their owne priuate gaine they may bee induced to shewe this mercie vnto their seruants that thereby they might be more inabled vnto all new dueties of their calling the weeke following hauing thereby renewed their strength which otherwise would haue decayed which when it is not in that conuenient measure extended towards them that the Lord requireth some of them fall into sicknes others into great weakenes and manifold aches lamenes in their limmes or haue their bodies consumed and their bloud dried vp before the naturall terme of their life bee expired wherein besides the crueltie offered vnto their persons they doe wrong vnto themselues that they cannot inioy their labours so long and with so great profite as otherwise no doubt they might doe And this is that which Master Caluin in the same place obserueth Caluin ibid. When you shall haue this consideration namely of dealing thus mercifully with your seruants then shall you knowe that this day shall further serue you for some earthly profite and commoditie albeit in the meane time this is not that you ought to seeke after To speake in a word our Lord in this place declareth vnto vs that which in like manner hath been pronounced by Iesus Christ Matth. 6.33 that when we shall seeke the kingdome of God all other things shall be cast vpon vs. But last of all if wee looke into that which is the chiefest the honor and seruice of God in sanctifying the Sabbath which he as straightly requireth at the hands of the seruants as of the masters Ephe. 6.9 Coloss 3.11 seeing there is no respect of persons before him neither Grecian nor Iew circumcision nor vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian bond or free For he that is called in the Lord being a seruant 1. Cor. 7.22 is the Lords freeman Likewise also he that is called being free is Christs seruant Therefore that they might serue their high Lord and heauenly master who is aboue all and Lord ouer al vpon the seuenth day as they haue serued their earthly masters vpon the sixe we must needes confesse that they also ought to rest from those workes of their calling which otherwise would hinder them in it or altogether keepe them from it vnles besides the hinderance of their saluation wee would set our selues against the glorie of God to our endles confusion whilest wee hinder them from doing that seruice that he requireth of them seeing because of our busines they can in no wise performe it vnto him The like is to bee sayd in some part of the beasts The cattell must rest vpon this day as the oxe and the asse or any other cattell as wee haue alreadie heard it Deut. 5.14 that they also might haue the benefite of rest which they cannot want that so they might more commodiously be preserued for the vse of man for the which purpose they were made in the beginning and which is the very end of this rest And therefore it is sayd of them also In the seuenth day thou shalt rest Exod. 23.12 that thine oxe and thine asse may rest and be refreshed But chiefly and aboue all this was commanded vnto them that thereby as by a sure bond themselues might bee kept vnder obedience of this rest whom it did most of al concerne when they did see that the beasts themselues might not breake beyond the libertie of it of whom notwithstanding the Lord had a lesse principall regard but as they might be seruiceable vnto men in this behalfe Euen as Master Caluin doth very plainly lay it foorth intreating of this matter Caluin vpon Deut. ◠ser 35. This was to the end the Iewes seeing the stables closed vp should be put in minde to say God setteth here before our eyes this signe euē in the bruit beasts and this is to the end that wee on our part should be the better kept and holden in his seruice Thus it behoued the Iewes deeplie to weigh euen in the bruit beasts this visible
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
in our Idlenes but hee hath therefore sundered the Sabbath from other dayes which hee hath appoynted for worke It is then sanctified when we bestowe it vpon Gods worship that we resting from our workes vpon this one daye might more freelie heare the law of God and worship him For by this meanes in deede all the things that euer haue been vsed in the sacred worship of God haue been hallowed in so much that of what kinde or nature soeuer they were before yet now the holie God whom onely they serued and his holie worship vnto which they are made proper hath sanctified them and made them so wholly to differ from all other as though they were not of the same nature and kinde and so from that they were before as though they were not the same any more Thus we doe reade that the tabernacle and the temple were holy with all the ministers of both Which also sanctifieth all other creatures vsed therein Exod. 29.44 Leuit. 27.30 whatsoeuer thing els serued in them euen vnto the very garmēts of the priests as it is in the 29. verse of the same chapter and the tithes of the land giuen vnto the maintenance of Gods worship and them that serued in it So then as all other things are called most holie vnto the Lord in the same chapter because they are separated from that common vse vers 28. wherein other of the same nature are imployed and may not bee vsed but to the Lords vse So the Sabbath day or day of rest is then sanctified of vs when wee doe not vse it in the affayres of this life from the which it must be seperate and from which vpon it we must rest and therefore it is called a day of rest as wee haue seene but vse it in the Lords seruice and make that day proper vnto it and to nothing principally but that So likewise in the 40. chapter of Exod. where mention is made of the rearing vp of the Tabernacle and how euery thing was sanctified by Moses and made holie that which the Lord speaketh of Aaron is true of all other things that serued in the Tabernacle Thou shalt put vpon Aaron the holie garments Exod. 40.13 and shalt annoint him sanctifie him that he may minister vnto me in the Priests office where in the latter words he expoundeth what is ment by making him holie euen to appoynt him to that holie office that hee might serue the Lord in his holie seruice For as the Lord himselfe did then sanctifie the day when he appoynted it to this holie end so when he commandeth vs to sanctifie it he requireth that wee should vse it onely to that holie ende for which it was ordained and so by the right vse of it to maintaine as it were that holines which at the first was put vpon it Euen as Moses did then sanctifie all the forenamed things when he dedicated them to Gods worship and the Priests by vsing them in that manner alone did keepe them holie still which they should haue vnhallowed whensoeuer they had abused them to any other end or not vsed them to this holie end As the water bread wine in the Sacraments Thus wee may easily vnderstand what is the true hallowing of the day euen to spend it in all the parts of Gods worship which maketh euery thing appoynted vnto it holie euen the very time that is spent about it Therefore as the common water being once brought into the Church and appoynted for Baptisme is no more common but holie water being seperated from the common vse of water which is to wash c. and now appoynted to assure vs of the forgiuenes of our sinnes by Christ and of our new birth in him at the commandement of God which is holie And as the common bread and wine set vpon the table of the Lord appoynted for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper which is holy and so put apart from the common vse of these creatures which is to feede our bodies and applyed to that vse which is not common but holie namely that we thereby might bee assured as by most certaine pledges that our soules and bodies shall be nourished vp by faith in Iesus Christ vnto euerlasting life are no more common bread but holie during this most holie vse and the Lord Iesus Christ at the first by appoynting them to these endes did sanctifie them the Ministers and the people by thus vsing of them doe hallow them or keepe them holie So what time soeuer is bestowed of any vpon the seruice of God he keepeth that holie and the Lord commanding vs to keepe holie the day of rest doth require that wee should spend it in the holie seruice of his maiestie vnto which he himselfe appointed it at the first and so sanctified it And this that wee might doe the better he commandeth vs to rest from all other things in the world that so the day might not bee taken vp with any thing els saue this which maketh it holie And thus we doe not onely see that it is further required in this Commandement that Gods holie worship should be practised vpon this day To worship God vpon this day is the most principal thing in the Commandement but also that this is the most especiall thing contained in it and vnto which all other things are to be referred therefore the Lord himselfe in pronouncing the lawe vseth as many words to commend vnto vs the sanctifying of the day as he did to establish resting from worldly affayres as namely when first of all he sayth Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holie and afterwards calleth it the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is a day of resting from all other things that it might be bestowed in seruing the Lord thy God for it is called the Sabbath of the Lord not so much because it was appoynted by the Lord as for the Lords vse therfore ought rather thus to be translated Tremel Ari. Mont. Vatabl. The Sabbath vnto the Lord or day of rest for the Lord. And amongst other great learned men which thus reade it so also writeth Tertullian Septima die Sabbatiza Domino Deo tuo Tertull aduersus Marcion lib. 3. Keepe the seuenth day an holie Sabbath vnto the Lord thy God And to this ende as the Lord himselfe doth oftentimes call them his Sabbaths so the ancient and learned father well obserueth it Hierom. in Ezec. 45. Obseruandum saith he it is to be marked that he doth not say absolutely and you shall sanctifie the Sabbath but with a note of difference Sabbatha mea my Sabbaths And so writeth Wolphius Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 4. De Sabbathis plerunque God doth often so speake of the Sabbaths that hee calles them his not for difference sake because the people of God then had none other but that he might shewe that the Sabbath was appoynted for the
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
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
it must needs be a greater sinne if that through their negligence they do not sanctifie and keepe holy the day of rest They ought not to leaue it to their discretion as a thing indifferent but compell them thereunto So that here the Lord God doth require that in al places there should be such good lawes and orders publikely in the Common-wealth and priuatly in mens houses established and diligently executed as whereby not only the rulers but also all in subiection should be compelled to sanctifie the Lords day and that they should bee sure that they doe it indeede And as he must not leaue it indifferent to them to choose whether they will work or rest and so thinke it sufficient that they doe not lay any work vpon them so it is not enough that they hinder them not from seruing God vpon that day vnlesse they procure all the meanes vnto them whereby God might bee worshipped of them and see that they worship God in them as well as themselues Therefore the Masters of families must prouide as much as lyeth in them that the word be publikely preached where they dwell not for themselues alone but for their children and seruants sake that they might keepe holie the day together with them and they must not onely come themselues to the place of common prayer and diuine seruice but bring these also with them and so spend the rest of the day in all priuat godly exercises themselues and cause others to doe so also And here least this might seeme too heauie vnto vs and that it might not bee grieuous to take so great a charge vpon vs wee must remember that as wee haue great help by our inferiours in many things so the Lord would haue vs to helpe them in the chiefe and principal and as he hath made them our seruants so wee should make them his seruants and when they haue serued vs sixe daies wee might cause them to serue him vpon the seuenth and as the Lord hath preferred vs aboue them with their seruice so he would hūble vs with this charge and care ouer them or rather exalt vs in that hee would haue vs to be as it were the ouerseers of his worke not onely serue him our selues but also see his seruice done by others committed to our charge which if wee doe not wherein shal the Christian gouernours of housholds differ from the Infidels and Heathen and what greater thing shall we doe for our seruants then they Nay what shall we doe more for them then for the bruit beasts and cattell that worke vnder vs to whom wee giue rest and ease from labour vpon the Sabbath if we cause them not to sanctifie the day of rest in which they shall differ from all other not onely beasts but men And this is the meaning of that lawe which Moses gaue to the Israelites Deut. 11.20 commanding them to write the word of God vpon the posts of their houses and vpon their gates whereby all vnder gouernment were taught what should be required of them so long as they liued in those houses namely to serue God So haue the seruants of God done in time past in their seuerall families and all gouernours were taught what especially to looke after in all them that went in and out of their gates and liued vnder the roofe of their houses euen to serue the Lord in all parts of his worship for which end he hath giuen them such authoritie ouer them According to which Commandement the worthie Captaine of Gods people Iehoshua made this protestation before all the Elders of Israel a little before his death exhorting them to doe the like Iosh 24.15 I and mine house will serue the Lord. Promising not onely for himselfe but for all his which though it was hard to doe yet because he knew how many meanes the Lord had giuen him to bring it to passe which also God would blesse as all godly exhortations admonitions and chastisements whereby if they did not profit he had authoritie to thrust them out of his house and to rid himselfe of them all which he was purposed to put in practise therefore he was bolde thus to speake of himselfe thereby shewing what all men should propound to themselues and may attaine vnto The like whereof Dauid speaketh of himselfe in that worthie Psalme 101. which is left as a paterne for all Christian gouernours to rule by wherein he sheweth how he would rule not onely himselfe but his houshold nay the whole kingdome by hauing an eye to thē that were good to reward thē and to thē that were bad to punish them that so not only himselfe but all his might serue the Lord. After the same manner in the time of the captiuitie when the noble Queene Hester willed all the dispersed Iewes to keepe holie three dayes together in fasting and prayer that so they might intreate the Lord for that finall destruction and vtter rasing of them out which Haman the cursed Amalekite and sworne enemy of Gods people had determined to bring vpon them speedilie that it I say might be preuented in time she sayd that she and her maydes would doe the like Hest 4.16 Whereby no doubt she insinuated vnto them that in euery houshold her meaning was that it should bee thorowly kept on all sides not onely the rulers and some fewe but all others euen vnto the maidseruants Now this is that which we haue seene heretofore that the Sabbath and the day of fast are both of one nature and it is that which the word doth sufficiently beare witnesse vnto therefore if this hath been the practise of the Church vpon that day to fast not onely of the chiefe alone but with their families then must wee needes bee perswaded that vpon the Lords day we ought our selues and our housholds to serue the Lord and to say with Ioshua I and mine house will serue the Lord and with Hester I and my seruants will doe the like And how could that haue been verified of the religious Captaine Cornelius which is written of him Acts. 10.2 that he was a deuout man and one that feared God with all his houshold vnlesse he had not onely frequented the common assemblies vpon the Sabbath dayes but had also acquainted his seruants therewith Therefore as the Lord himselfe speaketh of Abraham Gen. 18.19 who is the father of all beleeuers I know that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnes and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him So it must bee practised of all them that will be children of this faithfull Abraham and enioy the same promises that he and his posteritie did euen that they cause their children and their seruants to keepe holie the Sabbath wherein consisteth the true worship of the Lord that so they might walke in that way which hath
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
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
with his whole heart and mind attend vpon these as the worship of God required which he could not doe so long as in any part he should be occupied about the other Now if the perfectest man that euer was could not do this and therefore stood in need of this liberalitie of God in giuing him a day of rest how shall not we bee too foolish in thinking that we we I say that haue not only lost all the excellent graces that Adam was furnished with but also in stead of them great corruptioÌ„ hath ouerwhelmed vs so that our mindes are dull in concerning the goodnes of God in his word and workes and our hearts voyd of the true sense and feeling of it yet we should bee able to haue all our worldly businesse still in our hands and in our heads not resting from them any day and therewithall to haue the same vnderstanding and wit of ours so conceiuing and desiring by prayer the mercie of God in the Worde in the Sacraments and in all other things of God requireth Luk. 10.27 with all our heart with all our soule with all our strength and with all our thought Or rather must we not needes confesse as the trueth is that beâ—ng more bound to the seruice of God then Adam was â—n respect of our sinne yet are lesse able to performe it â—hen he in any tollerable measure when wee haue done all that we can and therefore haue more neede of a day of rest then he that nothing might hinder vs. Muscul loc com praecept 4. For if the bird that she might flye must flutter with her wings and deliuer her selfe from all things that might stay her shall wee thinke that it makes no matter if wee come not to Gods seruice with minds and affections freed from all lets in which we must in our spirits bee lifted vp higher then it is possible for any bird by flying to attaine vnto And doth not wofull experience tel vs that when we haue freed our hands from worldly matters neuer so much yet wee cannot so soone free our mindes from them and being once free they will yet renew themselues within vs without any present occasion by reason of our corruption euen in the Church and will iustle out as it were the meditation of Gods seruice many times whereof Gods children doe complaine how vnruly then wrould they be if there were not a day to rest from the occasions of them and how should wee euer bee occupied in the word and in prayer and the other parts of Gods worship with any good acceptation to God and comfortable practise to our selues if we should neuer a day rest in bodie from the labours of this world that in mind and heart we might be free from the cogitations studies delights and desires of the same So that we are not onely not to thinke the Sabbath to be needlesse as many Atheists prophane and ignorant men doe but also we are to be perswaded that we our selues should alwaies haue been ignorant prophane and Atheists not seruing God at all but continually drowned in â—he things of this world by reason of the workes in the sixe daies or at the least dissembling counterfeit and hypocritical seruing God rather in ceremonie and in shew theÌ„ in that manner of sinceritie truth which he requireth if God had not in respect of our weaknes at first appoynted a day to rest in from all things that might any way stay and hinder vs in it and now in regarde of the same weaknes but much more because of the sin which is within vs had not commanded the same to bee continued for our further good Gualt in Act. 13. Homil. 88. And so I may say with Master Gualter Because we are distracted with diuers businesse Necesse fuit it was necessarie that some time should be appoynted free fromal cares and busines in which wee should employ our selues wholly in soule and bodie about those things which doe make for the seruice of God Muscul in praecept 4. because in it as it is truely sayd Animum requirit non dimidiatum sed integrum God requireth not halfe but the whole soule and minde And that I might remember my former promise of being short in so large a matter wee may briefly consider the necessitie of continuing the Sabbath vnto all ages It is necessarie that a daye should be sanctified if wee remember that the Lord would haue Adam to sanctifie and keepe holie one seuerall day in the weeke by it selfe that by those holie meanes of Gods seruice whereof his soule did stand in neede as his bodie did of corporal food he might keepe himselfe in that perfect estate which he was placed in which he had also power to doe For though he was so glorious and excellent as he was and shined in all vertues of soule and bodie farre aboue the Sunne which he might haue possessed for euer yet so it was by Gods woÌ„derfull dispensation that there were notable meanes ordained for both without which they could not be and therefore as in respect of his bodie there was aboundance of pleasant fruit in the garden to eate of Gen. 2.9 so in regard of his soule there was the word of God euen the Commandements the perfect knowledge whereof he had the sacrament of his life alreadie receiued of God Gen. 1.26 and Coloss 3.10 compared together Gen. 2.9 and to bee continued by him the tree that was in the middest of the garden he was commanded to pray and giue thankes and there was the wonderfull excellent frame of the world to stirre him vp to these things So that as his bodily life â—ould not be preserued God ordayning it so without â—â—e vse of his creatures and therefore hee willed him to â—â—dresse the garden and keepe it in the sixe dayes Gen. 2.15 that it might yeeld those things vnto him So the life of God which was in him could not continue without those hoâ—y and spirituall meanes appointed for that purpose and â—herefore hee was commaunded to keepe holy the seuenth day verse .3 that in the more plentifull vse of all the meanes vpon that day he might both make a supply of that which could not be done on the other dayes and also thereby be continued in all strength to doe all other dueties the dayes following Now if Adam because hee might fall did stand in need of this day to preserue him from falling how much more we being so horribly fallen alreadie as wee bee doe stand in neede of it againe againe to bring our selues backe into that estate from whence we are fallen and as it were to recouer our first footing if it was needfull for Adam I say being nowe most perfect to haue a day allotted out vnto him by true sanctifying of which he might still abide in his perfection can we bee so froward to imagine that now it is not most needfull for vs being so
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
by his word and by his works and therefore made him but am Idoll they by their practise in obseruing that seuenth day did shewe that they did know him aright and so made him knowne vnto others the glorie of which worke had beene obscured and darkened if they had changed the number of that day which the Lord in wisedome left to his Church to bee obserucd in the policie and discipline of it when hee might haue appointed some other that so the benefit of our creation might alwaies with praise be remembred in the Church according as it is said in the words of the commaundement In sixe daies the Lord made the heauen and the earth Exod. 20.11 the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seuenth day therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it which in the verse going before hee calleth the seuenth day Thus we learne that God did not onely blesse it but blesse it for this cause and so wee see that the Sabbath must needs be still vpon the seuenth day as it alwaies hath beene But now concerning this very speciall seuenth day Why we keep another seuenth day and not that which was from the beginning that now we keepe in the time of the Gospell that is well knowne that it is not the same it was from the beginning which God himselfe did sanctifie and whereof hee speaketh in this Commandement for it was the day going before ours which in latine retaineth his ancient name and is called the Sabbath which we also grant Dies Sabbathi but so that we confesse it must alwaies remaine neuer to be changed any more and that all men must keepe holy this seuenth day and none other which was vnto them not the seuenth but the first day of the weeke as it is so called many times in the new Testament and so it still standeth in force that we are bound vnto the seuenth day though not vnto that very seuenth Concerning the time and persons by whom and when the day was changed it appeareth in the new Testament that it was done in the time of the Apostles by the Apostles themselues and that together with the day the name was changed and was in the beginning called the first day of the weeke afterwards the Lords day It was changed in the Apostles time Acts 20.7 Now that it was changed in the Apostles time it appeareth by that which we reade in the Acts. The first day of the weeke the disciples being come together to breake bread Paul preached vnto them ready to depart on the morrow and continued the preaching vnto midnight In which Scripture we see that now at this time the Churches in some places vsed to haue their publique assemblies vpon this day and that all the parts of Gods worship proper to the Sabbath were exercised vpon this day as the preaching of the word receiuing the sacraments and common prayer and that the Apostles consented to the practise of this for Paul preached at this generall meeting And it appeareth by the circumstance of the story that this was then ordinarie though not in all places at the first for this meeting was not vpon this speciall presence of Paul for hee had taryed there now seuen dayes in all but they met to receiue the sacrament as it may bee gathered that it was an vsuall thing in the Church to receiue it euery sabbath and vpon this occasion Paul preached and because hee was to depart on the next daye and so they knew not when they should heare him againe therefore hee continued preaching so long as hee did Vnto which may be adioyned that which he writeth to the Corinthians 1. Cor. 16.2 Euery first daye of the weeke let euery one of you put aside by himselfe and lay vp as God hath prospered him that there be no gathering when I come where he willeth them to do that vpon this day which is most agreeable to the sabbath Namely to gather for the poore which is the fittest day for that purpose and therefore no doubt chosen out by the Apostle both for that reason he alleageth that the weeke being ended and a man seeing how God hath blessed him in it hee might accordingly extend his liberalitie and chiefly because it ought to be then when wen heare the word that by it they might be most of all stirred vp vnto it and are made partakers of the Sacraments and prayers of the Church and so thereby receiue most mercies at Gods hand that out of their abundance they might supply the necessitie of others Seeing then in the wisedome of the spirite it seemed good vnto the Apostle that there should bee a common gathering among the Corinthians as well as among others for the persecuted Saints we must needes presume of him that hee did chuse out the fittest time to further so waightie a matter and wee haue heard that that is the most conuenient time when the Church being met together they are ocupied in so many parts of Gods seruice which might moue their hearts to greatest pity and liberalitie and seeing hee appointeth this collection to be made the first day of the week we may be most assured that this day was allotted out vnto all the forenamed things among them also though they bee not here specefied in expresse words especially when wee haue the like alreadie in the place of the Acts aboue mentioned And vnto this practise of theirs the Apostle consenteth and as it were giueth his voice for hee willeth them to doe it vpon the day All which doe shewe at least wise thus much that this alteration and change was made in the time of the Apostles and while they liued the Sabbath day of the Iewes by little and little wearing away with the rest of the Iewish worship Neither could so great a matter be done all at once anl generally be practised in euery Church together seeing the Magistrates were not then Christians and so they could not haue the help of ciuill authoritie for the establishing of this constitution by lawe compelling all men thereunto but as the Gospell did enlarge it selfe further spread abroad men did willingly giue their names vnto it so they did consent vnto this exchange as vnto other decrees of the Church M. Fox in Apoc 1.10 Vnto this agree all the learned Master Foxe that worthie historiographer and diuine as hee alleadgeth it out of Saint Augustine sayth Hereby wee doe vnderstand that the first institution of the Lords day Vel ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus c. Is deriued euen from the very Apostles time vnto vs. Sozom. eccles hist lib. 1. cap. 8. Therefore whereas Sozomene in his ecclesiasticall historie reporteth that the first Christian Emperour Constantine the great did by law establish the Lords day which was of the Gentiles called Sunday as he saith Master Bullinger saith it is to be vnderstood that he Bulling in Apoc concio 4.
day wherein the redemption and the second and the newe world was ended Euen as not only Iustine Martyr doth ioyne both these together when hee sheweth that in his time the Church did publikely meet vpon this day Iustin. Mart. Apolog. 2. doth because it was the first day wherin God beganne to make the world and also because vpon that day Iesus Christ our Sauiour did rise froÌ„ the dead but also Saint Augustine speaking many excellent things in the commendation of this day August de teÌ„p serm 251. ioyneth these together It is apparant that this day is famous in the scriptures seeing it was the first day of the world and the day of Christs resurrection And so the memory of the one doth not put out the glory of the other but being added vnto it as a further honour doth increase the dignitie of it so much the more euen as Iacob was more renowmed of God when he was also called Israell Gen. 32.28 Thus we doe conclude this matter in one word that this very day which the Church obserueth in all places is that which must endure to the end of the world as hauing his authoritie not from man but from God himselfe and is that very day which is now commended vnto vs in the commandement And now all these things being thus premised which of necessitie must first haue beene spoken of the order and time and my purpose requireth that I should according to your expectation proceede in the wordes of the coÌ„mandement it selfe as it was first pronounced by the Lord froÌ„ heaueÌ„ after written by Moses in the 20. chap. of Exodus ver 8. Diuision of the text into the commandement and the reasons of it Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy c. to the ende of the 11. verse In all which words we haue two principall things to consider of the first is the commandement it selfe in the 8. verse the other is the reasons which are vsed to persuade men vnto the obedience of it in the other three verses Concerning the commandement it selfe as it consisteth of two wordes as it were so in the true vnderstanding of them two consisteth the whole meaning of the commandment The first is the Sabbath day or day of rest which wee are willed to remember the second is the sanctification of the Sabbaâ—h or keeping holy the day of rest which we are willed to be carefull of The Sabbath day As by it is noted out one speciall day namely the seuenth as it is afterwards declared The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God yet because it hath the name of the nature of it for it is so called because of the rest that is proper vnto it it doth shew vnto vs The first thing in the commaÌ„dement is to rest vpon the seuenth day what is the first thing required in this commandement namely that vpon the seuenth day we should rest for the Sabbath day in the first tongue wherein it was pronounced and written signifieth as much as the day of rest yet so as that in the beginning it was the proper name of the seuenth day because there were no other dayes of rest appointed by God but onely that But afterwardes when the Lorde gaue vnto the Iewes the ceremoniall law hee appointed also vnto them certaine other daies in the yeare as appeareth in the bookes of Moses and is well knowne vnto men in which he commanded them to rest and to keepe them holy therefore they hauing the nature of the first and onely Sabbath are called in the scriptures Sabbath daies as the yearely day of purifiyng and clensing the people as it is set downe in Leuiticus Leuit. 13.31 is called a Sabbath because that in it they were commanded to doe as vpon the Sabbath according as it is written The tenth day of the seuenth month you shall humble your soules and doe no worke at all this shall bee a Sabbath of Rest vnto you And so the first and last day of euery other feast had the same name because it was of the same nature whereunto the Apostle hath respect Colos 2.16 Let no man therefore condenme you in meate and drink or in respect of an holyday or of the newe Moone of the Sabbaths speaking of many in the plural number where hee proueth that Christ hath set vs free from all the ceremonies of the Iewes and that they are in no wise to be a dioyned vnto the Gospell in so much that we are not bound to that distinction of meates and daies that they were no not of the Sabbath daies neither to keepe that one which we do in that manner and to that end that they did in euery point neither to keepe the other Sabbath dayes at all which they had Thus generally the name of Sabbath was giuen vnto euery day of rest but principall and in it owne nature it noted out that Sabbath day which was the seuenth and more improperly by a tropicall speech that was made common to all the other But yet so as that alwaies the name did declare the nature of it and doth shewe vnto as that the Lords requireth of vs that vpon that day wee should rest indeede For though it bee not alwaies true among men who may be deceiued that the things which they name haue those properties in them which their names doe import as when Dauid named his sonne Absalom he was nothing lesse then his fathers peace yet when the lord giueth names vnto things who fully knoweth what is the nature of euery thing and maketh it to bee that which hee calleth it it is alwaies true that the name is not frustrate and idle making a shewe of more then the thing can affoord and therefore as when he named the child that should be borne of the Virgin Mary Iesus he made him a Sauiour indeede according to his name so when he called the seuenth day a Sabbath day he willed and commanded that men shoul rest vpon it and that men can no more take away rest from it then they may alter and change the name of it And that there ought to be a most notable and singular rest vpon this day A very exact and precise rest must then be kept and that it should be nothing els but a day of rest and though men may rest vpon the other sixe daies for their benefite and good yet that the rest vpon this must be a most carefull exact and precise rest after an other manner then men for the most part doe performe it appeareth very plainly in the scripture where besides the manifold Commandements of keeping the Sabbath which is a day of rest this very thing is so particularly and so often and in such expresse words vrged and repeated that men should then rest As Exod. 16. Exod. 16.23 when he would perswade the people to rest vpon the seuenth day from gathering and preparing Manna he telleth them
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
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
hath beene spoken before that they are not onely the seruants of men but also and especially the seruants of God who hath created redeemed doth preserue them hath as great care of them as of others will be serued of them as wel as of any other will therefore reward all equally alike for there is no respect of persons before him And therefore as they feare to displease men who haue authoritie to punish them so let them especially feare to displease the Lord who hath power to throw body and soule into hell Therefore let men away with these pretences which will not serue to say I am vnder authoritie therfore must obey alas I would faine do otherwise if I could I am thus commanded what would you haue me to do I grant it is a grieuous thing to be thus punished and that which must cause vs to mourne before God for our sin but yet when men commaund vs to worke at the same time that the Lord would haue vs to rest we must with all humilitie and reuerence answer them as the Apostles doe in the like case Whether it be right in the sight of God Act. 4.19 to obey you rather then God iudge ye And we must be willing rather with patience to suffer their displeasure to beare their rebukes and chidings yea to vndergo all their chastisements and corrections then to bee drawne one foote from this obedience to God which he requireth at our hands and will not leaue vnrewarded with manifold blessings both in this world and in the world to come Moreouer as the household gouernour is charged to see that all his familie do rest vpon the Sabbath as much as lyeth in him so the rulers in the Common-wealth are bound so much the more to see the same performed of themselues and all the people by how much the Lord hath giuen them more means in their hands to performe it both because their authoritie is greater to commaund and their power mightier to punish them that doe disobey Magistrates are bound to restraine the people by lawe from working vpon this day And indeede this is that which is ment in the words of the Commandement That is within thy gates For euen as the walles and the gates of the citie are the surthest part of it and whatsoeuer is within the gates is vnder the gouernment of him that ruleth the citie so by a figuratiue speech he meaneth the vtmost coasts and the furthest border of the iurisdiction of any euen vnto the very gates of it as it were and when he sayth within thy gates he speaketh by name to him that is ruler within the gates that he should diligently looke vnto all them that be vnder his gouernment that they doe obserue the rest of the Sabbath as well as himself yea euen vnto the stranger and him that is not of the same countrie and religion yet now as he enioyeth the benefit of his gouernment so he should yeeld to this outward practise of the Church at least that hee doe rest together with them that so it might no waies be broken neither publikely nor priuatly in the household nor in the Common-wealth by the freedenison nor by the stranger The Prophet Ieremie spying this abuse of the Sabbath in his time speaketh first vnto the Princes of Iudah saying Iere. 17.20 Heare the word of the Lord ye Kings of Iudah And Master Caluin vpon this place noteth that he was commanded to begin with the King himselfe because he as hauing authoritie should represse so great licentiousnes Therefore it behoueth al Princes and Magistrates that be in highest authoritie to prouide that lawes bee enacted for the preseruation of this rest with ciuill punishments to be inflicted vpon them that shall breake it according to the qualitie of their offence and that both themselues and other the inferiour officers should euery one of them within their circuite looke diligently vnto the faithfull obseruation of such wholsome lawes by al the subiects throughout the whole realme by which meanes as a great many sinnes might bee preuented that they should neuer bee committed so the Common-wealth might be preserued from many grieuous punishmēts and common plagues which either haue alreadie come vpon it or doe most iustly hāg ouer the head of it for the neglect of the same By which meanes it might come to passe that there should bee no Faires kept vpon that day no trauailing thitherward no such common carrying of wares from towne to towne as is no such haunting of Tauernes Ale-houses and Innes no buying selling of victuals any where no such making of Marriage dinners and other needles feasts riding and going vp and downe no such working in the time of hayfield and haruest in the fields and at other times in the shops of Taylors Shoomakers and others If vnto those good lawes that we haue alreadie in this behalfe others that bee wanting might bee adioyned vnto them which we pray for and hope shall be in time and for the good execution of euery one of them diligent inquirie might be made at the generall assises and quarter Sessions in euery shire throughout the whole land as for the keeping of other lawes so of these and the malefactors and offenders this way might be seuerely punished that others might feare to offend by their example the mouthes of the wicked might be stopped offences vnto the godly remoued sin taken away frō among vs. And this is that which they in the Councel of Paris laboured to effect when they sayd Concil Paris lib. 1. cap. 50. That they would humbly sue vnto the Emperours highnesse that the authoritie and power which was in them ordained of God for the honour and reuerence of so great a day might strike feare into all men that they might not fall into such breaches of the day as are there named euen the very same almost which I haue here set downe because as they doe alleadge there whiles men doe commit such things they both staine the honour of Christianitie and doe open the mouthes of blasphemers to speake euill of the name of Christ Vnto the which that you might be the rather encouraged take it vpon you happily in the feare of God I doe most humbly vpon * My knees meekenes beseech you vpon whose shoulders the whole burden of the common wealth doth lie that you would enter into the deepe consideration of so weightie a matter according to the sage and aduised wisdome that is within you and that amongst your manifold and earnest consulatations this might not bee the last as it is not the least The great zeale of Nehemiah in this behalfe is a◠worthie example to follow And therefore that you would set before your eyes as a great many of other things which the scripture doth affoord that might perswade you vnto it so especially that worthie example and practise of the famous and renowned Nehemiah
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
quaest 123. art 4. Opus seruile ad salutem alterius non violat Sabbathum A bodily labour that is taken in hand for the health of another doth not breake the Sabbath inde est and hereunto it is lawfull to giue phisicke vnto all men vpon the Sabbath day And that I might not staÌ„d long in the particulars which are infinite if there bee any sodaine interruption of waters if any casualtie by fire vpon mens houses or gooâ—â— if any breaking into shops or houses by theeues or such like we ought so to meete with these present occasions which by no wisedome could haue beene preuented at another time for they were but nowe seene nay they did but euen nowe offer and shewe themselues as may most seem for the benefit of men in preseruing the creatures which as they were made in the beginning so are still to be preserued for his vse neither can they decay without his great losse and hinderance in so much that vpon these occasions men may not only be absent from the Church but also if they were nowe in the mids of Gods seruice might safely depart from it yea somtimes vnto the leauing of no one person in the Church And to this purpose is the similitude of a learned man Beda in Mar. 2. Talis haec causa c. Herein the cause that mooues men is such as in the day of a publike fast wherein Si quis aeger leiuniuÌ„ corrumperet nulla ratione reus tenetur If any man through sicknes be driuen to eate and so breake the fast in no wise he is to be condemned Last of all not onely men Many things of necessitie must be done to the cattell vpon this day but the bruite beasts must haue all such dueties performed vnto them which of necessitie they cannot want without their perill as the cattell must bee foddered in the winter time and the beasts must be milked at all times of the yeare and the oxe must be loosed from the stall and driuen to the water Luk 13.15 And this is that which our Sauiour Christ me liueth when he sayth in this chapter of Matth. I will haue mercie and not sacrifice In the which place he doth not refuse sacrifices for they were commanded by God but he speaketh in comparison as though he had sayd The Lord had rather haue mercie shewed to men then sacrifice offered to himselfe so that comparing these dueties mercie with sacrifice he preferreth the one before the other and sayth hee had rather haue this then that when both of them cannot be had together but if the one but performed the other must bee neglected then would he haue vs leaue the sacrifice and shew mercie in helping others Gen. 2.24 So that as it is sayd in another case A man shall leaue his father and mother and cleaue to his wife Not meaning the he should altogether forsake them but shewing that the bond of marriage is greater then the bond of nature betweene parents and children and therefore the duties more necessarily required he compareth the one with the other and sayth that if present duetie be required of me to my parents and yet at the same time my wife standeth in neede of my helpe so that I cannot doe both together but must needes leaue one vndone I must make choyce of the wife as the principall and forsake the father in comparison of her Euen so the spirit of God here by sacrifice at by one kinde meaning generally the whole worship of God he would haue vs so to offer it vnto him as that in the meane season wee neglect no occasioÌ„ of shewing mercie vnto any of his creatures which he offereth vnto vs but rather first of all to shew mercie and then to offer sacrifice As he sayth in another place First be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Matth. 5.22 For seeing that the whole seruice of God is ordained for this cause among many others that we might be made more fit to helpe our brethren and to shewe all dueties of mercie vnto them all other must giue place vnto this when necessitie so requireth According to that which Master Gualter sayth Gualt in Marc. 2. Homil 22. Omnia externa All outward things must giue place vnto loue least wee lay a snare vpon them quos necessitas ineuitabilis aliò vocat whom ineuitable necessitie doth call another way or at whose hands the present necessitie that cannot bee auoyded doth require another thing And that this is the true meaning of the lawe of resting appeareth more cleerely by that which Christ Iesus speaketh of it in the Gospell after S. Marke Mark 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath That is the day of rest was appointed for the benefite of man not onely of him but of all other creatures and therefore it must bee so obserued as may be most beneficiall vnto them and the rest in it must giue place to them and not they to it so that it were against the meaning of the law-giuer to abuse the rest vnto the hurt of them and that men should vnder the pretence of resting withdrawe all their labour from them who by present necessitie did call for it and require it at our hands For seeing that the end of it is that the creatures might bee preserued in their best estate which without some rest could neuer long continue if now by labouring I preserue that which otherwise if I rested from helping it would perish I haue by labour attained vnto the very end of rest which without labour I could not and thus in labouring I haue not broken the commandement of rest but kept it in one of the principall ends for which it was instituted namely the profit and commoditie of all the creatures here belowe In which respect our Lorde Christ maintaineth the doing of his Disciples in gathering the corne and eating it for that thereby their fraile and wearie bodies being refreshed and getting new strength which otherwise would haue fainted as wanting their ordinarie food were made stronger and more able to follow their master Now seeing that the Lord in commaunding to rest had regarde to his creatures that could not want it namely that the breasts might be made more seruiceable vnto men and men more fit to doe duties vnto their brethren and vnto God in their calling because his Disciples were fitted vnto this by that labour which necessitie put vpon them and if they had not so laboured they should haue been more vnfit therefore in this worke the commandement of resting was not broken nay it was especially obserued Thus as we haue seene the commandement of resting is so straight indeed as it seemed best vnto his wisedom who made all things for himselfe yet in giuing it he hath had regard vnto our good and therefore hath made it so large that within the compasse of it there is libertie giuen
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
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
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
it selfe but the Lord as he is the searcher of the harts and reines so his law reacheth thither and findeth out sinne in the very beginning of it when it first lifteth vp the head and tarrieth not to giue sentence against it till it bring forth the vnsauoury and vnfruitful fruits of it but proceedeth in iudgement against it when it is but in the blossome and bud nay in the very first rooting of it which if it bee true in all other commandements why shuld we imagine that the bounds of this are so straight that it will not reach so farre Obiection If the commādement be thus straite who is able to abide it And whereas men are afraid to say what they thinke and to confesse this trueth which they are conuicted of because they doe not see how then they shall be able to keepe this law we know that this is the thing in controuersie betweene vs and the Papists whether the lawe of God may be perfectly kept or no and therefore though they abhor all poperie yet if they stand vpon this point they shall fall into a popish opinion agree with them who when they haue set it downe Concil Trident. sext sess Canon 18. as a lawe of the Medes and Persians that may not be changed that the law of God may be fulfilled of vs then they must needes giue such an interpretation of this lawe as might carry with it some shew of possibilitie that it may bee fully kept indeede Answer For if we conceiue of the law of God to bee so loose as that it should onely restraine the parts of the bodie then wee may perceiue that the heathen Philosophers by the light of nature haue seene further into the truth of it then we haue done by the bright beames of the worde who sayd that a good man must haue not onely his hands and eies continent and free from sinne but also his minde And wee must endeuour our selues so much the more carefully to dispossesse our minds of all earthly matters because it is so hard a thing to attaine vnto For wee cannot so easily cast all worldly imaginations out of our heads as we can cast the things themselues out of our hands neither can we so farre remoue our affections from them as wee can separate our bodies from them which notwithstanding vnlesse we doe all the other is but popish and ceremoniall and whereby we cannot attaine vnto the sanctification of the Sabbath in any tolerable measure But let vs consider sayth Master Caluin whether they which call themselues Christians Caluin vpon Deut. 5. sermon 34. acquite themselues in this point as were requisite a great part of men thinke they haue the sunday that the better to attēd on their worldly affaires they reserue to themselues this day as if they had no other to deliberate for the whole weeke to come nowe though the bell should to a sermon they thinke they haue no other thing to doe but to thinke on their busines and to make the account of this and of that Therefore whatsoeuer hath beene spoken before of resting from the vsuall workes of our calling the same is true of the ordinary speaking common thinking of them all which because they be of the same nature must needes come vnder one and the same law and therfore looke what libertie the Lord hath giuen vs We may speak and thinke of thinges that be necessary for the workes of our calling in the time of necessitie as it hath declared vnto vs before the same haue we for our recreations our speeches our thoughts and desires that so farre we may be occupied about them all manner of waie in soule and in body as they shall not hinder vs but rather bee meanes to further vs in the true manner of sanctifying the day And we haue here so much the more libertie because we cannot do our necessarie busines but we must speake and thinke of them not onely in the doing of them but also before and after them But because I haue alreadie made a seuerall treatise before of the workes which necessitie maketh lawfull I will not here enter into it again left I should be confused and tedious but referre you vnto that place for guiding of your speeches and studies as well as your labours and works only desiring you to remember that which is there set down also that we iudge those things onely necessary for the time present which could not haue been thought vpon spoken of and done before neither might be put off to bee studied for conferred about or put in practise till afterward A conclusion of al that went before with an application of it to our selues And so we conclude the former part of this commandement in which we haue beene something the longer because it was needfull seeing it is so large and as it were the ground of all the rest wherein wee haue seene what kind of rest the Lord requireth euen such a one not as we might grossely dreame of because of our blindes but as is plainly and truely published in his word in the which he hath declared what is the height the bredth the depth and the length and the full measure of it And this the Lord requireth of all and euery one of vs continually from the beginning to the end of our liues without any interruption vnder the paine of euerlasting condemnation as it is alledged by the Apostle to the Galathians out of the law Galat. 3.10 Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the lawe to doe them in which curse is contained all the punishments of soule and bodie which can bee deuised in the greatest measure as it is most largely opened in many places of the scripture Deut. 29.20 namely in Deut. 29. where he threatneth to bring vpō thē euery curse written in that book and euery plague that is not written in the booke of the law 28.61 According to which rule if wee will examine our whole life past wee shall see howe great is our deserued miserie because of the infinite breaches of this commandement For first of all we are by nature altogether ignorant of the truth of it and when it is taught vs wee haue no conceiuing of it and lesse liking vnto it but all our reason and affections are cleane contrarie vnto it so that we haue many waies broken it in thought word and deede not onely in the dayes of our ignorance but since our knowledge and therefore there must needes bee a great handwriting of accusation against vs and wee may here truelie say Psalm 19.12 O Lord who doth vnderstand the errors of this life for setting all other sinnes apart the Lord hath many waies to pleade against vs in this one thing so that we must needes confesse that if he winke at all other our sinnes and yet marke narrowlie what wee
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
our selues from the Church without any iust cause or by not seeking to the Prophets to teach vs when wee had not them at home and which doe so continuallie see our brethren in many places for want of teaching willingly to breake this law and which must needes foresee ours and their posteritie to fall into the same sinne nay to continue and dye in it vnles by establishing a preaching ministrie euery where which all are commanded publikely to pray the disease be now cured and so to be preuented in time to come In our English Letanie And if this be the estate of the poore people The ministers that cannot or wil not preach are special causes of vnhallowing this day that haue not the preaching of the word among thē that by breaking the Sabbath continually they must needes prouoke the most patient Lordes wrath at the last and endanger their owne soules health what can bee saide or thought sufficiently and answerably vnto the sinne of them who being called the ministers of God as they that should be the chiefe in his seruice and goe before others in it by preaching vnto them are able and willing to do nothing lesse in the world then that For partlie they are ignorant and cannot doe it partlie they are giuen to ease and will not doe it and partly they haue so many charges to looke vnto that they know not where to begin to doe it And so doe not onely vnhallow euery Sabbath daye that the liue and doe bestow no daye in the weeke so ill as that which they should bestow best of all because they neglect that which God requireth most of all at their hands but also are the onely chiefe causes euerie where of vnhallowing the Sabbath and doe compell the people to breake it whether they will or no which sinne is yet so much the greater in them because it is not accounted of and so there is no care to amend it But let them bee assured that all the charges giuen concerning the sanctifying of the Sabbath in the scripture must bee double charged vpon them for themselues their people and looke how earnestlie this is by the Lord commanded so seuerely will it one day bee required at their hands when they shall haue no bodie to speake for them nay they shall pleade against themselues and better were it for them a thousand times to begge in the meane season then to eate vp and to liue vpon as it were their owne sinnes and the sinnes of their people and to carry about with them their owne bayne not by slipping into of humaine frailty but stubbornely falling into and more wilfullie lying in so manifest a breach of so great a commandement and that in the highest poynte of it Psalm 95.7.8 2. Thes 2.10.11 Therefore to daye if we will heare Gods voyce let vs not harden our hearts against it but let vs receiue the trueth in loue least he giue vs vp to strong illusions effectuallie to be deceiued and to beleeue a lye and let vs confesse as the trueth is that the Lord would haue euerie Sabbath to bee sanctified by the Minister and the people and that in the Church he ought to preach the word and they to heare it euery Sabbath daye And though we bee not so grosselie blinded to imagine that it is not necessarie one whit vpon that day we must not also be deceiued to thinke that now and then is sufficient once a moneth or twise a quarter and so sometime both Minister and people should be exempted from it as though they could sanctifie the daye after some other manner And though I haue iustly stood vpon the preaching of the worde especially because it is the greatest parte of Gods seruice and yet that which is most neglected my meaning is not to exclude the other as though they appertained not vnto vs for it wholly and euery parte of it doth concerne vs and is to bee practised vpon this daye Therefore wee must also come to the reading of the worde We must be present also at the reading of the worde common prayer and administration of the Sacraments from the beginning to the ende and common prayer and receiue the Sacrament so oft as it is administred yea though we receiued it the Lords day immediatlie before and be present at the Baptisme of others For wee haue in the forenamed places seene all these practised together seeing they be parts of Gods publike worship we must leaue no holy worke of his vndone whereby the day might be sanctified vnto him So we must bee present at the whole action and continue at the diuine seruice from the beginning to the ending as it is prouided by the lawe of the realme which is grounded vpon Gods worde neither foreslowing to come at the beginning nor hastening to depart at the ending which is so much the more diligently to bee taken heede of on euery side because herein many doe offend carelesselie and yet the danger of it is very great Some vnder the pretence of comming to the Sermon tarrie at home a great part of the seruice and so neither are they at the confession of sinnes with Gods people nor are made partakers of the prayers of the Church for the forgiuenes of their sinnes neither doe euer heare much of the scripture read other vnder the colour of being at all these departe away before the blessing is pronounced vpon them and so many times lose the fruite of all as Iudas did or else tarie not the ministring of the Sacrament as though it were a thing impertinent vnto them Therefore it is in expresse wordes set downe by the Prophet Ezekiel cap. 46. Where hee speaketh of Gods worship vpon the Sabbath daye that the prince shall be in the temple in the middest of the people he shall goe in Ezek. 46.10 when they goe in and when they goe forth they shall goe forth together where we see he requireth that all should be present from the beginning to the ending euen the very chiefest in euery congregation as well as the meanest and no priuiledge is to be giuen to any one more then to another for comming vnto abiding at and departing from the seruice of GOD which concerneth them all like in the whole and in euery parte of it then the which nothing can be spoken more truely nor more plainely which the Prophet Dauid as he knew very well so laboured to perswade the people of it Psalm 84.10 when in the Psal 84. He accounteth the dore keepers of Gods house blessed who were first and last in the temple so partakers of the whole worship Wherefore whensoeuer wee doe voluntarilie bereaue our selues of any part of the publike Ministerie we cannot sanctifie the daye so in euery portion of Gods worke as he would haue vs to doe Hereunto it seemeth they had respect in that councell Concil Malisgon 2. cap. 1. wherein they say Si quis whosoeuer
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
himselfe 2. Cor. 9.6 and so hee that soweth plentifully shall reape plentifully Besides all this then are we made partakers of the sacraments wherin the Lord offereth his sonne Iesus Christ crucified vnto vs with all the merits of his death by whō we are made heyres of the whole world and there hee giueth vs libertie to aske of him whatsoeuer wee want and hath promised to giue it vs 1. Ioh. 5.14 when we pray in the name of his sonne according to his will Seeing then we haue so many things in possession and so many more in hope right which as it is alwaies so by faith so we see it most cleerely when by thus many meanes it is testified vnto vs therefore as they that doe come from a rich spoyle doe send gifts to their friends in token of ioy and plenty as Dauid in the spoyle of the Amalekites 1. Sam. 30.26 so the Lorde would haue vs to witnesse vnto the others the ioye that wee haue in his fauour the riches of our inheritance which we possesse already by faith and hope in the end to come vnto as by many other meanes so especially by our liberality to others for his sake whom he to that ende offereth vnto vs as it is sayd Iohn 12.8 The poore yee shall haue alwaies with you Thus after the returne out of captiuitie when Ezra the Priest did vpon the first day of the moneth which was a Sabbath reade and expound the lawe of GOD to the whole congregation of the Iewes for the knowledge of which he exhorted them to bee thankfull among other things he willeth them to haue a care of the poore So eate of the fat Nehem. 8.10 and drinke the sweete and send part vnto them for whom none is prepared for this day is holy vnto our lord Iustine Martyr speaking of the order of Christians vpon the Lords day in his time among other things sayth Conferuntur eleemosynae Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Almes is giuen according to the discretion of euery man for the reliefe of the poore the fatherlesse the sicke and those that are banished but herein they obserued this order as it is sayd there that it being giuen vnto the custodie of one it was afterwards distributed according to discretion Bucer in Mat. 12.11 And Bucer amongst other dueties to bee performed vpon this day sayth wee ought Conferre in pauperes to prouide for the poore And indeede if men will not be liberall then when they haue so many meanes to drawe them vnto it what hope can we haue that they will bee so at other times when they shall haue none of them Therefore men may say what they will that they doe thus and thus bestow at home but who will beleeue them when they doe finde them so straight handed then when the Lorde doth offer so much vnto them that they might bee more able cheerefully to shew mercy vnto others Therefore though I cannot like of the disordered gathering for the poore that is in many places where in the time of diuine seruice you shall see men go vp and down asking receiuing changing and bestowing of money wherein many times you shall haue them so disagree that they are louder then the minister and the rest stand looking and listning vnto them leauing the worship of God as though it did not concerne them and thus all is confused So yet I am persuaded that this is tire fittest time to make this prouision and I presume that it is not the meaning of our godly wise rulers in the Church and common wealth who are abused herein that any such thing should bee done but that the gathering being made at some other time of the day they might haue it in readines before hand to bestowe at the end of seruice vpon the needie according to their discretion or generally to take some good order that God might bee best serued our brethren relieued and no man iustly offended But wee may say of this thing as the Papists doe of the priuate Masse which they cannot defend that the iniquitie of the people brought it in For when men thorowen couetousnes would not followe the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.2 to put some thing apart for the poore as they should finde God had blessed them and so bring that with them and haue it in a readines being perswaded that it is a dutie 2. Cor. 9 7. which God requireth of them and so doe it cheerefully as vnto him who hath promised to reward it but it being left to their discretion they haue shifted it off as they might and whē diuine seruice was ended and now nothing more was to bee done in the Church but that they would not carrie it then the collectors for the poore were compelled to take them there in the middest of Gods seruice when for very shame by starting they could not refuse But from the beginning it was not so and seeing God is not the author of confusion 1. Cor. 14.33 40 all things in the Church must be done honestly and in good order And these are the common and publike dueties which are to be performed in the assemblies of the people and which cannot be done but where there is a visible church established How wee ought priuatly to spend the rest of the day when the publike assemblies are dissolued which hath her ordinarie meetings which where it is yet they continue not together the whole day neither can nor indeede is it required of them and yet the whole day must bee hallowed as we haue seene in part and it shall more fully appeare vnto vs here after For God sanctified from the beginning the seuenth day Concil Turon cap. 40. not a parcell of it onely and in the Councel of Turon it was decreed that they should rest from all worke and be occupied in praysing Gods name vsque ad vesperam even vnto the euening Concil Paris cap. 1. And in the Councel of Paris they say Let your eyes and hands be lifted vp vnto God toto illo die August de tēp serm 251. all that day For as S. Augustine very well sayth Wee must not thinke that a little peece of that day is sufficient for Gods seruice and all the rest we may bestow at our pleasures For as we haue seene before therefore are they called the Lords Sabbaths and in the new Testament the Lords dayes because they are wholie to be imployed in his seruice And therefore Master Caluin very excellently sayth Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. Let vs knowe that the Sunday is not ordained for vs onely to come to the sermon but to the end wee might imploy the rest of the time to laude and praise God For as one as one very learnedly obserueth It is not simply sayd Muscul praecept 4. Remember the Sabbath but the Sabbath day and not the things of the day but the day it selfe And
vnacquainted with feare thē with this or that iudgement executed vpon such a people comfort them with such a mercie shewed vnto such a man it moues thē not they know no such thing they are altogether strāgers in those matters nay some cānot tell in what part of the Bible any such book as is alleaged stands Therfore wheras we may obserue it in the new Testamēt that our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles in alleaging the places of the olde Testament doe generally say thus it is written Matth. 21.13 Luke 20. 42. Act. 1.23 cap. 2 16. Matth. 15.7 or as it is written in the book of the Psalmes or this is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel or well prophesied Esaias of you c. Now men are driuen to name the book the chapter the verse and all too little to helpe men to finde it out so vnacquainted are they with searching the Scriptures by priuat reading no not vpon the Lords daie which is one of the peculiar workes of it Moreouer though wee bee something skilfull in the Scripture we cannot well presently in the Church stand reading euery place that shall bee alleaged least in the meane season some other most necessarie doctrine ouerslip vs and we not marking what went before followed after cannot tel to what ende the place was alleaged and so we lose the profit of it therefore dooing our endeauours to marke the Scriptures alleaged it shall bee profitable for vs afterwards at home to reade them ouer when wee shall bee more free from distraction and haue more leasure to doe it conueniently which is that that is commended vnto vs by the practise of the church in Berea that when Paul had preached vnto them Christ Iesus and had proued him to be that Sauiour of the world that was promised Act. 17.11 they reade ouer those Scriptures to see whether it were so or no according to the commaundement of our Sauiour Christ Iohn 5.39 searche the Scriptures for they are they which testifie of me Therfore so many as can read let them doe it vpon the Lordes daye and they that cannot let them see the want of it to be so great in themselues that they bring vp their children vnto it and in the meane season repayre to those places where they may haue the Scriptures read vnto thē let them get the bible into their houses that when any come that can read they may haue it in a readines lose not the oportunitie that is offered euen as they are contented to haue many other things in their houses which though they knowe not how to occupie themselues yet some of their friends may when they come especially when the benefite of it shall redound not onely to him that occupieth it but to himselfe and all his household Vnto the forenamed exercises wee must ioyne meditation as a most notable part of Gods seruice We must vse priuate meditation vpon that which we haue heard and read which is the very life and strength of the former and without the which they are made weake and vnprofitable vnto vs. For meditation is that exercise of the minde whereby we calling into our remembrance that which we know doe further debate of it as it were with our selues reasoning about it so and applying it to our selues that we might haue some vse of it in our practise and therefore it frameth the affections of our harts accordingly so that it is an occupying of the whole minde both of the reasonable part whereby we doe remember some thing and furthermore we being reasonable creatures do gather some other things vpon it by finding out the causes of it espying the fruite of it or considering the properties of it and so doe make some profitable vse of it to our selues whereby also our affections must needs be framed some one way or other to loue ioy desire hatred feare c. according to the diuersitie of our meditations and all those affections in their seuerall kindes shall be so much the more vehement by howe much the meditation is more serious and earnest As for example What meditation is how vntoward naturally we are thereunto to meditate vpon the word is diligently to call into our remembrance that which wee haue learned by hearing or reading before and to muse vpon it so that we be able to goe from point to point then to apply the generall thing to our selues and be persuaded that we must make our vse of it and therefore wisely to examine howe the case standes betweene the Lord and ourselues in that very thing and then what is like to follow vpon it whereby our hearts being stirred they might driue vs to put some thing in practise And here I would gladly speake as plainely as possibly I might euen to the capacity of the most rude and ignorāt because I know that it is so little practised of men that they are not so much as acquainted with it to know what it meanes I confesse it is an hard thing indeed but most profitable and therefore we are almost vnfit vnto it and the diuell laboureth most of all to hinder vs in it in so much that if he cannot keepe vs from hearing and reading the word and receiuing the sacraments at the time appointed yet hee will endeuour as much as may be to hinder vs from meditating vpon these that wee might lose the profit of them And if we marke our selues narrowly we shall finde our vntowardnes this way most of al for when we haue gone cheerfully vnto the church and there with the rest of Gods people behaued our selues orderly because these are outwarde things and in them it might seeme vnto vs that we haue had to deale but with men it is that which is not so yrksome vnto vs and wherunto the wickedest man may very easily come but afterwards to take some fit time to our selues wherin wee will seuer our selues from men and call ourselues to an account before Gods iudgement seate for that which we haue heard and to deale with our owne harts in good earnest for the doing or not doing of that which we haue learned and casting off al the cloakes of hypocrisie to lay our hearts naked before God accusing our selues where we come short of any thing praying vnto him for his grace therein confessing our sinnes that we haue beene rebuked of crauing the forgiuenes of them acknowledging his mercy where we haue receiued any thing intreating him for the continuance of it and so to depart away either more humbled in our selues to auoide sinne more carefully or comforted in the Lord to goe on forward in well doing more couragiously this I say as it doth especially builde vs vp in godlines so by due proofe we shall find that without the especiall assisstance of Gods holy spirit there is nothing more lothsome in the world and more tedious vnto vs. And I am assured that it is a thing so
admit no conference with their people at all whereupon many of Gods people are driuen to omit this part of Gods seruice whether they will or no to their owne great hinderance But to make an end of this matter we haue seene that it is the duetie of all men to conferre one with another and therefore no man can say I would faine doe it but I haue none that will conferre with me for hee may finde our some one or other that will ioyne with him in it and if not in that manner that hee desireth yet let him begin and it may bee that he may prouoke some that were vnwilling before and if not that if yet he shall finde that the very vttering of that which was taught before with his mouth vnto others shall be a singular helpe to confirme himselfe in it neither let any be so vntowarde Which they may doe though they can say but I or no or aske a question as altogether to drawe backe because they cannot speake so fruitfully of the word as they desire and it may bee they see some others before them doe For if they doe but listen diligently vnto that which is spoken in a desire to learne and will but giue their consent vnto it and seeme to like of it saying I or no they shall draw on the speaker and so continue that conference which may be profitable to them both which I knowe by experience the Lord hath so blessed in some that he hath nowe rewarded their obedience in the kingdome of heauen And we must remember that the Communion of Saints consisteth as well in receiuing as giuing euen in receiuing good from others as wel as in doing it vnto thē And therefore as wee must alwaies carrie about with vs these mindes that our desire is to further our selues or others in godlines so we may be assured wee haue spent the time well when wee haue attayned vnto either of both For as a Prophet must goe in the name of a Prophet to doe the dutie of a Prophet Math. 10.41 so the people that receiue him in the name of a Prophet that is to heare his doctrine to be made partakers of his prayer and to profit by both shall not lose their reward For this cause the Apostle writing to the Romaines sayth Rom. 1.11 He was desirous to come among them for the common good of both saying For I long to see you that I might bestowe among you some spirituall gift to strengthen you 11. that is that I might he comforted together with you through our mutuall faith both yours and mine Thus wee haue seene how we ought to meditate and conferre about the scriptures But wee must further know that though our meditations and conferences must alwaies be kept within the compasse of the worde least they bee wandring and so not onely friuolous and vaine but wicked and vngodly yet they are not so tyed vnto that but wee both may and ought fruitfully to meditate vpon and soberly to conferre about the workes of God that so wee might bee taught not onely by the worde but also by experience seeing that the inuisible things of God are seene by the creation and gouernement of the worlde Rom. 1.20 being considered in his workes We ought to meditate vpon and conferre about the works of God by which he manifesteth himselfe vnto vs. Which without the word I confesse is so litle because of our blindnes that it doth but leaue vs without excuse as the Apostle sayth in the same verse yet being holpen by the benefit of the worde as the dim sight of an olde man is holpen by the benefit of a paire of spectacles we are guided aright and see more cleerely into euery thing thereby especially when we are gouerned by Gods spirite herein For then we shall perceiue the infinite wisedome of God his great mercy and power his iustice and trueth c. which are so plentifully spoken of in the scripture not onely by his iudgements vpon the wicked and his benefites bestowed vpon his children in our owne times and in the dayes of our forefathers but also in all other the dumme and insensible creatures euen in the day and in the night winter and summer heate and cold c. whereby hee doth exercise his iudgements vpon the one or hee brings his blessings vpon the other Euen as the same Apostle testifieth vnto the mē of Lystra saying That God which made heauen and earth the sea Acts. 14.15 and all things that in them are in times past suffered all the Gentiles to walke in their owne waies neuerthelesse hee left not himselfe without witnesse in that he did good and gaue them raine from heauen and fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food and gladnes For by those thinges they might haue seene how he in great wisedome and mercy gouerneth the world for their good so that thereby they shuld haue beene made more carefull to serue him which because they did not they were left without excuse and had nothing to say for themselues before Gods iudgement seate for the things should witnes against them and by the testimonie of their owne conscience they should confesse that the Lorde had by all his creatures sensibly allured and prouoked them to good And if the heathen were iustly condemned because they did not so profite by the view of the worlde as they should how much more shall we be without all shewe of excuse that we doe not labour to behold the inuisible things of God in his works euen his wisedome goodnes and truth and so forth which are so apparant in them and as it were written in great capitall letters to bee reade of the whole world seeing vnto them we haue the light of his word adioyned to helpe the blindnes of our eyes in this behalfe Psalm 92. That Psalme which was specially made to he sung vpon the Sabbath daye as appeareth by the title of it doth sufficiently declare how we ought then to be occupied in meditating vpon Gods goodnes and praysing him for it yea how wee ought to conferre and talke of the same And indeed this is the right vse of the creatures for which they were first made namely to set foorth the glorie of God and to serue man that hee thereby might bee made more fit to serue God therefore then doe wee vse them aright when they leade vs vnto God then are they abused when wee stay in them and so are thereby either turned away from God or at least wise kept from comming vnto him So then let vs account this one part of our duetie and seruice to Iesus Christ vpon his holie day to consider aduisedly of his workes who is now the heire of the whole world and gouerneth euery thing in it for the good of his people that he hath redeemed seeing all power is giuen vnto him in heauen and in earth that wee thereby might be more cōfirmed in
his fauor more assured of his promises and made more fit to serue him Euen as in the scriptures The seruants of God haue greatly profited in faith obedience by the consideratiō of his creatures we may see many times how the spirit of God sendeth vs to the creatures to bee confirmed by them in the things that are spoken of God in the word and the seruants of God haue by them strengthened their faith in the promises which they had learned out of Gods word before The Prophet Esay chap. 40. propoūding vnto the people most excellent promises whereof they should bee made partakers in the time of the Gospell which hee doth in the former part of the chapter frō the 12. verse he beginneth to confirme them in the certaine trueth of the same by the consideration of Gods omnipotent power whereby hee made all things at the first in such a wonderfull order that thereby they might bee assured that nothing should bee able to hinder him from bringing that to passe which he haid promised to his Church but that they should looke most certainly for it saying Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and waighed the mountaines in a waight and the hils in a ballance So likewise the Prophet Ieremie in his 33. chapter promising mising vnto the church deliuerance out of their trouble doth perswade them of the infallible truth of Gods word herein by setting before their eyes the immutable course of nature in the continuall interchange of the day and night Thus sayth the Lord Iere. 33.20 if you can breake tny couenant of the day and my couenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season 21. then may my couenant bee broken with Dauid my seruant that he should not haue a sonne to raigne vpon his throne and with the Leuits and Priests my ministers 22. As the armie of heauen cannot be numbred neither the sand of the sea measured so will I multiplie the seede of Dauid my seruant and the Leuits that minister vnto me The Psalmes most of all are full of this matter and as it is a booke of practise especially so it is plentifull in these meditations and the treatise would be long if I should but in order reckon vp the principall places there tending to this purpose yet the waightines of the matter will not suffer me to passe ouer them all It is most apparant how Dauid in the 8. Psalme stirreth vp himselfe and all mankinde to praise the Lord for his great liberalitie towards them appearing in this that as he made him at the first Lord and ruler ouer all his creatures in heauen and earth so he hath restored him into the same dignitie by Christ when he had iustly lost it before because of his sinne when he thus beginneth and endeth the Psalme O Lord our gouernour Psal 8.19 how excellent is thy name in all the world And in another Psalme the Prophet complaineth of the greatnes of his affliction and being almost discouraged because the Lord deferred his helpe so long that he might not vtterly sink down vnder the heauie waight of his grieuous tentation Psal 77.10 strengtheneth his faith by remembring Gods former works that he might haue hope of his mercie towards himselfe I remembred the yeares of the rtght hande of the most high 11. I remembred the workes of the Lord certainly I remembred thy wonders of old 12. I did also meditate of all thy workes and did deuise of thine acts So likewise in the 22. Psalme the man of God being in such extremitie that he was almost past all hope beginneth with this heauie complaint Et. 21.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and art so farre from my health and from the voyce of my roring But afterwards commeth to this verse 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliuer them 5. They called vpon thee and were deliuered they trusted in thee and were not confounded And then he sayth vers 10. I was cast vpon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers bellie Where we see he getteth hope at the last of being heard and deliuered by the consideration of Gods workes both generally done to his seruants in times past and particularly shewed to himselfe heretofore And there is great reason of this for the Lord is alwaies like himselfe and Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for euer and therefore will doe as he hath done for there is no respect either of persons Psal 25.10 or times with him but all the wayes of God are mercie and trueth not only mercie in the beginning but trueth in the midst and ending For this cause the seruant of God thus praieth in the Psalme 119. Et. 119.132 Looke vpon me and be mercifull vnto me as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy name And vers 149. Heare my voyce according to thy louing kindnes O Lord quicken me according to thy custome In both which places we see how he prayeth to God that he would shewe him that mercie which he was wont to shew to him himselfe others in the like case heretofore so by the former works of God strengtheneth himselfe in prayer Thus wee may easilie vnderstand what profit we might get by the earnest meditation and wise conference about the works of God which are done in great wisedome thereby to confirme vs in the trueth of those things that are written in the word and to draw vs to those dueties that are required of vs in the same and so generally to further vs in all godlinesse and therefore a thing not to bee neglected at any time but most of all to bee practised vpon the Lords day that we might leaue nothing vndone which might make all Gods worship most profitable vnto vs and make vs fitter vnto all other dueties which is the end why the Sabbath was ordained In the 104. Psalme the Prophet speaking of the wonderfull workes of God and the marueilous gouerning preseruing of them beginneth thus Et 104.1 My soule praise thou the Lord and towards the midst breaketh forth into this speech O Lord how manifold are thy workes vers 24. in wisedome hast thou made them all And in the end concludeth with Glorie be to the Lord for euer And 33. I will sing vnto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I liue Hereby declaring what ought to bee wrought in all men by the reuerent cōsidering of Gods works and that we should not muse or speake of them vnprofitably but with that glorie vnto God and comfort to our selues which he requireth of vs and no doubt many of his children doe But that I might drawe to an ende one word of that which as it is most plaine so it is most comfortable
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
hath been declared before that wee must rest in our mindes from the studie and care of worldly things so the end of it is that they might be meditating and occupied about Gods seruice as M. Caluine setteth it out at large Caluin vpon Deut. 5 ser 3â— Let vs know saith he that it is not sufficient that we come to the Sermon on the Sunday to receiue some good doctrine and to call vpon the name of God but we must digest those things and that by this meanes we be so formed and fashioned to the thing that all the rest of the weeke cost vs nothing to aspyre to our good and that wee neede but call to our minde that which we shall haue learned before at good leasure when our mindes were as it were vnwrapped from al those things which hinder vs to recount the worde and workes of God And a little before Although God nourish vs euery day yet notwithstanding we meditate not sufficiently on his goodnes to magnifie him for it True it is that this should be but a poore thing if we should consider of the benefites of God but on the Sundaye but on the other dayes because we are occupied ouermuch about our worldly affayres we are not so giuen to God as on that day which is altogether dedicated vnto this The Sunday therefore ought to serue vs for a tower to mounte on high to view the workes of God from a farre when we are neither hindered nor occupyed with any thing but that we may applie all our senses and our whole vnderstanding to reknowledge the gracious giftes and benefits which he hath bestowed on vs And when we shall haue practised this on the Sunday namely shall haue deepely considered of the workes of God it is certaine that all the rest of our time should bee giuen hereunto and that this meditation shall so fashion and polish vs that all the rest of the weeke we shall be ledde to thanke our God when so before hand wee shall haue premeditated on his workes to make our profite therein But I cannot forget and passe ouer with silence that part of Gods seruice which though it be most excellent in it owne nature acceptable vnto God There ought to be singing of Psalmes in the Church and in mens houses and comfortable to our selues yet it is finally regarded euery where and that is the singing of the Psalmes Of which I rather speake in this place then in the former because though I know there ought to be singing in the Church and that it is one piece of Gods publike worship and the discipline of our Church is such through Gods mercy that the Psalmes are sung in many places after a plaine distinct and profitable manner and may be euery where if men will yet men content themselues with that and are not mindfull to sing at home by themselues alone or with the rest of their houshoulde but contenting themselues that this is receiued in the Church haue no care to bring it into their houses but as though to sing Psalmes were proper vnto the Church doe neglecte this duetie euery where else Therefore wee shall see howe this exercise is commended vnto vs in the scripture as well as any other that we haue heard of before And if we looke into the booke of Psalmes we shall finde not onely a great many which doe generally concerne the estate of the whole Church and therefore are most fit to bee sung in the common assemblies but also a great number which doe most fitly agree with the priuate condition of the seuerall members of the Church To this end is there such varietie of Psalmes agreeing with all times and all mens estates and that in many things so that there is no man which can be at any time in such a case but hee shall see it most liuely set foorth in some one Psalme or other euen as though it were made for him to sing at that very time which it may be agrees not so well with others no nor with himselfe at any other time which no doubt are left vnto vs by the spirite of God that wee might sing to him as well priuately as publikely For this cause also there is such great varietie of Psalmes in such diuers arguments that whether we will giue thanks for some great deliuerance or for the forgiuenes of our sinnes or for the restoring of vs to health or for the graces of Gods spirite receiued for the hope of our resurrection vnto immortall life for the blessing of God vpon our wiues children goods c. We may find some song to sing that so all excuse might iustly be taken away from them that haue no care of this holy duetie And if men will graunt that such Psalmes as doe touch the condition of the Church generally are left in writing that they might bee sung in the Church openly howe can they deny but the like reason bindeth men priuately to sing those Psalmes which do concerne mens priuate estate at seuerall times vnlesse they will say that they onely are vnprofitable or superfluous and commended to the posteritie without cause which once to imagine is so great a sinne as it is not onely because of the contempt vnto Gods word which it carrieth with it but also because it is so contrary vnto the iudgement of the Church euery where which doth acknowledge the vnspeakable mercy of God vnto it selfe as in all the other scripture which he hath left vnto it so especially in the booke of the Psalmes and in euery parte of it and it doth confesse with all thankfulnesse that there is not one Psalme the instruction and comforts of which it could well want nay it doth confesse that the Lord as hee doth continually giue them many causes to prayse him priuately so hee hath left them sundry formes to doe it And if the priuate singing of Psalmes were not so necessary a dutie of Christians as it is to what end serueth that earnest exhortation of the Apostle to the Colossians Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wisedome Colos 3.16 teaching and admonishing one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songes singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord. Where he teacheth the whole Church howe they should behaue themselues in their priuate meetings What estate and condition of ours is most fit for the singing of Psalmes that they should not bee prophane after the manner of this worlde but tending to the edifiyng one of another in so much that their very mirth should bee profitable to themselues and others And whereas the wicked cannot be merry vnlesse they fall into beastlines and all kinde of wickednes at least wise foolishnes and iesting hee telleth them that they must reioyce in the Lord and be merry and glad in him and therefore wheras the vngodly haue a number of vaine friuolous and lewd songs they should sing spirituall songs
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
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
againe that if the beholding of our bretheren their need doth not moue vs to pitie them then are we too hard harted in deed there is no hope that euer we should pitie theÌ„ sufficiently This is that which our Sauiour Iesus Christ noteth in the gospell after S. Luke of a certaine man that went down from Ierusalem to Iericho and fell among theeues Luk. 10.30 who robbed him of his rayment and wounded him and departed leauing him halfe dead by chance there came downe a certaine priâ—st that same waie and when hee saw him he passed by on the other side and likewise a Leuit when he was come nere to the place went and looked on him and passed by on the other side In which they are both coÌ„demned of the want of al humanitie that coÌ„ming neere to him and seeing him in this miserie yet hardened their hearts against so woful a sight and were not moued with so dolâ—full a crie But of the third it is sayd which was a Samaritane that as hee iourneyed he came neere vnto him and when he saw him he had compassion on him and went to him bound vp his wounds and powred in wine and oyle and put him on his owne beast and brought him to an Inne made prouision for him c. By which practise of his as it is most manifest how truelie it is sayd of him that hee had compassion on him in deed so the occasion of it is noted that hee came neere to him and saw him in this miserie which no doubt did a great deale more affect him then if it had been most liuely described vnto him by others Hereupon the liberalitie of men many times is so colde as it is for that they beholding nothing but plentie in themselues and abundance in their friends know not the hungry meales that their brethren make with bread and water and not enough of that heare not the pitifull cries of the poore children pinched with colde and hunger vpon whome their fathers and mothers cannot looke many times with drye cheekes which if they would endeuour to finde out by going from house to house and so acquainte themselues with their estate vpon the Lords daye and doe it as one of his workes then their owne eyes might moue them to bestowe some of that which hath not seene light many yeares before the iust and cancer of which shall witnesse against them or to bring out that corne which they haue kept till it be past mans meate or to spare but the ouerplus of that which might bee from their hawkes and dogs for the relieuing of the distressed meÌ„bers of Christ Iesus Matth. 25.40 who would account that whatsoeuer they did to one of the least of his brethren they did it to himselfe For this is that which I haue heard some men say when they haue come from such houses that they would not haue thought that they had beene in halfe that pouertie vnlesse they had seene it with their eyes Therefore euen as it is said of the wisdome of Solomon which was so great as it was and the fame was iustly spread farre and neere So that the Queene of Saba came among others 2. Chron. 10.5 to make triall of it which when she had done and had seene heard all things she was greatly astonyed and said vnto the King it was a true word which I heard in mine owne land of thy sayings and of thy wisdome howbeit I beleeued not this report till I came had seene it with my eyes but loe the one halfe was not tolde for thou hast more wisdome and prosperitie then I haue heard by reporte c. Euen so may it be said of the coÌ„dition of our brethreÌ„ that though we heare much yet we shall not know the tenth part of their pouertie except wee will goe and see it and therefore cannot bee so moued to pittie them as the Lord would haue vs. Therefore whereas we vse to make many idle walkes and vnnecessarie wandrings we cannot tell whither vpon the Lords daye let vs hereafter goe and see the thing which might moue vs to doe that which otherwise wee should forget to see I meane the wants of such as wee may and ought to supply according to our hability And let vs do it so much the rather because otherwise though we do helpe them yet we cannot do it so cherefully from our hearts with that feeling of their miserie which the Lord will accept Gen. 23.2.3 For euen as Abraham when he would prouoke himselfe to so great an humiliation as such a chastisement did require hee wept in the sight of the dead corpes that the beholding of it might moue him the rather so if we would looke into the necessitie of our brethren and set it before our eyes wee should bee more plentifull in well doing then we are and bee more readie to weepe with them that weepe Rom. 12 15.16 and to be like minded one towards another And if the Lords day bee a daye of receiuing mercy from God and shewing it againe to all his creatures We ought especially to do the spirituall works of mercie to mens soules euen to the oxe and to the asse much more then vnto man who is most like vnto GOD and neerest to our selues and if in all outward things we ought to minister vnto him then much more in spirituall and heauenly wherein is shewed so much the more mercy by howe much the soule is more excellent then the bodie the wants of the one more generall then the other and more dangerous yet lesse felt and lesse sought to be supplyed For many that haue great abouÌ„dance of outward things yet their soules are in great miserie and their bodies are well fed but their soules are almost famished wanting both knoweledge and comfort and yet they doe not pitie themselues Now then if it bee pitie as it is to raise vp the asse that is fallen vnder his burden to lift out the oxe that is fallen into the ditch then much more to raise vp men that are fallen into sinne and to pull them out of the mire of despaire in which they sticke by the sweete promises of the Gospell as it were reaching out vnto them our hands if to pul a man out of the fire then much more to pull him out of hell fire if to feede the hungrie to cloth the naked then most of all to feede their soules with the liuely knowledge of Gods word and to couer their nakednes with the righteousnes of Christ Iesus by faith If to make peace betweene men and men then much more to reconcile them vnto God Then we must needs confesse that it is the Lords work which he requireth of euery one vpon his holy daye namely that besides the helping of them in their outwarde estate they minister vnto them that want of their heauenly riches as God hath blessed them aboue others euen to teach
the promises of this life and the life to come So then by all this it may most euidently appeare both by the words of the commandement and by the practise of the best men in the old and new Testament that this duetie is layd vpon all householders diligently to ouersee the wayes of their familie that they serue God as in all other dueties so especially in sanctifying the Sabbath as they will answere to the contrarie at their perill to him that hath put them in authoritie and as they will giue an account for their soules which otherwise might perish through their default Which though it bee so seuerely inioyned in all men But in our time it is for the most part wholly neglected and vnder so great a paine layd vpon them yet it is so generally neglected of the greatest part that we may rather complaine of it iustly with griefe then haue any hope of the speedie reforming of it For besides that a great many haue no care to sanctifie the day themselues and therefore cannot with any conscience require it of their seruants and children but either set them to worke or to play and to do any thing vpon that day sauing that which they should and doe encourage them thereunto by their owne ill example and words there be others also who though they seeme to haue some care to keepe holie the day themselues and haue indeede yet either through ignorance or negligence do not once looke to their housholde whether they come to Church or no and sit there attentiuely and continue there with profit to the ending nor how they spend the rest of the day but being demaunded where their seruants were how chance they came not to Church c. they answere securely and as they thinke sufficiently as though it were a thing meerely impertinēt vnto them that they cannot tell they do not hinder them from the Church they may come if they will and they are of age to looke to themselues and they are past boyes now and I cannot tell what But they must consider besides that which hath been alreadie spoken concerning this matter that they do too foolishly and grosly imagine to stoppe as it were the mouth of the Lord with that simple answere in his busines which they will not receiue at their seruants hands in their owne For in the sixe dayes when their seruants are in their owne busines they will not let them come and goe at their owne pleasure and content themselues with a bare imagination that they be at their workes but will be sure of it and therfore set them to it looke vpon them in the doing of it call them to an account for it which if it bee well done in themselues because they knowe otherwise they will be negligent how must it not needes then bee a great vnthankfulnes in them vnto God that vpon his day which is but one among seuen his seruice should be so slenderly looked vnto that there is no such diligence vsed towards their seruants that they might performe it And how must it not needes be a great iniurie to their seruants who are naturally for the most part more negligent and carelesse in Gods seruice by reason of their corruption then they can be in the seruice of men to bee depriued of that benefit of their gouernours which is the chiefest and for which cause especially they are committed to their gouernment namely to be furthered by thē in the seruice of God but vse them more like beasts then men euen that they might be seruiceable vnto them and then care not whether they serue God or the diuell We know that seruants looke to be preferred by their masters and so there is good reason when they haue serued them faithfully but what kinde of rewarde is this that when they haue bestowed some earthly benefit vpon them by hauing no care to make them serue the Lord and sanctifie his Sabbaths doe in the ende not onely make them lose the euerlasting reward but preserue them to eternall destruction Moreouer there are a companie of idle seruing men who being brought vp idly all the sixe dayes and in thē hauing nothing at all to doe and are neuer almost looked after vpon the seuenth day are as idle Especially in great households where there are many seruants and as little regarded as vpon the other and as they neuer almost doe any good dayes worke to their masters for they haue nothing to doe so much lesse doe they spend any Sabbath in the Lords seruice but they especially are left to goe and come at their will Others that haue any office of great charge and attendance as the Cookes and Butlers such like in great houses seldome or neuer come to the Church and that but by peeces either when halfe is done or els they are readie to depart before halfe bee ended and so both hinder the Lord from that seruice which he should haue by them and them from that blessing which they should inherit this way and both cause the name of God to be ill spoken of and pul vpon themselues and them that curse which belongeth to the continual polluting of the Sabbath And how can they looke that that seruice and that meate and drinke should doe them good which is thus prepared and bought as it were with the continuall daunger of the soules of their seruants besides the dishonour of the name of God When Dauid had inconsideratly desired to drinke of the water of Bethleem three mightie men brake into the hoste of the Philistines and drew water and brought it to him but he would not drinke thereof but powred it for an offring to the Lord and sayd 2. Sam. 23.15.16 O Lord be it farre from me that I should doe thus is not this the bloud of the men that went in ieopardie of their liues How much lesse then ought men to eate and drinke that for which their seruants doe venture the liues of their soules And besides if we doe iustly finde fault with them who doe neuer or seldome preach to the people committed to their charge and so cause their soules to starue and dye eternally how can they be blameles who seldome or neuer bring their seruants to the preaching of the word And must they not needes be culpable of the same iudgement before God seeing it is all one with the seruants whether they liue in the places where the word of God is not preached at al or if it be yet they come not vnto it Obiection But where as men are readie to obiect that in a great familie many must needs be absent Answer I grant it to be true in some part that is at some time and vpon some occasion but so ordinarily and so continually as they themselues in their owne consciences are priuie of who make this obiection I know no necessitie that can excuse that Nay I am sure that the Lord hath layd no
that superstition of the Iewes which that graue father singularly wel deseruing of al the Church of God Beza in Cantic SoloÌ„ Homil. 30. Master Beza speaketh of When it is counted such a great sinne to open a shop windowe Non item si lusum si potatum si scortatum fuerit But not so great if a man vpon this day giue himselfe to gaming to swilling and to playing the harlot Yea as another learned diuine sayth Gualt in Act. 13. Homil. 88. Hodie eò res deuenit In our time things are so come to passe that amongst Christians they may be accounted very good men who breake the Sabbath by their handie labor when they most doe prophane it with horrible wickednes neither at any time doe they more offend in pride and disdaine in drunkennes ryot lust then vpon that day which should be wholly consecrated vnto God and to the meditation of his workes and of our eternall rest And seeing these thinges are done openly and commonly sayth hee doe we yet maruaile what is the cause of the calamities of our time And Master Bucer complaineth yet a great deale more Bucer in Psal 92. I am nihil ferè scelerum est Now there is almost no wickednes which is not especially committed vpon the Lords holy day there is opâ—â—â—â—ying drinking filthy dauncing harlotting fighting and quarrelling and I would to God greater things then these were not committed I will not say as he sayth Et nusquam ferè licentiùs quam in ipsis principum Episcoporum aulis For I hope better things of them and such as accompanie saluation but in too many places of towne and countrie So that I may say of them as father Chrysostome doth Chrysost de Lazar. conciâ— pri Thou hast receiued the Sabbath day of God to clense thy soule from sinne and thou vpon that day dost most of all â—ommit sinne Whereupon it comes to passe that all the weeke following they are so much the more wicked bâ— how much that which was appointed for their good they haue turned into sin vnto themselues so that as the Gospell which in it selfe is the sauour of life vnto liâ—e by mens abuse is turned into the sauour of death aâ—d the bread of the Lords table which is the food of life is turned into poyson when men doe not rightly therein discerne of the Lords body and so by eating it and driâ—king the Lords cuppe 1. Cor. 11.29 they procure his iudgement against â—hemselues so this day of the Lords resurrection which is therefore the day of life vnto vs is by their wickednes â—ade vnto them the day of euerlasting death Euen as Master Caluin sayth Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. When the Sunday is spent not onely in games and pastimes full of vanitie but in things which are altogether contrary vnto God that men thinke they haue nâ—t celebrated the Sunday except GOD therein be by many and sundrie waies offended when men I say vnhallow in such sort this holy day which God hath instituted to leade vs vnto himselfe is it any maruaile if wee become brutish and beastlie in our doings all the rest of the weeke But to reserue all such prophane beasts vnto the iudgement of God whose holy daye of rest as they doe despise so vnlesse they repent and amend GOD hath sworne long agoe Heb. 3.18 that they shall neuer enter into his heaueÌ„ly rest There are others of whom in the same place he speaketh Caluin ibid. Who glut themselues by ryotting and are shut vp in their houses because they dare not shew a manifest contempt of their duetie in the open streetes so that the Sunday is to them a retreat to withdraw themselues from the congregation of God whereby one may see what affection they haue to all Christianitie and the seruice of God when by this which was giuen vs for an aide and helpe to drawe neerer vnto God they take occasion to withdraw themselues the further from him For as he sayth a little before if we imploy the Sunday to make good cheere to sport our selues to goe to games and pastimes shall God in this bee honoured Is not this a mockery Is not this an vnhallowing of his name But let vs that be Christians be of another minde and let vs as Saint Augustine sayth shewe our selues Christians by keeping holy the Lords day August ad Casul â—pist 86. vnto whom so manie as feare God let me say as they did at the Councell of Paris Concil Paris lib. 3. cap. 5. Salubriter admonemus We do admonish all the faithfull for the saluation good of their soules that they would giue due honour and reuerence vnto the Lords day because the dishonour of it is both contrarie vnto Christian religion and doth without all doubt bring destruction to the soules of all that continue it And there is great reason of it For seeing that daye is appointed for all the partes of Gods worship Bulling in Ier. câ—ncio 65. He that despiseth the Sabbath makes no great account of the true religion as master Bullinger very wisely noteth and therefore the Sabbath is many times put for the practise of all religion and the Prophets when they complaine of the decay of all religion say that the Sabbaths are polluted as hee also obserueth in the same place according to which rule if wee will iudge of the religioÌ„ of men we shall find that amongst a great many it is very little or none at all because they haue not that due care of the Sabbath that they should And thus saith Master Caluin Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. that the Prophet Ieremie in many places rebuking the Iewes for breaking of the Sabbath speakes vnto them as if they had in generall broken the whole law and not without cause for he which setteth at naught the Sabbath daye hath cast vnder foote all Gods seruice as much as is in him and if the Sabbath daye be not obserued all the rest shall be worth nothing Now besides seeing the end of all is that the fruit of Gods worship might appeare in our godly conuersation to the glorie of his name and our eternall saluation euen as it was ordayned of God at the first to keepe Adam in his integritie if we by the grace of God escape all these horrible prophanations of this daye and haue attained vnto some tolerable care of keeping holy the day then let vs see what we are bettered thereby and what is the fruite of our profession thereon For then may wee haue comfort that we vse it aright when there proceeds that good of it thereby for which God ordained it and which wee see it bringeth forth in many others And therefore I may say with Master Bucer Bucer in Mat. 12.11 if we do truely and religiously serue God vpon the Lords day aboue all others Declarent hoc mores Let our manners shewe it let the holinesse