meate which is also warranted by the Disciples pulling and rubbing of the eares of corne Wherein also respect may be had of his place and degree as Nehemiah had daily an oxe and sixe sheepe besides birds prouided for him Nehem. 5. 18. Now if euery day then on the Sabbath yet here we must take heede that wee make not the Sabbath a day of feasting as in many places in the countrey they doe keeping their feasts not like Iobs children euery one his day but euery one his Sabbath day A good rule therefore for the ordring of this will be vpon the Sabbath not to exceede our ordinarie Thirdly this also giueth libertie for the dressing of our cattell milking of our kine and such like without which things life it selfe is not so comfortable vnto them Last of all as all these things may be done for preseruation of health so also may we labour vpon the Sabbath for the preseruation of Labour vpon the Sabbath for preseruation of goods lawfull our goods being in danger of losing them Which of you is it saith Christ that hauing an oxe or an asse fallen into the ditch doth not pull him out All which things as they may bee done vpon the Sabbath so if necessitie be they must presently bee done and the exercises of the Sabbath neglected for the doing of them for Christ will haue the oxe pulled presently out of the pit Luk. 14. 5. And in regard of this it is that he requireth mercie and not sacrifice not but that hee will haue both but if the case so stand that hee cannot haue both at once but must content himselfe with one hee had rather haue mercie than sacrifice And therefore Paul when Eutiches was fallen downe dead left preaching to recouer him to life and the Israelites though they were commaunded not to touch a carrion yet they must take vp Iosephs bones Exo. 13. 19. And Mat. 5. though he commands thee to offer sacrifice yet if thy brother haue ought against thee thou must first goe and be reconciled and then come So that in all these respects howsoeuer the law commaunds a precise rest yet as we say Necessitie hath no law so truly may wee say it hath no Sabbath daies § Sect. 16 But yet in doing these workes of necessitie three things must diligently bee taken heed of Cautions to be obserued in doing the workes of necessitie First that we send not for excuses and make matters of necessitie when before hand wee might haue preuented the necessitie As for example if a man owe a summe of money vpon a band and neglect the taking of order for the paiment of it vntill the day be so neere that he must needs trauaile on the Sabbath to discharge his band Also when a man is serued with processe to appeare on such a day at Westminster hee hauing time enough deferreth it so long that he must needes trauaile vpon the Sabbath to come there by his day and by this meanes bringeth a necessitie vpon himselfe which God neuer laid vpon him all which necessities if men did well consider before hand might be easily auoided Well but when a man hath negligently runne into this necessitie whether may hee then trauaile vpon the Sabbath I say if it bee of necessitie to be done thou maist doe it but thou must withal remember to crie to God for mercie for forgetting his Sabbath which thou shouldest haue remembred The second thing that must be taken heed of is that no recompence be taken for the labour which thou doest vpon this day for by that meanes thou makest it a seruile worke Secondly it will be a meanes to leade thee on to this sin of Sabbath-breaking for rewards do blinde the eyes And thirdly be well assured that God will neuer blesse that hire but it shall be vnto thee like the Manna that the Israelites gathered more than needed that rotted and stunke Exod. 16. The last caution is that when we are thus forced by necessitie to breake the Sabbath that then we haue an especiall care sometime of the weeke to repay that time which we tooke on the Sabbath by imploying so much of the weeke vnto holie exercises so that although God hath not the precise time prescribed which he requireth yet hee may haue at least the equitie thereof so much time Now there be I know that vnto these workes All workes of mercie may not be done vpon the Sabbath which God hath in his word dispensed with to be done vpon the Sabbath doe adde moreouer all works of mercie which I take may no further be done vpon the Sabbath than they come within one of the foresaid limitations that is that they be either in speciall commanded as 1. Cor. 16. 1. As first collections for the poore of which kinde also are visiting of the poore and sicke and such like or such as godlinesse requireth as a man may trauaile to bring others vnto the exercises of religion or necessitie inforceth vs vnto of which before But if neither of these leade vs thereunto though they be workes of mercie yet they must be deferred As for example a poore man hath an aker of corne to bee cut who is not able to pay for the cutting of it neither yet to cut it himself Now to help such a man there is no man but wil say it is a deed of charity to cut his corne yet if his neighbours should some sixe or seuen of them euery one take his sithe and cut downe his corne vpon the Sabbath they should breake the Sabbath and should cleane contradict Gods commandement that forbiddeth them to doe any seruile worke vpon the Sabbath for this charitie to our neighbour must not take away our dutie to God nor hinder it vnlesse as before The conclusion then of this point is this That no kinde of ordinarie or seruile worke may bee done vpon the Sabbath neither in the house nor in the citie nor in the fields nor vpon the seas be they neuer so small or neuer so meete or neuer so glorious in shew except either God commaund it extraordinarily or that the worke tend directly to Gods worship or be of necessitie either for the preseruation of life or health or goods in which respects God hath giuen vs allowance vpon the Sabbath to worke and not otherwise And this much touching the first kind of workes here principallie and by name forbidden CHAP. III. On the Sabbath we must rest from recreations Sect. 1. And pastimes namely dauncing Sect. 2. Also from wordly words Sect. 3. And thoughts Sect. 4. But aboue all from sinne Sect. 5. § Sect. 1 BVt now doth God meane that these workes of our ordinarie vocation Pastimes vpon the Sabbath vnlawfull are only forbidden and no others Surely no for as I will neuer think that when Dauid prayed Lord turne away mine eyes that I behold not vanitie Psal 119. 37 he meant that his eares should stand open to heare vanitie no
as the Israelites kept a fast in Mispeh 1. Sam. 7. And Hest 4. 16. there is a fast kept of three daies long yea Daniel keepes a fast of three weekes of daies Dan. 10. 3. Neither in so doing is there any breach or alteration of Gods ordinance but rather an obseruation For as Christ brake not the commandement when he neglected his dutie to parents to performe his dutie to God so neither doe we breake this ordinance of God when wee on any of the sixe daies neglect our owne businesse to serue God the cause and necessitie so requiring for if necessitie may cause vs to breake the Sabbath for the good of man may not necessitie aswell dispense with our daies and cause vs to sanctifie a Sabbath for the good of man Nay further I take it that this commandement being a Synecdoche and but a part put for the whole as are all the other commaundements doth warrant yea and commaund such time conuenient in the weeke daies to be set apart vnto Gods seruice And we see that Christ and the Apostles preached on these daies as well as vpon the Sabbath which they would not haue done if it had been vnlawful for the people to heare And as I thinke that any of these daies may by the Church be set apart to Gods seruice the cause so requiring so also doe I perswade my selfe that some part of euery one of these daies should be set apart to holy exercises as morning and euening to pray with our families And of these wee see Isaac had one hee went out in the euening to pray Gen. 24. 63. Daniel had three for he prayed three times a day Dan. 6. 10. And Dauid prayed seuen times a day Psal 119. 164. And thus much as touching the second question and so consequently of the first reason to perswade to the keeping of the Sabbath for as for such things as be here obserued about the rest I haue handled them before in the discourse of the rest of the day CHAP. II. The second reason because it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Sect. 1. Holy daies are to bee consecrated onely to the Lord Sect. 2. § Sect. 1 THe second reason followeth and is drawne from the end and institution of the Sabbath contained in these words It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God And it may be thus gathered If the Sabbath bee consecrate vnto the Lord and his worship then you must rest on it from your works but the former is true for it is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God and therfore it followeth that you must rest from your works And here marke with me first the workmanship of this reason how fitly it is framed for first least any man should bee so bold as to aske him for his commission as Exo. 2. one demaunded of Moses Who made thee a Iudge or as Mat. 22. 23. the Priests demanded of Christ By what authoritie doest thou these things Therefore he shewes his authoritie namely that he is authoritie it self and he may command for he is Lord and no man will say vnto him vnlesse he be a diuell What hast thou to doe with vs Matth. 8 for he hath to doe with vs for he is thy Lord and that diuers waies First hee is thy Creator hee made thee and therefore looke how the vessell is in the potters hand so art thou in his Rom. 9. This Dauid knew well enough when he said Come let vs fall downe before the Lord our maker Psal 95. 6. Secondly as he is thy Lord by creation so also is he by redemption He hath bought thee with a price 1. Cor. 6. 20. a price not of gold and siluer but with his most pretious bloud 1. Pet. 1. 18. And therefore this is rendred as a reason of his dying and rising again that he might be Lord ouer vs Rom. 14. 9. Thirdly as by his redemption so by his soueraigntie rule and authoritie in that he is absolute in his commaund and doth whatsoeuer he will both in heauen and in earth Psal 115. 3. No man can stay his hand neither dare any say vnto him what doest thou Dan. 4. 32. for he is Lord of Lords Rom. 17. 14. and his hests stand like the lawes of the Medes and Persians that cannot be recalled Dan. 6. 12. Yea a degree further he is the Lord of spirits Num. 16. 22. and therefore will commaund not as other Lords thy bodie onely but thy soule too Matth. 21. 37. Thou must serue him with all thy soule and if it please him he can cast both bodie and soule into hell fire Mat. 10. 28. Now then if he be thy Lord and master in so full and so absolute a manner what then why then where is his feare Malac. 1. 6. He calles for that and good reason for if there bee no master but will haue some seruice shall God so great a Lord and master be without it No he will not and therfore he here requireth it of thee on this day to serue him Now there is one thing which the master oweth vnto the seruant and that is protection and euery man harpes vpon that string if he stands in need of his helpe then Master saue vs we perish Matth. 8. 25. But there is another thing that the seruant oweth to his master and that is obedience and there wee breake with him He saith goe and we goe not come and wee come not doe this and we doe it not wee keepe his commandements with notes as the Atheist beleene the Articles of faith But may it not be that there is cause as that he is a hard man or hee will not stand by his seruants to defend them or else he giues not so good wages as others Surely it is not so for first Dauid tels vs that he will not alwaies chide nor keepe his anger for euer Psal 103. 8. Yea if he see vs once to fall downe before him and to craue him to appease his anger he forgiues vs all Mat. 18. 27. then he is no hard master And as for defence he will suffer no man to doe vs wrong but wil reproue euē kings for our sakes Psal 105. 14. And as for his hire there is no seruice like vnto his no not the seruice of the King You cannot say of him as Saul said of Dauid will he giue euery one of you fields and vineyards will hee make you Captaines ouer thousands c Yea he will and more than that he makes all his seruants Kings Reu. 1. 6. and giues euery one of them a crowne of life 2. Tim. 4. yea an euerlasting kingdome that withereth not reserued in heauen 1. Pet. 1. 4. All this hee giueth and he giueth it liberally not reproching and casting men in the teeth with it as Saul did his followers why then what shall let vs to serue such a master Yet behold and wonder let a flattering diuell a little intice vs with a shew of any matter or
labour which this is one doubt that sticketh vp like a thorne in a drunkards hand wherewith hee hurteth himselfe and others namely that euery day is a Sabbath or rest from sinne and that therfore now wee are not any more bound to keepe any particular Sabbath Now to proue that we must keep euery day a Sabbath they alleage that Heb. 4. 10. where it is said that he that is entred into this rest hath ceased from his owne workes as God did from his and that therefore we must euery day keepe a rest from sinne To which I answere Were it so that all they that vrge this did it of a desire and loue they haue to the Lords Sabbath they were the lesse to bee blamed howbeit it is certaine that they pleade this most that least delight in the Sabbath when it comes and they doe it not that they would haue other daies to be kept as the Sabbath but because they would haue the Sabbath to be kept but as another day But howsoeuer yet I do not see how out of that place they may make this appeare For first I see not how Gods resting from his workes may be a figure of our resting from our sinfull workes there being no proportion between them which alwaies is betweene the signe and the thing signified Secondly if this rest were a signe or figure of our rest from sinne it must be so vnto Adam also for the law was giuen vnto him Now how could that be a figure vnto him of his resting from sinne when as yet hee had not sinned Thirdly be it that there were such a rest yet what doth the keeping of this rest morally hinder the keeping of that from sinne nay rather is it not a principall meanes for the furtherance thereof For doth not rest from wordly affaires and imployment in holie duties take away all occasions of sinne Fourthly were it granted that we must rest euery day from sinne yet this their collection that therefore wee should not rest from labour to keepe the Sabbath holy followeth not therupon no more than because a man is bound to receiue euery morsell of meate with giuing thankes that therefore he should say he were not bound to receiue the Lords Supper otherwise than as common bread or rather not to receiue the Lords Supper at all because he euery day receiueth bread with giuing of thankes Fiftly that which in that place is made significant was the seuenth day from the creation for the text saith he speaketh in a certaine place of the seuenth day not of the Sabbath Whereby it is plaine that that which was significant was the seuenth day from the creation on which God is there said to rest and it might be this was a signe that they should in the like manner rest vpon the seuenth day from their works as God did from his to which end Gods example is brought as a reason to perswade vs to rest because God rested as also it might bee a signe of our eternall rest in heauen And that indeede the Apostle meaneth there when hee saith vers 10. that hee which hath entred into his rest that is into heauen hath ceased from his owne workes What of sinne No but of his calling for this rest Adam should haue entred into though he had neuer sinned But last of all be it that in this place he meaneth this rest from sinne to bee shadowed out yet that rest is in heauen but in this life no man hath or indeed can rest from his sinfull workes as God did from his workes which the Apostle affirmeth of those that haue entred into his rest But this argument how wind-shaken it is I hope euery man seeth I will spend therefore no more time to pluck this thorne out of the drunkards hand It resteth that I should here answere that which is vrged by some out of the Epistle vnto the Coloss chap. 2. vers 16 17. Let no man condemne you in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbaths But because we shall haue a more fit oportunitie offered to speake of it in the next chapter I therefore thither remit the reader That which remaineth to be spoken of last of all is the vse of this that being the Sabbath is perpetuall therefore men take heed how they suffer this truth to be wrested away from them by the cunning sleights of Sathan or be drawne on by the alurements of euill men to abuse it to their owne pleasures or profits to runne ride or sport themselues vpon it as if it were lawfull as vpon another day or as if God had neuer said the word keepe it holy And this much as touching the first point namely that the Sabbath is perpetuall CHAP. III. The time of the rest not perpetuall Sect. 1. It was meet the Sabbath day should be changed Sect. 2. How the Sabbath is changed and yet perpetuall Sect. 3. The Sabbath changed from the seuenth day to the first Sect. 4. The reasons of that change Sect. 5. 6. 7. 8. Obiections to the contrarie answered Sect. 9. 10. Whether wee may call it still the Sabbath day Sect. 11. Whether the time of the Sabbath may not be changed againe Sect. 12. § Sect. 1 BVt now as is the rest so is not the day or time of the rest perpetuall The time of the rest not perpetuall for if you marke God saith not remember the seuenth day to rest vpon it but remember the day of rest which is the second thing that we obserue in this commandement and giueth vs occasion to consider of another question Which is whether the Apostles might chaunge the Sabbath vnto any other day then that which the Iewes kept Which they might doe first because the seuenth day kept amongst the Iewes was ceremoniall and did shadow out vnto vs our eternall rest as appeareth Heb. 4. 4. 10. which was one cause that moued the Apostles to chaunge the day As also they might doe it because they found no limited day set downe in the commaundement For as for that which followeth afterwards the seuenth is the Sabbath it is no part of the morall precept but onely an explication of it For if that were a part of it then this also must be a part sixe daies shalt thou labour which to graunt were absurd because then we should make duties betwixt man and man to bee taught in the first table which onely teacheth man this dutie to God and the second the dutie of man to man as Christ sheweth Matth. 22. 38. as also they being two things so contrarie as rest and labour I cannot see but they must also be two commaundements Besides all this in the reasons there be many things that concerned onely the Iewes as in the fifth commaundement Honour thy father and mother the reason is that thy daies may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee Now it is certaine that this promise had only reference vnto
15 But now vpon this which I haue written it will happely be deemed that I hold it vtterly vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath to doe any kinde of worke at all Which that I may not be mistaken I will now set downe what kinde of works vpon What workes may be done vpon the Sabbath the Sabbath be lawfull to be done and in what cases For this wee must know that there is no commandement so generall but it hath some exception especially those which are affirmatiue for they are alwaies more milde and binde not alwaies and at all times of which sort in the Decalogue there bee two the fourth and the fifth both which haue exceptions as in the fifth Thou shalt honour thy father and mother this is generally true yet it may so fall out in some cases that thou maist be exempt from thy dutie if the honoring of them may dishonour God and therefore thy honour is limited in the Lord Ephe. 6. 1. So here thou shalt doe no manner of seruile worke yet saith Christ which of you is it that hauing an oxe or an asse fallen into the ditch on the Sabbath doth not presently help him out Matth. 12. 11. Where Christ doth not as some foolishly furmise abolish the Sabbath as a ceremonie but sheweth that hee did no more in healing vpon the Sabbath than they themselues did in plucking the oxe or asse out of the ditch thereby indeede making a tenise ball of their argument and retorting it vpon themselues which they banded at him But had Christ held the Sabbath to haue been abolished when they charged him with the breach thereof he might easily haue answered it is abolished but hee sheweth quite contrarie that hee did no more breake the Sabbath in healing than they did in plucking the oxe out of the pit so that he doth not here abolish the Sabbath but rather establish it by shewing the right obseruation therof And to speake the truth Christ neither did nor could abolish the ceremonial law but by his death Therefore hee is said Coloss 2. 14. in his crosse to take away the hand-writting which stood in ordinances and to naile it vnto the same his crosse but in his life hee was obedient vnto it euen in all things which I thinke no man will be so impudent as to denie This therefore being plaine let vs returne vnto the exceptions which this commaundement admitteth for notwithstanding that the Lord commaundeth that ordinarilie a man may doe no seruile work vpon the Sabbath yet this commandement admitteth three exceptions First if God extraordinarily commaund vs to 1. We may worke if God command vs. worke vpon the Sabbath we may worke for he is Lord of the Sabbath and therefore may giue a dispensation when he list And therfore the man did well Ioh. 5. 11. that at Christs commaundement tooke vp his bed and did walke So also did the Iewes that compassed Iericho on the Sabbath for they were commaunded to compasse it seuen daies whereof then the Sabbath must needes be one Iosh 6. 14 15. This is the first exception The second is that if the worke be necessarily 2. If the worke be necessarily required for the performāce of Gods seruice required to the performance of the seruice of God seruile or not it must be done As Circumcision on the eighth day if it fell vpon the Sabbath it was to be done Ioh. 7. 22. And the Priests on the Sabbath killed the sacrifice and were blamelesse Matth. 12. 5. And in this respect the Minister on the Sabbath is allowed to go to preach as Christ did vpon the Sabbath Matth. 12. and the people are to goe to heare An example whereof wee haue in the Shunamite that went ordinarily vpon the Sabbath and new Moone to the Prophet For when she demaunded leaue of her husband to goe to the Prophet Why wilt thou goe saith he seeing it is neither Sabbath nor new Moone intimating thereby that vpon those times she went to heare him And in this regard was the Sabbath daies iourney allowed Act. 1. 12. And therefore whosoeuer shall breake the rest of the Sabbath in this respect is blamelesse For the Sabbath was made for man that hee might keepe it holie vnto the Lord. Now if it may so fall that the rest it selfe should any way bee a let to the keeping of it holie then the rest it selfe is to be broken and they that so doe are blamelesse For the end of the law in this respect is to be regarded and not the letter For the Sabbath was made for man that is for the good of man and not man for the Sabbath that is for the rest And this is the meaning of that place Mark 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Thirdly if it be a worke of necessitie that is 3. If it be of necessitie we may worke vpon the Sabbath a worke which the time present doth necessarily require to be done and cannot be deferred vnto another day without losse or hindrance that same worke whether it bee for preseruation of life health or goods must be done vpon the Sabbath All which I will shew And first for preseruation of life it is lawfull to breake the rest of the Sabbath for Elias continued his flight from Iezabel many Sabbaths together 1. King 19. 8. And this was the fault of the Iewes but afterwards corrected by Iudas Macchab. that they would not fight on the Sabbath for the preseruation of their liues for the Sabbath was not made for the hurt but for the good of man And as it is lawful to break the Sabbath for the Labour lawfull for preseruation of health vpon the Sabbath preseruation of life so is it for the preseruation of health Therefore the Physition may goe to visit the sicke Christ himselfe did so Ioh. 5. 3. He went vnto the poole of Bethesda where lay a great companie of sicke folkes And it is not onely lawfull to visit but also to cure for he cured the blind man vpon the Sabbath Ioh. 9. 14. The same is also warranted vnto the Chirurgion by Christs example to dresse the wounds and temper the salues Ioh. 9. 6. He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and annointed his eyes And as these things may be done for the recouerie of health so also may a man doe that which is conuenient for the preseruation and continuance of his health for God would not allow that a man should liue but also that he might liue cheerfully therfore the oxe was to be lead to the water Luk. 13. 15. though he might haue liued one day without water Now if this may be allowed for the good of the beast then how much more for the good of man In this case therefore it is lawfull vpon the Sabbath for a man to doe workes of comelinesse as to cloathe himselfe Secondly to do things for our present vse as to dresse his
eate the Lords Supper And hereupon doth the Church define a Sacrament to bee a publike action And in the Primatiue Church it was vsually deliuered vpon the Sabbath therefore it was called dies panis In regard of this no complaint can sufficiently bewaile the backwardnes of this age whereinto we are fallen that some scarce once in a whole Iubile of Sabbaths nay if law had not prouided to the contrarie scarce once in a whole Iubile of yeeres would bee partakers of the Sacrament which we see euidently in that they come no oftner vnto the Lords table than they are compelled Moses was like to haue bin slaine for the neglect of circumcision What shall wee thinke the neglect of this will bring vpon vs And if vnworthie taking make vs liable vnto iudgement 1. Corinth 11 what shall we thinke of this not taking at all When Christ talked with the Iewes of a bread from heauen euery man would haue it Ioh. 6. 34. This is so and yet no man calleth for it though the price bee vnualuable and the vertue no lesse than the communion of the bodie and blood of Christ And if the very hemme of his garment had vertue to heale vncurable diseases how much more shall this his bodie heale vs if we be truly partakers of it But surely for such as take it onely by constraint and compulsion well they may finde the cloathes where Christ his bodie was but not his bodie And because they receiue it not worthily and with comfort but of constraint therefore in steed of a seale of his mercie they may receiue a pledge of his wrath And so much for the second dutie § Sect. 8 The third publique dutie is the administration of discipline admonition reprehension excommunication The execution of discipline a dutie of the Sabbath c. A publique worke also of the Sabbath to looke vnto the manners of men to admonish them that are vnruly 1. Thess 5. and to deliuer the obstinate sinner vnto Sathan that his soule may be saued And this the Apostle sheweth also to be a worke of the Sabbath 1. Cor. 5. 5. where he willeth them that when they were gathered together in the name of the Lord Iesus they should deliuer ouer the incestuous person vnto Sathan Now their assemblie was vpon the Sabbath as before hath been shewed and therefore that should then also be done as a worke of the Sabbath CHAP. V. Of mixt duties Sect. 1. Namely prayer Sect. 2. Reading the Scriptures Sect. 3. Singing Psalmes Sect. 4 Catechising Sect. 5. And shewing mercie Sect. 6. § Sect. 1 THE next duties that follow to bee handled are such as are mixt of which sorte are prayer thanksgiuing singing of Psalmes catechising almes c. which I terme mixt because they are such as may bee done in publique or in priuate which also are to bee performed vpon the Sabbath as they shal be best fitting with the time and place Now many men when they haue bin at Church they thinke they may doe all the rest of the day what they list As the harlot when she had payed her vowes she thought she might play the harlot Prou. 7. So do many they serue God in the forenoone and the flesh and the diuell in the after-noone But they must know that God doth require the whole day to be spent in holy duties And therefore as thou maist in no part of the day breake the rest by labour so much lesse maist thou breake the holinesse for God commaundeth the one aswell as the other holinesse aswell as rest nay rest should not haue been commaunded but for holinesse And therefore as I haue shewed before it was a sin to breake the rest so is it much more to breake the Sabbath by omitting the duties of holinesse Indeed thou art not tied to spend the whole day in the publique exercises before mentioned neither were the Iewes for they had but their sacrifice euening and morning Numb 28. and prayers with their sacrifice as appeareth Luk. 1. 10 in that the people prayed whilest the incense was a burning Then they had a lecture of the Law and Prophets Act. 13. 15 after that preaching For when they had read the Law they gaue the sense thereof and caused the people to vnderstand the reading Nehem. 8. 8 and then thanksgiuing All which cōtinued not the whole day but the congregation was dismissed at mid-day Nehem. 8. 10. 12. And they returned at three of the clocke at what time Peter and Iohn went vp to pray which is called the ninth houre answering vnto our third at what time also was the euening sacrifice But yet the interim before betwixt and after was spent either in priuate exercises of godlinesse or else in these which are both priuate and publique which are therefore noted and obserued in the practise of the Church that wee might draw them also into imitation which being at other times of the weeke to bee done so much more were they on the Sabbath and the exercises of religion being vpon that day doubled Numb 28 why should God bee now lesse serued vnder the Gospell than hee was vnder the Law § Sect. 2 To come therefore vnto these duties which we call mixt first of prayer Which that it is an exercise The mixt duties are first Prayer of the Sabbath is euident in that his house is called the house of prayer Ioh. 2. and the word cannot be without it Therefore Neh. 8. Ezra before he preached praised God And though Christ would haue vs to pray in priuate Matth. 6. yet God requireth the same to be done also in the assemblies Psal 107. 32 and that not alone by the teacher as Dauid in the midst of the congregation would praise the Lord when hee did declare his name Psal 22. 22. but by the people also Therfore when Zachary was burning of incense within the people were in prayer without Luk. 1. 10 which as it must bee done in the morning so also at night For Dauid would haue his prayer as the incense which was the first thing the Priest did when hee came into the Temple and the lifting vp of his hands as the euening sacrifice Psal 142. which was on the Sabbath at night offered so must our prayers be It maketh me the more to marueile at some kinde of men that thinke if they haue been at seruice as they call it in the fore-noone that God is beholding vnto them for that and that they are not bound to returne againe in the after-noone but that they consecrate vnto some pastimes as though they had been at Church in the morning to aske God leaue to goe to play in the after-noone Now as this is a publique exercise of the Sabbath and must go before and after the word so also at other times or else why are wee commaunded to pray continually 1. Thess 5. 17. and in all things to giue thankes Yea God to shew how well he likes it compares it to
in such workes as vpon the Sabbath be lawfull to be done but if he shall ordinarily vpon â—mall or no occasions be depriued of the publique ministerie of the word let him in such a case rather venture his masters displeasure than Gods And surely in my iudgement if he be beaten for it hee suffereth for well doing and therefore let him take it patiently for it is acceptable vnto God 1. Pet. 2. 20. yea and let him in this put it vp not answering againe For that is required at the seruants hands Tit. 2. 9 or if he answere let it be thus in the spirit of meeknes for a soft answer turneth back wrath Prou. 15. 1. Master I pray you haue patience this one day with me I haue serued you faithfully these sixe daies and I would also doe your businesse this day but that my great Lord and Master commands me this day to serue him and therefore as you would not blame mee if when my Prince commands me I should leaue your busines vndone to serue him how much lesse should you blame me if I let alone your businesse for a while when God commaunds me to serue him Thus if seruants would answere their masters I doubt not but that they would stay their wrath and call backe their sentence of displeasure gone out against them But if they will not heare this so reasonable a request his seruant can iudge no other waies of his master than Nabals seruant did of his master Surely some euill will surely come vnto my master and vpon all his familie for he is so wicked that a man cannot speak vnto him 1. Sam. 25. 17. And so may such masters thinke of themselues if they will not heare their seruants intreating them for that which they should inforce them vnto if of themselues they would not And thus much of that the seruant should doe CHAP. II. Our cattell must keepe the Sabbath that they be not an occasion of labour vnto vs Sect. 1. And the stranger Sect. 2. The reasons why the strangers were to keepe it Sect. 3. Diuersities of religions not to be tolerated Sect. 4. All to be compelled to the true religion Sect. 5. § Sect. 1 THat which remaineth to be spoken of is of those that must rest least by their labours they should be vnto vs either an occasion of the breach of the Sabbath as the oxe for if the oxe or asse The cattell must rest vpon the Sabbath worke man must worke also or else an offence as if the stranger should worke hee should be a stumbling blocke vnto the keepers of the Sabbath of both which here wee haue occasion giuen vs to intreate And first of the cattel that they must rest for the Lord commaundeth here that thine oxe must rest What hath God care of oxen 1. Cor. 9. Yes he hath And mercie is to bee shewed vnto them which the righteous man will doe for he is mercifull vnto his beast Pro. 12. 19. But that is not here commaunded but elsewhere in the sixth precept Thou shalt not kill where all crueltie is forbidden euen vnto the creature But the reason why here he commaunds rest vnto the beast is not for the beasts sake but for the mans sake least he should be imployed in setting the beast to work and so should breake the Sabbath So that God dealeth with vs like as a louing father dealeth with his children who forbids him not onely to hurt himselfe but forbids him also kniues and edge tooles wherby he might chance to hurt himselfe So hee dealeth in euery commandement And in the sixth and seuenth commaundement by name he forbids the meanes of euill as when hee saith Thou shalt not kill he forbiddeth anger the whetstone of crueltie when hee saith Thou shalt not commit adulterie hee forbiddeth wanton lookes the stall of lust Matth. 5. And so here the oxe is forbidden to labour to which there is no law neither is it sinne to the oxe to worke on the Sabbath but it is sinne for man to set him to worke and in that respect labour is forbidden the oxe Like as Exod. 21. 29. If the oxe push and kill through mans negligence the owner shall answere for it So here if the beast breake the Sabbath through thy default thou shalt answere for it for God requires it at thy hands that he rest vpon the Sabbath To conclude this point then if any shal come vnto thee vpon the Sabbath to borrow thy beast to ride to a Wake or Faire or such like wherein the breach of the Sabbath is apparently seene thy answere must be vnto them that thou art commaunded to see that thine oxe and thine asse keepe the Sabbath and that therefore thou maist not lend them about such businesse § Sect. 2 Now as the oxe must keepe the Sabbath that by his labour he be not an occasion of labour vnto The stranger must rest vpon the Sabbath to thee so also must the stranger within thy gates keepe the Sabbath that he be not an offence vnto thee But here it will be demaunded what is meant by this speech within thy gates By it is meant those that are within thy power as Mat. 16. the gates of hell shal not preuaile against the church that is the power of hell so then so farre as thy power and authoritie extendeth so farre extend the limits of thy gates As for example the whole familie is Abrahams gates the whole citie is Nehemiahs gates and the whole countrie is Iehosaphats gates And as the Master in the familie and the Magistrate in the citie so is the King in the countrie to see the Sabbath kept And in very truth this speech concerneth Princes and Magistrates especially for in this speaking within thy gates and not within thy authoritie or power he alludeth vnto their manner of sitting in iudgement which was in the gates and doth thereby as it were secretly admonish them that sit in the gates aboue others that they see that the Sabbath bee kept And that which we hence note is that the Magistrate must not alone see that the home-borne and free Denison but also that the stranger keepe the Sabbath But of strangers there were two sorts some conuerted to the truth and are called Proselytes Act. 2. 10 others that were opposite vnto the Israelites in religion but yet did traffique with them as Nehe. 13. those of Tyre that brought wares to sell Now this commaundement concerned them both conuert or other Was he a stranger was he within their gates they were to see that they kept the Sabbath or else to shut them out as Nehemiah shut out those of Tyre Neh. 13. But notwithstanding that both these sorts of strangers were to bee compelled to keepe the Sabbath yet after a different manner For the Proselyte was bound to keep the Sabbath as farre foorth as any Iew Numb 9. 14. there was but one law vnto them both but the other sort of strangers though they were
the Pope is indeede the butcher and the Prince but his boy to hold the sheepes legges whilest the butcher cuts his throte I will not dispute this question neither but I come vnto that which I proposed that is how farre Princes may meddle in matters of religion to compell thereunto First therefore the Prince must especially see that his people bee taught the law of God and that was the reason why Iosiah caused the law to be read vnto all the people 2. King 23. 1. Secondly in the same place for that almost teacheth a King his dutie when he hath caused them to bee taught he bindeth them by couenant vnto the same yea and himself also vers 3. Thirdly hauing thus done then hee goes to reformation and there hee begins with the Priests First hee makes them bring out of the Temple all the vessels that were made for Baal vers 5. Then he destroyes their Idols and their houses vers 6. When he hath so done for this was not all for he had a greater toyle with them than euer King Henry had with the Abbeys in England hee comes to the Kings houses and there first hee breakes down the Altars of the Kings of Iudah ver 10. He breakes downe Manasses altar vers 12. Then the high places that Salomon had built for Asteroth and Chemos And lastly the Calues of Ieroboam vers 15. Now hauing taken away all these abominations then fourthly he brings the people backe againe vnto the obseruation of the true worship of God and commaunds all the people to keepe the Passeouer vers 21. Thus farre went Iosiah But now what if they had refused this what then Surely hee would then haue ranne a further course with them he would no doubt haue inforced them by punishment which is the fifth dutie and the last in a Prince when no course will serue then to inforce by laying punishment vpon them either in their goods as Saul Those that come not foorth after me saith he thus shall his oxen be killed 1. Sam. 11. 7 or else hee would haue laid hands of them to haue imprisoned them Nehe. 13 or if all this would not haue serued he would haue punished with losse of life it selfe And so Asa decreed that those that would not seeke the Lord that is that were obstinate they should be slaine 2. Chro. 15. 15. And thus farre I take it a Prince hath power to proceede against an obstinate contemner of Gods truth And so much for this that we are to compell others vnto the obseruation of the Sabbath as well as to keep it in our owne persons THE FOVRTH BOOK TREATING OF THE REASONS MOVING TO THE sanctifying of the Sabbath CHAP. I. The first reason because God hath giuen vs sixe daies to labour in Sect. 1. Whether it be lawfull to vse recreation vpon any of those sixe daies Sect. 2. Whether it be lawfull to consecrate any one or more of those sixe vnto the seruice of God Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 YOV haue heard in the former booke of the persons that must obserue the Sabbath Now it remaines that I shew the reasons which are vsed in the commaundement to inforce thereunto and there are foure deliuered in this commandement The first is in these words Sixe daies The first reason of the keeping of the Sabbath shalt thou labour c. and it is an argument à fortiori perswading from the greater to the lesse thus If I haue giuen thee sixe daies to worke in them then thou oughtest of conscience to rest one day but I haue allowed thee sixe and therefore rest the seuenth This is the manner of this argument but me thinkes it is proposed by way of answer as it were vnto some question that might be obiected vpon the former words for where as God had in the commandement required to rest the seuenth day some might obiect as many doe that it were very hard to rest a whole day To which hee answereth that they ought at least to rest one whole day being that God had bestowed vpon them sixe to their owne vses So that here I might take an occasion to answere those that thinke it sufficient on the Sabbath if they come to the publique exercise though they spend the rest in sports but this naile I haue driuen before come we now to the words Sixe daies shalt thou labour c. First in that that he giues vs sixe daies to doe our businesse in therein hee lets vs see that sixe daies are sufficient for vs to do our businesse in and for the dispatch of all our works and if that he had seene that we should haue needed more hee would haue giuen them but seeing sixe were sufficient he gaue no more though in respect of himselfe as hee is Lord of the Sabbath and so is he also of all the rest of the daies of the weeke hee could haue giuen vs more And therefore as he saith Psal 50. 10. All the beasts of the forrest are mine so may he say All the daies of the weeke are his by which right hee might haue craued of vs euery second or third day Yet hee deales more liberally with vs and requireth but the seuenth Then hence to perswade you to keepe this Sabbath let me reason with you as Naamans seruant did with his master What saith he if the Prophet had commaunded thee a greater thing than this wouldest not thou haue done it how much more then when he saith Wash and be cleane 2. King 5. 13. So I say if the Lord had commaunded thee a greater thing than this wouldest thou wouldest thou do I say nay oughtest thou not to haue done it how much more then when he saith keepe the seuenth And if we refuse this to keepe one of seuen what would we doe if he should require one of three or foure So that Gods liberalitie in this case doth much aggrauate the sinne of man when restraining him but in one and giuing him plentie of others yet hee will not be restrained from that one This was it that made Adams sinne out of measure sinfull that hauing plentie of all the trees of the garden both for varietie and sacietie Genes 2. 9. yet he must needes taste the forbidden fruite So was this also that which made Dauids sinne a notable sinne that hauing many wiues of his owne yet hee could not be content with all these but hee must take the wife of poore Vriah 2. Sam. 12. 9. Well I know not how deepe this argument sinketh into the hearts of Sabbath-breakers their consciences are so seared and so hardened with the custome of that sinne and their hearts so couered as it were with a shield of brawn that they are growne past feeling of it but I am verely perswaded at the day of account it shall stick vnto them neerer than the marrow cleaueth vnto the bones and it shall bee more sensible vnto them than the tenderest bile in the world When I say they shall
heare God out of his law to reason in this sort against them I gaue you sixe daies to doe your worldly businesse in to labour to ride to runne to buy to sell to sow to reape to solace your selues to see your friends to make merrie c. and yet cannot you bee contented with them but that you must incroach vpon me to take my holy day also and to spend it I say not vpon your labours but that which is more vntollerable vpon your lusts and delights This I say cannot but strike them thorough and make their harts to fall in sunder like water when they shall consider their great ingratitude towards him that when he of seuen could affoord to giue them sixe they of seuen cannot affoord to giue giue doe I say out vpon it nay cannot suffer him to enioy one The scarre of churlishnes sticketh like a starre in the forhead of Nabal and shall to the worlds end 1. Sam. 25. 3. that Dauid when in regard of his kindnes shewed vnto his shepheards in the wildernesse requiring him to giue him a present of any thing that came next vnto his hand the churle refused to doe it Now Nabal how soeuer churlish yet this was his owne it was in his power and it was prouided for his shearers yet for all this is hee iustly condemned for a chrule in that hee sent not a present vnto Dauid that had so well deserued it With what words then may this sinne of ours be sufficiently aggrauated that whereas God of his bountie of seuen hath giuen vs sixe if we also should take away from him that one If a poore man on the way as thou trauellest should come vnto thee and craue of thee for Gods sake to bestow vpon him something to relieue him and thou out of thy liberalitie and compassion towards him shouldest giue him all the money in thy purse reseruing onely a very little for thine owne vse to bring thee home if hee I say should catch thy purse and that also and run away with it wouldest thou not account him very vngratefull Yet thy vngratitude to God is as great as his and more for in very truth thou art so bound vnto God as that if thou shouldest giue halfe of thy daies yea all of them back againe vnto him thou couldest not sufficiently recompence him To conclude therefore this point let that reason which mooued Ioseph not to consent to his Mistris preuaile with thee My master hath committed all into my hand and hath kept nothing from me but onely thee because thou art his wife how then shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Genes 39. So shouldest thou answere thy companions when they shall allure thee on the Sabbath to sinne The Lord hath giuen me all the daies in the weeke to doe my workes in sauing onely this one he hath reserued vnto himselfe how then can I do this great wickednesse and sinne against the Lord in breaking his Sabbath And thus much for the manner of the reason how it inforceth vs to the keeping of the Sabbath The doctrine that we learne hence is first that the commandements of God stand all of them and are grounded vpon good reason and therefore that all his commandements are not onely true Psal 119. 86 but righteous also vers 106. Yea they are all most iust vers 128. And there is nothing in the world that standeth with such reason as the seruice of God which maketh the Apostle to call it our reasonable seruing of God Rom. 12. 2. And therefore Ezec. 18. 25. God blames those that say his waies are vnequall and no lesse worthie of blame are such as thinke that it is vnreasonable to keepe a whole day holie vnto the Lord. Why then how should their businesse goe forward why then when should they haue any time for recreation What is all this but to finde fault with Gods law as if it were not iust as if it were not equall But what saist thou is it not equall and is it not meete that thou shouldest haue thy sixe daies to doe thy businesse in which God hath allowed thee And is it not as meete that God should haue one Let this therefore cease thy murmuring against Gods law seeing it standeth with such good reason The second doctrine that wee note in these words Sixe daies shalt thou labour is this that as it is sinne for vs ordinarily to worke on the seuenth day so also is it sinne for vs through negligence or idlenes not to dispatch our worldly businesse in the sixe daies seeing he hath allowed them vnto vs for that purpose And therfore on them we ought to labour and it behoueth vs so much the more carefullie to labour in them seeing that God hath enioyned man to labour in the sweate of his browes Genes 3. Yea seeing as Iob saith he is borne to labour as the sparkles flie vpward Iob. 5. 7. And hence it is that God hath left him so many precedents of labour before his eyes the oxe is made to till the land and tread out the corne the asse is to stand vnder the burthen the heauens are still in their motion as it were still a working the Angels are ministring spirits Psal 104. 4 and when man was in the state of perfection God would not haue him idle Gen. 2. though God had no neede of his worke nor the garden for it brought out all things without planting yet hee would haue man to labour because man had neede of it and therefore sets him his taske to dresse and trimme the garden Nay God himselfe in his owne person wrought sixe daies in making of the heauens and the earth Hee could indeed haue finished it in one or at a words speaking but yet he would worke sixe daies to leaue vnto vs an example to doe the like Then here are those slow bellies and idle Abbey lubbers condemned that spend whole daies in doing nothing that are like paralitique and gowtie members loose and vntied in the ioynts of obedience that say vnto the head commaund vs not for we will not moue neither will we stir But shal not God curse them as he did the fig tree that bare no fruite cut it downe why combreth it the earth And were it not that these words did stand vp so pregnantly against these men yet the very euils that accompany idlenes were sufficient to make it to be detested for what sinne is it almost that groweth not out of this as out of a nurcerie of all sinne Idlenes causeth to fall asleepe Pro. 19. 15. then idlenes is the cause of drowsinesse So is it of beggerie He that will 〈…〉 in winter shall begge in summer Prou. 20. 4. Idlenes is the cause of ill husbandrie His land cries out against him and the furrowes thereof complaine that haue not their water courses Iob. 31. 38. Thornes and nettles couer the face thereof Prou. 24. 4. So is idlenes the cause of drunkennes Amos
THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH HANDLED IN FOVRE SEVERALL BOOKES OR TREATISES The first of which intreateth of the day of rest The second of the duties of the day The third of the persons whom these duties concerne And the fourth the reasons vsed to perswade all persons to the practise of these duties vpon that day Written by G. W. Master of Arts and Minister of the word of God in Portsmouth Isaiah 58. 13 14. If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will on mine holy day and call the Sabbath a delite to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him nor doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne will or speaking a vaine word Then shalt thou delite in the Lord â—nd I will cause thee to mount vpon the hie places of the earth and feede thee with the heritage of Iaakob thy father for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it BY WISDOM PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man dwelling in Paternoster row at the signe of the Talbot 1604. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE CHARLES BLVNT Earle of Deuonshire Lord Mounioy Lieutenant generall of Ireland Master of the Ordinance Gouernour and Captaine generall of the towne and Garison of Portsmouth and the I le of Portsey Knight of the noble Order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties most Honorable priuie Councell RIght Honorable and by right most worthie to be honorable because deserts haue made you truly honourable The wisest hath said it that much reading Eccl. 12. 22. is a wearisomnes vnto the flesh And therefore in this scribling age wherein presses be oppressed with the number of bookes without number it may seeme a thing not meete any more to write vnlesse for the sufficiencie of the worke it might be in steed of all other writings and so the reader might be eased of the labour of much reading Notwithstanding by the iustnes of the cause which I neither might if I could because it is iust nor could if I might hauing in a publique assemblie taught it forsake I haue been drawen to publish this treatise that what I haue taught may here be made more fully to appeare to any that is otherwaies minded Now whereas it may seeme ouer great boldnes for me to presse your Honour with these my labours that are alreadie ouer pressed with your owne if yet they may be said to be yours and not rather the labours of the Church and Common-weale yet I haue presumed to doe it vpon these two reasons First in respect of the cause which I manage Secondly in respect of my dutie vnto your Honour And first in respect of the cause the Sabbath being a principall meanes whereby the seede of religion is sowen in our hearts and the holie fire as it were is kept in amongst vs. It being assailed by aduersaries of diuers sorts to whom should it flee as vnto a Sanctuarie for succour rather than vnto your Honor who haue alreadie taken home vnto your honourable familie the truth like as the beloued Disciple did the Ioh. 19. 27. mother of Iesus being recommended vnto his care Yea being your Honor haue not alone taken home the truth but also publiquely in the highest and solemnest assemblie of this land vndertaken the maintenance and the defence of the same truth against the common aduersarie the Papist In regard whereof as the eare that heard you blessed you and the eye that seeth Iob. 29. 11. you giueth witnes vnto you and the hearts of all well affected Christians to whom the report thereof hath come applaude it shouting and crying as in the Prophet Grace grace vnto it So could I ioyning in Zach 4. 7. heart and affection with them doe no lesse than testifie the same by presenting these my labours vnto your Honour to whom of right they appertaine as a part of that truth which is vndertaken by your Honour but gainsaid by these aduersaries For first they hold the Sabbath Rhem. in annot in Mat. 15 sect 3. Rhem. annot in Reu. cap. 1. sect 6. to be but a tradition Secondly the alteration of the day to be without scripture or commandement yea plainly otherwise than prescribed by God himselfe in the 2. Commandement for so it pleaseth them to terme this fourth commandement Thirdly the rest but perfunctorie and sleight for they allow such workes to be done vpon the Sabbath as shall be permitted by their Prelates that is such as please Bellar. lib. 10. de cultu imag themselues or such as by custome which euer declineth haue preuailed And lastly the holinesse of the day to consist in comming to shrift and hearing of Catechis Rom. quaest 21. de Sabbath Masse Against all which falshoods this truth of the doctrine of the Sabbath flieth vnto your Honour for patronage and after a sort maketh supplication vnto your Honour to be a meanes that as by the Kings most excellent Maiesties proclamation it hath alreadie so by law it may further be prouided for at least vt ne quid Sabbathum detrimenti capiat for Gods lawes to many are but as cobwebs to the great flyes which they easily breake without they be strengthened by the Princes lawes as with other nerues and sinewes for want of which we see that the Sabbath the best day of seuen is more prophaned in most places than all the other seuen as though God had made it to be prophaned and not to be kept holy And this in respect of the cause Now in respect of my selfe also I could doe no lesse for being imbarked in that ship whereof your Lordship vnder the Kings most excellent Maiestie as the master Pilot holdeth the helme I meane your Lordships garrison towne of Portsmouth and succeeding others a teacher in that Lecture whereinto your Lordship first breathed life I could doe no lesse than in dutie present these firstlings of my labours vnto your Honour especially hauing alreadie receiued fauours from your honourable selfe as also no small incouragements from Sir Beniamin Berry and Master Anthony Ersfâ—eld these your Lordships worthies and notable instruments of gouernment in that place So that I thanke my God vpon the point of whose prouidence I haue alwaies steered on my course I may most truly say that of them my conscience bearing me witnesse that I lie not which once Tertullus spake with another mind of Felix that by them wee haue receiued these two benefits great quietnes and many worthie things haue been Act. 24. 2. done vnto vs onely that which followeth wholy and alone appertaineth vnto your Honor that this is wholie by your prouidence And therefore should not I as in particular for my selfe or as the mouth of many others wholy acknowledge it we might yet be more vngratefull vnto your Honour than Tertullus to Felix By these reasons therefore right Honourable I being lead haue presumed to approach so neere vnto your Honour as to put foorth
these my labours vnder the liuerie of your honourable fauour Wherein although there be nothing answerable vnto your greatnes yet if as the finger serueth to point vnto the Sunne and the iuyce of a Limmon to ingraue aswell as Aqua fortis so this may serue to point vnto that which I would but cannot attaine vnto sufficiently to make knowne your Honours worthinesse and something to expresse the thankfulnes of my heart I wanting better meanes to vtter it I shall thinke my selfe not to haue attained the lowest degree of happinesse in my low estate And thus humbly crauing of your Honour pardon for my boldnes I cease any further to interrupt you from your waightier affaires yet not ceasing in my best wishes vpon my knees to pray vnto that God who is good without qualitie great without quantitie infinite without place and euerlasting without time that hee would long preserue your Honour amongst vs that the Prince may long enioy you such a subiect the Common-wealth such a Councellour the Church such a stay the truth such a Champion the souldier such a Leader and learning such a Patron and after this life here ended there to enioy with him another that neuer shall haue end Your Honours in all dutie most bounden GEORGE WIDLEY A TABLE OF ALL SVCH THINGS AS ARE contained in the seuerall chapters of euery booke The first booke CHAP. I. HOw the whole law is distributed pag. 1. 2 How the first table hath reasons annexed which the second for the most part wanteth pag. 3 What force these reasons of the fourth Commaundement haue to perswade vs to obedience 4 What things this Commaundement containeth in it in speciall aboue the rest 6 How this fourth Commandement is analysed or diuided 6 CHAP. II. How many sorts of Sabbaths there were among the Iewes 7 How the morall and ceremoniall Sabbaths differ 8 What vse the ceremonies had vnto the Iewes 10 Whether the Sabbath be perpetuall 13 CHAP. III. The time of the Sabbath or rest changed 31 To what day it was changed 37 Why the time of the Sabbath was changed 38 Whether it may be changed againe 53 Whether we may still call it the Sabbath 52 Whether by the Lords day Reue. 1. 10. be meant our Sabbath or day of rest 43 Obiections against the Sabbath answered 46 CHAP. IIII. Whether the whole day naturall be to bekept 57 How the night is to be kept 60 When the Sabbath beginneth and endeth 61 The second booke CHAP. I. That wee must prepare our selues to sanctifie the Sabbath and why 63 Wherein this preparation doth consist 68. 69 CHAP. II. Rest commanded 72 This rest must be a solemne rest 73 What workes are forbidden to bee done vpon the Sabbath 74. 75. 76. 77 What works be allowed to be done vpō the Sab. 90. 91. 92. 93 With what cautions workes of necessitie must be done 95 CHAP. III. Whether recreations may be allowed vpon the Sabbath 98 Whether pastimes as dauncing c. vpon the Sabbath may be allowed 102 Whether the Sabbath may be broken by our speech 113 Whether it may be broken in thought 118 Whether a man may doe the things commanded to be done vpon the Sabbath and yet breake the Sabbath 117 CHAP. IIII. Whether the rest of the Sabbath must be sanctified 119. and how 120 What these duties are which be required to the sanctitie of the Sabbath 123 Whether we be enioyned to come to the publique assemblie vpon the Sabbath 224. and how to demeane our selues there 126. 127. 128 Whether the word must be preached vpon the Sabbath 130 Whether the people be bound to heare it vpon the Sab. 132 Obiections to the contrarie answered ibid. Whether the Sacraments and discipline bee duties of the Sabbath 136. 137 CHAP. V. Duties both publique and priuate to be done vpon the Sabbath as first prayer 138. 139 Reading of the Scriptures 141 Singing of Psalmes 144 Catechisme 145 Workes of mercie 149 CHAP. VI. Priuate duties vpon the Sabbath which are meditation 152 Conference 156 Sloth pride dumme Ministerie le ts to the sanctification of the Sabbath 150. 161 The third booke CHAP. I. Whether euery man is bound in his owne person to keepe the Sabbath 164 Whether euery man be bound to see those that are vnder him to keepe the Sabbath 166 Whether the father be bound to see that the sonne keepe the Sabbath 169 Whether the master be bound to see that the seruant keepe the Sabbath 171 CHAP. II. Whether wee be bound to see that our cattell rest vpon the Sabbath and why 177 Whether we be bound to see that the stranger rest that is within our gates and why 179 Whether euery man be bound to hinder the iustruments of euill 182 Whether we be bound to labour to bring others to the knowledge of God 186 Whether toleration of a false religion may not be suffered 186 Whether the gouernours be bound to compell Idolaters to worship the true God 190 The fourth booke CHAP. I. In what manner the first reason of this Commandement perswadeth to the keeping of the Sabbath 195. 196. 197 Whether all Gods commandements are grounded vpon reason 199 Whether it bee sinne not to dispatch our worldly businesse vpon the sixe daies 200 Whether it be not lawfull vpon any of the sixe daies to vse recreation for the health of the bodie 203 Whether a man may consecrate any one or more of the sixe daies to Gods seruice 206 CHAP. II. How the second reason of this commandement perswadeth to the keeping of the Sabbath 208 How God is our Lord and how he is our God and what we thence learne 209. 211 To whom we must consecrate daies 215 CHAP. III. How the third reason perswadeth vs to keepe the Sab. 216 How farre we are to follow examples 217 Wherein we are to imitate God and wherein not 221 How God may be said to rest and the vse of the words 222 CHAP. IIII. How the fourth reason here brought perswadeth to the keekeeping of the Sabbath 228 What it is to blesse and ballow the Sabbath namely to blesse the keepers of it 219 Whether the breakers be accursed 219 The end of the Table THE DOCTRINE OF THE SABBATH HANDLED IN FOVRE BOOKES THE FIRST BOOKE TREAting of the Sabbath day CHAP. I. The distribution of the whole law Sect. 1. The Commaundements of the first Table haue their reasons annexed Sect. 2. The reasons annexed to the fourth Commaundement Sect. 3. The contents of the fourth Commaundement Sect. 4. The analysis of it Sect. 5. § Sect. 1 THe whole law which is a doctrine requiring what men ought to be and condemning them for not being perfectlie such as they ought being at large deliuered in the whole volume of the Scriptures is notwithstanding for the helpe The distribution of the whole law of mans memorie abridged by God himselfe in those tenne words which he spake on the Mount Sinai and writ in two tables of stone as it were in a booke of two
arrands But in Gods seruice no such care it is the easiest thing in the world to forget that wee are so slacke so cold so frozen that wee forget any thing In regard whereof our memories may not vnfitly be compared vnto siues which easilie holde the chaffe when they let the good corne goe by which weaknesse God obseruing in vs willeth onely so farre they vse them as their beasts to do their businesse and no more But what shall the poore sea-man doe in this case Surely first to importune the Merchant for instruction which if it will not be granted let him not depriue himselfe of Gods blessing for a warme sunne let him tarrie at home Or if it be so that he will needes goe yet let him haue a speciall care in some measure at least as hee may to sanctifie that day vnto the Lord. And this much as touching the rest in generall that must bee kept both at home and abroad § Sect. 13 But yet I know there be some particular doubts that trouble many men and often leade them to the breach of the Sabbath For sinne is spunne many times of a fine thred and hath such a glasse set vpon it that we cannot easily discerne it Somtimes the diuell pleadeth vnto vs the smalnes of the sinne as thus Thou maist doe this vpon the Sabbath well enough this is but a small matter and I pray God you neuer do worse c. Indeed I confesse all sinnes bee not of one sise some bee gnats and some bee cammels some be moates No breach of the Sabbath is to be counted small and some be beames they being compared betwixt themselues but yet the maiestie being considered against which they bee committed they appeare in their owne shapes euery one of them infinitely great and they bee not as they seeme vnto vs light being waighed in the ballance of our owne priuate conceit but being waighed in the ballance of the Sanctuarie they are infinitly waightie euery sinne deseruing death and therefore wee must not account sinne light because it seemeth so vnto vs but we must reckon and account of them as God hath taught vs to account of them in his word Cast wee our eyes vpon the Israelites in gathering Manna vpon the Sabbath what great matter think you was it for them vpon the Sabbath day in the morning to stoope and gather Manna that lay before them at their feete they might haue done it and kept the Sabbath too yet God takes this most heinously How long saith he will this people breake all my commandements reckoning that breach of the Sabbath as the breach of his whole law Againe what great sinne was it for a man to step ouer the threshold of his doores and to gather a handfull of sticks to make a fire with would any of these men that reckon sinnes small haue accounted him worthie of death though happely hee had done it presumptuously yet God adiudgeth him to dye for it and therefore that work which thou presumest to doe is it seruile is it forbidden Count it not light then for the breach of Gods law is no small matter especially if thou presumest to doe it because it is a small sinne or disorder § Sect. 14 Yea but will some man say this which I doe is very requisite and meete to bee done and I No pretence of meetnes must make vs breake the Sabbath know not whether I shall againe haue a time to doe it if I neglect this as for example in the time of haruest the weather is catching the corne is readie to grow in the gripes and the hay to rot in the swath and now the Sabbath is a faire day and is it not meete to gather it vp Yet I say for all this thou must let it alone for in seede time and in haruest thou must rest Exod. 34. 21. Yea but I know not whether I shall haue another time so fit to take it vp Why who taught thee to distrust especially when thou seest faire weather comming Doth not the same God giue the second day that gaue the first and diddest thou hang vpon his prouidence so long as it rained and now it shineth wilt thou presently vnclaspe thy hold by thy carnal distrust Yea but the weather is very catching and the scarcitie is great and therefore it is best to take the opportunitie What still is thy soule buried vnder a loafe of bread and wilt thou haue bread or else thou wilt make it of stones If thou doest remember what Salomon saith of the bread of deceit it is sweet but afterwards it filleth their mouthes with grauell Such shall this bread be vnto thee that is gotten with the breach of the Lords Sabbath Yet it were better to be without it than to haue it in his anger least he smite thee whilest the meate is in thy mouth and make it come foorth againe at thy nostrels for thy contempt of his law as hee did the Israelites Numb 11 yet rather so long as it perisheth not by thy default throw thy selfe vpon the Lord and resolue that as he gaue so if it please him to take it thou wilt be content knowing that hee is able to giue much more If not yet in thy obedience is his loue Ioh. 15. 10. and in his loue is life Psal 35. And last of all let this rather make thee to erect a new Sabbath than to destroy the old as in Ioels time in a great scarcitie they did as appeareth Ioel. 1. 14. Sanctifie a fast call an assemblie What is the matter see before vers 10. The field is wasted the land mourneth for the corne is destroyed So that Gods punishments must leade vs to the keeping of his Sabbath or rather vnto the erecting of a new but by no meanes vnto the breach of the old But wil another say that which I do is a good No pretence of the goodnesse of the worke must cause vs to breake the Sabbath worke and it tends to the glorie of God and to his seruice and therefore I trust you will not denie but that a man may doe such workes vpon the Sabbath To which I answere is it a worke of thine ordinarie vocation and is it seruile I say then for all this glorious shew thou maist not doe it for God would not haue them worke about the Tabernacle vpon the Sabbath day Ex. 31. 13 though the businesse were no lesse than to make a house for him to dwell in And the women that followed Christ out of Galilie would not imbaulme the bodie of Christ vpon the Sabbath though it might haue been thought a work of great consequence but how great soeuer in the eyes of men yet they would not doe it and least they should bee blamed as being ouer curious and strict in not doing of it the holy Ghost defends them and shewes they did well in forbearing for they rested saith the text according vnto the commandement Luk. 22. 56. § Sect.
more will I thinke that when God did forbid works of our ordinarie vocation that he meant to allow works of pleasure such as are our works of recreations and pastimes as we call them Which will the better appeare if wee consider the reason why these workes of our ordinarie vocation are forbidden vs vpon the Sabbath which is not that they are vnlawfull in themselues but because they destroy the rest and take vp the mind that it cannot be imployed in Gods businesse now these doing the same things are by the same reasons forbidden Wee must vnderstand therefore that this commandement is of the same nature with the rest and as in them by one sinne forbidden are vnderstood all of the same kinde as by murther is forbidden all crueltie whether inward or outward and by adulterie all wantonnes and vncleannes as offending against chastitie Matth. 5. so by these seruile workes named as breaking the rest of the Sabbath are forbidden al workes that breake the rest of the Sabbath onely those excepted which God hath dispensed with of which before And therefore all such workes as are done for recreation as bowling shooting hunting hawking wrestling playing at cat and such like howsoeuer in the weeke they may be allowed yet are vpon this day vtterly vnlawfull and forbidden Yea and me thinks the reason standeth more strongly against them for as from that Leuit. 19. 15. Thou shalt not fauour the poore in iudgement A man may implie a portion from the stronger that hee must then much lesse fauour the rich So here thou maist not doe any worke of thine ordinary vocation vpon the Sabbath which yet at other times thou art commaunded to doe then much lesse maist thou doe the workes which no where are required of thee but onely by way of permission are at sometimes allowed And surely if you marke it you shall finde more danger in these of the last sort than in the other for that they more carrie away the minde from God than these of our ordinarie vocation doe for who is it that had not rather goe to Church than goe to work but who is it I speake of the multitude that had not rather goe to play than goe to Church But when then will some one demaund shall wee haue time for recreation if not vpon the Sabbath If thou wilt haue time for that allow part of thine owne for that is thy worke and therfore thou must allow part of thy time to doe it in but Gods time thou maist not for that he hath reserued for his owne businesse Let me aske thee one question If thou shouldest allow vnto thy seruāt of thy sixe daies fiue whole daies to do his businesse and to recreate himselfe in them and shouldest reserue vnto thy selfe but one wouldest thou take it well at his hands if thou chiding him for neglect of thy businesse vpon that day he should answer when should I vse recreation if not now Which answere if thou wilt not take at thy seruants hands doest thou thinke that God will accept of it at thine that hath dealt more liberallie with thee than thou with thy seruant And therfore out vpon it that thou shouldest offer this vnto him vpon his Sabbath to pleade thus for libertie and recreation when yet in truth all the recreations in the world cannot be answerable vnto the recreations of the Sabbath for what can recreate or refresh a man more than to drinke of the waters of life What can glad a man more than to heare of the forgiuenes of his sinnes To one that is in prison fast bound in fetters what greater recreation than to heare of his inlargement and what greater comfort than to come vnto the sealing of his pardon And are these things offered vnto vs vpon the Sabbath and yet doe we like children runne after butterflies and let these things alone If wee doe it well shewes that since we were created we neuer were yet recreated and borne againe for if we were the enioying of these things would be vnto vs aboue all the recreations in the world But then here it will be demaunded of me Not al recreations at all times vpon the Sabbath vnlawfull whether I doe vtterly disallow all recreations vpon the Sabbath Not so neither for it may sometimes come so to passe that recreation may bee more necessarie for a man than his meate as also it may so fall in the weeke daies yea and sometimes the setling of a mans minde free such is partly the corruption and partly the weaknes of our nature may bee a furtherance vnto vs in the performance of the duties of godlinesse as well as in other duties of our owne And therefore so farre foorth as it is either of necessitie for the present preseruation of our health or of necessitie for the present furtherance and fitting of vs vnto the seruice of God we may vse it But by this allowance will some say euill men will take liberty vnto themselues vnder these pretences to prophane the Sabbath by their sports Answ It may well be so that they which stumble at Christ to their ruine and they that wrest his word to their owne condemnation will also wrest this libertie to bring themselues into the bondage of sinne yet must not this let vs to giue that allowance vnto Gods children which hee hath left him in his word But as for such as abuse their libertie I admonish them in the feare of God that they make not Gods commandements like cheuerell laces to stretch them euery waie to their owne bents and purposes For if they doe I appeale vnto the highest Iudge of all the earth that they haue no such libertie giuen them And therefore if they take it their blood bee vpon their owne heads if they bring themselues by their libertie to bee the sonnes of bondage But as for the children of God I know they will and shall finish their saluation with feare and trembling And thus wee haue seene how these workes of recreations are also forbidden vs vpon the Sabbath § Sect. 2 The third sort of workes which are here forbidden vs are our sports which commonly wee Pastimes vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath call pastimes which indeed though they be but recreations in their owne nature yet as wine by his long standing becommeth vineger so doe these sports and recreations by the excessiue vse or rather abuse of them become sinfull that is when wee vse them not to make our selues thereby fit to redeeme time which the Apostle requireth but rather to spend time and vainely to passe it And therefore if the former were vnlawfull which did after a sort build vp a man then how much more these that destroy a man who by the excessiue vse of them is made vnfit vnto the performance of any duties of which sort of pastimes are stage-plaies cards and dice-playing vpon the Sabbath as also Beare-baitings Cock-pits and such like All which in particular to confute were
the tailes like Sampsons foxes to worke mischiefe withall Better doe you say to doe this than to doe worse Indeede I know that of euils some are worse than others but for their degrees in goodnesse I think of them as of the foxes whelpes there is neuer a better for there is neuer a good but they bee all naught And therefore this thou maist truly say it is not so bad to doe this as to doe worse but this cannot iustifie the doing of either Indeede we vse to say of euils the least must be chosen but if the euils bee sinnes then I say of euils neither must bee chosen And therefore this is a foolish kinde of reasoning to iustifie euill by worse as whoredome by the stewes Tell me if a theefe should set vpon thee in the way and should vse this argument Sir it is better to robbe you than to kill you and therefore giue me your purse wouldest thou be so sheepish vnlesse he brought club arguments to beate thee downe with to yeeld thy purse or if thou diddest let him haue thy purse might he not be hanged for all his Logicke But if this be a good kinde of reasoning I dare vndertake to maintaine and iustifie any sin in the world by that which is worse the worst sin onely excepted But I am wearie of turning this dung and therefore I end To come therefore vnto a conclusion of this point though dauncing be not expressely in the Scripture forbidden yet if wantonnes be if foolish iessing if it bee an vnfruitfull worke of darknesse if not agreeing vnto our Christian profession if dangerous in regard of the corruption of our nature that is soone set on fire if hurtfull to our health and to our wealth a spending of our time an offence to our brethren an appearance of euill a breach of the rest of the Sabbath a destraction of the minde from holy duties nay a fighter against holinesse then I pray you leaue it and pleade no more for it for will a Christian pleade Baals case euen against the ministers of God who haue so often beaten your eares I mistake the ayre with these arguments that I haue now alleaged against it who although they haue been heretofore vnto you as Physitions of no value prescribe what they will yet you will doe what you list and you haue snuffed in these words as the wilde asse doth the ayre that wil not be taken for who can turne her backe Iere. 2. 24. Yet my comfort is that there are twelue houres in the day and though you cannot be taken in the first yet you may in the last houre which I now come vnto you in and that at least for all your wildnesse yet you may bee taken in your moneth ibid. that is when you shall finde Gods hand heauie vpon you And then I pray you at least think vpon it as Iosephs brethren when they were in miserie remembred that they had sinned against their brother and there thought that that trouble came vpon them For they said one to another Wee haue sinned against our brother in that wee saw the anguish of his soule when hee besought vs and wee would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs Gen. 42. So should you say we haue sinned against God in breaking his Sabbath and when wee saw his ministers in anguish of their soules beseeching vs that wee would not breake his Sabbath we would not heare them and therfore is this trouble come vpon vs. For euen for breaking of the Sabbath in this manner doth God often plague you And this much of pastimes and especially that dauncing is vnlawfull vpon the Sabbath § Sect. 3 Now as I haue shewed hitherunto how the Sabbath is broken by doing vpon it either the The Sabbath must not be broken by our words workes of our ordinarie vocation or else the workes of pleasures so let vs now see how the Sabbath is broken by our words for our tongues also are bound vnto the good behauiour vpon this day that they speak not a vaine word And good reason it should be so for when as all the other commandements take order for the tongue as the first forbiddeth Atheisme the second making mention of our Idols the third blasphemy the fifth cursing of parents the sixt brawling the seuenth wanton speech the eighth deceitfull speech the ninth false speech c may it be thought that this commaundement onely giueth the raines vnto the tongue or may it be thought that when the Lord giueth a quietus est vnto all the members as to the hand and foote yea to the whole bodie that it rest vpon the Sabbath that it giueth libertie to the tongue which hath more neede to bee restrained than any of the rest because it is an vnruly euill and therefore cannot be ruled vnlesse he charme it and full of deadly poyson and therfore cannot be emptied vnlesse he purge it Iam. 3. The Psalmist maketh as it were a proclamation after a man that desireth to liue and see good daies Then as if some man had answered him that doe I he presently directeth him what he shall doe Keepe thy tongue from euill saith he Psal 34. And that which here he teacheth others Psal 39. he resolueth to practise himselfe namely to keepe his tongue and to hold it backe as it were with a bridle and least hee should not be able to curbe the vnruly beast hee prayes God to helpe him Keepe the doore of my lips saith he Psal 141. 3. And it hath indeed great neede to be kept for death and life are in the power of the tongue Prou. 18. 21. But as it must be kept in all the commandements so aboue all in this commandement because in any one vaine or sinfull speech vpon the Sabbath we sinne twice first against the commaundement that forbids that sinne secondly in that it is a breach of the holinesse of the Sabbath Therefore Esay the best expounder of this law when he sheweth wherein this commaundement is broken among other things forbiddeth a man the speaking of a vaineword Isai 58. 13. And therefore here are first condemned all such worldly men who although vpon the Sabbath they will not for shame bee seene to worke yet they make it an ordinary day of accounts and reckonings with their workmen and to direct them what they shall doe the next weeke are there not sixe daies allowed for men to doe these things in and yet must Gods day be made a day of our accounts Vnder the like condemnation also come all those that vpon the Sabbath talke of nothing but their pleasures and sports that rehearse and tell nothing but gossips tales and newes that loue to haue their tongues to runne through the world and to be medling in other mens matters if any question shall be put as concerning religion they grow as mute as fishes But let these men and women know there is a time when they shall answer for euery
idle word especially for those that they shall thus vainly babble foorth vpon the Sabbath And so much touching the outward breach of the Sabbath But yet here is not all for a man to cease from §. Sect. 4. these outward workes for these concerne the very beasts as well as man we must therefore consider that as a man doth consist of two parts a bodie and a soule so God hath a regard vnto them both and as he requires of the bodie an externall rest that no labour may hinder holinesse so he requires of the soule an internall rest from all sinne and that rest indeed is proper to man and it is to rest from the workes of the flesh which Esay 58. 13. are also called our waies or workes and these are properly and indeede seruile and the worst kinde of seruile workes of all others And therefore as other thy workes are here forbidden which are seruile because they hinder holinesse so these kinde of seruile workes aboue all others are forbidden because they not onely hinder holinesse but are opposite vnto it so farre foorth as hee which is subiect vnto them is free from holinesse Rom. 6. 20. Against these therfore it is that Esay so bitterly inueigheth I cannot abide your Sabbaths c. Esai 1. 13. But why so vers 15. he giueth a reason for your hands are full of blood And Esai 58. when they come vnto him in hypocrisie and seemed to finde fault with God that he would not accept their fast which had the nature of a Sabbath and as appeareth in the end of the chapter is called his holy day God yeeldeth them a reason why he did not accept it Behold saith he ye fast to strife and vnto debate to smite with the fist of wickednesse vers 4. Hauing thus shewed their fast then he rates them for it vers 5. Is it such a fast saith he that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a day call yee this a fast or an acceptable day vnto the Lord c. And hauing thus rated them then he shewes them what a true fast is to loose the bands of wickednesse to take off the heauie burthens to take away the yoke and putting foorth of the finger vnderstand to any euill work and wicked speaking if any man doe these things hee keepes a true rest I know well this rest from our sinnes must bee kept in the whole course of our liues yet vpon the Sabbath aboue all wee must take heede that sinne enter not vpon vs because it is opposite vnto the sanctitie thereof § Sect. 5 And as wee must haue a speciall care of committing any sinne because that is truly seruile so must we take heede that we doe not make the duties of holinesse seruile also by not regarding the manner of doing them which is that they bee done in faith and in obedience to Gods commandement For if wee shall doe these workes to that end that we may merit by the doing of them either the fauour of God or man then they become seruile works also and we haue our reward Or if wee doe them in hypocrisie the manner of doing them aright not obserued then God regardeth them not For he that in this manner killeth an oxe is as if hee slew a man and he that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he cut off a dogges head his oblation is as swines blood and his incense as the blessing of an Idoll Esai 66. 3. And therefore Matth. 7. Christ calleth such workers of iniquitie because though they did good workes for they prophecied and cast out diuels yet they did them not well but in hypocrisie for God doth not onely require at a mans hands that he doe good but also that he doe it well for if thou doest well saith God to Cain shall it not be accepted He doth not say if thou doest good it shall be accepted but if thou doest well to shew that good things must be well done And that he meaneth so appeareth in that which he presently addeth But if thou doest not well saith he sin lieth at the doore thereby putting it out of doubt that if a good thing be not well done it is sinne and in regard hereof it is that Esai chap. 58. reckoneth the hypocrite a Sabbath-breaker though hee did humble himselfe by fasting c. And therefore let the hypocrite and popish meritmonger bee well assured that though they digge deepe to couer their sinnes and dissemble deeply with God at the Church yet let them be well assured I say that their owne sinne will finde them out Num. 32. 23. and that it will waite and tarrie them like their dogges at the doore yea and will hunt them and neuer leaue them vntill it haue brought them vnto destruction if they learne not to serue the Lord aright And lastly as the soule must keep this Sabbath or rest from sin vpon this day especially so must we look also that our minds and thoughts be not carried away with the meditation of worldlie matters For God requireth not onely thy bodie but thy soule yea thy very thoughts Luk. 10. 27. And howsoeuer vpon the weeke it be lawfull for thee to ponder these things yet vpon the Sabbath thou must not thinke thine owne will Esai 58. 13. A man must not therefore busie his head vpon the Sabbath about his worldly businesse nor about the effecting of his delights in the weeke following but he must bee wholie as it were another man from that which he was in the weeke before and he must vpon the Sabbath let fall the care of these earthly things as Elias did his mantle when hee was rapt vp into heauen To conclude therefore this point of the rest whosoeuer vpon the Sabbath doth no seruile worke of his ordinarie vocation neither in his house at home nor in the citie nor in the fields abroad nor at sea sauing onely such as are of necessitie to be done or are for the performance of Gods worship commanded or else warranted by his extraordinary command and also forbeareth all recreations sports playes or pastimes keeping his tongue from vaine words and his heart from wickednesse and worldly cares hee truly and in deede keepeth the rest of the Sabbath And this much touching the first dutie required in the obseruation of the Sabbath which is to rest CHAP. IIII. The rest of the Sabbath must bee sanctified Sect. 1. What it is to sanctifie a thing Sect. 2. The duties of the Sabbath are publique priuate or mixt Sect. 3. On the Sabbath there must be a publique assemblie Sect. 4. How we are to behaue our selues in it Sect. 5. The publique duties are preaching and hearing Sect. 6. Administring and partaking the Sacrament Sect. 7. Execution of discipline Sect. 8. § Sect. 1 THat rest is here commanded we haue alreadie seene but that is not all this The rest of the Sabbath must be sanctified rest must bee sanctified For it is not
enough for vs to forbeare our works and so to keepe it idly but we must rest to keep it holily therefore it is called a holie Sabbath and a holy rest and here remember to keepe holy the rest It is true that the first thing that is here commanded is rest but it is not the principall thing Rest is but the huske but sanctification is the almond rest is but the shadow but sanctification is the bodie rest is but the meanes but sanctification is the end and if wee doe but cease from our labours and do no good it is nothing but the oxes Sabbath if we come to Church for nothing but to sleepe that is Eutychus Sabbath if wee cease from our labours and follow riotousnesse that is worse that is the golden calses Sabbath they sate downe to eate and drinke and rose vp to play Exo. 32 or if we keepe it onely vpon constraint that is the Princes Sabbath and not Gods Lament 1. 7. it is said that the enemies of the Church of God seeing their Sabbaths they laughed at them how iustly I know not but this I am sure if the diuell see vs keepe such Sabbaths he wil laugh at them but the Lord will say Goe your waies I know you not nor your Sabbaths and Who required these Sabbaths at your hands Esai 1. 12 13. It behooueth vs therefore to doe that which hee exhorteth vs vnto in so many places of the Scripture namely to sanctifie his Sabbath § Sect. 2 But here I know it will bee demaunded how is this day sanctified seeing all daies are alike and What it is to sanctifie a thing one hath no more holinesse than another in themselues The bread and the wine in the Lords Supper haue no more holinesse in them of themselues than other bread and wine the water in Baptisme is in it selfe but as other water the trees in Paradise of life and of the knowledge of good and euil in themselues were but as other trees what is it then that maketh them holier namely this that they are put apart from other things vnto a holy vse and so are the bread and wine holie in the Lords Supper so is the water in Baptisme so were the trees in Paradise so were the Priests holie so were their garments holie so was the Temple holie and so is this day holie But this way the day is rather said to be holie in regard of the institution which is from God who hath only power thus to sanctifie but there is another holinesse which is in the obseruation and in that respect wee are said to keepe it holie The manner of which sanctification the Prophet Esay expresseth thus If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy will vpon mine holy day and call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies nor seeking thine owne will nor speaking a vaine word then shalt thou delight in the Lord c. Esai 58. 13. In all which words hee doth nothing else but set downe the keeping of the Sabbath And first to shew the rest of this day he cals it a Sabbath Secondly to shew it must be sanctified hee calleth it his holy day Now as touching the rest of this day first he requireth a bodily rest of thee to turne away thy foote from it that thou breake it not viz. by any bodily labour Secondly hee requireth a spirituall rest from sinne also thou must not doe thine owne will vpon it Hauing thus shewed the rest then he sheweth the sanctification of this rest First it must bee called a delight so that we must take comfort in the approching of it and our hearts must leape within vs as the babe did in Elizabeth at the approching of Mary For this is the day of our prouision this is the market of the soule wherein we must furnish our selues of that spirituall Manna the foode of our soules in the strength of which wee must walke all the weeke following as Elias did after his refection by the Angell Secondly it must not bee our delight as some delight in that day to spend it on their lusts but it must be a delight to consecrate it and that not vnto our Whitson Lords and Ladies vnto our groues and hill-altars vnto our May-bowers and shreenes of pleasure not vnto our Theaters to gaze in nor vnto our fields to walke in but it must be consecrated as glorious vnto the Lord. And therefore as Hanna desired her sonne that she might offer him vp vnto the Lord 1. Sam. 1 so must we this day that wee may consecrate it vnto the Lord. Lastly because the nature and propertie of things consecrate vnto the Lord is that they may not be other waies imployed than vnto his honour and vse therefore hee addeth that thou shalt honour him vpon this day to serue him and to giue worship vnto his name and that wee may the more safely keepe it he shewes how wee breake it For danger is not well auoided vnlesse it be foreseene and knowen he setteth downe therefore three things which must be looked vnto that wee breake not his Sabbath our workes our thoughts and words and first for our workes wee must not doe them not doing saith he thine owne waies Secondly for our thoughts wee must not thinke them thought is not free neither are our tongues our owne for wee must not speake a vaine word So then to conclude will you know who keepeth holie the Sabbath Esay telleth you he that keepes the rest of this day that keepes it as the Lords holy day that cals it his delight that consecrateth it as glorious vnto the Lord that doth not his owne waies that thinketh not his owne thoughts that speaketh not a vaine word he is the man that keepeth the Lords Sabbath and he it is whom the Lord wil honour and make to mount vpon the high places of the earth and heauen also § Sect. 3 Hitherto hath the Prophet giuen vnto vs the true patterne of a Sabbath which euery Christian is bound to obserue as being both the summe of this and the same with this precept of the Sabbath which we haue in hand the keeping of which holy consisteth in the performance of the duties of holinesse which are of three sorts publique priuate or mixt of all which wee will seuerally speak and first of the publique And because these duties cannot bee well performed without the helps and meanes conducing thereunto wee will therefore first shew the things required to the performance of these publique duties which are in this precept commaunded as well as the duties themselues and they be these foure First that we assemble our selues for there can be no publique exercise without a publique assemblie Secondly that the assemblie must bee timely Thirdly our demeanour whilest we be in the assemblie And fourthly our continuance in the assemblie § Sect. 4 And first that vpon the
so vnlesse you meditate vpon it But sir as short as your memorie is if a man anger you you will hardly forget it But tell me I pray you this one thing as short as your memorie is did you euer forget where you laid your treasure No no the asse himselfe doth not forget his masters cribbe Esai 1. 2. and these things which wee take care of wee can easily remember bee they done neuer so long since And therefore blame not thy memorie but thy will thou giuest not thy heart vnto these things as Dauid that hid the word in his heart Psal 119. 11. and as Mary that kept and pondred the sayings which she had heard of Christ in her heart Luk. 2. 19. They kept it as it were vnder locke and key But diddest thou indeede desire to remember these things thou wouldest vse all meanes to conforme thy memorie and to helpe it Amongst the which there is not a greater than this oftentimes to meditate on it For as Salomon saith If the iron bee blunt put to the more strength Eccles 10. 10. he speaketh as if hee saw a man cutting of a sticke with a bad hatchet that he can hardly make to cut he must strike the oftner or the stronger to cut off the logge so must wee doe when wee feele the bluntnes of our memories wee must recompence it by the diligence of meditation often recalling and repeating the same thing by which at the last they will become vnto vs as the principles of Grammar vnto the schoolemaster we shal haue them by heart Another meanes also to helpe thy memorie will be to bring thy heart to the practise of that which thou hadst floting in thy head and by that meanes thou shalt bee sure to make it thine owne Another is to take delight in the things wee heare as Dauid saith Psal 119. 16. I will delight in thy statutes and I will not forget thy word Wee forget not the things we delight in Last of al if thou hast found thy memorie so slipperie that it wil hold nothing long then set it down in a note-booke there laying it vp as in a store-house For if we be carefull in our worldly matters that we will not trust our memories with our accounts but will be sure to note them downe to a farthing yea and will keep seruants to that purpose what a shame is it that we should be so negligent in better things Though neither when we haue done all this is our meditation done but wee must meditate We must meditate vpon the workes of God vpon his workes aswell as vpon his word The Psal 92 which is intituled A Psalme of the Sabbath is nothing else but a meditation of the workes of God And this it seemeth that God would teach vs by his own example who when he had finished his workes in sixe daies in the seuenth he rested to consider the goodnes of them Gen. 2. Now this we may doe if wee follow the example of Christ who drew euery thing of which he talked vnto a spirituall instruction Ioh. 4. 10 when hee talkes with the woman of Samaria that was drawing of water he falles into a discourse of the water of life When the Disciples talke of meate hee begins to talke with them of another meate vers 4. When hee sate at dinner Luk. 14. 15 he turned his speech vnto a spirituall banquet So maist thou in the beholding of any of Gods creatures consider some one thing or other therein As when thou lookest vpon the grasse consider thy frailtie that all flesh is grasse When vpon the dust thy basenesse that thou art but as dust and dust wil returne to the earth Eccl. 12. 7. When vpon the darknesse the time of thy ignorance Ye were once darknesse Eph. 5. 8. When vpon the light the time of the Gospell and therefore ibid. walke in the light It is not so much as the Ant but thou maist learne something from hir namely diligence therefore God sendeth the sluggard to schoole to the Ant Pro. 6. 6. Goe to the Pismire O sluggard c. And here I wonder how these earth-wormes whose mouldie soules are buried vnder their loaues and whose hearts are pinned and glewed vnto the things of this life though they nothing but pore vpon the things of this life yet neuer make any spirituall vse of them no not vpon the Sabbath doth not the Lord see it and will not his soule be auenged for these things But I had forgotten my self I speake vnto the bellie that hath no eares I will therefore ouer-passe them § Sect. 2 Come wee now vnto the last dutie which is conference For after meditation that must next We must conferâ—e with others especially those of our familâ—e follow for when Dauid said hee had hid Gods words in his heart he addeth that with his lippes he declared his iudgements Psal 119. 11. So that as Salomon saith If the clowdes be full they will powre soorth raine Eccles 11. 3. And if our heart be inditing a good matter the tongue will be the penne of a readie writer and it will fare with vs as with the Bereans Act. 17. who when they had heard Paul they sought whether it were so or no. And as with the Disciples going together to Emmaus that conferred together on the way as they went about the Resurrection Luk. 24. 13. And in the Prophet Malachies time though the words of the wicked were stout yet they that feared God spake euery one to his neighbour Mal. 3. But were there not any scripture to inforce this yet very reason would proue this meete For two eyes see more than one and many torches put together burne lighter many hands make light worke and many aduentures a full fraught euen so also commeth it to passe that either conferring with other eithers portion is made others and so one portion is made a double by making a double portion one For as firebrands put together either giueth heate to other and they burne the better that the greene wood also may take fire whereas if they be sundred they presently go out as quenched euen so it fareth with christians in this businesse Though neither yet doe I speake this to this purpose that men should runne into priuate corners to make conuenticles as the Brownists but with their families and houshold to conferre and reason or with the Minister that is able to direct them in the truth or with their neighbours that are better able to instruct them who thereby also themselues are bettered for knowledge in a man is like the widowes oyle a man may powre out and yet the vessell will bee neuer the emptier But is this lawfull will you say for euery cobler or tinker for euery botcher and butcher to talke and conferre about the Scriptures Doubtlesse it is God himself hath commanded it Deut. 6. 6. The words that I commaund thee saith he this day shall be in thine heart Nothing
of the Ministerie than a lame man were to goe without his crutches they are or they should be the salt of the earth but if the salt season not you know it is good for nothing no not for the dunghill What thinke you then of the Church is the Church worse than a dunghill that you season it with such vnsauourie salt The Ministers should feed and giue the milke of the word vnto the people but these are more cruell than the very Dragons for they giue sucke vnto their young Lament 4. 3 but these starue and famish them Well they are cruell Nurses that take a mans childe to nurse and haue drie breasts But what are these that take Gods children to nurse and haue no breasts What shall we doe for them when they shall bee spoken for There is no father but would say of such a nurse she hath murdered my childe And doubtlesse God our father when he shall make inquisition for the bloud of his children will account them no lesse than murderers I know what will be answered they are men and they must liue they cannot digge and they are ashamed to begge what then must they rob must they kill I say more starue the soules of Gods people Rather let them returne to their occupations whence they came and let them that waies shift if at least they doubt of Gods mercie towards them or thinke that hee will not regard them but it were a thousand times better for them to digge or begge or starue than thus to starue the soules of Gods people and to sell them for morsels of bread and handfuls of barley Ezech. 13. 19. But I know my words are too weake to preuaile in this case Well yet let them know that their sinnes are written before the Lord with the poynt of a Diamond and that he will neuer forget them vntill he be auenged of them vnto the full vnlesse they repent And so much touching the lets by which wee are held from the duties of holines on the Sabbath THE THIRD BOOKE TREATING OF THE PERsons that must keepe the Sabbath CHAP. I. We our selues must keepe the Sabbath and those that are vnder our charge Sect. 1. The father must see that the sonne keepe the Sabbath Sect. 2. And the master that his seruant keepe it Sect. 3. § Sect. 1 OF the keeping of the Sabbath holie we haue alreadie heard it remaineth that wee consider the persons whom these duties doe concerne which are either thy selfe or those that are vnder thee And first he requireth it at thy hands We must first obserue the Sabbath in our owne persons because hee would haue reformation alwaies to begin where loue doth that is with it selfe and then with those that are at our elbowes And of this there is great reason For if a man be not himselfe reformed either hee is remisse in reforming of others because they are like himselfe or if he be forwards yet hee shall be challenged because he is in his practise vnlike himselfe and is like the boate-man that fetcheth his stroake one way and looketh another Therefore God speaketh in the second person of the singular number the reason of which is that euery man may know that God speaketh vnto him directly When Princes make a law they vse generall termes as no man shall doe such a thing or euery man shall doe such a thing but these lawes we vse to shift off as if they concerned vs not For say we that which is spoken to all is spoken to none This God wisely preuenteth and speaketh to thee directly thou shalt do no manner of worke The reason why God speaketh in this manner is because sinne hath gotten her a whores forehead Ier. 3. 3. it will not blush nor bee ashamed vnlesse it bee pointed at and vnlesse a man speake vnto it as the voyce vnto Nebuchadnezzar To thee be it spoken In deede a good man when he readeth any thing in the Scripture spoken in so generall termes doth sometimes applie it vnto himselfe as Dauid Psal 40. 7. In the volume of thy booke saith he it is written of me that I should doe thy will which though it be no where in particular written of Dauid yet hee being a man applies it in particular vnto himselfe as if it had bin spoken vnto him And there be I confesse some like Dauid but this sect hath not many disciples For the most are of minde that it concerneth any man rather than themselues of which mind Dauid also was when Nathan came vnto him with a parable which stifnes of ours God obseruing speaketh in particular to euery man Thou shalt not doe any manner of worke So that this euery man when he readeth it must needes confesse as Dauid it is written of me and so must the King say this is written of me that I should keepe the Sabbath so must the master say this is written of me that I should keepe the Sabbath so the Minister so the husbandman and so of the rest for this is spoken vnto euery man of what place or calling so euer he be of what sexe or age so euer he be And vnto that purpose in the word we shall find precepts of euery sort to inforce so much Isai 56. ver 5. the Eunuch must keepe the Sabbath Neh. 13. 15. the victualler must keepe the Sabbath Exod. 31. 3 4. the artificer must keepe the Sabbath Nehe. 10. 31. the buyer and seller must keepe the Sabbath Ierem. 17. the carriers and porters must keepe the Sabbath Exo. 34. the husbandman must keepe the Sabbath Exo. 44. 24. the Priest must keepe the Sabbath And what shall I more say if any might except then the Prince either by reason of his authoritie or his distractions in waightie affaires but the Prince himselfe must be in the middest of them Ezech. 46. 9 10. And therefore wee see none is exempt from this dutie but thou whosoeuer thou art must keepe the Sabbath Though neither yet art thou alone bound in Those that are vnder vs must keepe the Sabbath thine owne person to keepe it but also in thy place to see it kept Art thou a father then thou must see that thy sonne keepe it Art thou a Master then thou must see that thy seruant keep it Art thou a Prince then thou must see that thy subiect keepe it for the commaundement runneth thus thou must keepe it and thy sonne thou and thy seruint thou and thy cattell thou and thy stranger But why is not the husband also in ioyned to see his wife keepe the Sabbath The reason is first because she is a part of her husband and they twaine be but one man Rom. 5. 19. Secondly she is a gouernour in the familie with the man and therefore she is to see that others keepe the Sabbath Thirdly all are not mentioned in the commaundement but it is figuratiue and a part is put for the whole For as the master is ouer the seruant or
thou rather disobey God than chastise thy sonne Yea haddest thou rather let him stand vnder the heauie wrath of God which burneth vnto the bottome of hell for breaking his Sabbath than to correct him then woe worth the time may thy childe say that euer hee knew the that lettest him thus to die for want of correction And this much shortly concerning the duties of parents towards their children in compelling them to keepe the Sabbath § Sect. 3 The next dutie is of Masters towards their seruants who are so farre foorth bound to see The master must see that the seruant keep the Sabbath their seruants keepe the Sabbath as themselues For God will haue them his seruants aswell as theirs and to doe his businesse vpon the seuenth day aswell as their masters vpon the sixe daies And this in truth wee ought to doe if not in this regard that God commaundeth vs whose commaund should be of greatest authoritie with vs yet at least that we may shew our selues good gouernours and that we gouerne them as tendring their good ouer whom we are set and wherein can we more tender them than in bringing them vnto the knowledge of the chiefe good euen vnto the sauing knowledge of God in Iesus Christ And if we will not yet gouerne as tendring their good yet at least let vs doe it as tendring our owne for be yee well assured that he that is not faithfull to God will neuer be faithfull to thee and that hee that will not serue God truly will neuer ferue thee truly Well hee may serue thee so long as thine eye is vpon him but when thy backe is turned his seruice is ended But the seruant that feareth the Lord will be as faithfull vnto thee when thou lookest off as when thou lookest on for hee knowes well that a greater than thy selfe looketh vpon him to whom hee must answere for his seruice done to thee Let this therefore at least teach thee thy dutie to thy seruants Yea but will some Master say my seruants wil not thus be held in by you No will who holds them in then to their worke in the weeke daies If any shall then start aside from your businesse you will easily finde meanes to inforce him and can you finde no meanes to inforce him to Gods businesse Yea but they will not vpon the Sabbath bee held in but they will then haue their libertie Then let them haue it altogether and discharge them For wilt thou haue him that will not serue God to serue thee thou oughtest at least to be as carefull for Gods seruice as for thine owne Now thou wilt not keepe a seruant that will not faithfully doe thy businesse how much lesse then shouldest thou keepe one that will not serue the Lord Dauid would neuer haue done it for saith he a wicked person shall not dwell in my house Psal 101. Yea but how shall my worke bee done then Get thee such seruants as doe feare the Lord that was it that Dauid purposed first with himselfe Mine eyes saith he shall be vnto the faithfull of the land And He that walketh in a perfect heart he shall serue me vers 6. ibid. And they indeed bee the best seruants for they serue not with eye seruice but as the seruants of Christ as seruing the Lord in thy businesse and not thee Ephes 6. 6. Yea but wee cannot get such It may be so because you do not walke as Dauid did in the middest of your house with a perfect heart vers 2. Therefore they will not dwell with you which if you did you should not neede to seeke for seruants would seeke you fast enough Yea if you did so walke by Gods blessing though you did not finde them such yet you would make them such but this is the miserie of it our seruants must bee sent abroad euery Sabbath in errands and trifling businesses riding and running and posting as if it were for life as if it were on other daies in the weeke as if no commandement were from God to the contrarie So our owne turnes be serued wee care not how God be serued wee shew thereby that wee loue our selues more than God And our seruants seeing vs not to make conscience of Gods businesse they grow to make as little conscience of ours especially they being by this meanes depriued of the benefit of the word whereby they should bee taught better to discharge their duties towards their masters And thus much for that that the master ought to see that his seruant keepe the Sabbath And as this instructeth the master in his dutie to his seruant so also it containeth in it matter of comfort for the seruant For they may hence obserue the kindnes and loue of God towards him that notwithstanding their seruitude yet hee is mindfull of them they think poore wretches that because God hath laid this state of seruitude vpon them therefore hee regardeth them not no no it is not so but he thinkes vpon them and remembers them euery Sabbath vouchsafing as it were to looke downe from heauen vpon them in giuing them a rest promising them as it were in that rest that one day they shall thoroughly rest from their labours and rest with him in heauen where they shal be no more in seruitude but shall be the Lords free men Therefore you seruants thinke of this and learne to serue him on his Sabbath that hath not alone in his flesh serued you but will assuredly in that flesh saue you and giue you a perpetuall rest if you serue him And behold this he requires at your hands then doe it for you cannot serue a better master Lay aside then your foolish vanities your idle delights and impertinent sports be no more the seruants of sinne but as in the whole course of your liues so on this day especially bee yee the Lords seruants loe hee offers it Now who is it that would not serue his Prince if he might but their seruice is nothing to this for euen Princes themselues sue to bee Gods seruants as Dauid though it were but in a meane place as to bee a doore-keeper yet he would thinke himselfe happie let this therefore be your resolution to serue the Lord. You will say peraduenture you would but you cannot your masters lay such burthens vpō you And surely this I know many masters lay greater burthens vpon their seruants on the Sabbath than in any daies of the weeke besides they deale therein like Pharaoh when the people desired to go to serue the Lord then he laid more worke vpon them Exod. 5. 9 so when they should goe to heare the word of the Lord then they lay more businesse vpon them In this case what shal the poore seruant doe shall hee doe Gods businesse or his masters Surely whether it be better to obey God or man masters iudge you Act. 4. vers 19. Though neither herein doe I intend to exempt the seruant from being subiect to his master