Original is not known 4. That the Antients joyn not the Lords day with these but take the Lords day for an Apostolical institution written in Scripture though the universal practice of all Churches fullier deliver the certain History of it But the rest they take for unwritten Customs as distinct from Scripture Ordinances As Epiphanius fully sheweth 5. That most Christians are agreed that if these later could be proved Apostolical Institutions for the Church universal it would be our duty to use them though they were not in Scripture So that we reject them only for want of such proof But the proof of the Lords dayes separation being far better by concurrence of Scripture and all antient History it followeth not that we must doubt of that which hath full and certain proof because we must doubt of that which wants it 6. And if it were necessary that they stood or fell together as it is not it were necessary that we did receive those three or four Ceremonies for the sake of the Lords day which â—ath so great evidence rather than that we cast off the Lords day because of these Ceremonies Not only because there is more Good in the Lords dâ—y than there is evil to be any way suspected by a doubter in these Ceremonies but especially because the Evidence for the day is so great that if the said Ceremonies had but the same they were undoubtedly of Divine authority or institution In a word I have shewed you somewhat of the evidence for the Lords day Do you now shew me the like for them and then I will prove that both must be received But if you cannot do not pretend a parity 7. And the same Churches laying by the Customs aforesaid or most of them did shew that they â—â—ok them not indeed for Apostolical institutions as they did the Lords day which they continued to observe not as a Ceremony but as a necessary thing 8. And the ancient Churches did believe that even in the Apostles dayes some things were used as Indifferent which were mutable and were not Laws but temporary customs And some things were necessary setled by Law for perpetuity Of the former kind they thought were the greeting one another with a holy kiss the Womens praying covered with a Veil of which the Apostle saith that it was then and there so decent that the contrary would have been unseemly and the Churches of God had no such custom by which he answereth the contentious yet in other Countreys where custom altereth the signification it may be otherwise Also that a man wear not long hair and that they have a Love Feast on the Lords day which yet Paul seemeth to begin to alter in his rebuke of the abusers of it 1 Cor. 11. And if these ancient Churches thought the Milk and Honey and the white Garment and the Station and Adoration Eastwards to be also such like indifferent mutable customs as it is apparent they did this is nothing at all to invalidate our proof that the Lords day was used and consequently appointed in the dayes of the Apostles Obj. At least it will prove it mutable as they were Answ. No such matter Because the very nature of such Circumstances having no stated necessity or usefulness sheweth them to be mutable But the reason of the Lords dayes use is perpetual And it is founded partly in the Law of nature which telleth us that some stated dayes should be set apart for holy things and partly in the positive part of the fourth Commandment which telleth us that once God determined of one day in seven yea and this upon the ground of his own Cessation of his Creation-work that man on that day might observe a Holy Rest in the worshipping of the great Creator which is a Reason belonging not to the Jews only but to the whole world Yea and that Reason whatever Dr. Heylin say to the contrary from the meer silence of the former History in Genesis doth seem plainly to intimate that this is but the repetition of that Law of the Sabbath which was given to Adam For why should God begin two thousand years after to give men a Sabbath upon the reason of his rest from the Creation and for the Commemoration of it if he had never called man to that Commemoration before And it is certain that the Sabbath was observed at the falling of Manna before the giving of the Law And let any considerate Christian judge between Dr. Heylin and us in this 1. Whether the not falâ—ing of Manna or the Rest of God after the Creation was like to be the Original reason of the Sabbath 2. And whether if it had been the first it would not have been said Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day for on six dayes Manna fell and not on the seventh rather than For in six dayes God created Heaven and Earth c. and rested the seventh day And it is causally added Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Nay consider whether this annexed Reason intimate not that the day on this ground being hallowed before therefore it was that God sent not down the Manna on that day and that he prohibited the people from seeking it And he that considereth the brevity of the History in Genesis will think he is very bold that obtrudeth on the world his Negative Argument The Sabbath is not there mentioned therefore it was not then kept And if it was a Positive Law given to Adam on the reason of the Creation Rest it was then such a Positive as must be next to a Law of Nature and was given to all mankind in Adam and Adam must needs be obliged to deliver it down to the world So that though the Mosaical Law even as given in Stone be ceased yea and Adams Positives too formally as such yet this is sure that once God himself determined by a Law that one stated day in seven was the fittest proportion of time to be separated to holy Worship And if it was so once yea to all the world from the Creation it is so still Because there is still the same reason for it And we are bound to judge Gods determination of the proportion to be wiser than any that we can make And so by parity of Reason consequentially even those abrogated Laws do thus far bind us still not so far as abrogated but because the record and reason of them is still a signification of the due proportion of time and consequently of our duty Now the Lords day supposing one weekly day to be due and being but that day determined of and this upon the Reason of the Resurrection and for the Commemoration of our Redemption and that by such inspired and authorized persons it followeth clearly that this is no such mutable ceremony as a Love Feast or the Kiss of Love or the Veil or the washing of feet or the anointing of the sick which were mostly occasionall actions and
labour was not like the Plowmans Masons Carpenters Carryers c. to take up their thoughts but they could lay a Book before them and read or meditate or Discourse to Edification whilest they were working But this is not the case of the Multitude And let any sober man but consider whether with people so ignorant and averse as the most are should he be never so diligent on the Lords day the six dayes intermission be not a great cooling of affection and a great delayer of their growth in knowledge when they are like by the weeks end to forget all that they had learned on the Lords day What then would these poor people come to if the Lords day it self must be alsoloitered or played away VI. The tyranny of many Masters maketh the Lords day a great mercy to the world For if God had not made a Law for their Rest and Liberty abundance of worldly impious persons would have allowed them little Rest for their bodies and less opportunity for the good of their souls Therefore they have cause with great thankfulness to improve the holy liberty which God hath given them and not cast it away on play or idleness VII The full improvement of the Lords dayes doth tend to breed and keep up an able faithful Ministry in the Churches on which the preservation and glory of Religion much dependeth When there is a necessity of full Ecclesiastical performances imposed on Ministers they are also necessitated to prepare themselves with answerable abilities and fitness But when no more is required of them but to read the Liturgie or to say a short and dry Discourse they that know no more is necessary to their ends are so strongly tempted to get ability and preparations for no more that few will overcome the temptation And therefore the World knoweth that in Moscovy Abassia and for the most part of the Greek and Armenian Churches as nothing or little more than Reading is required so little more ability than to Read is laboured after And the Ministers are ordinarily so ignorant and weak as is the scorn and decay of the Christian Religion VIII Yea it will strongly encline Masters of Families to labour more for abilities to instruct and Catechise their Families and pray with them and guide them in the fear of God when they know that the whole day must be improved to the spiritual good of their Families And so knowledge abilities and family-holiness will increase Whereas those that think themselves under no such obligations what ignorant profane and ungodly families have they because for the most part they are such themselves IX A multitude of gross sins will be prevented by the due observation of the Lords day Nothing more usual than for the sports riots idleness and sensuality of that day to be nurseries of Oathes Curses Ribaldry Fornication Gluttony Drunkenness Frayes and Bloodshed And is not Gods Service better work than these X. Lastly This holy order and prosperity of the Churches and this knowledge and piety in individual Subjects will become the safety beauty order and felicity of Kingdomes and all Civil societies of men For when the people are fit but duly to use and sanctifie the Lords day they are fit to use all things in a sanctified manner and to be an honour to their Countrey and an ease and comfort to their Governours and a common blessing to all about them CHAP. XIII What other Church Festivals or separated daies are lawful I Shall conclude this Discourse with the brief answer of this Question I. No sober Christian doubteth but that some part of every day is to be spent in Religious exercises And that even our earthly business must be done with a spiritual intent and mind And that every day must be kept as like to the Lords day as our weakness and our other duties which God hath laid upon us will allow II. Few make any question but the whole dayes of Humiliation and of Thanksgiving may and must be kept upon great and extraordinary occasions of Judgements or of mercies And that many Churches may agree in these And I know no just reason why the Magistrate may not with Charity and Moderation to the weak impose them and command such an agreement among his Subjects III. Few doubt but the Commemoration of great Merâ—ies or Judgements may be made anniversary and of long continuance As the Powder-plot day Nov. 5. is now made among us to preserve the memorial of that deliverance And why may it not be continued whilest the great sense of the benefit should be continued And so the second of Sept. is set apart for the Anniversary humbling remembrance of the Firing of London And so in divers other cases IV. The great blessing of an Apostolick Ministry and of the stability of the Martyrs in their sufferings for Christ being so rare and notable a Mercy to the Church I confess I know no reason why the Churches of all succeeding ages may not keep an Anniversary day of Thanksgiving to God for Peter or Paul or Stephen as well as for the Powder plot-deliverance I know not where God hath forbidden it directly or indirectly If his instituting the Lords day were a virtual prohibition for man to separate any more or if the prohibition of adding to Gods Word were against it they would be against other daies of Humiliation and Thanksgiving especially Anniversarily which we confess they are not If the reason be scandal lest the Men should have the honour instead of God I Answer 1. An honour is due to Apostles and Martyrs in their places in meet subordination to God 2. Where the case of scandal is notorious it may become by that accident unlawful and yet not be so in other times and places V. The Devil hâ—th here been a great Vndoer by Overdoing When he knew not how else to cast out the holy observation of the Lords day with zealous people he found out the trick of devising so many dayes called Holy dayes to set up by it that the people might perceive that the observation of them all as holy was never to be expected And so the Lords day was jumbled in the heap of holy dayes and all turned into Ceremony by the Papists and too many other Churches in the World Which became Calvins temptation as his own words make plain to think too meanly of the Lords day with the rest VI. In the lawful observation of daies it is most orderly to do as the Churches do which we live among and are to joine with VII But if Church tyranny would overwhelm any place with over-numerous daies or Ceremonies which are singly considered lawful we should do nothing needlesly to countenance and encourage such usurpation VIII Yet is it lawful to hear a Sermon which shall be Preached on a humane Holy day which is imposed by Usurpation Seeing such a a Moral duty may be done and so great a benefit received without any approbation of the inconvenient season
History assureth us that they did III. Nor have we any fuller Scripture proof that the Apostles used to require of those that were to be Baptized any more than a general Profession of the substance of the Christian faith in God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Or of the ancient use of the Christian Creed either in the words now used or any of the same importance From whence many would inferr that any one is to be Baptized who will but say that I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God with the Eunuch Act. 8. 37. or that Christ is come in the flesh 1 Joh. 4. 2 3. But Historical evidence assureth us that it was usual in those times to require of men a more explicite understanding profession of the Christian faith before they were admitted to Baptisme And that they had a summary or Symbole fitted to that use commonly called The Apostles Creed at least as to the constant tenour of the matter though some words might be left to the speakers will and some little subordinate Articles may be since added And that it was long after the use to keep men in the state of Catechised persons till they understood that Creed And it is in it self exceeding probable that though among the intelligent Jews who had long expected the Messiah the Apostles did Baptize thousands in a day Act. 2. Yet where the Miraculous communication of the Spirit did not antecede as it did Act. 10. they would make poor Heathens who had been bred in ignorance to understand what they did first and would require of them an understanding profession of their Belief in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost which could not possibly if understanding contain much less than the Symbolum fidâ—i the Apostles Creed IV. Nor have we any Scripture proof except by inferring obedience from the precept that ever the Lords Prayer was used in words after Christ commanded or delivered it Whence some inferr that it should not be so used But Church History putteth that past doubt Other such instances I pretermit I think now that I have fully proved to sober considerate Christians that the matter of fact that the Lords day was appointed by the Apostles peculiarly for Church-Worship is certain to us by historical Evidence added to the historical intimations in Scripture as a full exposition and confirmation of it And that this is a proof that no Christian can deny without unsufferable injury to the Scriptures and the Christian cause CHAP. VI. Prop. 5. This Act of the Apostles appointing the Lords day for Christian Worship was done by the special inspiration or guidance of the Holy Ghost THis is proved 1. Because it is one of those Acts or works of their Office to which the Holy Ghost was promised them 2. Because that such like or smaller things are by them ascribed to the Holy Ghost Act. 15. 28. Iâ— seemed good to the Holy Ghost and us when they did but declare an antecedent duty and decide a Controversie thereabout See also Act. 4. 8. Act. 5. 3. 6. 3. with 7. 55. Act. 13. 2 4. 16. 6 7. 20. 23 28. 21. 11. 2 Tim. 1. 14. Jud. 20. Act. 11. 12 28. 19. 21. 20. 22. 1 Cor. 5. 3 4. 14. 2 15 16. And 1 Cor. 7. 40. When Paul doth but counsel to a single life he ascribeth it to the Spirit of God 3. And if any will presume to say that men purposely indued with the Spirit for the works of their commission did notwithstanding do such great things as this without the conduct of that Spirit they may by the same way of proceeding pretend it to be as uncertain of every particular Book and Chapter in the New Testament whether or no they wrote it by the Spirit For if it be a sound inference They had the promise and gift of the Spirit that they might infallibly leave in writing to the Churches the doctrines and precepts of Christ Ergo whatever they have left in Writing to the Churches as the doctrine and precepts of Christ is Infallibly done by the Guidance of that Spirit Then it will be as good an inference They had the promise and gift of the Spirit that they might infallibly settle Church-orders for all the Churches universalâ—y ergo Whatever Church-orders they setled for all the Churches universally they setled them by the infallible guidance of that Spirit But this few Christians will deny except some Papists who would bring down Apostolical Constitutions to a lower rank and rate that the Pope and his General Council may be capable of â—â—ying claim to the like themselves and so may make as many more Laws for the Church as they please and pretend such an authority for it as the Apostles had for theirs By which preâ—ense many would make too little distinction between Gods Laws given by his Spirit and the Laws 〈◊〉 a Pope and Popish Council and call then all but The Laws of the Church Whereas there is no Universal Head of the Church but Christ who hath reserved Universal Legislation to Himself alone to be performed by himself personally and by his Advocate the Holy Ghost in his Authorized and Infallibly-inspired Apostles who were the Promulgators and Recorders of them All following Pastors being but as the Jewish Priests were to Moses and the Prophets the preservers the expositers and the applyers of that Law CHAP. VII Qu. 2. Whether the seventh day Sabbath should be still kept by Christians as of Divine obligation Neg. I Shall here premise That as some superstition is less dangerous than prophaneness though it be troublesome and have ill consequents so the Errour of them who keep both daies as of Divine appointment is much less dangerous than theirs that keep none yea and less dangerous I think than theirs who reject the Lords day and keep the seventh day only Because these latter are guilty of two sins the rejecting of the right day and the keeping of the wrong but the other are guilty but of one the keeping of the wrong day Besides that if it were not done with a superstitious conceit that it is Gods Law in some cases a day may be voluntarily set apart for holy duties as daies of Thanksgiving and Humiliation now are But yet though the rejecting of the Lords day be the greater fault and I have no uncharitable censures of them that through weakness keep both daies I must conclude it as the truth that We are not obliged to the observation of the Saturday or seventh day as a Sabbath or separated day of holy Worship Arg. 1. That dayes observation which we are not obliged to either by the Law of Nature the Positive Law given to Adam the Positive Law given to Noah the Law of Moses nor the Law of Christ incarnate we are not obliged to by any Law of God as distinct from humane Laws But such is the observation of the seventh day as a Sabbath Ergo we are
as he nailed the hand-writing of Ordinances to his Cross so he buried the Sabbath in his Grave by lying buried on that day And therefore the Western Churches who had fewer Jews among them did fast on the Sabbath day to shew the change that Christs burial intimated Though the Eastern Churches did not lest they should offend the Jews And that the ancient Christians were not for sabbatizing on the seventh day is visible in the writings of most save the Eastern ones before mentioned Tertull. cont Marcion li. 1. cap. 20. Chrysost. Theodoret Primasius c. on Gal. 4. expound that Text as that by Dayes is meant the Jewish Sabbath and by Moneths the New Moons c. Cyprian 59. Epist. ad Hidum saith that the eighth day is to Christians what the Sabbath was to the Jews and calleth the Sabbath the Image of the Lords day Athanasius de Sab. Circumcis is full and plain on it See Tertullian Advers Judae c. 4. Ambros. in Eph. 2. August Ep. 118. Châ—ysâ—st in Gal. 1. Hâ—m 12. ad pop Hilary before cited Prolog in Psalm Origen Hom. 23. in Num. Item Tertull. de Idol c. 14. Epipban l. 1. num 30. noting the Nazaraei and Ebionaei Hereticks that they kept the Jews Sabbath In a word The Council of Laodiâ—aea doth Anathematize them that did Judaize by forbearing their Labours on the Sabbath or seventh day And as Sozomen tells us that at Alexandria and Rome they used no Assemblies on the Sabbath so where they did in most Churches they communicated not in the Sacrament Yea that Ignatius himself true or false who saith as aforecited After the Sabbath let every lover of Christ celebrate the Lords day doth yet in the same Epistle ad Magnes before say Old things are passed away behold all things are made new For if we yet live after the Jewish Law and the Circumcision of the flesh we deny that we have received Grace Let us not therefore keep the Sabbath or sabbatize Jewishly as delighting in Idleness or Rest from labour For be that will not labour let him not eat In the sweat if thy brows thou shalt cat thy bread I confess I take the cited Texts to have been added since the body of the Epistle was written but though the Writer favour of the Eastern custom yet he sheweth they did not sabbatize on the account of the fourth Commandment or supposed continuation of the Jewish Sabbath as a Sabbath For bodily labour was strictly forbidden in the fourth Commandment Dionysius Alexandr hath an Epistle to Basilides a Bishop on the Question When the Sabbath Fast must end and the observation of the Lords day begin Biblioth Patr. Graec. Lat. Vol. 1. p. 306. In which he is against them that end their Fast too soon And plainly intimateth that the seventh day was to be kept but as a preparatory Fast being the day that Christ lay in the grave and not as a Sabbath or as the Lords day I cite not any of these as a humane authority to be set against the authority of the fourth Commandment But as the certain History of the change of the day which the Apostles made Qu. How far then is the fourth Commandment Moral you seem to subvert the old foundation which most others build the Lords day upon Answ. Let us not entangle our selves with the ambiguities of the word Moral which most properly signifieth Ethical as distinct from Physical c. By Moral here is meant that which is on what ground soever of perpetual or continued obligation And so it is all one as to ask how far it is still obligatory or in force To which I answer 1. It is a part of the Law of Nature that God be solemnly worshipped in families and in holy assemblies 2. It is a part of the Law of Nature that where greater things do not forbid it a stated time be appointed for this service and that it be not left at Randome to every mans will 3. It is of the Law of Nature that where greater matters do not hinder it this day be one and the same in the same Countreys yea if it may be through the world 4. It is of the Law of Nature that this day be not so rarely as to hinder the ends of the day nor yet so frequently as to deprive us of opportunity for our necessary corporal labour 5. It is of the Law of Nature that the holy duties of this day be nâ—t hindered by any corporal work or fleshly pleasure or any unnecessary thing which contradiâ—teth the holy ends of the day 6. It is of the Law of Nature that Rulers and in special Masters of families do take care that their inferiours thus observe it In all these points the fourth Commandment being but a transcript of the Law of Nature which we can yet prove from the nature of the reason of the thing the matter of it continueth not as Jewish but as Natural 7. Besides all this when no man of himself could tell whether one day in six or seven or eight were his duty to observe God hath come in and 1. By Doctrine or History told us that he made the world in six dayes and rested the seventh 2. By Law and bath commanded one day in seven to the Jews by which he hath made known consequentialâ—y to all men that one day in seven is the fittest proportion of time And the case being thus determined by God by a Law to others doth consequentially become a Law to us because it is the determination of Divine Wisdom unless it were done upon some reasons in which their condition differeth from ours And thus the Doctrine and Reasons of an abrogated Law continuing may induce on us an obligation to duty And in this sense the fourth Commandment may be said still to bind us to one day in seven But in two points the obligation even as to the Matter ceaseth 1. We are not bound to the seventh day because God our Redeemer who is Lord of the Sabbath hath made a change 2. We are not bound to a Sabbath in the old notion that is to a day of Ceremonial Rest for it self required but to a day to be spent in Evangelical Worship And though I am not of their mind who say that the seventh day is not commanded in the fourth Commandment but a Sabbath only yet I think that it is evident in the words that the Ratio Sabbati and the Ratio diei septimi are distinguishable And that the Sabbath as a Sabbath is first in the precept and the particular day is there but secondarily and so mutably as if God had said I will have a particular day set apart for a holy Rest and for my Worship And that day shall be one in seven and the seventh also on which I rested from my works And thus I have said as much as I think needful to satisfie the considerate about the day Again professing 1. That I believe that
To call them together before they go to the solemn Assembly and to Pray with them and praise God and if there be time to read the Scripture and tell them what they have to do in publick 3. To see that Dinner and other common employments make no longer an intermission than is needful And to advise them that at their meat and necessary business they shew by their holy speeches that their minds do not forget the day and the employments of it 4. To sing Gods praises with them if there be time and bring them again together to the Church-assembly 5. When they return either to take some account of them what they have learned or to call them together to pray for a blessing on what they have heard and to sing praises to God and to urge the things which they have heard upon them 6. At Supper to behave themselves soberly and piously And after Supper to shut up the day in Prayer and Praise And either then or before either to examine or exhort inferiours according as the case of the persons and families shall require For in some Families it will be best on the same day to take an account of their profiting and to Catechize them And in other Families that have leisure other daies may be more convenient for Catechising and Examinations that the greater works of the Lords day may not be shortened IV. So much of the day as can be spared from publick and family worship must be spent in secret holy duties such as are 1. Secret Prayer 2. Reading of the Scriptures and good Books 3. Holy Meditation 4. And the secret Conference of bosome friends Of which I further adde 1. That where publick or family worship cannot be had as in impious places there secret duties must be the chief and make up the defect of others And it is a great happiness of good Christians who have willing minds that they have such secret substitutes and supplies That they have Bibles and so many good Books to read That they may have a friend to talk with of holy things But much more that they have a God to go to and a Heaven to Meditate on besides so many Sacred Verities 2. That my judgement is that in those places where the publick Worship taketh up almost all the day it is no sin to attend on it to the utmost and to omit all such Family and secret exercises as cannot be done without omission of the publick And that where the publick exercises allow but a little time at home the Family duties should take up all that little time except what some shorter secret Prayers or Meditations may have which will not hinder family duties And that it is a sinful disorder to do otherwise Because the Lords day is principally set apart for publick worship And the more private or secret is as it were included in the publick Your Families are at Church with you The same Prayers which you would put up in secret you may usually put up in publick and in Families And it is a turning Gods Worship into a Ceremony and Superstition to think that you must necessarily put up the same Prayers in a Closet which you put up in the Family or Church when you have not time for both Though when you have time secret prayer hath its proper advantages which are not to be neglected And also what secret or family duty you have not time for on that day you may do on another day when you cannot come to Church Assemblies And therefore it is an Errour to think that the day must be divided in equal proportions between Publick Family and Secret Duties Though yet I think it not amiss that some convenient time for Family and Secret duties be left on that day but not so much as is spent in publick nor nothing neer it If any shall now object I do not believe that we are bound to all this ado nor so to tire out our selves in Religious exercises Where is all this ado commanded us I answer 1. I have proved to you that in Nature and in Scripture set together as great a proportion of time as this for holy exercises is required 2. But O what a Carnal unthankful heart doth this objection signifie What do you account your Love to God and the Commemoration of his Love in Christ a toile What if God had only given you leave to lay by your worldly business and idle talk and Childish play for one dayes time and to learn how to be like Christ and Angels and how to make sure of a Heavenly Glory should you not gladly have accepted it as an unspeakable benefit O what hearts have these wretched men that must be constrained by fear to all that is good and holy and spiritual and will have none of Gods greatest mercies unless it be for fear of hell And they shall never have them indeed till they love them What hearts have those men that had rather be in an Ale-house or a Play-house or asleep than to be in heart with God That can find so much pleasure in jesting and idle talking and foolery that they can better endure it than to peruse a Map of Heaven and to read and hear the Sacred Oracles Who think it a toile to praise their Maker and Redeemer and a pleasure to game and dance and drink Who turn the glass upon the Preacher and grudge if he exceed his hour and can sit at a Tavern or Alehouse or hold on in any thing that 's vain many hours and never complain of weariness Do they not tell the world what enemies they are to God who love a pair of Cards or Dice or Wanton Dalliance better than his Word and Worship Who think six dayes together little enough for their worldly work and profit and one day in seven too much to spend in the thoughts of God and life Eternal Who love the dung of this present World so much better than all the joyes above as that they are weary to hear of Heaven above an hour at a time and long to be wallowing in the dirt again Is it not made by the Holy Ghost a mark not only of wicked men but of men notoriously wicked to be Lovers of pleasures more than of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. O Sinners that in these workings of the wickedness and malignity of your hearts you would at last but know your selves Is it not the Carnal mind that is thus at enmity to God and neither is nor can be subject to his Law Rom. 8. 6 7 8 Which will you take to be your friend Him that loveth your company or him that is a weary of it and is glad when he hath done with you and is got away What would you think of Wife or Child or Friend if they should reason as you do and say What Law doth bind 〈◊〉 to be so many hours in the House or Company or 〈◊〉 of my Husband my Father or my Friendâ—
is before them and how near to Eternity they stand and awaken mens sleepy sensual souls to live as men that do not dream of another world but unfeignedly believe it and then a little reasoning would serve turn to convince them that the Lords day should be spent in the duties of serious holiness and not in Idleness or unnecessary works or sports Obj. But by all this you seem to cast a great reproach on Calvin Beza and most of the great Divines of the forreign Churches who have not been so strict for the observation of the Lords day Answ. Let these things be observed by the impartial Reader 1. It cannot be proved to be most of them that were so faulty herein as the objection intimateth Many of them have written much for the holy spending of the day 2. It must be noted that it is a superstitious Ceremonious Sabbatizing which many of them write against who seem to the unobservant to mean more It is not the spending of the day in spiritual exercises 3. And you must remember that they came newly out of Popery and had seen the Lords day and a superabundance of other Humane Holy dayes imposed on the Churches to be Ceremoniously observed and they did not all of them so clearly as they ought discern the difference between the Lords day and those holy dayes or Church Festivals and so did too promiscuously conjoine them in their reproofs of the burdens imposed on the Church And it being the Papists Ceremoniousness and their multitude of Festivals that stood all together in their eye it tempted them to too undistinguishing and unaccurate a reformation 4. And for Calvin you must know that he spent every day so like to a Lords day in hard Study and Prayer and numerous Writings and publick Preaching or Lecturing and Disputings either every day in the week or very near it scarce allowing himself time for his one only spare meale a day that he might the easilier be tempted to make less difference in his judgement between the Lords day and other dayes than he should have done and to plead for more recreation on that day for others than he took on any day himself 5. And then his followers having also many of the same temptations were apt to tread in his steps through the deserved estimation of his worth and judgement and lest they should seem to be of different minds But as England hath been the happyest in this piece of reformation so all men are unexcusable that will encourage idleness sensuality or neglect of the important duties of the day CHAP. XI What things should not be Scrupled as unlawful on the Lords day As I have told you the Lords day is not a Sabbath in the Jewish sense or a day of Ceremonious Rest but a Day of Worshiping our Creator and Redeemer with thankful Commemorations and with holy Joy c. And a day of vacancy from such earthly things as may be any hinderance to this holy work so now I must resolve the Question first in the General that nothing lawful at another time is unlawful on this day which hath not the Nature of an Impediment to the holy duties of the day unless it be accidentally on the account of scandal or ill example unto others or disobeying the Laws of Magistrates or crossing the Concord of the Churches or such like Therefore hence I deduce these particular resolutions following I. It is not unlawful to be at such bodily or mental labour as is needful to the spiritual duties of the day If the Priests in the Temple saith Christ did break the Sabbath and were blameless that is not the Command of God to them for keeping the Sabbath but the external Rest of the Sabbath which was commanded to others with an exception to their case we may well say that it is no sin for a Minister now to spend his strength in laborious Preaching and Praying or for the people to travel as far as is needful to the Church Assemblies nor do we need to tye our selves to a Sabbath dayes journey that is according to the Scribes 2000 Cubits which is 3000 feet and quinque stadia It is lawful to go many miles when it is necessary to the work of the day II. It is not unlawful to be at the labour of dressing our selves somewhat more ornately or comely than on another day Because it is suitable to the rejoycing of a Festival But to waste time needlesly in curJosity and proud attiring to the hinderance of greater things is detestable III. It is not unlawful to dress meat even in some fuller and better manner than on other dayes Because it is a Festival or day of Thanksgiving And it is a vain self-contradiction of some men who think that another day of Thanksgiving is not well kept if there be not two feasting meals at least and yet think it unlawful to dress one on the Lords day But yet to make it a day of Gluttony or to waste more of the day in eating or dressing meat than is agreeable to the spiritual work of the day which is our end or to make our selves sleepy by fulness or to use our servants like Beasts to provide for our bellies with the neglect of their own souls or to pamper the flesh to the satisfaction and irritation of its lusts All this is to be detested IV. It is not unlawful to do the necessary works of mercy to our selves or others to man or beast Those which must be done and cannot be delayed without more hurt than the doing of them will procure for that is the description of a necessary work As to eat and drink and cloth our selves and our Children To carry meat to the poor that are in present necessity To give or take Physick and to go for advice to the Physician or Surgeon To travel upon a business of importance and necessity To quench a fire or prop a house that is about to fall To march or fight in a necessary case of Warr To Saile or labour at Sea in cases of necessity To Boat-men over a River that go to Church To pursue a Robber or defend him that is assaulted To pull a man out of fire or water To dress a mans sores or to give Physick to the sick To pull an Oxe or Horse or other Cattle out of a pit or water To drive or lead them to water and to give them meat To save Cattle Corne or Hay from the sudden inundations of the Sea or of Rivers or from Floods To drive Cattle or Swine out of the grounds where they break in to spoile such necessary actions are not unlawful but a duty It being a Moral or Natural precept which Christ twice bid the Ceremonious Pharises learn I will have mercy and not Sacrifice And it is not only works of necessity to a mans life that are here meant by necessary works But such also as are necessary to a smaller and lower end or use And
yet it is not all such necessity neither that will allow us to do the thing Otherwise a Tradesman or Plowman might say that his labour is necessary to the getting or saving of this or that small commodity I shall be a loser if I do not work And on the other side if it were only a necessity for life limbs or livelihood that would allow us labour than it would be unlawful to dress Meat and to drive Cattle out of the Corn and many such things before mentioned And then it would be lawful to give meat only 〈◊〉 Oxen or Horses of great priâ—e and not to Hens Ducks Geese Dogs and other Animals of little value Therefore there is a great deal of prudent discretion necessary to the avoiding of extreamâ— God hath not enumerated all the particulars which are allowed or forbidden in their generals What then shall we do Shall we violate the outward rest of the day for the worth of 〈◊〉 Groat or two Pence as the feeding of Hens or such like may be Or shall we suffer the loâ—â— of many pounds rather than stiâ—r to save them As for instance Is it lawful to open or turn 〈◊〉 carry in Corn or Hay which in all rational probability though not certainly is like to be lost oâ— very much spoiled if it be let alone to the next day The Corâ— or Hay may be of many pounds value when the feeding of Swine oâ— Hens may be little The Corâ— or Hay is like to be lost when the Swine or Hens or Horses or Oxen may easily recover the hunger or abstinence of a day What must be done in such cases as these I answer 1. It is necessary to know that where God hath not made particular determinations yet general Laws do still oblige us 2. And that Christian Prudence is necessary to the right discarning how far our actions fall under those General Laws of God 3. That he that will discern these things must be a man that truly understandeth valueth and loveth the true Ends and Work of the Lords day and not a man that hateth it or careth not for it And a man that hath a right estimate also of those outward things which stand in question to be medled with And he must be one that hath no superstitious Jewish conceits of the external Rest of the day And he must be one that looketh not only to one thing or a few but to all things how numerous soever which the determination of his case dependeth on 4. And because very few are such it is needful that those few that are such be Casuists and Advisers to the rest and that the more ignorant consult with them especially if they be their proper Pastors as they do with Physicians and Lawyers for their health and their estates 5. It must be known that oft times the Laws of the Land do interpose in such cases And if they do determine so strictly as to forbid that which else would to some be lawful they must be obeyed Because bad men cannot be kept from doing ill by excesses unless some good men be hindered by the same Laws from some things that are to them indifferent nay possibly eligible if there were no such Law 6. And accordingly the case of Scandal or Temptation to others that will turn our Example to their sin must be considered in our Practice Yea it is not only things meerly Indifferent that we must deny our liberty in to prevent anothers fall but oft times that which would else be a Duty may become a sin when it will scandalize another or tempt him to a farr greater and more dangerous sin As it may be my duty to speak some word or do some action as most useful and beneficial when there is nothing against it And yet if I may foresee that another will turn that speech or action to his ruine to the hatred of piety or to take occasion from it to exercise cruelty upon other Christians c. it may become my hainous sin So it must here be considered who will know of the Action which you do and what use they are like to make of it 7. And a little publick hurt must be more regarded than more private benefit And the hurt of a mans soul cannot be countervailed by your corporal Commodities 8. These things being premised I suppose that the great Rule to guide you in such undetermined Circumstances is the Interest of the End All things must be done to the Glory of God and to Edification A truly impartial prudent man can discern by comparing all the circumstances whether his action as if it were carrying in Endangered Corn were likely to do more good or harm On one side you must put in the ballance the value of the thing to be saved your own necessity of it the poors need of it and Christs command Gather up the fragments that nothing be lost on the other side you must consider how far it will hinder your spiritual benefit and duty and how far the example may be like to encourage such as will do such things without just cause And so try which is the way of Gods honour and your own and your neighbours good and that is the way which you must take As in the Disciples rubbing the ears of Corn c. For the Rule is that your labour is then lawful and a duty when in the judgement of a truly judicious person it is like to do more good than hurt And it is then sinful when it is like to do more hurt than good Though all cannot discern this yet as far as I know this is the true rule to judge such actions by As for them that suppose our Lords day to be under the same Laws of Rest with the Jewish Sabbath and so think that they have a readyer way to decide these doubts I will not contend with them but I have told you why I am not of their mind V. From hence I further conclude that whereas there are some actions which bring some little benefit but yet are no apparent hinderances of any of the work of the day it seemeth to me too much Ceremoniousness and too ungospel-like to trouble our own or other mens Consciences by concluding such things to be unlawful If one have a word to speak of some considerable worldly business which may be forgotten if it be not presently spoken or if I meet one with whom I must speak the next day about some worldly business and if I then wish him not to come speak with me I must send a great way to him afterwards I will not say that it is a sin to speak such a word I will first look at a mans positive duties on the Lords day how he heareth and readeth and prayeth and spendeth his time and how he instructeth and helpeth his Family And if he be diligent in seeking God Heb. 11. 6. and ply his Heavenly business I shall be very backward to judge him
for a word or action about wordly things that falls in on the by without any hinderance to his spiritual work And if another speak not a word of any common thing and yet do little in spiritual things for his own or others edification I shall think him a great abuser or neglecter of the Lords day A few words about a common thing that falleth in the way may be spoken without any hinderance of any holy duty But still we must see that it be not a scandalous temptation to others If I see a man that unexpectedly findeth some uncomely hole or rent in his Cloaths either pin it up or few it up before he goeth abroad I will not blame him But if he do it so as to embolden another who useth needlesly to mend his Cloaths on the Lords day it will be a sin of scandal If I see one cut some undecent stragling haires before he go forth I will not blame him But if he do it before one who will be encouraged by it to be barbed needlesly on that day he will offend And so in other cases VI. By these same Rules also we may judge of Recreations on the Lords day The Recreations of the mind must be the various holy employments of the day No bodily Recreations are lawful which needlesly waste time or hinder our duty or divert our minds from holy things or are a snare to others Unless it be some weak persons whose health requireth bodily motion few persons need any other than holy recreations on that day I know no one man that so much needeth it as my self who these twenty years cannot digest one dayes meat unless I walk or run or exercise my body before it till I am hot or sweat And therefore necessity requireth me to walk or fast But I do it privately on that day left I tempt others to sin But I will not censure one whom I see walking at fit houres when for ought I know he may be taken up in some fruitful Meditation But if persons will walk in the Streets or Fields in idleness or for vain delight or discourse as if the day were too long for them and they had no business to do for their souls this is not only a sin but a very ill sign of one that is senseless of his souls necessity and his duty VII To read History Philosophy or common things unnecessarily on the Lords day is a sinful diversion from the more spiritual work of it and unsuitable to the appointed uses of the day much more Romances Play Books or idle stories Yea or those parts of Divinity it self which are less practical and useful to the raising of Thankful and Heavenly affections But yet sometimes such other matter may fall in at a Sermon or Conference or in Meditation which will require a present satisfaction in some point of History Philosophie or controversal Divinity which may be subserviently used to Edification without sin Here therefore we must judge prudently VIII A thing that may be lawful singly in it self unless it be of great necessity is unlawful when he that serveth us in it is drawn or encouraged to make a trade of it As to use a Barber to cut your hair or a Tailor to mend your Cloaths or a Coblar to mend your Shooes Because if you may use him so may others as well as you and so he will follow his Calling on the Lords day And yet I dare not say if when you are to travel to Church you find your Shooes or Boots by breaking something to make you uncapable of going out but you may get them mended privately where it may be done without this inconvenience And though Cooks and Bakers should not be unnecessarily used in their trade yet is it not alwaies unlawful but sometimes very well Because as one servant in the Kitchin may be used to dress meat for all the family so one Baker or Cooke may serve many families and save ten times as many persons the labour which else they must be at And perhaps with easier and quicker dispatch than others The trade of the Apothecary Surgeon and Physician is ordinarily used but for necessity IX There is no sufficient avoidance of such abuses but by careful foresight and prevention and preparation the week before which therefore must be conscionably done CHAP. XII Of what importance the due Observation of the Lords day is THese singular benefits of keeping the Lords day aright should make all that Love God or holiness or the Church or their own or other mens souls take heed how they grow into a neglect or abuse of it much more that they plead not for such negligence or abuse I. The due observation of the Lords day is needful to keep up the solemn worship of God and publick owning and honouring him in the world If all men were left to themselves what time they would bestow in the worshipping of God the greatest part would cast off all and grow into Atheisme or utter prophaneness And the rest would grow into confusion And if all Princes and Rulers or Churches in the world were left to their own wills to appoint the people on what dayes to meet some Kingdoms and Churches would have one day in eight or nine or ten or twenty and some only now and then an hour and some one day and some another and some next to none at all For there is no one universal Monareh on Earth to make Laws for them all whatever the Pope or his nominal-General Councils may pretend to And they would never all come to any reasonable agreement voluntarily among themselves Therefore the Light of Nature telleth us that as a day is meet and needful to be stated so it is meet that God himself the true Universal Monarch should determine of it which accordingly he hath done And this is the very hedge and defensative of Gods publick Worship When he hath made a Law that one whole day in seven shall be spent in it men are engaged to attend it O what a happy acknowledgement of God our Creatour and Redeemer is it and an honouring of his blessed name when all the Churches throughout all the World are at once praising the same God with the same praises and hearing and learning the same Gospel and professing the same faith and thankfully commemorating the same benefits The Church is then indeed like an Army with Banners And were it not for this dayes observation alas how different would the case be And what greater thing can man be bound to than thus to keep up the solemn acknowledgement and worship of God and our Redeemer in the world II. The due Sanctification of the Lords day doth tend to make Religion Vniversal as to Countreys and individual persons which else would be of narrower extent When all the world are under a Divine obligation to spend one day every week in the exercises of Religion and superiours see to the performance of their
holy Ghost and use violence against Gods word which I should obey Obj. There is no Law in the Scripture to observe the first day no promise made to observers of it no threatning against the breakers of it c. shew it And if no Law no transgression Rom. 4. 15. Sin is a transgression of the Law Answ. I have shewed you full proof of a Law for it before Though it is not Christs way to enact his Laws in that Majestick Commanding forms as God did to Moses on the Mount But as he condescended into flesh to be a Teacher and Saviour in the form of a Servant under the Law himself to redeem those that were under it so he maketh his Laws in a merciful Teaching stile All that is revealed by him as his will appointing our duty is his Law But that we observe the Lords day is revealed by him as his will making it our duty These are his Laws requiring us to Hear and obey his spirit in his Apostles Joh. 20. 21 22. As the Father hath sent me so send I you And when he had said this be breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost c. Luk. 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me And this is his Law requiring his Apostles by that spirit to promulgate his Laws and make known his will Mat. 28. 19 20. Go disciple me all Nations Baptizing them c. Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you and loe I am with you alwaies to the end of the world or age with the other Texts forecited And that the Spirit in the Apostles hath setled the Lords day as the separated day for holy assemblies and Worship I have proved to you both by the Texts which you now sought in vain to make void and by the unquestionable practice and history of the universal Church from that age untill this And withal by other Texts which you omit which not alone but all set together make up the proof because it is historical evidence of a matter of fact which we have to seek after 1. Christs Resurrection laid the foundation or gave the Cause as Gods ceasing from his works did of the Sabbath 2. Christs appearing to them assembled on that day began the actual separation 3. The Holy Ghost coming down on them on that day did more notably sanctifie it 4. The Holy Ghost as an infallible spirit in them did cause them to make a publick settlement of that day in all the Churches which was the full and actual establishment 5. This settlement is fully proved de facto in Scripture and infallible history 6. And that there are promises and threatnings to the obeyers and rejecters of Christs commands whom the Father commanded us to hear and who is the great Prophet of the Church I hope you believe Rev. 20. 14. Happy are they who do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life c. Heb. 12. 25. See that yee refuse not him that speaketh For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more c. Act. 3. 23. It shall come to pass that every soul that will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people 1 Joh. 4. 6. We are of God He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us Hereby know we the spirit of truth and the spirit of Errour If besides all this you must have particular precepts promises and threatnings in the form which you imagine to be fittest you may for want of those deny many other Gospel Laws as well as this Have you not much more for the separation of the Lords day than you have for Infants Baptism for a Christian Magistrate for Christians wageing Warr for prohibited degrees as to Marriage c. I am perswaded the sober study of these points would do much to convince the contrary minded 1. How much of Christs work as to the settlement of Church-Orders was committed to the Apostles to be done and how little he publickly setled himself in person before his Resurrection 2. How much the Gospel administration excelleth that of the Law And what eminent Glory God designeth to himself by the work of mans Redemption and how much more now he calleth man to Read and Study and Know him in the face of Jesus Christ than in the Creation And how largely the change of the Covenant is proved in the Epistle to the Hebrews 3. What a change is made herein as to mans duty since the fall of man under the wrath of the Creator who is not now his Rest but his terrour and a consuming fire till Reconciled and Adopting us in Christ And since the Earth is cursed to us as a punishment for our sins 4. How much of the certainty and Glory of the Christian faith and of all our Rest and Consolation in it is laid in the Gospel on the RESURRECTION of our Lord as beginning a new World or Creation as it were and as conquering and triumphing over death and Satan and sealing the promise and bringing Life and Immortality to Light and opening the Kingdom of Heaven to Believers 5. How much of Christs Legislation and administration of his Church-settlement and Government was to be done by the Holy Ghost And how glorious this office of the Holy Ghost is and of what grand importance to be understood As he was the promised Paraclete or Advocate or Agent of our glorified Lord to do his Work on Earth in his bodily absence To whom the Infallibility of the Scriptures the sealing operation of Miracles the Sanctification of Believers and forming them for Glory in the Image of God is to be ascribed Whom to Blaspheme is the unpardonable sin 6. How dangerous a thing it is made by the Holy Ghost to seek to set up Moses Law as the whole Epistle to the Gal. besides most of the other Epistles testifie as intimating a denyal of Christ and a falling from Grace and a perverse setting up of that which Christ came to take down as part of our own redemption And how large and plain Paul is upon this Subject and how the spirit in all the Apostles did determine it Act. 15. And how the Cerinthians Nicolaitans Ebionites Nazaraeans and many more of the condemned Heresies of that age which troubled the Churches and whom the Apostles wrote against went all that way of mingling the Jewish Law with the Gospel 7. How plainly and expresly Paul numbreth Sabbaths with the shaddows that cease Col. 2. 16. to pass by other Texts And what violence mens own wits must use in denying the evidence of so plain a Text. Their reason that he saith not Sabbath but Sabbaths is against themselves the plural number being most comprehensive and other Sabbaths receiving their name from this And the word Sabbath alwaies used in Scripture for a Rest which was partly Ceremonial See what Dr. Young in his excellent Dies Domin saith of this