instruction and true pietie So he or rather out of him Eusebius But here by Philo's leave we must pauâ—e a while This was indeed the custome in our Saviours time and when Philo lived and he was willing as it seemes to fetch the pedigree thereof as farre as possibly hee could So Salianus tells him on the like occasion Videtur Philo Iudaeorum morem in synagogis disserendi antiquitate donare voluisse quem à Christo Apostolis observatum legimus Annales An. 2546. n. 10 The same reply wee make to Iosephus also who tells us of their lawmaker that he appointed not that they should onely heare the Law once or twice a yeare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cont. Ap. 2. Deut. 6. 7. but that once every week we should come together to hear the laws that we might perfectly learn the same Which thing saith he all other Law-makers did omit And so did Moses too by Iosephus leave unlesse we make a day and a yeare all one For being now to take his farewell of that people and having oft advised them in his exhortation to meditate on the words that he had spoken even when they tarried in their houses and walked by the way when they rose up and when they went to bed he called the Priests unto him and gave the Law into their hands and into the hands of all the Elders of Israel Verse 31. 9. And hee commanded them and said Verse 10. At the end of every seven yeares in the solemnity of the yeare of release at the Feast of Tabernacles Vers. 11. when all Israel is come to appeare before the Lord their God in the place that thou shalt choose thou shalt reade this Law before Israel in their hearing that they may heare and that they may leâ—rne and feare the Lord your God and observe all the words of this Law to do them Vers. 12. This was the thing decreed by Moses and had beene needlesse if not worse in case hee had before provided that they should have â—he Law read openly unto them every Sabbath day So then by Moses order the Law was to be read publickly every seventh yeare onely in the yeare of release because then servants being manumitted from their bondage and Debtours from their Crediâ—ours all sorts of men might heare the Law with the greater cheerfulnesse and in the Feast of Tabernacles because it lasted longer then the other Festivals and so it might be read with the greater leasure and heard with more attention and then it was but this Law too the booke of Deâ—teronomy This to be done onely in the place which the Lord shall choose to be the seat and receptacle of his holy Tabernacle not in inferiour Townes much lesâ—e petite Villages and yet this thought sufficient to instruct the people in the true knowledge of Gods Law and keeping of his testimonies And indeed happy had they been had they observed this order and decree of Moses and every seventh yeare reade the Law as he appointed they had then questionlesse escaped many of those great afflictions which afterwards God brought upon them for contempt thereof That in the after times the Law was read unto them every Sabbath in their severall Synagogues is most cleere and manifest as by the testimony of Philo and Iosephuâ— before related and by sufficient evidence from the holy Gospel But in these times and after for a thousand yeares there were no Synagogues no publick reading of the Law in the Congregation excepting every seventh yeare onely and that not often Sure I am not so often as it should have beene So that in reference to the people we have but one thing onely to regard as yet touching the keeping of the Sabbath which is rest from labour rest from all manner of worke as the â—aw commanded and how farre this was kept and how farre dispensed with we shal see plainly by the story The private meditations and devotions of particular men stand not upon record at all and therefore we must onely judge by externall actions 5 This said and shewne we will passe over Iordaâ— with the house of Israel and trace their foot-steps in that countrey Ios. 4. 19. This happened on the tenth day of the first moneth or the moneth of Nisan forty dayes after the death of Moses Ann. 2584. That day they pitched their tents in Gilgal And the first thing they did was to erect an Altar in memoriall of it that done to circumcise the people who all the time that they continued in the wildernesse as many as were borne that time were uncircumcised The 14. of the same moneth did they keepe the Passeover 5. 10. 12. and on the morrow after God did cease from raining Mannah the people eating of the fruits of the land of Canaan And here the first Sabbath which they kept as I conjecture was the day before the siege of Hiericho Ios. 5. which â—abbath probably was that very day whereon the Lord appeared to Iosuah and gave him order how he should proceed in that great businesse The morrow after being the first daâ— of the week they began to compasse it as the Lord commanded the Priests some of them bearing the Arke Ios. 6. some going before with Trumpets and the residue of the people some before the Trumpetters some behinde the Arke This did they once a day for sixe dayes together But when the seventh day came which was the Sabbath they compassed the Towne about seven times and the Priests blew the Trumpets and the people shouted and they tooke the Citie destroying in it young and old man woman and children I said it was the Sabbath day for so it is agreed on generally both by Iewes and Christians One of the seven dayes be it which it will must needs be the Sabbath day and be it which it will there had been work enough done on it but the seventh day wheron they went about seven times and destroyed it finally was indeed the Sabbath For first the Iews exprâ—sly say it that the overthrow of Iericho fell upon the Sabbath and that from thence did come the saying Qui sanctificari jussit sabbatum is profanarijussit sabbatum So R. Kimchi hath resolved on the 6. of Iosuah In Ios. 6. qu. â— The like Tostatus tels us is affirmed by R. Solomon who addes that both the falling of the wall and slaughter of that wicked people was purposely deferred In honorem sabbati to adde the greater lustre unto the sabbath Galatine prooves the same out of divers Rabbines L. 11. c. 10. this Solomon before remembred and R. Ioses in the Book called Sedar Oleâ— and many of them joyned togethâ—◠〈…〉 Beresith ketanna or lesser exposition on the 〈…〉 Genesis they all agreeing upon this Dies sabbaâ—â—erâ—â— cum fuit praeliâ—m in Hiericho and againe Non capta fuit Hiericho nisi in sabbato That certainly both the battell and the execution fell upon the
day in Ieâ—â—sophats time 2. Kings 22. But that which followes of Iosiah is more full then this That godly Prince intended to repaire the Temple and in pursuite of that intendment Hilkiah the Priest to whom the ordering of the work had been committed found hidden an old Copy of the Law of God which had been given unto them by the hand of Moses This Booke is brought unto the King and read unto him And when the King had heard the words of the Law Verse 11. hee rent his clothes And not so onely but hee gathered together all the Elders of Iudah and Hiâ—rusalem Chap. 23. 1 2. and read in their eares all the words oâ— the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. Had it beene formerly the custome to reade the Law each Sabbath unto all the people it is not to be thought that this good King Iâ—siah could possibly have beene such a stranger to the Law of God or that the finding of the Booke had beene related for so strange an accident when there was scarce a Towne in Iudah but was funished with them Or what need such a suddain calling of all the Elders and on an extraordinary time to heare the Law if they had heard it every Sabbath and that of ordinary course Nay so farre were they at this time from having the Law read amongst them every weekly Sabbath that as it seemes it was not read amongst them in the sabbath of yeares as Moses had before appointed For if it had been read unto them once in seven yeares onely that vertuous Prince had not so soone forgotten the contentâ— thereof Therefore there was no synagogue no weekly reading of the law in Iosiahs dayes And if not then and not before then not at all till Ezras time The finding of the booke of God before remembred is said to happen in the yeare 3412. of the worlds creation not forty yeares before the people were led Captives into Babylon in which short space the Princes being carelesse and the times distracted there could be nothing done that concern'd this businesse Now from this reading of the Law in the time of Ezra unto the Councell holden in Hierusalem there passed 490. yeares or thereabouts Antiquitie sufficient to give just cause to the Apostle there to affirme that Moses in old time in every Citie had them that preached him Act. 15. â—1 being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath day So that we may conclude for certaine that till these times wherein we are there was no reading of the Law unto the people on the Sabbath dayes and in these times when it was taken up amongst them it was by Ecclesiasticall institution onely no divine authoritie 12 But being taken up on what ground soever it did continue afterwards though perhaps sometimes interrupted untill the finall dissolution of that Church and State and therewithall grew up a libertie of interpretation of the holy words which did at last divide the people into sects and factions Petrus Cunaeus doth affirme that howsoever the Law was read amongst them in the former times De republ l. 2. ca. 17. either in publike or in private yet the bare text was onely read without glosse or descant Interpretatio magistrorum commentatio nulla But in the second Temple when there were no Prophets then did the Scribes and Doctors begin to comment and make their severall expositions on the holy Text Ex quo natae disputationes sententiae contrariae from whence saith he sprung up debates and doubtfull disputations Most probable it is that from this liberty of interpretation sprung up diversity of judgements from whence arose the severall sects of Pharisees Essees and Sadduces who by their difference of opinions did distract the multitude and condemne each other Of whom and what they taught about the Sabbath we shall see next Chapter Nor is it to be doubted but as the reading of the Law did make the people more observant of the Sabbath then they were before so that libertas prophetandi which they had amongst them occasioned many of those rigours which were brought in after The people had before neglected the sabbaticall yeares but now they carefully observed them Iâ—seph Ant li. â—1 ca ulâ— So carefully that when Alexander the Great being in Ierusalem anno 3721 commanded them to aske some boone wherein he might expresse his favour and love unto them the high Priest answered for them all that they desired but leave to exercise the ordinances of their fore-fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that each seventh yeare might be free from tribute because their lands lay then untilled But then againe the libertie and varietie of interpretation bredde no little mischiefe For where in former times according to Gods owne appointment thâ— Sabbath was conceived to be a day of rest whereon both man and beast might refresh themselues and be the more inabled for their ordinary labours by canvassing some Texts of Scripture and wringing bloud from thence instead of comfort they made the Sabbath such an yoke as was insupportable Nor were these weeds of doctrine very long in growing Within an hundred yeares and lesse after Nehemiah the people were so farre from working on the Sabbath day as in his time we see they did and hardly could be weaned from so great a sinne but thought it utterly unlawfull to take sword in hand yea though it were to save their libertie and defend Religion A follie which their neighbour Ptolomie Iâ—sâ—ph Ant. li. 12. c. 1. the great King of Aegypt made especiall use of For having notice of this humour as it was no better he entred the Citie on the Sabbath day under pretence to offer sacrifice and presently without resistance surprised the same the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not laying hand on any weapon or doing any thing in defence thereof but sitting still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in an idle slothfulnesse suffered themselues to be subdued by a Tyrant Conquerour This happened Ann. M. 3730. And many more such fruits of so bad a doctrine did there happen afterwards to which now wee hasten CHAP. VIII What doth occurre about the Sabbath from the Maccabees to the destruction of the Temple 1 The Iews refuse to fight in their owne defence upon the Sabbath and what was ordered thereupon 2 The Pharisees about these times had made the Sabbath burdensome by their Traditions 3 Hierusalem twice taken by the Romans on the Sabbath day 4 The Romans many of them Iudaize and take up the Sabbath as other Nations did by the Iews example 5 Augustus Caesar very gratious to the Iews in matters that concerned their Sabbath 6 What our Redeemer taâ—ght and did to rectifie the abuses of and in the Sabbath 7 The finall ruine of the Temple and the Iewish ceremonies on a Sabbath day 8 The Sabbath abrogated with the other Ceremonies 9 Wherein consists the Christian Sabbath mentioned in the Scriptures
all promiscuously to sing in the Church it was observed that in such dissonancie of voyces and most of them unskilfull in the notes of musicke there was no small jarring and unpleasant sounds This Councell thereupon ordained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Laodic Can. 15. that none should sing hereafter in the Congregation but such as were Canonically appointed to it and skilfull in it By meanes whereof before the shutting up of this fourth Centurie the musicke of the Church became very perfect and harmonious Confess l. 10. cap. 33. suavi artificiosa voce cantata as S. Austin tells us So perfect and harmonious that it did worke exceedingly on the affections of the hearers and did movere animos ardentius in flammam pietatis inflame their mindes with a more lively flame of piety taking them prisoners by the eares and so conducting them unto the glories of Gods kingdome Ibid. S. Austin attributes a great cause of conversion to the powers thereof calling to minde those frequent teares quas fudi ad â—antus ecclesiae â—uae which had beene drawne from him by this sacred musicke by which his soule was humbled and his affections raised to an height of godlinesse The like he also tells us in his ninth Booke of Confessions and sixth Chapter Nor doubt we but it did produce the same effect on divers others who comming to the Churches as he then did to bee partaker of the musicke return'd prepared in minde well disposed in their intentions to be converted unto God Now that the Church might be frequented at the times appointed and so all secret Conventicles stopped in these divided times wherein so many heresies did domineare and that the â—â—ching eares of men might not perswade them to such Churches where God had not placed them so to discourage their owne proper minister it pleased the Fathers in the Councell of Saragossa Anno 368. or thereabouts to decree it thus First Can. 2. Ne latibulis cubiculorum montium habitent qui in suspicionibus perseverent that none who were suspected of Priscillianisme which was the humour that then reigned should lurke in secret corners eyther in houses or in hills but followes the example and direction of the Priests of God And secondly ad alienas villas agendorum conventuum causa non conveniant that none should goe to other places under pretence of joyning there to the assemblie but keepe themselves unto their owne Which prudent Constitutions upon the selfe same pious grounds are still preserved amongst us in the Church of England 12 Thus doe wee see upon what grounds the Lords day stands on custome first and voluntary consecration of it to religious meetings that custome countenanced by the authority of the Church of God which tacitely approved the same and finally confirmed and ratified by Christian Princes throughout their Empires And as the day so rest from labours and restraint from businesse upon that day received its greatest strength from the supreme magistrate as long as hee reteined that power which to him belonged as after from the Canons and decrees of Councells the Decretalls of Popes and orders of particular Prelates when the sole managing of Ecclesiasticall affaires was committed to them I hope it was not so with the former Sabbath which neyther tooke originall from custome that people being not so forward to give God a day nor required any countenance or authority from the Kings of Israel to confirme and ratifie it The Lord had spake the word that hee would have one day in seaven precisely the seventh day from the worlds creation to be a day of rest unto all his people which sayd there was no more to doe but gladly to submit and obey his pleasure nec quiâ—quam reliquum erat praeter obsequij gloriam in the greatest Prince And this done all at once not by degrees by little and little as he could see the people affected to it or as hee found it fittest for them like a probation Law made to continue till the next session and then on further liking to hold good for ever but by a plaine and peremptory order that it should be so without further tryall But thus it was not done in our present businesse The Lords day had no such command that it should bee sanctified but was left plainely to Gods people to pitch on this or any other for the publicke use And being taken up amongst them and made a day of meeting in the congregation for religious exercises yet for 300. yeares there was neyther Law to binde them to it nor any rest from labour or from worldly businesses required upon it And when it seemed good unto Christian Princes the nursing Fathers of Gods Church to lay restraints upon their people yet at the first they were not generall but onely thus that certaine men in certaine places should lay aside their ordinary and daily workes to attend Gods service in the Church those whose employments were most toylesome and most repugnant to the true nature of a Sabbath being allowed to follow and pursue their labours because most necessary to the Common-wealth And in the following times when as the Prince and Prelate in their severall places indeavoured to restraine them from that also which formerly they had permitted and interdicted almost all kinde of bodily labour upon that day it was not brought about without much strugling and on opposition of the people more than a thousand yeares being past after Christs ascention before the Lords day had attained that state in which now it standeth as will appeare at full in the following story And being brought unto that state wherein now it stands it doth not stand so firmely and on such sure grounds but that those powers which raised it up may take it lower if they please yea take it quite away as unto the time and settle it on any other day as to them seemes best which is the doctrine of some Schoole men and diverse Protestant writers of great name and credit in the world A power which no man will presume to say was ever chalenged by the Iewes over the Sabbath Besides all things are plainely contrary in these two dayes as to the purpose intent of the institution For in the Sabbath that which was principally aimed at was rest from labour that neyther they nor any that belonged unto them should doe any manner of worke upon that day but sit still and rest themselves Their meditating on Gods Word or on his goodnes manifested in the worlds Creation was to that an accessory and as for reading of the Law in the Congregation that was not taken up in more than 1000. yeares after the Law was given and being taken up came in by ecclesiasticall ordinance onely no divine authority But in the institution of the Lords day that which was principally aimed at was the performance of religious and Christian duties hearing the Word receiving
of the Sabbath have resolved accordingly Quod dies ille solennis unus debeat esse in septimana hoc positivi juris est that 's Amesius doctrine And Ryvet also saith the same Lege de Sabbato posâ—tivâ—â— non naturalem agnosciâ—us The places were both cited in the formeâ— Section and both doe make the Sabbath a meere positive Law But what need more be said in so cleere a case oâ— what needs further Witnesses be produced to give in evidence when wee have conâ—â—tentem 〈◊〉 For Doctour Bound who first amongst us here endevoured to advance the Lords day into the place of the Iewish Sabbath and fained a pedigree of the Sabbath even from Adams infancie hath herein said enough to betray his cause and those that since have either built upon his foundation or beautified their undertakings with his collections Indeed saith he this law was given in the beginning not so much by the light of nature as the rest of the nine Commandements were but by expresse words when God sanctified it For though this be in the law of nature that some dayes should be separated to Gods worship as appeares by the practice of the Gentiles yet that it should be every seventh day 2. Edâ—â— p 11. 16. the Lord himselfe set down in expresse words which otherwise by the light of nature they could never have found So that by his confession there is no Sabbath to be found in the law of nature no more then by the testimony of the Fathers in any positive law or divine appointment untill the Decalogue was given by Moses 8 Nay Doctor Bound goeth further yet and robs â—is friends followers of a speciall argument For where Danaeus askes this questioÌ„ Why one of seven rather then one of eight or nine and therunto makes answer that the number of seven doth signifie perfection and perpetuitie First saith the Doctor Ib. p. 69. I doe not see that proved that there is any such mysticall signification rather than of any other And though that were granted yet doe I not find that to be any cause at all in Scripture why the seventh day should be commanded to be kept holy rather then the sixth or eighth And in the former page The speciall reason why the seventh day should be rather kept than any other is not the excellencie or perfection of that number or that there is any mystery in it or that God delighteth more in it than in any other though I confesse saith hee that much is said that way both in divine and humane Writers Much hath been said therein indeed so much 〈◊〉 we may wonder at the strange niceties of some men and the unprofitable pains they have tooke amongst them in searching out the mysteries of this number the better to advance as they conceive In Gen. 2. the reputation of the Sabbath Aug. Steuchius hath affirmed in generall that this day and number is most naturall and most agreeable to divine imployments and therefore in omni aetate inter omnes gentes habitus venerabilis sacer accounted in all times and Nations as most venerable and so have many others said since him But he that lead the way unto him and to all the rest is Philo the Iew who being a great follower of Platos tooke up his way of trading in the mysteries of severall numbers wherein he was so intricate and perplexed that numero Platonis obscurius did grow at last into a Proverbe This Philo therefore Platonizing Tuâ— ad Attic. l. 7. Epl. 13. first tells us of this number of seven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he perswades himselfe De mundi â—pificio there is not any man able sufficiently to extoll it as being farre above all the powers of Rhetoricke and that the Pythagoreans from them first Plato learnt those trifles did usually resemble it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even to Iove himselfe Then that Hippocrates doth divide the life of man into seven ages each age contayning seven full yeares to which the changes of mans constitution are all framed and fitted as also that the Beare or Arcturus as they use to call it and the constellation called the Pleiades consist of seven starres severally neither more nor lesse Hee shewes us also De legis Allâ—g l. 1 how much nature is delighted in this number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as viz. that there are seven Planets and that the Moone quartereth every seventh day that Infants borne in the seventh moneth are usually like enough to live that there are seven severall motions of the body seven intrailes so many outward members seven holes or out-lets in the same seven sorts of excrements as also that the seventh is the criticall day in most kindes of maladies And to which purpose this and much more of the same condition every where scattered in his Writings but to devise some naturall reason for the Sabbath For so he manifests himselfe in another place Ap. Euseb. Praepar l. â— c. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Now why God chose the seventh day and established it by law for the day of rest you need not aske at all of me since both Physicians and Philosophers have so oft declared of what great power and vertue that number is as in all other things so specially on the nature and state of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And thus saith he you have the reason of the seventh day Sabbath Indeed Philosophers and Physicians and other learned men of great name and credit have spoken much in honour of the number of seven and severally impute great power unto it in the workes of nature and severall changes of mans body Whereof â—ee Câ—nsorinus de die natali cap. 12. Varro in Gellius lib. 3. c. 10. Hippocrates Solon and Hermippus Beritus in the sixt Booke of Clemens of Alexandria besides divers others Nay it grew up so high in the opinion of some men that they derived it at the last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. ab insita majâ—state So Philo tels us Macrobius also saith the same De legis Allâ—gor Apud veteres 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocitatur quod graeco nomine testabatur venerationem debitam numero Thus he in Somnio Scipionis 9 But other men as good as they find no such mystery in this number but that the rest may keepe pace with it if not goe before it and some of those which so much magnifie the seventh have found as weighty mysteries in many of the others also In which I shall the rather enlarge my selfe that seeing the exceeding great both contradiction and â—ontention that is between them in these needlâ—â—e curiosities we may the better finde the slightnesse of those arguments which seeme to place a great moralitiâ— in this number of seven as if it were by nature the most proper number for the service of God And first whereas the learned men before mentioned affixe a speciall power unto it
common nothing according to the custome of the former times neither in time or place or any other circumstance For the time although it was the Feast of Tabernacles yet it was the seventh yeere as Moses ordered it that yeare Neh. 8. â— â— which was the first of Nehemiahs comming unto Hierusalem not being the sabbaticall yeare but the third yeare after as Torniellus doth compute it Then for the place it should have beene performed in the Temple onely as both by Moses Ordinance and Iosiahs practice doth at large appeare but now they did it in the street before the Water-gates as the Text informes us So for manner of the reading it was not onely published as it had beene formerly but expounded also Whereof as of a thing never knowne before this reason is laid downe by Torniellus quod lingua Hebraica desierat jam vâ— lgaris esse Chaldaico seu Syriaco idiomate in ejus locuâ—â— surrogato An. 3610. n. â— because the Hebrew tongue wherein the Scriptures were first written was now growne strange unto the people the Chaldee or the Syriack being generally received in the place thereof And last of all for the continuance of this exercise it held out eight dayes all the whole time the Feast continued whereas it was appointed by the Law of Moses that onely the first and last dayes of the Feast of Tabernacles should bee esteemed and solemnized as holy convocations to the Lord their God Levit. 23 35. 36. Here was a totall alteration of the ancient custome and a faire overture to the Priests who were then Rulers of the people to beginne a new a faire instruction to them all that reading of the Law of God was not confined to place or time but that all times and places were alike to his holy word Every seventh day as fit for so good a duty as every seventh yeare was acounted in the former times the Villages and Townes as capable of the Word of God as was the great and glorious Temple of Hierusalem and what prerogative had the Feast of Tabernacles but that the Word of God might be as necessary to be heard on the other Festivals as it was on that The law had first been given them on a Sabbath day and therfore might be read unto them every Sabbath day This might be pleaded in behalfe of this alteration and that great change which followed after in the weekly Sabbaths whereon the Law of God was not onely read unto the people such of them as inhabited over all Iudea but publickly made knowne unto them in all the Prouinces and Townes abroad where they had either Synagogues or habitations God certainly had so disposed it in his heavenly counsailes that so his holy Word might be more generally knowne throughout the World and a more easie way layed open for the admittance and receipt of the Messiah whom he meant to send that so Hierusalem and the Temple might by degrees be lesned in their reputation Iohn 4. â—0 and men might know that neither of them was the onely place where they ought to worship This I am sure of that by this breaking of the custome although an institute of Moses the Law was read more frequently then in times of old there being one other reading of it publickly and before the people related in the thirteenth of Nehemiah when it was neither Feast of Tabernacles nor Sabbaticall yeare for ought we finde in holy Scripture Therefore most like it is that it was the Sabbath which much about those times beganne to be ennobled with the constant reading of the Word in the Congregation First in Hierusalem and after by degrees in most places else as men could fit themselves with convenient Synagogues houses selected for that purpose to heare the Word of God and observe the same Of which times of none before Chap. 6. n 4. those passages of Philâ— Iosephus before remembred touching the weekly reading of the Law and the behaviour of the people in the publick places of assemblies are to be understood and verified as there we noted 11 For that there was no Synagogue nor weekly reading of the Law before these times besideâ— what hath been said already we will now make manifest No Synagoguâ— before these times for there is neither mention of them in all the body of the old Testament nor any use of them in those dayes wherein there were no Congregations in particular places And first there is no mention of them in the old Testament For where it is supposed by some that there were Synagogues in the time of David and for the proofe thereof they produce these words Psal 74. â— they have burnt up all the Synagogues of God in the Land the supposition and the proofe are alike in firme For not to quarrell the Translation which is directly different from the Greek and vulgar Latine and somewhat from the former English this Psalme if writ by David was not composed in reference to any present misery which befell the Church There had been no such havock made thereof in all Davids time as is there complained of Therefore if David writ that Psalme hee writ it as inspired with the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of prophecy did reflect on those wretched times wherein Antiochus laid waste the Church of God and ransacked his inheritance To those most probably must it be referâ—ed the miseries which are there bemoned not being so exactly true in any other time of trouble as it was in this In Psal. 74. Magis probabilis est conjectura ad tempus Antiochi referri has querimonias as Calvin notes it And secondly there was no use of thâ—m before because no reading of the Law in the Congregation of ordinary course and on the Sabbath dayes For had the Law been reade unto the people every Sabbath day wee either should have found some Commandement for it or some practice of it but we meet with neither Rather we find strong arguments to perswade the contrary We read it of Iehosaphat 2. Chron. 17. 7. that in the third yeere of his reigne he sent his Princes Ben-hail and Obadiah and Zechariah and Nathaneel and Micaiah to teach in the Cities of Iudah These were the principall in Commission and unto them he joyned nine Levites and two Priests to beare them company to assist them It followeth Verse 9. And they taught in Iudah and had the book of the Law of the Lord with them and they went about throughout all the Cities of Iudah and taught the people And they taught in Iudah and had the Booke of the Law with them This must needs be an needlesse labour in case the people had beene taught every Sabbath day or that the Book of the Law had as then been extant and extant must it be if it had beene read in every Towne and Village over all Iudaea Therefore there was no Synagogue no reading of the Law every Sabbath
certaine wollen ribbands called Lemnisci had generally the name of Palmae Lemniscatae De spectac cap. 28. With this Tertullian doth upbraide the Roman people that sometimes they would cry out to have a notable murderer cast unto the Lyons Iidem gladiatori atroci rudem petunt pileum praemium conferunt the selfesame men would have some cruell swash-buckler or Gladiator rewarded with a Rod and cappe the signes of freedome These barbarous and bloody sights being so farre different from the spirit of meekenesse which was the badge and proper cognizance of a Christian were therefore bitterly inveighed against by the antient writers the Reverend Fathers of the Church and such as harkened not to their exhortations esteemed as men given over to a reprobate sence such as had cast away their livery and forsooke their Master The nature of these fights and the opinion had of those that did frequent them wee cannot better shew then by the story of Alipius as S. Austin tells it Confession lib. 6. c. 8. and is briefly this Quidam amici ejus condiscipuli c. Some friends of his meeting him as hee came from dinner with a familiar kind of violence forced him against his will to go with them into the Amphitheator for there these sports were sometimes held crudelium funestorum ludorum diebus upon a day designed to these cruell pastimes He told them by the way that though they haled his body with them yet should his eyes and soule bee free from these bloody spectacles cum talia aversaretur detestaretur which of himselfe he so detested But thither he went and tooke his place and presently closed his eyes that he might not see those dismall sights which were before him When as the fight waxed hot et omnia fervebant immanissimis voluptatibus and all were taken up with those unmorcifull delights upon a suddaine shout occasioned in the fight he let loose his eyes to see what it meant Et percussus est graviori vulnere in anima quam ille in corpore ceciditque miserabilius quam ille quo cadente factus est clamor By meanes whereof he became smitten with a greater wound in his soule than the poore fellow in his body and fell more miserably by farre than he upon whose death the sayd noyse was raised How so Vt enim vidit illum sanguinem immanitatem simul ebibit c. For presently assoone as he beheld the blood he sucked in cruelty and drew in the furies of the place being delighted with the wickednesse the sport and made drunke as it were with those bloody spectacles Such plaies and shewes as these were not unlawfull to be seene on the Lords day onely but on all dayes else And such and none but such were the playes and shewes against the which the Fathers doe enveigh with so much bitternesse which as they were unworthy of a Christian eye so as religion did prevaile they began to vanish and finally were put downe I meane these last by Theodoricus King of the Gothes in Italy Our plaies and theirs our shewes and theirs yea our dauncings too compared with theirs are no more of kinne than Alexander the Coppersmith was with Alexander the Great King of Macedon Annales Anno 469. Nay if Baronius tells us true as I thinke he doth these Playes and Cirque-fights were not prohibited by the Emperour Leo because he thought them not as lawfull to bee performed upon the Lords day as on any other but for a more particular reason He had a purpose to avenge himselfe of Asper and Ardaburius two great and powerfull men that had conspired against his safety and for the execution of that purpose made choyce of such a time when the Circensian sports were to be exhibited Which therefore he prohibited at this time to be presented on the Sunday because though his revenge was just yet the effusion of so much Christian blood on that sacred day might bee a blemish to religion Ne licet justa esset ultio tamen diem sacrum ignominia videri posset labefactasse So farre the Cardinall 5 A second thing which this Emperour did in the advancing of the Lords day was in relation unto Civile and legall businesses It was before appointed by the Emperour Constantine that Iudges should not set that day in the open Court the Emperours Gratian Valentinian and Theodosius added thereunto Cod. l 2. de ser. lex 2. that none should arbitrate in any brawling and litigious cause upon the â—ame And whereas Valentinian Theodosius and Arcadius had privileged other dayes as well as Sunday from the suites of Court which dayes are formerly remembred in their proper place the Emperour Theodosius the younger was pleased to adde the feast of Christs Nativity and so to the Epiphany or twelfth-tide as wee use to call it together with seaven dayes before and seaven dayes after Diem natalis domini epiphaniae septem qui praecedunt septem qui sequuntur making this festivall with the rest before remembred in this case equall with the Sunday where by the way we may observe of what antiquity the feast of the Epiphany is to be accounted as having got unto such an height in this Emperours time he entred on the Empire Anno 408 as to be priviledged in the selfe-same manner as Christmasse was And not in this respect alone in respect of pleadings but in a following law of his Anno 4â—5 he declared his pleasure that this day with the other principall feasts as before we noted was not to be prophaned as it had beene formerly by the Cirques and Theaters For the antiquity thereof more might be sayd were not this sufficient Onely I adde that in the Easterne Churches from the times of old they used to lengthen out the feast of Christmasse for 12 dayes together not ending the solemnities of the same till the Epiphany was gone over from whence in likeli-hood that custome came at last to these Westerne parts Nativitatem domini Epiphaniae continuantes Hist. l. 7. c. 32. duas illas festivitatâ—s unam faciunt So Otho Frisnigensis tells us of them But to proceede it seemes that eyther these Edicts were not well observed or else the ministers of the Courts used to meete together for dispatch of businesse on that day though the Iudges did not Therefore it seemed good to this Emperour Leo in the yeare and day above recited to declare his pleasure thereupon in this forme that followeth Dies festos Cod. Iustin. l. 3. 〈◊〉 â— 1 2. dies altissimae majestati dedicatos c. It is our will that the holy dayes being dedicated to the most high God should not be spent or wholly taken up in pleasures or otherwise prophaned with vexatious suites Particularly for the Lords day that it be exempt from executions citations entring into bonds apparances pleadings and such like that cryers be not heard upon it and such as goe to law lay aside
with the Schoolemen they tell us generally of the Sabbath that it was a Ceremony and that the fourth Commandement is of a different nature from the other nine That whereas all the other precepts of the Decalogue are simply morall the fourth which is the third in their account is partly morall partly ceremoniall Morale quidem quantum ad hoc quod homo depuâ—et aliquod tempus vitae suae advacandum divinis c. 2 2. qu. 122. art 4. ad 1. Morall it is in this regard that men must set apart some particular time for Gods publicke service it being naturall to man to destinate particular times to particular actions as for his dinner for his sleepe and such other actions Sedin quantum in hoc praecepto determinatur speciale tempus in signum creationis mundi sic est praeceptum ceremoniale But in as much as that there is a day appointed in the Law it selfe in token of Gods rest and the Worlds creation in that respect the Law is ceremoniall And ceremoniall too they make it in referrence to the Allegory out Saviours resting in the grave that day and in relation to the Analogicall meaning of it as it prefigureth our eternall rest in the Heaven of glories Finally they conclude of the fourth Commandement that it is placed in the Decalogue in quantum est praeceptum morale non in quantum est ceremoniale onely so farre forth as it is morall and not as ceremoniall that is that wee are bound by the fourth Commandement to destinate some time to Gods publick service which is simply morall but not the Seventh day which is plainely ceremoniall Aquinas so resolves it In â—raâ— de Sabbato for all the restâ— his judgement in this point if Doctor Prideaux note be true as I have no reason but to thinke so being universally embraced and followed by all the Schoolemen of what sect soever So that in him we have them all all of them consonant in this point to make up the harmony however dissonant enough in many others But that this consent may appeare the more ful perfect we will take notice of two others men famous in the Schooles and eminent for the times in which they lived First Bonaventure who lived in the same time with Aquinas and dyed the same yeare with him which was 1274. hath determined thus Intelligendum est quod praeâ—eptum illud habet aliquid quod est mere morale c. Serm. de dcceâ— precepâ— It is to be conceived saith he that in the fourth Commandement there is something which is simply morall some thing againe that is plainely ceremoniall and something mixt The sanctifying of a day is morall the sanctifying of a seventh day ceremoniall rest from the workes of labour being mixt of both Quod praecipit deus sanctificationem est Praeceptum morale Est in hoc praecepto aliquid ceremoniale ut figuratio diei septimae Item continetur aliquid quod est partim morale partim ceremoniale ut cessatio ab operibus Lastly To status Bishop of Avila in Spaine hath resolved the same aliquid est in eo juris naturalis aliquid legalis In Exod. 20. qu. 11. that in the fourth Commandement there is some thing naturall and something legall that it is partly morâ—ll and partly ceremoniall Naturale est quod dum DeuÌ„ colimus abalij sab stineamus c. Moral naturall it is that for the time we worship God doe abstaine from every thing of what kind soever which may divert our thoughts from that holy action But that wee should designe in every weeke one day unto that employment and that the whole day bee thereto appointed and that in all that day a man shall doe no manner of worke those things hee reckoneth there to be ceremoniall 2 So for the Lords day 2. 2a qu. 122. art 4. ad 4. it is thus determined by Aquinas that it depends on the authority of the Church the custome and consent of Gods faithfull servants and not on any obligation layd upon us by the fourth Commandement Diei dominicae observantia in nova lege â—uccedit observantiae sabbati non ex vi praecepti legis sed ex constitutione ecclesiae consuetudine populi Christiani What followeth thereupon Et ideo non est itae arcta prohibitio operandi in die dominica sicut in die Sabbati Therefore saith he the prohibition of doing no worke on the Lords day is not so rigorous and severe as upon the Sabbath many things being licenced on the one which were forbidden on the other as dressing meate and others of that kind and nature And not so onely but hee gives us a dispensatur facilius in nova lege an easier hope of dispensation under the Gospel in case upon necessity we meddle with prohibited labours then possibly could have beene gotten under the Law The like To status tells us though in different words save that he doth extend the prohibition as well to all the feasts of the Old Testament as all the holy dayes of the new and neither to the Sabbath nor the Lords day onely In veteri lege major fuit strictio in observatione festorum quam in nova lege In Exod. 20. qu. 13. How so In omnibus enim festivitatibus nostris quantâ—cunque sint c. Because saith he in all our festivalls how great soever whether they bee the Lords dayes or the feasts of Easter or any of the higher ranke it is permitted to dresse meate and to kindle fire c. As for the grounds whereon they stood he makes this difference betweene them that the Iewes Sabbath had its warrant from divine commandement but that the Lords day though it came in the place thereof is founded onely on 〈◊〉 constitution In Math. 23. qu. 148. 〈◊〉 Sabbatum â—x man 〈◊〉 cujus 〈◊〉 successit dies dominica tamen manifestum est quod observatio dici dominicae non est de jure divino 〈…〉 Canonico This is plaine enough and this he prooves because the Church hath still a power 〈◊〉 illum diem vel totaliter tollere either to change the â—ay or take it utterly away and to dispense touching the keeping of the same which possibly it neither could noâ— ought to doe were the Lords day of any other institution then the Churches onely They onely have the power to repeale a Law which had power to make it Qui habeâ— institutionem habet destitutionem as is the Bishops plea in a Quare Impedit As for the first of these two powers that by the Church the day may be transferred and abrogated Suarez hath thus distinguished in it verum id esse absolute non practice that is as I conceive his meaning that such a power is absolutely in the Church though not convenient now to be put in practise According unto that of S. Paul which probably was the ground of the distinction All things are lawfull for me but
thereof not by the workmanship of the Stuffe but the glosse and colour In which it is most strange to see how suddainly men were induced not onely to give way unto it but without more adoe to abett the same till in the end and that in very little time it grew the most bewitching Errour the most popular Deceit that ever had beene set on foot in the Church of England And verily I perswade my selfe that many an honest and well-meaning man both of the Clergie and the Laitie either because of the appearance of the thing it selfe or out of some opinion of those men who first endevoured to promote it became exceedingly affected towards the same as taking it to be a Doctrine sent downe from Heaven for encrease of Pietie So easily did they beleeve it and grew at last so strongly possessed therewith that in the end they would not willingly be perswaded to conceive otherwise thereof than at first they did or thinke they swallowed downe the Hooke when they tooke the Bait. An Hooke indeed which had so fastned them to those men who love to fish in troubled waters that by this artifice there was no small hope conceived amongst them to fortifie their side and make good that cause which till this trimme Deceit was thought of was almost growne desperate Once I am sure that by this meanes the Brethren who before endeavoured to bring all Christian Kings and Princes under the yoke of their Presbyteries made little doubt to bring them under the command of their Sabbath Doctrines And though they failed of that applauded paritie which they so much aimed at in the advancing of their Elderships yet hoped they without more adoe to bring all higher Powers what ever into an equall ranke with the common people in the observance of their Iewish Sabbatarian rigours So Doctor Bound declares himselfe p. 171. The Magistrate saith hee and Governour in authoritie how high soever cannot take any priviledge to himselfe whereby he might be occupied about worldly businesse when other men should rest from labour It seemes they hoped to see the greatest Kings and Princes make suit unto their Consistorie for a Dispensation as often as the great Affaires of State or what cause soever induced them otherwise to spend that Day or any part or parcell of it than by the new Sabbath Doctrine had beene permitted For the endeering of the which as formerly to endeere their Elderships they spared no place or Text of Scripture where the word Elder did occurre and without going to the Heralds had framed a Pedigree thereof from â—ethro from Noahs Arke and from Adam finally so did these men proceed in their new Devices publishing out of holy Writ both the antiquitie and authoritie of their Sabbath day No passage of Gods Booke unransacked where there was mention of a Sabbath whether the legall Sabbath charged the Iewes or the spirituall Sabbath of the Soule from siâ—ne which was not fitted and applyed to the present purpose though if examined as it ought with no better reason than Paveant illi non paveam ego was by an ignorant Priest alledged from Scripture to prove that his Parishioners ought to pave the Chancell Yet upon confidence of these proofes they did alreadie begin to sing Victoria especially by reason of the entertainment which the said Doctrines found with the common people For thus the Doctor boasts himselfe in his second Edition anno 606. as before was said Many godly learned both in their Preachings Writings and Disputations did concurre with him in that argument and that the lives of many Christians in many places of the Kingdome were framed according to his Doctrine p. 61. Particularly in the Epistle to the Reader that within few yeeres three severall profitable Treatises successively were written by three godly learned Preachers Greenehams was one whose ever were the other two that in the mouth of two or three witnesses the doctrine of the Sabbath might bee established Egregiam verò laudem spolia ampla 8 But whatsoever cause hee had thus to boast himselfe in the successe of his new doctrines the Church I am sure had little cause to rejoyce thereat For what did follow hereupon but such monstrous paradoxes and those delivered in the pulpit as would make every good man tremble at the hearing of them First as my Author tells mee it was preached at a market towne in Oxfordshire that to doe any servile worke or businesse on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to kill a man or commit adultery Secondly preached in Somerset-shire tâ—at to throw a bowle on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to kill a man Thirdly in Norfolke that to make a feast or dresse a wedding dinner on the Lords day was as great a sinne as for a Father to take a knife and cut his childes throate Fourthly in Suffolke that to ring more bells then one on the Lords day was as great a sinne as to commit murder I adde what once I heard my selfe at Sergeanâ—â— Inne in Fleet-streete about five yeeres since that temporall death was at this day to be inflicted by the Law of God on the Sabbath-breaker on him that on the Lords day did the works of his daily calling with a grave application unto my masters of the Law that if they did their ordinary workes on the Sabbath day in taking fees and giving Counsell they should consider what they did deserve by the Law of God And certainely these and the like conclusions cannot but â—ollow most directly on the former principles For that the fourth Commandement bee plainely morall obliging us as straitely as it did the Iewes and that the Lords day bee to bee observed according to the prescript of that Commandment it must needs bee that every willfull breach thereof is of no lower nature then Idolatrie or blaspheming of the Name of GOD or any other deadly sinne against the first table and therefore questionlesse as great as murder or adultery or any sin against the second But to goe forwards where I left my Author whome before I spake of being present when the Suffolke Minister was convented for his so lewd and impious doctrine was the occasion that those Sabbatarian errours and impieties were first brought to light and to the knowledge of the state On which discovery as hee tells us this good ensued that the said bookes of the Sabbath were called in and forbidden to bee printed and made common Archbishop Whitguift by his letters and visitations did the one Annâ— 1599. and Sir Iohn Popham Lord Chiefe Iustice did the other Annâ— 1600 at Burie in Suffolke Good remedies indeed had they beene soone inough applied yet not so good as those which formerly were applied to Thacker and his fellow in the aforesaid towne of Burie for publishing the bookes of Brâ—wnâ— against the service of the Church Nor was this all the fruite of so bad a doctrine For by inculcating to the people these new
THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH IN TWO BOOKES BY PET. HEYLYN DEVT. 32. 7. Remember the dayes of old consider the yeeres of many Generations aske thy Father and hee will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee LONDON Printed for Henry Seile and are to bee sold at the Signe of the Tygers-head in Saint Pauls Church-yard 1636. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE CHARLES By the Grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Most dread Soveraigne YOur Maiesties most Christian care to suppresse those rigours which some in maintenance of their Sabbath-Doctrines had pressed upon this Church in these latter dayes iustly deserves to be recorded amongst the principall Monuments of your zeale and pietie Of the two great and publike enemies of Gods holy Worship although prophanenesse in it selfe be the more offensive yet superstition is more spreading and more quicke of growth In such a Church as this so setled in a constant practise of Religious Offices and so confirmed by godly Canons for the performance of the same there was no feare that ever the Lords Day the day appointed by Gods Church for his publike service would have beene over-runne by the prophane neglect of any pious duties on that day required Rather the danger was lest by the violent torrent of some mens affections it might have beene ore-flowne by those superstitions wherewith in imitation of the Iewes they began to charge it and thereby made it farre more burdensome to their christian Brethren than was the Sabbath to the Israelites by the Law of MOSES Nor know wee where they would have staid had not your Maiestie been pleased out of a tender care of the Churches safetie to give a checke to their proceedings in licencing on that day those Lawfull Pastimes which some without authority from Gods Word or from the practise of Gods Church had of late restrained Yet so it is your Maiesties most pious and most Christian purpose hath not found answerable entertainment especially amongst those men who have so long dreamt of a Sabbath day that now they will not be perswaded that it is a Dreame For the awakening of the which and their reduction to more sound and sensible counsailes next to my duty to Gods Church and your sacred Maiestie have I applyed my selfe to compose this Story wherein I doubt not but to shew them how much they have deceived both themselves and others in making the old Iewish Sabbath of equall age and observation with the Law of Nature and preaching their new Sabbath doctrines in the Church of Christ with which the church hath no acquaintance wherin I doubt not but to shew them that by their obstinate resolution not to make publication of your Maiesties pleasure they tacitely condemne not onely all the Fathers of the primitive times the learned Writers of all Ages many most godly Kings and Princes of the former dayes and not few Councels of chiefe note and of faith unquestionable but even all states of Men Nations and Churches at this present whom they most esteeme This makes your Maiesties interest so particular in this present Historie that were I not obliged unto your Maiestie in any neerer bond than that of every common Subiect it could not be devoted unto any other with so iust propriety But being it is the Worke of your Maiesties servant and in part fashioned at those times which by your Maiesties leave were borrowed from attendance on your sacred person your Maiesty hath also all the rights unto it of a Lord and Master So that according to that Maxime of the civill Lawes Quodcunque perservum acquiritur id domino acquirit â—uo Institut l. 1. tit â— 5. 1. your Maiestie hath as absolute power to dispose therof as of the Author who is Dread Soveraigne Your Majesties most obedient Subject and most faithfull Servant PET. HEYLYN A PREFACE To them who being themselves mistaken have misguided others in these new Doctrines of the Sabbath NOt out of any humour or desire of being in action or that I love to have my hands in any of those publike quarrels wherewith our peace hath beene disturbed but that posteritie might not say we have beene wanting for our parts to your information and the direction of Gods people in the wayes of truth have I adventured on this Story A Story which shall represent unto you the constant practise of Gods Church in the present busines from the Creation to these daies that so you may the better see how you are gone astray from the paths of truth and tendries of Antiquity and from the present judgement of all Men and Churches The Arguments whereto you trust and upon seeming strength whereof you have beene emboldned to presse these Sabbatarian Doctrines upon the consciences of poore people I purpose not to meddle with in this Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have beene elsewhere throughly canvassed and all those seeming strengths beate downe by which you were your selves misguided and by the which you have since wrought on the affections of unlearned men or such at least that judged not of them by their weight but by their numbers But where you give it out as in matter of fact how that the Sabbath was ordained by God in Paradise and kept accordingly by all the Patriarkes before Moses time or otherwise ingraft by nature in the soule of man and so in use also amongst the Gentiles in that I have adventured to let men see that you are very much mistaken and tell us things directly contrary unto truth of Story Next where it is the ground-worke of all your building that the Commandement of the Sabbath is morall naturall and perpetuall as punctually to be observed as any other of the first or second Table I doubt not but it will appeare by this following History that it was never so esteemed of by the Iewes themselves no not when as the observation of the same was most severely pressed upon them by the Law and Prophets nor when the day was made most burdensome unto them by the Scribes and Pharisees Lastly whereas you make the Lords day to be an institution of our Saviour Christ confirmed by the continuall usage of the holy Apostles and both by him and them imposed as a perpetuall ordinance on the Christian Church making your selves beleeve that so it was observed in the times before as you have taught us to observe it in these latter dayes I have made manifest to the world that there is no such matter to be found at all either in any writings of the Apostles or monument of true Antiquity or in the practise of the middle or the present Churches What said I of the present Churches so I said indeed and doubt not but it will appeare so in this following Storie the present Churches all of them both Greeke and Latin together with the Protestants of what name soever being farre different both in their Doctrine
house of Israel Nor is Iosephus the only learned man amongst the Iewes that so interpreteth Moses meaning Solomon Iarchi one of the principall of the Rabbins speaks more expresly to this purpose and makes this Glosse or Comment upon Moses words Benedixit ei i.e. in manna c. God blessed the seventh day i.e. in Mannah because for every day of the week an Homer of it fell upon the earth a double portion on the sixt sanctisied it i.e. in Mannah because it fell not on the seventh day at al. Et scriptura loquitur de refutura And in this place saith he the Scripture speaks as of a thing that was to come But what need more be said Mercer a learned Protestant In Gen. 2. one much coÌ„versant in the Rabbins coÌ„fesseth that the Rabbins generally referred this place passage to the following times even to the sanctification of the Sabbath established by the Law of Moses Hebreifere ad futuruÌ„ referunt i.e. sanctificationem Sabbati postea lege per Mosen sancitam unde Manna eo die non descendit And howsoever for his own part he is of opinion that the first Fathers being taught by God kept the seventh day holy yet he conceives withall that the Commandement of keeping holy the Sabbath day was not made till afterwards Nam hinc from Gods own resting on that day postea praeceptum de Sabbato natum est as hee there hath it Doubtlesse the Iewes who so much doted on their Sabbath would not by any means have robbed it of so great antiquity had they had any ground to approve thereof or not known the contrary So that the scope of Moses in this present place was not to shew the time when but the occasion why the Lord did after sanctity the seventh day for a Sabbath day viz. because that on that day he rested from the works which he had created 3 Nor was it otherwise conceived then that Moses here did speak by way of Prolepsis or Anticipation till Ambrose Catharin one of the great sticklers in the Trent-Councell opined the contrary Hee in his Comment on that text fals very foule upon Tostatus and therein leads the dance to others who have since taken up the same opinion Ineptum est quod quidam commentus est c. It is a foolish thing sayth he that In Gen. 2. as a certain Writer fancieth the sanctification of that day which Moses speaks of should not be true as of that very point of time whereof he speaks it but rather is to be referred unto the time wherein he wrote as if the meaning onely were that then it should be sanctified when it was ordered and appointed by the Law of Moses And this he calls Commentum ineptum contra literam ipsam contra ipsius Moseos declarationem A foolish and absurd conceit contrary unto Moses words and to his meaning Yet the same Catharin doth affirme in the selfâ— same Booke Scripturis frequentissimum esse multa per anticipationem narrare that nothing is more frequent in the holy Scriptures then these anticipations And in particular that whereas it is said in the former Chapter male and female created he them per anticipationem diâ—tum esse non est dubitandum that without doubt it is so said by anticipation the woman not being made as he is of opinion till the next day after which was the Sabbath For the Anticipation he cites Saint Chrysostome who indeed tels us on that text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold saith he how that which was not done as yet is here related as if done already He might have added for the purpose Origen on the first of Genesis and Gregory the Great Moral lib. 32. cap. 9. both which take notice of a Prolepsis or Anticipation in that place of Moses For the creation of the woman he brings in Saint Ierome who in his Tract against the Iewes expresly saith mulierem conditam fuisse die septimo that the woman was created on the seventh day or Sabbath to which this Catharin assents and thinks that thereupon the Lord is said to have finished all his works on the seventh day that being the last that he created This seemes indeed to be the old tradition if it be lawfull for me to digresse a little it being supposed that Adam being wearied in giving names unto all creatures on the sixt day in the end whereof hee was created did fall that night into a deepe and heavy sleepe and that upon the Sabbath or the seventh day morning his side was opened and a rib took thence for the creation of the woman Aug Steuchiuâ— in Gen. 2. So Augustinus Steuchius reports the Legend And this I have the rather noted to meet with Catharinus at his own weapon For whereas he concludes from the rest of God that without doubt the institution of the Sabbath began upon that very day wherein God rested it seemes by him God did not rest upon that day and so we either must have no Sabbath to be kept at all or else it will be lawfull for us by the Lords example to do what ever worke we have to do upon that day and after sanctifie the remaynder And yet I needs must say withall that Catharinus was not the onely hee that thought God wrought upon the Sabbath Problem lâ—â— 5â— Aretius also so conceived it Dies itaque tota non fuit quiete transacta sed perfecto opere ejus deinceps quievit ut Hebraeus contextus habet Mercer a man well skilled in Hebrew denyeth not but the Hebrew text will beare that meaning In Gen 2. Who thereupon conceives that the seventy Elders in the translation of that place did purposely translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that on the sixt day God finished all the worke that he had made and after rested on the seventh And this they did saith he ut omnem dubitandi occasionem tollerent to take away all hint of collecting thence that God did any kind of worke upon that day For if hee finished all his works on the seventh day it may be thought saith he that God wrought upon it Saint Hierome noted this before that the Greeke text was herein different from the Hebrew and turns it as an argument against the Iewes and their rigid keeping of the Sabbath Artabimus igitur Iudaeos qui de ocio Sabbati gloriantur Qu Hebraiâ—â— in Gen. quod jam tunc in principio Sabbatum dissolutum sit dum Deus operatur in Sabbato complens opera sua in eo benedicens ipsi diei quia in ipso vniversa compleverat If so if God himselfe did breake the Sabbath as Saint Hierome turns upon the Iewes wee have small cause to thinke that he should at that very time impose the Sabbath as a Law upon his creatures 4 But to proceed Others that have took part with Catharinus against Tostatus have had as ill successe as he in being forced
that Law all other precepts were included which afterwards were given by Moses S. Basil next De jeunio who tels us first that abstinence or fasting was coÌ„manded by the Lord in Paradise And then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the first Commandement given by God to Adam was that he should not eate of the tree of knowledge The very same which is affirmed by Saint Ambrose in another language Lib. de Elia jejunio c. â— Et ut sciamus non esse novum jejunium primam illic legem i. e. in Paradise constituit de jejunio So perfectly agree in this the greatest lights both of African the Easterne and the Westerne Churches If so if that the law of abstinence had been alone sufficient for the justification of our Father Adam as Tertullian thinks or if it were the first law given by God unto him as both Saint Basil and Saint Ambrose are of opinion then was there no such law at all then made as that of sanctifying of the Sabbath or else not made according to that time and order wherein this passage of the Scripture is laid down by Moses And if not then there is no other ground for this Commandement in the Booke of God before the wandring of Gods people in the Wildernesse and the fall of Mannah A thing so cleere that some of those who willingly would have the Sabbath to have bin kept from the first Creation and have not the confidence to ascribe the keeping of it to any ordinance of God but onely to the voluntary imitation of his people And this is Torniellus way Ann 236. amongst many others who though he attribute to Enos both set formes of prayer and certaine times by him selected for the performance of that duty praecipue vero diebus Sabbati In die 7. especially upon the Sabbath yet he resolves it as before that such as sanctified that day if such there were non ex praecepto divino quod nullum tunc extabat sed ex pietate solum id egisse Of which opinion Mercer seemes to be as before I noted So that in this particular point the Fathers and the modern Writers the Papist and the Protestant agree most lovingly together 6 Much lesse did any of the Fathers or other ancient Christian Writers conceive that sanctifying of the Sabbath or one day in seven was naturally ingrafted in the minde of man from his first creation It s true they tell us of a Law which naturally was ingrafted in him So Chrysostome affirmes In Rom. 7. 12. â—om 12. that neither Adam nor any other man did ever live without the guidance of this Law and that it was imprinted in the soule of man assoone as hee was made a living creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that Father hath it But neither he nor any other did ever tell us that the Sabbath was a part of this law of nature nay some of them expresly have affirmed the contrary Theodoret for example In Ezech. c. 20. that these Commandements Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steale and others of that kind alios quoque homines natura edoâ—uit were generally implanted by the law of nature in the minds of men But for the keeping of the Sabbath it came not in by nature but by Moses law At Sabbati observandi non natura magistra sed latio legis So. Theodoret. And answerably thereunto Sedulius doth divide the law into three chiefe parts Whereof the first is de Sacramentis In Rom. 3. of signes and Sacraments as Circumâ—â—sion and the Passeover the second is quae congruit legi naturali the body of the Law of nature and is the summary of those things which are prohibited by the words of God the third and last factorum of â—ites and ceremonies for so I take it is his meaning as new Moones and Sabbaths which cleâ—rly doth exempt the Sabbath from having any thing to doe with the law of nature De 〈◊〉 â—ide l 4 c. 24. And Damascen assures too that when there was no law enacted nor any Scripture inspired by God that then there was no Sabbath neither 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To which three Ancients we might adde many more of these later times * In Decâ—lâ—g Ryvet and * Medulla theol l. 2 cap. 15. Aâ—â—es and divers others who though they plead hard for the antiquity of the Sabbath dare not referre the keeping of it to the law of nature but onely as wee shall see annon unto positive lawes and divine authority But hereof wee shall speake more largely when we are come unto the promulgating of this Law in the time of Moses where it will evidently appeare to be a positive Constitution onely fitted peculiarly to the Iewes and never otherwise esteemed of then a Iewish Ordinance 7 It s true that all men generally have agreed on this that it is consonant to the law of nature to set apart some time to Gods publicke service but that this time should rather be the seventh day then any other that they impute not unto any thing in nature but either to divine legall or Ecclesiasticall institution The Schoolmen Papists Protestants men of almost all perswasions in religion have so resolved it And for the Ancients our venerable Bede assures us that to the Fathers before the law all dayes were equall the seventh day having no prerogative before the others In Luâ— 19. and this he cals naturalis Sabbati libertatem the liberty of the naturall Sabbath which ought saith he to be restored at our Saviours comming If so if that the Sabbath or time of rest unto the Lord was naturally left free and arbitrary then certainly it was not restraind more unto one day theÌ„ another or to the seventh day more than to the sixth or eighth Even Ambrose Catharin as stout a chaÌ„pion as he was for the antiquity of the Sabbath finds himselfe at a losse about it For having tooke for granted as hee might indeed that men by the prescript of nature were to assigne peculiar times for the service of God and adding that the very Gentiles used so to do is fain to shut up all with an Ignoramâ—s Nesciâ—â—â— modo quem diem praecipue observarunt prisci illi Dei cultâ—res We cannot well resolve saith hee what day especially was observed by those who worshipped God in the times of old Wherein he doth agree exactly with Abâ—lensis against whom principally he tooke up the bucklers who could have taught him this if he would have learnt of such a Master that howsoever the Hebrew people or any other before the giving of the Law were bound to set apart some time for religioâ—s duties non â—amen magis in Sabbatâ— In Exod. 20. Qu. 11. quam in quolibet aliâ—rum dierum yet were they no more bound to the Sabbath day than to any other So for the Protestant Writers two of the greatest Advocates
should withdraw himself from his daily labour Some were commanded to employ themselves in the publick structures others in bringing in materialls for such mighty buildings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antiqu. Iud. lib. 2. c. 5. never enjoying any rest either night or day that in the end they were eâ—en spent and tired with continuall travaile Iosepâ—â— goâ—â— a little further and tels us this that the Egyptians did not onely tire the Israelites with continuall labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but that the Israelites endevoured to performe more then was expected Assuredly in such a wofull state as this they had nor leave nor leisure to observe the Sabbath Apud Ryâ—at in Decalog And lastly Rabbi Maimony makes the matter yet more absolute who saith it for a truth that when they were in Egypt neque quiescere vel sabbatum agere potuerunt they neither could have time to rest nor to keepe the Sabbath seeing they were not then at their owne disposing So he ad Deut. 5. 15. 9 Indeed it easily may be beleeved that the people kept no Sabbath in the Land of Egypt seeing they could not be permitted in all that time of their abode there to offer saâ—rifice which was the easier duty of the two and would lesse have tooke them from their labours Those that accused the Israelites to have been wanton lazy and I know not what because they did desire to spend one onely day in religious Exercises what would they not have done had they desisted every seventh day from the works imposed upon them Doubtlesse they had beene carried to the house of Correction if not worse handled I say in all that time they were not permitted to offer sacrifice in that Country and therefore when they purposed to escape from thence Exod. 8. they made a suite to Pharaoh that he would suffer them to go three dayes journey into the wildernesse to offer sacrifice there to the Lord their God Rather then so Pharaoh was willing to permit them for that once to sacrifice unto the Lord in the land of Egypt and what said Moses thereunto It is not meet saith he so to doe For we shall sacrifice the abhomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God before their eyes and they will stone us 〈◊〉 26. His reason was because the Gods of the Egyptians were Buls and Rammes and Sheep and Oxen as Lyra notes upon that place talia verò animalia ab Hebraeis erant immolaâ—da quod non permisissent Aegyptiâ— in terra sua And certainly the Egyptians would not endure to see their Gods knocked down before their faces If any then demand wherein the Piety and Religion of Gods people did consist especially wee must needs answere that it was in the integrity and honâ—sty of their conversation and that they worshipped God onely in the spirit and truth Adv. haeres l. 1. hâ—â— â— Nothing to make it knowne that they were Gods people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely that they feared the Lord and were circumcised as Epiphanius hath resolved it nothing but that they did acknowledge one onely God exercised themselves in justice in modesty in patience and long suffering both towards one another and amongst the Egyptians framing their lives agreeably to the will of God and the law of nature Therefore we may conclude with safety that hitherto no Sabbath had been kept in all the World from the creation of our first Father Adam to this very time which was above 2500. yeares no nor commanded to be kept amongst them in their generations 10 I say there was none kept no nor none commanded for had it been coÌ„manded sure it had been kept It was not all the pride of Pharaoh or subtle tyranny of his subjects that could have made them violate that sacred day had it bin commended to them from the Lord. The miseries which they after suffered under Antiochus rather then that they would prophane the Sabbath and those calamities which they chose to fall upon them by the hands of the Romans rather then make resistance upon that day when lawfully they might have done it are proofes sufficient that neither force nor feare could now have wrought upon them not to keepe the same had such a duty been commanded Questionlesse Ioseph for his part that did preferre a lothsome prison before the unchast imbraces of his Masters wife would no lesse carefully have kept the Sabbath then he did his chastity had there been any Sabbath then to have been observed either as dedicated by nature or prescribed by Law And certainly either the Sabbath was not reckoned all this while aâ— any part or branch of the Law of nature or else it findes hard measure in the Booke of God that there should be particular proofes how punctually the rest of the morall Law was observed and practised amongst the Patriarches and not one word or Item that concernes the observation of the Sabbath Now that the whole Law was written in the hearts of the Fathers and that they had some knowledge of all the other Commandements and did live accordingly the Scripture doth sufficiently declare unto us First for the first * Gen. 17. 1. I am God all-sufficient walke before me and be thou perfect So said God to Abraham Then Iacobs going up from * 25 2. Bethel to clense his house from Idolatry is proofe enough that they were acquainted with the second The pious care they had not to take the Name of the Lord their God in vaine appeares at full in the religious making of their Oathâ—s * 2â— 27 c. Abraham with Abimelech and * 31. 51. Iacob with Laban Next for the fifth Commanâ—ement what duties children owe their parents the practice of * 24 67 Isaac and * 28. 〈◊〉 Iacob doth declare abundantly in being ruled by them in the choice of their wives and readily obeying all their directions So for the sin of murder the history of Iacobs * 34 26 30 children and the grieved Fathers curse upon them for the slaughter of the Sichemites together with Gods precept given to * 9. 6. Noah against shedding bloud shew us that both it was forbidden and condemned being done The * 39 8. continency of Ioseph before remembred and the punishment threatned to * 70. â— Abimelech for keeping Sarah Abrahamâ— wife the * 31. â—0 quarrelling of Laban for his stolne Idols and * 44. 4. Iosephs pursuite after his brethren for the silver cup that was suppoâ—ed to be purloyned are 〈◊〉 sufficient that adultery and theft were 〈◊〉 unlawfâ—â—l And last of all Abiâ—elechâ— reprehension of * â—0 9. Abraham and * â—6 â—0 Isaaâ— for bearing false witnesse in the deniall of their wives shew plainly that they had the knowledge of that Law also The like may also be affiâ—med of their 〈…〉 the wives and goodâ— or â—ny thing thâ—t was their Neighbours For though the history cannot tell us
the Law on the Sabbath dayes 1 WE left this people in the Wildernes where â—he Law was given them and whether this Commandement were there kept or not hath been made a question and that both by the Iewish Doctours and by the Christian. Some have resolved it negatively that it was not kept in all that time which was forty yeares and others that it was at some times omitted according to the stations or removes of Israel or other great and weighty businesses which might intermit it It is affirmed by Rabbi Solomon that there was onely one Passeover observed whiles they continued in the Deserts notwithstanding that it was the principall solemnity of all the yeare Et si illud fuit omissum multo fortius alia minus principalia If that saith he then by an argument à majore ad minus much rather were the lesser Festivals omitted also Ap. Galatin l. 11. c. 10. More punctually Rabbi Eleazar who on those words of Exodus and the people rested the sâ—venth day Chap. 16. 30. gives us to understand that for the space of forty yeares whilest they were in the Wildernesse non fecerunt nisi duntaxat primum sabbatum they kept no more then that first Sabbath According unto that of the Prophet Amos Have yee offered unto mee sacrifices and offerings in the wildernesse forty yeares O house of Israel Chap. 5. 25. On which authority Arâ—tius for the Christian Doctors doth affirme the same Sabbata per annos 40. nâ—n observavit in deserto populus Dei Amos 5. 25. Probl. loc 35. The argument may be yet inforced by one more particular that Circumâ—ision was omitted for all that while and yet it had precedency of the Sabbath both in the institution for the times before and in the observation for the times that followed If therefore neither Circumcision nor the daily sacrifices nor the Feast of Passeover being the principall of the Annuall Sabbaths were observed by them till they came to the land of Canaan why may not one conclude the same of the weekly Sabbaths Others conceive not so directly but that it was omitted at â—ometimes and on some occasions Omitted at some times as when the people journied in the Wildernesse many dayes together In Exod. 12 nulla requiâ—â—liquorum dierum habita without rest or ceasing and this the Hebrew Doctours willingly confesse as Tostatus tels us Omitted too on some occasions as when the spiâ—s were sent to discover the Land what was the strength thereof and what the riches in which discovery they spent foâ—ty dayes it is not to be thought that they kept the Sabbath It was a perillous work that they went about not to be discontinued and layed by so often as there were Sabbaths in that time But not to stand upon conjectures the Iewish Doctors say expresly that they did not keepe it Lib. 11. c. 10. So Galatine reports from their owne records that in their latter exposition on the Book of Numbers upon those words Chap. 13. 2. send men that they may search the land of Canaan they thus resolue it Nuncio praecepti licitum est c. A Messenger that goes upon Command may travaile any day at what time hee will And why because he is a Messenger upon command Nuncius autem praecepti excludit sabbatuâ— The phrase is somewhat darke but the meaning plaine that those which went upon that errand did not keepe the Sabbath Certaine it also is that for all that time no nor for any part thereof the people did not keepe the Sabbath completely as the Law appointed For where there were two things concurring to make up the Sabbath firâ—t rest from labour and secondly the sacrifices destinate unto the day however they might rest some Sabbaths from their daily labours yet sacrifices they had none untill they came into the land of Canaan 2 Now that they rested sometimes on the Sabbath day and perhaps did so generally in those forty yeares is manifest by that great and memorable businesse touching the man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath The case is briefly this Numb 15. Vers. 32. ad 37. the people being in the wildernes found a man gathering sticks on the Sabbath day and brought him presently unto Moses Moses consulted with the Lord and it was resolued that the offender should be stoned to death which was done accordingly The Law before had ordered it that he who so offended should be put to death but the particular manner of his death was not knowne till now The more remarkable is this case because it was the onely time that wee can heare of that execution had been done upon any one according as the Law enacted and thereupon the Fathers have took some pains De vit Mos. l. 3 to search into the reasons of so great severity Philo accuseth him of a double crime in one whereof hee waâ— the principall and an Accessarâ— onely in the other For where it was before commanded that there should be no fire kindled on the Sabbath day this party did not onely labour on the day of rest but also laboured in the gathering of such materials 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which might administer fuell to prohibited fire Saint Basil seemes a little to bemoan the man De judicio Dâ—i in that hee smarted so for his first offence not having otherwise offended either God or Man and makes the motive of his death neither to consist in the multitude of his sinnes or the greatnesse of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but onely in his disobedience to the will of God But we must have a more particular motive yet then this And first Rupertus tels us In locum per superbiam illud quod videbatur exiguum commisit that he did sinne presumptuously with an high hand against the Lord and therefore God decreed he should die the death God not regarding either what or how great it was sed qua mente fecerat but with what minde it was committed But this is more I think then Rupertus knew being no searcher of the heart Rather I shall subscribe herein unto Saint Chrysostome Hom. 39. in Math. 12. Who makes this Quaere first seeing the Sabbath as Christ saith was made for man why was he put to death that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath And then returns this answere to his owne demand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. because in case God had permitted that the Law should have been slighted in the first beginning none would have kept it for the future Qu 31. â—n Num. Theodoret to that purpose also ne autor fieret leges transgrediendi lest othâ—r men encouraged by his example should have done the like the punishment of this one man striking a terrour unto all No question but it made the people farre more observant of the Sabbath then they would have beene who were at first but backwards in the keeping of it as is apparant by that passage
in the sixteenth of Exod. v. 27. And therefore stood the more in need not onely of a watch-word or Memento even in the very front of the Law it selfe but of some sharper course to stirre up their memory Therefore this execution was the more reqvisite at this instant aswell because the Iewes by reason of their long abode in a place of continual servile toyle could not be suddainly drawne unto contrary offices without some strong impression of terrour as also because nothing is â—ore needfull then with extremity to punish the first transgressours of those Lawes that do require a more exact observation for the times to come What time this Tragedy was acted is not known for certain By Torniellus it is placed in the yeare 2548. of the Worlds Creation which was some foure yeares after the Law was given More then this is not extant in the Scripture touching the keeping of the Sabbath all the life of Moses What was done after we shall see in the land of Promise 3 In the mean time it is most proper to this place to take a little notice of those severall duties wherein the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist especially that we may know the better what we are to looke for at the peoples hands when wee bring them thither Two things the Lord commanded in his holy Scripture that concern the Sabbath the keeping holy of the same one in relation to the people the other in reference to the Priest In reâ—erence to the people he commaâ—ded onely rest from labour that they should doe no manner of worke and that 's contained expresly in the Law it selfe In reference to the Priest Numb 28. he commanded sacrifice that on the Sabbath day over and above the daily sacrifice there should be offered to the Lord two Lambes of an yeare old without blemish one in the morning and the other in the evening as also to prepare first and then place the Shewbread being twelue loaves one for every Tribe continually before the Lordeâ—very Sabbath day These severall references so divided the Priest might do his part without the people and contrary the people doe their part without the Priest Of any Sabbath duties which were to be performed betweene them wherein the Priest and people were to joyne together the Scriptures are directly silent As for these severall duties that of the Priest the Shew-bread and the sacrifice was not in practice till they came to the Land of Canaan and then though the Priest offered for the people yet he did not with them So that for forty yeares together all the life of Moses the sanctifying of the Sabbath did consist onely for ought we finde in a bodily rest a ceasing from the works of their weekly labours and afterwards in that and in the sacrifices which the Priest made for them Which as they seeme to be the greater of the two so was there nothing at all therein in which the people were to doe no not so much except some few as to be spectatours the sacrifices being offered onely in the Tabernacle as in the Temple after when they had a Temple the people being scattered over all thâ— Country in their Townes and Villages Of any reading of the Law or exposition of the same unto the people or publicke forme of prayers to be presented to the Lord in the Congregation wee finde no footstep now nor a long time after None in the time of Moses for hee had hardly perfected the Law before his death the booke of Deâ—teronomy being dedicated by him a very little before God tooke him None in a long time after no not till Nehemiahs dayes as wee shall see hereafter in that place and time The resting of the people was the thing commanded in imitation of Gods rest when his works were finished that as hee rested from the works which hee had created so they might alâ—o rest in memoriall of it But the employment of this rest to partiâ—ular purposes either of contemplation or devâ—tion than not declared unto us in the Word of God but left at large either unto the libertie of the people or the Authoritie of the Church Now what the people did how they imployed this rest of theirs that Philo tels us in his third Booke of the life of Moses Moses saith hee ordained that since the World was finished on the seventh day all of his Common-wealth following therein the course of nature should spend the seventh day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Festivall delights resting therein from all their works yet not to spend it as some do in laughter childish sports or as the Romans did their time of publick Feastings in beholding the activity either of the Iester or common Dancers but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a little after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the study of true philosophy and in the contemplation of the workes of nature And in another place De Decâ—log He did command saith he that as in other things so in this also they should imitate the Lord their God working six dayes and resting on the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and spending it in meditation of the works of nature as before is said And not so only but that upon that day they should consider of their actions in the weeke before if happily they had offended against the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that so they might correct what was done amisse and be the better armed to offend no more So in his booke de mundi opificio he affirmes the â—ame that they implyed that day in divine Philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even for the bettering of their manners and reckoning with their consciences That thus the Iewes did spend the day or some part thereof is very probable and wee may take it well enough upon Philo's word but that they spent it thus by the direction or command of Moses is not so easily proved as it is affirmed though for my part I willingly durst assent unto it For be it Moses so appointed yet this concernes onely the behaviour of particular persons and reflects nothing upon the publick duties in the Congregation 4 It 's true that Philo tels us in a booke not extant how Moses also did ordaine these publick meetings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ap. Euseb. Praepar l. 8 7. What then did Moses order to be done on the Sabbath day He did appoint saith he that we should meet all in some place together and there set down with modesty and a generall silence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to heare the Law that none plead ignorance of the same Which custome we continue stiâ—l harkening with wonderfull silence to the Law of God unlesse perhaps we give some joyfull acclamation at the hearing of it some of the Priests if any present or otherwise some of the Elders reading the Law and then expounding it unto us till the night come on Which done the people are dismissed full of divine
Law unto the people on the Sabbath dayes as after in the Synagogues For where those Cities were but foure in every Tribe one with another the people must needs travaile further then six Furlongs which was a Sabbath dayes journey of the largest measure as before we noted or else that nice restriction was not then in use And were it that they tooke the paines to goe up unto them yet were not those few Cities able to coÌ„tain the multitudes When Ioab not long after this 2 Sâ—m â—4 did muster Israel at the command of David he found no fewer then thirteen hundred thousand fighting men Suppose we then that unto every one fighting man there were three old men women and children fit to heare the Law as no doubt there were Put these together and it will amount in all to two and fifty hundred thousand Now out of these set by foure hundred thousand for Hierusalem and the service there and then there will remayne one hundred thousand just which must owe suite and service every Sabbath day to each severall City of the Levites Too vast a number to be entertained in any of their Cities and much lesse in their Synagogues had each house beene one So that wee may resolue for certain that the dispersion of the Levites over all the Tribes had no relation hitherto unto the reading of the Law or any publick Sabbath duties CHAP. VII Touching the keeping of the SABBATH from the time of David to the Maccabees 1 Particular necessities must give place to the Law of Nature 2 That Davids flight from Saul was upon the Sabbath 3 What David did being King of Israel in ordering things about the Sabbath 4 Elijahs flight upon the Sabbath and what else hapned on the Sabbath in Elijahs time 5 The limitation of a Sabbaths dayes journey not known amongst the Iewes when Elisha lived 6 The Lord becomes offended with the Iewish Sabbaths and on what occasion 7 The Sabbath entertained by the Samaritans and their strange niceties therein 8 Whether the Sabbaths were observed during the Captivitie 9 The speciall care of Nehemiah to reforme the Sabbath 10 The weekly reading of the Law on the Sabbath dayes began by Ezra 11 No Synagogues nor weekly reading of the Law during the Government of the Kings 12 The Scribes and Doctours of the Law impose new rigours on the people about their Sabbaths 1 THus have wee traced the Sabbath from the Mount to Silo the space of forty five yeares or thereabouts wherein it was observed sometimes and sometimes broken broken by publick order from the Lord himselfe and broken by the publick practice both of Priest and people No precept in the Decalogue so controuled and justled by the Legall Ceremonies forced to give place to Circumcision because the younger and to the Legall Sacrifices though it was their Elders t and all this while no blame or imputation to be laid on them that so prophaned it Men durst not thus have dallied with the other nine no noâ— with this neither had it been a part of the Law of nature Yet had the Sabbath beene laid by in such cases onely wherein the Lord had specially declared his will and pleasure that these and these things should be done upon it or preferred before it there was lesse reason of complaint But we shall see in that which followed that the poore Sabbath was inforced to yeeld up the place even to the severall necessities and occasions of particular men and that without Injunction or Command from the Court of Heaven This further proves the fourth Commandement as farre as it concernes the time one whole day of seven Ryvet in Deca to be no part nor parcell of the Law of Nature for if it were the Law of Nature it were not dispensable no not in any exigent or distresse what euer Nullum poriculum suadet ut qua ad legem natur alem directe pertinent infringamus No danger saith a moderne Writer is to occasion us to breake those bonds wherewith wee are obliged by the Law of Nature Aquinas 1. 2 ae qu. 100. art 9. Nor is this onely Protestâ—nt Divinitie for that Praecepta decalogi omnino sint indispensabilia is a noted maxime of the Schoolmen And yet it is not onely Schoole Divinitie Qu. 〈◊〉 N. Test. 6â— for the Fathers taught it It is a principle of Saint Austins Illud quod omnino non licet semper non licet nec aliqua necessitate mitigatur ut admissum non obsit est enim semper illicitum quod legibus quia criminosum est prohibetur That saith the Father which is unlawfull in it selfe is unlawfull alwayes nor is there any exigent or extremity that can so excuse it being done but that it makes a man obnoxiouâ— unto Gods displeasure For that is alwayes to be reckoned an unlawfull thing which is forbidden by the Law because simply evill So that in case this rule be true as no doubt it is and that the fourth Commandement prohibiting all manner of worke on the Sabbath day as simply evill be to be reckoned part of the Morall Law they that transgresse this Law in what case soever are in the self-same state with those who to preserve their lives or fortunes renounce their Faith in God and worship Idols which no man ought to do no though it were to gain the world For what will it profit a man to gain the world and to lose his soule 2 But sure the Iewes accounted not the Sabbath of so high a nature as not to venture the transgressing of that Law if occasion were Whereof or of the keeping it we have no monument in Scripture till we come to David The residue of Iosuah and the Booke of Iudges give us nothing of it Nor have wee much in the whole story of the Kings but what we have wee shall present unto you in due place and order And first for David we reade in Scripture how he stood in feare of Saul his Master 1. Sam. 20. how in the Festivall of the New-moon his place was empty how Saul became offended at it and publickly declared his malicious purpose which in his heart he had before conceived against him On the next morning Ionathan takes his bow and arrowes goes forth a shooting takes a boy with him to bring back his arrowes and by a signall formerly agreed between them gives David notice that his Father did seeke his life David on this makes haste and came to Nob unto Abimelech the Priest and being an hungry desires some sustenance at his hands The Priest not having ought else in readinesse sets the Shew-bread before him which was not lawfull for any man to eat but the Priest alone Now if we aske the Fathers of the Christian Church what day this was on which poore David fled from the face of Saul they answere that it was the Sabbath Saint Athanasius doubtingly Hâ—m dâ— semâ—nâ—â— with a peradventure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
and amongst the Fathers 10 The idle and ridiculous niceties of the moderne Iews in their Parasceues and their Sabbaths conclude the first part 1 WEe shewed you in the former Chapter how strange an alteration had beene made in an hundred yeares touching the keeping of the Sabbath The people hardly at the first restrained from working when there was no need and after easily induced to abstaine from fighting though tending to the necessary defence both of their libertie and Religion Of so much swiâ—ter growth is superstition then true pietie Nor was this onely for a fit as easily layed aside as taken up but it continued a long time yea and was every day improved it being judged at last unlawfull to defend themselves in case they were assaulted on the Sabbath day Antiochus Epiphanes the great King of Syria intending utterly to subvert the Church and Common-wealth of Iudah 1. Mac. 1. did not alone defile the Sanctuary by shedding innocent bloud therein but absolutely prohibited the burnt-offerings and the sacrifices commanding also that they should prophane the Sabbaths and the festivall dayes So that the Sanctuary was layed waste the holy dayes turned into mourning and the Sabbath into a reproach as the story tels us some of the people so farre yeelding through feare and faintnesse that they both offered unto Idols and prophaned the Sabbaths as the King commanded But others who preferr'd their pietie before their fortunes went downe into the wildernesse and there hid themselues in caves and other secret places Thither the enemies pursued them and finding where they were in covert assayled them on the Sabbath day the Iews not making any the least resistance Ioseph li. 12. ca 8. no not so much as stopping up the mouthes of the Caves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ— mâ—n resolved not to offend against the honour of the Sabbath in what extremitie soever These men were certainly more perswaded of the moralitie of the sabbath then David or Elijah in the former times and being so perswaded thought it not fit to flie or fight upon that day no though the supreme law of nature which was the saving of their lives did call them to it Tantum religio pâ—tuit suadere malorum in the Poâ—ts language Buâ— â—attathias one of the Priests a man that durst as much â—s any in the cause of God and had not beene infected with those dangerous fancies taught those that were about him a more saving doctrine Assuring them that they were bound to fight upon the sabbath if they were assaulted For otherwise if that they scrupulously observed the law in such necessities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they would be enemies to themselues and finally be destroyed both they and their Religion It was concluded thereupon â— Macc. 2. that whosoever came to make battell with them on the Sabbath day they would fight against him and afterwards it held for currant as Iosephus tells us that if nâ—cessitie required they made no scruple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to fight against their enemies on the Sabbath day Yet by Iosephus leave it held not long as he himselfe shall tell us in another place what time the purpose of this resolution was perverted quite by the nice vanities of those men who tooke upon them to declare the meaning of it But howsoever it was with those of Iewrie such of their Countreymen as dwelt abroad amongst other Nations made no such scruple of the Sabbath but that they were prepared if occasion were as well to bid the battell as to expect it as may appeare by this short story which I shalâ— here present in briefe leaving the Reader to Iosephus for the whole at large Two brethren Asinaeus and Anilaeus borne in Nearda in the territory of Babylon began to fortifie themselves and commit great outrages which knowne the Governour of Babylon prepares his forces to suppresse them Having drawne up his Army he layes in ambush neere a marish and the next day which was the Sabbath wherein the Iews did use to rest from all manner of worke making account that without stroke stricken they would yeeld themselues he marched against them â—aire and softly to come upon them unawares But being discovered by the scouts of Asinaeus it was resolved amongst them to be farre more safe valiantly to behave themselues in that necessitie yea though it were a breaking of the very Law then to submit themselues and make proud the enemy Whereupon all of them at once marched forth and slaughtered a great many of the enemies the residue being constrained to save themselues by a speedy flight The like did Anilaeus after being provoked by Mithridates another Chiefetaine of those parts This happened much about the yeare 3957. that of the Maccabees before remembred Ann. 3887. or thereabouts Happy it was these brethren lived not in Indaea for had they done so there the Scribes and Pharisees would have tooke an ordâ—r with them and cast them out of the Synagogues if not used them worse 2 For by this time those Sects which before wee spake of began to shew themselues and disperse their doctrines Iosephus speakes not of them till the time of Ionathan who entred on the Government of the Iewish Nation Ann. 3894. Questionlesse they were knowne and followed in the former times though probablie not so much in credit their dictates not so much adored as in the ages that came after Of those the Pharisees were of most authoritie being most active in their courses severe professours of the Law and such as by a seeming sanctitie had gained exceedingly on the affections of the common people The Sadduces were of lesse repute though otherwise they had thâ—ir dependants as men that questioned some of the common principles denying the resurrection of the dead the hope of immortalitie As for the Essees or Essens they were a kinde of Monkish men retyred and private of farre more honestie then the Pharisees but of farre lesse cunning therefore their tendries not so generally received or hearkened after as the others were In matters of the Sabbath they were strict alike but with some difference in the points wherein their strictnesse did consist In this the Essee seemes to go beyond the Pharisee 〈…〉 that they not onely did abstaine from dressing meat and kindling fire upon the Sabbath as probably the others did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But unto them it was unlawfull to remove a dish or any other vessell out of the place wherein they found it yea or to go aside to ease nature And on the other side the Pharisee in the multiplicitie of his Sabbath-speculations went beyond the Essee all which were thrust upon the people as prescribed by God and grounded in his holy Law the perfect keeping of the which seemed their utmost industry There is a dictate in the Scripture Exod. 16. that No â—an go out of his place on the Sabbath day This was impossible to be kept according to the words and letter
Buxdoâ—f Syâ—agog c. 1â— permissum est iis ut die Sabbatino dicant Christiano c. Yet they may give a Chrisâ—ian leave to performe that office and then to buy the milke of him for a toy or trifle Adde here what formerly wâ—â— noted of their Servants Of whom wee told you out of Rabbi Maimony Ch. 3. n. 1. that if they were not circumcised or baptizâ—d they were as sojourning strangers and may doe worke for themselues openly on the Sabbath as any of the Israelites might on a working day By which it seems that strangers yea and servants too in case they were not circumcised or otherwise initiated into their Churches were not obliged to keep the Sabbath Which plainly shews that by the Iewes themselues the keeping of the Sabbath was not taken for a morall Law or to concerne any but themselues and those of their religion onely For had they took it for a part of the Law of Nature as universally to be observed as any other they had not suffered it to be broke amongst them before their faces and that without controule or censure no more then they would have pâ—rmitted a sojourning stranger to blaspheme their God or publickly to set up Idolatry or without punishment to steale their goods or destroy their persons The rather since their Sabbath had prevailed to farre as to be taken up with other parts of their religion in many principall Cities of the Roman Empire or otherwise by way of imitation so much in use among the Gentiles And this I have the rather noted in this place and time because that in these times the Countrie of the Iewes was most resorted to by all sorts of strangers and they themselues in favour with the Roman Emperours 5 Indeed these customes of the Iewes did flie about the Roman Empire with a swifter wing by reason of that countenance which great Augustus Caesar did shew both to the men Pâ—â—â—lo leg ad Caium and unto their Sabbath First for the men he did not onely suffer them to enjoy the liberty of conscience in their owne Country and there to have their Synagogues and publick places of assembly as before they had but hee permitted them to inhabit a great part of Rome and there to live according to their Country laws 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet saith hee he knew that they had their Proseâ—chas or Oratories that they assembled in the same especially on the holy Sabbaths finally that there they were instructed in their own religion Then for the Sabbath the Iewes had anciently been accustomed not to appeare in judgement either upon the Sabbath day or the Eve before Augustus doth confirme this priâ—iledge Ios. Antiq l. 16. c 10. bestowes upon their Syâ—agâ—gâ—es the prerogative of Sanctâ—ary enables them to live according to the Lawes of their own Country and finally threatneth severe punishment on those which should presume to do any thing against his Edict The tenour of which Edict is as followeth Câ—â—sar Augustus Pont. Max. Trib. Pleb 〈…〉 gens semper â—â—da grata fuit populo Rom. c placet mihi de 〈◊〉 Senatus sententia eos propriis uti legibus ritibus quibus utebantur tempore Hyrâ—ani Pontificiâ— Dei maâ—imâ— eorum â—anis jus Asyli manerâ— c. â—eque cogi ad prâ—standa vâ—dimonia sabbatis aut pridie sabbatorum post hâ—ram nonam in Parasceve Qâ—id si quis contra decretum â—â—sus fuerit gravi poena mâ—â—ctabitur This Edict was set forth Anno 4045. and after many of that kind were published in severall Provinces by Mark Agrippa Provâ—st Generall under Câ—â—sar as also by Norbanus â—laccus and Iulius Antonius Proconsuls at that time whereof see Iosephus Nay Phil. legat ad Câ—iâ—m when the Iews were growne so strict that it was thought unlawfull either to give or take an almes on the Sabbath day Augustus â—or his part was willing not to breake them of it yet so to order and dispose his bounties that they might be no loosers by so fond a strictnesse For whereas he did use to distribute monethly a certaine donative either in money or in corne this distribution sometimes happened on the Sabbath dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo hath it whereon the Iewes might neither give nor take neither indeed do any thing that did tend to sustenance Therefore saith he it was provided that their proportion should be given them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the next day after that so they might be made partakers of the publicke benefit Not give nor take an Almes on the Sabbath day Their superstition sure was now very vehement seeing it would not suffer men to do the works of mercy on the day of mercie And therefore it was more then time they should be sent to schoole againe to learne this lesson I will have mercie and not sacrifice 6 And so indeed they were sent unto Schoole to him who in himselfe was both the teacher and the truth For at this time our Saviour came into the world And had there beene no other businesse for him to do this onely might have seemed to require his presence viz. to rectifie those dangerous errours which had beene spread abroad in these latter times about the Sabbath The service of the Sabbath in the congregation he found full enough The custome was to reade a Section of the law out of the Pentateâ—ch or five books of Moses and after to illustrate or confirme the same out of some parallell place amongst the Prophets That ended if occasion were and that the Rulers of the Synagogue did consent unto it there was a word of exhortation made unto the people conducing to obedience and the works of piety So farre it is apparant by that passage in the Acts of the Apostles touching Paul Châ—p 13. 1â— and Barâ—abas that being at Antioch in Pisidia on the Sabbath day after the reading of the Law and Prophets the Rulers of the Synagogue fent unto them saying Ye men and brethrâ—n if ye have any word of exhortation to speake unto the people dicite say on As for the Law I note thâ—s onely by the way they had divided it into 54 Sections which they read over in the two and fifty sabbaths joyning two of the shortest twice together that so it might bee all read over within the yeare beginning on the sabbath which next followed the feast of Tabernacles ending on that which came before it So farre our Saviour found no fault but rather countenanced and confirmed the custome by his gratious presence and example But in these rigid vanities and absurd traditions by which the Scribes and Pharisees had abused the sabbath and made it of an ease to become a drudgerie in those he thought it requisite to detect their follies and ease the people of that bondage which they in their proud humours had imposed upon them The Pharisees had taught that it was unlawfull on the sabbath day
either to heale the impotent or relieve the sick or feed the hungrie but he confutes them in them all both by his Acts and by his disputations Whatever â—e maintain'd by argument he made good by practise Did they accuse his followers of gathering corne upon the Sabbath being then an hungred he le ts them know what David did in the same extremitie Their eating or their gathering on the Sabbath day take you which you will was not more blameable nay not so blameable by the law as David's eating of the shewbread which plainly was not to be eate by any but the Priest alone The â—ures he did upon the Sabbath what were they more then which themselves did daily do in laying salves unto those Infants whom on the Sabbath day they had circumcised His bidding of the impotent man to take up his bed and get him gone which seemed so odious in their eyes was it so great a toyle as to walke round the walls of Hiericho and beare the Arke upon their shoulders or any greater burden to their idle backs then to lift up the â—xe and set him free out of that dangerous ditch into the which the hasty â—east might fall aswell upon the Sabbath as the other dayes Should men take care of oxen and not God of man Not so The Sabbath was not made for a lazie idoll which all the Nations of the world should fall downe and worship but for the ease and comfort of the labouring man that he might have some time to refresh his spirits Sabbatum propter hominem factum est the Sabbath saith our Saviour was made for man man was not made to serve the Sabbath Nor had God so irrevocablie spoke the word touching the sanctifying of the Sabbath that he had left himselfe no power to repeale that Law in case he saw the purpose of the Law perverted the Sonne of man even he that was the Sonne both of God and Man being Lord also of the Sabbath Nay it is rightly marked by some that Christ our Saviour did more works of charitie on the Sabbath day then all dayes else Zanchius obserues it out of Irenaeus In Mandat â— Saepius multo Christum in die Sabbati praestitisse opera charitatis quam in aliis diebus and his note is good Not that there was some urgent and extreme necessitie either the Cures to be performed that day or the man to perish For if we looke into the story of our Saviours actions we finde no such matter It 's true that the Centurions sonne and Peters mother in law were even sicke to death and there might be some reason in it why he should haste unto their Cures on the Sabbath day But on the other side the man that had the withered hand Matth. 13. and the woman with her fluxe of bloud eighteene yeares together Luk. 13. he that was troubled with the dropsie Luk. 14. and the poore wretch which was afflicted with the palsie Ioh. 5. in none of these was found any such necessity but that the cure might have beene respited to another day What then Shall it be thought our Saviour came to destroy the Law No. God forbid Himselfe hath told us that he came to fulfill it rather He came to let them understand the right meaning of it that for the residue of time wherein it was to be in force they might no longer be misled by the Scribes and Pharisees and such blinde guides as did abuse them Thus have I briefly summed together what I finde scattered in the writings of the ancient Fathers which who desires to finde at large may looke into Ireâ—aeus li. 4. ca. 19. 20. Origen in Num hom 23. Tertull. li. 4. contr Marcion Athanas. hom de Semente p. 10â—1 1072. edit gr lat Victor Antioch cap. 3. in Marâ—um Chrysost. hom 39. in Matth. 12. Epiphan li. 1. haeres 30. n. 32. Hierom. in Matth. 12. Ambros in cap. 3. Luk. li. 3. Augustin cont Faustum li. 16. ca. 28. lib. 19. ca 9. to descend no lower With one of which last Fathers sayings Cont. Adimant ca. 2. we conclude this list Non ergo Dominus rescindit Scripturam Vet. Test sed cogit intelligi Our Saviours purpose saith the Father was not to take away the Law but to expound it 7 Not then to take away the Law it was to last a little longer He had not yet pronounced Consummatum est that the Law was abrogated Nor might it seeme so proper for him to take away one Sabbath from us which was rest from labour untill he had provided us of another which was rest from sinne And to provide us such a Sabbath was to cost him dearer then words and arguments He healed us by his word before Now he must heale us by his stripes or else no entrance into his rest the eternall Sabbath Besides the Temple stood as yet and whilest that stood or was in hope to be rebuilt there was no end to be expected of the legall ceremonies The Sabbath and the Temple did both end together and which is more remarkable on a Sabbath day The Iews were still sicke of their old disease and would not stirre a foot on the Sabbath day beyond their compasse no though it were to save their Temple and in that their Sabbath or whatsoever else was most deare unto them Nay they were more superstitious now then they were before For whereas in the former times it had beene thought unlawfull to take armes and make warre on the Sabbath day Iosâ—ph de bello li. 4. ca 4. unlesse they were assaulted and their lives danger now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was pronounced unlawfull even to treat of peace A fine contradiction Agrippa layed this home unto them when first they entertain'd a rebellious purpose against the Romans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Id. li. 2. c. 1â— If you observe the custome of the Sabbaths and in them do nothing it will be no hard matter to bring you under for so your Ancestors found in their warres with Pompey who ever deferred his works untill that day wherein his enemies were idle and made no resistance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. If on the other side you take armes that day then you transgresse your countrey laws your selues and so I see no cause why you should rebell Where note Agrippa cals the sabbath a custome and their Countrey law which makes it evident that they thought it not any Lâ—w of Nature Now what Agrippa said did in fine fall out the Citie being taken on the sabbath day as Ios. Scaliger computes it or the Parascâ—ve of the sabbath as Rab. Ioses hath determined Most likely that it was on the sabbath day it selfe For Dion speaking of this warre and of this taking of the Citie Lib 65. concludâ—s it thus Lib 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hierusalem saith he was taken on the Saturday which the Iews most reverence till this day Thus
perfect harmonie and agreement which is betweene this Church and the purest times It is our constant prayer to almighty God aswell that he would strengthen such as do stand and confirme the weake as to raise up those men which are fallen into sinne and errour As are our prayers such should be also our endeavours as universall to all sorts of men as charitable to them in their severall cases and distresses Happy those men who do aright discharge their duties both in their prayers and their performance The blessing of our labours we must leave to him who is all in all without whom all Pauls planting and Apollos watering will yeeld poore increase In which of these three states soever thou art good Christian Reader let me be seech thee kindly to accept his pains which for thy sake were undertaken that so be might in some poore measure be an instrument to strengthen or confirme or raise thee as thy case requires This is the most that I desire and lesse then this thou couldst not do did I not desire it And so fare thee well THE HISTORY OF THE SABBATH The second Booke CHAP. I. That there is nothing found in Scripture touching the keeping of the LORDS DAY 1 The Sabbath not intended for a perpetuall ordinance 2 Preparatives unto the dissolution of the Sabbath by our Saviour Christ. 3 The Lords day not enjoyned in the place thereof either by Christ or his Apostles but instituted by the authority of the Church 4 Our Saviours resurrection on the first day of the weeke and apparitions on the same make it not a Sabbath 5 The comming downe of the Holy Ghost upon the first day of the weeke makes it not a Sabbath 6 The first day of the weeke not made a Sabbath more than â—thers by Saint Peter Saint Paul or any other of the Apostles 7 Saint Paul frequents the Synagogue on the Iewish Sabbath and upon what reasons 8 What was concluded against the Sabbath in the Councell holden in Hieruâ—alem 9 The preaching of Saint Paul at Troas upon the first day of the weeke no árgument that then that day was set apart by the Apostles for religious exercises 10 Collections on the first day of the week 1. Cor. 16. conclude as little for that purpose 11 Those places of Saint Paul Galat. 4. 10. Coloss. 2. 16. doe prove invincibly that there is no Sabbath to be looked for 12 The first day of the week not called the Lords day untill the end of this first age and what that title addes unto it 1 WEe shewed you in the former book what did occurre about the Sabbath from the Creation of the World to the destruction of the Temple which comprehended the full time of 4000 years and upwards in the opinion of the most and best Chronologers Now for five parts of eight of the time computed from the Creation to the Law being in all 2540 yeares and somwhat more there was no Sabbath knowne at all And for the fifteene hundred being the remainder it was not so observed by the Iewes themselves as if it had been any part of the Law of Nature but sometimes kept and sometimes broken either according as mens private businesses or the affaires of the republicke would give way unto it Never such conscience made thereof as of adultery murder blasphemy or idolatrie no not when as the Scribes and Pharisees had most made it burdensome there being many casus reservati wherein they could dispense with the fourth Commandement though not with any of the other Had they beene all alike equally natural moral as it is conceived they had been all alike observed all alike immutable no jot nor syllable of that law which was ingraft by nature in the soule of man being to fall unto the ground Luk 16. 17. till heaven and earth shall passe away and decay together till the whole frame of Nature for preservation of the which that Law was given be dissolved for ever The Abrogation of the Sabbath which before we spake of shews plainly that it was no part of the Morall law or Law of Nature there being no law naturall Contr. Marc. l. 2 which is not perpetuall Tertullian takes it for confest or at least makes it plaine and evident Temporale fuisse mandatum quod quandâ—que cessaret that it was onely a temporarie constitution which was in time to have an end c. 16. And after him Procopius Gazâ—eus in his notes on Exodus layes downe two severall sorts of laws whereof some were to be perpetuall and some were not of which last sort were Circumcision and the Sabbath Quae dâ—raverunt usque in adventum Christi which lasted till our Saviours comming and he being come Iâ— Col. 2 16. went out insensiblie of themselues For as S. Ambrose rightly tels us Absente imperatore imagâ— ejus habet autoritatem praesente non habet c. What time the Emperour is absent we give some honour to his State or representation but none at all when he is present And so saith he the Sabbaths and new-moones and the other festivals before our Saviours comming had a time of honour during the which they were observed but he being present once they became neglected But heâ—eof wee have spoke more fully in our former booke 2 Neglected not at once and upon the sudden but leasurely and by degrees There were preparatives unto the sabbath as before we shewed before it was proclaimed as a Law by Moses and there were some preparatives required before that law of Moses was to be repealed These we shall easiliest discover if we shall please to looke on our Saviours actions who gave the first hint unto his disciples for the abolishing of the sabbath amongst other ceremonies It 's true that he did frequently repaire unto the synagogues on the sabbath dayes and on those dayes did frequently both reade and expound the Law unto the people Luk. 4. 16. And he came to Nazareth saith the Text where he had beene brought up and as his custome was he went into the Synagogue on the sabbath day and stood up to reade It was his custome so to do both when he lived a private life to frequent the Synagogue that other men might do the like by his good example and after when he undertooke the ministerie to expound the Law unto them there that they might be the better by his good instructions Yet did not be conceive that teaching or expounding the word of God was annexed onely to the Synagogue or to the sabbath That most divine and heavenly Sermon which takes up three whole Chapters of S. Matthews Gospell was questionlesse a weeke dayes worke and so were most of those delivered to us in S. Iohn as also that which he did preach unto them from the ship-side and divers others Nay the text tells us Luk 8. 1. that he went through every Citie and Village preaching and shewing the glad tydings of God Too great a
Christian people For speaking how the Sabbath was accounted holy in the former times and that the Iewes resting thereon from all manner of worke did onely give themselves to meditation and to feasting Hâ—mil 18. â—ost Peâ—ta he addes cujus observationem mos Christianus ad diem dominicum competentius transtulit Where plainely mos Christianus doth imply no precept no order or command from the Apostles that it should be so and much lesse any precept in the Old Testament which should still oblige And sure I am Rabanus Maurus speakes onely as by way of exhortation as not armed with any warrant from the Apostles or other argumeâ—t from Scripture Homil. iâ— dieb dom Where hee adviseth us a vespera diei Sabbati usque ad vesperam diei dominici sequestrati a rurali opere omni negotio solo divino cultui vacemus Where no man will presume to say that either rest from husbandry and such other businesse or the beginning of the Lords day on the Eve before were introduced by any precept of the Apostles considering how long it waâ— before either of them had bin used in the Christian Church And so Hesychius Bishop of Hierusalem In Levit. lib. 2. cap. who flourished at the selfe same time with Isidore speakes of it onely as a custome or a matter of fact descending by tradition from the Apostles Apostolorum sequentes traditionem diem dominicum conventihus divinis sequestramus which was the most that he could say for the originall thereof indeede who could more Etymolog l. 6. c. 18. And as for Isidore himselfe whom the others followed its cleare that they esteemed the Lords day for no other then a common holiday by farre inferiour unto Easter Pascha festivitatum omniuâ— prima est Then followeth Pentecost Epiphanie Palme-sunday Maundie-thursday and in the last place Dies daminicus the Lords day Which questionlesse he had not placed in so low a roome had he conceived it instituted by any precept or injunction of those blessed Spirits So in a Councell held at Paris Anno 829. it was determined positively that keeping of the Lords day had no other ground then custome onely and that this custome did descend ex Apostolorum traditione immo ecclesiae autoritate at most from Apostolicall tradition but indeede rather from the authority of holy Church And whereas Courts of Law or Law dayes had formerly beene prohibited on this day that so men might in peace and concord goe to Church together the severall Councells that of Friburg Anno 895. and that of Erpford Anno 932. though then the times were at the darkest ascribe it not to any Law or Text of Scripture but onely to the antient Canons Secundâ—ugrave m sanctorum statuta patrum saith the first Can. 26. Secundâ—ugrave m Canonicam institutionem saith the second Cap. 2. And howsoever some have sayd that Alexander Pope of Rome of that name the third referres the keeping of the Lords day to divine commandement yet they that looke upon him well can find no such matter He saith indeed that both the Old and New Testament depute the seventh day unto rest but for the keeping of it holy both that and other dayes appointed for Gods publicke service ecclesia decreverit observanda that he ascribes alone to the Churches order Deâ—ret l. 2. tit 9. de ferijs cap. 3. The like may be affirmed also of restraint from labour that it is grounded onely on the authority of the Church and Christian Princes how ever in some Regall and Imperiall Edicts there be some shew or colour added from the Law of God 5 I say some shew or colour added from the Law of God For as before I sayd it is not utterly impossible but that those Princes might make use of some pretence or shew of Scripture the better to incline the people to yeeld obedience unto those restraints which were layd upon them The Synod held at Mascon and that in Auxerre both before remembred expresly had prohibited all workes of husbandry on this day the former having added for inforcing of it not onely Ecclesiasticall censures but corporall and civillâ— punishments But yet this was not found enough to weane the people from their workes their ordinary labours used before upon that day and it is no marvaile The Iewes were hardly brought unto it though they had heard God thundring from the holy mountaine that they should doe no manner of worke upon their Sabbath It being added thereunto that whosoever should offend therein he should dye the death And certainely it was very long before either Prince or Prelate or both joyned together with all their power and policie could prevaile upon them either to lay aside their labours or forbeare their Law dayes as may appeare by many severall Edicts of Emperours decrees of Popes and Canons of particular Councells Can 18. which have successively beene made in restraint thereof The Synod of Chalons Anno 662. wherein were 44. Bishops and amongst them S. Owen Arch-Bishop of Roane concluded as had beene before non nova condentes sed vetera renovantes that on the Lords day no man should presume to sow or plough or reape vel quicquid ad ruris culturam pertinet or deale in any thing that belonged to husbandry and this on paine of Ecclesiasticall censure and correction But when this did no good Clothaire the third of France for he I thinke it was who set out that Law beginning with the word of God and ending with a threate of severe chastisement Leg. Alâ—maâ— tit 39. ap Brissoâ— doth command the same Die dominico nemo servilia opera praesumat facere quia hoc lex prohibet sacra Scriptura in omnibus contradicit as before was sayd If any doe offend herein in case he bee a bondman let him bee soundly bastinadoed in case a freeman let him be thrice admonished of it if he offend againe the third part of his patrimony was to be confiscated and finally if that prevailed not he was to be convented before the Governour and made a bondslave So for the Realme of Germany a Councell held at Dingulofinum in the lower Bavaria Anno. 772. did determine thus Festo die Solis ocio divino intentus prophanis negotijs abstineto upon the Sunday so they call it let every man abstaine from prophane employments and be intent upon Gods worship If any man shall worke his Cart this day or busie himselfe in any such like worke jumenta ejus publica sunto his Teeme shall presently bee forfeited to the publicke use And if stubbornely they persist to provoke Gods anger be they sold for Bond-men Hist. l. 3. So Aventine reports the Canon And somewhat like to this was ordered by Theodorius king of the Bavarians Ap. Brisson ut supra viz. Si quis die dominico c. If any man upon the Lords day shall yoake his Oxen and drive forth his waine dextrum bovem perdat his right
the weeke where in the people should come together and have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits and to render him thankes for them as apperteineth to loving kinde and obedient people This example and Commandement of God the godly Christian people beganne to follow immediatly after the Ascension of our Lord Christ and beganne to choose them a standing day of the weeke to come together in yet not the seaventh day which the Iewes kept but the Lords day the day of the Lords resurrection the day after the seaventh day which is the first day of the weeke c. Sithence which time Gods people hath alwayes in all Ages without any gainsaying used to come together on the Sunday to celebrate and honour the Lords blessed Name and carefully to keep that day in holy rest and quietnesse both man and woman childe servant and stranger So farre the Homilie and this is all thereof which is doctrinall The residue consists in reprehension of two sorts of men one of the which if they had any businesse to doe though there were no extreme neede would not spare the Sunday but used all dayes alike the holy dayes and worke-dayes all as one the other so consumed the day in gluttony and drunkennesse and such fleshly filthinesse that as it is there said the Lord was more dishonoured and the Devill better served on the Sunday then upon all the dayes in the weeke besides 6 This saith the Homily and this hath often beene alleaged as well to prove a Lords day Sabbath to bee allowed of by the doctrine of the Church of England as at this present time to iustifie the disobedience of those men who have refused to publish the Princes pleasure in point of recreations But this if well examined will as little helpe them as Lord have mercy upon us in the Common Prayer booke For first it is here said that there is no more of the fourth Commandement to bee retained and kept of good Christian people then whatsoeuer is found in it appertaining to the law of Nature But wee have proved before that there is nothing in the fourth Commandement of the law of Nature but that some time be set apart for Gods publick service the precept so farre forth as it enjoynes one day in seaven or the seaventh day precisely from the worlds creation being avowed for ceremoniall by all kinde of writers Secondly it is said not that the Lords day was enjoyned by Divine authority either by Christ himselfe or his Apostles but chosen for a standing day to come together in by godly Christian people immediately after the Ascension of our Lord Christ If chose by them then not enjoyned by the Apostles if not till after the Ascension of our Saviour Christ then not at all by him commanded Thirdly whereas they chose themselves a standing day in the weeke to come together in they did not this by any obligation layed upon them by the fourth Commandement but onely by a voluntary following of Gods example and the analogie or equity of Gods Commandement which was they doe not say which is that hee would have amongst the â—ewes a solemne time and standing day in the weeke wherein the people should have in remembrance his wonderfull benefits and render thanks to him for the same For it is said that this example and commandement of God the godly Christian people beganne to follow after Christs ascension so that it seemes they might have chosen whether they would have followed them or not Fourthly when they had chose this day which wee now observe for their publicke meetings they did not thinke themselves obliged by the fourth Commandement to forbeare worke and labour in time of great necessity or to the precife keeping of the same after the manner of the Iewes both which they must have done had they conceived the keeping of one day in seaven to be the morall part of the fourth Commandement and to oblige us now no lesâ—e then it did them formerly as some men have taught us Now whereas some have drawne from hence these two Conclusions First that according to this Homilie we ought to keepe one day in â—eaven by the fourth Commandâ—ment and secondly that we must spend it wholy in religious exercises I would faine know how those conclusions can be raised from the former premisses It 's true the Homilie hath told us that by the fourth Commandment we ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein wee ought to rest from our needfull works Where note that there it is not said that by the fourth Commandement wee ought to have one day in the weeke which is plaine and peremtory but that wee ought to have a time as one day in the weeke which was plainely arbitrary A time wee ought to have by the fourth Commandement as being that part of 〈◊〉 which perteines to the law of Nature but for the next words as one day in the weeke they are not there layd downe as imposed on us by the law but onely instanced in as setled at that time in the Church of God So where it is affirmed in another place that Gods will and commandement was to have a solemne time and standing day in the weeke wee grant indeed that so it was and that the Godly Christian people in the Primitive times were easily induced to give God no lesse then what hee formerly commanded But had the meaning of the Homilie beene this that wee were bound to have a standing day in the weeke by the fourth Commandement they would have plainely said it is Gods will and pleasure that it should bee so and not have told us what it was in the times before It s true the Homilie hath told us that wee should rest our selves on Sunday from our common businesse and also give our selves wholie to heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service Where note it is not said that wee should spend the day wholly in heavenly exercises for then there were no time allowed us to eate and drinke which are meere naturall employments but that wee give our selves wholly that is our whole selves body and soule to that performance of those heavenly exercises which are required of us in the way of true religion and Gods publike service It is accounted as wee have formerly made plaine In Exod. 20. qu. 11. to bee the ceremoniall part of the fourth Commandement quod fiat semel in qualibâ—t hebdâ—mada quod fiat in una die tota ista observatio quod per totam diem abstineatur ab operibus servilibus first the determining of the day to bee one in seven next that this one day wholly be so employed and last of all that all that day there bee an absolute cessation from all serviâ—e workes Therfore the spending wholly of one day in seven being ceremoniall comes not within the compasse of the Homilie which would have no more of the fourth Commandement to bee kept amongst us then