it must needs be a greater sinne if that through their negligence they do not sanctifie and keepe holy the day of rest They ought not to leaue it to their discretion as a thing indifferent but compell them thereunto So that here the Lord God doth require that in al places there should be such good lawes and orders publikely in the Common-wealth and priuatly in mens houses established and diligently executed as whereby not only the rulers but also all in subiection should be compelled to sanctifie the Lords day and that they should bee sure that they doe it indeede And as he must not leaue it indifferent to them to choose whether they will work or rest and so thinke it sufficient that they doe not lay any work vpon them so it is not enough that they hinder them not from seruing God vpon that day vnlesse they procure all the meanes vnto them whereby God might bee worshipped of them and see that they worship God in them as well as themselues Therefore the Masters of families must prouide as much as lyeth in them that the word be publikely preached where they dwell not for themselues alone but for their children and seruants sake that they might keepe holie the day together with them and they must not onely come themselues to the place of common prayer and diuine seruice but bring these also with them and so spend the rest of the day in all priuat godly exercises themselues and cause others to doe so also And here least this might seeme too heauie vnto vs and that it might not bee grieuous to take so great a charge vpon vs wee must remember that as wee haue great help by our inferiours in many things so the Lord would haue vs to helpe them in the chiefe and principal and as he hath made them our seruants so wee should make them his seruants and when they haue serued vs sixe daies wee might cause them to serue him vpon the seuenth and as the Lord hath preferred vs aboue them with their seruice so he would hūble vs with this charge and care ouer them or rather exalt vs in that hee would haue vs to be as it were the ouerseers of his worke not onely serue him our selues but also see his seruice done by others committed to our charge which if wee doe not wherein shal the Christian gouernours of housholds differ from the Infidels and Heathen and what greater thing shall we doe for our seruants then they Nay what shall we doe more for them then for the bruit beasts and cattell that worke vnder vs to whom wee giue rest and ease from labour vpon the Sabbath if we cause them not to sanctifie the day of rest in which they shall differ from all other not onely beasts but men And this is the meaning of that lawe which Moses gaue to the Israelites Deut. 11.20 commanding them to write the word of God vpon the posts of their houses and vpon their gates whereby all vnder gouernment were taught what should be required of them so long as they liued in those houses namely to serue God So haue the seruants of God done in time past in their seuerall families and all gouernours were taught what especially to looke after in all them that went in and out of their gates and liued vnder the roofe of their houses euen to serue the Lord in all parts of his worship for which end he hath giuen them such authoritie ouer them According to which Commandement the worthie Captaine of Gods people Iehoshua made this protestation before all the Elders of Israel a little before his death exhorting them to doe the like Iosh 24.15 I and mine house will serue the Lord. Promising not onely for himselfe but for all his which though it was hard to doe yet because he knew how many meanes the Lord had giuen him to bring it to passe which also God would blesse as all godly exhortations admonitions and chastisements whereby if they did not profit he had authoritie to thrust them out of his house and to rid himselfe of them all which he was purposed to put in practise therefore he was bolde thus to speake of himselfe thereby shewing what all men should propound to themselues and may attaine vnto The like whereof Dauid speaketh of himselfe in that worthie Psalme 101. which is left as a paterne for all Christian gouernours to rule by wherein he sheweth how he would rule not onely himselfe but his houshold nay the whole kingdome by hauing an eye to thē that were good to reward thē and to thē that were bad to punish them that so not only himselfe but all his might serue the Lord. After the same manner in the time of the captiuitie when the noble Queene Hester willed all the dispersed Iewes to keepe holie three dayes together in fasting and prayer that so they might intreate the Lord for that finall destruction and vtter rasing of them out which Haman the cursed Amalekite and sworne enemy of Gods people had determined to bring vpon them speedilie that it I say might be preuented in time she sayd that she and her maydes would doe the like Hest 4.16 Whereby no doubt she insinuated vnto them that in euery houshold her meaning was that it should bee thorowly kept on all sides not onely the rulers and some fewe but all others euen vnto the maidseruants Now this is that which we haue seene heretofore that the Sabbath and the day of fast are both of one nature and it is that which the word doth sufficiently beare witnesse vnto therefore if this hath been the practise of the Church vpon that day to fast not onely of the chiefe alone but with their families then must wee needes bee perswaded that vpon the Lords day we ought our selues and our housholds to serue the Lord and to say with Ioshua I and mine house will serue the Lord and with Hester I and my seruants will doe the like And how could that haue been verified of the religious Captaine Cornelius which is written of him Acts. 10.2 that he was a deuout man and one that feared God with all his houshold vnlesse he had not onely frequented the common assemblies vpon the Sabbath dayes but had also acquainted his seruants therewith Therefore as the Lord himselfe speaketh of Abraham Gen. 18.19 who is the father of all beleeuers I know that he will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnes and iudgement that the Lord may bring vpon Abraham that he hath spoken vnto him So it must bee practised of all them that will be children of this faithfull Abraham and enioy the same promises that he and his posteritie did euen that they cause their children and their seruants to keepe holie the Sabbath wherein consisteth the true worship of the Lord that so they might walke in that way which hath
day wherein the redemption and the second and the newe world was ended Euen as not only Iustine Martyr doth ioyne both these together when hee sheweth that in his time the Church did publikely meet vpon this day Iustin. Mart. Apolog. 2. doth because it was the first day wherin God beganne to make the world and also because vpon that day Iesus Christ our Sauiour did rise froÌ„ the dead but also Saint Augustine speaking many excellent things in the commendation of this day August de teÌ„p serm 251. ioyneth these together It is apparant that this day is famous in the scriptures seeing it was the first day of the world and the day of Christs resurrection And so the memory of the one doth not put out the glory of the other but being added vnto it as a further honour doth increase the dignitie of it so much the more euen as Iacob was more renowmed of God when he was also called Israell Gen. 32.28 Thus we doe conclude this matter in one word that this very day which the Church obserueth in all places is that which must endure to the end of the world as hauing his authoritie not from man but from God himselfe and is that very day which is now commended vnto vs in the commandement And now all these things being thus premised which of necessitie must first haue beene spoken of the order and time and my purpose requireth that I should according to your expectation proceede in the wordes of the coÌ„mandement it selfe as it was first pronounced by the Lord froÌ„ heaueÌ„ after written by Moses in the 20. chap. of Exodus ver 8. Diuision of the text into the commandement and the reasons of it Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy c. to the ende of the 11. verse In all which words we haue two principall things to consider of the first is the commandement it selfe in the 8. verse the other is the reasons which are vsed to persuade men vnto the obedience of it in the other three verses Concerning the commandement it selfe as it consisteth of two wordes as it were so in the true vnderstanding of them two consisteth the whole meaning of the commandment The first is the Sabbath day or day of rest which wee are willed to remember the second is the sanctification of the Sabbaâ—h or keeping holy the day of rest which we are willed to be carefull of The Sabbath day As by it is noted out one speciall day namely the seuenth as it is afterwards declared The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God yet because it hath the name of the nature of it for it is so called because of the rest that is proper vnto it it doth shew vnto vs The first thing in the commaÌ„dement is to rest vpon the seuenth day what is the first thing required in this commandement namely that vpon the seuenth day we should rest for the Sabbath day in the first tongue wherein it was pronounced and written signifieth as much as the day of rest yet so as that in the beginning it was the proper name of the seuenth day because there were no other dayes of rest appointed by God but onely that But afterwardes when the Lorde gaue vnto the Iewes the ceremoniall law hee appointed also vnto them certaine other daies in the yeare as appeareth in the bookes of Moses and is well knowne vnto men in which he commanded them to rest and to keepe them holy therefore they hauing the nature of the first and onely Sabbath are called in the scriptures Sabbath daies as the yearely day of purifiyng and clensing the people as it is set downe in Leuiticus Leuit. 13.31 is called a Sabbath because that in it they were commanded to doe as vpon the Sabbath according as it is written The tenth day of the seuenth month you shall humble your soules and doe no worke at all this shall bee a Sabbath of Rest vnto you And so the first and last day of euery other feast had the same name because it was of the same nature whereunto the Apostle hath respect Colos 2.16 Let no man therefore condenme you in meate and drink or in respect of an holyday or of the newe Moone of the Sabbaths speaking of many in the plural number where hee proueth that Christ hath set vs free from all the ceremonies of the Iewes and that they are in no wise to be a dioyned vnto the Gospell in so much that we are not bound to that distinction of meates and daies that they were no not of the Sabbath daies neither to keepe that one which we do in that manner and to that end that they did in euery point neither to keepe the other Sabbath dayes at all which they had Thus generally the name of Sabbath was giuen vnto euery day of rest but principall and in it owne nature it noted out that Sabbath day which was the seuenth and more improperly by a tropicall speech that was made common to all the other But yet so as that alwaies the name did declare the nature of it and doth shewe vnto as that the Lords requireth of vs that vpon that day wee should rest indeede For though it bee not alwaies true among men who may be deceiued that the things which they name haue those properties in them which their names doe import as when Dauid named his sonne Absalom he was nothing lesse then his fathers peace yet when the lord giueth names vnto things who fully knoweth what is the nature of euery thing and maketh it to bee that which hee calleth it it is alwaies true that the name is not frustrate and idle making a shewe of more then the thing can affoord and therefore as when he named the child that should be borne of the Virgin Mary Iesus he made him a Sauiour indeede according to his name so when he called the seuenth day a Sabbath day he willed and commanded that men shoul rest vpon it and that men can no more take away rest from it then they may alter and change the name of it And that there ought to be a most notable and singular rest vpon this day A very exact and precise rest must then be kept and that it should be nothing els but a day of rest and though men may rest vpon the other sixe daies for their benefite and good yet that the rest vpon this must be a most carefull exact and precise rest after an other manner then men for the most part doe performe it appeareth very plainly in the scripture where besides the manifold Commandements of keeping the Sabbath which is a day of rest this very thing is so particularly and so often and in such expresse words vrged and repeated that men should then rest As Exod. 16. Exod. 16.23 when he would perswade the people to rest vpon the seuenth day from gathering and preparing Manna he telleth them
haue done amisse in this we shall not be able to abide it or to answer one worde for a thousand so great cause haue wee to be humbled before God and to repent vs not onely for our sinnes generallie but particularlie for breaking the Sabbath that so we might see how greatlie we do stand in neede of Christ Iesus without whom we should haue perished so many thousand times and how vnspeakable the loue of God is towards vs in him in deliuering from so endlesse miserie so many times deserued by the testimonie of our owne conscience more by the iudgement of him who is greater then our conscience 1. Iohn 3.20 and knoweth all things And thus we truely vnderstanding and rightly applying the lawe it shall be indeed as it is most properlie called our schoolemaster vnto Christ Gal. 3.24 that wee might bee made righteous by faith and leade vs by the hand vnto our Sauiour when it letteth vs set as in a glasse how in our selues we are more then lost and that none can saue vs but onely he who is truelie called Matth. 1.21 Iesus because hee saueth his people from their sinnes Of whose saluation then may we bee assured that we are truelie partakers when besides the perswasion of the forgiuenes of our sinnes we haue power from him to dye vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnes as well in this commandement as in any other seeing that he hath not onely borne the punishment of sinne but also tooke it away and as he became a sacrifice for sinne 1. Iohn 3.8 Ephes 4.8 Coloss 2.15 so he came to destroy the workes of the diuell and hauing ascended vp on high hath led captiuitie captiue and spoyled the prince of darkenes who is throwne out and hath giuen rich giftes vnto men not onely vnto his church generallie but particularlie to euery member of the same so that now if any man be in Chrst Iesus he is a new creature 2. Cor. 5.17 and he himselfe now liueth no more but Christ Iesus liueth in him Galat. 2.20 But if we be the olde men wee had wont to bee and bee no more carefull to obserue the rest of the sabbath then we haue been in times past then are we not as yet partakers of the benefite of Christ and so are vnder the curse of the lawe which one daye will sease vpon vs to our endlesse confusion 2. Pet. 1.10 Therefore let vs labour to make sure our election and calling by Gods workes and let vs striue to be perswaded that the Lord hath passed ouer the faultes of our youth wherby we haue infinitelie broken the holy rest of the Sabbath in thought worde and deed in the blindenes of poperie and light of the Gospell openlie and secretlie at home and abroad alone by our selues and with others and that the Lord hath receiued the sacrifice of his sonne as a ful recompence for them by that same second grace which wee haue receiued from the strength of his sacrifice that we doe giue our selues whollie to serue him in all holy obedience vnto this commandement more carefullie in all time to come and that by his grace wee are inabled thereunto and to desire continually to growe in it all which wee know can come from none other then from him who hath obtained it of his father for vs. And thus the lawe shall keepe vs also with Christ that we fall not away from him when it teacheth vs daylie to growe in humilitie for our sinnes past and maketh vs to be carefull of dueties to come Phil. 2.12 labouring to finish out our saluation in feare and in trembling The second booke declaring the seuerall parts of Gods worship whereby we ought publikely and priuately to sanctifie and keepe holy the Lords Day with other and by our selues Deut. 5.12 Keepe the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee 13. Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and doe all thy worke 14. But the seuenth day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God thou shalt not do any worke therein thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter nor thy manseruant nor thy mayde nor thine oxe nor thine asse neither any of thy cattell nor the stranger that is within thy gates that thy manseruant and thy mayde may rest as well as thou 15. For remember that thou wast a seruant in the landâ— of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and a stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabbath day THe second and last part of this Commandement is The second part of the Commandement is to sanctifie the daye of Rest that wee carefullie spend the day of Rest vpon the holy seruice of God alone which though it be last in order yet is the chiefe and principall thing in the Commandement and that whereunto the ceasing from labour is to be referred and without which the other is vnperfect and as it were a shadowe without the bodie Which that it is so indeede do appeareth by the very wordes of the Lord and the order of them pronounced from heauen as we haue alreadie seene Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy which also Moses preciselie commandeth in repeating the Law to the Israelites before his death Deut. 5.12 Obserue the Sabbath day to sanctifie it â—s the Lord thy God hath commanded thee which daye wee are then rightlie said to sanctifie or keepe holy when we bestowe it vpon the seruice of God which is most holy and so by making it proper vnto that which is holy both we and the daye are hallowed thereby Iohn 10.36 Zanc. de tribus Eloh pan 2. lib. 3. cap. 9. That great learned man Master Zanchius the diuinitie reader at Heidelberge entreating vpon that place of Iohn whom the father hath sanctified saith that to be sanctified signifieth to bee consecrated vnto God and to bee put apart from other things vnto an holy vse and so is God said to haue sanctified vnto himselfe the Sabbath daye that is to haue selected it from the other dayes and to haue consecrated it to himselfe And this significatioÌ„ is very common in the scripture wherupon the people also of God are said to be sanctified vnto God and in this sense Christ taketh where when he saith that he was sanctified of the father for he alone of all the three persons and of all other creatures was ordained vnto the office of the mediator and to be the head of the Church euen before he tooke vpon him our flesh Chrysost in Gen. 2. Homil. 10. Whereunto agreeth that of Chrysostome Quid est What is the meaning of this He hath sanctified it he hath distinguished it from other dayes and we see to what end For as M. Bullinger saith God hath sanctified the Sabbath not that one day in it owne nature Bulling in Rom. 14.5 is better then another or because he delighteth
teach vs that these are the meanes to sanctifie it by and that they are proper vnto the day Now though prayer be not here named yet we are to presume that neither the word nor sacraments were ministred withouth it seeing the fruite of both dependeth vpon the blessing of God which is obtained by prayer and seeing that in other places they are ioyned together And that the ministrie of the word is so vnseparably ioyned to the Sabbath and hath alwaies beene further appeareth by that which is most plainely in many words set downe in the 13. Acts 13.14 chapter of the same storie where it is thus written When Paul and Barnabas departed from Perga they came to Antiochia a citie of Pisidia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabbath day and sate downe 15. And after the lecture of the law and Prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent vnto them saying Ye men and brethren if yee haue any worde of exhortation for the people say on 16. Then Paul stood vp and beckened with the hande and sayd Men of Israell c. as followeth in that chapter to the 42. verse where againe it is written that when they were come out of the Synagogue of the Iewes the Gentiles besought that they would preach these wordes to them the next Sabbath day 44. And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole citie to heare the world of GOD which words doe sufficiently shew that it hath alwaies beene diligently obserued of the Church to sanctifie the Sabbath day in the publike reading and preaching of the word as in the most singular part of Gods seruice For Paul came and founde the Church alreadie met together vpon the Sabbath and reading the lawe and the Prophets and then was desired to preach and afterwards being desired to preach againe they came and heard him vpon the Sabbath And in the 15. chapter wee haue heard alreadie That Moses hath of old time Acts 15.21 in euery citie them that preach him seeing he is read euery Sabbath day in the Synagogues Besides that which is written of Paul in the 17. Chap 17.1.2.3 chapter that he comming to Thessalonica where was a Synagogue of the Iewes as his manner was went in vnto them and three Sabbath daies disputed with them by the scriptures opening and alledging that Christ must haue suffered and risen againe from the dead and this is Iesus Christ whom sayd he I preach vnto you But it were an endlesse labour though profitable in order to reckon vp all the seuerall places which shewe that these are the holy works of the Sabbath which the Lord requiteth all men to bee occupied in if they will sanctifie the day according to his commandement and as the practise of the Church giueth vs example And vpon these considerations it seemeth it was enacted in a councell held in Germanie vnder Charles the great for the maintaining of the publike preaching euery Lords day Concil Mogūt cap. 25. that Si forte Episcopus If the Bishop be not at home or be sicke or vpon any other vrgent cause be not able himselfe Nunquam tamen desit diebus Dominicis qui verbum Dei praedicet Yet let it bee so prouided that there neuer want one to preach the worde of God vnto the people on the Lords daies Phil. Melanct. in praecept 3. Master Melancthon reckoning vp many parts of sanctifying the Sabbath sayth Piè fungi ministerio where he makes this not onely one but the principall thing for a man well to discharge his ministerie in which answer he includeth the preaching of the word because a little before he sayth that the Prophets when they lament the desolation of the Sabbath they complaine Abolitum esse ministerium docendi That the ministerie of teaching was abolished and that the priests lips did not keepe knowledge But as themselues say they were dumme dogs and delighted in sleeping Bucer in Mat. 12.11 And Master Bucer in this argument writing of the practise of that Church wherein himselfe liued sayth Dominicis diebus in singulis Parochijs ad minimum duae si non tres habentur conciones Vpon the Lords dayes in euery parish there are two sermons at the least if not three Which also as it may be truely sayd of a great number of Churches in England for the space of these many yeares vnder the most happy raigne of her maiestie to the great glory of God her singular renowne and the saluation of many soules so in that respect we are to bow our knees vnto God day and night for the preseruation of her royal maiestie that it may be so by her meanes for euer as also that in those places where it is yet wanting it might be brought in in Gods most blessed time if our vnthankfulnes doe not hinder vs euen as that zealous and good King Iehosaphat could not doe all things in his time that he would for the reformation of the Church because the people then had not prepared their hearts to serue the GOD of their fathers 2. Chron. 20.33 Therefore to be short let vs looke vnto that which is in the chapter immediatly following Chap. 18.4 That Paul abiding at Corinth disputed in the Synagogue euery Sabbath day and exhorted the Iewes and the Grecians Here the holy Ghost witnesseth of him that hee did openly teach the scriptures euery Sabbath day and in the forenamed place that it was his manner so to doe then it must needs be the custome of the Church to come to the publike ministrie of the word vpon those dayes Al men ought to resort to those places where the word is preached and it must be a common manner with them which is spoken to this end that we might not be of that brutish mind that some are of that know no other thing to do vpon the Sabbath but to rest and take their ease and therfore lye many times at home sleeping most prophanely and so their oxe and their asse in ceasing from their worke keepe as good a Sabbath as they neither to be so ignorant as others are who content thēselues with their owne priuate readings at home or with the bare reading of the word in the Church neglecting the preaching of it not labouring to procure it to themselues nor repairing to those places in the meane season where it is though it be the chiefest part of Gods seruice and therefore the most especiall meanes whereby the Sabbath is sanctified and without the which all other things in the seruice of God are lesse accepted of God and more vnprofitable to our owne selues Therefore how many places of scripture haue wee seene before commanding vs so straightly to sanctifie the Sabbath so many are there binding all men of what estate and cōdition soeuer to listen after the preaching of the word and to be at it euery Sabbath if they haue any care to discharge themselues of that obedience vnto God which he
himselfe 2. Cor. 9.6 and so hee that soweth plentifully shall reape plentifully Besides all this then are we made partakers of the sacraments wherin the Lord offereth his sonne Iesus Christ crucified vnto vs with all the merits of his death by whō we are made heyres of the whole world and there hee giueth vs libertie to aske of him whatsoeuer wee want and hath promised to giue it vs 1. Ioh. 5.14 when we pray in the name of his sonne according to his will Seeing then we haue so many things in possession and so many more in hope right which as it is alwaies so by faith so we see it most cleerely when by thus many meanes it is testified vnto vs therefore as they that doe come from a rich spoyle doe send gifts to their friends in token of ioy and plenty as Dauid in the spoyle of the Amalekites 1. Sam. 30.26 so the Lorde would haue vs to witnesse vnto the others the ioye that wee haue in his fauour the riches of our inheritance which we possesse already by faith and hope in the end to come vnto as by many other meanes so especially by our liberality to others for his sake whom he to that ende offereth vnto vs as it is sayd Iohn 12.8 The poore yee shall haue alwaies with you Thus after the returne out of captiuitie when Ezra the Priest did vpon the first day of the moneth which was a Sabbath reade and expound the lawe of GOD to the whole congregation of the Iewes for the knowledge of which he exhorted them to bee thankfull among other things he willeth them to haue a care of the poore So eate of the fat Nehem. 8.10 and drinke the sweete and send part vnto them for whom none is prepared for this day is holy vnto our lord Iustine Martyr speaking of the order of Christians vpon the Lords day in his time among other things sayth Conferuntur eleemosynae Iustin Martyr Apolog. 2. Almes is giuen according to the discretion of euery man for the reliefe of the poore the fatherlesse the sicke and those that are banished but herein they obserued this order as it is sayd there that it being giuen vnto the custodie of one it was afterwards distributed according to discretion Bucer in Mat. 12.11 And Bucer amongst other dueties to bee performed vpon this day sayth wee ought Conferre in pauperes to prouide for the poore And indeede if men will not be liberall then when they haue so many meanes to drawe them vnto it what hope can we haue that they will bee so at other times when they shall haue none of them Therefore men may say what they will that they doe thus and thus bestow at home but who will beleeue them when they doe finde them so straight handed then when the Lorde doth offer so much vnto them that they might bee more able cheerefully to shew mercy vnto others Therefore though I cannot like of the disordered gathering for the poore that is in many places where in the time of diuine seruice you shall see men go vp and down asking receiuing changing and bestowing of money wherein many times you shall haue them so disagree that they are louder then the minister and the rest stand looking and listning vnto them leauing the worship of God as though it did not concerne them and thus all is confused So yet I am persuaded that this is tire fittest time to make this prouision and I presume that it is not the meaning of our godly wise rulers in the Church and common wealth who are abused herein that any such thing should bee done but that the gathering being made at some other time of the day they might haue it in readines before hand to bestowe at the end of seruice vpon the needie according to their discretion or generally to take some good order that God might bee best serued our brethren relieued and no man iustly offended But wee may say of this thing as the Papists doe of the priuate Masse which they cannot defend that the iniquitie of the people brought it in For when men thorowen couetousnes would not followe the rule of the Apostle 1. Cor. 16.2 to put some thing apart for the poore as they should finde God had blessed them and so bring that with them and haue it in a readines being perswaded that it is a dutie 2. Cor. 9 7. which God requireth of them and so doe it cheerefully as vnto him who hath promised to reward it but it being left to their discretion they haue shifted it off as they might and whē diuine seruice was ended and now nothing more was to bee done in the Church but that they would not carrie it then the collectors for the poore were compelled to take them there in the middest of Gods seruice when for very shame by starting they could not refuse But from the beginning it was not so and seeing God is not the author of confusion 1. Cor. 14.33 40 all things in the Church must be done honestly and in good order And these are the common and publike dueties which are to be performed in the assemblies of the people and which cannot be done but where there is a visible church established How wee ought priuatly to spend the rest of the day when the publike assemblies are dissolued which hath her ordinarie meetings which where it is yet they continue not together the whole day neither can nor indeede is it required of them and yet the whole day must bee hallowed as we haue seene in part and it shall more fully appeare vnto vs here after For God sanctified from the beginning the seuenth day Concil Turon cap. 40. not a parcell of it onely and in the Councel of Turon it was decreed that they should rest from all worke and be occupied in praysing Gods name vsque ad vesperam even vnto the euening Concil Paris cap. 1. And in the Councel of Paris they say Let your eyes and hands be lifted vp vnto God toto illo die August de tēp serm 251. all that day For as S. Augustine very well sayth Wee must not thinke that a little peece of that day is sufficient for Gods seruice and all the rest we may bestow at our pleasures For as we haue seene before therefore are they called the Lords Sabbaths and in the new Testament the Lords dayes because they are wholie to be imployed in his seruice And therefore Master Caluin very excellently sayth Caluin vpon Deut. 5. ser 34. Let vs knowe that the Sunday is not ordained for vs onely to come to the sermon but to the end wee might imploy the rest of the time to laude and praise God For as one as one very learnedly obserueth It is not simply sayd Muscul praecept 4. Remember the Sabbath but the Sabbath day and not the things of the day but the day it selfe And
as hauing the light of it shining more cleerely within vs for the preseruation of the societie of mankinde in Common-wealths as Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adulterie Thou shalt not steale c. yet in the first table in which we are as blind as beetles euery Commandement hath some reason annexed vnto it As in the first The first Commandement hath one reâ—son ioyned to it I the Lord am thy God which brought thee out of c. Where because of that mercifull Couenant that he hath made with vs to blesse vs in all things eternally which as he first made it in Christ so he confirmed it in our miraculous Redemption wrought by him whereof the deliuerance out of Egypt was a type and figure therefore he requireth that wee should serue him with all that wee haue and none but him and so that we should take him only to be our God And the third Commandement one In the third Commandement there is one reason vsed namely that the Lord will most assuredly and seuerely punish all them that do dishonor his name and therefore we are charged not at any time to empaire his credit but rather most highly to aduance it as the very end wherefore we were first created Yet the second Commandement is more fortified The seconde CommandemeÌ„t hath two and hath as it were a double barre I meane tvvo reasons as against the which the vanitie of our reason and crookednes of our heart hath yet more appeared in so cunningly deuising and willingly embracing so many kinds of false religion neither conceiuing nor liking that true manner of Gods seruice which he hath prescribed in his holie word And therefore as he requireth that neither in an Image nor in any thing els deuised by vs we should serue him but according to his owne wisedome and wil made knowne vnto vs in his written word so he first wil plentifully reward in mercie euen to the thousand generation them that shall in loue thus serue him according to his Commandement and secondarily howsoeuer passing ouer many other sinnes yet as a louing and iealous husband will prosecute to the full the punishment of that spirituall adulterie whereby the hatred vnto God appeareth in that the heart is stolen away from him by a false worship But yet in this fourth Commandement the Lord goeth beyond all that hath been spoken The 4. Commandement hath three and bindeth vs vp with a threefold cord that can hardly be broken For he setteth downe three reasons not onely to commend vnto vs the excellencie and to shew the necessitie of keeping of it but also to giue vs to vnderstand how rebellious and corrupt our nature is here especially As it is indeed for many are not perswaded that there should be any day at all kept others doe not agree vpon the day which it should be some preferre other daies before it or make them equall with it they that are otherwise minded yet are not established in the precise resting and straight ceasing from so many things as God requireth much lesse doe men agree vpon the publike and priuate manner of sanctifying and keeping it holie Therefore the Lord doth not onely command it but also first sheweth vs the equitie of it in that he hath giuen vs sixe daies to be occupied in for our selues and therefore it is good reason that we should rest vpon the seuenth to attend vpon his busines as it were Secondarily we should doe it so much the rather because he hath gone before vs in his owne example who therefore rested vpon the seuenth day when he had created the whole world in sixe that wee thereby might the rather be allured vnto that order which he was purposed to establish namely that wee should rest vpon the 7. day from our owne works as God did from his and so be like vnto our Creator Thirdly and most especially that we should doe thus because God hath bestowed an especiall blessing vpon this day distinct from the rest euen the blessing of sanctification and therefore it is not lawfull for vs to vse it to any other end but to this holie sanctified end for which God in the beginning created it The fourth difference of this commandement from all the rest Last of all whereas all the other Commandements are giuen forth in such manner of words as binde onely our selues Thou shalt not take the name of thy Lord thy God in vaine Thou shalt not steale c. though I grant that more is implyed and they not only binde vs thus to looke to our selues but to so many also as bee committed to our â—â—arge the Lord hauing giuen vs authoritie ouerthem â—â—at we might see them practise all the lawes of both Taâ—â—les so much as lyeth in vs yet I say much is not exâ—ressed in the deliuerie of them but in this Commandement in expresse words God speaketh to vs and chargeth vs with the care not onely of our selues but others â—lso saying Thou and thy son thy daughter thy manseruaÌ„t thy maidseruaÌ„t thy cattell the stranger that is within thy gates Thus we see how many waies this CoÌ„maÌ„demeÌ„t is charged vpon vs by the Lord how straightly he requireth it at our haÌ„ds how in the very giuing of it al things are ioyned vnto it by God himself that might commend â—â—t vnto vs with greatest credite and care of obedience It remaineth that wee should see That the Sabbath ought to be continued what are the speciall things contained in it but first of all it is needfull to proue vnto you that the Sabbath ought still to be continued with vs because without this perswasion all doctrine or exhortation tending to the true manner of sanctifying it falleth to the ground and is vnfruitfull First of all therefore it appeareth in the storie of Genesis that it was from the beginning Gen. 2.3 and that the seuenth day was sanctified at the first so soone as it was made in so much that Adam and his posteritie if they had continued in their first righteous estate should haue kept that day holie aboue the rest seeing the Lord sanctified it for their sakes and though it be so indeede that they should haue been occupied in some honest calling and work vpon the sixe daies according as it is sayd to Adam that the Lord put the man into the garden of Eden Gen. 2.16 that he might dresse it and â—eepe it yet notwithstanding vpon the seuenth day they â—hould haue ceased from all wordly labour and giuen â—hemselues to the meditation of Gods glorious workes and haue been occupied in some more immediate parts of his seruice according to the former Commandement And that we might vnderstand indeede that the law of sanctifying the Sabbath is so ancient the Prophet Moses in Genesis doth of purpose vse the same words which the Lord God himselfe doth in pronouncing it as it is set downe in Exodus namely
reuerenced the Catholike custome of the Church which was from the Apostles time rather then that hee did euen thē first ordaine it Bucer in Mat. 12.11 For as Master Bucer sayth The Lords day was appointed by the common consent of the Christians for the publike assemblies of the Church ipso statim tempore Apostolorum euen at the first in the Apostles time Nowe seeing the alteration was made in the Apostles time And by the Aposles themselues Ioh. 16.13 they did yeeld vnto it by their practise by whom can we imagine that this shuld be done but by thē who had receiued the spirite that should leade them into all trueth then by them I say who for their excellent giftes were able to see further into things then all the Church besides who for their great and Apostolicall authoritie would preuayle more then any other who were appoynted by Christ to be the chiefe builders and planters of the Churches both in doctrine and discipline And therefore S. Augustine saith plainely August de temp serm 251 Dominicum diem Apostoli Apostolici viri c. The Apostles and men of Apostolicall authoritie did ordaine this day in the Church M. Fox in Apoc. 1.10 And M. Foxe concluding out of his words saith From hence it is manifest that the obseruation of this Lords sabbath Aucoritate niti Apostolicae institutionis doth leane vpon the authoritie of the Apostles institution If indeed they had resisted it as they did many other things that crept into the Church in their time we would haue suspected it or rather vtterly refused it but seeing they haue commended it vnto vs by their practises as appeareth in that Scripture which we know to be Canonicall and Authenticall wee doe acknowledge that the Lorde furnishing them with his holy spirite as he vsed them according to his good pleasure like worthie instruments to conuey vnto vs the holy scriptures which wee receiue from their hands without all gaine saying so we beleeue that they had his extraordinarie direction in abrogating the former day and placing this in the roome of it For as the learned Doctor Fulke sayth D. Fulke vpon Rhem. Test. Apoc. 1.10 Acts 1.2 Now for the prescription of this day before any other of the seuen the Apostles had without doubt either the expresse commaundement of Christ before his ascension when hee gaue them precepts concerning the Kingdome of God and the ordering and gouernment of Church or else the certain direction of his spirite that it was his will and pleasure that it should bee so and that also according to the Scriptures And as we doe not dispute of the authoritie and credite of their writings which wee know not to haue proceeded from the spirite of man so wee doe not call into question the lawfulnes of this change which wee see in their writings allowed and by themselues commended vnto vs in the same So that I may conclude with him that saith Wolph Chronol lib. 2. cap. 1. Fecerunt hoc Apostoli The Apostles did make this change as appeareth by their writings whose examples wee doe well to follow as of whom it is sayd Iunij praelect in Gen. 2.3 hee that heareth you heareth mee And so concludeth Iunius Quamobrem cum dies Dominicus c. Wherefore seeing the Lords day is both by the fact of Christ s his resurrection and often appearing to his Disciples vpon that day by the example and institution of the Apostles and by the continuall practise of the ancient Church and by the testimonie of the scripture obserued substituted into the place of the Iewish Sabbath Ineptè faciunt They do very foolishly who say that the obseruation of the Lords day is of tradition not from the scripture that by this meanes they might establish the traditions of men And that it might be fully known to the whole church in time that the day was changed indeed they gaue it a new name calling it the Lords day that the very name it selfe might proclayme with a loude voyce as it were with the sound of a Trumpet thus much vnto the whole world yea among them which had not yet submitted themselues to the obseruation of this day For thus Saint Iohn calleth it in the Reuelation Reuel 1.10 I was rauished in the spirite on the Lords day by which as it is agreed vpon of all sides that hee meaneth this very day which wee obserue so when he giueth it this name writing vnto the Church to whom he would commend this prophecie he sheweth that then it began at least to bee so called and was in his time known by that name to some he liuing longer then the rest of the Apostles And so as the bounds of the Gospell were enlarged and it was by little and little in more places intertained neither could so great a thing in all places be done at once so with it also was the obseruation of this new day together with the change of the name thereof in the same places intertayned also And therefore Ignatius Bishop of Antioche liuing in the time or this Apostle Ignat. ad Magnes saith of it Omnis qui Christum amat Let euery one that loueth Christ keepe holy the Lords day renowned by his resurrection which is the Queene of all dayes in which death is ouercome and life is sprong vp in Christ. And so after him in other places it was thus called and kept Euseb lib 4. cap. 22. For as Eusebius makes mention in his Ecclesiasticall historie Dionisius Bishop of Corinth who liued about the yeare of Christ 106. speaketh thus Hodie to day we haue celebrated the Lords holy day And Iustinus Martyr Iustin. apol 2. not long after him doth not onely name the Lordes day but sheweth how it was obserued then euen as it is of vs when he saith That they met in one place to heare the writings of the Prophets c. Tertul. lib. de Idololat And Tertullian after him among the solemne dayes of the Christians then obserued doth first of all name the Lords day Thus wee may see that this change was made and approued of the Church from the beginning and so hath continued vnto our time But least it shuld seeme strange vnto vs Then also was changed the Ministers and the ministerie of the lawe that any such change should be made in the day we must call into our remembrance how many things were changed at that time For first of all the Ministers were changed and in stead of Priests and Leuites there were giuen Apostles Ephes 4.11 Prophets Euangelists Pastors and Teachers Secondarily all the sacrifices were changed so that we doe not offer vp the dead bodies of Rams Calues goates and such like but we giue vp our selues a liuing sacrifice Rom. 12.1 holy and acceptable vnto God Thirdly the Sacraments were changed for in stead of Circumcision and the Passeouer wee haue Baptisme and the
signe which was giuen to the ende this might restraine them so much the more and that they should be admonished by this meane to obserue the Sabbath day with all reuerence Ionah 3.7 And thus as in the daies of Ionah when the King of Niniue proclaimed a fast he sayd Let neither man nor beast bullocke nor sheepe taste any thing neither feede or drinke water but let man and beast put on sackcloth that by the sight of it they might be taught the greatnes of their sinnes and be the rather moued thereby to a more earnest repentance for the same Exod. 19.12 And as in the giuing of the law when the Lord would strike into the hearts of all the people a reuerence of his maiestie that they might the more obediently receiue his worde and content themselues with that manner and measure of reuealing himselfe vnto them that hee was then purposed in his wisedome to vse towards them and knew to bee most expedient for them and therfore would not haue them come neere the mountaine to gaze and too curiously to search after that which was not lawfull for them to know and therefore commanded Moses to set vp markes vnto the people round about the Mount charging them also not to breake out beyond them vnder the paine of a most execrable death and therefore would haue the very beast that should touch the mountaine bee stoned or striken through with darts to moue the people vnto a deeper consideration of it for whose sake onely euery thing there was then done Euen so here that all men might most carefully obserue that rest vnto the Lord which is so acceptable vnto him hee commaunded the bruit beasts and vnreasonable creatures to rest not that he had any care of them in giuing his law to whom it doth not appertaine but hauing a singular regard of his people and therefore taking away from among them all things that might bee any occasion to withdraw them from the obedience of this rest euen the working of the cattell and giuing vnto them all the good meanes that might make for their better proceeding herein euen the resting of the oxe and the asse For which cause also he commanded that the strangers And the strangers that be of another religion borne out of the stocke of Israel nor of the linage of the Iewes yet now adioyned vnto that people and being vnder their gouernment should howsoeuer in other things they knew not the true God of Israel neither did serue him according to his word yet in this should at leastwise bee subiect to the outward discipline and order of the Church and haue their rest common with them that thus the Church whom the Lord especially regarded whither soeuer it did looke and cast her eyes might haue nothing as a snare to entangle her by beholding the strangers and cattle to worke when themselues did rest And for the same cause he bound the strangers as well as his owne people to the outward obseruation of other lawes and statutes so farre forth as did make for the vniformitie of the Church and edification of it in godlines by their example Whereunto agreeth that Caluin vpon Deut. 5. serm 35. and is almost the same in words which Master Caluin writeth in his sermons of this matter For wee know sayth he that if things contrarie to the seruice of God be permitted although one shall happilie say these which offend are not of our societie and companie we shall notwithstanding by their euill examples be induced to follow them if the strangers had beene permitted to labour among the Iewes what might haue happened thereby The Iewes would haue had dealings with them and so haue defiled themselues they would haue made small difference between this day and others For when examples are set before our eies we are easily led away to that which is euill And in the same place a little after hee thus concludes So then to the ende all such occasion of transgressing against this rest might be remoued and that this day might bee obserued with greater reuerence as God willed that the beasts and cattel should rest so commandeth he that the strangers doe the like although they were of another faith and religion And as the Passeouer though it were a Sacrament only belonging vnto the Iewes and the difference of meates and of cleane and vncleane thinges was proper vnto them yet the Lorde would haue the strangers that dwelt among them be subiect to the same lawes for the good of his people and so that otherwise he would not haue them to haue any dealing with them for he threatneth to cut them off from his people which appeareth as in other places of the Scripture so Exod. 12.19 and Leuit. 17.12.15 All which doe euidently declare that the Lorde would haue this holy Sabbath of rest without all interruption and gainsaying to be duely obserued on all sides when vnto the particular commanding of all estates by name to rest he hath adioyned the beasts and the strangers vpon whom be layes the like charge The ground also had her Sabbath rest And to make an end of this matter that the excellencie and dignitie of this rest nay the necessitie of it may be knowne farre and neere to be so great as it is indeed the Lord did commaund the ground to keepe her sabbath and rest and so vpon it did engraue the liuely image of this true rest that by this babish instruction meete for the time they might learne of what moment waight the Sabbath was when as thus al creatures should stoup and doe homage vnto it yea the very insensible ground should not bee free from the subiection of it as it is at large in many wordes set downe by Moses Leuit. 25.3 Sixe yeares thou shalt sowe thy fielde and sixe yeares thou shalt cut thy vineyeard and gather the fruite thereof 4. But the seuenth yeare shall be a Sabbath of rest vnto the land it shall bee the LORDS Sabbath thou shalt neither sowe thy fielde nor cut thy vineyard that which groweth of it owne accord of thy haruest thou shalt not reape neither gather the grapes that thou hast left vnlaboured for it shall bee a yeare of rest vnto the lande All which thinges thus at large vnfoulded and layd forth before our eyes may determine and make an ende of this matter if vnto them I doe adde this one thing that whereas men might haue gone about to withdraw their obedience from this rest defrauding the law as it were vnder a vaine pretence of resting themselues whiles in the meane season they did abuse the labour of their seruants their cattel and the strangers to the doing of many of their owne works vpon the Sabbath contrarie to the true intent of the law giuer hee is not contented to haue in most plaine wordes forbidden them to worke themselues but because whatsoeuer they doe by others they are said to doe
yoke of bondage lieth still vpon our neckes that was vpon them and the freedome purchased by Christ is of none account the libertie proper to a Christian man nothing worth the Gospell hath no preferment aboue the lawe Answer We are not bound to rest for those ends and purposes for which they did For answere vnto the which we must consider that first of all wee are deliuered from that manner of keeping the Sabbath which the Iewes were tyed vnto at that it might put thē in remembrance of that great rest which the Lord bestowed vpon them from the continuall and intolerable worke in Egypt by the hand of Moses and that thereby their hope might bee nourished of the Messiah to come by whom they should haue a perpetuall Sabbath and rest from sinne in the kingdome of heauen begun hereupon earth vnto the which ends they were bound to haue a principall respect and so to keepe the Sabbath as they might most profite in these euen in thankfulnes for the benefit receiued and in hope of that that was promised neither of which because they can appertaine vnto vs for we haue not been in Egypt and therefore cannot remember our deliuerie from thence and Christ Iesus is alreadie come and hath entered into his rest and therefore we neede not to hope for it that though we be bound to the same rest with the Iewes yet our condition is more easie and tolerable in that we bee freed from these appertenances and these other burthens are not layd vpon vs. The which we shall be so much the rather perswaded of if we looke into that libertie 2 We haue also more libertie then they in the manner of sanctifying the day which is brought vnto vs by Christ concerning the sanctifying also of the day of rest which consisteth in such a multitude of purificatiōs washings and clensings and in such a great number of sacrifices and oblations al which were doubled vpon the Sabbath and therefore the obseruation of the Sabbath was more laborious and painfull vnto them and sooner might they offend in it in stead of which we haue fewer things to doe and they be more simple plaine and easie as the hearing of the word receiuing of the Sacraments and prayer And generally as our estate is better then of the Iewes in regard of the whole worship of God which is now more euident shorter not so compound more significant and with lesse difficultie so vpon the Sabbath because the whole worship is to be performed in consideration of that also great are our priuiledges aboue theirs as in all other things so in the obseruation of the Sabbath Hebr. 1.1 Moreouer whereas God in old times spake sundrie times and in diuers manners vnto them and therefore their knowledge of the law was not so great as ours in these last daies wherein he hath spoken vnto vs once by his sonne neither were their graces and gifts so many and excellent ordinarily Act. 2.20 as they be now when God hath powred out his spirit vpon all flesh and therefore they being like vnto children 3 And we are set free from al the childish rudimēts annexed vnto this day and we vnto men growne they stoode in need of many moe helpes to further them in the obseruation of this commandement then we doe and which though they were bound vnto yet we are freed from As they were commanded to let their ground rest euery seuenth yeare and that is called her Sabbath with many other such like things Therefore as we haue great freedome in all other commandements aboue them so in this For must wee not needes confesse that though wee are still bound as the Iewes were Psalm 1.2 to meditate vpon the law of God day and night yet for so much as we are not commanded to carrie it about in the skirts of our garments Deut. 6.8 and vpon other bracelets as they were and though we be not exempted from teaching our children no more then they yet because we are not charged with the writing of it vpon our gates vers 9. and the posts of our doores as they were must wee not acknowledge I say that euen in those things that we are bound vnto in common with the Iewes wee haue more libertie then euer they had So is it in the Sabbath though wee be bound to keepe the rest yet because we are freed from many rudiments of it which as childish instructions to further them in it they were bound vnto as wee haue seene in the former part of this treatise wee must thankfully professe that the Lord hath dealt more liberally with vs then with them Therefore euen as the childe which is set to reade must name euery letter apart and distinctly by it selfe and spell euery sillable that so he might bee holpen forward to reading which when hee hath attained vnto though still he be bound to reade yet he is freed spelling naming euery letter as he had wont to doe and that were a great bondage and wearisomnes to binde him vnto it still nay it were altogether ridiculous and childish in him indeede So now though we bee charged to rest vpon the Sabbath yet when wee are not ouercharged with those Iewish ceremonies which they being children had giuen them as furtherances vnto thē let vs not complaine before we haue cause Galat. 4.3 neither murmure against God because we cannot bee so licentious as we would seeing we bee at such libertie as we be and as it pleaseth the Lord to bestow vpon vs and let vs be so much the more carefull to rest by how much we haue but this one thing to attend vpon and are made free from many other which might hinder vs. Vnto all which if I shall adde this in the last place I will make an ende of this matter that besides these great priuiledges which we haue spoken of Christ Iesus in the Gospel hath offered vnto vs somewhat more euen in this commandement that we haue now in hand 4 And from the obseruation of many other Sabbaths which they had That though wee bee restrained vpon this day from worke both hand and foot as the Iewes were yet haue we libertie to work vpon many other For they were bound vnto a great many of other dayes which had the nature of the Sabbath and therefore are so called many times and vpon the which they might not worke which as it appeareth in many other places of the scripture so especially in Leuit. the 23. where they are reckoned vp in order beginning with the Sabbath vnto which is adioyned the Passeouer the feast of the first fruites of trumpets and of tabernacles and euery one of these had more daies then one proper vnto them as appeareth in that chapter most largely besides the first day of euery new Moone from all which wee are now freed as appeareth by the Apostle Coloss 2.16 Let no man condemne you in respect of
an holy day or of the new moone or of the Sabbath daies For he speaketh of many euen of all those which vnto the Iewes were commanded vpon the same condition that the Sabbath day was and were of like nature to it and therefore he findeth fault with the Galathians for obseruing them Galat. 4.10 vers 9. saying Ye obserue daies and moneths and times which he calleth weake and beggerly rudiments because now there was no vse of them but all of them being taken away onely the Sabbath is reserued for vs. Therefore who is so blind that will not see and so obstinate that will not confesse that though we be bound to the keeping of the Sabbath as the Iewes were yet neither the libertie of the Gospell is taken from vs nor the bondage of the law cast vpon vs. Nay who is so vnthankfull for this great libertie in these daies aboue that which the first people of God had that vnder the pretence of it he will breake out to the doing of whatsoeuer liketh himselfe vpon the day of rest and set open a doore of all licentiousnes vnto others Matth. 18.6.7 but woe be vnto the world because of offences it is necessarie that offences should come but woe bee vnto them by whom they doe come it were better for them that a milstone were hanged about their neckes and they were drowned in the bottome of the sea Therefore let vs be otherwise minded and take it to be our bounden duetie most carefully to rest from the ordinarie workes of our calling vpon the Sabbath whatsoeuer may be spoken or imagined to the contrarie And the rather that wee might doe it Gods punishments vpon the breakers of the Sabbath let vs consider of the iudgements of God that haue come vpon men for breaking the Sabbath By which sensible kind of perswasion euen experience the mistresse of fooles they in the Councell at Paris laboured to perswade vnto a more religious keeping of the day Concil Paris lib. 1. cap. 50. when after they had iustly complained that as many other things so also the obseruation of the Sabbath was greatly decayed through the abuse of Christian libertie in that men too much followed the delights of the world and their owne worldly pleasures both wicked and dangerous they further adde Multi nanque nostrum visu multi etiam quorundam relatu didicimus c. For many of vs haue beene eye-witnesses many haue intelligence of it by the relation of others that some men vpon this day being about their husbandrie haue been striken with thunder some haue been maimed and made lame some haue had their bodies euen bones and all burnt in a moment with visible fire and haue consumed to ashes and many other iudgements of God haue been and are daily whereby it is declared that God is offended with the dishonour of so great a day And the Centuriators of Magdeburge Cent. 12. cap. 6. intreating of the manners of Christians made report out of another historie that a certaine husbandman in Parochia Gemilacensi grinding corne vpon the Lords day the meale began to burne Anno Dom. 1126. Which though it might seeme to bee a thing meere casuall yet they set it downe as a iudgement of God vpon him for breaking the Sabbath As also that which they speake in the same place of one of the Kings of Denmarke Ecclesiast hist Centur. 12. ibid. who when as he contrarie to the admonition of the Priests who desired him to deferre it would needes vpon the day of Pentecost make warre with his enemie dyed in the battell But that may be better knowne vnto vs all which is written in the 2. booke of Macchabees of Nicanor the Iewes enemie who would needes set vpon them on the Sabbath from which when other the Iewes that were compelled to be with him could by no meanes disswade him hee was slaine in the battell and himselfe most miserably but deseruedly handled euen the parts of his bodie shamefully dismembred as in that historie you may reade more at large And I am sure our time hath not wanted examples in this kinde whosoeuer hath obserued them when sometimes in the Faires vpon this day by sudden floods the wares haue swumme in the streetes sometime the scaffolds at playes haue fallen downe to the hurting and endangering of many sometime one thing some time another hath fallen out of which we must say as Christ saith of the Galileans they were not the greatest sinnes in England Luk. 13.2.3 but vnlesse wee repent and amend we must all likewise perish He punishes some to shew the rest what they must looke for if they continue hee punisheth not all here in this world to teach vs there is a day of iudgement reserued for the rest And therefore it was well alleaged in a prouinciall councell to perswade vnto the better obseruation of the Sabbath Matisconens concil 2. cap. 1. Haec omnia By dooing of these things wee shall both pacifie the wrath of God towards vs and also turne away and remoue his heauie plagues as sicknesses and scarsitie And here I may remember vnto you if it be not altogether out of place the historie of him Numb 15.32 who in the time of the law gathering stickes was stoned to death for it by the iudgement of Moses from the mouth of God of which M. Caluin saith That this is the summe of the historie Cal. in hunc locum that by the death of this one man was ratified the religious obseruation of the sabbath day that afterwardes it might haue more reuerence by which seuere punishment it is apparant that he did not so much offend of ignorance as of a grosse contempt of the law whereby it came to passe that he made none account to subuert and corrupt all holie orders As it appeareth also by the circumstance of the text going immediatlie before where is set down the difference of punishments vpon malefactors who sinne of ignorance and of contempt or as it is saide there with an high hand which latter should be punished with death and then followes immediatlie this historie as an example or proofe of it whereby it appeareth that though not euery breach of this commandement is to bee punished with death yet the open and contemptuous breaking of it doth deserue it as all other sinnes of the like nature in other the Commandements of the first and second table as an Atheist he that offereth vnto other Gods that blasphemeth the name of the liuing God that curseth father and mother that committeth murther c. which iudgements when the magistrates doe fayle to execute then the Lord doth it himselfe vpon some few to shewe what should bee done to all the rest and what they may looke for if they doe not repent But to proceede in this matter according to my purpose Vpon the Lords daye we ought to rest from al honest recreations and lawfull delightes it
so straightly requireth at their hands As we may see in the scriptures how they that feared God liuing in the corrupt times of the Church and so not hauing their ordinarie teachers haue vpon the Sabbath day frequented those places though farre off where by the doctrine of the word they might sanctifie the day in some good acceptable manner In which consideration the Shunamite as it is recorded in the second booke of the Kings when his wife tolde him that she was going to the Prophet 2 King 4.23 but concealed the cause from him which was for the restoring of her sonne to life which she had obtained by his meanes before he demaundeth of her why she should goe that day seeing that it was neither new moone nor the Sabbath day as though he had sayd if it had been any of these daies which the Lord had commanded to be kept holy then no maruaile if she hastened thitherward so fast For so it ought to be and so it appeareth she vsed to doe that by hearing of his doctrine she might keepe holie the day and so thereby bee furthered in all other holie dueties In this respect I would to God wee might say of our time Iustin Martyr Apolâ—g 2. as Iustine Martyr doth of his Die qui solis dicitur omnes qui in oppidis vel agris morantur in vnum locum conueniunt Vpon the day that is called Sunday all that dwell in the townes or villages doe meete in one place and for the space of an houre the canonical scriptures of the Prophets Apostles are read It is a Canon in the prouincial Councell of Malisgon That if any man haue a Church neere them they should goe together and there vpon the Lords day to bee occupied in prayer c. Where their meaning was not to dispense with them that were further off but to inioyne all to goe to their next Churches And in another Councell this is the maine reason why they should giue ouer all worldly affayres Quo facilius ad ecclesiam venientes Concil Alater 3. cap. 27. That they might the more easily come to the Church and pray c. And vnto this doth that learned father and Bishop Augustine exhort his auditors in a sermon which I haue often alleadged which is worthie of all men for this purpose to be read ouer August de teÌ„p sermon 251. Let no man separate himselfe from diuine seruice Neque otiosus quis domi remaneat neither let any man tarrie idling at home Idle when other are gone to the Church Which also as it is very Christianly prouided for vnder her most excellent Maiestie both by statute and also by her Iniunctions Q. Iniunct articl 46. that all should resort vnto their parishes vpon all Sundaies and there to continue the whole time of godly seruice vnder the paine of penaltie So it had been happie for this land if in all places it had been executed but with halfe that care that it was first meant But I may complaine of it with Master Caluin Caluin vpon Deut. 5. Ser. 34 rather theÌ„ amend it That whereas if we were so feruent in the loue of God as wee should all would morning and euening assemble themselues together to the end they might be edified more and more in the seruice of God we see that with much adoe men will assemble themselues on the Sunday and that many are to bee holden to this order by force and violence and a little after it sufficeth not that euery one withdraw himself to his owne house either to reade the holie scriptures or to pray vnto God but it behoueth that we come into the companie of the faithfull and there declare the concord and agreement we haue with the whole bodie of the Church and celebrate in such wise this order as the Lord hath commaunded So then as wee haue seene heretofore that it is lawfull vpon these occasions to trauaile vpon the day of rest now we learne that it is necessarie not only tolerated but inioyned vnto vs because it is the day that must be sanctified and therefore all labours commanded whereby wee may hallowe it in the best manner Therefore let vs in all conscience and care to serue God cast away such vaine pretences as that the weather is too hot or too cold the wayes are too foule the iourney too long and a thousand more which might hinder vs at any time froÌ„ the preaching of the word and common prayer in which consisteth the head and the foote of keeping holie the Sabbath day For these are so necessarie and haue been so continually practised of the Church by succession as it were from hand to hand deliuered to the posteritie that wee should too much degenerate from them if wee should debarre our selues from these holie things The Apostle writing to the Corinthians where he had before taught euery Sabbath day and so by his example and doctrine shewed them the right manner of keeping holie the day when afterwards some great abuses were crept into the Church he writeth vnto them and correcteth the faults that were in their solemne assemblies vpon the Lords day as appeareth most plainly in the processe of the whole chapter but more especially when he so many times repeateth their generall comming together Corin. 11.17.18.20 seeing then he findeth fault with the corruptions in prayer prophecying or preaching and the Sacrament it is most euident and must needes bee granted that these were the holie exercises vpon that day vsually in their common meetings whereby the day was made holie vnto the Lord and most glorious to them If theÌ„ it be so as it cannot be denyed vnles we will denye the cleere light of the Sunne at midday that the chiefest poynt of hallowing the Sabbath day consisteth in comming to Gods house where he offereth vnto vs the speciall parts of his seruice to be occupied in and no where so much as there Where the word is not preaâ—hed or men come not to it this day cannot be hallowed as it ought then it must needes bee subscribed vnto that in Poperie and al false religion there is nothing els but a meere prophaning of the day by abominable idolatrie and superstition and so many daies as we were vnder that intolerable bondage we were set free from Gods seruice and so long liued wee in a continuall breach of this Commandement And not onely so but wheresoeuer the preaching of the word is not or where men haue it and come not to it there can they not sanctifie the day in that manner that they should because they want the principall part of Gods seruice and that which should direct them in all others and make them most profitable vnto them Which if it be so as wee cannot with the least shew of reason deny it then what cause haue wee to be sorrie for our selues and others Which haue so many times broken this law by wilfull absenting
his fauor more assured of his promises and made more fit to serue him Euen as in the scriptures The seruants of God haue greatly profited in faith obedience by the consideratiō of his creatures we may see many times how the spirit of God sendeth vs to the creatures to bee confirmed by them in the things that are spoken of God in the word and the seruants of God haue by them strengthened their faith in the promises which they had learned out of Gods word before The Prophet Esay chap. 40. propoūding vnto the people most excellent promises whereof they should bee made partakers in the time of the Gospell which hee doth in the former part of the chapter frō the 12. verse he beginneth to confirme them in the certaine trueth of the same by the consideration of Gods omnipotent power whereby hee made all things at the first in such a wonderfull order that thereby they might bee assured that nothing should bee able to hinder him from bringing that to passe which he haid promised to his Church but that they should looke most certainly for it saying Who hath measured the waters in his fist and counted heauen with a span and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and waighed the mountaines in a waight and the hils in a ballance So likewise the Prophet Ieremie in his 33. chapter promising mising vnto the church deliuerance out of their trouble doth perswade them of the infallible truth of Gods word herein by setting before their eyes the immutable course of nature in the continuall interchange of the day and night Thus sayth the Lord Iere. 33.20 if you can breake tny couenant of the day and my couenant of the night that there should not be day and night in their season 21. then may my couenant bee broken with Dauid my seruant that he should not haue a sonne to raigne vpon his throne and with the Leuits and Priests my ministers 22. As the armie of heauen cannot be numbred neither the sand of the sea measured so will I multiplie the seede of Dauid my seruant and the Leuits that minister vnto me The Psalmes most of all are full of this matter and as it is a booke of practise especially so it is plentifull in these meditations and the treatise would be long if I should but in order reckon vp the principall places there tending to this purpose yet the waightines of the matter will not suffer me to passe ouer them all It is most apparant how Dauid in the 8. Psalme stirreth vp himselfe and all mankinde to praise the Lord for his great liberalitie towards them appearing in this that as he made him at the first Lord and ruler ouer all his creatures in heauen and earth so he hath restored him into the same dignitie by Christ when he had iustly lost it before because of his sinne when he thus beginneth and endeth the Psalme O Lord our gouernour Psal 8.19 how excellent is thy name in all the world And in another Psalme the Prophet complaineth of the greatnes of his affliction and being almost discouraged because the Lord deferred his helpe so long that he might not vtterly sink down vnder the heauie waight of his grieuous tentation Psal 77.10 strengtheneth his faith by remembring Gods former works that he might haue hope of his mercie towards himselfe I remembred the yeares of the rtght hande of the most high 11. I remembred the workes of the Lord certainly I remembred thy wonders of old 12. I did also meditate of all thy workes and did deuise of thine acts So likewise in the 22. Psalme the man of God being in such extremitie that he was almost past all hope beginneth with this heauie complaint Et. 21.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and art so farre from my health and from the voyce of my roring But afterwards commeth to this verse 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliuer them 5. They called vpon thee and were deliuered they trusted in thee and were not confounded And then he sayth vers 10. I was cast vpon thee euen from the wombe thou art my God from my mothers bellie Where we see he getteth hope at the last of being heard and deliuered by the consideration of Gods workes both generally done to his seruants in times past and particularly shewed to himselfe heretofore And there is great reason of this for the Lord is alwaies like himselfe and Iesus Christ is yesterday and to day and the same for euer and therefore will doe as he hath done for there is no respect either of persons Psal 25.10 or times with him but all the wayes of God are mercie and trueth not only mercie in the beginning but trueth in the midst and ending For this cause the seruant of God thus praieth in the Psalme 119. Et. 119.132 Looke vpon me and be mercifull vnto me as thou vsest to doe vnto those that loue thy name And vers 149. Heare my voyce according to thy louing kindnes O Lord quicken me according to thy custome In both which places we see how he prayeth to God that he would shewe him that mercie which he was wont to shew to him himselfe others in the like case heretofore so by the former works of God strengtheneth himselfe in prayer Thus wee may easilie vnderstand what profit we might get by the earnest meditation and wise conference about the works of God which are done in great wisedome thereby to confirme vs in the trueth of those things that are written in the word and to draw vs to those dueties that are required of vs in the same and so generally to further vs in all godlinesse and therefore a thing not to bee neglected at any time but most of all to bee practised vpon the Lords day that we might leaue nothing vndone which might make all Gods worship most profitable vnto vs and make vs fitter vnto all other dueties which is the end why the Sabbath was ordained In the 104. Psalme the Prophet speaking of the wonderfull workes of God and the marueilous gouerning preseruing of them beginneth thus Et 104.1 My soule praise thou the Lord and towards the midst breaketh forth into this speech O Lord how manifold are thy workes vers 24. in wisedome hast thou made them all And in the end concludeth with Glorie be to the Lord for euer And 33. I will sing vnto the Lord all my life I will praise my God while I liue Hereby declaring what ought to bee wrought in all men by the reuerent cōsidering of Gods works and that we should not muse or speake of them vnprofitably but with that glorie vnto God and comfort to our selues which he requireth of vs and no doubt many of his children doe But that I might drawe to an ende one word of that which as it is most plaine so it is most comfortable
the ignorant to admonish the vnruly to bring home them that goe astray to bind vp the broken hearted to strengthen the feeble to encourage theÌ„ that be occupied in well doing and in one worde so to helpe them in the lesse that the chiefe and principall bee not neglected wherein true loue especially doth consist and wherein the Lord is serued of vs most of all And this is that which is spoken of our Sauiour Christ in the place aboue mentioned that hee not onely healed the woman vpon the Sabbath of her bodily disease Luk. 13.16 but deliuered her from the chaynes of the diuell with which she had beene long held For it is euident in the Gospell that besides the infirmitie of her body there was an extraordinary worke of Sathan wherby as she was strangely possessed so it wrought in her many strong passions from all which she being deliuered by Christ Iesus receiued euen in that especialy the most mercy at his hands Therefore among al the works of God we must be persuaded that this is none of the least to shewe mercie vnto the distressed soules of our brethren for this is the mercy of the most mercifull euen Christ Iesus himselfe from whom as we haue receiued many great mercies so none to this that he hath redeemed our soules from eternall destruction and when we were sunke downe into the bottomlesse pit of all misery hee came thither in vnspeakable loue to fetch vs out and reconciled vs to his Father and hath made vs heires of euerlasting life And let vs be so much more mindfull of this duetie by how much the fewest in the worlde doe thinke of it no not they that otherwise are mindfull to shewe mercy in all outward things And thus wee see that none can bee exempted from these dueties for though euery one cannot goe into the houses of the poore neither is it meete that some should because of their personages and calling yet they may make enquirie of them and send vnto them and exhort others to do the like and pray for them and may with their equals haue such profitable conferences that they may shewe great mercy to their soules by drawing them neerer to the kingdome of heauen and drawing them further off from the pit of hell And they that be poore and therfore it may be imagined they can shew no mercy at all for they haue not wherewith must first of all consider Mark 12.43 the poore widowe that gaue but two mytes how it was accepted and that the Lord accepteth of euery one not according to his deedes but according to his good will and secondarily that if they will instruct admonish comfort their brethren and pray for them they shall shewe the greatest mercy vnto them that may bee and doe that worke which is most acceptable vnto God and therefore most peculiar to the Sabbath So then that we might be persuaded of the excellency of this duty aboue all others let vs coâ—sider of that which the spirite of God speaketh of it Iam. 5.19 Brethren if any of you haue erred from the trueth and some man hath conuerted him let him knowe that he which hath conuerted the sinner from going out of his way shall saue a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes And indeede all our profession is nothing and the shew of religion that we make is vaine except it bring forth these fruites in vs as the same Apostle witnesseth Chap. 1 27. Pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the Father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widowe in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Not that there is no religion but this but that by these fruits it shall appeare whether our religion be good or no and whether we be profitably occupied therein or no euen when all the publike and priuate exercises of the same doe prepare vs to shew mercy vnto our brethren and make vs more fitte thereunto Therefore whereas wee haue seene in the former part of this treatise that notwithstanding the precise commandement of resting such dueties were permitted as the preseâ—t necessitie of any creature did require now wee doe furâ—her vnderstand that they be by the commandement of God necessarily laid vpon vs that they are in the number of those works of God which that we might wholly doe we are commanded to rest from our owne All superiours ought to be carefull that their inferiours do keepe holy the day as well as themselues Now the Lord would not onely haue vs to keepe holy the Sabbath our selues in all the partes of his worshippe publike and priuate which wee haue seene heretofore but also that euery one shoud in his seueral place and roome carefully take order that so many as bee committed to his charge should sanctifie the daye as well as himselfe which though it be true in all other commandements namely that whatsoeuer we are bound to do our selues we must bee meanes to further other in doing the same because the loue of God and of our neighbours spreadeth it selfe ouer all the commaundements and therefore though it be not expressed it is necessarily vnderstood yet in this commaundement it is so much the more required because besides the analogie and proportion betweene it and the other commandements doth inforce it the very words themselues doe bind vs thereunto For when it is said Thou and thy sonne thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maide though he speaketh by name onely of resting vpon the Sabbath yet because the ende of that is that the day might be sanctified looke howe many reasons we haue seene before binding the inferiours to rest and the superiours to prouide that they doe so indeed so many are there compelling them to sanctifie the day in their own persons and in so manie as belong vnto them Therefore when first of all it is generally sayde in the commandement Remember the Sabbath daye to keepe it holy and afterwards The seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God that is which must bee dedicated vnto his seruice and in the end you must therefore rest that you might serue him in it as hee requireth and then nameth the seuerall parties that should rest his meaning is to declare vnto them the right ende of their resting and so speaking by name to the gouernours saying Thou and thy sonne and thy daughter thy manseruant and thy maid the stranger that is within thy gates to shewe vnto them that it is not sufficient for them to looke that they vnder their gouernement should rest vnlesse they sanctifie the day of rest also which they must be so much carefull of by how much the sanctification of the day is greater theÌ„ the ceasing to worke vpon it as the end whereunto this is but referred and therefore if it bee a sinne in them at any time not to haue a sufficient regard vnto them that they do not worke then
such calling vpon any man that should keepe him in a continuall breach of the Sabbath and therefore both master and seruant may suspect that he is in such a calling as is not agreeable to Gods word or that he vseth it not aright when it maketh him if not wholly yet for the most part to neglect the seruice of God vpon the Sabbath day And I know where there is a great care to serue please God by prayer the Lord will giue to them such wisedome that they shal be able to redeeme if not the whole yet at least a great parte of the daye which otherwise will be mispent namely by letting passe many needlesse things preparing so much before as conueniently may be rising so much the more early in the morning and by the interchangeable helpe of other seruants especiallie when they will for these causes bee contented with so much the lesse though not in quantitie for the reliefe of others yet lesse exquisite and curious dressing which especially taketh vp the time and so I am sure and they that will trie it in the feare of God and in a care to serue him and in a loue to the soules of their brethren shall find it to be true by experience that many might keepe holy the Sabbath which do not now at all others might keepe it more then they doe Which if yet it be thought vnpossible because we goe not about to practise it let vs but obserue that which we shall see done in the house when the seruant is very desirous to goe to a faire and the maister is as willing to let him goe you would wonder to see how things shall be dispatcht vp sodainely and in good order they shall be absent many houres and yet not greatly missed if any thing be otherwise then is vsuall it is borne with because it is a day of making prouisios for themselues and that day is not euery day So then if the maisters were perswaded of the Lords day as they ought to be euen that it is the time of making prouision for the soule and were as carefull for the soules of their seruants as they are for their bodies and did esteeme it more for their worship and credite that their seruantes were religious then that they were costly and well set out in apparell they would be better contented to spare them during the time of that market where they may buy without money all the graces of Gods spirite and the riches of the kingdome of heauen whereby they should not onely saue their owne soules but bee made more fit to doe dueties to their maisters of conscience The gouernours of families should take order that they and their whole houshold might come to church together Therfore to make an end of this matter it is the duty of al houshold gouernors to cause the whole family to be in a readines to attend vpon them to and fro the Church and that it bee not left at euery mans discretion to come when hee will but that they should goe together And indeed this hath beene the orderly comming of Gods people in times past to the place of his worship that they haue not come scattered and alone but many together and by companies whereof the Prophet speaketh Psalm 42.4 When I remembred these things I poured out my very heart because I had gone with the multitude and led them into the house of God with the voyce of singing and praise as a multitude that keepeth a feast In which place the man of God complaining that he was banished from the holy assemblies sayth that hâ—s griefe was increased by remembring his former estate when he vsed to goe with a great many to the Temple euen as to a feast whereby hee declareth what was the manner of their going euen as men go to a market or to a feast not onely with ioye but also by companies and so many of one house as goe will goe together so they did not onely goe to the house of God cheerefully but many of them together euen as to the market feast of their soules By which practise of theirs as the doings of many are condemned so it appeareth that the men of our time are led by another spirite then they were and are otherwise perswaded of the worship and place they goe vnto For all the people nay the seuerall housholds come not together but scattered and one dropping after another in a confused manner First comes the man then a quarter of an houre after his wife and after her I cannot tell how long especially the maid-seruants who must needes bee as long after her as the menseruants are after him Wherby it commeth to passe that either halfe the seruice of God is done before all be met or else if the minister tarrie till there be a sufficient congregation the first commers may bee wearie and sometimes cold with tarrying before the other shall bee warme in their seates Nowe if it bee demaunded of the maisters why they alone make such hast and leaue all the rest behind them and they answer truely because the time is come wherin vsually publike prayer beginneth can they bee perswaded that it is time for themselues to come as it is indeed and yet no time for the rest to come with him Hath he no longer time to tarrie and haue they time to tarry so long after him as though there were one lawe for him and another for them or rather that the same law of the Sabbath which mooueth him of conscience to doe that which he doth did not as forcibly bind them all as himselfe nay did not binde him to looke to them that they should keepe holy the day as well as himselfe which if he grant to be true and yet is not able to bring it to passe where the Lord hath giuen him so great authoritie for his owne sake partly through the frowardnes of his wife and partly through the of obstinacy of the rest in the familie his case is to be pitied and he is rather to bee gouerned then to gouerne 1. Cor. 6.4 and he might doe well to set vp one of them in his steed seeing hee doth suffer himselfe wilfully so be abused and is contented to be ouer ruled by them in the chiefest thing Therefore that he might bring this matter happily to passe as he must goe before them by his owne example and be ready betimes euen first of all so he must earnestly call vpon them for this duetie and exhort them vnto it and the slower that they are and the more they drawe backe the more forward must he be and by his practise and words draw them forwards also For this is that readines which Dauid obserued in the people of his time I reioyced when they sayd vnto me Psalm 122.1 we will goe into the house of the Lord or let vs goe into the house of the Lorde for they are words of