The Doctrine of the Sabbath, Chapter 20
CHAP. 20
THE second position which I hauehave propounded before, which now Comes to be proved is: That Gods law rightly understood, doth in respect of this duty of rest from all worldly affaires, as strictly bind us under the Gospell on the Lords day, as it bound the fathers on the Sabbath of the seventh day in the old Testament. Here some will perhaps imagine, that I goe about to laye an heavy yoke of Jewish legall bondage upon Christians, contrary to Christian liberty, by which Christ hath made us free. But if they remember, and beare in minde what I hauehave before proued, to weet: That the fathers from the beginning had no such burden imposed on them as is commonly conceived, and that the Scrip…ures are alleaged to proue that they might not kindle a fire nor dresse meate, nor goe out of their place on the Sabbath day, and that it was death to gather sticks on that day in case of necessity, are much mistaken. They shall be forced to confesse that I take away the heavy yoke which many lay upon the Fathers in the old Testament, ra…hen then lay any yoke upon Christians in the obseruation of the Sabbath. Yea that I require and urge no more, then that which all the learned of best note in all ages hauehave ever since the time of the Apostles, and by tradition from them commended to the Churches of Christ, which also the lawes, Canons; and Doctrine of the Church of England generally receiued and established, doe impose on us the light burden and easie yoke of Christ.
It is true that the Scribes and Pharises those great corrupters of the law, and blinde Hypocrites as our Saviour cals them, did lay an heavy yoke on the people of their time, by their false glosses and corrupt traditions, as in diuers other points, so in the obseruation of the Sabbath. They held it unlawfull in case of necessity to pull an eare of corne, or any fruite from a tree on the Sabbath day, and blamed Christs Disciples for doing so when they were hungry and had no other meanes to keepe themselues from fainting. They accused our Saviour Christ for working a glorious miracle, and doing a worke of great charity on the Sabbath, when by his word he healed some that were sick of great infirmities, and sent them away bearing their beds on their backes in open sight of all, which tended much to the honour of God, and made the people glorifie Christ and his Gospell. But our Saviour reproues them for this strictnesse, and convinceth them of errour by diuers argument….
First, by Scripture which saith, that God will hauehave mercy rather then sacrifice, that is: God is serued more acceptably with workes of mercy which are morall duties, then sacrifices which are but a seruice ceremonial, & he delights more in works of mercy & charity then in them, as at all times, so when they are done to his glory on the Sab: day. So that if it was a breach and prophanation of the Sab: to do any worke of merciemercy in it, then it must needs be much more a prophanation to labour & worke about sacrifices in killing beasts, dressing & washing their flesh, & making fires to burne them on the Altar, which were not so pleasing to God as works of mercy. But the Pharisees allowed & approued such works of sacrificing & durst not condemn thē. And th…for our Saviour concludes that they ought not to condemne his mercifull works of healing the sick on the Sab: day, & shewes that by censuring his doings for prophanation, they did much more censure the forenamed actions of their Priests even the dressing & burning sacrifices mat. 12.5.6.7. Secondly, our Saviour proues, that by Gods owne law they were allowed to circumcise children on the Sab: day, whensoever it happened to fall out on the eight daie after the birth of children, and to the Child circumcised they applied healing medicin…s, and therfore they groslie erred in accusing him for healing on the Sabbath which was a thing pleasing to God and was a lesse labour then Circumcision, Iohn, 7.22.
Thirdlie, he convinceth them of grosse hypocrisie and blindnesse in that they imposed heavie burdens upon others which they themselves would not beare, they did restraine men from pulling an eare of corne, rubbing & eating it on the Sabbath daie in the case of hunger & great necessitie. And yet they led their oxen to the water, and did pull a sheepe or a asse out of a pitt on the Sabbath daie. Mat. 12.11. Luk. 13.15. & 14.5. By these arguments which our Saviour vsed against the Scribes and Pharisees in the Gospell it is most cleare and manifest, that it was not the law of God given from the beginning, nor the will of God the lawgiuer, but onelyonly the Hipocriticall Scribes and Pharises who by their traditions & devices of their owne brains, imposed on the Iews that strict and rigorous rest and cessation from all works whatsoever on the Sabbath day, which the learned fathers and Christian writers do cal an heauy burden hard to be borne
Object. But it may bee some will object that the fathers in the old Testament were bound to offer double sacrifices on Sabbath daie, Num. 28.9. even two lambes of the first yeare without spott, and two tenth deales of flower For a meate offering mingled with oyle, & the drink… offering thereof. Which was more costly & required more bodily labour and care, then any which is imposed on us Chri…ian… by Gods law upon our Christian Sabbat…, and therefore their observation of the Sabbath was an heavie yoke & burden harder to be borne, then …ny which is imposed on us.
Answ. I answer, that this objection doth strongly proue the point in hand. For if more bodilie labour and care was required of the Fathers in their worship (which was more carnall & bodilie then ours) on their Sabbath, and vve are therefore eased of that yoke, & hauehave a more spirituall vvorship taught us, and imposed on us by Christ and his Apostles as the Prophets foretold. Then vvere the Fathers lesse restrained from bodilie laboures then wee are, neither was there soe strict and rigorous a Rest and Cessation imposed on them, which serues much for the justifying of our position, to weet: That Gods law rightly understood, and expounded according to the will and intent of God the lawgiuer, doth as strictly bind us under the Gospell to Rest from all worldlie businesse on the Lords day, as it bound the fathers one the seventh day in the old Testament.
But to proceed in the further manifestation of this truth: Although I could bring many arguments and proofes both out of Scripture, alsoe out of the writings of the learned, and cleare testimonies which shew the consent of all Godlie Orthodox vvrititers of all ages: Yet because I vvill leave no occasion or colour to such sonnes of Beliall as doe intrude into our assemblies, to catch calumniate and report my vvords safely and to accuse my Doctrine, except they vvill h…rden their despeand malicious hearts, and put on brasen faces vvith vvhorish foreheads to accuse the holy Scriptures, and the Doctrine published in the booke of Homilyes, and by lavv established in this Church of England vvherof vve are members: therefore I vvill onelyonly commend to your consideration the publick Doctrine of our Church in the verie vvords of the Homilies, vvhichwhich both by statut… lavv, and Royall perogatiue are established in this land and Kingdome, and vvill shevv hovv parfectlie they agree vvith holie scripture in this point.
First in the first part of the Homilie. Concerning the time and place of prayer, We are taught: that God in the f…urth Commandement hath appointed the time for his people to assemble themselves together solemnly, when he said. Remember that thou keepe holy the sabbath. Secondly, in the same place it is affirmed, that the praecise keeping of the seventh day, and the externall ceremoniall worshippe of the sabbath which the law required, as it wa… given to the Jew…s being b…t C…remoniall are ceased to us, and we are not bound by the law so strictly to forbeare worke and labour in the case of necessity after the manner of the Iewes. That is as they were taught by the Scribes and Pharisees. But we keepe now the first day of the weeke which is our sunday; and make that our Sabbath, that is our day of rest, in the honour of our Lord Christ, who as upon that day rose from death, conquering the same most triumphantly. These are the words of the Homily. And that the keeping of a set time, to weet: one day in weeke, wherein wee ought to rest from lawfull and needfull workes, Js found in the fourth Command…ment, among th… things which appertain to the law of nature, & is a thing most godly most just, and needfull for the setting forth of Gods Glory, and ough… to … retained & kept of all good Christian people. So is it there expresly affirmed.
Thirdly, we are there …aught. That as by the fourth commandement no man on the six dayes ought to be slothfull, or idle, but diligently to labour in their estate wherein God hath set him. Even so God hath given expresse charge to all men, that on the Sabbath day which is now our Sunday, they sho…ld … from all worldly and worke day labour, and that Gods obedient people should use the Sabbath holily, and so rest from their common & dayly businesse, that they may giuegive themselves wholy to Heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service.
Fourthly, in the same Homily all Gods people are urged and pressed to keepe the Sunday for their holy Sabath. by three A…guments. The first is the commandement of God in the law. The second is, Gods examample who rested on the Seventh day, and did no worke of creation at all, but blessed and sanctified it, and consecrated it to quietnesse, and rest from labour. The third is an example of the Apostles, who immediately after the ascention of our Lord Christ began to keepe this day of the week, & commended it the first Churches of the Gentiles 1 Cor. 16▪ and called it the Lords day. Revel. 1.10. Sithens which time Gods people hath alwaies with out any gainsaying obserued it.
Fifthly, and lastly the Homilies shewes that the rest and cessation which God requires by his law one the Lords day, at the hands of us Christians, is the same which the law did bind the fathers unto from the beginning upon this Sabbath in the old testament.
First, whereas the law commanded the Fathers to rest from all such workes, as they are allowed to do on the other common dayes of the weeke, that is wordly labours as the expresse words of the law shew.
In it thou sh…lt not do any worke, thou nor thy sonne, nor thy daugther, nor thy servant, &c. Exod. 20.10. And again thou shalt do no servile work therin Levit. 23.7. thou shalt do no manner of servile worke. Num. 28.18. So the Homily blames all those people for wicked boldnesse & carelesse prophanation of the Lords day, who make no conscience of doeing their worldly businesse one that day, though there bee no extreame need and necessity.
Secondly, as the law forbids journeying from home about worldly affaires on the sabbath: Exod. 16.29. bringing in and carrying out loads and burdens Ier. 17.27. exercising themeselves in the workes of their ordinary calling & trade, as buying, selling, keeping market and faires on that day. So also the Homily condemnes them as transgressours & profaners of the Lords sabbath, who on the sunday which is the Lords day and Christian sabbath, do not spare to ride, and journey, bring and carry, row, and ferry, buy, and sell keepe markets and faires; and so use the Lords holy dayes and worke dayes both a like.
Thirdly, as the law and the Prophets commanded Gods people in the old testament to rest in holynesse, Exod. 31.14. & 35.2. and not pollute the sabbath, by doing their owne pleasure, but to honour the Lord, not doing their own wayes, nor finding their own pleasure, nor speaking their owne words Isa. 58.13. So also the Homily requires of all Gods people, the same Holy rest on the Lords day, in that it condemnes them who follow vain and carnall sportes, and fleshly pleasures, and all such exercises as cause brawling and railing and tending to wantonnesse, as a worse sort of people then they that breake the sabbath by working and doing all their businesse in it. For these are the words of the Homily. The other sort is yet worse, for though they will not travell and labour on the sunday, as on the weeke day, Yet they will not rest in holinesse, as God commandeth, but they rest in vngodlinesse and filthynesse praunsing in their pride, pranking, and pricking, pointing, and painting themselues to be Gorgeous, and Gay, they rest in excesse and superfluity, in Gluttony and drunkennesse, like Rats and swine, they rest in brawling and rayling, in quarrelling and fighting. They rest in wantonnesse, …oyish …alking, and filthy fleshlynesse. So that it doth evidently appeare, that God is more dishonoured, and the Divell better served upon Sunday, then all other dayes of the week besides. And I assure you the beasts which are commanded to rest one the sunday, honour God better then this kinde of people.
Now by these expresse words of the Homily we se most clearly, that both this and the former position are not any new Doctrines, or factious opinions of my owne devising; as some malicious catchers & false traducers hauehave slaunderously reported both of them & mee: But the true Orthodox Doctrine of the Scriptures in the law, the Prophets & new Testament, & the divine doctrin pubklickly receiued in the Church of England, & by law established. For the further confirmation whereof, J could say much besides the strong Arguments which I hauehave brought to proue the former position, which doe ouer and aboue most strongly proue this also. For 1. Jf the Lords day be a more blessed day then the seventh daie was in the old Testament. 2. Jf it bee a more holie day, & a daie of more holy convocations & assemblies. 3. Jf we hauehave as much, & as manifold use of rest & cessation as they had & more. 4. Jf we be bound by Gods law, & by the Gospel to be more spirituall & more sequestred from the world, because we hauehave more abundant gifts of the spirit, more cleare sight & knowledg of heavenly & eternall rest, & more hope of eternall life & glory. Then it must needs follow, that we by Gods law are as strictly bound to rest & cease from all worldlie cares, & bodily workes, sports, and pleasures, as the Fathers were in the old testament. But because slaunderous traducers shal hauehave nothing here to object against me in this point, except they can desperately harden their hear…s, and faces to accuse, blaspheme, & wound thr…ugh my sides the holie Scriptures, and the publick doctrine of the Church of England by the law established and royall authoritie maintained: I will content my selfe & desire you my hearers to be satisfied with this which I hauehave said & you hauehave heard alreadie. And so I passe to the third point befor propounded concerning the dutie of rest, even the manner & measur… of it, & in what cases Gods law permits bodily exercises on the L: day.