A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 3 · Commentary · Section 22
SECT. XXII.
Hauing finiſhed my anſwer touching the Lords day Sabbath; for a concluſion of this Chapter, I purpoſe to ſpend a few words in this Section, by way of Admonition, & dehortation, from Superſtition, voluntary religion, & will-worſhip: the which, as I direct it vntounto all men, whome it may concerne, ſo in a ſpeciall ſorte, I apply it vntounto ſuch patrones of the Lords day Sabbath, as hauehave alredy made head againſt my former booke, & with greate zeale hauehave ſcandalized it among the people, & ſo occationed this booke: by name Mr. Hutchinſon, Mr. Benton, Mr. Furnace, Mr. Gallard, Mr. Yates, Mr. Chappell, Mr. Grenewod, Mr. Stinnet, Mr. Iohnſon, & Mr. Ward. Theſe men obſtinatly perſiſting in their erroniouſe & falſe doctrine, after ſufficient meanes of conviction, ought to take theſe things into conſideration.
Firſt touching the Admonition; by the whole diſcourſe touching the Lords day, already finiſhed, thou maieſt ſee Chriſtian reader, that there is no footeing or grownd in the word of God, to make the Lords day a Sabbath: wherefore I doe hereby admoniſh, both Miniſters and people, and deſire them to take knowledge of it henceforth, that this their zealouſe ſanctifying of the Lords day, in conſcience of the 4th com. & of Chriſt his inſtitution, it is no better before God, & with wiſemen then Superstition, and needleſſe religion: for when men will doe that in Gods ſeruice, & in obedience vntounto God, the which hee hath no where commanded them, what is this but a needleſſe religion and ſuperſtition? when men cannot ſhew Gods will for that they doe, then it muſt follow that it is of their owne willes, & ſo their religion in that point is a voluntary-religion, and a will-worſhip. Let me not be miſtaken, the Lords day may be conſidered as an ordinance of God, or as an ordinance of man: as it is ignorantly conceiued to be an ordinance of God, in this ſenſe only I ſpeake againſt it; but as it is an ordinance of man, that is, as it is commanded by the Magiſtrate, & ſo at his will and pleſure, to continue it or diſcontinue it, in this regard I hauehave nothing againſt it: ſo much for the Admonition.
I come now vntounto the Debortation: my firſt reaſon diſſwaſiue, is becauſe we hate Superſtition & will-worſhip in others: how doe we beare againſt our aduerſaries the Papiſtes, becauſe of their ſuperſtitiouſe Traditiones, and Religion of will-worſhip! and can we ſee an errour in them, and cannot we ſee the ſame errour in our ſelues! had we bene wiſe for our ſelues, we might hauehave ſeene this errour long agone; for they hauehave often admoniſhed vsus in their writings againſt vsus, telling vsus, that our Lords day is but a Tradition from the fathers, and a Tradition of the Church; & herein (giuegive the deuill his right, as they ſay) they hauehave ſpoken moſt truly, albeit we hauehave giuen deafe care vntounto them, & laboured to ſhifte it of: and will we condemne them for will-worſhip, & ſuperſtition, & practiſe the ſame our ſelues? well, heare what S. Paul ſaith, therefore thou art inexcuſable, O man, whoſoeuer thou art that condemneſt: for in that that thou condemneſt an other, thou condemneſt thy ſelfe: for thou that condemnest, doest the ſame thinges Rom. 2.1. Many Miniſters, thinke them ſelues farr enough of, from ſuperſtition & will-worſhip, whilſt in the pulpit, they can cry out againſt the ſuperſtition of Papiſts, when as indeed and in trueth, themſelues are euen then, very Papiſtes in this point, & greate patrones and maintainers of ſuperſtition & will worſhip: wherefore, let them reforme themſelues or elſe let them be ſilent touching Papiſtes, you hauehave ſeene it proued by good Authority, that the Lords day is but a Tradition of the Church, & ſhall we retaine Popiſh Traditiones? will theſe Miniſters be ſtill patrones, and ſupporters, of vnwritten Traditiones? I would hope better of them.
My ſecond reaſon diſſwaſiue, is becauſe we ſhall all leeſe our labour, in the Sanctification of the Lords day; vve ſhall labour in vaine: For, if we like ſeruants, will be doeing of ſuch vvorkes, as our Maiſter neuer appointed vsus, doe vve thinke our Maiſter vvill thanke vsus, yea & reward vsus for them? you hauehave heard, that God neuer commanded vsus, to ſanctify the Lords day, by the 4th Com. & that Chriſt neuer appointed it, in the New Teſtament, if therefore we will be hallowing of the Lords day, thinke you that God will reward you for it, or that Chriſt vvill thanke you for it? many men that are honeſtly diſpoſed, & of ingenuouſe minds, being miſled by ſome Miniſters, they leeſe ſome yeeres their Hay in the field; ſome yeers their corne in the field, & all of conſcience, thinking it a duety for them ſo to doe, rather then to labour on the Lords day: & many others, keepe the Lords day very ſtrictly, both priuatly & publikly, erroniouſly miſperſwaded, that that text, Iſa. 58.13. inioyneth thē ſo to doe: but is not all this Labour in vaine? God neuer commanded it, Chriſt neuer appointed it, neither will God, or Chriſt euer reward it: nay, God may anſwer them thus, who required this at your hands? Iſai. 1.12.
My third reaſon diſſwaſiue, is becauſe God hath manifeſted his diſlike of ſuperſtitiō, in many paſſages of his Holy word: ſee Deut. 12.32. Whatſoeuer I command you, take heede you doe it: thou ſhalt put nothing thereto, nor take ought therefrom. Here you ſee, that God will hauehave nothing added to his worſhip & ſeruice: Thou ſhalt put nothing thereto; ſaith the Text: but now the Patrones of this Lords day, hauehave put ſome thing thereto: for they hauehave put the Lords day, vntounto the 4th Com. of God: a moſt dangerouſe & preſumptuouſe attempt, & ſuch as they can neuer anſwer before God; nay they cannot iuſtifie it before men, by good argument; how then ſhall they be able to ſtand before God? think they to add an other day, to Gods Com. and iuſtifie it before God, by ſuch their friuolouſe conſequences, as they vainly pretend to be neceſſary conſequences? let Miniſters thinke of this & that ſeriouſly too, & let thē doe it in time alſo.
In the New Teſtament God hath reucaled himſelfe this way alſo, If any man ſhall adde vntounto theſe things, God ſhall adde vntounto him the plagues that are written in this booke, Reuel. 22.18. If Chriſt vvas ſo carefull, that nothing be added to this parte of his will wrote by S. Iohn in his Reuelation, no doubt he hath the ſame care, of all partes of his will in the New Teſtament; wherfore, let our Miniſters that are Patrones of our new Sabbath, thinke of this Text alſo; for when they ſay & teach the people, that Chriſt inſtituted & appointed the Lords day (which is falſe; for Chriſt neuer inſtituted it, as appeareth by my anſwer vntounto all their arguments) in ſo teaching the people, they doe add vntounto the New Teſtament & they add vntounto Chriſt his inſtitutiones, a day which Chriſt neuer inſtituted: thus they hauehave added vntounto Chriſt his ordinances of Baptiſme, & the Lords Supper, they hau added vntounto theſe I ſay an other ordinance, that is none of Chriſts, which is the Lords day: now let them heare their doome without repentance; God ſhall add vntounto them the plagues that are written in this booke, of the Reuelation: and one plague I ſinde there written, which is a plague of plagues, it is hell fyer, to hauehave a parte in the lake, that burneth with fyer & brimſtone, which is the ſecond death, Reuel. 21.8. I know they ſleite & contemne mee, & think if they can ſo carry it with the people, as they may but ſaue their credits with them a while, they hope to quench mee for euer, I being but one, and ſuch a vile one in their eyes: wherefore I hauehave taken vntounto me more helpe, now I hauehave God on my ſide & Chriſt on my ſide, & they ſhall defend me againſt theſe men; and theſe men muſt know it now, or ſhall will they nill they hereafter, that they diſpiſed not me, but God & Chriſt; and that now they hauehave met t with their Maſter, God will deale with them, & if they will be adding vntounto God, God will adde vntounto them.
You hauehave an other Text alſo Numb. 15.39. that ye may Remember all the Commandements of the Lord, & doe them: & that yee ſeeke not after your owne heart, nor after your owne eyes, after the which ye goe a whoring. Where we ſee, how God deteſteth to hauehave mens deuices, brought into his worſhip; he calleth it a whoriſh tricke: to hould the Lords day, to be commanded by God, or inſtituted by Chriſt, when it cannot be proued, it is to goe a whoring after their owne heart, & after their owne eyes.
An other Text you hauehave Mark. 7.7.8. But they worſhip me in vaine, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men: for ye lay the commandement of God a parte, & obſerue the Tradition of men: a like Text you hauehave Iſa. 29.13.14.15. where a woe is denounced vponupon the people, whoſe feare towards God, was taught by the precepts of men. And their feare towards mee was taught by the precepts of men. Whereas the former Text ſaith, yee ſay the commandement of God aparte: how true this is of theſe 10 Miniſters forenamed, who reiect as Iewiſh & Ceremoniall, the Lords Sabbath, expreſly commanded in the Morall Law; let all men iudge: for doe they not lay this Commandement of God a parte, which inioyneth moſt directly the 7th day Sabbath? this by the way; but the words that belong vntounto our purpoſe are theſe, teaching for doctrines the commandements of men. The Lords day Sabbath, it is a doctrine taught frequently and bouldly; but it is no commandement of Gods; and therfore it muſt be onelyonly a Commandement of men. The next words for our preſent occation, are theſe; and obſerue the Tradition of men. That the Lords day is a Tradition of the Church, not onelyonly Papiſts auowch it: but alſo diuerſe of thoſe Authores which I hauehave cited againſt the Lords day, doe expreſly affirme it, that the Lords day is but a Tradition: and all of them ſay, that it is but an ordinance of men, and a Commandement of man, yea ſo much the wholl Church confeſſed in the dayes of K. Edward. ſo then in kepeing it, & in preaching for it, you keepe the Tradition of men, & preach for A Tradition of man: And ſo alſo, they that are afraide to tranſgreſſe the Lords day, & to worke in it, this their feare toward God; it is taught by the precepts of men; for God hath left no precept for the Lords day, the breach whereof we neede be afraide of. Heare then the doome, that belongeth vntounto ſuch needleſſe religion, all this their worſhip it is a vaine thing, In vaine doe they worſhip mee &c. Yea, there belongeth a woe vntounto ſuch worſhip, & this is the reward of it, woe vntounto them &c. Iſa. 29.15.
The laſt Text that I will mention, is Colo. 2.23. which things hauehave indeed a ſhewe of wiſedome, in voluntary Religion; or in will-worſhip, Iudge now good reader, if I doe them any wronge, to rekone the Lords day, as a limme of this voluntary Religion, & as a branch of will-worſhip: for if they cannot ſhew vsus where God hath commaunded it, then it is a voluntary thing, and of mans owne will; and therfore may be called a voluntary Religion, & a will-worſhip: happely there may be, in the eyes of ſuch as hauehave bene nuſled vp from the cradle, in this ſuperſtitiouſe practiſe, a ſhewe of wiſedome in it, as the Text ſpeaketh: But if S. Paul may be iudge, they are things of no value as he ſpeaketh in the ſame Text. Wherefore ſince God hath in all theſe Textes of Scripture, manifeſted his diſlike of Superſtition, let this be enough, to diſſwad eueryevery man from the practiſe of it: And that ſo much the rather, becauſe the vphoulding of this day, is the iuſling & ſhouldering out, of the Lords Sabbath day, mentioned in the 4th Com. ſo as the words of our bleſſed Sauiour, are true againſt them, ſaying, well ye reiect the commandement of God, that ye may obſerue your owne Tradition, Mark. 7.9. For, they trample downe the Lords Sabbath day, that they may keepe their owne Lords day.
My 4th reaſon diſſwaſiue, is becauſe by the vphoulding of this Lords day Sabbath, the ſacred Scriptures, & vvord of God is profaned: I make that appeare thus; Miniſters doe daily vrge the 4th Com. vponupon the Lords day; & doe preſſe mens conſciences to the Sanctifying of the Lords day, by the 4th Comm. now the 4th Com. doth ſpeake (as he that hath but halfe an eye may ſee) of the day called Sabbath day, but this, is a day called Lords day: the 4th Com. was made for a ſanctified & hallowed day: for God himſelfe bleſſed it, & ſanctified it, Geneſ. 2.3. but this Lords day, is a profane day, a common day, neuer ſanctified by God; but on the contrary appointed for labour, it being one of the ſixe working dayes, mentioned in the 4th Com. & Chriſt himſelfe trauailing on it &c. Now for Miniſters, to apply this ſacred word of Gods 4th Com. vntounto a profane, common, and vnſanctified day & time; this, or nothing, is to profane the Sacred word of God. Secondly, many portions of Scripture in the New Teſtament; with ſome alſo out of the old, are hereby alſo wreſted, abuſed, & profaned: the Spirit of God, is made to ſpeake for that, which neuer came into his minde to thinke; a moſt horrible & vnſufferable thing in a Chriſtian Church: as for example theſe Texts, Pſal. 118.24. Ioh. 20.1.19.26. Act. 1.2.3. Act. 2.1.14 &c. Act. 20.7.1 Cor. 16.2. 2. Cor. 5.17. and Reuel. 1.10. theſe eight Textes at leaſt, beſids the 4th Com. are abuſed for the maintenance of a forged, new coined, and counterfait Sabbath day: who that hath any zeale of Gods glory, or louelove vntounto his Holy word, can endure it, that Gods word and trueth ſhould be thus profanly vſed, profaned, & abuſed? wherfore, if you beare any reuerence vntounto the ſacred word of God, let a reformation be made.
Looke vponupon the third Com. Thou ſhalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine: now Gods word, is a parte of his name, wherby he is knowne Act. 9.15. therfore for men to abuſe & profane Gods word, it is to abuſe & profane Gods name, & ſo a ſinne againſt the third Com. now the reward of ſuch profanation, is this, that God will not hold him guiltleſſe, that taketh his name in vaine: hee ſhall ſurely therfore be puniſhed, vvithout repentance & amendement. But vvhat doe I ſpeaking to deafe Adders, men will not be charmed; what they hauehave holden they will hold; as for me, I am but one & meane, they are many & mighty: ſo that I almoſt deſpaire of remedy: howeuer I hauehave diſcouered their ſinne vntounto them, at their perill be it, whither they will amend it or not. I abhorre to thinke of it, yet this I am ſure of, that that is true amongſt vsus, which the Lord once complained of by his Prophet Ieremiah, that is, that an horrible & filthy thingis committed in the land: the Prophets prphecy lies; & people delight therein, Ierem. 5.30.31. that the Prophets prophecy lyes, this is apparent as hath bene ſhowne: and the people delight therein: this is manifeſt, in aſmuch as many that are both religiouſe & alſo counted wiſe, are not aſhamed to ſpeake it, that they wiſh from their hearts, that I had neuer medled in this point; ſo we hauehave for the moſt parte, like Prieſt, like people, both delighting in this counterfait Sabbath; & both like vntounto Nadab & Abihu, who offered ſtraung fier before the Lord, which hee had not commaunded them, Leuit. 10.1.
My 5th and laſt reaſon diſſwaſiue is, becauſe it is a ſinne for Miniſters to preach for the Lords day. This I proue, becauſe they cannot ſpeake for it in faith: now whatſoeuer is not of faith is ſinne, ſaith the Apoſtle Rom. 14.23. now that they cannot preach for it in faith, is plaine by this, that they hauehave no word of God, for the grownd of their faith: & we hauehave alredy ſhowne, that they hauehave no word of God for this Lords day Sabbath: for they can not ſhew vsus, where Chriſt, or any of his Apoſtles, left any commandement for it: no, nor yet hauehave they any neceſſary conſequences for it; ſo often therefore, as A Miniſter preſſeth the people to ſanctify the Lords day Sabbath, ſo often he ſinneth. And ſo much touching this Lords day Sabbath.
CHAP. IIII. An anſwer vntounto all thoſe textes of Scripture, reaſones & arguments, which are vſually & profanly, brought againſt the Sabbath day, mentioned in the 4th com. to wit, the 7th day Sabbath.
I HaueHave now finiſhed the 3 firſt partes of my booke: the firſt whereof was in defence of the morall law: the ſecond was an expoſition of the 4th com. with adiſcouery of the corrupt expoſitiones thereof: the third was an anſwer to thoſe Scriptures & reaſones, that are brought for the Lords day: and now I am by order, come vntounto the fourth parte of my booke; & herein I am to anſwer to the Scriptures, and reaſons, whereby the enemies of the Lords Sabbathes, goe about, moſt wickedly & vngodlily, to throw them downe: and here my purpoſe is, not onelyonly to make anſwer, vntounto thoſe textes & reaſones, which theſe 10 Miniſters, or any of them, in the name & roome of the reſt, hauehave impiouſly obiected againſt the Lords Sabbathes; but alſo, I purpoſe to anſwer, vntounto all obiectiones generally, what ſoeuer I can heare or reade of.