A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 4 · Commentary · Section 2 – Section 4
SECT. II.
And now we come vntounto their arguments, & textes of Scripture, out of which they collect arguments againſt the Lords Sabbaths: but this note in the firſt place, that of them all, they can not ſhew vsus any expreſſe commandement or prohibition, againſt the Sabbath day, to countermand it: & therefore it followeth, that what they hauehave againſt it, the ſame is but collectiones, and conſequences, framed by mans feeble reaſon: and this one thing, that they hauehave no expreſſe countermand, againſt the Sabbath day, doth weaken their cauſe exceedingly, & it is the worſe by aboue 50. in the 100. for this wante; and ſo I proceede.
There are two thinges which they labour to make ceremoniall and ſo aboliſhed, in the 4th com. the one is the Rest; the other is the time of the 7th day: & firſt let vsus ſee what they hauehave againſt the Reſt: they doe not ſay the Reſt from labour, is ſimply aboliſhed, leaſt ſo they ſhould daſhe in peeces the whole 4th com. by one word; therfore they hauehave refined it, and they deſire to proue the rigorouſe ſtrictneſſe of the Reſt, onelyonly to be a ceremony: and queſtionleſſe this conceipt of the rigorouſe ſtrictneſſe of the Reſt, was therefore invented, leaſt they ſhould ſeeme onelyonly to deny the queſtion; namly the time of the 7th day: for now thers is a little more culler put vponupon the matter, when they can deny ij things as ceremonies, in the 10 commandements: now to this purpoſe, eueryevery text that may ſeeme to ſauour of any extraordenary ſtrictneſſe, about the Iewiſh reſt (as they cale it) thoſe textes are not expounded, (as they ſay) with a graine of Salte, or any dramme of qualification, but like men that had ſworne to it, to forſake the golden meane, they are carried all wide vponupon the left hand, & theſe textes, are ſtretched vponupon the Tainter hoocks, vntounto the vtmoſt, tending to a rigorouſneſſe; & he that can invent how to make this Reſt the moſt rigorouſe, he is the beſt expoſiter. And hence comes that vaine diſtinction of the Iewiſh Reſt, as if for ſooth, the 4th com. conteined two kinds ef Reſt in it, A Iewiſh Reſt, & A Christian Reſt; but the vanity hereof will appeare by & by, when you ſhall hauehave ſeene the vanity of their arguments, to proue this rigorouſe & Iewiſh Reſt.
Now let me ſhewe you their arguments in order; and firſt I will lay downe 3 arguments, vſed by a worthy Diuine and late writer, to proue this reſt rigorouſe, whoſe name I ſpare for honour ſake: the firſt whereof is this, that the Iewe might not on the Sabbath, goe forth, or take a iourny any whither, for any buſines of his owne Exod. 16.29. this ſaith hee, was temporary, and doth not concerne theſe times of the newe Teſtament.
Hereunto I anſwer, that this text Exod. 16.29. forbad the Iew to trauaile on the Sabbath indeede, but by the context it doth appeare, that here the Lord forbad trauailing friuolouſlie when there was no neede to trauaile: for, in as much as on the 6th day, God gaue them Manna enough for ij dayes, the 6th & the 7th, & ſo rained downe none on the 7th day; therefore he forbad them, to goe forth on the 7th day or Sabbath day: & this was the iourney which God forbad; namly an vnneceſſary iourny; for why ſhould they goe abroad to ſeeke Manna, on a day, wherein there was none in the field? and why ſhould they ſeeke for it on the 7th day, when God gaue them enough on the 6th day, both for it, and for the 7th day alſo? now I pray ſhew me, where is that rigorouſe ſtrictneſſe of the Iewiſh reſt, for which end this text is brought? is that to be eſteemed a rigorouſe reſt when men are forbidden to trauaile on the Sabbath day, when they hauehave no neede at all to trauaile,? & when their iourney is friuolouſe, & to no purpoſe? if this be a Iewiſh ſtrictneſſe, we Christians vſe it, and vrge it at this day: for, we permit not to trauaile on the Lords day, vponupon eueryevery ſleity occation.
And doe they not want matter (thinke you) againſt Gods Sabbathes, when they are forced to racke vp ſuch poore ſtuffe as this is againſt them?
SECT. III.
An other reaſon hee vſeth, taken out of Exod. 35.3. where the Iew is forbiddē to kindle a fier on the Sabbath day: yee ſhall kindle no fier throughout your habitationes on the Sabbath day, and herein (ſaith hee) ſtood the rigorouſneſſe of the Iewiſh reſt.
Herevnto I anſwer, that this text if vnderſtod generally, it is ſet vponupon the tainter hoockes, and ſtretched beyond meaſure: yee hauehave a text to wit, the 4th com. ſaying, in it thou ſhalt not doe any worke, this text, the ſame diuines can vnderſtand it & expound it, with a due limitation, to wit, of common ordenary and ſeruile workes: why then by like reaſon, can they not add the ſame limitation, in the ſame caſe, to this text alſo, Exod. 35.3? and ſo vnderſtand it thus, thou ſhalt kindle no fier, that is, to doe ordenary, common, & ſeruile workes withall, like as common Bakers, and Brewares doe, by making it parte of their trade: thus workes of neceſſity and charity to be done on the Sabbath, ſhall be no more forbidden in this text Exod. 35.3. then they are in the 4th com. Exod: 20.10. to kindle a fier, as Bakers doe, is a ſeruile worke; but otherwiſe it is a worke of mercy, when but to warme one, and the like.
Alſo it might hauehave a ſpeciall reference vntounto the building of the Tabernacle, Exod. 35.3.4.5. whereof there was no ſuch neceſſary haſt, as that they ſhould kindle fiers on the Sabbath, to worke about it.
For vsus to thinke, that God who allowed a beast to be led to the water on the Sabbath; and allowed the Iewes to lift a beaſt out of the ditch on the Sabbath; & to plucke and rubb eares of corne on the Sabbath, wold forbid them to kindle a fier on the Sabbath, to dreſſe a morſell of warme meate, for their dinner, and to warme them ſelues in cold winters weather, when they came from Church, that ſo they might be the more freſh and liuely to ſerue God againe in the afternone, thers no ſhew of reaſon in it: would God hauehave mercy ſhewed to a beaſt on the Sabbath, and none of a man, that is made after his Image? what likelihod is there of this?
Further our Sauiour ſaith the Sabbath was made for man Mar. 2.27. ſo to expound this text Exod. 35.3. therefore, as if a man might not, no not in a caſe of neceſſity, kindle a fier, in the time of froft and ſnow, to warme himſelfe, and the like, is to make the Sabbath not for man, but againſt man: and to make man for the Sabbath, contrary to the words of our Sauiour.
Againe our Sauiour Chriſt, was preſent at a ffeaſt, on the Sabbath day, Luk. 14.1.2.3.4.5.6.7. &c. now at a feaſt, there is commonly a fier, to dreſſe meate for the gueſtes; & there is attendance to be giuen by ſeruants, and the like; now Chriſt by his preſence at this feaſt, allowed of fier kindling, & of others as great workes, as the kindling of a fier is: wherby it appeareth, that this text is wreſted, when it is vnderſtod ſo rigorouſly, as if God had forbad his people to kindle a fier in any caſe: thus you ſee, that it is but a ſlaunder brought vp vponupon the Iewiſh Reſt, to ſay it was rigorouſe; but ſuch ſlaunders are frequent, to loath men of Gods Sabbath.
SECT. IV.
A third reaſon hee fetcheth out of Ierem. 17, 21. and Nehem. 13.15. take heede to your ſelues, and beare no burden in the Sabbath day, here ſaith hee, the Iewes might beare no burdens on the Sabbath.
Herevnto I anſwer briefly, that theſe texts, as any man may ſee by the context, ſpeake onelyonly of burthens bearing, in an ordenary & common caſe, as a ſeruile worke: but that all bearing of burdens, was forbidden to the Iewes is falſe; for Chriſt him ſelfe commanded the ſicke man to carry his bedd, on the Sabbath day, Ioh. 5.8.9.10. ſeeing therefore, that God did not forbid a man to carry a burden on the Sabbath day, in his neceſſity, where is there any grownd then here, for any man to ſay, the Ieweiſh Reſt was ſtrict and rigorouſe? I neuer yet could ſee, but that God allowed the Jewes, as much liberty on the Sabbath day, as he alloweth Christianes; and as much liberty, as Miniſters grant vntounto Chriſtians on the Lords day: & therefore it is but a meere ſlaunder, to ſay the Iewiſh Reſt, was rigorouſe: & the diſtinction betwixt the Iewiſh reſt and the Chriſtian Reſt is a diſtinction without a difference: for all workes of mercy, and workes of neceſſity, might be done by the Iewes on the Sabbath day, as well as by vsus Chriſtianes now. Loe, theſe deuices wiſe men hauehave, to defeate God of his Sabbaths.