A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 4 · Commentary · Section 20
SECT. XX.
Hauing in the former Sections of this Chapter, anſwered all their arguments brought againſt the Lords Sabbath; ſo as it manifeſtly appeareth, that it cannot be proued, that it is aboliſhed, but that it is ſtill in force: now in the laſt place, I purpoſe to ſpend this laſt ſection of this Chapter, in a Diſſwaſory-declaration of the common ſinne of our time, to wit, the ſinne of Sabbath breaking.
And here I would not be miſtaken, at the very Threſhold & entry of my diſcourſe: for by the ſinne of Sabbath-breaking, I doe not vnderſtand the ſinne of profanation of the Lords day, which now a daies is called the ſinne of Sabbath-breaking, by our Miniſters: for they in this point, make more ſinnes, then euer God made: they deale by the Lords day, as players doe with ſome of their fellowes, whom they make a Counterfait King, in the ſight of the people, by putting vponupon him ſome robes & ornaments, like thoſe of the true King; & thus doe our Miniſters; that they might honour this Lords day, in the eyes of the world, they hauehave made it a counterfait Sabbath day, and that by miſcalling of it, Sabbath day: like as if a man ſhould cale one man, by an other mans name: thus they hauehave robbed the 7th day, of its proper & honourable name, that they might robe and decke with it, the 8th day: but to leaue them to their vanities & counterfaitings; by Sabbath day, I meane the 7th day from the creation, the Saturday, & day wher on God himſelfe Reſted, & which is mentioned in his Morall Law; and by the ſinne of Sabbath-breaking, I vnderſtand the violation and profanation of this day, contrary to Gods expreſſe commandement.
The perſones guilty of this ſinne, are both Miniſters and people: for the people firſt; let them know, & take ſpeciall notice of it, that they lay vnderunder the guilte of the ſinne of Sabbath-breaking, vntounto this day: & without repentance, are liable to thoſe curſes, threatened in the booke of God, againſt tranſgreſſoures of the Lawes of God: I ſpeake what I thinke is the trueth in my ſoule & conſcience, & I hauehave good cauſe thus to thinke; for, you hauehave ſeene that it cannot be certainly & infallibly proued, to the vndoubted ſatisfaction of any mans conſcience, that euer God did aboliſh this Sabbath day; now if it cannot be moſt euidently & apparantly proued, that it is aboliſhed, then though there could nothing be ſaid for it more, yet it is a ſinne to profane it: but I hauehave more to ſay for it, as you ſhall heare in the next Chapter, for time to come therefore let men beware, that they doe no more profane the Lords Sabbath day; it will be a dongerouſe matter to ſinne, & goe on in ſinne, after admonition and information; this let them take notice of, as being forewarned, that they doe liue and lye in the weekly breach, of one of Gods Lawes: for eueryevery 7th day or Saturday, they doe not onelyonly neglect the worſhip of God, but alſo notoriouſly profane the Lords Sabbath day, by buying and ſelling, by riding and goeing too market and fro market, by ploughing and carteing, by working in their Shoppes and howſen, eueryevery man in his ſeuerall trade and occupation, and by doeing the moſt baſe drudgery and kitching workes, on this ſacred day: when God ſhould be moſt in our minds, then he is furtheſt from our thoughtes: let this be thought on, by all ſuch, as make any conſcience of Gods commandements.
But herevnto the people will reply, ſaying, Alas, what would you hauehave vsus to doe? we are no ſchollers, if it be an errour, it is in our Miniſters and teachers, & not in vsus; you ſhould doe well to apply this doctrine vntounto our Miniſters & not vntounto vsus; we cannot iudge in ſuch matters of difference & difficulty &c. To whom I anſwer, Alas, indeed, I pitty you from my heart; this your errour is radically indede in your Miniſters, for the blind, doe leade the blind; neuertheleſſe you hauehave your ſhare therin: becauſe you iuſtify their doeings, & approue of their ſayings & doctrines in this point: Gods proceedings are on this wiſe, that if the Miniſter doth not admoniſh the people, of thoſe things which are ſinnes: the Miniſters indede ſhall anſwer to God for thy blood, but what will this auaile thee? for Thou ſhalt die for thine iniquity, as you may reade, Ezek. 33.8. & for this cauſe, it is fite, I ſhould giuegive you notice therof, albeit I meane to lay the chiefeload vponupon your Miniſters backes. laſtly whereas you pleade, that you are not able to iudge in ſuch points as theſe. Herevnto I anſwer, that men ſhould be aſhamed to ſay they cannot iudge, conſidering the time, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh; for men hauehave now bene trained vp a longe time in the doctrine of Chriſtian religion, & therefore ſhould be able to iudge; the Apoſtle biddeth vsus to Trye all things, & keepe that which is good, 1. The 5.21. & againe he ſaith, I ſpeake as vntounto them which hauehave vnderſtanding: iudge yee what I ſay, 1. Cor. 10.15. Here you ſee the Apoſtle would hauehave common people to be iudges of that which hee taught; & ſuch were thoſe noble Bereans, Act. 17.11. wherefore you ought to iudge of this point, & to this end to reade about it, to conferre of it, and to ſtuddy it: It is true, were it a point to be ſtuddied out, by your owne labour, from the roote of it, there were difficulty in it perhapes aboue your capacities; but when a point is alredy ſtudied to your hand, & a path way beaten oute for your foote ſteppes, now there is no invincible difficulty in the matter: it is true, that commō people cannot plead a cauſe before the Iudge, yet can they iudge, hauing heard both parties plead; people cannot preach, yet can they iudge of a ſermon preached; ſo in this point of the Sabbath, though people could not firſt finde it out, nor yet diſpute it when foūd out, yet can they iudge of the cauſe when they ſee it laied plainly open before their eies, if they will open their eyes to ſee it, & they may iudge of the cauſe, when they hauehave ſeene it pleaded on both ſides; to this end I hauehave penned this booke, wherein you hauehave the argumentes on both ſides, plainly laid downe, ſo as you may eaſily diſcerne the trueth, from errour.
Yet further, to take away all excuſes; the point in queſtion, touching this Sabbath day, commanded in the Morall Law, it is A Catechiſme point: for all the 10. commandements, they are Catechiſme pointes, like as are the Creede, & the Lords prayer: now it hath pleaſed Almightie God, to lay downe theſe Catechiſme pointes, of all other pointes in religion, moſt plainly, & moſt familiarly, that he that runeth may reade them; the 10 cō mandements are expreſſed to the capacety of the meaneſt in the Congregation, & of all the 10 commandements, there is not any one laid downe in more familiar & eaſy termes & words to be vnderſtod, then is this 4th com. touching the Sabbath day; for God hath moſt liuely & plainly, painted & pointed it out from all other daies of the weeke, ſo that no man can doubt, which day of the weeke is that which God would hauehave for his Sabbath day; no nor yet what dueties God requireth to be done in that day: it is plaine, that that is the day, which is properly called Sabbath day, in Scripture account; & which is the 7th day in Scriptures account, namly our Saturday: & the dueties are Reſt, & Holy actiones performed in that Reſt: theſe things are ſo plaine in the com. as they neede no expoſition; for they are put downe in ſo many words, in the com. now, what neede then is there of ſuch ſtore of lerning, to attaine to the knowledge of theſe things, as if common people cold not vnderſtand them, nor any but Miniſters & men of lerning could iudge of them? men may as well ſay they vnderſtand not Engliſh, as to ſay, they cannot vnderſtand & iudge which is the 7th day of the weeke, & what is meant, by Reſt from labour, & performance of Holy actiones: for which is the 7th day, we cannot but knowe ſince the Sunday or Lords day, is the firſt day; & what is meant by Holy actiones, or ſanctifying of the day, we know by the like actiones we performe on eueryevery Lords day: a ſmale deale of lerning is enough for a man to iudge of theſe points; wherefore that is but an excuſe, for people to ſay they are no ſchollers, & they cannot iudge of ſuch matters; what can you not iudge of your Catechiſme points, which you lerned in your Childhoode?
I confeſſe for all this, there is difficulty about this point, to ſuch as are not exerciſed in it (& by the way, it is a ſhame for any man, not to be ſo well exerciſed in all Gods 10 commandements, as not to be able to defend them, vntounto the leaſt iote & title againſt all oppoſers) but I deſire thee good Reader, but to obſerue where the difficulty lieth: for the cleering of this, note with me theſe ij. things, The 4th com. &, the oppoſition made againſt this 4th com. For the former of theſe; the 4th com. together with the things therin commanded, are laid downe moſt familiarly, & plainly, as hath bene ſhowne, ſo as thers no difficulty at all about that, no man but may eaſily vnderſtand, what it is which God requireth therin, & which day of the weeke God inioyned for a Sabbath: wherefore the difficulty that is, it is in the oppoſition, made by Miniſters, againſt ſomething commanded in the 4th com. now it is true indeede, that in this oppoſition, there ariſeth difficulty, becauſe they trouble the waters of mens vnderſtāding, by bringing many & intricate reaſones out of Scriptures, againſt the Sabbath day written in the 4th com. which intricate arguments, if theſe Miniſters would forbeare, then there were no difficulty at all, all were as plaine as a beaten path way; wherefore, ſince you ſee where the difficulty lieth, my counſaile to all ſuch people as plead ignorance, & want of lerning in this controuerſy, ſhall be, that they would therefore rather follow God, then their Miniſters: for Gods way is a plaine, ſmooth, eaſy, & beaten way, ſo as eueryevery man lerned or vnlerned, may eaſily know, what it is which God requireth in this Catechiſme point of his 4th com. but their Miniſters way, in ſetting themſelues to abandon and roote out Gods Sabbath, it is ſuch a rugged way, & ſuch a difficult way, full of ſo many ſecret & hidden windings & turnings, as people of common capacety cannot conceiue it, nor iudge of it, as themſelues ſay: wherefore, my counſaile vntounto theſe is this, that they rather take parte with God, & with his Sabbath, then with their Miniſters againſt God & his Sabbath: becauſe Gods way is an eaſy & knowne way, but mans way is an intricate & difficult way.
And further, let them not dare to liue in the weekly tranſgreſſion of the 4th com. & profanation of Gods Sabbath day, bearing themſelues onelyonly vponupon this poore grownd, that their Miniſters ſay they may ſo doe; & that their Miniſters bring many arguments out of the Scripture, for the aboliſhing of Gods Sabbath day, ſince thoſe argumentes (as themſelues confeſſe) they vnderſtand not, nor are able to iudge of, for want of lerning, when they heare or reade them diſputed of: the Apoſtle ſaith, whatſoeuer is not of faith is ſinne, Rom. 14.23. If then they cannot comprehend & conceiue of the oppoſit arguments, brought againſt the Sabbath, when they are diſputed too & fro on boths ſids, how can they worke in their calings on this Sabbath day? they cannot doe it of faith, they muſt doe it doubttingly, & ſo ſinfully: wherefore the better & eaſier known way, is the ſurer & ſafer way, & that is to follow the example of God, reſting vponupon the 7th day, becauſe God reſted on the 7th day; & thus much for people.
I come now vntounto Miniſters; the firſt thing I lay to their charge, is the profanation of the ſacred Scriptures, and word of God, by wreſting of many and ſondry textes of Scripture, againſt the 4th com. and the Lords Sabbath day, therein mentioned: there are many and ſondry textes of Scripture, both out of the old Testament & out of the new Teſtament, which they abuſe againſt the Lords Sabbath day, the particulars whereof you hauehave heard in all this Chapter hitherto, and how vainly, impertinently, and friuolouſly they hauehave vſed them, doth euidently appeare by my ſeueral anſwers vntounto them: now doe they not know, that one day they ſhall giuegive an accompt to God, for taking Gods Name in vaine? and for vnreuerent toſſing of Gods word, hither and thither like a Tenniſe bale? yea which is worſe, they turne the point of Gods ſword (his word I meane) againſt himſelfe; ſetting Scriptures together by the eares: for they ſet aboundance of Scriptures, both out of the old and new Teſtaments, againſt the Lords Sabbath day, commanded to be kept by the 4th com. like as a man ſhould ſet abundance of dogges vponupon a Beare: for they ſet all theſe textes of Scripture, againſt this one text of the 4th com: now what may be the grownd of all this? I cannot deuiſe any beſids this, that their minds are foreſtaled with a preiudice againſt Gods Sabbaths, as that they are Iewiſh and the like, and therefore downe they muſt: and to this end, the Scripture muſt be ſet againſt them.
It hath euer bene the practiſe of all ſober and Godly Diuines, to ſtudy and endeauor the reconciliation of Scriptures ſeemeing to make oppoſition and contradiction: but theſe men are of a contrary Spirit: for hauing to doe with Gods tenn commandements, and by name the 4th com. they cannot abide to heare me ſpeake of a reconciliation, and to make a reconcilment betwixt the 4th com. Exod. 20.8. and this text Coloſ. 2.16.17. but all their ſtudy and invention is, how they may make theſe two portiones of holy writ with others, to oppoſe one an other in the higheſt manner, & one to ſhoulder out an other: my indeauors are by a reconciliation, to cauſe an Harmony and ſweete accord among the Scriptures, that ſo we may ſtill retaine a moſt ancient and proffitable ordinance of Gods in the Church; but their indeauors are, to reiect all reconciliation, & to cauſe a iarre and diſcord in the Scriptures, that ſo they may depriue the Church of God, of a moſt ancient and proffitable ordinance of Gods, commanded in his morall Law. This is a profane vſe and abuſe of Scripture, to cauſe it to be at oddes & variance with it ſelfe, when as by a reconciliation and fit ſenſe, it may be made to agree & accord in a ſwete Harmoney.
The 2 d thing I lay to the charge of Miniſters, is that they hauehave liued a long time in this ſinne of Sabbath breaking, and tranſgreſſion of Gods 4th com. in their ſeuerall families; the which without vnfeined Repentance, wil make them liable vntounto all thoſe Curſes temporall and eternall, thereatened in Gods word, againſt ſuch as liue in the tranſgreſſion of Gods Lawes. And further, if ſtill they ſhall in time to come, liue in the wilfull violation of this ordinance of God, I giuegive them hereby to know, that they ſhall be guilty of a weekly ſinne, againſt Gods 4th com. drawing downe Gods curſes vponupon themſelues and their families, eueryevery Saturday or Sabbath day, weeke by weeke, ſo long as they ſo liue.
This errour touching Gods Sabbath day, is not like vntounto ſome other erroures, which are erroures in iudgement onelyonly, but like vntounto thoſe more dangerouſe and perniciouſe erroures, which are erroures both in iudgement and in practiſe alſo; for you ſee, that ſuch as are erroniouſly perſwaded, that this ſacred and Sanctified time, the 7th day Sabbath, is aboliſhed; forthwith they fale to an erroniouſe practiſe alſo, & to trample vponupon Gods Sabbaths, by profanation of them openly; and by calling them Iewiſh reprochfully.
But happily they will reply, ſaying, wee doe not throw downe Gods Sabbath, but God himſelfe doeth it; for it is God that hath aboliſhed the 7th day Sabbath; and therefore you doe ill to taxe vsus for it: wherevnto I anſwer, that it is falſe which they ſay; to father this their owne deede vponupon God, is an heinouſe euill; that God hath not done this thing is apparent, in aſmuch as none of all thoſe Scriptures of Gods, which they hauehave brought againſt this Sabbath, doe neceſſarily aboliſh it, as you hauehave ſeene by my anſwers vntounto them one by one, ſo it is not God then but themſelues that hauehave done it; and ſo I taxe them iuſtly.
Yet further, Miniſters are guilty, not onelyonly and alone of the ſinne of Sabbath breaking, in their owne families, but alſo which is more fearefull, they are guilty of the ſame ſinne committed by the people weekly: for whats the cauſe, why the people doe not Sanctify the Sabbath day properlie ſo called, is it not hence, becauſe Miniſters teach people that it is aboliſhed, & Iewiſh, and therefore they ought not to keepe it holy? the people will lay the load of this ſinne, vponupon their Miniſters an other day, when God ſhall rekone with them for it, crying out vponupon their Teachers, who miſled them. S. Iames telleth vsus, if ſome man hath converted an other from his errour, he ſhall ſaue a ſoule, and ſhall hide a multitude of ſinnes Iam. 5.19.20. If then this be an argument to perſwade all men, to labour to bring their brethren out of errours, becauſe ſo they ſhall hide a multitude of ſinnes: what a terrour then ſhould it be vntounto all Miniſters, to thinke that they hauehave ſeduced the people, and led them into erroures; for thus they hauehave opened a fountaine of ſinnes: for eueryevery ſingle perſon in their congregation, Maſter & ſeruant, Miſtris & maide, Parent & childe, eueryevery one of theſe doe hereby fale into the ſinne of Sabbath breaking eueryevery weeke, that is 50 times in one yeere, ſo as if a man hath liued but a matter of 40 or 50 yeeres, he is guilty of the breach of Gods 4th com. Twenty hundreth times; what a multitude of ſinnes are heere! & all theſe are the Miniſter guilty of; theſe are the multitude of ſinnes committed by one ſingle perſon in his congregation, but if a Miniſter hath 400 or 500 perſones, or a thowſand perſones vnderunder his charge, what an infinit number of ſinnes is hee guilty of! let this be ceriouſly thought on.
Furthermore, if it doth come into the heart of the Magistrate at any time, to thinke of a reformation (as God graunt it may) what is it that quencheth that motion of Gods Spirit in him? is it not this, that hee bethinketh him that his Miniſter, and ſo other Miniſters, are of a contrary iudgement, affirming with one conſent, that this Sabbath day, is aboliſhed, and ceremoniall, & Iewiſh? ſo then, Miniſters are not onelyonly guilty of the breach of Gods Sabbaths, among the people for time paſt, but alſo they hinder Reformation, in the perſones, in whoſe power it is to make Reformation: By the mercy of God, we liue in a kingdome, that is gouerned by Christian Magiſtrates; and vnderunder ſuch gouerners, as hauehave alredy made reformationes, in many things, wherein they hauehave bene informed by the Clergie; and I verily beleeue, they would as willingly take this point into their conſiderations, if moued therevnto by the Miniſtry, as they hauehave done other things: but behold, they who ſhould informe them, and cale vponupon them, are dumbe and ſilent; nay enemies and aduerſaries to the cauſe! wherefore, that this Sabbath breaking is defended by Authority, and not reformed, but the reformation of it oppoſed by Authority, this is to be imputed vntounto Miniſters; let this be ceriouſly thought on.
Herevnto happily ſome will reply, but theſe Miniſters who doe theſe things; are very zealouſe & godly men &c. To whom I anſwer, the more zealouſe the worſe, & the more godly the worſe: it were enough for the moſt godleſſe & profane men, to ſet themſelues againſt an ordinance of Gods, & to oppoſe his Sabbaths; but for men fearing God, & zealouſe for God, that theſe ſhould ſhew themſelues ſo regardleſſe of Gods ordināce, & ſuch enemies to his Sabbaths, this is in them a double iniquity: for, who but they ſhould ſtand for God, and defend his Sabbaths?
In the third place, I lay many things to the charge of ſuch Miniſters as doe oppoſe Gods ancient Sabbath: as 1. that thereby they hauehave defaced Gods royall-Law, mangled it, & robbed it of its integrity & perfection: they hauehave diminiſhed the compleate number of Tenn Commandements: they hauehave made it a morall-ceremoniall Law, an hotch potch; a very Monſtre. 2. They bewray a greate want of louelove vntounto Gods Law, they doe not louelove it for it ſelfe: for they indeauor might & maine, to ouerthrow a parte of it: yea they are horribly partiall, in that they will defend all the other partes of Gods Law, againſt Anabaptiſts; but will not defend this parte alſo againſt them. 3. They open a flood gate to impiety and prophaneſſe among people; & draw vsus to Anabaptiſtry, by throwing downe Gods Sabbaths. 4. They are guilty of that ſinne in Deut. 12.32. and of that curſe in Reuel. 22.18.19. threatened to ſuch as doe either add to Gods word, or detract from it: for by that text, Ex. 31.13. they hauehave vnneceſſarily detracted from Gods Law, the 7th day Sabbath; &, to that text, Coloſ. 2.16.17. they hauehave vnneceſſarily added, the 7th day Sabbath, for the ruine of it: now in thus doeing, they behaue themſelues, like men, that are weary of Gods ſeruice, as if it were a burden vntounto them to ſanctifie Gods Sabbaths, & as if it grieued them that Gods Sabbaths ſhould be morall: were it not thus with them, they would neuer manage ſuch arguments and Scriptures againſt Gods Sabbaths as you ſee they hauehave done, oh preiudice! oh temporizing!
But admit, that by reaſon of ſwaying with the times, a preiudice againſt the Sabbath as Iewiſh, is faſtened in their breaſts, I ſee no cauſe why they ſhould reiect the Matchleſſe example & preſident of God himſelfe, Exo. 20.10.11. is this Jewiſh too? for they cannot abide it, that the Church and people of God, ſhould be imitators & followers of God like deere Children: that is, that they ſhould labour on thoſe daies wherin God wrought, & reſt on that day wherin God reſted, & ſanctify that time which God ſanctified, yea and alſo commanded: but like men, that loued not to be like God, they will hauehave the people reſt when God wrought, & worke when God reſted, & prophane the time which God Sanctified: they had rather goe any way, then treade in Gods ſteppes & follow him.
The laſt thing which I lay to the charge of Miniſters, is that they hauehave taken away one whole com. from the 10. commandements: in the former point, I hauehave taxed them for takeing away ſome parte of a com. but here I taxe them for taking away a whole com. by name the 4th com. and this I thus make good againſt them; 1. They hauehave taken away the time, to wit, the 7th day, in the com. the which being gone, there is no day time lefte in the com. ſo that an howre vponupon any day in the weeke, ſpent at a Lecture, in prayer, ſinging a Pſalme, & hearing Gods word, is as much as the 4th com. can now require, by their expoſitiones: now therfore the 4th com. needeth no longer goe thus, Remember the Sabbath day: for it may goe thus, Remember the Sabbath howre: 2. They hauehave aboliſhed the dueties in the day, to wit, rest, & Holy actiones: for the word Sabbath ſignifying reſt, this reſt they hauehave aboliſhed, by making the word Sabbath & reſt, in the 4th com. a ſigne, Exod. 31.13. and a Shaddow, Coloſ. 2.17. & ſo aboliſhed; now if the Sabbath and reſt be aboliſhed, then may men labour in their callings eueryevery man in his owne houſe ſeuerally; & this taketh away holy Aſſemblies in the congregation, & all publike dueties of a Sabbath: & thus hauehave they aboliſhed by their corrupt gloſſes & expoſitions, both the time, & the dueties to be performed in the time, now theſe being gone, I pray ſhew me what is lefte behind in the 4th com. for they hauehave aboliſhed eueryevery thing that was commanded. 3. By making theſe words Sabbath day a ſigne, Exo. 31.13. and a Shaddow, Col. 2.17. and ſo aboliſhed, thus they hauehave taken away the Subſtance of the 4th com. & lefte vsus nothing but a ſhaddow; ſo as now we may reade the 4th com. thus: Remember the 0000000000, to Sanctify it: & thus much for the body of the 4th com.
Laſtly, they hauehave taken away the Reaſon and Motiue, which God tooke from his owne example, & added it to his 4th com. Exod. 20, 11. this whole verſe, v. 11. conteining ij. moſt liuely reaſones & effectuall, they hauehave robbed Gods Church of the vſe of them; for they neither vſe them themſelues, no neither can man elſe vſe them, vntounto the day we now keepe: for God did moue vntounto the obſeruation of the Saturday & 7th day. 1. Becauſe him ſelfe at the Creation reſted on it. 2. Becauſe he had bleſſed that day, & hallowed it, & ſo made it an Holy day. now theſe two reaſones neither are, nor can be applied to our Lords day: for God at the creation did not reſt on our Lords day; no neither did he then bleſſe & ſanctify the Lords day; for the Lords day was not then knowne. Thus you ſee, how they baue made cleere worke; for they hauehave taken away both the body of the 4th com. & the reaſone annexed to it by God; thus they hauehave taken away the whole 4th com. head & taile, roote & branch: it ſtands for vsus now onelyonly to looke vponupon.
Loe, now we may ſay with the Prophet Dauid, It is time for thee Lord to worke, for they hauehave deſtroied thy Law, Pſal. 119.126. Thus ſince I hauehave faithfully & plainly diſcouered this Notoriouſe errour, I hauehave done what in me lyeth towards a reformation; onelyonly this remaineth, that with the reſidue of the congregation, I make this prayer vntounto God, That it may pleaſe him to bring into the way of trueth, all ſuch as hauehave erred, & are deceiued.