A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 5 · Commentary · Section 3 · Argument 23
ARGVM. XXIII.
My 23th argument in defence of the Lords Sabbath proueth, that it muſt be morall & perpetuall, becauſe it is ſuch an ordinance of Gods, as doth greatly further the publike & ſolemne worſhip of God, tend vntounto piety and furtherance of the dueties of the firſt Table, nouriſh Chriſtian Religion; & generally helpeth all ſortes of people, to the attainment of grace, and groweth in all the dueties of piety towards God, and Charity towards man: yea, becauſe it is ſuch an ordinance of Gods, as tendeth vntounto mercy, and that not onelyonly towards mankind in generall, but alſo vntounto mercy both vntounto man & beaſt. And thus I argue.
That which is expreſsely commanded in the morall Law, which by experience we find, tending vntounto, and a notable furtherance of Gods publique & priuate worſhip and ſeruice; and of all ſortes of people, for their attainment and increaſe of grace & godlineſse, and growing vp in our Chriſtian Religion: yea and further, which is commanded as a worke of mercy vntounto mankind; yea both to man & beast; that thing is morall & perpetuall, & ſtill in force.
But to reſt from worke on Saturday the 7th day, is expreſly commanded in the Morall Law, and we find it by experience tending vntounto, & a notable furtherance of Gods publique & priuate worſhip & ſeruice; & of all ſortes of people, for their attainment & increaſe of grace & godlineſſe, and growing vp in our Chriſtian Religion: yea and further, which is commanded as a worke of mercy vntounto mankind; yea both to man and beast.
Therefore to rest from worke, on Saturday the 7th day, is morall perpetuall and ſtill in force.
As for the trueth of the Major, I ſuppoſe none will deny it: for it is a Rule in expounding the commandements, that not onelyonly the things expreſſed in the Decalogue are commanded as dueties binding vsus, but alſo all cauſes, helpes, & furtherances vntounto thoſe dueties: whence I reaſon thus, if the helpes & furtherances of morall dueties belong vntounto vsus, though not expreſſed in the Law, then by like if not by ſtronger reaſon, ſuch helpes & furtherances as ſerue vntounto morall dueties, being expreſly commanded in the Law, doe belong vntounto vsus & bind vsus as morall: yea further, that duety which is commanded in the law, as a worke of mercy, that muſt needs be morall without all controuerſy.
And as for the Minor, I ſuppoſe it is as cleere as the Major: for, 1. it is expreſly commanded in the Morall Law, that we ſhould reſt from worke on the 7th day, which is Saturday. But the 7th day is the Sabbath &c. in it thou ſhalt not doe any worke &c. Exod. 20.10. And 2. we find it by all experience, that if we reſted from our laboures on Saturday the 7th day, it would greatly tend vntounto the furtherance of Gods publike worſhip on that day, and vntounto the begetting groweth and increaſe of grace in all men: for when men doe …et a parte all worldly imployments, to attend on the ſeruice of God, then are they free from many diſtractiones & incumberances, which would hinder them in Gods ſeruice, and then are they fiter for all Religiouſe exerciſes &c. The trueth hereof we ſee by our now keeping of the Lords day; for our reſting from worldly imployments on this day, doth greatly further the worſhip of God, & all holy exerciſes; iuſt ſo it would be with the 7th day if we had it in vſe.
3. That a reſt from worke on the 7th day, is commanded as a worke of mercy, is plaine Exod. 23.12. In the 7th day, thou ſhalt reſt, that thine oxe and thine Aſſe may rest, and the ſonne of thy maide, and the ſtranger may be refreſhed. See to this effect alſo Deut. 5.14. So then God would that men ſhould reſt on the 7th day, for the reliefe eaſe and refreſhment, both of man and beaſt: God would that Maſters ſhould exerciſe pittie and mercy to their wearied and tired ſeruants, by reſting them on the 7th day. Now in this reſpect, I may cale the Saturday or Sabbath day, the Seruants Iubile; for on this day eueryevery weeke, they ſhould hauehave releaſe from their painfull and ſeruile laboures, to refreſh themſelues therin: on this day all Maſters ſhould exerciſe mercy to their wearied ſeruants: how euer other times & holy dayes for ſeruants refreſhment, are at the liberty & pleſure of gouerners, yet this time & day, is not ſo: for of duety God in the behalfe of Seruants requireth it of Maſters, & ſo it is the Seruants by right from God. Thus you ſee it cleere, that to reſt on the 7th day, is a worke of mercy vntounto mā & beaſ…, & a worke greatly tending to the furtherance of all the dueties of piety and charity.
In a word, the obſeruation of the Sabbath day, muſt needs be a thing greatly tending to the good of mankind: becauſe it was made for them: The Sabbath was made for man. Mark. 2.27. vnleſſe therefore we will accuſe God of vnskilfulneſſe, in making things for men, which are not good and proffitable for them, we muſt needs yeeld, that the obſeruation of the Sabbath, is a thing tending vntounto, and a furtherance of mans good in generall,
What anſwer may be framed to this argument I cannot foreſee, vnleſſe it be ſome ſuch as this, that the reſt from labour is it onelyonly which tendeth vntounto piety, and is a worke of mercy, but not the day, to wit, the 7th day, this helpeth not &c. But contrarywiſe.
1. The day helpeth vntounto a religiouſe ſanctification of the reſt; becauſe it is a ſacred day aboue all others in the weeke, for God hallowed it at the creation, and it onelyonly, Geneſ. 2.3. & therefore it doth beſt beſuite ſacred actiōs, & addeth a kind of a more reuerēt reſpect vntounto them: thus a man is touched with a more ſublime and honourable regard of the duety of prayer, in the Church (as of ancient in the Temple) then in a common houſe: ſee Geneſ. 28.16.17. Eccleſ. 4.17. Leuit, 19.30. ij. Chron. 8.11. Mark. 11.15.16.17. And Moſes muſt put off his ſhoes, becauſe the place was Holy grownd, Exod. 3.5. Thus Nehemiah required of the people, behauiour ſutable vntounto the day; the people muſt not weepe, becauſe the day was Holy, Nehem. 8.9.10. and This is the day which the Lord had made, let vsus reioyce & be glad in it, Pſal. 118.24. Here the day minded them of the dueties in and of the day, to wite, ioy and gladneſſe, like as the Coronation day when it cometh, it mindes vsus of the dueties of the day, & that in a more liuely maner then any other day: if therefore ſacred places, did further men in ſacred dueties, by touching their heartes, with a more then ordenary reuerence and religion, & channge of behauiour; and if daies doe mind vsus of the dueties of the daies: then why ſhould not alſo, the ſacred day of the Sabbath when it cometh, be of like vſe? it being of like kinde? why ſhould not the preſence of this ſacred day, the more moue vsus to be holy, becauſe the day is holy? if Moſes muſt put off his ſhoes, becauſe the grownd where on he ſtoode was holy grownd, why ſhould not we be the more moued, to put off all carnall and ſinnefull affectiones, becauſe the day wherein we are is an holy day? & if the people in Nehemiahs time, muſt not weepe, becauſe the day was holy, muſt not we learne to abſteine from worke the rather; becauſe the day is holy? So thus we ſee, ſacred places, & ſanctified daies, hauehave added ſomewhat vntounto the increaſe of holy affectiones; & reaſones hauehave bene fetched, from the holineſſe of the places, and daies, to m…ue vntounto more reuerence in geſture outwardly in body, & inwardly in heart, and to decline ſuch things as doe not beſ…te theſe places or times: this may yet further appeare in the Lords day: for it being ſuppoſed a ſacred day, and of Diuine inſtitution, the day thus conſidered, doth not a little further our reſt from laboures, & ſo helpe vsus to a more proffitable vſe of all holy exerciſes in the day, which would not be ſo, if the day were in eſteeme but a common day.
2. One duety of the Sabbath, is to ſing Pſalmes, vntounto the praiſe of God, as we may ſee by the title of the 92 Pſalme: and among other things the Church doth praiſe God, for that his marvailouſe & miraculouſe worke of the Creatiō of the world, whereof the Sabbath day or 7th day is a ſigne, Exod. 31.17.15. Now this very day, doth not a little further this ſacred duety, of praiſing God for the Creation of the world; & that. 1. Becauſe this day, being the ſame day in the weke for order whereon God reſted at the Creation, it doth more liuely repreſent vntounto vsus Gods reſt, then can any other day of the weeke. 2. Becauſe God made this day to be a ſigne of the Creation, Exod. 31.17.15. as the Elements of bread wine and water in the Sacraments, be ſignes of the redemption; now ſignes doe further the remembrance of the things ſignified by them; & therefore the Sabbath day being a ſigne of the Creation, it doth further the thankfull remembrance thereof, and our cheerefull praiſes of God for it, ſince by it wee hauehave life being & wel being, without which ſhould hauehave had no being at all.
3. The 7th day being that day whereon God himſelfe reſted at the Creation Geneſ. 2.2, this day hath a force in it aboue all daies in the weeke, to perſwad men to reſt themſelues, and giuegive reſt vntounto their ſeruants on that day, in an imitation of God, becauſe God reſted on it: and thus it furthereth. 1. The work of mercy, in afording reſt vntounto poore ſeruants: and 2. It furthereth the workes of piety & religion: for the more freely that men reſt, the more cheerefully they worſhip God: this efficacy no other day hath.
4. As a place, ſo the time of the 7th day, is a furtherance to Gods worſhip; for thereby we hauehave time to ſerue God in, without which God cannot be ſerued; yea further, this time & day doth further the continuance and frequency of Gods worſhip: for were it not for this, ſome men would thinke it enough to giuegive God but one howre or two in a day, and one day in a monethmonth or quarter of a yeere.
5. The time and day, was commanded at once together with the duety of reſt, both in one commandement, both in one ſentence in that commandement, both with one breath, Exod. 20.10. The one as a duety, the other as the proper time for the performance thereof: now it is conſentaneus and agreable to all reaſon to thinke, that theſe two things being thus inioyned immediatly together, ſhould both tend together vntounto one and the ſame end, each after its manner and kind, ſo as if the one tendeth vntounto the worſhip of God, ſo ſhould the other alſo: and it is abſurd to thinke, that the one ſhould tend vntounto oen end, & the other vntounto another and diuerſe end: A decre is made, that one the 5th of Nouember, the day ſhould be kept in a thankfull remembrance for that deliuerance &c. & that people ſhall refraine their laboures, & reſorte to their pariſh Churches; where the Miniſters ſhall publikly praiſe God &c. now who cold imagine, but that as the duety of reſting from worke tendeth vntounto the publike praiſe of God, ſo doth the place appointed thereto, to wit, the Church, and ſo doe the perſones, to wit, the Miniſters, and ſo doth the time and day alſo, to wit, the 5th Nouember? & it were abſurd to thinke, that the reſt from work ſhould tēd to the publik praiſe of God, but the day ſhould tēd to ſome other end: it followeth therefore, that as the reſt inioyned in the 4th cō. tendeth vntounto the furtherance of Gods worſhip, ſo doth the time, to wit, the 7th day there alſo inioyned; & as the reſt from laboures tēdeth vntounto mercy towards man & beaſt, ſo the day, to wit, the 7th day, tendeth vntounto mercy alſo.
Thus I hauehave proued it, that the obſeruation of Saturday the 7th day, is morall & perpetuall: becauſe it tendeth vntounto the furtherance of Gods publike (as well as priuate) wor hip and ſeruice; & becauſe it is a worke of mercy, both to man & beaſt: now all workes in the Decalogue, tending to promote Gods ſeruice, are Morall; and all workes therein commanded, which are vvorkes of Mercy, are Morall alſo, by the judgement of all Diuines: and ſo much for this anſwer.
An other anſwer ſome may frame, ſaying the day, to vvit, the 7th day is not neceſsarily tending vntounto the vvorſhip of God, & a vvorke of mercy &c, ſince theſe may be furthered alſo by an other day. But contrariwiſe, 1. This anſwer is abſurd, & thus I make it appeare, there is a twofould neceſſity, there is a neceſſity vvhichwhich is abſolute, as vvhen the vvorſhip of God cannot ſtand, vnleſſe it hath ſuch a day &c. And there is a neceſſity in ſome reſpect, as vvhen Gods vvorſhip cannot ſo vvell & fitly ſtand, vnleſſe it hath ſuch a day &c. Novv, if they vvill admit of no more of the Morall Law, then is neceſſary in the firſt reſpect, then theſe abſurdeties they fale into, 1. that they may reiect the 8th Com. Thou ſhalt not ſteale: for it is not abſolutly neceſſary that this 8th com. ſhould be retained among vsus, ſince Coueting an other mans goods in heart, is forbidden in the 10th Com. now he that keepeth the 10th Com. ſtandeth not in any abſolute neede of the 8th Comm. yea, they may as vvell reiect as not Morall, the 6th, the 7th, & 8th Commandements, as not abſolutly neceſſary: becauſe the Magiſtrate may make Lawes againſt murther, adultery, and ſtealth: if men vvill reiect Gods 7th day vvhichwhich he hath ſanctified & commanded, becauſe men may find and ſet vp an other day, then may they reiect for the ſame reaſon the 6th, the 7th, & the 8th Commandements alſo.
2. An other abſurdety they fale into, vvhichwhich is this, that thus they may reiect the ſetting a parte of an whole day, for reſt from laboures, and for Gods vvorſhip: for both theſe may be done in halfe a day, or in ſome fevve hovvres of a day: yea, they may reiect the weekly ſanctification of a day vntounto God, and keepe but one day in a monethmonth or in a yeere: for it is not abſolutly neceſſary to Gods worſhip, & as a worke of mercy either to keepe an whole day, or one in eueryevery weeke.
3. An other abſurdety they fale into which is this, they may aſwell reiect the Element of Wine the Sacrament, ſaying, wine is not neceſſary to the Lords Supper, as to ſay the 7th day is not neceſſary vntounto Gods worſhip: for common beere may be drunk in ſtead of wine, as well as a common day be vſed in ſtead of an hallowed day. Yea, as well may vve change bread in the Lords Supper for fleſh, & eate fleſh in remembrance of Chriſts body, as change that ſanctified day, which God commanded.
2. I proue it that the very preciſe time of the 7th day, is neceſſary vntounto Gods worſhip, if not abſolutly, yet ſecundum quid, if not for the being of it, yet for the right, fiteſt, & well being of it: my reaſones are theſe 1. if the 7th day, was not in ſome reſpect neceſſary vntounto Gods worſhip, and a worke of mercy, then might the Iewes hauehave changed the day & ſet out an other day for the ſame dueties: But it was not Lawfull for the Iewes to change their Sabbath day, as all confeſſe: Therfore was the 7th day neceſſary in ſome ſorte.
2. If the 7th day, were not neceſſary in ſome ſorte vntounto the ſeruice of God, and worke of mercy in refreſhing man and beaſt after they were ſpent in labour, then would not God hauehave expreſly commanded it for thoſe endes: But God did expreſly command the 7th day to thoſe endes, as we read in the fourth Com. Deut. 5.14. Exod. 23.12. Mark. 2.27. Therfore is the 7th day neceſſary in ſome ſorte &c: why ſhould we thinke, that God ſhould expreſly command the 7th day by name for his Sabbath, the 8th day for Circumciſion, & the 14th day for the paſſeouer, vvhen he mentioned not the day for baptizing of Infantes? nor the day for adminiſtration of the Lords Supper? but that the dayes expreſly commanded, vvere neceſsary, and the dayes not commanded vvere indifferent? had not the 7th day bene neceſſary, God vvould hauehave left it vncommanded, as he hath done many indifferent things.
3. Our Sauiour ſaith, the Sabbath was made for man Mark. 2.27. Now if made for man, then it was neceſſary for mans good, either for his being abſolutly, or for his well being reſpectiuly; or elſe it was needleſſe & ſuperfluouſe: But it was not made needleſly &c. Therefore it was neceſſary.
4. If no day of the weeke, can be ſo fit a day for Gods worſhip, as the 7th day, then is the 7th day neceſſary in ſome ſorte: But no day of the weeke can be ſo fit a day as is the 7th; becauſe all the other 6 daies are common & vnhallowed dayes, and onelyonly the 7th day, is a ſanctified and holy day Geneſ. 2.3. and ſo fi…eſt for holy dueties. Ergo &c.
5. If all the other 6 dayes in the weeke, be ordained for labour and worke, then of neceſſity the 7th day muſt be kept for Gods worſhip, and for a worke of mercy to man & beaſt: But all the other 6 dayes are ordeined for worke, Sixe daies ſhalt thou labour &c. And ordinarily & weekly to alter the inſtitution of any of thoſe Sixe daies, is to violate Gods ancient ordinance: Therefore is the preciſe time of the 7th day neceſſary.
6. On the Sabbath day, men are not onelyonly to afford reſt vntounto their wearied ſeruants, but alſo to make holy aſſemblies Leuit. 23.2.3. to worſhip God Ezek. 46.3. & to doe the exerciſes of Religion: now foraſmuch as no day is commanded by God, for theſe dueties, but onelyonly the Saturday or 7th day, therefore if you take any other day, it muſt be a day of mans appointment: now let all men iudge, if men will not be more carefull to yeeld their ſeruants reſt, to meete together, in the publike aſſemblies, and to performe the partes of Gods worſhip & exerciſes of Religion, on that day which God hath commanded, then on that day which is but of mans commandement: this may appeare by our common holy dayes, what thin aſſemblies? what cold deuotion then? in compariſon of the Lords day, which is ſuppoſed of divine inſtitution: ſo neceſſary then is a day of Diuine inſtitution as without it, Religion & Gods worſhip will languiſh of a continuall conſumption: now ſince there is no day of diuine inſtitution but the Saturday or 7th day, it is of neceſſity that we keepe the Saturday or 7th day, to preuent the decay of Religion, & to ſupport & further Gods worſhip & Seruice
Thus I hauehave proued it, that to reſt from our laboures on Saturday the 7th day, is morall & perpetuall: becauſe we finde it tendeth vntounto the furtherance of Gods worſhip; & becauſe it is a worke of mercy, to man & beaſt; yea, in a ſorte neceſſary alſo: & thus much of this argument.