A Defense of the Sabbath Day, Chapter 6 · Commentary · Section 2
SECT. II.
In this ſection I ſhall proue vntounto you, & that by ſondry iuſtifiable examples, that a man is not bound at all times without diſpenſation & exception, to the doeing of that thing, which the word of God ſaieth muſt be done, and hee knoweth muſt be done.
For this purpoſe note, that God hath giuen vsus a morall Law touching wedlocke, to wit, the 7th commandement: Thou ſhalt not commit adultery: now our Sauiour ſaith, that whoſoeuer marrieth a diuorced woman, committeth adultery; & the woman committeth adultery alſo, in caſe ſhee was diuorced for any thing beſids hir adultery Mat. 5.32. Neuertheleſſe, for the hardneſſe of the Iewes heartes, in a caſe of neceſſity, to auoid cruelty towards their wiues, or the like Mat. 19.8. a marriage was permitted, to & with the diuorced woman; as you may reade Deut. 24.2.3.4. Where the Lord by Moſes, ſpeaking of the diuorced womans ſecond marriage, ſpeaketh not of it by way of prohibition, but by way of a permiſſion: and it were ſtrang, if the woman being an innocent party, ſhould be denyed that remedy of marriage, for the hardneſſe of hir huſbands heart, & for his default onelyonly. Here then we ſee is a diſpenſation, in a caſe of neceſſity.
The conſideration of this, may be of vſe, to ſtopp the mouths of ſuch as cry out, ſaying, what, a diſpenſation from a Morall Law? if the Sabbath be a morall, then there can be no diſpenſation: but loe, here they ſee the contrary; the 7th commandement is a Morall, & yet there was a diſpenſation touching it: for Moſes permitted that for the hardneſſe of the lewes hearts, which from the begining was not ſo, & which our Sauiour accounted to be adultery, & ſo againſt the 7th commandement: but we ſhall touch this point further by & by, in anſwering to an obiection.
A ſecond inſtance ſhall be that of Dauid: it was a law of God, that whoſo ſheddeth mans blood, by man ſhall his blood be ſhed Geneſ. 9, 6. Now Dauid being king, Ioab murthered two Captaines 1 King. 2.5. here it was the duety of Dauid to hauehave executed vengeāce: for he was Gods miniſter to take vengeance R. 13.14. Neuertheleſſe, Dauid finding Ioab too ſtrong for him, ij Sam. 3.27.39. Omitted the execution of Ioab, & gaue it in charg to his ſonne Salomon, to doe it after his death 1 King. 2.6. Here Dauid knew well, that it was his office, to hauehave put Ioab to death, & he was willing ſo to hauehave done, neuertheleſſe, becauſe he was but weake in his kingdome, & Ioab ſtrong, it might hauehave made a commotion in his kingdome, & much hurly burly, & blood ſhed, & hazard of his Crowne: now in this exegency & extremity, Dauid did neglect to doe for a ſeaſon, what he knew he ſhould hauehave done, & would hauehave done moſt gladly, but that the times would not beare it. Thus you hauehave ſeene a diſpenſation in two examples.
A third inſtance ſhall be that of the omiſſion of circumciſion: you know it was a Law, that eueryevery man child of 8 dayes old, ſhould be circumciſed Geneſ. 17.12. Now though the Iſraelites knew this, yet they circumciſed not their children, for 40. yeeres together, euen all the time they were in the wilderneſſe, as you may reade Ioſh. 5.5. So here againe was a diſpenſation for a ſeaſon, in a caſe of neceſſity.
A fourth inſtance ſhall be that of Dauids eating the Shewbread: Dauid knew that the Shewbread was to be eaten by the prieſt onelyonly; neuertheleſſe, Dauid in a caſe of preſent hunger, did eate the Shewbread, contrary to the Law, & Chriſt doth iuſtify him in it Mat. 12.3.4. ſo here againe is a diſpenſation in a caſe of neceſſity.
A fifth example, ſhall be that of the Diſciples plucking and rubbing eares of corne, on the Sabbath day, which was not lawfull to be done on the Sabbath day; Neuertheleſſe, in a caſe of preſent neceſſity, they did plucke and alſo rubb the eares of corne, which was elſe vnlawfull to be done, and Chriſt iuſtiſied it: ſo here againe, you ſee a diſpenſation in ſome caſe. By all which inſtances it is more then manifeſt, that exceptiones and diſpenſationes from ſomething commanded, may be, in ſome caſes.
Theſe inſtances doe put an anſwer into our mouths, againſt them who cry out ſaying, ſince you know it, & are perſwaded, that Saturday is the Sabbath, why keepe you it not &c? I anſwer, Dauid knew it to be his office, to ſlay the murtherer: and Dauid knew, that he ſhould not eate Shewbread: now tell me why Dauid, & the reſt, did not doe what they knew. And ſo much for the former queſtion, and now I come vntounto the latter.