The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 7 – Chapter 9
CHAP. VII. Breerwood. Pag. 11.
BVt as the labour of the beaſt is the ſinne and tranſgreſſe of the Maſter, to whom the commandement of the beaſts reſting from labour was given, ſo is the labour of the ſervant alſo, which by the maſters commandment he executed on that day (as being, touching bodily ſervice, incident to mankind in like degree of ſubjection) the maſters ſinne, and not the ſervants.
Anſwer.
Firſt, heere you deliver your Doctrine and your reaſon. Your Doctrine is this:
The labour of the ſervant on the Sabbath done at his maſters command is no more the ſervants ſinne, than the labor of the Oxe is the Oxes ſinne. This beaſtly prophane opinion deſerves rather ſtripes than arguments: yet in a word or two:
The labour of the Oxe doth not violate the commandement of the Sabbath, but you acknowledge, the worke of the ſervant doth, when in the words of the next page (pag. 12.) you ſay thus of the ſervants worke this day, (the act indeed, wherewith the commandement of the Sabbath is violated, is the ſervants.)
The Law of nature it ſelfe requireth in general of all men, the ſanctification of times no leſſe than of places, perſons, and things unto Gods honor: for which cauſe God exacts ſome parts of times by way of perpetuall homage, never to bee diſpenſed withall, nor remitted. Of this kind among the Iewes was the Sabbath day, the chiefe & generall feſtivall. Now Nature hath taught the Heathen, and God the Iewes, and Chriſt us (ſaith worthy xHooker Eccleſ. pol. l. 5. ſect. 70.Hooker.) Firſt, that feſtivall ſolemnities are a part of the publike exerciſe of Religion; ſecondly, that praiſe, liberality and reſt are as naturall elements, whereof ſolemnities conſiſt. The labor of the ſervant, though injoyned by his maſter, on this day violates the reſt and ſo the ſanctification of that time, indiſpenſable, irremiſſable to any man who oweth it by way of perpetuall Homage unto God, by the obligation of the Law of Nature. For ordinary labour with feſtivall ſervices to God can neither eaſily concurre, becauſe painfulneſſe and joy are oppoſite, nor decently, becauſe while the mind hath juſt occaſion to make her abode in the houſe of gladneſſe, the weed of ordinary toyle and travell becommeth her not. Thus learned yId. ibid.Hooker againe. Now can the maſters command diſſolve the eternall Law, and the ſervant filching holy time be found leſſe ſinfull than one prophane and ſacrilegious? But what kin betweene Oxen, Aſſes, and the everlaſting Covenant and Holy times? Let them to their ſtalles, and ſervants as Chriſts freemen to the aſſemblies in the beauty of holineſſe, as they will anſwer it to the God of Nature, the eternall Lawgiver.
When the ſervant hath no more ſoule than the oxe, nor holineſſe and attendance on Gods worſhip required more of him, than of the oxe; nor the Sabbath made for man, but for the oxe, then ſhall the ſervants and oxes labour that day be alike faultleſſe in either of them zServants being created, red…emed and ſanctified, are as highly indebted to the worſhip of God as their maſters. Greenham of the Sabbath, pag. 163.. This of your Doctrine, which brings to my mind that of Hagur aProv. 30 2, 3., which I wiſh might bee the confeſſion of every one that hath been infected with this dotage: Surely I am more bruitiſh than any man, and have not the underſtanding of a man: I neither learned wiſedome, nor have the knowledge of the Holy.
Secondly, your reaſon is this:
That the ſervant as touching bodily ſervice incident to mankind, is in like degree of ſubjection to his maſter, as is the oxe and aſſe.
This is abhorring to Chriſtian, to naturall eares: no ſlave is ſo the maſters.
It fights with that Rule; Whatſoever yee would that men ſhould doe unto you, even ſo doe yee to them bMatth. 7. 12., Mat. 7. 12. A perfect voluntary ſervitude betweene Chriſtian and Chriſtian can ſcarce be lawfull to be exerciſed on the maſters part, ſaith Ameſius cAmeſ. de conſci. l. 5. cap. 23. parag. 2.. Yet this placeth not man in the condition of a beaſt for ſubjection.
It fights with that humanitie and lenitie which maſters owe to their ſervants, with whom they may not deale imperiouſly as with their cattell. Epheſ. 6. 9.
It fights with that reſtraint given to ſervants to obey their maſters in the Lord, which cannot bee applied to beaſts.
It fights with that liberty the ſervant hath, in things unmeet and inexpedient, though lawfull, humbly to uſe all meanes to prevent and avoide the commandement of that nature.
It fights with that liberty the ſervant hath humbly to contend with his maſter dIob 31. 13, 14..
It fights with that common honour both maſter and ſervant are equally eſtated in by creation eVerſ. 15.; Did not hee that made the maſter in the wombe, make him? And did not one faſhion them in the wombe?
It fights with the eternall Law in the fifth Commandement, in which the maſter of the ſervant is required, that he be to his ſervant in his manners a brother, in his office a father f2 King 5. 13., things incompatible to bruite beaſts and man. Command. 5. 2 King. 5.
Thirdly, and howſoever the condition of a ſlave was harder than that of an ordinary ſervant, or one hired, yet our queſtion hath been all this while of Iewiſh ſervants, and ſo of Chriſtian ſervants; now the Iew in ſervice might not bee uſed as a ſlave or bond-ſervant, but as an hired ſervant, as in Levit. 25. 39, 40.
The Iew that was a ſervant, was ſtill a brother in Religion, and ſo to be uſed in his ſervice and labour; not ſo the oxe.
Fourthly, for the duty of ſubjects to their ſuperiours, to cleare the whole matter, theſe grounds I lay downe:
Firſt, ſubjects are bound to obey their ſuperiours onelyonly in thoſe things in which themſelves are ſubjected to their ſuperiors, & in which the ſuperiors themſelves, are not contrary page missing reſpect guiltineſſe hath ſomewhat of good in it, and is of God: and in this regard God can ſeparate guilt from ſinne: But partly it followeth ſinne as that which floweth from out of ſinne, and is the deſert and merit of puniſhment, and ſo it participates of the nature of ſinne, and is quid vitioſum, a thing vitious: and in this reſpect it cannot bee ſeparated from ſinne. This double conſideration of guiltineſſe is intimated in Rom. 1. 32. We know the judgement of God, that they which commit ſuch things, are worthy of death. This is the nature of guiltineſſe, but the forme of ſinne can no way bee ſeparated from ſinne; and yet the ſinne be ſinne: that were a contradiction. The forme of ſinne is in no reſpect good, that were likewiſe a contradiction.
Thirdly, beſides this, you ſay firſt; there are two things in every ſinne, the act and guilt, as the matter and forme; yet in the ſame breath you tell of three things in every ſin, the Act, the Anomy or unlawfulneſſe, and the Guilt.
This for the application of your Schoole-termes.
Fourthly, hence, you ſay, it appeareth manifeſtly, that his is the guiltineſſe, whoſe the tranſgreſſion is, and his the tranſgreſſion to whom the law was preſcribed as a Rule, and that is the maſters, &c. what coherence is here? becauſe guiltineſſe is, in your ſtile, the forme of ſinne, therefore his is the guiltineſſe whoſe is the tranſgreſſion. Is guiltineſſe and tranſgreſſion all one, and is not tranſgreſſion the forme of ſinne? This is then in your owne ſenſe, as much as to ſay, his is the ſinne, whoſe is the ſinne. A faire concluſion, but no marvaile you were thus puzled here, for your reaſoning ſhould thus have runne from your owne grounds: The Act wherewith the commandement of the Sabbath is violated is the ſervants, therefore the guilt is the ſervants; for whoſo violates the Law, hee is guilty; and thus not only the maſter that commands the worke, but the ſervant that doth the work, violating the command of God, is guilty.
What followeth in this ſection of yours, hath been partly anſwered already, and followeth to bee anſwered below in its more proper place.
CHAP. IX. Breerwood. Pag. 12, 13.
But you will reply perhaps that the comandement touching ſervants reſt on the Sabaoth, is given to their Maſters indeede, but not only to them, but to their ſervants alſo. No ſuch matter; for if it be; let that appeare and ſet downe the clauſe wherein it is manifeſtly expreſſed or neceſſarily implied, that ſervants are forbidden all labour on the Sabaoth day, as ſervants I ſay touching matter of ſervice or labour impoſed on them by their Maſters, for that in thoſe workes which ſervants doe on the Sabaoth day of themſelves and not as proceeding from their Maſters injunction, but from their owne election, it is no queſtion but they tranſgreſſe the commandement: but thoſe workes they doe not as ſervants, that is, at anothers command; but as in the condition of their ſervice or favour of their Maſters they retaine ſome degree of liberty, and have ſome diſpoſition of themſelves permitted unto them, ſo in that reſpect fall into the clauſe of free men, viz. the firſt clauſe of the commandement, Thou ſhalt doe no worke; but to ſervants as ſervants (in caſe they bee commanded to worke) which is our queſtion, there is no clauſe of the commandement impoſed.
Anſwer.
Firſt, this indeed is our juſt exception againſt your doctrine, that the commandement, though given chiefely to maſters in thoſe words of ſpecification, authoriſing and appointing them not onelyonly to ceaſe their labour by themſelves, or any under them, but to cauſe them to ceaſe, and to cauſe them to ſanctifie the day for outward conformity; yet is given alſo to, and impoſed on ſonne and daughter, man and maide: and when you aske for the expreſſe or implied precept, reaching them as ſervants, you have the ſame expreſſely in that clauſe, thy ſervant ſhall not worke; and in that other, Thou ſhalt doe no worke, as hath been hitherto abundantly and unanſwerably prooved, and is of plaine light to manifeſt it ſelfe. Therefore when you call the firſt clauſe of the comandement, thou ſhalt doe no worke, the clauſe of freemen; thereby implying, that the latter is of bondmen, page missing ding the loſſe of things, according to that in Deut. 22. Thou ſhalt bring home thy brothers erring oxe; and therefore a corporall worke, pertaining to preſerve the health of ones owne body, doth not violate the Sabbath; as to eate, and ſuch like, whereby the health of the body is preſerved. So the Iewes fought, Macchab. 2. Elias travelled fleeing from Iezabel; and the Diſciples pluckt the eares of Corne on the Sabbath, &c.
This Schooleman ſaith, that the bodily workes whereby man ſerveth man, of all other bodily labours are forbidden this day, and to the other the ſervant as well as the freeman is bound freely to apply himſelfe. And that theſe workes of ſervants doe contrary the obſervance of the Sabbath, and hinder the application of the man that ſerves, to divine things.