The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 19
CHAP. XIX. Breerwood. Pag. 32, 33, 34.
ANd thus have I proved my aſſertion, namely that the commandement of the Sabaoth was not given, nor fit to be given to the ſervants themſelves, but to their governours, both by arguments of reaſon which is the rule of men, and authoritie of Scriptures, which is the rule of Christians, and cannot finde any thing materiall in either of both that may reprove it: but yet if I ſhould admit (which I doubt you will never prove) that the commandement was directly given to ſervants themſelves, as ſervants, and that they might lawfully diſobey their maſters touching thoſe workes whereby the precept of the Sabaoth might bee tranſgreſſed: yet have I another exception againſt your doctrine; namely, for condemning every light worke (ſuch as inviting of gueſts, or fetching of wine from a neighbours houſe, or giving a horſe provender) for theſe are the very inſtances which bred the queſtion) for tranſgreſſion of Gods commandements, forbidden on the Sabaoth: no, it is not; the commandements, importeth no ſuch thing, for it is not [foreign] that is, every worke, but [foreign] that is there forbidden, that is, every ſervile worke, for ſuch the word [foreign] properly doth import, and ſervile worke, by the interpretation of the beſt Divines is accounted, either that which is attended with the toyle of the body, or at leaſt intended and directed to lucre and gaine of riches, with ſome care of the minde, ſuch as mens ordinary worke is wont to bee on common dayes. And that the worke there forbidden hath a ſpeciall relation to the gaine of riches is the better apparent, becauſe the ſame word [foreign] ſignifieth (opes) as well as (opus) riches as well as worke; and not onelyonly where the commandement was pronounced (in the 20 of Exodus) but whereſoever it is repeated in the bookes of the law, which is oftentimes (and differently for other circumſtances) the ſame word [foreign] is ever retained and never changed; not every worke therefore abſolutely, but every worke of ſuch a kinde, namely, conſiſting in toyle, and tending to gain, is reſtrained by the commandement; and is there not evident reaſon to underſtand it ſo? For ſeeing the intendment of the Precept is clearly (in the point of that dayes vacation) that the body ſhould be refreſhed by abſtinence from labour; And (in the point of ſanctification of it) the minde ſhould be refreſhed by attendance to ſpirituall exerciſe: it followeth manifeſtly, that if there bee any workes that reſolve not the body, and ſo hinder not the refreſhing of it, nor diſſolve and alienate the minde from the Service of God, and meditation of godlineſſe, that theſe workes are not forbidden, becauſe neither the vacation which the commandement importeth, nor that ſanctification which it intendeth, is impeached by them. page missing written by his owne hand at the time when theſe things were in agitation: the coppy being his firſt draught, and ſo very imperfect in many things, cannot bee publiſhed as could be wiſhed for the ſatisfaction of the Chriſtian Reader. Therefore wee muſt bee contented here and there to give thee a little taſte: and firſt in this particular you have it thus in his owne words. Object. The word Melachah doth ſignifie properly ſervile workes, and is a choyſe word of purpoſe uſed in this Commandement.
Sol. That the word ſignifieth ſervile workes, I finde ſome Divines ſo ſaying; but that by ſervile workes they meane onelyonly toyleſome and gainefull workes I deny. For they uſed to place ſervile workes, over againſt workes of pietie. Now as by workes of pietie, they meane leſſer, as well as greater works of religion to God: ſo by ſervile workes, they meane as well lighter as toylſome workes of labour for man. To deale plainly with you, I ſee no cauſe why Melachah ſhould have any ſuch ſpeciall weight in ſignification: For thogh your conceit of it that it ſignifieth opes, as wel as opus, might caſt ſom color to perſwade that it might meane works of gain, yet that it ſhold ſpecially note works of toyle, there is no color. Nay me thinks, Magnaſeh, is of a larger ſignification, and fits for toyle, as ſignifying to worke, cum energia. Thus the wicked are workers of iniquitie, and Nabals cattell are called Magnaſehu, & appellantur nomine operis, eò quod homo ſeipſum occupat in illorum acquiſitione, and are called by the name of Worke, becauſe man buſieth himſelfe in getting them; and yet Pegnulah more fit than them both, it ſignifieth opus and op… ris merces, worke and the reward of worke; workes of hands, Pſal. 9. 16. The worke of the hireling. Iob 7. 2.
It is likely that he that publiſhed this Treatiſe of Maſter Breerwoods, hath a perfect coppie of a full anſwere. (For Maſter Breerwoods provoked ſpirit, as he termeth it himſelfe, would not have beene allayed, without a ſatiſfactorie anſwer.) Faire dealing would have required, it ſhould have beene produced, and then I had ſaved this paines in anſwering: But then the Publiſher had miſſed his aime, which was to traduce the Dead; who then being Dead, had yet ſpoken.
Sixtly, that this interpretation is orthodoxe, and yours novel and adulterous; ſee how Divines and the Church…s of Chriſt have underſtood it.
Our Church of England declareth her minde in the firſt part of the Homilie of the place and time of Prayer; where the example of the man that gathered ſtickes on the Sabbath day is alledged: and thoſe that pranke, and prick, and paint, and point themſelves to be gorgeous and gay, thoſe that toyiſhly talke, are reckoned a ſort of tranſgreſſors, worſe than thoſe that keepe Markets and Faires that day.
Tertullian ſaith, qNon facies opus, quod? uti que tuum. Arcam verò circūſerre, neque quotidianum opus videri poteſt neque humanum, ſed bonum & ſacroſanctum, &c. Tertul. l. 2. contra Marcionem.God forbade humane workes, not divine. Thou ſhalt doe no worke, what worke? namely thine owne: but to carry abou the Arke (that is, about the wals of Iericho) can neither ſeeme a dayly worke, nor an humane, but a good and holy worke; and therefore by the very Commandement of God, divine.
Maſter Greenham, rGreenh. Treatiſe of the Sabbath. As wee denie Church feaſts, as imit…tions of the Heathen; ſo we deny Holy-day playes as remnants of ancient prophaneneſſe. pag. 169.ſheweth excellently, that recreations, as ſhooting and the like, at other times lawfull; and bankettings, and the exerciſes for ſicke perſons refreſhing, if it be not in reading, ſinging, and holy conference; (for if they be ſicke, it is a time of praying, not of playing; and if they be well to play, are they not ſo to doe theſe Heavenly and comfortable duties?) All theſe are unlawfull to be uſed that day; neither, ſaith he, is the Sabboth onelyonly broken by prophaneneſſe, but alſo by idle workes. Mayer ſpag. 260.upon the fourth Commandement ſaith, We muſt reſt from worldly ſpeeches and thoughts: ſmall workes which come not within the compaſſe of religion, mercy or neceſſitie muſt not be done on the Sabbath, ſaith Maſter Dod on the Commandements. tpag. 152.Polyander, Rivet, Wallaeus and Thyſius, ſay, uSynopſis purioris theol. …ſp. 21. pag. 261.That it is morall and ingrafted in nature, that the whole minde bee taken off from other cares on the Sabbath, and the whole day bestowed in the duties page missing morall? or if ſo, how ſhould the Iewes put a difference betweene the one and the other? for you will needs have ceremoniall precepts in the body of the fourth Commandement. And why bring you in, the Inſtance of our bleſſed Saviour who was a Iew, and bound to the law as given to the Iewes, and kept the ceremonial as wel as the moral law?
Secondly, Come, come, you are plunged, let me helpe you. In that our Saviour did allow and doe many light and laborleſſe workes, in your Aſhdodaean phraſe (for we take your words till wee come to examine the matter further) and yet by voluntary diſpenſation was bound to all the law, it is cleare, that no ceremoniall law or clauſe of any law in the old Teſtament forbade the workes that hee did on the Sabbath: and ſo your anſwere, that that command in Exod. 35. 3. was aIf it were ceremoniall, the equitie nevertheleſſe muſt binde Chriſtians, although the ſanction doth not conſtraine them. The equitie of the Law teacheth us, wee ought not to turne this libertie, to bee ſervants of our wanton deſires. Greenth. Treatiſe of the Sabbath, pag. 168. I ad the equitie of it ſheweth that it is not the lightneſſe of the worke, if it bee once oppoſed to Gods, that makes it that day ſinleſſe.Ceremoniall, is a meere phanſie, you muſt flie to ſome other reaſon: and you might have knowne it hath beene alledged by divers to bee this, that the Lord there anſwered a particular caſe about working at the Tabernacle, and prohibits every worke though never ſo light about the erection thereof for that day; becauſe it tended not immediately to the worſhip of God: and thus now at this day it were ſinfull to build Churches on the Sabbath, or to kindle a fire to prepare or fit any worke thereabout. So the precept, about the boyling and baking of the Manna gathered on the ſixt day; that it, might not be left till the Sabbath to be then dreſſed, was bVatablus in locum. Trem. Junius. Byſh. Babingt▪ in v 4. of Ch. 31. Exod. pag. 319.A precept that concerned that preſent time, while the Manna fell, that they might ſee the miraculous power of God, in the keeping of it without corrupting, till the next day; and becauſe on the Sabbath they ſhould not finde it in the field.
Conſider it well, if to kindle a fire to prepare things for the building of a Church be unlawfull, which your ſelfe hold to be a light worke, and cannot but confeſſe to be no worke of private gaine; then certainely much more are all other light workes forbidden, that fall not under the works afore-rehearſed.
Thirdly, but let us ſee what you alledge in our Saviour; He approved of the letting of the Oxe to the water, of rubbing the eares of corne: He made clay to annoint the eyes of the blinde: He bade the lame man healed, take up his bed. What then? Are therefore light workes to be done? It is no light worke to make clay and carry beds; or that cannot be your reaſon; nay your inſtances are all wide from your purpoſe; you neede clay or glue, to glue them together. Chriſt alloweth not theſe workes of letting the Oxe to water, and rubbing the eares of Corne, becauſe they are light; but becauſe they were workes of merciemercy to ſave life, that could not bee deferred, and did thoſe other workes himſelfe; not becauſe they were light, but inlightning. He commanded the impotent man to carry his bed; not becauſe it was laborleſſe, for it was laborſome, and therefore did he preſcribe him that, and no light worke to ſhew his perfect ſoundneſſe, and the truth of the miracle, to excite him and all to glorifie God.Mayer in his Engliſh Catechiſme explained pag, 262. ſheweth that all the reaſons of the Commandements binde us, and reach to us as to the Iewes: and alledgeth it to prove that this Law is of force for every one of us, aſwel as Iewes, and as much in force as any of the other nine: pag. 261.
Fourthly, thus we neede not diſpenſation for our Saviour, but a pardon for your abuſe of his bleſſed words and deeds. That alſo which you alledge touching his being under the Law, cuts the throat of your ſolution to the objection; and gives us juſt cauſe to conſider and conclude, that all that you, or any other Divine hath ever ſaid for the Chriſtians freedome on the Lords day, will bee found but the Iewes freedome, which both they might have had, and had alſo by the Law of the fourth Commandement, had not their ſuperſtition, or ſuperſtitious teachers, wrongd the Law, and them; for ſee what Chriſt did on the Sabbath and allowed, and in that behold thoſe burdens of Iewiſh ſuperſtition abandoned, and that (as ſome call it) of Chriſtian libertie; which yet are no other, than matter of Chriſtian dutie to the eternall and morall Law, delivered in the fourth Commandement.
Firſt, you would have allowed a comfortable uſe of the Creatures, not onelyonly an uſe for meere neceſſitie. God ever gave it on this day, for the Sabbath was a feſtivall ever;page missing
The Iewes were uſually (as too many are now) for want of right collation of Scriptures together, either ſuperſtitious, or ſacrilegious.
Fifthly, you would that things that tend to decency might be done, without which the ordinances cannot bee ſo uſed to order and edification. They ever might; The Prieſts might blow their Trumpets and Hornes on the Sabbath day, for the aſſembling of the people, Numb. 10. 2. So may our Bells be thus rung.
Sixthly, it is not againſt Chriſtian liberty to have the preciſe day appointed of God: it was not againſt the liberty and glory of our nature in integritie. And tell me (I pray you) whether it make more to Chriſtian liberty to obſerve a day, by the conſtitution of the Church, or by inſtitution of God, whoſe Service is perfect liberty. Yea, ſince it is uſuall with God to powre upon the Church on the Lords day the holy Ghoſt (which is the Spirit of liberty) certainely it never returnes, but it increaſeth that liberty with greater acceſſions daily.
That which ſome Divines have ſaid, that the Sabbath in the Law▪ was a day nIn ſe & per ſe ſanctus. Per ſe, pars & inſtrumentum …ultûs.in it ſelfe, and of it ſelfe holy, and was of it ſelfe a part and inſtrument of piety, in reſpect of the reſt. I cannot ſee how it can bee grounded on the Commandement, or any other Scripture: the Commandement is, Remember the Sabbath or resting day to keepe it holy; it was ſanctified; and the reſt injoyned, that it might be ſubſervient to piety and holineſſe, as alſo the Lords day is. If any ſuch thing were found to belong to that day, it was acceſſary; and if ought of type were in it to the Iewes, it was not injoyned in the precept, but given as an appendix to it, and ſo is taken away by Chriſt, and no way bindeth us to the uſe thereof.