The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. Breerwood. Pag. 18, 19.
FOr what worke is it that men are forbidden of the Sabaoth? Is it not the ſame that is permitted on the ſixe daies, their owne worke Thou ſhalt doe all thy worke foreign, and is it the ſervants work whereabout as a ſervant he is imployed, that neither is undertaken of himſelfe, nor for himſelfe? that neither beginneth nor endeth in himſelf, but beginneth in his Maſters command, and endeth meerely in his Maſters profit; and from beginning to end is performed in his maſters feare? It is manifeſt that in the accompt of God, it is not; for God beholdeth the heart, and that is a mans owne worke with him, that proceedeth from his owne will. And therefore in Iſaiah: it is the willIſai. 58. 13. that is forbidden, about the prophaning of the Sabaoth, that which in the law was foreign thy worke is there foreign thy will and that moſt juſtly, for the will it ſelfe indeede is the proper ſeat and ſubject of ſin, which eſſentially is nothing elſe, but the inordinate, or unruly election, or reſolution of the will varying from the Scripture, or Gods law (for this very election of mans will, is the proper forme of actuall ſin) thoſe outward unlawfull actions of ours, are but the expreſſions or manifeſtations or fruits or effects of ſinne, ſinne properly they are not which hath her reſidence, and inheſion in the ſoule it ſelfe, and paſſeth forth of it only the tincture and evidence and name of ſinne they carry with them, becauſe they iſſue from a ſinfull determination of the will, and are no whit further ſinfull then they are voluntary. Seeing therefore ſinne conſiſteth eſpecially in the exorbitance of the will, they that are only miniſters of anothers exorbitant will, are only miniſters of another mans ſinne, which ſo farre only becommeth their owne ſinne, as their owne will concurreth therevnto. The ſervant therefore doing that worke on the Sabaoth day in obedience to his maſter, which of his owne will and election he would not do, although the worke whereby the commandement of God is tranſgreſſed, be in ſome ſort his, yet the tranſgreſſion is none of his, but his maſters, that exacted the worke, ſo that although the worke as naturally conſidered be the ſervants, yet morally it is the Maſters; The labour of it is the ſervants, but the ſinne of it is the Maſters: for the ſinne is not the ſervants obedience to the Maſters commandement, but in the maſters diſobedience to Gods commandement, which hath indeed prohibited the worke of ſervants in the Sabaoth, but yet the prohibition is impoſed, and directed to their Maſters not to them, who are onelyonly miniſters, not authors of their owne labours; now in the imputation of ſinne, difference is to be made betwixt the authors and the miniſters Betwixt the principall, and inſtrumentall agents.
Anſwer.
Let the reader remember, that you here yeeld, that if the commandement be impoſed on ſervants, then they ſinne in working this day at their maſters command. Now this hitherto hath been proved, and all plainly anſwered that may ſeeme to make againſt it: and ſo I proceed.
Firſt, the worke forbidden is; Firſt, ſervice, which is permitted on the ſixe daies; Six daies ſhalt thou ſerve. Secondly, ſervile worke, in which, and about which the meſſenger is imployed; ſo the notation of the word in the commandement which you cite doth properly ſignifie. Thirdly, all thy worke: as oppoſed to workes of ſanctification, that is, of piety and mercy properly, though they bee not ſervile worke properly ſo called, or mechanicall, as the ſtudy and exerciſe of the Liberall Arts; for theſe concerne naturall and civill things, and looke not immediatly to the worſhip of God, nor the unavoidable neceſſities of man. It is apparant then, that ſervile workes, or workes of miniſtry about our callings, and ſo ſervants worke, is in a ſpeciall manner prohibited. Now then take your owne argument. The worke permitted on the ſixe daies, is prohibited the ſeventh; the page missing in ſenſe with the middle word, with which it is the ſelfe ſame in ſound. If the firſt, then it is oppoſed to all that dutie of the Sabbath which conſiſts in the immediate honour of God, done with the full complacency of hart therein, and the honorable mention of it in our words and diſcourſe, as is cleare in the Text to him that duly weigheth it. Now ſay, Is not the ſervants conteined in this word (thy pleaſure) as that which is no duty of Gods worſhip, publike or private? If the ſecond, then it is not al that is forbidden (and ſo your argument falſ; but rather concernes (as many learned and conſcionable Divines deliver our works of recreation, or ſports which we finde out, though at other times lawfull, which take off the heart from holy duties; for God hath found us another recreation; chiefely on that day, if any will be merry, let him ſing Pſalmes (as in Pſ. 92. The Title compared with the Pſalme) & would have the Sabbaths duties our delight.
Fourthly, Now whereas you lay this for a ground, that the election of mans will is the proper forme of actuall ſin, I wonder how you ſhould ſo miſtake, but that Divinity was not your covenanted Wife, but only your Concubine, which for a turne you uſe, and in the uſe you raviſh. Ataxy or irregularity is the proper forme of ſinne actuall, be the Ataxy in thoughts, in deſires, in deeds, or in words. Moreover, election of the will is an act, and good, and therefore by no meanes the forme of ſinne: and if you ſay, you ſpeake not of election, but this election, namely, the unruly and inordinate election; tell me, is the election or the unrulineſſe the forme of ſinne; unrulineſſe doubtleſſe, which informeth both the election that is ſinnefull, and the action that is ſinfull. And whereas you ſay, that outward unlawfull actions are but expreſſions of ſinne, and not ſinne properly; if they bee unlawfull actions, they bee ſinnefull actions properly ſo called, for you yeelded before, according to the truth of Scripture, and reaſon (pag. 12.) that ſinne formally is nothing elſe but unlawfulneſſe: unleſſe you will ſay, that ſinne formally is not ſinne properly: A proper poſition.
For your reaſon whereby you would maintaine this (that ſinne hath her reſidence and inheſion in the ſoule it ſelfe, and paſſeth forth of it, the actions outward carry onelyonly the tincture of ſinne, therefore they are not ſinne) I reply: If they carry the tincture of ſinne, then are they ſinnefull. Againe, are they died with ſinne, and yet hath ſinne no inheſion nor reſidence in them. This is ſtrange: and for the reſidence of ſinne, it is not in the ſoule alone: aPeccat um eſt in …bjecto occaſion …liter, in intellectu originaliter, in voluntate formaliter, in membris quoad uſum.Saint Paul ſaith, the law of ſinne is in our members, Rom. 7. 23. and wee know ſinne commeth by propagation, but the ſoule is not propagated, only the body commeth, and is traduced from the parents, I would know where, in this propagation, ſinne hath its inheſion, and whether an unfitneſſe, and perverſeneſſe fighting with the rightneſſe and aptneſſe God approveth, bee not traduced, and doe not naturally ſticke in the very bodily faculties?
And when you ſay ſinne only conſiſteth in the exorbitancy of the will, it is moſt falſe; ſounder philoſophy refelleth this, for Ariſtotle bAriſt. lib. 3. Ethic. c. 1.excuſeth not from a fault, the things that are offended in, or done amiſſe againſt ones will through ignorance: and Divinity teacheth, that errors in judgement and ignorances cIgnorantia exc…ſat, non a toto ſed à tanto.(when it is of things which of dutie wee ſhould know) are ſinnes, that the want of originall righteouſneſſe, and the defects of graces are ſinne. And Thomas d ſaith, that ſo is every habit, and Act deprived of due order. The habit alſo of ſinne is firſt in the underſtanding, becauſe all ſinne commeth from error which is in the underſtanding; conſider it alſo in its abſolute act without working with the will, ſo ſinne is firſtin it. VponUpon ſuch rotten props, what building can bee reared? Yet let us take notice of your reaſoning for further ſatisfaction to all, and the utter ſubverſion of this new learning. It ſtands thus.
The miniſter of another mans ſinne, being but the miniſter of anothers exorbitant will, no further ſinneth, than his owne will concurreth thereunto.
The ſervant doing his maſters worke on the Sabbath, not of election, but in obedience to his maſter, is but the miniſter of anothers exorbitant will, and his owne will no way concurreth therewith; therfore, ſo doing hee ſinneth not. page missing inſtrument in the workes of his Maſter and conferreth alſo will: I anſwere; he conferreth will indeede if hee be a good ſervant, by reaſon of the obligation of obedience wherein he ſtandeth to his maſter, but yet not abſolute but conditionall will: not the ſelfe election, but only the obedience an yeelding of his will; and th… onelyonly as it is his maſters worke: not as it is his maſters ſinne; for the worke on the Sabaoth, hauing ſinne annexed to it, and ſo being a ſinnefull worke, the ſervant and the maſtſter muſt divide it betwixt them: the worke is the ſervants, and the ſinne is the maſters, for the ſervant doth but his duty, in obeying his maſters commandemet, but the maſter tranſgreſſeth his, in diſobeying Gods commandement, touching his ſervants ceaſing from that labour.
Anſwer.
Firſt, why ſhould we feare to ſay, the eye beholding vanitie ſinneth, and ſo of the tongue looſe to blaſpheme, ſlander, and lye? For, firſt, they move irregularly; ſecondly, they are the weapons of ſin; thirdly, in them ſin is finiſhed, to the bringing forth of death both on body and ſoule; fourthly, theſe are the ſinnes of both body and ſoule, and not of either apart; fifthly, the ſinne is made greater by the outward acting, in reſpect of the extent thereof, it having now invaded the body, and not onelyonly poſſeſſed the ſoule: ſo that there is filthineſſe of fleſh, aſwell as of the ſpirit, 2 Cor. 7. 1. and in reſpect of the dammage it bringeth to others, either by way of ſcandall and offence, or by ſome reall diſcommodity, as ſlaughter, defamation, with the like: ſixthly▪ and hence it is, that certaine puniſhments are rightly inflicted for the outward acting of ſome ſinne, which never could have place for the inward ſinne alone, as divorce is rightly inflicted for the act of adultery, that cannot bee ſo for the intent of it. And thus the Scripture chargeth the members of the body, eyes full of adultery f2 Pet▪ 2. 14., the tongue is a world of wickedneſſe gIam. 3. 6., Rivers of water run downe mine eyes becauſe they (that is, mine eyes) keepe not thy Law hPſa. 119. 136.. Your hands are full of blood iEſay 1. …5.. I doubt not but the Scripture ſpeaketh more exactly than you. You would bee thought to ſpeake properly when you ſay, Theſe workes are the ſinnes of the diſſolute mind: but neither Philoſophy nor Divinitie will admit it: for we may not ſay, The will ſinneth, the body ſinneth: but thus, The man ſinneth. For actions are ſpoken, and are the acts of the ſubject perſons kActiones ſunt ſuppoſitorum.: it is not a proper ſpeech to ſay, The body ſleepeth, but, The man ſleepeth: The ſoule underſtandeth, but, The man. And the Scripture phraſe inclineth more to this, The eye ſinneth; than this, the will ſinneth. For that ſaying, The ſoule that ſinneth ſhall die, Ezek. 18. is meant thus, the perſon or man that ſinneth; as in that phraſe, ſo many ſoules went downe into Egypt, Geneſ. 46. 26. Now from this it followeth▪ that not onelyonly in lying the tongue is abuſed, as the ſenſeleſſe creature is abuſed by a ſinner, but (inaſmuch as the body and ſoule are but one man, and make one perſon whoſe are the a…ious and works good or bad) the body and members thereof have their ſhare in the very ſinne, in the irregularity, filth, and guilt of it, and ſo ſhall find it by the puniſhment hereafter, and doe fine it by the puniſhment that ſeazeth on the body here: and though the members bee inſtruments of the ſoule, yet not ſuch as can bee ſeparated from the man; for the body and ſoule are eſſentiall parts of man.
Secondly, and for objecting, firſt, I would retort upon you your owne argument: if the naturall inſtrument, that in your opinion ſinneth not, (as the tongue lying, lyeth not, a ſottiſh ſpeech) yet it is charged with ſinne in the Scripture, it is puniſhed for ſinne here, and hereafter, and is polluted with ſinne: then how much more is the voluntary inſtrument charged, polluted, and ſhall be puniſhed, that cannot worke in evill, but muſt needs bring will to the worke, and election too in ſome ſort.
Thirdly, for your objection and ſolution: the objection is this, The ſervant is a voluntary inſtrument, not ſo the eye, or hand in the body; therefore from the hand to the ſervant will not hold. You ſolve and ſalve it thus; The ſervant conferreth will, but thus and thus; as a conditionall will, a wil obeying, not ſelfe-electing, a will to the work, not to the ſin; therefore a naturall inſtrument and ſuch a voluntary are all one. This can never bee made good; for by your owne confeſſion, ſuch an inſtrument is in part voluntary, and ſo is not the naturall inſtrument.
Beſides the maine of your anſwer lyeth in this, that to obey the maſter in his worke, and not in his ſinne, is lawfull; you yeeld then that if it be a ſinne; no conditionall or halfe-election will ſerve to free him, that ſo chuſeth it, from being a ſinner. I urge not onelyonly the maſters commanding of worke that day is ſinne, but the worke of the maſter that day is forbidden to be done, and ſo is ſinne. There the conditionall, halfe, or under will, the obeying will of the ſervant (if he worke) will not excuſe him from ſinne. For nothing taketh away voluntarineſſe from a deed, but abſolute violence of compulſion, and a meere caſualty that could not be foreſeene or foreheeded. As if one be compelled to bend the knee (by force his knee bowed by others) before an Idoll; or if one kill another by meere chance, Deut. 19. 5, 6, 10.
Fourthly, for that ſpeech where you ſay, The worke on the Sabbath hath ſinne annexed to it, it is not right; for the worke on the Sabbath is ſinne, that circumſtance of time, on the Sabbath, is the forme of it. And this indeed muſt bee divided betweene the maſter and the ſervant, as both their ſinnes; the maſters in commanding, the ſervants in working. But to divide ſinne from ſervile worke on the Sabbath that they ſhould not meet in the ſame perſon, neither maſter, nor ſervant, nor all the oxen in the Gate are able with Cart-ropes to doe. I pray you note; the worke (ſay you) is the ſervants, the ſinne is the maſters. Why, the worke is the ſinne, and is it not the ſervants then?