The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 4
CHAP. 4. Breerwood. Pag. 7.
NOw that that clauſe of the Commandement touching ſervants was not given to the ſevants themſelves, but to their maſters, in whoſe power and diſpoſition they are, the text and tenour of the commandement doth clearly import; for marke it well and anſwere me; to whom is this ſpeech directed? Neither thy ſonne nor thy daughter, ſhall doe any worke on the Sabaoth day: is it not to the Parents? For can this manner of ſpeech (thy ſonne, thy daughter) be rightly directed to any other than the parent, and is not by the ſame reaſon the clauſe that next followeth, (neither ſhall thy man ſervant nor thy maid-ſervant doe any worke on the Sabaoth day) directed to the Maſters of ſuch ſervants? Seeing that phraſe of ſpeech (thy man-ſervant, thy maidſervant) cannot rightly bee uſed to any other? It is therefore as cleare as the Sunne, even to meane underſtandings, (if they will give but meane attendance, to the tenour of Gods commandements, rather than the fond interpretations and depravations of men) that that clauſe of the commandement touching ſervants ceſſation from working on the Sabaoth, is not given to ſervants themſelves, but to their maſters concerning them.
Anſwer.
Firſt, this proofe is ſufficiently overthrowne by all the former arguments, yet I adde: This precept is directed to the parents reſtraining the uſe of their power to interrupt, and injoyning the uſe of their power to preſerve the ſanctification of the day; and to the ſonne and daughter alſo not to worke at the houſhold worke: for, ſaith God gLevit. 23. 3., The ſeventh day is the Sabbath of reſt, and holy convocation; yee ſhall doe no worke therein; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. Who are theſe charged in the word, yee? Who, but yee that ſtand bound to come to the holy convocations; yee that conſtitute families; therefore yee children as well as yee parents.
Secondly, and to free all that ſubſcribe to this truth from feare of ſo much as any private interpretation, and to caſt it page missing bee commanded nor intreated (licence would ſerve their turne) but to the maſters whoſe deſire of gaine by the ſervants labour might ſtand betwixt the Sabaoth and the ſervants reſt: and to make an end with the Text, with the laſt words of it: what is it, that the Lord for theſe reaſons commanded? was it barely to keepe and obſerve the Sabaoth, as it is in the vulgar Engliſh, Latine and Greeke tranſlations? No they are all ſhort, it is foreign that is, to make a day of reſt. Deut. 5. 15.Now to make it to bee ſo, importeth not onelyonly to obſerve it himſelfe, but to cauſe others alſo to obſerve it, which is evidently the property of maſters and governours: wherefore ſeeing both the commandement touching ſervants reſt from labour on the Sabaoth day, and reaſons added by Moſes to perſwade that point, (and draw their mindes to obſequiouſneſſe) are evidently directed to the Maſters, and not (neither of both) to the ſervants themſelves, I take it out of all queſtion as cleare as the Sunſhine at midday, that if ſervants by their maſters command doe any worke on the Sabaoth the ſinne is not theirs, who as touching their bodily labour are meerely ſubject to their Maſters power, but it is their maſters ſinne. For their ſinne it is that tranſgreſſe the law: they tranſgreſſe the law, who are obliged by it: they are obliged by it, to whom it was given and impoſed, and given it was as I have plentifully proved onelyonly to Maſters.
Anſwer.
Firſt, your firſt way of confirming your expoſition was by inſtance; then you goe on to proofes from texts, whereof the firſt taken out of the commandement was taken off in the former Chapter: this is your ſecond proofe built on the text in Deu. 5. And here becauſe you flaunt it out in many words, and in many of them glance at things as if they made to your purpoſe, beſides the maine of your argument, I thus reply, firſt, to your reaſon drawne from the text: ſecondly, to ſome chiefe paſſages in the venting of it.
The ſubſtance of the reaſoning is this in briefe: Moſes applyeth the precept of ſervants reſt, to the maſters that were ſlaves in Egypt, but now ranſomed and ſet in the eſtate of freemen, that they ſhould allow their ſervants reſt, and make the Sabbath a reſting day, therefore the commandement (thou ſhalt not doe any worke) is given onelyonly to the maſters. It is applyed to the maſters, therefore given to them, were a right conſequence: but therefore to them onelyonly, is fallacious, for more is in the conſequent, than was in the Antecedent: and if you put the word (only) into the Antecedent, then both the propoſitions are falſe: For in Levit. 19. 3. as above was ſpecified, Moſes applyeth it to children. And the argument is yet unſolid, for it ſtands thus, Moſes applieth it in his expoſitions onelyonly to maſters, therefore it was given onelyonly to maſters: for applications are according to ſeverall occaſions, but not alwaies extended to the utmoſt breadth of the precept, and yet in all this Moſes fidelitie no way impeached, inaſmuch as he faithfully applieth where it moſt needeth as occaſion ſerveth (keeping the bounds of truth. Theſe conſequents from this place as you expound it, may be gathered; therefore that reaſon binds not ſervants, or this, therefore the maſter ſinnes moſt ungratefully that will diſturbe his ſervants reſt: or this, therefore it is given chiefly to the maſters, as thoſe that muſt not onelyonly keepe, but make a Sabbath; all which wee yeeld: but the mind that once is big of a new fancy, maketh all that it feedeth upon, nouriſh that fancy.
Secondly, the truth is, the Lord by Moſes pleades in thoſe words, the reaſon of the right that hee hath to command thy ſervant reſt, who is his freeman by vertue of that redemption; the ſervant as well as the maſter called into the liberty of his holy people, as appeareth in the Preface to the Decalogue, Exod. 20. and in Exod. 19. 4, 5, 6. bond and free indifferently entertained into the priviledge and honour of the Covenant, and into the band of it: and the reaſon the maſter hath both to obey, and yeeld up his ſervant for that day to Gods commanding and appointing, and alſo to uſe his authoritie for God, in ſeeing that his ſervant keepe the Sabbath: but in other reſpects both maſter and ſervant to rejoyce alike in the great worke of their redemption.
Thirdly, but let us examine more narrowly ſome of the ſpeciall paſſages.
Moſes addeth in verſ. 14. that thy manſervant and maidſervant may reſt as well as thou; it is to this (Thou) therefore to whom this charge is directed, &c.] Which (thou?) that in thoſe words, thou and thy ſonne. That makes nothing to the exemption of the ſervant, as thy ſervant from the obligation of the firſt thou, which is this, thou ſhalt doe no manner of worke: for thy ſervant is one contained under this thou, as well as thou art that art the maſter. Or if it bee meant of this firſt thou, that were abſonant from the very context. It being meant of the latter thou, we muſt ask what you meane when you ſay, it is to this thou to whom this charge is directed. Mean you by charge, the charge to make the ſervants reſt? That you ſay afterwards were needleſſe, they need but licence, and neither command nor intreat. Or meane you the charge to give them leave to reſt? nay, that is againſt your owne reading, the maſter is to make a day of reſt, and your owne interpretation, to make it to be ſo, importeth not onelyonly to obſerve it himſelfe, but to cauſe others alſo to obſerve it. Or by charge, meane you the command, Thy ſervant ſhall doe manner of worke; and this is directed to this thou; namely, the maſter of the ſervant? Well, bee it ſo: And what will follow thence? Why ſurely this; Thou maſter muſt know that God commands thy ſervant to reſt, and thee to make him keepe the Sabbath day: but not this; Thou art commanded to reſt, but thy ſervant is not commanded to reſt, but may worke if thou biddeſt him, the ſinne and perill is thine only. What new Divinitie and Logick is this? We ſee then, here is ſome motion in, but no promotion of your cauſe. Nay, becauſe the command is given that the ſervant may reſt as well as the maſter, and that all might be free to attend on Gods ſervice that day alike; therefore it cannot be that the ſervant ſhould remaine bound to the commands of the maſter for ſervile worke on that day. For as maſter Calvin well obſerves, iCalvin in quartum praeceptum. Tenendum eſt, propriè ſpectatum fuiſſe unum Dei cultum? Scimus enim totum Abrahae genus ſic fuiſſe Deo ſacrum, ut ſervieſſent quaedam acceſſio, unde & circumciſio illis communis fuit.We muſt hold this, that the alone worſhip of God was properly looked unto: but wee know (ſaith hee) the whole off-ſpring of Abraham was ſo ſacred to God, that this that they were ſervants was a certaine acceſſion, whence alſo circumciſion was common to them all.
If the commandement of reſt had been directly and immediately given to ſervants.] Doth your owne conſcience know and force out this acknowledgement, that it is given to them, though not directly and immediately?
Would not ſervants overſet & wearied with ſix daies toile, be of themſelves glad to reſt on the ſeventh] Theſe interrogations are brought in, to ſet on the proofe, that the commandement of reſt was not given at all to ſervants: but how ill they conclude, may bee ſeene by theſe certaine truths. That the ſervant (if not religious, which God lookes not to find, but by his word to make us ſuch)▪ had rather oft times worke for his maſter, than bee imployed in the duties of ſanctification for a part, much more for all the day: for they are more irkeſome to fleſh and blood, than handy worke. True, that queſtion might take more place, if it were reſt alone that were aymed at, and not reſt for an higher end. That the maſter (if covetous and prophane) will not ſtand upon pleaſing or diſpleaſing God, in requiring ſuch unlawfull worke, but reſpect his gaine more than all, and to the utmoſt call for the ſervants worke that day, when the ſervant in the Court of God and man can have no redreſſe; yea out of irreligious petulancy he will moſt exact worke then. Againe, that the toyled ſervant will be oft ready to worke for himſelfe, as in mending his clothes, or the like; now the maſter is charged to remember the condition of his ſlavery, that hee may not dare to overſet his ſ…rvant with worke in the ſixe dayes, but every way make a Sabbath day.
Hath it any other but to declare, &c.] Yes, it declares Gods juſt title over their ſervants to command them that day, and their unequall and wicked carriage, if they ſhould offer to plead their covenant to evert Gods covenant.
Which reaſon could not bee intended, nor directed to them that ſtill remained in ſervitude] No: not at all intended, nor could be. This redemption prooved them Gods ſervants, and not theirs, nor any mans to uſe them as ſlaves to uſe them as ſervants on the Sabbaths: as we read in Levit. 25. verſ. 39, 41 42. Thou ſhalt not compell him to ſerve as a bond-ſervant, he ſhall returne in the yeere of Iubile, for they are my ſervants which I brought out of the Land of Egypt, And in verſ. 53. 55. The ſtranger (meaning to whom the poore Iew was ſold) ſhall not rule with rigour over him, he ſhall goe out in the yeere of Iubile; for unto me the children of Iſrael are ſervants; they are my ſervants whom I brought forth out of the Land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. Here the ſervant ſaw that God put no difference betweene bond and free, and that the Sabbath made maſter and ſervant equall in reſpect of freedome for attendance on God. kCeſſati…nem indixit, ut fulgeret ubique Sabbathi Sanctitas, at que ita ad ejus obſervantiam terrae conſpectu magis animarentur filii Iſraël. Calvin. com. in 4. praeceptum. in Lev. c. 25.Thoſe Sabbaths of yeeres had all reſpect to engrave on them the reſpect of this Sabbath. Heere no ſlavery (but liberty for Gods ſervice, which is perfect freedome,) may paſſe upon the redeemed: and therefore their ſervitude did not make the Redemption void to them. But ſuch an Expoſitor as you are, would leave them ſlaves, becauſe ſervants, and ſlaves without intermiſſion, even on the Lords Sabbath; to drudgerie, and not the Lords ſervants, when yet they were the Redeemed of the Lord equally as their maſters were. Thus you derogate from the breadth of the cōmandement, and the reaſons, and clip the wings of Scripture, while you take that precept to belong onelyonly to maſters, and the maſter enjoyed no further than to make a reſt for his ſervant, when the text ſaith, Hee ſhall make a Sabbath day. And the whole reaſon applied to the Sabbaths reſt for ſervants ſounds no leſſe than this, Remember when thou waſt in Egypt the Egyptians made thee a ſlave, and mard the Sabbath day; now I have ſet thee free thou ſhalt free thy ſervant that day, and make the Sabbath day.
Moſes reaſons are evidently directed to the maſters, not to the ſervants; therefore the ſervant working at the maſters command ſinneth not.] What reaſoning is this; the maſter is by arguments pe…ſwaded to make a day of reſt, & therefore the ſervant muſt worke if the maſter bid him: or therefore hee is not commanded to make a holy reſt to his ſervant.
Who as touching bodily labour are meerely ſubject to their maſters power.] This meerely in this place muſt needes exclude Gods power over the ſervant, that he may not lawfully command him in any thing that reſpects the uſe of bodily labour, but onelyonly his maſter: which wicked ground laid, it will follow that the Lord may not command the maſter to let his ſervant reſt, but onelyonly intreat or perſwade, but the Lord ſpeakes pro imperio as a Lord and Emperor, thy ſervant ſhall reſt. This meerely takes in all time, ſo that the maſter may require their worke, and not allow them any time for ſolemne worſhip; now it is certaine that no man hath power to ſell himſelfe to any in ſuch a manner, no more than he hath to ſell himſelfe from God and to the divell; for take away time from ſolemne worſhip, and that falls to the ground, nothing can bee done in an inſtant; take away ſolemne worſhip and you are without God, Ier. 10. 25▪ and without him, under the power of Satan, Act. 26. 18. This meerely in a word taketh away all bounds, & maketh the ſervants bondage and the maſters power infinite. Now Plato ſaith well, lServitus & libertas infinita nulliſque cancellis circumſcripta, ſummum eſt malum, quod ſi modo quodāmodo definiatur, ſummum bonum. Optimo illa modo conſtat ſervitus, quae Deo paret. Plat. tom. 3. Epiſt. 8.Servitude and liberty that is infinite and circumſcribed with nolimitte, is the chiefeſt evill: but if ſome way it be defined by meaſure, it is a chief good, that ſervitude ſtands in the beſt forme, which obeyeth God. And Doct. Ameſ. mAmeſ. de conſcientia, lib. 5. c. 23.worthily in his Caſes of Conſcience, it is the generall office of maſters, neither to exerciſe nor to imagine it is permitted them, any abſolute empire over their ſervants; but a limited dominion: the account whereof they muſt render to God as the common maſter of themſelves and their ſervants, Epheſ. 6. 9. Col. 4. 1.