The Doctrine of the Sabbath Vindicated, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Breerwood. Pag 15.
IT was therefore much more agreeable both to the wiſdome and juſtice of Almighty God to impoſe the commandement rather on the Maſters than on the ſervants, for thereby was pr…vented the diſobedience of ſervants to their maſters, and the puniſhment that might attend on that, and the breach of the law of nations, (all which the other had occaſioned) and yet the maſters were in no ſort wronged. for their ſervants remained in their power, no leſſe on the Sabaoth, than the other ſixe common daies, only the Lord did qualifie, and determine the act, or execution of that power, on the Sabaoth day, namely to command their ſervants ceſſation from bodily labour, and inſtead of that to ex…rciſe themſelves in ſpirituall workes of holineſſe; it was I ſay (to eſtabliſh the commandement in ſuch forme) more agreeable to the wiſdome, and juſtice of God.
Anſwer.
Firſt, in this continuance of your former reaſon, partly you charge our doctrine, and partly you cleare your owne. Firſt, you charge ours as occaſioning ſervants diſobedience to their maſters, and ſervants puniſhment by their maſters, and the breach of the Law of nations: but yours, as you ſay, prevents all this. Wee affirme, that the giving of the commandement of the Sabbath to ſervants as well as to maſters, though to maſters as thoſe that ſhould preſerve this Law, if thoſe under them would violate it, occaſioneth none of theſe three evils: Firſt, it occaſioneth not any diſobedience to maſters; for at the moſt it giveth but power to the ſervant ſubmiſſely to refuſe the unlawfull command of his maſter, and not to caſt off ſubjection to his authoritie: to the firſt he is not bound, and therefore is not diſobedient when hee obeyeth not, but on the contrary, if he ſhould yeeld to doe the thing that is unlawfull, he is a man pleaſer. And to the ſecond he yeelds himſelfe in his ſubmiſſe refuſall, and acknowledgeth his power to the full, when he gives up himſelfe that day to bee commanded by him in things pertaining to the worſhip of God, in which thing alone God hath allowed the maſter the acting or execution of his power over his ſervant for that day. The reaſon hereof your ſelfe ſuggeſts, when you ſay, the ſervant remaines in his maſters power no leſſe this day, than any other, but to other and better ends, unto which ends, viz. reſpecting the worſhip of God, you confeſſe the maſters power, for the time, is determined in reſpect of the execution thereof. And who ſeeth not then, that if the execution of their power bee bounded, the ſervant is not to fulfill the boundleſſe and unlawfull puttings forth of that power; here it is enough to be a patient meerely, and by no meanes an agent. So then the ſervant remaineth no leſſe in the maſters power, but to higher ends, but more free to Gods ſervice, while the maſter may not call him off by unjuſt exactions. And ſo farre is this from occaſioning any diſobedience, that it occaſioneth, and properly effecteth in the ſervants heart a conſcionable, and produceth in his life an entire and ſinglehearted obedience to his maſter as to the Lord. Inaſmuch as they are hereby brought to the houſe of God where they learn all duty to God and man, though their maſter ſhould bee wicked, and ſo returne to their maſters fruitful, faithfull and conſcionable ſerving them, not with eye-ſervice, but with all uprightneſſe, to which the feare of God will bind them. But the unfaithfull to God will be unfaithfull to man. Oh the wiſedome of God that provides for particular men and ſocieties by this his Law, better than they could or would for themſelves. Secondly, this occaſioneth not any puniſhment wilfully incurred, if then it come, it may patiently, yea, joyfully be borne; for this is thanke-worthy with God q1 Pet. 2. 18. 19.. But we ſee by experience, that as religious obſerving the duties of the Sabbath maketh one faithfull in his Calling all the weeke; and as fideli…ie is in it ſelfe amiable, and to the maſter profitable, ſo many evill and covetous maſters will willingly chuſe ſuch ſervants, & give them willingly that liberty on the Sabbath, which themſelves care not for, nor feare ſinfully to forgoe. Moreover, if any maſter ſhould beſtow blowes on his ſervant for going to Church, when his maſter on the Sabbath commands him to the works of his calling; this very precept requireth the Magiſtrate to relieve the ſervant againſt the injury of a wicked maſter, when it giveth the Magiſtrate charge to ſee the Sabbath kept by all within his gate, and the ſupreme Magiſtrate to puniſh the inferiour Magiſtrates neglects, or injuſt impoſitions, as wee ſee in Nehemiah, who contended with the Nobles for prophaning the Sabbath by unjuſt impoſitions of worke upon inferiours. And ſo you ſee alſo the juſtice and equity of God in providing for the ſervant both in ſoule and body.
Thirdly, for the Law of Nations, if you take it ſtricktly and properly, it is ſimply and univerſally a poſitive Law, as ſaith Iohn de Salas rIus gentium eſt ſimpliciter & universè jus poſitivū. Ioh. de Salas tract. de. leg. q. 91. diſp. 2. ſect. 3., and is thus deſcribed by Zuarez, it is the common Law of all Nations, not by inſtinct of nature alone, but conſtituted and ordained by their uſe ſEt jus cōmune omnium gentium non inſtinctu ſolius naturae ſed uſu earum conſtitu…um. Zuarez de leg. l. 2. c. 19.. It is that which al Nations wel-ordered, do uſe: for uſe requiring, and humane neceſſities, Nations of men have ordained to themſelves certaine Rites or Lawes. Of this ſort of Lawes theſe examples are reckoned up by Iſidore tIus Gentium eſt ſedium occupatio, aedificatio, munitio, bella, captivitates, ſervitutes, poſtliminia, foedera pacis, induciae, legatorum non violandorum religio, cōnubia inter alienigenas probibita. Iſid. Orig. l. 5. c. 6., firſt, poſſeſſions, or the taking up of our abodes; ſecondly, building; thirdly, munition; fourthly, warres; fifthly, captivity; ſixthly, ſervitude; ſeventhly, recovery of poſſeſſions loſt, or alienated unlawfully; eighthly, covenants of peace; ninthly, truces; tenthly, the care not to violate embaſſadours; eleventhly, marriages forbidden with them of another Nation. Now that the impoſing of this commandement of the Sabbath on ſervants alſo ſhould occaſion the breach of the Law of Nations is a meere pretence: for the Law of Nations could never charge ſervants with ſuch a ſubjection as ſhould croſſe and caſt out the worſhip of God, ſo that the ſervant ſhould be ſo obliged to his maſter, that of conſcience and neceſſity the ſervant of a wicked maſter muſt bee left in a condition, wherein he ſhould never have power to frequent the ſolemne worſhip of God, as will of neceſſity follow, if he be alwayes, abſolutely, as you teach, his maſters. Shew me whether ever the Nations generally, nay, ever any one Nation well ordered, gave ſuch a Law? If no ſuch Law ordained, it is no way of the Law of Nations: if not ordained, it is much more abſonant from Natures inſtinct. I ſay, ſuch a thing could never poſſibly be found among the Nations of men, it is ſo abhorring to Nature: but if men could ſo farre and ſo univerſally degenerate, yet this without all controverſie determines this caſe: uIus Gentium quum ſit poſitivum, non poteſt derogare juri naturae. Ioh. de Salas tract. de leg. q. 91. diſp. 2. ſect. 5.the Law of Nations being a poſitive Law and humane, though brought in by the cuſtome of Nations, cannot, nor muſt derogate from a Law of Nature. Now the Law of Nature binds all men, even ſervants as ſervants to ſerve God ſolemnely on the times he ſhall call for their homage from them indiſpenſably, as on this day he doth, and to this end to be vacant and free from bodily labours that are ſervile for that time. The Decalogue is the Law of Nature, it chargeth ſervants in the fourth and fifth Commandements; the duties there required ſervants ſtand bound unto, and to them firſt as the rules of the Law of Nature, to other duties after, under, and in reference to them, if any ſuch be agreed upon, and conſtituted by the Nations: but if Nations ſhould conſtitute any thing againſt any duty in the ten Commandements, it is not a Law: for that is no Law which is not juſt xIus non eſt, quod non eſt juſtum & rectum▪ non lex ſed faex: non lex, ſed labes: non lex ſed lis.and right; it is perverſeneſſe, no Law: it is not Law, but lees, but ſtrife, but a deſtroyer, but error, but tiranny, any thing rather than Law, as all the learned conclude. If you, or any can ſhew ſuch a Law, or rather lees of Nations, bleſſed be God in his wiſedome, juſtice and equity for ever, who by his eternall Law freeth poore ſervants from ſuch tyrannous exact▪ on.
Secondly, as our doctrine is wine that comes of the pure grape, ſo yours is the poyſon of Dragons preſſed from the vine of Sodome: for I affirme, that it produceth all the former evils: For this, That the ſervant is left, even the Sabbath day alſo meerely in his maſters power to be obedient to his commands for ſervile works; firſt, it would occaſion rebellion in the ſervant through bitterneſſe of ſoule ariſing from an unſupportable burden; ſecondly, and ſo from thence juſt puniſhment on the ſervant, if the maſters ſtrength can reach them to inflict it, or from ſuperiour Magiſtrates; and thirdly, evert the Law of Nations, by ſtriking at the life of Religion and Societies in the firſt and fundamentall ſociety, viz. a family; and in one of the moſt neceſſary props of that ſociety, viz. maſter and ſervant. From this likewiſe it will follow, that God ſhall be neglected by the ſervant, through neglect of holineſſe, and that the ſervant of an unjuſt maſter ſhall no way be provided for, in reſpect of his refreſhing, no not ſo well as the oxe or aſſe: for God will be the avenger of that injuſtice, his poore creature being mercileſly uſed, but for this, God, you ſay, provides, that the ſervant muſt of conſcience obey, and ſo Gods juſtice, wiſedome, goodneſſe, and the ends of giving the commandement in regard of the ſervant ſhall bee impeached, and wholly fruſtrate.
Thirdly and laſtly, you overthrow your owne Tenet: for if the execution of that power be bounded for that day, as you rightly teach, how is the ſervant to obey the unjuſt uſage of their power? For if hee have no power to command, the ſervant may refuſe to obey, and muſt, both becauſe in this reſpect the ſervant is made a freeman, and ſo under the obligation of Gods command by your owne confeſſion; and yQuiſque ex tharitate propria tenetur non amittere libertatem ſine gravi cauſa. Ioh. de Sal. tract. de leg. q. 91. diſp. 2. Sect. 5.becauſe every one of charity to himſelfe is bound not to loſe his liberty, without ſome weighty cauſe, but to enjoy and uſe it rather where he may be free z1 Cor. 7. 21.; and becauſe the power the maſter in this caſe takes, he uſurpeth, nor is it of God, but is turned directly againſt him. I ſay, therefore if the maſters power be determined, the ſervant is freed; but if he have power, how is it notwithſtanding herein determined? Againe, if the maſter muſt not only diſcharge the ſervant of worke, but in ſtead thereof charge him to the exerciſes of holineſſe; the ſervant muſt needs in obeying his maſters ſinfull command of working, flee off from his charge and power, to charge him at that time of his ſo labouring, in the duties of holineſſe, ſeeing no man can doe two things (chiefly of this nature) at once.