Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 38
Now to the workes of pleasure, whereby the holy rest on the Sabbath is hindered.
Quest. What are the workes of pleasure that doe hinder the keeping of an holy rest to God on the Sabbath?
Answ. They are of two sorts.
Either lawfull in themselues, and such as at other times may be vsed.
Or, such as are simply in themselues vnlawfull at all times.
Quest. What are those workes of pleasure that are lawfull in themselues?
Answ. These; either set or solemne feasting or banquetting, as at Mariages, at the admitting of men into their ciuill Offices, or in like occasions.
Or they bee some kindes of recreations and exercises of the body.
Quest. How is the keeping of an holy rest on the Sabbath hindred by set and solemne feasting and banquetting?
Answ. Thus; when those things are vsed on the Sabbath; and thereby Cookes, and other seruants and officers are imployed in their ordinary workes, and are toiled exceedingly: and those that doe feast and banquet, are hindred, and hauehave their minds withdrawne from the serious performance of holy duties, both publike and priuate. Feasting,Isai. 5.12. Luke 21.34, 36 Iob 1.5. and want of consideration of the works of the Lord commonly goe together. Christ would hauehave men to eate, that they may bee fit to watch and pray, especially on the Sabbath.
Quest. Is it lawfull to marry on the Sabbath, or no?
Answ. It is lawfull; but the marriage feast is rather to be kept on another day, then on the Sabbath: because of hinderance and distraction in holy duties.
Quest. Is it lawfull to drinke wine, or other strong drinke, or to eate delicates and dainties on the Sabbath or no?
Answ. If men hauehave these things prouided, and ready at hand of their owne, or in the house where they are on the Sabbath, they may vse them on the Sabbath; so as they vse them moderately, and for the better enabling of them to performe holy duties both in publike and priuate. Eccles. 10.17. Salomon would hauehave Princes to eat in time, and for strength, and not for drunkennesse. Much more then, other men.
Quest. May not such as hauehave not Wine, or other strong drinkes, or delicacies of their owne prouided and ready at hand, goe or send abroad for such things on the Sabbath?
Answ. If they be in health or strength of body, and able to endure without them, they are not to goe or send abroad for such things on the Sabbath. But if they bee sicke, or weake in bodie,sal. 104.15. …rou. 31.6, 7. Tim. 5.29. and their present weakenesse necessarily requires such things, and they hauehave them not already prouided of their owne: then they may goe or send for them abroad on the Sabbath. And in these cases being certainly knowne, Vintners may let them hauehave Wine; Apothecaries and others may let them Aqua vitae, Conserues, and such like: because these bee cases of present necessitie layd on them by the immediate hand of God: the cautions before spoken of obserued, the wine and other things onelyonly payd for, this may bee done on the Sabbath.
Quest. VVhat are those Recreations, and Exercises of the bodie that are lawfull, and such as at other times may bee vsed?
Answ. They are such moouings of the body as bee honest and moderate, and carry with them an honest and delightfull exercise of the minde, and serue to the refreshing of the body and minde, as Shooting, Tennis-playing, Stoole-ball-playing, Wrestling, Running, and such like.
Quest. How is the keeping of an holy Rest on the Sabbath hindered by this kinde of Recreations, and Exercises of the Body?
Answ. Thus; when Recreations, and Exercises of this kinde are vsed on the Sabbath, especially in time of diuine Seruice, and thereby the Sabbath is made a day, not of holy rest, but of carnall rest: such a day as the people made, Exod. 32.6.Exod. 32.6.
Obiection. Seruants must needs hauehave some recreation, and some refreshing from their painefull toile in the weeke dayes; otherwise how shall they be able to indure?
Quest. May not they then hauehave lawfull bodily recreation allowed them on the Sabbath?
Answ. No, they may not, when they should be employed in Gods Seruice: men must allow their seruants moderate rest, and lawfull recreation at other times.Prou. 12.10. (A righteous Man regardeth the life of his Beast: much more then of his Seruant:) but it must bee on the dayes of labour, and not on the Sabbath: because recreation belongs not to rest, but to labour: and it is vsed, that men may by it bee made more fit no labour: and therefore it must be graunted them on the dayes of labour in the weeke.
Quest. May not sicke persons vse lawfull recreation, as Chesse-playing, or the like on the Sabbath?
Answ. If they bee extreamely sicke, they are rather to giuegive themselues to praying, then to playing.Iam. 5.13, 14. If they bee not so dangerously sicke, they need it not: but if they can busie their Hearts, Hands, and Bodyes about playing: the consideration of GODS merciemercy to them in their late Visitation, ought to mooue them to refresh themselues on the Sabbath especially, with reading the Scriptures, and other good Bookes, in holy conference, or singing of Psalmes.
Quest. VVhat are the workes of pleasures simply in themselues vnlawfull, that hinder the keeping of an holy rest on the Sabbath?
Answ. They are either such as are knowne sinnes, as surfetting, Drunkennesse, Whoredome, Swearing, and the like, or such as goe vnderunder the name of Sports and Recreations.
Quest. How is the keeping of an holy Rest on the Sabbath hindred by workes of pleasure that are knowne sinnes?
Ans. When such workes are done on the Sabbath:Isai. 56.2. Ezek. 23.38, 39. Rom. 13.13. for then to commit any knowen sinne, to sweare, to quaffe, to follow whoredome, to play the harlot, is to keepe an holy day to the Deuill, and not to God: and it is then most abominable to the Lord especially.
Quest. Is a known sinne committed on the Sabbath, more grieuous, then if it were committed on any other day?
Answ. Yes, it is.
Quest. How may that appeare?
Answ. By this reason; if that which is no sinne on another day bee a sinne on the Sabbath; as to digge, to plowe, and such like, as it is; then that which is a sinne in it selfe; as to steale, to be drunke, and such like, must needs bee greater, and more haynous being done on the Sabbath: because, besides the sinne of stealing, swearing, or the like, the Sabbath is also thereby broken and prophaned, and so a double sinne is committed.
Quest. What are the workes of pleasure at all times vnlawfull, that goe vnderunder the name of sports and recreations?
Answ. They are such delights as hauehave a manifest defiling of good manners, in doing, or in beholding; hauing in them allurements, and prouocations, either to lust and vncleanenesse; or to crueltie, or to couetousnesse, and such like.
Quest. How is the keeping of an holy rest on the Sabbath hindered by these vnlawfull workes, going vnderunder the name of sports, and recreations?
Ans. When these are vsed on the Sabbath: for these being vnlawfull at all times as they bee; much more vnlawfull are they on the Sabbath.
Obiection. We reade of a kinde of dancing commended in the Scriptures, as that of Miriam, Exod. 15.20. 2 Sam. 6.14. Dauid danced before the Arke. 1 Sam. 18.6. The women at Dauids returne from the slaughter of Goliah: therefore dancing is lawfull and warrantable by the word of God.
Quest. How is this to be answered?
Answ. Thus; that kind of dancing was not mixed, lasciuious, of men and women together; but single, of men by themselues, and of women apart by themselues; and the causes of it was spirituall ioy, and the end of it praise & thanksgiuing to God; and the manner of it, was not with wanton gestures, and with amorous songs, but with Psalmes of praise and thankesgiuing.
Obiection. Eccles 3.4. There is a time to dance. Ierem. 31.4. Goe foorth in the daunce of them that bee ioyfull: Therefore Dancing is lawfull.
Quest. How is this to bee answered?
Ans. Thus; those places speake not of dancing properly, but of hearty reioycing, signified by dancing.
Againe, the Prophet speakes by way of comparison, as if hee had said, as men are wont to doe in daunce: and comparisons in Scripture are many times drawne from things vnlawfull in themselues, as from the vnrighteous Iudge;Luke 16.1, 2, 3. 1 Thess. 5.2. from the thiefe in the night.