The Theater of Gods Judgments, Book 1 · Chapter 35
CHAP. XXXV. Of those that prophane the Sabbath day.
IN the fourth and last Commandement of the first Table, it is said, Remember to keepe holy the Sabbath day: By which words it is ordained and enjoyned us to separate one day of seven from all bodily and servile labour, not to idlenesse and loosenesse, but to the worship of God, which is spirituall and wholesome. Which holy ordinance when one of the children of Israel in contempt broke, as they were in the wildernes, by gathering sticks upon the Sabbath, he was brought before Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation, & by them put in prison untill such time as they knew the Lords determination concerning him: knowing Num. 15.well, That he was guilty of a most grievous crime. And at length by the Lords owne sentence to his servant Moses, condemned to be stoned to death without the host, as was speedily executed. Wherein the Lord made knowne unto them, both how unpleasant and odious the prophanation of his Sabbath was in his sight, and how seriously and carefully every one ought to observe and keepe the same. Now albeit that this strict observation of the Sabbath was partly ceremoniall under the Law, and that in Christ Iesus we have an accomplishment, as of all other, so also of this ceremony, (He being the true Sabbath, and assured repose of our soules) yet seeing we still stand in need of some time for the instruction and exercise of our Faith, it is necessary that we should have at least one day in a weeke to occupy our selves in and about those holy and godly exercises, which are required at our hands; and what day fitter for that purpose than Sunday? which was also ordained in the Apostles time for the same end, and called by them Dies Dominicus, that is, the day of our Lord: because upon that day he rose from the dead, to wi…, the morrow after the Iewes Sabbath, being the first day of the weeke: to which Sabbath it by common consent of the Church succeeded, to the end that a difference might be put betwixt Christians and Iewes. Therefore it ought now religiously Cod li. 3. …i. 12 …. 10.to be observed, as it is also commanded in the civill law, with expresse prohibition not to abuse this day of holy rest, in unholy sports and pastimes of evill example. Neverthelesse in stead hereof we use the evill imployance, abuse, and disorder of it for the most part, for beside the false worship and plentifull superstitions which reigne in so many places, all manner of disorder and dissolutenesse is in request, and beareth sway in these dayes: this is the day for tipling houses and tavernes to be fullest fraught with ruffians and ribalds, and for villanous and dishonest speech, with lecherous and baudy songs to be most ri…e: this is the day when dicing, dauncing, whoring, and such noysome and dishonest demeanors, muster their bands and keep ranke together; from whence foame out envies, hatreds, displeasures, quarrels, debates, bloud sheddings, and murthers, as daily experience testifieth. All which things are evident signes of Gods heavy displeasure upon the people where these abuses are permitted, and no difference made of that day wherein God would be served, but is contrarily mostdishonored by the overflow of wicked examples.
And that it is a thing odious and condemned of God, these examples following will declare. Gregory Turonensis reporteth, That a husbandman, who upon the Lords day went to plough his field, as he cleansed his plowshare with an yron, the yron stucke so fast into his hand, that for two yeares hee could not be delivered from it, but carried it about continually to his exceeding great paine and shame. Another prophane fellow, without any Discipulus de tempore. …er. 103.regard of God or his service, made no conscience to convey his corne out of the field on the Lords day in Sermon time; but hee was well rewarded for his godlesse covetousnesse: for the same corne which with so much care he gathered together, was consumed with fire from heaven, with the barne and all the graine that was in it.
A certaine Nobleman used every Lords day to goe a hunting in the Sermon while; which impiety the Lord punished with this judgement: he caused his wife to bring forth a childe with a head like a dog, that seeing Theatr. hist.he preferred his dogs before the service of God, hee might have one of his owne getting to make much of.
At Kimsta… a towne in France, there lived in the yere of our Lord 1559, Iob Fincel. l. 3. de Mi…ac.a certain covetous woman, who was so eager upon the world, and greedy of gaine, that she would neither frequent the Church to heare the word of God her selfe, nor suffer any of her family to doe it, but continually abode labouring and toyling about drying and pilling flax, and doing other domesticall businesses: neither would she be reclaimed by her neighbours, who admonished and dehorted her from such untimely works. One Sabbath day as they were thus busily occupied, fire seemed to issue among the flax, without doing any hurt: the next Sabbath day it tooke fire indeed, but was quickly extinct: for all this she continued obstinate in her prophanenesse even the third Sabbath, when the flax againe taking fire, could not be quenched till it had burnt her and two of her children to death; for though they were recovered out of the fire alive, yet the next day they all three died. And that which was most to be wondred at, a young infant in the cradle was taken out of the midst of the flame, without any hurt. Thus God useth to exercise his judgements upon the contemners of his commandements.
The Centuriators of Magdeburge, intreating of the manners of Christians, Cent. 12. cap. 6.made report out of another history, that a certaine husbandman (in Parochia Gemilacensi) grinding corne upon the Lords day, the meale began to burne, Anno Dom. 1126, which though it might seeme to be a thing meere casuall, yet they set it downe as a judgement of God upon him for breaking the Sabbath. As also of that which they speake in the same place Eccles. hist. Cent. 12. ib.of one of the Kings of Denmarke, who when as hee (contrary to the admonition of the Priests, who desired him to deferre it) would needs upon the day of Pentecost make warre with his enemy, died in the battell. But that may be better knowne to us all, which is written in the second booke of Macchabees, of Nicanor the Iewes enemy, who would needs set upon them on the Sabbath; from which when other the Iewes that were compelled to be with him, could no way disswade him, he was slaine in the battell, and most miserably but deservedly handled, even the parts of his body shamefully dismembred, as in that History you may read more at large.
Therefore in the Councell at Paris every one labouring to perswade unto a more religious keeping of the Sabbath day, when they had justly Concil. Paris. lib. 1. cap. 50.complained, that (as many other things) so also the observation of the Sabbath was greatly decayed through the abuse of Christian liberty; in that men too much followed the delights of the world, and their owne worldly pleasures, both wicked and dangerous: They further adde, Multi nánque nostrum visu, multi etiam quorundam relatu dedicimus, &c. For many of us have been eye-witnesses, many have intelligence of it by the relation of others that some men upon this day being about their husbandry, have been strucken with thunder, some have been maimed and made lame, some have had their bodies (even bones and all) burnt in a moment with visible fire, and have consumed to ashes, and many other judgements of God have been, and are daily; Whereby it is declared, that God is offended with the dishonour of so high a day. And our time hath not wanted examples in this kind, whosoever hath observed them, when sometimes in the faires upon this day the Wares have swumme in the streetes; sometimes the scaffolds at Playes have falne downe, to the hurting and endangering of many; sometime one thing, sometime another hath fallen out, to the great damage and hurt of many that have no conscience of this day; yea, often to the endangering of their lives: and that which is most strange, within these late yeares, a whole town hath been twice burnt for the breach of the Sabbath, by the inhabitants, as all men judged: The just report thereof I passe over here to set downe, untill such time as I shall be better instructed.
Famous and memorable also is that example which happened at London in the yeare 1583 at Paris garden, where, upon the Sabbath day were gathered together (as accustomably they used) great multitudes of prophane people, to behold the sport of Beare baiting, without respect of the Lords day, or any exercise of religion required therein: which prophane impiety, the Lord that he might chasten in some sort, and shew his dislike thereof, he caused the scaffolds suddenly to breake, and the beholders to tumble headlong downe; so that to the number of eight persons, men and women, were slaine therewith, besides many others which were sore hurt and bruised, to the shortening of their dayes. The like example happened at a towne in Bedford shire called Risley, in the yeare 1607: Where the floore of a chamber, wherein a number were gathered together to see a play on the Sabbath day, fell downe, by meanes whereof many were sore hurt, and some killed. Surely, a friendly warning to such as more delight themselves with the cruelty of beasts, and vain sports, than with the works of mercy and Religion, the fruits of a true faith, which ought to be the Sabbath dayes exercise. And thus much for the examples of the first Table, whereof if some seeme to exceed credit, by reason of the strangenesse of them, yet let us know, that nothing is impossible to God; and that hee doth often worke miracles to controll the obstinate impiety and rebellion of mortall men against his commandement. Besides, there is not one example here mentioned, but it hath a credible or probable Author for the avoucher of it. Let us now, out of all this that hath been spoken, gather up this wholsome lesson, to love God with all our heart and affection, to the end we may worship him, invocate his holy name, and repose all the confidence of our salvation upon him alone through Christ Iesus, seeking by pleasing and obeying his will, to set forth his glory, and render him due thanks for all his benefits.
FINIS.