A Threefold Treatise of the Sabbath, Chapter 14
CHAP. XIV. This day is to be kept holy, and the whole day too.
AN holy day is to be kept holy, none will deny it. Our Lords day is an holy day and an high holy day too, before all other, as in the former chapter is proved: and therfore to be kept holy; which very tearm of holy, challengeth a ſeparation of the day unto holy uſes; as Gods holy daies all of them in the old Teſtament were obſerved, and imployed in holy duties, as the Scriptures tell us: the end of the weekly Sabbath, was to keep it holy, as the very Commandment ſheweth, from the mouth of God himſelfe, Exo. 20. 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: and Moſes the Interpreter of the Law, in Deut. 5. 12. ſaith the ſame: And our Lords day being our Chriſtian Sabbath in ſtead thereof, ſhould be kept holy: We keep holy the Lords day, ſaith, Dionyſius, who lived in Anno. 175. Our King, and whole In an Epiſt. to Soter, Biſhop of Rome.State, in a Statute, hath delivered this, as is before noted; That it is a principall part of true ſervice unto God, to keep holy the Lords day: Our Church in the Homily teacheth us, That Gods obedient people ſhould uſe the Sunday holily, and carefully keep the day in holy reſt and quietneſſe, both men, women, children, ſervants, and ſtrangers, as they have ever done from the Apoſtles dayes. That the Primitive Churches, Fathers, and Chriſtian Princes did in their ſeverall times alwayes obſerve, and cauſe to be obſerved the Lords day with all holy ſolemnity and godly reverence: read the many learned Authours avouching the ſame, quoted for this by Maſter Sprint in his book of the Christian Sabbath, pag. 18. To this effect ſpeaketh Biſhop White, cited before in chapter 9. affirming, that the Primitive Fathers and their Succeſſours did univerſally maintaine the religious obſervation of the day: That it is to bee kept holy, there bee none of ſound judgement will deny it.
But the queſtion is, how much of the day is to be ſet apart unto God? The wiſdome of God, which in mans beſt reaſon is moſt worthy to be our direction, appointed a day for Exod. …0.the celebration of the Sabbath: we ought to reſt the whole day, ſay the Fathers in a Councell at Nice. S. Chryſoſtome in 3. Hom. on John, exhorts to deſtinate the day wholly to divine imployments. The Divines in Ireland have held the Lords day to be wholly dedicated to the ſervice of God. And was there ever any thing counted holy, as ſet apart for holy uſes, which was not wholly ſacred? The Temple was holy, was it ſo in part, or in the whole? Set-Feſtivalls were holy the whole day. King Edgar and Canutus enacted by Fox Acts and Mon. fol. 644. Edit. 1610. fol. 715. …echel de Dec…et. Eccleſiae Gal.their Lawes, that the Sunday ſhould bee kept holy from Saturday at noon, till Munday morning. Charles the great, ordained to have it kept from evening to evening; ſo zealous were thoſe Princes in thoſe times, for the obſervation of this day to the honour of Jeſus; they held not the whole day too much. S. Auguſtine in his Sermon de tempore 251. and one Leo the Biſhop of Rome, who was made Biſhop there in Anno 440. almoſt full 1200 yeares ſince, See Doctor Heylin Hiſt. 119.reckon the Saturday Eye a part of the Lords day. And Doctor Heylin citeth alſo a Synod held at Friuli, in An. 791. In 2 part ca. 5.that all Chriſtians ſhould with all reverence and devotion honour the Lords day, beginning on the Evening of the day before, at the firſt ringing of the bell. Hee telleth us alſo how S. Jerome relateth, that the Monkes in Egypt deſigned the Lords day wholly unto prayers and reading of holy Scriptures. Maſter Brerwood confeſſeth, That it is meet, that Chriſtians dedicate the day wholly to the honour of God; that we ſhould not bee leſſe devout in celebrating the Lords day, than the Jewes in celebrating their Sabbath: Becauſe, ſaith hee, the obligation of our thankfulneſſe is more than theirs: Therefore hee wiſheth that it were moſt religiouſly performed with attendance to holy devotion.
This day (faith Calvin) is wholly to bee dedicated to him, Calv. on Deut. cap. 5. verſ. 12. 13. 14.and it is neceſſarie, that ſo we may intend wholly to the minding of Gods works, and beſtow the day in prayſing and magnifying Gods name: wee have no cauſe (ſaith hee) to grudge the giving of one day to him, ſeeing hee leaveth us ſix for one.
Let any man give a reaſon, if they give any part of the day to Chriſt, why they ſhould not think him worthy of all the day? Is it too much for him, and whole ſix little enough for our ſelves? If wee will take a part from him (for the whole none will, except they be worſe than Jewes and Pagans in obſerving their dayes) which part is it? not the morning, for when ſhall we begin then to ſerve him? Not the ending of the day; for why, are we weary of well doing? Gal. 6. Gal. 3. 3.ſhall wee begin in the ſpirit, and end in the fleſh? A liberall friend that hath ſeven pounds in his hands, and giveth me ſix of them freely, owing me nothing, to imploy the ſeventh for him; If I ſhould grudge to beſtow it wholly, and take without leave any part of it to my ſelfe, were I not moſt ungratefull? Againe, every holy thing is holy unto the Lord, and is it not ſacriledge to robbe God either of the whole, or of part? Laſtly, let us conſider this, that hee which willingly gives not God all, would give him none at all, if it were not for by-reſpects, more than conſcience of duty. For conſcience will binde to give the whole, where all is due, as well as a part of the due. Therefore God commanding a day, and an whole day, as he giveth us ſix whole dayes, ſo let us afford him his owne day, and that wholly.