The Morality of the Fourth Commandment Still in Force, Consideration of lecture · Section 2
Now, as touching the particularity of the day, herein I confeſſe, wee are more to ſeeke by the light of nature, than for the ſpeciall proportion of time due unto God; Yet conſider, whether herein alſo we are not aſſiſted in good meaſure by the light of nature, and that in certaine particulars. 1. As firſt the decent proportion of time being obſerved, it is nothing materiall in it ſelfe, as touching the advancement of the ſubſtance of Gods ſervice; what day of the weeke it be performed under the duly ſpecified proportion. For wee find by experience, that all Maſters ſtand for a proportion of ſervice, which they expect from the hands of their ſervants; the quantity of ſervice being a very conſiderable matter in the judgement of all; but whether a man worke the firſt houre of the day, and reſt the ſecond, or five houres in the morning, and reſt the ſixth; or in what other difference ſoever, ſo the quantity and proportion of ſervice for that day be performed, all Maſters reſt ſatiſfied. So for the ſervice of the weeke, if it be ſufficient to performe thus much ſervice, as namely, a dayes ſervice in a weeke, it matters not what day it be done, ſo the work be performed; I ſay, it matters not, as touching the ſubſtance of the worke it ſelfe to be performed. 2. But though it matters not in this reſpect, on what day the ſervice is performed; yet it may matter much in another reſpect: For whereas we are all Gods creatures, and conſequently his ſervants; and the ſervice wee ſpeake of concernes us all in generall, and that equally, and all wee are reaſonable creatures, 1. Firſt it ſeemes fit in reaſon, that there ſhould be an uniformity: For, like as we converſe together by commerce and trade in the workes of our calling on other dayes of the weeke; ſo it ſeemes moſt fit we ſhould walke together with God in the performance of his ſervice, otherwiſe there would be a manifeſt breach of ſociety. For ſuppoſe there be in ſuch a towne as ours, ſeven times foure hundred perſons (for wee have almoſt 2000. Communicants; one of the three pariſhes in Reading hath as many) if one 400. ſhould keepe the firſt day of the weeke for their Sabbath, another 400. the ſecond day of the weeke, and ſo to divide the dayes of the weeke betweene them, here were a manifeſt breach of ſociety both in thinges humane, and in things Divine; for every day in the weeke 400. would be excluded, from converſing with their brethren, in buſineſſes temporall; and all the reſt from them whoſe day it is to reſt unto God, in exerciſes ſpirituall, which all I preſume by the very light of nature, would judge intolerable. And this order would have place not onelyonly in particular townes among themſelves, but with other alſo; confidering that ſix dayes in the weeke wee have converſe by commerce and trade, not with our neighbours onelyonly, but with other townes alſo, farre and neere. Againe, another inconvenience would ariſe, and that a miſerable one, more dangerous than the former; For hereupon a window will be opened unto diſſention, each ſtanding for his owne way, as the manner of man is; and what could be expected but wretched confuſion ſhould follow hereupon? Laſtly conſider, ſhould not the ſervice of man prove more comfortable unto him, if God, as hee hath appointed him the proportion of time, ſo he would be pleaſed not to leave him to ſeeke of the particularity of the day under the forementioned proportion. 2. Therefore, as it is fit there ſhould be an uniformity, for the reaſons given; ſo for the maintenance of uniformity, no meanes ſufficient, but Gods owne preſcribing of it, hereupon all juſt occaſion of diſſention will be cut off, confuſion will be prevented, and the ſervice of God, as every way, even in the very circumſtance of time, according to his will, ſhall be the more cheerefully and comfortably performed. 3. Thirdly, conſider what D. Lake writes in his Theſes de Sabbato. Theſ. 44. Gods Will is underſtood often by his Precept, but when we have not that, the practice doth guide the Church: 45. This is a Catholique rule, obſerveable in the inſtitution of all ſacred feaſts, both divine and humane: 46. The worke of the day is the ground of hallowing the day, whether it be weekly, monethly, or yeerely, as particulars evidence in Scripture and Hiſtory: 47. No man can tranſlate the workes, therefore no man can tranſlate the day. This is an undoubted rule in Theologie. Now, ſuppoſe God had not commanded the obſervation of any one day in the weeke, but left it unto man to chooſe; if withall hee ſhould obſerve one day preferred before another in ſome notable worke; what reaſon is there, why man ſhould chooſe any other day rather than that? 1. This diſcourſe proceeds upon ſuppoſition of one day in ſeven, to be ſet apart for Gods ſervice; and accordingly wee being upon the election of the day. Now, conſider the caſe of Adam; God having revealed unto him how many dayes he had ſpent in the creating of all things, and in what order hee created them, the laſt day of the ſix being the day wherein he created the beaſts of the field, then man, and after placing him in Paradiſe, and after experience of his wiſedome appearing in the naming of the beaſts brought before him, not finding an help meet for him, caſting him in a ſleepe, and taking a rib out of his ſide, thereof made a woman to be a help meet for him. The next day, which was the ſeventh, God reſting from his worke, what day ſhould man have preferred for Gods ſervice before this; conſidering the proportion betweene Gods reſt from his works, and mans reſt from his; and that as this day was the firſt of Gods reſt, ſo it was the firſt of mans worke; And the very Heathens have counted it reaſonable, à Iove principium, to begin with God, eſpecially there being no better meanes to take livery and ſeiſin of the world made by God for the ſervice of man, than by the ſervice of God, man being made to this end, and accordingly after Gods image, indued with an underſtanding heart to know him, and with rationall affections to feare and ſerve him. And that with the firſt, as Caietan obſerveth, and that out of the judgement of reaſon, Par est ut poſt accepta beneficia agnoſcamus benefactorem quando que uno ſtatim: It is fit after benefits received, wee ſhould acknowledge our Creator ſometimes, yea, forthwith: As wee reade the Angels did; as the Booke of Iob informes us, Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou haſt underſtanding, who hath laid the meaſures thereof, if thou knoweſt? or who hath ſtretched the line upon it. Whereupon are the foundations thereof faſtened? or who laid the corner ſtone thereof. When the morning ſtarres ſang together, and all the ſonnes of God ſhouted for joy. The ſumme of all is this: 1. It is generally confeſſed, and that by the very light of nature, that ſometime, and that in a ſufficient proportion, is to be ſet apart for Gods ſervice. 2. God being our great Lord and Maſter, it is moſt fit, by the very ſuggeſtion of nature, that God himſelfe ſhould ſet forth unto us his ſervants, both the proportion of time, according to which, and the particularity of the day wherein he will be ſerved by us. 3. We judge that proportion which God hath deſigned, and the day alſo which he hath marked out to us in his Word, to be moſt agreeable unto reaſon in the conſideration of his works. And in all this I am very willing to remit my ſelfe to the judgement of Doctor Prideaux. The next reaſon here mentioned followeth; Can we conceive that this onelyonly ceremoniall law crept in, we know not how, amongst the morall? Or that the Prophet Moſes would have uſed ſuch care in ordering the Decalogue, onelyonly to bring the Church into greater troubles? I anſwer, that ſome time ſhould be ſet apart for Gods ſervice, was never accounted ceremoniall; As touching the proportion of one day in ſeven dayes to be conſecrated unto God, I never found any Divine ancient or moderne buſie his wits about deviſing any ceremoniality therein; neither did I obſerve any ancient produced to acknowledge any ceremoniality therein; but as it is fit wee ſhould wait upon God for deſigning the proportion of time, (in which reſpect divers count that poſitive) ſo God having deſigned unto us the proportion of time, we are bold to ſay with Azorius, that rationi maxime comſent aneum eſt, It is moſt agreeable to reaſon after ſix worke dayes to conſecrate one unto God. As touching the particularity of the day, under the proportion of one in ſeven, there is to be conſidered, both reſt and ſanctification; As for ſanctification, I never read nor heard any man that conſtituted any ceremoniality in the ſanctification of the day, but onelyonly in the reſt of the day; yet all theſe are ſhuffled together, and uſually men talke of the ceremoniality of the fourth Commandement hand over-head without all diſtinction: Now, it is true, the ancient Fathers generally conceived a ceremoniality in the reſt of the ſeventh day; but what was ſignified by this ceremony, I no where find expreſſely, neither in Maſter Broad, nor in this diſcourſe. Other Divines of theſe dayes, had rather call it poſitive; but how? Surely in reference onelyonly to the particular day, not to the reſt of it, there being a morall reſt neceſſarily required to the ſanctification of it, namely, ſo farre forth in reſting from our works, as they are avocamenta à ſacris ſtudiis & meditationibus, avocations from ſacred ſtudies and meditations, as Calvin expreſſeth it, and I know none that differ from him herein. Aquinas is of the ſame judgement; but withall he confeſſeth, that the Jewes obſerved the reſt of this day for a myſterious ſignification ſake, which is as much as to ſay, ceremonially; in which reſpect it ought to be abrogated, when the body came that was ſignified thereby. So that this nothing hinders the morality of one day in ſeven, no nor the obſervation of any one particular day that Gods Word ſhall commend unto us for our Sabbath, and that unalterable, ſave by that authority whereby it was introduced; Neither had Moſes any hand, that I know, in ordering the Decalogue, it being firſt pronounced by the mouth of God, and afterwards written in tables by the finger of God. Nor did the deſigning of a day expoſe the Church to any trouble, much leſſe the deſigning the proportion of time; It being moſt requiſite, the Law-maker ſhould deſigne each of theſe for the preventing of trouble; and each being thus deſigned, we find the deſignation of them to be moſt agreeable unto reaſon. If Torniellus thought it hardly credible that Enoſh ſhould appart himſelfe from the ſonnes of Cain to call upon the Name of the Lord, without ſome certaine and appointed time for that performance. I doe not thinke that Doctor Prideaux conceaves it credible, that any wiſe man would thinke if fit that the ſervant, and not rather the Maſter ſhould apportion out that ſervice which is due unto his Lord and maſter; or that it is more fit the ſervant ſhould have the deſignation of the particular time rather then the maſter, the former reaſons duly conſidered. Or is there any reaſon why Calvin ſhould have ſo little authority, when hee diſcourſeth in reaſon for the originall inſtitution of the Sabbath, as from the Creation; and ſo great authority when hee ſpeakes upon his bare word againſt the morality of one day in ſeven (as ſome thinke) Septenarium numerum non ita moror, ut ejus ſervituti quicquam aſtringerem. It is an eaſy matter to ſay they conclude nothing; though I may juſtly wonder any reaſonable man ſhould ſay ſo of the argument drawne from thoſe words Gen. 2. 3. Therefore God bleſſed the ſeventh day, and ſanctifyed it; the author alleadging no other exception againſt it, but the interpretation of Toſtatus, namely, that it is delivered by way of anticipation. For this is as good as to confeſſe, that to bleſſe and ſanctify the ſeventh day, is all one as if hee had ſaid that God commanded it to be ſanctified. OnelyOnly they will not have it underſtood of that time, when the Lord reſted from the works of Creation. So that the meaning of Moſes muſt be this, In the ſeventh day God ended the works which he had made, and the ſeventh day God reſted from all the workes which he had made, and becauſe God reſted on that ſeventh day from all the works that he had made, therefore he commanded, not then that, that day from thence forward; but 2400. yeares after, that men ſhould conſecrate that day to divine ſervice. Now in diſputing againſt the unreaſonableneſſe of this interpretation given by Toſtatus, I am very willing to make Doctor Prideaux my judge, and (as it were) under his moderation to proceed in this. And here I purpoſe not to revive the diſputations of Walaeus, and Rivetus againſt Toſtatus his anticipation; but onelyonly to content my ſelfe with the ground layd by Doctor Lake Biſhop of Bath and Wells, in his Theſis of the Sabbath, Theſ. 46. The worke of the day is the ground of hallowing the day, whether it be weekly, monthly or yearely, as particulars evince in Scripture and Hiſtory. I make bold to lay this for my ground in this place, becauſe it is apparant that God made his worke on the ſeventh day, the ground of hallowing that day, namely, becauſe it was the day of Gods reſt, therfore to make it the day of mens reſt, for the ſanctifying of it unto the Lord. Now I pray conſider is it reaſonable, that becauſe ſuch or ſuch a worke hath beene done in ſuch a day, provoking us to keepe it a feſtivall day unto the Lord, therefore it becomes us accordingly to ſanctify it, but when? not that day nor the ſame day ſenight, nor throughout the 52. weekes of that yeare, nor any of the 52. weekes the next yeare; no nor for the ſpace of a 1000 yeares, or two thouſand: but after the expiration of 2500 yeares and more, then and not till then to ſanctify that day, becauſe on that day of the weeke the Lord reſted from the worke of Creation, 2500 yeares before? why might not the wiſdome of our Parliament have imitated God, and in memory of our deliverance from the Gunpowder treaſon, on the 5. of November, ordeined that day, ſhould bee kept feſtivall, ſo far forth as in the publique congregation to make a ſolemne, and thankfull commemoration of that wonderfull deliverance, to begin forſooth a thouſand or two thouſand yeares after. So the Jewes obſerved yearely the feaſt of Purim, in remembrance of Gods mercifull deliverance of them, from the conſpiracy of Haman, but when did they ordaine this feaſt to begin? not till a thouſand yeares after, had they done ſo, who would not have ſaid, that their wiſdome herein had exceeded all humane diſcretion? Or to avoid the like unreaſonableneſſe on their ſide, well they ſay that the caſe is not alike; for as much as the freſh remembrance of the Creation, and of Gods reſting on the ſeventh day was ſufficient unto them, both for the maintaining of the diviſion of time into weekes or ſeven dayes; and of ſanctifying each ſeventh unto the Lord; but when the memory hereof began to be obliterated, to wit, about ſome 900 yeares after the flood, then it was fit the Lord ſhould revive the obſervation of this day, by a particular Commandement? But herby they ſhall make the fourth Commandement not only morall, but alſo more naturall then they are aware. Though I willingly confeſſe they might well conceave that after ſome 15 or 1600 yeares, men might grow weary of obſerving the ſeventh day, the day of Gods reſt from the worke of Creation, becauſe by experience we finde that after ſome 15 or 1600 yeares, Chriſtians ſeem to grow weary of keeping holy the Lords day, the day whereon the Lord Chriſt roſe from the grave, & ſo reſted from his worke of redemption. But as not long after 1600 yeares the flood came to ſet an end to the World by water; ſo it may be after 1600 yeares of the Goſpell, there are but as few yeares to the comming of Chriſt, to ſet an end unto this World by fire: certainely, as often as ſome feſtivall day, is grounded upon ſome ſingular worke of God done, on that day (which Doctor Lake propoſeth as a generall and undoubted rule, alwayes to hold concerning feſtivalls) no time more fit for the obſervation of ſuch a day, then when the memory of the worke is freſh; then is a man like to be more devout, more chearefull in Gods ſervice, more thankefull unto him for his great goodneſſe, like as the Angells immediatly upon their Creation praiſed God Iob. 38. 7. When the Starres of the morning praiſed me, and all the children of God rejoyced, which in Cornelius his language was to obſerve the Sabbath. Now give mee leave to enlarge this by proportion. As there are Sabbaths of rejoycing, ſo there are Sabbaths of mourning. And the expiatiō day commanded unto the Jewes, was an annuall feaſt, to inure them to this holy exerciſe, not onelyonly once a yeare, but oftner, as God ſhould miniſter occaſion: Now this day is called by the Lord alſo a Sabbath, Levit. 16. 31. And Doctor Andrewes in his paterne of Catecheticall doctrine, handles the duties of ſuch a day, in his doctrine of the Sabbath. And it is well knowne that dayes of wrath have their courſe, and ſhall have their courſe, as long as this World laſteth as well as dayes of mercy: And wee have cauſe to bleſſe God that hee hath inclined his Majeſties heart to take notice of ſuch dayes of wrath; and accordingly by Proclamation, to command a generall humiliation throughout the Land, divers and ſundry times. So wee reade that the Jewes obſerved a faſt on the firſt monethmonth, (beſides the faſt of the ſeventh which God commanded) as wee reade Zach. 7. 3. 5. and it was obſerved on the tenth day of that monethmonth; that being the day whereon Nebuchadnezzar burnt the houſe of the Lord, as wee reade, Ier. 52. 12, 13. Now thus far had they obſerved the 70 yeares of their captivity Zach. 7. 5. they did not put off the obſervation of it till a thouſand yeares after; it being moſt fit, then eſpecially to mourne, when God calleth us thereunto, and not to put it off when hee calleth us thereunto; the Lord ſore complayning of ſuch courſes, and pronouncing an heavy judgement upon offenders in this kinde, Eſay 22. 12, 13, 14. Now like as it becomes us to mourne, when firſt God calleth us thereunto, ſo it becommeth us to rejoyce in keeping a feſtivall unto him, when hee calleth us thereunto; leſt otherwiſe it prove out of ſeaſon, when it is begun a long time after, and utterly neglected upon the freſh memory thereof. Wee reade that when the Ilienſes, inhabitants of Ilium called anciently by the name of Troy, ſent an Embaſſage to Tiberius, to condole the death of his Father Auguſtus; hee conſidering the unſeaſonableneſſe thereof, it being a long time after his death; requited them accordingly ſaying, that hee was ſorry for their heavineſſe alſo, having loſt ſo renowned a Knight as Hector was, to wit, above a thouſand years before, in the warres of Troy.
Surely when in the fourth Commandement, and in the reaſon given it is ſayd; For in ſix dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the Sea and all that in them is, and reſted the ſeventh day; therefore the Lord bleſſed the ſeventh day, and ſanctified it, it ſtands with far better reaſon to conceave the meaning hereof, in reference to time paſt, thus; therefore the Lord commanded the ſanctification of it 2500 yeares before; then to underſtand Moſes words, Gen. 2. 3. Therefore the Lord bleſſed the ſeventh day, and ſanctified it in reference to the time to come thus, therefore the Lord commanded that ſeventh day to be ſanctified 2500 yeares after. And obſerve I pray the forme of words in the fourth Commandement, when it is ſayd, Therefore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and ſanctified it, not of the time preſent that hee now doth bleſſe it, and ſanctify it, but of the time paſt, therefore hee did bleſſe it, and ſanctifie it; and when I pray but immediately from the Creation, that very day whereon hee firſt reſted, and conſequently that very day, he commanded the ſeventh day to be ſanctified; for to ſanctifie the day is to command the ſanctification of it, as is confeſſed; otherwiſe there were no place to plead anticipation. And that the phraſe of ſpeech muſt ſignifie Gods Command for the ſanctification of it, I have already proved.
As for the Fathers affirming that the ancient Patriarches did not obſerve the Sabbath, albeit their authority is of no force to countervaile ſo manifeſt evidence both of Scripture it ſelfe; and of the reaſon drawne from the diviſion of time into weekes, even from the creation, and ſo continued unto the Jewes in the very dayes of Moſes. Yet I may be bold to ſay, we have better authority from the ancients for juſtifying of our cauſe than our adverſaries have for theirs. Walaeus hath repreſented Chryſoſtome, Theophilus, Antiochenus, Auſtin, Theodor. maintaining that the juſtification of the Sabbath hath beene from the Creation: To theſe Rivetus addes Tertullian as of the ſame mind, howſoever alleged on the adverſaries part. And he alſo acknowledgeth the Jewes to be of the ſame opinion: Beda is alleged indeed by Perenius as on the part of Toſtatus, but no ſuch thing appeares in his Hexameron, but rather expreſſely the contrary (his words being theſe of the Sabbath, ſemper celebrari ſolebat) as I have ſhewed in my anſwer to the preface; Sect. 1. Where alſo are repreſented the teſtimonies of Athanaſius and Epiphanius, as maintaining the inſtitution of the Sabbath to have beene from the Creation; which alſo hath beene ſhewed to have beene the opinion of Philo and Ioſephus, and divers of the Jewiſh Rabbins, and of the author of the Chaldee-Paraphraſe upon the Pſalms, and of divers others. In Pſalm. 29.Againe, concerning the paſſages alleged out of ſome Fathers to the contrary; not onelyonly Hoſpinian anſwereth, that thoſe proceed of the rigorous obſervation of the Sabbath; but Iacobus Salianus a Papiſt, in particular thus interpreteth Tentullian; and Tertullian muſt be in ſome ſuch ſenſe underſtood, as namely, either of obſervation of other Sabbaths in uſe among the Jewes, or of the rigorous obſervation of the Jewiſh Sabbath, or of the Jewiſh manner in obſerving it by particular ſacrifices appointed for that day; for as much as he clearely profeſſeth, that the Sabbath day was à primordio ſanctus, as Rivetus ſheweth, and that the other Fathers (which are but foure) truly alleged, are to be interpreted by ſome ſuch manner, I have endeavoured to evince by divers reaſons in my anſwer to the Preface. And Sect. 1.though ſome are willing to admit that of Torniellus, that in the accompliſhment of the Creation, the Angels did obſerve the Sabbath, provided he recompence them in this particular now in queſtion, and adde that the obſervance of it here upon the earth was not till many ages after. Yet this naked authority being little worth, his reaſon is ſo weake in the former, that we have cauſe to ſuſpect it will not prove any thing ſtronger in the latter; though I ſhould have beene content to afford it due conſideration had it been propoſed: As for the Angels ſinging and ſhouting for joy, this was performed, as Torritallus acknowledgeth, the day wherein the foundation of the earth was laid, which undoubtedly could not be after the firſt day of the creation. For if the foundation of the earth was not laid then, when the Lord ſaid, that it was without forme and voyd, and the waters covered it, I cannot deviſe when it ſhould be; It is granted that it may be probably conjectured, that the ſanctification of the Sabbath was before the Law, as concurring herein with Calvin, but that Calvin ſaith that no more, is not proved, neither is that paſſage exhibited wherein Calvin ſhould deliver his mind ſo coldly thereof; but Calvin in his harmony upon the foure bookes of Moſes, and on the fourth Precept, is expreſſe, that Diem ſeptimū ſibi ſumpſit Deus ac conſecravit completa mundi creatione, that God aſſumed and conſecrated the ſeventh day unto himſelfe upon the finiſhing of the worlds creation. And it is enough for us, that then it was inſtituted; and hereupon let every ſober reader judge, whether it be not more then probable, that the holy Patriarches at leaſt obſerved it. Neither doe we affect that any man ſhould reſt ſatisfied with our conjectures; but let our reaſons be conſidered, and the plaine Text of Scripture profeſſing that becauſe God reſted the ſeventh day, therefore hee bleſſed the ſeventh day and ſanctified it; and let them yeeld thereunto no more in this particular, then whereof it doth convince a man in conſcience. Yet who thoſe late Writers be who are ſo unſatisfied in this point, I know not well, I verily thinke they are very few Proteſtants. Gomarus (as I remember) allegeth but two, Vatablus and Muſculus, whereas Walaus and Rivetus between them, have alleged no leſſe than thirty maintaining the contrary. As for the Papiſts, we ſhall take notice of them in the next Section.