The Morality of the Fourth Commandment Still in Force, Consideration of lecture · Section 5
For the one halfe of this Section, there is little or nothing controverted betweene us. But here we have a faire diſtinction as good as confeſſed, betweene a ceremoniall reſt, and another reſt, which is deſcribed by a reſt from workes, as it is an impediment to the performance of ſuch duties, as are then commanded: this I can a reſt morall, the rather that the diſtinction may not flye with one wing: That of Saint Hierome is a quick paſſage on Act. 18. affirming that Saint Paul when hee had none to whom to preach in the congregation, did on the Lords day uſe the workes of his occupation. I will not anſwer, as the outlandiſh Prieſts faſhion was, as Sir Thomas More reports the ſtory, Domine novi locum, verum reſpondeo, ſumitur dupliciter; ſo gratifying his adverſaries argument with one member of his diſtinction; and his owne, in providing for eſcape out of the briers by the other: leaſt I might be ſerved as Sir Thomas More ſerved the Prieſt, pretending to quote ſuch a chapter of Saint Matthew, or Marke, when there were not ſo many in the whole Goſpell, or ſuch a verſe in a certaine Chapter, when there were not ſo many verſes at all. Therefore I deſire to conſult Hierome, but Hierome hath not at all written upon the Acts; and where elſe to ſeeke it I know not. Yet I deny not, but that Dietericus the Lutheran upon the 17. Dominicall after Trinity Sunday, hath ſuch a paſſage, Hieronymus ex Act. 18. v. 2. & 4. colligit, quod die etiam Dominica, quando quibus in publico concionaretur, Paulus non habebat, manibus ſuis laboravit. But where it is that Hierome doth collect this he doth not ſpecifie: our Saviour was borne under the Law, and knew full well, it became him to fulfill all righteouſneſſe, and therefore undoubtedly he never did tranſgreſſe the fourth commandement: indeed ſome there are, who diſtaſte the name of Sabbath now a dayes; and truly the Ancients doe uſually ſpeake of the Lords day, in diſtinction from the Sabbath, becauſe that denomination doth denote the Saturday; but I doubt, that in theſe dayes it is diſtaſted in another reſpect, even for the reſt of it; which I no where finde diſtaſted amongſt the Ancients, nor any libertie given by them for ſports and paſtimes on the Lords day: But our booke of Homilies ſpeakes plainly in ſaying, The Sunday is our Sabbath day, And Proclamations that come forth in his Majeſties name uſually call the Lords day by the name of Sabbath. And in the conference at Hampton Court, Doctor Raynolds made a motion, for preſerving the Sabbath day from prophanation, according to the Kings proclamation, neither have we heard of any prelate of this kingdome, that then interpoſed to alter that phraſe; And which is more, our Saviour calls it the Sabbath, ſpeaking of the times of the Goſpell, when the Jewiſh Sabbath was to bee buried with Chriſt, to wit, Matth. 24. 20. and Doctor Andrewes in his patterne of Catecheticall Doctrine, juſtifieth this interpretation of that place, and that to this end, ſo to maintaine the continuance of a Sabbath amongſt us Chriſtians. I doe highly approve the diſtinction following of things commanded, and things permitted on the Lords day, and the explication of each member; the object of the one, all actions advancing Gods ſervice, the object of the other, ſuch things as are no hinderance thereunto; As in the firſt place workes of neceſſitie; then workes of charitie; yet the permitting of theſe, is rightly to be underſtood; not ſo as if the workes of neceſſity here mentioned, were in ſuch ſort permitted as left to a mans liberty, whether he will performe them or no. For undoubtedly we are bound as much as lyes in our power, to quench a dangerous fire kindled in a Towne, on the Sabbath day, it being a worke of mercy, neceſſarily required. For if to returne a pledge ere the poore pawner of it went to his bed, in caſe it were his covering, were a worke of mercy, how much more to ſave a mans houſe from burning, how much more to ſave a whole Towne from being conſumed, whereby many might bee driven to lye without doores, void of all comfort to the body? So to draw the ox out of the ditch, and to lead Cattells to watering, I take it to bee a worke of mercy, as tending to the preſervation of life in a dum creature. In like ſort the dreſſing of meat for the health of mans body, I take to bee a worke of mercy. So that the performing of theſe in reference to the end whereto they tend, I take to be of neceſſary duty (as here they are called workes of neceſſitie) and conſequently not permitted only, but commanded alſo in the generall, though not in this commandement; but in the ſecond commandement of the ſecond table only they are ſaid to be permitted on the Lords day to ſignifie, that the fourth commandement doth not enjoyne them nor forbid them, in commanding reſt from workes on that day, and the ſanctifying of that reſt. I doe not doubt but that charitie begins from it ſelfe, and the Scripture commands us to love our neighbour as our ſelves. And can wee performe better love to our ſelves in advancing our owne good, then by making The Sabbath our delight, to conſecrate it as glorious to the Lord? As for the recreations, which are here ſaid to ſerve lawfully to the refreſhing of our Spirits; this appellation is very ambiguous, neither doe I know any difference betweene the recreating of our Spirits, and the refreſhing of our Spirits: yet here the refreſhing of our Spirits is made the end of recreation. Againe it were good to diſtinguiſh betweene recreation of the body, and recreation of the mind. I thinke the refreſhing of Spirits pertaines to the recreation of the body; mens ſpirits are naturall and materiall things, and they are apt to bee waſted firſt naturally: for as life conſiſts in calido, in an hot matter, ſo heate is apt to ſpend and waſte the matter wherein it is; and Spirits thus waſted are recreated, that is, repaired by eating and drinking. And thus proviſions of victuall are commonly called recreats. 2. Secondly they are waſted alſo by labour voluntarily undertaken, and theſe are repaired, as by the former way, ſo by reſt alſo. And each way we are allowed to recreate our ſpirits on the Lords day; and as to allow ſuch reſt to our ſervants as a work of mercy, ſo to our own bodies alſo. But now a dayes many courſes are called recreations, wherein there is found little reſt; and the naturall Spirits of man are rather waſted, and his nature tyred; farre more then the one is repaired, or the other eaſed. And when all comes to all, I doubt the iſſue will be, to ſtile the pleaſures of our ſenſes by the cleanly name of recreations. Now the Jewes were expreſſely forbidden to find their owne pleaſure on the Lords holy day Eſ. 58. 13. yet were they not forbidden all pleaſure, that belonged only to ſuch a Sabbath as was a faſt; and therein indeed hypocrites are taxed for finding pleaſure on that day Eſ. 58. 3. But the weekely Sabbath, was for pleaſure and delight, but not for mans owne pleaſure, nor for the doing of their owne wayes. But to delight in the Lord, which is ſpirituall pleaſure, and the recreating of our ſouls in the Lord: this is a bleſſed reſt, thus to reſt unto him; and the word of God is the beſt food of the ſoule; No recreates like unto Gods holy ordinances. Of wiſedome it is ſaid, that her wayes are the wayes of pleaſantneſſe. I willingly confeſſe, that to the naturall man, as the things of God are fooliſhneſſe, ſo the word of God is a reproach unto him, hee Pro. 3. 17.hath no delight in it. Hee delights rather in carnall pleaſures; 1 Cor. 2. 14.and is it fit to humour him in ſuch courſes, and that on the Ier. 6. 10.Lords day? our Saviour expreſly tells us, that The pleaſures of Luc. 8. 14.life choake the word, and make it become unfruitfull: Therefore it no way fits a man to Gods Service; And if way be opened to ſuch courſes, though not till after evening prayer; as many as are taken with them, will have their minds running upon them, ſo as to ſay, when will the Sabbath be gone, and the time of Divine ſervice be over? that ſo they may come to their ſports, as well as covetous perſons longed after the like, that they may returne to their trading. A naturall man, before his calling is diſcribed unto us in Scripture, to bee ſuch a one as ſerved luſts and diverſe pleaſures, and the wicked are ſaid to Tit. 3. 3.ſpend their dayes in pleaſure; and ſuch are they, whom the Prophet Iob. 36. 11.deſcribeth after this manner, Heare now thou that art given Eſ. 47. 8.to pleaſure. As for the children of God, as they are renewed in their affections generally, ſo the matter of their delight is much altered; His delight is in the Law of the Lord; as Chriſt Pſal. 1. 2.ſayeth, I delight to do thy will, and Pſal. 119. 16. I delight my ſelfe Pſal. 40. 1:in thy Statutes, & v. 24. thy teſtimonies are my delight, and 47. I will delight my ſelfe in the commandement, and Pſalme 94. 19. Thy comforts delight my ſoule: on the other ſide, the Character of the foole is this, He hath no delight in underſtanding. As for Pſal. 18. 2.the reformation of ſuch fooles, let every wiſe & ſober Chriſtian conſider, whether it be a fit courſe to let the reynes looſe upon their neck, and give them liberty to take their courſes, and not rather to endevour to weane them therefrom by repreſenting the vanity of them, witneſſed by the experience of King Solomon, who was acquainted with the delights of the Sonnes Eccleſ. 2. 8.of men as much as any, and tells us what fruit and profit hee reaped by them, ſaying, vanitie of vanities, all is but vanitie; and that the end of all that diſcourſe of his, is to promote this exhortation, Feare God, and keepe his commandements, For this is whole man; then on the other ſide, the bleſſed, the comfortable and only profitable condition of delighting in the Lord, in the judgement of David, the Father of King Solomon, Delight thou in the Lord, and he ſhall give thee thy hearts deſire; to meete with the contrary iudgement of carnall men, who ſay, It profitteth not a man, that he ſhould delight himſelfe with God. If it Pſ. 37. 4.be ſaid that ſuch ſports are tolerated, to fit a man for his calling Job 34. 9.the day following; It is very ſtrange, that workes of our calling ſhould not be permitted on any part of the Sabbath day, and ſports and paſtimes ſhould; And ſhall not the ſpending of our time in Gods Service, not publique only, but private alſo, farre better fit us to ſerve God in the workes of our calling, and make us more capable of his bleſſing upon our labours, then the exerciſing of our ſelves in ſports and paſtimes? As for the maintaining of good neighbourhood, I appeale to every mans conſcience, whether Chriſtian neighbourhood be not better maintained, in meeting together in the repeating of a Sermon, the word in the originall being only Conſortium, or in edifying one another in holy communication; then in meeting together at beare-baiting, or at a play, or at a may game, or to look upon a morice dance. 2. whether on the Lords day which is our Chriſtian Sabbath it is not fit to maintaine neighbourhood, and Communion in things ſpirituall; as at other times to maintaine neighbourhood in things civill, and temporall. To conclude this, there are 3. things that in this diſcourſe give little ſatisfaction. 1. that under recreations are comprehended not only ſuch courſes as recreate, and refreſh the Spirits, wherby men are made more fit for labour both of body, and minde, but alſo, (and that more principally intended as it ſemees) the pleaſing of the ſenſes, and eſpecially the eye and the eare, and thus mens pleaſures carnall pleaſures are cleanely carryed under the ſtile of recreations, and refreſhments of the ſpirit, when they deſerve rather to be called the tickling of the fleſh. 2. here is no mention made of the end whereunto recreations tend which ought to be only to fit us either for the labours of our ſpeciall vocations, or for the works of our generall calling, as ſauſe is for meats. 3. Laſtly under recreations lawfull there ſeemes to be no intention to acknowledge our converſing with God in any recreation; yet Ariſtotle could take notice of a pleaſure taken in this that a man knowes by curious demonſtration, that a Triangle containes three angles equall to two right: ſuch like thing was that which Archimedes rejoyced in, when he cried out foreign. And Pythagoras as I remember, ſacrificed a great ſacrifice upon the finding out the equality of the ſquare of the ſubtendent line in a rectangle Triangle, to the ſquares of the two ſides. So a ſcholar takes delight in finding out by curious demonſtration the ſquaring of a Circle, a thing confeſſed by Ariſtotle to be knowable, but the demonſtration of it hath not beene found untill about fifty yeares agoe, as Salmuth writes upon Pancirolla. Should any pleaſure taken in any other worldly thing, be comparable to that which ought to be taken in the enjoying of friends, and their mutuall communication? I have heard it accompted the beſt muſick; how much leſſe ſhould be all other pleaſure in compariſon to that pleaſure which is taken in God, who hath Rivers of pleaſures in his houſe, wherewith to entertaine us? not to ſpeake of that Pſal. 36. 8.fulneſſe of joy which is in his preſence, and at his right hand pleaſures Pſal. 16. 11.for evermore, Gods ſoule foreign takes pleaſure in us: why ſhould not we take delight in him? Is not all other rejoycing in compariſon to our rejoycing in him a rejoycing in a a thing of Amos 6. 13.nought? Certainly he that loveth any pleaſure or paſtime in compariſon to this, will in the end prove to be a very poore creature. But to proceed; after this a rule is given, That this our chriſtian liberty be voyd of ſcandall, to wit, of ſcandall juſtly given, Prov. 21. 17.and not vainely caught at; but in what caſes it falls out to be juſtly given, and in what not; in what caſe it is vainly caught at, and in what not, here we find no explication; which yet I preſume will ſeeme neceſſary in every wiſe mans judgement; eſpecially to me it muſt needs ſeeme ſo, being as I am, in extreame deſpaire of deviſing theſe different caſes of mine owne head. Of Chriſtian liberty from the yoke of Jewiſh ceremonies I have read, but of Chriſtian liberty unto ſports, and paſtimes, under the gentile notion of recreations, and that on the Lords day, I never read till now. The Jewes to this day continue their ceremonies, but not any abſtinence from al ſports, and paſtimes on their Sabbath; for if they did, why ſhould Auſtin tell them, it were better for them to goe to plough then to dance? In the very feſtivalls of the Jewes which were yearely, a difference there was in the dayes of each; the firſt, and laſt were Sabbaths appointed for holy convocations, and thereon abſtinence commanded from all ſervile works; I no where finde any piping and dancing on thoſe dayes, ſaving their temple muſick; how much more undecent is it to clap the weekely Sabbath, together with other feſtivalls, as if there were no difference: foreign ſignifies to be moved round, and conſequently it ſignifies, as ſometimes to dance, as 1 Sam. 30. ſo ſometimes alſo to ſtagger like a drunken man, Pſal. 107. 27. And dancing was uſed ſometimes in the feſtivalls of the Jewes, whereby they teſtified their rejoycing in the Lord, Ier. 31. and with a pipe they came to the mount of the Lord, Eſ. 30. and Miriam Moſes ſiſter, and other women alſo with Timbrells, and dances expreſſed their joy in the Lord for their deliverance from the hands of the Egyptians, and for their ſafe paſſage through the red Sea, wherein the enemies were drowned. But of any ſuch courſe uſed on the firſt, and laſt day of their yearely feaſts, which were ſet apart for holy convocations, we find no example amongſt them; much leſſe as approved, while they continued the Church, and people of God, leaſt of all on the weekely Sabbath. As for love feaſts on the Sabbath untill abuſe crept in, they continued without exception in great ſobriety, only to quicken one another, and provoke unto love, and gracious communication for the edification of their ſouls. I never heard of any ſchiſmatique how raſhly zealous or Stoicall ſoever, that tooke upon him the authority of the civill magiſtrate: All for ought I know, concurre in this, that it belongs onelyonly to the magiſtrate out of coercitive power to command, and compell, but to the Miniſter of what ſect ſoever, only to perſuade, and worke upon mens conſciences: ſo that the members of this compariſon are moſt indecently yoaked feigning men to be of what ſpirit ſoever it pleaſeth to ſhape them, and to doe whatſoever they thinke good, though never ſo unreaſonably, and without all example. Of the Jewes I have read, that they count it unlawfull to kill a Flea on the Sabbath; and ſuch things muſt be pinned upon the ſleeve of oppoſites to grace their cauſe, for want of better arguments to ſtrengthen it. Infine we have a buffe givē to debauched companions in words, when under the cleanly terme of Recreations on the Lords Day, the courſe here taken is to ſacrifice unto them indeed, and in effect.
FINIS.