A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 18 – Chapter 19
CHAP. 18.
Of the fourth Commandement.
The ſpeciall time of Gods worſhip, in the 4. Commā dement: where note
Circumſtances touching the
Neceſſity.
Perpetuitie or Morality.
Vnchangeableneſſe.
Beginning and end.
Parts:
Preface.
Cōmandement: in which the
Things
Forbidden: 1. our owne workes,
Great.
Small.
Cōmanded in Gods ſeruice,
In the Church.
Out of it.
Reaſons.
EXOD. 20. verſ. 8. 9. 10. 11.
8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keepe it holy.
9. Sixe daies ſhalt thou labour, and doe all thy worke.
10. But the ſeuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou ſhalt not doe any worke, thou, nor thy ſonne, nor thy daughter, thy man ſeruant, nor thy maid ſeruant, nor thy cattell, nor thy ſtranger that is within thy gates.
11. For in ſixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth, the ſea, and all that in them is, and reſted the ſeuenth day; wherefore the Lord bleſſed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Q. HItherto of the Commandement. What is the ſumme of the reaſon?
A. A threatning of extreame miſerie and iudgement, to the tranſgreſſors of this Commandement. For it being our bPſal. 32. 1. 2.happineſſe to hauehave our ſinnes couered, and not imputed; it muſt needs bee extreame miſerie to hauehave them reckoned and imputed vntounto vsus. Therefore the tranſgreſſors of this Commandement, the more free that (vſually) they are from the iudgements and puniſhments of men, the more heauie plagues and vengeance will ſurely light vponupon them from God, except they repent.
Q. What is ſummarily required in this Commandement?
A. The ſetting apart of a ſpeciall day, eueryevery weeke, Neh. 13. 15.—23. Eſay 58. 13.wherein we are to ſeparate our ſelues from our worldly buſineſſes, and ordinarie callings concerning this life, that we may wholly attend to the ſeruice and worſhip of God alone.
Q. What need is there of one whole day in a weeke, to ſerue God in, ſeeing we may ſerue him eueryevery day?
A. To the end, that wee ſhould not plunge our ſelues ſo deepely into the affaires of the world, as that we ſhould not recouer our ſelues; the wiſdome of God hath thought it good, that one day in ſeuen, there ſhould bee an intermiſſion from them; that wee might wholly ſeparate our ſelues to the ſeruice of God, and with the more freedome of ſpirit performe the ſame.
Secondly, for that a whole day is needfull, for the performance of all the parts of Gods worſhip; as hearing of publike Prayer, and the Word preached, Catechizing, adminiſtration of the Sacraments, exerciſe of holy Diſcipline, & conſideration of the glory of God in the creatures. Thirdly, If Adam in his perfection had need of this helpe, much more hauehave we, who are ſo grieuouſly corrupted.
Q. Is there any one ſpeciall day of the weeke, ſet apart by God himſelfe?
A. Yea.
Q. What day is that?
A. The firſt day in the week, called the Lords day.1. Cor. 16. 2. Reuel. 1. 10. Act. 20. 7.
Q. VVas this day ſet apart thereunto from the beginning?
A. No: for from the firſt Creation, till the Reſurrection of Chriſt, the laſt day of the weeke, commonly called Saturday, was the day that was appointed thereunto; and that which the people of God conſtantly obſerued.
Q. And why ſo?
A. Becauſe vponupon that day, God ceaſed from the Gen. 2. 2.worke of Creation.
Q. How came this day to be changed?
A. By Diuine Authority.
Q. How doth that appeare?
A. Firſt, by the aIoh. 20. 19. 26. Act. 2. 1. & 20. 7.practice of our Sauiour Chriſt, and his Apoſtles; which ſhould be a ſufficient rule vntounto vsus, b1. Cor. 16. 1.eſpecially the Apoſtles hauing added a commandement thereunto. Secondly, there is no reaſon why it ſhould bee called the Lords day, but in regard cReuel. 1. 10.of the ſpeciall dedication thereof to the Lords ſeruice. For otherwiſe all the daies of the weeke are the Lords daies, and hee is to bee ſerued and worſhipped in them.
Q. What was the cauſe why the day was changed?
A. Becauſe it might ſerue for a thankfull memoriall of Chriſts Reſurrection: for as God reſted from his labour on the laſt day of the weeke; ſo Chriſt ceaſed Mat. 28. 1. Gen. 2 1. 2.from his labour and Afflictions on this day: as the one therefore was ſpecially ſanctified in regard of the Creation of the world; ſo was the other, in reſpect of the reſtauration and Redemption thereof, which is a greater worke then the Creation it ſelfe.
Q. Cannot this day then be altered?
A. No, not by the power of any creature in heauen or earth.
Q. But doth not this Commandement directly require the ſeuenth day from the Creation?
A. No, but the ſeuenth day in generall.
Q. But doth not the reaſon annexed (where the Lord is ſaid in ſixe daies to make heauen and earth, and to rest the ſeuenth, and therefore to hallow it), confirme ſo much?
A. No, not neceſſarily: for it doth not thence follow, that we ſhould reſt the ſame day the Lord reſted, but that wee ſhould reſt from our workes the ſeuenth day, as he reſted from his: which ſeuenth, as vnderunder the Law hee appointed to bee Saturday; ſo nothing hindreth, but that by his ſpeciall appointment, vnderunder the Goſpell, it may bee Sunday, and yet the ſubſtance of the Commandement nothing altered.
Q. Why doth not the New Teſtament ſpecially mention this change?
A. Becauſe there was no queſtion moued about the ſame, in the Apoſtles times.
Q. Is not this Commandement Ceremoniall?
A. No: Firſt, if it were ſo, then the Morall Law ſhould conſiſt but of nine words, or Commandements, which is aDeut. 4. 13.contrarie to Gods word. Secondly, this Commandement (amongſt the reſt) bExod. 31. 18.was written by the finger of God, whereas no part of the Ceremoniall Law was. Thirdly, it (as well as the other) was written cDeut. 5. 22.in Tables of ſtone; to ſignifie the continuance of this Commandement, as well as the reſt. Fourthly, dGen. 2. 3.it was before any ſhadow or Ceremony of the Law, yea, before Chriſt was promiſed, whom all Ceremonies of the Law hauehave reſpect vntounto.
Q. But it ſometime ſhadowed our aColoſſ. 2. 16. 17 Exod. 31. 13.Eternall Rest, and is therefore Ceremoniall.
A. That followeth not: for the ceremoniall repreſentation of our Eternall Reſt, came after the Commandement of the Reſt, and therfore is acceſſorie and accidentall; for which cauſe bDan. 9. 27. Matth. 11. 13. Act. 15. 6. Coloſſ. 2. 13. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Gal. 5. 2.the time of correction, and of aboliſhment of ceremonies being come, that vſe may well fall away, and yet the Commandement remaine, it being not of the ſubſtance of the Commandement.
Q. HaueHave you yet any further reaſon, to confirme the perpetuitie of the Reſt of the ſeuenth day?
A. Our Sauiour Chriſt willing his followers, which Matth. 24. 20.ſhould liue about 40. yeeres after his aſcenſion, to pray that their flight might not be vponupon the Sabbath, to the end that they might not be hindred in the ſeruice of God; doth thereby ſufficiently declare, that he held not this Commandement in the account of a ceremonie.
Q. When doth this our Sabbath begin?
A. At the dawning of the day, for Chriſt roſe in the dawning thereof; whereby is put a difference betweene the Iewiſh, and the true Chriſtian Sabbath: for as the Iewiſh Sabbath began in that part of the day, in which the Creation of the world was ended, and conſequently in the euening; ſo the celebration of the memorie of Chriſts Reſurrection, and therin of his Reſt from his ſpecial labors, being the ground of the change of that day into this; it alſo (by the ſame proportion of reaſon) is to begin, when the Reſurrection began, which was in the morning.
Q. Can you ſhew this by example?
A. Yea, Paul being at Troas, after hee had preached Act. 20. 7-10.a whole day vntill midnight, celebrated the Supper of the Lord the ſame night, which was a Sabbath daies exerciſe; and therefore that night following the day, was a part of the Sabbath: for in the morning he departed, hauing ſtayed there ſeuen daies; by which it is euident, that that which was done, was vponupon the Lords day.
Q. Is the Lords day only to be ſeparated to Gods ſeruice?
A. No: for of this nature alſo are aLeuit. 23. 27. Ioel 2. 12.holy Faſts, obſerued for the auoiding of ſome great euill, preſent, or eminent; and holy bZach. 8. 19. Heſt. 9. 17. 18. 19.Feaſts, for the thankfull remembrance of ſome ſpeciall memorable mercies obtained.
Q. How is the Commandement ſet forth?
A. Firſt in a ſhort ſumme, and after declared by parts.
Q. What is the ſhort ſumme?
A. Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy.
Q. What is to be obſerued in the word, Remember?
A. That although all the Commandements are needfull diligently to be remembred, yet this more ſpecially.
Q. Why ſo?
A. Firſt, becauſe this Commandement hath leaſt light of nature, to direct vsus to the obſeruation of it.
Secondly, for that we are naturally moſt negligent in the obſeruation of this, ſuffering our ſelues to bee withdrawne by our worldly buſineſſe, from Gods ſeruice vponupon the Lords day; and therfore ſuch a ſpeciall warning is needfull to be added.
Q. What is it that wee ſhould heere remember, for the better ſanctifying of the Sabbath?
A. That we ſo compaſſe all our buſineſſe within the ſixe working daies, that our worldly affaires enter not, or incroch into the poſſeſſion of the Lords day; not onelyonly willingly, but not ſo much as by any forgetfulneſſe: as when (through want of foreſight, or fore-caſting) the payment of money, due by obligation, or any ſuch buſineſſes that might bee preuented, ſhall fall out on that day.
Q. What are the parts of the Commandement?
A. They are two: the firſt ſheweth what works we are to decline vponupon this day; the other, what duties we are to performe.
Q. What are the workes that we muſt decline, and leaue vndone on the Lords day?
A. Not onelyonly the works of ſinne, which we ought Mark. 3. 4. Ezech. 23. 37. 38. Numb. 15. 32. 33. Exod. 31. 13. 14. & 34. 21. Neh. 13 15. &c. Eſay 58. 13.to leaue vndone eueryevery day; but alſo the workes of our ordinarie callings concerning this life, and all bodily exerciſes and labours, which vponupon other daies are lawfull and neceſſarie to be done.
Q. Is it vnlawfull to do any bodily worke, or worldly buſineſſe on the Lords day?
A. Yea, excepting thoſe workes which belong to Luk. 13. 15. 16.common honeſty, and are neceſſarie for the preſeruation of life, health, and goods; which otherwiſe would be in great danger to periſh, if they were not ſaued on that day; or thoſe, which are requiſite for the performance of Gods ſeruice.
Q. Are we as ſtrictly bound to forbeare all worldly labour vponupon this day, as the Iewes?
A. Yes verily, ſo far as the Commandement reacheth; and more then they, becauſe of the greater meaſure of Gods graces vponupon vsus, aboue that which was vponupon them.
Q. What doe you ſay to the making of a fire, and dreſsing Exod. 35. 3. & 16. 23.of meate vponupon the Lords day? for neither of theſe were lawfull to the Iewes.
A. Not to make a fire, or dreſſe meate on the Sabbath, were proper to the Pedagogie, or manner of gouernment of the children vnderunder the Law; as may appeare by this, that there was no ſuch thing commanded, before the Law was giuen by Moſes; and therefore it followeth that this was Ceremoniall, and not Morall.
Q. Why is there ſo particular a rehearſall of the Perſons, in this Commandement are forbidden to worke?
A. To take away all excuſes from all perſons: for the Lord did ſee that ſuch was the corruption of men, that if they themſelues did reſt vponupon this day from lalour, they would thinke it ſufficient, not caring how they toyled out, and wearied their ſeruants at home, with continuall labour, as many doe; ſo that it were better to bee ſuch mens oxen, then their ſeruants, ſo ſmall care they hauehave of their ſoules.
Q. VVhat is the ſpeciall vſe of this rehearſall?
A. To teach vsus, that all ſorts and degrees of perſons are bound to yeeld a duty vntounto God in ſanctifying the Sabbath.
Q. Was not this ordained to this end, that beaſts might ſometime reſt, and that ſeruants (eſpecially) might hauehave ſome time for honeſt recreation, without which they could not otherwiſe continue.
A. Some thinke ſo, but there is little or no ground for ſuch an opinion: for the wearying and toyling out of ſeruants, and beaſts, is againſt the ſixth Commandement. And worke is here forbidden, that men might be the more free for the worſhip of God; and therefore though ſeruants had neuer ſo much reſt and recreation vponupon other daies, yet they ought to reſt vponupon this day in that regard.
Q. Why doth hee then make mention of the Rest of the Beaſts in this Commandement?
A. Becauſe Beaſts cannot bee trauelled, or vſed in any worke vponupon that day, vnleſſe man be withdrawne from Gods ſeruice: yea, though the beaſt could labour without mans attendance, yet his minde would ſome way or other, be ſo carried away, and diſtracted thereby, that it would not bee ſo fit as it ought to bee, for Gods ſeruice.
Q. But to whom ſpecially is the charge of this Commandement directed?
A. To Houſe-holders, and Magiſtrates.
Q. What is the charge of the Houſ-holder?
A. That not onelyonly himſelfe keepe the Lords day, but his wife, children, and ſeruants, as much as may be; for as they ſerue him in the weeke, ſo muſt hee ſee that they ſerue God on the Sabbath.
Q. What gather you of this?
A. That a Houſholder ſhould at leaſt bee as carefull of the Lords buſines as of his owne: and if he will not keepe ſuch a ſeruant as is not faithfull in his ordinarie worke: much leſſe ſhould he keepe any that will not be carefull in the Lords worke, how skilfull ſoeuer hee be in his owne.
Q. What is the Magiſtrates part?
A. To ſee that all within his gates keepe the Lords Neh. 13. 15. &c. Ioſh. 24. 15.day; euen ſtrangers (though Turkes, and Infidels) cauſing them to ceaſe from labour, and reſtraining them from all open and publike Idolatrie, or falſe worſhip of God; much more all his owne ſubiects, whom hee ought to force to heare the word.2. Chron. 34. 33.
Q. So much of the firſt part of the Commandement, what workes wee are to decline: the ſecond part followeth. What workes are to be done on the Lords day?
A. We muſt wholly, aAmos 8. 5. Mal. 1. 13.and without weariſomnes, exerciſe our ſelues in the holy ſeruice of God, partly publikely in the Church, which is the ſpeciall worke, and proper vſe of the Sabbath; and partly priuately out of the Church, and in the family, both before the publike exerciſes in the Church, the better to performe them; and after, the more to profit by them.
Q. What muſt we doe in the Church?
A. Heare the word preached, pray with the congregation, Luk. 4. 16. Act. 13. 14. 15. & 15. 22. 1. Cor. 16. 2.receiue the Sacraments in the appointed time, & giuegive vntounto the poore according to our wealth, and the bleſſing of God vponupon vsus.
Q. What if wee cannot bee ſuffered to vſe theſe publike meanes?
A. We muſt then humble our ſelues before God, mourning and ſorrowing for this reſtraint, and with ſo Matth. 24. 20. Pſal. 42. 6. Pſal. 63. 1. 2.much more care and earneſtneſſe vſe the priuate meanes.
Q. VVhat is conuenient to bee done priuately out of the Church?
A. The examination of our ſelues, and thoſe that Luk. 14. 7. … 16.belong vntounto vsus, what we hauehave profited: familiar conference of things belonging vntounto the kingdome of heauen; alſo meditation vponupon the exerciſes of Religion, Pſal. 80.and vponupon the creatures, & vponupon the prouidence Pſal. 92.of God, eſpecially that which he exerciſeth in the gouernment of the Church: alſo viſiting the ſicke, and collecting for the poore, a1. Cor. 16. 2. Neh. 8. 12.for theſe alſo are workes of the Sabbath.
Q. What further proofe hauehave you of this continuall exerciſe?
A. In the Law, eueryevery euening, and eueryevery morning bNumb. 28. 9.were ſacrifices, which a on the Sabbath were multiplied; and the Pſalme (intituled, A Pſalme for the Sabbath) Pſal. 92.appointed to be ſung that day, declareth that it is a good thing to begin the praiſes of God early in the morning, and to continue the ſame till it be night.
Q. VVhat gather you of this?
A. That all exerciſes which ſerue not in ſome degree, to make vsus more fit to the Lords worke, are vnlawfull vponupon the Lords day.
Q. VVhat difference doe you make betweene Sabbath nights, and other nights?
A. Great: for wee ſhould lay our ſelues downe to reſt in greater quietneſſe that night, vponupon the ſenſe and feeling of the comforts of the former exerciſes: So that our ſleepe ſhould bee the more quiet, by how much the former exerciſes of the day hauehave been more holy; otherwiſe we ſhould declare wee hauehave not kept a day to the Lord, ſo holy as we ought.
Q. So much of the Commandement. VVhat are the reaſons to inforce the Commandement?
A. The firſt is, a ſecret reaſon of compariſon of the leſſe: that for ſo much as God hath giuen vsus ſix daies of ſeuen to do our owne buſineſſe in (whether it bee labour, or honeſt Recreation), when hee might hauehave giuen vsus but one of ſeuen, and hauehave taken ſixe to himſelfe; wee ought not to thinke it much, to ſpend the whole ſeuenth day in his ſeruice.
Q. VVhat learne you from thence?
A. The inequall and wretched dealing of moſt men with God: who (by the grant of this Commandement) vrge vſually at their ſeruants hands, the work of a whole day, in eueryevery of the ſixe daies; yet vponupon the Lords day, thinke it enough both for themſelues, and thoſe vnderunder them, to meaſure out vntounto the Lord three or foure houres onelyonly to his ſeruice; vſing one meaſure to mete the ſeruice due vntounto themſelues, and another to mete the ſeruice due vntounto God; which is a Prou. 11. 1.thing abominable before God; & ſo much the more as the things are greater, and of more value, which they mete with the leſſer meaſure.
Q. VVhat is the other reaſon?
A. A reaſon expreſſed, taken from the example of God: that as God hauing made all things in the ſixe daies, reſted the ſeuenth from creating any more: ſo ſhould we reſt from all our owne workes.
Q. Did the Lord ceaſe from all worke, on the ſeuenth day?
A. No verily: he did then, and ſtill continueth to do a great work, in preſeruing the things created. And ſo muſt we learne not to bee idle vponupon the Lords day, but to attend vponupon the Lords ſeruice; and by his example wee may ſaue things on that day, which otherwiſe would bee loſt, but wee may not get or gaine more.
Q. VVhat is meant by ſanctifying it?
A. The ſetting it apart from worldly buſineſſe, to the ſeruice of God.
Q. VVhat by bleſsing?
A. Not that this day in it ſelfe, is more bleſſed then other daies, but that, in ſetting it apart and ſeparating it by this Commandement from other daies, to bee kept holy by publike exerciſes of his holy worſhip and ſeruice, he made it an effectuall meanes of bleſſing to them, that ſhall ſanctifie it as they ought.
Q. VVherein ſhall they be bleſſed, that keepe the Sabbath day?
A. Firſt, in an encreaſe both of the knowledge and feare of God, and all other ſpirituall and heauenly graces accompanying ſaluation. Secondly, in matters of this life, we ſhall not onelyonly not be hindred by keeping the Sabbath, but more bleſſed then if wee did worke that day: as of the other ſide, the gaine on the Lords day, ſhall (by the curſe of God) melt and vaniſh away, what ſhew of profit ſoeuer it hauehave; and bring ſome curſe or other vponupon our labours in the weeke daies, which in themſelues are lawfull and honeſt.
So much of the first Table, concerning our duties to God, the due performance whereof is called Piety, wherein God (as a King or father of a houſhold) doth teach his ſubiects, or familie, their duties towards himſelfe. Now follow our duties to our ſelues, and our neighbor, taught in the ſecond Table, in the ſixe other Commandements.
CHAP. 19.
Of the duties to our Neighbour, and of the ſecond Table in generall.
Of the 2. Table,
Firſt, in generall.
Secondly, in ſpeciall, the Commādemēts wherof forbid
All aduiſed conſent to hurt our Neighbour, where,
Firſt, of ſpeciall duties cōcerning ſpecial perſons. Com. 5. Chap. 20.
Secondly, of generall duties concerning all. Com. 6. &c. Chap. 21.
All motions and thoughts of euill without conſent, Comman. 10. Chap. 25.
MATTH. chap. 22. verſ. 36. to the 41.
36. Master, which is the great Commandement in the Law?
37, Ieſus ſaid vntounto him. Thou ſhalt louelove the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoule, and with all thy minde.
38. This is the firſt and great Commandement.
39. And the ſecond is like vntounto it, Thou ſhalt louelove thy neighbour as thy ſelfe.
40. On theſe two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets.
Q. WHat is the ſumme of the ſecond Table?
A. The duties that one man oweth to another, commonly called Iuſtice.
Q. What learne you out of the 39. verſe, where it is ſaid, that this ſecond Table is like to the first?
A. Firſt, that (according to our meaſure of profiting in the firſt Table) we profit alſo in this. In which reſpect we may trie our ſinceritie and vprightneſſe, in the duties of the firſt Table, by our forwardneſſe in thoſe which are required in the ſecond.
Secondly, that out of our louelove to our neighbour, 1. Theſſ. 3. 12. & 5. 15.we draw all our duties to all mē, reaching thē euen to the wicked (ſo farre forth as we hinder not Gods glory, nor ſome great duty to other), but eſpecially to the houſhold of faith: for ſomtime it may ſo fall out, that that which men require, (and that otherwiſe of right) may not bee giuen: as Rahab, though ſubiect to the King of Iericho, might not reueale the Spies, but ſhould hauehave failed in her duty, if ſhee had betrayed them at the Kings commandement; and therefore in this caſe ſhe did well, in preferring the obedience ſhee owed to God, before the dutie ſhee owed to man. In like caſe alſo, Ionathan reuealing his fathers counſel vntounto Ioſh. 2. 3. 1. Sam. 19. 2. 3.Dauid, & preferring the greater dutie before the leſſer, did well. So wee (owing a greater duty to our Deut. 33.countrey, then to our naturall kindred) muſt rather refuſe to relieue them if they bee Traitors, then ſuffer any hurt to come to our countrey.
Q. But what if two hauehave need of that, which I can beſtow but vponupon one onelyonly?
A. I muſt then preferre him that is of the houſhold Gal. 6. 10.of faith, before any other; and my kinſ-men, and thoſe that I am tied vntounto by any ſpeciall bond, before ſtrangers.Joh. 1. 41. Act. 10. 24.
Q. So much of the generall. How are theſe ſixe Commanments diuided?
A. Into ſuch as forbid all practice, or aduiſed conſent duplicate page duplicate page to any hurt of our Neighbour, and ſuch as forbid all thoughts and motions of euill towards our Neighbour, though they neuer come to aduiſed conſent of the will.
Q. What Commandements are of the firſt ſort?
A. The firſt fiue of this ſecond Table.
Q. How are they diuided?
A. Into thoſe that concerne ſpeciall duties to ſpeciall perſons, and thoſe that concerne generall duties to all.
Q. What Commandements concerne ſpeciall duties?
A. The firſt of the ſecond Table, being in number the fifth?