An Abstract of the Doctrine of the Sabbath, Title page – Dedication
An Abſtract of the Doctrine of the Sabbaoth.
Briefly, yet fully and plainely ſet forth; Together with the vſes of the ſame Doctrine; with the vſuall Obiections and Anſwers therevnto.
All which for the helpe of Memorie, are drawne into ſundry chapters.
AT LONDON, Printed by Ʋ. S. for Nicholas Ling. 1606.
To the right Worſhipfull and religious Knight, Sir Francis Knolys, one of the Lievtenants, and Iuſtices for the Peace in Barkeſhire; and to the vertuous Lady his wife; W. B. wiſheth increaſe of Gods favour in this life, and full fruition of the ſame, in the life to come.
RIght Worſhipfull, having had ſo long experience of both your ſincere affections to true religion, and your religious diſpoſitions, to the exerciſes of Gods worſhip, both publikely in the holy aſſemblies, and privately in your family, I knew not to whoſe Patronage I might better commit this ſhort Treatiſe of the right obſervation of the Lords Sabbaoth, than vntounto you both. It is for matter, ſubſtantiall and ſound; for memory, ſhort and methodicall; for vnderſtanding, perſpicuous, and plaine; for vſe, moſt neceſſary and profitable; and in all, like vntounto the meate that Iacob provided for his father Iſaac, which was ſo ſavory, that his father both loved it after a more ſpeciall manner than he did other meates, and alſo bleſſed him that brought it vntounto him: So will this doctrine of the Sabbaoth be vntounto the religious taſte of your inward man; ſo ſavory, yea, ſo ſavoring of the ſpirit of God, that I am aſſured your ſoules will delight in it, and bleſſe God for them that have prepared it for you. As for my part, I have but gleaned in the fieldes of other godly and learned men, who have more copiouſly laboured in this argument: neither is this my Abſtract, any other than the fragments of their ſumptuous feaſts: yet, through the bleſſing of God, it may proove like the remainder of the five Loaves and two Fiſhes in the Goſpel, which being reſerved at Chriſts appointment, to the glorie of God, filled twelve baskets full; that is, were aboundantly bleſſed to a greater quantitie than the former. And as for your parts, (without flattery be it ſpoken) ſeeing God hath given you both the hearts to honour him, by a more carefull and conſtant obſervation of his Sabbaoths, than many other; (yea, than any other I might ſay) of any note amongſt vsus; I ſee no reaſon, but notice ſhould be taken thereof, that as God by you is glorified, and his Church by your good examples edified: ſo others alſo, hearing of the ſame, may, by your examples, be ſtirred vp to the like zeale, and to give you that commendation, that is due to thoſe that love the truth. For him that honoureth me, (ſaith God) I will honour. And ſith God hath awarded you Honour, for honouring him, by walking in the religious ſteppes of your honourable father: How can I deny it you, or others envie you for it? And as the bleſſed Apoſtle tells Philemon: ſo I may (not vnfitly vſurping his words) ſay vntounto you; That both thanks and prayers, are, and ſhall be rendred vntounto God for you, by many which heare of your love and faith, which you have towards the Lord Ieſus, and towards all his Saints; that ſo the fellowſhip of your faith, may be made fruitfull, and that whatſoever good thing is in you, through Chriſt Ieſus, may be knowne; for we, yea all we in this populous Towne of Reading, and the Country about, which vnfainedly feare the Lord, and deſire in truth of heart, to make ſtreight ſteppes to godlineſſe, and to profit in his waies, have great ioy and conſolation in your love, to the Goſpel of Chriſt; becauſe by you alſo the Saints hearts are not alittle comforted. It is pittifull to ſee in divers places, how many which are advanced by the bountifull providence of God, vntounto places of dignitie and honour, in the Common-wealth of our Engliſh Iſrael, doe beare themſelves in hand, that having beene at the Houſe of God, to heare common Prayer, or a Sermon, are for this their eare-ſervice, and lip-labour, notable Sanctifiers of the Sabbaoth. And whereas they ought to ſanctifie it alſo at home, by conference with their families, prayer, and meditation, ſinging of pſalmes, and other holy duties, both of pietie, and charitie; yea, and to carry themſelves in all grave and ſober manner, as having authoritie in their hands to terrifie vanitie and profaneneſſe, and not to countenance them, do ſuffer themſelves to be made companions to all vaine men, a thing which holy David deteſted: *Pſal. 15. Pſal. 26. Pſal. 101.and like Eſopa blocke, to lie drenched in the love of vaine ſports, and ſmoakie recreations, (vexations indeede to a ſanctified heart) with the loſſe of pretious Time, and checke of their owne conſcience. Whereby it oftentimes commeth to paſſe, that their baſe deſire of winning other mens mony, is recompenced with the loſſe of their owne ſubſtance, to verifie Gods Proverb by Solomon; Pro. 21.17He that loveth paſtime, ſhall ſurely be a poore man: their hearing of Sermons is alſo accurſed, their ſoules grow barren in holy knowledge, and heavenly wiſedome; and when time ſerveth, they have not ſo much as one arrow in their quiver, to ſhoote at a treacherous Papiſt, or a wicked Atheiſt, or any other hereticall depraver of the Truth, which are too rife in every corner, with popiſh perſwaſions, and diveliſh ſophiſtications, watching where men are weake, or faint-hearted to reſiſt, there to breake in, and make ſpoile of all: or if they have a peece of any argument in ſtore, to give an aſſault withall, or can make ſome anſwer to repell the ill-affected in religion: yet, through their want of practiſe, or through their inexpertneſſe in the word of Truth, either they have no heart to incounter with them, or elſe they want ſtrength to continue the conflict; or for want of holie wiſedome, they vtterly ſhame themſelves, and the Lords cauſe in the handling. But you (right Worſhipfull) have not ſo learned Ieſus Chriſt. And if I have found favour in your eyes, (as I am ſure in times paſt, with thanks I acknowledge, that both I, and my poore miniſtry have) let me be bold in the Lord to exhort you, ſtill to continue conſtant in your holy courſes, for the honouring of God in the ſanctification of his Sabbaoths, and by your godly examples and zealous perſwaſions, to be a meanes to ſtirre vp others, that lie ſecurely aſleepe, in the opinion they have of an outward formality in religion, and to draw on others amongſt vsus, that be Maſters in Iſrael, yet too backward in theſe holy duties, and are in danger of loſing their firſt love to holy religion, if ever they had any; whereby the fame of our Towne beginneth to be at a low ebbe, in compariſon of that it hath beene; yea, we begin to be like the Church of Sardi, that had a name of living to God, but indeede was dead: Revel. 3.…many keeping the Sabbaoth to the halves, in the fore noone at the Temple, in the after-noone at home; in the fore-noone prayers, in the after-noone playes, &c. reſembling thoſe monſtrous pictures, which being looked vponupon one way, ſhew very beautifull faces of men and women; but another way, bruit beaſts, and vglie birds. I write not this as doubting of your conſtancies, but becauſe I have learned of Saint Peter; 2. Pet. 1.12.13.That a ſound faith hath neede of a ſtrengthening, a warie heart of a warning, and a pure minde of a ſtirring vp: and therefore I vſe this boldneſſe in the Lord towards you. Wherefore, though you ſee ſome amongſt vsus with the Rubenites, abide like earth-wormes, Iud. 5.16, 17, 18.amongſt their ſheepe-folds, and ſome with Gilead, lie hovering beyond Iordan, and looking which way the world will ſway: and others with Dan, lurking cowardly in ſhips prepared for flight: and others with Aſhur, lie skulking on the ſea ſhore, expecting a day, and ready to entertaine ſome forraine arrivall of Italienated wilde Boares, to roote vp the Lords Vineyard: yet I doubt not, (and to that end my prayer ſhall be) that you may with worthy Zebulon and Nephthalie, be (as you have been) moſt forward in the high places of the Lords field, and that all of vsus may ieopard our lives in the defence of the Lordes quarrell, againſt the Cananites. You, even the Kings of Canaan: the God of heaven give you both increaſe of his holy ſpirit, and proſper you in all well doing, and ſanctifie all our hearts, that we may ſo ſhew forth the power of his Goſpel, in our holy converſation, that the adverſarie may be aſhamed of his gainſaying, and depraving humour, and we may have comfort and boldneſſe in the day of the Lord, which approacheth apace, and ſlacketh not.
Your Worſhips in all good affection, William Burton.