Treatise Against the Profanation of the Lords Day, Chapter 10 – Chapter 11
CHAP. X. What are the manie and great evills, which the prophaning of the LORD'S DAY, by Salmond-Fiſhing, produceth.
HAving now looked vponupon this forbidden Tree, let vsus conſider what Fruite it bringeth foorth: Surelie nothing but lyke the Prophet's wilde gourdes,2. King. 4.40. which made Death to bee in the Potte: or ſuch whereof the LORD complayneth, (ISAIAH 5.) That His Vine-yarde brought foorth even ſowre Grapes, vvhichwhich will once ſet their teeth on edge.
For, 1. This prophanation of the LORD'S DAY, robbeth the LORD of His due Worſhip, which thoſe ſhould giuegive vntounto Him, who are employed in place of GOD'S Service, to ſerue man; and, according to NATHAN'S parable, When wee hauehave manie dayes of the weeke as ours, or for our ſervice, and will not be contented there-with; but will robbe GOD of that one day which He hath for His Service and Worſhip; vvhat fearfull Sentence can ſuch expect, That their owne mouth, (lyke DAVID'S) ſhall bee made, one daye, to pronounce agaynſt themſelues?
2. Their Servantes (who thus prophane the LORD'S DAY, by their ſervile employment) are wofullie defrauded of their Soules Foode, and Spirituall Edification: So that whyles themſelues ſhould bee caught, by the Nette of the Goſpell, to bee brought vntounto CHRIST, they are catching vnlawfull Gayne, to bring vntounto their Maſters: Lyke that Damoſell in the ACTS, poſſeſſed with a ſpirit of Divination, which brought her Maſters alſo much Gayne by Sooth-ſaying,Act. 16.16. before her diſpoſſeſſion. Whoſe caſe, as it was moſte wofull, whyle ſhee was doing ſo; So is theirs in lyke manner, whyle as ſterving in their Soules, and gayning earthlie thinges to others, they become a prey to that craftie Fiſher, Satan, and loſe heavenlie thinges, which they ſhould gayne to themſelues.
3. Whereas the LORD hath appoynted a bodilie reſt to bee vponupon the ſeaventh day, from all ſervile work, for refreſhing of Man, who hath beene labouring the ſixe dayes of the weeke, (as Hee hath lykewyſe pittie, (and willeth vsus to hauehave) on the verie beaſt;) yet cruellie, contrarie to GOD'S appoyntment, the bodies of their Servantes are toylſomlie wrought and wearied vponupon the LORD'S DAY, as well as the reſt of the dayes of the weeke; without anie intermiſſion, or ceſſation whatſoever: and ſo are made altogether vnfit, all that Seaſon, for GOD'S Worſhip, publicke or private.
4. Thorow the long diſſuetude of reſorte to GOD'S Service, and prophanation of the LORD'S DAY, thoſe Servantes of theirs (as wee finde by wofull experience) become altogether neglectiue of the LORDS DAY at all other tymes of the yeare, when Salmond-Fiſhing is not; and can neyther by Admonition nor Diſcipline, be made to halowe the ſame. And ſo being indured thorowe their fore-named cuſtome, they remayne altogether ignorant in mynde, moſt prophane in lyfe, and vtterlie careleſſe of their ſouls, as if they had none at al. Of which induration, ignorance, and prophanitie, howe fearfull a thing it is to bee the cauſe, and drawe vponupon them ſuch guiltineſſe, let anie ſenſible Chriſtian ſeriouſlie conſider.
5. Not onelie are thoſe their Servantes detayned, by that ſervile employment, from GOD'S Holie Worſhip; but lykewyſe manie others are everie LORD'S DAY, of all ſortes of people, with-drawne from the ſame; going thither to bee ſpectators of thoſe Fiſhinges, in the verie tyme of GOD'S publicke Servic, and aſſemblie of His people: and who, in reſpect of their multitude, can not bee gotten curbed. As thoſe, then, are happie, who ſtirre vp people, ſaying, (as DAVID profeſſeth) Let vsus goe vp to the Houſe of the LORD: and, (as the Diſciples did one the other) who drawe Men to GOD: Iohn 1.41.So vnhappie maye they juſtlie judge themſelues, vvho giuegive ſuch an occaſion (for their private gayne) of hindering people, and drawing ſo manie from GOD.
6. What Scandall …, and grievous offence is given to all good Chriſtians, heere, where this prophanation is committed,Ierem. 9. their querimonies which wee often heare, beare ſufficient witneſſing; and what griefe of heart they giuegive to vsus their Paſtours, as the ſtubbornneſſe of the Iewes gaue to their Prophets, HEE that knoweth the heart can beare vsus record: So that with Ieremie, Wee wiſh our head were waters, and our Eyes a Fountayne of Teares, that wee might weepe day and night for the granſgreſsion of our people. How-ſo-ever, with open impietie, they joyne not onelie impenitencie, but impudencie, in ſinning.
7. A great ſtumbling blocke lykewyſe they are to the weake, who by their example, thinke it no tranſgreſſion to violate and prophane the LORD'S DAY manie wayes, in the Countrey eſpeciallie; and are ſo hardened in their ſinne, that when their Paſtours accuſe or rebuke them for the ſame, and command Abſtinencie, they ſtrayght-way replye, Let the Salmond Fiſhing bee as well diſcharged then on the Sundaye; and then they ſhall ceaſe.
8. If alſo the Angels rejoyce at the converſion of a Sinner, howe, then, are they contriſtated, (as it were) and zealouſlie incenſed, at ſuch a peart and publicke practiſe of ſinne, in prophaning that Holie Daye of their LORD'S Worſhip, whereof by thoſe ſo vngratelie, and ſacrilegiouſlie, Hee is robbed?
9. But moſte, and worſt of all; Amongſt other crying ſinnes of the Land, which incenſe the wrath of the LORD agaynſt the ſame, this, as one of the greateſt, doeth kindle the Fyre of His indignation, procureth His judgement, and His hand to bee ſtretched out ſtill. For, as Hee for the prophanation of His Sabbath, threatned the Iewes before by His Prophet IEREMIE, That Hee ſhould kindle a Fyre in the gates of their chiefe Citie Hieruſalem,Ierem. 17.2… which ſhould conſume the Palaces thereof; and it ſhould not bee quenched. And, (as good NEHEMIAH declared to the Princes of IVDAH) ſeeing for this tranſgreſſion and guiltineſſe, the LORD had performed, and put the ſame to execution agaynſt them, in waſting of their Land, deſtroying of their Citie, and killing and captivating the perſons: All which (as to one mayne cauſe) hee attributeth to the prophaning of the LORD'S SABBATH, ſaying; What evill thing is this that yee doe, Nehem. 13.17.and prophane the SABBATH DAY? Did not your Fathers thus? And did not our GOD bring all this evill vponupon vsus, and vponupon this Citie? And yet ye would bring more wrath vponupon Iſraell, by prophaning the SABBATH DAYE. Much more, then, maye Chriſtians,See Theatre of GOD'S Judgements, Tom, 3. of the Generall Councils, 2. part. p. 669. and Practiſe of Pietie, 368. who liue in a cleare Light, and hauehave no leſſe obligation to ſanctifie the LORD'S DAY, expect for the prophanation thereof, temporall puniſhmentes heere, (as ſundrie hauehave found inflicted) and eternall puniſhmentes heere-after, which are moſt juſtlie threatned.
CHAP. XI. The CONCLUSION, by way of a faythfull Warning from the head of the Watch-Towre, for exoneration at leaſt of our owne Soules, whom GOD hath ſet over them, who ſo prophane the LORD'S DAYE.
AS Reuben ſaid therefore to his Brethren,Gen. 42.2. Did not I fore-warne you, ſaying, Doe not ſinne agaynst the Chylde, and yee would not heare? Therefore, beholde, his blood is requyred: So wee may ſaye, whom the LORD hath ſet over you, who are guiltie of this Sinne; HaueHave not wee fore-warned you, both by word, and nowe by writ, That yee ſinne not agaynſt your owne Soules, and the Soules of others, whom yee impede and with-drawe from the LORD'S Worſhip, and Meanes of their Salvation, on the LORD'S DAY? And if ye will not heare, (as IOSEPH'S Brethren would not REVBEN'S adviſe) beholde, aſſuredly, your blood, and the blood of thoſe that periſh thorowe your default, the LORD ſhall requyre at your handes.
True it is, that wee would often tymes hauehave taken IEREMIE'S Reſolution,Ierem. 20.9. Not to ſpeake anie more of this ſinne of yours, in the LORD'S Name vntounto you; perceaving ſundrie of you to bee ſo incorrigible; were not that His Word was within vsus, as a burning fyre, ſhut vp in our bones; & we were wearie with forbearing, and could not ſtay; except wee would hauehave beene treacherous both to GOD, who had entruſted vsus; and you, whom we ſhould hauehave fore-warned.
But ſeeing wee that are PASTORS, hauehave ſo frequentlie ſhotte IONATHAN'S Arrowes, to fore-warne you to eſcape from the wrath to come, wee are free from your Blood, if yee periſh thorowe your rebellion, and ſhall finde our owne Approbation (wee hope) in the DAY of the LORD. And if with SAMVELL wee can not mende you, wee ſhall moane at leaſt, (as hee did for rebellious Saul in RAMAH) and mourne for you in ſecret, and, with IEREMIE, lament, That our Mother hath borne vsus men of ſtryfe and contention, with thoſe, for whoſe good wee powre out our verie Soules, in ſecret, before the LORD, in our daylie Prayers; That, To the Glorie of HIS NAME, the joye of our Heartes, and Salvation of your Soules, wee may yet ſee the Happie Daye of your Converſion, and Amendement heere-in: That ſo yee may bee, in the daye of our Common Compearance before the LORD, our Crowne, and our joye; and attayne with vsus, to the happie Reſt of that ETERNALL SABBATH in the HEAVENS, conqueſſed to vsus by the Bloode of CHRIST: To Whom bee ever all Prayſe and Glorie.
AMEN.
Epitaphium Piſcatoris.
HIc recubat dominus vicini gurgitis, auras
Dum traheret, dominus nō tamē ipſe ſui.
Non ſibi ſed ſoboli vixit, labor improbus omnis,
Nulla que lux vivo festa vel hora fuit.
Venturi ſecurus erat, coeli que penates
Infernaſ que domos credidit eſſe pares,
Sunt coelo piſces, ſunt orco flumina, praedae
Materiem functo ſpondet vter que locus.
Arth. Ionſtonus, M. R.
End of the text · William Guild, Treatise Against the Profanation of the Lords Day (1637)