The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

And here we see the Pharisees deal very cunningly with them, For they might as well have accused the Disciples of theft, as of breaking the Sabbath, had they not known, that as the Law permitted a man to go into the vine-yard for to gather grapes, so he carried no clusters away: So they, to satisfy their hunger, might presently eat of the ears of corn, carrying none away with them. Howbeit, they could not see, that this their travel was not like their ordinary travelling on the other days, and that it was agreeable to the Sabbath, the Law permitting a Sabbath days journey. This some (curiously) have defined to be the space of a mile, some two, •ome three miles: unto whom as I do not deny the liberty of their judgement, so I¹ think it to consist of that distance, as a man may conveniently travel for some holy purpose, without any hinderance of the ordinary exercise of that day, and without wearisomeness either to body or mind, whereby he should be the unfitter for the Lords worship, or his duties. And therefore they that dwelt but so far from Jerusalem, that they might o• that day conveniently go to the Sacrifices, and return home without any of the former hinderances, made a Sabbath days journey. And now in our times a man may lawfully go so far for the more comfortable or holy use of the day in hearing: so that neither his body be overwearied, nor any due time of hearing be pretermitted, and that without prejudice or breach of the Lords day. Wherefore seeing our Saviour CHRIST and his disciples travelled to so holy an end, and no further then by a Sabbath days journey was lawful, the end of the journey, which ought to measure this and like actions, proveth, that herein there was no breach of the Sabbath. Neither is it likely that the Pharisees reproved and controlled the Disciples for travelling, seeing even they themselves with them were companions in the journey, but rather they did it for their plucking the ears of corn: whereby they showed, that the ceremony of resting was not the chief thing in the Sabbath, (as now a days some do think it) but rather▪ because they made provision for their bodies, contrary (as they imagined) to Exod. 16.

And here we see the Pharisees deale very cunningly with them, For they might as well haue accused the Disciples of theft, as of breaking the Sabbath, had they not knowne, that as the Lawe permitted a man to goe into the vine-yard for to gather grapes, so hee caried no clusters away: So they, to satisfie their hunger, might presently eate of the eares of corne, carying none away with them. Howbeit, they could not see, that this their trauell was not like their ordinarie trauelling on the other dayes, and that it was agreeable to the Sabbath, the Lawe permitting a Sabbath dayes iourney. This some (curiously) haue defined to bee the space of a mile, some two, ome three miles: vnto whom as I doe not denie the libertie of their iudgement, so I