The Whole Treatise of the Cases of Conscience

Secondly, the reasons of the fourth Commandment are general, and the equity of them is perpetual, and they have this end, to urge the rest of a seventh day. Let them be considered in particular. The first, in these words, Six days shalt thou labour. Which some take to be a permission: as if God ⟨p. 444⟩should have said thus; If I permit thee six, thou shalt allow me a seventh. But they may be also taken for a commandment, enjoining labour in the six days; first, because they are propounded in commanding terms; secondly, because they are an exposition of the curse laid upon Adam, Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of thy face, namely, in the six days: and thirdly, because idleness, the spoil of mankind, is there forbidden. This being so, there must needs be a seventh day, not only of rest, to ease them that labour in the six days, but also of an holy rest, that God might be worshipped in it. The second reason is taken from Gods example: For in six days, the Lord made heaven and earth, &c. That which the Lord himself hath done in person; the same must man do by his commandment. But the Lord himself in six days laboured, and rested the seventh. Therefore man must do the same. This reason made by God to the creature, must stand in force, till he reverse it, which yet he hath not done, nor doth. If then these reasons do not only enforce a rest, and an holy rest but a rest on the seventh day; then this lest on the seventh day, is a part of the fourth Commandment: and consequently the Church can not alter it from the Sabbath day, because they can not alter the substance of that Commandment which is eternal.

Secondly, the reasons of the fourth Commandement are generall, and the equitie of them is perpetuall, and they haue this ende, to vrge the rest of a seauenth day. Let them be considered in particular. The first, in these wordes, Sixe daies shalt thou labour. Which some take to be a permission: as if God ⟨p. 444⟩should haue said thus; If I permit thee sixe, thou shalt allow me a seauenth. But they may be also taken for a commandement, inioyning labour in the sixe daies; first, because they are propounded in cōmanding termes; secondly, because they are an exposition of the curse laid vpon Adam, Thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweat of thy face, namely, in the sixe daies: and thirdly, because idlenes, the spoile of mankind, is there forbidden. This beeing so, there must needes be a seauenth day, not onely of rest, to ease them that labour in the sixe daies, but also of an holy rest, that God might be worshipped in it. The second reason is taken from Gods example: For in sixe daies, the Lord made heauen and earth, &c. That which the Lord himselfe hath done in person; the same must man doe by his commandement. But the Lord himselfe in sixe daies laboured, and rested the seauenth. Therefore man must doe the same. This reason made by God to the creature, must stand in force, till he reuerse it, which yet he hath not done, nor doth. If then these reasons doe not onely inforce a rest, and an holy rest but a rest on the seauenth day; then this lest on the seauenth day, is a part of the fourth Commandement: and consequently the Church can not alter it from the Sabboth day, because they can not alter the substance of that Commandement which is eternall.