The bright star which leadeth wise men to our Lord Jesus Christ, or, A…

This then serves first to confute those that make this kind of objections against the sabbath; Oh we cannot keep it, we should be undone if we should rest upon the sabbath day, for these losses and damages would ensue, these hurts would come, such businesses would be left undone; but I pray you whence come all these losses? what is the cause of these damages? is it not because you forget the very first word of the commandment, Remember the sabbath day. Then this is no warrant for us to break Gods commandment, because we had forgot that, which God bids us remember: this is even as if a man should forget his purse behind him, when he went to the market, and when he came to buy things wanting money of his own, should go and cut another bodies purse, and then if one come and tell him, this is not honest dealing, it is plain theft, and why would you be so bold to cut your neighbours purse? why alas neighbour, I hope I was in no fault, necessity drew me to it, for I had left my purse at home, and I knew not how to do for money to buy my things, and to have gone back again would have been to much pains. Why but doth this make it lawful to cut your neighbours, because you had forgotten your own, nay who should have remembered ⟨image 78⟩it, and not come to make such shifts: and even so men deal with God, oh they cannot choose but break the sabbath, they are driven to it of force, necessity compels them, and what necessity? why, such things lie to be done that will be spoiled else, why, but why did you forget them before, now shall your former forgetfulness be a warrant for you to steal Gods holy time, and abuse it to unholy things? Some hath a bond to pay that will be forfeited else: and why did you not remember before to make your condition with such an exception, unless it were on the sabbath, and then to defer it for some reasonable time after, or some such like condition? and so I have this and this thing that must be done, and why did not you think of this before to prevent it, as it is sure you might, if you did serve God in your calling and not covetousness? so others say it is so tedious and irksome to spend that day holy, that they cannot endure it; and why is it tedious to you? is it not because you prepared not your soul to keep it?

This then serues first to confute those that make this kinde of objections against the sabboth; Oh we cannot keepe it, we should bee vndone if wee should rest vpon the sabboth day, for these losses and damages would ensue, these hurts would come, such businesses would bee left vndone; but I pray you whence come all these losses? what is the cause of these damages? is it not because you forget the verie first word of the commandement, Remember the sabboth day. Then this is no warrant for vs to breake Gods commandement, because wee had forgot that, which God bids vs remember: this is euen as if a man should forget his purse behind him, when hee went to the market, and when hee came to buy things wanting mony of his owne, should goe and cut another bodies purse, and then if one come and tell him, this is not honest dealing, it is plaine theft, and why would you bee so bold to cut your neighbours purse? why alas neighbour, I hope I was in no fault, necessitie drew mee to it, for I had left my purse at home, and I knew not how to doe for mony to buy my things, and to haue gone backe againe would haue beene to much paines. Why but doth this make it lawfull to cut your neighbours, because you had forgotten your owne, nay who should haue remembred