A63997:125
The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians…
The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians of our age: wherein is showed that the morality of the fourth Commandment is still in force to bind Christians unto the sanctification of the Sabbath day. Written by that learned assertor of the truth, William Twice D.D. late prolocutor to the Assembly of Divines.The Christian Sabbath defended against a crying evil in these times of the antisabitarians of our age: wherein is shewed that the morality of the fourth Commandement is still in force to bind Christians unto the sanctification of the Sabbath day. Written by that learned assertor of the truth, William Twisse D.D. late prolocutor to the Assembly of Divines.
London: printed for Thomas Pierrepont, 1652
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
What more reasonable disposition humane,1 then that which is conformable to constitution Divine? now it is apparent that God required of the Jews one day in seven; neither was it ever known to be abrogated; the particularity of the day is abrogated, not the proportion of time; ground we have for the one by the ceremoniality of it, no colour of ground for the other; nor did ever I think any man set his wits on work to devise a ceremonialitie of one day in seven.
What more reasonable disposition humane,1 then that which is conformable to constitution Divine? now it is apparent that God required of the Jewes one day in seven; neither was it ever knowen to bee abrogated; the particularity of the day is abrogated, not the proportion of time; ground we have for the one by the ceremoniality of it, no colour of ground for the other; nor did ever I thinke any man set his wits on worke to devise a ceremonialitie of one day in seven.
- 1Respon. 1.
2. But what? shall the morality of rest granted to servants, be altered also under the Gospel? did Calvin any where teach this? may not masters exact as many days work of their servants under the Gospel as under the Law? hath not ⟨p. 72⟩Christ deserved at the hands of servants to be as serviceable to their masters as ever? Lastly are these days of the World such as wherein a labouring man may maintain himself, by the labour of five days in a week as well as by the labour of six? A long time I have found it observed by traffickers in the World, that nothing is more cheap then mens labours; a notable evidence how unprofitable servants we have been unto God, and therefore he makes the labour of our hands and sweat of our brows to afford very unprofitable service unto us. Can these Divines make the World more favourable to crafts-men, and bring their commodities in better request then they are; if they could, let them then change the morality of servants rest, and for one in seven allow them one in three, or four, or five; their masters will be the more easily brought to entreat their consciences to condescend. Or if Kings had power to make the commodities of their own Country more worth, and the commodities of other Countries less worth (which upon due consideration will be found as needful equally) then place might be made for this. Till then let us be content with Calvins morality of the fourth Commandment in reference to servants rest, namely one day after six; and therewithal consider whether our Christian Sabbath must not be confined to that day as the only day of rest for servants; and I hope we shall not think it fit to allow one Sabbath for the masters, and another for the servants.