Sabbath-day. The Fourth Sermon
The fourth commandment of the first table is word for word as followeth: Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath-day. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy works; but on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God, in which thou shalt not do any manner of work, neither thou, nor “thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger which is within thy gates. Because in six days the Lord [4 Jer. iv. 2.] [5 seu Decalogi, Lat. omitted. ]
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is therein; and rested the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the sabbathday, and hallowed it.” of The order, which the Lord useth in giving these com-
mandments, is natural and very excellent. In the first precept the Lord did teach us faith and love to God-ward. In the second he removed from us idols and all foreign kind of worship. In the third he began to instruct us in the true and lawful worship of God: which worship standeth in the sanctifying of his holy name, for us to call thereon, and holily and freely to praise it, and to think and speak of it as religiously as he shall give us grace!. The fourth commandment teacheth us also the worship due to God, and the hallowing of his holy name; but yet it bendeth somewhat to the outward honour, although, nevertheless, it frameth to the inward religion. For the sabbath doth belong both to the inward and outward service of God. Let us see, therefore, what we have to think that the sabbath is, how far forth the use thereof extendeth, and after what sort we have to worship our God in observing the sabbath. Sabbath doth signify rest and ceasing from servile work? And this here I think worthy to be noted, that the Lord saith not simply, Sanctify the sabbath;”” but, ‘” Remember that thou keep holy the sabbathday;” meaning thereby, that the sabbath was of old ordained, and given first of all to the ancient fathers, and then again renewed by the Lord, and beaten into the memory of the people of Israel. But the sum of the whole commandment is, Keep holy the sabbath-day. This sum doth the Lord by and by more largely amplify, by reckoning up the very days, and particular rehearsing the whole household, to whom the keeping of the sabbath is given in charge.
The sabbath itself hath sundry significations. For first cof alll, the scripture maketh mention of a certain spiritual and continual sabbath. In this sabbath we rest from servile work, in abstaining from sin, and doing our best not to have [1 “as he shall give us grace,” not in the original. ]
[2 NAW a cessation, rest.—Lee’s Hebr. Lex. in voc.]
[3 Postremo adjicitur exemplum quoque ipsius Dei quiescentis et
[sanctificantis sabbatum. “Lastly is added also the example of God]
[himself resting on the Sabbath-day and sanctifying it.” Omitted by]
[the translator. P.]]
our own will found in ourselves, or to work our own works; but, in ceasing from these, to suffer God to work in us, and wholly to submit our bodies to the government of his good Spirit. ~~ After this sabbath followeth that eternal sabbath and everlasting rest, of which Esay, in his 58th and 66th chapters, speaketh very much, and Paul also, in the fourth to the Hebrews. But God is truly worshipped, when we, ceasing from evil, and obeying God’s holy Spirit, do exercise ourselves in the study of good works. At this time I have no leisure, neither do I think that it is greatly profitable for me, to reason, as largely or as exquisitely as I could, of the allegorical sabbath, or spiritual rest. Let us rather, my brethren, in these our mortal bodies, do our endeavour, with an unwearied good-will of holiness, to sanctify the sabbath, that pleaseth the Lord so well.
Secondly, the sabbath is the outward institution of our religion. For it pleased the Lord, in this commandment, to teach us an outward religion and kind of worship, wherein he would have us all to be exercised. Now, for because the worshipping of God cannot be without a time, therefore hath the Lord appointed a certain time, wherein we should abstain from outward or bodily works; but so yet that we should have leisure to attend unto our spiritual business. For for that cause is the outward rest commanded, that the spiritual work should not be hindered by the bodily business. Moreover, that spiritual labour among our fathers was chiefly spent about four things; to wit, about public reading and expounding of the scriptures, and so consequently, about the hearing of the same; about public prayers and common petitions; about sacrifices, or the administration of the sacraments; and lastly, about the gathering of every man’s benevolence. In these consisted the outward religion of the sabbath. For the people kept holy day, and met together in holy assemblies; where the prophets read to them the word of the Lord, expounding it, and instructing the hearers in the true religion. Then did the faithful jointly make their common prayers and supplications for all things necessary for their behoof. They praised the name of the Lord, and gave him thanks for all his good benefits bestowed upon them. Furthermore, they did offer sacrifices, as the Lord commanded them, celebrating the mysteries and sacraments of Christ
their Redeemer, and keeping their faith exercised and in ure: they were joined in one with these sacraments, and also warned of their duty, which is, to offer themselves a lively sacrifice to the Lord their God. Lastly, they did in the congregation liberally bestow the gifts of their good-will to the use of the church: they gathered every man’s benevolence, therewith to supply the church’s necessity, to maintain the ministers, and to relieve the poor and needy. These were the holy works of God, which while they, having their hearts instructed in faith and love, did fulfil, they did therein rightly sanctify the sabbath and the name of the Lord; that is, they did on the sabbath those kind [of] works!, which do both sanctify the name of God, become his worshippers, and also are the works indeed that are holy and pleasing in the sight of God. If any man require a substantial and evident example of the sabbath or holy day thus holily celebrated, he shall find it in the eighth chapter of the book of Nehemias: for there the priests do read and expound the word of God, they praise the name of the Lord, they pray with the people, they offer sacrifice, they shew their liberality, and do in all points behave themselves holily and devoutly as they should.
Now, lest any peradventure might make this objection and say, Ease breedeth vice?; or else, I must labour with my
hie
hands to get my living, lest I die with hunger, and my family perish; he answereth, The Lord alloweth thee time sufficient for thy labour, for thee to work in to get a living for thyself and thy household: for six days thou mayest work, but the seventh day doth the Lord challenge and require to be consecrated to him and his holy rest. Every week hath seven days: but of those seven the Lord requireth” but one for himself. Who then can rightly complain, I beseech you, or say that he hath injury done unto him? More time is allowed to work in, than to keep holy the sabbath: and he that requireth to have this sabbath kept is God, the maker, the father, and Lord of all mankind.
Furthermore, the Lord doth precisely command and give a charge to plant and bring in this holy rest, this discipline
Tre
and outward worship, into the whole family of every several house. Whereby we gather, what the duty of a good house- [1 ea operabantur opera, Lat.] [2 otia dant vitia, Lat.]
holder is; to wit, to have a care to see all his family keep holy the sabbath-day; that is, to do on the sabbath-day those good works which I have before rehearsed. And for because the Lord doth know that man’s natural disposition is, where it hath the mastery, there for the most part to rule and reign over-haughtily and too too princelike; therefore, lest peradventure the fathers or masters should deal too hardly or rigorously with their households, or hinder them in observing of the sabbath, he doth in express words and exquisite steps of enumeration command them to allow their family, and every one in their family, a resting time to accomplish his holy service. He doth not exempt or except so much as the stranger. He will not suffer nor allow among them the example of such dullheads as say: Let faith and religion be free to all; let no man be compelled to any religion.” For he commandeth to bind the stranger within the gates of God’s people, that is, the stranger that dwelleth in their jurisdiction, to the holy observing of the sabbath-day.
Now, this ease or rest is not commanded in respect of itself, (for idleness always hath been found fault withal,) but it is ordained for the aforesaid especial causes. God’s pleasure is, that there should be a place and time reserved for religion: which time and place are not open to them that are busy about bodily and outward works. He is not conversant in the congregation, he heareth not the word of God, he prayeth not with the church, neither is he partaker of the sacraments, which at his master’s commandment taketh a journey, or in the market selleth his wares, or in the barn doth thrash or winnow his corn, or in the field doth hedge or ditch, or doth stand at home beating the anvil, or else sitteth still sewing shoes or hosen. Faith, therefore, and religion bid thee to give rest to thy servants and family; yea, they command thee to egg and compel them, if they be slow, to the holy and profitable work of the Lord. Moreover, the Lord’s mind is, that they which labour should also refresh and recreate themselves:
For things that lack a resting time Can never long endure?
(3 segnium, Lat.] [ caligas, Lat.]
[5 Quod caret alterna requie durabile non est, Lat.—Ovid. Ep. 1v. 89.]
[Bullinger.]
Wherefore the bountiful Lord, whose mind is to preserve his creatures, doth teach a way to keep them, and doth diligently provide, that his creatures be not too much afflicted by the hard handling or covetousness of their owners. Moses in Deuteronomy addeth the pitiful affection of mercy, saying: “Remember, that once thou thyself wast a servant in the land of Egypt!” Charity, therefore, and civil humanity do crave a measure to be kept, so that we do not with endless labours overlade and weary our household servants, Moreover, it is manifest, that the good man of the house? by planting godliness in his family, doth not a little advance and set forward his private profit and own commodity: for wicked servants are for the most part pickers and deceitful; whereas, on the other side, the godly are faithful, whom in his absence he may trust to govern his house. In the reckoning up of the household also is mention made of beasts and cattle; which is done, not so much because their owner is a man and ought therefore to use them remissly and moderately, as for because beasts cannot be laboured without the working hand of man to guide them: so then men are drawn from the solemnizing of the sabbath-day by helping their cattle. Wherefore, to the intent that they should not be drawn aside, we are here precisely commanded to allow our cattle that resting time. oid Last of all, the Lord doth add his own example, whereby he teacheth us to keep holy the sabbath-day. Because,” saith he, “in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it.” The Lord our God wrought six days in creating heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is; and the seventh day he rested, and ordained that to be an appointed time for us to rest in. On the seventh day we must think of the works that God did in the six days: the children of God must call to remembrance what and how great benefits they have received the whole week, for which they must thank God, for which they must praise God, and by which they must learn God. We
[1 Deut. v. 15.] [? paterfamilias, Lat.; an old term for the master of the house.—]
[Toone’s Glossary. Cf. Matt. xxiv. 43.] [3 furaces, Lat.]]
must then dedicate to him our whole body and soul; we must consecrate to him all our words and our deeds. As that day the Lord did rest from creating, but he ceased not still to preserve; so we upon that day must rest from handy and bodily works, but we must not cease from the works of well doing and worshipping of God. Furthermore, the heavenly rest was no prejudice at all to the things created: neither shall the holy day, or sabbath, spent in God’s service, be any let or hinderance to our affairs or business. For the Lord blessed the sabbath-day; and therefore shall he bless thee and thy house, all thy affairs and business, if he shall see thee to have a care to sanctify his sabbath; that is, to do those works which he hath commanded to be done on the sabbath-day. They therefore do err from the truth as far as heaven is wide, whosoever do despise the religion and holy rest of the sabbath-day, calling it an idle ease, and do labour on the sabbath-day, as they do on working days, under the pretence of care for their family and necessity’s sake.
For all these things must we apply to ourselves and our churches. It is most sure, that to Christians the spiritual sabbath is given in charge especially and above all things. Neither is it to be doubted, but that the good Lerd’s will is, that even in our churches at this day, as well as of the Jews of old, there should be kept and appointed order in all things, but especially in the exercising of outward religion. We know that the sabbath is ceremonial, so far forth as it is joined to sacrifices and other Jewish ceremonies, and so far forth as it is tied to a certain time: but in respect that on the sabbath-day religion and true godliness are exercised and published, that a just and seemly order is kept in the church, and that the love of our neighbour is thereby preserved, therein, I say, it is perpetual, and not ceremonial. Even at this day, verily, we must ease and bear with our family; and even at this day we must instruct our family in the true religion and fear of God. Christ our Lord did no where scatter abroad the holy congregations, but did, as much as he could, gather them together. Now, as there ought to be an appointed place, so likewise must there be a prescribed time, for the outward exercise of religion, and so, consequently, an holy rest. They of the primitive church,
quies divina, Lat.] [5 parci familize, Lat
17—2
therefore, did change the sabbath-day, lest, peradventure, they should have seemed to have imitated the Jews, and still to have retained their order and ceremonies!; and made their assemblies and holy restings to be on the first day of sabbaths 2, which John calleth Sunday3, or the Lord’s day, because of the Lord’s glorious resurrection upon that day. And although we do not in any part of the apostles’ writings find any mention made that this Sunday was commanded us to be kept holy; yet, for because, in this fourth precept of the first table, we are commanded to have a care of religion and the exercising of outward godliness, it would be against all godliness and christian charity, if we should deny to sanctify the Sunday: especially, since the outward worship of God cannot consist without an appointed time and space of holy rest.
I suppose also, that we ought to think the same of those few feasts and holy days, which we keep holy to Christ our Lord, in memory of his nativity or incarnation, of his circumcision, of his passion, of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ our Lord into heaven, and of his sending of the Holy Ghost upon his disciples’. For christian liberty is not a licentious power and dissolving of godly ecclesiastical ordinances, which advance and set forward the glory of God and love of our neighbour. But for because the Lord will have holy days to be solemnized and kept to himself alone, I do not therefore like of the festival days that are held in honour of any creatures. This glory and worship is due to God alone. Paul saith: “I would not that any man should judge you in part of an holy day, or of the sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come.” And again: “Ye observe days, and months, and years, and times; I fear lest I have laboured in you in vain”.” And therefore we at this day,
[[ See Ignatii, Epist. ad Magnes. cap. 8 and 9.] [2 prima sabbati, Lat.] (3 Rev. i. 10.] [4 haud dubie, Lat.; omitted.] [6 Nostra ecclesia ante annos, ni fallor, 12, plura habuit festa: sed]
[abrogatis his solum retinuit diem Dominicam, et festa Christi, Nativi-]
[tatis videlicet, Circumcisionis et Ascensionis Ὁ. Adjecit et missionem]
[Spiritus Sancti superioribus propter celebrationem ccenze D.—Bullin-]
[ger. Ep. ad Calvin. in Calv. Opp. Tom. 1x. p. 63. Ed. Amstel. dat.]
[Tigur. 29 August. MDLI. ] [6 Coloss. ii. 16,17. See authorised version, marginal reading. ] [7 Galat. iv. 10, 11.]]
that are in the church of Christ, have nothing to do with the Jewish observation; we have only to wish and endeavour to have the christian observation and exercise of christian religion to be freely kept and observed. )
And yet, as the hallowing of the Jewish sabbath, so also) the sanctifying or exercise of our Sunday, must be spent and occupied about four things, which ought to be found in the holy congregation of Christians, if their Sunday be truly sanctified and kept holy as it should be. First, let all the godly saints assemble themselves together in the congregation. Let there in that congregation so assembled be preached the word of God; let the Gospel there be read, that the hearers may learn thereby what they have to think of God, what the duty and office is of them that worship Godand how they ought to sanctify the name of the Lord. Then let there in that congregation be made prayers and supplications for all the necessities of all people. Let the Lord be praised for his goodness, and thanked for his inestimable benefits which he daily bestoweth. Then, if time, occasion, and custom of the church do so require, let the sacraments of the church be religiously ministered. For nothing is more required in this fourth commandment than that we should holily observe, and devoutly exercise, the sacraments, and holy, lawful, profitable, and necessary rites and ceremonies of the church. Last of all, let entire humanity and liberality have a place in the saints’ assembly; let all learn to give alms privately, and relieve the poor daily, and to do it frankly and openly, so often as opportunity of time and causes of need shall so require. And these are the duties, wherein the Lord’s sabbath is kept holy even in the church of Christians; and so much the rather, if to these be added an earnest good, will to do no evil all the day long. Wo This discipline now must be brought in and established by every householder in all our several houses, with as great diligence as it was with the Jews. Touching which thing I have nothing to say here, since I have before so plainly handled this point, as that ye perceive that it agreeth even to the church of us that are Christians. This one thing I add more; that it is the duty of a christian magistrate, or at leastwise of a good householder, to compel to amendment the breakers and contemners of God’s sabbath and worship. The peers of
Israel, and all the people of God, did stone to death (as the Lord commanded them) the man that disobediently did gather sticks on the sabbath-day!. Why then should it not be lawful for a christian magistrate to punish by bodily imprison- ( ment, by loss of goods, or by death, the despisers of religion, of the true and lawful worship done to God, and of the sabbath-day? Verily, though the foolish and indiscreet magistrate? in this corrupted age do slackly look to his office and duty; yet notwithstanding, let every householder do his endeavour to keep his several family from that ungodly naughtiness; let him punish them of his household by such means as he lawfully may. For if any one householder dwell among idolaters, which neither have, nor yet desire to have or frequent, the christian or lawful congregations; then may he in his own several house gather a peculiar assembly to praise the Lord, as it is manifest that Lot did among the Sodomites; Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the land of Canaan, and in Egypt. But it is a heinous sin and a detestable schism, if the congregation be assembled, either in cities or villages, for thee then to seek out byways to hide thyself, and not to come there, but to contemn the church of God and assembly of saints: as the Anabaptists have taken an use to do. of Here therefore I have to reckon up the abuses of the sabbath-day, or the sins committed against this commandment. They transgress this commandment, that cease not from evil works, but abuse the sabbath’s rest to the provoking of fleshly pleasures. For they keep the sabbath to God, but work to the devil, in dicing, in drinking, in dancing, and feeding their humours with the vanities of this world, whereby we are not only drawn from the company of the holy congregation, but do also defile our bodies, which we ought rather to sanctify and keep holy. They sin against this precept, which either exercise any handy occupation on the sabbath-day, or else lie wrapt in bed and fast asleep till the day be almost spent, not once thinking to make one of God’s congregation. They offend in this precept, that awe their servants to work, and by appointing them to other
[[ Numb. xv. 32—36.] [2 si cesset demens et ebrius magistratus, Lat.) [3 paucis recensendi, Lat.] [ imo, Lat.]]
business do draw them from the worship of God, preferring other stinking things before the honour due to God. And they, above all other, offend herein, which do not only not keep holy the sabbath-day themselves, but do also, with their ungodly scoffs and evil examples, cause other to despise and set light by religion; when they do disdain and mock at the holy rites and ceremonies, at the ministery, ministers, sacred churches, and godly exercises. And herein, too, do both the good-men and good-wives offend, if they be slack in their own houses to call upon and to see their families keep holy the sabbath-day. Whosoever do contemn the holiness of the sabbath-day, they give a flat and evident testimony of their ungodliness and light regard of God’s mighty power.
Furthermore, the keeping or despising of the sabbath doth always carry with it either ample rewards or terrible threats. For the proof whereof, I will recite unto you, dearly beloved, the words of Jeremy, in his seventeenth chapter. Thus hath the Lord said unto me,” saith he; Go, and stand under the gate of the sons of the people, through which the kings of Juda go in and out, and under all the gates of Jerusalem, and say unto them: Take heed for your lives, that ye carry no burthen upon you on the sabbath-day, to bring it through the gates of Jerusalem, and that ye bear no burthen out of your houses on the sabbath-day: look that ye do πὸ labour therein; but keep holy the sabbath-day, as I commanded your fathers. Howbeit, they obeyed me not, neither hearkened they unto me, but were obstinate and stubborn, and would not receive any correction. Nevertheless, if ye will hear me, saith the Lord, and bear no burthen through this gate upon the sabbath, but hallow the sabbath, so that ye do no work therein; then shall there go through the gates of this city kings and princes that shall sit upon the throne of David; they shall be carried upon chariots, and ride upon horses, both they and their princes: there shall come men from the cities of Juda and the land of Benjamin, which shall bring sacrifices, and shall offer incense and thanksgiving in the house of the Lord. But if ye will not be obedient unto me to hallow the sabbath, so that ye will bear your burthens through the gates upon the sabbath-day; then will I set fire upon the gates of Jerusalem, which shall burn up the great
[5 res putidas, Lat.] [6 scholas sacras, Lat.]
houses thereof, and shall not be quenched.” Very justly, therefore, did the devout princes, Leo and Anthemius, writing to Arsemius, their lieutenant, in these words give charge: “That the holy days, ordained in honour of the high God’s majesty, should not be spent in any voluptuous pleasures, nor be unhallowed with troublesome exactions. We there- fore do decree and ordain, that the Lord’s day, or Sunday, as it hath always been accounted well of, so it shall still be had in estimation; so that upon that day no office of the law shall be executed, no man shall be summoned, no man arrested for suretyship, no man attached, no pleading shall be heard, nor any judgment pronounced,” &ec. And by and by after again: “Neither do we, in giving this rest of the holy day, suffer any man to wallow in any kind of wanton pleasures at all. For on that day stage-plays are not admitted, nor fencers’ prizes, nor bear-baitings; yea too, and if it happen that the solemnizing of our birth-day fall upon the Sunday, then shall it be deferred till the next day after. And we have determined, that he shall sustain the loss of his dignity, and have his patrimony confiscate, whosoever shall on the sabbath-day be present at any sight or play, or what summoner soever of any judge whatsoever shall, under the pretence of any business, either public or private, do anything to infringe the statutes in this law enacted.”
And yet, nevertheless, they that are Christians do not for-
[1 Impp. Leo et Anthemius. A. A. Armasio. P. P. x.—Dies festos,]
[majestati altissimee dedicatos, nullis volumus voluptatibus occupari,]
[nec ullis exactionum vexationibus profanari. Dominicum itaque]
[diem semper honorabilem decernimus venerandum, ut a cunctis exe-]
[cutionibus excusetur; nulla quenquam urgeat admonitio; nulla fidei-]
[jussionis flagitetur exactio; taceat apparitio; advocatio delitescat; sit]
[ille dies a cognitionibus alienus, &c.—Nec hujus tamen religiosi diei]
[otia relaxantes, obsccenis quibuslibet patimur voluptatibus detineri.]
[Nihil eodem die vindicet sibi scena theatralis, aut Circense certamen,]
[aut ferarum lacrymosa spectacula: etiam si in nostro ortu aut natali]
[celebranda solennitas inciderit, differatur. Amissionem militize pro-]
[scriptionemaue patrimonii sustinebit, si quis unquam hoc die festo]
[spectaculis interesse, vel eujuscunque judicis apparitor, preetextu ne-]
[gotii publici seu privati, hee, que lege hac statuta sunt, crediderit]
[temeranda.—D. Id. Decembr. Constantinop. Zenone et Martiano]
[Coss.—Justin. Cod. Lib. m1. tit. 22. de feriis. p. 411. Tom. 1. Lugd.]
[1551.)]
get the words of Christ in the gospel, where he saith: “The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath; and that? the Son of man too is Lord of the sabbath3” The godly do very well know that God ordained the sabbath for the preservation, and not for the destruction, of mankind; and that therefore he doth dispense with us for the sabbath, as often as any urgent necessity or saving of a man shall seem to require it. Touching which matter our Saviour Christ himself hath fully satisfied the faithful in the 12th of Matthew, and the 6th and 13th chapters after St Luke. In such things, verily, Christians may use their liberty to occupy themselves in on the sabbath-day% Since the priests and Levites are held excused, which do in the temple openly both kill, slay, burn, and boil beasts, in making their sacrifices, so that they are not thought to break the sabbath-day, because they may without offence to God, even on the sabbaths, dress and make ready the things serving to the outward worship of the Lord; so likewise may we on the sabbath dress and make ready meat and other necessaries which our bodies cannot lack. We may also minister physic to the sick, visit the weak, and help the needy, that so we may preserve the creature of God. Herein did our Saviour give us an example to follow, who did on the sabbath work the deeds of charity and mercy. We have more than one example of his to be seen in the gospel, but especially in Luke vi. and xiii. and John, the fifth chapter. If then on the sabbath-day it be lawful to draw out of a pit a sheep or an ox in danger of drowning, why should it not be lawful likewise on the sabbath to underset with props a ruinous house that is ready to fall? Why should it not be lawful on the sabbath-day to gather in, and keep from spoiling, the hay or corn, which, by reason of unseasonable weather, hath lain too long abroad, and likely to be worse if it stay any longer? The holy emperor Constantine, writing to Elpidius, saith: “Let all judges in courts of law, and citizens of all occupations, rest upon the Sunday, and keep it holy with reverence and devotion. But they that inhabit the country may freely and at liberty attend on their tillage upon the sabbath-day. For oftentimes it falleth out, that they cannot upon another day so commodiously sow their seed, or plant their vines; and
[2 proinde, Lat.] [3 Mark ii. 27, 28.] [1 Certe in his versatur libertas Christiana, Lat.]]
50, by letting pass the opportunity of a little time, they may hap to lose the profit given of God for our provision.” Thus saith the emperor. Now we must consider, that he doth not license husbandmen by all kind of toil continually to defile the sabbath-day. For of the countrymen, as well as of the townsmen, are looked for due honour done to God, and the keeping of the fourth commandment: only this must be remembered, that liberty is granted in causes of necessity. But a godly mind and charity shall be excellent dispensers and mistresses to lead us in such cases as these, lest, under the coloured pretence of liberty and necessity, we do deeds not to be borne withal on the sabbath-day, and exercise the works of greedy covetousness, and not of sincere holiness. And thus much had I to say touching the second use of the sabbath-day.
Thirdly, the sabbath hath a very ample or large signification. For it is a perpetual sign that God alone is he that sanctifieth those that worship his name. For thus saith the Lord to Moses: “Ye shall keep my sabbaths, because it is a sign betwixt me and you to them that come after you, to know that I am the Lord which sanctify you;” and so forth, as it is to be seen in the 31st of Exodus, and is again repeated in the 20th of Ezechiel2. And to this end doth the Lord mutually apply himself?, as is before said in the declaration of the sabbath’s second use and signification. For God doth by his Holy Spirit sanctify his faithful folk and constant believers: which he declareth unto the church by the preaching of the gospel, bearing witness thereunto and sealing it with his sacraments; so that he commandeth us with continual prayers incessantly to crave of him that glorious sanctification. All which things, verily, are practised and put in use upon the sabbath-days especially, to the intent that we may be sanctified of God, who is the only sanctifier of us all.
Hitherto have I declared unto you, dearly beloved, as
[1 Imp. Constantinus. A. Elpidio. IIL.—Omnes judices urbanzque]
[plebes, et cunctarum artium officia, venerabili die solis quiescant.]
[Ruri tamen positi agrorum culture libere licenterque inserviant: quo-]
[niam frequenter evenit ut non alio die aptius frumenta sulcis et vine]
[scrobibus commendentur; et ne occasione momenti pereat commo-]
[ditas ceelesti provisione concessa.—D. Non. Mart. Crispo II. et Con-]
[stantino II. Coss.—Cod. Just. Lib. 11. tit. 12. de feriis. p. 409.] [2 Exod. xxxi. 13; Ezek. xx. 12.] [8 mutuam operam confert, Lat.]]
briefly as I could, the first table of God’s commandments, wherein we have very exquisitely laid down before us the worship due to the name of God. But for because they are. not the children of God, which know his mind, but they that do it, let us beseech our heavenly Father so to illuminate our minds, that we may faithfully and indeed worship our Lord and God, who is to be praised world without end. Amen. OF THE FIRST PRECEPT OF THE SECOND TABLE, WHICH IS IN ORDER THE FIFTH OF THE TEN COM-
Mandments, Touching the Honour Due to Parents. The Fifth Sermon
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