# Looking for a book that refers to the 11th commandment



## reformedman (Oct 1, 2011)

There was a book I read a few years ago that was apparently first written in the puritanic era and it gave a little story as an example of a man that travelled to a distant church. The man listened to the morning service and was then invited to stay for the Lord's table after the service. The pastor's wife was the one in charge of testing the communicants with a small test to see if they were in fact believers. When she got up to the visiting man, she asked him how many commandments are there, to which he replied there are 11. She told him that he would not be able to attend.
That evening, during evening service, the man went to the pulpit without his beard and started to preach a sermon. The pastor's wife did not recognize him without the beard. The title of his sermon was The 11th Commandment. He key verse was John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

I need help to find this book again, does anyone have any idea where I might have read this story from.

I really don't think that this story actually happened, I think it was an illustration to teach children about the verse in John 13, for that reason, I think it may have been a children's book.

Does anyone know where this story was from?

Thanks


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## jeffm05 (Oct 2, 2011)

I read this story in the Solid Ground Christian Book's edition of James Ussher's "A Body of Divinity", on page ix.

A footnote says this story is taken from "Anecdotes Religious and Moral" by Charles Buck, 1843, also reprinted by SGCB.

Interestingly, according to the story, the woman was Samuel Rutherford's wife and the man was Archbishop Ussher.


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## Fly Caster (Oct 2, 2011)

jeffm05 said:


> I read this story in the Solid Ground Christian Book's edition of James Ussher's "A Body of Divinity", on page ix.
> 
> A footnote says this story is taken from "Anecdotes Religious and Moral" by Charles Buck, 1843, also reprinted by SGCB.
> 
> Interestingly, according to the story, the woman was Samuel Rutherford's wife and the man was Archbishop Ussher.



That is the account that I have read as well.


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## Peairtach (Oct 2, 2011)

The version I heard was that Bishop Ussher went in disguise as a tramp to Samuel Rutherford's house and was tested concerning the commandments in Rutherford's house at family worship 

Mrs Rutherford thought he was very ignorant. Samuel must have recognised him and asked him to preach. (?)

I can't remember all the details.



> Several versions of a tale are told how the Archbishop Ussher, Primate of Ireland, resolved to go to England by way of Scotland so that he might listen to Rutherford preach. Arriving in Anwoth there was no place to stay and he sought shelter at Rutherford’s house where he was taken in. Neither Rutherford or his wife recognised their visitor nor assumed anything from his name. The following day, the Sabbath, the Archbishop rose early and walked in the fields nearby and came to a place which Rutherford himself used as a place of quiet and contemplation. It was here that Rutherford came upon the Primate at prayer and then realised who he was. Confirming the identity the pair then agreed to listen to each other preach that day - Rutherford in the morning and the Primate in the afternoon, each to the other’s great satisfaction.



http://www.thereformation.info/rutherford.htm



> The Eleventh Commandment
> 
> The Rev Sam Rutherford was Presbyterian minister of the parish of Anwoth between 1627 and 1638, there are many stories told regarding the life of this most intelligent and pious man. In one of these tales archbishop Usher, who had heard many stories concerning Mr Rutherford and his religious devotion, was returning through Galloway to his home in Ireland. One of these stories related how the minister often spent the entire night in prayer, especially before the Sabbath. This interested the archbishop greatly and he resolved to observe the ministers’ ritual in person. This, however, would not be an easy thing for and Episcopalian bishop to accomplish during this period of distrust and religious intolerance.
> 
> ...



http://hunthill.4t.com/custom3_2.html


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## reformedman (Oct 3, 2011)

This was very helpful thank you all. I will check in Body of Divinity.


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## py3ak (Oct 3, 2011)

reformedman said:


> The pastor's wife was the one in charge of testing the communicants with a small test to see if they were in fact believers.



That suffices to make that version of the story incredible.


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## Fly Caster (Oct 3, 2011)

reformedman said:


> This was very helpful thank you all. I will check in Body of Divinity.



This excellent book is availible at an excellent price if you need a copy.-- SGCB | A BODY OF DIVINITY: Being the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion


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## reformedman (Oct 3, 2011)

py3ak said:


> reformedman said:
> 
> 
> > The pastor's wife was the one in charge of testing the communicants with a small test to see if they were in fact believers.
> ...


A few other things also make it unbelievable, like the fact that Ussher would come to Rutherford unannounced, or that the test was as simple as asking how many commandments there were, or that Ussher was up all night till 3am in the morning and didn't sleep properly before attending services the next day (much more, now that he found out that he had to preach with so little sleep). 

On the other hand, although there are many suggestions of exaggerations in puritan writings, there may be some amount of truth in this, if not all.


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