say this were a plaine forfeiture of the bond and that the debitor his calling the time but a circumstance vvas but a pore shifte this vvere a silly plea before the Iudg of Assises to say the time my Lord it was but a circumstance c. well hovv euer men dare not dally thus before an earthly Iudge and with an earthly king yet men dare palter thus with the king of kings were a man summoned to appeare at a day apponinted but in an inferiour courte who durst sleight that day They are only Gods dayes and Gods times then that may besleighted this bewraies that God is not reuerenced as is a mortall king or Iudg men dare not sleight the precise day of appearance in the Courtes of men but men dare sleight the precise day of appearance before the Lord chiefe Iustice of heauen earth in the Courtes of his fanctuary nor are men so afraid to make a forfeiture of the bond of Gods fourth comm by neglect of the day as they are a fraid to forfeite abond of 10. or 20. to a man by neglect of the day Thus much for the time and day in generall we shall hereafter come to the particularity of the time to shew how more specially what day it is which God requireth SECT III. Hauing laied forth the seuerall partes of this Com. in the foregoing Section detected some of the errours of our time in abusing the sense meaning of the Spirit of God in this Com. it now remaineth that I come to the Exposition of the same and whereas the com is laid downe partly affirmatiuely and partly negatiuely we will in the former place speake of the affirmatiue parte the which is conteined in these words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke In this affirmatiue parte first we will speake of the word day secondly of these words Sabbath day thirdly of the Commandement in this word Remember c. For the word Day to giue an Exposition of it according to the minde of the holy ghost we must serch how the holy Ghost vseth this vvord in Scripture for this purpose see Genes 1.5 And God called the light day but no where hath he called the darknesse day wherefore the light only is the day in Gods accounte see also 1 Cor. 3.13 euery mans worke shal be made manifest for the day shall declare it Where by the word Day the holy Ghost meaneth the light see 1 Thes 5.8 But let vs who are of the day be sober Where by day is meant light as appeareth by the Opposition of the word night in the former verse se Joh. 11.9 are there not 12 howres in the day if any man walke in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light the day therefore is the time of light by Scriptures accompt wherefore by the word day in the fourth Com. I vnderstand the time of light and of light only A second querie may be to know how long this day is and when it beginneth and when it endeth For the beginning of it we are to giue it the largest extent as to begin early in the morning by day breake or day peepe euen whilst it is but a little light and much darknesse see Ioh. 20.1 and Mark 1.35 this last text is to be reade as Chemnitius well obserues thus In the morning whilst it was very much night c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Beza readeth it also Now as the day beginneth with the least light appearing in the skie so we are to thinke it lasteth so long as there is any sunne light in the skie or vntill the day be quite off the skie thus much be spoken of the word day shewing 1. what is meant by it to wit the time of light 2. How long this day is to wit from the first approch of the sunne light vnto the last departure of its light The consideration of these twoo Points discouereth vnto vs a threefold errour of our times the one is of such as hould that the Sabbath day beginneth at midnight and lasteth to the next midnight the other is of those who hould the Sabbath day beginneth in the morning lasteth to the next morning the other of such as hould it beginneth on the Euening of Saturday night al which opinions in they hould as well a night as a day to be a parte of the sabbath day but these are all erroniouse because growndlesse for the word day in the com signifieth the time of light this is the frequent vse of the word in scriptures that the word day must signify darknesse as wel as light I thinke cannot be showne in the Scriptures Wherefore as to giue God lesse then the wholl tyme of light is to giue God not a day but a peece of a day so to giue God more then the wholl time of light it to giue God more then a wholl day and so more then God hath commanded But against this it may be said that there it a day naturall a day artificiall the one cōsisting of 24 howres the other of 12 howres now we must giue God the largest day of 24. hovvres But for this pointe how euer this distinction may haue its vse in ciuill affaires yet is it not founded in Scripture the Scriptures indeed mention a day of 12. howres Ioh. 11.9 but of a day of 24. hovvres I no where reade it is not safe therefore to expound the word day in the fourth Comm. of a day of 24 hovvres Further it may be said that by the word day we must vnderstand the night and darknesse also euen the wholl time of 24. howres for so it is taken Genes 1.5 And the euening and morning were the first day where the euening is put for the darknesse and the morning is put for the light and both these are called the first day Where to I answer that this exposition is growndlesse to say that the Euening is put for the night or darknesse for it cannot be shovvne in Scripture that any where the word Euening is put for the night or darknesse Herevnto assenteth Mr. Perkins in his cases of conscience at the end of the second booke Secondly I answer to giue such an exposition of the Text Genes 1.5 as maketh a confusion of things is not safe for to vnderstand by the Euening the darknesse and so making the vvord day to signify or comprize both light and darknesse is to make a vvofull confusion for so one and the same vvord shall signifie things quite contrary as vvel might one suppose hell to be signified vnder the vvord heauen as night vnder the vvord day God hath distinguished the light from the darknesse as in nature so by sondry proper names calling the light day and the darknesse he called night Genes 1.5 let not vs then confound them a better exposition of the vvord Euening is therefore to be sought for this end
Apostles so that is said to be the whole intire perfect Law of God which hath all the partes and things commanded which at first belonged to it which lacketh none of all those precepts which at the making and diuulging of that Law God ioyned together If then we would know whither we haue the whole law of God intirly now or not we must haue recourse vnto the making first diuulging of this Law looke therefore into the twentyth Chapter of Exodus and there you shall see this whole and intire Law of God with all euery the members thereof as God made it when he first proclaimed it vnto his Church thus you see both what the wolnesse integrity of Gods Law is and where to find it whole and intire as God made it if any man shall diminish or deny any one particle commanded in this Law he must be said to mancle lame this Law the Law must be accounted but a lame mancled imperfect Law like as if a mā lacketh but a ioynte of his hand or a finger he is said to be a lame man and if a Bible wanteth but a leafe or a verse it is an imperfect Bible Now to apply this Jn the Decalogue God chargeth his people to Remember the Sabbath day and to sanctify the Sabbath day and to Rest on the 7th day now this day caled Sabbath day 7th day was our Saturday as all men know wherfore if any man will abolish this Saturday 7th day Sabbath as not commanded now to be remembred now to be sanctified and now to be rested on that man doth mancle lame the royall law of God for he withholdeth one branch of Gods Law which inioyneth the remembrance and sanctification of the Saturday 7th day Sabbath that man receiueth and obeyeth but some parceles peeces of Gods Law onely for he yeeldeth obedience but onely vnto some nyne or nyne an halfe of Gods tenn commandements for he leaueth out that peece and parte which concerneth the Saturday Sabbath and that man must deny Gods intire whole law to be intire whole vnto vs or to belong vnto vs in the integrity perfection thereof for if the Law belonged vnto vs in its integrity and perfection then the Saturday Sabbath which was once commanded in that Law so was a parte a peece of the Law it must now also be commanded in the Law and so belong vnto vs now Thus the consequence is proued good that whosoeuer abolisheth the old Sabbath day he mancleth Gods Law he yeeldeth obedience but vnto percels and peeces of it he denyeth that Gods Law belongeth vnto vs in its intigrity perfection For the Saturday Sabbath serueth to make vp Gods Law an intire an whole a perfect Law without it it is but a lame imperfect maimed defectiue Law like a lame man wanting an hand or a finger of his hand like an imperfect defectiue Bible lacking a Chapter or a verse of some Chapter I confesse that those tene Ministers Gods aduersaries and myne in this point goe aboute like botching Taylers or sowterly Coblers for I cannot more aptly and fitly resemble their action to make vp this breach againe by adding a peece of new cloth to fill vp the rent and so they suppose to auoide this blow and to make vp the Law againe an intire and perfect law now howeuer it is commendable to peece mend old garments yet it is altogether insufferable for any to play the botch er and cobler with Gods lawes the new peece wherewithall they would fill vp this rent make vp this breach it is the Lords day or first day of the weeke this day must now be thought firmely beleeued to be put into the old Law of the Decalogue then we shall haue 10 commandements againe wholly compleatly but as once it was vnlawfull to weare a garment of Linsey wolsey and to bring profane and common persones into the Temple so is it now to mingle humane institutiones with Diuine ordinances and to bring a day appointed by man into the Morall eternall and sacred Law of God for the Lords day hath no higher institution then the ordinance of the Church and will they peece and mend vp the Diuine Law of God with the peece of an humane ordinance but admit that the Lords day were of Diuine ordination yet is this peece too bigg or too little to stand in the breach of the 4th commandement as formerly I haue showne because it cannot agree to the 4th com besides to see the vnskilfulnesse of these peecers they confesse that this Lords day Sabbath is a new ordinance pertaining to the new Testament as are Baptisme the Lords Supper yet they will attempt to mende vp the breach of the old Law with a peece taken out of the new Testamēt thus the old law shall be partly old partly new partly Law partly Gospell a new kind of botching They saied indeed a Cobler should answer my booke and see now if they be not as good as their word is not this worke of theirs Coblers worke Hauing proued the Major I come vnto the Minor here I am to proue that no man may so wrest the Scriptures as thereby to mancle lame the Royall Law of God no man may receiue obey but some percels peeces of it onely that no man may deny the whole and intire Law of God to belong to vs wholly fully and in the integritie and perfection thereof me thinke none should deny this Minor if any will 1. He is guilty of doeing violence to the Law and of being partiall in Gods Lawes this was the sinne of those Priests laied to their charge by God who had polluted the Sanctuary done violence to the Law Zeph. 3.4 and againe yee haue not kept my waies but haue bene partiall in the Law Malach. 2.9 yea he must hold it Iewish Iudaisme in any that will be intire perfect in Gods Law that is that will haue an indifferent and vnpartiall respect vnto all the partes thereof for he that is intire and perfect in the Law will haue respect vnto Gods Sabbaths which they must count Iudaisme 2. I finde it in Polanus Syntag pag. 353. that Papists doe deny the second Commandement against worshiping of Jmages to be Morall and appertaine vnto Christianes to the like purpose I find in Willet on Exod. 20. pag. 342. 343. these passages The commandement say Papists of abolishing and destroying Images was ceremoniall therefore it concerneth not Christians now And againe The second praecept against the making of Images was onely temporall concerned the Iewes Thus Papists are partiall in the Law and deny its integrity now if we may deny the Integrity of the Law tell me why Papists may not doe so too 3. If any will deny this Minor by the iudgement of M. Perkins he denieth himselfe to be
forswore his Lord and Master therein he bewraied it not Let good men therfore Holy be defended no further then their goodnesse and holinesse will extend and suffer them to be prosecuted and discouered in their erroures sinnes that they may reforme them I confesse they are my brethren so I acknowledge them but what then may not their erroures therfore be discouered and reproued Peter was Pauls brother did Paul therfore cloke Peters errour no Paul discouered it and reproued it to his face and that publikly before all men Gal. 2.11.14 shall the sinnes of the people be reproued and not the sinnes of Ministers shall Ministers haue a patent to sinne without reprofe our Sauiour reproued Peter saying get thee behind me Satan I hold sinne is lesse to be borne withall in a Minister then in a priuate person especially if it be both in their life and doctrine as that is for which I shall reproue them for when they not onely practise it but also erroniously teach it hereby they draw whole multitudes after them and therefore sinnefull errour would be snibed in them as a riuer would be stopped in the fountaine Perhapes thou wilt further say for them but what is it you haue against them it seemeth by these words that you haue some greate matter against them which we cannot beleeue since we know them to be men so Holy so lerned and euery way so qualified as we cannot say black is their eye c. Why amongst others these things I haue against them In generall I challeng them for their false and erroniouse doctrine where with all they haue now a long time deceiued and seduced the people of God wherein they still stifly persist he particulars whereof are these by their vngodly and abhominable reiecting of that most ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath by name commanded in the Morall Law 1. They are become companiones to those wicked Priests who were partiall in Gods Law Mal. 2.9 for they deny the Integrity perfection of the Law and teach it onely by halues by parceles and peeces and so make Gods Law a lame and defectiue Law 2. They deny God a parte of his holy worship and seruice prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue and this they neglect and omit weekly 3. They haue vtterly abolished and by their doctrine nullified the whole 4th Commandement both roote and branch 4. They haue most shamefully abused the 4th Commandement by their most grosse false and erroniouse expositions of it so as I neuer saw any one portion of scripture more corruptly and falsly expounded by any Popish Iesuit Whereby they worthily deserue the Title to be called The corrupters of Gods Law 5. They doe shamefully abuse certaine Textes and portions of Scripture and that by setting Scriptures together by the eares for they wrest certaine Scriptures of the New Testament to the vnnecessary contradicting and ouerthrowing of things commanded in the Decalogue and 10 Commandements of the Old Testament 6. They haue and doe most vnschollarlike abuse the 4th Com. by applying it to the Lords day the which God directed properly vnto the Saturday or 7th day of the weeke 7. They teach and maintaine that the Lords day is the Sabbath day by Christ his institution and to this purpose they haue most vnlernedly dishonestly wrested and abused diuerse sondry portiones of sacred Scripture a thing which one day they must account to God for and hereby they haue shamefully abused many of the well affected people of the land nursing them vp in Superstition will worship and idolatry If I shall make these 7 things good against these 10 Ministers as in this booke I shall then I trust you will pardon me if now and then I let fale an harsh word or two against them and then I trust you will not blame me for taking vp the bucklers against them as Gods enemies in these cases I could not haue taken these things so euilly at the hands of any as of puritans nor of any puritans as of puritane Ministers for at their hands I looked for better As for them these 10 Ministers I require and charge them as they will answer it before the Tribunall of Almightie God at the generall day of Iudgement that they study the 4th Commandement better and other the Scriptures now in controuercy so that they may deliuer nothing to the people but the pure word of God in their exposition and that they forbeare these erroniouse doctrines in pulpit and in priuate yea and reuoke these their foule erroures making a mends to the people of God whom they haue wronged by acknowledging the same vnto them before either they or any of their people departe this present life it is no dallying with mens soules and Gods matters Or else let them answer this my booke and so honestly acquite themselues of these things I charge them withall it is but equall that I demaund that they should either confirme my booke or confute it some of them say they will giue their liues for the Lords day Sabbath I trust then they will giue their laboures which is lesse to defend it I doubt not but you shall heare them make many shiftes friuolouse excuses that they may not answer me as hitherto they haue done when moued to answer my former booke but this is but still to maintaine their credit among the people as if they could easily answer all but they will not wast their time forsooth Happily the combination of these 10 Ministers will agree euery man to preach an invectiue sermon or two euery man in his owne parish against this booke and so raise a greate cry against me picking partially some fewe things in my booke to cauill at as it is no hard matter for a Rhetoricean to delude the people with words and for a Sophister to beguile them with seeming arguments and answers but my request vnto them is that they would answer my booke and that punctually from point to point not snaching and catching here and there at things and that they would print it as I haue done and so they shall stand to what they say without alterationes and after minceings and extenuationes An Author may be much wronged and abused in pulpit as I haue bene alredy by M. Chappell reporting to the people things out of my former booke falsly which I neuer wrote there so confuting their owne phantasies in stead of my booke and the Author hath no remedy but patience To auoide the like I desire them to forbeare pulpit confutations and come to printed confutations that so they may be answered againe What remaineth Christian Reader but that in the last place I craue thy single eye and vnpartiall censure and that you carry a minde voide of all preiudice euill will either to the person or the cause whereabouts thou art redy to be imployed in reading Remember we are not to receiue the word of God with respect of
be redy to reply say But Sir you giue too great liberty to our people you lay the reines vpon their necke you speake most profanly c. to whom I answer I know indeed that it is full sore against their wills that I haue discouered this secret vnto their people for they had rather haue ploded on in their old errour deceiuing the people still then this light should haue bene seene but for my part I had rather please God then please men Knovving that God cannot away with it that his Ministers shold teach for his Doctrines their owne inventiones Traditiones I Know well that they doe daily reuile me reproch me say all manner of euill against me falfly before their people that so my person being brought into contempt that which I speake against their new Sabbath may be contemned likewise but I desire them to forbeare such vnchristian cuning courses I desire them that they would no more backbite me slaunder me behind my backe vvhere I cannot come to ansvver for my selfe but this is a more faire course vvich I vvill propound vnto them if they thinke in deede in trueth that I haue giuen too greate libertie vnto their people haue done vvrong vnto their nevv Sabbath then let them put pen to paper confute this booke so they shall bevvray to the vvorld that they speake as they thinke vvhen they so bitterly inueigh against me against my booke euery silly creature can say t is an errour t is a foule errour t is an abominable errour t is a wicked booke an hundreth more but I would haue Ministers that are schollers leaue vvords fale to blovves let them confute the booke neither doe I exhorte them to this as a matter at their choise to doe it or not to doe it but I vrge it vpon them as a duetie both to man and to God it is their duetie in respect of men because they haue so confidently taught them that this day is the Sabbath day and that vpon payne of damnation they are bound to sanctify it in conscience of the 4th com vvherefore either they must acknovvledg that they haue bene in an errour labour so soone as they can to reforme it which is parte of amends an argument of an honest minde or else they must defend it that so their people may see that they play not fast loose with them that they teach them no more in the pulpit then they will be redy to defend by their pen if any oppose it I cannot see how they can defend themselues for honest men vnlesse they doe thus it is not enough for them to belch out now then some reprochfull words with a kinde of scorne and disdaine to vilifie the booke the Author of it euery foole can answer a booke so It is also their duetie in respect of God for they say that I am in a foule errour and that the Lords day is a constant Sabbath of Gods institution Well then and will they not defend Gods cause who should stand vp for God if Gods Ministers will not wherefore haue they both their liuings and their office of Ministrie but to manage Gods causes defend them against all oppositions vvill they thinke you giue their liues in defence of this Lords day as they tell their people they will who will not giue their labours to defend it when as Peter the Apostle did but by his example bring in Iudaisme into the Church of Antiochia Paul the Apostle withstood him to his face and reproued him before all men Gal. 2.11.14 If therefore I like Peter haue offended against the Lords day then they like Paul in zeale of Gods glorie should rise vp to confute me before all men else they cannot iustify themselues so farre as I can see to be faithfull in their places and to be followers of the Apostles As for the people me thinke they should neuer cease pressing of their Ministers by these the like arguments to the answer of this booke for the quieting of their consciences and for the cleering of the trueth in this point they should say vnto Archippus take heede vnto the ministerie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4.17 vnlesse they desire to liue in ignorance and errour and in doubt which is the trueth It is true it hath bene reported to me that some of these 10 Ministers haue bene thus moued by their people but they haue returned this answer Wee What wee shall vvee answer his vaine booke let some Cobler Tayler or Shomaker answer it c. and are not these loftie spirits who could forbeare to reproue them openly that knoweth them in an errour in a foule and grosse errour and after sufficient meanes of conuiction tendred vnto them both priuatly publikely and done also in all meeknesse and forbearance for all this they still persist carry it out in the height of pride scorning disdaining him that shall in loue respect vnto their persons admonish them as my former booke will witnesle for me So much be spoken touching the former question wherein you see that they cannot proue it that euery Lords day or Sunday was kept for a Sabbath in the Apostles dayes as now they are SECT III. I come now vnto the second maine question which is to know whither it can be proued that any one Lords day is a Sabbath day by Gods ordinance or not For I deny not only that euery Lords day is a Sabbath constantly and weeke by weeke but also I deny that there is so much as any one Lords day a Sabbath day For the better scaning of this point I will examine all their Scriptures all their reasons which they produce in this case First for their Scriptures I haue reade ouer many the workes and writings of the patrons of this Lords day to see their grownds for it but yet among all the textes of Scripture which they alleage I can no where find a Commandement for it alleaged by them out of any parte of the new Testament and this seemeth to me a straung thing if you demaund of them who is the Authour of this new Sabbath they will tell you Christ in the next place if you demaund of them where Christ left any commandement for it by himselfe or by his Apostles here they are at a non plus they can finde no com for it in all the new Testament no nor any exhortation to keepe it nor promise or threatening to those who keepe or profane it now this at the first entrance doth breede a shrewd suspition that this new Sabbath is but some forgery when there is neither commandement nor exhortation for it in the booke of God neither promise to them who keepe it nor threatening to them who profane it when the old Sabbath was set vp it was done by an expresse Commandement and can there a
it was in vse after the giuing of the Law vntill Christ yea and it was in vse in the daies of the Apostles by the Apostles themselues after Christâ— and also it was in vse in the primitiue Churches after Christ for 300 or 400 yeeres euen so long as the Church retained its best purity and vntill corruptiones and popery begane to creepe in now if we shall value the honour of the Sabbath day by the honourable estimation that the Church of God had constantly for thowsands of yeeres of it before Christ and if we shall esteeme of its honour by the honourable estimation which the Christian Churches had of it for neere 400 yeeres after Christ then doubtlesse the Sabbath is an honourable thing and the reformation of it will be no lesse honourable and who vvould not put hand and voyce to such an honourable reformation Thirdly we will consider how Almightie God hath honoured it this will appeare in these particulares 1. God honoured it by his owne obseruation of it at the Creation for God himselfe rested vpon the Sabbath day Genes 2.3 2dly God honoured this day and time aboue all daies and times in that he blessed hallowed and sanctified this day as we reade Genes 2.3 Exod. 20.11 and so made it an Holy day 3dly God honoured this day by commanding it by his owne immediate voyce vpon Mount Sinay and by placeing it amongst the other Morales and giuing it there also an eminent and chiefe place for hee put it into the first Table of the Decalogue and after that caused it carefully to be laid vp and preserued in the Arke with the other Morales 4thly God honoured this day by taking it vnto himselfe in a speciall sorte caling it his day as myne holy day Isa 58.13 And the Sabbath of the Lord Exod. 20.10 whence it is caled the Lords Sabbath Emphatically VVherefore since God rested on this day let vs indeauour a reformation that we his children also may rest on this day and since God hallowed and sanctified this day let vs vse all good meanes that we may hallow and sanctify this day also since God deliuered this day by liuely voyce let vs vse our toungs voyces for it and since God placed it amongst the other Morales set it eminently in the first Table let not vs suffer it to be thrust out amongst the Ceremonies and seing God gaue it an high place in the Morall Law let not vs suffer it to be thrust quite out of place so as now it should haue no place at all in the Morall Law wher 's your courage wher 's your zeale for God if you can indure these things If Christian men loue to haue their hands in an honourable worke then let them cast aside shame and feare and such like carnall affectiones and let them armed with courage and zeale speake for God and defend his Sabbaths and cale for a reformation the worke is honourable for it is honoured with Antiquity with the constant practise of Gods Church that also of the purest primitiue Church and with speciall honour done vnto it by Almighty God himselfe Yet further this Sabbath is in Scripture expresly called an Holy day To morrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath vnto the Lord Exod. 16.23 Isa 58.13 and one reason thereof may be because at the Creation God blessed it and sanctified it Genes 2.2.3 And so made it an Holy day Now no day of all the 7 no not the Lords day was euer sanctified by God or caled an Holy day Yea God had many anniuersary Sabbaths as we read in Leuit. 23. Yet doe we not read that euer God blessed sanctified any of them as he did this Sabbath of the 7th day So highly God honoured it This difference therefore of this day from others is as the difference of Sacramentall bread from common bread and as was the sacred Temple from common howsen and who would not labour the reedifying of such an holy and honourable thing III. In the third place we will consider of the necessity of this Reformation and here If vntill a reformation be made diuerse sondry verses of the holy Scripture yea in the 10 commandements be as so many verses rent out of the Scripture or quite blotted out of the booke of God or stand but as so many Ciphers And also the Decalogue or Morall lawe is not taught and maintained in our Church nor in any Christian Church besids in its integrity and perfection but onely lamely and maimedly If vntill a reformation the whole 4th commandement is vtterly and wholly abolished both roote and branch If vntill a reformation be made the Land and Kingdome wherein we liue with all other Christian Churches doe liue in the weekly profanation of the Lords Sabbaths and transgression of the 4th commandement If I shall shewe vnto you that vntill a reformation be made we sanctify a common and profane day and profane a sanctified and holy day And Gods worship will languish and profanesse inuade vs And that a Romish Relique is honoured in stead of an ordinance of Gods And that Gods worship is daily neglected yea and corrupted with many other euiles If I shall proue vnto you that vntill a reformation the sinne of Idolatry is committed by many in the Land if I say I shall make these things plainly appeare vnto you then I trust you wil say with me that it is high time that euery man lay too his helping hand for a reformation that speedily I. For the first of these there are not many verses in the Decalogue or 10 commandements and yet there are no lesse then fowre whole verses in the 10 commandements which be as so many verses rent out of the Scripture or blotted out of the booke of God or stand but for so many Ciphers and they are these verse the 8th verse the 9th and verse the 10th and verse the 11th of the xx Chapter of Exodus for the Sabbath day there specified we haue not and the 7th day there specified we haue not and the Sixe daies for working daies there specified we haue not and the 7th day wherein God rested and the which God blessed and sanctified we haue not These things we haue more largly proued in the former parts of this booke therefore a touch of them here is enough Wherefore seeing we haue not in vse the things specified and commanded in those iiij verses therefore those iiij verses be as if they were rent out of the sacred Bible or blotted out of the booke of God or stand but for Ciphers Now is it not high time to stirre when the Scriptures of God are thus abused for we haue but the brann or huske that is the bare words of the 4 verses as for the flower kernell which is the sense and the things meant by those words in these verses this we haue not II. Furthermore that the Decalogue or Morall law is not
A Defence Of that most Ancient and Sacred ordinance of GODS the SABBATH DAY Consequently and together with it 2. A Defence of the iiijth Commandement 3. A Defence of the integrity and perfection of the Decalogue Morall Law or X. Commandements 4. A Defence also of the whole and intire worship of God in all the partes thereof as it is prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue 5. A Discouery of the Superstition impurity and corruption of Gods worship yea and Idolatry committed by multitudes in sanctifying the Lords Day for a Sabbath Day by the iiijth Commandement Vndertaken against all Anti-Sabbatharians both of Protestants Papists Antinomians and Anabaptists and by name and especially against these X Ministers M. Greenwod M. Hutchinson M. Furnace M. Benton M. Gallard M. Yates M. Chappel M. Stinnet M. Iohnson and M. Warde The second Edition corrected and amended with a supply of many things formerly omitted BY THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE Printed ANNO DOM. 1632. Thus saieth the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde Rest for your soules Ierem. 6.16 This is that old and that good way Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy c. The vijth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for on the vijth day the Lord Rested Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. xx viij x. xj Obserue it walke in it For verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law vntill all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so hee shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Whatsoeuer thing I commaund you take heede you doe it Thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there from Deut. 12.32 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 To the Kings most excellent Maiestie CHARLES by the grace of God King of Great-Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland Defender of the Christian faith c. MOST dread and renowned Soueraigne may it please your excellent Maiestie such is the power of Trueth and specially in Religion that they which haue once tasted it cleaue vnto it more then vnto all the hopes of this life besides The Law of thy mouth saith Dauid is better vnto mee then thowsands of gold siluer Psal 119.72 Yea such is the excellency of Gods blessed Trueth as his meekest seruants will stirr in the defence of it the mildest fight before it shall be indamaged by their forbearance I durst not petition your Highnesse nor aduenture these lines vnto your Maiesties consideration vntill I had by diligent studie first so setled my conscience in the certaine trueth of them as my minde gaue me that I am tied in conscience rather to departe with my life then with this Trueth so captiuated is my conscience inthraled to the Law of my God Here therefore I tender this Trueth with my life vnto your Maiestie that vnto your Godly consideration this vnto your clemency mercy and both to the pleasure of the Almighty I remember when the Booke of the Law had bene lost and was found againe by Hilkiah the Priest in the Raigne of Iosiah 2. King 22. that Hilkiah sent it by Shaphan the Chaunteller vnto the King which giueth me to vnderstand that in matters of Gods worship in case failings and corruptions be found out the Supreme power the King is to haue knowledge of it More particularly when the Lords Sabbath was thought to be prophaned by the Disciples of Christ by plucking eares of corne Mat. 12. to whom did the Pharises complaine but vnto Christ the Lord and Master of the Disciples And when in Nehemiahs time the Sabbath was prophaned by treading the Winepresse bearing of burdens Nehem. 13. to whom did Nehemiah turne himselfe but vnto the Rulers Nobles of Iudah for redresse I addresse my selfe therefore vnto your Maiestie humblie beseeching you to take it into consideration 1. That that most ancient sacred ordinance of Gods Sabbath prescribed in the Morall Law and religiously practised by the most anciët primitiue Churches neere 400 yeeres after the Ascention of Christ euen so longe as they retained their brightest purity and which ought religiously to be sanctified to the worlds end it is now prophaned trampled vnder foote 2. That the Decalogue Law of God is not taught maintained in our Church in its fulnesse integrity and perfection but onely partially by peeces 3. That God hath not his whole intire worship seruice prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue but is denied one quarter or fowrth part thereof weekly 4. That by the common doctrine in our Church the 4th Commandement is wholly frustrate altogether nullified both roote and branch 5. That by most men in our Church there is grosse superstition committed Gods worship is corrupted and by many plain idolatry wrought by keeping the Lords day for a Sabbath by the 4th Com. Amongst other things I haue as I beleeue made these fiue things manifestly appeare in this Booke and now I humbly present them vnto your Highnesse consideration trusting the cause will speake for it selfe and its bare mention will call for a Reformation It was the laudable and Godly care of your deere Father to cause in his time a new Translation of the sacred Bible for the correction of but here and there a word how much more I trust will his suruiuing Sonne Heire be mindfull of such weighty matters as these are Almighty God hath honoured this eternall Law of the 10 Commandements with such honour as he vouchsafed not to any one portion of Scripture besids in all the Sacred Bible for hee deliuered it in most Maiesticall and terrible manner in flaming fyer the earth trembling Moses the people quaking hee spake it proclaimed it with his owne voyce and wrote it with his owne finger in Tables of stone The Eternall Sonne of God whilst on earth bewraied such care of this Law as that hee ratified it and euery iote title of it to the worlds end saying Verily I say vnto you that vntill heauen earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 The Church of God in this Christian Kingdome honoureth at this day this Law of God for shee hath inrouled it in hir Booke of Common Prayers and ordered that it be deuoutly reade at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at other times of holy Assemblies I trust therefore your Maiestie will afford this sacred honourable portion of Gods Word your best protection The Law it is the inheritance of the Church as wee reade Deut.
be accounted humble men because they doe imitate Christ Some obiect thus I but you doe not discreetly to publish this point whereby it comes to the peoples knowledge rather should a drope of blood haue gone from my heart then such a point as this vnto common people you should rather haue imparted it vnto Diuines in priuate and discussed it with them onely c. Hereto I answer this obiection of some Diuines it is no better then a faire flourish whereby vnder a c lour of discretion they would haue silenced and buried this Trueth euerlastingly For if they could haue tied me by the rules of this their discretion to haue made knowne this point onely vnto Ministeâ—s they then know waies enough how to smother it so as it should neuer haue come to light and so as the people poore soules should neuer haue heard of it Indeed I iudged it discretion first to make tender of it to Ministers before I printed to the viewe of common people and so I did for I sent my Notes a broad to sondry Diuines of the best ranke both nere and afarr off expecting their confutation or confirmation but I obtained neither In case they had answered me by way of confirmation then my resolution was to haue bene further counsailed by them as touching the publishing of it as whither by my selfe or rather by some more eminent able person of their choosing and touching the time when whither presently or rather hereafter and for the persones to whom whither generally vnto all or rather vnto some eminent persons of the Kingdome and the like But expecting longe their answeres which diuers of them promised though they performed not and waiting 10 or 12 monethes and finding nothing but delaies and foording me off still hereby I suspected that this their counsaile of discretion was but a dry morsell to stay my stomake withall for the present and nothing else but a fained thing deuised handsomly to make mee beleeue on the one side that that they meant seriously and faithfully to haue taken the matter into their consideration had not I bene so rash in publishing it which they neuer meant as all experience euen to this day sheweth for both my Notes then and my Booke since haue neuer bene answered by them by way of confutation nor approued of them by way of confirmation And on the other side to haue kept this Trueth secret from the peoples knowledge and this of the twaine indeed is that they chiefly aime at it is most grieuouse vnto them that common people should espie their errours as for their owne consciences many of them are large enough as I haue experience to my exceding greate sorrow of heart to brooke the superstitiouse and ignorant obseruation of the Lords day Sabbath and to neglect the worship of God in the 7th day Sabbath they could digest these things and set downe with them good quietly prouided no body might see this their blind ignorance halting with God but this is that which toucheth to the quicke with them that since my publication of this Trueth and discouery of their errour now they cannot halt in secret now common people see ther 's no grownds for the Lords day Sabbath now their parishoners others can answer their arguments and see their folly and leuâ—ty and how a long time they haue bene carried in a golding dreame Well when I saw that Ministers sleited Gods Trueth then I resolued to turne me and open my selfe vnto the people trusting to finde more fidelity sincerity among them if therfore it griueth them that the people know of it sooner then they would let them thank themselues for sleiting of it when tendered vnto them and for their attempts to smother it c. For some of them haue said vnto me when I haue moued them in it most ceriously what thinke you wee haue nothing else to doe but to listen to your toies Others obiect saying if I would haue wrote in controuercy I shold haue wrote against Papists as Bellarmine the like against a forraine enemy c. To whom I answer ther 's more neede to deale at home then a broad euery man flies vpon A Papist for the controuercy is made easy by the many helpes of our lerned writers because it is applauded at all hands so as a man may be a gainer by the controuercy But fewe or none will medle to redresse things at home for these are not onely hard difficult requiring much study greate labours considering none haue gone before to giue them light but also a man may easily foresee it hee shall be a loser by the bargaine wherby you may easily gather that homebred euiles are more perillouse and like to stick longe by vs without reformation now by how much the fewer will vndertake them by so much the better seruice he doth vnto God that will aduenture himselfe in them for this is that I aime at not to please men but him that hath called me and betrusted me with one of his Talents my chiefe desire now is that I may improue it not which way my selfe may best gaine credit wealth and preferment but that way whereby I may wine most glorie to my chiefe Lord and Master Let none thinke me so ignorant but that I know well enough which is the way to rise in the world were that the thing I short at and I know right well that whilst I am in this argument I am cleane out of that way but with Moses I haue a respect vnto the Recompense of reward Some of them obiect vnto me that by stiring in this point I shall incense the State and the Byshopes will molest me c. To whom I answer that 's the thing indeed would much please them that the Governement of the Kingdome would oppose mee so much they intimate by their much wondering that I am so long suffered in quiet c for since they cannot defend the phantasy of the Lords day Sabbath by the Scriptures and sword of the Spirit now they long for the aide of the sword of the Magistrate wondering it tarrieth so long erre it will aueng them but had I their cause in hand I would be ashamed to desire aide from the sword of the Magistrate when the word of God and sword of the Spirit refuseth to help first let them soundly answer confute my booke and then let them flie to the Magistrat and spare not I know well that things tending to changes and alterations are not pleasing vnto Statsmen vnlesse in case most weighty and of vrgent necessity of which kind I trust they will Iudge this to be after they haue once taken it into their graue and iudiciouse considerations The soundnesse and cleernesse of this my cause giueth me good hope that God will inlighten them with it so incline their hearts vnto mercy but if not since I verily beleeue and know it to be a Trueth and my duety not
to smother it and suffer it to dye with mee I haue aduentured to publish it to defend it saying with Quene Aester If I perish I perish and with the Apostle Paul I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto mee so that I may fulfill my course with ioye Actor 20.24 What a corziue would it prove to my conscience on my deaths bedd to cale to minde how I knew these things full well but would not reueale them how could I say with S. Paul that I had reuealed the whole Counsaile of God and haue kept nothing backe that was proffitable Act. 20.20.27 what hope could I then conceiue that God would open his gate of Mercy to mee who whilst I liued would not open my mouth for him Thus Gentle Reader I haue both giuen thee my reasons mouing me to wright and also showne thee the many discouragements opposing me how I haue encountered them now in the last place my request vnto thee shall be 1. that thou expectest not from me expressions of greate Schollarship reading elegancy of phrase and the like but onely soundnesse plainnesse and godly simplicity as this is all you shall find so is it as much as I desire you should finde Touching Method I could wish that here and there some things were otherwise placed but considering that nothing is more tediouse vnto me then vnnecessary wrighting of one thing twise ouer whereby such slipes might haue bene amended I trust I shall obtaine thy patience and the rather considering that after this worke was first finished it laying still by mee I had occation to add too many and sondry things here and there and not finding roome enough in the margent of my Notes to inserte them were I would was forced to thrust them in where I could 2. Whereas in some passages a harsh word or two may fale from my pen which the temperate Reader may thinke might better haue bene spared In this case I desire him to thinke that he is not yet so sensible of the foulnesse of the cause as my selfe who haue peraduenture better weighed circumstances for I consider of the foulnes of the matter seeing it most palpably of the obstinacy of the aduersaries after sufficient meanes of conviction tendered long a gone vnto them and of the dangerouse consequences arising from their greate errours in a matter of greatest weight and moment it being about a Morall Law a parte of Gods worship and a most Ancient ordinance of Gods I see their absurd answers distinctons and arguments and how by their subtilty they corrupt the Scriptures and abuse the well minded people of the Land obserue it and you shall still find some of these things the foregoing occation of euery tarte speech I vse now these things my Reader at first cannot be possessed of as I am who can speake of such foule things without some expressions of a iust indignation against them In specialll I haue often occasion to vse the word Puritan◠Hereat let none be offended for I vse it not in reproch vnto sanctity and purity or the professours thereof considered as truly such for I honour purity in my heart endeauor after it in my life I vse the word therfore but onely as a note of distinction to point at some men with whom I haue to deale rather then others grieued I am at my heart and in my soule that I must haue to deale against persons so qualified T is true this cause concerneth all men none excepted whither Ministers or people yet in speciall as cause there is for it I direct my speech chiefly against Ministers of Ministers there are two sortes puritanes and such as are no puritanes these as I find them not redy to imbrace things new so I find them not redy to condemne a cause before they haue heard it wherefore spareing them my speech is onely against puritane Ministers of these also there are two sortes some who happily neuer so much as haue heard of this question or if they haue yet neuer raised slaunders oppositions against it but carying it temperatly and discreetly wish it a due triall that so the trueth may be boulted out these mē I reuerence but there are others in speciall those tenn Ministers named in the title lease at the begining of this booke these men in speciall I oppose for these after they haue had my Notes and also my former booke and conference with me now fowre yeeres past yet still doe raise vp all the oppositon against both my person and my cause that they can and that both publikly and priuatly Salomon telleth vs there is an appointed time for all things A time to laugh and a time to weepe A time to rend and a time to sowe A time of warre and a time of peace A Time to keepe silence and a time to speake Eccl. 3. my former booke was a time of silence for there I laboured to couer the spotes blemishes of these my brethrens errour hoping a word had bene enough to the wise but they abusing it this booke is a time to speake and lay them forth in their cullers My former booke was a time of peace for there I handled the matter meekly mildly and in all friēdlinesse hoping these my brethren would redly haue imbraced Trueth with peace but they proclaiming open warres against me Gods cause in my hand this booke is a time of warre here I take them for Gods enimies and myne Let me desire my Reader therfore to giue me patience to prosecute these enemies of Gods Trueth rowndly not sparing them though they be Ministers Happily thou wilt say in their behalfe oh but these men whom you would so prosecute they are Ministers whom we exceedingly reuerence and who doe truly feare God as your selfe cannot deny c. Yea they are your brethren c. And so doe I reuerence them too but with this limitation in their virtues and wherin they doe well And they truly feare God as I am strongly perswaded yet they haue not at all times a respect vnto all Gods Commandements as the Prophet Dauid speaketh for they transgresse the 4th Com. weekly by prophaning of Gods Sabbathes I may not vnfitly resemble these 10 Ministers vnto that clowd which had a light and a darke parte when I behold their light parte see them walking in teaching the trueth I cannot loke enough on them I may truly speake it but when I looke on their darke parte and see them in their errours I abhorre their sight as one abhorreth the darknesse The Prophet Dauid was to be exceedingly reuerenced yet not in his sinnes of murther adultery against the 6th 7th com Hee truly feared God yet at this time he had not a respect vnto these two Commandements of murther and adultery The Apostle Peter being a Minister was to be highly reuerenced yet not in his deniall of Christ He truly feared God yet when he
its Integrity 2. The 4th Com. is but a Cipher 3. An holy prayer of our Church is frustrate 4. A gate is set open to Anabaptistry 5. The worship of God will languish decay 6. An old Tradition is kept in the place where the old Sabbath should stand 7. Men liue in the weekly sinne of Sabbath breaking 8. God is denied a parte of his worship Yea corruptly worshiped 9. Idolatry is committed by thowsand thowsands in the Kingdome And these are the Contentes of this booke A Defence of the Morall LAW CHAP. I. SECT I. THE scope and principall drift of this Treatise Christian Reader is the defence of the Lords Sabbathes to wit his ancient Sabbathes the Saturday seuenth dayes Sabbathes the which are expresly enioyned vs in the fourth Com. in these wordes Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it c. But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord c. Exod. 20.8.10 Against this ancient and most sacred ordinance of Gods I find two professed enemies against whom I must bend my forces the one are they who deny the Law of God the Morall Law or 10 Commandements to belong vnto Christians and so consequently they deny Gods Sabbathes also commanded in the Law and these are our Anabaptistes and our late sprung vp Antinomianes the other are they who deny the Integrity and perfection of the Law they embrace the Law of God indeed but not the whole law and these are both Protestantes and Papistes for these reiect that ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day properly so called and expresly commanded in the morall law counting it for a ceremony and abolished by reiection whereof they reiect some thing commanded in the Law and so consequently they are partiall in the law and doe deny it in its integrity and perfection vrge an Anabaptist or Antinomian to the obseruation of the Sabbath day and he will answere you that the law is abolished at the comming of Christ as all those legall Ceremonies were vrge a Protestant or a Papist to sanctify the Sabbath day and your answere shall be that this part of the law touching the Sabbath day is a ceremonie and abolished at the coming of Christ thus Anabaptistes and Antinomians renounce the whole law Protestants and Papists renounce the wholenesse of the law the one would haue no law the other would haue no perfect law Against both these this booke is penned The partes of this booke are sixe diuided into so many Chapters also The first parte or chapter is in defense of the Morall Law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes against Anabaptistes and Antinomianes The other fiue partes or Chapters are in defense of the integrity and perfection of the Law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes against Protestantes and Papistes for this purpose the second parte or Chapter giueth the true sense and Exposition of the fourth Command and vindicateth it from the common and corrupt glosses and expositions of it The third Chapter sheweth the weaknesse and insufficiency of all those Scriptures and arguments which are vsually produced to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath day The fourth Chapter sheweth the insufficiency and feeblenesse of all those Scriptures and arguments which are vsually alleaged against the Lords Sabbath of the seuenth day or Saturday to make it an abolished ceremony The fifth Chapter conteineth sondry forcible and vndeniable arguments and Scriptures prouing the morallity and perpetuity of the ancient Sabbath day The sixte and last Chapter conteineth a Dispensation for a season touching the present practise and obseruation of the seuenth day Sabbath together with an Exhortation to a speedy reformation Thus you see my taske what it is my aduersaries who they are and the partes of this Booke One thing more would be premised for so much as we shall often haue occasion to vse these two words Morall and Ceremoniall it is sit that I here shew in what sense I vnderstand them 1. I would vse these words but for distinction sake for whereas there are two sortes of Sabbathes the wekly Sabbath and the yeerly Sabbathes the Sabbath which God wrote and the Sabbathes which Moses wrote the Sabbath which God spake and the Sabbathes which Moses spake the Sabbath written in the Morall law Exod. 20.8 and the Sabbathes written in the Ceremoniall law Levit. 23.32 c. for the distinguishing of these two sortes of Sabbathes one from the other I doe vse these two words calling the weekly Sabbath recorded in the Morall law the Morall Sabbath and the yeerly Sabbathes recorded in the Ceremoniall law the Ceremoniall Sabbathes these Sabbathes were also distinguished in respect of time the Morall Sabbath was first deliuered Exod. 20.8 yea Gen. 2.2.3 the ceremoniall Sabbathes were afterwards deliuered Levit. 23.32 c. neither did these ceremoniall Sabbathes euer come within the pale of the Morall law or were written in the Tables of stone 2. I see not but that I may call the weekly Sabbath the Morall Sabbath properly for 1. the seuenth day or weekly Sabbath it conserneth practise and manners which is signified by the word Morall 2. Since God spake all those words Exod. 20.1 why should not euery thing he spake be called morall as well as any thing he spake and since the Sabbath day or seuenth day is a thing that is expresly commanded in the Morall law and which may I say which may be retained in the Church with great profit why should it be denied the name of morall 3. Giue me a reason why the seuenth day Sabbath should not be called a Morall as well as the doctrine of the Trinity in the first Com or as the doctrine of originall sinne or lust Rom. 7.7 in the tenth Comm 4. Since the dueties of the Sabbath to wit Rest and Holy exercises are accounted Morall why should not the time or seuenth day also be accounted morall for the time is a furtherance vnto these morall dueties now that which furthereth a morall should me thinke be also called a morall 5. Herevnto agreeth Doctour Ames in his Theologicall Thesis pag. 499. and also affirmeth it to be the iudgement of the best diuines saying It is receiued by all best diuines that the Morales were differenced from the Ceremoniales by this that all and onely the Morales were wrote by God in the Tables of stones c. The Saturday and weekly Sabbath then must needs be termed a morall Sabbath In a word why should this be strange for as there is a ceremoniall law and a morall law why may there not be likewise ceremoniall Sabbathes and morall Sabbathes and since God placed the seuenth day Sabbath in the morall law among the morales why should it not be termed morall and called the morall Sabbath The morall Sabbathes together with whatsoeuer else is commanded in the morall law I doe defend the Ceremoniall Sabbathes with all other Ceremonies I doe reiect It is the Decalogue and nothing else which I defend and this I stand to maintaine in
then hee vvill haue an account of his vvholl Lavv not of peeces and percels of it as vve please Thus vve se vvhat the duety of Ministers is namely to teach the people to obserue the Lords seauenth day Sabbath which is one of the commandements though you make it the least and it is their duetie also if they vvill be freed of Christ his Cursse to obserue keepe the 7th day Sabbath before the people so leading them by liefe doctrine together but hovv sarre off is the practise of most Teachers from obseruing the minde vvill of Christ in steade of practising the 7th day Sabbath in their ovvne persones for example vnto others they could be content to persecute any that they se forward this way oh fearfull In stead of teaching the people this vvhich they count the least of Gods commandements vrging them to keepe euery iote and title of Gods Lavv so the Lords Sabbath day they teach openly publikly the quite contrary as namely that this least of Gods commandements it is abolished and that the Sabbath day commanded it is abolished thus this least of Gods commandements is trampled downe because it is a little one a ceremoniall one a circumstantiall one not the Law of Nations nor found novv in the hartes off all men falne corrupted as a Law of Nature and because commanded to the Iew and the like but vvhat soeuer be their shiftes suer Iam the Sabbath day is not lesse then one of the iotes and titles of Gods Law nor is it lesse then the least of Gods commandements wherefore vvho soeuer teacheth in opposition to this Sabbath day he bevvraieth himselfe to be no frend of Christs and that he regardeth not his mind and vvill in teaching and obseruing all euery of the Commandemets nay he proclaimeth him selfe in open pulpit to be a professed enemy to Christ our Sauiour and these his vvordes Mat. 5.18.19 and to the integrity vvholnesse as I may call it of Gods Lavv he had rather haue it lamed percelled out that so he might serue God by halues and by peece meale then to haue an indifferent respect vvith Dauid vnto all Gods Commandements Psal 119.6 rather then he vvould haue Gods Lavv intire compleate in the perfection of partes vnto a iote and title Is not it true of such Ministers werewith the Lord charged those corrupt Priests Mal. 2.9 to vvit that they were partiall in the Law are not these also in our time partiall in Gods Law when not with standing vvhat Christ hath said for the integrity of the Lavv yet these men wil reiect a parte of it and so become like those Priests partiall in Gods Lavv for a parte of Gods Lavv they vvill haue an other parte they vvill none of the dueties of rest and holinesse in the 4th com this parte of the 4th com they vvill haue but the other duetie of the Time this parte of the same 4th com they vvill none of Were these Ministers of the lovver ranke for zeale of the Number of those vvhich are not accounted so zelouse of Gods Lavves it vvere the lesse to be vvondred at but being puritant Ministers and such as vvould be displeased at him vvho should say to them they had not an indifferent respect vnto all Gods commandements vvith out exceptions that these I say should picke and choose take leaue become like those profane Priests partiall in Gods Law it is to be maruailed at Mistake me not good Reader it is not purity that I mislike in puritanes for of all men I honour no men more then such as are endeauour to be of pure harte holy liefe but this I hate in them to se their practise belye their doctrine professiō for they teach daily for vniversall obediēce to all Gods com without exceptions resernations but Loe they are found here halting one of the least as they say of Gods Commandements ratified by our Sauiour they neglect and contemne Others there be of the same ranke which be not so impudent as the former they preach teach not against the Lords Sabbaths therefore are not guilty of the Cursse of Christ for breaking this least Com. teaching men so yet are they enemies to this least Comm. for haueing heard of my former booke which I vvrote in defence of this least Com. and for the Lords Sabbath yea and after they haue seene it reade it ouer they spitt fyer at it cry out burne the booke t is a foule errour c. These men like Iames Iohn not knovving of vvhat Spirit they are vvould haue fyer come downe presently although they know not either how to proue their Lords day to be a Sabbath day nor yet hovv to disproue the Lords Sabbath day or to confute the booke yet they can cry burne the booke t is a foule errour c. Thus these are so farre from teaching this least com to the people as that they vse all their diligence to scare afright simple people vvith greate vvords that so they might still remaine caught in theire snares in blind ignorance if the Lawes of this Realme vvere fitted to these mens minds it should be vvoe to him that toucheth this Lords day Sabbath the Diana of our time but seing they doe it out of a good affection I shall vvith Paul make it mine hearts desire and prayer to God for them that they may repent for I beare them witnesse that they haue the Zeale of God but not according to knowledge They thinke it much that they cannot preuaile vvith the rude multitude for the keeping Holy of the Lords day Sabbath but that say they vvhat they can yet they will reuell riote profane it vvell the case is novv become their ovvne it shall be seene whither all that I haue said can preuaile vvith them for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths on the 7th day suer I am I haue said shall say much more more soundly for the 7th day Sabbath to moue them to keepe it then euer they did or could say to profane persones for the keeping of the 8th day Sabbath if therfore synister affections preuaile so vvith them that they vvill not liften to mee no more then their profane hearers will to them let them tell me then what is the difference betvvixt them selues and their profane auditours An other sorte there are who are disobedient to Christs will by deniall of the integrity wholnesse perfection of Gods law in as much as they doe not onely refuse to teach the people this least of Gods commandements namely which is the proper day time of Gods worship seruice but if they finde that by the paines of any others more faithfull in this point then themselues any of their flocke are taught instructed in this way of the Lord more perfectly that they begin to see a further light into this Law of
be vpholden by Antiquity vniuersality c there be other things vnknowne of Gods will the knowledge whereof would but tend to their reproch and shame and would be generally distasted of all the Ministry and might be a meanse to depriue them of their liuings they crossing all Antiquity vniuersality c in so much as if God should now demand of these petitioners what they would haue of him whither that he should bestow vpō them the whole knowledge of his will intirly whither it make with them or against them or onely that part thereof which might tend to their present commodety it is to be vehemently suspected they would choose this latter onely albeit they would blush to say so I appeale to their consciences examined if I hit not the marke the reason of my such suspicion is this in part The knowledge of this part of Gods law touching his Sabbaths it is not put vpon them to study it out with great paines but it is brought home to their dores redy studied for them 2. The point is most easy familiar to be vnderstood no difficulties in it saue what themselues doe voluntarily vnnecessarily put vpon it by their vaine distinctions friuolouse obiections as some thing may be obiected against any thing that it is easy I know it my selfe for I haue fathomed it diued good deepe into the bottome of it I know it also by others both of the Ministry and priuate men who can see it cleerly and without difficulty Wherefore I can impute their ignorāce to nothing else but that they are willing to be ignorant haue no desires to be acquainted with that vnprofitable incommodiouse part of Gods will for vvhat is there in this controuercy of the Sabbath that exceedeth the capacety euen of the meanest but especially if you speake of Ministers who haue a dexterity when they will in vnderstanding questions of Diuinity it is not possible for them to be ignorant had they a willing mind I am very confident that if they prayed to God out of an vnfeined sincere loue to Gods Law that he would informe them in the vnproffitable part of his will as vvell as in the proffitable part that God would soone send them a cleere light thereof especially since the way is now made so open easy I wish they vvould but make experience of God in this case according to my counsaile desire and if they doe not it will be bitternesse first or last In a word Ministers haue heard that Gods Sabbath is now in question but which of them haue gone into their studies and deeply minded the point out of a desire to find it defend it if it might be found and defended I appeale to their consciences Let vs novv try the people by this rule and see if there be not like Priest like people it is true these pray for an increase of knovvledge in Gods lawes also but doe they meane to obtaine a knowledge of all the law of God wholly or of so much onely as may serue the time and please their Ministers what their desire is shall appeare by their practise t is voiced abroade that the Lords Sabbaths are profaned the 4th comman weekly transgressed and that there is a booke newly come forth to that effect well how doe people now behaue themselues vpon these tidings If a man should cry fyer fyer in the night so in loue men are vvith their housen and so desirouse to preserue them that instantly they startle leape out their bedds make inquiry where and search round about their housen without and with in and will not be perswaded to bedd againe till they be suer all is safe Did men loue Gods lawes as they doe their housen and possessions they vvould not be at rest till they had scanned the point and examined the booke ouer againe and againe But I shall tell you one of the ordinary questions they moue vpon these tidings to wit what think you Sir may not a man goe to heauen in the ould opinion though he be ignorant of this parte of Gods word touching his proper Sabbath to passe by what I thinke of heauen let me tell you vvhat I know of hell I am suer a man may goe to hell in the ould opinion these questions way intimate that men resolue to giue to God no more seruice then what neglected they plung body soule in to hell fier this is no filiall but a seruile minde affection this is farre from Dauids prayer open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law Let me tell you also the successe which these tidinges produce vvith most others say they it were much to be wished this booke had neuer comne forth that this point bad neuer bene questioned I wish the Authour had bene better aduised it vvill cause much stirre in the Church before we vvere finly quiet this novv vvill cast rubbes in our vvay our consciences vvill be checking of vs c. All the ansvver these shall haue from me is to aduise them to see to it that by such obiections they be not like to those rebelliouse Ievves vvho vvould not receiue instruction vvhen God vvould haue taught them children that would not heare the Law of the Lord which say vnto the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not vnto vs right things but speake stattering things vnto vs c. Isa 30.9.10 to conclude let these their common obiections speake for them if therby they doe not bevvray that in their prayers they intend to obtaine no more of God but a partiall knovvledge of his Lavv and this their partiality may breed a shrewd suspition their loue to Gods Law is not sound and sincere for if it vvere they vvould not reiect the meanes of knovvledge before they haue tasted it So much be spoken by vvay of vse from this that an vnfeined loue of Gods Lavv cannot but desire the knovvledge of the vnknovvne partes thereof I come novv to make some application of that other propertie is it so that vvho so loueth Gods Lavv in trueth he vvill vvith all redinesse cherefulnesse and vvillingnesse imbrace the knovvledge of the vnknovvn partes thereof vvhen the same is tendred vnto him if vve shall put men vpon the triall for this point also here vve shall in the first place find many in the Ministery guilty hovv vnvvilling they are that the knovvledge of this parte of Gods Lavv touching his Sabbaths should come abroade into the vvorld or into their owne heads both their ovvne consciences are priuy to and the vvorld takes knovvledge of vvere the knovvledge of a good liuing tendred them I dare say it fevve or none of them but vvould haue runne and ridd about it vvith all diligence long before this could any man informe thē though but doubtfully of some Tyeth vnpaid belonging to their liuings if Lavvyers vvould not bring them Counsaile they vvould ride make out to them
for counsaile aboute the matter and all their vvites frends should be imployed for to find it out as they vvould haue it if it vvere possible but novv the Tyeth of Gods Lavv or a portion of the tieth at least is detayned from God and from themselues by themselues and here they vvill neither runne nor ride nor aske for Counsaile in this case no nor accept vvelcome it vvhen it is brought thrust in to their heades it giues a man to suspect that these loue more vnfeinedly a good liuing then Gods law Nay I cannot but thinke that if I had tendered vnto some Ministers a liuing of 50l. or 60l. a yeere that vpon no better euidence title then in my former booke I tendred them the Lords Sabbaths I cannot thinke I say that any man in the kingdome could wrest it out of their hands In a word these that are so mindelesse of Gods lavv vvhen they are so mindfull of their owne liuings like as God said vnto his people the Iewes when they neglected the building of the Temple yet were diligent to builde themselues houses Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste Hagg. 1.4 So may I say vnto them Is it time for you yee Ministers to enioy your liuings when the Lords Sabbaths lie waste God must haue a rekoning of you for these things This rule being applied to common people will detect them also Is it so that whosoeuer loueth Gods law in trueth he will with all redinesse willingnesse imbrace the knowledge of the vnknowne partes thereof Then if I shall make it appeare that most men are vnwilling to imbrace the knowledge of the vnknovvne partes of Gods lavv it vvill follovv very suspiciously that most men doe not loue the law of God in trueth what euer they say thinke to the contrary Thus I make it good against them The doctrine of Gods Sabbaths is a parte of the lavv it is the vnknovvne part of Gods lavv Novv the knowledge of this being tendered vnto men they bevvray their vnwillingnesse to be taught instructed in it that two wayes the one is in that vvhen the matter cometh to tryall they admit of insufficient Artificiall arguments for they preferr feeble and weake reasons before strong and able reasones the other is in that they admit of insufficient Inartificiall argumēts for they admit and allow of dissallowable and vnsufficient Testimonyes to decide this controuercy by vvhen these two things are made plaine the case vvill goe cleere against them for a foundation first of all suppose we the point in controuercy to wit this vnknowne parte of Gods Law touching his Sabbathes is as disputable contingent questionable as doubtfull as you will in so much as in your very consciences you thinke it may be it may not be a trueth and that it is as likly not to be true as to be true let all this be granted perhaps there is some reason it shold be granted seeing that it is a point not heard of before by common people neither haue they euer spent any time in the study of the point Well be it so I proceed then For the first to vvit that vvhen the point of Gods Sabbaths comes to be argued people yea Ministers also admit of insufficient arguments preferring them before able strong reasons and this shall appeare by comparing together the reasons brought onboth sides the reasons brought for the Lords Sabbaths among others are these 1. Gods expresse Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day and In it thou shalt not doe any worke 2. Christ ratified it vvhen he vvith so vehement an Asseueration auovvched the duration of euery iot and title of the Lavv vnto the vvorlds end saying Verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth perish one iote or one title of the Law shall not escape vntill all things be fulfilled And againe whosoeuer therfore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.18.19 On the other side the reasons brought against Gods Sabbathes by those which are the enemies therof are these Gal. 4.10 ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres c. and Col. 2.16 let no man condemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes Novv let these argumēts on both sides be laid into the ballances they for the Lords Sabbath in to the one ballāce they against the Lords Sabbath in to the other ballance and then iudg thou good Reader vvhither hath the greater weight For breuitysake we wil compare onely these two textes Exo. 20.8 and Col. 2.16 The one thou seest is a Commandement and a Morall Commandement it toucheth the very point in question to vvit the 7th day Sabbath yea that the 4th Com. intendeth the seauenth day Saturday Sabbath is so plaine as vvas it neuer doubted of by any The other thou seest is a dissvvasion from Sabbath dayes indefinitly that is from some Sabbath dayes for the Apostle saith not all Sabbath dayes in generall but Sabbath dayes as of some Sabbath dayes in speciall so then this texte toucheth not the point in question to wit the 7th day Sabbath but other annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths if this Text did make ought against the Morall 7th day Sabbath it must speake of all Sabbathes generally in the largest sense that so the Morall Sabbath might be included condemned too but the text doth not mention the note of generallity all neither is it necessarily to be collected for 1. their owne expositers as Perkins Dod Greenham Elton Ames with diuerse others as shall be shovvne doe limite this text vnto some Sabbaths as vnto the ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths and. 2. The text giueth light vnto it for it condemneth onely such things as neuer vvere vvrote in the Morall Law as meate and drinke and new moones c. and therefore vve iudge the Sabbaths condemned in this Text to be onely such Sabbaths also as vvere neuer vvrote in the 10 Commandements as their yeerly Sabbaths so the vveekly Sabbaths in the 4th Com. stand still vntoucht by this text 3 suppose vve that the Apostle had spake not onely of Sabbaths plurally but also of Sabbaths generally had vsed the particle all saying all Sabbaths yet vve knovv that the particle all is often times restrained in Scripture is not taken in the largest sense that may be witnesse these Scriptures 1. Cor. 6.12 1. Cor. 9.25 1. Corint 10.23.33 1. Cor. 13.2.7 1. Cor. 15.22 vvhereby vve see that this their text Col. 2.16 may be vnderstood of some Sabbaths onely as namely of the yeerly Sabbaths and so ther 's no necessity it should touch the morall vveekly Sabbaths at all Iudge novv good Reader whither of these two textes are more for the purpose for the 4th com it is vnderstood directly of the 7th
rare seldome action once onely done novv Pauls seldome rare preaching cannot bind vs to an often frequent preaching vnlesse you would haue the Schollers out stripp their Master Can it be showne that euer Paul did any where or at any time preach twise together vpon two Lords dayes one after an other If it cannot as I know it cannot where then is any grownd for a continued practise weekly this Example of Pauls was rare extraordenary like as vvas Peters in the forealleaged text now extraordenary things doe not bind vs to an ordenary practise and frequent vnles you will that we should keepe the Lords day more frequently more constantly then did the Apostles themselues A sixth Text they haue and it is 1 Cor. 16.2 vpon the first day of the weeke let euery one lay by him in store c. Here it is thought that there vvas a Collection for the poore and a Sermon so it vvas a Sabbath day Vnto this Text I answer as before let it be granted which neuer can be proued that this was a Sabbath day because there was a collection for the poore yet this Text proueth not any continued constancy of Sunday after Sunday euery Sunday or euery first day of the weeke for it speaketh but of one single action once done onely saying vpon the first day of the weeke not euery first day of the vveeke But touching this my answer Mr. Chappell Minister of S. Andrews in Norwich hath vndertaken to proue the contrary in publike against my former booke vvhere he affirmed that the word Katà when it is applied to time or place it is taken distributiuly for euery one and that therfore this Text is to be reade according to the old Translation thus Euery first day of the weeke let euery one lay by him in store And so he vvould haue this collection for the poore if any here vvere to be a constant practise To vvhome I ansvver 1. if here be inioyned a constant collection for the poore on the Lords day as a proper worke for our new Sabbath day why doth he not presse his people the Ouerseers of the parish vvith the rest to make a collectiō for the poore euery Lords day as a proper Sabbath dayes vvorke as an errour for them to make any collections vpon any other day of the vveeke for that vvhich is proper to Sunday is vnlavvfull to be done on any other day Secondly I ansvver that forasmuch as our Nevv Translatours haue altered amended our old Translation I maruaile that Mr. Chappell will oppose them for vndoubtedly they did not correct it rashly and vnaduisedly their manner vvas to preserue the dignity of the old Translation what they could therfore they vvould not haue altered it from Euery first day vnto vpon the first day but that they savv vvell that it could not be translated Euery first day vvherefore I haue the nevv Translation vvhich is iudged by all men the better translation on my side against Mr. Chappell Thirdly I ansvver that the grovvnd vvhere vpon Mr. Chappell goeth in contradicting both the Nevv Translatores and mee is false for he affirmeth that the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhen it concerneth time or place it signifieth Euery one But I vvill shew him sondry textes of Scripture to the contrary see Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet of no strength in due time Christ died for the vngodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred in due time it being here to be vnderstood of one single time but by Mr. Chappels rule it must be thus rendered Euery time as if Christ had died many times for vs see also Rom. 9.9 for this is the word of promise at this time will I come Sara shall haue a Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered at this time as vnderstood of one single time in vvhich the Angel vvould come againe but if Mr. Chappels reason be good then it ought thus senselesly to be translated Euery time will I come Sara shall hatte a sonne as if the Angell vvere to come often times c. see a like Text Ioh. 5.4 for an Angell went downe at a certaine season in to the poole c. According to Mr. Chappell this Text must be thus translated for an Angell vvent dovvne euery time or euery season in to the poole c. And see Math. 2.16 Herod slevv the children from tvvo yeeres old vnder according to the time vvhich he had inquired of the vvise men If Mr. Chappels obseruation vpon the Greek text be good then it must be thus absurdly translated Herod slevv the children from tvvo yeeres old vnder euery time vvhich he had inquired of the vvise men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 novv it is plaine that Herod inquired of the vvise men but once see v. 7. Thus it appeareth hovv vnsoundly he vvent to vvorke vvhen he vvouldsupporte our Nevv Sabbath Fourthly I ansvver suppose it could be proued as he vvould hane it that the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is euery vvhere else in Scripture taken for Euery one vvhen it concerneth time yet heere in this place I proue that it must not be taken so but as our Nevv Translation hath it for vvords must be vnderstood to signify according to the Authors mind that vseth them as is vvell knovvne novv tvvo reasons there be in this text vvhich crosse Mr. Chappels sense the one is that if this collection be a constāt thing for Euery first day of the weeke then vvere the Churches of Galatia Corinth bound to make a constant collection for the poore of the Church of Ierusalem on euery Lords day or first day of the vveeke continually for this collection vvas not for their ovvne poore but for the poore of remote Churches for Jerusalem see 1. Cor. 16.3 like as vve had once in England a collection for the Church in the Palatinate novv had this collection bene for their owne poore there had bene the more likelihood that it might haue bene vveekly and continually but being it vvas for the poore of a forraigne Church to vvit for the Church at Ierusalem as vvas ours for the Pallatinate once vvhat likelihood is there to think this collection should be euery vveeke vveeke by vveeke continually let the reader iudge The other thing in this text vvhich crosseth Mr. Chappels translation is that Paul saith he vvould haue no collection vvhen himselfe vvas present vvith them that then there be no gatherings when I come 1. Cor. 16.2 now who could be so simple to thinke that this collection must be vnderstood to be Euery first day of the weeke vvhen as Paul himselfe makes an exception that in the text it selfe for he excepteth that time vvherin himselfe should be there present vvith them that then there should be no gatherings thus much for ansvver to this text also vvherby you see it cannot be proued that this collection supposed nevv Sabbath vvas a constant continued thing vveeke
Christ is the Lord both of the dead of the quicke Rom. 14.9 will it follow because he is Lord of the quicke that therefore he will destroy the quicke no all that will follow out of this text is no more but this that Christ sheweth vs how we may in a case of necessity vse some labour to plucke eares of corne the like to satisfy present hunger thus the Lord of a corne field will in a case of necessity permit his seruants to make a pathway thorough the midest of the corne but yet wold be exceedingly wroth with them if they should trample all the field ouer no necessity compelling them thereto and so dealt Christ the Lord of the Sabbath with his seruantes he gaue them leaue to make a path thorrow it as it were Lastly it cannot be that Christ did here at this time destroy the Sabbath day for it was not yet time for it for Christ destroyed abolished no ceremonies vntill his death vpon the Crosse Col. 2.14 if therfore the Sabbath day had bene a ceremony we cannot thinke that Christ would abolish it now whilst he liued so long before his death thus much for this text SECT VI. A second text is ij Cor. 5.17 old things are passed away behold all things are become new Hereunto I answer but briefly because I haue touched this text before wheras the text saith old things are passed away therfore they thinke the old Sabbath is passed away too if this be a good reason then may we further reason thus that because old things are abolished therefore all the 10 commandements are abolished too for they are old things but the Apostles of Christ haue taught vs better diuinity for they in the new Testament doe send vs to those old things in the old Testament saying what soeuer things were written aforetime were written for our lerning Rom. 15.4 and S. Iohn saith I write no new commandement vnto you but an old commandement c. 1 Ioh. 2.7 2. I answer this text is wrested because it is not vnderstod for the Apostle speaketh not here of old ordinances in the Church as of Sabbaths and the like but of old Adam the old man of old vngodly practises if any man be in Christ such old things are passed away from him abolished c. so here is nothing yet against the 7th day Sabbath SECT VII A third text against the time of the 7th day Sabbath is Iosh 10.13 wher it is said that the Sune abode in the midst of heauē hasted not to goe down of a whole day some Ministers make a great deale of title tatleing about this standing still of the Sune in Ioshua his time hereby they thinke that time is so confounded as now no man knowes precisely which is the 7th day because the 7th day cannot be knowne hence is plea enough for them to ouerthrow the Sabbath day because it cannot be knowne this argument is much pressed against me by M. Stinnet for one Herevnto I answer 1. by this reason then it seemeth that neither the Prophets nor the Church of God that liued after the standing still of the Sunne in Ioshua his time vntill Christ time did euer keepe or were bound to keepe the Sabbath day or to yeeld any obedience vnto the 4th com by this reason the Iewes neuer after the standing still of the Sunne kept or were bound to keep the passouer on the 14th day of the moneth nor their other feast dayes all forsooth because the standing still of the Sunne had made such an alteration of time that they knew not Saturday from Sunday any longer nor the 14th day of the moneth from the 13th or 15th dayes of the moneth are not these men worthily counted enemies to Gods Sabbaths and are they not very desirouse to ouerthrow them when they study for such simple stuffe as this is against them is not this to make a needlesse voluntary and vnnecessary opposition to Gods ordinance for what necessity is here in this text to moue a man to oppose God in his Sabbathes 2. I proue their grownd false whereon they build they suppose the 7th day cannot be knowne because of the standing still of the Sunne but I proue that long after the Sunns standing still the 7th day was knowne for after Christ his resurrection all the iiij Euangelists doe cale our Sunday the first day of the weeke if then Sunday be the first day in their account rekone onwards Saturday after it must be the 7th day so thē the standing still of the Sunne hindreth not from the knowledge which day is the 7th and which day is the first c. other answers I giue also in my former booke but these are enough too many for such idle arguments An other argument of like nature they vse and this is a fit place to answer it if it deserued answer it is this if all nations be bound to keepe the 7th day Sabbath as well as the Iew then in some countries they must keepe a Sabbath day halfe a yeere together for in some countrie there is halfe a yeere light or day together Herevnto I answer 1. if this argument be good against the Sabbath day then is it good also against the Lords day for how shall all nationes be bound to keepe the Lords day seing that then in some countrie they shall be bound to keep a Lords day halfe a yeere long c 2. I answer by like reason a man may thus conclud that the 5th com belongeth not vnto all men because some men are not bound vnto it as a King whose father mother is dead but what if the King who hath no superiour liuing be not bound to the 5th com shall none of his subiects therefore who haue parentes and superiours liuing be bound vnto the 5th com so what if some one country should not be bound to the Sabbath day because of the exceeding length and discommodiousnesse of their dayes shall not we other nations therefore be bound to the Sabbath day and 4th com who haue dayes of convenient length much like as the Iewes had in Canaan and no such incommodiousenesse In the 10th com it is said thou shall not couet thy neighbors asse now thowsands in our country haue no Asses will they therefore conclud that such men amongst vs whose neighbors haue Asses are not forbidden to Couet their neighbors Asse because this branch of the 10th com doth not reach vnto euery man Others obiect that we cannot keepe the Sabbath day because our Saturday begineth not iust at the some point of time when the Iewes Sabbath day begane in Canaan but by the like reason we may now say that we cannot celebrate the Lords Supper neither for we drink not iust the selfe same kind of wine which Christ drank at Ierusalem nor is it likly that we eate the selfe same kind of bread for we eate whitebread
doth ratify and confirme all the lawes of God written in the Tables of stone as they are rehearsed by the Minister without mutilating or curtailing of any of them they are no children of the Church therefore who deny my Major and thus I haue abundantly proued the point by humane Testimony and so I come to proue it also by Diuine Testimony But me thinke euer anone as I am writing that some body should wonder at me that I should spend so many words to proue a point so plaine as this that all Gods commandements are now to be obeyed why may they say it is a point we neuer till now heard doubted of we euer tooke it as an Article of our faith that all things commanded in the Morall Law did binde vs to the obedience thereof and is it now become a question amongst Diuines if this principle be doubted of now we shall scarce know what to doe in Religion what not to doe what to beleeue what not to beleeue but surely Sir you are mistaken ther 's no Minister that hath any feare of God before his eyes that will doubt of this point and for common people they are as farre from doubting of it as the heauens are from the earth Wherevnto I answer that when I seriously enter into the consideration of it it maketh my very heart to tremble within me to thinke that any man that professeth godlinesse should be so farre in loue with old errour as to deny so cleere a trueth as this neuerthelesse not onely Ministers but puritane Ministers goe about to doubt of and deny this trueth for by their distinctiones they will deny that all the commandements written in the Decalogue doe binde vs to obedience which if they did not deny I should saue this labour they must imbrace that most ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day wherefore good Reader wonder not at me but rather wonder at such your Ministers who are become so vnfaithfull to God as that rather then they will confesse an old errour they will stifly deny a manifest trueth My first argument then of Diuine authority is this that euery thingonce commanded in the Morall Law standeth still vnrepealed is therefore still in force For these enemies to Gods Sabbaths they cannot proue that any one thing once commanded in the Decalogue was euer since reuoked abolished now whatsoeuer thing God hath once commanded in his 10 comman that thing is to staÌ„d euerlastingly vnlesse it can be showne that God hath reuoked reuersed it like as Statute Lawes in our Realme though made long since are neuerthelesse in force still vnlesse it can be showne that they haue bene repealed since by the same Authority that first inacted them For the further strengthening of which argument let these Scriptures be perpended What soeuer things are written aforetime are written for our lerning that we through patience comforte of the Scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15.4 and againe For the whole Scripture is giueÌ„ by inspiratioÌ„ of God is proffitable to teach to convince to correct to instruct in righteousnesse c. 2. Tym. 3.16 In which two portiones of Scripture you see the Apostle doth ratify an vninersallity of things written in the old Testament and an Integrity and wholenesse of the Scriptures of the old Testament now if we shall not apply these ij textes to the maintenance of the Morall Law or 10 commandements to maintaine the vniuersallity of all things written in the 10 commandements and to maintaine the Integrity perfection wolenesse of the 10 commandements then wherevnto shall we apply them for what portion of Scripture is there besids this Law in all the old Testament whereof it cane besaid that all things therin written concerne our practise that that whole Scripture is proffitable to teach vs to convince vs to correct vs and to instruct vs What scriptures of the old Testament I say can be the adaequate Subiect or Obiect of these ij Scriptures but the morall Law My 2d argument to proue that all the 10 commandements and euery commandement therin doe bind vs still to the obedience of them is this that the Apostle S. Paul doth ratifie this Law in the new Testament saying Doe we then make the Law of none effect through faith God forbid yea wee establish the Law Rom. 3.31 Where you see the Apostle affirmeth that hee did establish the Law now the word Law in this text is not to be restrained to some partes of it onely but to be taken in the largest sense seeing thers nothing in the context to hinder it now this Law is knowne to containe 10 commandements Then he wrote vpon the Tables according to the first writing the tenne commandements Deut. 10.4 the which were numbered by God least the number thereof should be diminished by meÌ„ againe Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Here againe all things written in the Law are ratified Furthermore S. Iames thus writeth whosoeuer shall kepe the whole Law yet faileth in one point hee is guilty of all Iam. 2.10 In which words S. Iames ratifieth all the Law or the whole Law so then S. Paul hath ratified the Law in its generality S. Iames in its Integrity yea S. Iames goeth further ratifieth all and euery parte pointe of the Law in as much as he would not haue vs faile in any one point of it as the text speaketh yet further see what our Sauiour Christ saith touching this matter whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commandements teach men so he shall be caled the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Here then our Sauiour ratifieth that to the worlds end as you may see in the verse before v. 18. the very least thing commanded in the 10 commandements In all which Scriptures you haue seene 1. That the Law is still inforce 2. That all things written in this Law are still in force 3. That the wholl Law is still in force 4. That the very least thing commanded in the law is still in force what can be desired more My 3d argument to proue that euery commandement in the Decalogue doth bind vs to obedience is because God hath ioyned the commandements togeather now that which our Sauiour saith in an other case is true in this also Let no man put a sunder that which God hath coupled together Mat. 19.6 Now behold how God hath coupled all these 10 commandements together 1. They were câ—upled together when God spake them all together Then God spake all these words saying Exod. 20.1 2dly they were coupâ—ed together when God wrote them together in the Tables of stone Deut. 10.4 3dly they were coupled together by number Thus God Almighty coupled them when he teld vs that wrote Tenn coÌ„mandements Deut. 10.4 4thly Our Sauiour Christ coupled them together when he
account the sinne of Sabbath breaking heere no lesse heinouse fearefull then I accounted it there for it doth not follow that because there is a Dispensation from a commandement in a case of necessity that therefore the transgression of that commandement when there is no necessity is a light matter A Dispensation indeed maketh the breach of that commandement light for that time and to those persons vnto whom the Dispensation doth properly belong as the eating of the Sewbread in a case of necessity it was for that time light and vnto Dauid in hunger it was light but yet at other times and to such persons as were not in Dauids case at that time it had bene an heinouse and a fearefull sinne to haue eaten of that bread and thus it is with the Sabbath whilst there is a Dispensation in a case of necessity and to those persones vnto whom it doth belong it is light neuerthelesse out of this case of necessity and Dispensation to breake the Sabbath it is an heinouse and a fearefull sinne now in the exposition of the 4th commandement there we considered of the Sabbath day out of the case of necessity and so it is to be considered vnto all such as are enemies vnto it and to them it is an heinouse and fearefull sinne to profane it by working on it like as it had bene a greate sinne for Dauid himselfe to haue eateÌ„ the Shewbread out of the case of hunger but in the Dispensation there we consider of the Sabbath as in a case of necessity and so it is to be considered onely vnto such as make a conscience of it and are true friends vnto it and to these it is light for they may worke on the Sabbath as Dauid might eate the Shewbread in the case of hunger Wherefore to conclude when the breach of the Sabbath is to be esteemed light then it is to be considered as light onely vnto the true friends thereof but not vnto the enemies thereof let not them therefore take heart hereat as if God meant to fauour them for their Sabbath breaking is neuer a whit lessened or lightened from being vnto them an heinouse and a fearefull sinne by the Dispensation granted vnto others OBIECT VI. Sâ—me obiect thus by this Dispensation you haue answered confuted your selfe c others say you haue contradicted your selfe c. Herevnto I answer that these men speake as if they neither knew what a confutation or a contradiction meante for in the former parte of my booke where I disputed for the obseruation of the Sabbath there I considered the Sabbath absolutly and out of the case of necessity but in my Dispensation where I giue leaue to breake the Sabbath it is considered in the case of necessity like as if a man should first dispute in defence of the Shewbread that it ought not to be eaten by common persones that is out of the case of necessity and then he should againe dispute touching the Shewbread shewing that it may be eaten to wit in a case of necessity and hunger doth this man thinke you confute or confound himselfe or doth he contradict himselfe trow yee or rather doe not such as idlie so charg him bewray their weaknesse and ignorance that they know not what or where a contradiction is OBIECT VII Some obiect against vs and lay sorely to our charg Hypocrisy because our iudgement and our practise goe not together for we hold the 7th day to be the Sabbath day and yet keepe it not which must needs be no better theÌ„ Hypocrisy yea and these men being informed vpon what grownds we goe when and why we refraine the practise of the Sabbath yet so greate is their charity that nothing can please them but still it must needs be Hypocrisy And for the profe hereof the Hypocrisy of Peter is alleaged Gal. 2.12.13 And so we are condemned for Hypocrisy as Peter was For aÌ„swer hereto first we must know what Hypocrisy is Hypocrisy therefore in the common sense of the word is when a man doth make semblance shew to be that which in deede and in trueth he is not his outward appearance being one thing but his home and inward practise being an other In this sense our Sauiour denounceth a woe vnto the Scribes and Pharises caling them Hypocrits because they made cleane the outer side of the Cupp and Platter but within they were full of bribery and excesse and because they were like to whited Tombes which appeare beautifull outwardly but within they were full of dead mens bones and filthinesse and because outwardly they appeared righteouse to men but within were full of iniquity Mat. 23.25 c. Now this discription of Hypocrisy we are as free from it in this our practise as they are that taxe vs with it for where can they shew that we vse any of this Hypocriticall guile and dissimulation making a faire shew outwardly of that which we practise not indeed in trueth if indeed we did outwardly professe that we kept the Sabbath day in our families but when these men that so taxe vs come amongst vs they see no such matter then they might taxe vs for Hypocrisy but behold the quite contrary for we openly fairly and honestly professe it that in our iudgements we hold we are not bound vnto the present practise as the case standeth now according to this our open shew appearance and profession iust so is our practise at home for we keep not the Sabbath day but the Lords day let them taxe vs if they can where then is this Hypocriticall dissembling where is this guilfull dealing wherewithall they taxe vs so sorely before the people in their Pulpits can any men deale more fairly then we doe for our words and our deeds goe togeather It is a rule in Diuinity that if a brothers actiones may admit of a double sense the better sense is to be giuen but suer I am these men were farre from the practise of this rule of charity whilst so vncharitably they haue giuen the worser sense yea a false sense so farre off they are from charritable constructiones as they haue stretcht their wites vpon the Tainters to finde out as bade a censure as possiblie could be made to make vs to stinke befor the people odiouse to all that know vs. But they shall giue accomptes to God for such slaunders one day when we shall be blessed that haue bene so reuiled Mat. 5.11 Furthermore we cannot be censured with Hypocrisy if they looke but vpon our iudgements which we haue formerly reuealed to them for we openly professe it and so euer haue done that we thinke in our consciences that a Dispensation is good in our case and that we are not bound vnto the present practise dureing this case of necessity now suppose that this our iudgment were erroniouse and that there ought to be no Dispensation yet so long as we doe indeed thinke and beleeue that we may refraine the