the law of nature obligeth us to worship him and by consequence to set some time apart for it for all humane actions must be done in time yet nature directeth us not to a seventh nor to this seventh nor yet to those acts of worship which God requireth of us We are I suppose agreed that both the old and new Testament ought to be eyed as our rule in the case and indeed the old testament is most full in its directions of this nature In the new we find the Sabbath altered the Jewish superstitions and mis-interpretations corrected the practical observation of it justified by the Examples of our Saviour the Apostles and others but the rules about it are but few Our Lord intending to leave his people as in many other points of the moral Law to the fuller direction of the Laws and the Prophets Now in the old Testament we find somthing in the Law in the five books of Moses something in the Prophets The Original Law we find Exod. 20. for concerning the Sabbath in the Patriarchs time I shall say nothing it being not my question to examine when the observation began but how it should be observed The fourth commandment plainly requireth that it should be kept as on holy rest it requires it to be kept as a day of rest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and requireth us to keep it holy so Exod. 35.2 an holy day a Sabbath of rest Rest is opposed to Motion and Action Holiness is opposed to idleness and filthiness I say first Rest is opposed to Motion Action yet it is apparent from scripture that neither all Motion nor all action fall under the prohibition of that precept We shall find both our Saviour and his Apostles going into the Synagogues on the Sabbath day and the latter going out of the City Acts 16.13 hence Act. 1.13 we read of a Sabbath dayes journey i. e. such a journey as a man might lawfully take on the Sabbath day what length that might be hath possibly unnecessarily troubled many doubtless so much is to be understood as one might conveniently go to attend upon the worship of God it is no improbable conjecture That the phrase hath reference to the first settlement of the Jewish Church upon their march in the wilderness There were to be 200 hundred Cubits between the Arke and the Camp Josh 3.4 And in probability when they rested they were to keep the same distance this some interpret one mile others two miles On the Sabbath day they all were to come up to the Ark to worship which was 200 hundred Cubits distant from the nearest of them and at a far greater distance from those who incamped farthest off the Ark. Godwin's Jewish Antiquities l. 2. cap. 3. Besides this we shall easily understand what Motion is lawful on the Sabbath day if we understand what Action is lawful For such Motion as is necessary to such Action must also be lawful So it is lawful for a Physitian to go to his patient For a man having a beast fallen into a pit to go to help it out c. Secondly as all Motion from our places is not prohibited so neither in all action Our Actions are divided into such as are Natural flowing from a principle and necessity of nature and serving to the upholding and conservation of nature As eating drinking sleeping c. Under the notion of moral actions we comprehend all our actions of worldly labour in our callings and places By religious actions we understand acts of worship by which we give an homage to God The fourth commandment requires that we should do no manner of work but it is apparent from other Scriptures that all actions all work is forbidden To open to you the mind of God in this thing a little 1. Acts of Religious worship or tending directly to it are so far from being forbidden that they are commanded The Jews might kill and offer beasts for sacrifices 1 Chron. 23.31 Num. 28.9 10. The Priests might order the lamps set on the new bread the Jews might circumcise an infant The Scribes might expound the Law They might blow their trumpets to call the assembly Num. 10.2 10. Watch to prevent the profanation of the Sabbath c. Neh. 13.22 Whence the Jews were wont to say that In the temple there was no Sabbath no rest there all were at work In analogy to this there can be no doubt but it is lawful to study preach read hear pray sing baptize on the Lords day in order thereto to ring Bells to call people together to be imployed in seeing to others observation of it These sort of actions is so far from being unlawful that they are actions for the Sabbath Opus diei in die suo 2. A second sort of action lawful on the Sabbath day are such as are necessary to preserve the being or well-being of creatures Thus it is lawful for Physitians or Chirurgions to apply medicines to their patients Our Saviour abundantly vindicates this Joh. 3.5 9. Luk. 13.12 13. Luk. 6.10 Joh. 9.6 Mat. 12.10 And so for nurses to attend those that are sick or young children to go for a Physitian to prepare physick let blood c. To save the life of another to indeaâ—our to preserve our own lives by fighting in opposition to an enemy by fleeing from an enemy to be in arms for the desence of our Prince or Country 1 Kings 20.9 2 Kings 11.5 6. For the Magistrate to commit malefactors Numb 15.34 To dress meat our Saviour justified the disciples rubbing ears of Corn Mat. 12 1 2 3. We find our Saviour at a feast on the Sabbath day Luk. 14.1 2 3. and others were bidden v. 7. To feed and water cattle justified by our Saviour Luk. 13.15 To keep our goods from being lost upon which our Saviour Job 5. justified the lame man carrying of his bed Undoubtedly actions that tend to preserve the being or usefulness of a thing of which we have a moral certainty that without such labour on the Sabbath the creature would perish or be unuseful and corrupt are lawful on the Lords day This all stands upon that principle That God loves mercy rather than sacrifice And upon that principle 3. Actions also of mercy and charity are by all Determined lawful Such as are visiting the sick c. Many of those which come under the Schoolemens two verses Visito poto cibo redimo tego colligo condo Giving bread to the hungry beer to the thirsty burying the dead relieving the captives c. So as we find the rest commanded in the fourth commandment limited by these exceptions and it must remain unlawful in any other causes to labour From whence we may gather That the prohibitions we read of in Scripture of not kindling a fire on the Sabbath day Exod. 35. and Exod. 16.29 For not going out of their place on the seventh day to gather manna must not be taken in that strictness in which some would
A MODEST PLEA FOR THE LORDS DAY OR RATHER The Summe of the PLEA made by Divines for the Lords Day as the Christian Sabbath AGAINST Those who contend for the Old Sabbath of the Seventh Day in other 〈◊〉 in the Creation By J. C. D. D. Mar. 2.28 The Son of Man is Lord also of the Saâ—â—â—th Acts 6.14 We have heard him say That this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the Customs which Moses delivered us Gal. 4 10. You observe DAYES and Moneths and Times and Years 〈◊〉 11. I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed labour in 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed in the Year 1669. To those Christians especially my Neighbours in the County of Norfolk who are zealous for the Observation of the Seventh Day Sabbath Brethren MY heart's desire and prayer to God for you all is that you might be saved For I bear you record that you have a zeal of God only if I make a doubt whether it be according to knowledge or no yea if I tell you I verily believe it is not according to knowledge I am sure your ingeunity is such that you will pardon it to me considering that my own perswasion and practice is differing from you and Charity which alwayes begins at home will not allow me to judge my self to practise upon ignorance though I am also one oâ— them who but know in part yet 〈◊〉 hope I desire to practise according to my knowledge Which if you will bâ— so charitable as to suppose I must judgâ— your zeal not to be according to knowledge And let me tell you as there is no more sacred fire than that of zeaâ— when it hath its due fuel and is exercised in a just and good cause sâ— there is no more dangerous fire when iâ— hath a mistaken object The zealouâ— soul runneth and as the man who runneth if he be in a right way come quicker than another to his journey end but if he be out of his way â— is sooner than another at a further distance from home So it is with thâ— zealous spirit I must profess let 〈◊〉 person be of what perswasion he will I must have a reverence for him if perceive that he differeth from me ouâ— of Conscience because he dareth not tâ— sin against God It is a noble temper to be afraid of sin If a person pretends conscience for a particular opinion and practice and in the mean time be a common drunkard swearer liar blasphemer unclean person one that lives as it were without God in the World making no conscience of reading the Scripture praying bringing up and governing his Family in the nurture and fear of the Lord only pretends conscience as to baptizing of Children keeping the Seventh day Sabbath this man is an hypocrite and dissembles with God and men for there is an uniformity in conscience and it would certainly oblige him to avoid known and confessed sins as much as what he doth fancy is a sin and as much oblige him to all as to any known duty But where I see a Christian walking close with God in the general of his conversation and differing from me in this or that point because he thinks he cannot without sin believe and practise what I do I cannot but love and honour him and be very far from their Religion who think it the best and most Gospel way to cudgel him into my Perswasion A Gaol or a Fire and Faggots never yet cured an erring Conscience Such Brethren though overtaken with a fault are certainly according to the Apostles counsell to be restored in the spirit of meekness and to be dealt with like rational Creatures argued and treated and perswaded out of their mistakes not cudgelled out of them This Brethren hath caused me to send this little Book amongst you so penned as I think you will not judge it to have any thing of bitterness in it and in so small a volume as I cannot despair but that you will bestow the reading of it nor will it ask you long time You will find in it the most of what hath been said by Divines in this case I have contracted their larger Discourses that I might not tire your patience and made what they have said in Latine or in more Scholastick terms plain to you by a free and familiar style The singularity of your dissent doth certainly call to you for the use of all possible means to finde out what indeed is the Truth of God in this point and there cannot be a greater witness against you of your want of sincerity than an unwillingness to read or hear what hath been or is or shall be said against you For though indeed there be some Articles of Faith some Principles of Religion about which it is a Christians wisdom not to admit disputes yet this is not such 't is no Fundamental in Religion that the seventh Day from the Creation is the Sabbath It is none of those points in which you cannot erre without breaking your union with the Head Christ yet is it no light point for it breaks communion with all Churches and that is no light matter And the Scripture sayes we are members of Christ and members one of another Although an erring Conscience obligeth him that is troubled with it to do nothing against it yet certainly he that hath it or hath reason but to suspect he hath it stands highly obliged to use all means to reform it and although the differing complexion of a Christians Conscience may oblige him for a time to walk divided from his Brethren yet he ought not to do it without many thoughts of heart because of his division and while he walks alone in obedience to his Conscience he ought also to sit alone and to keep silence To sit alone pondering with himself what is said on both sides and without prejudice weighing arguments in the ballance of the Sanctuary comparing spiritual things with spiritual And to keep silence both as to the publishing his singular and novel â—â—â—â—â—â—ns keeping to that excellent 〈◊〉 of the Apostle Rom. 14.22 Hast thou faith have it to thy self before God It is a mad fancy of some who think that every opinion in Religion is worth breaking the Churches peace for and also keeping silence as to inveighing against and reviling others otherwise perswaded and practising For which way went the Spirit of God from the multitudes of their Brethren unto them And besides who knowes not that there is the same distance betwixt their brethren and them and none can usurp such authority but those who will arrogate to themselves infallibility and take away the judgement of discerning which is the very root and basis of the Protestant Religion You know Brethren what Fetters I have upon me as to my publick Ministry If I were free I question whether I by it should have any capacity to serve your souls while you are under this mistake If I may do it with these
Customs of Moses and Circumcision is so called Acts 21.21 He was the first who wrote the Laws about them For any person to adhere to any Iewish custom after Christs death and resurrection is in effect to deny Christ to be come in the flesh Let me in the bowels of Christ beseech our Brethren to be serious in this thing I say again Whatsoever related to the Worship of God and fell not expresly under one of the ten Commandments and that primarily nor is established in the New Testament could be nothing else but a piece of Moses a Mosaical custom which Christ came on purpose to alter and to adhere still to them is to proclaim against Heaven I have no part in the Son of David Hence the Apostle tells the Galathians If they were circumcised Christ profited them nothing that is thinking themselves under an obligation to be circumcised and again he tells them he was afraid of them lest he had bestowed all his labour amongst them in vain preached the Gospel to them in vain why you observe dayes and months and times and years Gal. 4.11 that is Such Religious dayes as the Jews observed according to Moses I know many of our Brethren will tremble at the apprehension of this I believe many of them have said to the Lord Christ Thou at my portion and that their Souls in truth say None but Christ None but Christ and did they know it would not deny the Lord that bought them or by any action interpretatively deny his Authority to alter the customes of Moses I humbly beg of them that in tenderness to the Lord that bought them in love to their own Souls as I trust they fear every sin so they would fear their Souls sinning in this point of Judaizing which the Apostle as to other points layes so much stress upon both in his Epistle to the Romans and Galatians and Colossians and all along in every Epistle And in a further evidence of this let me beseech our Brethren in all seriousness to consider whither the poring upon this notion hath led others and let them who yet stand take heed lest they so fall There have not been many Leaders in this opinion known to the World in this latter Age. The first was John Thrask I never heard that he published any thing in Print in the Pulpit he did A man of so ordinary parts that it was some time before he could pass his examination to be made a Minister after this he preached this new Doctrine and was for it censured in the Star-chamber and recanted it and died obscurely at Lambeth But this is that which I desire may be noted he say our Historians equally preached up the obligation of the other Levitical rites The next was Theophilus Brabourn originally a Trader in Stockins after made a Minister and 1628. he published a book for the Jewish Sabbath a book to give it its due wherein a thousand times more is said for it and to answer arguments against his side than in all Books ever wrote before or since He hath been abundantly answered by divers though on differing Principles he lived till within these few years till he came to assert three Gods and grew to keep no Sabbath for on his seventh day he would ordinarily make Bargains take in interest Money let out more seal Writings c. Mr. Ockford was another what he was where or how he lived what he held more c. I cannot tell The next was Mr. Tilham who at Colchester in Essex made much stir about this point and wrote one or two Books He was reported before to have been a Papist sure I am his Books shew not the learning of an ordinary School-boy With him one Pooly a wild-headed Norfolk Preacher joyned he was a man of a rash giddy head and Principles Both these after went over Seas where I presume our Brethren know upon too good information they both were circumcised and to what else they ran I know not I speak not this God knows to upbraid or mock at our Brethren but by these examples to shew them the tendency of this opinion and practice whither it leadeth poor Christians This Tilhams Book though I think one of the weakest and absurdest ever wrote on the subject is what my Brethren in these parts glory in I know for a Teacher by a lively voice they had a person of much more worth than Brahourn Pooly or Tilham Mr. Rich. Breviter who I perswade my self is at rest with God he was a good Scholler and a person of a sober life and conscientious to his Principles and to whom the Name of Christ I think was truly precious how far he had drank in this opinion and to what degree he was perswaded of it I cannot tell Sure I am never so much as to print any discourse for it But I shall add no more upon this I am sure unpleasing subject 2. If our brethren would avoid this charge the next I am sure they cannot To observe the seventh day sabbath is to non-communion our selves from all Churches that ever were or are in the world I mean Gospel-Churches To say nothing of the time past Christian-Churches alwayes condemning them as Hereticks that kept that Sabbath upon which account the Ebionites were condemned I do not think unworthy of our brethrens sad thoughts That this day there is no considerable number of Christians under Heaven any where that keep the Sabbath they keep Our Brethren know that I am no great man for Traditions But certainly the custom and practice of the whole Church in all times and in all places not contradicted by any valuable number of persons of any perswasion is not to be despised by any but such as will arrogate to themselves more knowledge of the mind of God than all the world besides I must confess I doubt whether there be any one universal tradition except this nor is this purely such but my meaning is that there is no one thing as to which the practice of the whole Church in all ages is so on all sides confessed and out of doubt Now the strength of this lies here It is not reasonable to think that God should leave his whole Church in all times to such a mistake as to the solemn time of worship The general sense of the faithful is upon this account justly valuable in most controverted points I spare instances here they are abundantly given by Dr. Young Mr. Caudry and Mr. Warren Where the learned of our brethren may find them I professedly write to my neighbours who I know would be little edified by quotations in Greek and Latin To leave therefore the practice of the former times from the very Apostles times which is very significant at least together with what evidence we have in the holy writ 2. I say there is no present Churches of our brethrens mind or practice So as they plainly cast off communion with all Churches of Christ on