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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	church_n	old_a	testament_n	6,574	5	8.1314	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A78427	Sabbatum redivivum: or The Christian sabbath vindicated; in a full discourse concerning the sabbath, and the Lords day. Wherein, whatsoever hath been written of late for, or against the Christian sabbath, is exactly, but modestly examined: and the perpetuity of a sabbath deduced, from grounds of nature, and religious reason. / By Daniel Cawdrey, and Herbert Palmer: members of the Assembly of Divines. Divided into foure parts. 1. Of the decalogue in generall, and other laws of God, together with the relation of time to religion. 2. Of the fourth commandement of the decalogue in speciall. 3. Of the old sabbath, 4. Of the Lords day, in particular. The first part.; Sabbatum redivivum. Part 1	Cawdrey, Daniel, 1588-1664.; Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647.	1645 (1645)	Wing C1634; Thomason E280_3; ESTC R200035	350,191	408

be held up by any Christian State without reall and speciall inconveniences And whatsoever comes certainly under any of these Termes we esteem and reckon it repealed though not expresly named But whatsoever is without the limits of those Phrases and not particularly mentioned as abolished we account not repealed though possibly it may be expired for all that which therefore we adde 4. By a Lawes being Expired in the Nature of it wee meane when it was manifestly given and continued for some particular Reason which Reason is now manifestly ceased and so without any repealing of it it is of it selfe at an end in respect of Obligation though if it have no reall inconvenience in it now it may be freely continued still and if the reason of it should or could be revived so would the Law be in like sort And thus expired are sundry other of the Judiciall Lawes in the Old Testament and those forementioned in the New Testament III. Usually allowed And these Descriptions of a Law repealed or expired seem to be so sufficient as that it is the usuall practice of all conscientious Christians specially Divines that when they speak of any Law of the Old Testament as Ceremoniall or Judiciall and so no longer in force or any Precept of the New Testament not now binding us they presently propound either some expresse Text rejecting it now or at least some generall sentence including it among those that are now excluded because of some Typicall signification that it hath and the burdensomnesse and inconvenience of it if it should be still counted in force or at least the manifest ceasing of the reason for which they conceive it was at first given or after continued for a while and so that there is no reason now why it should be counted still a Law of God Which N. B. before we goe any further to adde any speciall Proofs of our Rule seems a tacite confession of it which we desire may be well noted in that none of them goes about absolutely or simply to plead exemption from any particular Law whether in the New or Old Testament but only so far forth as he goes about to prove it to come under the compasse either of such a Repeale or an Expiration But yet for all this we beleeve IV. Yet excepted against that this Rule doth already sound harshly in divers eares and particularly we are sure that our Ante-Sabbatarians will not let it passe without Exception for they proceed quite contrary as well in affirming B. of E. p. 171. That a Precept Evangelical is of necessary obligation which yet we cannot yield without the former Qualification nor yet do they themselves in other places As also specially in that they seem peremptory B. of E. p. 120. That no Precepts of the old Law meerly Positive are in force under the Gospel unlesse the same be ratified and confirmed by the Gospel where they suppose it is not enough to keep an old Law in force that it is not Repealed expresly but they require an expresse Ratification of it in the Gospel or New Testament otherwise they take it Without more adoe to be expired though not repealed which by their leaves we take to be an Errour and that upon these grounds following First from the Authority of the Lawgiver V. Proved by 4. Reasons 1. From the Lawgivers Authority which is the same under the Old Testament and under the New requiring the obedience of Christians now as well as of his People of old so that whatsoever Law is once delivered to the Church and accordingly recorded in the law-Law-book the holy Scriptures even of the Old Testament whosoever will claime exemption from it whether particular Person or Church must produce somewhat to prove that that Law is now under the Gospel repealed or at least expired more then bare saying that it is no longer in force It is so in the Statute-Law of our Kingdome and of all Kingdomes if a man can alleadge for himselfe in point of Right or Priviledge or the Kings Councell for the Kings Rights and Prerogatives any Statute that was once made it stands good for all purposes unlesse they who would gainsay it can alledge and prove that such a Statute is out of date by expiration or repeale So that the proof lyes originally upon the refuser of the Law and they that would maintain it and urge it need plead nothing more then the enacting of it once till the abrogation of it can be verified And if it be so in the Statutes of men and the Positive Lawes of Kingdomes much more in those of God whose Authority is unquestionably more absolute and whose Wisedome and Holinesse and Iustice and Goodnesse is infinitely beyond that of all Princes and States in the World This we take to be a point meriting exceeding much consideration though we find cause to doubt it is but little considered even by many Christians and Divines VI. 2. The Old Test is part of the Canon Secondly we confirm our Rule therefore and this first proof of it by a second or further illustration of it in this manner Because the old Testament is a part of the Rule of our Lives as well as the New and Canonicall Scripture not only by way of Story or Doctrine but by way of precept and command and binds us Christians as well though not so much as it did the Iewes Our Divines when they handle the Doctrine If any say our Divines when they maintain the Law still to be in force as a Rule mean the Morall Law only We say the same too only we argue that all that are written are Morall to us till we have proved the contrary of any particular of Christs delivering from the written Law viz. In the old Testament of which the only questition is professe continually that he hath delivered us 1. From the curse of the Law 2. From the Lawes being a Covenant of works unto us whereby we should be Iustifyed But not from the obedience of it or obligation to it as a Rule of our Practise and that so it still remains in force and shall do to the worlds end And the contrary is generally condemned in the Anabaptists and Antinomists whose proper opinion it is that they make voyd all the Lawes of the old Testament unlesse in expresse words renewed and repeated in the New Testament and whosoever will not joyne with them must be forced to acknowledge our Rule to be good whether the Laws be Morall Naturall or meerly Positive as our adversaries themselves have confessed of some and they cannot but confesse who hold the Lawes particularly against incestuous Marriages to be perpetuall which yet are not so much as named except having a mans Fathers Wife in all the New Testament the reason of which silence we shall give a touch of by and by Meane time we find a learned Bishop of chiefest note in our Church after this manner

to undertake to prove Le● lata non irrita facta ian obligat Epis Win opusc pag. 148. that Tythes are due by divine right this Law saith he did sometimes oblige the Church as cannot be denyed but it is not now Abrogated therefore it binds still in which argumentation he must needs take our Rule for a ground A Law instituted in the old Testament not Abrogated in the New is of perpetuall obligation though it have no expresse ratification in the Gospel leaving therefore our adversaries at home to answer him we add yet a further proof of our Rule Thirdly otherwise the Church of God VII 3. Else no Canon till the New T. written immediately after the Death of Christ for many yeers together that is untill the New Testament was written had had no written Canon at all for their practice either toward God or toward men but were left meerly to the Law of Nature For the old Testament was it seemes quite disanulled at the Death of Christ at least in regard of all Positive Lawes that against Polygamie and all and as for the Morall they bound not the Christians as written in the old Testament or as some say as given by Moses but only as Lawes of Nature All which we conceive a great inconvenience in regard that Nature corrupted which is now to be the Judge as we said before is but a dimm Light in those in whom it is most clear And whereas it may be pretended that the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles might sufficiently supply the want of the written Law wee answer that though it might to the Gentiles who were strangers to the Scriptures of the old Testament yet not to the Iewes and those that conversed with them who could never have beene wrought upon to have embraced the Doctrine of the Gospel if it had not been grounded upon the Doctrine of the Law of the old Testament that is if they that Preached it had not called for Repentance for transgressions of the Law and urged still to the obedience of it as indeed both Christ and his Apostles do upon all occasions and without it also their Preaching would easily have been both forgotten and mistaken if there had been no grounds of Gods Law written by and upon which to settle the consciences of their hearers Fourthly VIII 4. Confirmed by Christ and his Apostles to all which we may in the last place adjoyne this consideration that if those places in the New Testament be observed some of them at least if not all where it is pretended that Christ or any of his Apostles do ratifie any of the Lawes of the Old Testament it will be found that they containe no such ratification as our adversaries pretend in this question For they will appear not to be spoken by way of such confirmation without which those Lawes ought to have been no longer accounted in force which in propriety of speech is a new imposition of them As when a King by his Proclamation confirms his former Proclamation which was voyd by the death of his Predecessor this is properly a new imposition of the same things by his Authority which after the former Kings death were not of any validity at all We say that the confirmation that the New Testament gives unto the Lawes of the Old Testament will not be found to be of this Nature but rather testifications of those Lawes standing in force and so alledging them to confirm their own Doctrine or to be a ground of it As our Saviour evidently Alledges a Text out of Gen. 2. to ground and confirm his Doctrine against divorce Mat. 19. and the Apostles in like manner as we shall give some other instances hereafter rather fetching their Authority in part at least from the books of the Old Testament in matters of practise as well as of Faith then lending strength to them by their owne Authority IX So that the very silence of the N. T. rather confirmes any Law then Abrogates it And so we suppose we may upon just reason inferre that the silence of the New Testament concerning a Law expressely and cleare-livered in the Old Testament is a confirmation rather then an abrogation of it or an intimation that it is expired judicious Divines giving this for a reason of the silence of the New Testament in diverse points which are most vehemently urged in the old as against incestuous marriages fore noted and that others are but slightly and as it were occasionally mentioned as the Lawes about Tythes and usury c. because they are so clearly and importunately pressed in the old And therefore till we see better reasons to the contrary then any we have yet met with in all our disputers books we must needs hold that all the Lawes of the Old Testament are perpetuated to this day if there be nothing against them in the New Testament by way of repealing them or at least in reason which might plead for an expiration And if any one think that by this assertion sundry of the Lawes which are usually counted judaicall will prove to be in force still we answer that perhaps it may prove so indeed And if we may have Liberty to expresse our apprehension of the Case in generall we must needs confesse that as we beleeve it lies upon our Consciences in particular to prove any particular Law this or that which we hold to be Ceremoniall or Judaicall to be such or else we cannot justly nor safely plead it to be Repealed or Expired if it be not named among such expresly in the New Testament So we are afraid that many Divines not to say some Churches and States now adayes have been a little too bold in rejecting sundry Lawes as meerly Judaicall which upon further advisement might perhaps be found Morall and Perpetuall To which our next Rule will speak some what more fully But before we proceed to that X. The Text Act. 15.28 29. expounded we will as we intimated before a promise in our Margent speak a little of that place Act. 15. for 3 causes specially One is that The things there mentioned to be Necessary to be observed when all the rest of the Jewish Ceremonies were discharged are not all of one kinde but one of them is Morall the other three Ceremoniall 2. Because not only some persons are yet tender in the point of eating Blood but also the Greek Church generally hold that Prohibition in force Therefore we will say somewhat at least toward the clearing of both these as also why the Ceremonies mentioned were continued then if they be not now in force 3. For that some light also may perhaps from hence be afforded to judge of some other Lawes But all briefly that we may not be held too long in any Digression from the main Intendment We find in that place Act. 15. XI 1. Why Fornication forbidden there being Morall four Laws by name recommended to the Christian

party and only or principally because of the fourth Commandment which they are unwilling to honour with the title and dignity of a Morall Law without some qualification or distinction The others indeed they yeeld Morall but not this as knowing they loose their whole cause unlesse they refuse the fourth Commandment We therefore who have undertaken the speciall defence of the fourth Commandment must take speciall paines to maintain the whole Decalogue together and so that Law as one of the tenne to be Morall and Perpetuall by arguments which are common to all those Lawes together Concerning which we thus proceed First for the stating of the Question II. The question stated we premise this consideration That by any of those Lawes being in force we mean that it is in force in the Words of it according to their Litterall and Gramaticall sence and not in any mysticall or Spirituall meaning or forsaking the words to fly only to a generall equity as some speak For both all Lawyers say and reason it self shewes That a Law is no longer in force then the Words of it are in force at least those that contain the substance of it And therefore to forsake the Words and fly only to a Spirituall meaning or generall equity is in true construction As well may we say that the whole ceremoniall or Iudiciall Law is still in force as any command of the Decalogue whose words are not in force but only a Spirituall meaning or generall equity to flye from the Law and forsake it altogether and pronounce it Void For the Spirituall meaning or Generall equity are precedent to a particular Law and have no need of such a particular Law to confirme or hold them up For they would have been in force though that particular Law had never been we mean though those Words which now are said to be voyd had never been given for a Law and are no lesse strong when that particular Law is made voyd altogether So that that particular Law is altogether made voyd when the Words of it are rejected as no longer obligatory Therefore we say by a Law in force we understand the Words of each Commandment in their substance and according to the Literall and Gramaticall sence of them which that we may evince to be true of all the Tenne Commandements we thus argue III. 1. Argument From the Testament of the Church in all ages First we Alledge the Testimony of the Church of God many wayes notified 1. In the Vniversall usage of the Name of the Decalogue or Tenne Commandements derived from God himself first who so denominates then Exod. 34. Deut. 4. and Deut. 10. Taken up by all Churches at this Day and continued through all Ages of the Church unto this day 2. In putting all of them in the Words and syllables into their Catechismes to be taught in the very Words of them unto all Children and ignorants only indeed the Idolatrous Church of Rome hath left the 2d wholly out of their Catechismes as too grossely contradicting their abhominations of Image making and Image-worshipping 3. Accordingly Expounding all of them in all Catechisticall Sermons and Treatises Though in them we confesse they do diverse of them Forsake the Words of some Commandements and particularly of the fourth too much 4. But further the Reformed Churches in many places if not in all have all the Tenne Commandements at large written upon the Walls of their Churches that he that runs may read them and learn even from thence that they hold them all perpetuall 5. They appoint them to be all publikely repeated in the Church every Lords day 6. Our Church of England hath gone beyond all in this This was penned while the book of Common Prayes was in use in the Church and highly magnified by those who are Adversaries in this Cause against whom it still remains a convincing Argument requiring besides all the former things 1. A promise of the observation of them by the childe that is to be baptized viz. from the Sureties in the childes name 2. The Sureties that present the childe to Baptisme by a particular charge after it is baptized That they see it be taught as a chiefe necessary thing the Ten Commandements in the English tongue 3. After the solemn publike rehearsall of them severally and distinctly all the Congregation to say Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law 4. And finally at the close of all to say Lord have mercy upon us and write all these thy Lawes in our hearts we beseech thee In all which it cannot be avoyded but it must be acknowledged IV. Otherwise guilty of a double sin 1. That All generally agree in avouching our Rule That all the Decalogue is perpetuated to this day and every one of the ten Commandements in the very words of it concerne us all as well at this day as any people or persons in any former age since it was first given Or else they are very unwise in all this to say the least that can be But indeed more must be said For hence it will follow also 2. That if the whole Decalogue be not now in force and that there be not ten Commandements now perpetual but nine or eight only and so if the words of any one of the ten be not now at all in force no more then the Law of the Passeover or those of the other Jewish Festivals as some private men have been bold to speak this kind of language then is the Church universally in all Ages and at this day in all parts of the World undeniably and grievously guilty of a double sinne 1. In laying a fearfull stumbling block before all her children 1. In laying a stumbling block before children in the very name of the Decalogue or Ten Commandements there being not so many now to us And specially in teaching all ignorant persons the words of them all and most of all the words of the 4 th Commandement which are so many and so plaine for but six dayes work together and then a seventh dayes rest to be kept holy which while they heare and must learne and repeat the words constantly they cannot but think but the very words bind them and not a meere generall equity only or we know not what spirituall meaning far remote from the words For that they believe that should only have been taught them now if that only had been in force and they not to be troubled to learn a great many words which doe not at all concerne them there being no such thing to be looked to as the words pretend commanded by God and which are only apt to ensnare their consciences in needlesse superstition and scrupulositie Therefore we must needs confesse that though the Church of Rome be Idolatrous in making and worshipping of Images yet are they wiser in their generation and more true to their Principles in leaving out the second Commandement wholly

answer must be Either because the thing will require some remarkable Continuance Or that a man is not forward to begin to set about it or the like To remedy which such command is given bidding a man determine some Time to himselfe for such an action And specially their whole aime in their discourses is to have the Continuance to be wholly left to the Churches determination as a meere appendix to the Publike Worship III. Yet this seemes all our Adversaries grant Morall in the fourth Commandement 3. All this notwithstanding it may perhaps be questioned by him that shall advisedly read our adversaries books Whether they setledly grant any more then such indeterminate or common Time to be the Morality of the fourth Commandement Namely That it being Morall-Naturall as they speake to have a Publike Worship It is also consequently to have a Time for it But they admit not that the Law of Nature or the fourth Commandement Morally doth command any determinate Time in any respect any determinate Continuance or determinate revolution or determinate beginning of Time but leaves all they say to the Church to determine what it pleases Now this so farre as we can understand is to command nothing of Time at all having before proved that such Time indeterminate and common falls not at all under a Law properly IV. Though they call it solemne Time We confesse they also talke oft of a solemne Time for Worship of a set regulated stinted sufficient Time And much further too they seeme to goe now and then as we shall see hereafter But then againe it other Times they seeme quite to fall off from all while they speake only of a necessary sequell of a Morality and make Place altogether equall in Religion with Time and Time to be a meere adjunct and circumstance A Time is due to Gods Worship as to all other things C. D. pag. 22. wholly left to the Church and to be no otherwise due to the Worship of God then to all other Things And what can this be more then indeterminate and common Time meerely Which belongs no more to the fourth Commandement or even to the first Table then it doth to the fifth Commandement or the whole second Table for the affirmative part of it For God to instance only in the fifth Commandement enjoyning to Honour Father and Mother and one part of Honouring them being to give attendance upon them and to doe that which they set us about which cannot be done but in Time as all know this of necessity carries Time along with it viz. Indeterminate and common Time which is only a necessary that is a naturall sequell of a Morality as they speake of their Time in Religion and to be determined only by their command and so for all other Superiours Such Time then is the Morality of the fifth Commandement as much as of the fourth But indeed of neither being only a Physically necessary attendant of every Dutie to God or Man And the obeying of Superiours determining any such Time for such Dutie comes under that Commandement which requires obedience unto Superiours which is the fifth Commandement Though the Duty it selfe to be performed belong to the first Table as being a Worship of God But of this more hereafter only we hold it necessary here to give a touch to this which is perhaps one of the fundamentall mistakes in this question Into which errour besides their misdevotion to the Quamdiu specially of the fourth Commandement for a whole day to be sanctifyed the great schooleman seemes to have led them the way who thus resolves It is Morall saith he that man should depute some Time of his life for the service of God Aquin 2.2 q. 122. a. 4. ad 4. for there is in man a kind of naturall inclination that to every thing necessary there be a Time appointed as to our bodily refection sleepe and the like But this is both improperly and impertinently spoken under favour Improperly to say It is Morall to depute or appoint a Time for every action which whether it be deputed or not by an absolute necessity of Nature must and will attend upon every action as an inseparable adjunct thereof Impertinently to make that the Morality of the fourth Commandement which may be as well said in his sence to be the Morality of the fifth or any else of the ten in the affirmative part as we shewed before and as well of deputing some place for the service of God which he that should say were the Morality of the fourth Commandement should speake both impertinently and falsly For Place so considered belongs not no more then Time to any one particular Commandement of the Decalogue fourth or fifth or any to none properly in a Morall sence as we here take it but to all one as well as another in a Physicall sence necessarily that is unavoidably whether it be appointed or not 4. Before we passe from Time indeterminate V. Great efficacie in Time indeterminate applyed to Religion we must by no means forget the efficacie that there is in the quantity or proportion even of such Time as it may be voluntarily applyed by a mans affections towards Religion and the businesses thereof which is Gods Glory and the Soules Good together which conjunction of those two Gods glory and the souls good it is necessary often to remember throughout this whole Controversie the rather because our Adversaries seem much to forget it in their books making very little and seldome mention of the Souls good in all this Question Now we say both these businesses together may be are exceedingly forwarded or kept back according to a mans voluntary lengthning out or shortning the Continuance of his attendance upon God where it is left free and his spirits are able to hold out so by the frequent Reiteration or seldomenes where there is no just impediment He who so gives God longest and oftenest Time unquestionably honours Him most in his heart encreases in it And he lesse that bestowes a scantier seldomer Time upon Gods worship of his own accord meerly And this is yet more evident with Relation to the soules good which consisting 1. In knowledge of matters of Religion 2. In Memory of them 3. In Affection for God and against sin 4. In Comfort And all these Tending to and Ending in Eternall Salvation All this is most remarkably and Infallibly Advanced or kept backe by the Continuance of Time longer or shorter and the Reiterations oftner or seldomer even Indeterminately and meerly voluntarily of attendance upon Religion and the Duties of Gods Worship And accordingly a mans love and affections to God his Religion and Worship and his own souls good may be and are exceedingly tried and demonstrated to his own conscience or to any other that knowes it by the enlargement or straightning of his Time Voluntarily and the Repetition of his attendances on Religious performances usually or

prove it and then the fourth Commandement which they like not because it would tie them to a whole Daies continuance would be their only sufficient refuge Therefore also their Reasons are very doubtfully and waveringly propounded And so we esteeme that such an Answer is over ambiguous to be sufficient to satisfie either of our Arguments And if they will hereafter or any for them offer to make an answer definitely and clearely either to the necessitie or sufficiencie of the proportion Let them have but one Day of ten or twenty as necessary and two houres of that Day or nominate those or any other proportions of Frequencie and Continuance as sufficient Whatever they instance in and whether it be well or ill yet will it suffice for our Arguments to justifie them and confirm that the Church hath no absolute or legislative authoritie to determine this chiefe Time necessary and sufficient to Religion But that Nature and Reason or Scripture some or all of these doe before-hand determine the necessitie and sufficiencie of it And that the Churches office herein is no more but of a Cryer or Preacher as our Divines urge against the Papists in point of the Churches authority to determine what Bookes are the Word of God to declare and pronounce and then consequently to use her authority over her members to urge them to the observation of it as much as may be and not at all of a Lawgiver to determine it And thus much we verily beleeve these Arguments have evinced undeniably Which therefore we againe desire our Readers to observe that so the Churches absolute and unlimited authority may be no more urged in this controversie no not in generall and so deceivable termes And then we doubt not but many Readers will soone see a necessity to have recourse to the fourth Commandement as Gods own determination of this necessary and sufficient chiefe Time for Continuance a whole Day for Frequencie one in seven as the only sure ground for consciences to rest upon in so important a matter And that many more not to say all that are not swallowed up with prejudices will be of the same mind when we have expresly discussed whether the Churches wisdome will or can suffice to determine from Nature and Reason and any thing in Scripture besides the precise determination of one Day in seven according to that fourth Commandement the just proportion of necessarie and sufficient Time for Religion Which we shall take to taske ere we make an end of this question in this Chapter In the meane Time we goe on to a fourth Argument If the Church have Authority to determine the chiefe Time for all its Members XXVIII Argument 4. The Church cannot determine Time for family or solitary Worship then it hath Authority to determine the Continuance so laregly to extend beyond the Publike Worship even to take in both domestick Worship where it may be had and specially solitary Worship by every Christian apart before and after the Publike Worship But the Church hath no Authority to determine of Continuance so largely as to extend beyond the publike Worship even to take in both family Worship where it may be had and specially solitary Worship by every Christian apart before and after the publike Worship Ergo The Church hath no Authority to determine the chiefe Time for all its Members The consequence hath beene proved before at large in the former Chapter that the Continuance of the chiefe Time must be so large as not only to allow but to necessitate before and after the publike Worship family Worship also where it may be had and however to necessitate as well as to afford liberty for solitary Worship by every one apart The Antecedent may be thus strengthned 1. It is usually said That the sword nor the keyes meddle not within doores that is Neither the Civill Magistrate nor the Church-governours take upon them to make affirmative Lawes for private families for negative they doe in reference to what they doe among themselves not directly concerning the service of the Church or State And least of all do they meddle with their Time of which every governour of a family is counted Lord and Master or Lady and Mistris for themselves and all under their authority Even when a man is bound by Indentures to teach his apprentise his trade yet not at this Time or that Time or so long together Therefore we find not that any Church or Christian Magistrate though forbidding worke to all even within doores upon such and such Dayes hath yet commanded Parents or Masters to catechise their children and servants within doores on those Dayes precisely or pray with them or examine them what they have learned in publike or any such like Duties of Religion 2. But specially in reference to solitary Worship secret prayers secret thanksgivings secret meditations of the word heard or of any other heavenly and divine matter concerning God and the soule The Church hath no authority to determine any Time which necessarily must be spent in any of these Duties or any other in secret Of which we conceive a double reason 1. Because no authority of man is supposed to reach to that which neither themselves nor any other man living can ever come to know whether it be observed or not Which is the case plainly here No man can know nor all the men in World when I retire my selfe any Day and shut my selfe up in my chamber whether I pray or meditate or performe any other solitary Worship to God or not Unlesse I tell them afterward or speake so loud as that they over-hear me which I am not bound to doe or rather am bound not to doe It is altogether vaine to say no more to determine and command that which no account can be taken of by those that command it or by any man else whether it be obeyed or not 2. But further secret Duties and so Time to be necessarily imployed in them are immediately Duties of conscience even the most inward and spirituall that can be Now no authority of man of the Church or any other reaches immediately to the conscience and the inward and spirituall part of Duties But only the Authority of God alone Here againe the Church or any superiour may give Counsell or declare the will of God about such Duties or such Time to be so imployed But cannot command or determine it Whereas we are speaking of a Time that must be determined of which therefore the Church hath no Authority If it be objected that the Christian Magistrate XXIX An Exception answered or the Church hath authority to appoint a publike Day of Fasting and Humiliation and this to be spent in Religious Duties as well private as publike till the end of the Day and if so why not for the ordinary chiefe solemne Time We Answer in a word Sol. that the Continuance of a publike Fast is before hand determined by God in Scripture

since the service of God is our perfect freedome if our Church say true in her prayers and are not to give God attendance constantly in Publique Worship and so constantly look after their soules And then what becomes of the Morality of the fourth Commandement for Publique VVorship and what of Publique Worship and a sufficient Time at least for it Morall Naturall It is beyond our wits how our adversaries can expedite themselves out of the intanglements of these contradictions whereas in our way all is plaine in three words God determining the Time to all all even sevants and inferiours are bound to observe it to His honour and the good of their soules so to be willing and carefull of it and they are free to observe it being willing notwithstanding any opposition of men Masters Parents or others And though they may and must regard Gods reservations and so stay at home to tend a sick person and do any thing which is truly necessary yet not upon slight pretences or trifling occasions and when they are at home they are to redeeme all Time possible to serve God and look after their soules by themselves And if for this they incurre their superiours displeasure they must trust God in that as well as if they would urge them to lye or do any other wickednesse XXXIII Proved by reason 2. Another proofe of our Antecedent against the Churches authority even for the Publique Worship in a word according to what hath been touch● in a former argument is that If the Church hath authority to commanded all its members to observe constantly that Time in Publique Worship which it determines to them It may command them 2 3 4 5. Dayes in a Weeke and 5. or 6. or 8. Houres of each of those Dayes both Masters and Servants Inferiours and Superiours and call them from their workes to publique Worship so often and so long But this must not be therefore the Church hath no such authority even for the Publique Worship and the Times for it A sixth argument is this XXXIIII Argument sixth The Church cannot make a perpetuall determination If the Church hath authority to make this determination of the chiefe solemne Time necessary and sufficient to its members for Religion Then it hath authority to make a perpetuall determination But the Church hath no authority to make a perpetuall determination Ergo The Church hath not authority to make this determination The Consequence may be thus confirmed that proportion of Time which is both necessary for Religion sufficient for Religion for the chiefe Time of Worship is in reference to men not to say in the nature of Perpetual For nothing can be taken from that which is necessary nor added by mans authority to that which is sufficient So that if the determination of the Church hath made the Time necessary and sufficient to Religion it hath made it withall perpetuall and unalterable The Antecedent that the Church cannot make a determination perpetuall Is partly proved by the confession of the adversaries in this case in hand For they dispute and argue divers of them for the Churches authority at this day to alter and change the Time the Lords Day not onely to some other Day of the week but to some other number greater or smaller Partly by the general confession of all Orthodoxe Divines even the Hereticall Papists also that all institutions determinations law● of men even of the Church universall are in their own not ●e alterable and at least the Church universall may alter them in a generall Councell And so that it belongs to God only to make lawes perpetuall and unchangeable And therefore say we it belongs only to Him to make this determination of the necessary and sufficient chiefe solemne Time for all men and particularly for all the members of the Church which doing it is unquestionably in reference to men XXXIV Argument seventh perpetuall and unalterable A seventh Argument thu● proceeds If God have given the Christian Church this authority to determine the necessary sufficient chiefe solemne Time for Religion It is a burden to Christians that the Church have this authority to all its members Then it is by way of spirituall priviledge and liberty for Christians But it is not a spirituall priviledge or liberty to Christians to have this authority given to the Church Ergo God hath not given to the Church this authority The Consequence is not to be denyed 1. Because our adversaries do so much and so oft urge the notion of Christian liberty to prove Christians free from all Gods former determinations of Times even that of one day in seven for a Weekely Sabbath in the fourth Commandement and to prove that the Church is to determine the necessary and sufficient Time now 2. Indeed there can be no other reason imagined why God should set His Christian Church to make this determination or make voyde all His own former determinations but in favour to His people now for a spirituall priviledge and Christian liberty The Time of the Gospell being a Time of spirituall freedome above the Time of the Old Testament The Antecedent may be verifyed severall wayes 1. By the confession of the adversaries who say sometimes and offer at some reasons for it that the Christian Church may appoint and determine more and oftener dayes than the Jewes had determined to them by God himselfe And if it be absolutely left to the Church to determine they may determine as many as they will And so there wil be lesse liberty in that sence they plead for it lesse freedom for worldly occasions work and sports then the Jewes had or then we urge from the fourth Commandement for one whole Day in seven For two Dayes in a week or even twenty seven Holy dayes in a yeare besides the Lords dayes weekely which are in our Church if they must be observed at least by abstaining from all work as some urge in their bookes and to be sure the Ecclesiasticall Courts did urge in practise punishing all those that they could prove did work on any part even of a Holy day This we say was and would be lesse freedome then the Jewes had or then we would have if the Lords day were wholly observed and no other dayes strictly besides But they may determine as hath been said even twise thrise as many more dayes if they have such authority as we dispute of Where then is the liberty talked of 2. If the Church had not such an absolute authority to determine but as much as was of old one whole Day in seven And without an expresse prohibition or pregnant reasons to the contrary which our adversaries in their way have not yet alledged this cannot be denied by them And so keep the number and continuance still and onely change the Day as we say is done but by God not men We aske again where is the liberty talked of unlesse they will say