THREE QVESTIONS ANSVVERED I. QVESTION What should our meaning be when after the reading of the fourth Commandement we pray Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law II. QVESTION How shall the fourth Commandement being deliuered in such forme of words binde vs to sanctifie any day but onely the seauenth the day wherein God rested which the Iewes sanctified III. QVESTION How shall it appeare to be the Law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke ACT. 20.20.26.27 I am pure from the blood of all men for I haue kept backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but haue declared vnto you all the counsell of God SAPIET FELICI AC OX AT OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD and IAMES SHORT Printers to the famous Vniversitie 1621. To the Reader THERE is sarce any point of doctrine more controverted then the doctrine of the Sabbath Two points of difference amongst vs are when the day beginneth what worke may be done therein as Dr Bound telleth vs indeed not only we Protestants among our selues but the Papists also among their selues differ in opinion hereabout Againe there is in England iudging one another there is doing things doubtingly and there is doing things with offence which were they tolerable in the Church of Christ Rom. 14. St Paul would not haue spent a whole chapter about these matters Moreover whereas the Papists praying in latin doe pray without vnderstanding many amongst vs doe pray with a sinfull vnderstanding for as in words so in meaning they desire God to incline their hearts to keepe the 7th day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein Farthermore It was printed last 1618. some in their booke often printed to say nothing of other haue these and the like passages The 4th commandement is no more Ceremoniall then all the rest the observation of the 7th day is a morall and perpetuall duty we may not pick vp a few sticks on the Sabbath there is asmuch difference betweene the Sabbath and other dayes as betweene Sacramentall bread and common bread c. The knowledg and consideration hereof among other things causeth mee greatly to desire that the doctrine of the Sabbath may once at length be throughly discussed by men of sound iudgment and doubtles what the Scriptures sentence is in this matter would soone be knowne were it as Dr Cranmer sometime advised well handled by the learned men of our Vniversityes Act. and Monum no man amongst vs should need any longer to halt betweene two opinions as the more to be lamented many of long time haue done and still doe yea and vnlesse the better order be taken no doubt will doe even vnto the end of the world Now to provoke herevnto I haue written this little booke and partly also as hoping it will conduce somthing to the finding out of the trueth when the time commeth that it shal be more carefully sought after which time God hasten for his sake which is the trueth Iesus Christ vnto the illumination of whose Spirit I commend thee gentle Reader and so rest Thine in him as long as life lasteth TH. BROAD I. QVESTION AS when the 8. commandement is read and we pray Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law it is all one as if we said Lord incline our hearts not to steale So when the 4. commandement is read and we pray Lord incline our hearts to keepe this Law it is all one as if we had said Lord incline our hearts to sanctifie the Sabbath to keepe the 7. day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein for this is that law The Iewes had asked this in words and meaning both suppose they had had the like māner of praying after this commandement and we must needs aske the same in words as they should haue done The question then is Whether should we aske the same in meaning as we doe in words or what should our meaning be Answere of some in these daies By the doctrine of some in these daies as in words so in meaning we should desire God to incline our hearts to keepe the 7. day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein They teach that the observation of the 7. day is a morall and perpetuall duty that we may not so much as picke vp sticks in the same and in a word that the 4. commandement is no more Ceremoniall then all the rest Now whereas there is one text principally against them Col. 2.16 17. namely this Let no man therefore iudge you in meate or in drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the New-moone or of the Sabbaths Which are a shaddow of things to come c by Sabbaths here they will not haue the weekely Sabbaths meant But what haue they to say It is Sabbaths in the plurall number and doth not the word Sabbaths in the plurall number import the weekely Sabbaths See Mat. 28.1 Act. 13 14. and 16 13 with many other places This in my knowledge is all they haue to say which is so little that it only argueth a will to say something it is not so much as a shadow of sound proofe Consider 1 that St Paul here vseth another word which doth most properly signifie the Festivall daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore it is very vnlikely that by Sabbaths the same daies should be meant as they would haue it this had beene a needlesse repetition 2 Vnlesse by Sabbaths here are meant the weekely Sabbaths Christian people chose the first day and made it their Sabbath sayth the booke of Homilies By the doctrine then of our Church the observation of the Lords day is an Eccles ordinance and not an Apostol precept Sozom lib 5. cap. 8. what warrant haue we in the Scripture to worke vpon the Iewes Sabbath Will they say that the Apostles command to sanctifie the Lords day in memory of Christs resurrection Be this granted which cannot be proved and is something discrepant from the doctrine of our Church doth it therefore follow that we neede not keepe the 7. day in memory of the worlds creation Constantine commanded that the 6 day should be kept in memory of Christs death on the Crosse yet was the day of Christs resurrection kept also Sozomenus saith that at Constātinople almost in all other places lib. 7. cap. 19. Sabbato postridie Sabbati conveniunt and in the Scripture wee read of meetings on both daies It is then a weake argument The Apostles commanded to keepe the first day in memory of Christs resurrection therfore wee neede not keepe the 7 day in memory of the worlds creation This I would haue thee well to consider that St Paul of the Apostles is Christs only Doctour about dayes he alone by way of doctrine handleth this point and he handleth it purposly in three severall Epistles here to the Romanes among whom he had never beene Col. 2. Rom. 14. Gal. 4. The controversy about the Sabbath would soone
And shall I demaunde of them when the 7 day Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such I doubt not wee should all enter into the heavenly Sabbath before they would agree vpon an answer to this question Obserue that the Apostle Hebr 4 4 I say if not in time for in likelihood God did not sanct the 7 day before the first 7 day was ended Note these words Gen. 2.3 because in it he had rested not would rest speaketh of the 7 day as rested vpon by God and not as sanctified by him or inioyned to be sanctified of man so that the 7 day then became a type when God rested therein The 7 day in order if not in time before it was sanctified was Gods Rest and consequently a shaddow of the rest remaining to the people of God But this by way of disgression to returne Inough hath beene said to make it appeare that the 4 commandement is more Ceremonial then th◠〈◊〉 and therefore not as the other to be observed â—â—â—â—ding to the letter only I will add for a conclusion â—â—â—t saying of Augustine Quisquis illum diem Sabbatuâ— observat sicut litera sonat carnaliter sapit that is Spig lit cap. 14. Whosoeuer observeth the Sabbath as the letter soundeth savoureth of the flesh Now they which keepe the 7 day doe no worke therein keepe the sabbath as the letter of the precept soundeth Their Handwriting then should haue beene blotted out and not put in print who teach that the observation of the 7 day is a morall and perpetuall duty and that we may not so much as pick vp sticks in the same Answere agreeable to the Doctrine of our Church When the 8 commandement is read and wee pray So for the rest of the comman Lord incline our hearts to keepe this Law our words and meaning must agree as in words so in meaning wee desire grace not to steale but here not so Though in words we desire God to incline our hearts to keepe the 7 day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein yet not in meaning It is said in the booke of Homylies that whatsoever is found in the 4 commandement appertaining to the law of nature The 4 comman bound the Israelites to do that which they were not bound to doe by the law of nature but not vs Christians This is the coÌ„mon doctrine ought to be observed of all good Christians our meaning then after the doctrine of our Church should be thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law so far forth as it is the Law of nature Or thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe so much of this Law as appertaineth to the law of nature which is the same in effect Thus haue I answered a very needfull question in my opinion what other will iudge of this matter I know â—â—â—â—t for mine owne part I iudge it so needfull to be knowne Our Church hath taken order for the nstruction of the ignorant in this matter I meane by the booke of Homilyes but in these dayes sew parishes haue that booke in fewer it is read and where ttis read scarce one in an hundred I feare learneth a right meaning by it that with St Paul I would gladly spend be spent to bring my ignorant brethren to a right meaning hereâ—â—â—s it not a lamentable case when a man prayeth Lord in â—â—â—e mine heart to keepe the 7 day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein to meane according to his word which is to obserue a shadow and this a kind of deniall that Christ is come The Papists pray without vnderstanding but such pray with a sinfull vnderstanding And if by some triall I may make coniecture thus doe the greatest part of this kingdome neyther is it any mervaile if very many so doe when they are so taught by some in these dayes Againe I finde by experience that they wil hardly be brought to a right meaning here it seemeth to them so strange that in the Publike Service one thing should be spoken and another meaÌ„t as that they should heare the 7 day is the Sabbath when not the 7 day but the first day must be kept by them And when to make them take more heed I tell them that to keepe the 7 day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein as the words of the coÌ„mandement are is to savour of the flesh which is death in the iudgment of St Augustine and other learned Divines Sapere secundum carnem mors est Spir. lit cap. 14. this maketh them even to stand amazed at the strangnes of the matter Moreover as it is hard to bring them to so no doubt will it be to keepe them in a right meaning these words the 7 day is the Sabbath and in it thou shalt doe no worke still sounding in their eares Which I write to this end that my brethren may be more carefull often to ingeminate vnto their Parishioners the doctrine of our Church delivered in the booke of Homilyes Truely if ever it had here need be as the Prophet Esaie speaketh precept vpon precept precept vpon precept line vpon line line vpon line here a little Esai 28.10 and there a little or rather indeed here a great deale and there a great deale and yet I feare mee all to little as would be found vpon triall afterward II. QVESTION IN the iudgment of St Augustine we Christians are bound by the 4 commandement to keepe a figuratiue or spirituall Sabbath Epist 99. ad Ianuar. Inter omnia illa decem precepta c. Among all those ten precepts that alone which is there placed of the Sabbath Tertul adver iud is commanded figuratiuely to be observed Thus Tertullian termeth Christ whom as the beloved Sonne wee must heare Mat. 17. Hebr. 1. Sabbati spiritualis cultorem and Chrysostome saying that Legis iustitia prima salutaris decem habet mandata setteth downe this for the 4 Cole Sabbatum spirituale Cited by Mus loc commun keepe a spirituall Sabbath There is according to Augustine and other as I obserue in my little reading a twofold keeping of those commandements touching the Sabbath circumcision There are two sorts of Sabbath after Augustine and other the one literall carnall or temporall the other figuratiue spirituall and eternall sacrifices and the like the one literall or carnall the other figuratiue or spirituall Now the Israelites were bound to keepe these in a literall manner that is to doe no worke on the 7 day to circumcise on the 8 day to offer lambs and such like in sacrifice to the Lord We Christians are bound to keepe these in a figuratiue or spirituall manner that is to rest from the works of our corrupt nature all the dayes of the worke to circumcise the foreskins of our hearts and to offer spirituall sacrafices of praise thanksgiuing These two kinds of binding figuratiue and
literall I obserue in St Augustine and some other but by the common doctrine in these dayes there is a third of that commandement touching the Sabbath though not of the other namely partly literall for it bindeth vs to sanctifie one day of the weeke But there a question may wel be demanded How shal the 4 commandement being delivered in such forme of words binde vs to sanctifie any day but only the seaventh Suppose that Christ had said to his Disciples Remember the day of Resurrection to sanctifie it sixe dayes of the weeke ye shall labour and doe all that ye haue to doe but the first day is the day of Resurrection in it you shall doe c. How should this commandement binde vs to sanctifie any day but onely the first the day of Resurrection So God saying Remember the sabbath or day of Rest to sanctifie it 6 dayes shalt thou labour doe al that thou hast to doe but the 7 day is the Sabbath c. How should this commandement binde vs to sanctifie any day but onely the seaventh the day wherein God rested and which the Iewes sanctified I haue thought good thus to vnfold the 4 commandement for the better vnderstanding of that which followeth Answere of a great Divine heretofore In the 4 commandement we haue to obserue .1 The commandement it selfe briefly delivered is thus Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it .2 Then followeth an Explication in order God shewing first which is the Sabbath the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God and after how it is sanctified in it thou shalt doe no worke .3 Lastly a reason is yeelded why God requireth this service Redem in 4 precept for in sixe dayes the Lord made c. Thus Zanchius in effect thus Virell likewise in his Grounds of Religion and this analisis of the 4 commandement is so naturall that every one of vnpartiall iudgement must needes approue it and I could wish that such as vndertake to handle the 4th commandement would take notice of it So then this is for substance the whole 4 commandement Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it as for that which followeth it is eyther an explication or a Reason Here now the word Sabbath a great Divine would haue taken in a generall sence so that God saying Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it That thou maist the better conceaue his meaning Suppose God had said to the Israelites Remēber to honour your King Saul is your kinge When Saul was dead and David come into his place this commandement Remember to honour your kinge had bound them still asmuch to honour David now as Saul before So God saying Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it and the 7 day is the Sabbath when the 7 day ceased to be the Sabbath the first day came in his place this commandement Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it may binde aswell to sanctifie the first day now as it did the 7 day heretofore Thus teacheth a great Divine but I cannot easily subscribe herevnto In my opinion God saying Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it is all one as if he had said Remember the 7 day to sanctifie it The Sabbath is the 7 day and the 7 day is the Sabbath in the scriptures many reasons there are which will not suffer vs to approue his doctrine .1 The dayes of the weeke may be named thus the first day the second day c. or thus the day of creating light the day of creating the firmament c. As now the first day and the day of creating light are the same so likewise the seaventh day and the day of Rest And this appeareth to be the iudgment of Augustine Eusebius So likewise it is taken in some Courts a proces citing to appeare dic Sabbati is vpon Saturday Tertullian c. seeing in their books by the Sabbath is meant the 7 day and by the Lords day is meant the first for otherwise they would haue vsed the names of Sabbath and Lords day for one the same day of the weeke .2 By the word Sabbath in the end of the commandement must needes be meant the 7 day only For obserue and rested the 7 day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath sanctified it Here thou seest that Gods resting on the 7 day is the reason wherefore he sanctified the Sabbath and can it be a reason of sanctifiing any other day besides the seventh especially when he laboured on all the other The reason of the 7 dayes institution vanished as a shadow with the shadow Suppose we had the like speech in the New Testament as thus He rose againe vpon the first day wherefore he blessed the day of Resurrection and sanctified it who would not take the day of Resurrection here for the first day only Adde that were not Sabbath seventh day the same it should rather haue beene said Wherefore the Lord blessed the 7th day or this Sabbath then the Sabbath Againe it is said blessed the Sabath the meaning is in the beginning and now turne to Gen. 2. and there it is said that God blessed the 7 day and sanctified it These words then Sabbath and seventh day are vsed promiscuè in the Scripture .3 By this doctrine the 4 commandement should be of larger extent then that commandement in the beginning suppose it were a commandement as some will haue it for there it is said God blessed the 7 day not the Sabbath .4 Thus should the 4 commandement consist of a generall commandement and a particular the generall Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it the particular The 7 day shall be the Sabbath 5 Had they who first appointed that order of reading the 4 commandement and the people praying after beene of this iudgment they would mee thinks haue put the first in place of the seventh the first day and not the 7 being now the Sabbath to the Lord our God Suppose God had given this commandement to the Israelites Remember to honour your kinge and Saul is your kinge This commandement being read in the Synagogues and the people praying after Lord haue mercy on vs c. when Saul was dead and David kinge would they haue still read the commandement in the same forme of words Remember to honour your kinge and Saul is your kinge I cannot belieue it They then no doubt who first appointed this order in the Church tooke the Sabbath the 7 day for the same in the 4 commandement Answeres of other in these dayes Answere 1 That the Sabbath and the 7 day are the same is acknowledged by some other in these dayes but they would haue the word seventh taken in a generall sence so that I conceaue they would haue the 4 commandement read thus Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it c. sixe daies c. but a seventh day is the Sabbath c Herevnto my answere is .1 A seventh day that is one of seven as I vnderstand
be ended did we acknowledg St Paul for a sufficient Doctour in this matter as it is great reason wee should and to the Galathians who turned from the Gospell he had preached vnto them so that he had diverse times iust occasion to shew his minde fully in this matter Now then who can belieue that we need not keepe the Iewes Sabbath as it is certaine we need not and themselues wil acknowledge it but St Paul should giue vs to vnderstand asmuch in one of these places And vnlesse in this in none for in his Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians he speaketh only in a generall manner True that generall sayings here are enough as in the matter of meates the law forbad swines flesh blood and the like yet we eate these meates and our warrant is Let no man iudge you in your meate or drinke The Kingdome of God is not meate and drink St Paul speaking twise of dayes in a generall manner and once in a particular would no doubt haue excepted the 7 day Sabbath had it beene to be excepted and such like generall sayings So generall sayings are inough in the matter of daies but if in this place where we haue a particular distributiō the very word Sabbaths vsed we shal say that the weekely Sabbaths are not meant who will belieue in other places The Sabbatharies which heretofore would haue vs Christians obserue the Iewes Sabbath might with more colour put of any text then this either this text or none is of force against them .3 Thus it is taken by many great Divines St Augustine termeth the Sabbath Sacramentum vmbratile Spirit lit cap 14. Againe in the 15. chapter of that booke hee termeth the 4 commandement preceptum figugatum Instit in 4 precept and Calvin sayth vmbratile veteres nuncupare solent so that it seemeth the Fathers generally by Sabbaths here vnderstood the weekely Sabbaths and therfore termed the 4 commandement vmbratile shadowish I haue mervailed that in these dayes two or three for I know no more in print should offer to dissent from so many great Divines about the interpretation of this text especially having no more to say for their owne interpretation But it seemeth they think if by Sabbaths here the weekely Sabbaths be meant then it cannot be avoided but that by ordinances in the second verse before Col. 2.14 the precept of the Sabbath must also bee meant aswell as the precepts of the New moone and holy dayes ioyned with it and thus St Paul should say asmuch of the Sabbath the precept thereof as he doth say or can be said of the new-moon the precept thereof for more cannot be said of the new moon thē that it is a shadow nor of the precept thereof then that it is an ordināce blotted out But shal I therfore offer to interpret a text wrongfully because I my selfe cannot answer an obiection which may be grounded on it being rightly interpreted How much better were it to acknowledg mine owne weaknes and to think that other happily may vnloose that knot which I am not able Besides this text there are other pregnant inough to proue that the Sabbath was a shadow or Ceremony consequently that the 4 commandement is more Ceremoniall then the rest As that text Mat 12.7 But if ye had knowne what this meaneth I will haue mercy and not sacrifice yee would not haue condēned the guiltlesse God calleth the Sab. a signe Exod 31.13 Christ likeneth it to the shew-bread and sacrifices mat 12.4.7 and Paul termeth it a shadow Col. 2. Here likeneth the observation of the Sabbath to the offering of sacrifices he blameth the Pharysees because when God would haue mercy before sacrifice they preferred sacrifice before mercy that is the keeping of the Sabbath before the feeding of their hungry brethren Againe Hebr 4. In this chapter as Marlorate also observeth mention is made of three Rests or Sabbaths one the first seventh day ver 4. another A day may be termed Gods Rest or Sab. in 2 respects first because he rested therin secondly because it is consecrated to his service In the former respect only the first 7 day is gods Sab. the land of Canaan where Zion was Gods Rest for euer Psal 132. vers 8 a third the kingdome of heaven vers 9. Now indeed it is not here said in expresse termes that the 7 day Sabbath is a text of the heavenly Sabbath but consider .1 That the Apostle in this Epistle entreateth much of types and of that whereof they were types 2. If the land of Canaan Gods locall rest in this world were a type of the rest in heaven as all acknowledg then likewise the 7 day Gods tēporall Rest in this world as spoken of here both together and in the same manner .3 The 7 day the kingdome of heauen haue one common name Gods Rests in this world were two the one of the time the 7th day the other of place the land of Canaan Rest or Sabbath the resemblance between them is asmuch as betweene the sacrifices of beasts in the time of the law and that sacrifice of Christ on the Crosse As God rested on the 7 day after his works in the 6 daies as the Israelites rested on the 7 day after their works in the 6 dayes so shall the godly rest in heaven after their labours and miseryes in this world Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their Labours Reu. 14. Some that acknowledge the 7 dayes Sabbath to be a type or shadow will haue it such in respect of the strict rest S. Paul would not haue said that the holy dayes new-moone and Sab. were a shadow if not these but circumstances only about them had beene a shadow If it were a shadow because it was the last of the weeke then belike the new-moone was a shadow because it was the first of the month and that it was the last of seven but I doubt not the 7 day Sabbath was a shadow of the Sabbath to come inasmuch as it was a Sabbath that is a day of Rest and refreshing And so was the land of Canaan a type of the kingdome of heaven inasmuch as it was a place of Rest after the Egyptian-bondage and wearisome iourny through the wildernes The like may be said of the new-moone and Feasts ioyned with the Sabbath Col. 2. they were all in likelihood a shadow of the same thing to come the kingdome of heaven and in one and the same respect I meane in being times of Resting Feasting and reioycing Againe some that acknowledge the seaventh day Sabbath for a shaddow will not haue it such from the beginning but when as all other types and shaddowes were such from their first institution The very foundation of the Iewes Sab. was typicall for God sanctified the 7 day because he had rested therein who will belieue them without manifest proofe
them That the word truly and properly translated is the seuenth for the particle is there vsed neyther I belieue did any ever translate it otherwise .2 Thus should the word be taken in one sence in the beginning of the commandement and in another afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For after it is said and rested on the 7 day here by seuenth day must needes be meant one certaine day .3 If God sanctified a seventh day then he made man on a sixth day were not this to confound every dayes worke .4 The same word is vsed Gen. 2 and there it must be translated the seuenth day for it were absurd to say in it God blessed a 7 day because he rested on the 7 day if God blessed a seuenth day then he rested vpon a 7 day Gen. 2. vers 3. .5 Thus should not god from Sinai appoint what day of the weeke the Israelites should sanctifi so indeed writeth a reverend Divine It was never commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should bee kept among seaven but that there should be observed a seventh day But should Paul haue taught in the Iewes Synagogues that God from Sinai did no more appoint their day to be sanctified then ours and that Christians sanctified the Lords day kept the 4 commandement according to the letter asmuch as they I leaue it to other to consider what would haue followed therevpon Answere 2 There are other againe which will haue it read the 7 day is the Sabbath to the c. but yet by their doctrine any day of the weeke may be meant hereby and with them the Lords day is the seventh That the Lords day is and must be the 7th day beginneth to be somthing a common doctrine Thus a learned Preacher wrote vnto mee The 7 day alone is sanctified but the Lord hath not assigned any immutable Date of time from which this 7 must be reckoned for he never sayth in any place God sanctified the 7 from such or such a Date So the observing of that number is immutable but the taking of one only beginning from which to begin the account is not immutable had it beene the Apostles in whose time the chang of Dates began would sure haue knowne it and not suffered such chang without reproof This I receaued from a learned Preacher Now vnto those his words for he neuer sayth in any place God sanctified c. my answere is That he had no need so to say unlesse there had beene more then sixe dayes before the first seventh or that hee had blessed any other seaventh day since Neyther of which being so the Date must needes bee from the day wherein God separated the light from the darknes and what more certaine Date of time from whence to beginne the reckoning then from the beginning of the creation before which there was no time at all Againe whereas he sayth that the change of Dates began in the Apostles dayes I would know where this doth appeare Rather the contrary appeareth Act 20. 1. Cor. 16. for by the first of the weeke as themselues say is meant the Lords day See then the ancient Date of time is continued by the Apostles for if the Lords day were the first of the weeke the Iwes Sabbath must needes be the 7th and last of the weeke in the Apostles time as it was in the beginning I haue much mervailed wherefore some must nedes haue the Lords day be the 7th so contrary to the Scriptures who terme it the first of the weeke in two places and at the mouth of two witnesses we would thinke this matter should be established But it seemeth as Isaac said Gen. 27. Iacob haue I blessed he shal be blessed so they thinke God blessed the 7th day and it must be blessed wherefore vnlesse the Lords day come to be the 7th it is not blessed sanctified But they should consider that God did not blesse the day The Lords day will come to be the 7 when Esau commeth o be Iacob because it was the 7th had he then were it some reason that the name and blessing should still goe together but now he blessed the day because he had rested therein and if these two may be sundered much more the other What God hath put asunder let not man ioyne together Gen. 2.3 Lords day and seventh day it will not procure them a blessing to goe about in such sort to maintaine the trueth If their doctrine can otherwise be maintained I desire them in Christs name that they would if their doctrine cannot otherwise be maintained I admonish them in the feare of God to teach such doctrine as may Were it once receaved that wee must sanctifie the 7th day and they neyther by Scripture reason nor Fathers can proue that the day we doe now sanctifie is the seventh will it not come to passe that we shall fall back to the Iewes day The Scripture is against them and that in two places Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16 Reason is against them for if the Iewes Sabbath vntill the change were the 7 how should the next day be the seventh also the name seventh hath reference to other dayes going before shall one and the same day bee the seventh of one weeke and the sixth of the next weeke Now among the Fathers Ierome is against them for he termeth Wednesday the fourth of the weeke Si dies observare non licet menses tempora annos nos quoque simile crimen incurrimus quartam Sabbati observantes Parasceven diem Dominicam c. Com in Ep ad Gal cap 4. Finally by this answere as by the former the word seventh should be taken in one sence in the beginning of the commandement and in another afterward for after it is said and rested on the 7th day Here by seventh day must needs be meant one certaine day no man will say that God rested on the day we now keepe holy Againe if by seventh day Ex. 20. any day be meant aswell as Saturday by first day Act 20. why shall not any day be meant aswell as Sunday But not to stand longer hereabout this last answere cannot stand without the overthrow of Gods weeke that it may be receaved God had need to make the world againe A likelier answere then either of the former Chrisostome on Gen. 2. hath these words Iam hìc ab initio doctrinam hanc nobis insinuat Deus c. Here from the beginning God doth insinuate this doctrine that one day in the circle of the weeke should be severed for spirituall worke Note the word insinuateth Dr Field hath these words in his 5 booke and 29 chapter Presupposing the knowledg of the creation reason convinceth vs that one day of seven must be a day of rest Reason convinceth Some such thing I thinke must be said here as that God by giving this commandement to the Israelites doth insinuate that Christians should
sanctifie one day of the weeke Or thus Inasmuch as God having chosen to himselfe a Church commanding thē after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the 7 day reason convinceth or this is an argument that it is Gods will we Christians now his Church should doe in some sort as the Israelites by the 4th commandement were bound to doe heretofore The 4th commandement bindeth vs to sanctifie one day of the weeke that is It bindeth vs to belieue that it is Gods will we should sanctifie one day of the weeke seing as thereby it appeareth he once appointed the Israelites after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the seventh day the same reasons in part still continue To end this matter Were it a law of this kingdome set forth long agone in these words Remember to fast vpō Thursday We in these times faring well vpon Thursday fasting vpō friday some man should say that the forenamed law bound vs so to doe vnlesse we did fast vpō Friday we brake that Statute who hearing this would not be much moved at the strangenes of the matter presently demand How shall this be seing the Statute speaketh of Thursday How can such a Statute binde vs to fast vpon Friday Now how the like vnto this may be I haue shewed with the best skill I haue and if any thinke my skill herein defectiue and say Never any law of God or man did binde in such manner as you speake of I must confesse it in my knowledge but did ever any other law of God or man appoint a thinge to be done on one day of the weeke and binde to doe it on another day or appoint a thinge to be done in one place and binde to doe it in another place Such a law if there were ever any such did binde in such manner as I speake of or if any hath more skill to answere this question I greatly desire him to shew his skill The question is such as we would thinke every one of the meanest vnderstanding would demand it first of all and it is made a needfull question to be answered by reason of those strange interpretations of Gods word aforemencioned I mean that the Sabbath and seauenth day are not the same in the fourth Commandement againe that by seauenth day in the fourth commandement any day of the week may be signified Should way bee giuen to such interpretations of the Scripture who seeth not what would follow therevpon It doth not a little moue me when in Protestant writers I read such passages as this It was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seauen c. Consider well of the matter and thou wilt say that I am not moued without cause III QVESTION HOW shall it appeare to be the law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke Answere Almighty God having in 6 dayes created the heaven and the earth rested vpon the 7 day Gen. 2.3 and therfore sanctified it as is said Gen 2. Hence now some would gather that it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day in euery weeke but indeed it will hence rather follow that it is the law of nature to sanctifie the precise seauenth day Vpon these premises God made the world in six daies and resting on the seauenth day sanctified it by the light of nature or reason this inference should rather bee made therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day Then doe we most neerely follow Gods example when we worke vpon those very dayes which he wrought vpon and sanctifie that very day which he sanctified God in the beginning sanctified the seauenth day therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day is a neerer inference than that other therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day of the seauen or weeke The like may be said touching the placing of the fourth commandement among the moralls if any would fetch an argument thence to prooue this matter In the 2 to the Romans Paul saith That the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2 14. and were a law to themselues From which text happily an argumēt might be fetched to proue as much the law of nature as M. Dod affirmeth that is to haue solemne times for so the Gentiles had but now the Gentiles sanctified not one day in euery weeke It will rather follow from the practise of the Gentiles that it is the law of nature to haue a place appointed than one day in euery weeke appointed for publike meetings the Gentiles had Temples 1. Cor. 11.14 In the 1 Cor. 11. S. Paul hath these words Doth not even nature it selfe teach you that if a man hath long haire it is a shame vnto him Now should I say in like manner doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs to sanctifie one day in euery weeke For one that would affirme many I thinke at first would deny that nature taught it them they see no such thing by the light of nature they had neuer any naturall inclination to sanctifie one day of euery seauen But though at first euery man will be ready thus to say yet vpon consideration happily it will seem the best order and if we see by The light in vs whereof Christ speaketh Mat. 6. Though it be not by any expresse command from Christ or his Apostles but by an ordinance of the Church as is the doctrine of many great Diuines of our church in the booke of Homilies that we sanctifie the Lords day rather then another day in the weeke yet can I maintaine that it is the law of Nature to sanctifie this very day for it is The best order And this I think no man of iudgement will once offer to deny vnlesse perhaps because some hold a superstitious conceit of the day that it is the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then me thinks it may bee said that nature doth teach vs so to doe Let all things saith Paul be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. This command of Paul is the very law of nature doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs as much The best order is the will of God and the law of nature This is it then which I say If reason the light in vs or Nature for these I take for the same teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then is it to bee held the law of nature so to doe but Reason the light in vs What the Philosophers tearme Reason Christ tearmeth The light in vs and Paul Nature or Nature teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in every weeke therefore it is to be held the law of nature so to doe This is the only argument to prooue this matter But here are two things which I thinke good to advertise thee of One is that we should not tearme it Morall to