A Defence Of that most Ancient and Sacred ordinance of GODS the SABBATH DAY Consequently and together with it 2. A Defence of the iiijth Commandement 3. A Defence of the integrity and perfection of the Decalogue Morall Law or X. Commandements 4. A Defence also of the whole and intire worship of God in all the partes thereof as it is prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue 5. A Discouery of the Superstition impurity and corruption of Gods worship yea and Idolatry committed by multitudes in sanctifying the Lords Day for a Sabbath Day by the iiijth Commandement Vndertaken against all Anti-Sabbatharians both of Protestants Papists Antinomians and Anabaptists and by name and especially against these X Ministers M. Greenwod M. Hutchinson M. Furnace M. Benton M. Gallard M. Yates M. Chappel M. Stinnet M. Iohnson and M. Warde The second Edition corrected and amended with a supply of many things formerly omitted BY THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE Printed ANNO DOM. 1632. Thus saieth the Lord stand in the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde Rest for your soules Ierem. 6.16 This is that old and that good way Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy c. The vijth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for on the vijth day the Lord Rested Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exod. xx viij x. xj Obserue it walke in it For verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law vntill all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so hee shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Whatsoeuer thing I commaund you take heede you doe it Thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought there from Deut. 12.32 Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 To the Kings most excellent Maiestie CHARLES by the grace of God King of Great-Brittaine Fraunce and Ireland Defender of the Christian faith c. MOST dread and renowned Soueraigne may it please your excellent Maiestie such is the power of Trueth and specially in Religion that they which haue once tasted it cleaue vnto it more then vnto all the hopes of this life besides The Law of thy mouth saith Dauid is better vnto mee then thowsands of gold siluer Psal 119.72 Yea such is the excellency of Gods blessed Trueth as his meekest seruants will stirr in the defence of it the mildest fight before it shall be indamaged by their forbearance I durst not petition your Highnesse nor aduenture these lines vnto your Maiesties consideration vntill I had by diligent studie first so setled my conscience in the certaine trueth of them as my minde gaue me that I am tied in conscience rather to departe with my life then with this Trueth so captiuated is my conscience inthraled to the Law of my God Here therefore I tender this Trueth with my life vnto your Maiestie that vnto your Godly consideration this vnto your clemency mercy and both to the pleasure of the Almighty I remember when the Booke of the Law had bene lost and was found againe by Hilkiah the Priest in the Raigne of Iosiah 2. King 22. that Hilkiah sent it by Shaphan the Chaunteller vnto the King which giueth me to vnderstand that in matters of Gods worship in case failings and corruptions be found out the Supreme power the King is to haue knowledge of it More particularly when the Lords Sabbath was thought to be prophaned by the Disciples of Christ by plucking eares of corne Mat. 12. to whom did the Pharises complaine but vnto Christ the Lord and Master of the Disciples And when in Nehemiahs time the Sabbath was prophaned by treading the Winepresse bearing of burdens Nehem. 13. to whom did Nehemiah turne himselfe but vnto the Rulers Nobles of Iudah for redresse I addresse my selfe therefore vnto your Maiestie humblie beseeching you to take it into consideration 1. That that most ancient sacred ordinance of Gods Sabbath prescribed in the Morall Law and religiously practised by the most anciët primitiue Churches neere 400 yeeres after the Ascention of Christ euen so longe as they retained their brightest purity and which ought religiously to be sanctified to the worlds end it is now prophaned trampled vnder foote 2. That the Decalogue Law of God is not taught maintained in our Church in its fulnesse integrity and perfection but onely partially by peeces 3. That God hath not his whole intire worship seruice prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue but is denied one quarter or fowrth part thereof weekly 4. That by the common doctrine in our Church the 4th Commandement is wholly frustrate altogether nullified both roote and branch 5. That by most men in our Church there is grosse superstition committed Gods worship is corrupted and by many plain idolatry wrought by keeping the Lords day for a Sabbath by the 4th Com. Amongst other things I haue as I beleeue made these fiue things manifestly appeare in this Booke and now I humbly present them vnto your Highnesse consideration trusting the cause will speake for it selfe and its bare mention will call for a Reformation It was the laudable and Godly care of your deere Father to cause in his time a new Translation of the sacred Bible for the correction of but here and there a word how much more I trust will his suruiuing Sonne Heire be mindfull of such weighty matters as these are Almighty God hath honoured this eternall Law of the 10 Commandements with such honour as he vouchsafed not to any one portion of Scripture besids in all the Sacred Bible for hee deliuered it in most Maiesticall and terrible manner in flaming fyer the earth trembling Moses the people quaking hee spake it proclaimed it with his owne voyce and wrote it with his owne finger in Tables of stone The Eternall Sonne of God whilst on earth bewraied such care of this Law as that hee ratified it and euery iote title of it to the worlds end saying Verily I say vnto you that vntill heauen earth passe one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law till all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 The Church of God in this Christian Kingdome honoureth at this day this Law of God for shee hath inrouled it in hir Booke of Common Prayers and ordered that it be deuoutly reade at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at other times of holy Assemblies I trust therefore your Maiestie will afford this sacred honourable portion of Gods Word your best protection The Law it is the inheritance of the Church as wee reade Deut.
forswore his Lord and Master therein he bewraied it not Let good men therfore Holy be defended no further then their goodnesse and holinesse will extend and suffer them to be prosecuted and discouered in their erroures sinnes that they may reforme them I confesse they are my brethren so I acknowledge them but what then may not their erroures therfore be discouered and reproued Peter was Pauls brother did Paul therfore cloke Peters errour no Paul discouered it and reproued it to his face and that publikly before all men Gal. 2.11.14 shall the sinnes of the people be reproued and not the sinnes of Ministers shall Ministers haue a patent to sinne without reprofe our Sauiour reproued Peter saying get thee behind me Satan I hold sinne is lesse to be borne withall in a Minister then in a priuate person especially if it be both in their life and doctrine as that is for which I shall reproue them for when they not onely practise it but also erroniously teach it hereby they draw whole multitudes after them and therefore sinnefull errour would be snibed in them as a riuer would be stopped in the fountaine Perhapes thou wilt further say for them but what is it you haue against them it seemeth by these words that you haue some greate matter against them which we cannot beleeue since we know them to be men so Holy so lerned and euery way so qualified as we cannot say black is their eye c. Why amongst others these things I haue against them In generall I challeng them for their false and erroniouse doctrine where with all they haue now a long time deceiued and seduced the people of God wherein they still stifly persist he particulars whereof are these by their vngodly and abhominable reiecting of that most ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath by name commanded in the Morall Law 1. They are become companiones to those wicked Priests who were partiall in Gods Law Mal. 2.9 for they deny the Integrity perfection of the Law and teach it onely by halues by parceles and peeces and so make Gods Law a lame and defectiue Law 2. They deny God a parte of his holy worship and seruice prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue and this they neglect and omit weekly 3. They haue vtterly abolished and by their doctrine nullified the whole 4th Commandement both roote and branch 4. They haue most shamefully abused the 4th Commandement by their most grosse false and erroniouse expositions of it so as I neuer saw any one portion of scripture more corruptly and falsly expounded by any Popish Iesuit Whereby they worthily deserue the Title to be called The corrupters of Gods Law 5. They doe shamefully abuse certaine Textes and portions of Scripture and that by setting Scriptures together by the eares for they wrest certaine Scriptures of the New Testament to the vnnecessary contradicting and ouerthrowing of things commanded in the Decalogue and 10 Commandements of the Old Testament 6. They haue and doe most vnschollarlike abuse the 4th Com. by applying it to the Lords day the which God directed properly vnto the Saturday or 7th day of the weeke 7. They teach and maintaine that the Lords day is the Sabbath day by Christ his institution and to this purpose they haue most vnlernedly dishonestly wrested and abused diuerse sondry portiones of sacred Scripture a thing which one day they must account to God for and hereby they haue shamefully abused many of the well affected people of the land nursing them vp in Superstition will worship and idolatry If I shall make these 7 things good against these 10 Ministers as in this booke I shall then I trust you will pardon me if now and then I let fale an harsh word or two against them and then I trust you will not blame me for taking vp the bucklers against them as Gods enemies in these cases I could not haue taken these things so euilly at the hands of any as of puritans nor of any puritans as of puritane Ministers for at their hands I looked for better As for them these 10 Ministers I require and charge them as they will answer it before the Tribunall of Almightie God at the generall day of Iudgement that they study the 4th Commandement better and other the Scriptures now in controuercy so that they may deliuer nothing to the people but the pure word of God in their exposition and that they forbeare these erroniouse doctrines in pulpit and in priuate yea and reuoke these their foule erroures making a mends to the people of God whom they haue wronged by acknowledging the same vnto them before either they or any of their people departe this present life it is no dallying with mens soules and Gods matters Or else let them answer this my booke and so honestly acquite themselues of these things I charge them withall it is but equall that I demaund that they should either confirme my booke or confute it some of them say they will giue their liues for the Lords day Sabbath I trust then they will giue their laboures which is lesse to defend it I doubt not but you shall heare them make many shiftes friuolouse excuses that they may not answer me as hitherto they haue done when moued to answer my former booke but this is but still to maintaine their credit among the people as if they could easily answer all but they will not wast their time forsooth Happily the combination of these 10 Ministers will agree euery man to preach an invectiue sermon or two euery man in his owne parish against this booke and so raise a greate cry against me picking partially some fewe things in my booke to cauill at as it is no hard matter for a Rhetoricean to delude the people with words and for a Sophister to beguile them with seeming arguments and answers but my request vnto them is that they would answer my booke and that punctually from point to point not snaching and catching here and there at things and that they would print it as I haue done and so they shall stand to what they say without alterationes and after minceings and extenuationes An Author may be much wronged and abused in pulpit as I haue bene alredy by M. Chappell reporting to the people things out of my former booke falsly which I neuer wrote there so confuting their owne phantasies in stead of my booke and the Author hath no remedy but patience To auoide the like I desire them to forbeare pulpit confutations and come to printed confutations that so they may be answered againe What remaineth Christian Reader but that in the last place I craue thy single eye and vnpartiall censure and that you carry a minde voide of all preiudice euill will either to the person or the cause whereabouts thou art redy to be imployed in reading Remember we are not to receiue the word of God with respect of
its Integrity 2. The 4th Com. is but a Cipher 3. An holy prayer of our Church is frustrate 4. A gate is set open to Anabaptistry 5. The worship of God will languish decay 6. An old Tradition is kept in the place where the old Sabbath should stand 7. Men liue in the weekly sinne of Sabbath breaking 8. God is denied a parte of his worship Yea corruptly worshiped 9. Idolatry is committed by thowsand thowsands in the Kingdome And these are the Contentes of this booke A Defence of the Morall LAW CHAP. I. SECT I. THE scope and principall drift of this Treatise Christian Reader is the defence of the Lords Sabbathes to wit his ancient Sabbathes the Saturday seuenth dayes Sabbathes the which are expresly enioyned vs in the fourth Com. in these wordes Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it c. But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord c. Exod. 20.8.10 Against this ancient and most sacred ordinance of Gods I find two professed enemies against whom I must bend my forces the one are they who deny the Law of God the Morall Law or 10 Commandements to belong vnto Christians and so consequently they deny Gods Sabbathes also commanded in the Law and these are our Anabaptistes and our late sprung vp Antinomianes the other are they who deny the Integrity and perfection of the Law they embrace the Law of God indeed but not the whole law and these are both Protestantes and Papistes for these reiect that ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day properly so called and expresly commanded in the morall law counting it for a ceremony and abolished by reiection whereof they reiect some thing commanded in the Law and so consequently they are partiall in the law and doe deny it in its integrity and perfection vrge an Anabaptist or Antinomian to the obseruation of the Sabbath day and he will answere you that the law is abolished at the comming of Christ as all those legall Ceremonies were vrge a Protestant or a Papist to sanctify the Sabbath day and your answere shall be that this part of the law touching the Sabbath day is a ceremonie and abolished at the coming of Christ thus Anabaptistes and Antinomians renounce the whole law Protestants and Papists renounce the wholenesse of the law the one would haue no law the other would haue no perfect law Against both these this booke is penned The partes of this booke are sixe diuided into so many Chapters also The first parte or chapter is in defense of the Morall Law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes against Anabaptistes and Antinomianes The other fiue partes or Chapters are in defense of the integrity and perfection of the Law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes against Protestantes and Papistes for this purpose the second parte or Chapter giueth the true sense and Exposition of the fourth Command and vindicateth it from the common and corrupt glosses and expositions of it The third Chapter sheweth the weaknesse and insufficiency of all those Scriptures and arguments which are vsually produced to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath day The fourth Chapter sheweth the insufficiency and feeblenesse of all those Scriptures and arguments which are vsually alleaged against the Lords Sabbath of the seuenth day or Saturday to make it an abolished ceremony The fifth Chapter conteineth sondry forcible and vndeniable arguments and Scriptures prouing the morallity and perpetuity of the ancient Sabbath day The sixte and last Chapter conteineth a Dispensation for a season touching the present practise and obseruation of the seuenth day Sabbath together with an Exhortation to a speedy reformation Thus you see my taske what it is my aduersaries who they are and the partes of this Booke One thing more would be premised for so much as we shall often haue occasion to vse these two words Morall and Ceremoniall it is sit that I here shew in what sense I vnderstand them 1. I would vse these words but for distinction sake for whereas there are two sortes of Sabbathes the wekly Sabbath and the yeerly Sabbathes the Sabbath which God wrote and the Sabbathes which Moses wrote the Sabbath which God spake and the Sabbathes which Moses spake the Sabbath written in the Morall law Exod. 20.8 and the Sabbathes written in the Ceremoniall law Levit. 23.32 c. for the distinguishing of these two sortes of Sabbathes one from the other I doe vse these two words calling the weekly Sabbath recorded in the Morall law the Morall Sabbath and the yeerly Sabbathes recorded in the Ceremoniall law the Ceremoniall Sabbathes these Sabbathes were also distinguished in respect of time the Morall Sabbath was first deliuered Exod. 20.8 yea Gen. 2.2.3 the ceremoniall Sabbathes were afterwards deliuered Levit. 23.32 c. neither did these ceremoniall Sabbathes euer come within the pale of the Morall law or were written in the Tables of stone 2. I see not but that I may call the weekly Sabbath the Morall Sabbath properly for 1. the seuenth day or weekly Sabbath it conserneth practise and manners which is signified by the word Morall 2. Since God spake all those words Exod. 20.1 why should not euery thing he spake be called morall as well as any thing he spake and since the Sabbath day or seuenth day is a thing that is expresly commanded in the Morall law and which may I say which may be retained in the Church with great profit why should it be denied the name of morall 3. Giue me a reason why the seuenth day Sabbath should not be called a Morall as well as the doctrine of the Trinity in the first Com or as the doctrine of originall sinne or lust Rom. 7.7 in the tenth Comm 4. Since the dueties of the Sabbath to wit Rest and Holy exercises are accounted Morall why should not the time or seuenth day also be accounted morall for the time is a furtherance vnto these morall dueties now that which furthereth a morall should me thinke be also called a morall 5. Herevnto agreeth Doctour Ames in his Theologicall Thesis pag. 499. and also affirmeth it to be the iudgement of the best diuines saying It is receiued by all best diuines that the Morales were differenced from the Ceremoniales by this that all and onely the Morales were wrote by God in the Tables of stones c. The Saturday and weekly Sabbath then must needs be termed a morall Sabbath In a word why should this be strange for as there is a ceremoniall law and a morall law why may there not be likewise ceremoniall Sabbathes and morall Sabbathes and since God placed the seuenth day Sabbath in the morall law among the morales why should it not be termed morall and called the morall Sabbath The morall Sabbathes together with whatsoeuer else is commanded in the morall law I doe defend the Ceremoniall Sabbathes with all other Ceremonies I doe reiect It is the Decalogue and nothing else which I defend and this I stand to maintaine in
then hee vvill haue an account of his vvholl Lavv not of peeces and percels of it as vve please Thus vve se vvhat the duety of Ministers is namely to teach the people to obserue the Lords seauenth day Sabbath which is one of the commandements though you make it the least and it is their duetie also if they vvill be freed of Christ his Cursse to obserue keepe the 7th day Sabbath before the people so leading them by liefe doctrine together but hovv sarre off is the practise of most Teachers from obseruing the minde vvill of Christ in steade of practising the 7th day Sabbath in their ovvne persones for example vnto others they could be content to persecute any that they se forward this way oh fearfull In stead of teaching the people this vvhich they count the least of Gods commandements vrging them to keepe euery iote and title of Gods Lavv so the Lords Sabbath day they teach openly publikly the quite contrary as namely that this least of Gods commandements it is abolished and that the Sabbath day commanded it is abolished thus this least of Gods commandements is trampled downe because it is a little one a ceremoniall one a circumstantiall one not the Law of Nations nor found novv in the hartes off all men falne corrupted as a Law of Nature and because commanded to the Iew and the like but vvhat soeuer be their shiftes suer Iam the Sabbath day is not lesse then one of the iotes and titles of Gods Law nor is it lesse then the least of Gods commandements wherefore vvho soeuer teacheth in opposition to this Sabbath day he bevvraieth himselfe to be no frend of Christs and that he regardeth not his mind and vvill in teaching and obseruing all euery of the Commandemets nay he proclaimeth him selfe in open pulpit to be a professed enemy to Christ our Sauiour and these his vvordes Mat. 5.18.19 and to the integrity vvholnesse as I may call it of Gods Lavv he had rather haue it lamed percelled out that so he might serue God by halues and by peece meale then to haue an indifferent respect vvith Dauid vnto all Gods Commandements Psal 119.6 rather then he vvould haue Gods Lavv intire compleate in the perfection of partes vnto a iote and title Is not it true of such Ministers werewith the Lord charged those corrupt Priests Mal. 2.9 to vvit that they were partiall in the Law are not these also in our time partiall in Gods Law when not with standing vvhat Christ hath said for the integrity of the Lavv yet these men wil reiect a parte of it and so become like those Priests partiall in Gods Lavv for a parte of Gods Lavv they vvill haue an other parte they vvill none of the dueties of rest and holinesse in the 4th com this parte of the 4th com they vvill haue but the other duetie of the Time this parte of the same 4th com they vvill none of Were these Ministers of the lovver ranke for zeale of the Number of those vvhich are not accounted so zelouse of Gods Lavves it vvere the lesse to be vvondred at but being puritant Ministers and such as vvould be displeased at him vvho should say to them they had not an indifferent respect vnto all Gods commandements vvith out exceptions that these I say should picke and choose take leaue become like those profane Priests partiall in Gods Law it is to be maruailed at Mistake me not good Reader it is not purity that I mislike in puritanes for of all men I honour no men more then such as are endeauour to be of pure harte holy liefe but this I hate in them to se their practise belye their doctrine professiō for they teach daily for vniversall obediēce to all Gods com without exceptions resernations but Loe they are found here halting one of the least as they say of Gods Commandements ratified by our Sauiour they neglect and contemne Others there be of the same ranke which be not so impudent as the former they preach teach not against the Lords Sabbaths therefore are not guilty of the Cursse of Christ for breaking this least Com. teaching men so yet are they enemies to this least Comm. for haueing heard of my former booke which I vvrote in defence of this least Com. and for the Lords Sabbath yea and after they haue seene it reade it ouer they spitt fyer at it cry out burne the booke t is a foule errour c. These men like Iames Iohn not knovving of vvhat Spirit they are vvould haue fyer come downe presently although they know not either how to proue their Lords day to be a Sabbath day nor yet hovv to disproue the Lords Sabbath day or to confute the booke yet they can cry burne the booke t is a foule errour c. Thus these are so farre from teaching this least com to the people as that they vse all their diligence to scare afright simple people vvith greate vvords that so they might still remaine caught in theire snares in blind ignorance if the Lawes of this Realme vvere fitted to these mens minds it should be vvoe to him that toucheth this Lords day Sabbath the Diana of our time but seing they doe it out of a good affection I shall vvith Paul make it mine hearts desire and prayer to God for them that they may repent for I beare them witnesse that they haue the Zeale of God but not according to knowledge They thinke it much that they cannot preuaile vvith the rude multitude for the keeping Holy of the Lords day Sabbath but that say they vvhat they can yet they will reuell riote profane it vvell the case is novv become their ovvne it shall be seene whither all that I haue said can preuaile vvith them for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths on the 7th day suer I am I haue said shall say much more more soundly for the 7th day Sabbath to moue them to keepe it then euer they did or could say to profane persones for the keeping of the 8th day Sabbath if therfore synister affections preuaile so vvith them that they vvill not liften to mee no more then their profane hearers will to them let them tell me then what is the difference betvvixt them selues and their profane auditours An other sorte there are who are disobedient to Christs will by deniall of the integrity wholnesse perfection of Gods law in as much as they doe not onely refuse to teach the people this least of Gods commandements namely which is the proper day time of Gods worship seruice but if they finde that by the paines of any others more faithfull in this point then themselues any of their flocke are taught instructed in this way of the Lord more perfectly that they begin to see a further light into this Law of
by the 4th Com. some diuines foreseing the grossenesse of others vvho hould that the 4th Com. doth bind to the Lords day properly are ashamed of this therfore they haue found out a nevv way of binding that is not that the 4th Com. should bind to the Lords day properly but improperly Analogically by way of resemblance similitude but how euer this distinction is some what neate pretty may serue the turne in schooles yet vvhen it comes a broad into the Country it is very absurde for 1. none of our Country diuines will vse it 2. This is an absurd distinction that one and the same Command should binde both properly improperly properly for two thowsand yeeres improperly euer after Yea this is contrary to our selues for vve abhorre it in Papists that they should make 4 senses of Scripture the Litterall Allegoricall Tropologicall Anagogicall as Perkins hath them in his Arte of Prophecying pag. 651. where he affirmeth that the sense of Scripture is but one onely novv vvhy may not Papists as vvell make 4 senses as any of vs make 2 senses a proper litterall sense an improper analogicall sense 3. The 4th Com. inioyneth vs to labour 6 dayes so by consequence vpon the Lords day therfore it cannot command rest vpon the same day Neither can the reason of the 4th Com. be drawne to this 8th day c. 4. By this diuise may we reuiue all the Ceremoniall Lawes in the Old Testament saying they bind vs novv analogically which is flat contrary vnto the Apostle Ephes 2.15 Colo. 2.14.5 The fourth com cannot bind to the Lords day being a new day analogically because the Sabbath day which is the old day is not yet abolished as shall be showne and so it must bind still to the old day properly Other answers there be also in my other booke of the Sabbath vvhich here I omit for I purpose not to stand vpon this point because I thinke few or none will vrge it In the next place let vs come to them that are ashamed of nothing for they hould that the 4th com binds to the Lords day properlie these haue many deuices to deceiue themselues others as sometimes they haue this argument that the Hebrew word Sabbath signifieth a rest novv on the Lords day vve Rest therfore the 4th Com. belongeth vnto it Hereto I answer 1. that the word Sabbath vsed in the 4th Com. vvas neuer vsed for a Rest generally vpon any day but Synecdochically for a Rest particularly vpon the 7th day onely 2. By the like reason vve may hould ffast dayes Christmas day and Coronation dayes Sabbathes by the 4th Com. also for on these dayes vve Rest also Others haue this for an argument they affirme that by Sabbath day 7th day in the Com. may be meante not the Sabbath the 7th day but a Sabbath a 7th day are not these those necessary consequences whereof they talke so To vvit because these words Sabbath 7th may be vnderstood of a Sabbath and of a 7th day that Therfore they must so be taken with them then this is a necessary consequence that vvhat may be must of necessity be it may be it shall raine too morrow doth it therfore follow that for certaine it necessarily must raine too morrow but these friuolouse childish arguments my stomacke is so loathed with them as I vvill proceed no further hauing in my exposition vpon the 4th com sufficiently discouered these vanities The third argument is Mr. Chappels which he deliuered in publike thus he argueth If one day in Seauen must be a Sabbath day and not the Seauenth day then the Lords day must be the Sabbath day But one day in 7 must be a Sabbath day not the 7th day Therfore the Lords day must be the Sabbath day As for the consequence this he proued by this argument because the Lords day is the fitest of all the sixe and that because there was a weekly collection theron 1. Cor. 16.2 with other the like Textes which are vsed in defence of the Lords day ordenarily but I omit answer to this proofe of his consequence in this place because I shall haue hereafter a more fit place to answer this argument that the Lords day is the fitest c. In this place I vvill onely answer his maine argument vvhich growndeth vpon the 4th Com. for this is our taske in this Section to deale vvith the 4th com onely I come to his Minor which consisteth of two partes But one day in seauen must be a Sabbath day not the 7th day for the former parte of it in these words But one day in seauen must be a Sabbath day for proofe of this hee alleaged my Testimony and the Testimony of those of the same iudgement with me saying as for this parte of my Minor themselues confesse it for they hould that one daye in seauen must be a Sabbath but hoe there Mr. Chappell you must not carry it away so vve must discouer your fraudulent conveiances first good Sir doe not abuse vs in our tenets and thereby abuse your auditory also vve vse not to speake so promiscuously so generally and so indistinctly as you report vs for vve vse not to say one day in seauen must be a Sabbath day but thus the last day of seauen must be a Sabbath day let this be noted and this vve doe to avoide the amphibolie or double meaning of the phrase which you charge vpon vs for these vvords one day in seauen may haue a double meaning either they may be vnderstood generally for any one day in the seauen as vvell this as that as wel the first of seauen as the last of seauen or any other of the seauē or they may be vnderstood for some one certaine particular day as the 7th day last day of the seauen Now vve to auoid all doubling equiuocationes doe addict our selues vnto the simplicity of speech therfore doe choose to say the last day of seauen rather then one of seauen but Mr. Chappell quite contrary he delights to vse in publike and to put vpon vs such phrases as haue a double meaning that so he may the better double before his people and delude them novv of the two senses propounded if vve shall vse his phrase vve doe choose the latter doe vnderstand by one day of seauen that one day which is the last day of seauen but Mr. Chappell doth choose the former sense vnderstanding by one day in seauen any one day of the seauen indefinitly this or that or any other Now in this sense his Minor is most false neither shall he euer be able to proue it out of the 4th Com. that there is commanded any one day of the seauen for there is onely commanded that one day onely which is the last of the seauen furthermore he hath abused both vs but that 's not much but his
paye it not till a quarter of an howre before Sune set so may they be said to mete on the first day albeit it vvas not till the very last point of the day Now I hold that the night is no parte of the day as formerly I haue showne in the exposition of the 4th comm nor is the night to be counted rekoned for any parte of the day goeing before it so then this text maketh nothing at all for the Lords day all that they can hence collect is no more but this that vve are bound to keepe euery 8th dayes night or euery Lords day night for a Sabbath night and that we must preach as Paul did till midnight c. Wherfore if they will haue it that Pauls sermon their assembling begane in the morning let them proue it for the text hath no such thing in it I know they are redy to say these were times of persecution and they could not meete till night for feare c. but the text hath nothing of any persecution now at Troas and againe since they mett to receiue the Lords Supper there was no neede for them to meete in the day time or morning for that the euening was soone enough let them proue that the Disciples would haue mett sooner but for feare if they can and lastly had feare of persecution hindred them then would they not haue mett on the first day c. in the day time least they should be seene walking in the streetes entring into the common house of assemblie they then vvould rather haue mett erly before day light or late after the day vvas shut in least they should be seene c. but they assembled in the day time therefore no feare of persecutors 3. I ansvver admit that they mett in the morning of the Lords day that the sermon the Lords Supper vvere administred in the day time yet what makes this for a Sabbath for these are euery dayes worke preaching is an euery dayes worke and Lords Supper is so too for Christ did eate the Lords Supper on a Thursday night all that can be hence collected is no more but this that the Lords day is a Lecture day like as Tewsdayes and Thursdayes be in many places of the kingdome Now ther 's great difference betwixt a Sabbath day a Lecture day Besides whereas they tell vs that this instance in Act. 20.7 is an example of a Sabbath day they are much mistaken for this is but a Sermon example it is not a Sabbath example great difference there is betwixt a Sermon example a Sabbath example for to proue a Sabbath example they must proue that these Disciples did Rest all day from morning to night and then secondly that they performed those holy actions in conscience of the day of the 4th com so then hitherto they haue not proued so much as any one Lords day kept for a Sabbath day in the Apostles times Onely they haue grosly abused this portion of Scripture also as they haue done the former to make the holy Ghost say what he neuer thought this abuse of Scripture would be reformed by such as make conscience 4. I answer vvhereas they plead that Paul tarried 7 dayes at Troas preached on the last day it being the Lords day and no mention of any sermon but on the Lords day if this will proue a Sabbath day then haue I learned a way how to proue Saturday to be the Sabbath day and that by the like arguing for Paul tarried certaine dayes at Philippie and preached on the Sabbath day to wit the Saturday Sabbath and baptized Lydia hir family on the same day but no mention there is of any preaching on the Lords day or an any other day Act. 16.12.13.14.15 therefore Saturday must be the Sabbath day 2. What though there be no mention that Paul preached in any of the 7 dayes till this Lords day doth it thereof follow that he did not preach on any of those dayes Were not many things done that were not mentioned else the world could not cōteine the bookes c. Yet it may be proued that Paul preached on the day before this first day or Lords day to wit on the Saturday Sabbath for S. Luke testifieth of S. Paul that vvhere Paul came it vvas his custome to preach euer vpon the Sabbath day Paul as his manner was went in vnto them iij Sabbath dayes disputed with them Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 And Paul who exhorted Timothie to preach the word in season and out of season himselfe I trust was not idle at Troas all those 6 dayes which went before the Lords day But then they turne to quaeries and why preached he on this day and why is this day mentioned and none of the other Thus when they can goe no further they fale to beging of questions of vs vvhen it is their part to proue it vvhy this day rather then any other is mentioned if any reason in it they can find that vvill helpe them let them produce it 5. I answer that this sermon of Pauls was occationall extraordenary and therefore no likelyhood that it was a Sabbath neither is it likely that this assembly at Troas was a Sabbath assembly for Sabbath assemblies are vvorkes of the day not of day night both Suppose therefore that the Church at Troas assembled in the morning of the Lords day and so held on their assemblie whilst midnight yea all night also for so much is plaine by the text Act. 20.7.11 and so they held society a whole day and a vvhole night also 24. howres is this to be deemed an ordenary Sabbath day worke if it be then must our Congregations assemble euery vveeke on the Lords day morning and so hold on vntill Moonday morning or else we are not like our patterne here the Church at Troas see if these mens eyes be in their heads who would draw this Lords day and action of the Church at Troas vnto the erecting institution of an ordenary Sabbath for if this Text be our President for our new Sabbath then it is good reason vve should keepe our new Sabbath as this text vvitnesseth they kept it Againe as for Pauls sermon Sabbath sermons are workes of the day not of day and night both Now if Paul begane his sermon in the morning the Text saith that he continued it vnto midnight v. 7. yea that he had spoken a long while to the dawning of the day v. 11. If this were a Sabbath sermon what a sacke full of troubles were our new Sabbatharians in for they must leaue their howre ij howre sermons and make sermons many howres long yea when they haue done preaching in the day time they must too it againe and preach in the night also euen to midnight As this example at Troas was extraordenary so was it occationall occationed by Pauls departure from them the next day for he had tarried with them 7
the King our Soâ—eraigne Lord with the assent of the Lords Spirituall Temporall the Commons in this present Parliament assembled that all the daies hereafter mentioned shall be kept holie daies c. That is to say all Sundaies in the yeere c. S. Mathew S. Mark S. Iohn Baptist S. Peter S. Iames c. Then a prouiso is added Prouided alwaies it is enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid that it shall be lawfull to euery Husbandman labourer fisher man to all euery other person or persones vpon the holie daies aforesaid in Haruest or at any other times in the yeere when necessitie shall require to labour ride fish or work any kind of work at their free wills plesures any thing in this Act to the contrarie in any wise notwithstanding These things are remarkable in this Statute 1. That our Sunday or Lords day was by these Law-makers rekoned to be of no higher nor other authority then are the other holy dayes of the Apostles as S. Mathews S. Marks S. Iohns dayes and the rest 2. That the Sunday or Lords day is ordained by the Church and State for a Sabbath day or holy day that it is at their liberty to doe in this matter as they shall iudg most convenient 3. A most remarkable thing in this Statute for our purpose is that the Lords Spirituall and Temporall with the Commons and so consequently the Church of England were cleere of iudgment openly in this Act professed it that our Sunday or Lords-day-Sabbath is not of Diuine institution for they declared it whilst they said it is not to be thought that there is any certaine time or definit number of daies prescribed in the holy Scriptures so then there is no Scripture for the Lords day Againe But that the apointment both of the time and also of the number of daies is left by the Authoritie of Gods word to the libertie of Christs Church to the Rulers thereof to be determined so then ther 's no Diuine institution for the Lords day SECT XXII Hauing finished my answer touching the Lords day Sabbath for a conclusion of this Chapter I purpose to spend a few words in this Section by way of Admonition dehortation from Superstition voluntary religion will-worship the which as I direct it vnto all men whome it may concerne so in a speciall sorte I apply it vnto such patrones of the Lords day Sabbath as haue alredy made head against my former booke with greate zeale haue scandalized it among the people so occationed this booke by name Mr. Hutchinson Mr. Benton Mr. Furnace Mr. Gallard Mr. Yates Mr. Chappell Mr. Grenewod Mr. Stinnet Mr. Iohnson Mr. Ward These men obstinatly persisting in their erroniouse false doctrine after sufficient meanes of conviction ought to take these things into consideration First touching the Admonition by the whole discourse touching the Lords day already finished thou maiest see Christian reader that there is no footeing or grownd in the word of God to make the Lords day a Sabbath wherefore I doe hereby admonish both Ministers and people and desire them to take knowledge of it henceforth that this their zealouse sanctifying of the Lords day in conscience of the 4th com of Christ his institution it is no better before God with wisemen then Superstition and needlesse religion for when men will doe that in Gods seruice in obedience vnto God the which hee hath no where commanded them what is this but a needlesse religion and superstition when men cannot shew Gods will for that they doe then it must follow that it is of their owne willes so their religion in that point is a voluntary-religion and a will-worship Let me not be mistaken the Lords day may be considered as an ordinance of God or as an ordinance of man as it is ignorantly conceiued to be an ordinance of God in this sense only I speake against it but as it is an ordinance of man that is as it is commanded by the Magistrate so at his will and plesure to continue it or discontinue it in this regard I haue nothing against it so much for the Admonition I come now vnto the Debortation my first reason disswasiue is because we hate Superstition will-worship in others how doe we beare against our aduersaries the Papistes because of their superstitiouse Traditiones and Religion of will-worship and can we see an errour in them and cannot we see the same errour in our selues had we bene wise for our selues we might haue seene this errour long agone for they haue often admonished vs in their writings against vs telling vs that our Lords day is but a Tradition from the fathers and a Tradition of the Church herein giue the deuill his right as they say they haue spoken most truly albeit we haue giuen deafe care vnto them laboured to shifte it of and will we condemne them for will-worship superstition practise the same our selues well heare what S. Paul saith therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that condemnest for in that that thou condemnest an other thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same thinges Rom. 2.1 Many Ministers thinke them selues farr enough of from superstition will-worship whilst in the pulpit they can cry out against the superstition of Papists when as indeed and in trueth themselues are euen then very Papistes in this point greate patrones and maintainers of superstition will worship wherefore let them reforme themselues or else let them be silent touching Papistes you haue seene it proued by good Authority that the Lords day is but a Tradition of the Church shall we retaine Popish Traditiones will these Ministers be still patrones and supporters of vnwritten Traditiones I would hope better of them My second reason disswasiue is because we shall all leese our labour in the Sanctification of the Lords day vve shall labour in vaine For if we like seruants will be doeing of such vvorkes as our Maister neuer appointed vs doe vve thinke our Maister vvill thanke vs yea reward vs for them you haue heard that God neuer commanded vs to sanctify the Lords day by the 4th Com. that Christ neuer appointed it in the New Testament if therefore we will be hallowing of the Lords day thinke you that God will reward you for it or that Christ vvill thanke you for it many men that are honestly disposed of ingenuouse minds being misled by some Ministers they leese some yeeres their Hay in the field some yeers their corne in the field all of conscience thinking it a duety for them so to doe rather then to labour on the Lords day many others keepe the Lords day very strictly both priuatly publikly erroniously misperswaded that that text Isa 58.13 inioyneth theÌ„ so to doe but is not all this Labour in vaine God neuer commanded it Christ neuer
themselues no neither can man else vse them vnto the day we now keepe for God did moue vnto the obseruation of the Saturday 7th day 1. Because him selfe at the Creation rested on it 2. Because he had blessed that day hallowed it so made it an Holy day now these two reasones neither are nor can be applied to our Lords day for God at the creation did not rest on our Lords day no neither did he then blesse sanctify the Lords day for the Lords day was not then knowne Thus you see how they baue made cleere worke for they haue taken away both the body of the 4th com the reasone annexed to it by God thus they haue taken away the whole 4th com head taile roote branch it stands for vs now onely to looke vpon Loe now we may say with the Prophet Dauid It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue destroied thy Law Psal 119.126 Thus since I haue faithfully plainly discouered this Notoriouse errour I haue done what in me lyeth towards a reformation onely this remaineth that with the residue of the congregation I make this prayer vnto God That it may please him to bring into the way of trueth all such as haue erred are deceiued CHAPT V. This Chapter conteineth sondry substanciall arguments out of the word of God proueing that the Lords Sabbath day written in the Morall Law is still in force so ought to be vnto the worlds end like as are the other morales I Haue now finished the fowre first partes of my booke the first whereof was in defence of the Morall Law The second was an exposition of the 4th com with a discouery of the corrupt expositiones thereof The third was an answer vnto those Scriptures reasones wich are vsually brought to proue the Lords day the Sabbath day The fowrth was an answer vnto those abused Scriptures which are brought against the Lords Sabbath day And now by order I am come vnto the fith parte of my booke and herein I am to proue vnto you the perpetuity of the Lords Sabbath and that it is still in force and so ought for euer to be Touching the Sabbath I note two things 1. I see many lerned and greate Diuines of late prime men and of the formost ranke in the Vniuersities both on this side and beyond the Seas disclaiming and wrighting against the Lords day Sabbath but I see none of them shew vs where we shall haue an other Sabbath in the absence of this as the former bewrayed their learning and iudgement so this latter bewrayed their forgetfulnesse what shall the Church of God be left without a Sabbath now shall we turne from Superstition to Anabaptistry I ioyne with them in throwing downe the Lords day for a Sabbath but I dare not put an end to the worke when it is but halfe done 2. As those Iewes of old cried the Temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord so I obserue the Patrons of the Lords day to cry out of the prophanation of the Lords Sabbaths the prophanatiō of the Lords Sabbaths as if they were the onely friends to Gods Sabbaths whereas in deed in trueth they are the chiefe enemies to them and are foulely mistaken in their iudgement for they are the Lords dayes which they meane not the Lords Sabbath dayes if therefore any man may in a right accompt be said to be a true friend to Gods Sabbaths it is not they it is hee that writeth for them and defendeth them against the world and corruptiones of the time hee may indede say with Eliah I haue bene very Ielouse for the Lord of hostes for they haue forsaken thy Couenant broken downe thy Sabbaths and I onely am left The Lords Sabbaths are still in force or Gods ancient 7th day Saturday Sabbath is still in force SECT I. IN defending the Lords Sabbath I purpose to obserue this method first I will proue the point by arguments lesse forcible and then by arguments more forcible first by arguments shewing that it is a thing meete convenient and very befiting vs to keepe the Lords Sabbath then by arguments shewing that it is a thing very necessary in regard of Gods appointment ordination By the way whereas there are many light and triuiall obiections vsually brought against the Lords Sabbath and some place would be reserued to answer them I think it vnfit to place them after the point is proued by necessary arguments for when Gods will is once knowne there is no place left for carnall and triuiall obiections against it and therefore I hold it better to place these obiections next after the point is proued by probable arguments and arguments of conveniency and so these triuiall obiections shall rather come in by way of opposition vnto arguments of conveniency then vnto arguments deriued from Gods ordination Wherefore I purpose to spend the first Section about arguments of conveniency and the second Section in answer vnto sondry obiections and then the third Section in arguments prouing the point necessarily from Gods ordination To begine with the first of these namly conveniency and arguments lesse forcible in handling of this point first I will proue by sondry arguments that it is meete we should keepe a Sabbath day one or other indefinitly and then I will proue that it is most meete fitest to keepe the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath before any other One reason mouing me to handle these two points is to preuent Prophane and carnall men thus to thinke why you haue throwne downe the Lords day Sabbath now therfore what need we any more Sabbaths c I procede therfore to giue such reasones as may take place in a carnall mind For the former of these I proue that it is meete we should keepe a Sabbath day because it is a worke of mercy that this may the better appeare we will consider of it in respect of man beast touching man we will consider of him generally and then particularly and first for man in generall it is a greate comforte and worke of mercy vnto all men to keepe a Sabbath day for therein their bodies are exceedingly refreshed and comforted for looke as the Bedd at night is a greate refreshment vnto man that hath bene occupied all the day before in his painfull calling so is the Sabbath day a sweete refreshment vnto men after that they haue bene exercised Sixe dayes one after an other in continuall laboures the trueth of this point euery man findeth by good experience We haue a prouerb that men must worke to day as they may worke too morrow that is that men doe not so ouerworke themselues in one day as they be vnfit for worke the next day this prouerb may well be applied to our present occation that men must worke this weeke so as they may worke the next weeke also that is they must not so worke and tyre out their
Gods lawes this no man fearing God should doe 2. Since the Lords day is no Sabbath day they that defend the 7th day Sabbath to be abolished they cast downe all Sabbaths of Gods and so draw vs to Anabaptistry and open a flood gate to all impiety prophanesse among people which no man fearing God should doe 3. Since no day can be Sabbath day by the 4th com but the old Sabbath day as hath bene proued therefore they that hold and make it abolished they make that holy prayer of our Church a meere babling with God for the 4th com being rehearsed in vaine we say Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our heartes to keepe this Law now no man fearing God should make frustrate such a deuout and ancient prayer of our Church by his absurd tenentes I might mention other absurdeties but I list not to repeate them ARGVM III. My third argument to proue the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force is because so much is confessed by Diuines that are no friends but enemies vnto it thus it may be framed If such as are no friends but enemies vnto the 7th day Sabbath doe confesse that it is still in force then the 7th day Sabbath is still in force But such as are no friends but enemies vnto the old Sabbath doe confesse that it is still in force Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is still in force As for the consequence it is cleere for albeit the Testimony of a man in his owne case and for his owne aduantage be of smale esteeme yet a testimony which a man giues against himselfe is euer accounted strong wherefore if I shall proue that such as mislike of the 7th day Sabbath doe for all that affirme that it is still in force then the point must needes be yeelded to me And so I come vnto the Minor here I shall proue that such as are no friends to the 7th day Sabbath doe confesse that it is still in force and this I shall proue either by their expresse words or else by necessary consequence from their words for albeit they neuer intended to speake a word in defence of Gods Sabbath yet so cleere and apparent hath bene the trueth as they could not but speake for it albeit they fauoured it not my first Testimony shall be that of Doctour Prideaux in his booke of the Sabbath Pag. 140. It is manifest saith he that our Sauiour did often contend with the Pharisies about the superstitiouse obseruation of the Sabbath day but where is there any thing about the abrogation of it at vbi de abrogatione ipsius suspicio and where is there any mention of setting the Lords day in the roome of it did not the Apostles keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes with the Iewes without any scruple after the ascention of Christ did not the followinge Churches doe the like for many yeeres If then there be no suspicion of the abrogation of the Sabbath day in the new Testament as Doctour Prideaux saith then it necessarily followeth that the Sabbath day is still in force My second Testimony shall be that of M. Perkines on the Creede speaking of the Creation Pag. 152. where he speaketh of the place of Gods worship then to wit the garden of Eden also of the time of Gods worship to wit the Sabbath day Touching the time of Gods worship it was the 7th day from the begining of the Creation the Sabbath day And here we must note saith he that the keeping of the Sabbath is morall some indeed saith he doe pleade that it is but a ceremony yet falslie for it was ordeined before the fale of man at which time ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place Here is no speech of the Lords day the 8th day it was not knowne at the Creation but all this is spoken of the Sabbath day the 7th day and M. Perkins doth plainly affirme that this 7th day Sabbath is morall and contesteth against those who hold it to be a ceremony saying they speake falsly c. Now if it be morall no ceremony then it must needs be still in force My third Testimony shall be that of M. Dod on the commandements who in his exposition of the 4th com pag. 122. saith that the Sabbath is morall perpetuall againe Arguments to proue the Sabbath day to be perpetuall Now that all this must be true of the old Sabbath day not of the Lords day is plaine 1. Because he nameth the Sabbath day the SeaueÌ„th day 2. Because he fetcheth reasons to proue the morality froÌ„ Gods rest at the creatioÌ„ because it was a day blessed now these things cannot agre to our Lords day 3. In pag. 129. he thus concludeth So that these reasones doe most euidently confirme to the artes of all Gods childereÌ„ that the keeping of the Sabbath day is a morall Law and bindeth vs and all men to the end of the world as much as it did the Iewes afore Christ 4. In pag. 124. he brings an other reason for the morality of the Sabbath from the time of its first institution in Adams innocency saying Now then since it was instituted in Paradise c. it may not be reputed among ceremonies Now this cannot be vnderstod of the Lords day other reasons of his I spare well if the old Sabbath day be morall as it must be by these his words and reasones then it is still in force My 4th Testimony shall be that of Doctour Bownd in his booke of the Sabbath pag. 40. The 4th com saith he caÌ„ no more be partly morall partly ceremoniall then the same liuing creature can be partly a man partly a beast yea as well may one suppose saith he the second Commandement to be partly morall partly ceremoniall also If then the 4th com be not partly ceremoniall as touching the 7th day then is the 7th day still in force My 5th Testimony shall be that which I find quoted by Doctour Bownd in his booke of the Sabbath pag. 46. out of Wolph Chron. lib. 2. cap. 1. saying But the 7th day is not to be rekoned among the figures ceremonies of the Iewes because it is commanded in the Decalogue which conteineth in it nothing ceremoniall nothing Typicall nothing to be abrogated If the Decalogue conteineth nothing ceremoniall or to be abrogated then is not the 7th day ceremoniall but still inforce My 6th Testimony shall be that of M. Richard Byfield on the Sabbath against M. Brerewod pag. 88. where he thus writeth The 4th com is parte of the Law of nature so a parte of the Image of God 〈…〉 capable of a ceremony to be in it then God is If â—â—n there can be no ceremony in the 4th com then is not the 7th day therein a ceremony therefore it must be still in force so absurd it semeth to me it semed vnto these Diuines to suppose a ceremony to be in
Apostles so that is said to be the whole intire perfect Law of God which hath all the partes and things commanded which at first belonged to it which lacketh none of all those precepts which at the making and diuulging of that Law God ioyned together If then we would know whither we haue the whole law of God intirly now or not we must haue recourse vnto the making first diuulging of this Law looke therefore into the twentyth Chapter of Exodus and there you shall see this whole and intire Law of God with all euery the members thereof as God made it when he first proclaimed it vnto his Church thus you see both what the wolnesse integrity of Gods Law is and where to find it whole and intire as God made it if any man shall diminish or deny any one particle commanded in this Law he must be said to mancle lame this Law the Law must be accounted but a lame mancled imperfect Law like as if a mā lacketh but a ioynte of his hand or a finger he is said to be a lame man and if a Bible wanteth but a leafe or a verse it is an imperfect Bible Now to apply this Jn the Decalogue God chargeth his people to Remember the Sabbath day and to sanctify the Sabbath day and to Rest on the 7th day now this day caled Sabbath day 7th day was our Saturday as all men know wherfore if any man will abolish this Saturday 7th day Sabbath as not commanded now to be remembred now to be sanctified and now to be rested on that man doth mancle lame the royall law of God for he withholdeth one branch of Gods Law which inioyneth the remembrance and sanctification of the Saturday 7th day Sabbath that man receiueth and obeyeth but some parceles peeces of Gods Law onely for he yeeldeth obedience but onely vnto some nyne or nyne an halfe of Gods tenn commandements for he leaueth out that peece and parte which concerneth the Saturday Sabbath and that man must deny Gods intire whole law to be intire whole vnto vs or to belong vnto vs in the integrity perfection thereof for if the Law belonged vnto vs in its integrity and perfection then the Saturday Sabbath which was once commanded in that Law so was a parte a peece of the Law it must now also be commanded in the Law and so belong vnto vs now Thus the consequence is proued good that whosoeuer abolisheth the old Sabbath day he mancleth Gods Law he yeeldeth obedience but vnto percels and peeces of it he denyeth that Gods Law belongeth vnto vs in its intigrity perfection For the Saturday Sabbath serueth to make vp Gods Law an intire an whole a perfect Law without it it is but a lame imperfect maimed defectiue Law like a lame man wanting an hand or a finger of his hand like an imperfect defectiue Bible lacking a Chapter or a verse of some Chapter I confesse that those tene Ministers Gods aduersaries and myne in this point goe aboute like botching Taylers or sowterly Coblers for I cannot more aptly and fitly resemble their action to make vp this breach againe by adding a peece of new cloth to fill vp the rent and so they suppose to auoide this blow and to make vp the Law againe an intire and perfect law now howeuer it is commendable to peece mend old garments yet it is altogether insufferable for any to play the botch er and cobler with Gods lawes the new peece wherewithall they would fill vp this rent make vp this breach it is the Lords day or first day of the weeke this day must now be thought firmely beleeued to be put into the old Law of the Decalogue then we shall haue 10 commandements againe wholly compleatly but as once it was vnlawfull to weare a garment of Linsey wolsey and to bring profane and common persones into the Temple so is it now to mingle humane institutiones with Diuine ordinances and to bring a day appointed by man into the Morall eternall and sacred Law of God for the Lords day hath no higher institution then the ordinance of the Church and will they peece and mend vp the Diuine Law of God with the peece of an humane ordinance but admit that the Lords day were of Diuine ordination yet is this peece too bigg or too little to stand in the breach of the 4th commandement as formerly I haue showne because it cannot agree to the 4th com besides to see the vnskilfulnesse of these peecers they confesse that this Lords day Sabbath is a new ordinance pertaining to the new Testament as are Baptisme the Lords Supper yet they will attempt to mende vp the breach of the old Law with a peece taken out of the new Testamēt thus the old law shall be partly old partly new partly Law partly Gospell a new kind of botching They saied indeed a Cobler should answer my booke and see now if they be not as good as their word is not this worke of theirs Coblers worke Hauing proued the Major I come vnto the Minor here I am to proue that no man may so wrest the Scriptures as thereby to mancle lame the Royall Law of God no man may receiue obey but some percels peeces of it onely that no man may deny the whole and intire Law of God to belong to vs wholly fully and in the integritie and perfection thereof me thinke none should deny this Minor if any will 1. He is guilty of doeing violence to the Law and of being partiall in Gods Lawes this was the sinne of those Priests laied to their charge by God who had polluted the Sanctuary done violence to the Law Zeph. 3.4 and againe yee haue not kept my waies but haue bene partiall in the Law Malach. 2.9 yea he must hold it Iewish Iudaisme in any that will be intire perfect in Gods Law that is that will haue an indifferent and vnpartiall respect vnto all the partes thereof for he that is intire and perfect in the Law will haue respect vnto Gods Sabbaths which they must count Iudaisme 2. I finde it in Polanus Syntag pag. 353. that Papists doe deny the second Commandement against worshiping of Jmages to be Morall and appertaine vnto Christianes to the like purpose I find in Willet on Exod. 20. pag. 342. 343. these passages The commandement say Papists of abolishing and destroying Images was ceremoniall therefore it concerneth not Christians now And againe The second praecept against the making of Images was onely temporall concerned the Iewes Thus Papists are partiall in the Law and deny its integrity now if we may deny the Integrity of the Law tell me why Papists may not doe so too 3. If any will deny this Minor by the iudgement of M. Perkins he denieth himselfe to be
and branch 5. That by very many in our Church there is grosse superstition committed Gods worship corrupted yea plaine Idolatry wrought and that by sanctifying of the Lords day for a Sabbath day by the 4th Com. These things as I beleeue you shall find cleerly proued in this Booke Vnto whose consideration should I commend these things for redresse if not vnto your Lordshipes hath not his Maiestie therefore deputed you vnto your seuerall charges to ouersee see to the well ordering of the Church worship of God and hath not the Almightie laied it vpon you To warne some that they teach none other doctrine 1. Tim. 1.3 And To redresse the things that are amisse Or To set in order the things that are wanting Tit. 1.5 Downe then with that Idoll the Lords day Sabbath so dealt Hezekiah with the Brazen Serpent when idolatrously abused and bring into its roome into the Church of God againe that ancient ordinance Gods Sacred Saturday-Sabbath let not an idoll of mans deuiseing stand in Gods Church where an ordinance of Gods inioyned by a Morall Law should stand Oh my honourable Lords what a pitty it is to see Antiquity true and honourable Antiquity I meane the Lords Sabbathes troden vnder foote why should not our Church become followers of those Ancientest and most pure Churches of the primitiue times that liued next after Christ his blessed Apostles in obseruation of the Lords Sabbath Who so long as they retained their greatest purity so long they religiously obserued the Saturday-Sabbath Why should not your Lordshipes exhorte vnto the obseruation of the Sabbath day as did that Godly Bishop Ignatius in his time Epist ad Magnesi And why should not your Lordships defend the Sabbath day as did that famouse Bishop Athanasius in his time Centur. iiij cap. 6. pag. 410. This done the Law of God should be taught and maintained in our Church in its integrity and perfection the 4th Commandement should be in vse amongst vs againe and be accounted as Morall as any of the other nyne and God should haue his whole intire worship prescribed in the first Table as well amongst vs as euer he had among the Iewes when they were the onely people of God If it please not God to inkindle your Lordshipes hearts with more zeale for his glory in this behalfe then is to be found among common Ministers Gods Sabbaths are like still which God forbid to lay waste his Lawes to be partially taught and his intire worship to be still denied him Let none suggest vnto your Lordships that the obseruation of the ancient Sabbath is Iudaisme for Athanasius liuing in those first ages of the Christian Churches taketh away this obiection saying Wee keepe the Sabbath day and yet we are not tainted with Iudaisme Centur. iiij In the Booke of Common Prayer after the 4th Commandement wherein the old Sabbath day is by name specified is publikly rehearsed by the Minister we are ordered to vse this deuout prayer Lord haue mercy vpon vs incline our hearts to keepe this Law Which prayer which commandement cannot vnder your Lordships correction be vnderstood of the Lords day nor of any other day but the old Sabbath day onely Wherefore the obseruation of the old Sabbath is no Iudaisme vnlesse we be taught to pray to God to incline our hearts to Iudaisme It is not vnknowne vnto your Lordships that not many yeeres since the Crosse in Baptisme hath by some bene counted idolatrouse the holy dayes Romish yet hath our Church freed them from such imputations I trust therefore that in your graue religiouse consultations it will be iudged meete that the Lords Sabbaths shall be also freed from the slaunder of Iewish Iudaisme and the like If the Holy dayes of the Saints may be defended I trust the Holie day of the Holie one of Israel shall be protected I haue done myne errand I haue discharged my duety the cause is no longer myne then in my breast I now commend it vnto your Lordships for protection the cause is Gods and therefore youres and the Churches it deserueth the patronag of the greatest of the lernedest T is true my person is meane I care not though it be fleited so the cause be honoured Iudges regard not persones but Causes In Courtes of Iustice if any sewe or informe for the King if the Kings Title be in question though the Informer be meane neglected yet the Cause is much regarded for it hath all the honour furtherance that the Iudges Courte can afford it in speciall sorte the Iudges they take in with it mannage it as if it were their owne Counsaile shall be assigned to pleade for it other causes shall stand by whilst it be tried informer witnesses shall be countenanced incouraged to speake the like so as if possible the Kings Title shall get the day Let me petition your Lordships therfore in your Triall of this Controuercy to haue regard whose the Title is that is in question it being the Lords Sabbath a branch of the Morall Law a parte of Gods worship and one of the most ancient ordinances that euer God established in his Church the Title is plainly Gods therfore yea it is called the Sabbath of the Lord or the Lords Sabbath and myne Holy Day The Title being Gods then let it haue that fauourable and honourable triall in your Synods Consistories Consciences the which earthly Kings Titles obtaine in their Courtes Who euer make squemish of it your Lordships as Iudges wil take in with it I trust knowing the Title of him is now in question of whom you hold all you inioy for the present and hope to inioy hereafter let the day be Gods let iudgement passe on his side if possible let the Informer haue incouragment countenance all helpes furtherances if not for his owne sake yet for his Cause sake and for Gods sake hee pleads the Kings broad Seale an expresse precept the 4th Com. one of the 10 Morales and one of the First Table too what better or higher Euidence can be demanded Let no argument or Text of Scripture be vrged to the abolishing of this ordinance of Gods Sabbath to the impairing ecclipsing of the Morall Law 10 Commandements and to the ouerturning of any parte of Gods worship once established in his Church if possible they may be salued and answered by any warrantable distinctiō or exposition Nor let any answer passe for orthodox wherby any iote or title of the Decalogue or any parte of Gods worship should be denied This I humbly begg and craue of our Lordships and that in the name of God whose Title I informe for and whose Title you are to iudge for and defend and that by virtue of your places high offices For I hold it as an vndoubted Maxime that it is not godly nor Lawfull to abolish an ordinance of Gods being a parte of Gods worship once established
for so he thought Luther saith the Author should beginne all that hee deemed intollerable not to be indured Thus you see scandall hath formerly bene taken at the meanenesse of the person great Clerkes will neither attempt the reformation of abuses them selues nor yet can they beare it that their inferioures should doe any thing neither the reason I take to be because in the former they are in danger to loose their greatnesse in the latter to loose their goodnesse it is lamentable to see how now a dayes the word trueth of God is receined with respect of persones and that among the best both Ministers people they inquire not now a dayes vvhat hee saieth and hovv agreeablie to the rule of Gods vvord hee speaketh but vvhat is hee whence comes hee is hee a lofte in the vvorld benifised with a good liuing richly attired is hee a man of note can hee coutenance vs and the point he speakes for these the like carnall childish respectes haue Christians in receiuing Gods vvord it would discourage any man almost that is lesse then A Doctour of Diuinity of the highest ranke for honour vvorldly dignities to be industriouse in the study of the Scriptures so as thereby to ad further light vnto profession because vvhat he saith shall be as meanly accounted of as his person is S. Iames saith my brethren haue not the saith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persones Iam. 2.1 Who that looketh vpon these so many stumbling blockes with many others that might be showne can wonder that men of a sharp sight yea holy liefe should haue their eye sight dazâ—lled not see such a trueth as is encountered with so many difficulties were it such a trueth as the knovvledge publike profession thereof vvould stand vvith antiquity vniuersality publike applause approbation facility of reformation credit reputation liueings preferments then should I wonder vvonder againe if Ministers should not find it out presently professe it publikly but this is such a trueth as is at the first thoughts of it oppugned by a vvhole army of gaine saying obiections all vvhich are preualent vvith manes naturall corruptiones let not people therfore think it a thing altogether impossible for many Godly lerned Ministers to side it together against such a trueth to bewillingly ignorant of it and let such Ministers themselues serch out which of these obstacles here mentioned or the like to them hath so blinded their mindes dazelled their reason as neither Gods Memorandum prefixed to the Saturday Sabbath nor Gods Commandement nor Gods ensample no nor yet Gods reason perswasion all written in the Morall Lavv can preuaile with them to take in to Remembrance againe the Lords Sabbath day for doubtlesse there must besome beame or other in the eye of their reason which cannot see reason in Gods reason Before I conclud this section one thing more I would commend to your consideration this it is vvheras this 4th com generally considered hath two partes the one is the Commandement it selfe the other is the reason of the commandement as formerly I haue showne you that our Ministers haue by their renovvncing of the time in the Com. renownced abolished by iust consequence the whole 4th com also so much I am to discouer a further errour of theirs which is that by their abolishing of the time in 4th com to wit the Saturday 7th day Sabbath hereby also they haue nullified abolished the reason to the com which is taken from Gods owne example and conteined in these words For in sixe dayes the Lord made the heauen the earth the sea all that in them is rested the 7th day Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day hallowed it All these words I say they haue vtterly nullified so as now they stand but for a cipher to fill vp an empty place What I haue charged them with I thus make good The argutum thing which God would persvvade his people vnto it is the obseruation sanctification of the 7th day Sabbath as you may see in the com foregoeing this reason to this end it pleaseth God to frame propound vnto vs a most notable liuely reason taken from his owne example to this effect Remember you to sanctifie the Sabbath day for because I sanctified the Sabbath day Doe you rest from vvorke on the 7th day for because I rested from worke on the 7th day therefore I hallowed sanctified the 7th day Sabbath Now suppose we that the 7th day Sabbath were abolished as they say it is which is the argutum or thing argued wherevnto God did by this reason perswade then what vse can there be of this reason which God here propoundeth for example now that Circumcision the Passeouer Sacrifices are ceased what vse is there now of those reasons wherby Gods people the Iewes were then perswaded to those dueties of Circumcision the Passeouer Sacrifices such is the case here take away the Sabbath day you take away the reasons that belonged to it to perswade vnto the sanctification thereof for what need reasons motiues to perswad vnto that which is not But happily they will say though vntruely that the Sabbath day is not abolished it is only but changed vnto the Lords day Well say we for this time grant them this for argument sake then thus I make it good against them the reason of the 4th comm cannot possible be a reason vnto the Lords day for it is most absurd for any man to thinke God should perswade vs to keepe the Lords day because hee kept the Sabbath day or that God should perswade vs to keepe the first day of the weeke because kept the 7th last day of the weeke Thus the conclusion the premisses should not be of the same but of sondry things For the day vvhereof the question is as novv they would haue it to vvit the Lords day it differeth much from the day mentioned in the reason to the com that thus 1. The day in the reason God rested in it but the day in the question God vvrought in it 2. The day in the reason God sanctified it and hallovved it but the day in their question to vvit the Lords day vve no vvhere reade that God blessed it sanctified it so the one differeth from the other as much as an hallovved or holy day doth from an vnhallovved or vvorking day If it be so then that this reason proposed by God cannot be applied vnto the Lords day then it follovveth that this reason is made by such as oppose the Lords Sabbaths a very cipher of none vse but to fill vp a voide place A very vvicked fact it is vvhosoeuer are guilty of it Yet further that this reason stands now a dayes since our Lords day is come into vse and the Sabbath day abolished as a meere cipher it vvill further appeare if you doe but take a suruâ—y of the Sermons of Ministers in the Pulpit of their writings in bookes for
for counsaile aboute the matter and all their vvites frends should be imployed for to find it out as they vvould haue it if it vvere possible but novv the Tyeth of Gods Lavv or a portion of the tieth at least is detayned from God and from themselues by themselues and here they vvill neither runne nor ride nor aske for Counsaile in this case no nor accept vvelcome it vvhen it is brought thrust in to their heades it giues a man to suspect that these loue more vnfeinedly a good liuing then Gods law Nay I cannot but thinke that if I had tendered vnto some Ministers a liuing of 50l. or 60l. a yeere that vpon no better euidence title then in my former booke I tendred them the Lords Sabbaths I cannot thinke I say that any man in the kingdome could wrest it out of their hands In a word these that are so mindelesse of Gods lavv vvhen they are so mindfull of their owne liuings like as God said vnto his people the Iewes when they neglected the building of the Temple yet were diligent to builde themselues houses Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste Hagg. 1.4 So may I say vnto them Is it time for you yee Ministers to enioy your liuings when the Lords Sabbaths lie waste God must haue a rekoning of you for these things This rule being applied to common people will detect them also Is it so that whosoeuer loueth Gods law in trueth he will with all redinesse willingnesse imbrace the knowledge of the vnknowne partes thereof Then if I shall make it appeare that most men are vnwilling to imbrace the knowledge of the vnknovvne partes of Gods lavv it vvill follovv very suspiciously that most men doe not loue the law of God in trueth what euer they say thinke to the contrary Thus I make it good against them The doctrine of Gods Sabbaths is a parte of the lavv it is the vnknovvne part of Gods lavv Novv the knowledge of this being tendered vnto men they bevvray their vnwillingnesse to be taught instructed in it that two wayes the one is in that vvhen the matter cometh to tryall they admit of insufficient Artificiall arguments for they preferr feeble and weake reasons before strong and able reasones the other is in that they admit of insufficient Inartificiall argumēts for they admit and allow of dissallowable and vnsufficient Testimonyes to decide this controuercy by vvhen these two things are made plaine the case vvill goe cleere against them for a foundation first of all suppose we the point in controuercy to wit this vnknowne parte of Gods Law touching his Sabbathes is as disputable contingent questionable as doubtfull as you will in so much as in your very consciences you thinke it may be it may not be a trueth and that it is as likly not to be true as to be true let all this be granted perhaps there is some reason it shold be granted seeing that it is a point not heard of before by common people neither haue they euer spent any time in the study of the point Well be it so I proceed then For the first to vvit that vvhen the point of Gods Sabbaths comes to be argued people yea Ministers also admit of insufficient arguments preferring them before able strong reasons and this shall appeare by comparing together the reasons brought onboth sides the reasons brought for the Lords Sabbaths among others are these 1. Gods expresse Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day and In it thou shalt not doe any worke 2. Christ ratified it vvhen he vvith so vehement an Asseueration auovvched the duration of euery iot and title of the Lavv vnto the vvorlds end saying Verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth perish one iote or one title of the Law shall not escape vntill all things be fulfilled And againe whosoeuer therfore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.18.19 On the other side the reasons brought against Gods Sabbathes by those which are the enemies therof are these Gal. 4.10 ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres c. and Col. 2.16 let no man condemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes Novv let these argumēts on both sides be laid into the ballances they for the Lords Sabbath in to the one ballāce they against the Lords Sabbath in to the other ballance and then iudg thou good Reader vvhither hath the greater weight For breuitysake we wil compare onely these two textes Exo. 20.8 and Col. 2.16 The one thou seest is a Commandement and a Morall Commandement it toucheth the very point in question to vvit the 7th day Sabbath yea that the 4th Com. intendeth the seauenth day Saturday Sabbath is so plaine as vvas it neuer doubted of by any The other thou seest is a dissvvasion from Sabbath dayes indefinitly that is from some Sabbath dayes for the Apostle saith not all Sabbath dayes in generall but Sabbath dayes as of some Sabbath dayes in speciall so then this texte toucheth not the point in question to wit the 7th day Sabbath but other annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths if this Text did make ought against the Morall 7th day Sabbath it must speake of all Sabbathes generally in the largest sense that so the Morall Sabbath might be included condemned too but the text doth not mention the note of generallity all neither is it necessarily to be collected for 1. their owne expositers as Perkins Dod Greenham Elton Ames with diuerse others as shall be shovvne doe limite this text vnto some Sabbaths as vnto the ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths and. 2. The text giueth light vnto it for it condemneth onely such things as neuer vvere vvrote in the Morall Law as meate and drinke and new moones c. and therefore vve iudge the Sabbaths condemned in this Text to be onely such Sabbaths also as vvere neuer vvrote in the 10 Commandements as their yeerly Sabbaths so the vveekly Sabbaths in the 4th Com. stand still vntoucht by this text 3 suppose vve that the Apostle had spake not onely of Sabbaths plurally but also of Sabbaths generally had vsed the particle all saying all Sabbaths yet vve knovv that the particle all is often times restrained in Scripture is not taken in the largest sense that may be witnesse these Scriptures 1. Cor. 6.12 1. Cor. 9.25 1. Corint 10.23.33 1. Cor. 13.2.7 1. Cor. 15.22 vvhereby vve see that this their text Col. 2.16 may be vnderstood of some Sabbaths onely as namely of the yeerly Sabbaths and so ther 's no necessity it should touch the morall vveekly Sabbaths at all Iudge novv good Reader whither of these two textes are more for the purpose for the 4th com it is vnderstood directly of the 7th
vvhat by their study they might and ought to haue knowne if therefore they haue not bene so painfull studiouse in the serching out of this parte of Gods Lavv as they might and ought to haue bene they may acquite themselues before men but before God they shall neuer acquit them selues especially if they haue refused a light into Gods Lavv vvhen it hath bene tendered vnto them and is not this to be lamented vvhen Ministers vvill dye vvith festered guilty consciences Many feare that Popery may inuade vs againe and that were dangerouse but sure I am Sabbath breaking doth raigne amongst vs and that is more dangerouse I meane it is more dangerouse to continue among vs then the other to inuade vs for euery man is ashamed to say ought in defence of Popery but on the other side euery man is imboldened to speake in defence of Sabbath breaking and no man is ashamed to speake against the Lords Sabbaths no not the Lords Ministers wherefore this sinne is a dangerouse sinne men may commit it vvith authority of their Ministers men may commit it vvithout blushing no man may check controule them by the 4th com for their Ministers vvill defend them in it and is not this to be lamented vvhen men shall be boulstered out defended in sinne that by Authority of the Ministry vvhen I maruaile then vvill this sinne be reformed As it vvas in those vnlavvfull marriages the text saith And the hand of the Princes and rulers hath bene chiefe in this trespasse Ezra 9.2 So may I truely say in this Sabbath breaking the hand of the Ministers Teachers hath bene chiefe in this trespasse by so much the more therfore to be lamented But some man may say vnto me vvhat shall it proffit a man to lament these corruptions of our time he shall amende nothing therby for men are setled in their courses ther 's no stirring of them c. Well be it so if needs it must be so yet this knovv that if by thy teares thou canest not amend others yet hereby is not thy labour lost to thy selfe vnlesse thou thikest that the Prophet Davids teares were in vanie when he said Mine eyes gush out with riuers of waters because they keepe not thy Law Psal 119.136 God hath a bottle for such teares for here by thou bewraiest thy loue to God and thy loue to Gods Law thy loue to the welfare of the soules of thy brethren and further as God diliuered iust Lot vexed with the sines of those times 2. Pet. 2.7 so will God deliuer thee in the day of vengeance of his hotest indignatioÌ„ to this end God vvill giue his Angels charge to marke thee out for a sonne of Saluation as he did those Iewes in Ierusalem who mourned for the sinnes of those tymes And the Lord said vnto him goe through the mids of the Citty through the mids of Ierusalem set a marke vpon the foreheads of them that mourne crye for all the abominations that be done in the mids therof Ezek. 9.4 our lamentation therfore for the sinnes of our times shall not be in vaine For conclusion let vs make our daily prayers vnto Almightie God that he would bring into the way of trueth all such as haue erred and are deceiued and againe to confirme this prayer say Wee beseech thee to heare vs good Lord. Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it c. But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for the Lord rested the 7th day Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day hallowed it Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our hearts to keepe this Law AMEN CHAP. III. A discouery of the weakenesse and insufficiency of all those Textes of Scripture and arguments which are vsually brought to proue the Lords day a Sabbath day by Diuine institution I Haue finished the two first partes of my booke the former whereof was in defence of the Morall Law the latter was an exposition of the 4th com together with a discouery of the horrible abhominable corruptions abuses therof My third taske and third parte of my booke shall be to discouer the weakenesse insufficiency of those Textes of Scripture and arguments which are vsually brought to proue the Lords day a Sabbath day by Gods ordinance appointment The Lords day is not Sabbath day by Diuine institution or The Lords day is not Gods Sabbath day SECT I. FIrst of all a word or tvvo touching the name Lords day It is to be obserued that this name Lords day the which we now put vpon our Sunday or first day of the weeke yea vpon euery Sâ—nday and vpon euery first day of the vveeke it is not found to be so vsed in the Scriptures that is it is not found in the Scriptures that euery Sunday in a yeere was called Lords day For all the iiij Euangelists Mathew Marke Luke and Iohn yea S. Paul also they neuer called our Sunday or first day of the vveeke Lords day for they euer called it the first day of the vveeke by it old name see Mat. 28.1 Mark 16.2.9 Luk. 24.1 Ioh. 20.1.19 Actor 20.7 1. Cor. 16.2 Onely once it is found perhaps to be called Lords day but it was long first as by S. Iohn Reuel 1.10 so the oddes is 8 to one for our Sunday is found to be called 8 times the first day of the vveeke for once called Lords day The knovvledge of this point may be vsefull vnto vs these vvayes first is it so that our Sunday had no nevv name put vpon it by none of the Euangelists but that it vvas frequeÌ„tly called the first day of the vveeke still by its old name that after Christ his resurrection Then is it a matter very likly probable that this day had no new institution or ordination but that it remained after Christ his resurrection as it vvas before his resurrection in its old nature still that is to be a vvorking day still as it was before For it is very likely that if the old nature and vse of the day had bene changed that the old name also would haue bene changed and a nevv name put vpon it If this name Lords day had betokened any change of the vse of this day from common vse vnto an holy vse in memory of Christ his resurrection me thinke some of the 4 Euangelists vvould haue said some such like thing and some of them vvould in token thereof haue altered the name of the day and called it Lords day but for so much as the Euangelists who doe largly euery one of them set forth the Lords resurrection haue neuerthemore either spake any thing any of them touching the change of the day in memory of the resurrection no nor so much as giuen it the nevv name Lords day but constantly all of them agreeing in retaining its old name still it is a
rare seldome action once onely done novv Pauls seldome rare preaching cannot bind vs to an often frequent preaching vnlesse you would haue the Schollers out stripp their Master Can it be showne that euer Paul did any where or at any time preach twise together vpon two Lords dayes one after an other If it cannot as I know it cannot where then is any grownd for a continued practise weekly this Example of Pauls was rare extraordenary like as vvas Peters in the forealleaged text now extraordenary things doe not bind vs to an ordenary practise and frequent vnles you will that we should keepe the Lords day more frequently more constantly then did the Apostles themselues A sixth Text they haue and it is 1 Cor. 16.2 vpon the first day of the weeke let euery one lay by him in store c. Here it is thought that there vvas a Collection for the poore and a Sermon so it vvas a Sabbath day Vnto this Text I answer as before let it be granted which neuer can be proued that this was a Sabbath day because there was a collection for the poore yet this Text proueth not any continued constancy of Sunday after Sunday euery Sunday or euery first day of the weeke for it speaketh but of one single action once done onely saying vpon the first day of the weeke not euery first day of the vveeke But touching this my answer Mr. Chappell Minister of S. Andrews in Norwich hath vndertaken to proue the contrary in publike against my former booke vvhere he affirmed that the word Katà when it is applied to time or place it is taken distributiuly for euery one and that therfore this Text is to be reade according to the old Translation thus Euery first day of the weeke let euery one lay by him in store And so he vvould haue this collection for the poore if any here vvere to be a constant practise To vvhome I ansvver 1. if here be inioyned a constant collection for the poore on the Lords day as a proper worke for our new Sabbath day why doth he not presse his people the Ouerseers of the parish vvith the rest to make a collectiō for the poore euery Lords day as a proper Sabbath dayes vvorke as an errour for them to make any collections vpon any other day of the vveeke for that vvhich is proper to Sunday is vnlavvfull to be done on any other day Secondly I ansvver that forasmuch as our Nevv Translatours haue altered amended our old Translation I maruaile that Mr. Chappell will oppose them for vndoubtedly they did not correct it rashly and vnaduisedly their manner vvas to preserue the dignity of the old Translation what they could therfore they vvould not haue altered it from Euery first day vnto vpon the first day but that they savv vvell that it could not be translated Euery first day vvherefore I haue the nevv Translation vvhich is iudged by all men the better translation on my side against Mr. Chappell Thirdly I ansvver that the grovvnd vvhere vpon Mr. Chappell goeth in contradicting both the Nevv Translatores and mee is false for he affirmeth that the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhen it concerneth time or place it signifieth Euery one But I vvill shew him sondry textes of Scripture to the contrary see Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet of no strength in due time Christ died for the vngodly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendred in due time it being here to be vnderstood of one single time but by Mr. Chappels rule it must be thus rendered Euery time as if Christ had died many times for vs see also Rom. 9.9 for this is the word of promise at this time will I come Sara shall haue a Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered at this time as vnderstood of one single time in vvhich the Angel vvould come againe but if Mr. Chappels reason be good then it ought thus senselesly to be translated Euery time will I come Sara shall hatte a sonne as if the Angell vvere to come often times c. see a like Text Ioh. 5.4 for an Angell went downe at a certaine season in to the poole c. According to Mr. Chappell this Text must be thus translated for an Angell vvent dovvne euery time or euery season in to the poole c. And see Math. 2.16 Herod slevv the children from tvvo yeeres old vnder according to the time vvhich he had inquired of the vvise men If Mr. Chappels obseruation vpon the Greek text be good then it must be thus absurdly translated Herod slevv the children from tvvo yeeres old vnder euery time vvhich he had inquired of the vvise men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 novv it is plaine that Herod inquired of the vvise men but once see v. 7. Thus it appeareth hovv vnsoundly he vvent to vvorke vvhen he vvouldsupporte our Nevv Sabbath Fourthly I ansvver suppose it could be proued as he vvould hane it that the vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is euery vvhere else in Scripture taken for Euery one vvhen it concerneth time yet heere in this place I proue that it must not be taken so but as our Nevv Translation hath it for vvords must be vnderstood to signify according to the Authors mind that vseth them as is vvell knovvne novv tvvo reasons there be in this text vvhich crosse Mr. Chappels sense the one is that if this collection be a constāt thing for Euery first day of the weeke then vvere the Churches of Galatia Corinth bound to make a constant collection for the poore of the Church of Ierusalem on euery Lords day or first day of the vveeke continually for this collection vvas not for their ovvne poore but for the poore of remote Churches for Jerusalem see 1. Cor. 16.3 like as vve had once in England a collection for the Church in the Palatinate novv had this collection bene for their owne poore there had bene the more likelihood that it might haue bene vveekly and continually but being it vvas for the poore of a forraigne Church to vvit for the Church at Ierusalem as vvas ours for the Pallatinate once vvhat likelihood is there to think this collection should be euery vveeke vveeke by vveeke continually let the reader iudge The other thing in this text vvhich crosseth Mr. Chappels translation is that Paul saith he vvould haue no collection vvhen himselfe vvas present vvith them that then there be no gatherings when I come 1. Cor. 16.2 now who could be so simple to thinke that this collection must be vnderstood to be Euery first day of the weeke vvhen as Paul himselfe makes an exception that in the text it selfe for he excepteth that time vvherin himselfe should be there present vvith them that then there should be no gatherings thus much for ansvver to this text also vvherby you see it cannot be proued that this collection supposed nevv Sabbath vvas a constant continued thing vveeke
other argument as vaine as this past thus If God instituted a Sabbath in memory of the creation then so did Christ institute a Sabbath in memory of the redemption But they cannot proue this consequence it is onely their naked affirmation wherefore my bare deniall of it shall be sufficient vntill they proue it you may see this argument further incisted vpon in my former booke Pag. 48. others argue thus the greater work must carry the honour of the day c. Ans the greater work may haue greater honour though not of the same Kind for the creation may haue the greate honour of the Sabbath day to remember it and the Redemption may haue the greater honour of not one but two Sacramentes to Remember it SECT XVII An other argument for the Lords day they haue it is this the Authority of the Magistrate hath Commaunded it and therfore we must keepe it c. Let no man thinke I frame this argument of mine owne heade for as I haue often heard common people vseing it so I haue bene vrged with it my selfe by a diuine and none of the meanest neither neede they be ashamed to heare of this argument in publike which they doe vse in priuate I assure them it is the best argument which they haue for the Lords day none of all these past are like vnto it for euery soule must be subiect vnto the higher powers Ro. 13.1 if therfore the Magistrate commaundeth vs to keepe it we must keepe it To this argument I answer 1. that our question is not whither vve must keepe the Lords day or not keepe it but whither Christ hath instituted appointed it for a Sabbath or not let this be first proued then vve vvill be redy to keepe it though this argument of Authority be wanting 2. I answer if this Lords day hath no higher authority then from the Magistrate then doth it not bind conscience simply by it selfe but as all indifferent things doe which are commanded by the Magistrate Yea the Lords day it selfe must be ranked amongst indifferent things where of the Magistrate may properly make Lawes Yea whereas the Magistrate now commandeth the Lords day to be kept if it hath no higher Authority then of the Magistrate then hee may alter the solemnity of the day from Sunday to Moonday to Tewsday or to any other day of the weeke Yea not onely alter it but also at his plesure nullifye it vtterly forbide keepeing of it any more And so the Tenour of your new Sabbath will proue but a fickle and inconstant thing 3. I answer if our Lords day standeth by virtue of the Magistrate thē is it not kept by virtue of the 4th com but by virtue of the 5th Com. for it is the 5th Com. that inioyneth obedience to our Superioures wherefore then must Ministers no more presse the 4th Com. vpon the Lords day but the 5th Com. they must no more say Remember the Sabbath day But now they must say Honour thy Father thy Mother when they would haue men sanctify the Lords day And people they must no more say they keepe the Lords day in conscience of the 4th Com. but in conscience of the 5th Com. and thus also shall the 4th Commandement be vtterly abolished and out of all vse in the Church This Lords day Sabbath then may be doubly considered of as it is commaunded by God or as it is Commaunded by the Magistrate as it is commaunded by the Magistrate so I doe no waies oppose it let it stand so such as it is in that respect so long as the Magistrate pleaseth as little while as hee pleaseth but I oppose our Ministers onely who say this Lords day stands by diuine ordination from God so intangle the peoples consciences in this respect making more Commandements as we say then tenn or making Lawes to bind conscience where God maketh none For by their collections consequences they make or say they finde that there was a Law of God for the Lords day which is most false SECT XVIII Thus vve haue answered to all their Artificiall arguments now we come vnto their Testimonies the first whereof is Gods blessing of this day Gods curseing of the profaners of it first of the former say they Gods blessing of this day to the greate edification of the Church is a signe that God approueth of this day Hereunto I answer it is one thing for God to blessed this day it is an other for him to blesse his ordinance in the day Gods ordinance in the day is preaching praying now God in mercy doth vsually blesse these ordinances of his being conscionably vsed vpon any day Sabbath day or Lecture day now we must carefully distinguish betwixt Gods blessing of the day vvherin these are performed Gods blessing of the ordinances them selues they therfore mistake things that argue thus that God blesseth the day when they should say God blesseth his ordinances in the day for it followeth not that because God blesseth his ordinances done in the day that he therfore blesseth also the day time wherein these ordinances are done no more then God blesseth the place wherin these ordinances are performed Let me shew you the vanity of this arguing by the like case Gods blessing doth vsually accompany painfull labour now suppose some profane Tradsman should vvorke all day long vpon the Sabbath day or Lords day finding at night his work to haue increased thriuen in his hands might he argue thus God hath blessed this day vnto me for a working day therfore here after I shall vse it for a working day for Gods blessing vpon my laboures this day is a signe that God approueth my action alloweth of it for a working day The other part of this argument is that God hath cursed the profaners of this Lords day and this is a signe that God approueth of the day For we reade in bookes set forth by some Diuins of many remarkable iudgements of God which haue befalne the profaners of the Lords day Herevnto I answer 1. that in controuercies about points of Religion vve must not proue things by the arguments of prosperity aduersity for these are no certaine signes of Gods vvill and pleasure no man for certaine knowes loue or hatred of all that is before them Eccl. 9.1 vve must to the Scriptures in this case for there God hath manifested his vvill but you may perceiue they be almost out of breath in as much as they are inforced to flye the Scriptures and hale in any thing that may helpe to make a noise and put some culler vpon the matter before the simple By this argument vve may conclude that the Palatinate his cause vvas naught and the Emperour his cause vvas good because God crossed the Palatinate 2. We are to distinguish of the day from the dueties in the day now we may impute those curses of God vvhich
sanctified by virtue of the 4th Com. I could alleage other Testimonies out of S. Augustine to the same effect but these are sufficient V. Soe much for the iudgement of the Auncients the Primitiue Churches for the first 400 yeeres vpwards I come now vnto our later times My 5th Testimony then shall be that of Peter Martyr cited by Marlorate in his Commentaryon 1 Cor. 16.2 who thus writeth Like as the Sabbath day was celebrated by the Law in memory of the Creation so is now the Lords day in vse in memory of the Resurrection but when this chang alteration was made we haue it not expressed in the Scriptures and then againe a little beneath saith he Neither are we therefore to be accused as obseruers of dayes times as if we placed more holinesse in one day then in an other for we assemble rather on the Lords day then on any other day onely for ciuill respectes for the order of the Church It is plaine then that this Holy man accounted the Lords day to be an ordinance of the Church onely and a ciuill thing kept onely for order sake he knew of no Diuine institutiō for it nor of any 4th com belōging vnto it nor thought he that there was any difference to be made betvvene the Lords day other dayes of the vveeke in any respect vnto Christs institution of it for he saieth expresly that it is not found in the Scriptures vvhen the Lords day vvas set vp how then vvill men doe to proue the Lords day to be of Diuine institution VI. My 6th Testimonie shall be that of Brentius in Leuit. 23.2 recorded by Doctour Bownde in his booke of the Sabbath Pag. 109. thus saith he The kepeing Holy of the Lords day is not commanded by the Authoritie of the Gospell but rather receiued into vse by the publique consent of the Church And a little after thus againe The obseruation of the Lords day is proffitable not to be reiected but yet it is not to be accounted for a Commandement of the Gospell but rather for a Ciuill ordination Then this what can be more plainly spokē Brentius saith the Lords day hath no authority for it in the Gospell that it is but a Ciuill ordinance but many now a dayes vvould make vs beleeue if we were so credulouse that it hath authority from Christ his Apostles and that it is a Diuine ordinance Should I haue called it a Ciuill ordinance albeit I know assuredly it is no better how should I haue bene rated for it reuiled by some Ministers But I am glad I am not the first that haue so called it nor am I alone in this opinion VII My 7th Testimony shall be that of Caluine on Galat. 4.10 where he thus writeth When wee now a daies obserue a difference of daies we doe not put any bonde or tie of necessitie vpon mens consciences we make no difference of daies as if one day were more holie then an other we place no religion in them but we onely prouide for order concorde c. I but had Caluin held the Lords day to haue bene of Diuine institution he vvould haue placed religion in its obseruation there had bene more in it then to haue kept it onely for order sake for peace sake c. Yea had he iudged this day to stand by virtue of the 4th Com. he would must haue made a difference of dayes accounting one day to vvit the 7th more holy then the rest yea he must haue put a bond tye of necessity vpon mens consciences for it is necessary that the 4th Com. should be obeied Againe see Caluin on Coloss 2.16 vvhere he thus writeth We obserue no daies as if there were any Religion in holy daies or as if it were vnlawfull to worke in them but we haue respect vnto policie order not vnto daies Thus speaketh Caluine of all holy dayes in generall both the Lords day others ioyning them all together His iudgement is direct for our purpose that this holy day of the Lords day together with other holy dayes are sanctified but for order sake with respect vnto gouernment and further he saith plainly that it is no vnlawfull thing for a man to doe the workes of his calling on the Lords day how pregnant is hee for our purpose VIII My 8th Testimony shall be that of Zanchie on the 4th com Thesis 1. who there doth plainly affirme it that the Apostles left the Lords day at libertie to the Church that we are not tied to sanctifie it by any tie or bond of conscience c. And for confirmation of this his iudgment in the same place he giues his reason also thus Zanchie IX My 9th Testimony shall be that of Vrsinus in his Catech. on the 4th Comm. pag. 637 vvhere he thus vvriteth The Sabbath is twofould one of the old Testament which was tied to the 7th day its obseruation was necessarie and the worship of God The other of the new Testament and this dependeth on the libertie of the Church who chose the first day of the weeke for certaine causes it is to be obserued for order sake but without any opinion of necessitie Thus you see the iudgment of Vrsinus was that the Lords day or first day of the weeke is at the plesure of the Church for its sanctification And Moreouer that there is no necessitie to sanctifie it surely Vrsine did not beleeue as many with vs doe that Christ and his Apostles raised vp the Lords day for a Sabbath nor yet that the 4th com had any thing to doe with it But it matters not what Vrsinus his iudgement was nor Caluines nor Zanchies the rest we haue some Ministers that haue bene zealouse preachers for and Patrones of the Lords day Sabbath they haue preacht for it they will preach for it they haue erred they will err they haue misled the people they will doe so still they haue resolued to liue to dye in it they will preach for it they say as long as they liue X. My 10th Testimony shall be that of Paraeus in his Comment on the Romanes cap. 14. pag. 1512. vvhere he maketh this his third Hypothesis saying The Holie daies of Christianes remaine free at libertie so as they may be altered and changed from one day vnto an other by the Church c. And by and by he addeth two reasons amongst others one is this because neither Christ nor his Apostles did determine any certaine holy daies to his Church but left them at libertie The other is a Testimony of Augustine in his 118. Epistle saying All these things are at libertie in their obseruation Totum hoc genus rerum liberas habet obseruationes Here Paraeus saith plainly that neither our Sauiour Christ no nor his Apostles did determine of any certaine holy dayes for his Church but left it to liberty so then they
appointed it neither will God or Christ euer reward it nay God may answer them thus who required this at your hands Isai 1.12 My third reason disswasiue is because God hath manifested his dislike of superstitiō in many passages of his Holy word see Deut. 12.32 Whatsoeuer I command you take heede you doe it thou shalt put nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Here you see that God will haue nothing added to his worship seruice Thou shalt put nothing thereto saith the Text but now the Patrones of this Lords day haue put some thing thereto for they haue put the Lords day vnto the 4th Com. of God a most dangerouse presumptuouse attempt such as they can neuer answer before God nay they cannot iustifie it before men by good argument how then shall they be able to stand before God think they to add an other day to Gods Com. and iustifie it before God by such their friuolouse consequences as they vainly pretend to be necessary consequences let Ministers thinke of this that seriously too let thē doe it in time also In the New Testament God hath reucaled himselfe this way also If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Reuel 22.18 If Christ vvas so carefull that nothing be added to this parte of his will wrote by S. Iohn in his Reuelation no doubt he hath the same care of all partes of his will in the New Testament wherfore let our Ministers that are Patrones of our new Sabbath thinke of this Text also for when they say teach the people that Christ instituted appointed the Lords day which is false for Christ neuer instituted it as appeareth by my answer vnto all their arguments in so teaching the people they doe add vnto the New Testament they add vnto Christ his institutiones a day which Christ neuer instituted thus they haue added vnto Christ his ordinances of Baptisme the Lords Supper they hau added vnto these I say an other ordinance that is none of Christs which is the Lords day now let them heare their doome without repentance God shall add vnto them the plagues that are written in this booke of the Reuelation and one plague I sinde there written which is a plague of plagues it is hell fyer to haue a parte in the lake that burneth with fyer brimstone which is the second death Reuel 21.8 I know they sleite contemne mee think if they can so carry it with the people as they may but saue their credits with them a while they hope to quench mee for euer I being but one and such a vile one in their eyes wherefore I haue taken vnto me more helpe now I haue God on my side Christ on my side they shall defend me against these men and these men must know it now or shall will they nill they hereafter that they dispised not me but God Christ and that now they haue met t with their Master God will deale with them if they will be adding vnto God God will adde vnto them You haue an other Text also Numb 15.39 that ye may Remember all the Commandements of the Lord doe them that yee seeke not after your owne heart nor after your owne eyes after the which ye goe a whoring Where we see how God detesteth to haue mens deuices brought into his worship he calleth it a whorish tricke to hould the Lords day to be commanded by God or instituted by Christ when it cannot be proued it is to goe a whoring after their owne heart after their owne eyes An other Text you haue Mark 7.7.8 But they worship me in vaine teaching for doctrines the commandements of men for ye lay the commandement of God a parte obserue the Tradition of men a like Text you haue Isa 29.13.14.15 where a woe is denounced vpon the people whose feare towards God was taught by the precepts of men And their feare towards mee was taught by the precepts of men Whereas the former Text saith yee say the commandement of God aparte how true this is of these 10 Ministers forenamed who reiect as Iewish Ceremoniall the Lords Sabbath expresly commanded in the Morall Law let all men iudge for doe they not lay this Commandement of God a parte which inioyneth most directly the 7th day Sabbath this by the way but the words that belong vnto our purpose are these teaching for doctrines the commandements of men The Lords day Sabbath it is a doctrine taught frequently and bouldly but it is no commandement of Gods and therfore it must be onely a Commandement of men The next words for our present occation are these and obserue the Tradition of men That the Lords day is a Tradition of the Church not onely Papists auowch it but also diuerse of those Authores which I haue cited against the Lords day doe expresly affirme it that the Lords day is but a Tradition and all of them say that it is but an ordinance of men and a Commandement of man yea so much the wholl Church confessed in the dayes of K. Edward so then in kepeing it in preaching for it you keepe the Tradition of men preach for A Tradition of man And so also they that are afraide to transgresse the Lords day to worke in it this their feare toward God it is taught by the precepts of men for God hath left no precept for the Lords day the breach whereof we neede be afraide of Heare then the doome that belongeth vnto such needlesse religion all this their worship it is a vaine thing In vaine doe they worship mee c. Yea there belongeth a woe vnto such worship this is the reward of it woe vnto them c. Isa 29.15 The last Text that I will mention is Colo. 2.23 which things haue indeed a shewe of wisedome in voluntary Religion or in will-worship Iudge now good reader if I doe them any wronge to rekone the Lords day as a limme of this voluntary Religion as a branch of will-worship for if they cannot shew vs where God hath commaunded it then it is a voluntary thing and of mans owne will and therfore may be called a voluntary Religion a will-worship happely there may be in the eyes of such as haue bene nusled vp from the cradle in this superstitiouse practise a shewe of wisedome in it as the Text speaketh But if S. Paul may be iudge they are things of no value as he speaketh in the same Text. Wherefore since God hath in all these Textes of Scripture manifested his dislike of Superstition let this be enough to disswad euery man from the practise of it And that so much the rather because the vphoulding of this day is the iusling shouldering out of the Lords Sabbath day mentioned in the 4th Com. so as the words of our blessed Sauiour are true
against them saying well ye reiect the commandement of God that ye may obserue your owne Tradition Mark 7.9 For they trample downe the Lords Sabbath day that they may keepe their owne Lords day My 4th reason disswasiue is because by the vphoulding of this Lords day Sabbath the sacred Scriptures vvord of God is profaned I make that appeare thus Ministers doe daily vrge the 4th Com. vpon the Lords day doe presse mens consciences to the Sanctifying of the Lords day by the 4th Comm. now the 4th Com. doth speake as he that hath but halfe an eye may see of the day called Sabbath day but this is a day called Lords day the 4th Com. was made for a sanctified hallowed day for God himselfe blessed it sanctified it Genes 2.3 but this Lords day is a profane day a common day neuer sanctified by God but on the contrary appointed for labour it being one of the sixe working dayes mentioned in the 4th Com. Christ himselfe trauailing on it c. Now for Ministers to apply this sacred word of Gods 4th Com. vnto a profane common and vnsanctified day time this or nothing is to profane the Sacred word of God Secondly many portions of Scripture in the New Testament with some also out of the old are hereby also wrested abused profaned the Spirit of God is made to speake for that which neuer came into his minde to thinke a most horrible vnsufferable thing in a Christian Church as for example these Texts Psal 118.24 Ioh. 20.1.19.26 Act. 1.2.3 Act. 2.1.14 c. Act. 20.7.1 Cor. 16.2 2. Cor. 5.17 and Reuel 1.10 these eight Textes at least besids the 4th Com. are abused for the maintenance of a forged new coined and counterfait Sabbath day who that hath any zeale of Gods glory or loue vnto his Holy word can endure it that Gods word and trueth should be thus profanly vsed profaned abused wherfore if you beare any reuerence vnto the sacred word of God let a reformation be made Looke vpon the third Com. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine now Gods word is a parte of his name wherby he is knowne Act. 9.15 therfore for men to abuse profane Gods word it is to abuse profane Gods name so a sinne against the third Com. now the reward of such profanation is this that God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine hee shall surely therfore be punished vvithout repentance amendement But vvhat doe I speaking to deafe Adders men will not be charmed what they haue holden they will hold as for me I am but one meane they are many mighty so that I almost despaire of remedy howeuer I haue discouered their sinne vnto them at their perill be it whither they will amend it or not I abhorre to thinke of it yet this I am sure of that that is true amongst vs which the Lord once complained of by his Prophet Ieremiah that is that an horrible filthy thingis committed in the land the Prophets prphecy lies people delight therein Ierem. 5.30.31 that the Prophets prophecy lyes this is apparent as hath bene showne and the people delight therein this is manifest in asmuch as many that are both religiouse also counted wise are not ashamed to speake it that they wish from their hearts that I had neuer medled in this point so we haue for the most parte like Priest like people both delighting in this counterfait Sabbath both like vnto Nadab Abihu who offered straung fier before the Lord which hee had not commaunded them Leuit. 10.1 My 5th and last reason disswasiue is because it is a sinne for Ministers to preach for the Lords day This I proue because they cannot speake for it in faith now whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23 now that they cannot preach for it in faith is plaine by this that they haue no word of God for the grownd of their faith we haue alredy showne that they haue no word of God for this Lords day Sabbath for they can not shew vs where Christ or any of his Apostles left any commandement for it no nor yet haue they any necessary consequences for it so often therefore as A Minister presseth the people to sanctify the Lords day Sabbath so often he sinneth And so much touching this Lords day Sabbath CHAP. IIII. An answer vnto all those textes of Scripture reasones arguments which are vsually profanly brought against the Sabbath day mentioned in the 4th com to wit the 7th day Sabbath I Haue now finished the 3 first partes of my booke the first whereof was in defence of the morall law the second was an exposition of the 4th com with adiscouery of the corrupt expositiones thereof the third was an answer to those Scriptures reasones that are brought for the Lords day and now I am by order come vnto the fourth parte of my booke herein I am to answer to the Scriptures and reasons whereby the enemies of the Lords Sabbathes goe about most wickedly vngodlily to throw them downe and here my purpose is not onely to make answer vnto those textes reasones which these 10 Ministers or any of them in the name roome of the rest haue impiously obiected against the Lords Sabbathes but also I purpose to answer vnto all obiectiones generally what soeuer I can heare or reade of Gods Ancient Sabbaths are not abolished or The Lords ancient 7th day Saturday Sabbath is not abolished SECT I. IN the first place let me discouer an high point of folly in these Antisabbatharians for a seruant to forsake his old Master before he knows where to haue a new or for any man to pull downe his old house before he had found for certaine that he was able to build vp a new house is a greate folly into this folly are falne not onely those other 9 Ministers by caling the Lords Sabbaths Ceremonies Iewish Iudaisme to bring them into reproch but especially M. Chappel by preaching against them openly now what an egregiouse folly is this in them to throw downe the old Sabbath before they knew where to find a new Sabbath to abolish the 7th day before they were able to raise vp the 8th day me thinke a smale portion of discretion should haue taught them to haue made sure worke that they were well able to defend the Lords day before they had aduentured to debase and abolish the Sabbath day I wish all men to learne wisedome by their folly that is neuer to debase striue to abolish the old Sabbath vntill they know how to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath so to set vp a new Sabbath That with the moreculler and shew of trueth men might abolish Gods Sabbathes besides their loading of them with reprochfull termes of Iudaisme and abolished Shaddowes and Ceremonies and
himselfe saying Remember the Sabbath day c. The 7th day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not worke The 3d thing which I would propound shall be an Appeale vnto the consciences of all such as dare sharpen their witts against the Lords Sabbaths which he hath placed in his Morall Law my desire vnto them is that they would ransake and serch their hearts to see if they can find themselues compelled constrained by their consciences vpon the reading seriouse perpending of these and the like textes Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 and Colos 2.16.17 in the New Testament to abolish the 7th day Sabbath or no let them examine their consciences whither all those textes of Scripture which they bring against that Sabbath day placed by God in his Morall Law be so directly against forciblie opposite vnto Gods Sabbath day as by no honest meanes of a fit sense or a Lawfull distinction it can possibly be preserued from an vtter ruine finall ouerthrow or no now the reason why men must goe thus seriously to worke is to free themselues of a fearefull censure that they doe wilfully malitiously and vnnecessarily impugne an ordināce of Gods because we must not lightly sleitily make innouationes and alterationes in Gods worship and seruice Gods ordinances once established in his Church as this Sabbath day was must not vpon euery vaine conceit and by respect be remoued out or holden out of his Church men must deale with their consciences therfore in these pointes be suer to goe no further against them then necessity vrgeth compelleth them if in case an errour must be it is by farr the safer to erre vpon the right hand then vpon the left that is rather to giue God his Sabbaths still then to abridge him of them shall God fixe his 7th day Sabbath amongst his Morales and shall we put to our wites to roote it out thence and ranke it amongst vanished ceremonies God forbid The 4th thing to be propounded you know it is a Maxime a ruled case in diuinity that one text of Scripture it must not be so expounded and vrged as it should ouerthrow contradict an other text now if this rule hath place in any portion of Scripture it must haue place in the 10. commandements the Lords prayer in the Articles of our faith for these 3. are esteemed to containe the foundation life and Soule of all religion and that plainly wherfore no text of Scripture is to be vrged or expounded so as it should infringe contradict or ouerturne any portion of these three principles of Christian religion nay these three are made as a Rule to expound other Scriptures by therefore not to be gainsaied opposed by other scriptures well then the 7th day Sabbath it is one of those ordinances of God established of old in his Church placed amongst his Morall Lawes and in the first Table also and there expresly commanded by one of the 10. commandements wherefore since it is a parte of the 10. commandements neither these textes Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 Col. 2.16.17 nor any other text of Scripture must be so vrged expounded as that this commanded 7th day Sabbath be there by abolished or accounted as a vanished ceremony this stands firme by our owne Rule for the exposition of Scripture and therefore I might well iustifiablie spare to giue them any other answer to their textes brought against the Lords Sabbath then this that they abuse wrest the sense of Scripture making one text to contradict an other contrary to this aproued rule for no text may be admitted against the 4th com One absurdety more I would add whosoeuer goeth about by theise the like textes Rom. 14.5 Exod. 31.13 and Col. 2.17 to abolish Gods ancient Sabbath he maketh a godly prayer of our Church frustrate mere babling before God for when the 4th com is rehearsed in the Church the people āswer to it saying Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our heartes to keepe this Law now since the 4th com cannot be vnderstod of any day or dueties but those done on the ancient Sabbath day abolish that day thē our prayer is but babling 2. Doctour Prideaux in his booke on the Sabbath pag. 140. affirmeth that the Church following the Apostles kept the Sabbath and M. Brerewod in his book of the Sabbath pag. 77. affirmeth that the old Sabbath was religiously obserued 300. yeeres after Christ this I shall proue towards the latter end of this booke by sondry other Testimonies they therefore who by these textes Exod. 31.13 and Col. 2.16 doe attempt to ouerthrow the ancient 7th day Sabbath they doe thereby not only make frustrate an holy prayer of our Church but also they do condemne the practise of the most ancient pure and primitiue Churches which liued next vnto the Apostles Thus you see how many foule absurdeties they rune into who cale the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath Iudaisme Iewish ceremoniall attempt to roote it out of the Morall Law by these texts Exod. 31. Col. 2.17 SECT II. And now we come vnto their arguments textes of Scripture out of which they collect arguments against the Lords Sabbaths but this note in the first place that of them all they can not shew vs any expresse commandement or prohibition against the Sabbath day to countermand it therefore it followeth that what they haue against it the same is but collectiones and consequences framed by mans feeble reason and this one thing that they haue no expresse countermand against the Sabbath day doth weaken their cause exceedingly it is the worse by aboue 50. in the 100. for this wante and so I proceede There are two thinges which they labour to make ceremoniall and so abolished in the 4th com the one is the Rest the other is the time of the 7th day first let vs see what they haue against the Rest they doe not say the Rest from labour is simply abolished least so they should dashe in peeces the whole 4th com by one word therfore they haue refined it and they desire to proue the rigorouse strictnesse of the Rest onely to be a ceremony and questionlesse this conceipt of the rigorouse strictnesse of the Rest was therefore invented least they should seeme onely to deny the question namly the time of the 7th day for now thers is a little more culler put vpon the matter when they can deny ij things as ceremonies in the 10 commandements now to this purpose euery text that may seeme to sauour of any extraordenary strictnesse about the Iewish rest as they cale it those textes are not expounded as they say with a graine of Salte or any dramme of qualification but like men that had sworne to it to forsake the golden meane they are carried all wide vpon the left hand these textes are stretched vpon the Tainter hoocks vnto the vtmost tending to a
vs to sanctify the Lords day it is no where said in the new Testament Remember the Lords day to sanctify it 2. As there is no expresse commandement for the Lords day so is there no collection or consequence that can be made out of any text of Scripture whereby it can be necessarily infalliblie proued that euer Christ ordeined this day or left any commandement touching it with his Disciples or Apostles that this is so I proue 1. by the third parte of this my booke where by way of answer I haue showne that none of all their Scriptures nor reasons which they doe alleage for the Lords day will or can proue it any more then a Lecture day at the most they cannot proue it a Sabbath day this first argument is of greate consequence and much to be thought on I proue it also by the Testimony of Diuines of note first of M. Perkines who thus doubtfully argueth for the Lords day in his second reason for it in his Cases of Conscience Chap. 16. Sect. 2. pag. 106. The Sabbath day in the new Testament saieth he in all likelihood is tied to that which we cale the Lords day that as J take it saith he by Christ himselfe And then by by he addeth these words for in these points still we must goe by likelihoods by all which doubting speeches you may see that M. Perkins was of opinion that it could not be proued out of the Scriptures necessarily infallibly that the Lords day is a Sabbath as for doubtfull probable proofes and likelihoods what haue we to doe with them in points of this consequence for if the matter be doubtfull then it cannot be done in faieth Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth eateth not of faith saith Paul and whatsoeuer is not of faieth is a sinne 2. Doctour Prideaux in his worke vpon the Sabbath day thus writeth where finde you saith he amongst the Euangelists or Apostles any distinct institution of the Lords day yea where is the text of Scripture saith he whereby you can necessarily proue it pag. 143. Herevnto add the Testimony of Caluine of Zanchie of Vrsinus with many others who I haue formerly cited as S. Augustine Peter Martyr Paraeus Chemnitius Zuinglius Melanchton Hemingius Bastingius the two godly Matyrs M. Fryth M. Tindall with the whole Parliament assembled in the daies of Edward the Sixte all saying that the Lords day cannot be found in the Scriptures for a Sabbath My second profe of the minor is from this that our Sauiour Christ made the Lords day a trauailing day for he trauailed too fro in the Country from Ierusalem to Emmaus a matter of 15 miles vpon the Lords day as you may reade Luk. 24.13.15.29.36 so also the Disciples of Christ made this day a trauailing day as you reade in the fore alleaged text Luk. 24.13.15.29.36 yea which is more the Disciples and Apostles of Christ they were altogether ignorant that the Lords day was a Sabbath day this I thus proue the Lords day as the Patrons thereof hold is celebrated in memory of the resurrection of Christ now the Apostles themselues did not beleeue that Christ was risen from the dead vntill the day was past or vntill night as you may see Mark 16.10.11.13.14 Luk. 24.36.38.41.45.46 Ioh. 20.19.26.27 Now since Christ his Apostles did not know beleeue that Christ was risen from the deade vntill this Lords day was past how could they keepe this Lords day in memory of Christ his resurrection wherefore since Christ his Disciples made this Lords day a trauailing day since the Apostles themselues did not so much as know that this Lords day was a Sabbath day therefore no man fearing God may defend the Lords day to be a Sabbath day vnlesse he will reproue not onely Christ but also his Disciples for traualing vpon it and vnlesse hee will be thought to be wiser then the Apostles were that is by knowing the Lords day to be a Sabbath day which they were ignorant of My third profe of the Minor is from the 4th com for there the Lord commandeth vs to labour Sixe dayes saying Sixe dayes shalt thou labour c. Now this commandement was neuer repealed the Lords day is one of these 6 dayes and by name it is the first of the 6 or the first day of the weeke wherefore by Gods ordinance and commandement this Lords day is a labouring day a working day therefore no man fearing God may speake to defend the Lords day to be a Sabbath day a resting day vnlesse he will contradict Almightie God ARGVM II. My 2d argument to proue the 7th day Sabbath still in force is because it was neuer yet abolished thus it may be framed Euery man fearing God must maintaine defend either that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force or else that is was abolished But no man fearing God may maintaine defend that the 7th day Sabbath was abolished Therefore euery man fearing God must maintaine defend that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force For the Major or first of these propositiones it is of vndeniable trueth for either the 7th day Sabbath must be abolished or else it must be in force one of these two must be a trueth for there is no third way so then this first proposition cannot be denied I come to proue the minor or second proposition to wit that no man fearing God may maintaine defend that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished and my reason hereof is because it cannot be defended in faieth no man can say in faieth that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished this I proue because there is no word of God for the grownd of their faieth for there is not in all the new Testament any commandement or Prohibition as a Countermand to the 4th com where it is expresly written Thou shalt not sanctify the 7th day Sabbath no neither is there any text of Scripture out of which it can be necessarily proued that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished that this is true it appeareth by the 4th parte of my booke where by way of answer vnto all their abused textes which they brought against the 7th day Sabbath I haue showne the vanity and absurdety of their arguments wherefore since they cannot soundly infallibly proue that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished therefore may not any mā speake against the 7th day Sabbath for if he doth he speaketh against it not of faieth whatsoeuer is not of faieth it is sinne Rom. 14.23 no man fearing God will wilfully vse his tounge or penne sinnefully 2. I proue the point by many absurdeties that such doe rune into who defend the 7th day Sabbath to be abolished as 1. hereby they deface Gods royall Law mancle it rob it of its Integrity perfection diminish the compleate number of Tenn commandementes make it a morall ceremoniall Law a very monstre among
further then so for he falleth to a plaine right downe exhortation and perswasion of Christians to keepe the Sabbath day Let euery one of vs saith hee keepe the Sabbath day What cā bemore plaine had Ignatius esteemed the obseruatiō of the Sabbath day an abolished ceremony as many thinke now a daies or Iudaisme as those of the Laodicean Counsaile thought it who liued 200 yeeres after Ignatius and as many of vs now a dayes iudge it to be he would neuer haue exhorted and perswaded Christianes to the obseruation of it Thus you see that so long as the Church was in its greatest purity and perfection so long it retained in honour the Lords Sabbaths for Ignatius liuing so neere vnto the time of the Apostles he liued in the most flourishing estate of the Church for purity and euen in these so pure times was the Sabbath day in honour vse so continued vntill the Church begane to decline which was 200 yeeres after this time about which time they begane to corrupt the second Command what maruaile if they then also made hauocke of the 4th commandement too but this I say so longe as the primitiue Churches remained in their greatest purity so longe Christians retained the Lords Sabbaths in honour vse thus much for the second branch of my Minor so hitherto we haue proued these two things the former that the Apostles of Christ did constantly obserue the Sabbath day in their time the other that the most pure primitiue Churches which followed the Apostles kept the Sabbath so long as they kept their purity which was 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ now I am come to the third last branch of my Minor The 3d branch of my Minor or second proposition which I am to proue is That our Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe this Sabbath day I shall not neede to goe farre for the proofe of this point for our daily prayers to God euery Sunday or Lords day in the Congregation will confirme it for the Minister as it is ordered by our Church in the booke of Common prayer rehearseth to the whole Assembly the 10. Commandements of Almightie God among the rest hee repeateth the 4th Com. saying Remember the Sahbath day to keepe it holy c. But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for the Lord rested the 7th day and therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Now as soone as this Commandement touching the 7th day Sabbath is rehearsed in the audience of the people It is by our Church ordered that the whole Congregation shall herevnto subioyne this deuout prayer Lord haue mercie on vs and incline our heartes to keepe this lawe And thus you see that our Church doth ratify the Sabbath day by praying daily to God to incline our heartes to keepe it But happily some may say our Church doth not intende by this hir prayer to ratify the 7th day Sabbath which is the Iewes Sabbath Herevnto I reply that by this hir prayer she must be vnderstod to pray to God to incline our hearts either to the keeping of the 7th day Sabbath or to the keeping of the Lords day Sabbath now strongly I am perswaded that the Reuerend Bishopes of our Church will not say that the 4th com doth command vs to keepe the Lords day therefore when we pray to God to incline our heartes to the keeping of the 4th com we cannot vnderstand our prayer to be meant of the Lords day for it is not the day caled Lords day which the 4th Com. inioyneth but it is the day called Sabbath day as you see in the Commandement and it is not the Lords day which the Minister pronounceth in reading the 4th com but it is the Sabbath day which he speaketh of neither is it the 8th day or first day of the weeke which the 4th com speaketh of but it is the 7th day and last day of the weeke which the commandement mentioneth neither is it the 8th day or first day of the weeke or Lords day where in God rested at the Creation but it is the 7th day wherein God rested as the Commandement saith neither is it the Lords day which the commandemēt saith God blessed and hallowed but it is the day caled Sabbath day which God blessed and hallowed as the 4th commandement speaketh wherefore when the Minister saith Remember to Sanctify the Sabbath day if then we shall pray thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe the Lords day doe we not so make answer as sometimes deafe men doe who when a man caleth for a knife they bring him the sheath when the Minister telleth the people which day is the Sabbath day saying But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord if then we shall pray thus Lord incline our heartes to keepe the 8th day are we not then like those that come to Church when the Sermon is done that goe to sell comodities the day after the fayer yea were not this to bable with God and to profane this Holy ordinance of prayer when the prayers of the Church cane be taken but ij waies it is a very absurd thing vncharitable for any man to expound them in the worser sense which is a false and absurd sense wherefore since the Lords day cannot be meāt in our publike prayer therefore the Sabbath day must be meante for there is none other but one of these two that can be imagined and thus I haue proued the 3d branch of my Minor to wit that our Church doth pray to God daily to incline our heartes to keepe the Sabbath day so these 3 points are proued 1. That the Apostles kept the Sabbath day 2. That the primitiue Churches after them kept it 3. That our Church daily praieth to God to keepe it wherefore if the constant practise of the Apostles the religiouse practise of the most ancient and primi tiue Churches after the Apostles the daily prayers of our Church will any thing auaile with vs then must we sanctify the 7th day Saturday Sabbath ARGUM. XIII I had thought to haue added no more by way of profe for confirmation of the Sabbath day but further serch hath ministred vnto me more arguments these they are which follow My 13th Argument for confirmation of the 7th Sabbath is because we must imitate God who kept the 7th day Sabbath and thus I frame it Whosoeuer must imitate God in his keeping of the 7th day Sabbath they must keepe the Saturday 7th day Sabbath But we must imitate God in his keeping of tho 7th day Sabbath Therefore wee must keepe the Saturday 7th day Sabbath For the Maior it is cleere for since God kept the Saturday 7th day Sabbath if we must imitate him then must we keepe the same day in order when i◠comes and so doeing
it was in vse after the giuing of the Law vntill Christ yea and it was in vse in the daies of the Apostles by the Apostles themselues after Christâ— and also it was in vse in the primitiue Churches after Christ for 300 or 400 yeeres euen so long as the Church retained its best purity and vntill corruptiones and popery begane to creepe in now if we shall value the honour of the Sabbath day by the honourable estimation that the Church of God had constantly for thowsands of yeeres of it before Christ and if we shall esteeme of its honour by the honourable estimation which the Christian Churches had of it for neere 400 yeeres after Christ then doubtlesse the Sabbath is an honourable thing and the reformation of it will be no lesse honourable and who vvould not put hand and voyce to such an honourable reformation Thirdly we will consider how Almightie God hath honoured it this will appeare in these particulares 1. God honoured it by his owne obseruation of it at the Creation for God himselfe rested vpon the Sabbath day Genes 2.3 2dly God honoured this day and time aboue all daies and times in that he blessed hallowed and sanctified this day as we reade Genes 2.3 Exod. 20.11 and so made it an Holy day 3dly God honoured this day by commanding it by his owne immediate voyce vpon Mount Sinay and by placeing it amongst the other Morales and giuing it there also an eminent and chiefe place for hee put it into the first Table of the Decalogue and after that caused it carefully to be laid vp and preserued in the Arke with the other Morales 4thly God honoured this day by taking it vnto himselfe in a speciall sorte caling it his day as myne holy day Isa 58.13 And the Sabbath of the Lord Exod. 20.10 whence it is caled the Lords Sabbath Emphatically VVherefore since God rested on this day let vs indeauour a reformation that we his children also may rest on this day and since God hallowed and sanctified this day let vs vse all good meanes that we may hallow and sanctify this day also since God deliuered this day by liuely voyce let vs vse our toungs voyces for it and since God placed it amongst the other Morales set it eminently in the first Table let not vs suffer it to be thrust out amongst the Ceremonies and seing God gaue it an high place in the Morall Law let not vs suffer it to be thrust quite out of place so as now it should haue no place at all in the Morall Law wher 's your courage wher 's your zeale for God if you can indure these things If Christian men loue to haue their hands in an honourable worke then let them cast aside shame and feare and such like carnall affectiones and let them armed with courage and zeale speake for God and defend his Sabbaths and cale for a reformation the worke is honourable for it is honoured with Antiquity with the constant practise of Gods Church that also of the purest primitiue Church and with speciall honour done vnto it by Almighty God himselfe Yet further this Sabbath is in Scripture expresly called an Holy day To morrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath vnto the Lord Exod. 16.23 Isa 58.13 and one reason thereof may be because at the Creation God blessed it and sanctified it Genes 2.2.3 And so made it an Holy day Now no day of all the 7 no not the Lords day was euer sanctified by God or caled an Holy day Yea God had many anniuersary Sabbaths as we read in Leuit. 23. Yet doe we not read that euer God blessed sanctified any of them as he did this Sabbath of the 7th day So highly God honoured it This difference therefore of this day from others is as the difference of Sacramentall bread from common bread and as was the sacred Temple from common howsen and who would not labour the reedifying of such an holy and honourable thing III. In the third place we will consider of the necessity of this Reformation and here If vntill a reformation be made diuerse sondry verses of the holy Scripture yea in the 10 commandements be as so many verses rent out of the Scripture or quite blotted out of the booke of God or stand but as so many Ciphers And also the Decalogue or Morall lawe is not taught and maintained in our Church nor in any Christian Church besids in its integrity and perfection but onely lamely and maimedly If vntill a reformation the whole 4th commandement is vtterly and wholly abolished both roote and branch If vntill a reformation be made the Land and Kingdome wherein we liue with all other Christian Churches doe liue in the weekly profanation of the Lords Sabbaths and transgression of the 4th commandement If I shall shewe vnto you that vntill a reformation be made we sanctify a common and profane day and profane a sanctified and holy day And Gods worship will languish and profanesse inuade vs And that a Romish Relique is honoured in stead of an ordinance of Gods And that Gods worship is daily neglected yea and corrupted with many other euiles If I shall proue vnto you that vntill a reformation the sinne of Idolatry is committed by many in the Land if I say I shall make these things plainly appeare vnto you then I trust you wil say with me that it is high time that euery man lay too his helping hand for a reformation that speedily I. For the first of these there are not many verses in the Decalogue or 10 commandements and yet there are no lesse then fowre whole verses in the 10 commandements which be as so many verses rent out of the Scripture or blotted out of the booke of God or stand but for so many Ciphers and they are these verse the 8th verse the 9th and verse the 10th and verse the 11th of the xx Chapter of Exodus for the Sabbath day there specified we haue not and the 7th day there specified we haue not and the Sixe daies for working daies there specified we haue not and the 7th day wherein God rested and the which God blessed and sanctified we haue not These things we haue more largly proued in the former parts of this booke therefore a touch of them here is enough Wherefore seeing we haue not in vse the things specified and commanded in those iiij verses therefore those iiij verses be as if they were rent out of the sacred Bible or blotted out of the booke of God or stand but for Ciphers Now is it not high time to stirre when the Scriptures of God are thus abused for we haue but the brann or huske that is the bare words of the 4 verses as for the flower kernell which is the sense and the things meant by those words in these verses this we haue not II. Furthermore that the Decalogue or Morall law is not
be accounted humble men because they doe imitate Christ Some obiect thus I but you doe not discreetly to publish this point whereby it comes to the peoples knowledge rather should a drope of blood haue gone from my heart then such a point as this vnto common people you should rather haue imparted it vnto Diuines in priuate and discussed it with them onely c. Hereto I answer this obiection of some Diuines it is no better then a faire flourish whereby vnder a c lour of discretion they would haue silenced and buried this Trueth euerlastingly For if they could haue tied me by the rules of this their discretion to haue made knowne this point onely vnto Ministeâ—s they then know waies enough how to smother it so as it should neuer haue come to light and so as the people poore soules should neuer haue heard of it Indeed I iudged it discretion first to make tender of it to Ministers before I printed to the viewe of common people and so I did for I sent my Notes a broad to sondry Diuines of the best ranke both nere and afarr off expecting their confutation or confirmation but I obtained neither In case they had answered me by way of confirmation then my resolution was to haue bene further counsailed by them as touching the publishing of it as whither by my selfe or rather by some more eminent able person of their choosing and touching the time when whither presently or rather hereafter and for the persones to whom whither generally vnto all or rather vnto some eminent persons of the Kingdome and the like But expecting longe their answeres which diuers of them promised though they performed not and waiting 10 or 12 monethes and finding nothing but delaies and foording me off still hereby I suspected that this their counsaile of discretion was but a dry morsell to stay my stomake withall for the present and nothing else but a fained thing deuised handsomly to make mee beleeue on the one side that that they meant seriously and faithfully to haue taken the matter into their consideration had not I bene so rash in publishing it which they neuer meant as all experience euen to this day sheweth for both my Notes then and my Booke since haue neuer bene answered by them by way of confutation nor approued of them by way of confirmation And on the other side to haue kept this Trueth secret from the peoples knowledge and this of the twaine indeed is that they chiefly aime at it is most grieuouse vnto them that common people should espie their errours as for their owne consciences many of them are large enough as I haue experience to my exceding greate sorrow of heart to brooke the superstitiouse and ignorant obseruation of the Lords day Sabbath and to neglect the worship of God in the 7th day Sabbath they could digest these things and set downe with them good quietly prouided no body might see this their blind ignorance halting with God but this is that which toucheth to the quicke with them that since my publication of this Trueth and discouery of their errour now they cannot halt in secret now common people see ther 's no grownds for the Lords day Sabbath now their parishoners others can answer their arguments and see their folly and leuâ—ty and how a long time they haue bene carried in a golding dreame Well when I saw that Ministers sleited Gods Trueth then I resolued to turne me and open my selfe vnto the people trusting to finde more fidelity sincerity among them if therfore it griueth them that the people know of it sooner then they would let them thank themselues for sleiting of it when tendered vnto them and for their attempts to smother it c. For some of them haue said vnto me when I haue moued them in it most ceriously what thinke you wee haue nothing else to doe but to listen to your toies Others obiect saying if I would haue wrote in controuercy I shold haue wrote against Papists as Bellarmine the like against a forraine enemy c. To whom I answer ther 's more neede to deale at home then a broad euery man flies vpon A Papist for the controuercy is made easy by the many helpes of our lerned writers because it is applauded at all hands so as a man may be a gainer by the controuercy But fewe or none will medle to redresse things at home for these are not onely hard difficult requiring much study greate labours considering none haue gone before to giue them light but also a man may easily foresee it hee shall be a loser by the bargaine wherby you may easily gather that homebred euiles are more perillouse and like to stick longe by vs without reformation now by how much the fewer will vndertake them by so much the better seruice he doth vnto God that will aduenture himselfe in them for this is that I aime at not to please men but him that hath called me and betrusted me with one of his Talents my chiefe desire now is that I may improue it not which way my selfe may best gaine credit wealth and preferment but that way whereby I may wine most glorie to my chiefe Lord and Master Let none thinke me so ignorant but that I know well enough which is the way to rise in the world were that the thing I short at and I know right well that whilst I am in this argument I am cleane out of that way but with Moses I haue a respect vnto the Recompense of reward Some of them obiect vnto me that by stiring in this point I shall incense the State and the Byshopes will molest me c. To whom I answer that 's the thing indeed would much please them that the Governement of the Kingdome would oppose mee so much they intimate by their much wondering that I am so long suffered in quiet c for since they cannot defend the phantasy of the Lords day Sabbath by the Scriptures and sword of the Spirit now they long for the aide of the sword of the Magistrate wondering it tarrieth so long erre it will aueng them but had I their cause in hand I would be ashamed to desire aide from the sword of the Magistrate when the word of God and sword of the Spirit refuseth to help first let them soundly answer confute my booke and then let them flie to the Magistrat and spare not I know well that things tending to changes and alterations are not pleasing vnto Statsmen vnlesse in case most weighty and of vrgent necessity of which kind I trust they will Iudge this to be after they haue once taken it into their graue and iudiciouse considerations The soundnesse and cleernesse of this my cause giueth me good hope that God will inlighten them with it so incline their hearts vnto mercy but if not since I verily beleeue and know it to be a Trueth and my duety not
to smother it and suffer it to dye with mee I haue aduentured to publish it to defend it saying with Quene Aester If I perish I perish and with the Apostle Paul I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto mee so that I may fulfill my course with ioye Actor 20.24 What a corziue would it prove to my conscience on my deaths bedd to cale to minde how I knew these things full well but would not reueale them how could I say with S. Paul that I had reuealed the whole Counsaile of God and haue kept nothing backe that was proffitable Act. 20.20.27 what hope could I then conceiue that God would open his gate of Mercy to mee who whilst I liued would not open my mouth for him Thus Gentle Reader I haue both giuen thee my reasons mouing me to wright and also showne thee the many discouragements opposing me how I haue encountered them now in the last place my request vnto thee shall be 1. that thou expectest not from me expressions of greate Schollarship reading elegancy of phrase and the like but onely soundnesse plainnesse and godly simplicity as this is all you shall find so is it as much as I desire you should finde Touching Method I could wish that here and there some things were otherwise placed but considering that nothing is more tediouse vnto me then vnnecessary wrighting of one thing twise ouer whereby such slipes might haue bene amended I trust I shall obtaine thy patience and the rather considering that after this worke was first finished it laying still by mee I had occation to add too many and sondry things here and there and not finding roome enough in the margent of my Notes to inserte them were I would was forced to thrust them in where I could 2. Whereas in some passages a harsh word or two may fale from my pen which the temperate Reader may thinke might better haue bene spared In this case I desire him to thinke that he is not yet so sensible of the foulnesse of the cause as my selfe who haue peraduenture better weighed circumstances for I consider of the foulnes of the matter seeing it most palpably of the obstinacy of the aduersaries after sufficient meanes of conviction tendered long a gone vnto them and of the dangerouse consequences arising from their greate errours in a matter of greatest weight and moment it being about a Morall Law a parte of Gods worship and a most Ancient ordinance of Gods I see their absurd answers distinctons and arguments and how by their subtilty they corrupt the Scriptures and abuse the well minded people of the Land obserue it and you shall still find some of these things the foregoing occation of euery tarte speech I vse now these things my Reader at first cannot be possessed of as I am who can speake of such foule things without some expressions of a iust indignation against them In specialll I haue often occasion to vse the word Puritan◠Hereat let none be offended for I vse it not in reproch vnto sanctity and purity or the professours thereof considered as truly such for I honour purity in my heart endeauor after it in my life I vse the word therfore but onely as a note of distinction to point at some men with whom I haue to deale rather then others grieued I am at my heart and in my soule that I must haue to deale against persons so qualified T is true this cause concerneth all men none excepted whither Ministers or people yet in speciall as cause there is for it I direct my speech chiefly against Ministers of Ministers there are two sortes puritanes and such as are no puritanes these as I find them not redy to imbrace things new so I find them not redy to condemne a cause before they haue heard it wherefore spareing them my speech is onely against puritane Ministers of these also there are two sortes some who happily neuer so much as haue heard of this question or if they haue yet neuer raised slaunders oppositions against it but carying it temperatly and discreetly wish it a due triall that so the trueth may be boulted out these mē I reuerence but there are others in speciall those tenn Ministers named in the title lease at the begining of this booke these men in speciall I oppose for these after they haue had my Notes and also my former booke and conference with me now fowre yeeres past yet still doe raise vp all the oppositon against both my person and my cause that they can and that both publikly and priuatly Salomon telleth vs there is an appointed time for all things A time to laugh and a time to weepe A time to rend and a time to sowe A time of warre and a time of peace A Time to keepe silence and a time to speake Eccl. 3. my former booke was a time of silence for there I laboured to couer the spotes blemishes of these my brethrens errour hoping a word had bene enough to the wise but they abusing it this booke is a time to speake and lay them forth in their cullers My former booke was a time of peace for there I handled the matter meekly mildly and in all friēdlinesse hoping these my brethren would redly haue imbraced Trueth with peace but they proclaiming open warres against me Gods cause in my hand this booke is a time of warre here I take them for Gods enimies and myne Let me desire my Reader therfore to giue me patience to prosecute these enemies of Gods Trueth rowndly not sparing them though they be Ministers Happily thou wilt say in their behalfe oh but these men whom you would so prosecute they are Ministers whom we exceedingly reuerence and who doe truly feare God as your selfe cannot deny c. Yea they are your brethren c. And so doe I reuerence them too but with this limitation in their virtues and wherin they doe well And they truly feare God as I am strongly perswaded yet they haue not at all times a respect vnto all Gods Commandements as the Prophet Dauid speaketh for they transgresse the 4th Com. weekly by prophaning of Gods Sabbathes I may not vnfitly resemble these 10 Ministers vnto that clowd which had a light and a darke parte when I behold their light parte see them walking in teaching the trueth I cannot loke enough on them I may truly speake it but when I looke on their darke parte and see them in their errours I abhorre their sight as one abhorreth the darknesse The Prophet Dauid was to be exceedingly reuerenced yet not in his sinnes of murther adultery against the 6th 7th com Hee truly feared God yet at this time he had not a respect vnto these two Commandements of murther and adultery The Apostle Peter being a Minister was to be highly reuerenced yet not in his deniall of Christ He truly feared God yet when he
say this were a plaine forfeiture of the bond and that the debitor his calling the time but a circumstance vvas but a pore shifte this vvere a silly plea before the Iudg of Assises to say the time my Lord it was but a circumstance c. well hovv euer men dare not dally thus before an earthly Iudge and with an earthly king yet men dare palter thus with the king of kings were a man summoned to appeare at a day apponinted but in an inferiour courte who durst sleight that day They are only Gods dayes and Gods times then that may besleighted this bewraies that God is not reuerenced as is a mortall king or Iudg men dare not sleight the precise day of appearance in the Courtes of men but men dare sleight the precise day of appearance before the Lord chiefe Iustice of heauen earth in the Courtes of his fanctuary nor are men so afraid to make a forfeiture of the bond of Gods fourth comm by neglect of the day as they are a fraid to forfeite abond of 10. or 20. to a man by neglect of the day Thus much for the time and day in generall we shall hereafter come to the particularity of the time to shew how more specially what day it is which God requireth SECT III. Hauing laied forth the seuerall partes of this Com. in the foregoing Section detected some of the errours of our time in abusing the sense meaning of the Spirit of God in this Com. it now remaineth that I come to the Exposition of the same and whereas the com is laid downe partly affirmatiuely and partly negatiuely we will in the former place speake of the affirmatiue parte the which is conteined in these words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke In this affirmatiue parte first we will speake of the word day secondly of these words Sabbath day thirdly of the Commandement in this word Remember c. For the word Day to giue an Exposition of it according to the minde of the holy ghost we must serch how the holy Ghost vseth this vvord in Scripture for this purpose see Genes 1.5 And God called the light day but no where hath he called the darknesse day wherefore the light only is the day in Gods accounte see also 1 Cor. 3.13 euery mans worke shal be made manifest for the day shall declare it Where by the word Day the holy Ghost meaneth the light see 1 Thes 5.8 But let vs who are of the day be sober Where by day is meant light as appeareth by the Opposition of the word night in the former verse se Joh. 11.9 are there not 12 howres in the day if any man walke in the day he stumbleth not because he seeth the light the day therefore is the time of light by Scriptures accompt wherefore by the word day in the fourth Com. I vnderstand the time of light and of light only A second querie may be to know how long this day is and when it beginneth and when it endeth For the beginning of it we are to giue it the largest extent as to begin early in the morning by day breake or day peepe euen whilst it is but a little light and much darknesse see Ioh. 20.1 and Mark 1.35 this last text is to be reade as Chemnitius well obserues thus In the morning whilst it was very much night c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Beza readeth it also Now as the day beginneth with the least light appearing in the skie so we are to thinke it lasteth so long as there is any sunne light in the skie or vntill the day be quite off the skie thus much be spoken of the word day shewing 1. what is meant by it to wit the time of light 2. How long this day is to wit from the first approch of the sunne light vnto the last departure of its light The consideration of these twoo Points discouereth vnto vs a threefold errour of our times the one is of such as hould that the Sabbath day beginneth at midnight and lasteth to the next midnight the other is of those who hould the Sabbath day beginneth in the morning lasteth to the next morning the other of such as hould it beginneth on the Euening of Saturday night al which opinions in they hould as well a night as a day to be a parte of the sabbath day but these are all erroniouse because growndlesse for the word day in the com signifieth the time of light this is the frequent vse of the word in scriptures that the word day must signify darknesse as wel as light I thinke cannot be showne in the Scriptures Wherefore as to giue God lesse then the wholl tyme of light is to giue God not a day but a peece of a day so to giue God more then the wholl time of light it to giue God more then a wholl day and so more then God hath commanded But against this it may be said that there it a day naturall a day artificiall the one cōsisting of 24 howres the other of 12 howres now we must giue God the largest day of 24. hovvres But for this pointe how euer this distinction may haue its vse in ciuill affaires yet is it not founded in Scripture the Scriptures indeed mention a day of 12. howres Ioh. 11.9 but of a day of 24. hovvres I no where reade it is not safe therefore to expound the word day in the fourth Comm. of a day of 24 hovvres Further it may be said that by the word day we must vnderstand the night and darknesse also euen the wholl time of 24. howres for so it is taken Genes 1.5 And the euening and morning were the first day where the euening is put for the darknesse and the morning is put for the light and both these are called the first day Where to I answer that this exposition is growndlesse to say that the Euening is put for the night or darknesse for it cannot be shovvne in Scripture that any where the word Euening is put for the night or darknesse Herevnto assenteth Mr. Perkins in his cases of conscience at the end of the second booke Secondly I answer to giue such an exposition of the Text Genes 1.5 as maketh a confusion of things is not safe for to vnderstand by the Euening the darknesse and so making the vvord day to signify or comprize both light and darknesse is to make a vvofull confusion for so one and the same vvord shall signifie things quite contrary as vvel might one suppose hell to be signified vnder the vvord heauen as night vnder the vvord day God hath distinguished the light from the darknesse as in nature so by sondry proper names calling the light day and the darknesse he called night Genes 1.5 let not vs then confound them a better exposition of the vvord Euening is therefore to be sought for this end
be vpholden by Antiquity vniuersality c there be other things vnknowne of Gods will the knowledge whereof would but tend to their reproch and shame and would be generally distasted of all the Ministry and might be a meanse to depriue them of their liuings they crossing all Antiquity vniuersality c in so much as if God should now demand of these petitioners what they would haue of him whither that he should bestow vpō them the whole knowledge of his will intirly whither it make with them or against them or onely that part thereof which might tend to their present commodety it is to be vehemently suspected they would choose this latter onely albeit they would blush to say so I appeale to their consciences examined if I hit not the marke the reason of my such suspicion is this in part The knowledge of this part of Gods law touching his Sabbaths it is not put vpon them to study it out with great paines but it is brought home to their dores redy studied for them 2. The point is most easy familiar to be vnderstood no difficulties in it saue what themselues doe voluntarily vnnecessarily put vpon it by their vaine distinctions friuolouse obiections as some thing may be obiected against any thing that it is easy I know it my selfe for I haue fathomed it diued good deepe into the bottome of it I know it also by others both of the Ministry and priuate men who can see it cleerly and without difficulty Wherefore I can impute their ignorāce to nothing else but that they are willing to be ignorant haue no desires to be acquainted with that vnprofitable incommodiouse part of Gods will for vvhat is there in this controuercy of the Sabbath that exceedeth the capacety euen of the meanest but especially if you speake of Ministers who haue a dexterity when they will in vnderstanding questions of Diuinity it is not possible for them to be ignorant had they a willing mind I am very confident that if they prayed to God out of an vnfeined sincere loue to Gods Law that he would informe them in the vnproffitable part of his will as vvell as in the proffitable part that God would soone send them a cleere light thereof especially since the way is now made so open easy I wish they vvould but make experience of God in this case according to my counsaile desire and if they doe not it will be bitternesse first or last In a word Ministers haue heard that Gods Sabbath is now in question but which of them haue gone into their studies and deeply minded the point out of a desire to find it defend it if it might be found and defended I appeale to their consciences Let vs novv try the people by this rule and see if there be not like Priest like people it is true these pray for an increase of knovvledge in Gods lawes also but doe they meane to obtaine a knowledge of all the law of God wholly or of so much onely as may serue the time and please their Ministers what their desire is shall appeare by their practise t is voiced abroade that the Lords Sabbaths are profaned the 4th comman weekly transgressed and that there is a booke newly come forth to that effect well how doe people now behaue themselues vpon these tidings If a man should cry fyer fyer in the night so in loue men are vvith their housen and so desirouse to preserue them that instantly they startle leape out their bedds make inquiry where and search round about their housen without and with in and will not be perswaded to bedd againe till they be suer all is safe Did men loue Gods lawes as they doe their housen and possessions they vvould not be at rest till they had scanned the point and examined the booke ouer againe and againe But I shall tell you one of the ordinary questions they moue vpon these tidings to wit what think you Sir may not a man goe to heauen in the ould opinion though he be ignorant of this parte of Gods word touching his proper Sabbath to passe by what I thinke of heauen let me tell you vvhat I know of hell I am suer a man may goe to hell in the ould opinion these questions way intimate that men resolue to giue to God no more seruice then what neglected they plung body soule in to hell fier this is no filiall but a seruile minde affection this is farre from Dauids prayer open thou mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law Let me tell you also the successe which these tidinges produce vvith most others say they it were much to be wished this booke had neuer comne forth that this point bad neuer bene questioned I wish the Authour had bene better aduised it vvill cause much stirre in the Church before we vvere finly quiet this novv vvill cast rubbes in our vvay our consciences vvill be checking of vs c. All the ansvver these shall haue from me is to aduise them to see to it that by such obiections they be not like to those rebelliouse Ievves vvho vvould not receiue instruction vvhen God vvould haue taught them children that would not heare the Law of the Lord which say vnto the Seers see not and to the Prophets prophesie not vnto vs right things but speake stattering things vnto vs c. Isa 30.9.10 to conclude let these their common obiections speake for them if therby they doe not bevvray that in their prayers they intend to obtaine no more of God but a partiall knovvledge of his Lavv and this their partiality may breed a shrewd suspition their loue to Gods Law is not sound and sincere for if it vvere they vvould not reiect the meanes of knovvledge before they haue tasted it So much be spoken by vvay of vse from this that an vnfeined loue of Gods Lavv cannot but desire the knovvledge of the vnknovvne partes thereof I come novv to make some application of that other propertie is it so that vvho so loueth Gods Lavv in trueth he vvill vvith all redinesse cherefulnesse and vvillingnesse imbrace the knovvledge of the vnknovvn partes thereof vvhen the same is tendred vnto him if vve shall put men vpon the triall for this point also here vve shall in the first place find many in the Ministery guilty hovv vnvvilling they are that the knovvledge of this parte of Gods Lavv touching his Sabbaths should come abroade into the vvorld or into their owne heads both their ovvne consciences are priuy to and the vvorld takes knovvledge of vvere the knovvledge of a good liuing tendred them I dare say it fevve or none of them but vvould haue runne and ridd about it vvith all diligence long before this could any man informe thē though but doubtfully of some Tyeth vnpaid belonging to their liuings if Lavvyers vvould not bring them Counsaile they vvould ride make out to them
be redy to reply say But Sir you giue too great liberty to our people you lay the reines vpon their necke you speake most profanly c. to whom I answer I know indeed that it is full sore against their wills that I haue discouered this secret vnto their people for they had rather haue ploded on in their old errour deceiuing the people still then this light should haue bene seene but for my part I had rather please God then please men Knovving that God cannot away with it that his Ministers shold teach for his Doctrines their owne inventiones Traditiones I Know well that they doe daily reuile me reproch me say all manner of euill against me falfly before their people that so my person being brought into contempt that which I speake against their new Sabbath may be contemned likewise but I desire them to forbeare such vnchristian cuning courses I desire them that they would no more backbite me slaunder me behind my backe vvhere I cannot come to ansvver for my selfe but this is a more faire course vvich I vvill propound vnto them if they thinke in deede in trueth that I haue giuen too greate libertie vnto their people haue done vvrong vnto their nevv Sabbath then let them put pen to paper confute this booke so they shall bevvray to the vvorld that they speake as they thinke vvhen they so bitterly inueigh against me against my booke euery silly creature can say t is an errour t is a foule errour t is an abominable errour t is a wicked booke an hundreth more but I would haue Ministers that are schollers leaue vvords fale to blovves let them confute the booke neither doe I exhorte them to this as a matter at their choise to doe it or not to doe it but I vrge it vpon them as a duetie both to man and to God it is their duetie in respect of men because they haue so confidently taught them that this day is the Sabbath day and that vpon payne of damnation they are bound to sanctify it in conscience of the 4th com vvherefore either they must acknovvledg that they haue bene in an errour labour so soone as they can to reforme it which is parte of amends an argument of an honest minde or else they must defend it that so their people may see that they play not fast loose with them that they teach them no more in the pulpit then they will be redy to defend by their pen if any oppose it I cannot see how they can defend themselues for honest men vnlesse they doe thus it is not enough for them to belch out now then some reprochfull words with a kinde of scorne and disdaine to vilifie the booke the Author of it euery foole can answer a booke so It is also their duetie in respect of God for they say that I am in a foule errour and that the Lords day is a constant Sabbath of Gods institution Well then and will they not defend Gods cause who should stand vp for God if Gods Ministers will not wherefore haue they both their liuings and their office of Ministrie but to manage Gods causes defend them against all oppositions vvill they thinke you giue their liues in defence of this Lords day as they tell their people they will who will not giue their labours to defend it when as Peter the Apostle did but by his example bring in Iudaisme into the Church of Antiochia Paul the Apostle withstood him to his face and reproued him before all men Gal. 2.11.14 If therefore I like Peter haue offended against the Lords day then they like Paul in zeale of Gods glorie should rise vp to confute me before all men else they cannot iustify themselues so farre as I can see to be faithfull in their places and to be followers of the Apostles As for the people me thinke they should neuer cease pressing of their Ministers by these the like arguments to the answer of this booke for the quieting of their consciences and for the cleering of the trueth in this point they should say vnto Archippus take heede vnto the ministerie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4.17 vnlesse they desire to liue in ignorance and errour and in doubt which is the trueth It is true it hath bene reported to me that some of these 10 Ministers haue bene thus moued by their people but they haue returned this answer Wee What wee shall vvee answer his vaine booke let some Cobler Tayler or Shomaker answer it c. and are not these loftie spirits who could forbeare to reproue them openly that knoweth them in an errour in a foule and grosse errour and after sufficient meanes of conuiction tendred vnto them both priuatly publikely and done also in all meeknesse and forbearance for all this they still persist carry it out in the height of pride scorning disdaining him that shall in loue respect vnto their persons admonish them as my former booke will witnesle for me So much be spoken touching the former question wherein you see that they cannot proue it that euery Lords day or Sunday was kept for a Sabbath in the Apostles dayes as now they are SECT III. I come now vnto the second maine question which is to know whither it can be proued that any one Lords day is a Sabbath day by Gods ordinance or not For I deny not only that euery Lords day is a Sabbath constantly and weeke by weeke but also I deny that there is so much as any one Lords day a Sabbath day For the better scaning of this point I will examine all their Scriptures all their reasons which they produce in this case First for their Scriptures I haue reade ouer many the workes and writings of the patrons of this Lords day to see their grownds for it but yet among all the textes of Scripture which they alleage I can no where find a Commandement for it alleaged by them out of any parte of the new Testament and this seemeth to me a straung thing if you demaund of them who is the Authour of this new Sabbath they will tell you Christ in the next place if you demaund of them where Christ left any commandement for it by himselfe or by his Apostles here they are at a non plus they can finde no com for it in all the new Testament no nor any exhortation to keepe it nor promise or threatening to those who keepe or profane it now this at the first entrance doth breede a shrewd suspition that this new Sabbath is but some forgery when there is neither commandement nor exhortation for it in the booke of God neither promise to them who keepe it nor threatening to them who profane it when the old Sabbath was set vp it was done by an expresse Commandement and can there a
lighted vpon men on the Lords day vnto their contempt of Gods ordinances of preaching and prayers performed in that day it is rather to be thought that God punisheth the contempt of his ordinances then the neglect of the day for such as profane the Lords day come not at Church then to serue God vvhen euery body doth serue God it is a signe that they be ordenary contemners of Gods worship seruice most iustly therefore may God plague them for contempt of his ordinances when they are growne to that height of impiety that they dare ordenarily neglect Gods worship yea and vpon solemne times also appointed by the Church and vvhen all men meete together to vvorship God then to shew a contempt is a greater sinne then otherwise so it is rather the contempt of Gods ordinances then the neglect of the day that God punisheth 3. Well nigh all men are perswaded in their consciences that the Lords day is the Sabbath day inioyned by the 4th Comm. albeit in trueth Saturday is the Sabbath day by the 4th Com. now if men doe neither giue God the right day through their ignorance nor yet will giue God a wrong day whereof they are notvvithstanding well persvvaded in their consciences that it is the right day then they sinne against conscience whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 now it is iust with God to plague men if they will neither giue him the 7th day for a Sabbath nor the 8th day neither for so they are guilty of the breach of the 4th Com. in that they giue God no day no Sabbath no not that day vvhich their consciences tell them is Sabbath day thus God may punish them for a sinne against conscience though not for the day sake and hereby it appeareth that their arguing is amisse when they say that God punisheth men for breach of the Lords day for it is rather to be thought that God punisheth for other causes SECT XIX Their second argument fetched from Testimony is from the practise of the primitiue Churches after the Apostles for the Histories of the Church say they make mention that they kept the Lords day constantly Herevnto I answer 1. that it seemeth this practise was not vniuersall in all Churches but onely in some places or not in all times but at some time onely for Mr. Perkins vpon the 4th Com. affirmeth out of the Histories of the Church that the Sabbath meaning it of the Lords day Sabbath was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles but afterwards it was reuiued established by Christian Emperours And for confirmation hereof he alleageth his Author Leo and Anton. Edict of Holy dayes Whereby it appeareth by the History of the Church also by confession of M. Perkins that this Lords day vvas not kept in the primitiue Churches constantly as now we keepe it in our Churches for it was not kept vntill Christian Emperours established it now the first Christian Emperour that enacted a Law for the Lords day as farr as I can find was Constantine this was about 300 yeeres after Christ so that this Lords day was not onely not kept by the primitiue Churches but also it was not kept in all probability not of 300 yeeres after Christ so that they haue no greate cause to alleage the practise of the primitiue Church for their Lords day 2. I ansvver but admit the primitiue Churches had kept it constātly in all places at all times alwaies yet there is a tvvofould keeping or solemnizing of a day the one is the keeping it a Sabbath day the other is the keeping of it for an Holy day now I deny that they kept it for a Sabbath day for it is most likly that they kept it for an holy day vvhich is more remise and slenderly kept then a Sabbath day and this appeareth 1. by Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesians where he exhorteth both to the keeping of the Sabbath day also to the keeping of the Lords day both in one the same page novv it is not likely that Ignatius did exhorte his people to keepe two Sabbath dayes in a vveeke the Saturday Sunday and therfore it is likely that the Lords day they kept it slenderly as an holy day Againe hee cales the Lords day there the Quene Princesse of dayes where you see he left an higher roome for the Sabbath day accounting it as the King prince of dayes therfore it is likly kept not the Lords day as they did the Sabbath day Yet furher it is to be noted that Ignatius exhorting his people to the keeping of both the Sabbath day the Lords day he refuseth to giue that word vnto the Lords day vvhich he giueth to the Sabbath day vvhich is most proper for a Sabbath day for in exhorting to the Sabbath day he vseth this vvord Sabbatizet but in exhorting to the Lords day he changeth the vvord and vseth this vvord celebret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in liklihood noteth a difference in the vse of these two dayes the one being kept as a Sabbath the other as a Festiuall day 2. It appeareth by a law made by Constantine as any may reade it reported by M. Fox in his booke of Martyres the new Edition pag. 93. thus The Sunday hee commanded to be kept holy of all men and free from all Iudiciary causes from markets Martes fayers all other manuall laboures onely hushandry excepted Where you see the workes of husbandry as plowing the like excepted this might be done in those dayes and in that Church on the Lords day Now Constantine was the most famouse defender of the Lords day of any Emperour would he thinke you haue giuen men leaue to goe to plough carte on the Lords day if hee had esteemed it as a Sabbath day no surely for this is plaine contrary to the very letter of the 4th com In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke no not in earing time nor in haruest Exod. 34.21 wherefore since Constantine gaue leaue to plough sowe the like workes of husbandry on the Lords day it is a manifest thing that in his time the Lords day was not kept for a Sabbath day but rather as a light holy day hereby it appeareth that the patrones of the Lords day haue little cause to glorie so much in the law that Constantine made for the keeping of the Lords day holy 3. It appeareth by this that Constantine made a law for the keeping holy of Friday of Sunday both the Friday because of Christ his passion the Sunday or Lords day because of Christs resurrection For this see Euseb de vita Constant lib. 4. Cap 18. and see Sozom. lib. 1. Cap. 8. these ij dayes were inacted in one the same law in one the same manner whereby you see that the Lords day vvas accounted in the primitiue Churches no more an holy
the 4th command by it selfe in this they will attempt to proue the time to wit the 7th day to be a ceremony and abolished in the meane time they will hould the dueties of Rest holinesse commanded with the time to be no ceremony but morall perpetuall now vndoubtedly they should hold all the things commanded in the 4th com to be together morall or together ceremoniall either all abolished or all perpetuall in any wise mans iudgment such things as God hath ioyned together no man should put asunder retayning something reiecting other something but that all must be retayned or all reiected either they should embrace the whole 4th commandement or no 4th commandement this is in common reason The 4th com is like vnto a Bond in a bond there is two things where vnto men are bound the one is the summe of money the other is the day and time of payment now in common reason he that stands bound to pay the summe of money that same man stands bound to the day and time also that is to pay this money at the time mentioned in the bond so in the 4th com men are bound vnto 2. things the one is the dueties of Rest and holy exercises the other is vnto the day time wherein these dueties are to be performed namly the 7th day Now these men that are vndertakers against Gods Sabbaths enemies to the Integritie and perfection of Gods Law they will not retaine both of these nor reiect both of these but a diuision seperation they must haue the duties of rest and holinesse they will haue vs bound vnto as being morall but the day and time wherein they should be performed to wit the 7th day this they will not haue vs bound vnto but it must be a ceremony now was it euer heard before now or euer seene in any case but this that a mā should be bound vnto the summe of money in the bond but not vnto the day of payment wy these men will most absurdly suppose that vve are tyed vnto the dueties of rest and holinesse in the com but not vnto the duety of the time day mentioned in the command in vvhich the dueties are to be done is not this absurd to any heareing and are not those textes vvhich they vse for this absurd purpose vvrested think you as these Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 Col. 2.17 it vvere to be vvished that they vvould not halue it peece it on this fashion that is to serue God by halues in his 4th com but that they vvould obserue the vvhole 4th commandement or no 4th command all or none God hath giuen many seuerall commandements in the old Testament as concerning the true God cōcerning his worship concerning his Name concerning sondry dueties vnto our neighbour concerning the Passeouer Pentecost sondry other Festiuall dayes new moones Sabbaths concerning meates drinkes concerning Sacrifices Tythes Priests the Temple and place of worship with many more now amongst all these Lawes can they find from the begining of the booke of Genesis vnto the end of the Prophecy of Malachie such a mingle mangled hotch potch as they will make of this 4th comm that parte of those lawes should be morall parte ceremoniall one parte belonging to all Nations the other parte onely vnto the Iewes the like was neuer heard on I dare say it in any lawes of God or Man Diuine or humane are they not ashamed to make such A Monster of the 4th com as the like hath not bene seene in the world and are not these textes Rom. 14.5 Exod. 31.13 and Colos 2.16.17 monstrousty abused think you which they vse for this monstrouse end In the 5th com we are inioyned ij things to honour our father to honour our mother in the 10th com we are inioyned many things as 7 in number in the 4th com we are inioyned ij things an holy rest the day and time wherein to kepe this holy rest now they that take one of these ij things in the 4th com reiect the other they are as absurd as if one should take one of those ij things inioyned in the 5th com and reiect the other holding it morall to honour our fathers but ceremoniall to honour our mothers as absurd they are as if they should diuide betwixt those 7 things commanded in the 10th com holding 4 of them morall some such 3 of them as disconceits them most for ceremonies in a word for any to say the 4th com is partly morall partly ceremoniall it is a position partly religiouse partly prophane It is much like that of Papists touching the 2d com about Images who hold that this 2d com is ceremoniall forbiddeth onely Iewish Images not the Images of Christians and why may we not admit of Papists absurdetie in the 2d com as well as of Protestāts absurdnesse in the 4th com Oh how is this abused Commandement to be deplored lamented how are the Agents herein to be loathed and abhorred for they attempt with that wicked man prophecied on by Daniel to change times lawes Dan. 7.25 Gods 7th day into the 8th day and the law of the 4th com from off the 7th day vnto the 8th day An other absurdety is that by alleaging Scriptures out of the new Testament as Rom. 14.5 Gal. 4.10 Col. 2.16 against the Sabbath in the morall law so fathering the abolition of that Sabbath on Christ and on his Paul hereby we become a stumbling block scandale and occation of offence vnto the Iewes for when they vrge vs with the 4th com for keeping of the old Sabbath day and we answer that Christ Paul abolished it hereat they are scandalized and say that hereby they know Christ and Paul to be impostors deceiuers because they durst abolish one of Gods ordinances in the Decalogue which all men count morall is not the conversion of the Iewes daily expected praied for shall we vnnecessarily hinder their coming vnto Christ by fathering on Christ a thing both false most odiouse vnto the people of the Iewes let vs beware we be not an occation any longer of the hard-hartednesse of the Iewes Furthermore other absurdeties also these euill Agētes runinto he that can allow of these following arguments against the 7th day Sabbath he may with a safe conscience turne Anabaptist keepe no Sabbath for the 7th day Sabbath these men will throw downe as they say And for the 8th day Sabbath that 's but an idle fiction as hath bene showne so then throw downe the 7th day Sabbath and away with all Sabbathes for my parte I am cleerly fully resolued in this that take away the 7th day Sabbath then we are not bound to keepe any Sabbath at all one or other Thus these enemies to Gods Sabbaths they make an high way and open gappe vnto Anabaptistry that so we should haue no Sabbathes An other absurdety
is this The time of the 7th day it was and also it may now againe if men so please be an helpe and a furtherance vnto these Morall dueties of Rest from laboures and the worship of God commanded in the 4th Comm. for the 7th day furthereth these dueties as time and place doe further all dueties and is it not to be wondered at that men will reiect and abolish such a thing or things as be helpes and furtherances vnto Gods worship and vnto Morall dueties Diuines teach that not onely the dueties expressed in the Decalogue are to be obserued but also all helpes and furtherances vnto those dueties but behold here they reiect as Iewish and Ceremoniall the 7th day which was in ancient time and may be againe an helpe vnto Gods worship and the other Sabbath dueties Yea such an helpe as no other day cā be so fit for no day but it is a sanctified day Genes 2.3 nor a commanded day Exod. 20.8.10 nor that hath Gods president Exod. 20.10.11 I might here alleage the Testimony of many but I will content my selfe with iij or iiij who though no friends to the ancient Sabbath yet herein iustify me Doctour Bownde in his booke of the Sabbath Pag. 40. saith That the 4th Com. can no more be partly Morall partly Ceremoniall then the same liuing creature can be partly a man partly a beast Yea as well may one suppose the second Com. also to be partly Morall partly Ceremoniall To the same effect hee in pag. 36. citeth Wolph Chron. lib. 2. ca. 1. saying but the 7th day is not to be rekoned among the figures ceremonies of the Iewes because it is commanded in the Decalogue which conteineth in it nothing ceremoniall nothing typicall nothing to be abrogated M. Richard Byfield in his Doctrine of the Sabbath vindicated against M. Brerewod pag. 88. saith the 4th com is parte of the law of nature and so parte of the Image of God and is no more capable of a ceremony to be in it then God is For conclusion you shall heare doctour Ames speake in the name of all best diuines In his Theologicall Thesis pag. 499. Thus he writeth This is a most certaine rule receiued by all the best Diuines that the morall commandements were thus differenced in their deliuery from the ceremoniales that all onely the morales were proclaimed publikly before the people of Israel from Mount Sinay by the voyce of God himselfe after also were written the second time written as it were by the finger of God that in Tables of stone to declare their perpetuall and immutable continuance Now doe you not heare how these mē affirme it that the 7th day is not to be rekoned among the figures ceremonies of the Iewes that all best diuines hold that all onely morales were wrote in the Tables of stone and that the 4th com is no more capable of a ceremony in it then God is and that you may as absurdly say the same liuing creature is partly a man partly a beast as to say the 4th com is partly morall partly ceremoniall Before I produce their argumēts I desire to propound iiij things more both vnto our opponentes also vnto my Reader The for most is this before they begine their opposition wicked worke I desire them to cast their eyes first vpon the vglinesse of it to viewe it well for they fight not for God blessed for euer but against God my warfare is for God to defend his Title touching his Sabbaths but theirs is alltogether to defeate God of his Title and Sabbaths my strift is to defend Gods law in the Integrity and perfection vnto a iot title of it but their strife is with might and maine to lame Gods law and to clype it as traitoures doe the Kings coyne they will none of the law in its integrity and perfection that so they may serue God by halues by peece-meale An other thing I would propound is this I desire to know of these who are such implacable enemies to the Lords Sabbaths if they haue any Countermand or contrary commandement vnto the 4th com and that in as plaine expresse termes as the 4th com you know that a law enacted in parliament cannot be reuoked but by an other law enacted for the reuersing of it in the court of parliament so it must be in this case for the 7th day Sabbath there was a law to wit the 4th com enacted from heauen in the old Testament they must therefore shew vs a law from heauen againe countermanding it in the new Testament against the 7th day Sabbath or if in case they cannot shew vs A law in exprese words against the Sabbath day the which they cannot doe then if they be enforced in stead of a commandement to flie to reasones consequences made out of textes of Scripture they must make suer that their reasones collectiones and consequences be so cleere and apparent so sound and so necessarily true that they may be as vndoubtedly true as a commandement it selfe the reason hereof is because these consequences must stand in the roome of a commandement for the reuoking of that Sabbath day which was commanded in the 4th com euery sleity probable reason therefore collected out of a text is not enough to ouerturne an expresse commandement yea a morall commandement shall a sleity collection or consequence fetched by mans feeble shallow reason out of these the like textes Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 Colos 2.16.17 ouerturne a sacred time expresly commanded in the morall law Exod. 20.8 God forbid We must shew more loue and honour vnto those 10 commandements which God hath honoured aboue all portions of Scripture by writing them with his owne finger deliuering them by his owne voyce then to suffer them or any parte of them to be snached wrested out of our hands by probabilities likelihoods feeble reasones A man may well doubt of it whither any man or Church may abolish any things expresly commanded in the Morall Law by any collection or consequence of mans reason whatsoeuer yea albeit it be thought of all men to be a necessary consequence for how often doe men take that to be sound of necessary trueth which once within a fewe yeeres after the same men find to be faulty let men know therefore that they who dare attempt so bould an enterprise as to diminish any iot or title of the 10. morales by reasones fetched out of these the like textes Exod. 31.13 and Colos 2.16.17 they must be such reasons as be as cleere as the Sunne in its brightnesse so satisfactory as euery one that heareth them cannot but applaud imbrace them saying God is in these reasones and collectiones the reason hereof is because these reasones and consequences they must beare downe confront an expresse commandement written by the finger of God
Christ is the Lord both of the dead of the quicke Rom. 14.9 will it follow because he is Lord of the quicke that therefore he will destroy the quicke no all that will follow out of this text is no more but this that Christ sheweth vs how we may in a case of necessity vse some labour to plucke eares of corne the like to satisfy present hunger thus the Lord of a corne field will in a case of necessity permit his seruants to make a pathway thorough the midest of the corne but yet wold be exceedingly wroth with them if they should trample all the field ouer no necessity compelling them thereto and so dealt Christ the Lord of the Sabbath with his seruantes he gaue them leaue to make a path thorrow it as it were Lastly it cannot be that Christ did here at this time destroy the Sabbath day for it was not yet time for it for Christ destroyed abolished no ceremonies vntill his death vpon the Crosse Col. 2.14 if therfore the Sabbath day had bene a ceremony we cannot thinke that Christ would abolish it now whilst he liued so long before his death thus much for this text SECT VI. A second text is ij Cor. 5.17 old things are passed away behold all things are become new Hereunto I answer but briefly because I haue touched this text before wheras the text saith old things are passed away therfore they thinke the old Sabbath is passed away too if this be a good reason then may we further reason thus that because old things are abolished therefore all the 10 commandements are abolished too for they are old things but the Apostles of Christ haue taught vs better diuinity for they in the new Testament doe send vs to those old things in the old Testament saying what soeuer things were written aforetime were written for our lerning Rom. 15.4 and S. Iohn saith I write no new commandement vnto you but an old commandement c. 1 Ioh. 2.7 2. I answer this text is wrested because it is not vnderstod for the Apostle speaketh not here of old ordinances in the Church as of Sabbaths and the like but of old Adam the old man of old vngodly practises if any man be in Christ such old things are passed away from him abolished c. so here is nothing yet against the 7th day Sabbath SECT VII A third text against the time of the 7th day Sabbath is Iosh 10.13 wher it is said that the Sune abode in the midst of heauē hasted not to goe down of a whole day some Ministers make a great deale of title tatleing about this standing still of the Sune in Ioshua his time hereby they thinke that time is so confounded as now no man knowes precisely which is the 7th day because the 7th day cannot be knowne hence is plea enough for them to ouerthrow the Sabbath day because it cannot be knowne this argument is much pressed against me by M. Stinnet for one Herevnto I answer 1. by this reason then it seemeth that neither the Prophets nor the Church of God that liued after the standing still of the Sunne in Ioshua his time vntill Christ time did euer keepe or were bound to keepe the Sabbath day or to yeeld any obedience vnto the 4th com by this reason the Iewes neuer after the standing still of the Sunne kept or were bound to keep the passouer on the 14th day of the moneth nor their other feast dayes all forsooth because the standing still of the Sunne had made such an alteration of time that they knew not Saturday from Sunday any longer nor the 14th day of the moneth from the 13th or 15th dayes of the moneth are not these men worthily counted enemies to Gods Sabbaths and are they not very desirouse to ouerthrow them when they study for such simple stuffe as this is against them is not this to make a needlesse voluntary and vnnecessary opposition to Gods ordinance for what necessity is here in this text to moue a man to oppose God in his Sabbathes 2. I proue their grownd false whereon they build they suppose the 7th day cannot be knowne because of the standing still of the Sunne but I proue that long after the Sunns standing still the 7th day was knowne for after Christ his resurrection all the iiij Euangelists doe cale our Sunday the first day of the weeke if then Sunday be the first day in their account rekone onwards Saturday after it must be the 7th day so thē the standing still of the Sunne hindreth not from the knowledge which day is the 7th and which day is the first c. other answers I giue also in my former booke but these are enough too many for such idle arguments An other argument of like nature they vse and this is a fit place to answer it if it deserued answer it is this if all nations be bound to keepe the 7th day Sabbath as well as the Iew then in some countries they must keepe a Sabbath day halfe a yeere together for in some countrie there is halfe a yeere light or day together Herevnto I answer 1. if this argument be good against the Sabbath day then is it good also against the Lords day for how shall all nationes be bound to keepe the Lords day seing that then in some countrie they shall be bound to keep a Lords day halfe a yeere long c 2. I answer by like reason a man may thus conclud that the 5th com belongeth not vnto all men because some men are not bound vnto it as a King whose father mother is dead but what if the King who hath no superiour liuing be not bound to the 5th com shall none of his subiects therefore who haue parentes and superiours liuing be bound vnto the 5th com so what if some one country should not be bound to the Sabbath day because of the exceeding length and discommodiousnesse of their dayes shall not we other nations therefore be bound to the Sabbath day and 4th com who haue dayes of convenient length much like as the Iewes had in Canaan and no such incommodiousenesse In the 10th com it is said thou shall not couet thy neighbors asse now thowsands in our country haue no Asses will they therefore conclud that such men amongst vs whose neighbors haue Asses are not forbidden to Couet their neighbors Asse because this branch of the 10th com doth not reach vnto euery man Others obiect that we cannot keepe the Sabbath day because our Saturday begineth not iust at the some point of time when the Iewes Sabbath day begane in Canaan but by the like reason we may now say that we cannot celebrate the Lords Supper neither for we drink not iust the selfe same kind of wine which Christ drank at Ierusalem nor is it likly that we eate the selfe same kind of bread for we eate whitebread
but in regard of Christs pouerty it is not vnlikly that he vsed browne or corse bread 2. By the like the Iewes might haue thus absurdly reasoned also whereas the Sabbath day was commanded on Mount Sinay Exod. 20. yea one moneths iourney before they came to Mount Sinay in the wildernesse of Sin Exod. 16.1.23 yea and in an other remote place as in that parte of the world where about Paradise was since the Sabbath was from the Creation hence the Iewes might thus peruersly haue argued saying wee are now in Canaan or in Captiuity in a country that is farr remote from Mount Sinay where the Sabbath was commanded or from the wildernesse of Sin or that parte of the world where Paradise was and where the Patriarkes kept the Sabbath and therfore we here cannot keepe the Sabbath for our Sabbath in this country begineth not at that point of time iust when the Sabbath begineth at Mount Sinay the wildernesse of Sin or about Paradise loe their folly God requireth not a people to begine his 7th day Sabbath when other remote Nations begine theirs but onely thē when by the light of the Sunne which rules the day God begineth to that people his Seauenth day This point is further prosecuted in my former booke but enough too much hath bene here said to this idle argument men haue so little reuerence of God and of his lawes and of his ancient ordinance the Sabbath that they thinke any thing is good enough how idle and ridiculouse soeuer to throw against the same euery frothie conception of an idle braine is matter sound enough to buze and make a noise in peoples eares against that sacred time which God himselfe hath hallowed sanctified honoured amongst his morales SECT VIII A 4th text is that Isa 66.23 From moneth to moneth or from new Moone to new Moone from Sabbath to Sabbath shall all flesh come to worship before me saith the Lord. Whence some collect that the Sabbath here was made a Signe of the euerlasting Sabbath in heauen others would haue it a Signe of the Church vnder the new Testament and of the Church triumphant in heauen both so it being a signe it is abolished Herevnto I answer 1. it is doubtfull what may be the proper sense of this text it being a Prophecy deliuered in Metaphoricall and Allegoricall speeches for instance what shall be meant by these words from new Moone to new Moone it is doubtfull wherefore this text being difficult it is not fit to haue a controuercy decided by it much lesse to haue it vsed to the abolishing of any thing commanded in a morall law it is not meete that the 4th com being vttered in plaine proper speeches should be contradicted countermanded by a Prophecy which is vttered in difficult improper speeches what is this but petitio principij 2. I answer by the word Sabbath here may be vnderstod not the weekly 7th day morall Sabbath inioyned in the morall law but some of the anniuersary ceremoniall Sabbathes which neuer came into the morall law as that Sabbath of the Seauenth yeere or of the fiftith yeere Leuit. 25.10.4 for since the text speaketh of a continuall worshiping of God vnder the new Testament therefore the Sabbath of a yeere is more fit to be a type of it then the Sabbath of a day the 7th day 3. I answer the Sabbath day here mentioned is not made a Signe but rather the other 6 dayes which goe betwence Sabbath and Sabbath for so the text saith from Sabbath to Sabbath that is all the dayes betwene the Sabbaths shall all flesh come to worship c. so then it is not the Sabbath day that was made a Signe but those Six dayes which went betwene the Sabbathes SECT IX A 5th text of theirs is Heb. 4.10.11 where there is mention of a Rest and in v. 9. there remaineth therefore a Rest vnto the people of God Here say they the Sabbath or Rest is made a type of the Rest in the Kingdome of heauen now all types are abolished as ceremonies Herevnto I answer 1. many thinke indeed that here is some greate matter in this text for their purpose but it will proue vpon better examination nothing so for if this Rest here mentioned be a type of heauen it is so farr off from making any thing against the Sabbath day as that it rather maketh for it for the nature of types is to last in the Church vntill the thing typed out by them be come thus all sacrifices lasted vntill Christ our pascall Lamb was comne sacrificed for vs wherefore by like reason if this Rest or Sabbath heere be a type of the kingdome of heauens rest then may this Rest and Sabbath last in the Church vntill we all come to a rest in the kingdome of heauen so then all the time we liue on earth this Sabbath may be kept 2. I answer if the aduersaries to this ordinance of Gods Sabbath could tell how to proue the Rest in the 4th com a ceremony by this text then hereby they must wholly ouerthrow the 4th com for take away rest from laboures as an abolished ceremony and then may men labour in their caleings euery man in his seuerall family in his seuerall field and how then can there be any publike assemblies of the people together in the Church to keepe a Sabbath 3. I answer suppose we that there was a type in the word Rest yet since it speaketh not of a dayes rest but of an euerlasting rest therfore may the yeere of Iubile the 50th yeere be made a type here rather thē the 7th day for there is greater similitude betwene the 50th yeere Leuit. 25.10.11.4.1 and the euerlasting rest then betwene the 7th day Exod 20.8 and the euerlasting rest SECT X. A 6th text they vse which is Numb 28.9.10 where it was commanded vnto the Iewes to offer ij lambes for a Sacrifice on the Sabbath day whence they would collect that if the Sacrifices being a duety of the Sabbath be abolished then is the Sabbath it selfe aboiished Herevnto I answer 1. if the Sabbath day be abolished togeather with the sacrificing of the ij lambes then must for the same reason also be abolished rest from laboures and the morall worship of God in the Sabbath for the sacrificing of the lambes on the Sabbath day hath as much respect vnto rest from labour Gods worship to declare them also to be ceremonies as vnto the time to declare it to be a ceremony abolished 2. I answer that this law of offering ij lambes on the Sabbath day it was aduentitiouse onely added to the 4th com to the Sabbath for a time and therefore no parte of the 4th com nor essentiall Sabbath duety for it was neuer wrote by God in Tables of stone but wrote by Moses as were other ceremonies all after the writing of the moral law was finished and therefore no parte of
vse the Passeouer as it was a signe of deliuerance obtained by the Iewes onely in Egypt and ioyned with them in the vse of the Passeouer as it was a signe of Christ the common Passeouer for Iew Gentile both see Exod. 12.25.26.27 Now suppose the Sabbath was a signe of Christ and therefore abolished in that respect when Christ came yet why may it not remaine still in that other respect as it is a signe of the Creation if it was so with the Passeouer it may be so with the Sabbath day and if those Proselites who were Gentiles did obserue the Passeouer neglecting such things therein as were peculiar vnto the Iewes imbracing such things onely as were common to the Iewes and Gentiles both why may not wee Gentiles lay aside the typicall quality of the Sabbath wherein it was peculiar vnto the Iewes imbrace the Sabbath in other respectes and as a signe of the Creation vvherein it vvas common both to Iew and to Gentile I come now to giue you instances of signes vvhere all the typicall relatiue nature is abolished and the absolute nature remayning still 1. The Rocke in the vvildernesse its absolute nature was to be of a stony substance c. And its vse for men to vvash and beastes to drink at Now this Rocke vvas made a signe of Christ For they dranke of the spirituall Rocke that followed them and the Rocke was Christ 1. Cor. 10.4 so this Rocke vvas a Sacramentall signe now vvhen Christ vvas come if not longe before this Rocke ceased to be a signe of Christ any longer and so it lost its relatiue and significatiue nature but yet it ceased not to be a Rocke still and of a stonie substance c. And to be vsefull for men to vvash and beasts to drink at it kept its absolute nature and so if the Sabbath be no longer a signe yet it may be a Sabbath still and all those 5 dueties which are the absolute nature forementioned they may remaine still suppose therefore that they could proue that all signes are abolished or that all signes of Christ are abolished yet it vvould neuer follow that the Sabbath is abolished any further forth then as it vvas a signe it could leese but its relatiue and typicall quality like as the Iuey bush doth vvhen it is pulled downe then it is no longer a signe but a bush it is still and so a Sabbath it is still for its absolute nature may remaine still to vvit 1. It s rest 2. its holy performāces 3. On the 7th day 4. Because God did these things on the same day 5. Because God commāded them A 2d instance may be this the Bridgroome vvas made a type of Christ as vve reade euery vvhere in the booke of the Canticles Ioh. 3.29 Reuel 19.7 so the Shepheard vvas made a signe of Christ Ioh. 10.11 and yet the death of Christ hath not abolished these relationes for vve haue Bridgroomes and Shepheards still A 3d instance may be that of forbidden meates vve reade of certaine meates forbidden to be eaten by the law as vncleane Leuit. 11.5.6.7 as the Cony the Hare and the Swine now these were made signes and Shaddowes of Christ Col. 2.16.17 But Christ being come these beastes ceased to be vncleane and to be signes of Christ any longer Act. 10.14.15.12.13 Col. 2.16.17 so then they lost their significatiue nature but yet the same beastes lost not their absolute nature so soone as Christ was come for these beastes were the same in nature and kind the which they were before the Hare was an Hare still the Cony a Cony still c. And why may it not be so with the Sabbath day also it may be a Sabbath though not a typicall Sabbath or the flesh of the Hare Cony and Swine may still be refrained in a politicall respect as in Lent time or in a Religiouse respect as in a fasting day and why then may not the Sabbath day be abolished as a signe and yet remaine still as a sacred time for Gods worship for the forbearance of these meates was as much a type as euer was the Sabbath day yet we may and doe forbeare them still why then I say may we not still retaine the Sabbath albeit it was a type may we not aswell obserue the Sabbath now which was a type as forbeare those meates now which forbearance was a type Here I must craue leaue of my reader to make a short digression by way of defence of this last instance you see I cale the Swine a shaddow of Christ this phrase is exceedingly distasted of some by name M. Chappel vndertaking to confute some things in my former booke publikly tooke hold of this for one and in reprochfull manner said this Author makes the Swine a signe of Christ a Swineish argument quoth hee which check was receiued by his auditory with greate applause insomuch as it hath bene runge in myne eares cast in my teeth sondry times by diuerse men what a swineish argument I vsed now for the cleering of my selfe see my former booke on the Sabbath at pag. 146. where I did affirme the swine to be a Shaddow of Christ I proued it there by Leuit. 11.5.6.7 Col. 2.16.17 now that it is so this text of S. Pauls will beare me out for hee saith that meate was a shaddow of things to come but the body is of Christ where S. Paul maketh meates to be shaddowes of Christ as well as holy daies new moones Sabbaths as you may see in the text now what meates were shaddowes but the prohibited meates forbidden to be eaten vnder the Law what meates find you in the Law forbidden to be eaten but these the Hare the Cony the Swine as you may read Leuit. 11.5.6.7 so then these forbidden meates the Hare the Cony the Swine were these which Paul counteth to be shaddowes of Christ why then M. Chappell may not I haue leaue to say the Swine was a shadow of Christ as well as S. Paul why should you make me a scorne and a bye word vnto your auditory disdained in the minds of honest and well minded people for ought I can see you might aswell haue said the same words reprochfully of S. Paul as of me taxing him to haue vsed a Swinish argument This your errour M. Chappell is by so much the greater in that when you vttered these words you preached out of this very text the which I vsed in my booke to proue that the Swine amongst the rest was a Shaddow of Christ to wit Col. 2.16.17 now had you but well rightly vnderstod your owne text out of which you then preached you would neuer haue accused me for vseing of a Swinish argumēt for it is your very text that beareth me out in caling the Hare Cony Swine shaddowes of Christ and so I returne whence I came A 4th instance shall be that which my aduersaries will assent vnto for
all this it may remaine still as a sacred day and time for Gods worship as a day to keepe memory of the Creation still as a fit time to refresh man and beast in by Rest from the toilsome labours of the former Sixe dayes and so as an helpe and furtherance vnto these morall dueties of Rest from labour and performance of Religiouse exercises For the clereing of this I referre you to what hath bene said in Section the 18. onely here let me giue a touch Circumcision and the Passeouer hauing either of them a double type or signe when the one was fulfilled yet these Sacraments were vsed with respect to the other vnfulfilled and admit the Sabbath should abolish as a shaddow of Christ why may it not remaine as a signe of the Creation Exod. 31.17 The difference of meates is abolished as a shaddow of Christ but remaine as in a fast and admit the Sabbath be abolished as a shaddow of Christ why may it not remaine as an helpe and furtherance vnto morall dueties and if the Proselite Gentiles obserued the Passeouer with the Iewes neglecting such things therein as were peculiar vnto the Iewes and onely obserued such things therein as were common to Iew and Gentile both as hath bene showne in Sect. 18 why may not we Gentiles neglect the Sabbath as a sâ—addow of Christ wherein it was peculiar vnto the Iewes and obserue it still in such respects as it is common to Iew and Gentile both as it is a signe of the Creation and as it is an helpe and furtherance vnto other morall dueties so much for answer to this text Col. 2.16.17 And thus like a friend to God his law and ordinance therein I haue reconciled these two textes Exod. 20.8 Col. 2.16.17 the which other men doe make to fight together like deadly enemies Before I conclude this Section let me render a reason why I doe on all occationes distinguish betwixt the 7th day Sabbath the anniuersary Sabbathes my reasones are these 1. because the 7th day Sabbath is more auncient then the yeerly Sabbaths for these began but after the giuing of the Law but that begane before the giuing of the Law 2. Because God Sanctified and hallowed the 7th day Sabbath in a speciall manner Genes 2.3 the which honour he did not to the yeerly Sabbaths these were holy but by precept but that also by President these were holy but by destination onely but that was holy by consecration also 3. Because they are distinct in themselues the one being once euery weeke the other once euery yeere 4. Because God placed the weekly 7th day Sabbath in his morall Law and in the heart or first Table thereof but the yeerly Sabbaths were excluded thence and neuer came into the Tables of stone 5. Because the 7th day Sabbath was a signe of and kept in memory of the Creation which belongeth vnto all men alike but so was it not with the yeerly Sabbaths there is good reason therefore why I should distinguish the weekly Sabbath from the yeerly Sabbathes according as I haue done in all my answers SECT XX. Hauing in the former Sections of this Chapter answered all their arguments brought against the Lords Sabbath so as it manifestly appeareth that it cannot be proued that it is abolished but that it is still in force now in the last place I purpose to spend this last section of this Chapter in a Disswasory-declaration of the common sinne of our time to wit the sinne of Sabbath breaking And here I would not be mistaken at the very Threshold entry of my discourse for by the sinne of Sabbath-breaking I doe not vnderstand the sinne of profanation of the Lords day which now a daies is called the sinne of Sabbath-breaking by our Ministers for they in this point make more sinnes then euer God made they deale by the Lords day as players doe with some of their fellowes whom they make a Counterfait King in the sight of the people by putting vpon him some robes ornaments like those of the true King thus doe our Ministers that they might honour this Lords day in the eyes of the world they haue made it a counterfait Sabbath day and that by miscalling of it Sabbath day like as if a man should cale one man by an other mans name thus they haue robbed the 7th day of its proper honourable name that they might robe and decke with it the 8th day but to leaue them to their vanities counterfaitings by Sabbath day I meane the 7th day from the creation the Saturday day wher on God himselfe Rested which is mentioned in his Morall Law and by the sinne of Sabbath-breaking I vnderstand the violation and profanation of this day contrary to Gods expresse commandement The persones guilty of this sinne are both Ministers and people for the people first let them know take speciall notice of it that they lay vnder the guilte of the sinne of Sabbath-breaking vnto this day without repentance are liable to those curses threatened in the booke of God against transgressoures of the Lawes of God I speake what I thinke is the trueth in my soule conscience I haue good cause thus to thinke for you haue seene that it cannot be certainly infallibly proued to the vndoubted satisfaction of any mans conscience that euer God did abolish this Sabbath day now if it cannot be most euidently apparantly proued that it is abolished then though there could nothing be said for it more yet it is a sinne to profane it but I haue more to say for it as you shall heare in the next Chapter for time to come therefore let men beware that they doe no more profane the Lords Sabbath day it will be a dongerouse matter to sinne goe on in sinne after admonition and information this let them take notice of as being forewarned that they doe liue and lye in the weekly breach of one of Gods Lawes for euery 7th day or Saturday they doe not onely neglect the worship of God but also notoriously profane the Lords Sabbath day by buying and selling by riding and goeing too market and fro market by ploughing and carteing by working in their Shoppes and howsen euery man in his seuerall trade and occupation and by doeing the most base drudgery and kitching workes on this sacred day when God should be most in our minds then he is furthest from our thoughtes let this be thought on by all such as make any conscience of Gods commandements But herevnto the people will reply saying Alas what would you haue vs to doe we are no schollers if it be an errour it is in our Ministers and teachers not in vs you should doe well to apply this doctrine vnto our Ministers not vnto vs we cannot iudge in such matters of difference difficulty c. To whom I answer Alas indeed I pitty you from my heart this your errour
doth ratify and confirme all the lawes of God written in the Tables of stone as they are rehearsed by the Minister without mutilating or curtailing of any of them they are no children of the Church therefore who deny my Major and thus I haue abundantly proued the point by humane Testimony and so I come to proue it also by Diuine Testimony But me thinke euer anone as I am writing that some body should wonder at me that I should spend so many words to proue a point so plaine as this that all Gods commandements are now to be obeyed why may they say it is a point we neuer till now heard doubted of we euer tooke it as an Article of our faith that all things commanded in the Morall Law did binde vs to the obedience thereof and is it now become a question amongst Diuines if this principle be doubted of now we shall scarce know what to doe in Religion what not to doe what to beleeue what not to beleeue but surely Sir you are mistaken ther 's no Minister that hath any feare of God before his eyes that will doubt of this point and for common people they are as farre from doubting of it as the heauens are from the earth Wherevnto I answer that when I seriously enter into the consideration of it it maketh my very heart to tremble within me to thinke that any man that professeth godlinesse should be so farre in loue with old errour as to deny so cleere a trueth as this neuerthelesse not onely Ministers but puritane Ministers goe about to doubt of and deny this trueth for by their distinctiones they will deny that all the commandements written in the Decalogue doe binde vs to obedience which if they did not deny I should saue this labour they must imbrace that most ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day wherefore good Reader wonder not at me but rather wonder at such your Ministers who are become so vnfaithfull to God as that rather then they will confesse an old errour they will stifly deny a manifest trueth My first argument then of Diuine authority is this that euery thingonce commanded in the Morall Law standeth still vnrepealed is therefore still in force For these enemies to Gods Sabbaths they cannot proue that any one thing once commanded in the Decalogue was euer since reuoked abolished now whatsoeuer thing God hath once commanded in his 10 comman that thing is to staÌ„d euerlastingly vnlesse it can be showne that God hath reuoked reuersed it like as Statute Lawes in our Realme though made long since are neuerthelesse in force still vnlesse it can be showne that they haue bene repealed since by the same Authority that first inacted them For the further strengthening of which argument let these Scriptures be perpended What soeuer things are written aforetime are written for our lerning that we through patience comforte of the Scriptures might haue hope Rom. 15.4 and againe For the whole Scripture is giueÌ„ by inspiratioÌ„ of God is proffitable to teach to convince to correct to instruct in righteousnesse c. 2. Tym. 3.16 In which two portiones of Scripture you see the Apostle doth ratify an vninersallity of things written in the old Testament and an Integrity and wholenesse of the Scriptures of the old Testament now if we shall not apply these ij textes to the maintenance of the Morall Law or 10 commandements to maintaine the vniuersallity of all things written in the 10 commandements and to maintaine the Integrity perfection wolenesse of the 10 commandements then wherevnto shall we apply them for what portion of Scripture is there besids this Law in all the old Testament whereof it cane besaid that all things therin written concerne our practise that that whole Scripture is proffitable to teach vs to convince vs to correct vs and to instruct vs What scriptures of the old Testament I say can be the adaequate Subiect or Obiect of these ij Scriptures but the morall Law My 2d argument to proue that all the 10 commandements and euery commandement therin doe bind vs still to the obedience of them is this that the Apostle S. Paul doth ratifie this Law in the new Testament saying Doe we then make the Law of none effect through faith God forbid yea wee establish the Law Rom. 3.31 Where you see the Apostle affirmeth that hee did establish the Law now the word Law in this text is not to be restrained to some partes of it onely but to be taken in the largest sense seeing thers nothing in the context to hinder it now this Law is knowne to containe 10 commandements Then he wrote vpon the Tables according to the first writing the tenne commandements Deut. 10.4 the which were numbered by God least the number thereof should be diminished by meÌ„ againe Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 Here againe all things written in the Law are ratified Furthermore S. Iames thus writeth whosoeuer shall kepe the whole Law yet faileth in one point hee is guilty of all Iam. 2.10 In which words S. Iames ratifieth all the Law or the whole Law so then S. Paul hath ratified the Law in its generality S. Iames in its Integrity yea S. Iames goeth further ratifieth all and euery parte pointe of the Law in as much as he would not haue vs faile in any one point of it as the text speaketh yet further see what our Sauiour Christ saith touching this matter whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commandements teach men so he shall be caled the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Here then our Sauiour ratifieth that to the worlds end as you may see in the verse before v. 18. the very least thing commanded in the 10 commandements In all which Scriptures you haue seene 1. That the Law is still inforce 2. That all things written in this Law are still in force 3. That the wholl Law is still in force 4. That the very least thing commanded in the law is still in force what can be desired more My 3d argument to proue that euery commandement in the Decalogue doth bind vs to obedience is because God hath ioyned the commandements togeather now that which our Sauiour saith in an other case is true in this also Let no man put a sunder that which God hath coupled together Mat. 19.6 Now behold how God hath coupled all these 10 commandements together 1. They were câ—upled together when God spake them all together Then God spake all these words saying Exod. 20.1 2dly they were coupâ—ed together when God wrote them together in the Tables of stone Deut. 10.4 3dly they were coupled together by number Thus God Almighty coupled them when he teld vs that wrote Tenn coÌ„mandements Deut. 10.4 4thly Our Sauiour Christ coupled them together when he
the reason of the 4th Com. to shew you how they haue nullified made voide that also for they haue made most horrible hauocke with Gods Commandement by reiecting the Saturday Sabbath The body of the 4th Com. is conteined in iij. verses Exod. 20.8.9.10 and I haue showne how these iij. verses of the xx Chapter of Exodus are made voide and nullified and now I come to shew how they haue made frustrate also an other whole verse to wit verse the 11th and so they shall haue filled vp the mesure of their iniquity fulâ— by a sacrilegiouse robbing God of iiij whole verses out of his Morall Law by taking away the key of knowledge from them for I account it all as one to rend iiij verses of sacred Scripture out of the Bible to peruert the sense of them or to turne the sense vse of them into Ciphers That I may shew you how by denying and abolishing the 7th day Sabbath they haue nullified made voide the reason of the 4th Com. also first I will recite the reason for in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen the earth the sea all that in them is and rested the 7th day Therfore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day hallowed it Exod. 20.11 This 11th verse is a reason giuen by Almightie God thereby to perswade vnto the obedience of the 4th Com. The Commandement was this that we should worke vpon those sixe daies which were the first sixe daies from the begining of the Creation that we should rest from labour on the 7th day from the Creation now the reason whereby God would perswade vs herevnto is a reason drawne from his owne example because that in those sixe daies God himselfe laboured and in the same 7th day God himselfe rested yea and therfore hallowed sanctified this 7th day Now what reason can be more liuly then a reason drawne from Gods example what argument can be more moueing with the sonnes daughters of God then an argumeÌ„t fetched from the example of their heauenly fathers but let the oldest man liuing tell me if euer he heard any Minister in the pulpit presse the keeping of the 4th com by this reason which God hath here added vnto his 4th com or let any man tell me if euer he heard the sanctification of the Lords day which is the first day of the weeke pressed by this reason here added by God vnto his 4th com Nay what Minister will not be ashamed to perswade men either to the keeping of the 4th com or to keeping of the Lords day by this reason which heere God hath propounded for we neither worke on those 6 dayes wherin God wrought neither doe we rest on that 7th day wherein God rested for we rest on the 8th day or first day not as God did on the 7th day our Lords day God did not rest on it for our imitation but he laboured on it for our imitation so as there is no correspondency betwixt our Lords day Sabbath our now keeping of the 4th com Gods example reason propounded vnto vs. When did you euer heare any Minister say thus Let vs rest from our laboures on the Lords day because God himselfe as our Patterne rested on the Lords day and let vs sanctify hallow the first day because God blessed sanctified the first day you see how God hath added a most liuely effectuall reason to his 4th com drawne from his owne example to moue vs to rest on the Lords day to sanctify the first day tell me if euer you heard any Minister thus presse this reason Gods example or if yee haue heard any houer aboute it as loath to touch it he hath nicknamed dayes caling the Lords day Sabbath day the 8th or first day the 7th day wherefore because Ministers cannot deuise how to make Gods example and exemplary reason to fit square to our new Sabbath therefore they are mute sileÌ„t touching it and thus you see the reason of the 4th com standeth in our Bibles but for a Cipher men are a shamed to vse it least they should shame themselues is it not a lamentable thing that Ministers are ashamed to deliuer the whole will counsaile of God least thereby they should both shame themselues bewray vnto the people their foule errour in abolishing of Gods Sabbaths for if this reason were vsed men would easily see how wide we are from the marke in keeping the Lords day in conscience of the 4th com when as the very reason of the 4th com would plainly â—each vs that it is the 7th day Sabbath wherein God himselfe rested that we should rest and not on the 8th day Sabbath To summe vp all you haue seene how they that abolish the 7th day Sabbath they haue turned the body of the 4th com into a company of Ciphers this hath bene declared proued many wayes yea they haue also turned the reason to the 4th com into so many words so many Ciphers for it standeth in the booke of God for a mute and is like a blanke in a Lottery no Minister vseing this reason of God before his people to perswade them to the keeping of the Lords day or of the Sabbath day by it So then since they haue not onely nullified the commandement but also made voyde and vselesse the reason annexed to the commandemeÌ„t hereby you see they haue by reiecting Gods hallowed and sanctified time the Saturday Sabbath reiected also the whole 4th com with euery parte and persell of it roote and branch There are not many verses in the Morall Law and behold how of those fewe verses they haue turned into Ciphers made voyde vselesse no lesse then iiij whole verses v. 8.9.10.11 there are not aboue 15 or 16 verses in all the Morall law now whosoeuer reiecteth the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath you see he maketh voyde frustrate no lesse then 4 of those verses it is an errour caling for deepest consideration a speedy reformation Thus much for my 9th argument ARGVM X. My 10th Argument to proue that the 7th day Sabbath mentioned in the law is still in force is because our Sauiour Christ ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law to endure for euer Mat. 5.18 thus it may be framed He that ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law vnto the least letter to last for euer he ratified the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force But Christ ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law vnto the least letter to last for euer Therefore Christ ratified the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force As for the Major or first proposition it is cleere of it selfe for nothing therin can be doubted of for admit that the 7th day Sabbath be the least thing commanded in the Morall Law why then hee that ratified euery thing commanded in the Law vnto the very least
regenerated see M. Perkins in his Commentary on the Galatians Chap. 5. v. 4. pag. 311. where treateing of the Law thus he writeth The Law it is wholly copulatiue all the partes of it are linked one to an other he that is bound to one Commandement is bound to all he that keepes one indeede keepes all he that breakes one in respect of the disposition of his heart is a breaker of all Iam. 2.10 he that makes no conscience to keepe some one commandement if occasion be offred will breake any Hence it followes that true regeneration is that which is a reformation chang according to the whole Law of God Iosias turned to God according to the whole Law Zacharie Elisabeth walked in all the Commandements of God Dauid saith he shall not be confounded when he hath respect vnto all the Commandements of God Here you see M. Perkins vrgeth it as a note of true regeneration that men be reformed according to the whole Law and exemplifies it by that of Iosias Zacharie Elizabeth the prophet Dauid if that regeneration then be a reformation according to the whole Law then is the whole Law still in force so men may not deny its Integrity wholnesse men may not mancle lame it vnlesse it grieueth them that the 10 Commandements should be all Morall To conclud we must either reassume and reedify Gods ancient Sabbaths or else we must reiect and demolish the integrity and perfection of Gods royall Law ARGVM XXII My 22th Argument in defence of the Sanctified hallowed Saturday Sabbath Genes 2.3 is that it must be Morall still in force partly because all Diuines with one accorde do hold and maintaine that one day in a weeke is Morall still in force by the 4th Com. and partly because there can be no day sanctified by the 4th Com. of all the 7 daies but Saturday only And thus I argue If one day in a weeke must be sanctified for a Sabbath by virtue of the 4th Commandement then Saturday Gods ancient sanctified and haâ—lowed 7th day Sabbath must be our weekly Sabbath day But one day in a weeke must be sanctified for a Sabbath day by virtue of the 4th Com. Therfore Saturday Gods ancient sanctified hallowed 7th day Sabbath must be our weekly Sabbath day First I will proâ—e the Minor namely that some one day in a weeke must now be kept for a Sabbath day by the 4th Com. then in the second place I will proue the Major namely that that one day must be our Saturday For the former I will proue it first by the Testimony of our Church in generall and then by the Testimony of many particular Diuines of nâ—te First then for our Church see the booke of Homilies Homilie the 8th of the place time of prayer pag. 138. where it is thus written As concerning the time which Almighty God hath appointed his people to assemble in together solemnely it doth appeare by the 4th Com. And t en a little beneath And therfore by this commandement wee ought to haue a time as one day in a weeke wherein we ought to rest giue our selues wholly to heauenly exercises And by and by againe Thus it may plainly appeare that Gods will Commandâ— was to haue a solemne time a standing day in the weeke wherein the people should come together and haue in remembrance his wonderfull benefites and to render him thankes for them Here our Church acknowledgeth teacheth that by the 4th Com. we ought to set a parte a time as one day in a weeke to haue a standing day in the weeke for the worship of God Bishop Babington in his exposition of the Commandements and on the 4th Com. Pâ—g 168. thus wriâ—eth To haue one day in the seauen to serue the Lord in that was Morall and remaineth still binding vs vnto it Doctour Willet in his Hexapla on Exodus and vpon the 4th Com. pag. 356. thus writeth This then may safely be affirmed that to keepe one day of seauen holy to the Lord is Morall not ceremoniall And agaâ—ne pag. 363. This Commandement as it is Morall continueth still namely that a certaine day should be set a parte for the publike seruice of God that as Chrysostome saith in circulo hebdomadis c in the compase of a weeke one whole day should be set a parte c. Hom. 10. in Genes-Musculus in his Common places on the 4th Comm. at the latter end saith thus Touching the Sabbath it stands with the Law of nature that we should some day giue our selues vnto holy exercises in this respect we must not shake off the sanctification of the Sabbath which is so farr deliuered vnto vs by the Law of nature that all people vniuersally haue their standing Holy daies consecrated for the doeing of holy things Peter Martyr in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanes Chapt. 14. v. 5. pag. 436. saith thus It pertaineth to the 10 Commandements that out of the whole weeke shold one day be consecrated to the worship of God Purchas in his pilgrimage pag 21. Some saith hee make question of the Sabbath Howbeit I must confesse that I see nothing in that Commandement of the Decalogue praescribed but is naturall morall that the obseruing of one day of seauen in euery weeke appeareth both by the first order estabilished in nature when God blessed Sanctified the 7th day and by necessity of a Sabbath as well before the Law in the daies of the Patriarkes as in the times of Dauid or Salomon by the generall consent of all that it is Morall to set a parte some time to the Lord c. Thus we see it abundantly proued that one day in a weeke is still in force by the 4th Com. I might be infinite well nigh in the profe of this point out of M. Perkins M. Dod many others yea what pulpit is there in the Kingdome of England which doth not on all occationes seale vnto this trueth by proclayming and publishing it vnto the people Hauing proued the Minor that one day of the weeke must be a Sabbath hy the 4th coÌ„ now J come vnto the Major to proue that this one day must be our Saturday or t' is that if one day in a weeke must be a Sabbath day by the 4th com then Saturday must be our weekly Sabbath day my reason of this point is because none other day of the weeke can be a Sabbath day by the 4th com besids our Saturday this I shall proue by sondry arguments taken from the 4th com we will fetch our first argument from the first word of the â—th com Remember That day and that day of the weeke onely must be Sabbath day by the 4th com the which this word RemeÌ„ber doth send vs vnto now this word hath reference vnto Saturday the old Sabbath day onely for the word Remember implies a thing foreknowne thus Peter is
of all the arguments reasons vvhereby they vrge people to the obseruation of the Lords day you shall neuer heare them make any vse at all of this reason the vvhich God himselfe hath thought most meete to be vrged and hath therefore annexed it to his com When did you heare any say it is your duety to sanctify the Sabbath day we now keepe because on it God Almightie rested from his worke and it is your duetie to keepe this Sabbath day because God did at the Creation blesse it and sanctify it No if they should vse these reasons their davvbing vvould be seene into euery man can tell them this Day that vve keepe is not the day wherein God rested but the day vvhere in he vvrought and this day is not the dâ—y vvhich God blessed sanctified for this day is the 8th day but God sanctified the 7th day vvherefore they are ashamed to vse this reason therefore they let it stand vntoucht thus it hath stood for a Cipher this many hundreth of yeeres me thinketh the consideration but of this one point should be enough to certify them that they are wrong for asmuch as they dare not presse this Sabbath we novv keepe vvith Gods reason annexed to his 4th Comm. now of all reasons that men can inuent what reason more forcible then that which is taken from Gods owne example that he rested on that day sanctified it but now this argument from the example of God is stale in the Churches is quite out of vse vvho doth excite stirre vs vp in thes our dayes from the example of God saying let vs keepe the Sabbath day for God Almightie kept it let vs rest from our laboures on the Lords day because God rested from his workes on this day let vs sanctifie hallovv the Lords day because God Sanctified hallowed it at the Creation Genes 2.2.3 let vs keepe the Sabbath day an Holly day for God made it an Holly day by hallowing it Exod. 20.11 Genes 2.2.3 Let vs honour it as the most auncient holly day it being as auncient as the world Genes 2.2.3 as the most honourable holly day it being made an holy day by God himselfe not by man Genes 2.2.3 all men follow the example of the king who would not follow this example of God the king of kings if it were vrged if therfore the Lords Sabbaths be neglected for want of forcible most preualent argumeÌ„ts reasons let such Ministers beare the blame who depriue the people of this so effectuall mouing an argument what a maruailouse thing is it that God should in his wisedome goodnesse to vs besids his Com. perswade vs by such mouing powerfull reasons as he hath annexed to his Com. yet Ministers are Mute silent as if ther were no such things in the Law word of God is it not meete that such af oule errour as this is should be discouered But suppose that some haue Sophistically by playing with the Homonymie of the word Sabbath improperly applied to our Lords day both deceiued themselues others so vrged a farre off this reason vpon our day surly they haue toucht it but lightly as glad when they are safely got off it againe least they should bewray all for example suppose a man that knowes the difference betwixt the day called Sabbath day in scripture and the day called Lords day the one being the 7th last day of the weeke the other the first day of the weeke the one being the day before the other the one being for memory of the Creation the other for memory of the Redemption if now a Minister should tell him it is his dutie to sanctify the Lords day because God sanctified the Sabbath day would not the man think the Minister iesteth vvith him since he knowes God sanctified the 7th day of the weeke but our Lords day is the 8th day or first day of the weeke since he knowes that the reason which he vseth speakes of the day named Sabbath day but the day he applieth this reason vnto it is of another name to wit the Lords day vvould he not thinke the Minister hath foully mistaken himselfe to misapply so the example of God to a wrong day for if the Minister would presse a man to sanctify the Lords day from the example of God he must bring an example where God rested on the Lords day and where God blessed sanctified the Lords day Wherfore to conclud this point either they are a shamed of Gods reason dare not vse it at all or if they doe they must play the egregiouse Sophisters vvith the peopse by playing with the Homonymie of the vvord Sabbath vseing it in an other sense then it is vsed by God thereby to couer their doubling from the eyes of the people but for the most parte of them I am suer they vse not this reason at all these doe lesse euill then those which abuse it Thus then you see they haue first abolished the whole 4th Commandement as elsvvhere I haue proued here againe you see they haue abolished the reason to the Com. Gods example now then let vs put them together then the totall some vvill be that they haue by abolishing the Time in the 4th Com. abolished also the vvholl Commandement not onely that but also the reason example of God annexed to the Com. so they haue made cleere vvorke for they haue taken away all euen all roote branch Thus you see then the time and 7th day in the Com. is of some consequence euen as the foundation is to the building vvhen as it being once remoued all comes tumbling downe let this time therfore be more regarded if you vvill haue the 4th com at all regarded SECT X. Hauing finished the Exposition of the 4th Com. discouered the manifould erroures shamfull abuses of it that I might yet further make these erroures appeare I purpose here to mention two things The former is to shew how our Congregations which is much to be lamented vvill for the must parte of them come shorte of their hoped for reward for Sabbath keeping that the residue doe but dally if not mocke vvith God this cogitation doth present it selfe to me when I think of the publike prayers of the Church for there the Mimister in the name of God with loude audible voice a mongst other of Gods 10 Com. pronounceth these words being the 4th com Remember the Sabbathday to keepe it holy Sixe dayes shalt thou labour doe all thy worke But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy sone nor thy daughter nor thy man seruant nor thy maide seruant nor thy eattell nor thy stranger that