expect Christs presence by his spirits influence in sanctifying his people in their holy exercises on that day Herevpon it grew a perpetuall Ordinance not first constituted by Apostolicke authority but seconded and followed by them in their practize as Acts. 20.7 and 1 Cor. 16.2 vpon which place Master Perkins iudiciously obserueth that Paul commanded nothing as an ordinance to bee obserued by the Church but what hee had from Christ But to make collection for the poore euery Lords day or first day of the weeke as a consequent or concomitant fruite of other Sabbath-duties as Preaching Prayer Sacraments was sayth he a constitution Apostolicke and so of diuine authority and therefore no meere humane institution And wee say that the ground and cause hereof was Christs Resurrection So as it is a grosse Solecime in Diuinity to admit an Institution to be Apostolicke yet to denie it to be of diuine authority Thus the first day of the weeke the Lords day grew to be the day of holy assemblies for Christians from that first day of the weeke wherein Christ rose againe and appeared to his Disciples as wee haue touched And from this spring did the auncient Fathers deriue the sanctification of this day as by so many continued streames of succession Saint Augustine sayth Dies Dominicus c. The Lords day was not to the Iewes Aug Ianuario Epis. 119. c 13. but to Christians declared by Christs Resurrection and from that began to bee kept holy And elsewhere Proepenitur dies Dominicus Sabbato c. The Lords day is preferred before the Sabbath by the fayth of the Resurrection Aug. Ca sulano Presbytero Ep. 86. not by the fashion of refection or licentiousnes of drunken mirth And againe Domini Resurrectio c. The Lords resurrection hath promised us an eternall day and consecrated to vs the Lords day And Ambros Dominica nobis c. De verbis Apost ser 15 To vs the Lords day is so honourable and sacred because in it the Sauiour as the sun arising dispelling infernall darknesse hath shined forth in the light of his resurrection And for this cause Ambros ser 61 this day of the men of the world is called Sunday because Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse arising did enlighten it But what neede we seeke a cloud of witnesses of men when we haue diuine Sarrs in Scriptures though shining in a darke place till the day did dawne which may giue vs sufficient light to direct vs to this day For first it is apparent that the seauenth day which was commanded the Israelites of the old Testament to celebrate for the Sabbath was giuen them in memoriall of their deliuerance from the Egyptian bondage as we noted before out of Deu. 5 15 And thus it was ceremoniall and subiect to be changed into another day to wit the Lords day which should succeede in memoriall of our Redemption and deliuerance from our spirituall bondage whereof that corporall was a type which Redemption and deliuerance was finished in Christs Resurrection and therefore who should haue power but Christ the Lord of the Sabbath to change the Sabbath into the Lords day Againe another remarkeable place we finde in Leu. 23.10 c. where the sheafe of the first fruits was to bee waued by the Priest before the Lord the day after the Sabbath This sheafe of the fruits was a pregnant type of Christs rising againe 2 Cor 15 20. Leui 23.11 the first fruits from the dead This sheafe was to bee waued the next day after the Sabbath and not else This was fulfilled in Christs resurrection whâ—ch was the day after the Sabbath and because this Sabbath was chiefely ment of the Passeouer which was a high Sabbath to be sure it was a double Sabbath the Sabbath of the Passeouer concurring together wherein Christ rested in the graue The very next morning was Christ the first fruites waued before the Lord when in the Earthquake hee rose from the dead the first fruites of them that sleepe This was the sheafe of the first fruites which was accepted for vs Rom 4 25 Rom 11.19 for he rose againe for our iustification And if the first fruites be holy the lumpe is also holy And the meate offring of this day was twice as much as vpon any other day euen two tenth deales whereas the rest had but one which is a matter worthy of heedefull obseruation This typed and signifyed some thing extraordinary as touching this dayes oblation And the offering was made by fire vnto the Lord for a sauour of Rest as the Hebrew hath it This prefigured the Rest of this day of the sheafe of first fruites of Christs resurrection And this rest had relation not onely to Christ who now had finished the worke of Redemption but also to all the Redeemed For from this very day of the sheafe of first fruites they were Leuit. 23.15.16 to reckon 7 Sabbaths or weekes compleate which inclusiuely containeth 50 dayes and so the seauenth first day of the weeke next after the Sabbath they must offer a new meate offering vnto the Lord. This was the feast of Pentecost which being fully come Act. 2. the Holy Ghost came downe visibly vpon the Church so fulfilling that typicall prophesie * Leuit. 23.17 or Propheticall type And this meate offring of loaues and the like being called also a first fruites vnto the Lord signifyed and prefigured that First fruits of the Church of the new Testament offered consecrated and sanctified vnto God that very day wherein the Holy Ghost descended For behold two waue loaues moulded vp of so many graines the one of the Iewes the other of the Gentiles both one offering being a collection of all the Nations vnder Heauen euen the Catholike Church representatiue were the first fruites vnto God and vnto the Lambe sanctified in Christ the first fruites These are those waue-loaues Isychius Praesbyt Hirrosol in Leuit 23 Planius ergo Legislator suam demonstran volens mentem ab altero die Sabbati numerari praecipit 50 dies Dominicum Diem proculdubio volens intelligi Hic enim est altera Dies Sabbati that are holy to the Lord for Christ eur High Priest Leuit. 23.20 and this offering became a sauour of rest v. 18. as wee shewed v. 13. noting still the rest of this day So as this selfe same day is solemnely proclaimed to bee an holy Conuocation Therein no seruile worke is to bee done this to stand as a statute vnrepealable Hereupon Isychius saith Therefore the Law-giuer willing more plainely to expresse his minde commanded them to reckon from the next day of the Sabbath 50 dayes thereby willing without doubt the Lords day to be vnderstood For this is that next day after the Sabbath For which cause sayth he the Holy Ghost came not downe in any other day of the weeke but in that day of the Resurrection wherein the sheafe of first-fruits was waued before the Lord. Thus we see
seauen was meerely Ceremoniall I would aske them how the memoriall of the Commandement could bee kept without a speciall time or day vnlesse they will say that the morality being perpetuall is not tyed to any one day But seeing the Morall Law cannot be kept by the Church in this world without time for as the Preacher saith Eccle 3.1 There is a time for euery purpose vnder the Sunne and this time of keeping the fourth Commandement is limited by God to the 7th day how can this day be separated from the Sabbath as being an inseparable circumstance of the substance of that Commandement Yea so inseparable by diuine appoyntment as Gods wisedome did best know the Sabbath cannot be solemnely kept vnlesse it be one of the seauen I say not one fixed day of seauen to last for euer from the Creation to the end of the world without alteration for so it was ceremoniall in the old Testament but the proportion of a seauenth part of our time decreed by Gods owne institution and perpetually annexed to the morality And the Lord who limited a seauenth day for rest and to bee kept holy hath noe where left it arbitrary to man to allow what day or proportion of time liketh him for that purpose beyond the number of seauen For as God hath reserued a tenth of our goods though we owe him all that we haue as sacred to himselfe and by meanes whereof hee sanctifies all the 9 parts to our vse so also a seauenth of our time though the whole time of our life is to be spent to his honour for the sanctification of our whole life And both these serue ioyntly for the more commodious compleate and solemne administration of his worship and seruice which also redounledeth not onely to our temporall but spirituall and eternall good Nor is it now in mans power to alter the Lords day into any other seauenth day of the weeke sith it is Christs owne Ordinance and therefore vndispensable Inuij Praelect in Gene 2.2 The learned Iunius on Gen. 2.2 concerning the Sabbath thus speaketh Haec lex c. This Law of the Sabbath is naturall hauing a ceremoniall designation of one day affixed vnto it This seauenth day added of God is not naturall but positiue A seauenth day is naturall and remaineth but the seauenth from the creation appoynted of God is positiue instead whereof the Lords day succeedeth in the christian Church called the first day of the weeke and the Lords day Reu. 1.10 celebrated Acts. 20.7 1 Cor 16.2 Causa mutationis c. The cause of this mutation is Christs resurrection and the benefit of restoring the Church in Christ the commemoration of which benefit succeeded the memory of the creation not by humane tradition but by Christs owne obseruation and institution who both on the day of his Resurrection Et octauo quoque die and on euery eight day vntill his ascension into Heauen appeared to his Disciples and came into their assembly And the same was done by the constant obseruation of the Apostles and Disciples and of the Church of Christ to which by the institution and example of Christ the Apostles deliuered the obseruation of the Lords day which is well set forth by Cyril lib. 12. in Iohan. cap. 58. by Augustine ad Casulanum Ep. 86. et ad Ianuarium Ep. 119. cap. 13. And therefore Chrysostome in his fift sermon of the Resurrection writteth that of old in the Primitiue Church this day was called by three names The Lords day The day of bread and the day of light The Lords day because in it being a solemne memoriall of Christs resurrection they attended to his word and worship the day of bread because in it the Sacrament of the Lords supper was administred and the day of light because on it was obserued the administration of Baptisme For the ancients called Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illumination and the day of Baptisme diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of lights and the Baptized were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 New illuminates Wherefore sith the Lords day by Christs Act example and institution by the most constant obseruation of the Apostles and the auncient Church and by the testimony of Scripture hath bene obserued and put in the place of the Iewes Sabbath ineptè faciunt c. They doe absurdly who affirme that the obseruation of the Lords day continues in the Church by Traditiō and not by authority of the holy Scripture that by these helpes they may si Deo placet support the Traditions of men So he Thirdly where they say that the generality onely of keeping a Sabbath was Morall this generality or morality must either now bee quite lost or else doth necessarily import some speciall day for christians wherein solemly to keepe this morality vnlesse we be bound euery moment or day of our life to keepe it as well as for the Iewes of old by Gods owne limitation But fourthly they say that the vacation and abstinence from seruile labour or the ordinary workes of a manes worldly calling is not any part of the morality of the fourth Commandement but a meere ceremony and so abrogated This is a strange Paradox For then the whole obseruation of the sabbath as touching the reast of it was a Ceremony and where is then the morality of it stands not the morality of it in corporall rest and spirituall exercise Or else tell us wherein Nay certainely that cannot bee a meere ceremony which lasteth for euer But vacation and rest from bodily labour lasteth for euer euen in Heauen in the keeping of the eternall Sabboth as the. Apostle saith Heb 4.9.10 And Reuel 14.13 And in heauen there is noe pleace for meere ceremonies Therefore vacation from labour on the Sabboth is no meere ceremony but one speciall part of the moralitie commanded in the Sabbath So that to rest from labour is of the very essence of the Sabbath which is therefore called Sabbath or rest because one cheife part of the obseruation of it stands in rest Ob. But they obiect That the Commandement of the Sabbath is not morall because it bindes not to all times and to euery day as well as one in the weeke Answ Though the externall solemne rest of it binds but for one day in the weeke yet the due Sanctification of it is such as it reatheth to the Sanctification of the whole time of our life yea to the Sanctifying of our persons acsions affections c. by the right vse of the meanes as the Word and Prayer For as wee sayd before as God by reseruing and consecrating the tenth of our goods thereby sanctifies all the 9 partes vnto vs So by setting apart and hallowing the seauenth of our time to his seruice he extendeth sanctification to euery day of our life that therein wee might bee holy Againe affirmatiue precepts ceasse not to be morall because they bind not ad semper to all times it sufficeth they binde
of those who hauing a forme of godlinesse deny the power thereof from such turne away Of which sort are they which creepe into houses and lead captiue silly women laden with sins led away with diuerse lusts euer learning and neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth And as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses soe do these also resist the truth men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the fayth But they shall proceede no farther for their folly shall bee manifest to all men as theirs also was All which how fully it is verefied and exemplified in the Author we haue to deale withall this little discourse seconded with the subscription of his owne handy worke will abundantly testifye Now because the letter is teadious so as to answere to euery circumstance would clogge our discourse with many vnnecessary and vnprofitable matters therefore I will epitomize or contract the whole into one briefe view and pitch vpon such points as the Author stands most vpon and wherein he placeth the maine strength of his battalion And first I will muster vp his scattered skirmishes and brauadoes And those I finde to be diuided into two speciall companies The first is a brauado setting forth his cause with many specious and glorious titles as his ascribing it to Gods gratious calling that it is the true liuely iustifying faith which he maintaineth which words hee often repeateth that it is of the household of true faith the most holy and heauenly calling into the true liuely iustifying fayth that it is the gracious leauening of the Gospell that it is the effectuall calling to true christianity and assured free saluation that this leauen is the wedding garment of Christs perfect holinesse and that this is the good and old way which Abraham walkt in that it is the established protestant doctrine of our Church of England grounded vpon the word of God which euery one ought to imbrace if hee will be a loyall subiect to his Protestant King againe This is the Protestant fayth this is the established doctrine of our Church that he is as one true Prophet to a great number of false Prophets that he with a few more goe with a right foot to the truth of the Gospell such as call the people to a chearefull zealous godly life onely for and by the ioy and excellency of free iustification but marke how deepely considered onely those few doe apply the law purely and truely that these are the few foresayd true ministers of Christ and such as follow them the true beleeuers that they onely bring in the true meanes of true sanctification and of doing all good workes that these are the true teachers who doe truely establish the law that these are the onely true ministers and their followers the onely true people of God that this doctrine is and may bee proued in euery point with two or three plaine scriptures and two or three plaine testimonies of Orthodox Protestant writers These and the like bee the glorious guildings wherewith hee doth so fairely inammile his leaden cause which anon will come to the Test The second company wherewith he skirmisheth all along is of such reproches as hee casts vpon all those that are aduersaries to his opinion I take them in order as they lie That to auouch the contrary is a sinfull preiudice of Gods truth that it is a blaspheming of the true liuely iustifying fayth such are too much leauened with the sowre leauen of the deuouter sort of Pharisees which with the false brethren among the Galatians leauened and corrupted the faith of the Galatians Thus the pentificians where they find certainety of Saluation they call it presumption c. and that with a conceited holinesse of doing and keeping the morall law this is a dangerous leauen of the Pharisees which vnder the visour and conceit and opinion of sincerity and obedience to God and zeale of God is but hipocrisie Christs marriage garment is now a dayes eagerly opposed and subtilly betrayed with a Iudasses kisse in this regard these are the perilous times wherein men and women are euer learning and neuer able to come to the truth of the assurance of their free saluation and that there is in a manner now no fayth on the earth because the dead fayth before God is no fayth although it be varnished and guilded ouer with a blinde prepostrous zeale and opinion of obedience and walking in all gods commandements as Paul before his conuersion was in this blind zealous dead fayth which phrase is very frequent with him that it is another Ghospell that the blinde zealous dead faith thinkes it knowes something when it knowes nothing as it ought to know that they are not some few teachers among vs that trouble the people of God by Preaching another Gospell but especially when God meanes to punish an vngratefull Church and Nation many false teachers This great prophet Iwis as of old there are many hundred false Prophets to one true Prophet hanging relying and depending yea bragging of their obedience workes and weldoings and keeping of the law these bad ministers and teachers that trouble the people of God are and for the iuster iudgement and scourge of the great vnthankefull multitude euer haue beene the greatest multitude and these are deuided into two sorts the first sort are such as are euill beasts slow bellies that vse to preach a little for their liuing sake and for their bellie but care not for the sauing of soules but for their ease their pompe and worldly esteeme and those ministers make onely Hoggschristians that trampling free iustification and the Pearles of the Gospell vnder the feete of their durty affections doe care for nothing but rooting in the earth and filling the belly but the other sort of bad teachers although their right eye also of true fayth bee out and doe more deepely delude themselues and others in the dead fayth yet they haue the light of nature more strongly stirring in them described Rom. 2.14.15 where it is sayd that the Gentiles which haue not the law doe by nature the things conteined in the law which shew the effect or worke of the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing witnesse and their thoughts accusing them that is with feare of punishment when they doe ill and will preach it as the true Gospell I warrant you and excusing them that is hoping to speede well when they doe well and this light of nature they varnish ouer with titles of the Gospell whereby especially young Ministers being carryed with a preposterous zeale of Gods glory Rom. 10.2.3 in workes and conceited weldoings they slight ouer fayth and free iustification with a wet finger thinking with the Papists by a carnall vnderstanding of them that they are quickly or rather learned too fast and so doe preach neyther true law nor true Gospell but a corrupting blending and marring of both law and Gospell whereby they put out the right eye of