what Mr. Brabourne and Mr. Primrose have alledged against the same The second Part. LONDON Printed for Iohn Rothwell 1650. The generall Contents about the change of the Sabbath 1. SVfficient Light in the Scriptures for the change of the Sabbath Thes. 1. 2. Apostolicall unwritten-traditions no ground for the change of it Thes. 2. 3. Neither Churches custome or any Imperiall Law ground of the change of it Thes. 3. 4. How the observation of the Christian Sabbath ariseth from the fourth Commandement Thes. 4. 5. How 〈◊〉 day in the week may be called the seventh day Thes. 7 8. 6. The will of God the Efficient cause the Resurrection of Christ the morall cause of the change of the Sabbath Thes. 10. 7. The Asceâ—tion no ground of the change of the Sabbath Thes. 13. 8. The 〈…〉 spoyled in his first Creation by the sin of man hence the Day of Rest may be well changed Thes. 16. 9. Neither the three dayes resting of Christ in the grave nor the 33. yeers of Christs labour the ground of our labour and rest now Thes 18. 10. Not only Christs Resurrection but an affixed Type to the first Sabbath is the ground of the abrogation of it Thes. 20. 11. What the affixed Type to the Sabbath is Thes. 21. 12. The meer exercises of holy duties upon a day are not any true ground to make such a day the Christian Sabbath Thes. 25. 13. How holy duties on a day may evince a Sabbath day Thes. 26. 14. The first day of the week honour'd by the Primitive Churches from the Commandment of the Lord Iesus Thes. 27. 15. The Apostles preaching on the Iewish Sabbath doth not argue it to be the Christian Sabbath Thes. 30. 16. The first day of the week proved to be the Christian Sabbath by Divine Institution Thes. 34. 17. The first place alledged for the Christian Sabbath Acts 20.7 cleared by nine considerations Thes. 35. 18. The second place from 1 Cor. 16.1 2. cleared from seven considerations Thes. 36. 19. The third Scripture Rev. 1.10 cleared by two 〈◊〉 branches Thes. 37. 20. How the Christian Sabbath ariseth from the fourth Commandment although it be not particularly named in it Thes. 40. 21. The error of those especially in the Eastern Churches who observed two Sabbaths Thes. 41. 22. How the work of Redemption may be a ground for all men to observe the Sabbath Thes. 42. 23. How far the Iudgement of God upon prophaners of the Lords Day is of force to evince the holinesse of the Sabbath Thes. 44. The Change of the Sabbath THESIS 1. THe change of this day from the last to the first of the week although it be confirmed by an ancient custome yet the true reason and grounds of so great a change are not so fully known Sacred writings not so expresly setting down as it doth in some things of lesse concernment the causes hereof And many of the Arguments heaped up and multiplyed by some for the change of it which may seem of great weight while they want an adversary at the other end of the Scale to ballance them Yet upon sad examination and search into them they prove too light and consequently occasion the temptation of scrupling the truth and validity of others more cleare We are therefore with more warinesse and humility of mind to search into this Controversie and with much thankfulnesse and modesty to accept that little light which God gives us in greater as well as of much light which he is pleased to lend us in smaller matters Pascimur apertis exercemur obscuris was his speech long since concerning the Scriptures There is no truth so clear but mans loose wit can invent and mint many pernicious Cavils against it and therefore in those things which shine forth with lesse evidence it is no wonder if it casts such blots and staines upon them as that they can fear 〈…〉 discerned Nil magis inimicum veritati acumine 〈…〉 therfore be wise with sobriety remember that in this and such like Controversies the Scriptures were not written to answer all the scruples and objections of Cavillers but to satisfie and stablish the consciences of poor beleevers And verily when I meet with such like speeches and objections as these viz. Where is it expressely said that the old Sabbath is abrogated and what one Scripture is there in the N. Testament declaring expressely that the Lords day is substituted and put in its roome I cannot from such expressions but think and fear that the ignorance of this change in some doth not spring so much from deficiency and want of light on Gods part but rather from perversnes on mans part which will not see nor own the tâ—uth because it is not revealed and dispensed after that manner and fashion of expression as mans wit and phantasie would have it Like Naaman who because the Prophet went not about the cure of his Leprosie in that way and fashion which he would have him did not therefore for a time see that way of cure which God had revealed to him For the Holy Ghost is not bound to write all the principles of Religion under Common-place heads nor to say expressely In this place of Scripture you may see the old Sabbath abrogated and the new instituted for we find no such kind of expressions concerning Pauls Epistles and many books of Scripture that this or that Epistle or book is Canonical which yet we know to be so by other evidences We know also that the Holy Ghost by brief hints of Truth gives occasion of large Comments and by writing about other matters tanquam aliud agens it brings forth to light by the By revelations of great concernment which it saw meet purposely in that manner to make known And as in many other things it hath thus done so especially in this of the Sabbath So that if our hearts like Locks were fitted to Gods Key they would be soon opened to see thorough the difficulties of this point which I confesse of all practicall points hath been most fuâ—l of knots and difficulties to my own weaknesse Thesis 2. To make Apostolicall unwritten inspirations notified and made known in their dayes to the Churches to be the cause of the change of the Day is to plough with a Popish Heifer and to cast that Anchor on which deceivers rely and by which they hope to save themselves when they know not how otherwise to defend their falshoods Thesis 3. To make Ecclesiasticall Custome established 〈◊〉 by the Imperiall Law of Constantine to be the 〈◊〉 of the change is to make a prop for Prelacy and a step to Popery and to open a gap to all humane inventions For if it be in the Churches power to appoint the greatest Holy day why may not any other Rite and Ceremony be imposed also and if it be free to observe this day or not in respect of it selfe because it wants a divine institution and yet necessary to
THESES SABBATICAE OR THE DOCTRINE OF THE Sabbath WHEREIN The Sabbaths I. Morality II. Change III. Beginning IV. Sanctification are clearly discussed Which were first handled more largely in sundry SERMONS in Cambridg in New-England in opening of the fourth COMMANDMENT In unfolding whereof many Scriptures are cleared divers Cases of Conscience resolved and the Morall Law as a rule of life to a Believer occasionally and distinctly handled By THOMAS SHEPARD Pastor of the Church of Christ at Cambridge in New England What evill thing is this that ye do and prophane the Sabbath day did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this City yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by prophaning the Sabbath Nehem. 13 17 18. If ye hallow the Sabbath to do no work therein then shall there enter into the gates of this City Kings and Princes Jer. 17.24.25 London Printed by T. R. and E. M. for Iohn Rothwell Sun and Fountain in Pauls Church-yard 1650. THE Preface OF THE AUTHOR To the READER THat a seventh part of time hath been religiously and universally observed both under the Law and under the Gospel is without all controversie the great doubt and difficulty which now remaines concerning this Time is the Morality of it whether it was thus universally observed in the Christian Churches by unwritten Tradition or by Divine Commission Whether from the Churches Custome or Christs Command Whether as a Moral Duty or as a Humane Law for although some would make â—he observation of such a portion of time the soure fruit of the Ebionites superstitious Doctrines yet all the Ancient and best Writers in the purest times do give such honour to it that whoever doubts of it must either be utterly ignorant or wilfully blinded in the knowledge of the Histories and Doctrines of those times and must desire a Candle to shew him the Sunne at noone day Clemens onely seemes to cast some staine upon it by making all dayes equall and every day a Sabbath but upon narrow search his meaning may appeare not to deny the observation of the day but onely to blame the froth and vanity of sundry Christians who if they externally observed the day they cared not how they lived every day after nor is it to be wondred at if Origen turne this day sometime into an Allegory and a continuall spirituall Rest-day who miserably transformes many times the plainest Scriptures into such shapes and turnes their substance into such shadowes and beating out the best of the Kernels feeds his guests with such chaffe and husks and although many other Festivals were observed by those times which may make the Sabbath suspected to be borne out of the same womb of humane custome with the rest yet we shall finde the seventh dayes Rest to have another Crowne of glory set upon the had of it by the holy meÌ„n of God in those times then upon those which superstition so soone hatcht and brought forth so that they that reade the Histories of those times in observing two Sabbaths in some places Easter Whitsunday yea divers Ethnick and Heathenish dayes will need no other comment on those texts of Paul wherein he condemnes the observation of Dayes which beginning to flie abroad in the day light of the Apostles might well out-face the succeeding ages and multiply with more authority in darker times yet so as that the seventh dayes rest call it what you will still kept its place and ancient glory as in the sequell shall appear When therefore the good will of him who dwelt in the burning bush of the afflicted Primitive Churches gave Princes and Emperours to be their nursing fathers pious Constantine among other Christian Edicts injoynes the observation of the Lords Day wherein if he was bound by his place to be a nourishing father he went not beyond his Commission in swadling and cherishing this truth and appointment of Christ and not suffering it to dye and perish through the wickednesse of men the power of Princes extending to see Christs Lawes observed though not to impose any humane inventions and Church constitutions of their own It s true indeed that this Princely Edict was mixed with some imperfection and corruption it following too short in some things and extending too far in others but there is no just cause for any to stumble much at this that knowes the sick head and heart by the weak and feeble pulse and crasie temper of those clouted though otherwise triumphing times The Successours of this man-child borne out of the long and weary throwes of the poore travelling Church were inlarged generally in their care and conscience to preserve the religious honour due to this day untill the time of Charles the Great who in the latter end of his reign observing how greatly the Sabbath was profaned especially by the continuance and leaudnesse of Church-men did therefore call five Nationall Councels which I need not here mention in all which the Sabbath is advanced to as strict observation to the full as hath been of late yeers condemned by some in the Sabbatarian Reformers that it is a wonder how any man should cast off all shame and so far forget himselfe as to make the Sabbath a device of Fulco or Peter Bruis Eustachius or the Book at Golgotha and put the Visor of Novelty upon the aged face of it as if it were scarce known to any of the Martyrs in Queen Maries time but receiving strength and growth from Master Perkins was first hatcht and received life from under the wings of a few late Disciplinarian Zelots And it cannot be denied but that the Sabbath like many other precious appointments and truths of God did shake off her dust and put on her comely and beautifull garments and hath been much honoured and magnified since the times of the Reformation the doctrine and darknesse of Popery like that of the Pharisees not only obscuring the Doctrine of Faith but also of the Law and obedience of Faith and so hath obscured this of the Sabbath only herein they did excell their forefathers the Scribes and Pharisees for these added their own superstitious resting from things needfull and lawfull to their meerly externall observation of the day but they unto their eternall observation of the name of the Day added their abominable prophanations to it in May-games and May-poles in sports and pastimes in dancing and revellings and so laid it level and made it equall in a manner to the rest of their Holy dayes that as they came to shuffle out the second Commandment almost out of the Decalogue so in time they came to be blinded with that horrour of darknesse as to translate the words of the Commandment into some of their Catechismes Remember to keep the Holy Festivals and therefore those Worthies of the Reformation who have contended for all that honour which is due to this day are unjustly aspersed for pleading for a jewish and superstitious strictnesse when
the cause they handle is no other in truth then to vindicate the Sabbath both in the Doctrine and observation of it from Papists prophanesse and therefore all the world may see that under pretence of opposing in others a kinde of Iudaizing upon this day the adversaries of it do nothing else but maintain a grosse point of practicall Popery who are by Law most ignorant and grosse prophaners of this day and therefore when many of Christs servants are branded and condemned for placing so much of Religion in the observation of this day and yet Bishop White and some others of them shall acknowledge as much as they plead for if other Festivals be taken in with it ordained by the Church as that they are the Nursery of Religion and all vertue a meanes of planting Faith and saving knowledge of heavenly and temporall blessings and the prophanation of them hatefull to God and all good men that feare God and to be punished in those which shall offend they do hereby plainly hold forth what market they drive to and what spirit acts them in setting up mans posts by Gods Pillars and in giving equall honour to other Festivals and Holy dayes which those whom they oppose do maintaine as due to the Sabbath alone upon better grounds The Day star from on high visiting the first Reformers in Germany enabled them to see many things and so to scatter much yea most of the Popish and horrible darknesse which generally overspread the face of all Europe at that day but diverse of them did not as well they might not see all things with the like clearnesse whereof this of the Sabbath hath seemed to be one their chiefe difficulty lay here they saw a Morall command for a seventh day and yet withall a Change of that first seventh day and hence thought that something in it was Morall in respect of the Command and yet something Ceremoniall because of the Change and therefore they issued their thoughts here that 〈◊〉 was partly Morall and partly Ceremoniall and hence their observation of the day hath been answerable to their judgments more lax and loose whose arguments to prove the day partly Ceremonial have upon narrow examination made it wholly Ceremoniall it being the usuall unhappinesse of such arguments as are produced in defence of a lesser Errour to grow big with some man-child in them which in time growes up and so serve onely to maintaine a farre greater and hence by that part of the controversie they have laid foundations of much loosnesse upon that day among themselves and have unawares laid the corner stones of some grosse points of Familisme and strengthned hereby the hands of Arminians Malignants and Prelates as to prophane the Sabbath so to make use of their Principles for the introduction of all humane inventions under the name and shadow of the Church which if it hath power to authorize and establish such a day of worship let any man living then name what invention he can but that it may much more easily be ushered in upon the same ground and therefore though posterity hath cause for ever to admire Gods goodnesse for that abundance of light and life poured out by those vessels of glory in the first beginnings of Reformation yet in this narrow of the Sabbath it is no wonder if they stept a littele beside the truth and it is to be charitably hoped and beleeved that had they then foreseen what ill use some in after ages would make of their Principles they would have been no otherwise minded then some of their followers and friends especially in the Churches of Scotland and England who might well see alittle farther as they use to speake when they stood upon such tall mens shoulders It s easie to demonstrate by Scripture and argument as well as by experience that Religion is just as the Sabbath is and decays and growes as the Sabbath is esteemed the immediate honour and worship of God which is brought forth and swadled in the three first Commandments is nurst up and suckled in the bosome of the Sabbath if Popery will have grosse ignorance blind devotion continued among its miserable captives let it then be made like the other Festivals a merry and a sporting Sabbath if any State would reduce the people under it to the Romish Faith and blinde obedience againe let them erect for lawfull pastimes and sports a dancing Sabbath if the God of this world would have all Professours enjoy a totall immunity from the Law of God and all manner of Licentiousnesse allowed them without check of Conscience let him then make an every-day Sabbath if there hath been more of the power of godlinesse appearing in that small inclosure of the British Nation then in those vast continents elsewhere where Reformation and more exact Church-Discipline have taken place it cannot well be imputed to any outward meanes more then their excelling care and conscience of honouring the Sabbath and although Master Rogers in his Preface to the 39. Articles injuriously and wretchedly makes the strict observation of the Sabbath the last refuge of lies by which stratagem the godly Ministers in former times being drivē out of al their other strong holds did hope in time to drive out the Prelacy and bring in againe their Discipline yet thus much may be gathered from the mouth of such an accuser that the worship and government of the Kingdome and Church of Christ Iesus is accordingly set forward as the Sabbath is honoured Prelacy Popery Prophanesse must down and shall down in time if the Sabbath be exactly kept But why the Lord Christ should keep his servants in England and Scotland to cleare up and vindicate this point of the Sabbath and welcome it with more Love then some precious ones in forraigne Churches no man can imagine any other cause then Gods own Free Grace and tender Love whose wind blowes where and when it will Deus nobis haec otia fecit and the times are coming wherein Gods work will better declare the reason of this and some other discoveries by the British Nation which modesty and humility would forbid all sober minds to make mention of now That a seventh dayes rest hath therefore beene of universall observation is without controversie the Morality of it as hath been said is now the controversie in the Primitive times when the Question was propounded Servasti Dominicum hast thou kept the Lords Day their answer was generally this Christianus sum intermittere non possum i. I am a Christian I cannot neglect it the observation of this day was the badge of their Christianity This was their practise but what their judgment was about the Morality of it is not safe to enquire from the tractates of some of our late Writers in this controversie for it is no wonder if they that thrust the Sabbath out of Paradise and banish it out of the world untill Moses time and then make it a meere ceremony all
his time till Christs Ascension if since that time they bring it a peg lower and make it to be a humane Constitution of the Church rather then any Divine Institution of Christ Iesus and herein those that oppose the Morality of it by dint of argument and out of candor and conscience propose their grounds on which they remaine unsatisfied I do from my heart both highly and heartily honour and especially the labours of Master Primrose and Master Ironside many of whose Arguments and Answers to what is usually said in defence of the Morality of the day who ever ponders them shall finde them heavie the foundations and sinewes of whose discourses I have therefore had a speciall eye to in the ensuing Theses with a most free submission of what is here returned in answer thereto to the censure of better minds and riper thoughts being verily perswaded that whoever finds no Knots or Difficulties to humble his spirit herein either knows not himselfe or not the Controversie but as for those whose chiefe arguments are reproaches and revilings of embittered and corrupt hearts rather then solid reasons of modest minds I wholly decline the pursuit of such creatures whose weapons is their swell and not any strength and do leave them to his tribunall who judgeth righteously for blearing the eyes of the world and endeavouring to exasperate Princes and make wise men beleeve that this Doctrine of the Sabbath is but a late Novelty a Doctrine tending to a high degree of Schisme a phanatick Iudaizing like his at Tewksbury Sabbata sancta colo i. e. a peece of Disciplinary Policy to advance Presbytery a superstitious seething over of the hot or whining simplicity of an over-rigid crabbed precise crack-brain'd Puritanicall party the righteous God hath his little dayes of judgment in this life to clear up and vindicate the righteous cause of his innocent servants against all gainsayers and who sees not but those that will be blinde that the Lord hath begun to do something this way by these late broyles the controversie God hath with a Land is many times in defence of the controversies of his faithfull Witnesses the sword maintaines argument and makes way for that which the Word could not those plants which not many yeers since most men would not beleeve not to be of Gods planting hath the Lord puld up the three innocent Fire-brands so fast tyed to some Foxes tayles are now prety well quencht and the tayles almost cut off this cause of the Sabbath also the Lord Iesus is now handling God hath cast down the Crownes of Princes stained the Robes of Nobles with dirt and blood broken the Croziers and torne the Miters in peeces for the controversie of his Sabbath Jer. 17.27 he hath already made way for his Discipline also which they feared the precise Sabbath would introduce again by such a way as hath made all hearts to ake just according to the words never to be forgotten of Mr. Udal in his Preface to the Demonstration of Discipline The Councel of Matiscon imputed the irruption of the Goths into the Empire to the prophanation of the Sabbath Germany may now see or else one day they shall see that one great cause of their troubles is that the Sabbath wanted its Rest in the dayes of their quietnesse England was at rest till they troubled Gods Sabbath The Lord Iesus must reign the Government of his House the Laws of his Kingdom the Solemn days of his worship must be established the cause of his suffering and afflicted servants not of our late religious scorners at Ordinances Lawes and Sabbaths who are now at rest from their labours but in former times wept and prayed and petitioned and preacht and writ and suffered and dyed for these things and are now crying under the Altar must and shall certainly be cleared before men and Angels Heaven and earth shall passe away before one tittle of the Law much lesse a whole Sabbath shall perish But while I am thus musing me thinks no measure of tears are sufficient to lament the present state of times that when the Lord Iesus was come forth to vindicate the cause and controversie of Sion there should rise up other Instruments of spiritual wickednesses in high places to blot out the name and sweet remembrance of this Day from off the face of the earth the enemies of the Sabbath are now not so much malignant time-servers and aspiring brambles whom preferment principally byassed to knock at the Sabbath but those who have eaten bread with Christ a generation of professing people do lift up their heel against his Sabbath so that what could not formerly be done against it by Angels of darknes the old Serpent takes another course to effect it by seeming Angels of light who by a new device are raised up to build the sepulchres of those who persecuted the Prophets in former times to justifie all the books of sports the reading of them yea all the former present profanations yea scoffs scorns against the Sabbath day For as in former times they have Ceremonialized it out of the Decalogue yet by humane constitutiō have retained it in the Church so these of later times have spritualized it out of the Decalogue ye out of of all the Churches in the world For by making the Christian Sabbath to be only a spirituall Sabbath in the bosome of God out of Heb. 4. they hereby abolish a seventh dayes Sabbath and make every day equally a Sabbath to a Christian man This I hope will be the last but it is the most specious and fairest colour and banner that ever was erected to fight under against the Christian Sabbath and is most fit to deceive not only some sudden men of loose and wanton wits but especially men of spirituall but too shallow minds In times of Light as these are reputed to be Satan comes not abroad usually to deceive with fleshly and grosse forgeries and his cloven foot for every one almost would then discerne his haltings but with more mystical yet strong delusions and invisible chaines of darknesse whereby he bindes his captives the faster to the judgment of the great day And therefore the watchword given in the bright and shining times of the Apostle was to Try the Spirits and Believe not every Spirit And take heed of Spirits who indeed were only fleshly and corrupt men yet called Spirits because they pretended to have much of the Spirit and their doctrines seemed only to advance the Spirit the fittest and fairest cobwebs to deceive and intangle the world in those discerning times that possible could be spun out of the poysonfull bowels of corrupt and ambitious wit The times are now come wherein by the refined mysticall divinity of the old Monks not only the Sabbath but also all the Ordinances of Christ in the New-Testament are allegorized and spirituallized out of the world And therefore 't is no marvel when they abolish the outward Sabbath because of
here that looke as man standing in innocency had cause thus to returne â—rom the pleasant labours of his weekly paradise imployments as shall be shewn in due place so man fallen much more from his toilsome and wearisome labours to this his rest again And therefore as because all creatures were made for man man was therefore made in the last place after them so man being made for God and his worship thence it is that the Sabbath wherein man was to draw most neare unto God was appointed after the creation of man as Peter Martyr observes For although man is not made for the Sabbath meerly in respect of the outward rest of it as the Pharisees dreamed yet hee is made for the Sabbath in respect of God in it and the holinesse of it to both which then the soule is to have its weekly revolution back againe as into that Rest which is the end of all our lives labour and in speciall of all our weekly labour and work Thesis 8. As therefore our blessed rest in the fruition of God at the end and period of our lives is no ceremony but a glorious privilege and a morall duty it being our closing with our utmost end to which we are called so it cannot be that such a Law which cals and commands man in this life to returne to the same rest for substance every Sabbath day should bee a ceremoniall but rather a Morall and perpetuall Law unlesse it should appeare that this weekly Sabbath like the other annuall Sabbath hath been ordained and instituted principally for some ceremonious ends rather than to be a part and indeed the beginning of our rest to come there being little difference between this and that to come but onely this that here our rest is but begun there it is perfected here it is interrupted by our weekly labours there it is continued here we are led into our rest by meanes and ordinances but there we shall bee possessed with it without our need of any helpe from them our God who is our rest being then become unto us immediately All in All. Thesis 9. Were it not for mans worke and labour ordained and appointed for him in this life he should enjoy a continuall Sabbath a perpetuall Rest. And therefore wee see that when mans life is ended his sunne set and his worke done upon earth nothing else remaines for him but only to enter into his perpetuall and eternall Rest All our time should be solemne and sacred to the Lord of time if there were no common worke and labour hâ—re which necessarily occasions common time why then should any think that a weekly Sabbath is ceremoniall when were it not for this lifes labour a perpetuall and continuall Sabbath would then be undoubtedly accounted morall It s hard for any to thinke a servants awfull attendance on his Lord and Master at certaine speciall times not to bee morally due from him who but for some more private and personall occassions allowed him to attend unto should at all times continually be serving of him Thesis 10. The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and no Scripture phrase and therfore not proper fitly and fully to expresse the question in controversie to wit whether the fourth Commandment bee a morall precept The best friends of this word finde it slippery and can hardly tell what it is and what they would have to be understood by it and hence it is become a bone of much Contention a fit mist and swampe for such to fight in who desire so to contend with their Adversaries as that themselves may not bee known either where they are or on what ground they stand Yet it being a word generally taken up and commonly used it may not therefore be amisse to follow the market measure and to retaine the word with just and meet explications thereof Thesis 11. They who describe a morall law to bee such a law as is not typically ceremoniall and therefore not durable doe well and truely expresse what it is not but they doe not positively expresse what it is Thesis 12. Some describe and draw out the proportions of the morall law by the law of nature and so make it to bee that law which every man is taught by the light of nature That which is morally and universally just say some which reason when it is not mis-led and the inward law of nature dictateth by common principles of honesty or ought to dictate unto all men without any outward usher It is that say others which may be proved not only just but necessary by principles drawne from the light of nature which all reasonable men even in nature corrupted have still in their hearts which either they doe acknowledge or may at least bee convinced of without the Scriptures by principles still left in the hearts of all men But this description seems too narrow For 1. Although it be true that the law naturall is part of the law morall yet if the law morall be resolved into the law of nature only and the law of nature bee shrunke up and drawne into so narrow a compasse as what the principles left in corrupt man onely suggest and dictate then it will necessarily follow that many of those holy rules and principles are not the law of nature which were the most perfect impressions of the law of nature in mans first creation and perfection but now by mans apostacy are obliterated and blotted out unlesse any shall thinke worse than the blinde Papists either that mans minde is not now corrupted by the fall in losing any of the first impressions of innocent nature or shall maintaine with them that the Image of God of which those first impressions were a part was not naturall to man in that estate 2. It will then follow that there is no morale discipline as they call it that is nothing morall by discipline informing or positively morall but onely by nature dictating which is crosse not onely to the judgements but solid Arguments of men judicious and most indifferent 3. If that onely is to be accounted morall which is so easily knowne of all men by the light of nature corrupted then the imperfect light of mans corrupt minde must bee the principall judge of that which is morall rather than the perfect rule of morality contained in the Scripture which Assertion would not a little advance corrupt and blinde Nature and dethrone the perfection of the holy Scripture Thesis 13. They who define a morall law to be such a law as is perpetuall and universall binding all persons in all ages and times doe come somewhat nearer to the marke and are not far off from the truth and such a description is most plaine and obvious to such as are not curious and in this sense our adversaries in this cause affirme the Sabbath not to be morall meaning that it is not a Law perpetuall and universall Others on the contrary affirming that it is morall intend
rest as this and as afterward it sell out in the finishing of the work of redemption it might have been as well upon such a day as this but it was not then so and hence the rest day fell as it were accidentally upon this and hence it is that Gods example of rest on that particular day doth not necessarily binde us to observe the same seventh day morall examples not alway binding in their accidentals as the case is here although it be true that in their essentials they alway do Thesis 134. There is no strength in that reason that because one day in seven is to be consecrated unto God that therefore one yeere in seven is to be so also as of old it was among the Jewâ—â— for beside what hath been said formerly viz. that one yeere in seven was meerly ceremoniall one day in seven is not so saith Wallaeus but morall God gave no example whose example is onely in morall things of resting one yeere in seven but he did of resting one day in seven I say beside all this it is observable what Iunius notes herein The Lord saith he challengeth one day in seven jure creationis by right of creation and hence requires it of all men created but he challenged one yeere in seven jure peculiaris possessionis i. by right of peculiar possession the Land of Canaan being the Lords land in a peculiar manner even a type of Heaven which every other Country is not and therefore there is no reason that all men should give God one seventh yeer as they are to give him one seventh day By the observation of one day in seven saith he men professe themselves to be the Lords and to belong unto him who created and made them and this profession all men are bound unto but by observation of one yeere in seven they professed thereby that their Countrey was the Lords and themselves the Lords Tenants therein which all Countreys not being types of Heaven cannot nor ought to doe and therefore there is not the like reason urged to the observation of a seventh yeere as of a seventh day Thesis 135. Look therefore as 't is in the second Commandement although the particular instituted worship is changed under the Gospel from what it was under the Law yet the generall duty required therein of observing Gods own instituted worship is morall and unchangeable so t is in the fourth Commandement where though the particular day be changed yet the duty remains morall and unchangeable in observing a seventh day there is therefore no reason to imagine that the generall duty contained in this precept is not morall because the observance of the particular day is mutable and yet this is the fairest colour but the strongest refuge of lies which their cause hath who hold a seventh day to be meerly ceremoniall Thesis 136. If it be a morall duty to observe one day in seven then the observation of such a day no more infringeth Christian liberty then obedience to any other morall Law one part of our Christian liberty consisting in our conformity to it as our â—ondage consists in being left to sinne against it and therefore that argument against the morality of one day in seven is very feeble as if Christian liberty was hereby infringed Thesis 137. It was meet that God should have speciall service from man and therefore meet for himselfe to appoint a speciall time for it which time though it be a circumstance yet it s such a circumstance as hath a speciall influence into any businesse not onely humane but also divine and therefore if it be naturally it may be also ethically and morally good contributing much also to what is morally good and therefore the determination of such a time for length frequency and holinesse may be justly taken in among the morall Laws he that shall doubt of such a powerfull influence of speciall time for the furthering of what is specially good may look upon the art skill trade learning nay grace it self perhaps which he hath got by the help of the improvement of time a prophane and religious heart are seen and accounted of according to their improvements of time more or lesse in holy things Time is not therefore such a circumstance as is good only because commanded as the place of the Temple was but it is commanded because it is good because time nay much time reiterated in a weekly seventh part of time doth much advance and set forward that which is good Thesis 138. That Law which is an homogeneall part of the morall Law is morall but the fourth Commandment is such a part of the morall Law and therefore it is morall I do not say that that Law which is set and placed among the morall Laws in order of writing as our adversaries too frequently mistake us in that it is therefore morall for then it might be said as wel that the Sabbath is ceremoniall because it it is placed in order of writing among things ceremoniall Lev. 23. but if it be one link of the chain and an essentiall part of the morall Law then it s undoubtedly morall but so it is for its part of the Decalogue nine parts whereof all our adversaries we now contend with confesse to be morall and to make this fourth ceremoniall which God hath set in the heart of the Decalogue and commanded us to remember to keep it above any other Law seems very unlike to truth to a serene and sober minde not disturbed with such mud which usually lies at the bottome of the heart and turns light into darknesse and why one ceremoniall precept should be shuffled in among the rest which are of another tribe lineage and language hath been by many attempted but never soundly cleared unto this day surely if this Commandment be not morall then there are but nine Commandments left to us of the morall Law which is expresly contrary to Gods account Deut. 4. To affirm that all the commands of the Decalogue are morall yet every one in his proportion and degree and that this of the Sabbath is thus morall viz. in respect of the purpose and intent of the Lawgiver viz. That some time he set apart but not morall in respect of the letter in which it is exprest it is in some sence formerly explained true but in his sence who endeavours to prove the Sabbath ceremoniall while he saith it is morall is both dark and false for if it be said to be morall only in respect of some time to be set apart and this time an individuum vagum an indeterminate time beyond the verges of a seventh part of time then there is no more morality granted to the fourth Commandment then to the Commandment of building the temple and observing the new moons because in Gods command to build the Temple the generall purpose and intention of the Lawgiver was that some place be appointed for his publike worship and in commanding to
but not that they brake Bread every day in the Temple or from house to house or if they should yet the bâ—eaking of Bread in this verse is meant of Common not Sacred Bread as it is verse 42. where I think the Bread was no more Common then their continuance in the Apostles Droctrine and Fellowship was Common and therefore in this 46. verse the phrase is altered and the Original word properly signifies ordinary Bread for common nourishment And yet suppose they did receive the Sacrament every day yet here the breaking of Bread is made mention of as the opus diei or the speciall businesse of the day and the day is mentioned as the special time for such a purpose and hence no other day if they break Bread in it is mentioned and therefore it s called in effect the day of meeting to break bread Nor do I finde in all the Scripture a day distinctly mentioned for holy duties as this first day of the week is wherein a whole people or Church meet tâ—gether for such ends but that day was Holy the naming of the particular day for such ends implies the Holinesse of it and the time is purposely mentioned that others in after times might purposely and specially observe that Day 8 Nor is it said that the Disciples met together the night after the first day but it s expressely said to be upon the first day of the week and suppâ—se as Mr. Brabourne saith that their meeting was noâ— together in the morning but onely in the evening time to celebrate the Lords Supper a little before the shutting in of the day yet it s a sufficient ground for conscience to observe this day above any other for holy services although every part of the day be not filled up with publike Church duties for suppose the Levites on the Jewish sabbath should do no holy publike duty on their own Sabbath untill the day was farre â—pent will Mr. Brabourne argue from thence that the Jewish Sabbath was not wholly holy unto God But againe suppose the latter part of the day was spent in breaking of Bread yet will it follow that no other part of the day was spent before either in any private or publique holy duties possibly they might receive the Lords Supper in the evening of this Sabbath for the time of this action is in the general indifferent yet might they not spend the rest of the morning in publike Duties as we know some do now in some Churches who are said to meet together to break Bread the latter part of this day and yet sanctifie the Sabbath the whole day before Suppose it be not expressely said that they did shut up shopwindwes at Troas and forsake the Plough and the Wheele and abstaine from all servile work yet if he beleeves that no more was done this day but what is expressely set downe Mr. Brabourne must needs see a pitiful face of Christ in the Lords Supper and people comming â—ushing upon it without any serious examination or preparation or singing of Psalms because no such Duties as these are mentioned to be upon this Day 9. Lastly Master Primrose like a staggering man knowes not what to fasten on in answer to this place therefore tels us that suppose it was a Sabbath yet that it might be taken up from the Churches Liberty and Custome rather then from any Divine institution But besides that which hath been said to dasht his Dreame Thes. 27. the falsenesse of this common and bold assertion will appeare more fully in the explication of the second text 1 Cor. 16.1 2. which now followes wherein it will appeare to be an Apostolical and therefore a Divine Institution from Jesus Christ. Thesis 36. In the second of the places therefore alledged 1 Cor. 16.1 2. These things are considerable to prove the first day in the week to be the Christian Sabbath and that not so much by the Churches practise as by the Apostles precept For 1. Although it be true that in some cases Collections may be made any day for the poore Saints yet why doth the Apostle here limit them to this day for the performance of this Duty they that translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon one day of the week do miserably mistake the phrase which in Scripture phrase onely signifies the first day of it and beat their forheads against the maine Scope of the Apostle viz. to fixe a certaine day for such a Duty as required such a certaine time For they might by this translation Collect their Benevolences one day in foure or ten yeers for then it should be done one day in a week 2 The Apostle doth not onely limit them to this time but also all the Churches of Galatia verse 1. and consequently all other Churches if that be true 2 Cor. 8.13 14. wherein the Apostle professeth he pressâ—th not one Church that he may ease another Church but that there be an equality and although I see no ground from this Text that the maintenance of the Ministry should be raised every Sabbath day for Christ would not have them reckoned among the poore being labourers worthy of their Hire and although this Collection was for the poore Saints of other Churches yet the proportion strongly holds that if there be ordinary cause of such Collections in every particular Church these Collections should be made the first day of the week much more carefully and religiously for the poore of ones own Church and that in all the Churches of Christ Jesus to the end of the world 3. The Apostle doth not limit them thus with wishes and counsels onely to do it if they thought most meet but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 1. as I have ordained or instituted and therefore bindes their consciences to it and if Paul ordained it certainly he had it from Christ Jesus who first commanded him so to appoint it who professeth that what he had received of the Lord that onely he commanded unto them to do 1. Cor. 11.23 4. If this day had not been more holy and more fit for this work of Love then any other day he durst not have limited them to this Day nor durst he have honoured this Day above any other in the weeke yea above the Iewish seventh Day For we see the very Apostle tender alway of Christian Liberty and not to binde were the Lord leaves his people free for thus doing he should rather make snares then Lawes for Churches 1 Cor. 7.27.35 and go expressely against his own Doctrine Galat. 5.1 who bids them stand fast in their Liberty and that in this very point of the observation of dayes Galat. 4.10 But what fitnesse was there on this Day for such a service Consider therefore 5. That the Apostle doth not in this place immediatly appoint and institute the Sabbath but supposeth it to be so already as Mr. Primrose is forced to acknowledge and we know Duties of Mercy and Charity as