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
Rest and performe holy exercises a vvhole day long he hath fulfilled the Commandement for it requireth by their doctrine novv no more but Rest and holinesse a day long vvith out any mention hovv often To the third question I answer for them hovv long must that time be vvhen it cometh vvhy not a day long for the time and the vvord Day in the 4th Com. is abolished say they so then novv the Com. requireth not a day to begiuen God vvhither a day of 12 or of 24 hovvres it only requireth the duties of Rest and holinesse vvell then if the Church giue God but one hovvre in a day vvhen the day commeth in the duties of Rest and holinesse the com is fulfilled and thus the Church needeth not vnlesse they vvill giue God any other Sabbath but one hovvre vpon some one day by hearing a Sermon for all that hovvre they performe the duties of the Sabbath to vvit Rest and holinesse so then to summ vp the Sabbath which thes Ministers must haue It is a Rest from laboures and an holy exercise of prayer vvith the Minister and harkening vnto Gods vvord preacht an vvholl hovvre long and that once in a vveeke or once in a moneth or once in 7 yeeres or once in a mans lief time behould your Sabbath One thing I must remember you of vvhich is this that Gods time being abolished this time of an hovvre or the like vvhich comes now by force of collection it is not a Diuine time but an Humane time so the com is embased by the chang of a Diuine time for an Humane time Iudg novv Christian reader if by theire distinctions houlding the time in the com ceremoniall they haue not nullified with the time the vvholl 4th Comm. also for 1. vvhereas the time should be at Gods appointement when novv they haue brought it to be at manes appointement when he vvill 2. vvheras the Sabbath day vvas frequent once in 7 dayes now it needeth not be once in 7 yeeres 3. vvheras the Sabbath vvas a day longe novv it needeth not by the 4th com be aboue an houre long vvheras then the Commandement was Remember the Sabbath day now it may rune thus Remember the Sabbath hovvre I may novv with Dauid turne my speech from men vnto God and say It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue destroyed thy Law Yet further I proue against them that they haue abolished the vvhole 4th Com. and that by their abolishing of the proper time in the 4th Comm. vvheras they say there are twoo things in the 4th Com. the one is the time and this is abolished the other is the duties in the time as rest and holinesse and thes they hould Morall if then I shall proue that thes duties are nullified and abolished then you vvill say vvith me that they haue abolished the 4th Com. indeed for both the time and the duties also vvill be abolished For this purpose we must know that there are Sabbath day duties and 4th Com. duties properly so called and there are duties very like vnto them as one egg is like an other but the like is not the same or as a counterfait shilling is like a true and current shilling but yet it is not a true shilling and paiable by the Kings authority thus Samuels Sacrificing and Sauls Sacrificing where alike but Samuels Sacrificing vvas properly a Sacrificing Sauls was but an Apish imitation and a counterfait for he vvas not the person that should doe it So to rest from laboure an vvholle day and to sanctifie it in Holy proformances this day being the 7th day which is properly called Sabbath day thus these duties are properly called Sabbath day and 4th Com. duties but on the other side to rest an whole day from labour and to sanctifie it by holy proformances and this day not being the 7th day but some other day these dueties novv are very like the other indeed as one egg to an other as a counterfait is to a currant shilling and as Sauls Sacrificing was to Samuels but they are not the same duties nor can they be properly called Sabbath day duties nor 4th Com. duties no more then a counterfait can be called a true shilling or Sauls Sacrificing be counted Samuels Sacrificing be cause this was not the day vvhereon these shold be done For example the Iewes had yeerly Sabbathes and weckly Sabbathes now albeit the rest and the holy actions done on the yeerly Sabbath day vvere a like and all one for kind with those done on the weekly Sabbath day yet no man vvill say they were the weekly Sabbath day dueties or the 4th Com. dueties for they vvere done by virtue of an other speciall Com. Againe the Iewes had Sabbath dayes and they had fast dayes and also dayes of publike thanksgiuing as vve haue on Coronation and Gunpovvder treason dayes and the like Novv albeit they did rest vpon these dayes and performe like dueties as vpon theire Sabbath day yet no man will say these were Sabbath day dueties properly and 4th Com. dueties I trust no man thinketh that those are Sabbath day duties and 4th Com. dueties vvhich vve doe on Christmas day vvhen it falleth on a weeke day or on Coronation day and the like no these are but like them Thus it is for our Lords day albeit we doe the like dueties on this day which ought to be done on the Saturday Sabbath yet are they not the same for they differ much as 1. they differ in the day those vvere done on the 7th day properiy called Sabbath day and so Sabbath day dueties these on the 8th day called Lords day and so Lords day dueties 2. those vvere done in memory of the Creation these in memory of the Redemption 3. those vvere done by the appointement of God in the Lavv these are supposed to be done by the appointment of Christ in the gospell 4. those vvere done in imitation of God at the Creation who then rested on the 7th day and hallowed the 7th day Genes 2.2.3 But these dueties of Rest and holinesse on the Lords day are not done in imitation of God at all for it is the 8th day Novv vvere there no more but the first difference in that thes duties were done on a wrong day it vvere enough to shevv that these are no Sabbath day dueties nor 4th Com. dueties no more then Sauls Sactificing was Samuels Sacrificing or a true and commanded Sacrificie but all the 4. differences put together it is manifest that the dueties of rest and holinesse which we performe on the Lords day are not Sabbath day dueties nor 4th com dueties though they be neuer so like them wherefore since thes be not the dueties commāded in the 4th com which we performe it followth that the proper dueties of the 4th Com. are nullified and abolished as vvell as the time and day and so the time and the dueties in the time being both abolished the whole 4th Com.
the text all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law Nehe. 8.9 And is there not like cause for our people to vveepe also when in the Congregation they heare these Tenn Oracles reade and yet but nyne or nyne a peece of them kept for that vvhich concerneth the 7th day Sabbath is altogether by euery one neglected Ezra the Priest vvhen he tooke into consideration the vnlavvfull Marriages of the people it is said he rent his cloathes and pluckt of the haire of his head and beard and sate downe astonied Ezra 9.3 because of their strange Marriages hovv should vve then be affected to thinke of the strange Sabbathes vvhich now are kept for vve haue diuorsed put avvay from vs Gods ancient Sabbaths and vve are married to a nevv Lords day Sabbath a strange Sabbath neuer heard of in Scripture for a Sabbath Greate cause we haue to lament for 1. the Sacred holy day vvhich is of greatest antiquity is profaned this Holy day being as ancient as the vvorld it selfe Genes 2.3 secondly the most honourable Holy day is vnhallovved For God him selfe made it an holy day by blessing it and sanctifying it Genes 2.3 Yea and God himselfe rested on it Genes 2.2.3 Therfore it is two vvaies honourable 3. That day vvhich God expresly commanded Exod. 20.8 is profaned and by profaning of it not onely Gods 4th Com. is violated but also Gods example is profaned and set at naught for vve doe not novv imitate God by resting on the 7th day as he did vve haue an other day to vvit the 8th day And also Gods reason vvhich he annexed to the 4th Com. to allure and persvvad men to keepe his 7th day Sabbath this is nullified and out of all vse in these our dayes so Gods reasons are profaned as not vvorth the naming in our Churches is not this to be lamented vvhen neither Gods Com. nor Gods example nor yet Gods reasons can auaile vvith vs somtimes things honourable somtimes things Auncient are admired and esteemed but heere loe neither the Antiquity nor yet the Honourablenesse of the Lords Sabbaths can auaile vvith vs and is not this to be lamented vvhat an yron age liue vve in that none of all these cane moue vs A 4th cause of lamentation is because by this neglect of the right day and keeping of a vvrong day by setting a common vnhallowed day to wit the Lords day in roome of a Sanctified and holy day namly the Sabbath day all our Religion in keeping this vnballowed day for God neuer hallovved it in Conscience of the 4th com is meere superstition and God may say vnto our people an other day vvho required this at your hands thus are people abused and is not this a cause of lamentation some lament for the Ceremonies of the Church as the Surplisse and the like some complaine of Arminianisme how it spreads some complaine of Popery vsed in corners of the land euery one complaines of his grievance but I heare none of them all complaine of the profanation of the Lords Sabbaths of Gods example of Gods reasons and of Gods 4th com no man takes these to heart albeit euery one of them haue theire hands in these profanationes I wish the current of mens complaintes vvould turne vnto these things which more neerley concerneth them then those others A 5th cause of lamentation is because vnto the conscionable sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths there are promises annexed see Isa 58.13.14 and on the other side to such as profane them there are curses annexed se Numb 15.32.35 Nehem. 13.1718 now inasmuch as vve profane that very day to wit the Saturday Sabbath vnto vvhich these promises were properly made it follovveth that we are not novv capable of any of those promises because vve keepe not the day vnto vvhich the promises vvere made I confesse that our Diuines haue and doe apply these promises vnto a Counterfaite day to wit the Lords day that they might doe it with the lesse suspition with the greater applause they haue like counterfaiters dissemblers called this Lords day Sabbath day thus by their humane imposition of new names vpon the daies of the weeke the simple vvell meaning people are beguiled but the day vnto vvhich these promises properly doe belong it is the day called in a Divine accompt Sabbath day not vnto the day so called in an humane accompt not vnto the day called Lords day And is not this to be lamented when people neglect their proffites commodites on the Lords day some loose their Corne some their Hay many poore men their labour and vvorke wherby they maintaine their families vvith many other losses and damages to their estates which might be rekoned vp and all these the vvell minded people of the land doe vvillingly neglect and loose all in hope of these promises trusting to make a better exchang that for losse of erthly things in conscience to Gods Command they shall gaine heauenly things and interest into Gods promises but behould they must faile of the promises because they faile God in the Condition for Gods promises rune thus if thou performe the condition which is to Sanctify the day named Sabbath day not the day named Lords day tell me novv is not this matter of iust lamentation to see the people of the land thus beguiled and deceiued and that both in their temporall estate also of the promisses of God if men haue any compassion brotherly loue in them they cannot but sorrow and mourne for these things On the contrary as for those forementioned Curses annexed to the Sabbath day and the profaners of it vvheras our people hope to auoide them by a religiouse sanctifying of the Lords day behould the people to be pittied for all that they fale into the danger of these Curses because they profane that very day named Sabbath day vnto the profanation of vvhich these curses vvere poperly made for these curses were neuer made vnto the profanation of the day named Lords day or vnto the day nicknamed counterfeitly called Sabbathday as now the Lords day is for these curses were threatened long before euer the Lords day had any being or could be kept for a Sabbath day if it had euer so bene kept as for their religiouse sanctifying of the Lords day in conscience of this 4th com God may say vnto them who required it at your hands is not this also matter of iust lamentation to see well minded people striue and endeauor with greate dilligence to auoide Gods Curses and yet by reason of miseinformation corrupt teaching to fale into danger of them yea it is the more pittifull in that the selfe same labour deuotiōs had they bene performed both on the day before they had for certaine out of all doubt both bene liable to all the promisses made to them that keepe Gods Sabbaths and also bene freed from the least danger of the Curses
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
sauing their libertie to doe otherwise In which passage we may learne these things from Bastingius 1. That the Church hath alloted the Lords day or First day 2. That the Church may either wholly omit the Sanctification of the Lords day or change it vnto an other day And that it is at the liberty of the Church to doe otherwise in this pointe then they now doe if they please XIX My 19th Testimony shall be that in the Harmony of Confessiones de feriis c. pag. 168. and in the Appendix at the latter end of the booke Where it is thus recorded But we teach that Traditions are not to be condemned which command nothing contrary to the Law of God and haue some politicall end to wit which are made for this purpose that things may be done in the Church in order of which sorte are the Traditions of Holy dayes as of the Lords day the Natiuity the rest These things we willingly retaine in our Churches as things indifferent which out of the case of scandall may be omitted lawfully Here we may note these particulars 1. That the Sanctification of the Lords day is no better then a Tradition 2. That the Lords day and Christmas day are both of like authority 3. That the Lords day is a thing indifferent XX. My 20th Testimony shall be that of the lerned Minister and Godly Martyr of Christ M. William Tyndall who suffred Martyrdome in the dayes of King Henry the VIII as we finde it in his workes bound with the workes of M. John Fryth Doctour Barnes all iij in one Volume Will. Tyndall in his Answer to Sir Thomas Moores Dialogue pag. 287. where hee thus writeth And as for the Sabbath we be Lords ouer the Sabbath may yet change it into the Monday or into any other day as we see neede or may make euery Tenth day Holie day onelie if we see a cause why Neither was there any cause to chang it from the Saturday but to put a difference betwixt vs the Jewes Neither need we any Holie day at all if the people might be taught without it Thus we see M. Tyndall was of iudgement that the Sabbath or Lords day is of no higher nature then that the Church may freely alter and chaunge it hither and thither at their plesures And that the Church may aswell keepe Monday for the Sabbath day as Sunday or the Lords day XXI My 21th Testimony shall be that of an other lerned Minister godly Martyr of Christ M. Iohn Fryth vvho also suffred Martyrdome for the Gospell in the dayes of King Henry the viijth as vve finde it in his vvorkes bound together with the vvorkes of M.W. Tyndall Doctour Barnes Iohn Fryth in his Declaration of Baptisme pag. 96. vvhere he thus writeth Our forefathers which were in the begining of the Church did abrogate the Sabbath to the intente that men might haue an ensample of Christian libertie c. How be it because it was necessarie that a day should be reserued in the which the people might come together to heare the word of God they ordained in steade of the Sabbath which was Saturday the next day following which is Sunday And all though they might haue kept the Saturday with the Iewes as a thing indifferent yet did they much better to ouersett the day to be a perpetuall memorie that we are free not bound to any day we are in a manner as superstitiouse in the Sunday as they were in the Saturday yea and wee are much more madd for the Iewes haue the word of God for their Saturday sith it is the 7th day they were commanded to keepe the 7th day solemne wee haue not the word of God for vs but rather against vs for wee keepe not the 7th day as the Iewes doe but the first day which is not commanded by Gods law And by by againe he addeth He that thinketh that a man sinneth which worketh on the Holy day if he be weake or ignorant he ought better to be instructed so to leaue his hould But if he be obstinate perseuere in his sentence hee is not of God but of the Deuill for hee maketh sinne in such things as God leaueth free In which passages of Mr. Iohn Fryth we may obserue these remarkable things 1. How the Godly Martyr affirmeth that our forefathers did ordaine and appoint the Sunday for an holy day so then Christ his Apostles did not ordaine it 2. Hee affirmeth that now the Sabbath day to wit the old Sabbath day being abolished wee are free and not bound to sanctify any day at all so consequently we are not tied to sanctify the Lords day 3. He affirmeth that such as so zealously doe sanctify the Sunday or Lords day they are in so doeing no better then Supperstitiouse 4. He affirmeth that they who so zealously sanctify the Lords day they are besides theire right wittes or become frantick and madd his reason thereof is this because they practise that for which they haue no scripture or word of God but rather the word of God is against them We haue some Ministers not ashamed to tell their people they will giue their liues for the Lords day Sabbath but heere you see two worthy lerned Godly Ministers and Martyres to wit Mr. Tyndall and Mr. Fryth who did not say only they would but did also giue their liues for Gods trueth these men you see would neuer haue giuen their liues for the Sunday Sabbath for they would not so much as spend their breathes for it or speake a good word of it but altogether against it 5. Saith Mr. Fryth hee that thinketh that a man sinneth by working on this Holy day or Lords day if he obstinatly perseuereth in the same opinion he is not of God but of the Deuill that because he maketh a sinne where God maketh none If this be so how many in this Land who professe themselues the Ministers of God are notwithstanding of the Deuill For they make the people beleeue that they sinne fearefully and damnably if they doe any seruill worke on this holy day the Lords day let this speech of the lerned and Godly Minister and Martyr be well obserued XXII My 22th Testimony shall be the iudgement of the Lords Spirituall Temporall with the Commons assembled in Parliament in the fifth yeere of Edward the Sixte In an Acte intituled An Act for the keeping of holy daies c. In which Statute it is thus inacted It is not to be thought that there is any certaine time or definite number of daies prescribed in holy Scripture but that the apointment both of the time also of the number of daies is lefte by the Authoritie of Gods word to the liberty of Christs Church to be determined assigned orderlie in euery Country by the discretion of the Rulers Ministers thereof as they shall iudge most expedient Be it therefore enacted by
difficult way And further let them not dare to liue in the weekly transgression of the 4th com profanation of Gods Sabbath day bearing themselues onely vpon this poore grownd that their Ministers say they may so doe that their Ministers bring many arguments out of the Scripture for the abolishing of Gods Sabbath day since those argumentes as themselues confesse they vnderstand not nor are able to iudge of for want of lerning when they heare or reade them disputed of the Apostle saith whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 If then they cannot comprehend conceiue of the opposit arguments brought against the Sabbath when they are disputed too fro on boths sids how can they worke in their calings on this Sabbath day they cannot doe it of faith they must doe it doubttingly so sinfully wherefore the better easier known way is the surer safer way that is to follow the example of God resting vpon the 7th day because God rested on the 7th day thus much for people I come now vnto Ministers the first thing I lay to their charge is the profanation of the sacred Scriptures and word of God by wresting of many and sondry textes of Scripture against the 4th com and the Lords Sabbath day therein mentioned there are many and sondry textes of Scripture both out of the old Testament out of the new Testament which they abuse against the Lords Sabbath day the particulars whereof you haue heard in all this Chapter hitherto and how vainly impertinently and friuolously they haue vsed them doth euidently appeare by my seueral answers vnto them now doe they not know that one day they shall giue an accompt to God for taking Gods Name in vaine and for vnreuerent tossing of Gods word hither and thither like a Tennise bale yea which is worse they turne the point of Gods sword his word I meane against himselfe setting Scriptures together by the eares for they set aboundance of Scriptures both out of the old and new Testaments against the Lords Sabbath day commanded to be kept by the 4th com like as a man should set abundance of dogges vpon a Beare for they set all these textes of Scripture against this one text of the 4th com now what may be the grownd of all this I cannot deuise any besids this that their minds are forestaled with a preiudice against Gods Sabbaths as that they are Iewish and the like and therefore downe they must and to this end the Scripture must be set against them It hath euer bene the practise of all sober and Godly Diuines to study and endeauor the reconciliation of Scriptures seemeing to make opposition and contradiction but these men are of a contrary Spirit for hauing to doe with Gods tenn commandements and by name the 4th com they cannot abide to heare me speake of a reconciliation and to make a reconcilment betwixt the 4th com Exod. 20.8 and this text Colos 2.16.17 but all their study and invention is how they may make these two portiones of holy writ with others to oppose one an other in the highest manner one to shoulder out an other my indeauors are by a reconciliation to cause an Harmony and sweete accord among the Scriptures that so we may still retaine a most ancient and proffitable ordinance of Gods in the Church but their indeauors are to reiect all reconciliation to cause a iarre and discord in the Scriptures that so they may depriue the Church of God of a most ancient and proffitable ordinance of Gods commanded in his morall Law This is a profane vse and abuse of Scripture to cause it to be at oddes variance with it selfe when as by a reconciliation and fit sense it may be made to agree accord in a swete Harmoney The 2 d thing I lay to the charge of Ministers is that they haue liued a long time in this sinne of Sabbath breaking and transgression of Gods 4th com in their seuerall families the which without vnfeined Repentance wil make them liable vnto all those Curses temporall and eternall thereatened in Gods word against such as liue in the transgression of Gods Lawes And further if still they shall in time to come liue in the wilfull violation of this ordinance of God I giue them hereby to know that they shall be guilty of a weekly sinne against Gods 4th com drawing downe Gods curses vpon themselues and their families euery Saturday or Sabbath day weeke by weeke so long as they so liue This errour touching Gods Sabbath day is not like vnto some other erroures which are erroures in iudgement onely but like vnto those more dangerouse and perniciouse erroures which are erroures both in iudgement and in practise also for you see that such as are erroniously perswaded that this sacred and Sanctified time the 7th day Sabbath is abolished forthwith they fale to an erroniouse practise also to trample vpon Gods Sabbaths by profanation of them openly and by calling them Iewish reprochfully But happily they will reply saying wee doe not throw downe Gods Sabbath but God himselfe doeth it for it is God that hath abolished the 7th day Sabbath and therefore you doe ill to taxe vs for it wherevnto I answer that it is false which they say to father this their owne deede vpon God is an heinouse euill that God hath not done this thing is apparent in asmuch as none of all those Scriptures of Gods which they haue brought against this Sabbath doe necessarily abolish it as you haue seene by my answers vnto them one by one so it is not God then but themselues that haue done it and so I taxe them iustly Yet further Ministers are guilty not onely and alone of the sinne of Sabbath breaking in their owne families but also which is more fearefull they are guilty of the same sinne committed by the people weekly for what 's the cause why the people doe not Sanctify the Sabbath day properlie so called is it not hence because Ministers teach people that it is abolished Iewish and therefore they ought not to keepe it holy the people will lay the load of this sinne vpon their Ministers an other day when God shall rekone with them for it crying out vpon their Teachers who misled them S. Iames telleth vs if some man hath converted an other from his errour he shall saue a soule and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Iam. 5.19.20 If then this be an argument to perswade all men to labour to bring their brethren out of errours because so they shall hide a multitude of sinnes what a terrour then should it be vnto all Ministers to thinke that they haue seduced the people and led them into erroures for thus they haue opened a fountaine of sinnes for euery single person in their congregation Master seruant Mistris maide Parent childe euery one of these doe hereby fale into the sinne of Sabbath
bodies with continuall laboures in one weeke as that they shall be vnfit to labour an other weeke now common reason teacheth that mans body cannot endure continuall and perpetuall laboures day by day without ceaseing all his life longe wherefore of necessity there must be a time for men to Sabbathize rest in from laboures therefore it is meete that some one day in a weeke be set a parte for rest that so a man may so worke one weeke as he may worke an other also it is a point of wisedome also for men so to follow their workes as they may goe on continue with them not like vnskilfull Riders who ride galloping vpon the spurre in the forenoone so as their tyred horse cannot goe in the after noone wherefore if men doe but regard their owne bodies it is meete they should set a parte a day to Sabbathize in and rest from their laboures But suppose we that some mans body being of any oaky substance yron constitution could hould out in laboures day by day euerlastingly yet how vnbeseeming a thing is it for man whom God hath made Lord of all to become a slaue a drudge in this world working and tuging day by day without ceaseing like horse in a Carte neither can men pleade necessity for experience hath taught that we can compasse all our workes within the 6 dayes nor yet can the poore plead necessity because of their pouerty for as God gaue the Israelites twise so much Manna on the 6th day as vpon any other day that so they might rest vpon the Sabbath day So hath God blessed the established order in our kingdome of working but 6 dayes in 7 that the poore can now earne as much in 6 dayes as they should doe in 7 dayes if it were customary for vs to worke euery day for did the poore worke 7 dayes the rich would giue them the lesse for euery dayes worke so as they should but barely get a liuing then and so much they get now for because they worke but a fewe dayes therefore they haue the more for euery dayes worke that so they might liue of their worke thus much for men in generall I come now to men in particular by name vnto Seruants It is needfull that we keepe a Sabbath because it is a worke of mercy vnto Seruantes now God was wont to take care for Seruants lest they should be vnmercifully oppressed with labour and therefore it is added to the 4th com That thy mâ—n seruant and thy maâ—de may rest as well as thou Deut. 5.14 what doth this teach vs but that masters must shew mercy vnto their Seruants by resting of their bodies as well as of their owne for if the one hath neede of rest so hath the other Salomon telleth vs that a righteouse man sheweth mercy to his beast Pro. 12.10 how much more then vnto his man seruant and maide seruant were it not that we haue good Lawes in this case prouiding for Seruants by forbiding masters to doe their workes on the Lords day some vnmercifull hardharted and couetuouse masters would worke their Seruants day by day vntill they were weary of their liues the necessity of a Sabbath in this case appeareth by the Lawes now in force whereby for the benefit ease and refreshment of poore Seruants it is enacted no doubt that many holy daies shall be obserued yeerly weekly In the 3d place I come to Beastes it is needfull that we keepe a Sabbath that so we may shew mercy vnto our beastes for God was wont to cale for mercy vnto the labouring beast In the 7th day thou shall rest that thine oxe and thine Asse may rest Exod. 23.12 and it is a property saith Salomon of a good man to shew mercy to the life of his beast Pro. 12.10 and should a man labour his beast on euery day weeke by weeke he might soone haue his skine Thus farre we haue considered of the needfulnesse ca Sabbath day in ciuill respects Now I come to shew the needfullnesse of a Sabbath in religiouse respectes that God may be solemnely and publiky worshipped that the Church and people of God may be further edified in their most holy faith for these two causes it is needfull that there should be a Sabbath day I shall not neede to spend time to amplify these two things for they are so requisite and needfull that all men will grante me that it is meete to haue a day set a parte for the publike worship of God the edification of the Church of God to omit what else might be said the necessity of a Sabbath day appeareth in this that our Church doth now celebrate many Holy daies for the same ends not onely the Saintes daies yeerly but also the Lords daies weekly 2. It is meete to haue a Sabbath day because it is a thing of good reporte approued allowed of by all Christian Churches now the Apostle calleth vpon vs to follow those things which are of good reporte Phil. 4.8 those things therfore which all Christian people approue and allow of are meete to be had in vse Papistes they allow of resting from laboures and the publike worship of God constantly vpon one day of euery Seauen Lutherans doe the like and Anabaptists how euer they keepe no day by Diuine Institution yet they keepe and hould it fit to keepe one day in Seauen wherin they rest from their labours and performe publike worship vnto God lastly all Protestants doe allow and approue of one day in Seaven as fit to rest in from labours and to worship God publikly so here is a clowde of witenesses houlding it meete to keepe a Sabbath day and a thing of good reporte If we should ascend vnto the primitiue Churches who liued next after the Apostles we shall find that they held it meete to keepe one day in 7 and sometimes more for the Seruice of God and to rest from laboures thus we haue a generall and ioynt consent of all Churches both now liuing and from the Apostles times that it is a thing meete to rest and serue God publikly one day in a weeke and so we haue proued this point namely that it is meete convenient to keepe a Sabbath day indefinitly one in 7 daies Now I come to proue that of all the daies of the weeke the 7th day or Saturday is the most fit day my first reason is because God Almightie Rested rather vpon the Saturday then vpon any other day Genes 2.3 and therefore it is meete we should imitate such a president were a man to make his choise on which day of the weeke to Rest from laboures and to refresh himselfe I thinke he could not possiblie find a more fit day to Rest in then on that day wherin God Almighty Rested My second reason is taken from this that a man may doubt whither the old Sabbath day be abolished or not and if it be disputable and
persons nor yet to stop the eare and winke with the eye least we should see and vnderstand for so thou shalt both wrong thy selfe and thy Author Remember thou art now in the place of a Iudge for thou must reade the Controuercy of the Lords Sabbathes pleaded pro con betwixt these 10 Ministers and mee they against Gods Title and I for Gods Title they against Gods Sabbaths and I for them and betwixt them and mee thou must Iudge passe sentence now a Iudge must not be carried away with partiality and respect to persons nor suffer his minde to be prepossessed with an ill will to the cause before he heareth it these things are but equall and right which I craue of thee wherefore I trust I shall obtaine with thee This onely note that if thou wiâ—t suffer thy selfe to be swaied rather on the one side then on the other thou oughtest rather to take in with mee then with them for the Sabbath day it being an ancient ordinance of Gods a long time in vse in his Church therefore the cause and Title it is Gods and since I stand in defence of this Sabbath day therfore I stand in defence of Gods cause and Gods Title so side it with God but they setting themselues against Gods Sabbath set themselues not onely against me but also against Gods cause Gods Title wherfore iudge thou whither it were better for thee to take in with them or with mee against Gods cause Title or with Gods cause Title And so I commend thee to the grace of him who is able to build vs vp further in the knowledge and loue of his Trueth Thine in Christ Jesus THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE The Contentes of this Booke Chapt. I. This Chapter conteineth A defence of the Morall Law or 10 Commandements of Almightie God wherin for the defence of Gods Sabbathes it is proued that this Law is in force vnto Christianes and here Libertines Anabaptists Antinomians are confuted who deny that the Law of God consequently his Sabbaths doe belong vnto Christians and their obiectones to the contrary are answered Chapt. II. This Chapter conteineth an Exposition of the 4th Commandement together with a discouery of the manifould shamefull corruptiones abuses of this diuine Law by many Diuines of these times who doe wrest it mancle it corrupt it by their idle answers distinctions false glosses most absurd Expositiones from all which this Holy Law is vindicated by the Authour restored to its proper genuine ancient sense againe Here also it is made apparent that the whole 4th Commandement is abolisbed nullified by the common doctrine of these times Furthermore and by the way here it is showne how long a Sabbath day is as namely that it is but the time of Day light onely here is discouered the errour of such diuines as hold teach that the Sabbath day is to begine at midnight or in the Euening before or to last from morning to morning 2. By the way also here it is showne that there is no such preparation to the Sabbath to be made on the euening before by a cessation from the workes of our callings the like as some Ministers doe wright call for Lastly this Chapter is concluded with an Exhortation to the loue of Gods Law the Integrity perfection thereof Chapt. III. This Chapter conteineth A discouery of the vanity of all their Arguments brought for the maintenance of the Lords day to be a Sabbath day of their abuse of sondry Scriptures to that end This is handled in two questions the one shewing that it can neuer be proued that the Lords day was in the Apostles dayes constantly weekly obsâ—rued weeke by weeke as we now obserue it The other That it cannot be proued that so much as any one Lords day was euer kept in the Apostles dayes for a Sabbath day and that therfore it is no sinne against God but Lawfull for Husbandmen to make Hay in Hay seile to sow corne in wheat seile to reape corne in Haruest for all sortes of Tradsmen Taylers Shomakers Brewares Bakers Weauers and the rest to doe the ordenary workes of their callings as well vpon the Lords day as vpon any other day of the weeke Yet further here it is proued that the Lords day is but an indifferent thing that by the Testimony of the best writers some lerned Godly Martyrs the State and Church of England assembled in Parliament Here also the Lords day is discouered to be but A Popish Tradition so all Romish reliques are not yet remoued Finally it concludeth with an Admonition Dehortation from Superstition voluntary-religion will-worship Chapt. IV. This Chapter conteineth an Answer vnto all those Textes of Scripture reasons and arguments profanly impiously brought against the 7th day Sabbath commanded in the Morall Law It sheweth the absurdeties which the vndertakers against Gods Sabbath doe fale into And it wipeth off that slaunder of rigorousnesse of the Iewish Sabbath and sheweth that God required no more stricktnesse of Iewes then then the patrones of the Lords day doe require of Christians on the Lords day now Chapt. V. This Chapter conteineth sondry Substanciall Arguments prouing vndeniably that the 7th day Sabbath mentioned in the Morall Law is still in force ought to be to the worlds end This is proued both out of the Old Testament out of the New Testament also out of the ancient Records of the Church For 1. God Commanded it 2. Christ the Sonne of God ratified it 3. The Apostles after Christ practised it 4. The Primitiue Churchs religiously obserued it And in this last passage by the way it is showne 1. when the Lords day first sprang vp to be a sole Sabbath day and who were the founders thereof 2. When the Lords ancient Sabbath was first throwne downe who were the wicked Authors thereof Occationally in this Chapter the obseruation of the old Sabbath is freed from the uniust slaunder of being Iewish and Iudasme with the like Here also are confuted the vaine Euasions distinctions which are vsually framed against the ancient Sabbath day Lastly here is a discourse of the Antiquity of the Sabbath where it is proued that the Sabbath day it from the Creation so as ancient as the world Chapt. VI. This Chapter conteineth A dispensation shewing that Christians who desire the Ancient Sabbath are not necessarily bound in conscience to make A rent from our Church in their present obseruation of it but that they may waite for the opportunity of a publike Reformation by the Magistrate prouided they keepe the Lords day for the Sabbath day by way of a change in the meane season 2. It concludeth with an Exhortation to vse all possible lawfull meanes for a speedy publike generall Reformation amongst other Motiues therevnto these are touched that vntill A Reformation 1. The Decalogue is defaced of
the priests lipps should preserue knowledge they should seeke the law at his mouth Mal. 2.7 therfore I haue hitherto advised people to repaire to theire Ministers for direction information in this point but vpon better aduisment I shall recant that I vvill doe so no more for I finde theire Testimonyes affirmations protestations in this point false t is true the Priests lippes should of right preserue knovvleg but I find they doe destroy knowledg it may be saied of them as the Lord saied of those Priests But yee are gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the law Mal. 2.8 iust so our Ministers novv a dayes if the people goe to them for instruction in this 4th com they shall haue destruction the lavv shall be so expounded as they will cause men to fall by the lavv saying the lavv commandeth the Lords day for Sabbath not the 7th day vvhich is as false as false can be 2. I finde theire Testimony insufficient therefore I shall no more aduise peopleto take theire Ministers counsaile in this matter I come then to shevv the insufficiency of our Ministers Testimony In an approued alovvable testimony 3. things are required the vvant of any one vvhereof doth nullify the testimony as all Diuines vvill confesse the first is wisedome for hovv can he be thought to giue a right true verdict that is ignorant the 2d is honesty for hovv can vve hope he should giue a true verdict that is dishonest the 3d is Good will for hovv can vve expect that he should spake that trueth vvhich he knovveth vvhich is an enemy to it this euill will to the cause wil not permit him to vtter his knowledge to the furtherance of it or if he doth speake it he wil deliuer it in such equiuocall doubtfull words manner as a man shall be neuer the better for it For the 2d of these properties to wite honesty for I wil begine with the second I grant it to be in our Ministers be it they be all godly religiouse yet this is but one of the properties of a vvarrantable Testimony Neuerthelesse because many people plead much the honesty of their Ministers saying they are godly holy very zealouse men c. for my parte if I could be moued to question theire honestie here is cause enough for what greater cause can there be to moue one to suspect theire zeale to be ignorance their holinesse to be hollovvnesse fained then to heare them speake or dispute against Gods word ordinance against an expresse com in the morall law a man wold thinke that man can not be sound at the core heart that dares oppose god that vnnecessarily the which they doe that oppose his commanded Sabbaths For the first of these properties to wit wisedome I graunt they haue wisedome learning enough to vnderstand this point but haue they employed this their wisedome learning in the impartiall serch of this point for the finding of it out for take a wise learned mans testimony in any Arte or in any point about Druinity wherein he is not studied he is like an vnlerned man as Sampson when his Lockes were cut he was weake like an other man Now be it that they haue neuer so much learning wisedome yet since they haue not imployed theire wisdome learning for the finding out of this point what auaileth it that they are wise lerned for in this matter they are neither wise nor learned because they haue vsed neither of thē in this study that this is so appeareth from theire own cōfessiō for some of the very chiefe principall of thē haue confessed vnto mee others vnto my frends who haue related it truly to mee that they haue saied that they haue studied indeed to maintaine A Sabbath day out of the 4th com but whither it should be vpō the 7 day or the 8th day on the Saturday or on the Sunday this point neuer came into their minds to study it well then if it hath not bene studied by the chiefe of them that haue bone the most studious serching it must be yeelded that the residue of them haue much more ouerskipt it tell me then if the sayings of these men against this point of the Lords Sabbaths be to be regarded when as it is a point vvhich never so much as came in to their minds to study it Let people no more boast of the vvisdome lerning of theire Ministers then nor yet of theire Multitud c. that they all whith one voice haue cried out spake against the Lords Sabbaths as ceremonies can a blind man iudge of cullers or a wise man speake of what he is ignorant of let people no more therfore rely vpon the wisdome lerning of their Ministers in this point but let them imitate those noble Bereans Act. 17. Let them serch the Scriptures daily to see if these things I tender vnto them be so or no and this is one cause vvhy I reiect the verdict of our Ministers in this point because it wanteth one of the properties of a warrantable testimony to vvit the vse of their wisdome lerning hereby it appeareth also vpon what poore grownds our common people haue hither to gone in relying their soules in this matter vpon their Ministers zeale holinesse learning vvhat if they be neuer so zealous holy pure lerned it is but a zeale vvithout knowledge vvhich speaketh of things not soundly studied And so I come to the 3d property namely good will this propertie of a warrantable testimony our Ministers want for they haue no good vvill at all to the cause but all euill vvill that may be witnesse all their words and deedes in about this matter if a man hath a cause to be tried before the Iudge by 12 Iury men if he suspecteth some one of the 12 to be his enemy they say it is lawfull for him to except against that mā for that cause the Iudge vvill cause that man to be drawne and an other to be svvorne in his roome vvhich declareth that a man suspected to haue no good will is not esteemed a sit man to determine of a controuercy Now that there is cause for vs to suspect most Ministers to haue euill vvill to this cause of Gods Sabbaths appeareth 1. by their vvords and deeds to the contrary among others let those many slaunders reprochfull speeches and hard vsages which they haue vsed against mee for defending this cause of Gods let these I say testify whither they be friends or enemies to the cause 2. There is great cause to suspect they will be no friends to the cause because all their liues long hitherto they haue taught the people to the contrary to vvit that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished and if novv they should be friends to this cause they must vnteach vvhat
albeit the Court knovveth not hovv he is able to make good proue his information yet it being a matter probable seeing it is the Kings cause both the Iudge and all the Iustices euen the whole Court doe countenance the cause yea so farre forth take in vvith it as that if it be possible so as no iniustice be done nor any Lavv of the Realme thereby violated he that informeth for the King shall haue the day rather then a priuate subiect and good reason for it Well in the case of the Lords Sabbaths I informe for the King of kings the King of heauen earth it is novv the parte of all Gods Ministers both superiour as Bishops inferiour as common Preachers to take in with this cause of Gods Sabbaths as Gods cause their Lord King to countenance it to their vtmost yea so farre forth to backe it take part vvith it as Gods Sabbaths may haue the day if no law of God nor text in Scripture be thereby violated as I dare pawne my life for it there shall not If Ministers in the Church both superiours and inferiours doe not thus honour God before the people by giuing his cause the preeminence the Magistrates of the common weale shall rise vp in iudgement against them condemne them I come now to the last vse of the point Is it so that thou louest the lavv of God then take vp a daily lamentation for the lamenesse imperfection of Gods lavv for the vveekly violation of Gods 4th com and for the profanation of Gods Sabbaths if we haue not Gods Law in its integrity and perfection as we haue not if vve vvant his Sabbath therein commanded then haue vve but a lame imperfect lavv and if the Saturday be Gods Sabbath as I haue shovvne it is and shall further proue hereafter then is the 4th com vveekly broken and Gods Sabbaths weekly profaned As Dauid hath bene our President shevving vs hovv vve should loue Gods law so let him be our President to shevv vs hovv vve should mourne for the violation transgression of Gods Lavv Mine eyes gush out saieth he with riuers of waters because they keepe not thy Law Psal 119.136 And againe I saw the transgressours was grieued because they kept not thy word Psal 119.158 It is a property then of a Godly man to mourne and to grieue to see Gods Lavvs transgressed and the reason of that his sorrow griefe is because he loueth Gods Law as Dauid did Oh then that all sorts of people would bevvray their loue to Gods Lavv by their sorrow of heart to see it transgressed weekly in the profanation of Gods Sabbaths Againe doest thou indeed loue the Lavv of God how canst thou but take it to heart to see this holy and Diuine Lavv of thy God so mangled defaced so lame imperfect as in these dayes it is in all Christian Churches It is and euer hath bene a speciall fauour of God to betrust any Nation or people vvith his word and Oracles as we may see it in Rom. 3.1.2 What is the preferment of the Iew c. much enery way for chiefly because vnto them were of credit committed the Oracles of God Where the Apostle counteth it a preferment of the Iew and the chiefe preferment to haue the word of God committed vnto their custodie and it is reported of them that they haue bene euer very faithfull in keeping the letter of the text vncorrupted Among all Nations and people it hath pleased Almightie God to preferr this our English Nation with this chiefe preferment and to be trust vs with the custodie of his word and Oracles those 10 Commandements wrote with his owne finger our Church is now become the receptacle and House of God wherin he hath laid vp his word for its conseruation it is the grownd and pillar to supporte and beare vp this trueth as Paul caleth it 1. Tim. 3.15 hath God thus in speciall fauour to our Nation preferred vs aboue many Nations and that vvith his chiefe preferment to betrust vs vvith the custody of his Law and Oracles and shall we proue so vnfaithfull to him as to take care but of some peeces of these Oracles onely What Nation saith Moses is so greate that hath ordinances Lawes so righteouse as all this Law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 hath God betrusted vs with a righteouse Law and with a Law so righteouse as no Nation vnder heauen but such as know God and such as haue the very same hath the like to it Yea not onely are some peeces of this Law so righteouse but all the whole Law is of the same nature so saith Moses so righteouse as all this Law is which I set before you this day and shall not we preserue then all this Law the whole Law intirly in its perfection we should blush for shame to doe otherwise we should lament mourne to see it otherwise T is true we keepe these Oracles intirly in the letter so doe Papistes but vvhat 's the letter when we weaken diminish and abolish the binding force of it for vve say this parte of Gods Oracles But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke doth not bind vs Christians In it that is in it 7th day thou shalt not vvorke saith God I but this prohibition bindeth not novv say some Ministers no vvhat doe vve vvith Lavves if they bind vs not as good take avvay the sense of the vvords of the Lavv and so it shall be senslesse as to take away the binding of the Law wherby it is made forcelesse the binding povver of a Lavv is the life and soule of the Law take avvay then its binding povver it is but a deadlieflesse Lavv it is but a Cipher or a blanke and so the Church shall be but like the Lottery pot vvhich houldeth some blankes among the prises suppose vve should say of the other 9 Oracles that vve preserue the letter of them intirly but herevnto vve should add this that they binde not vs Christians now vvhat bauocke should we thus make of the Morall Lavv it is all one therfore to reiect the Lavv as to reiect its binding power vvherby it bindeth vs. We haue alredy shovvne hovv this Lavv of God is mangled and defaced oh that all people vvould bevvaile this oh that the King vvould take it to heart so did the good King Josiah vvhen the Lavv had bene lost for a time he rent his cloathes 2. King 22.11 oh that the Bishops of the Land would take it to heart so did Elie the Priest vvhen he heard that the Arke of God vvas taken from them 1. Sam. 4.17.18 he died for grief of heart vvhy the Lords Sabbaths vvere his hallovved times as the Arke his holy place Oh that the people of the land vvould take it to heart so did the people in Nehemiahs time for saith
from the name that this day is called Lords day but how they will frame an argument from this name Lords day to proue it a Sabbath day I cannot deuise Thouching their collections from this name I answer 1. Let them remember that since they haue no com from Christ for this day therfore are put too it to magnifie their reason consequences prouided they be necessary consequences as they speake let them not forget I say when they bring vs a reason hence that it be not a probable one but one of their necessary consequences if I mistake me nor they shall find some what to doe to proue necessarily from the bare name of a thing 2. Seing that Paul did voluntarily omit the keeping of the Lords day when he might haue kept it if he vvould but haue spake the word as hath bene showne out of Act. 13.14.42.44 ther 's no probability therfore to think that any thing should be intimated here in these vvords Lords day to declare this day now to be a Sabbath day 3. Forasmuch as it shall hereafter be proued out of M. Perkins that sondry of the primitiue Churches did not obserue the Lords day for 300 yeeres after S. Iohns time who can thinke that in this Text S. Iohn did ratify the Lords day for a Sabbath vvhen the Christian Churches vvhich immediatly succeded him vvere ignorant of it further forasmuch as our Sauiour Christ the Lord of this Lords day did make it a trauailing day vvhen he vvas vpon the earth it cannot be thought that S. Iohn did intimate by these words Lords day that it should be kept as a Resting day or Sabbath day vnlesse you suppose that Iohn the Seruant put holinesse in that day vvherin Christ his Lord put none 4. You haue a Text in Mat. 24.10 besids many others in Act. 13.42.44 Act. 16.13 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 pray that your flight be not in the winter neither on the Sabbath day Where our Sauiour Christ allowed a conscience to be made of flying trauailing on the Sabbath day that is the 7th day Sabbath and that 40 yeers after his death Were the Patrones of the Lords day but as vvilling to imbrace the Lords Sabbathes as they are to vphould the Lords day here vvere a text for them that hath by farr more probability of trueth then this text hath Reuel 1.10 but they bewray their partiality when they will refuse that which hath better grownds in Gods word and imbrace that vvhich hath worse grownds yea no grownd at all 5. It is a rule in expounding of Scripture that vvords that are some vvhat ambiguouse and doubtfull be so construed and expounded as that they doe not contradict some other plaine expresse Text of Scripture now in the 4th Com. vve haue a most expresse plaine Scripture neuer yet repealed Sixe dayes shalt thou labour now this Lords day is the first of these sixe dayes wherfore these words Lords day must not be so expounded as if vve should Rest from labour on this day for so vve make a contradiction in Scripture by setting this text against the 4th Com. I come novv to answer more directly first for this name Lords day they take it for graunted that S. Iohn meante it of our Sunday or First day of the weeke but it may bedoubted of for our Sauiour Christ was Lord of the old Sabbath The Sonne of man is Lord euen of the Sabbath Mark 2.28 Wherefore the 7th day Sabbath may truly be called the Lords day now be it that our Sunday or First day of the weeke may also becalled Lords day because Christ our Lord rose on it So then if both the 7th day of the weeke and also the 8th day of the weeke may both be called Lords dayes it is your parte then to proue that by Lords day S. Iohn meant that Lords day which is our Sunday it may be he meant it of the Lords day vvhich is Saturday Suppose vve not with standing that S. Iohn meante it of our Sunday vvhat argument can thence be collected M. Perkins in his Cases of Conscience Chap. 16. Sect. 2. argueth thus that this day is called the Lords day as the last Supper of Christ was called the Lords Supper and that for this cause that as Christ did Substitute the last Supper in roome of the passouer so he substituted the first day of the weeke in roome of the Iewes Sabbath to be a day set a parte for his owne worship Touching this argument I shall not need giue any other answer then that reuerend diuine hath put into my mouth for he doth ingenuously confesse it in the same place that this is but a probable argument saying I suppose for in these points still we must goe by liklihoods that this day is called the Lords day as the last Supper of Christ was called the Lords Supper c. Well if then there can be no arguments drawne from this name Lords day but suppositions likelihoodes vvhat haue we to doe with them these are no necessary consequence for how shall a Minister with a safe conscience presse men peremptorily necessarily to a certaine keeping of the Lords day vpon probable suppositions likelihoods vncertainties can an vncertaine doubtfull argument bind men vnto a certaine vndoubted practise Ministers must haue a care and make a conscience of it that they doe not bind mens consciences straiter then Gods word doth when God speakes probably doubtfully they must not speake peremptorily certainly this were to make Gods Lawes straiter then they are if therfore it be but a likely matter that the Lords day is a Sabbath let Ministers leaue it deliuer it to people but as a likely thing so as if they profane it it cannot be said for certaine that they sinne in profaning it but Ministers novv a dayes are gone beyond Perkins where he saw but likelihoods they doe see certainties dare from such Textes as these presse mens consciences to the certaine peremptory keeping this Lords day vpon paine of damnation how they shall answer this to God I know not it behooueth them to forethinke of it In the meane space for the people if they be wise let them not suffer their consciences to be snared bound and inthralled touching the Lords day by such arguments as these Yet further that the vanity of this their collection from the name Lords day may appeare see it by the like of the day called the passeouer day of Pentecost day of the action caled the Lords Supper had not God added his word Com. to these dayes to this action therby declaring vnto vs vvhat vse vve should make of these dayes of this action who could from these names onely haue collected the vse of these dayes of the Lords Supper euen so it is here S. Iohn hath onely barely named this day Lords day herevnto he hath not added any word touching its vse or giuen
day is argument sufficient to convince any man to proue that the Lords day must be a Sabbath day so strong they are in conceipt so weake in argument and thus they argue why this day which we keepe it is called in the Scriptures by S. Iohn the Lords day is it not well what would you haue more then is not this enough for any reasonable man I answer if it be called the Lords day then the Lords day let it be still for me I goe not about to giue it any other name albeit it may be questioned but this is that I say that S. John did not call this day Sabbath day did he if hee had called it Sabbath day as he called it Lords day then would I beleeue it had bene a Sabbath day but now I beleeue that it is but a Lords day not a Sabbath day because S. Iohn called it but Lords day not Sabbath day Their last vpshot vvhich is a note that they are at non plus is to quaeries in steade of proofes as thus I but vvhy thinke you this day was called Lords day rather then any other there was something in it extraordenary doubtlesse c. I answer t is true something in it there vvas something extraordenary too as namely it was called Lords day because on it Christ rose from the dead so he did not vpon any other day But if any thing they will haue more then this let them shew vs vvhat it is proue it when they haue done but let them leaue this idle begging of questiones of vs the which is a most frequent thing with them Thus you see what poore hould they haue for this new Sabbath from this text Reuel 1.10 full little did S. Iohn thinke when he wrote this Reuelation mentioned the Lords day in it that euer Christians after him would haue so abused this name to the seting vp of a new Sabbath vpon it To conclud since they will be so confident as to collect a necessary institution from a bare nomination I desire them first to proue it that this name Lords day vvas of diuine imposition there is cause to doubt there are many names in scripture that are not diuinly imposed as Mars streete Purim Mathew c. so may this be too and the rather considering that this name Lords day was vnknowne in the Church for many yeeres after Christ for all the 4 Euangelists named it by the old name the first day of the weeke onely and so did S. Paul Act. 20.7 it might therfore be so named first by the Church afterwards by S. Iohn in his Reuelations now if this name might be humane then may the institution vse of it be humane also SECT XIII Thus you haue seene their Scriptures what pittifull worke they haue made with them the feeblenesse insufficiency whereof being singly considered of well viewed they full well seeing though loath to confesse it now they haue a new deuise that 's this albeit say they or some of them that these Scriptures cannot proue the Lords day a Sabbath singlie a lone considered yet put them all together they vvill proue it Quae non prosunt singula multa juvant Hereunto I answer it is well that at last they are forced to confesse it that none of their Scriptures can proue the point alone by themselues singly by yeelding this they haue fairly yeelded their cause for I desire of them to shew me in one argument framed out of all these textes together how they can proue the Lords day a Sabbath any better then they could out of them all singlie and alone considered one after an other the vvhich can not be done For it is vvith these textes singlie and together as it is vvith a single cipher and a multitude of ciphers if a single cipher standeth for nothing then add to it an hundreth more ciphers they increase not the number the totall summe of them will be nothing still an 100 ciphers cānot make one single vnity And so it is vvith these Textes if euery one of them singlie and alone haue no force of prouing the Lords day a Sabbath then add them all together if there vvere an hundreth more of them and all of them shall proue nothing arguments doe not chang their nature being a multitude from that they vvere single vvee esteeme not of arguments by number but by vveight many probabilities cannot make one infallibility When a Chapman is to buy of a Merchant many particular things of one kinde packed together the Chapman least he be deceiued will take them asunder viewe them singlie one by one but if the merchant dares not suffer him to looke vpon them trye them euery one singly but will enforce him to take them in the grosse in the lumpe whithout a particular sight the Chapman needeth none other argument then this to perswade him that there is packing as they calle it that this Merchant is about to play the crafty merchant as they say vvith him so it is heere if now their textes must be no longer viewed scanned seuerally singlie one by one but we must haue them thrust vpon vs in the lumpe all ioyned to gether vvho can but suspect iugling and double dealing vvas it euer knowne that such deuices vvere vsed but all this is still to hold such as they haue once taken in fetters of blindnesse superstition these cannot say as Paul said that they haue renounced the hidden things of dishonestie not walking in craftines nor handling the word of God deceitfully 2. Cor. 4.2 If to refuse a single triall of euery text they bring particularly by it selfe be not out of some hidden dishonestie craftinesse handling the word of God deceitfully I cannot tell what is And thus much be spoken in answer vnto all their Scriptures both out of the old new Testaments in all which you see they cannot proue vnto vs so much as one Lords day kept for a Sabbath no not in all the Scriptures In the next place we are to come vnto their reasones if their Scriptures cannot proue the point I trust their reasones consequences shall doe as little vnlesse their reasons be growne more potent then the Scriptures are SECT XIIII Amongst all their reasones for the Lords day Sabbath this is one that it is the fitest day for a Sabbath therfore it must be a Sabbath that it is of all other dayes the fitest this they proue because Christ rose on it and Paul preached on it and collectiones for the poore were made on it c. Hereunto I answer 1. by demaunding of them in whose account this fitnesse is to be allowed of in Gods account or in mans account if they say in mans account what hath man to doe in valuing making choise of dayes for Gods worship God neuer left it vnto man to make choise of his
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
would not haue his Disciples to doe no not such necessary works as might saue their liues on the Sabbath if they might be preuented thus I haue sufficiētly proued the 4th thing in my Minor The 5th and last thing to be proued in my Minor is that this flight on the Sabbath day was spoken of to be aboute 50 yeeres after the death end of all Ceremonies that the destruction of Ierusalem by Vespasian was a matter of 40 or 46. yeeres after Christ his passion it is confessed by all that this obseruation of the Sabbath was to be 40 46 or neere 50 yeeres after the death of all ceremonies is proued by this that all ceremonies ended with Christ vpon the Chrosse as you may reade Ephes 2.15 Colos 2.14 Now the Sabbath day being to be obserued by an holy Rest at the destruction of Ierusalem by Vespasian which was neere 50 yeeres after Christs passion at which time all Ceremonies ended it followeth that the Sabbath was to be obserued neere 50 yeeres after the end of all Ceremonies and thus I haue proued and confirmed both propositiones in my argument Yet I cale to mind iij obiections more that may be made against this argument the one is that Christ had not respect so much vnto the Religion conscience of the Sabbath as rather to this that he had a care to the safeguard of the liues of those beseiged for if they should flie in the winter they should be hindered by the foulnesse of the waies and if on the Sabbath day they should be hindered by their superstitiouse needlesse conscience which they would make of the Sabbath so it might come to passe that their enemies should surprise them because they could not make that speede that was fiting in such a time of danger Herevnto Iāswer 1. It is agrosse cōceipt of any to account that obedience superstitiouse needlesse which was done according to the prescript of a Morall Commandement to wit the 4th com seeing they cannot proue the old Sabbath mentioned in the 4th com to be abolished 2. I haue before showne that Christ when he spak of slight on the Sabbath he spake it in a religiouse respect but admit that Christ spake these words for the safeguard of their liues yet so it will come to the same still that Christ ratified the Sabbath day for as in the winter the deepenesse of the waies the shortnesse of the daies tediousnesse of the weather would aggrauate theire crosse hinder their speedy flight so on the Sabbath day the greate sorrow of heart that would seaze vpon them for that they were vrged to moile toile worke so hard vpon that day wherein they were wont sweetly to Rest with the people of God to praise God in the assemblie of the Saintes for that they were inforced to profane the Sabbath which they would gladly haue sanctified in obediēce to Gods 4th com these things would aggrauate the crosse and sticke so in their minds as it would make their heartes to faile them and so hinder their speedie flight thus the winter would be an impediment to their bodies and the Sabbath would be an impediment to their soules so the whole man would be disabled for a speedy flight and for the safeguard of their liues Further more as touching their superstitiouse conscience what reason can be imagined that it should be more vnfit to flie on the Sabbath day then on a weeke day or why should their speedy flight be more hindered on the Sabbath day then on an other day if not for this cause that they made a conscience of flying trauailing on the Sabbath day more then on any other day now forasmuch as our Sauiour commanded them to pray to God that they might not fly on that day for the offence of their consciences thereby he allowed of approued of their making conscience of the Sabbath day suppose our Sauiour Christ had commanded Agur Prov. 30.8.9 to pray that he might not haue too much least he should grow proud and hauty nor too little least he should steale he should thereby approue of Agurs feares of growing prowd of stealing so it is in our case for in that Christ bad them pray that they might not flie on the Sabbath day least thereby their consciences should be offended their hearts filled with sorrow for profaning Gods Sabbath thereby Christ allowed of their conscience of the Sabbath day of their sorrow for profaning it and so it was no superstitiouse conscience had the Sabbath day bene abolished long before this seige as this obiection supposeth so the conscience of Christs Disciples bene but superstitiouse then would Christ neuer haue commanded them to pray to God in this case for this were to giue gold for drosse to spend Substance for shaddowes would Christ think you haue bidden them spend Diuine prayers for the satisfying the desires of a superstitiouse needlesse conscience had not this bene an abuse of holy prayer and of the Maiestie of God to begg of him things for their lust vaine desires If their conscience were a vaine needlesse conscience then they should pray to God to fulfill the desires of a vaine needlesse conscience and Christ should instruct them so to doe too which is most absurd Had the conscience of Christs Disciples bene superstitiouse touching the Sabbath day then would Christ haue reproued them for it and rather haue rectified their iudgements taught them now before hand that as touching the Sabbath if it fell out that they must flie on the Sabbath day they should then take no care for that for he came to abolish that amongst other things and it should be nullified long before their flight so as that should be no let vnto their flight thus would Christ haue prepared them beforehand and streng thened them against this superstition if it had bene superstition nay had it bene superstitiō Christ had nusled them vp flattered them in it when he bad them pray to God that their superstitiouse consciences might not be crossed or disquieted therefore it was no superstitiouse but a iustifiable religiouse conscience which they made of the Sabbath day and this is yet the more strengthened by consideration of the persones that should make this conscience of the Sabbath they were Christs owne Disciples of his owne teaching and can we thinke he would leaue them in superstition at this time and in this case when it was so needfull that they should be instructed therein Happily it will be said they were not fit to heare now of the abolishing of the Sabbath it being a thing so highly honoured amōgst them c. but why I pray were they not as able to heare of the abolishing of the Sabbath as to beare of the destruction of the Temple for they had the Temple in honour no lesse then the Sabbath Yet further it appeareth by the context
that there should haue bene no place left in the world for the Apostles to haue begune a reformation of Iewish ceremonies if they durst not refaine them for feare it should come to the hearing of the Iewes wherfore the Apostles kept not the Sabbath at Philippi for to please the Iewes onely nor onely for feare of offending them Yet further there is not want of good reason to shew that the Apostles kept not the Sabbath for the weaknesse of the Jewes onely this being laied for a grownd that if they be supposed to keepe it for the weaknesse of the Iewes onely that then it was a ceremony so abolished my reasons are these 1. Because the Apostles kept it voluntarily when they might haue auoided it as appeareth 1. Because the Apostles remained certaine daies with the Church at Antioch Act. 13.42 44. and with the Church at Philippi Act. 16.12 Now any day of the Sixe had bene as fit for the Gentiles as the Sabbath if the Sabbath was a ceremony 2. Because the Gentiles besought the Apostles to preach to them the next Sabbath day Act. 13 42. Now what is obtained by request of Superiors is at their liberty to grant now can any thinke the Apostles would vse an abolished ceremony when it was at their choise and libertie to vse it or not forasmuch as the strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weake it was a burden for an Apostle to vse a Iewish Ceremony and would the Apostles then take an vnproffitable burden on their backes when they might auoide it 2. If the Sabbath was kept for the weaknesse of the Iewes and so appeared to be but a Ceremony then had the Apostles rune vpon ij dangerouse rockes 1. As touching the Iewes how could this but harden the heart of the Iewes in their Iudaisme and retaining still of Ceremonies when they saw S. Paul the greatest enemy to Ceremonies of all the Apostles to obserue the Sabbath day still not onely when he was among them but whersoeuer be came yea among the Gentiles also 2 As touching the Gentiles if the Sabbath had bene kept for the weaknesse of the Iewes onely as a ceremony then had S. Paul by keeping the Sabbath among the Gentiles infected them with Judaisme by his practise yea so taught them that now in practise which he must afterwards beate downe vnteach againe by Doctrine Thus the Apostles should be supposed to make themselues worke first to infect then to heale cure further if their answer be good then was Paul bound to permit suffer the Christian Churches in Iudaisme for the strong ought to beare the â—â—firmities of the weake Rom. 15.1 Now Paul was strong those Iewes were weake 3. To suppose the Apostles to keepe the Sabbath among the Gentiles for the weaknes of the Iewes is absurd for by so doing the Gospell should receiue no aduantage for looke what a superstitiouse Iew was eased therby by so much a beleeuing Gentile was burdened combered he being intangled with a Iewish Ceremony now what were this better then if the Apostles should pull a thorne out of the foote of a Iew and thrust it into the foote of a Gentile 4. Obserue that S. Paul was the Doctour of the Gentiles Gal. 2.7 Now by Gentiles here we must not vnderstand such congregations as consisted only of Gentiles for of all the Churches which Paul planted there were fewe such but for the most parte they were all a mixed people of Iewes Gentiles both as you may see Act. 17.2.4 Act. 18.4 Act. 19.10 Act. 13.14.42 Act. 14.5 wherefore suppose yee that the Sabbath had no where bene kept among the Gentiles that is in such a congregatioÌ„ wherin there were none but GeÌ„tiles yet is the cause the same still for first it is plaine that Paul kept the Sabbath frequently in these Churches which were mixed of Iewes and Gentiles see Act. 17.2.3 Act. 18.4 And secondly it is plaine that these were the Churches which Paul planted ouer whom he was set now if the keping of the Sabbath had bene a ceremony as meats drinkes were then had Paul committed a foule errour by vsing of this Ceremony in his Churches the Churches of the Gentiles for he had constrained therby the Gentiles vnto Iudaisme the which fault he sorely reproued Peter for Gal. 2.14.12 For Pauls keeping the Sabbath must as well constraine the Gentiles to Sabbathizing as Peters refraining of Meates did constraine these Gentiles to doe the like 5. If Paul did Sabbathize among the Gentiles for the weaknes of the Iewes onely and that ordenarily and customarily for so he did Act. 13.14.42.44 Act. 17.1.2 Act. 18.4 Then this absurdety followeth that Paul did also circumcise the Gentiles for the weaknesse of the Iewes and that ordenarily and customarily for there is as greate reason that Paul should haue vsed circumcision among the Gentiles in fauor of the Iewes as to haue vsed the Sabbath day among the Gentiles in fauor of the Iewes for the Iewes were as zealouse for circumcision as they were for the Sabbath Herevnto I might also add that Paul must as well haue vsed their new moones abstinance from prohibited meates among the Gentiles for the sake of the Iewes as the Sabbath day if these were all alike Ceremonies and if there were no more morallity in the Sabbath then in the new moones and prohibited meates 6. As touching things indifferent and the Ceremoniall Law Paul became all things vnto all men c. Vnto the Iewe who had the Ceremoniall Law he became a Iewe vnto the Geâ—tile who were without this Law he became a Gentile that is when he was among the Iewes then he vsed the ceremoniall Law but when he was among the Gentiles then he behaued himseâ—fe without Law he vsed no Ceremonies from this text then thus expounded it is plaine that Pauls Sabbathizing among the Gentiles it was no Ceremony nor done for the weaknesse of the Iewes for among the Gentiles he was without law that is he vsed no Ceremonies To thinke otherwise were to thinke that Paul did not onely vnto the Iewe become a Iewe but absurdly that vnto the Gentile also he became a Iewe. 7. If the Sabbath was a Ceremony and obserued by the Apostle in those Churches where he kept it for the weaknesse of the Iewes then this absurdety followeth that he did not roote out Ceremonies or refraine Iudaisme in those Churches consequently that he left behind him many famouse Christian Churches pestered with Ceremonies infected with Iudaisme for he kept the Sabbath day in many famouse Churches see Act. 13.14.42.44 Act. 16.12 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 Now if Paul was forced to obserue Ceremonies for the weaknesse of the Iewes at that time then so must he for the same cause haue done euer after during his life for the Iewes remained weake in this matter of Ceremonies to Pauls dying day since that all confesse it that Ceremonies had for their
because wee may together with Antinomiās Libertines Anabaptists as well abolish all the Morall Law by the Scriptures as with them abolish the Saturday Sabbath and thus I argue If wee may together with Libertines Antinomians Anabaptists abolish by the Scriptures the Saturday Sabbath as a Jewish Ceremony Then may wee with them also abolish by the Scriptures the wholl Law of God euen all the tenn commandements as Jewish Ceremonies But neither wee may nor yet may those lawlesse Christians of Libertines Antinomians Anabaptists abolish by the Scriptures the wholl Law of Gods tenn commandements as Iewish ceremonies Therefore wee may not together with Libertines Antinomians Anabaptists those lawlesse Christians abolish by the Scrïptures the Saturday Sabbath as a Iewish Ceremony For profe of the consequence it is well knowne that those Lawlesse Christians of Libertines Antinomians Anabaptistes doe reiect the Santification of all Sabbaths not but that they keepe the Lords day as a Sabbath together with those Protestant Churches amonge whom they liue but they keepe it onely as an ordinance of the Magistrate and as in obedience to their gouerners yet so too as in case they could doe any common seruile worke on the Lords day without offence to any they would and doe professe it that they would but to keepe any Sabbath as a Diuine institution and as an ordinance of Gods and by virtue of the 4th commandement this they doe reiect as Iewish and Ceremoniall and for their warrant among other textes of Scripture as wee doe so doe they alleage Exod. 31.13 Colos 2.16.17 against the Saturday Sabbath shewing that it is abolished as a signe and shaddow c. Thus they bring Scripture against the old Sabbath as well as wee the same Scriptures that we bring so then wee are iustly ranked with Libertines Antinomians and Anabaptists for abolishing by the Scriptures the ancient Sabbath day Now J procede to proue the Major for as for the Minor it needeth no profe if wee may by these Scriptures Exod. 31.13 Colos 2.16.17 Together with these Sectaries abolish the Saturday Sabbath which is one thing commanded in the morall Law then may we together with them also by these Scriptures Eph. 2.15 Heb. 7.12 Heb. 10.1 Col. 2.14 Abolish the wholl Morall Law all things commanded therein the reason hereof is plaine and manifest for these Sectaries doe bring Scripture against the wholl Law of God as well as against that one parte thereof which commandeth the Saturday Sabbath now if we will shake hands with them in the one why not in the other also if we will ioyne with them in vrging pressing these textes Exod. 31.13 Colos 2.16.17 Against the 7th day Sabbath which is one branch of the Law why then should we not by the same reason ioyne with them also in vrging pressing these other textes Eph. 2.15.7.12 Heb. 10.1 Col. 2.14 Against the wholl Law euery branch thereof and so abolish it too ther 's the same equity for both let vs not therefore abolish Gods Sabbath day vnlesse we minde to turne Anabaptists and Antinomians and abolish the wholl Law also Happily it will be thought ther is not so good reason to abolish the wholl Law by these Scriptures which these Sectaries doe alleage against it as there is in those other Scriptures which they alleage against the Saturday Sabbath But for this matter I shall make it appeare that as these Sectaries haue as little cause to vrge these textes against the wholl Morall Law as they or wee haue to alleage those textes against the old Sabbath day so they haue as good cause as strong reasons to alleage these textes against the wholl Law as they and we haue to alleage those textes against the old Sabbath day for this purpose let vs compare the textes on either partes First for the textes brought against the Sabbath day Exod. 31.13 Colos 2.16.17 Here say they wee the Sabbath in the Morall Law is made a signe a shaddow now all signes Shaddowes are abolished at Christs coming hee being the substance of those shaddowes 2. In the text Col. 2.16.17 Say they and wee here we haue the very thing in question expressy mentioned namly Sabbaths and Sabbaths too in the plurall number so all Sabbaths both weekly annuall in the Morall Law and in the Ceremoniall Law are abolished Now on the other parte for the textes brought against the wholl lawsee Heb. 10 1. for the Law hauing a shadow of good things to come c. Where the things commanded by the Law are called a shadow hence I thus reason if the Sabbath commanded in the Morall Law be abolished because Sabbaths commanded in a Law are a shadow Col. 2.16.17 Then are all things commanded in the Morall Law abolished and consequently the Law also because things commanded in a Law are a shadow Heb. 10.1 Is not there as good reason for the one as for the other come we to the other textes also see Eph. 2.15 Col. 2.14 Heb. 7.12 Where it is said there is a chang of the Law that the handwriting of ordinances is put out that the Law of commandements is abrograted In which texts it is affirmed that the law is abolished here then may they say in like manner in these textes we haue the thing in question expresly mentioned namly the Law by Law in Scripture is somtimes meant both the Morall Ceremoniall Law Mal. 2.7 And so the wholl Law is abolished both Morall and Ceremoniall well then hence I thus reason if the Sabbath in the Morall Law be abolished by Col. 2.17 Because there is mention of Sabbaths abolished then must not the Morall Law be abolished also by Eph. 2.15 Col. 2.14 Heb. 7.12 Because here is mention made of the law abolished is there not the same reason in both for if you will extend the word Sabbaths which is onely vnderstod of the Sabbaths in the Ceremoniall Law vnto the Sabbath inioyned in the Morall Law why may not they extend the word Law which is onely vnderstode of the Ceremoniall Law vnto the Morall Law whereas you alleage that in Col. 2.16.17 There is mention of Sabbaths in the plurall number and therefore all kinds of Sabbaths weekly and anniuersary must be abolished why may not they and you with them argue also and say that in Eph. 2.15 and in Col. 2.14 There is mention of ordinances commandements in the plurall number and therefore are all Gods ordinances and all Gods commandements whither in the Morall Law or in the Ceremoniall abolished Thus you see then there is as good reason for vs to ioyne with Antinomians and Anabaptistes in casting away the Morall Law as to ioyne with them in casting away the Sabbath day commanded in the Morall Law we may as well cast away by the Scriptures misapplied euen all Gods commandements and all Gods ordinances as Gods Sabbath day we may as well turne Anabaptists in
it shall we haue no Law now against working on the Sabbath day 4. If these words But the 7th day is the Sabbath be not morall but abolished then this absurdety followeth that we are not tied by the 4th com to giue God a Sabbath once a weeke or one in 7 daies but it is enough if God hath a Sabbath once a moneth once a yeere one in 7 daies or one in 700 daies for in what parte of the commandement will you find on what day in 700 you shall keepe your first Sabbath if you abolish those words But the 7th day is the Sabbath c. were it not for these words might you not begine your first Sabbath at the 700th day as well as at the 7th day 5. If no more of the 4th com be morall but these words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it then is the commandement Sixe daies thou shalt labour and doe all that thou hast to doe Exod. 20.9 a bolished also now I maruaile what offence these words are vnto any that this command must be rased out too were these wordes typicall or ceremoniall at any time that they must be also abolished is it Judaisme too to obserue this commandement yet further take away the latter parte and words of the 4th com and then 1. you abolish the cause grownd of the Sabbath institution noted in these words And rested the 7th day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Exo 20.11 Genes 2.2.3 now it is very absurd to retaine the Sabbath and to reiect the grownd cause of its Institution 2. You abolish also that Matchlesse example and perswasiue president reason which God gaue vs taken from his owne example to moue vs to keepe the Sabbath Exod. 20.11 what is Gods example now become Jewish and to treade in his steppes Iudaifme may not Christians be followers of God as deere children as well as Iewes 3. You blot out the memory of the Creatiō in remembrance of which Myracle the 7th day Sabbath was solemnized Exod. 31.17 6. I alleage the Testimony of M. Perkins against him for of all the other words in the cō M. Perkins did iudge these words to be morall see his Comentary on the Galatians Chap. 4. v. 9. pag. 286. Jt may be saith he the first words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it and these words In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke are spoken of the Iewes Sabbath But the words sixe daies thou shalt labour c. And the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God are morall and containe a perpetuall trueth And againe see M. Perkins in his Cases of Conscience pag. 106. D. vpon these words for in sixe daies c. where he thus writeth The second reason is taken from Gods example That which the Lord himselfe hath done in persō the same must mā doe But the Lord himselfe rested the 7th day Therefore man must doe the same This reason made by God to the creature must stand in force till he reuerse it which yet he hath not done Thus M. Perkins doth expresly affirme it that this reason annexed to the 4th commandement is still in force In a word I might be infinite in alleaging Authores this way for what writer but holdeth these latter words of the Com. to be still in force as appeareth in that in theire Expositions on the 4th com they vnderstand by these words the 7th day is the Sabbath one day of 7 to be meant to be morall but M. Greenwod will be contrary to all Authores rather then God shall haue his Sabbaths againe 7. If onely those first words of the commandement Remember the Sabbath day be morall then is the 4th com vtterly abolished for they alleage these texts Exod. 31.15.16 Col. 2.16 where is mention made expresly of the Sabbath day for the abolishing of the Sabbath day in the 4th com as a signe and shaddow wherefore since by these textes they abolish the Remembrance of the Sabbath day mentioned in the begining of the 4th commandement it must nedes follow that those words in the begininge of the com Remember the Sabbath day are abolished and so if no other words be morall in the 4th com but those then are none at all morall but all abolished Now whereas some say all but the first words of the com are Application it is more likely that they are Explication now they will not reiect J trust the Explication of the commandement 2. to say they are application it doth imply that the words Sabbath day in the begining of the commandement are certaine generall words which may be applied vnto any day and so the latter parte of the commandement should apply them to the 7th day but their foundation is sandy for they cannot shew where at any time these words in the 4th commandement Sabbath day were taken generally or for any other day then Saturday the 7th day 3. Since that these words Sabbath day at the begining of the commandemēt these the 7th day is the Sabbath towards the end of the commandement are promiscuously vsed in Scripture the one for the other as hath bene proued it is absurd to suppose the one of these to be the Application of the other 4. Since that we are commanded to sanctifie the Sabbath day Exod. 20.8 and probibited to worke on the 7th day Exod. 20.10 It is absurd to say that this latter is an Application of the former is it not rather an Addition and that of one parte of the commandement to an other 5. If the after partes of the commandement be but Application and belonge not to vs why then doe all Diuines out of these after partes of the commandement determine that one day in 7 is morall And whereas some say that all the latter words of the com are appurtenāces to the com I reply if they be but such appurrenāces as may safely be seuered from the com then 1. we haue no neede now as those Iewes had of Gods insample reason mentioned in the 4th commandement Exod. 20.11 to moue vs to sanctifie the Sabbath day 2. Then need we not giue God a Sabbath once in 7 daies or once in 700 daies c. 3. Then doe we abolish Gods expresse prohibition of doeing seruile workes on the Sabbuth day Exod. 20.10 fourthly then why haue Diuines and Expositers affirmed that one day of 7 is morall out of these words the 7th day is the Sabbath 5. that these words the 7th day is the Sabbath are no appurtenances but of higher nature I haue proued in my 5th argument in defence of the Lords Sabbaths where I proued that these words are a parte of the 4th com and so cannot be seuered from the commandement as appurtenances may be To conclude there is a Tradition among vs that these words the 7th day is the Sabbath c. in it thou shalt doe no worke is but Application and Appurtenances
Sabbath daies meales and this is an other case of necessity whereinto we fale if we keepe the Sabbath day and for the auoiding whereof we may make a chang of the Sabbath day into the Lords day for a season Hence it is that obedience to the 4th commandement requireth an assent and fellowship of others which is not required in the other commandements for a man may yeeld obedience to euery other commandement singlie and alone by himselfe though no man else will ioyne with him but for this 4th commandement it cannot be obserued as it should be without the fellowship and society of others ioyning with him Now a word or two for the iustifying of these two necessities touching the soule to be true necessities and such as may warrant a chang of a day appointed by God for the former namely Assemblies the want of assemblies was one cause of the change of the Passeouer day by Hezekiah as you may reade ij Chro. 30.3 For the latter namely Ministers the want of Ministers or Priests was an other cause of the passeouer dais chang by Hezekiah as you may reade in the forealleaged place And the King and his Princes And all the congregation had taken counsaile in Ierusalem to keepe the Passeouer in the second moneth for they could not keepe it at this time because there were not Priests enough sanctified neither was the people gathered to Jerusalem 2 Chro. 30.2.3 Where you see the want of the peoples assembly and the want of Priests were the ij causes of the chang of this day from the first moneth to the second moneth I confesse our new Translatores reade it thus because the Prists had not sanctified themselues sufficiently But this cometh still to the same for our Ministers haue not yet sanctified their vnderstandings from a profane opinion of the Lords Sabbaths and therefore we cannot haue their helpe to the sanctification of the Sabbath day so it is all one whither there be not Ministers enough or whither those that be are not willing to yeeld vs their helpe for both waies we shall want the helpe of the Ministry if we keepe the Sabbath day and if the Priests vnsufficiency were cause enough to chang the day much more then when Priests and Ministers are both vnsufficient and also vnwilling so as they cannot be perswaded to lend vs their helpe and thus you see that the want of people and the want of Ministers are a sufficient cause to make a chang of a day and that the old day should be profaned whilst an other is kept in its roome and steade If any shall aske me now why I keepe not the Sabbath day since it is my iudgement that it ought to be kept my answer shall be 1. That a man is not bound in all cases and at all times to put in practise what he knoweth should be done as I haue showne by the examples of Moses touching diuorcement of Israelites omitting Circumcision of Dauids spareing Ioab and eating Shewbread and the rest And further and more particularly I keepe it not because as I haue proued by two good arguments that an other day may be kept for it for a season 2. My answer shall be that I keepe not the Sabbath day because I cannot keepe it necessity lying vpon me Now I cannot keepe it 1. Because so I should haue but 5 daies in a weeke to follow my caleing 2. Because so I should impouerish my selfe and my family which is a iustifiable plea in this case of the Sabbath 3. Because I cannot haue assemblies on the Sabbath to ioyne with in holy Sabbath exercises and specially because Ministers will not preach to vs vpon the Saturday or Sabbath for how should we keepe the Saturday Sabbath when Ministers will not come to Church and preach vnto vs on the Saturday and my 4th reason and necessity is that as I am a Subiect so J stand bound to obey my gouerners so long as they command me nothing which Gods word hath forbidden mee now they command me to follow my caling on the Saturday Sabbath the 4th com doth not forbid me the same I being considered as a Subiect seruant vnto my superioures But herevnto some will be redy to say why if you can not keepe the Sabbath day as you would why keepe it then as you may without assemblies and without a Minister for God requireth no more of a man then he can doe c. Herevnto I shall giue none other answer then this that the same obiection layeth as well against the practise of the godly King Hezekiah as against mee hereby the absurdety thereof shall appeare why might not you as well obiect to Hezekiah when he put off the passeouer day from the 14th day of the first moneth to the 14th day of the second moneth vpon my reasons saying why did not Hezekiah keepethe passeouer vpon the 14th day of the first moneth which is the right day the day established at the institution of the passeouer since it was his iudgement that it ought to be then kept what and if he could no haue the assemblies of the people as he would why yet he might haue kept the passeouer with that company he had in Ierusalem as himselfe and his Princes and Courtieres and Cittizens of Ierusalem what needed he to profane the first passeouer day and to chang it vnto an other day for want of the residue of the people and what if he had not priests enough already sanctified or not sufficiently sanctified why yet he might haue kept the passeouer as he could with those priests he had or with the priests such as they were whither sufficienly or vnsufficiently sanctified for whē Hezekiah had tarried till the secōd day yet thē many in the Congregation were not sanctified as they should be therfore he praied saying The good Lord be mercifull toward him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary ij Chro. 30.18.19 And why could not Hezekiah haue kept the passeouer on the first day with people and Priests vnsufficiently sanctified as well as on the second day yet for all these obiectiones you see Hezekiah in hope to haue things in better order and in hope of a reformation against the second day therefore he neglected and profaned the first day and made a chang of the day Others will be redy to obiect thus why your soules neede not pine for you may haue supply the next day by keeping Sunday or Lords day also and herein you shall haue assemblies and Ministers both Herevnto I answer 1. That is more then euer God required that we should keepe two Sabbaths in one weeke and also it is more then the necessity of our caleings will permit 2. Suppose we should keepe the Lords day also yet so doeing we should want our daily bread that is that spirituall foode which is appointed of God for
worship of God and when common and vnhallowed dayes are offred and consecrated vnto God in stead of pure and sanctified dayes Loe how Gods worship is polluted XI Yet further if I shall make it appeare that multitudes I doe not say all are guilty of Idolatry vntill a Reformation cometh then you will say with me it is high time indeed to seeke for a reformation For this purpose you must know that there is as well a puritane Idolatry as a Popish Idolatry for as when A Crucifix the Breaden God the Images of Christ the virgine Mary the rest come in presence instantly Papists vncouer the head and performe much honour in respect of them So no sooner doth the Lords day Sabbath come but forthwith Puritanes vncloth themselues of their base aray and attire themselues in their best apparell and they lay aside all seruile laboures for that time as a profanation of that sacred time and much religiouse honour and deuotion is performed in respect of this daies presence yea greate conscience is made of it Pardon me beloued the sinnes of Gods children must not be clocked neither must I be partiall no neither must I deale ouerly but tell euery man or ranke of men of their sinne without baulking I cale it Puritane Idolatry because these are the greate Patrones thereof That I may discouer it vnto you first we will begine with the word Idolatry this word is a greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is compounded of two wordes the one whereof signifieth an image and likenesse of a thing or an imagination and fiction of the braine the other signifieth honour and reuerence now put both these together and they signify an honour and reuerence of an image and liknesse of a thing or of an imagination and fiction of the braine thus you haue the signification of the word Idolatry Now when diuine and religiouse honour is giuen to a similitude or fiction of the mind then it is a dangerouse matter and when the conscience stands in awe of a similitude or fiction of the braine reuerencing it for a diuine ordinance then it is Idolary Now to apply this The Lords day is this Idoll and they that preach for it and practise it are the Idolaters to make this good you shall see how fitly these may be caled Idolaters and their practise Idolatry first touching that parte of Idolatry which consisteth in imagery liknesse you shall see how like they haue framed the Lords day to the Sabbath day made it a very image similitude liknesse of the Sabbath day consequently an Idoll for 1. They haue giuen the very name the proper name of the Lords Sabbath vnto it for doe they not vsually cale the Sunday or Lords day the Sabbath day 2. They sanctify and keepe the Lords day like vnto the Sabbath day with a resting from all seruile laboures with preaching and prayers and the like 3. they keepe it in conscience of the 4th com like as the Sabbath day was 4. They apply all those textes of Scripture vnto the Lords day which were wont to be applied to the Sabbath day and which indeed are proper to the Sabbath day as Neh. 13.15 Isa 58.13 Math. 12.1.2.3 c. with others behold then if they haue not made the Lords day as like as like may be to the Sabbath day an image or picture cannot be more like a man then they haue framed this Lords day vnto the Sabbath day nay the images similitudes which Papists make of God of Christ or of Saintes are not so like vnto God Christ Saints as this Lords day is made fashoned like the Lords Sabbath day like as idolatrouse Jeroboam made a feast vnto his calues like vnto the feast that was in Iudah 1. King 12.32 so haue these made a new Sabbath like vnto the Lords Sabbath in the Morall Law 2. Touching that other acception of the word where it is taken for an imagination or fiction of the minde or braine And in this sense an Idoll is Nothing as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 8.4 An Jdoll is nothing in the world that is it is no such thing as it is imagined fansied to be in this sense also the Lords day is an Idoll the obseruers of it are Idolaters their sanctification of it Idolatry for 1. whereas they cale the Lords day Sabbath day it is a mere fiction for they neuer found it so named in the Holy Scriptures 2. That the Lords day should be kept like the Sabbath day with a rest from laboures all day long is an imaginary conceipt for they find no such obseruation of it by Christ nor by his Apostles 3. That the Lords day should be obserued by virtue of the 4th com is not onely a fiction but an absurd foolery 4. That Christ instituted the Lords day is a mere forgery and fansy of mens braine as hath bene formerly showne and thus you see that the Lords day is a mere Idoll or a very Nothing that is nothing but a fansie fiction of mens braine of this day therefore we may say as the Lord said of Ieroboames Moneth which he had consecrated vnto his Idoles that it was the moneth which hee had forged of his owne heart 1 King 12 33. so this Lords day is the Sabbath day which men haue forged of their owne hearts And thus we haue cleered and made apparent the two first things in this Idolatry to wit that the Lords day is an Image and liknesse and that the Lords day is an imagination and fiction or an Idoll and Nothing I come now to the third thing which maketh compleate Idolatry and that is Honour and Reuerence for that is properly Idolatry when religiouse honour and reuerence is attributed vnto Images and similitudes or vnto Imaginations and fictions of the braine or vnto Idoles and Nothing as when men reuerence these as Diuine things and as ordinances of God Now I shall easily demonstrate vnto you that men giue Honour Reuerence vnto this Lords day yea no ciuill honour but diuine religiouse Honour For 1. The patrones of the Lords day they doe esteeme one day aboue an other the Lords day aboue and before any other day in the weeke and that in a religiouse manner thus they honour it by aduancing it aboue all other daies yea by holding the cause of the institutiō of the Lords day to be greater then the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day they must hold that the Lords day is an higher more honourable day then was the Sabbath day for they say that the worke of the Redemption was the cause of the institution of the Lords day now the worke of Redemption they hold to be a greater worke then was the worke of the Creation which was the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day and thus you see they must haue the Lords day in more honour then the Sabbath day was
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.
good cause hath not at all times good successe I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength for naught but my iudgment is with the Lord and my worke with my God saith the Prophete Isai 49.4 A Minister therfore must goe on with courage ☜ though he seeth no fruite of his labours for his reward is with God Some mislike the vnceasonablesse of this motion they could wish in their hearts they say I had tarried longer waited for some more ceasonable opportunity for the diuulging of these points To whom I answer Gods truethes may not waite attendance till men be at leisure to receiue them and why not now as well as hereafter vnlesse these men thinke these times so desperatly euill as ther 's no hope left that they will giue eare vnto wholesome Doctrine But my feare is that their season is whē I am out of season after my death and so they hope the point should dye with mee but I haue peuented them I am by the mercy of God neither so afraid nor so ashamed of Gods cause as to deny it my best furtherance countenance in my life time were I ashamed of God this Trueth before men I might iustly susspect that God wold be ashamed of such a seruāt before his Angels in heauē Some say that there are others in the Church in many regards more fit then I for a matter of this weight and therefore they could wish that I had neuer stirred in it for now I haue marred the cause quite and cleane by my meannesse c. T is true indeede I freely confesse it there are many much more fit then I and I hartely wish it that any of them had taken my place labour but this wee know that the most fit and able men to doe God seruice they are not euer the most redy and willing to doe it had it bene a point the reuealing whereof might haue wone credit applause preferment and the like I beleeue you had heard of it long err now but it being a point of much and hard laboures the reward like to be nothing but danger reproch and heard censures and like to meete with greate enemies many in such a point wise men will take leisure and giue any body leaue to goe before them What hope could I haue that others of better worth would vndertake this taske when as before I published my former booke many men of greate lerning conscience to whom I communicated my Notes for confirmation or confutation they did neither but rather turned my vtter enemies for this cause sake wherefore I was not rash as some men count rashlinesse but after I had waited as Elihu did vpon the auncient and more lerned found no courage in their heartes nor word in their mouthes to speake for God then I spake in my turne shewed myne opinion let no man blame my zeale it was for God T is true the meannesse of my person will be a greate blocke in the way to the progresse of this cause especially in these clyming dayes wherein the word of God is so much receiued with respect of persons for men esteeme of the cause iust as they doe of the person hence it is that before many will giue audience to the matter they will first know of the man as whither he be one of their side or no approued of by them and whither learned witty eloquent and well red or no or whither honoured with Titles eminency and preferment or no in so much as if the Prophet Amos were now liuing and teaching Gods trueth it is to be feared his booke of prophecy would not be regarded being he was a Neat-heard and if S. Paul were now to preach the new doctrine of the gospell it may be thought it would not be entertained he being a Tayler or Tentmaker But where are those Noble Bereanes who serched the Scriptures and examined the cause without regard had to Pauls person where is that Eloquent and lerned Apollos that gaue heed vnto the instructions and matter which Aquilla and Priscilla his wife taught him of whom he lerned the way of God more perfectly without respect vnto their persones for the one was a woman that taught him and both were Taylers of Tentmakers If therefore A Trueth fareth the worse for the meannesse of the Author it shall be so but at the hands onely of such persons as doe not vnfeinedly desire the sincere milke of the word that they may growe thereby as did those Noble Bereanes and it shall be so but at the hands onely of such whose lerning is not sanctified and seasoned with Humility as Apollos his was Some obiect that the broching of this point will breed stirres and distractions in the Church c. To whom I answer t is a trueth they say when euer entred any new Trueth or was any old Trueth receiued but it came in with stirres and distractions at the first It fareth in these cases as it doth with phisicke which a sikly man takes to recouer his health at first it makes him sicker then he was before it causeth him pains in his belly head heart c and albeit the pacient know all this before hand yet will he take this potion in hope of a more perfect health afterwards and so I trust will it be in this case though for the present it occationeth stirres distractions distempers yet it will be so onely in the minds of some such as doe abound with euill humores neuerthelesse the conclusion will be good by the mercy of God a more perfect health will be obtained When Luther first stirred to reforme the second Commandement there was then greate stirres and distractions in the Church but by this time and long agone there hath bene a sweete accorde that vpon better conditions then formerly and why may wee not hope for like successe I mary say some scoffingly and we shall haue an other Luther now shall we what will you proue an other Luther now such a disdainfull enuiouse scoffing age we now liue in that that which shold be a mans greatest honour as to imitate the most virtuouse it is wrested as a matter of his reproch derision in other cases we desire to iustifie our actions by the like actions of the godly and wise that haue gone before vs and to make vse of them for our incouragement and why should I onely be denied this benefit I pray tell me is it not a laudable thing for any to become followers of Luther Caluîne Zwinglius of Paul Peter Christ When euer I propound examples to my selfe they shall euer be the best and most eminent let these scoffers imitate the worst for so they doe they are the sonnes of scoffing Ishmael Were it an infallible note of pride to imitate the most excellent Paul would neuer haue exhorted vs to become followers of him as he was of Christ Neither could Christians
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
for the dueties in the time either they haue vtterly abolished them also as hath bene showne or at the best they haue but counterfeit Sabbath dueties for true Sabbath dueties so much of the dueties Lastly they haue as hath bene showne taken away the very subiect matter of the 4th comm so as now God commandeth vs to Remember a nothing and to sanctify a nothing and so Gods commandement is made ridiculouse Loe this foule errour it is an errour worthy the discouery and high time it is that God should raise vp some man to discouer these things and to stand in defence of his 4th com and for this cause as I haue intitled my booke a defence of the Lords Sabbaths so haue I intitled it also a defence of the 4th com for you see how they haue by blotting out the Lords Sabbaths also defaced the whole commandement with them It is strang to see what violence this one finale portion of Scripture to wit Gods 4th com hath vndergone and it is the more strang considering the learning and knowledge of these times what vaine friuolouse distinctions of a Sabbath the Sabbath of one day in 7 of the Sabbath belonging to vs as it signifieth a Rest as it belongeth vnto all Nations that the time is a ceremony the duties in the time morall by all which they exclud the proper time in this 4th com and yet then againe to contradict themselues though the time of day be abolished yet still they will haue the day and a day out of the 4th com and a day too of 24 houres long and though the Sabbath day be abolished as they hold yet they vvill haue a Sabbath day still out of the 4th com too The 10. commandements they call them the Morall Law but bring them to this point of the Sabbath day and then they are become partly Morall partly ceremoniall they might as well say that that which in common speech they call white as the snovv that it is partly white partly blacke The Papists are blamed for making the 2d com Iewish and Ceremoniall and yet say we this 4th Comm. touching the Sabbath day is Iewish and Ceremoniall thus hauing contradicted our selues then vve fall to botching and cobling of the Commandement first it is fained that the Lords Sabbath day is abolished and vvorne out of vse and then to repaire the losse and breach againe that there may be a full number of ten Commandements the 4th comman wherein the breach vvas must be cobled vp againe the nevv leather where with all it must be amended it is the Lords day and it is put into the roome of the old and ouer vvorne Sabbath day so we haue now a new-old com or an old-new com whither you vvill for it is partly old and partly new Lastly as if all the former were not enough after sondry contradictions and after sondry fine distinctions whereby they haue violently torne a sunder what the Almightie hath inviolably and inseperablie ioyned together at last they cast them all quite away abolishing both time and dueties in the time and commandement all thes with others which I might reckone vp and with other violences and abuses which yet I am to discouer hath this one small portion of Scripture the 4th com vndergone I cannot thinke any one portion of Scripture in controversy betvvixt vs and Papists hath bene more wrested and abused by them then this by vs God amend it Paul telleth Timothy 1. Tim. 1.7 that there were some among them which desiring to be teachers of the law vnderstood not what they said nor whereof they affirmed This Scripture is verified of some Teachers in these dayes as may appeare by the premisses and as shall yet further appeare hereafter I come now to the word Remember and touching this word a reason may be demanded why the Lord should put a Memorandum vnto this com aboue any others of the 10 and why the Commandement should be expressed by this word Remember The common reason hereof rendered by diuins is to preuent carelesnes and forgetfulnesse on the six working dayes of the Sabbath day next ensuing least men should leaue some common workes of the six dayes to be done on the 7th day Sabbath this I confesse a trueth indeed but this is not all I suppose for if one demandeth a reason why God prefixed a Memento to this Com. more then vnto any other of the commandements this cannot be the reason because that by mens not forethinking of the Sabbath some vvorkes are left vndone on the six dayes to be done on the Sabbath day and so the Sabbath is profaned and the 4th com transgressed For seeing that vve are in like danger of breaking euery other of the Commandements by a carelesnes and a not forethinking of our dueties in them enioyned it should haue bene needfull therefore to haue had a Memorandum prefixed vnto euery one of the 10. Com. as vvell as vnto this 4th com least we breake them also through forgetfulnesse but since a Memorandum is put to this com and not vnto others such a reason therefore would be sought as agreeth to this com and not vnto others Novv in this point if I may take leaue to deliuer mine opinion I cannot finde out a better reason then this God foreseeing that after a long time that is about 364 yeeres after Christ for then was the Sabbath day abolished by the Laodicean Counsaile as afterwards you shall heare more this his Sabbath day vvould be not in part violated and profanely kept but that it vvould be vtterly and altogether blotted out of remembrance in all Christian Churches for 1200 yeeres together as it is to this day to preuent which forgetfulnesse and vtter neglect of his Sabbath day it pleased God to prefixe a Memento to this com that so if it be forgotten it might in time by one meanes or other be brought to remembrance againe which God graunt If we take a suruey of all the 10 Com. we shall find that nothing commanded in any of them is so wholly and vtterly buried and forgotten as is the Sabbath day commanded in the 4th com vvhen they had buried Christ they laid a stone vpon him and sealed it to make all sure that he might neuer rise againe so haue they buried the Lords Sabbath day and least it rise againe they haue cast an heape of stones vpon it calling it Iewish and Iudaisme and a signe and shaddow and a buried abolished ceremony and vvhat not and all to bring it out of remembrance Now though Papists haue foully forgotten the 2d com yet all Protestants remember it well enough God be thanked I know not any one thing in all the 10. Commandements forgotten by Reformed Churches but this one thing onely to vvit the Lords Sabbath day and as for this this is forgotten of all both Protestants and Papists it was very needfull therefore that the Lord should prefixe a Memorandum to this
should command vs to labour on the first day of the vveeke and an other part of it command vs to rest from labour on the same first day of the vveeke is this to deale honestly and faithfully with the word of God in expounding it to make it contradict it selfe and that not in diuerse places but in one and the same text I see it is not vvithout cause that the Scriptures command people to Trie all things 1. Thessal 5.21 and so they had neede doe least they drinke in poison in stead of an healthfull potion Thus I haue discouered an other shamefull abuse of this 4th com wherefore vvhen hereafter you shall heare any of these preach for the Lords day and proue it to be a Sabbath day out of the 4th com then thinke of this vse collected from these vvords Six dayes shalt thou labour Yea when you heare them presse mens consciences for the Lords day to keepe it holy and rest from vvorke because the 4th Com. saith Remember the Sabbath day doe you then call to minde that this day which they vrge so it is not named Sabbath day but Lords day or Sunday novv the 4th com saith not Remember the Lords day c. but Remember the Sabbath day c. and further call to minde that the 4th com saith Six dayes shalt thou vvorke one of vvhich six dayes is the Lords day Hovv then can these men vrge me to rest vpon the Lords day which is one of the 6 dayes and that by the 4th com vvhen the same com biddeth me to labour on the Lords day as being one of the six labouring dayes Thus if people vvill be vvise thes Ministers if they will deceiue they shall but deceiue themselues SECT VII We haue finished the former and affirmatiue part of the com vve novv come to the latter and negatiue part in thes vvords But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. See the same repeated Exod. 31.15 Exod. 35.2 Exod. 16.26.28 Exod. 23.12 Leuit. 23.3 Deut. 5.14 in vvhich textes the 7th day is deliuered in praeceptiue and commanding termes prohibiting straightly the prophanation of it by vvorking and that vpon paine of death c. In this negatiue part of the Com. I vvill incist by vvay of exposition onely vpon the vvord seuenth for the true sense of this vvord vve must note that there are two sortes of numbers a Cardinall and an Ordinall the Cardinall number runeth thus one tvvo three foure fiue six seuen c. The Ordinall number runeth thus the first secōd third fourth fifth sixth seuenth c. the due vnderstanding vvhereof bringeth much light to this point as for the Cardinall number be it foure six or seuen it comprizeth all and euery one of the number as all the fowre all the six all the seauen but novv the ordinall number it euer notifieth but one of the number and that is euer the last of the number also for example The Third it compriseth not all the Three but onely one of the Three againe it signifieth not the second nor the first but the third vvhich is the last of that number 2. The fourth it compriseth not all the 4 but onely some one of the 4 againe it pointeth not to the second or third of the number but to the fourth only which is the last of the number Novv to apply this vve must knovv that this vvord in the 4th com seuenth it is not a cardinall but an ordinall number the propertie vvhereof is to notifie one onely and also the last of the number vvherefore vvhen the Lord said But the seuenth day is the Sabbath c. hereby he gaue vs to vnderstand that he meant it of the last day of the weeke and of the last day of that number not of the third day nor of the sixth day but of that vvhich is last of the number to vvit the Seuenth day And if you vvould knovv vvhich day of our vveeke this 7th day is see all the 4 Euangelists calling the Lords day of resurrection which is our Sunday the first day of the vveeke if then our Sunday be the first day of the vveeke then reckone onewards and Saturday vvill be this seuenth day and also the last of the number Come we now vnto the vses of the point and first is it so that this 7th day is commanded and deliuered in preceptiue and commanding termes as hath bene proued by sondry textes of Scripture then this bevvraieth the folly madnesse of some Diuines vvho seeing that here the Lord God doth so directly point at the Saturday for his Sabbath as they haue no way to auoide it Herevpon they fall to a blasphemouse deniall saying that these vvords But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. are no parte of the 4th com and that they are nothing but appurtenances forsooth thes men vvill take away no lesse at once then the Negatiue parte of a Com. they would haue no more in the 4th com but thes words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it I might easily shew them that thes words Sabbath day and seauenth day are vsed promiscuosly so as take avvay the one and take away the other graunt the one and graunt both see Exod. 20.11 Exod. 23.12 Luk. 13.14 yea they be vsed both to notify one the same day like as Lords day and Sunday be both names for our first day of the weeke so are Sabbath day and seauenth day names for Saturday the last day of our weeke if the one then belongs not vnto vs no more doth the other and if the one be a parte of the Com. so must be the other also But by these and the like euasions they vvill by hoocke or by kroocke as vve say by one bad means or an other reiect the proper day and time of the 4th Comm. and yet their very consciences tell them that the dueties of rest and holinesse vvhich vvere commanded together vvith the time and day in the selfe same com doe belong vnto vs novv vvhat an absurd thing it is for any to goe about to diuorse separate and disioyne those things which God hath married as it were ioyned together in the 4th Com. God ioyneth together the time and the duties to be performed in the time novv vvhat God hath ioyned together let no man put assunder They thinke the dueties commanded to the Ievves are descended to vs but not the time wherin those duties were to be performed this conceipt of theirs is much like absurd to these as if an house should descend to the heire but not the grownd whereon it stands or as if a bond of 10l paiable to the father vpon the 7th day of May some Lawyers should be of opinion that the some of mony indeed to wit the 10l. is descended to his sonne after his decease but not the time
God then they were wont presently they be labour it to extinguish this light in them to these I may fitly apply that word of the Lord Ierem. 23.30 Therefore behold I will come against the Prophets saith the Lord that steale my word euery one from his neighbour These then be sacrilegiouse theeues who will not sow the seed of Gods word in the hearts of their people but vvill watch vvhen it is sowne that they may come steale it away againe I trust Gods Ministers will bridle corrupt nature and giue me leaue to lay the plaister where the sore is knowing it is their office to doe the like to others dayly they vvho teach others to take a reproofe are not to learne in this point Let me speake one vvord novv to all these 3 sortes of Ministers together vvhy are yee you Tribe of Leuie such enemies to the integrity wholnesse perfection of the Lavv of your God deliuered vvith such maiestie and terrour vpon Mount Sinai Exod. 20 Why oppose you your selues also against those iotes titles of this lavv ratified by our Lord Christ vnto eternity in his sermon on the Mount Mat. 5.1.8 Why doe you not according to his vvill mind teach the people this least commandement touching the proper time of his worship and seruice Nay why are you so vnlike your selues For it is a rule approued in expounding of the Scriptures that things are to be taken in the largest sense if nothing hinder Now why then in expounding of this 4th com doe you abridge it excluding the proper time thereof as if nothing but the dueties of rest and holinesse belonged vnto vs Whereas you ought to expound it more largly as including both the time of the 7th day the dueties of rest holinesse also since there is nothing that you can iustly say against the time Againe it is another rule in expouding of Scripture in speciall of the Morall law that vnder one thing expresly commanded or forbidden are comprehended all of that kind with the least cause or occasion thereof See here how they enlarge the lavv to be vnderstood not onely of the things there by name mentioned but also of things not mentioned as of the causes occasions and yet the same men being to expound the 4th com are so farre off from enlarging it as they will miserablie curtaile it and clippe it and pare it vntill they haue quite pared away the 7th day Sabbath Why are you so inconstant so vnlike your selues is it a rule with you that things not mentioned in the Comm. are to be brought in that so the Com. may haue the largest scope compasse and will you exclude and thrust out things by name mentioned in the Com. as the 7th day Sabbath Againe when we are to deale against Papists then we are very zealouse for the integrity perfection of the law witnesse M. Perkins in his first Volume pag. 400. where he proueth that a Papist cannot goe beyond a Reprobate because they make the whole law vaine and this he affirmeth in these words If one frustrate but any one point of any one commandement the whole law thereby is made in vaine Cannot a Papist goe beyond a Reprobate if he frustrate any one point of any one commandement can a Protestant goe beyond a Reprobate when he doeth frustrate some one point in some one commandement as we doe in the 4th comm Must the law stand in euery point of euery commandement vvhen we haue to doe vvith our Aduersaries abroade is the case altered when we be among our selues at home It is made a marke of sincerity and of the trueth of grace vvhen a man hath respect vnto all Gods commandements without exception of any But come vpon the matter with them then they that deliuer this marke to others can scarcely finde it in themselues For albeit they seeme by this marke to iustify the law in the integrity and perfection of it yet aske them what they thinke of Gods 7th day Sabbath commanded in the 4th com and this they will baulke and except vnder one pretense or other by miscalling it Iewish Ceremoniall and by saying falsely that it is abolished and is this the respect they haue vnto all Gods commandements It is a rule also that the law it is wholly copulatiue that is the things therein commanded are firmly combined knit together so as not any one thing can be seuered from the law and thus farre they maintaine the law in its perfection integrity but how then cometh it about that novv you haue made such a hiatus such a gape in this lavv one of the Linkes of this chaine is broken the commanded time of 7th day in the 4th com is taken out and seuered from all the rest so novv this copulation is vncoupled and the lavv is not wholly copulatiue it is but partially copulatiue Behold how the enēmies to the Lords Sabbaths to the integrity perfection of the Lavv of God say and vnsay it againe abroad vvith our aduersaries t is a point of reprobation to frustrate but any one point of any one commandement at home t is a point of Iudaisme to maintaine defend them all What should I say more iustly may the Lord lament ouer England as once he did ouer Ierusalem saying O my people they that leade thee cause thee to erre Isa 3.12 SECT XI Thus I haue defended the Morall lavv against both Anabaptists Libertins and also the integrity perfection of this lavv against Protestants and Papists to this end I haue opened expounded one branch of this lavv to vvit the 4th com and discouered many foule grosse errours in the ordinary receiued exposition thereof Now for conclusion I purpose to adde an Exhortation to the loue of this lavv of God It is called a royall Lavv But if yee fulfill the royall law according to the Scripture c. Iam. 2.8 It is called a righteouse Law What nation is so great that hath ordinances and lawes so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 It is as a light in darkest night Thy word is a lanthorne vnto my feete and a light vnto my path Psal 119.105 Of all men the Prophet Dauid excelleth in this argument in his 119 Psalm Thy Testimonies are my delight my counsailers v. 24. My delight shall be in thy commandements which I haue loued v. 47. Thy statutes haue bene my Songes in the house of my pilgrimage v. 54. Oh how loue I thy Law it is my meditation continually v. 97. I hate vaine inuentions but thy law doe J loue v. 113. Yee see heere how Dauid was in loue with Gods lavv Now this his loue he doth expresse partly by his desirs and prayers and partly by comparisons by prayers Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law v. 18. Hide not thy commandements from mee v. 19. Mine heart breaketh
they haue taught and this they cannot beare for so the people as some of them haue saied would neuer beleeue them againe this is such a discredit as they that haue euer liued in credit and neuer denied themselues in such a point as this cannot tell how to beare it therfore can beare no good will to the cause 3. That they should receiue this point from so vile and contemptible a person as first brocheth it this cannot be borne it cannot be thought their high spirits will stoope so lovve 4. That the profession of this trueth may endanger them the losse of their faire liuings 5. It crosseth supposed Antiquity 6. It crosseth vniuersality 7. It is impossible to be reformed These the like raigning ruling in their mindes how can it be but suspitious that they haue no good will to the cause why then should it not be lavvfull for me to except against these mens testimony to haue them dravvne so as they may passe no verdict touching the Lords Sabbaths For their testimony is quit disabled as you see therefore to be reiected Furthermore parties vve say are no fit Iudges Novv Ministers in this case are parties for they are violent against the Lords Sabbaths vvherefore they are no compitent Iudges if therefore people vvill haue any knovvledge of this part of Gods Lavv they must get it themselues by their owne study of the point they must serch my bookes for Gods Sabbaths and their bookes sermons against Gods Sabbaths vnpartially weigh the arguments on both sids vvithout any regard had at all to the Authours Thus yousee that if a man hath knowledge of this trueth hath Honestie also yet if his goodwill be wanting his opinion iudgment is of no worth yet fruther I argue if that a mans testimony be worth lesse for want of goodwill to the cause when as he once by wisdome knovveth the trueth first then much more worth lesse is it when he was stuffed with a preiudice of the point before he knew it that is when he had euill vvill to the point before he knew it novv this is the case of our Ministers as may be coniectured by the cōsideration of those 7. argumēts before mētioned for at theire very firsthearsay of the point before they had read the booke or studied the point thes stumbling blockes appeared instantly to vvit if they imbrace it there follovveth losse of credit losse of liuing the rest so as theire minds are so forestalled vvith feares of these dangers as they cannot regard vvhat they heare nor vvhat they read their iudgement is quite ouerthrovvne for the most part in this case say that they reade the booke about the pointe they reade rather vvith a minde desirouse to carpe cavvill at euery thing as ioyfull to make false vvhat they feare to imbrace rather then to be further inlightened in the point as I appeale to theire consciences if I say not true of them further the trueth hereof appeareth that theire minds iudgements are forestaled against this point before they reade or study the point for many Ministers yea the most who neuer studied the point no nor euer savv so much as the out side of my former booke yet at the first hearesay of it cry burne the booke the like wherfore if people shall say I but novv our Ministers haue better studied the point they haue seene redd his booke are yet as violent against it as before c. vvhy vvhat maruaile seing they set vpon readinge it vvith a forestaled opinion they resolued by reading it to get no good by it but to see vvhere it vvas vveake in theire conceit so to blaze that a broad for they vvant that propertie of an allovvable witnesse to vvit goodwill And vvhat though people say their Ministers are many who are of the same minde for the opinions of 10000. of them are not worth a rush in this case the opinion of some one Minister who speaketh for the Lords Sabbath with hazard to loose his liuing and credit with the rest is more to be esteemed and prized by the people I auowch it then is the opinions of 10000. Ministers who speake against the Lords Sabbaths not daring to doe otherwise for feare of losse of liuing credit and those other discommodities forementioned the Testimony of one Martyr is of more worth then of all his persecutors for the witnesse of these many is to be suspected to speake for their proffit rather then for a good conscience but the witnesse of that one is to be thought to speake rather for his conscience then for his proffit Wherefore if people vvil be led by the iudgment of others rather then by themselues or if they will leane any thing at all to other mens iudgments let them choose to follow the opinion of him that looseth by his iudgment rather then of them who make againe by their opinion That this point may be yet cleerer see what a power carnall feare hath ouer a good conscience in the dayes of Christ it is saied Ioh. 12.42 Neuerthelesse among the chiefe Rulers many beleeued in him but because of the pharises they did not confesse him lest they should be cast out of the Synagogue loe here what a carnall feare vvill doe it can make men afraide to speake and confesse what they belecue is a trueth the feare of being excommunicated made them that they durst not confesse Christ him selfe you know also how some of the Martyres through feare haue for a season denied the trueth you know also how Peter through feare denied his Lord Master yea and forswore him too wherefore be it that Ministers haue vvisedome lerning doe know this trueth be it also that they be godly make conscience why all this may be yet of feare they may deny Gods trueth when they doe know it also much sooner of feare they may refuse to learne to knovv this trueth vvhen it is tendred them for Peter knew Christ Peter was a godly Minister also and made conscience so the Martyres yet you see how farr feare to displease men feare of damage may preuaile The consideration therfore of these many stumbling blockes in the way of Ministers whereof they cannot be ignorant should me thinke strike them vvith a feare that they speake partially and corruptly vvhen they speake against the Lords Sabbaths knowing how easy a thing it is for mens minds to be forestaled with a preiudice when a point is tendred vnto them attended with so many discommodities as this is I wish they would stay vpon the meditation of this point a while that it may doe them good Now as for people since they haue heard at large how insufficient the opinion iudgement of their Ministers is vvhilst they speake against the Lords Sabbathes if hereafter they will still cleaue vnto their iudgments for the tryall of this trueth they shall bewray their
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
Lords day for it is so indeed 2. If you aske me vvhere vve haue any com to baptize infants my ansvver is that I neuer reade of any yet and therefore I take it to be an indifferent thing at the libertie of the Church to baptise vvhen infants or of riper yeeres if therefore you can shew a Com. for Baptisme of infants vvhich I cannot then is there reason you should also shew a Com. for your Lords day but if you can shew none no more then I then is your Lords day but an indifferent thing and at the liberty of the Church as Baptisme of infants is this is a rule that vvhat is not commaunded nor forbidden that is indifferent so then as the Church may baptise one sooner or later so the Church may keepe your Lords day and they may refuse to keepe it if they please and this is the highest pitch of honour that you can raise your Lords day to that it is an indifferent thing so as the Church may Rest vpon it or vvorke vpon it keepe it or refuse to keepe it at hir pleasure for a commaunded thing or day it is not by your owne confession SECT IV. Thus vve haue showne that of all the Scriptures which they bring for the Lords day they haue neuer a Commandement for it from Christ nor from his Apostles Novv let vs come vnto such kind of Scriptures as they haue for it the first vvhich vve vvill mention shall be the 4th Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it c. Herevnto I answer doe not these men thinke you stand in need of Sampsons strength to drage hale this 4th Comm. vnto the Lords day And of more then Achitophels vvite to make an argument out of this 4th Com. for the Lords day which shall stand by force of necessary consequence whereof they talke so had they not neede of a long rope to tye together this 4th Com. the Lords day the one being two thowsand yeeres before the other the one in Moses his time the other in Christ his time Doth our new ordinance of Baptisme stand by force of the old Law of Circumcision made thowsands of yeeres before euer Baptisme vvas heard of Doth our new ordinance of the Lords Supper stand by force of the old Law of the passeouer made thowsands of yeeres before the Lords Supper vvas euer heard of and how then should this nevv ordinance of the Lords day be proued to stand by force of the old Law for the 7th day Sabbath made thowsands of yeeres before euer this Lords day vvas heard on had not these men fore heads of brasse cast off shame vvit together they could not be so impudent as to vndertake such an absurd taske but this they leane vpon they can but say the vvord and it is done the simple people beleeue all for gospell if once Mr. Yates Mr. Gallard and Mr. Chappell deliuer it as their iudgment it is as if S. Peter S. Iohn S. Paul had said it in expresse vvords thus it is in our Country I beleeue it is no better in other partes of the Kingdome Who vvould thinke that these men should be so audaciously bould as to alter Gods 4th Com. from one day of the vveeke vnto an other be it that Christ had set vp the Lords day for a Sabbath is not his Authority sufficient for it are not all the Textes in the Nevv Testament able enough to iustifie it but they must flie into the Old Testament for a commandement for it can they shevv vvhere Christ or his Apostles did euer ranke this Lords day vnder the 4th com or inioyne it to be kept with reference vnto or conscience of the 4th Com let them shew their necessary consequence for this Furthermore if these men could see but that they cannot so long as they thinke wisedome must dye vvith them vvhilst they goe about to strengthen their Lords day Sabbath by the 4th Com. they therby vveaken it in the sight of all vvise men For besids vvhat hath bene said to this purpose themselues doe bevvray it that their cause is feeble and vvanteth strength supportation for their consciences tell them that the Lords day needeth a Commandement and their eyes tell them that Christ and his Apostles left none for it in all the Nevv Testament vvherefore to make vp that vvhich is lacking by Christ themselues haue supplied it by runing into the Old Testament for a Com. for it thus they intimate that Christ vvas not a perfect Lavv-giuer because he gaue none for the Lords day Sabbath and further they doe bevvray that they cannot finde arguments sufficient enough for the Lords day neither from Christ nor from the Apostles nor in all the Nevv Testament for else they vvould as vvell content themselues vvith such arguments as they find in the Nevv Testament for it as in other new ordinances they doe they rune not into the Old Testamēt to proue the doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ of Baptisme and the Lords Supper Wherefore they bewray that the Lords day is not grownded in the New Testament as is the Resurrection Baptisme and the Lords supper this kind of Sophistry is much like vnto this suppose a Lawyer should affirme it that it is vnlavvfull for an vsurer to take aboue 8. in the 100. and the vsurer should demaund againe of him vvhen that Law was made by vvhom what King vvas the Authour founder of it herevnto the Lawyer should reply it vvas enacted by King Charles a fewe yeeres since c. Suppose againe that the vsurer doubting of the matter should desire him to proue it vnto him by the Statute booke that there was such a Law enacted by King Charles in such a yeere as he spake of if novv this Lawyer could not shew any Statute Law for it enacted in King Charles his reigne but must bring forth an old Statute Lavv enacted by Quene Elizabeth many yeeres before King Charles his birth where in Shee forbade to take aboue 10 in the 100. Would not any man whose eyes are in his heade thinke the Lawyer doth but fumble And thinke here were forgery deceipt in this Lawyer iust so it is with our diuines they say with one voice that Christ instituted this Lords day and that 1630 yeeres a gone yet put them to proue it they can shew no Comm. for it made during the reigne of Christ here vpon earth or in the time of his Successours the Apostles but they rune out for a Law enacted 2000. yeers before Christ or his Apostles vvere borne is not this pretty If I might aduise them they should hould them closse to such Lawes onely and Scriptures as they can find in the New Testament enacted by Christ for the Lords day if it vvere but to saue their credites among wise men But let vs novv come vnto their arguments to see how they vvill proue the Lords day a Sabbath day
honest auditory also that 's worse in alleaging of our Testimony in publike as if vve did vphould iustify his false Minor which we doe vtterly renownce neuer vseing his phrase in his sense the man is liuing of whom I speake if he thinke I vvrong him he can right himselfe And so I come to the other part of his Minor to wit And not the 7th day where he affirmeth that the 7th day is not the Sabbath day for proofe hereof he referred his auditory at that time to what he had in former sermons deliuered my selfe not being present at his former sermons as I was at this and being vnsatisfied with this reference I went vnto him after his sermon was ended and desired him to giue me a coppye or notes of what he had formerly preacht against the Lords Sabbaths and he asked me to what end I desired his notes my answer to him was thus I promise you that I will either confirme them or confute them I gaue him also certaine reasons to induce him to giue me his notes as this that he was the Lords Champion and therefore who but hee should defend the Lords cause I told him further that hee in speciall sorte aboue all Ministers had ingaged himselfe in this quarrell in as much as he had openly contested against my booke the Lords Sabbaths therein defended and howbeit I did not rashly and of mine owne head goe vnto him vvith this request as I told him but with the aduise of some Minister neere friend of his who thought hee neither would nor could deny me this request yet say vvhat I could I could get no notes of him so then for the latter part of his Minor and the proofe of it I must take it vpon his bare word that he had formerly confuted the Lords Sabbaths but whither he had or he had not I can say nothing because I cannot obtaine a sight of his notes but I know what I thinke of it This one thing I remember that M. Chappell was highly magnified applauded not onely by his parishoners but also by all Puritane Diuines that heard him for his solid learned ouerthrowing of the Lords Sabbath the which let vs take for granted and so you shall see how the crafty are caught in their owne craftinesse from this impiouse vngodly doctrine of M. Chappell thus I argue If that the old Sabbath mentioned in the morall law be abolished by M. Chappell then hee cannot proue infallibly that we haue any new Sabbath jure diuino then must M. Chappell his parishoners those Puritane Diuines that so applauded his doctrine all turne Anabaptists forthwith and so keepe no Sabbath at all The reason hereof is plaine for if we haue neither the old Sabbath nor any new Sabbath then we haue no Sabbath at all and so must become Anabaptistes Hauing answered their arguments whereby they would proue the Lords day a Sabbath by the 4th com I desire the Reader but to looke backe vpon them they are but 3 in number to consider how poore feeble they are and withall to thinke with what face they can so bouldly vrge the 4th com in the pulpit vpon the Lords day and so I come to disproue them and to shew that the 4th com cannot be vrged vpon the Lords day and let it be considered whither their reasons for it or mine against it be the more cleere and haue better force of prouing My first reason to the contrary is that the Lords day cannot be a Sabbath day by the 4th com because the 4th comman doth command vs to worke on the Lords day for the 4th com saith Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke Exod. 20.9 and the first of these 6 dayes is the day called the Lords day as vve haue proued in the exposition of the 4th com Now this law inioyning vs to labour sixe dayes consequently on the Lords day was neuer repealed for it was noe Type or shaddow of Christ c. Nay Christ ratified this law by his owne practise for he laboured and trauailed vp downe too and fro on this Lords day after his resurrection Luk. 24.15 Now can any wise man thinke that this 4th com should command vs to Rest from worke on the Lords day when the same comm commandeth vs to worke on the Lords day behold whither these men are not fit expounders of Scripture when they are so ignorant therein as they make not onely one Scripture contradict an other Scripture but then the which is nothing more absurd they make one and the same Scripture to contradict it selfe for they make the 4th com to say Thou shalt not worke on the Lords day when it saith the quite contrary Sixe dayes thou shalt worke of which 6 the Lords day is one may not I truely say of these Ministers who thus abuse Gods law in expounding it as Paul said of some that they would be Doctours of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake neither whereof they affirme 1. Tim. 1.7 My second argument against them is this That Sabbath day which is commanded in the 4th com it is a weekly Sabbath on euery 7th day But it cannot be proued that the Lords day is a weekly Sabbath for in Christs time and in the Apostles times it vvas not kept constantly and vveekly but once in a yeere or the like as hath bene showne Therefore the Lords day is not nor can be commanded in the 4th com My third argument to the contrary is because the time the circumstance of time as they cale it in the 4th Comm. is abolished as themselues say teach for they teach that by these Textes of Scripture Rom. 14.5 Gal. 4.10 and Colos 2.16.17 the time of the 7th day commāded in the 4th com is a ceremony a Ievvsh ceremony c. Now from their owne doctrine I argue against them thus If the commaunded time in the 4th Com. be a circumstance and a Iewish ceremony and abolished then very foolishly doe they that vvill rune to the 4th Com. for time for the new Sabbath or Lords day aske them by what precept this time of the Lords day is to be sanctified they vvill tell you by the 4th com so that they will fetch a time out of the 4th Comm. and yet they say this time is abolished what contradicting folly is this wherefore vnlesse they can proue that there vvas two dayes and two times the 7th day and the 8th day commanded in the 4th com their doeings are like vnto a foolish gardiner vvho hauing but one bed of time in his garden first he vvill cut it or roote it all vp and then he will make all men beleeue that yet for all that he can fetch as much time out of that bed as he could doe before it was rooted vp of such pulpit gardiners vve haue too many they can take out of the Com. what they please
Sabbath day to sanctify it and yet will not indure it that their people should Sanctify the Sabbath day but they vvill call it Iudaisme if they sanctifie it or they will haue one tricke or other one distinction or other to cast in their way whereby they will hinder them from sanctifying it They call vpon the people to keepe Gods 4th Com. and pray in vvith the Congregation to keepe this Law the 4th Com. yet they vvill not abide it that their people should doe the things commanded in this commandement one of the things commanded in this 4th com is that we should sanctify the 7th day but this they will none of vvhat an horrible kind of dissembling is this to call much frequently zealously vpon the people to kepe this Law of God and yet vvill not abide that their people should doe performe the things commanded in this Law Let me also speake a word or two vnto the people and first as touching their deuotions in the Congregation you heare the Minister reade thus Remember the Sabbath day c. But the 7th day is the Sabbath c. vnto the which you deuoutly add this prayer Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our hearts to keepe this Law By which prayer you doe yeeld your assent vnto what the Minister had vttered it is your dueties now also to see to it that you know what you pray else as the Minister saith one thing and meaneth an other so the people say they know not what you are loath to subscribe your name vnto a writing or put your seale vnto a bond vntill you haue read it ouer and vnderstand vvell vvhat it is that you put your hand or seale vnto Why this your prayer after the Minister hath recited Gods 4th com is as your handwriting or seale put vnto Gods com you must therefore vnderstand vvell vvhat you seale vnto When the Minister saith Remember the Sabbath day vvill you pray God to haue mercy on you incline your heart to keepe the Lords day and vvhen the Minister saith But the 7th day is the Sabbath Will you desire God to incline your heart to keepe the 8th day for the Sabbath I pray iudge in your selues vvhat this is better then babling before God vve must pray vvith the spirit and vve must pray vvith our vnderstanding also and that especially vvhen vve are redy to partake of the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper 2. Let me speake vnto the people as touching their keeping of this Lords day in conscience of this 4th com you see they cannot bring any proueing arguments to euince it that the 4th com belongeth vnto the Lords day besides you see I haue proued the contrary that the 4th com cannot belong vnto the Lords day vvherefore people may be as zealouse as they will in sanctifying of the Lords day and hope to please God thereby as a duety of the 4th com but let them beleeue it all this their zeale is as the Apostle speaketh a zeale without knowledge Rom. 10.2 All this their religion is but meere superstition they thinke to please God hereby but God may say vnto them who required this at your hands may not this truely be counted as a limme of that voluntarie religion and will worship condemned by S. Paul Col. 2.23 let men trye all things therefore and let them imitate the Bereanes to serch the Scriptures and pray to God for illumination then for reformation They may loose their Haye their Corne on the Lords day if they will in conscience of the 4th com but the 4th com calleth for no such matters on the Lords day they may neglect their seed time on the Lords day if they will in conscience of that comm Exod. 34.21 In the 7th day thou shalt rest both in earing time and in the haruest But let them know that this com concerneth the 7th day Saturday Sabbath not the 8th day Lords day Sabbath The like may be said of Brewers Malâ—sters they may if they will neglect to brewe tunn vp their beere to steepe dry their maulte on the Lords day in conscience of the 4th com but it is but their will worship and a voluntary religion it is altogether needlesse for them to make any such scruples The like I might speake to all other Tradsmen in Citties Townes I haue often heard many scruples questions moued touching the religiouse keeping of the Sabbath day meaning it of our Lords day as whither it be lawfull for Taylers to carry home fit new garments on the Sabbath day morning and whither Shoemakers may fit shoes in the morning c. and whither Water-men may row on the Sabbath day after Euening prayer and whither Marriners may set sayle begine a voyage on the Sabbath day and whither any May-games shooting and bowleing or like recreations be lawfull on our Sabbath day and I haue heard it much questioned vvhen the Sabbath day doth begine end at morning at midnight or on the Euening and the like To these the like questiones I answer 1. if the lawes of the Realme will permit these on the Lords day I answer the law of Gods 4th com is not against them but rather with them saying Sixe dayes shalt thou labour c. whereof the Lords day is one 2. I answer it is mens duty first of all to be inquisitive after the day it selfe to know which day is the Sabbath day before they inquire how the day should be spent what may be done on the day and what not there is a greater errour amongst vs then they are aware on their scruples questiones are like vnto the minte annise cummin but there is an other thing a weightier matter of the law neglected to be questioned that is to know whither the 7th day or the 8th day be the Sabbath day or to know whither we keepe the Lords Sabbath at all or not for I confidently auowch it that Gods Sabbaths commanded in his morall law are wholly neglected profaned I ernestly desire therfore that men would now for a season turne the current of their quaeries from these lesser matters vnto this weightier matter vntill by serching they haue found out the trueth the blessing of God be vpon their laboures Thus much for answer to the abused text of the 4th commandement for the Lords day SECT V. A second text produced to proue the Lords day a Sabbath day is Psal 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce be glad in it Here say some the word made may be translated Sanctified further this day here spoken of was a type of the very day of Christs resurrection on the Lords day or first day of the weeke therfore God made or Sanctified this day for a Sabbath Before I answer this text least some should obiect vnto me that I debase their cause by bringing in
one yeere vpon one day of the weeke and the next yeere vpon an other Wherefore since it is the most likely that Pentecost day then fell vpon some other day of the weeke as Saturday or the like hovv vvill they proue it fell novv vvhen Peter preached on the Lords day or Sunday 3. I answer but suppose we that it was the Lords day wherin all this vvas done it yet doth not follow that this day was therfore a Sabbath day for these actions were no proper actions of a Sabbath day done onely vpon Sabbath dayes for they were common weeke dayes actions such as might be may be and were done vpon any day of the weeke let vs rune thorough the particulars briefly and first for the Holy Ghostes descending how will they make it appeare that the Holy Ghost in his discent doth vvaite for a Sabbath day to come downe in vve reade of the Holy Ghosts descending in Act. 10.44 and in Act. 19.6 But not a vvord that these dayes were Sabbath dayes If notable actions done in a day must sanctify that day for a Sabbath day vvhy are not good Friday wherin Christ suffered Hallow Thursday vvherin Christ ascended made Sabbaths also for these workes vvere as behoofefull for the Church as was the descent of the Holy Ghost 2. For the Sacrament of Baptisme the administration of this is no proper worke for a Sabbath but may be done in any common day Else why doe vvee baptise children on any day of the vveeke and vvhy did Phillip Baptise the Eunuch on a trauailing day Act. 8.38.39 Paul baptized Lydia hir houshold vpō the Saturday Sabbath Act. 16.15 Sacraments were neuer appropriated to the Sabbath day as vve may see in Circumcision it vvas on the 8 day were it Sabbath day or not the Passeouer it was on the 14th day of the moneth were it Sabbath day or not Christ did eate the Lords Supper on Thursday night the night before he was crucified 3. For Peters sermon we know preaching is no worke so proper vnto the Sabbath day as it may not be on any day of the weeke also else why preach wee on Lecture dayes on any of the weeke dayes preaching may be on any day of the weeke according to that 2. Tim. 4.2 preach the word be instant in season and out of season Christ preached on a vvorking day to the Samaritan vvoman his Disciples being gone into the Citty to buy meate Ioh. 4.8 the Apostles preached daily in the Temple and from house to house Act. 5.42 thus it appeareth that these are such actions as may be done on any day of the weeke hovv then will it follow that this day of Pentecost was Sabbath day because these actions vvere done in that day these are farr from necessary consequences I am suer No maruaile they pretend necessary consequences for the Lords day and magnify their reason so highly in the want of a Commandement for the day I see novv ther is some cause indeede that they should set a good face vpon the matter and hauing no Com. from Christ for the day yet they should make the world beleeue that they haue good consequences for the purpose and doe you not see how good they are had they neither consequence nor Com. for the day they should haue iust nothing for it they had need therefore extoll their necessary consequences Doe not vve on a Christmas day vvhen it falleth on a working day or weeke day both pray preach vse the Sacraments and rest from laboures and sing Psalmes in the Congregation and vvill any wise man say ther 's necessary consequence in it that we keepe it for a Sabbath day what vanities are these The vtmost that can be collected by good consequence from this Text Act. 2. is that the Church kept this day of Pentecost for a Lecture day like as vve haue Lecture dayes euery vvhere on vveeke dayes on Tewsdayes or Thursdayes the like Further it is to be noted that Peters Sermon heere it vvas meerly occationall extraordenary therfore can not binde vs to ordenary practise For vpon the extraordenary Myracle of the Holy Ghosts deseent in clouen fiery tounges some people vvere amazed astonished doubting said what may this be Act. 2.12 Others mocked and said the Apostles vvere full of new wine and drunken Act. 2.13 now here vvas greate occation for Peter to preach a Sermon vnto them partly to informe instruct those that vvere amazed doubted partly to confute those vvho scosted at the Apostles as if they had bene drunken so heere was matter enough to moue Peter to preach though he had no respect vnto the day as a Sabbath day It is true hence a Minister by consequence may gather such a consequent or doctrine as this namely that it is the duety of Ministers to preach the vvord vpon all occations but for any to collect hence not onely that vve must preach vpon all occations but more then this as namely that vve must also euer more preach vpon the same day and in the same time vvherin the Apostle Peter preached that is vpon the Lords day vvhither there be extraordenaty occation or none this is idle absurde for the Text will not beare vs out in any such collections nor can it be gathered hence that vve are bound to preach at all vpon either one day or vpon an other vnlesse it be vpon extraordenary occationes such as vvere Peters here in this Texte Further vve may aswell coliect hence also concerning the place as the time saying that vve must euermore preach in a populouse and famouse Citty also as London Norwich and the like for Peter preached in Ierusalem a famouse Citty And also when vve preach there we must keepe that day for a Sabbath day too 4. My 4th last answer to this text is by shewing their absurd consequence hence for if that the coming downe of the holy Ghost Peters sermon the convertion of 3000. the baptizing of them c. did declare the day to be a Sabbath day wherein they were done then is Pentecost a Iewish ceremoniall feast day moralized made a Christian Sabbath day and so Iewish abrogated ceremonies shall be reuiued in the Church the reason thereof is because the holy Ghost doth not call this day here Lords day or first day of the weeke but he calleth it Pentecost day and when the day of Pentecost was come Act. 2.1 This day might be called by 3 seuerall names as 1. Lords day 2. The first day of the weeke and 3. Pentecost day Now in that the holy Ghost reiecteth both those names of Lords day and first day of the weeke which should make for their purpose chooseth this name Pentecost day which was a ceremoniall day it followeth that if these actions had any force or virtue to declare the day whereon they were done to be a Sabbath day they shewed vs that this day considered
vs any reason why he so called it what man then can hence collect from its bare name what we should doe with this Lords day Furthermore some argue out of this Text thus that this Lords day is so called as Christs last Supper is called the Lords Supper novv the Lords Supper is so called because it was instituted in remembrance of Christ and so this day is called Lords day because it vvas instituted for a Sabbath in remembrance of Christ Herevnto I answer by deniall of this proposition that the First day of the weeke is called Lords day as Christs last Supper is called the Lords Supper in these words they affirme that there is the like reason or the same reason of the Lords day of the Lords Supper vvel novv they haue affirmed it in the next place it is their parte to proue it for bare affirmations are no arguments it is not therfore so because they haue said it is so for my parte I neuer heard it proued yet that the Lords day is so called for the same causes that Christs Supper is called the Lords Supper neither doe I beleeue that euer I shall heare it proued In the meane space let me shew the vanity of this affirmation argumentation by the like thus This Lords day is so called as the earth is called the Lords earth all that is therin for the earth is the Lords all that therein is 1. Cor. 10.26 Novv the earth is called the Lords earth because the Lord made it all things therein to serue man in his ordenary common vse Genes 1.29 Genes 9.3 and so this day is called Lords day because Christ ordeined it for mans ordenary common vse that is for a working day If they may take liberty to giue a bare affirmation then argue vpon it absurdly then so may I 2. it is said that wee are the Lords Rom. 14.8 Now wee Christians were redeemed by the Lord Christ that we should serue him in righteousnesse holinesse all the dayes of our life Luk. 1.74.75 and if vve must serue him all the dayes of our life then must we serue him in the ordenary workes of our calings thus then I may argue so is this day called Lords day that it may be spent by seruing God in the ordenary workes of our calings 3. Iames is called the Lords brother Gal. 1.19 Now may a man thus say argue this day is called Lords day as Iames is called the Lords brother novv Iames is called the Lords brother because he vvas allied to him so is this day called Lords day because it is allied to him see the absurdety of such collections as are made from this Text. 4. If this first day of the weeke must be a Sabbath resting day because called Lords day then must the earth rest be no more tilled because it is called the Lords earth then must we Christians hereafter rest from worke euery day all our liues long because vvee are called the Lords the Lords redeemed thus you see the vanity of their arguings from this Text the like may be said out of that Text Luk. 17.22 where is mentiō made of the Lords day or day of the Sonne of man But peraduenture they will obiect that these instances are not like their case for t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 notifying some speciall thing and it is to be translated the Lords day not the day of the Lord whereto I answer 1. for the article looke into the Textes alleaged by me you shall find the article there also 2. For the translatiō that it neither maketh or marreth whither of the twaine we take is plaine in that Translatores doe promiscuously render it sometimes one way sometimes an other see 2 Thes 1.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fyer of flame or in flaming fyer Gal. 1.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the brother of the Lord or the Lords brother see Iam. 2.1 and what difference is to be made betwene these the mount of holinesse the holy mount the Temple of holinesse and the holy Temple and so the day of the Lord and the Lords day 3. I will shew you two phrases of neerer affinity then theires and yet differ as farr as Creation Redemption the 7th day Sabbath is called the Feast of the Lord and the anniuersary Sabbaths are also called the Feastes of the Lord Leuit. 24.2.4 and yet the one of these is not euery way like the other for the one is a Signe of Creation the other of Christ redemption so may it be betwene the Lords day the Lords Supper c. I confesse vve may be bould to render a reason why Christs Supper was called the Lords Supper because vve haue a vvord of institution added to the name declaring its nature vse and end as 1. Cor. 11.20 23.24.25 but it is not so with the day called the Lords day Reuel 1.10 Yee haue nothing but its bare name mentioned not a word of the reason of the name nor of the vse and end of the day so named wherefore all consequences from hence must be as saith M. Perkins before quoted but suppositions probabilities likelihoods Some argue thus that which in Scripture is called the Lords that is to be consecrated to the Lord and to his worship I answer as vvell may they thus argue conclud that because the earth is called the Lords it must therefore be co secrated so to God as it must rest be tilled no more be imploied vvholly and onely to Gods vvorship And so Christianes being called the Lords must rest from vvorke and onely worship God Some Ministers argue thus that this day is called Lords day by way of excellency as excelling all other dayes of the weeke therfore it must be a Sabbath day for Sabbath dayes excell all other dayes Herevnto I answer that euery excellency of a day maketh not that day a Sibbath day vnlesse it excelleth as a Sabbath day for example good friday so euery friday since doe excell all other dayes of the weeke in this regard that on it Christ suffred his bitter passion for vs yet is not euery friday since a Sabbath day Hallow Thursday excelleth all dayes of the vveeke in this that on it Christ ascended vp into heauen yet is not Thursday become a Sabbath day So the Lords day excelleth all others in this that on it Christ rose yet is not the Lords day a Sabbath day ere the more for this excellency As the Minister excelleth all other men for a Minister yet he is not therfore a Magistrate so the Lords day may excell all other dayes for a resurrection day and yet it is not therfore a Sabbath or Resting day Loe with what idle stuffe they fill peoples heads withall to boulster out their fancies Others there are who thinke their bare naming of the day Lords
an expresse commandement to the Iewes to keepe that Sabbath in memory of the Creation but there can be no commandement showne vs from Christ or his Apostles for vs to keepe the Lords day in remembrance of the redemption wherefore we are not bound vnto this new Sabbath as they were vnto the old Sabbath for there is not the like reason this sophistry euery man may see I come now to their reason they say the Redemption is greater then the vvorke of Creation Herevnto I answer to know vvhither it be greater or not vvould cost more labour then this their reason is worth vvherefore for argument sake I suppose it is greater but heere I demaund of them to whom it is greater Whither it be greater vnto all men or but vnto some men their answer vvill be that the vvorke of Redemption is greater vnto the elect vnto the redeemed and to those onely vvhich haue faith Well then the Redemption is neither greater nor great nor any thing at all to those vvhich are not elected not redeemed and vvhich liue dye vvithout faith of these ij sortes of people the elect are the fewer number the vnbeleeuers are the greater number Well then see how these things hange together the thing they must proue is that we Christians that is all we Christians euen euery one vvithin the pale of the Church that is baptised all these ought to keepe the Lords day for a Sabbath in memory of the redemption vvhen as the one halfe of these are not redeemed and their reason to bind all euery man thus to keepe a remembrance of this redemption is because the vvorke of redemption is greater vnto some onely of these men How absurd is this that euery man should be bound to keep a ioyfull memory of that thing which doth belong but vnto some of them onely as not to the one halfe of them this is as if they would vndertake to perswade not onely English men but also Dutch men French men to keepe a yeerly ioyfull remembrance vvith vs for our deliuerance from the Spanyard in 88 Why vvhat haue French Dutch to doe vvith our deliuerance in 88 this concerned not them it vvas not their deliuerance so vvhat haue such to doe to keepe a ioyfull remembrance euery Lords day for the redemption vvhen it belongeth not vnto them they being vnbeleeuers and such as loue not the Lord Iesus Wherefore they cannot presse this their new Sabbath of Lords day by this their reason vpon any but vpon such as they see by their fruits doe alredy beleeue such as doe not yet beleeue vvhich commonly are the greater number these are not tyed vnto the keeping of this Lords day behold vvhat a Sabbath they haue then to vvit such a one as onely the fewer number of the Church Parish are tied to keepe it as for the greater number of our Citties Townes Parishes these are not bound to keepe it this their reason therefore doth bewray the idlenesse of the cause for vve must haue such a Sabbath as the reason of it doth belong vnto all and to euery man none excepted and such is the Saturday Sabbath vvhich is to be kept in memory of the Creation now all euery man hath a benefit by the Creation and therefore all are bound to it none excepted but it is not so with the Sunday Sabbath for a fewe onely haue reason to keepe it Yet further to discouer the vanity of this argument since they vvill haue vs keepe a Sabbath in remembrance of the Redemption I demaund of them hovv often they vvould haue vs keepe a Sabbaah in memory of the Repemption once euery 7th day ofter or seldomer they vvill answer once euery 7th day vvhy say I that is Iewish and sauoureth of Iudaisme to obserue a 7th day this they haue learned from the Iewish Sabbath vvherefore since they doe so abhorre Iudaisme the 7th day Sabbath vvhy doe they imitate the Jewes herein and the 7th day Sabbath by choosing a 7th day the 7th day is in imitation of Gods rest on the 7th day and in memory of the Worlds creation finished at the 7th day but vve are Christians and as they say all things are become new old things are passed away vvell then vve must now imitate Christ the Redeemer as the Iewes did God the Creatour and we must fetch light from the vvorke of Redemption to know how often to keepe our new Sabbath as the Iewes did by Gods direction from the vvorke of Creation If then we must imitate Christ the Redeemer as did the Iewes God the Creatour then must we trauaile too fro vpon the Lords day for so did Christ himselfe 2. If we must fetch light hovv often to keepe our nevv Sabbath from the vvorke of redemption as the Iewes did from the worke of Creation then must we since all things are become new take vp a new account of time also vve must no longer regard a 7th day but now we must regard the third day for as God was sixe dayes in the worke of creation rested the 7th so Christ vvas three dayes in the worke of redemption rose rested the third day on good friday he suffred vpon the crosse on Saturday on a parte of the Lords day he lay in the graue so you see the vvorke of redemption cost Christ 3 dayes worke vvherefore if they vvill imitate Christ they must keepe euery third day for a Lords day for a new Sabbath so they shall keepe two Sabbathes in a weeke or thereabouts if they doe not thus they may talke vvhat they vvill that all things are become new that as the Iewes kept a Sabbath in imitation of God at the Creation so vve in imitation of Christ in the redemption but vvhere is their imitation of Christ doe they trauaile too fro follow their callings on the Lords day as Christ did doe they keepe euery third day a Lords day and Sabbath day as Christ rose vpon the third day no such matter Furthermore whereas they suppose that we haue as greate neede of a Sabbath to keepe a memory of the Redemption as the Iewes had of a Sabbath to keepe in memory the Creation I deny it for God had giuen the Jevves the Sabbath day and it alone to keepe in memory his Creation therfore it vvas necessary because they had no other helpes but for vs for the Redemption vve haue two Sacraments Baptisme the Lords Supper to keepe in memory the Redemption these are helps enough so as there is no necessity of a Sabbath day also for the same end Doe this in Remembrance of mee so hereby then the Redemption shall be kept in memory all though vve haue no Lords day Sabbath at all There is neede therfore to haue a Sabbath to keepe memory of the Creation when there is no neede to haue one to keepe memory of the Redemption They haue also an
proued in the Section before this Then also should not those Churches vvhich doe keepe it keepe it as a Sabbath but as an holy day remisly so as they might make hay in Hay seile and reape their corne in haruest and plough their Lands in Wheate seile vpon the Lords day for so did the primitiue Churches in Constantins time they did their vvorkes of husbandry on the Lords day But some in our Church are growne more strict then euer the primitiue Churches were and yet these are holden the purest Churches we must doe no worke in Hay-seile Barley-seile Haruest nor Wheate-seile all in conscience of the 4th com if vve should imitate the primitiue Churches in these dayes either by neglecting the Lords day altogether as some of them did or by doeing the vvorkes of hus bandry on the Lords day as othersome of them did these our Ministers who vse more zeale then knowledge would damne vs to the pit of hell for it To conclud this Section vvhereas Ministers haue formerly frequently abused the Churches of God deceased slaundred them by fathering this their errour vpon them as if they had bene of their minds keeping the Lords day for a Sabbath vvhich is false as you see hereby they haue vvronged the dead yea those pure primitiue Churches of God made thē speake vvhat they neuer thought to the boulstering vp of a late sprung vp errour an errour of 40 or 50 yeeres old by some in our Church of 7 or 10 yeers old in some other Churches they must consider also hovv many thowsand soules they haue seduced partly by this golding tale of the constant practise of all Churches and for time to come let these things be reformed that so those primitiue Churches be no more abused nor our Christian auditours deluded SECT XXI All this while you haue heard their Testimonies alleaged for the Lords day to be a Sabbath now at last let me haue leaue to alleage some Testimonies against the Lords day for being a Sabbath and here in I will not produce you Diuines of the lowest ranke but such onely as are of the formost ranke of the chiefe Diuines that haue wrote I. My first Testimony shall be that recorded by M. Perkines on the 4th com in his first volume in the order of the Causes of Salvation and Damnation pag. 48. which before I touched vpon where caleing the Lords day by the name of Sabbath he thus writeth The observation of the Sabbath was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles but after wards was established by Christian Emperours as a day most apte to celebrate the memorie of the Redemption And for this he quoteth his Author Leo and Anton. Edict of holie daies Here it is to be noted 1. that this Testimony is not of what some priuate persones did or thought of the Lords day but what was done by an wholl Church yea by Churches in the plurall number 2. The thing recorded of these Churches is that they neglected the observation and sanctification of the Lords day Sabbath 3. The time is to be noted how longe they continued without obseruation of the day and this is gatherable to be about Three hundreth yeeres for it is said it was neglected vntill it was established by Christian Emperours now it is well knowne that the first Christian Emperour that made any Decree for the honourable Religiouse observation of the Lords day was Constantine who liued about 300 yeeres after Christ 4. The last thing remarkable is to consider what Churches these were which so neglected the Lords day they were not any of those later Churches who were corrupted with the dregges of popery but they were the most ancient the primitive Churches and so the most pure Churches Thus farr of my first Testimony whereby you haue seene what opinion these Ancient Churches held of our Lords day Sabbath for the first 300 yeeres II. My second Testimony shall be to shew what esteeme the Church of God had of our Lords day in the time of Constantine at vvhat time it flourished most Constantinus Imperator concessit Rusticis ut diebus Dominicis agrorum culturae prout ipsi viderine fore necessarium inservirent In Cod. tit 12. de Feriis Which Decre M. Foxe recordeth in his booke of Martyres at the end of the first booke in the tene first persecutions pag. 93. in the last Edition and pag. 105. in the old Edition thus Constantine commanded the Sunday to be kept holy of all men and free from all Iudiciary causes from Markets Martes Fayers all other manuall labours onely husbandry excepted The which Decree M. Brerewood in his Treatise of the Sabbath against M. Byfield thus reporteth that Constantine the Great licenced the Country people by his Decree freely libere liciteque are the words of the Constitution to attend their sowing of graine setting of Vines other husbandry on the Lords day Now would Constantine thinke you assisted vvith the advice no doubt of his lerned Clergie haue giuen free license liberty vnto his Subiectes to haue followed their vvorkes of husbandry as ploughing and the like on the Lords day if those times had iudged the Lords day to be a Sabbath day by diuine institution and to be sanctified in conscience of the 4th Commandement Why the 4th com directly forbiddeth all seruile labours such as are ploughing carteing sowing setting and the like they could not be so voide of reason therefore as to giue liberty yea and that freely to doe seruile vvorkes and laboriouse on the Lords day if the Lords day had in their iudgment stoode by virtue of the 4th Com. as many now a dayes faine it We heare now a dayes much sownd of that famouse Decree of Constantine made for the sanctification of the Lords day but behold vvhat it was hee required none other sanctification of it then we now a dayes make of our common Holy dayes S. Mathew S. Johns day the rest if so much for then it was not vnlawfull to plough on the Lords day What therefore if I should say that the Lords day is not of Gods ordination and therefore we may lawfully safely plough sowe our Lands in Wheate-seile mowe our grasse and make baye in baye-seile reape our Corne worke in haruest euery Lords day vvhy may I not be as free from censure as Constantine and the Church in his time vvhat say I more then was then decreed and established by law yea and that by Constantine who was the most holy Emperour and best patron of the Lords day that euer Prince was An other Testimony is a Decree of Constantine recorded by Eusebius de vita Constant. lib. 4. cap. 18. and also by Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 8. vvherein hee decreed by one the same law without any difference making that all his Empire should sanctifie both the Friday and the Sunday the day before the Iewes Sabbath the day after it The Sunday because
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
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
absurdety appeareth partly in this that they will oppose an ordinance of Gods yea one of his most ancient ordinances established in his Church and partly in this that they will set themselues against the same voluntarily and wilfully for no cause at all but because they will doe so The 2d absurdety that these doe fale into by forceing this text Col. 2.16.17 so any other text also against the Sabbath day commanded in the morall law is this that hereby they are manifest enemies to the Law of God I say to the morall law of God Exod. 20. written by the finger of God Exod. 31. â—8 they bewray their enmity in this that they are enemies to the Integrity and perfection thereof they feare they should rune into Iudaisme if they should yeeld obedience to alâ— the tenn commandements for whereas the text saith God spak all thesâ— wâ—â—ds Exo. 20.1 yet these men will reiect some of these words namly all those words which concerne the 7th day Sabbath thus they will not haue as the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psalm 119.6 a respect vnto all Gods commandements But they will serue God by halues and by peeces they will take and leaue where and what they list in Gods law for they will not imbrace and maintaine the whole law of God as God deliuered it but some peeces of it they acknowledg other peeces they renownce and thus they deliuer to the people but a parte of Gods will and but a broken partiall and imperfect law if one parte of Gods law be good for vs Christians is not an other parte of it good also if the greatest parte of Gods law be good for vs is not the whole law and are not all the partes of it good for vs also depriue vs not of the Integrity and perfection of Gods law A 3d absurdety commited by these is this that they foulely contradict themselues by bringing this text Col. 2.16.17 against the Lords Sabbath day for whereas the question betwixt them and mee is solely about the time and day to wit the 7th day this their text which they bring against this day it doth not so much as mention they word day at all for the word dayes in the text Col. 2.16.17 it is not in the originall as you may perceiue by this that our translatoures haue written it in smaler letters the originall hath nothing but the word Sabbaths whereby I gather that rather the Sabbaths then the word day and the time are made a shaddow of Christ now the Hebrew word Sabbath signifying a Rest from labours as they will haue it if any thing therefore be a shaddow of Christ it is this Rest from laboures now they all teach and maintaine that the Rest in the 4th com is morall and perpetuall and yet behold here by this their text Col. 2.16.17 and by their argument out of it they dispute against this Sabbath or Rest for they make it a shaddow of Christ and so abolished and so this Rest it shall be morall ceremoniall perpetuall and yet long since abolished it shall be morall by their Doctrine in the pulpit and ceremoniall by their arguments in Disputation is not this a grosse contradiction for this text Col. 2.16 if it maketh any thing against the 7th day Sabbath it maketh as much if not more against the word Sabbath and Rest as it doth against the day and time which is the thing in question And this I make plaine by this reason also they say that by the word Sabbaths in Col. 2.16.17 is meant all Sabbaths both the weekly and the yeerly Sabbaths which if it be so then looke how largly the word Sabbaths is expounded touching the yeerly Sabbaths so largly this word Sabbaths must be expounded touching the weekly Sabbath for this one word Sabbathes cannot be taken in ij diuerse senses now this word in reference vnto the yeerly Sabbaths doth includ both the time day and also the Rest dueties to be performed in that time and day and so all are abolished as Shaddowes both the Rest and the day iust so it must be touching the weekly Sabbath if it be meant in the word Sabbaths then both the day and the Rest of the day also must be included and so day and Rest must be abolished as shaddowes both A 4th absurdety committed by these enemies to the perfection and integrity of Gods law is this that by bringing this text Col. 2.16.17 or any other text or textes against the Sabbath day commanded in the 4th com hereby they doe nullify vtterly bring to naught the 4th com for whereas the 4th com commandeth the Sanctification of the Sabbath day these men will by this text proue this Sabbath day to be a Shaddow of Christ and so therefore to be abolished whence it must follow that by their doeings the Sabbath day commanded in the 4th com is abolished as a shaddow which being abolished the 4th com is nullified and made as a cipher it commanding iust nothing at all for if these words Sabbath day be a shaddow and abolished then these 10 letters which are in these 2 words may in sense be put away as abolished and in the roome of them put 10 ciphers then whereas the 4th com runeth thus Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it why now according to these patrones of the Lords day it may rune thus Remember the 0000000000 to sanctify it and thus they haue nullified this commandement for you see it now commandeth iust nothing vnlesse they can tell how to proue vnto vs by the virtue of their consequences that God commanded two Sabbath dayes in his 4th com the one vpon the 7th day the other vpon the 8th day suer I am the Iewes neuer knew but one and Christ neuer kept but one and God spake not in his 4th com of Sabbaths in the plurall number but of a Sabbath or the Sabbath in the singular number as but of one singularly and this one Sabbath they haue made a Shaddow and so abolished Finally whereas all Diuines affirme that some time or day in generall for Gods worship is morall and in force by the 4th com if this text Col. 2.16 be vrged against the time and day to wit the Sabbath day in the 4th com then this absurdety also followeth that there is not some time or day for Gods worship morall by the 4th com the reason is because looke what was commanded in the 4th com vnder these words Sabbath day the selfesame is a bolished by Col. 2.16 vnder the same words Sabbath dayes if this text be set against that for these words must haue as large a sense in Col. 2.16 as they haue in Exod. 20.8 and so we shall haue no time morall in the 4th com for Gods worship which is contrary to all Diuines A 5th absurdety which these enemies of the perfection and integrity of Gods law doe fale into by producing this text Col. 2.16.17 or any other text against the 7th
you in meate drinke or in parte of a feast or of the new moone or of the Sabbath daies c. Now the question is to know what daies are signified by these words in parte of a feast for this purpose looke into Leuit. 23.34.39 where you haue two feastes mentioned either of them were to last 7 daies a peece now the first day of the 7 should be a Sabbath day likewise the 8th day should be a Sabbath day as the text speaketh v. 35.36.39 now forasmuch as the first 7 daies were the whole feast when the first day of those 7 was taken out for a Sabbath day then the 6 daies remaining which went betwen the two Sabbaths these were the parte of a feast and these 6 daies being the parte of that ceremoniall feast these were those which S. Paul might say were a Shaddow of Christ so abolished so now you see what daies they were which S. Paul speaketh of vnder these words translated Holy day which may be translated in parte of a feast hereby is nothing else signified but those 6 festiuall daies which went betwene the two Sabbaths were a parte of the whole feast which lasted by the Law 7 daies so then whereas they would haue all the ceremoniall Sabbaths comprised vnder the words Holy day inconclusion you see ther 's none of them at all comprised in them for the Apostle may be vnderstod to speake onely of those 6 daies which went betwen the 2 Sabbaths but were no Sabbaths themselues so it will not follow that by the word Sabbaths in Colos 2.16.17 must be vnderstood the 7th day Sabbath In conclusion let me shew you what may be vnderstod by these words holy day or in parte of a feast and these words Sabbath dayes by those words holy day or in parte of a feast may be meant those 6 festiuall dayes which went betwen the ij Sabbaths but were no Sabbaths themselues then by those other words in the text Col. 2.6 Sabbath dayes may be meant these ij Sabbath dayes which were the bounds of the 6 festiuall dayes to wit the first day and the 8th day v. 35.36.39 together with all other annuall Sabbath dayes But if this pleaseth not then thus by the words holy day or rather feast you may vnderstand the Apostle to speake of those ij feastes of 7 dayes a peece in v. 34.39 ioyning the first day Sabbath with the following 6 dayes and both these to make vp one feast consisting of 7 dayes onely then these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be translated rather in respect then in parte for the words may be rendered both wayes now if you put the first day Sabbath vnto the 6 festiuall dayes then by these words Sabbath dayes in Col. 2.16 may be vnderstod the 8th day Sabbaths which followed the 7 festiuall dayes and also all other yeerly Sabbaths with it as those mentioned Leuit. 23.7.8.21.24.27.32 Or if this yet pleaseth not for they are hard to please so eagre they are against the Lords Sabbaths then thus if by holy day or feast you will needs vnderstand all dayes both the feastes of 7 dayes a peece and all other single Sabbath dayes forementioned then by the word Sabbaths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Col. 2.16 the Apostle may be vnderstod to speake not of the Sabbath of dayes but of the Sabbaths of yeeres of which you may reade Leuit. 25.4.8.10.11 where you haue mention of the 7th yeere to be kept for a Sabbath likewise of the 50th yeere the yeere of Iubile so in all these wayes the 7th day Sabbath is not spokē of By all which answers it may appeare that it is no impossible thing to reconcile these two Scriptures Exod. 20.8.10 Col. 2.16.17 for it appeareth how many wayes the Apostles words may be taken and still the Sabbath day written in the Morall Law not touched at all by this text Col. 2.16 and are they not wilfull and malitiouse enemies to the perfection of Gods Law to his ordinance the Sabbath day who when the Apostles words may be taken any of these wayes or some of these at least so as Gods morall Sabbath may be preserued but yet none of them will please them but some other vnnecessary sense must needs be violently thrust vpon vs and namly such an one as may perpetually destroy the Lords Sabbath why is there no way to expound one text of Scripture but so as it must ouerthrow an other doe men delight themselues to make collectiones and gather conclusiones out of one portion of Scripture which shall ouerturne for euer that expresly commanded in an other portion of Scripture where is the feare of God all this while and reuerence to his word and ordinances are not these men guilty of the sinne of adding to Gods word Deut. 12.32 of that curse threatened for the same cause Reuel 22.18 for like as they haue added diuerse inventions to that text Exod. 31.13 against Gods Sabbaths so haue they added Gods 7th day Sabbath to this text Col. 2.17 for the ruine of it and they haue added this their invention to S. Pauls words that he spake vniuersally of all Sabbaths when he spake but indefinitly of some Sabbaths Thre things more I haue to add by way of answer vnto this text Col. 2.16 the formost is this that there are reasones in this text why it cannot be that this word Sabbaths should be vnderstod of the Sabbath written in the morall law the former reason is this that all the other things mentioned in this text Col. 2.16 are such things as neuer came into the Morall Law as 1. meate drink 2. holy day or feast 3. new Moones wherefore this giueth vs an hint to conclude that the other thing mentioned in this text namly the Sabbaths should be of like kind to wit such Sabbaths as neuer came into the Morall Law neither for who could thinke that all the other words and things in this text should be pure ceremonies and such as neuer came into the morall law and this one word onely to wit Sabbaths should conteine in it a Morall day and ceremoniall dayes or dayes some whereof were neuer wrote by the finger of God as the yeerly Sabbaths and some such as God wrote with his owne finger in the morall law as the 7th day Sabbath An other reason fetched from the text is this that if in this word Sabbaths they will includ the 7th day Sabbath commanded in the Morall Law then doe they abolish by this text Col. 2.16 Not onely the 7th day and also the Rest but also the very commandement it selfe the 4th com that is abolished vnder these words where it is said that Christ hath Put out the handwriting of ordinances v. 14. In which words the written 4th com is abolished and this I make appeare thus the 16th verse of this second Chapter to the Colossians is a conclusion as you may perceiue by the
note of inference vsed in it Therefore one of the premisses whereof you haue in v. 14. Now the Apostles argument is on this wise If the handwriting of ordinances which is the written Law which commanded meate and drink and holy daies new Moones and Sabbath daies be put out and taken away Then let no man condemne you in meate and drinke holy daies new Moones and Sabbath daies But the handwriting of ordinances is put out and taken away Therefore let no man condemne you in meate drink holy daies new Moones and Sabbath daies The Apostles Minor you haue in v. 14. and his conclusion in v. 16. now forasmuch as it is a rule with Logiceans that there must not be more in the conclusion then is in the premisses hence it followeth that if by the word Sabbaths in v. 16. they will vnderstand the 7th day Sabbath written in the 4th com then by these words handwriting in v. 14. they must vnderstand also the handwriting of the 4th com or else there is more in the conclusion then in the premisses for the premisse v. 14. speaketh but of the haÌ„dwriting of ceremonies writteÌ„ by Moses onely but in the conclusion v. 16. if they will includ not onely the ceremoniall law writteÌ„ by Moses but also a parte of those things written by God in the Tables of stone then in the conclusion I say they haue both Moses his handwriting and also a parte of Gods handwriting and so there is more in the conclusion then in the premisses wherefore to auoid this absurdety they must vnderstand the word handwriting in v. 14. to include not onely the handwriting of the ceremonies by the hand of Moses but also they must vnderstand thereby that parte of Gods handwriting whereby he commanded the 7th day Sabbath which is the 4th com and so you see they abolish the handwriting of the 4th com it selfe and so we shall haue no 4th com at all thus you may see wherevnto the opposition of Gods Sabbaths out of this text Col. 2.16 tendeth namely to the subuersion of the 4th com let them talke what they will of obedience to Gods 4th com and that they haue a respect with Dauid vnto all Gods commandements yet all is but talke and words iudge the Tree by the fruits you see all their endeauors tend vnto the subuersion of one of Gods Morall Lawes and this is the first of my 3. Answers which I tould you I had more to adde Now I come vnto an other of my answers and it is this that they that expound this text Col. 2.16 of the 7th day Sabbath commanded in the Morall Law they doe crosse and contradict their owne Authours such writers of their owne as are of high estimation with them I will produce a fewe of them in steade of many that might be alleaged I will begine with M. Perkins who frameth an obiection of some aduersaries which they make out of these ij textes Col. 2.16 and Gal. 4.10 saying that if we obserue any difference of dayes now in the new Testament then we are no better then Iewes vnto which textes M. Perkines thus answereth That both these places speake of the feasts of the Iewes and of d fference of daies that stands in force by the Iewish ceremoniall Law Cases of conscience Chapt. 16. Sect. 3. Pag. 108. Where you see M. Perkins freeth this text Col. 2.16 from hauing any thing to doe against the Morall Law or against the difference of dayes in force by the Morall Law by saying that it speaketh of a difference of dayes which stode in force by the Iewish ceremoniall Law now the 7th day Sabbath was neuer commanded in the Iewish ceremoniall law but in the morall law Let vs heare also what M. Dod saith in this point he answereth to an obiection framed out of this text Col. 2.16 against the Sabbath day on this wise We must know saith he that here the Apostle speaketh of such Sabbaths as are in the ranke with the meates drinkes whereof the spake before of which sorte were the first day of euery moneth and the first and last daies of euery one of the 3 solemne feastes of the Iewes of these he speaketh in the plurall number and not of the Lords Sabbath day in the singular number which hath a singular excellencie and how euer times change it neuer changeth Dod on the 4th com Pag. 132. In which words you see M. Dod affirmeth that this text Col. 2.16 speaketh onely of the yeerly Sabbaths which the Iewes kept in their 3 yeerly feastes or 3 solemne feastes doth plainly deny that this text saith anything of the Lords 7th day Sabbath which he caleth the Lords Sabbath day in the singular number by way of excellency Of this same iudgement is M. Greeneham in his worke vpon the Sabbath of the same iudgment also is M. Elton vpon the Colossians on this text Col. 2.16 of the same iudgement likewise is Doctour Ames in his Thesis touching the Sabbath To these fiue I might add many more that are of the same iudgement as themselues cannot but know seing they read them dally one more I will add who is newly come forth M. Richard Byfield against M. Brerewood on the Sabbath who saith in expresse words that this text Col 2.16 doth not abolish the Sabbath day in the 4th com but those other Sabbaths c. See him Pag 130. Thus you see that they who would haue the Apostle to speake of the morall Sabbath mentioned in the morall law as M. Chappel his 9 confederates would they are contrary vnto Diuines of greate note of their owne side Obiection say they why doe you alleage M. Perkins and M. Dod and others why they doe not defend your opinion for the 7th day Sabbath doe they Herevnto I answer it is not my purpose in this place to alleage them as if they spake for the 7th day Sabbath but onely for this purpose to shew that they euen thire owne Diuines will not indure it that this text Col. 2.16 should be pressed any further then against the Iewish ceremoniall law and that it concerneth not the Lords Sabbath day spoken of in the 4th com singularly but those yeerly Sabbaths spoken of plurally c. This is all I aime at by alleaging their Testimony now the Testimony of a man against himselfe is euer accounted strong and good for me to produce one of my aduersaries to iustify my cause it is better and more forcible then if I should alleage an â—undreth Diuines that are of the same iudgement with mee and so much for this point My third answer to this text is this suppose we that the 7th day Sabbath were a shaddow of Christ by this text Col. 2.17 yet â—ence vvill nothing follow necessarily but that the Sabbath is abolished as touching its typicalnesse and shaddowish quality that so it shall be no more vsed as a type or as a shaddow of Christ to come but for
is radically indede in your Ministers for the blind doe leade the blind neuerthelesse you haue your share therin because you iustify their doeings approue of their sayings doctrines in this point Gods proceedings are on this wise that if the Minister doth not admonish the people of those things which are sinnes the Ministers indede shall answer to God for thy blood but what will this auaile thee for Thou shalt die for thine iniquity as you may reade Ezek. 33.8 for this cause it is fite I should giue you notice therof albeit I meane to lay the chiefeload vpon your Ministers backes lastly whereas you pleade that you are not able to iudge in such points as these Herevnto I answer that men should be ashamed to say they cannot iudge considering the time as the Apostle speaketh for men haue now bene trained vp a longe time in the doctrine of Christian religion therefore should be able to iudge the Apostle biddeth vs to Trye all things keepe that which is good 1. The 5.21 againe he saith I speake as vnto them which haue vnderstanding iudge yee what I say 1. Cor. 10.15 Here you see the Apostle would haue common people to be iudges of that which hee taught such were those noble Bereans Act. 17.11 wherefore you ought to iudge of this point to this end to reade about it to conferre of it and to studdy it It is true were it a point to be studdied out by your owne labour from the roote of it there were difficulty in it perhapes aboue your capacities but when a point is alredy studied to your hand a path way beaten oute for your foote steppes now there is no invincible difficulty in the matter it is true that commō people cannot plead a cause before the Iudge yet can they iudge hauing heard both parties plead people cannot preach yet can they iudge of a sermon preached so in this point of the Sabbath though people could not first finde it out nor yet dispute it when foūd out yet can they iudge of the cause when they see it laied plainly open before their eies if they will open their eyes to see it they may iudge of the cause when they haue seene it pleaded on both sides to this end I haue penned this booke wherein you haue the argumentes on both sides plainly laid downe so as you may easily discerne the trueth from errour Yet further to take away all excuses the point in question touching this Sabbath day commanded in the Morall Law it is A Catechisme point for all the 10. commandements they are Catechisme pointes like as are the Creede the Lords prayer now it hath pleased Almightie God to lay downe these Catechisme pointes of all other pointes in religion most plainly most familiarly that he that runeth may reade them the 10 cōmandements are expressed to the capacety of the meanest in the Congregation of all the 10 commandements there is not any one laid downe in more familiar easy termes words to be vnderstod then is this 4th com touching the Sabbath day for God hath most liuely plainly painted pointed it out from all other daies of the weeke so that no man can doubt which day of the weeke is that which God would haue for his Sabbath day no nor yet what dueties God requireth to be done in that day it is plaine that that is the day which is properly called Sabbath day in Scripture account which is the 7th day in Scriptures account namly our Saturday the dueties are Rest Holy actiones performed in that Rest these things are so plaine in the com as they neede no exposition for they are put downe in so many words in the com now what neede then is there of such store of lerning to attaine to the knowledge of these things as if common people cold not vnderstand them nor any but Ministers men of lerning could iudge of them men may as well say they vnderstand not English as to say they cannot vnderstand iudge which is the 7th day of the weeke what is meant by Rest from labour performance of Holy actiones for which is the 7th day we cannot but knowe since the Sunday or Lords day is the first day what is meant by Holy actiones or sanctifying of the day we know by the like actiones we performe on euery Lords day a smale deale of lerning is enough for a man to iudge of these points wherefore that is but an excuse for people to say they are no schollers they cannot iudge of such matters what can you not iudge of your Catechisme points which you lerned in your Childhoode I confesse for all this there is difficulty about this point to such as are not exercised in it by the way it is a shame for any man not to be so well exercised in all Gods 10 commandements as not to be able to defend them vnto the least iote title against all opposers but I desire thee good Reader but to obserue where the difficulty lieth for the cleering of this note with me these ij things The 4th com the opposition made against this 4th com For the former of these the 4th com together with the things therin commanded are laid downe most familiarly plainly as hath bene showne so as ther 's no difficulty at all about that no man but may easily vnderstand what it is which God requireth therin which day of the weeke God inioyned for a Sabbath wherefore the difficulty that is it is in the opposition made by Ministers against something commanded in the 4th com now it is true indeede that in this opposition there ariseth difficulty because they trouble the waters of mens vnderstāding by bringing many intricate reasones out of Scriptures against the Sabbath day written in the 4th com which intricate arguments if these Ministers would forbeare then there were no difficulty at all all were as plaine as a beaten path way wherefore since you see where the difficulty lieth my counsaile to all such people as plead ignorance want of lerning in this controuersy shall be that they would therefore rather follow God then their Ministers for Gods way is a plaine smooth easy beaten way so as euery man lerned or vnlerned may easily know what it is which God requireth in this Catechisme point of his 4th com but their Ministers way in setting themselues to abandon and roote out Gods Sabbath it is such a rugged way such a difficult way full of so many secret hidden windings turnings as people of common capacety cannot conceiue it nor iudge of it as themselues say wherefore my counsaile vnto these is this that they rather take parte with God with his Sabbath then with their Ministers against God his Sabbath because Gods way is an easy knowne way but mans way is an intricate
breaking euery weeke that is 50 times in one yeere so as if a man hath liued but a matter of 40 or 50 yeeres he is guilty of the breach of Gods 4th com Twenty hundreth times what a multitude of sinnes are heere all these are the Minister guilty of these are the multitude of sinnes committed by one single person in his congregation but if a Minister hath 400 or 500 persones or a thowsand persones vnder his charge what an infinit number of sinnes is hee guilty of let this be ceriously thought on Furthermore if it doth come into the heart of the Magistrate at any time to thinke of a reformation as God graunt it may what is it that quencheth that motion of Gods Spirit in him is it not this that hee bethinketh him that his Minister and so other Ministers are of a contrary iudgement affirming with one consent that this Sabbath day is abolished and ceremoniall Iewish so then Ministers are not onely guilty of the breach of Gods Sabbaths among the people for time past but also they hinder Reformation in the persones in whose power it is to make Reformation By the mercy of God we liue in a kingdome that is gouerned by Christian Magistrates and vnder such gouerners as haue alredy made reformationes in many things wherein they haue bene informed by the Clergie and I verily beleeue they would as willingly take this point into their considerations if moued therevnto by the Ministry as they haue done other things but behold they who should informe them and cale vpon them are dumbe and silent nay enemies and aduersaries to the cause wherefore that this Sabbath breaking is defended by Authority and not reformed but the reformation of it opposed by Authority this is to be imputed vnto Ministers let this be ceriously thought on Herevnto happily some will reply but these Ministers who doe these things are very zealouse godly men c. To whom I answer the more zealouse the worse the more godly the worse it were enough for the most godlesse profane men to set themselues against an ordinance of Gods to oppose his Sabbaths but for men fearing God zealouse for God that these should shew themselues so regardlesse of Gods ordināce such enemies to his Sabbaths this is in them a double iniquity for who but they should stand for God and defend his Sabbaths In the third place I lay many things to the charge of such Ministers as doe oppose Gods ancient Sabbath as 1. that thereby they haue defaced Gods royall-Law mangled it robbed it of its integrity perfection they haue diminished the compleate number of Tenn Commandements they haue made it a morall-ceremoniall Law an hotch potch a very Monstre 2. They bewray a greate want of loue vnto Gods Law they doe not loue it for it selfe for they indeauor might maine to ouerthrow a parte of it yea they are horribly partiall in that they will defend all the other partes of Gods Law against Anabaptists but will not defend this parte also against them 3. They open a flood gate to impiety and prophanesse among people draw vs to Anabaptistry by throwing downe Gods Sabbaths 4. They are guilty of that sinne in Deut. 12.32 and of that curse in Reuel 22.18.19 threatened to such as doe either add to Gods word or detract from it for by that text Ex. 31.13 they haue vnnecessarily detracted from Gods Law the 7th day Sabbath to that text Colos 2.16.17 they haue vnnecessarily added the 7th day Sabbath for the ruine of it now in thus doeing they behaue themselues like men that are weary of Gods seruice as if it were a burden vnto them to sanctifie Gods Sabbaths as if it grieued them that Gods Sabbaths should be morall were it not thus with them they would neuer manage such arguments and Scriptures against Gods Sabbaths as you see they haue done oh preiudice oh temporizing But admit that by reason of swaying with the times a preiudice against the Sabbath as Iewish is fastened in their breasts I see no cause why they should reiect the Matchlesse example president of God himselfe Exo. 20.10.11 is this Jewish too for they cannot abide it that the Church and people of God should be imitators followers of God like deere Children that is that they should labour on those daies wherin God wrought rest on that day wherin God rested sanctify that time which God sanctified yea and also commanded but like men that loued not to be like God they will haue the people rest when God wrought worke when God rested prophane the time which God Sanctified they had rather goe any way then treade in Gods steppes follow him The last thing which I lay to the charge of Ministers is that they haue taken away one whole com from the 10. commandements in the former point I haue taxed them for takeing away some parte of a com but here I taxe them for taking away a whole com by name the 4th com and this I thus make good against them 1. They haue taken away the time to wit the 7th day in the com the which being gone there is no day time lefte in the com so that an howre vpon any day in the weeke spent at a Lecture in prayer singing a Psalme hearing Gods word is as much as the 4th com can now require by their expositiones now therfore the 4th com needeth no longer goe thus Remember the Sabbath day for it may goe thus Remember the Sabbath howre 2. They haue abolished the dueties in the day to wit rest Holy actiones for the word Sabbath signifying rest this rest they haue abolished by making the word Sabbath rest in the 4th com a signe Exod. 31.13 and a Shaddow Colos 2.17 so abolished now if the Sabbath and rest be abolished then may men labour in their callings euery man in his owne house seuerally this taketh away holy Assemblies in the congregation all publike dueties of a Sabbath thus haue they abolished by their corrupt glosses expositions both the time the dueties to be performed in the time now these being gone I pray shew me what is lefte behind in the 4th com for they haue abolished euery thing that was commanded 3. By making these words Sabbath day a signe Exo. 31.13 and a Shaddow Col. 2.17 and so abolished thus they haue taken away the Substance of the 4th com lefte vs nothing but a shaddow so as now we may reade the 4th com thus Remember the 0000000000 to Sanctify it thus much for the body of the 4th com Lastly they haue taken away the Reason and Motiue which God tooke from his owne example added it to his 4th com Exod. 20 11. this whole verse v. 11. conteining ij most liuely reasones effectuall they haue robbed Gods Church of the vse of them for they neither vse them
of it yea why should we not yeeld God obedience to the one halfe of his 4th com as well as to the other halfe this is not to haue respect vnto all Gods commandements with Dauid Psal 119.6 God will haue an account as well for the least of his commandements as for the greatest Who soeuer shall breake one of these least commandements saith our Sauiour shall be called the least in the kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 Now be it that that parte of the 4th com which commandeth the day time be neuer so little in your account yet is it not lesse then the least of all the things commanded in the Morall Law Yet further full little doe men thinke what a deale of inconveniēce doth follow vpon this obiection in sleiting of the time day specified in the Morall Law for since this sleiting of the 7th day hath crept into the Church what a deale of instability and profanesse hath crept in with it yea it is to be noted that since this sleiting of the old Sabbath hath bene receiued Sabbaths neuer did thriue in Churches for the discouery whereof let vs take a suruey of the Christian Churches looke we first into the Church of Rome how doe they keepe the Sabbath in these dayes as for the right day to wit the 7th day they hould that abolished and therefore they keepe not that day well then come we to the Lords day and how keepe they that why the Lords day they keepe indeed but like a Common Holy day but as a Tradition of the Church now had they retained the auncient purity of the 4th com holding themselues closse vnto the 7th day as it is written in the 4th com durst they haue kept the Sabhath day so profanly as now they keepe the Lords day Since we are vpon the point we may by the way discouermore of Romes abominations we vse to charge hir with blotting our and raseing the second com so as they haue but 9 commandements but if we looke vpon the matter a little better we shall finde that they haue blotted out and rased also the 4th com and so they haue but 8 commādements for they keepe no day by virtue of the 4th com neither the 7th day nor the 8 day so as the 4th com standeth with them for a Cipher and whereas there are but 4 commandements in the first Table they haue rased out two of them haue lest but ij of them remayning so then the Church of Rome hath reiected two of Gods Tenn commandements and retaineth but eight of them and whereas there be fowre com in the first Table they haue reiected two of those fowre and retaine but two still Againe looke we vpon the Anabaptistes of whom there be greate multitudes in the Low Countries and they keepe no Sabbath day in conscience of any commandement from God but onely for order sake this their profanesse I must impute vnto this sleiting of the day mentioned in the 4th com as for their neglect of the Lords day any man may see they doe not that without a cause since there is no institution for it left by Christ and as for their neglect of the 7th day this I impute vnto the general sleiting of the 7th day made by all Churches the which they being nusled vp in haue growne to sleit it also neuerthelesse this they will confesse vpon argument that if any day ought to be kept for a Sabbath it must be the 7th day so thus we see what euill effectes haue followed since the sleiting of the 7th day hath crept into the Church for Papistes keepe no Sabbath according to the 4th com and Anabaptistes keepe no Sabbaths at all as instituted of God but count euery day a Sabbath or all dayes a like Lastly come we vnto Protestants amongst our selues we shall find that much euill hath crept into Churches since the sleit opinion of the 7th day hath invaded the world for the Church at Geneua it is in euery mans mouth how sleitily they haue kept all Sabbaths for the Churches in the Low Countries vp into Germany it is well knowne how light an esteeme they haue had of Sabbaths for our owne Church of England it is yet in the memory of man how sleit an esteeme hath bene made of Sabbaths not many yeeres past now can we thinke that these so famouse Churches would haue bene so sleitey in a matter so seriouse were is not hence that that speciall time of the 7th day written in the morall Law is sleited as deemed a ceremony which being taken for granted they all saw full well that the 4th com could not be pressed vpon the Lords day hence it was that they gaue liberty tooke liberty on the Lords day thus Gods time being sleited all Sabbaths were neglected so in conclusion you see Sabbaths did neuer thriue prosper in the Church as they would haue done if this time had not bene sleited Come we vnto some particular men since the day to wit the 7th day hath bene sleited no stability could be found out for any Sabbath day but euen Diuines of the chiefest ranke haue staggered bene in a mamering what to say or thinke of the point for example worthy Perkines we can speake in these pointes saith he but by likelihoodes I but had the 7th day bene still in vse he could haue gone beyond likelyhoodes and haue spoken peremptorily without doubtings what should I rekone vp Caluine Zanchie Vrsinus with many others forecited all which haue so sleited all Sabbaths since this sleit esteeme of the old day hath invaded the Church as that their iudgments are that now there is no Sabbath day of higher nature then an indifferent thing that our present Sabbath is to be kept but for order sake Loe these are the fruites that come from this obiection of sleiting the time as if God regarded nothing but the dueties in the day but not the day it selfe these I say are the fruites of sleiting the time in the 4th com to wit Instability doubtfullnesse in Iudgement touching the Sabbath profanesse in sanctifying Gods Sabbath where these two take place Sabbaths shall neuer thriue nor prosper longe I neuer looke to see either Diuines stable in iudgment vnanimouse in consent touching Sabbaths or Churches zealouse in Sanctifying them vntill first all agree to honour that very day time commanded in the 4th com sleight not this time therefore since the fruites of such doings hath bene will be of so euill consequence OBIECT XI Some obiect thus saying why now all times are alike vnder the gospell there is no time more holy then other or more fit for the worship of God then other now I answer 1. Why may there not be some time now vnder the gospel more Holy then other as well as there are now some persones more honourable then other if by the 5th com we hold some
myracle for this purpose ij things are to be considered the one is that it is a duety which God requireth of vs to magnify praise the name of God and how shall we performe this better then by keeping of a thankfull remembrance of Gods workes of wonder The other is that this myracle of the Creation it is not like vnto many other myracles for that of the diuiding of the Sea it concerned the Isralites onely and that of the Sunne its standing still it concerned these times onely but as for this of the Creation it concerneth vs our times euery way as much as it did the Isralites for ther 's not a man woman or child amongst vs but hath its share benefite from the Creation as well as those Iewes had and therefore we in these daies all people to this worlds end haue and shall haue as good cause to keepe a thankfull remembrance of the Creation as euer any nation or people had But if we ioyne both these together as first that it is a duty lying vpon vs to magnify the name of God in this his so greate a worke of wonder secondly that this so greate a worke it doth redownd to the proffit and good of euery one amongst vs then what greate cause and what iust cause is there that euery one of vs should at this day celebrate a thank full remembrance of the worke of Creation Neither can I thinke ther 's any man so vngratefull as to deny vnto God a thankfull remembrance of this so greate worke by meanes whereof we liue and haue a being and all the creatures seruicable vnto vs euen the Sunne it selfe to serue vs with hir light heate whence I thus argue If it be our duety also such duety as we freely doe acknowledge vnto God to keepe a thankfull remembrance of his Myraculouse worke of Creation why then should any man deny vs the speciall helpes and needefull meanes appointed of God to keepe the memory of the Creation in his Church there is nothing more absurd then to grant the performance of an holy action to be due vnto God yet to deny such needfull and proffitable meanes as God hath ordeined to that end this were all one as if we should grante indede that it is a duty to keepe an holy remembrance of the death of our Lord Iesus and yet to deny the vse of the Sacramētes in the Church which serue to put vs in minde thereof in a word it were to eparate the meanes from the end then the which nothing is more absurde wherefore as we will approue testify our thankfulnesse to God for so greate a blessing as the Creation is vnto vs and as we desire to giue God the glorie of his maruailouse workes so let vs be zealouse to maintaine in the Church all the meanes needfull helpes thereof Furthermore it will appeare that we in our times haue as greate vse neede of meanes helpes to keepe in memory this greate worke of Gods Creation as euer had the Iewes people of God if not greater neede for by nature wee are as vngratfull vnthankfull and vnmindfull of Gods blessings and mercies receiued as euer they were we stand in as much neede as euer they did to be stirred vp by all helpes meanes to giue vnto God the glorie due vnto his name for his workes of wonder which he hath wrought nay we stand in more neede now then they did then by how much we liue in times longer and further off from the Creation then they did for we are in more danger of sleiting forgetting this greate benefit of the Creation then were the Israel of God because they liued nere vnto it and hard by it as it vvere in comparison of vs vvho liue thowsands of yeeres after them and vvho knovveth not hovv soone things done long agone slip out of memory or if they slipp not quite out of memory yet they lay there like the ingrauings vvritten vpon graue stons vvhich by continuall trampling vpon are vvell nigh worne out it is needfull therefore that vve should haue all meanes helpes that may as it vvere daily new write ingraue vpon out memories the honourable memory of the Myracle of Creation It may be some will answer thus that the meanes once ordeined of God ought still to be in vse if none other as fit may be found out but other as fit for that vse may be found out as the Lords day for herein we may keepe a memory of the Creation Against this I haue these reasones 1. the Lords day or Sunday is as vnfit to keepe memory of the Creation as the Sabbath day or Saturday is in their account vnfit to keepe memory of the Redemption 2. the day which is set a parte to celebrate the memory of the Creation it must haue an aptenesse in it by way of similitude to represent it vnto vs like as the Sacraments haue aptenesse in them to represent vnto vs the Redemtion now God finished his worke of Creation and rested on the 7th day or Saturday and of all daies in the weeke we haue none that hath such similitude and liknesse to Gods 7th day as is our Saturday which is the same 7th day in order with Gods therefore it is the onely fit day for this purpose now the Lords day is so farre from any similitude with Gods resting day which was on the 7th last day of the weeke Genes 2 3. as it is the first day begining of the weeke 3. suppose that mē could invent some other day as fit as the 7th day appointed by God will they reiect Gods choise for one of thir owne could they shew vs some other day as fit in Gods account they should speake to some purpose but to reiect that meanes appointed of God because they can find an other which pleaseth them as well is audaciouse presumption why by like reason may they not as well chang the Elementes in the Sacraments for others as well may they reiect Christs choise as Gods choise But happily some may obiect that some helpes for the keeping in memory of the Creation are abolished as for example the Sabbath day for all Sabbaths are abolished in Col. 2.16.17 Herevnto I answer that the folly of this obiection hath formerly bene answered here therefore a word or two shall be fufficient 1. it is to be noted that the text Col. 2.16.17 speaketh not of Signes but of Shaddowes as formerly it hath bene showne there is a difference betwixt Signes shaddowes wherefore this text is impertinently alleaged for we haue here to doe with Signes not with Shaddowes 2. suppose we this text spake of Signes yet it spake of such Signes as had respect vnto Christ which are a Shaddow of things to come the body whereof was Christ as the text speaketh so that these Sabbaths here abolished were onely such Sabbaths as had respect vnto Christ
Gentiles Neuerthelesse I will proue vnto you that the Apostles kept the Sabbath with the Gentiles see Act. 13.42.44 And when they were come out of the Synagogue of the Iewes the Gentiles besought that they would preach these words to them the next Sabbath day the next Sabbath came almost the whole citty together to heare the word of God Loe here is a most pregnant text for the purpose for here the Apostles Paul Barnabas kept the Sabbath with Gentiles yea with the whole citty almost of the Antiochian Gentiles wherefore the Apostles made no difference of keeping the Sabbath betwene Iewes and Gentiles for they kept it indifferently as well amongst Gentiles as amongst Iewes An other text whereby I shall proue vnto you that the Apostles kept the Sabbath among the Gentiles is Act. 16.12.13 And from thence to Philippi which is the chiefe Citty in the partes of Macedonia and whose inhabitants came from Rome to dwell there and we weere in that Citty abiding certaine daies on the Sabbath day we went out of the Citty besids a riuer where they were wonte to pray we sate downe spake vnto the women which were come together c. In this text it is to be obserued that these at Philippi with whom Paul Timothie Silas kept the Sabbath day v. 3.19 they were Gentiles for 1. Lidia who was then converted she hir houshold baptized shee was a Gentile for she was of the Citty of Thyatira as the text speaketh v. 14. It doth not follow that shee was a Iewesse because the text saith shee was a worshiper of God as some thinke for so was Cornelius also a worshiper of God Act. 10.2 But yet he was no Iew no nor so much as a proselite for he then was vncircumcised Act. 11.3 secondly it is plaine in the text because the text saith that these Philippians were Romanes Whose inhabitants came from Rome to dwell there v. 12. now the Romanes were not Iewes but Gentiles which appeareth further in v. 20.21 by the opposition betwixt Iewes Romanes These men who are Iewes trouble our City and preach ordinances which are not lawfull for vs to receiue seing we are Romanes These philippians therefore were Romanes so Gentiles and so it is euident by this text also that the Sabbath day was kept among Gentiles that the Apostles were as redy to keepe the Sabbath when they came among the Gentiles with the Gentiles as they weere to keepe it when they came among the Iewes with the Iewes they made no difference betwixt Iew Gentile for this point Finally suppose it could not be proued that the Apostles kept the Sabbath with the Gentiles at all but onely with the Iewes is it lawfull therefore to reiect the examples and practise of the Apostles if it be then these absurdeties follow 1. That when the Apostles exhorte vs to become imitatores and followers of them as in 1. Cor. 11.1 and 1. Cor. 4-16 Phil. 3.17 then these textes must be vnderstod with this vaine limitation that we must imitate the Apostles onely in such actiones as they did doe among the Gentiles but not in those they did among the Iewes 2. If we must imitate the Apostles onely in such things as they did doe among the Gentiles then is the example of the Apostles of little or no vse for our direction for all their actiones well nigh were done among the Iewes onely or else among Iewes Gentiles mixed together as you may read euery where see Act. 2.14 Act. 13.14.42 Act. 14.5 Act. 17.4.5 Act. 18.4 So much for their first answer An other answer they vsually bring against the Apostles keeping the Sabbath day after Christs resurrection is that it was so done for a time onely to beare with the weakenesse of the Iewes who would not be suddainly weaned from the Sabbath day no more then they would from Circumcision Herevnto I reply 1. That it was no weakenesse in the Iewes I trust nor so to be esteemed of vs for thē to yeeld obediēce vnto a morall precept which inioyneth the Sabbath day neither are they to rank the Sabbath day with circumcision supposing the Iewes to be as superstitiouse in the one as in the other vntil they know how as well to proue the Sabbath day to be abolished as it is easy to proue Circumcision to be abolished If the Apostles keeping Sabbath was to beare with the weaknesse of the Jewes then I would gladly know why they kept Sabbath with the Gentiles this was not I trust to beare with the Iewes weaknesse see Act. 13.42.44 this repetition sermon or sermon preached againe at request of the Gentiles it was not made for the Iewes sake but for the Gentiles sake who requested it now what cause was there then that Paul Barnabas should preach this sermon vnto the Gentiles vpon the Sabbath day to beare with the weaknesse of the Iewes for whose sake it was not preached had this sermon bene preached at the request of the Iewes and so for their sakes happily this might haue had some better culler but it being prached for the Gentiles sakes at their request it is absurd therefore to thinke that the Apostles should haue regard to the Iewes in this case and so much for the Sabbath day kept among the Gentiles at Antioch Act. 13.14.42.44 The vanity of their answer will further appeare if we looke into that other Church where Paul Timothie Silas kept the Sabbath day also to wit at Philippi that too among the Romane Gentiles Act. 16.12.13 now forsomuch as we reade not of any Iewes dwelling at Philippi but haue proued the cōtrary nor can they proue that any dwelt there who could thinke that S. Paul and the rest should keepe the Sabbath there infauor of the Iewes or for the weaknesse of the Iewes since there were no Iewes either in that Citty or in their Assemblies of whom the Apostles should be afraied or for whose sakes they should doe it But here it is answered that albeit there were no Iewes in this Citty or Assembly yet if Paul had not kept the Sabbath here it would haue bene by one meanes or other carried to the Iewes where they dwelt whereat they would haue bene offended therefore Paul kept the Sabbath here at Philip. But how vaine this conceipt is appeareth 1. Because this supposeth that the Apostle durst not free the Gentiles from the obseruation of needlesse ceremonies in their owne Church for feare he should offend the superstitiouse Iewes in some other remote Church 2. By the like reason Paul should not haue reproued Peter for Iudaizing in the Church of Galatia Gal. 2.14 nor haue durst to speake against Circumcision nor to haue wrote to the Colossians against Meates and drinkes new Mones yeerly Sabbaths Colos 2.16 for by one meanes or other this would haue come to the hearing of the Iewes offended them 3. By this it should haue come to passe
said to remeÌ„ber the words of Iesus which he had said vnto him Mat. 26.75 and so it is here whereas God said remember the Sabbath day he speaketh to his people the Iewes of a day which they knew beforehand for it was consecrated not first at the giuing of the Law but long before euen at the Creation Genes 2.3 now the Iewes they knew no day for a Sabbath day and so could remember no day but Saturday the 7th day they knew not of the Lords day nor of any other and therefore this 4th com and the word Remember in it belongeth properly vnto no day of the weeke but Saturday 2. That day of the weeke and that onely is the Sabbath by the 4th com whose proper name is Sabbath day Remember the Sabbath day Exod. 20.8 now no day of the weeke was euer called Sabbath day by the Scriptures or ancient fathers but Saturday therefore no day but Saturday can stand by the 4th com I am not ignorant that we cale Sunday Sabbath day but this is but a miscalling and nicknaming of daies as elsewhere is shewed see Mark 16.1.2 where Saturday was caled Sabbath day sunday was caled the first day of the weeke 3. Onely that day is Sabbath day by the 4th com which is the 7th day of the weeke But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Exod. 20.10 now no day of the weeke is by any approued computation called and accounted the 7th day but Saturday as elswhere hath bene showne therefore Saturday is the Sabbath day by the 4th com see Mark 16.1.2 where Sunday is caled the first day of weeke if Sunday be the first day then Saturday which cometh after it must be the 7th day Thus you see none other day of the weeke can be Sabbath by the 4th com because none other day was euer caled Sabbath day nor counted the 7th day 4. No day of the weeke caÌ„ be Sabbath day by the 4th com but Saturday the 7th day because the reason of the 4th com Gods ensample of his rest on the 7th day therein conteined Exod. 20.11 cannot belong vnto any day of the weeke besids Saturday this point is elswhere cleered also Thus you see it vndeniablie proued that if one day in a weeke must be a Sabbath day by the 4th com it must of necessity be Saturday because the 4th com in all the partes thereof point vs out vnto Saturday and vnto no day of the weeke besids it ARGVM XXIII My 23th argument in defence of the Lords Sabbath proueth that it must be morall perpetuall because it is such an ordinance of Gods as doth greatly further the publike solemne worship of God tend vnto piety and furtherance of the dueties of the first Table nourish Christian Religion generally helpeth all sortes of people to the attainment of grace and groweth in all the dueties of piety towards God and Charity towards man yea because it is such an ordinance of Gods as tendeth vnto mercy and that not onely towards mankind in generall but also vnto mercy both vnto man beast And thus I argue That which is expressely commanded in the morall Law which by experience we find tending vnto and a notable furtherance of Gods publique priuate worship and seruice and of all sortes of people for their attainment and increase of grace godlinesse and growing vp in our Christian Religion yea and further which is commanded as a worke of mercy vnto mankind yea both to man beast that thing is morall perpetuall still in force But to rest from worke on Saturday the 7th day is expresly commanded in the Morall Law and we find it by experience tending vnto a notable furtherance of Gods publique priuate worship seruice of all sortes of people for their attainment increase of grace godlinesse and growing vp in our Christian Religion yea and further which is commanded as a worke of mercy vnto mankind yea both to man and beast Therefore to rest from worke on Saturday the 7th day is morall perpetuall and still in force As for the trueth of the Major I suppose none will deny it for it is a Rule in expounding the commandements that not onely the things expressed in the Decalogue are commanded as dueties binding vs but also all causes helpes furtherances vnto those dueties whence I reason thus if the helpes furtherances of morall dueties belong vnto vs though not expressed in the Law then by like if not by stronger reason such helpes furtherances as serue vnto morall dueties being expresly commanded in the Law doe belong vnto vs bind vs as morall yea further that duety which is commanded in the law as a worke of mercy that must needs be morall without all controuersy And as for the Minor I suppose it is as cleere as the Major for 1. it is expresly commanded in the Morall Law that we should rest from worke on the 7th day which is Saturday But the 7th day is the Sabbath c. in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. Exod. 20.10 And 2. we find it by all experience that if we rested from our laboures on Saturday the 7th day it would greatly tend vnto the furtherance of Gods publike worship on that day and vnto the begetting groweth and increase of grace in all men for when men doe â—et a parte all worldly imployments to attend on the seruice of God then are they free from many distractiones incumberances which would hinder them in Gods seruice and then are they fiter for all Religiouse exercises c. The trueth hereof we see by our now keeping of the Lords day for our resting from worldly imployments on this day doth greatly further the worship of God all holy exercises iust so it would be with the 7th day if we had it in vse 3. That a rest from worke on the 7th day is commanded as a worke of mercy is plaine Exod. 23.12 In the 7th day thou shalt rest that thine oxe and thine Asse may rest and the sonne of thy maide and the stranger may be refreshed See to this effect also Deut. 5.14 So then God would that men should rest on the 7th day for the reliefe ease and refreshment both of man and beast God would that Masters should exercise pittie and mercy to their wearied and tired seruants by resting them on the 7th day Now in this respect I may cale the Saturday or Sabbath day the Seruants Iubile for on this day euery weeke they should haue release from their painfull and seruile laboures to refresh themselues therin on this day all Masters should exercise mercy to their wearied seruants how euer other times holy dayes for seruants refreshment are at the liberty plesure of gouerners yet this time day is not so for of duety God in the behalfe of Seruants requireth it of Masters so it is
threatened to such as breake the Lords Sabbaths The 6th and last cause of lamentation is to see the priests of the Lord of all men Gods Ministers turne enemies to Gods Law for they vvill needs vvithout any necessity at all make somthing in Gods Law ceremoniall and so abolished Iudaicall so to be hated they cannot abide that Gods 10. command should be like a chaine of 10. linkes all of pure gold one linke as vvell as an other but though all the 9. be pure gold yet some one of the 10. must be partly gold partly leade partly morall partly ceremoniall as if snovv could be partly vvhite partly blake or a shadovv and ceremony placed in the hearte of a morall Lavv thus they make Gods Lavv like vnto Nebukadnezzars Image which he savve in his dreame Dan. 2.32 partly gold and partly clay surely this their fiction is but a dreame Gods Lavv must be morall in euery iot and Title of it it must be all gold or none gold all clay or none clay but our Ministers will be partiall in the Lavv they will not endure it to be morall in all the partes therof they are enemies to the integrity perfection of it that servants should not take parte with the commandements of their Maisters but oppose them that children should not take parte with the command of their fathers but turne enemies to them that subiects should not take in vvith their King to defend his Lavves but set them selues against them it is vndutifulnesse disloyaltie and rebellion but that Ministers whom God hath taken so neere vnto him as to make them of his Counsaile and to make it their proper office to defend his Lavves to this end hath allowed them large maintenance as the Tyeth of the Realme c. that these kinde of men should refuse to defend his Lavv and turne enemies vnto it in whole or in parte what should I say it is high tyme the world were at an end as the Sabbath is Gods ordinance so the Decalogue is Gods Law novv were men professed enemies to God then if they should doe what in them lieth to abolish his Sabbaths to reiect as much of his Law as possiblie they could with any colour devise it were but sutable to their profession but that wee who are professed friends to God and to his Lavv therfore should imbrace as many of his ordinances and as much of his Lavv as possiblie vve could that wee I say should reiect any of Gods ordinances and desire and indeauour to reiect and abolish as much of Gods Lavv as possiblie by any wite we can deuise this is monstrously horrible and much to be lamented This I dare considently auowch that if our Ministers pleased but to take parte with God and vvould but speake for Gods Sabbaths what vvith a very little study they are inabled to speake both by partes of nature and Arte that all the world could neuer be able to vvithstand them they would victoriously beare downe all oppofition and is it not to be lamented when Ministers vvill not doe for God vvhat they can or may doe but in stead of their little studie in defence of this cause all their care and study is hovv they may be still ignorant of the point lest by knowledge of it they should speake for it and so indanger their liuings reputations and the like for generally they doe eschew the reading of my booke wherby they might be instructed in the point without their labour vnlesse it be some fewe vvho read it only to spie a mote in myne eye and that they may picke out somthing to say against it yea they eschevv also all arguing conferences among them selues in priuate wherby the point may be scanned and come to light they permit not any of their brethren to take vp a defence of the Lords Sabbaths to argue against the Lords day albeit he doth it but for argument sake the better to boult out the trueth if any in the company will be more ingenuouse and true harted then the rest as desirouse by opposeing of our tenets to find out the trueth the shall be snibed curbed some man of eminency in the place will put all to silence with such words as these no more of this point now no more of this argument in this place thus they are afraid least God should by theire conferences inlighten them these things haue bene related to me by credible persones and are not these things to be lamented any man shall haue free liberty heart and good will to speake in their company any thing he can invent against Gods Sabbaths for the Lords day but not on the contrary to speake for the Lords Sabbaths against the Lords day take my word for it you shall neuer heare 2. Ministers scann this point pro and con before any of the people as you shall heare them in some other pointes of doubt nay it were to be wished that any 2. Ministers vvould by themselues when none heare them argue the point seriously pro con the one taking the one parte the other its contrary that so Gods trueth may be found out but I feare me a man shall as soone dravv a Beare to the stake to be baited with dogges as dravv them to any such course as may bring the point to light they cannot but foresee the issue of this course vvould be what they would should not be is not this to be lamēted if I should not preuaile with them in so reasonable a request as this is I desire my brethren of the Ministri to take into deepest consideration Gods Sabbaths to study the point seriously to cast a side preiudice out of a loue to this ordinance of Gods study but vvhat may be found in its defence to study but with a like good will to defend this point as they doe other pointes and is not this to be lamented if I shal not preuaile When Paul was to take his last farvvell of the Church of Ephesus he could say with a good conscience that he was pure from the blood af all men because he had kept nothing backe but had shewed them all the counsaile of God Act. 20.26.27 But how many of our Ministers when they lye a dying shall be able thus comfortablie to pleade for themselues I know not can they say they haue kept nothing backe of Gods counsaile what not his Sabbaths can they say to their flocke they haue shewed them all the Counsaile of God what all the Lavv in its integrity and perfection what euery Iote Title of the Law haue they baulked nothing for feare carnall respectes or for vvant of that industry that might ought to haue bene in them in serching out euery iot title of Gods Lavv in its perfection for this let them knovv that they must be countable to God not onely for baulking concealing vvhat they knovv but also for not declaring vnto the people