and in the Nature of the businesse to a whole Day and no lesse Continuance neither did ever any Orthodoxe Church speake otherwise of it though we know the Popish mock-fasts or foole fasts end often at noone so that all that the Church doth or the Christian Magistrate is to appoint and determine the particular Day or the Frequency of Dayes upon some speciall occasions and to declare that the Continuance is to be extended so long with penalties Civil or Ecclesiasticall on them that shall be knowne to transgresse it even within doores otherwise they doe not command properly any particular family or solitary Worship at all Or if they did were it not for those intimations of Scripture and the Nature of the businesse of solemne humiliation and the prevention of all tolerable ordinary excuses by the publike appointment no mans conscience were bound to observe the whole Day at home and in solitary Worship before and after the publike because of the Churches or Magistrates authority and determination for the reasons before set downe Another Argument followes which is a fifth against the Churches authority to determine the chiefe solemne Time Even against that authority which our Adversaries thinke most infallibly certaine to belong to the Church namely for the publike Worship Against which thus we argue XXX Arg. 5. The Church cannot command aâ—l her members to observe the time in publike worship If the Church have authority to determine the chief Time of Worship for all its members in reference to the publike Worship Then it hath authority to command all its members constantly to observe that Time in the publike Worship which it determines for it But the Church hath not authority to command all its members constantly to observe that Time in the publike Worship which it determines for it Ergo The Church hath not authority to determine the chiefe Time of Worship to all its members in reference to the publike Worship The consequence is certaine from the state of the question formerly laid downe 1. That the determination discoursed of makes the Time necessary to Religion and so commands all unto whom it is made to observe it constantly 2. Also our Adversaries doe every where make it Morall Naturall to observe publike worship and contend that it is the whole morality of the fourth Commandement to command publike worship and consequently a necessary and sufficient Time to be by the Church determined for it So that the determination of the Time for such publike worship is an expresse command of a constant observation of such publike worship even by vertue of the Law Morall Naturall and the whole remaining force of the fourth Commandement 3. Likewise it were a meer vanity and ridiculous folly to dispute for authority of determining Times and so a folly to determine them if men be not thereby bound as by a command to observe those Times once determined constantly except in the particular case of reservation of which we have often given touches before XXXI This is confessed by the adverse party G. Irons Now for the Antecedent It will be made good 1. By our Adversaries owne conceits contradicting themselves as we touched a while agoe in a like Argument Namely Though they make the publike worship Morall Naturall Yet doe they so farre forget themselves as to exempt shepheards diggers in mines servants sundry sorts of them at least as cookes and others and divers other people from any necessity of constantly observing the publike worship Insomuch as the translatour of Doctor Prideaux Lecture imputes it as strange superstition that a Towne of his acquaintance had not a piece of roast or baked meat to a Sundaies-dinner throughout the whole yeere which must needs be because all the servants went constantly to the publike worship An imputation to say no lesse of it worthy the pen of one of those S. Paul speaks of Phil. 3.19 whose God is their belly otherwise how durst he that would carry the face of a Christian reproach the Ministers of Christ as he there doth for teaching the people both Masters and servants to preferre the publike worship of God before the sacrificing to their owne bellies and so to take more care even of every poore servants soule by carrying them along to the publike worship of God then to provide for the pampering of their owne guts though with the pinching or starving of their servants soules But to let him passe we urge all of them and specially those that dispute that the fourth Commandement was not given to servants whether they will averre That a servant is bound by the Churches determination to keepe constantly to the publike worship from the first to the last of it every time that there is any Notwithstanding any Commandement to the contrary If their perhaps prophane Masters though they beare the names of Christians and that upon no allowable necessity will charge them to stay at home altogether or part of the Time before they goe to Church or come home before it is ended and specially if such ungodly Masters or parents shall threaten or beate their inferiours if they doe otherwise then they charge them We say againe what will they say a servant or inferiour is bound to in these cases which are every day one where or other Nay what is an inferiour free to in these cases Who hath a soule to save and so to looke after and a desire to use the meanes for it specially Gods publike worship having little or no helpe at all but hindrance rather in the family and exceeding little time for any solitary devotions They cannot here answer either way but they overthrow their owne Principles For either 1. They must say Servants and inferiours may and must keepe strictly to the Churches determinations for publike worship notwithstanding any contrary command or threatning or cruelty of their ungodly superiours Which they will not allow us to urge men to upon the Commandement and determination of God Himselfe and for this they deny this Commandement of the Sabbath to have layen upon Israel in Egypt and that the Lords day was strictly observed by the Primitive Christians under persecution If these things be urged against us they cannot reasonably urge servants and inferiours now to crosse their superiours upon the Churches determination even for the Publique Worship 2. Or on the other side they must say that servants and inferiours are not bound nay that they are not free by the Churches determination to the Times of Publique Worship because of these inconveniences And then they grant our Antecedent That the Church hath not authority to command all its members constantly to observe that Time in Publique VVorship which it determines to them Of will they say that servants and inferiours are not members of the Church or that the Churches determinations reach not to them but so far forth as their Masters and Parents will give them leave and that they are free or rather not free
explication because we find that God did for a single act allow His people even after His own Altar was made to build an Altar for sacrifice to Him upon a speciall occasion of earth or of whole stones But they were not to make a custome of using that Altar and therefore the materials of it were to be loose Also in the Passeover Exod. 12. God allowed particular persons according to their store to take a Lambe or a Kid but not that He allowed the Elders to enjoyne all to one sort nor was he that now used a Kid obliged to it the next turne But here the particular Day in question is to be determined for many indeed for all mankind as the next Argument will offer proofe of and so to be oligatorie and accordingly to be at least for some while permanent For it were both altogether ridiculous would bring forth manifold confusions to be every 2d. or 3d. turn or revolution changing the particular Day Therefore we say no such permanent and obligatorie determination hath any promise of Blessing unlesse it be the determination and ordinance of God himselfe Now upon the particular determination of the Day or the particular Day determined the Blessing doth fall though not properly for the particular Dayes sake but for the Proportions to make that sufficient to be observed for the chiefe Time as hath been said Accordingly then that particular Day to make it capable and susceptible of the Blessing that is that the observers of that particular Day may enjoy the Blessing promised to the observers of the chiefe Time that particular Day must not be determined by men but by God LXXVII Arg. 3. It is very fit all the world should have one and the same day as neere as may be A third Argument to like purpose of which also touches have been formerly given but we conceive it convenient to be here expresly handled is from the more then conveniencie neere to a necessitie if not altogether so that there should be one particular Day as neere as may be according to the variation of Climates even the selfe-same Day all the world over for the Honour of God generally from all His servants together at the same time and for the generall exercise of the Communion of Saints also all the world over Thus we propound it If all the world over there is to be as neere as may be one and the self-same particular day for the chief time to Religion Then the determination of this particular Day belongs to God peculiarly and not to men But there is to be all the world over as neere as may be one and the selfe-same particular Day for the chiefe Time for Religion Ergo The determination of this particular Day belongs to God peculiarly and not to men The Consequence of this Argument is evident 1. By the constant necessity of having a particular Day determined for the chiefe Time to Religion so as if any such particular Day which was once determined for it be abrogated upon any grounds whatsoever there must without delay be a new particular Day determined as without which the chiefe Time necessary to Religion cannot be observed by all those whom it concernes by all Christians 2. By the Impossibilitie that without a Divine determination or at least a divine revelation all Christians could so much as come to know what Day particularly were determined by all that know of the abrogation of the former particular Day before them As suppose the Apostles going into severall Countries and preaching the abrogation of the old seventh Day and that a new Day was to be determined by the Church and that Matthew goes first and Thomas after him and Bartholomew after him how can the Christians to whom Thomas or Bartholomew preach thus know without divine revelation what Day is determined by the Churches that made the first determination namely those to whom Matthew preached 3. By a like impossibilitie of their knowing what the Churches that should receive the Gospel after them would determine concerning the particular Day as namely to whom suppose Philip and Andrew and Simon should preach after the others 4. The impossibilitie that they would all agree upon the same Time though they did know one anothers minds unlesse some command from God did necessitate the latter converted Churches to consent to the determination of the first Churches and this supposed would to them be in the nature of a divine determination and would suppose an inspiration from God to have assisted the determination by those Churches 5. Of this the great and violent difference even presently after the Apostles times about the keeping of Easter day upon the particular Day of the Week or the particular Day of the Moneth between the Western and Easterne Churches shewes proofe sufficient namely how little hope or possibilitie there would have been even in the Primitive Times of the agreement about the particular Day for the chiefe Time to Religion and so much rather now if wholly left to the determination of men of the Church Particular or Nationall Churches or any 6. Finally if it may be imagined Except that an Vniversall Councell representing the whole Church might sufficiently have agreed upon the particular Day for all Churches and so for all Christians all the world over We desire it may be considered Sol. 1 1. that there was no such thing as any such universall or generall Councell representing the whole Church in the first Times when the Lords day Inst Sol. the first Day of the Weeke came first to be practised 2. If any shall say that of Act. 15. was such an one he must yet remember there was no such determination made For if it had the Holy Ghost would have recorded it being so necessary a thing Sol. 2 And againe the determinations there were the determinations of the Holy Ghost as is expresly said in the Synodicall Epistle v. 29. Sol. 1 3. Neither could there be any such so soone as this needed to be and was determined for the practise of particular Churches and Christians For we said before there could be no delay after the abrogation of the old seventh Day Sabbath preached And the conversion of Churches so late one after another made a generall Councell of all the Churches in severall Nations of the World impossible till the Gospel had beene planted in all Nations From all which it followes undeniably that if one and the selfe-same Day were or were to be determined in the Apostolike and first Times for the particular Day unto the chiefe Time for Religion unto all Christians all the World over it could be no otherwise then by a Divine determination either by Christ himselfe while He conversed with His Disciples after His resurrection or else by the Apostles divinely inspired and commanding in the Name of God and Christ which comes all to one passe for the point in hand The Antecedent That there is to be all the World
over as neer as may be One and the selfe-same particular Day for the chiefe Time to Religion among all Christians hath been declared in the former Chapter To which may now be added That we remember not to have ever read or heard in any Religion but those that professed the same Religion observed the same particular Dayes for the chiefe solemne Times belonging to their Religion It was ever so in the Jewish Religion and is so still and the like was done by all that became proselites to their Religion Also all Christians at this Day doe and have ever done so farre as any records lead us observed actually the same particular Day for the chiefe Time to Religion the Lords day the first Day of the Weeke even those that joyned some other dayes with it as some did a while the Old Sabbath and others other Dayes yet this was ever the chiefe Day as is learnedly shewed by a late Author in his elaborate collections from Antiquity expresly concerning the Lords day Neither did ever the Church of Rome as presumptuous as she hath been in other matters even to controll the undoubted Lawes of God and Christ as about incestuous marriage and the Cup in the Lords Supper dare to try or practise her authority upon the Lords day in changing it to any other Day Which is also so much the more remarkable because of the impetuous fiercenesse of the Romish Victor even in the second Century after Christ and hard after the Apostles Times about the particular Day for Easter mentioned before And that in the very Councell of Trent some alledged upon some occasion that the Lords day stood but by the Authority of the Church Yet for all that The Romish Church never durst venture upon it to alter it to any other The more impudent slander therefore we esteeme it to be and without all shadow or colour which Barclay as the Translator of Doctor Prideaux his Lecture quotes him with an accent of credulity reports that Master Calvin should consult of changing it into Thursday To which we only say thus much If to accuse without proofe shall be sufficient who can be innocent And the World hath been enough abused with notorious untruths concerning that man of God both since he is dead and even when he was alive which also have been sufficiently refuted by undeniable proofes Therefore we wish also the relatour of this sleevelesse tale to consider whether he be any better then the delatour If those sentences of Solomon be true Prov. 10.18 and Pro. 17.4 But we have somewhat more to say in the matter in hand that is the very Professours of the Mahometane Religion though some of them differ among themselves even to an abhorring one of another in some other matters as the Turkes and the Persians Yet they all agree in the keeping of the same particular Dayes for the chiefe Times of their Religion namely the Friday as we noted before And so it was also among the Heathens they had multiplicities of Religions But we find not among those that professed the same Religion with others any disagreement or variety about the particular Dayes of their chiefe Times of solemne Worship So that it seemes a kind of consent in Nature and very agreeable to say the least of it to the very Law of Nature that it should be so Which makes us the more admire at some at least of our Adversaries disputing as if the present Church had power to alter the Lords day to any other day of the Weeke And what Church they meane Nationall or Vniversall which to be sure will never meate so much as representatively if we include all Christians of Europe Asia Africa and America within the universall Church Or what they intend by it And whether they would be glad to see any Nationall Church or all the Westerne Churches together to take in hand such a thing to shew their authority as Lords of the Lords day and silence all future disputes by whose authority the particular Day stands What ever their thoughts be We for our parts hope we shall never live to see any Nationall Church much lesse ours and least of all many Nations to rush upon so desperate an adventure And so we conclude this argument with this note That as we suppose the ground that hath made all the World thus consent in the same particular Dayes according to their severall Religions was immediately their perswasion That those Dayes are determined to them by their gods and that it was so delivered by those that commended to them those particular Dayes So this perswasion was built upon another originall principle that the determination of them did properly belong to their gods LXXVIII Arg. 4. from the consent of the heathen And this may make up another argument briefly of great probability at least not only for the particular Dayes but also and principally for the chiefe Time to Religion namely The universall consent of Heathens and misbeleevers whose practise is by some of our adversaries delivered us as the best Comment upon the Law of Nature or Morality of the fourth Commandement practising and observing their chiefe Times for their Religion as determined to them by their gods and so owning the determination of them to belong to their authority only This we say hath not only seemed reasonable to the Mahometans as we shewed but to the very Heathen of old Among whom as their Priests or Law-givers the immediate institutours of their Religion feigned the other matters of their Religion and Worship to be prescribed by their gods in Oracles Visions Dreams and the like according to that naturall principle which is the generall affirmative part of the second commandement God every God is to be worshipped with His own prescribed Worship So according to the generall meaning of the fourth Commandement or at least according to part of the generall meaning of that second forementioned They ever ascribed the institution of their chiefe and ordinary Holy-dayes and solemne Times for their Religion and the service of their gods Dij miserati laboriosum a natura genus humanion remissiones laborum ipsi constituerunt de leg 2. LXXIX The 5. generall Arg. from confession of the very adversaries C. D. pag. 21. unto their gods themselves Hear Plato speake for them all The Gods compassionating the laboursome life of mankind themselves appointed remission of their labours that is Dayes or Times of remission from their labours which were their Holy-dayes Specialties of these may be found in other Authors But now after all what will our Readers say if some of our greatest adversaries in this question have themselves confessed as much as will necessarily inferre All this determination about the chiefe Time and particular Day for it to belong to God without peradventure or long dispute Heare them speake Thus one delivers his opinion Men may by the Light of Nature from the Creature climbe up to the knowledge of the Creator
LORD Himselfe from CHRIST The Primitive Church seemes to beare witnesse to this calling the Prayer instituted by Christ by the same terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oratio Dominica neither can it signifie any thing but the Prayer of the Lords institution Though the Generations after weakned the Testimony by calling Churches so As being paralell in phrase with the LORDS Supper which beyond all peradventure had no other Institour but Christ The Spirit of God who directed the two Apostles Paul and John in these two titles which are neither of them used in Scripture but once a peece never vouchsafed the terme to any other thing in the New Testament but only to the Supper and the Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had his choyse of words and spake nothing but upon admirable reason And no other good reason can be imagined why he would match these two these only in this appellation If they both had not had the same Author and Institutour And if he had not intended to insinuate so much unto us and teach it us even by the phrase particularly giving first the terme to the Supper and when we could not mistake that matching the Day with it that we might not mistake that neither Then also once more All Times and Dayes are not equall in Religion under the Gospell The Lords day is above all other Dayes and Times in regard of its Author and Institutour No Day is equall to this in this highest dignity and prerogative whence its being His peculiar His possession wholly His sacred to Him infallibly flowes unlesse He had said the contrary having its authority and institution from the Lord himself and so being then unquestionably necessary to Religion and most properly Holy and beyond controll altogether unalterable by man None of which can be alledged with any the like pretence from Scripture for any other Day under the New Testament We are not ignorant that exceptions are made by our disputers against these things that we have represented concerning the Lords day But the speciall answer to them we reserve to its proper place where we shall by His assistance for whose Commandement Day and Honour we argue in all this take all that they say against it into consideration and give we hope a satisfactory discharge to all their objections In the meane Time upon so just an occasion in this place we thought it requisite to give our Readers a breefe of what we shall more at large then discourse of whereby we doubt not but even without the help of our solutions divers will be able by the innate light of these considerations here presented to discover the adverse exceptions to be but frivolous and no way enervating our assertions about it But we have one proofe more of the inequality of Times now XII Arg. 9. God retaines the determination of Times to himself Ergo. all not equall 9. If God himselfe retaine in His own hand even under the Gospell the determination of the Continuance and Frequency of the chiefe Time necessary and sufficient to Religion for all men for the chiefe Time and that it is not put over by Him to men the Church nor any other as hath been at large proved in the forgoing Chapter Then the fourth Commandement is unquestionably that determination expreslly for one whole Day in seven and the Lords day the first Day of the seven of the week is the particular Day and all that we have here now said of the Lords day is undeniably true unlesse our Antisabbatarians will turne Sabbatarians and pleade for the Saturday-Sabbath as still in force by the fourth Commandement from which Hold we yet doubt not but we shall beate them hereafter and all that argue for it But howsoever then still it followes most certainly that all Times and Dayes are not equall in Religion under the Gospell But that there is still as great an inequality of some Dayes though not of so many as ever there was under the Old Testament except the typicall use of the particular Dayes then appointed even upon the highest ground of Divine command which lifts up the Lords day for the whole Day in a constant weekely revolution above all other Times and Dayes now whatsoever as certainly and only necessary to Religion and sufficient for the chiefe Time unto all Christians and men all the world over and properly Holy and unalterable by man and honoured with the blessing mentioned in the fourth Commandement and needed by men as we have discoursed before XIII Objections answered And now from all this will follow a certaine and easie Answer to those places of the New Testament which seeme to favour the adverse opinion and to lay all Dayes and Times levell now As Gal. 4. Blaming the observation of Dayes and Moneths and Times or seasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word and Yeeres And Rom. 14. making stronger Christians to pronounce every Day alike Sol. These places we say must of necessity be interpreted of the Iewish Dayes and Seasons the particular Dayes which they observed for the Weekely Sabbath and the New Moones These texts and Collections are oft earnestly urged by our disputers therefore we shal in another place more fully sift and scan them and the objections raised from them But here it was necessary to touch them in briefe and the seasons for their Yeerely festivalls the Passeover feast of Weekes Trumpets Tabernacles and their Sabbaticall Yeeres every seventh Yeere and Yeares of Iubilee every 50. Yeares of these Seasons and Dayes speakes the Apostle which the false Apostles would still obtrude upon Christians and weake ones still made conscience of Of all these Dayes and Seasons it is most true that they are all alike under the Gospell and none higher then others none of them to be observed with any religious respect to the Day any more or as Holy-Times as being made voyde by Christ and laid levell with all ordinary Dayes and Times But these cannot be extended to all Dayes and Times universally If but any one of the former positions in this Chapter be true and much lesse can they be urged against us if all our reasons here exprest be good as we beleeve them to be And specially the third and the last For which without more adoe now we appeale to the consciences of all readers Whether they will admit of our interpretation of these places or make voide even any necessity of any sufficient Time at all for Religion and so hazard the loosing of all Religion for want of a sufficient Time so much as one Houre in a Yeare or any day at all to be certainly determined for Religion Gods Worship and soules good Which whatsoever it be or by whomsoever it be determined All Dayes and Times are not equall but the determined sufficient Time must be above all other Times and the Day for it above all other Dayes And if they grant such a determination necessary then whether
also the Determinations themselves in the residue of the Times will be a great deale more certain to be observed by this allowance of such really important necessities The taking away of an excuse saving sometimes the main of a Duty which else under the pretence of prejudicing a necessary present businesse would have been wholly neglected as an unreasonable command Accordingly therefore we find sufficient intimations in the Scripture and particularly by our Saviours pleading with the Pharisees on that occasion That works of mercy to any of Mankind and even to a Beast as the lifting them out of a pit or even leading them forth to water are Reservations made by God himselfe out of the strictest Determinations of Time for Religion namely out of the Sabbath And the same Equity is generally held by the strictest Divines to extend to all such businesses of Necessity which could neither have been done the Day before nor can be deferred to the next Day As the quenching of a fire breaking out in a Hay-stack though in a field and remote from any dwelling house and the like Further particulars of which Reservations to be gathered from the instances of our Saviour and His discourses about them and other generall expressions we shall have occasion again hereafter to examine As also that to us now under the Gospel there is some further allowance in this kinde then was to the Jewes of old We being more freed from all reall burdens then they were Only it must still be remembred that Gods indulgence herein must be so far from making us think the Determinations to be of no force as our Adversaries most absurdly argue against the whole Doctrine and Law of the Sabbath from those expressions of our Saviour about these Reservations as we shall see that we ought rather to esteem our selves the more obliged to them since God is so graciously pleased to condescend to us as to prefer our naturall and worldly necessities in such cases before His own immediate services But doubtlesse if we thinke His services and our Soules necessities any matters of regard at all we shall not see any just ground to think that God ever meant by such Reservations for particular cases and occasions to lay all Time levell and referre all to mens courtesies whether they will give Him any back again or how much or how little often or seldome And so we have done at length with this Discourse about the Profitablenesse of Determinations of Times for Religion generally XLIV The Conclusion together with some Intimations of Application more particular unto the Determination of one Dayes Continuance in the frequent revolution of seven Dayes according to the fourth Commandement But the full application cannot be made till we have added also the Considerations that concerne the Necessity of this or that kind of Determination and this or that Manner and likewise scanned whether the chiefe Determination for the necessary and ordinarily sufficient chiefe solemne Time can be profitably made by any other but God himselfe To which two Points we shall speak by His assistance in the two following Chapters And if in this already or in any that follow we shall seem to any too prolixe and tedious We must desire them to consider that the Argument is not only of great importance but also hath hitherto been handled very confusedly in this Point about the Nature of Time which yet is one of the main hinges upon which the whole Controversie depends even by all the Adversaries as well as the friends of our or rather of Gods cause for His Solemn Time and Day of Holy Rest We have therefore been desirous to beat things out so as that any attentive Reader may see clearly the way we goe and the strength of the Arguments on which we ground our Cause that so far as is possible and as God shall vouchsafe to blesse we may satisfie all Consciences even of ordinary Readers which we much misdoubt we should not have done if we had strived to contract our selves unto the quicker apprehensions of the more pregnant wits while withall we assure the one and other sort that we take no further delight in expatiating either in matter or words then we judge it necessary to the clearing of doubts which others or our own minds have made about the whole or any part of this undertaking CHAP. IX A Determine Solemne Time for Gods Worship is Morall Naturall and that in the first Commandement And what kinde and manner of Determination of Time for Religion may be proved necessary by the Law or Light of Nature and generall rules of Scripture I. Determinate Time is 1. Morall Naturall THE Generall nature of Time in Religion as well as in civill actions and the Profitablenesse of the Determination of it for Religion as well as for Learning or any other civil businesse hath been in the foregoing chapters at large considered and discoursed of Now we are to proceed to a higher step concerning it Namely the Necessity of its Determination for Religion Gods honour and the good of mens soules of which though we have also spoken somewhat in generall already Yet are there further considerations to be set down about it and particularly What kind of Determination of any one of the respects of Time single or of any two of them jointly or of all three of them together is necessary for Religion As also what manner of Determination Remisse Initiall or Conclusive according to what may be proved from Generall rules of the law and light of nature Applyable to all men in all ages all the world over and generall rules also of Scripture without allegation of the fourth Commandement or any such determination exprest in Scripture But onely to consider whether those generall rules will not necessitate us to have recourse to the fourth Commandement for the determination conclusive of the Continuance and Frequency joyntly for all mankind now that come to the knowledge of it as well as for the Jewes of old and to the first Day of the week the Lords-Day for the season or order of beginning to count and so for the particular day to be necessarily observed by all Christians to the worlds end As also to make us acknowledge that the same Continuance and Frequency of one Day in seven was given to Adam and all his Posterity according to Gen. 2. together with the last Day of seven from the beginning of the Creation for the season and order And this is the taske of this and the next Chapter chiefely for the laying down the Positive grounds of our tenents generally reserving the discussion of particular exceptions and objections to the following parts where we shal deale with the severalls in their order distinctly To begin then II. 1 Explained we propound two Positions in the forefront of this discourse about the necessity of Determinate Time for Religion according to the Title of this Chapter whereof the first is Some
to be so captivated we hope we should blesse God for His command of the Sabbath and comfortably beare witnesse to the truth of it even before those that are altogether strangers and enemies to God and His true Religion and Worship as well as to any other part of the Truth and Word and Commandement of God And again that this Commandement of His were incomparably more advantagious to our comforts then if the determination of the Time were left either to our selves or to the Church Suffering for Gods Commands gives assurance of encouragement and comfort in suffering to beare a soul out as all His servants have found and even the Maccabees did for refusing to eate Swines flesh while that Commandement stood in force though but ceremoniall But to suffer for the Churches determination in any thing specially being out of her precincts and in an Infidell Country of which we shall say a word more anon as it hath no peculiar promise to it So we remeÌ„ber not any credible example of those that have done so among Orthodox Christians or much lesse any that have had any spirituall comfort in so suffering We expect therefore of our disputers XVIII The adverse party pressed or the next for them that shall undertake the defence of their cause which of the forenamed sentences they will stand to 1. Either that the morality of the fourth Commandement is only for Publique Worship and for Solemne Time but consequently for it and then a resolution how this can be called a Morall Naturall Commandement which is not not can be possible for so many of mankind to observe Or whether this be not a formall contradiction that any man is totally fâ—re from a Morall Naturall Commandement 2. Or that the Morality is for a sufficient Time to be determined by men and then by whom Whether by the Pagan Governours in their Countryes and if they do it not then by whom whether by a poor captive for himself Or the Church Christian for him And in both cases whether be may and must venture upon all the rage of his cruell and ungodly Master for it 3. Or if in neither of these as we conceive not any great pleasure they can take in asserting any of them whether then as Master Broad hath already dared to do they will venture to lay the fourth Commandement wholly levell and rase it out of the number of the morall commandements making no more a decalogue but an Ennealogue no more ten but nine Commandements and some of them speak suspitiously enough that way though yet for shame or fear they dare not speake out And if so yet then again whither they will admit no necessity neither of any sufficient Time to be determined for Gods Worship and mens soules how little and how seldome soever and how Religion can except by miracle or extraordinary divine dispensation possibly stand without it 4. If they will have such a determination still under what command it comes Who must make it and 5. Finally what the poor captived Christian shall do or may or must do when his barbarous and tyrannous Master will not allow him to keep any such sufficient proportion what ever it be If the Lords day may be but conscionably observed till they give the world a rationall answer to these necessary questions we suppose we shall need trouble our selves no more to dispute for it whilest we live A second argument we have sutable also to a former against Pagan Governours XIX 2. The impossibility of agreement having this authority to determine the times of Gods Solemne Worship that is There is no probability or possibility that the severall Pagan Governours will agree in the same proportion number and length of times or of the same particular day neither among themselves nor with the Christian Church Which yet we have argued greatly conducible to the honour of God for all mankind all the world over and the generall exercise of the communion of Saints This we will only prosecute by putting one question to our adversaries and so to the Judgment of the Christian reader concerning the particular day suppose the number and continuance were agreed on And that is suppose the Great Turke or Governour of Algiers or the King of Persia who are all Mahometans would offer to any Christians within their Territories liberty to Worship God one day in a weeke only they would determine them for the day to Friday which is the day appointed by mahomet and observed by all that professe the Mahometan religion we will not instance in Saturday which is the day observed by the Jewes still because our adversaries would say perhaps that this day being rejected of God might not of all others be taken up again at least for feare of breeding superstition again in men toward it as necessary But we instance in Friday a day not forbidden by God any where no more then not commanded Will they now say that Christians whether Captives or others inhabiting those countries might lawfully or must necessarily accept and observe that day and relinquish the Lords day This they must say if even the particular day be but left to the determination of Pagan Governours And if they would say that the Church Christian having determined the Lords day it may not be relinquished at the command of a Pagan Prince we aske again will they put such Christians then upon the necessity of extreme sufferings for such a circumstance as they usually make this day to be God not having determined it in His Word as they say if they say yes Pagan Governors in this case are to be obeyed even with thankes for allowing the liberty of any day so frequently and the particular day not to be made a matter of persecution without cause and without profit We desire them to consider how a sober conscience reading the story of the Apostles observing of the first day of the weeke the Lords day for the day of publique meeting and with an intimation of the generall meeting and the Sacrament deferred till that day Act. 20.7 And again reading the intimation of an Apostolicall precept for that day and expresse mention of observation of it for collection for the poor which was wont to be in the publique meeting or aftâ—â— 1 Cor. 16.2 and again the title of the Lords day given to it by the Holy Ghost Rev. 1.10 as a day for the Lords Honour His day by way of possession as the word Lords is a plaine possessive terme belonging to the Lord expounded by the Church in the next Age and ever since till this quarrelling age which denyes all things to be meant of that first day of the weeke observed from that Time to this by the Christian Church we say how a sober Christian reading all this in Gods word dares let this day go and make the Lords day a common work-day and entertaine another invented by a meere man Even by such a wicked devillish Impostor
it is more liberty to be bound to the Churches determination even of the same proportions of Continuance and Frequency then to be bound to a Commandement of God If they shall say XXXV Some Exceptions answered Sol. that the Church was at liberty whether it would have determined so much or not We answer This is indeed something in respect to the Church-Governours those that have this supposed authority of determination But it is nothing at all of liberty in respect to the ordinary members of the Church to the greater part of Christians they are as strictly tyed by such a determination to one whole Day in seven by the Churches authority as the Jewes were of old by Gods authority or as we say Christians are now And if they would say Excep 2. Sol. the tye were lesse strict Besides that they have not shewed wherein supposing such a determination we say then the determination were vaine For it is vaine to make a Law to determine a Time or any thing else authoritatively and then for those to whom it is made not to be tyed strictly to it particularly in a Law of this nature for a necessary and sufficient Time for Religion which supposes a firme obligation to observe it being once determined by just authority We say therefore againe where is the Christian liberty 3. Even the Governours liberty were but for the first turne if that be true which we have argued before that this Time being once determined by whomsoever is unalterable by man And even if the Church universall had power to alter it yet till such an Assembly as did properly represent the Church universall all Churches had no liberty at all and however much lesse the members of the Churches 4. Except 3. If they place the freedome and liberty in determining a lesse Continuance than a Day as indeed this is the maine thing they drive at We answer 1. that our Church in practise Sol. against worke hath determined no lesse then a Dayes Continuance wholly and the 13. Canon of 1603. speaks no lesse affirmatively for the observation of the whole Day though in some generall termes 2. And then they must say that it is unlawfull for the Church to determine a whole Day which they cannot well doe considering 1. that a whole Day may be lawfully observed by their own confessions and they usually hold that what a man may doe voluntarily the Church may enjoyne to doe Also 2. we have argued one Day at least in ones life to be Morall-Naturall and therefore God doth not in likelihood refuse the determination of a whole Day in a convenient Frequencie As likewise 3. We have shewed that a whole Dayes Continuance in a convenient Frequencie is clearly the most profitable distribution of the proportion for the chiefe Time and far more advantagious both for Religion and worldly businesse then a lesse Continuance with a more Frequent Revolution There is no probability therefore at all unlesse there were a certaine word for it in Scripture which there is not that God should allow the Church liberty to determine the Continuance any other way and not allow the determination to a whole Day 5. Yet againe if so This may be satisfied with determining it to begin within a quarter of an houre of every ones waking and to continue till within a quarter of an houre of their lying down to sleep or of midnight and what remarkable liberty were this to be granted as a spirituall priviledge and purchased by the blood of our Redeemer as they sometimes speake to us in scorne when we name some few restraints on the weekly Sabbath to the Jewes which we are now freed from 6. But above all we desire the Christian Reader to consider two things more the one is how that can be called a spirituall priviledge or Christian liberty if the Church have authority to determine remarkably lesse Frequencie or specially lesse Continuance then God determined to the Jewes Remarkably lesse then a Day When the soules of Christians are toyled with worldly businesses all the week long and almost over grown with the thornes of worldly cares and distractions through multitude of imployments specially being servants and inferiors or men of great trading or of much businesse even in publike affaires as great Statesmen and they long for the Sabbath the chiefe solemne Time that they may have leisure to breath toward God and refresh their soules with converse with Him in Publike Domestick and Solitary worship and so provide for Eternity specially that Day all other Dayes being so much taken up with temporall and earthly matters And now the Time is so short by a scanty determination that specially as soon as the Publike Worship is over they are againe called upon by their earthly businesses and forced to their worldly drudgery again as their spirituall soules will call it even by others importunities and haunting them specially themselves being inferiors Is this we say a spirituall priviledge a Christian liberty for which the blood of the blessed Redeemer was in part shed to purchase it What our Adversaries consciences when they doe more seriously to consider it in cold blood then perhaps they ever yet have done hitherto will judge of this we know not But for our own parts we are so far from counting or calling this a Christian liberty that we esteem it were a miserable slaverie and bondage to soules and consciences And so contradictory expresly to the gracious intents of our most gracious Redeemer whose blood hath procured us all advantages to our soules that can justly be desired and in no wise left us in worse condition for our soules good then the Jews were And we doubt not but the conscientious Readers will be greatly of our minds We wish our Adversaries sadly to consider it 7. The other Consideration is That if a Christian upon this supposition of a scanty determination of the Church in the point of Continuance whether superior or inferior but specially if an inferior Or even in the case of observation of whatsoever Time determined by the Church be it more or lesse oftener or seldomer shall in their voluntary observation of any other Time or in their obedientiall observation of their determined Time be encountred with froward interruptions though not of necessity sufficient to be yeelded to by Gods reservations or specially be commanded or threatned or misused by Masters or Parents in opposition to it Were it to be counted a spirituall priviledge to have no better ground of suffering then the Churches determination Were this to be reputed a Christian liberty purchased by the blood of our divine Redeemer by the blood of God as it is Act. 20. Or rather an unhappy want of a firme foundation of confidence in suffering Wherein Christians having the expresse word of God determining them to this whatever it be of Time which they observe they may justly triumph and rejoice in any losse or reproach or suffering
the old Day abrogated by Christ and then as we have implyed heretofore and shall again urge further hereafter the first Day of the Weeke came even by vertue of the determination of one in seven in the roome of it immediately Besides what may be argued for Christs justification of it when we come to handle that question against the Jewish Sabbatarians And this being of lesse importance then the determination of the Continuance and Frequency God in His unsearcheable wisdome thought fit only to afford some designations of its observation and His owning it as His in the New Testament and not any peremptory command like to that of the Decalogue Of which also more hereafter XLIV Arg. 11. Then it should belong to every congregation We proceed in our arguments The next is this If the authority of determining to Christians the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion belong to the Church Then it belongs to every particular congregationall Church to determine it unto its members But it belongs not to every particular congregationall Church to determine it unto its members Ergo It belongs not to the Church at all The Consequence hath been partly made good already But we must repeate those things briefly and bring them under one view together and adde some other things to them for fuller confirmation 1. The practise and observation of a necessary and sufficient Time for Religion immediately concernes every particular Church even every particular conscience as we have said for Gods honour among them and the benefiting of all their soules 2 The Time must be determined and that as necessary and sufficient that it may be so observed by that particular Church and all its members 3. It hath been already shewed the great uncertainties that there are about the determination of this Time belonging to a Church Nationall or Vniversall and the Possibilies of their erring either in the point of necessity or of sufficiency through want of zeale excesse of zeale and want of prudence In all these cases what can be said but that the authority must be devolved to each particular congregationall Church for its members that so God may have His honour among them though he hath it not aright among others and their souls may be benefited and their consciences not over-burthened however it be in other Churches 4. In case any particular Church be in a Paganish Country converted and gathered by meanes of some captive Christian or the like who yet is able to shew no authenticke proofe of any determination of the universall Church in this point nor of any Nationall Church which this particular Church should be bound to by vertue of their authority over it It is of necessity that that particular Church determine the Time for it selfe and its members 5. To this Day as we toucht before the universall Church hath not nor scarce any Nationall Church of late made a cleare determination or declaration of the Continuance of the Day which is by practise every where weekely observed How much we say of the Lords day is to be kept holy and strictly for God and the soule Yet this is necessary to be determined Therefore the authority to determine it must needs be devolved to every particular Church through the defect of the universall Churches determination of it and so of Nationall and Provinciall or Diocesan or Classicall Churches As also as was argued formerly in particular Churches default in like sort to particular Persons for themselves and their owne soules and consciences single 6. Finally the Scripture upon our Adversaries suppositions is undeniably we thinke for this And so is the practise of the Christian Church 1. The first certaine intimation we have in Scripture of the new Day observed by Christians for Religion though this also some quarrell with and question is Act. 20.7 which was in a particular Church at Troas and our Adversaries will not allow us to inferre from St. Pauls presence and observation of it with them that he instituted it there and much lesse among all Churches It was then as they contend the particular institution of that particular Church of Troas and so the determination of the particular Day and Frequency whatever was or was not of the Continuance belonged to particular Churches 2. Our Adversaries refuse also the intimation of 1 Cor. 16.2 notwithstanding the mention of an Ordination at least about the Collection that either to Corinth or to the Churches of Galatia the Apostle did institute or determine the first Day of the weeke to Religion Yet it was observed then as they doe not deny in their good moods though they can find in their hearts to dispute against that place also Therefore the institution and determination was made by those particular Churches for the Day and the Frequency at least 3. The practise of the Christian Church will say the same too For 300 yeeres after Christ there was not neither could there be till there was a Christian Emperour any generall Councell So that the universall Church determined it not neither could it Nor doe we read any Nationall or Provinciall Councell that seemes to determine it till that of Laodicea which was neer 300 yeeres after Christs resurrection Whereas the Lords day was practised and observed by that name and the name of the first Day of the weeke in every age from the Apostles Times as we shall shew hereafter It must be then instituted and determined by some particular Churches and imitated by others and so came to be universally practised Unlesse the Apostle instituted and determined it for all which our Adversaries admit not and we have disproved in their sense or that God and Christ ordained it whether immediately or mediately by the Apostles it matters not greatly and so certainly it was XLV Which is disproved by many reasons For now to prove our Antecedent That it belongs not to every particular congregationall Church to make this determination 1. It is not credible that all particular Churches if the power were in themselves would determine the same Continuance nor the same Frequency nor so much as the same particular Day For to speake of the first doe not our disputers now argue one while for Thursday to be as fit a Day in memory of Christs Ascention as the Lords day in memory of His Resurrection Another while for Friday in memory of His death How would this then be if they or such as they had the authority in their owne hand much if not altogether being the Ministers and so at least the chiefe in authority in the particular Congregations should we not be likely in a great City as London but specially in a Nation or Kingdome to have all the Dayes of the Weeke determined by one or other particular Church namely one by one and another by another and so others by others Againe in such diversities of tempers differences of zeale or worldlinesse wanting a steady Rule as we shall see and
mans calling may be allowed to be the divider and the distributer of the chiefe Time of all men and so God and the soules of men have no other allowance for the chiefe Time to Religion then what those worldly considerations shall allot This thought about Gods indulgence is a most weighty and most necessary consideration in this dispute But it doth not seeme to be at all taken into consideration by our disputers in this question We shall therefore anon make a distinct argument of it that we may be sure they and all Readers that will take the paines to view those discourses shall not be able to misse it or passe it sleightly over But we must first make up this Argument and another in the meane Time We say then that by all this discourse of the Nature of God the Nature of the Soule the Nature of the Duties of Worship the Nature of the Body and worldly occasions Take any of them single and apart or joyne any of them or all of them together in the consultation and we are as farre as can be from any guesse how to proportion the Time betweene Religion and other matters except that we ought undoubtedly to say if we have nothing but these to direct us That to Gods honour and the souls benefit the farre greater proportion of Time is necessary and that it cannot be sufficient to let the world possesse the largest share And if this be true as we cannot see how it can possibly be denyed and we shall yet further confirme it in a following argument our Adversaries have made a goodly purchsse by disputing the abrogation of the fourth Commandement for one Day in seven In as much as in stead of their pretended Christian liberty not to be tyed to such a proportion all other rules call for twise thrise as much and rather for six Dayes of seven and leave but one for worldly businesses And if they shall object Excep that mens bodily lives could not be preserved with so little a proportion for worldly businesses and trades We Answer set aside the Wisdome of God Sol. and His allowance of six Dayes Worke in the fourth Commandement it is not possible for any man living or any number of men to assigne certainly how much Time is to be spent in worldly businesses for the preservation of mankind in a bodily life If there were that simplicity of Diet of Apparell of Buildings all other things that there was in the first Ages of the world and is yet in some Countries though our pride and curiosity call them Barbarous for it certainly a great deale lesse Time would serve then now doth for worldly matters And though as the constitution of the world now is we are far from blaming such Trades and Manufacturers or the using of them as sinnes because specially we beleeve God to have allowed six Dayes in a Week mainly for worldly businesse according to the fourth Commandement Yet we say still that if this allowance were not we see not any warrant to imploy mankind so much in these businesses which as we said have been spared of old and are spared in other places at this Day to so notorious prejudice and undervaluing of God and His honour and the good of soules And so still we are altogether at a lesse for a rule of wisdome how to determine our necessary and sufficient chiefe Solemne Time for Religion And therefore this determination could not be nor was ever left to man to Adam or the Partriarkes before Moses Much losse to the Gentiles and Heathen for themselves and theirs nor yet to the Church of the New Testament LII 5. Nor the old proportion of one Day in seven in the fou th Commandement But remained ever in Gods hand which is the thing to be proved But we must not forget our fifth Consideration mentioned in reference to the Christian Church That our Adversaries in their best moodes when they say The Church must not offend in excesse or defect not render the yoke of Christians too heavy by appointing too much nor slight or seeme to slight the service of God and render it contemptible by appointing too little They seeme to fancy that the proportion of one Day of seven though by no meanes necessary to be perpetuated may be a convenient direction that thereabouts it should be among Christians and accordingly in the Christian Church ever one Day in a week hath been observed which with the addition of Holy dayes more rarely appointed they count a sufficient Time for Religion equall if not superiour to the Time that God had from the Jewes under the Old Testament Now to this we have divers things to say though we will not offer to follow their extravagancies in and out step by step in this dispute but onely shew somewhat the insufficiency and absurdity of this pretence LIII This is proved absurd We say then 1. That for other Holy dayes besides the weekely Solemne day they come not properly into this dispute about the ordinary chiefe Time for Religion They are 1. Extraordinary Dayes of which kind the Jewes also had some of Gods appointing and some of their own more then many Christian Churches have though not so many as some others Also 2. These are taken up without any such rule as may either urge the conscience to judge them necessary or conclude them together to be sufficient Therefore 3. Also herein the Christian Churches greatly differ which as we have argued before must not be in the proportions of the chiefe solemne Time necessary and sufficient for all Christians Likewise 4. No Church Reformed that hath retained Holy dayes hath spoken fully and clearely about the Continuance of them and how necessarily they are to be observed to Religion and imployed wholly in Religious duties or not And so they come not properly into this dispute about the necessary chiefe Time for Religion 2. Leaving these out and considering the weekely solemne proportion it was of old determined to the Jewes in the fourth Commandement One whole Day of seven Both which as well as the particular seventh Day the Saturday Sabbath which they pin to the Commandement But we shal shew their errour in it hereafter our Adversaries make to be now abrogated by Christ that is both the number one Day of seven and the Continuance one whole Day Of both these we must now argue the case with them how upon the supposition of Gods making these void they can finde out a rule for the Christian Church to make a determination of the chiefe Time for Religion for Frequency and Continuance And first we must discourse of the Frequency LIV. 1. With respect to the Frequency For the number of one Day in seven which is from Christs Time to this Day observed and perpetuated among all Christians by all confession Some kept as is said more Dayes but all kept the Lords day the first Day of the Week and
old particular Day was retained a while at least in publike among the Jewes and so were the forbearance of things strangled and blood even ordained so and Circumcision it selfe and Sacrifices were practised a while But after a while all left and by Divines called not only dead but deadly So by the same reason after a while a new number ought to have been taken up by the Christian Church as is apparant a new particular Day was even in full opposition to Judaisme as upon this ground the Councell of Laodicea anathematises those that should keep the old Jewish Day So should it have been for the number if it as well as the other had been meerly Judaicall and both together cashiered by God Let it be considered 6. But we have yet one thing more to urge That looking to the number of old determined to the Jewes LX. 6. The old number can give no direction to the Church if it be now made voyd can afford the Christian Church no direction at all towards the setling of a new number For as much as 1. there is no Argument sufficient to convince or satisfie a Conscience whether that number was rejected by God as too often a revolution or too seldome Themselves in their Disputes discourse ambiguously of it and with their argumentations contradict themselves as it is usuall for Errours to doe One while they say The number may be oftener but it may not be seldomer Another while they urge That it is a part of our Christian libertie not to be tied to that number of seven But these destroy one another For if we ought to have an oftener number as they also plead sometimes because we are more beholden to God then the Jewes were and freed from many other burdensome Ceremonies where then is our Christian liberty Are we not in the particular in more straights then the Jewes And by the Churches tying us againe as they say it hath to the number of one in seven Is not our Christian libertie infringed it being libertie not to be tyed to that number Unlesse they will say It is libertie not to be tyed by Gods expresse commandement of that number and yet libertie still to be tyed by the Churches command who hath authoritie from God to determine the Moralitie of the fourth Commandement and lay the strength even of the Law of Nature upon us for the number which is to make it as necessary as ever Contrarily if it be Christian libertie not to be tyed to this number then we ought not to be tyed to a more frequent number nor yet to the same number againe as we are Some of these things we had before in a former Argument But the nature of the thing in question did in a sort necessitate a repetition Else we do not delight to burthen the Readers with the same Notions againe 2. But suppose it were clearly certaine on which hand the scale should now weigh to a number more frequent upon the reason of our greater obligation to God and greater meanes of grace to improve the Times to better purpose then they which our disputers also discourse by fits or to a number lesse frequent upon the reason of Christian Liberty Yet now is there no rule to satisfie a doubting conscience or convince a disputer though no wrangler how neer to the number of one in seven the number should be kept and setled For if it be one of three or foure Or even three or foure or five of seven still here is the more for God and the soul And if it be but one of ten of twenty of thirty or a hundred here is the more liberty such as it is for we are not willing to call it Christian In a word the seldomest number will hardly be proved necessary to those that offer to dispute the contrary Or if it may yet will it be as farre from appearing sufficient to a zealous or doubtfull mind nor indeed any number how frequent so ever that can be determined can by any argument be demonstrated to be sufficient to such a conscience Or if it be then again on the other side it will be more impossible to prove it necessary to an unwilling or worldly mind Either way both wayes we are all altogether upon uncertainties and so this old number of one Day in seven determined to the Iewes can stand us in no stead at all toward the determination of the number for the chiefe Time now 2. But we shall also be as much at a losse if not more LXI 2. With respect to the Continuance for a whole day For about the Continuance In which we disagree most and is as we have oft intimated the mainest thing in dispute which we plead for and they most oppose But if they come not home to us and to the fourth Commandement for a whole Day they will be farther to seeke for a Rule to direct them and us in this determination then in the former To which purpose 1. We observe 1. They doe not expresse how much time is necessarie and sufficient that our disputers in this point of the Continuance that is most of them doe not so much as offer to expresse how neer we Christians must necessarily and may sufficiently come to a whole Dayes Continuance which was determined to the Jews and by them observed when they made any conscience of the Commandement Only they sometimes vouchsafe to grant That they doe not sinne who observe the whole Day for Religion rather that they do well and commendable And now and then they even say They doe best who so observe it But they will not yeeld that it must necessarily be so observed for this were to yeeld all That they say is superstition to thinke and judaizing and tyranny to urge others unto 2. Nor can if it be not for a whole day 2. Therefore we make bold to uâ—ge them to tell us at last what Continuance of Time on the Lords day is certainly necessary and certainly sufficient To convince the unwilling to whom a very little while together is irkesome and tedious and to satisfie the godly who may be apt to thinke lesse then the whole Day too little And that for all the pretence of Christian liberty the respect to Gods Honour and their owne souls good which undoubtedly concerne Christians as much at least as the Jewes The Continuance of a whole Day should have been kept as well as the number of one Day in Seven Let them venture upon any proportion of Continuance that they will or can and what can the example of a whole Day in the fourth Commandement direct them to If they refuse a whole Day Will they leave out an houre at night and as much in the morning Or only at night Or two houres Or halfe an houre How will they argue so much as they determine to be necessary and not the rest which they leave out Or how will they prove so
much sufficient and yet not to be more then necessary Both wayes they will be tossed from post to pillar or betweene two rockes either of which will suffice to split this assertion whensoever they lanch it forth 3. Nor can they satisfie all with any determination 3. Nor will they be able to helpe themselves if we should grant them what we never must because we have proved the contrary as of necessity to Religion That the Continuance of this chiefe Time is only to be extended to the publike Worship And that if it be wisely determined for them It is well enough determined for the chiefe Time of Religion For even upon this supposition take but the two houres that the author of Sunday no Sabbath vouchsafes to name as the just allowance or any other proportion more or lesse And they shall never be able to avoyd dashing either against the Scylla of the unwilling That so much is not necessary or against the charitie of the zealous That so much is not sufficient And whatsoever they would put forth to save themselves from the one will thrust them on the other What necessity will the one say of so much Prayers or Reading or Singing or so long Sermon Specially when mens minds are upon the World businesses or sports which would detaine them or call them off from the publike How shall such be convinced that such a proportion is necessary Here it must be remembred that there is no helpe to be had from any pretence of the Churches authority to command the proportion for that we have already abundantly confuted But we are now upon the point of wisdome by what Rule to make the necessary proportion of which we say there is none nor can there be to such as refuse a whole Day Or if there should be somewhat imagined yet then come the other and they pleade What sufficiencie in so sudden or short a dispatch of the whole Specially since there is no Time determined wherein our soules can have liberty being servants or men of businesse after the publike Is not God worthy of more Time then thus Are our soules of so little regard that such a pittance once in a week should suffice them Here againe the Churches authority cannot be pretended But we are upon a Rule of wisdome which is no where to be found no not for the publike if there be no more Time to be determined but the publike Time only We foresee an objection concerning this which we shall meet with anon in a place no lesse fit 4. But this difficulty about the Continuance 4. Vnlesse there be Time sufficient for family and solitary worship will be much more encreased when we tell our disputers againe That the Continuance of our chiefe solemne Times is not sufficient if it extend not beyond the publike even to family Worship where it may be had and infallibly to solitary Worship both before and after the publike for preparation for it and improvement of it and further gaine in spirituall matters besides as we have formerly proved at large And then what can satisfie that such a proportion as is lesse then the whole of that Day is sufficient for the chiefe Time for Religoin They cannot deny but it is as possible for us to observe a whole Day as it was for the Jewes themselves confesse we have more helpes then they clearer Scriptures a greater measure of Grace powred on Christians They acknowledge also it is not a sinne to observe a whole Day but lawfull commendable best How then can lesse then the whole be sufficient to be determined for the Continuance What rule or reason can abate any of it and if any how much And how is it demonstrated then that so much is necessary and no more and so much sufficient and no lesse Is it not strange that the Church should have if the Church have done it as they say retained the number of one in seven which there is nothing for in nature and reason but all against it being made voide by Christ And refuse the Continuance of a whole day for which there is so much even in nature and nothing rationall against it nor for any other proportion of Continuance imaginable so much as for it We doubt not then to say that all is impossible to be satisfied by any thing they can alledge and that while they deny Gods determination perpetuall for one whole Dayes Continuance in the Frequency of seven exprest in the fourth Commandement They bring themselves and all that adhere to their opinion into an inextricable labyrinth of uncertainty and confusion Hitherto we have oppugned the Churches determination of the necessary sufficient chiefe solemne Time for Religion and withall all other mens both in point of authority and in point of wisdome and by both have asserted it to God alone But for its belonging onely to God as also the particular Day for it we have yet some other arguments behind which we must also produce for the further propugnation of our position and so a complete discharge of all men from pretending to it any more Our next argument proceeds in this manner LXII The second generall It belongs to God alone to determine the chiefe time Aug. 1. This is the scope of one Commandement of the decalogue If it be the generall meaning or part of the generall meaning of a Commandement of the decalogue that these Times and those only should be observed as necessary to Religion which are appointed by God Himselfe Then the Determination of the chiefe Time necessary to Religion for all men belongs to God alone and His peculiar appointment But it is the generall meaning or part of the generall meaning of a Commandement of the decalogue That these Times and these only should be observed as necessary to Religion which are appointed by God Himselfe Ergo The Determination of the chiefe Time necessary to Religion for all men belongs to God alone and His peculiar appointment The Consequence of this argument cannot reasonably be denyed The generall meaning and scope of every Commandement of the decalogue is without controversie perpetuall and morall Our Adversaries every where speake to that purpose when they fly from the words of the fourth Commandement to a generall meaning and morall equity and the like Which sometimes they make to be sufficient Time to be determined by the Church and usually Publique Worship That neither of these is it we shall prove hereafter But we take in the meane Time their grant of a generall meaning morall and perpetuall Though this be no great liberallity of theirs For it is no more then they and all Divines besides usually ascribe to the Festivall Sabbathes which are in their particularities undeniably ceremoniall And usually also even all the rest of the ceremonialls and so of the judicialls too are acknowledged to have some generall morality in them which is perpetuall Now this generall meaning moral scope we are
Sabbath he promises in Gods name That they should be made joyfull in Gods house of Prayer and their services accepted by Him v. 3 6 7. So that spirituall comfort in God and His gracious acceptation of their services is the blessing promised to the faithfull observance of this Time appointed by God for the chiefe solemne Time of His Worship Neither can this be eluded by our Disputers as they offer to Except 1 throw off all the places of the Old Testament by saying that this Except 2 was typicall of Christ and our spirituall rest in Him from sinne or else that it belonged only to the seventh-day Sabbath which the Jewes observed and so either way and both wayes we have nought to doe with it For we have proved sufficiently Solut. that a solemne proportion of Time determined for Religion for the necessary and sufficient chiefe Time as the Weekly Sabbath then was undeniably is no typicall matter but a substantially-necessary thing to Religion and that there is need of a Blessing upon such Time whatever the proportion be unlesse it were all our Time or else it will not be sufficient And so the Blessing here cannot be to the Sabbath in any typicall respect but as that proportion of Time determined by God for the chiefe Time for Religion His worship and mens soules Inst And though they may happen to object the mention of Gods accepting of their burnt offerings and sacrifices upon His Altar which Sol. if referoed to our Times must needs be meant typically 1. This will not hurt our interpretation of this place since the difference is apparant enough between His calling for the observation of that which is so substantially necessary in the kind of it to Religion that is either this Proportion determined for the chiefe Time or some other and that which is plainly a figure and a type as all burnt offerings and materiall sacrifices were Of which kind there are now none such under the Gospel So that in this the Prophet only speaks in the language of the present time that while sacrifices were offered and burnt upon Gods altar by the conscientious observers of His Sabbath according to His command those services should bee accepted and after they were ceased their spirituall services of prayers and thanksgivings which are in stead of them under the Gospel Like unto that of David Psal 51. who first saith God would have no sacrifices from him but a broken and contrite heart yet afterward he saith God would accept young bullocks from him Sol. 2. v. ult And as for the seventh Day they urge so much we deny the emphasis to lie at all upon that though it were the particular Day then to be observed but wholly upon the Proportion though taking in that seventh Day because then in being and then only commanded by God But we have shewed our grounds of difference enough between these two in point of substance and necessity to Religion one Day in seven and that seventh Day And what needs more to be said we shall adde when hereafter we shall come to shew as we have promised it and are forced to repeat it oftener then we would that the seventh Day was not directly commanded in the words of the fourth Commandement nor at all as the substance and particular matter of them But only within the generall scope as then appointed by God elsewhere and so our Lords-day comes equally within it and is now become successour to it in the particular title to the Blessing as we shall see So that this place stands good for our having a Blessing on Gods determined Time His Sabbath observed both by Jew and Christian The other place is Isa 58. Where LXXIII Another text Isa 58.13 expounded after he had called to a most carefull observation of the Sabbath both negative and affirmative and that both outwardly in deed and word and inwardly in thought v. 13. he promises in Gods name a remarkable spirituall Blessing v. 14. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord that is God will so afford thee His divine Blessing upon thy conscionable imployment with joy and cheerfulnesse calling the Sabbath a delight of that Day of Gods solemne appointment for the chiefe Time of His worship that all the week after thou shalt find a delight in the Lord thou shalt have a heart oft to think of Him even in the midst of thy worldly businesses and to redeeme Time also ever now and then from thy worldly businesses to converse voluntarily with Him and be glad of all opportunities so to doe not willingly missing any time any day when thou canst have freedome to converse with Him and attend upon Him And that this is the meaning of this Promise and Blessing understanding it Evangelically and not to an absolute perfection of delight in God in this world which is not to be found in sinfull man We desire no other proofe than the Consciences of Christians that keep the Lords day as Gods Sabbath by Him commanded and their very manifestation of it in the eyes of their very adversaries Namely that such as delight in the strict and exact observation of the Sabbath doe answerably delight or seem at least to delight in conversing with God at other times and every Day gladly wait upon God some time morning and night even they and their families too and at extraordinary times they delight to heare and pray publikely and to converse with Christians in a spirituall manner privately and to attend upon God by themselves alone when they can get leisure Which is unlesse men will say that all such are wilfull and grosse Hypocrites a reall Comment upon this Promise of the Prophet of delighting in God increased in men by the Sabbaths observation And on the contrary it is more then evident that the most of those that make no conscience of the Sabbath of the Lords day doe expresse very little or no delight in God or any true spirituall converse with Him at any other Time They care little for any other Opportunity of hearing His word they worship Him not at all or seldome or very slightly with their families and lesse perhaps if the truth were known in their own solitary devotions In a word the one sort though Gods commandement and indulgence together satisfie them that one Day in seven is ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time for God and their soules yet they cannot satisfie themselves their consciences towards God nor their longings after Him unlesse they besides both daily and extraordinarily redeeme what Time they can possibly or at least conveniently redeeme to waite upon Him and satiate their soules more and more in enjoying a spirituall converse with Him like a friend or lover whose felicity is to be with the party loved as much and often as may be The other sort though they have no ground to think that Time sufficient not regarding the Commandement yet they hardly or not at
Religion 17. As all Time is Gods and none ours for worldly businesse XLII 17. All Time is Gods all Places are ours but by his indulgence And indulgence of his we have none that we can securely challenge sufficient for worldly occasions but the six Dayes in a weeke mentioned in the fourth Commandement which indulgence cannot be perpetuated without the perpetuating also and first of the command of one Day of seven for God and Religion So that without this Commandement and indulgence we trespasse upon God continually in following our worldly businesses But as for Place though the whole earth be Gods yet in expresse termes He hath given it to the children of men Psal 115. by a generall indulgence Neither calls for any of it back under the New Testament as he did a little spot for typicall use of old any place is convenient for so many bodyes serving all the necessary turnes for Religion And so there is no Trespasse upon God in point of Place if there be but an observation of his appointed Times in any Place Whence still the same conclusion rises Time and Place are not equall Circumstances in Religion 18. Mens soules need a singular blessing XLIII 18. There needs a blessing to make sufficient not so for place to make any Time lesse then all sufficient for their soules which have so manifold necessities and are so infinitely more worth then all bodily occasions Which blessing as none but God can bestow so is there no ground to expect it but to his own appointments and determinations And such blessing He annexed to His determinations of Time Gen. 2. and Exod. 20. But there being no influence of Place into the soul any Place is sufficient which is sufficient for the bodyes convenience And so no blessing is to be expected with relation to the Place But only to the meeting and to the observation of the Time so appointed by God neither did God ever blesse any Place for Religion but only typically In this then also Time and Place are not equall Circumstances in Religion XLIV 19. The necessary Time for Religion is properly holy so is not any Place 19. The Necessary Time for Religion is properly holy and the sufficient Time acceptable to God or else it could not be counted sufficient But no Place is or can be now properly holy or acceptable to God Nor was ever any Place so of old in a morall sense or with reference to Morall Worship But onely typicall The Synagogues are no where called holy Places in Scriptures No not the very court of the Temple where the people meet to pray and heare and the like Neither were they suffered to go at any Time into that holy Place but the Priests only and only the High Priest and but once a yeare into the Holy of Holies on the day of Attonement All to teach the people that all the holinesse and acceptation of service in the Temple was only typicall which when it should cease all holinesse of Places should withall cease and no more acceptation to be expected from the service presented in any Place with reference to the Place or any consecration of it to Religion So though we may now consecrate or set apart Places for Religion as the Centurian a Gentile of his own accord and in love to the Jewish nation as themselves say and not as an act of devotion built them a Synagogue Luke 7.5 Yet can we neither make them Necessary Holy nor Places of acceptation Place and Time therefore are not equall circumstances in Religion XLV 20. The New Testament honours a Time viz. the Lords Day no Place as the Lords house 20. Finally to wind up divers things in a few words The New Testament honours a Time with the glorious title of Gods possession the Lords day which Day for Continuance Frequency and Order may be observed all the world over with but a little difference according to the climates how many millions soever of Christians there be in the world Which joynt serving of God eminently redounds to his great honour and is the greatest exercise of the Communion of Saints upon earth from which no persecution imprisonment or the like can hinder them so long as they have but spirits enough to lift up their soules to God But the New Testament dignifies no Place now with the title of the Lords house His possession Neither can all Christians now because of the Churches amplitude meet in one Place And if any would say all their places of meeting might be of the same proportion all the world over We Answer It is indeed possible in nature but altogether improbable and next to impossible in practise that it should be so without a divine command For it were altogether ridiculous in reason as it would be to have all men weare cloathes of the same bignesse and length Besides this would only be publique Places not domesticke much lesse solitary And again persecution and imprisonment might hinder from using these Once more then Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion nor fit to be equally left to men to the Churches determination or any other And so we doubt not but we have sufficiently evinced this assertion as well as the former If any think XLVI The conclusion we have spent too many words about it let him thank our disputers confidence on the contrary side which hath in a sort forced us to it while withall we have given a kind of recapitulation of some principall heads in the foregoing Chapters which some Readers perhaps will not be sorry for We end with this advertisement That if we had listed to make our Selves or our Readers merry in so serious a subject as our generall matter is we would not have wisht for a handsomer subject then this paralelling of Time and Place as equall But we durst not be light in so waighty a cause And now we have a third Corollary to adde That the chiefe Time is a part of worship and not a meere circumstance which will be yet another proofe of its being above Place But this is for the next Chapter CHAP. XII The necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion together with the Particular Day for it is a Part of Worship and not a meere Adjunct or Circumstance only I. A third Corollarie The necessary sufficient Time is a part of Worship THis Assertion we conceive to be a necessary Corollarie from our foregoing Discourses Yet is usually denyed even by some who differ not from us in the maine grounds of it Therefore we judge it expedient to be subjoyned and cleared Because also we are perswaded it will not only adde a little more light to some things already laid down but likewise somewhat more awe the Consciences of every one in the point of strict observation of the whole Lords day in a weekly revolution For if men be once fully convinced that not only the performance of such particular
Law of Nature that is of things which in a Rationall and Ethicall Consideration according to the Light of Nature may be and are to His honour either constantly or accidentally as Prayer to Him Swearing by His name 2. Or by positive Law in Scripture and calling Him to witnesse or appealing to Him 2. Or by Positive Law in Scripture which is the only way now Or of old by Dreams and Visions and the like altogether by vertue of His divine institution and appointments As the use of Water in the Sacrament of Baptisme and of Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper which being things of common use for worldly purposes have no other aptitude to be immediately to His honour But from His owne Command 7. These things thus premised VI. The question stated first by us we shall briefely state our question thus We say the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion together with the particular Day for it is a part of worship and not a meer adjunct and circumstance only Hereby we mean that that Time observed for Religion is a part of our speciall homage to God and an immediate honour to Him And that it ought to be presented with such intention as being specially commanded by God partly in the Law of Nature namely the Continuance and Frequency being to the honour of God only in a Rationall and Ethicall Consideration and partly in Scripture as hath been shewed Chap. 10. And accordingly is specially acceptable unto God and such speciall acceptation may be and ought to be expected from God And so the Duties of Religion are then doubly worship and doubly acceptable both in reference to the Duties themselves and to the Times wherein they are performed Only still it must be remembred that all our acceptation is in and through Jesus Christ We say they are doubly Worship and doubly acceptable or trebly or foure fold as filling up together the whole Continuance commanded of a Day and answering the required observation of such a frequent Day and being presented upon the appointed particular Holy Day Like unto which there is now no other Time under the New Testament in this compleat sort Worship or so greatly acceptable Though there be some other Times that may have a little share also as we shall see anon In the meane time all our indeterminate and voluntary Times in any respect so far as they are voluntary are meere Circumstances of VVorship and no way to any speciall or immediate Honour to God in their observation nor any matter of speciall acceptation and so not to be presented with any such intention or expectation This is our opinion and meaning VII 2. By others 8. But now on the contrary others deny that under the Gospel any Time or Dayes at all are parts of Worship or that the Worship of God consists now at all in the observation of them Thus one resolutely O.R. p. 202.2 We deny that the worship of God can be placed in the observation of any Day unlesse we speak improperly Yet we acknowledge That in the Holy-Dayes there is a kind of worship of God as far as they are instituted to the Honour of God alone and the faithfull are congregated to them to holy performances But this is very improper indeed For besides that by being instituted to the Honour of God alone he meanes not that the Dayes instituted or observed are any speciall or immediate Honour to God positively but only that negatively they are reduced to His Honour when they are not instituted to the Honour of Creatures Saints or Angels among Orthodoxe Christians though they are among the Idolatrous Papists But besides this we say If the Faithfull congregating can make a Day a part of Gods worship then any Day or every Day of the Week or Yeere may be a part of Worship when the Faithfull meet to that purpose which no man affirmes p. 204.1 But heare him once againe The worship of God ought to be the end of the indiction of such Dayes But the Dayes themselves are no part of worship but an adjunct only or circumstance of worship If any man shall say The learned Professour speaks it only of the Holy Dayes appointed by the Church We answer VVe know he doth so But then he must remember that he makes the very Lords day to be of Ecclesiasticall constitution only which cannot make a thing a proper part of worship and so the same is appliable to the Lords-day also But he is not alone in this Assertion his Fellow Professour is of the same mind which we wonder at for the Lords-day when he puts this difference between the Jewish times and ours That the very Dayes D. Wal. de Sab. p. 93.95 and the Rest upon them was a part of worship to the Jewes But ours only a necessary circumstance thereof Another followes thus To speak properly a Day makes no part of Gods service Primr p. 250. 278. under the New Testament but is only an accidentall circumstance thereof And again Times appointed now make no part of Gods service and are not appointed but relative to the publike exercises p. 287. c. VVe need say no more for the stating the Question The difference is apparent They say The Time is only a necessary circumstance VVe say it is more than so a speciall part of worship VVhich thus we come to manifest by these ensuing Arguments That Time which the Lord requires out of all our Time VIII Arg. 1. It is Gods portion Ergo a part of worship as His peculiar portion is a part of worship But the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion together with the particular Day for it is that Time which God requires out of all our Time as His peculiar portion Ergo It is a part of worship The Proposition is made good by instances of other things which being challenged by God as His peculiar portion became thereby parts of worship parts of the speciall Homage due to Him immediately tending to His Honour As 1. The Place which God did peculiarly chuse out of all the Tribes to set His name there as the Place often is the Lords House the Lords Temple was by vertue of such Divine challenge of it a part of worship sc of the Ceremoniall worship undeniably and the presenting there their services was a speciall part of the Jewes homage to God and an immediate honour to Him as also a matter of speciall acceptation with God even so far as that no other legall services were otherwhere acceptable at all except upon extraordinary command as Elijahs was 1 King 18. And if it were so with Place then there can be no reason but it is so with Time now though not now in a typicall respect but morall whether naturall or positive it is all one 2. So was it also of old with the Tithes which God challenges as His peculiar portion out of every mans substance Lev. 27.30
Sabbatum Redivivum OR THE Christian Sabbath VINDICATED IN A Full Discourse concerning the Sabbath And the LORDS DAY Wherein whatsoever hath been written of late for or against the Christian Sabbath is exactly but modestly Examined And the perpetuity of a Sabbath deduced from grounds Of Nature and Religious Reason By Daniel Cawdrey and Herbert Palmer Members Of the Assembly of Divines Divided into Foure Parts 1. Of the Decalogue in generall and other Laws of God together with the Relation of Time to Religion 2. Of the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue in speciall 3. Of the old Sabbath in particular 4. Of the Lords Day in particular The FIRST PART Ezek. 22.26 They have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned amongst them Mark 2.28 The SONNE OF MAN is Lord also of the Sabbath London Printed by Robert White for Thomas Vnderhill and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bible in Woodstreete 1645. The License THis Treatise entituled Sabbatum Redivivum Or the Christian Sabbath vindicated as in my opinion the most satisfactory of any I have seen and that in a point of Divinity wherein as appeares by the many Books written against it the wisdome of the flesh maintaines as great an enmity against God as in any whatsoever I recommend unto the Presse as of excellent use in these times CHARLES HERLE The Contents of the first Part. CHAP. I. OF the Term of a Morall Law and the distinction of Laws into Ceremoniall Judiciall and Morall And of Morall Laws into Naturall and Positive CHAP. II. Rules to know a Law to be Morall though but positive CHAP. III. Every Law of the Decalogue is a Morall and Perpetuall Law CHAP. IV. The Exceptions to the former Rule answered CHAP. V. Christ hath confirmed all the Commandements of the Decalogue as perpetuall Mat. 5.17 c. CHAP. VI. Solemne Worship is Morall-Naturall both Solitary and conjoyned in Families and Churches and how far CHAP. VII Generall Considerations about Time and its profitablenesse in reference to Morall actions of importance CHAP. VIII Considerations of Time in relation to Religion and the Worship of God how far it may be profitable thereunto CHAP. IX A Determinate Solemn Time for Gods Worship is Morall-Naturall and that in the first â—ommandement And what kinde and manner of Determination of Time for Religion may be proved Necessary by the Law or Light of Nature and generall Rules of Scripture CHAP. X. The Determination of the chiefe Solemn Time of Worship for all men Necessarily and Ordinarily Sufficient for the chief Time as also of the particular day for it belongs not to Men but to GOD. CHAP. XI Two Corollaries from the former Discourses about Solemne Time 1. All Times and Dayes are not equall under the Gospell 2. Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion CHAP. XII The Necessary sufficient chief Time for Religion together with the particular Day for it is a part of Worship and not a meer Adjunct or Circumstance only Errata PAge 108. Line 2. And specially c. unto the end of that Paragraph should have been inserted line 16. after the word pleases p. 136. l. 33. for much read which p. 168. l. 7. for coninuance r. continuance p. 233. l. 34. for lets r. let p. 242. l. 16. for mahomet r. Mahomet l. 33. for if r. If p. 260. l. 19. for puplique r. publique p. 261. l. 17. after of r. it p. 266. l. 32. for Chhistian r. Christian p. 273. l. 3. for Pimitive r. Primitive p. 274. l. 25. for justification r. institution p. 275. l. 12. for possibilies r. possibilities p. 276. l. 33. for Apostle r. Apostles p. 277. l. 4. for the r. that p. 282. l. 23. for ver 16. r. ver 14. p. 283. l. 25. blot out not p. 296. l. 30. for them r. that l. 36. for charity r. Charybdis p. 305. l. 13. for mianly r. mainly p. 314. l. 5. for referoed r. referred p. 318. l. 27. for continue r. containe p. 322. l. 7. for oligatory r. obligatory p. 332. l. 25. for Lev. 23. r. Lev. 27. p. 346. l. 28. for viz. r. both p. 352. l. 15. for that r. the To the Christian Reader WE are now Christian Reader to enter upon a very great work not so much in respect of the bulk and length as containing under it many controversies as in respect of the subject matter it selfe the worth and Dignity of it The vindication of the Christian Sabbath In the entrance and Preface whereunto we think it not amisse to give thee a briefe account of some particulars which may not being satisfied stand as prejudices in the reading of the following Discourse and they are these 1. What is the concernment of a Sabbath that we are so large in vindication of it 2. Why after so many books of this subject we adde any more 3. Why seeing there are three parts more this part comes forth alone without its fellowes For the first of these In reading of the Scriptures 1. The Elogies of a Sabbath we do observe that there is not any one part of Religion except but the mystery of our Redemption of which more is spoken than of the Sabbath The Elogies of it are so many that they would easily swell into a volume if we listed to enlarge our selves We shall therefore give thee but a touch or taste of the chiefest Heads 1. In Generall it is the Compendium of all Religion And first of all in generall we may call the Sabbath and the due observation of it the Compendium or Continent of all Religion Hereupon it is very observable that as the commandement of it stands in the Heart of the Decalogue as the bond of both the Tables so it is in other places of Scripture joyned with the chiefest Duties of both Of the first Table in that place You shall keep my Sabbaths Levit. 26.2 and reverence my Sanctuary Of the second Table in that other place You shall feare every man his father and his mother Levit. 19.3 Having all the Priviledges that Commend the most Substantiall Lawes in Scripture and sanctifie my Sabbaths The Law of the Sabbath hath all those priviledges that do commend any the most substantiall Lawes in Scripture It is one of the Ten spoken by God himself with Majesty and Terror written in the Tables of stone with his own finger put in the Arke by his own command together with the rest to signifie as even one of the Adversaries sayes the perpetuity of it 2. In Particular 1. The Frequent mention of it in all parts of sacred Scripture More Particularly 1. There is as frequent mention of it as of any one Commandement implying as on the one side the Importance of it so on the other Mens untowardnesse and backwardnesse in the observation of it There is no part of Scripture wherein there is not something remarkable of a Sabbath 1. In the Law or five Books
think it is considerable that our Prosperity hath begun to wither and our miseries to grow upon us ever since But enough of that at this time 8. A chiefe part of Nehemiahs Reformation c. Nehem. 13.15 c. 8. Lastly Nehemiah that Good man and Good Governour makes this businesse of the Sabbath 1. A speciall Part of his Reformation as our present Reformers have Blessed of the Lord be they for it reproving threatning and setting watch against the Profanation of it by the Heathens 2. Worth contending for even with the Nobles as well as the common people 3. As a matter for which he expected to be Remembred of God Nehem. 13.15.22 And now we entreat thee Christian Reader sadly to consider whether the Sabbath which hath all these Elogies be not worth our best endevours to vindicate the observation of it as a principall part of our Religion But now it may peradventure seem strange 2. Why any mor Bookes of this subject why after so long silence in the Sabbaticall controversies and after so many books of this subject intended for the satisfaction of conscientious Christians we should now again revive that contestation and trouble the world with not only a new but a larger discourse of that kind We shall therefore briefly give an account of our aimes and intentions herein And our first answer is that this work was undertaken as soon as any many years ago and well nigh finished when nothing was written for but all against the Sabbath Secondly here thou shalt expect a larger undertaking and find we hope a farther performance than in any in all the tractates written for the Sabbath For they commonly deale but with our single Adversary but we with all And we being spectators of their combates perhaps might see better than themselves where their weaknes lay What satisfaction they have given to themselves or others we do not well know but for our selves we must with all modesty and due respect to the Authors professe our selves unsatisfied by either party Thirdly here thou shalt find fuller grounds laid for the clearing of this so much perplexed controversie than the brevity of others would well permit to say no more Lastly the professed non-satisfaction from those discourses by some not only opposites but friends also to the Cause In so much as not only the Adversaries to the Sabbath have been confident of their Cause as impossible to be disproved but also some well-willers to it have rather wished it might than hoped it could be strongly and convincingly maintained And if we may be so bold as to give our Reason which we more largely shew in the following parts of this Discourse we suppose that this is one of the chiefe because they grant their Adversary That the Saturday Sabbath was literally enjoyned in the 4. Commandement which we think whosoever grants he hath lost not only the Cause but the Commandement too Or if some do deny it yet they do not sufficiently confute it to ours or others satisfaction 3. Why this part without the rest But then a further Quaere may be why if we will needs be writing now this part comes forth alone without its fellowes For that be pleased to consider our Reasons 1. That we might not give the world some cause to nauseate at or surfet upon too great a volume on the sudden having been so long accustomed to lesser meales and lighter meats of Pamphlets Neither mens minds nor their leisure nor perhaps their purses many of them will permit to adventure upon larger Discourses 2. This part being the foundation of all the rest if it be strong will do much alone to prepare mens minds to admit of the following parts If it shall any way prove weak discovered to us by the censures of many Readers both friends and foes we shall endevour to strengthen it before we proceed to lay on the waight of the rest of the building 3. This though first in order was last in time in regard of the frame and composure as being a work of Time and many sad thoughts in a path little or not at all trodden by any Authors gone before us and so necessitating a review of the following parts for which as yet we have no leisure yet unwilling we are that this which we hope is able to subsist of it self should stay for the rest To adde but one thing more The world as it was not in former times so nor is it yet we feare well able to beare the following more practicall parts till they be throughly perswaded of the truth of this It is very well known that the Profanation of the Sabbaths amongst the Jewes was one of their chiefest desolating sins and they never began to be serious in observation of it till they had smarted seventy yeares in the Babylonian captivity And till the spirits of men be well broken the strict and but due observation of the Sabbath will be thought an intollerable burden Successe in the entertainment of other truths not long since thought impossible to be effected upon these fearful breaches now among us makes us conceive that this Doctrine of the Sabbath will be also ere long more easily digested And this part is on purpose premised as a preparatory to those more practicall parts If any man should further be inquisitive to know why we do so much assert and confirme our own Positions in this former part with so little Refutation of so much as hath been said by the other party Our answer is that most of these Assertions at least some are new and perhaps unexpected to our Adversaries and therefore nothing could be said by them against them But principally because the objections do fall upon the other parts more properly and methodically and there shall be considered to the full For a conclusion of all by way of Preface we have but one word or two more to say and that by way of earnest entreaty 1. That thou wilt do thy self this right and us this favour as to lay aside all prejudice in the disquisition of that truth which we all professe to seek so to suspend thy censure of any parcell of this part till thou hast seriously not only read but weighed it all in the ballance of a sound judgement 2. That thou wilt do the Truth that right as to yeeld to and practise what thou art convinced of Consider what we say and the Lord give thee and us understanding and grace in all things through Jesus Christ So pray Thine in Him DANIEL CAVVDREY HERBERT PALMER March 25. 1645. THE Christian Sabbath VINDICATED The first Part. CHAP. I. Of the Terme of a Morall Law and the Distinction of Laws into Ceremoniall Iudiciall and Morall THe Terme Morall I. Ambiguity of the word Morall being but a Scholasticall Expression and not properly signifying that which is usually understood by it by any side in this Question We would not by our good will have medled at
likely to worke a setled worke upon his spirit to be still more and more for God and his soule Whereas those that are taken off from religious thoughts by worldly any thing soone doe apparantly in experience loose a great part not to say all sometimes of the benefit namely of the spirituall light of knowledge and heat of affection that they might have gotten in a longer Time or seemed to have gotten in that Time which they did bestow upon Religion in a Continuance Christians will confesse this and worldlings manifest it And particularly ignorants who live in a neglect of the Sabbath either through their owne fault or their superiours doe by their excuses of their ignorance beare strong witnesse to this Their language is We are dull headed and hard to learne any Catechisme being not booke learned and we have no Time to learne Their meaning is chiefely they have not leisure to allot a sufficient Continuance of Time at once being cald off by one businesse or other when they would as they pretend or doe set themselves to learne And there is much of truth in this if they acknowledge not and so improve not the Sabbaths Continuance which rightly used would much advance them even in one Day And so still all pleads the profit of a large Continuance determinated 5. XXVI It is very profitable to Religion to have Frequency of times Determined even single so it be as great a frequency as may be consistent with a mans worldly necessities as once or twice every day In as much as Religion and the Solemne worship of God for his honour and the good of mens souls is a businesse Permanently Necessary all a mans life long It appears also that it is profitable to Religion to have a Determination of the Frequency of returne to the Duties of it Even as great a Frequency as can be imagined compatible with the formerly mentioned Necessities of Naturall and worldly businesses Specially to secure a man that his Knowledge of God and Affections towards God in a word his acquaintance with God shall not be lost or diminisht As the intervention of Worldly businesses being so directly opposite to thoughts of God for the most part specially in spirits and hearts so corrupted as ours now are cannot but put in hazard The proper prevention whereof lyes mainly therefore in the Determination of as great a Frequency of returne as may be as suppose every day or every morning and every evening that is twice every Day viz. of those Dayes the maine of whose Continuance is taken up for worldly businesses according to the Ceremoniall Law of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice which carried along with the Duties the Frequency of the Time of tendring them together with a Remisse Determination that is within a Latitude of the Season also And such Determination of the Frequency even though there be nothing of the Continuance Determined at all or only Remisly if any is we say Remarkably Profitable to prevent strangenesse in the Soule toward God For while the not-Determining of any Continuance jointly with such Frequency of twice every Working-day will assure that it may be observed without any prejudice to a mans worldly businesses which ordinarily certainly cannot but admit a looking up to God even Solemnly every Day between morning and noone and again between noone and a mans lying down to sleep so that a man be Free to continue no longer then his occasions will then permit This very Frequency will yet keep the soule happily in breath and in dutifull respects toward God And withall will now and then afford him the Advantage of making some Remarkable Profit by Voluntary enlarging the Continuance of Time for Devotion when being at it he finds no particular businesse calling him of perhaps for an houre or more together However let the Continuance be never so short yet if a man do but Affectionately tender Solemne Worship in such Frequency Determined of Morning and Evening every Day It must needs preserve from a Totall Decay and strangenesse toward God which in a very seldome returne there would be very great danger if not certainty of and so proportionably according as such Determination of the Frequency single were more or lesse Frequent the prevention or danger of decay in Religion would without doubt be And so the Profitablenesse of the Determination of a very great Frequency even single is apparantly Evident And specially it may be and will be so if besides it there be for Religion a Determination made jointly of the Continuance with convenient largenesse and of the Revolution also with Convenient Frequency Of the profitablenesse of which joint-Determination XXVII A joint determination of both the Continuance and Frequency in a convenient largenesse is singularly profitable to Religion Even the most Profitable of all other making the proportion so determined the chiefest Time for Religion we are in the next place to speake 6. And upon the former Suppositions it can with no Reason be denied but such a joint Determination of the Continuance and Frequency in a convenient largenesse is not only Profitable to Religion but the most Profitable Determination of all other The Determination of the greatest importance to the maine businesse of Religion Gods honour and the good of mens soules as taking in the strength of the two Substantiall respects of Time the Continuance and Frequency joined And accordingly the Proportion of Time therein Determined is the chiefe Time for Religion of all other Therefore concerning this Time or this Determination it is a consideration of the greatest waight by what Rules it may be ordered wisely and made in a Convenient and just and Profitable Proportion or observed to be so if we speak of any already made as namely of that of One dayes Continuance in the Revolution of seven which we say was the Substance of the fourth Commandement Now here there may be a double consideration of the Wisdom and Conveniency of the Proportion of Time so determined between the Continuance and Frequency jointly One is in regard of the totall proportion Determined for Religion and so secluded from worldly businesse how so much in the whole as for instance the proportion of a Day in seven or the seventh part of time in the Revolution of seven dayes whether that be a wise and Convenient and Profitable Determination and not certainly too much or certainly too little for the chiefe Time for Religion And by what Rules to judge it either Way But this we leave the Discussion of to a following Chapter where we shall endeavour to beat it out clearly and at large The other is in regard of dividing and sharing such a proportion as a Day comes to in seven between the Continuance and Frequency On vvhich side the greatest Waight should be put whether on the Continuance to make that as large as may be and so put it all into one day as in the fourth Commandement Or on that side
in an instant or imperceptible Time or solemne Worship which cannot but take up some more remarkable Continuance In either sence and in both none can chuse but acknowledge that it were sin never throughout a mans whole life to waite upon God but once even though that once should be continued as long as ever any man in the world did wait upon God even fourty dayes and fourty nights as Moses did miraculously upon Mount Horeb once and a second time Therefore this Conclusion is also infallible That some determinate solemne Time above once for Frequencie is Morall-Naturall VIII Of both jointâ—y Again the same Argument will also serve to prove a joint Determination of somewhat both for Continuance and Frequencie together even by the Law of Nature thus If there may be sinne against the Law of Nature in waiting upon God too little while at once though one do wait upon Him often and in waiting upon Him too seldome though one do wait upon Him a good while together for once then a determinate solemne Time is Morall-Naturall both for some Continuance and some Frequencie together But there may be sinne against the Law of Nature in waiting upon God too little while at once though one doe wait upon Him often and in waiting upon Him too seldome though one doe wait upon Him a good while together for once Ergo. The Consequence stands good upon the former proofes so also doth the Antecedent for what heart can deny but the Continuance of halfe a minute were too little at once constantly for Gods worship though a man did reiterate it for Frequencie every Day and even divers times every Day And again who can but acknowledge that to worship God solemnly but once or twice in a mans life were too seldome how long soever he continued at it when he did worship Him The Conclusion then is beyond gainsaying That a Determinate Solemne Time is Morall-Naturall both for Continuance above a quarter of a Minute and for Frequencie above once or twice in a mans life time IX An Objection prevented two wayes If any now wonder why we have troubled our selves or our Readers with so many words about so plain a matter as this seems to be which also all that handle these Disputes seem to grant abundantly We desire such to receive satisfaction from a two-fold Answer which we offer in this behalfe X. Answ 1. First that throughout this whole Discourse we chuse rather to prove what we assert than to be beholding to our Adversaries for granting it as well to satisfie the consciences of all Readers as for that we know not whether our Adversaries in this question of the Sabbath will be alwayes so liberall as to grant all that now in their books they sometimes doe Which we are in more suspition of because we find as we shall put them in mind often in the ensuing Discourse that they doe ever now and then retract their grants of divers things which if they would steadily have held to they would have been forced to have come unto us in the maine as we hope to give them to understand ere we hâ—ve done 2. But withall we cannot chuse but professe XI Answ 2. that in particular we have not as yet been able to observe in their writings any such constant and clear confession of these things we have now taken paines to prove as we conceive necessary to be expresly set downe for a right foundation of understanding of these disputes For though all of them usually affirme in sense if not in expresse termes That one Day in seven for frequencie is very agreeable to the Law of Nature and that lesse then one in seven it may not be and that Christians must not give God lesse then the Jewes did and such like speeches which we shall note hereafter in their due place And some of them offer also now and then to say That a Day which when we speak of we mean for Continuance a Day together is of the Law of Nature which is more then we yet have said Yet soon after like men that have trod upon a Quagmire or a Serpent they step back again and as having granted more then they can well afford us or then indeed will well stand with their cause they fall off again to meere generals and uncertainties under the notions of a sufficient and convenient Time and such like doubtfull phrases which without some particularizing come in effect to nothing more then a more then a meere indeterminate Time as we have noted in the former Chapter and never so much as grant explicitely and clearly any distinct Determination at all by the Law of Nature either for the Continuance so much as a Minute at once or for the Frequencie once in a Yeere which hath made us apprehend it necessary to set down somewhat at least of our own by way of ground-work and lay our foundation as low as may be and so try what we can further build upon it in due season While withall we doubt not but we may rise divers steps higher both for the Continuance of Time for Worship and for the Frequencie then those we have discoursed of hitherto As namely That all men will confesse that 1. for the Continuance single the Law of Nature doth determine every man to somewhat more then a quarter of an houre then halfe an houre even to a whole houre at least as to a necessary proportion to be given to God at one time or other during a mans life and that it were sin even against the Law of Nature if a man should never in all his life give God a whole houre at once And 2. for the Frequencie single that the Law of Nature doth determine every man to somewhat more then twice in his life even more then twice in seven yeeres more then twice in every yeere of his life every quarter of a yeere every moneth even once at least every day as a necessary proportion to be given to God in a Revolution And that it were sin even against the Law of Nature to worship God seldomer then so in some manner Also 3. Putting both these Respects together and the Law of Nature doth still determine every man to at least an houre together We say not every Day but at least every Moneth as a necessary proportion to be given to God and that lesse at once every moneth or seldomer so much as an houre were sin even against the Law of Nature And this we are perswaded even very corrupted Nature will not find in their hearts to deny nor can they upon the former Principles of Gods being the Lord of all our Time and our Happinesse And further also then so we might perhaps goe but we are not willing to particularize too far by way of guesse because nothing certain can be concluded on uncertainties Therefore we will rather make triall whether the Law or Light of Nature will help us any
further in any certain Determination of any more distinctly then we formerly asserted in the explication of this first Position XII 2. It is Morall by the first Commandement But we think good first to interpose our second Position noted in the Title of the Chapter That the Determinate Solemn Time forenoted and argued to be Morall-Naturall is within the compasse of the first Commandement To prove which we propound this ensuing Argument XIII Argum. That which requires that we give not God too little Time at once or too seldome Time in a revolution comprehends under it such a Determinate Solemn Time as hath been mentioned both for Continuance and Frequencie But the first Commandement requires that we give not God too little Time at once or too seldome Time in a revolution Ergo. The Major is cleare from the former grounds in that the Sin and the Duty must needs come both under the same Commandement The Minor may be two wayes confirmed 1. 1 Confirmation That Commandement which requires an acknowledgement that the Lord is our God and the soveraigne Lord of us and all our Time requires that we give Him not too little Time at once or too seldome Time in a revolution But the first Commandement requires that acknowledgement that the Lord is our God and soveraigne Lord of us and all our Time Ergo. The Major is certain because the sin of giving God too little Time at once and too seldome Time in a revolution is contrary to the forementioned acknowledgement The Time being therefore too little and too seldome for Him and His worship because He is the supreme Lord of us and all our Time and as we said before the Sin and the Duty must needs be both under one Commandement The Minor cannot be denied in that the affirmative part of the first Commandement being expresly to have the Lord for our God This necessarily includes the acknowledgement of Him to be our absolute Soveraigne and Lord of all our Time and whatsoever else we can call ours or else some other must be acknowledged Lord of it either our selves or some other creatures and to affirme that were to make such creatures our God Therefore the owning the Lord to be our God requires and comprehends such an acknowledgement and such duty and forbids such sin 2. The second confirmation of the Minor of the first Syllogisme XIV 2 Confirmation may be thus conceived That Commandement which requires the acknowledgement that God is our Happinesse requires that we give Him not too little Time at once or too seldome in a revolution for attendance upon Him and converse with Him But the first Commandement requireth that acknowledgement that God is our Happinesse Ergo. The Major is manifest from the former grounds again because the sin of giving God too little Time or too seldome Time is contrary to that acknowledgement of Him being our Happinesse For what ever a man counts his Happinesse he doth and can doe no otherwise then devote much and often Time to it to attend and enjoy it being carried to his Happinesse with all his strength And Love which is the immediate off-spring of such accounting any thing our Happinesse both commands a mans Time and all else of him in thankfulnesse and kindnesse and wisedome for the service of and converse with that object loved Neither can love afford to offend in giving too little or too seldome Time But it is a sin against love and a manifestation of the want of love so far forth to scanty or abridge Time either for Continuance or Frequencie The Minor is no lesse easily proved Because that is plainly our God which to serve and enjoy is our happinesse As for that reason mainly Money is called the covetous mans god Honour the ambitious mans god Pleasure the voluptuous Epicures and he whose happinesse it is to pamper his belly is he that makes his belly his god In like sort we have not the Lord to be our God which the first Commandement requires unlesse He be our happinesse or which comes to all one unlesse to serve and enjoy Him be our happines As then Prophanenesse Covetousnesse and Worldly-mindednesse are sins against the first Commandement undeniably and they so take up the Time for our own carnall selfe and the creatures as that they are the causes and the only causes why any gives God too little or too seldome Time so they prove that the sin of giving God too little or too seldome Time comes under the compasse of the said first Commandement and consequently that that first Commandement requires such a determinate solemne Time as we have spoken of XV. A Consequence thereof for Continuance and Frequencie both And this which we have now asserted considered by it selfe we conceive that every one even our very Adversaries will and must grant us But when we shall come to make our Inference from it Namely that not only a Remissely determinate Time for Religion but even an Initiall determination both of some solemne Continuance of Time and some solemne Frequencie of Revolution being commanded in the first Commandement both singly and jointly it will thence follow that nothing is left for the fourth Commandement but only the precise and conclusive determination of a whole Dayes continuance in the revolution of seven Dayes as the chiefe Time for Religion and so if the Commandement be not in force now for one Day in seven it is altogether void and there are not now ten Commandements but only nine When we say we shall thus urge them from hence as we suppose we may most justly and strongly they will interpose some Exceptions against this Position of ours concerning the first Commandement including such Determinations of Time as we have named of which kinde we have already met with some from some Discourses We shall therefore in the next Part where this application is properly to be made propound such Exceptions as we can conceive may be made against it and accordingly as we hope sufficiently satisfie them And then so many as dare not directly take away the fourth Commandement wholly will be forced to yield it in force as we contend for one Day in seven even from this very Argument besides all others Mr. Broad indeed hath ventured to be so audacious as to reject this Commandement wholly and one or two more of our Disputers doe now and then speak very broadly towards it as shall be noted in due place But we suppose the most even of those that as yet consent not with us for the perpetuity of one Day in seven are not yet grown to that confidence but that they will rather yield to our assertion of that then altogether to throw away the Commandement For their sakes it is and for other conscientious Christians who count themselves bound to cleave to the whole Decalogue for the Reasons before alleadged in the 2. 3. 4. and 5. Chapters that we take paines to maintaine that
as Mahomet the veriest villaine one of them that ever lived in the world If they shall say that this day of Mahomets invention is to be abhorred indeed in token of detestation of his impiety but some other day might be yeelded to We reply 1. That still then Christians must suffer for that nicety of a day 2. That it is scarcely imaginable that any Pagan Governour would allow any other day then what they observed themselves for the first would be double against their profit in that 1. they could not have their servants labour when they were at leisure to joyne with them and over look them and when they were absent they would feare their work would be done but untowardly 2. Besides that whosoever observe a day doth it in some reference to their own Religion and so would rather tye them to that then let them have another specially 3. When they might be able to tell them out of our adversaries suppositions that their Religion their Scriptures did not determine them to any particular day but left it to their Governours to determine And so still they must observe a day invented by wicked men 3. However what day soever they took up a sober conscience would we think shrinke to throw away the Lords day at a Pagans command Let this we say be considered We on the other side being perswaded that God hath not only determined us to one day in seven by the fourth Commandement but to the Lords day for the particular day by those designations of His word as also that in this day this only the number was exactly preserved of one Day a Sabbath six Dayes worke even at the very Time of the change of the Day as we shewed in the former Chapter and that by this meanes God may have the same Day all the World over des other Arguments of which in their due Place We we say upon this perswasion can answer the question readily that we must hold to this particular Day the first Day of the weeke the Lords day and no other whoever commands or forbids offers or threatens For that Gods will must stand and be obeyed before mens against mens and He must be trusted to maintaine us our soules at least which is enough and the most we can be assured of in a hundred other cases in maintaining His Ordinances and appointments XX. 3. They know of no such authoritie We have yet one Argument more to urge against this Authority of Infidell and Pagan-governours for the sufficient Time for Religion and the particular Dayes for it If Pagan-governours have this Authority put into their hands by God Then it is reasonable they should know that this Authority is committed to them But Pagan-governours so farre as we remember in any story never knew of any such Authority committed to them Ergo It is not probable that any such Authority is put over to them The consequence of this Argument may be confirmed by the necessity of a determination to be made proved and confessed to be Morall Naturall And that it cannot be imagined such Princes should take this upon them and exercise this Authority unlesse they have some knowledge or perswasion that this Authority belongs to them The Antecedent may also be fairely argued from the silence of all bookes in this point For though we know that Pagan Princes and states did appoint some dayes extraordinarily yet we find not that they did so ordinarily nor ever thought they might doe so But what was done in this kind was from Oracles or pretences of Oracles of their gods by their priests or otherwise And the greatest flatterers of Pagan Princes never did that we remember ascribe this Authority to them as given them by their gods It were wonderfull then that we Christians should find out this Authority given by God to Pagan Princes of which as we said before there is not the least word nor intimation nor shadow of any such thing in Scripture and the Law of Nature also is sufficiently cleare against it We conclude then here the Authority is not and yet upon divers suppositions of our Adversaries touched already and to be toucht hereafter here it must be or no where among men for those that live in Pagan Countries For to come to the other sort of men That is the Church of God Of which we say as before XXI 2. Not to the Church for all mankind God hath not given to it the Authority of determining the chiefe solemne Time necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time unto all mankind Mankind in referrence to the Church is againe distinguishable into Pagans and Members of the Church Of the latter fort we shall dispute more at large of the former a few words may suffice which yet added to the former discourses will carry the Cause clearly and undeniably That it being Morall Naturall to all men to have and observe a sufficient Time determined for Religion This determination doth not nor cannot belong to men but to God himselfe Thus we reason concerning Pagans If the Church universall hath no Authority but ever her owne Members Then the Authority of determining the necessary and sufficient Time for Religion unto all men belongs not to the Church But the Church universall hath no Authority but over her owne Members Ergo The Authority of determining this Time unto all men belongs not to the Church The Consequence of this Argument cannot be denied Unlesse any would offer to say that all mankind are Members of the Church universall which is most absurd The Antecedent is easily proved As well 1. The Apostle denies any such Authority to be in the Church of Iudging those that are without 1 Cor. 5. And if they cannot judge them then not determine any thing to them For this and that Authority goe together in things determinable by the Church Though the Church may judge in things wherein it may not determine in the sence we now take determination that is the Church may censure which is the judging there meant offenders against Gods Law as the incestuous Person spoken of But it may not determine that to be incest which God hath not made so nor determine any to be lawfull or dispence with it when God hath forbidden it however presumptuous the Church of Rome hath been in both It is lesse then to determine and make Lawes then to judge and censure offenders The Church therefore having no power of censure of those without those that are not her Members can have no power to determine any thing unto them They who are out of the Church are already in as bad a condition as the Churches censure can make them that can but deliver them to Satan and Satan undeniably hath them already The Churches Authority is apparantly but the Authority of a mother now a mother as a mother hath no Authority over children not her owne 2. As also because it is and would be extremly
derogatory to the Authority God hath given to Princes Parents Masters though Pagans that any other men should have or be said or thought to have Authority to take away their subjects children servants from their worke under pretence of Religion so many houres in a Day or Dayes in a Weeke Moneth or Yeare If God will doe it Himselfe as we say He hath there is no just ground of gainsaying But for men to doe it specially who can shew no Title of any such Authority committed to them in their great Charter of the holy Scriptures over Pagans how unreasonable is it to maintaine Therefore the Church hath no such Authority to determine Time for all men And in conclusion there is none among mankind found that have this Authority for all men for Pagans particularly not every man single not Pagan-governours for all under them not the Church for all men Ergo It belongs not to men but to God And here if we did stop we suppose upon the former proofes and confession of such a Time Morall Naturall necessary to be determined for all men and to be observed by all men for Religion That we have carried our Cause against all gainsaying XXII Arguments against the Church having authority to determine the chief Time for all its members But because our Adversaries mainly build their conceits upon the Churches Authority over her owne Members And of this they mainly dispute and so doe we We will encounter them there also And doubt not to prove what we have before asserted That the Church hath not this Authority given her by God no not over her owne Members to determine to them the chiefe Time of Worship necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time Our Arguments for this are divers We begin with one generall one bordering upon our foregoing proofes and resting in part on them Argum. 1. If the Scripture containe the determination of God at least for all mankind that are out of the Church Then God hath not left that determination of this Time unto the Church for its Members But the Scripture containes the determination of God at least for all mankind that are out of the Church Ergo God hath not left the determination of this Time unto the Church for its Members The consequence we conceive to be certaine For that the Scriptures are principally written to be Rules and Lawes to the Church and so if they containe any Lawes for all the residue of mankind then much more shall the same Lawes extend to them and bind them Many Lawes given to the Church in Scripture did not bind the rest of mankind absolutely that is not till they entred into the Church and so into the Covenant of God They were not bound to the Passeover nor admitted to it till they yeelded themselves and all their males to be circumcised And no law commanded strangers to take circumcision upon them Cornelius the Centurian did not though a man that feared God Acts 10.11 And it is generally held that the Ceremonials and Judicials delivered particularly to Israel by Moses and not to other men before bound only the Church of the Jewes and willing Proselytes to them But no man ever said yet That the Lawes exprest in Scripture binding all the rest of Mankind left the Church free and bound not them or that any one Law did so The Consequence then is cleared The Antecedent we take also to be undeniable upon the grounds laid namely That the determination of this Time was not left to man to every man single or any number of men for all the rest and so being to be made of necessity to Religion by some or other it was made by God And if made by God then either 1. in Nature which we have also disproved and shewed even with our Adversaries consent who urge the same to serve their own turne That the Law of Nature doth not make this determination Or else 2. in Scripture which then we say was and is Gen. 2. to Adam and to all his posterity all mankind after him And who will or can deny it to be exprest Gen. 2. if it were made to Adam Or else 3. men must flie to we know not what wild imaginations of some revelations no man can tell when nor of what to Cain and his apostatizing posterity and so to the rest of Adams posterity which fell away from the Church which continued chiefly in the race of Seth and again afterward a new revelation to Chaâ— and his posterity and the rest of Noahs posterity who revolted from the Church and remained out of it Revelations we say to these of a determination made by God of a proportion of Time that even they were to observe though no man can guesse any thing what or how or when this was Which is so Exotick a fancie having so plain a story as Gen. 2. before our eyes as we suppose no man would believe himselfe if he should offer to affirm it and much lesse hope that any other would believe him that believes the book of Genesis to be the word of God To that then we must have recourse to know what Time God originally required of and determined unto all mankind though revolting afterward from the Church most of them and so neglecting and forgetting it He vouchsafed not againe to revive it to them particularly for the reasons we gave but awhile since And so this Time given to them for the chiefe solemne Time necessary and sufficient was also given to the Church who were also Adams posterity or rather it was first given to the Church in which at first outwardly all Adams posterity were till they revolted and so still remaines to the Church As also that Time is still the Time which all the rest of mankind stand bound to to this day though now they know nothing of it XXIII An objection answered If it be objected That this Argument will prove indeed that the Time mentioned Gen. 2. was determined to Adam and all the Church under the Old Testament But not that it remaines Gods determination under the New Testament because with the determination of the chief solemn Time for Continuance and Frequencie namely one whole Day in seven to make up the chiefe Time necessary and sufficient for all men there was also unquestionably determined withall the particular Day the seventh Day from the first Creation and we do not urge that particular Day upon the Church and therefore no more may we the other determination of one Day in seven for the chiefe Time We answer briefly 1. We deny not but the Pagans those that are out of the Church and so know nothing of the change of that particular Day stand bound still to that particular Day as well as to one Day in seven 2. But yet we deny that Christians doe so because they know and can shew Gods expresse repeale in His Word in the New Testament of that particular Day we
say of that particular Day but not of the Continuance and Frequencie of one Day in seven for the chiefe Time Of which we have already intimated faire Reasons some and shall handle it fully in its proper place And withall they find a designation in Gods word in the New Testament of a new Day to Christians which Day also by the former Arguments of the Determinations belonging to God and not to men the Pagans those that are yet out of the Church are bound to yield to as soon as they know it out of Gods word And therefore 3. Also that Church that hath the Word particularly written for them are bound to the determinations therein exprest both for the chiefe Time necessary and sufficient for Continuance and Frequencie which is one whole Day in seven according to the fourth Commandement and for the particular Day which is the first Day of the week the Lords Day according to the New Testament We proceed to another Argument And come more pressely to oppose the Churches authority in this Determination XXIV A caution premised And if herein we shall seem by some Arguments to shake the authority the Church is esteemed to have in other things or to favour the authority which is challenged by some to belong to particular Churches or Congregations We desire not to be mistaken For as we shall argue nothing upon this occasion but what we esteeme to be both true and necessary to secure fully this mainest concernment of Religion about the Determination of this chiefe Time for Gods honour and the good of all mens soules So to prevent all causelesse suspitions we professe before-hand fully and freely 1. That we neither take the authority of the Church to reside chiefly in particular Congregations though somewhat more we believe belongs to the Ministers of particular Congregations then they have in some places been suffered to exercise much lesse that all the people have the rule in their hands as the Separatists say and least of all to take in women also as the Anabaptists doe Though in the point in controversie we must needs assert the authority to determine this chiefe Time for Religion rather to belong to every particular Church or Congregation for themselves then to any superior Governments or Governours to determine it for them As we have already argued that it rather belongs to every man and woman single for themselves then to any number of men for all the rest Therefore againe we professe that in those matters wherein the Church hath authority the authority is in the Church-Governours not in the whole body and greater authority in superior Governments as in Synods Provinciall and Nationall together with the authority of the Christian Magistrate most of all in Generall Councels or such a Councell as is of many Christian Nations together called by the consent of Christian Princes and States 2. That we are perswaded the Governours of the Church have some authority even legislative in some matters as far as the Scripture-rules admit namely That all things be done to edification and decently and in order and with charity and which may make for peace that is in matters indifferent as they are commonly called in things wherein God hath not determined this way or that way precisely and so are matters of smaller concernment which may admit of variation in divers Churches at the same time and in the same Church at divers times and wherein the main concernments of Religion Gods honour and the soules good or even mens outward bodily necessities are not prejudiced as they may be on either hand undeniably by an unnecessary or unsufficient determination of the Time we are speaking of These things thus cautioned we proceed to our Arguments which will be numerous and we suppose waighty every one of them whereby we shall evince both the falsenesse of our Adversaries assertion of the Churches authority in this matter as also discover unto the observant Reader how negligently and carelesly they have hitherto handled this point about the determination of this necessary-sufficient-chiefe Time for Religion by the Churches authority as if they had had to do with men that would take their dictates for oracles and never require satisfaction in most important difficulties which attend their Positions and Conclusions Our next Argument is this XXV Arg. 2. The Church cannot make Time necessary to Religion If the Church have authority to determine unto its members the necessary and ordinarily sufficient chiefe Time for Religion then it hath authority to make that Time necessary to Religion by vertue of its determination which was not necessary before us determination But the Church hath not authority to make that Time necessary to Religion by vertue of its determination which was not necessary before us determination Ergo the Church hath not authority to determine to its members the necessary ordinarily sufficient and chiefe Time for Religion The Consequence cannot justly be rejected For the authority we are disputing about is a legislative authority and that concerning a Time necessary for Religion which authority God had unquestionably in His hands of old and whatsoever Time He determined was necessary unto Religion even by vertue of His determination Now we say we are disputing of this authority Whether this be put over to the Church or not because such a determination must be as we have shewed of a Time necessary unto Religion Therefore if the Church have the authority to determine this Time to make this determination It hath authority to make that necessary by vertue of its determination which before its determination was not necessary For if it were necessary before then the Church doth not make the determination or exercise a legislative authority but only doe a prudentiall act or ministeriall to declare and preach to its members what Time God in Nature or Scripture hath made necessary not determining we say any thing by vertue of any authority given to it in that case The Antecedent is no lesse certaine divers wayes 1. Because if the Church could make a Time necessary which was not before necessary by vertue of its determination then it could make any Time it should determine necessary by vertue of its determination for A quatenus ad omus valet consequentia the authority To the purpose of this Antecedent See hereafter a distinct Argument proving those Times only necessary to Religion which Gâ—d himselfe appoints Sect. 62. and so the vertue of it being the same in one as in another And then not only one whole Day in a Week which is so burdensome to our Adversaries even to thinke of should be necessary if the Church should determine it but even two whole Dayes in a Week or three whole Dayes two whole Dayes still together or three or any other proportion or number that they should thinke good to determine should be necessary to Religion which all men would confesse to be absurd Therefore it remaines that the
since the service of God is our perfect freedome if our Church say true in her prayers and are not to give God attendance constantly in Publique Worship and so constantly look after their soules And then what becomes of the Morality of the fourth Commandement for Publique VVorship and what of Publique Worship and a sufficient Time at least for it Morall Naturall It is beyond our wits how our adversaries can expedite themselves out of the intanglements of these contradictions whereas in our way all is plaine in three words God determining the Time to all all even sevants and inferiours are bound to observe it to His honour and the good of their soules so to be willing and carefull of it and they are free to observe it being willing notwithstanding any opposition of men Masters Parents or others And though they may and must regard Gods reservations and so stay at home to tend a sick person and do any thing which is truly necessary yet not upon slight pretences or trifling occasions and when they are at home they are to redeeme all Time possible to serve God and look after their soules by themselves And if for this they incurre their superiours displeasure they must trust God in that as well as if they would urge them to lye or do any other wickednesse XXXIII Proved by reason 2. Another proofe of our Antecedent against the Churches authority even for the Publique Worship in a word according to what hath been touchâ— in a former argument is that If the Church hath authority to commanded all its members to observe constantly that Time in Publique Worship which it determines to them It may command them 2 3 4 5. Dayes in a Weeke and 5. or 6. or 8. Houres of each of those Dayes both Masters and Servants Inferiours and Superiours and call them from their workes to publique Worship so often and so long But this must not be therefore the Church hath no such authority even for the Publique Worship and the Times for it A sixth argument is this XXXIIII Argument sixth The Church cannot make a perpetuall determination If the Church hath authority to make this determination of the chiefe solemne Time necessary and sufficient to its members for Religion Then it hath authority to make a perpetuall determination But the Church hath no authority to make a perpetuall determination Ergo The Church hath not authority to make this determination The Consequence may be thus confirmed that proportion of Time which is both necessary for Religion sufficient for Religion for the chiefe Time of Worship is in reference to men not to say in the nature of Perpetual For nothing can be taken from that which is necessary nor added by mans authority to that which is sufficient So that if the determination of the Church hath made the Time necessary and sufficient to Religion it hath made it withall perpetuall and unalterable The Antecedent that the Church cannot make a determination perpetuall Is partly proved by the confession of the adversaries in this case in hand For they dispute and argue divers of them for the Churches authority at this day to alter and change the Time the Lords Day not onely to some other Day of the week but to some other number greater or smaller Partly by the general confession of all Orthodoxe Divines even the Hereticall Papists also that all institutions determinations lawâ— of men even of the Church universall are in their own not â—e alterable and at least the Church universall may alter them in a generall Councell And so that it belongs to God only to make lawes perpetuall and unchangeable And therefore say we it belongs only to Him to make this determination of the necessary and sufficient chiefe solemne Time for all men and particularly for all the members of the Church which doing it is unquestionably in reference to men XXXIV Argument seventh perpetuall and unalterable A seventh Argument thuâ— proceeds If God have given the Christian Church this authority to determine the necessary sufficient chiefe solemne Time for Religion It is a burden to Christians that the Church have this authority to all its members Then it is by way of spirituall priviledge and liberty for Christians But it is not a spirituall priviledge or liberty to Christians to have this authority given to the Church Ergo God hath not given to the Church this authority The Consequence is not to be denyed 1. Because our adversaries do so much and so oft urge the notion of Christian liberty to prove Christians free from all Gods former determinations of Times even that of one day in seven for a Weekely Sabbath in the fourth Commandement and to prove that the Church is to determine the necessary and sufficient Time now 2. Indeed there can be no other reason imagined why God should set His Christian Church to make this determination or make voyde all His own former determinations but in favour to His people now for a spirituall priviledge and Christian liberty The Time of the Gospell being a Time of spirituall freedome above the Time of the Old Testament The Antecedent may be verifyed severall wayes 1. By the confession of the adversaries who say sometimes and offer at some reasons for it that the Christian Church may appoint and determine more and oftener dayes than the Jewes had determined to them by God himselfe And if it be absolutely left to the Church to determine they may determine as many as they will And so there wil be lesse liberty in that sence they plead for it lesse freedom for worldly occasions work and sports then the Jewes had or then we urge from the fourth Commandement for one whole Day in seven For two Dayes in a week or even twenty seven Holy dayes in a yeare besides the Lords dayes weekely which are in our Church if they must be observed at least by abstaining from all work as some urge in their bookes and to be sure the Ecclesiasticall Courts did urge in practise punishing all those that they could prove did work on any part even of a Holy day This we say was and would be lesse freedome then the Jewes had or then we would have if the Lords day were wholly observed and no other dayes strictly besides But they may determine as hath been said even twise thrise as many more dayes if they have such authority as we dispute of Where then is the liberty talked of 2. If the Church had not such an absolute authority to determine but as much as was of old one whole Day in seven And without an expresse prohibition or pregnant reasons to the contrary which our adversaries in their way have not yet alledged this cannot be denied by them And so keep the number and continuance still and onely change the Day as we say is done but by God not men We aske again where is the liberty talked of unlesse they will say
of Ariminum erred about the dinivity of Christ much more may a generall Councell erre about this necessary and sufficient Time Having specially no certaine Rule to goe by as cannot well be denyed and shall be proved fully anon when the fourth Commandement for one Day in seven is made to be out of date And now what certainty have Christians or can they have that there will be no errour Or that there is none in their determination when it is made 4. XL. 4. Whether their votes were free Suppose the determination of the Major part of a generall Councell freely voting be infallible Yet how uncertaine is it whether the votes have beene free Whether the Major part were that way that is delivered for the determination Whether there were no forcing of mens voices by instructions from Princes and States and threatnings and the like We reade of such things in the Acts of Councells And we read also of Canons pretended to be made by the great Councell of Nice for the Popes Supremacy which yet were proved to be foysted and supposititions And what then can or shall secure remote Nations and specially succeeding generations that the proceedings were regular the votes rightly given And this the certaine and infallible decision and determination of the Councell What can doe this latter but a most exact and complete expression in writing authentically sealed and so preserved and after multiplied by copies most carefully examined But for the former we know no security sutable to the stresse that consciences must be put upon often for the observation of the Time as necessary and the satisfaction requisite to make it be acknowledged sufficient 5. Suppose the determination XLI 5. Whether the determination be too strict or too remisse undoubtedly made by the Councell and clearly and fully exprest Yet what uncertainty were Christians yet left unto If by the strictnesse of the determination requiring a large Continuance and often any shall judge that the Major part of the Councell were too precise and carried away with an excesse of zeale and so have made a determination too burdensome to Christians prejudiciall to their Christian liberty and to their worldly businesses and so that they have layd as necessary upon them a proportion unnecessary set aside their authority we would faine know of our Adversaries what such who so judge are likely to doe in point of observation Specially when they are out of sight of those who would censure them for omission Or even what a Nation were bound to doe when their deputies were returned from the Councell with so unnecessary and burdensome a determination of Time to be observed as necessary Againe on the other side If by the slendernesse of the determination requiring but a short Continuance and seldome revolution any shall judge that the Major part of the Councell were too Worldly and carried away with principles of libertinisme and so have made a determination prejudiciall to Religion and unsufficient for Gods Honour and the good of mens soules in reference to the chiefe solemne Time we would faine know againe what is like to be done upon this Or what a Nation were after the Councell bound to doâ— Shall they or will they or even any particular Churches or persons hold to such an unnecessary or unsufficient determination Or if they should or may make another how was the authority in the generall Councell And againe by what rule shall they make another And if the Nationall Church shall make another are not they liable to the other extream Nay if they may wave the authority of the generall Councell is it not possible themselves may be the mistakers and the generall Councell was in the right And then who shall or who may or must judge of that What may or must particular Churches do in this case And even particular persons who are so immediately concerned in it as we have shewed in the beginning of the Chapter Will it not finally result into the authority of particular Churches Which most of our Adversaries will we dare say not yeeld to and we shall bring an Argument also against by and by Are not then all things upon uncertainties in this greatest matter of importance to Religion How can it then be imagined that God hath so left it under the New Testament who so fully prevented all under the Old Testament as cannot be denied at least in reference to His people of Israel XLII Argu. 9. It makes the Church to this Day guilty of sin in not â—etermining it We proceed to a ninth Argument which we thus deliver against the authority of the Church universall in this matter That which makes the Church universall and all generall Councells to this Day to be guilty of grievous sinne is not to be beleeved or admitted But to ascribe this authority to the Church to determine the necessary and sufficient Time for Religion unto all its Members makes the Church universall and all Generall Councells to this day to be guilty of grievous sin Ergo The ascribing this authority to the Church is not to be credited or admitted The Proposition needs little proofe He should be very audatious that should offer to condemne not onely some Generall Councells but all and not only in one age but ever since the Apostles Times and the universall Church withall as not endevouring the amendment of a notorious fault as we shall see The assumption may be verified by declaring 1. That if the Church universall have not by some Generall Councell made a cleare and expresse determination of this necessary sufficient Time It cannot be excused of grievous sin upon this supposition of this authority belonging to the Church 2. That the Church universall hath not to this day in any Generall Councell made any cleare and sufficient determination in this kind The first of these cannot well be denyed For this were to be wanting to a duty most mainly concerning Religion and the Worship of God and His honour throughout the Church and the good of all Christians soules and to a law Morall Naturall as appeares by what our adversaries confesse of the morality of a sufficient Time to be determined even suppose but for the Publique Worship and as we have proved the necessity of such a determination to Religion to be made by some or other and so by the Church the Church universall if the authority belongs to them And to omit it though upon mistake and not thinking it to belong to them were to be guilty of sin though a lesse sin namely only of Ignorance then if through negligence or any other respect so many Generall Councells have forborne to make it For that were to slight Religion the honour of God the soules of Christians exceedingly which doubtlesse the Christian Church and the first Generall Councells were not guilty of But yet the second is evident enough that no Generall Councell hath made this determination Not onely because no such Canon is
so one Day in seven Now the perpetuating of this number of one Day in seven we say is by Gods determination of the fourth Commandement still in force They say only by the Churches Authority freely taking it up again after it was made void But against this we argue That the Church having in their opinion authority to chuse another number more Frequent one of 6. or 5. or more rare though sometimes they deny this as one of 8. or 10. It cannot by any just reason be justified or excused in determining again one Day of seven nor can any rule of wisedome plead for the observing of that number if cast by by God But rather all things are against it proclaiming that that number of all other was the most unfit to be taken up again by the Christian Church when as God had rejected it upon so great an occasion as the Death of Christ His Son and our Saviour And for this we have divers particular reasons 1. What is this but expresly to crosse the Wisdom of god LV. 1. It is crosse to the wisdom of God who by His abrogation of this number from being any more obligatory hath manifested His dislike of the number whether as too often or too seldom or as typicall or for what ever other reason can be imagined or surmised The Church having power and authority to chuse another number there being still to be a revolution of Dayes for Religion What could be more absurd then to chuse again this rejected disliked number 2. LVI 2. Thâ— particular seventh Day may as well be reassumed What can be alledged for the reassuming of the number of one Day in seven and rejecting the particular seventh Day if they were both alike Ceremoniall and Typicall so abrogated by Christs Death Or may not the particular Day be reassumed again or any of other Iewish Ceremonies Circumcision Sacrifices difference of meat as well as this number of one in seven If this number be included within the reach of Gal. 4. Rom. 14. Col. 2. which lay levell the Judaicall dayes How can it be retained without contradicting those Texts Or may not all the rest of the weak and beggerly elements and rudiments of the world be reassumed and maintained as well as this If this be one of them Is this the liberty Christs death hath purchased to give His Church leave to continue those Ordinances any one of them for so many hundred yeeres which He hath disanulled and to continue them to the same purpose for which they were of old as this to be the number for the chiefe Time necessary and sufficient for all Christians when they had choice enough besides To bind Christians to that number again by vertue of their Authority left them to settle the waight of the Law of Nature and continuing Morality of the fourth Commandement for a necessary and sufficient Time when God and Christ had set them loose and free from it For our parts we can thinke no otherwise but that this number is unlawfull to be observed for the chiefe Time if God have disanulled it and that the Christian Church had sinned in all Ages in determining or observing it Which because we cannot believe we doubt not but they believed themselves still bound to it by vertue of the fourth Commandement and not of any new determination of the Church at any time and so we believe our selves and all Christians still to be LVII 3. It hath been the cause of scandals to Christians 3. The retaining or reassuming of this number hath apparently done hurt by giving scandall to the Sabbatarians pleading for the particular Jewish day to be still to be observed as well as the number of one Day in seven Also by giving scandall to us whom our Adversaries also in courtesie nick-name Sabbatarians misleading us into superstition if we be mis-led as they say we are for urging the observation of this number and of the whole Day withall as a Sabbath by vertue of the fourth Commandement still in force and so as necessary to Religion by Gods command Which neither the Saturday-Sabbatarians nor we much lesse could ever have dreamed of or have pretended any thing for no more then for the Jewish new moones or other festivals if the number had been altered to one Day of sixe or of eight How easily had this great and multiplied scandall been prevented and how necessarily upon the foregoing Reasons specially Whereas grant the fourth Commandement perpetuall for one Day of seven upon just grounds and though the Saturday-Sabbatarians stumble then at the particular Day yet we doubt not but to remove that sufficiently and God hath done it in His Word as we shall shew though still some will stumble at most plaine truths But this the Church should prevent in her determinations and is most justly blamed for not doing upon the supposition that It might For further 4. If the Church had power to take one Day of sixe LVIII 4. It argues want of zeale in the Church not to determine so much or one Day of five and determine that number in a Revolution for the chiefe solemne Time Where hath been the â—eale of the Christian Church all this while ever since our Saviours time that they have never pitcht upon such a determination as might have been remarkably advantagious in a yeere and much more in a life for the good of Soules and so for the honour of God Which had also taken away and prevented quite all the forementioned inconveniencies Could never any Generall Councell or Nationall Church bethinke themselves of this But they must cling still to that most inconvenient and scandalous number 5. If it be said It was to comply somewhat with the Jewes LIX 5. It is also scandalous to the Jewes that this number of one Day in seven was still retained We answer 1. That somewhat was nothing since the particular Day was cast off which the Jews still hold to and blame as much the neglect of as they could or would for altering the number 2. Rather this is also a scandall to the Jewes that we Christians keep the number still and reject the particular Day which though it be not of importance unto those that know they have the will of God for keeping that and rejecting this 1 Cor. 10.32 yet it falls heavy upon those who unnecessarily scandalize even the Jewes by retaining this number of one Day in seven and rejecting that particular Day while yet they say they were both together in the fourth Commandement and are both now together abrogated as are all the words of the fourth Commandement and yet in the mean time It as well as any of the other ten is written upon Church-walls and read and taught to children and ignorants even the very words of it 3. If this number of one Day in seven had been a while retained for the Jewes sake yet it ought to have ceased long since The
Question the Anabaptists and they and we are all agreed They have no Adversary in this Cause But yet this is nothing For they may as well say this of all Times and Dayes under the Law as under the Gospel That all were materially equall and in themselves considered By the Sun-rising or setting no Theologicall difference appeared in any of them no more than now Here then lies no scruple Ames Medal Theol. lib. 2. c. 15 sect 50.53 2. It is also granted That the Church may set apart some Times and Dayes for publike Worship But with some limitations before insinuated 1. That they be not accounted as necessary to Religion or as essentiall parts of Gods Worship 2. That they be not esteemed and used as properly Holy so farre that it should be unlawfull to change them or to imploy them in any but sacred uses 3. Lastly that they be not esteemed as efficacious meanes of Holinesse and Blessing in reference to the particular Times Dayes or Houres to the observers of them But in this sense againe nor we nor the Anabaptists we thinke will much contend with them For the Anabaptists granting a publike Worship by Assemblies must needs confesse That there must be some Times or Dayes set apart for orders sake to that use and that every one may know when to joyne with the publike Assemblies B. of E. p. 132. Yea we are told that some of them did judaize and kept the Saturday-Sabbath as instituted of old by Divine authority and not the Sunday as being in their opinion and our disputers too but of humane institution There was therefore no reason to quarrell with the Anabaptists concerning the inequallity of Dayes if this be all the difference Rather it seemes the Anabaptists were offended at this that those Dayes which man only had instituted were called Holy dayes and observed as they conceited in that manner and with that opinion of Holinesse c. as those of Gods institution were to be observed 3. Nor is there any question made by any side Whether Divine institution alone doe not make any Times this or that particular Day or Houre properly Holy and necessary to Religion For this is granted there were some Dayes so made Holy under the Law And the reason is the same under the Gospel If God institute or perpetuate any 2. Our dissent Our opinion explained 4. But herein as we conceive lies the businesse and difference betweene us That we say All Times under the Gospel are not equall in reference to Religion But that some Times in the severall respects of Time some expresse and definite Continuances some expresse and definite Frequencies or Revolutions and some expresse and definite Seasons or particular Dayes are necessary to Religion and properly Holy so as they may not be changed abrogated or otherwise imployed by man and so necessary above others in sensu composito not by a Physicall necessity of ordinary nature but by a Theologicall necessity Consentancum est rationi naturali vel potius moraliter necessarium est ut fasti sint dice Suarez lib. 2. de Relig c. 2. or Ethicall and Morall as some other besides us have expressed themselves And that so it should be sin in all men except in the cases of reservation admitted by God to interrupt solemne Times not to observe those particular Times and Dayes which is not to be said of other Dayes and Times Our disputers contrarily do maintaine That no expresse or definite Continuances or expresse and definite Revolutions or expresse and definite particular Dayes 3. The contrary opinion explained are so necessary to Religion as that all men or all Christians should be guilty of sin for the in observation of them more then of others This we say is that which many of their reasonings apparantly tend unto and which they must meane if they understand themselves Also we cannot deny but that at other times they say that which will not stand with this as we shall even here by and by shew them But we cannot help that if they contradict themselves as they doe in more things than one but only by shewing it them and our Reasons on the one side As we shall here now doe for our Assertions to win them fully to them if it may be We say then for the confirmation of our Position IV. Confirmations of our Assertion Arg. 1. Nature determines a whole day at least once Ergo. and refuting of theirs 1. If the Law of Nature determine at least once in every mans life a whole Dayes continuance expresly as necessary to be altogether spent in Religion as we have argued in the ninth Chapter then is not all Time equall under the Gospel in respect of Continuance for Religion No other proportion will satisfie the Law of Nature no not two or three Halfe-Dayes in stead of one whole Day And so this Continuance of a whole Day may not by man be abrogated altered or alienated and is more properly Holy than any other Continuance of Time for Religion that is than any other that is lesse For greater there can be none in Nature as hath been shewed 2. If the Law of Nature determines for every Work-day of a mans life at least a double Frequencie of attendance upon God V. Arg. 2. Nature determines for twice every day Ergo. as necessary unto all men which we have also argued in the forenoted place Then is not all Number or Frequencie of Times equall in Religion Or all Times equall in respect of an expresse Frequencie or Revolution so often Halfe the Day spent in Religion will not suffice to discharge from the second due attendance nor ten times upon the Day before or the Day after compensate for that neglect Because the Continuance being not here determined the Service may be so suddenly dispatcht as nothing but want of Will and Devotion can be assigned as the cause of not tendring that double proportion on the most busie Day that any man hath in his whole life VI. Arg. 3. Nature requires a determination for Continuance and Frequencie Ergo. 3. If the Law of Nature require any determination of Time at all for Continuance and Frequencie jointly as we have also proved at large and all our Adversaries also acknowledge under the termes of a Sufficient Time to be Morall-Naturall Then whosoever be the determiner of this sufficient Time or whatever the proportions be though but an houre in a yeere yet is not all Time equall in Religion under the Gospel for Continuance and Frequencie both For this houre in a yeere is necessary to Religion and so properly holy and unchangeable by man who may not take a shorter Continuance or lesse Frequencie because this is necessary not a longer Continuance and greater Frequencie because this is sufficient for the chiefe Time lesse and seldomer being against the Law of Nature which cannot be said of other Continuancies and Frequencies more large Yet againe more and
waite upon God and the whole body also in a due and serviceable proportion that so he may by such Solemne Worship of God have a full draught as I may say out of the Fountaine of Gods Goodnesse and satisfie his soule with a more compleate fruition of His Divine Grace Or rather to speake according to the unhappy condition that all mankind are now naturally in by reason of sinne and corruption to seeke to recover his lost happinesse in God by seeking Reconciliation with Him and the regaining and so retaining of his Favour in the use of such Holy meanes as himselfe hath appointed to this end namely the Ordinances of His Worship These things the Law of Nature teaches and commands to all men universally without exception or exemption of any And they must be Brutes or Atheists or both that deny them Moreover X. Solemn Worship distinguished into Solitary Conjoyned and that into Domesticall and Ecclesiasticall in as much as Worship may be presented to God either by any one single person alone or by divers joyning together in the tendring of it which usually though not so properly is exprest by the termes of Private Worship and Publike we had rather say Solitary and Conjoyned and then divide the latter into Domesticall or Family-Worship and Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall It is further considerable what of any of these is to be acknowledged a necessary duty for all men even according to the Law of Nature And for this we say 1. Generally and briefly How far each of these is a Necessary Duty That as far as any of them are possible to be performed all mankinde stand bound to tender them respectively that is so much and so often as they have no just and necessary impediment 2. Particularly for each of these severally 1. Every one is bound to tender to God solemne worship by themselves alone 2. Every one that lives in a family where he may have others to joyn with him in solemn worshipping of God is bound to that also to joyn them to him and himselfe to them in presenting some solemne worship to God 3. Every one also that lives in a convenient nearnesse with others with whom he may joyn in an Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall assembly to worship God solemnly together stands bound in like sort hereunto and may not alwayes absent himselfe from them but some time or other it is his duty to joyn with them in such solemne Worship even notwithstanding any danger of Persecution and that the place of such Worship be but a private House or Chamber or a Field or a Wood or a Cave as it fared with the Primitive Christians And of each of these we conceive proper Reasons to evince the necessity 1. For the first of these Solitary Worship XI Solitary Worship which is not owned as Solemn by our Adversaries ordinarily called Private Worship A man would think none should offer to deny it But in our Disputers books I am sure it is very â—â—intly and seldome acknowledged and the second lesse rather then more And by their language neither Solitary nor Family-Worship is owned under the notion of Solemne Worship For as much as it is usuall with them that when they any where name Solemne Worship they adde Publike to it As being afraid left if they should grant any other Solemne Worship to be a Necessary Duty besides Publike whereby they mean Ecclesiasticall as appeares by their Discourses upon it It would inforce as indeed it will as we shall see a necessity of a solemne time for it as well as for the solemne Publike Worship And then their generall Moralitie of the fourth Commandement which they have devised to be only for the Publike Worship will be found too scanty and their whole Cause be endangered to fall to the ground as we shall make it appeare hereafter Therefore we must needs take a little more paines to prove both Family-Worship and even Solitary Worship to be necessary duties and part of our homage to God and even to be Morall-Naturall and withall to deserve the name of Solemne Worship And afterward we will say somewhat also of the necessity of Publike Worship likewise and so conclude the whole Chapter XII Solitary Worship proved a duty three wayes 1. Now for Solitary Worship such as is performed with the whole man setting himselfe altogether apart from all worldly businesses and distractions to attend upon God immediately and tender both Soule and Body to Him That this is a necessary duty appears from the grounds before laid in a threefold respect 1. That it is altogether unreasonable to imagine that God should lose any of his honour from any man single because there is no other company to joyn with him in the solemnity of Worship 2. It is also unreasonable to think that a man is not bound to seek the recovery of his soules lost happinesse in his enjoying God and conversing with Him in duties of Worship to be performed both with Soule and Body because he is alone and hath none besides himselfe that will have any regard to further him and themselves together in conjoyned Worship 3. Otherwise it were not absolutely a Morall-Naturall duty to worship God solemnly that is with the whole man at all For every such duty which we by the Law of our Creation owe absolutely to God cannot but be perpetually possible and universally to all He being perpetually existent and present with us and we with Him But solemne Family-Worship and much more solemne Publike or Ecclesiasticall Worship is not universally and perpetually possible to all And so no other solemne Worship is possible to them but only Solitary And if that be not to them a Morall-Naturall duty then none is absolutely so For it is cleare a Christian may be and many are forced to live many yeares in such a place among Turks or Pagans as a Captive or the like where there is no possibility at all of having any other to joyn with him in the worship of God no not secretly much lesse publikely So that though we deny not but Publike that is Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall solemne Worship is so far forth Morall-Naturall as it is Possible Yet we maintain that Private that is Solitary solemne Worship is more Morall and Necessary yea firstly Morall being not only Necessary as the the other is when it may be but certainly Possible for every one of Mankinde to performe which the other is not at all times and in all places when a man will And now that such Solitary or Private VVorship deserves to be called and counted Solemne VVorship XIII Well called Solemne appeares from the description of Solemne Worship forementioned against which no just exception can be taken As also by the instance of Daniels prayers which though performed by himselfe alone in his Chamber yet cannot reasonably be denied to have been Solemn VVorship being three times a day constantly and on his knees and his
windowes open toward Jerusalem Also his setting himselfe to seek the Lord by fasting though alone c. 9. Can it be reckoned lesse then Solemn VVorship We adde if many Christians all a Country or Kingdom over should agree to fast and pray upon one particular day every one in their Chamber apart alone this were without doubt a very Solemne service and worship yet Solitary and private We conclude then that as there is such a Duty required of every one apart at least sometimes which we call Solemne Worship so such a Duty being performed with the whole man is worthy to be called and counted Solemne And if Solitary Worship may deserve to be called Solemne then surely Family-Worship also is justly to be counted Solemne Such was the eating of the Passeover which was ever in private houses and Esthers Fast with her maids Est 4. three dayes one after another and the Humiliation mentioned Zach. 12. every family apart and their wives apart which seemes to be a Solitary VVorship yet Solemne undoubtedly So that all Solemn VVorship is not Publike But if any one would yet list to wrangle about the word Solemne let him but give us another fit word to describe such Solitary or Private VVorship of the whole man tendred unto God so seriously and it shall serve our turne sufficiently for the end we intend it for as we shall see hereafter Mean time we say that conjoyned VVorship XIV Family Worship proved a duty where it is possible to to be performed is also a necessary duty even so far forth Morall-Naturall and that in both the kindes of it Domesticall and Congregationall For in the second place The Honour of GOD and Good of Soules doe also require Family-VVorship from all such joyntly as live in Families where they have any to joyn with This appeares 1. Because it being God that hath placed men in a Community setting the solitary in families as the Psalmists phrase is Psal 68. it cannot be justly conceived that He should doe this meerly for their worldly conveniencies but rather chiefly that they should improve their society one with another to His Glory who is the Lord of them all together as well as of every one of them single and so that they should worship Him joyntly together as well as each of them solitarily and apart To which tends undeniably the forenoted charge given Deut. 6.6 7. These words that I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in the house Deut. 11.18 and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up For though it comprehend plainly Ejaculatory Worship in part as we have noted before yet it reaches further specially being added immediately unto the great Commandement ver 4. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And indeed how can any man love God with all his heart and soule and not be willing to joyne others to himselfe and himselfe to others as much as may be in the worship of God And how doth the Master of a Family love God with all his strength that imployes not his authority over all his Family to call them to worship God even in the Family with himselfe at least some times I say at least some times for we yet are but upon the Duty the consideration of the Time is to come afterward Therefore also we finde it a part of the unhappy character of Pagans Jer. 10.25 Whereas some to elude the strength of this Text for Family-Prayers alleadge that Psal 79.6 the words are the Kingdomes that call not upon thy name and so by Family here is meant no more then there by Kingdoms I answer The parallelling the two plates proves the thing more clearly for as the Kingdome is not said to call upon Gods name unlesse the King command publike meetings to that end and that is counted a Heathenish and ungodly Kingdome so is it with a Family where by the authority of the Governour there are no joynt meetings to pray to God devoted to the wrath of God The Heathen that know Thee not and the Families that call not on Thy Name And indeed how hath the Family that knowledge of God to be 1. Their great Lord and Master 2. The Author of their Peace among themselves that the Governour is gentle to the inferiours and the inferiours dutifull to the Governour and Superiour 3. The Author of all Blessings to them all Of health and strength to follow their businesse of successe and comfort in them How I say have they the knowledge of God if they agree not together to joyne in Worship of Him their Lord and in tendring Prayers and Praises for such things as they expect and receive from Him 2. The Good of soules calls for this also Every one needing helpe from others and all being helped by the Solemne services joyntly presented to God in the Family 1. In minding one another by mutuall testification of the common Allegeance and Homage they all owe to Him their great Soveraigne and so preventing the forgetting of Him 2. Withall affecting one another by example of reverence and devotion 3. They being also infallibly taught and minded of and provoked to some particulars of Duty and furnisht with some matter of comfort by every such service performed joyntly supposing that every ones heart joynes faithfully in it which before they were either ignorant or forgetfull of or backward to or should have missed if they had beene wholly and ever alone As reason cannot but insinuate and experience continually shewes It remains then that Domesticall and Family-Worship is a Necessary Duty and as farre as it is Possible even Morall-Naturall XV. Publike Worship proved a Duty 3. So is also Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall VVorship which is usually called Publike VVorship Even for the Reasons forenamed Gods Honour and Soules Good He is Lord of all societies and the Author of them as well as of Families And so is to have a tribute of VVorship and Glory from all joyntly The Lord having universall Dominion over all flesh should publikely be worshipped by societies of men G. Irons p. 261. as well as from any severally And Love to God cannot but promote this as much as is possible And the mutuall blessings expected and received by greater Communities as well as Families doe require the like according to just conveniences Which is so assuredly of the Law of Nature that all Nations that have ever been heard of have had their joynt Publike Solemne Worship And have had Persons set apart purposely for it Priests or Ministers for the more compleat performance of it Finally both Reason and Experience declare that the good of Soules both calls for publike Congregationall VVorship as also commends it as exceeding profitable and advantagious Not only in that