14.12 Rom. 3.31 Ephes 6.1 2 3. with many other Again in particular to the Sabbath it self If our Lord did not intend it should continue after his Death but he nailed to the Cross with the other Ceremonies what reason could there be for him to advise his Disciples to pray that their flight might not fall out on the Sabbath or at the fall of Jerusalens seeing it fell out sorty years after his Death and wherefore should be tell us it was made for man and that He is the Lord of it if it have no being in his Dominions amongst the Children of men Mark 2.27 28. And besides all this doth not the holy Spirit call it Sabbath and how dare mortal worms call it working day For which way can it deserve the name of a Sabbath if it retain not the nature of a Sabbath But this is an Age in which men are bent to walk in their own wayes and neither believe nor do any thing that crosseth the flesh otherwise how were it possible for men to find so many evasions to keep off from so plain a Duty which was the constant practice of the Saints in the Primitive time as may be seen Acts 13.14 42 44. and 16.13 17.2 18.4 And it is observable that in the former of these Texts Acts 13. Paul keeps Sabbath with Gentiles and speaks not the least word against their Practice nor intimates nothing of a meeting any other day an evil that Paul would never have been guilty of had he known any thing of the abolishing or changing of the Sabbath-day for how earnestly Paul contended against the Gentiles observation of Ceremonies cannot be unknown Quest But is it not possible for the whole ten Commands to be observed although the Sabbath be transmitted from the seventh to the first day of the week Answ If the Lord or any other by his Authority had so done I would not have questioned his power or wisdom herein but seeing he did it not but it is meerly an invention of man I must condemn it for a wicked and ungodly Practice of which the old Serpent was the principal Author to cause the poor Jews to stumble at the Redeemer of the World to this day Quest Since Christ and his Apostles and Primitive Saints observed it what is the reason that the Jews do not believe in Jesus Christ seeing Sabbath-Prophanation is one of their greatest Arguments they commonly urge against Christ and the Christian Religion Answ There is no cause to wonder at their unbelief nor at the reason of it for how can we expect they should search the New Testament diligently to inform themselves what the mind and practice of Christ and his Primitive Saints was when they who profess it to be their Rule are so extream careless in this matter that they suffer themselves to be couzened some with another day and some with no day instead of the Sabbath now the poor Jews judging of the Religion of Christ by the lives of the generality of those that profess his Name cannot but stumble at him and abominate that Religion that alloweth such plain and notorious Wickedness committed against the express letter of God's most holy Law and it cannot be expected in reason that they should repent and believe till a more general Reformation be found in the lives of the Gentiles that profess to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Quest Well if such prejudices as they take at the Lord Jesus should be removed how can it be clearly proved that Christ Jesus the Son of Mary who was crucified by Pilate is the true Messiah Answ There are many infallible proofs of it As first The certain Time of his coming being so fairly pointed at by the Scriptuies if Jesus be not he this will follow not only that we must with the Jews look for another but be constrained also to cast off the holy Scriptures received both by them and us and so shall be wholly at a loss to know what to believe or receive for truth in order to our eternal peace Quest Name some of those Texts and a little open them for the sakes of the poor Jews and the blind World who it is to be feared neither know Him nor in truth believe in Him but ignorantly confess him because it is the Religion of the Times and tradition and custom hath taught them so to do Answ The first Text is Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah and the Law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shal the obedience of the Peoples 〈◊〉 â—hiloh here is Christ or the Messiah and so understood by the Hebrew Doctors as well as by Christians See learned Ainsworth upon the place And that he was to come according to Jacobs Prophesie at or near the time that the Kings and Governours of Judah ceased to rule is the manifest scope and intent of the Text And although Judah had no King after the Captivity yet her Princes were still known and by Permission some of them bore Rule as appears Ezra 3.8 9. Hag. 1.12 And evident it is the Heirs of the Crown of Judah were well known to the coming of Christ and Christ known to be Heir apparent to the Crown of Judah so well that when he wrought that Miracle of feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fishes John 6.14 15. the people would by force have made him King if he had not by hiding himself avoided it and that was a charge against him at his death that he was King of the Jews but neither Pilate nor the Jews could deny but that so He was his right to the Crown may well be perceived by what his enemies on both parts say in that 18 19 chapters of John but since Christ the World nor the Jews themselves cannot find any Law-giver or Prince that so much as pretended a right to the Kingdom but are so dispersed and broken that they are like to find none till that Prophecy be fulfilled Zech. 12.10 that they look upon him whom they pierced to whom the Peoples that is the Gentiles do gather acknowledge or obey according to this Text and impossible it is that this Text can be fulfilled in any that is yet to come for the House of Judah hath been without a Governour or Law-giver this 1600 years at least and so long ago or longer the Messiah must be come or else this Text must be blotted out of the Book of God and if once Moses's writings come into question then farewel all Religion both among Jews and Gentiles Now as for our Lord Jesus we know that all Prophecies of the Old Testament are fulfilled in him He is a Prophet like to Moses most graciously opening and confirming all the moral Laws and in his own obedience unto the Death fulfilled all the ceremonial Laws and the Laws he hath added in the New Testament are so fully confirmed by many glorious Miracles and are so holy just
the world till the ten Commandments were given upon Mount Sinai Answ Yea from the very beginning of the world but yet not before the ten Commandments were given for there could be none without them Quest But how doth it appear that the ten Commandments were given to Adam and all his Posterity Answ The Law could not stop every mouth and bring the whole world under guilt if Adam the Father of the whole world were not under it Rom. 3.19 Quest Do you read of any other command to him then to forbear the fruit of the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil Answ Yea we do or may do if through carelesness and inconsideration we over look them not For can it be reasonably thought that God sanctified the Sabbath for no use which absurdity cannot be avâ—ided if it were not for Adam to keep or that Cain sinned in killing his Brother if there had been no Law against Murther or indeed that either Godliness or Righteousness was like to flourish in the world if any of the ten Commandments had been wanting But further it is clear that the ten Commands are called the First Covepant o◠〈…〉 the Old Covenant Heb. 8. And in the 9th chap. 15. ver there you have the Cause of Christ's Death rendered to be for the sins committed against that first Covenant So that it is evident beyond contradiction that if Abel Enoch and the godly Patriarchs of the first Ages of the world had the benifit of the Redeemers blood for otherwise they could not be righteous by Faith then the New Covenant must needs be in force in Adams dayes And I am sure no man in his right mind will say that the New Covenant is older than the old Covenant is Again can it be any other than that holy Law which is so well known in the Old Testament that Paul doth mean when he maketh the work of Redemption to lie in delivering us from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 4.4.5 Therefore they do not want ignorance that have so confidently affirmed that the Sabbath which is one of the ten Words was never given to the Gentiles neither by the Law of Moses nor by the Law of Nature nor yet by the Law of Christ Seeing it is so evident in reason to believe that what was given to the first Fathers of the world was given to the World And the curse of that Law that did necessitate the Death of Christ for the World must needs be the Worlds duty otherwise it could not curse them but they shew themselves what skilful builders they be Quest Seeing you charge these men so home speak one word more for the further clearing of this point Answ First Then it is evident to all men that as many as were bound to be circumcised were bound to keep the whole Law The reason is full in Pauls words beyond any reasonable mans doubt Gal. 5.3 for if he was bound to keep the whole Law who was circumcised albeit there might be some circumcised who at that day when Paul wrote this it was not their duty but their ignorance so to be How much more must they needs be bound to keep the Law who were bound to be circumcised whether they were circumcised or no except the neglect of one duty discharged a man of all other due from him to his God which I presume no man will say So that here remains nothing to do but only this namely to prove That all men before the coming of Christ in the flesh were bound to be circumcised and if it had not been the Worlds duty as well as Israels wherefore should be Lord threaten to punish them for the neglect of it as he doth Jerem. 9.25 26. Sure God will not punish them for that which is no sin and it can be no sin to neglect that which is no duty Again Paul in drawing up his Charge against the Colossians estate 2.13 before their conversion chargeth them with the uncircumcision of their flesh which sure he would not have done if he had not known their neglect of it before Christ was made known to them had been their sin Again no man can be ignorant of this that strangers that were not of Israel might partake with them in all the Priviledges of Religion acceptably that ever read Exod. 12.48 49. with other-like places and can any man be so brutish as to think it was not all the Gentiles duty as well as some of them or to think that any of them could have been accepted if it had been voluntary religion or will-worship so plainly condemneds Col. 2.18 23. Besides it is manifest that the very Congregation to whom God proclaimed this Law in Sinai consisted of a mixed multitude of other People as well as of Jews Exod. 12.38 Numb 11.4 Now that these ten Commandments are the foundation of all Religion is no way hard to conceive for because this Law was transgressed and therefore could not save man therefore there was a necessity of our Lords Death to redeem man as may by comparing these with other-like Texts together be seen Rom. 8.3 4. 10.5 Gal. 3.10 12 13. Heb. 8.7 8 9. and 9.15 And because Christ hath redeemed us therefore the Gospel is necessary to open to the Sons of men the benefits of his Death For the raising of Faith in the soul and the working of us to repentance and for the carrying on of the work of Sanctification the Ordinances of the Lord's Supper Baptism and the rest of his Appointments are necessary as Preaching Praying and all other duties of Plety and Godliness the whole body of Religion hath so natural a dependance one part of Truth upon another and the whole of it upon that Law as is clear and easie to every considering man to understand Quest But is not this Doctrine legal and an exalting the Law above the Gospel in saying it is the foundation of Religion Answ No by no means no such thing will follow no more than it will follow that the first Adam is greater than the second Adam or the darkness more excellent than the light although that was first created Quest Explain this point as brief as you can Answ Understand it thus I call this Law the Foundation of Religion because if it be made void all Religion of necessity must be made void with it As for Example if it continue not to be a rule of holy and just living then he that neglecteth to observe it sinneth not and he that offendeth not this Law cannot be cuised by it and he that is not cursed by it cannot stand in need of redemption by our Lord Jesus to redeem him from the curse thereof and he that needs no Redemption needs no Redeemer and he that needs not a Redeemer needs not the blessings that come by him nor yet a Gospeâ— nor Ordinances to convey them to him So that if you mind it well you will see that all the parts and prancies of
of Twenty Cubites long where it was by the Ministers of the Temple Christ's deadly enemies kept safe enough from any hand of earthly man none but a Messenger from Heaven could rent it again the Earth did quake and the Rocks rent which could not be but by an omnipotent Power all which made the Centurion and his Company though in all probability they were Heathens being Souldiers in Caesars Army cry out and say Truly this was the Son of God and if Souldiers who are commonly rude persons especially when they have such Masters as they had if they could not chuse but see this how much more should all men consider and take notice of God's Testimony so gloriously born on his behalf Thirdly The Resurrection of Christ proves it beyond exception Quest Yea but how shall that be proved clearly Answ There be three evident proofs of it 1. The witnesses of it are a considerable number not less than Five hundred at once 1 Cor. 15.6 7 8. and some of these died for this Testimony and what their holy Doctrine and Life was is to be seen in the New Testament and neither credit nor profit was to be gained by this Testimony besides two of these witnesses were such as had they not been extraordinarily convinced of the truth of it would not have believed it themselves Thomas proclaiming his unbelief till he felt and saw the print of the nailes and thrust his hand into his side which the Spear had made John 20.24 25. And as for Paul he persecuted this Testimony unto the death and had his hand in the blood of Stephen for it not altering his bloody purpose till by a Voice and a Light from Heaven he was smitten blind and unto the earth and he made to know that that Jesus whom he persecuted in his People was risien and ascended 2. The miserable excuse that was made to blind the Peoples understandings that they might not believe he was risen proves it evidently for he was laid in a Tomb which had a stone so great on the top of it that the good women were in care to get it removed when they came to anoint him Also there was a strong guard of Souldiers set to watch lest his Disciples should steal him who were so afraid of their own lives that they durst not meet but in the night an unlikely company to steal their Masters dead body from a band of Souldiers But now to make the world believe that these poor frighted men stole him away while they slept is most impossible for who can believe that the whole Guard should be asleep all at once or who can believe his Disciples durst venture to roul off that Stone in the midst of those Armed men to steal his Corps from them they being set there on purpose to prevent them from this act muchless was it possible for them to be able to give a just account whether he were stollen away or risen again if they had been all asleep indeed and it is not at all likely that those armed Souldiers ran from the Sepulchre to the High Priest in such a fear because the Disciples had stole him but indeed because the Angel of the Lord terrified them away from that fruitless work Neither yet can it enter into any mans heart to believe that ever the Priests and Elders of the Jews would ever go about to perswade the Governour to peace and reconciliation with those Souldiers that had so much neglected their duty to suffer him to be stole if indeed he had been stole but they would much rather have perswaded him to take them and hang them up every man of them for their negligence if it had not manifestly appeared that Jesus whom they caused to be crucified was indeed risen again from the dead Thirdly and lastly Besides the wonderful Miracles his Apostles did work in his Name the Gifts bestowed upon them so suddenly after his Ascention according to the Promise made to them the which we read of Acts 2.1 to the 11. proves it clearly for from whence could poor Fisher-men ignorant and unlearned at an instance attain such Gifts of Knowledge Courage Utterance as is there exprest but that it must needs be by the Power of the holy Spirit To all which I only ask this question I desire that the most unbelieving Jews will tell me what they expect from the Messiah they look for or what they can think he should be that Jesus Christ is not When this is soberly answered I will set Pen to Paper again if the Lord please that I live to see it in the mean time as one desiring the Salvation both of Jews and Gentiles I intreat all men to consider the main grounds of Religion and to get such sound Principles for the Foundation thereof as will substantially bear up the whole body of it A brief Answer to William Russel in a Book of his entituled No Seventh-Day-Sabbath in Christ's New Testament ALthough that which I have written already is enough to stop the mouths of all Opposers of God's most holy Law yet because the ignorance and folly of men is so great in this day I shall add a few words to what I have written already upon the occasion of a late Book I have seen intituled The Seventh-Day-Sabbath not Commanded by Jesus Christ in the New Testament but I desire thee good Reader not to expect that I should waste my time or be at the cost to follow William Russel with a Reply to that green-headed Piece of his that consisteth for the most part of it of Debates and Reasonings of other men but I shall apply my self to touch briefly some few passages asserted by William himself And first to that learned Assertion in the 12th page of his Book where he concludeth since his eyes were opened that the Ten Words being abolished as the first Covenant to do for Life they cannot continue as a Rule of Life the distinction is so nice that it is groundless To which I answer It is well you confess them to be the first Covenant and once given for Life the good Lord give thee and others Wisdom to take notice of the time when it was so given for it could never give Life therefore it must be in that day when it would have continued Life to eternity if it had been kept and therefore be not so witless as to think that when God gave his Law at Sinai as a Rule of Life for thy self confessest that so he did to Jews and Proselytes that then he intended it as a Covenant to do for Life for if he did he must intend to condemn them all for nothing is more evident than that they were all sinners and impossible it is that thou canst deny it to be against this Law they sinned For thou affirmest in the 37 page of thy Book That the New Covenant was not in force till after the Death of Christ therefore they could not according to thy judgement