make as it were nothing of His service and of solemne Times for it But of this more in another place LV. 3. It is most consonant to Nature to begin the day in the morning We proceed to the third Proposition about the beginning of the particular Day and that is It seemes most consonant to the Law and Light of Nature and Scripture reason that unlesse God otherwise determine it himselfe the beginning of the Day should be in the morning that is after midnight rather then the evening before We put in that Parenthesis unlesse God otherwise determine it himselfe As well that we may never neither by way of consequence nor so much as in appearance dispute against any appointment of God acknowledging everlastingly that all His determinations what ever we may surmise or argue are wisest and best so long and so much as He will have them stand As also for that it is commonly taken for an undoubted and undeniable truth That the old Jewish Sabbath did begin and so end at Evening Whether it did so certainly or no perhaps we shall consider more particularly hereafter But for the present we cannot forbeare to say that we are no way convinced that it ended in the Evening though we will not now neither dispute that in point of fact But all we will doe for the present about it is to shew our grounds why under favour of Gods not determining otherwise as we said we conceive it most sutable to Religious reason that the chiefe solemne Time should not end till our waking Time ends or till Midnight and so consequently if it must be a whole Dayes continuance as we suppose it must the beginning must be at Midnight The reason of that assertion and not the Evening before Our reason is That if we consider the Evening before or the Evening after there will be perpetuall danger of incroachment either upon the Religious Time or the Worldly Time to the prejudice of one of them but specially of Religion in most men 1. Consider the Evening before In winter time it is Evening with us at five a clock a good part of the Time and at foure for a week or two or more If now as soon as it growes dark the Time for Religion begins They must to observe it aright and have their minds in frame lay aside their worldly businesses a while at least before and this will at least seem to incroach too much upon their businesses and disappoint Markets on the Day before and Journies very much sometimes Or rather the hazard will be that worldly things will stick to mens fingers and businesses in their minds so long that what with Supper time and other Night-businesses before they goe to bed and many hasting to bed under pretence perhaps of earlier rising in the Morning though likely enough they mean nothing lesse nor do they rise the earlier for it God and the soule would have very little even of those houres after four or five a clock besides what conscientious men use to give Him every night and so scarce worth the while of reckoning the Religious Time or Day for it to begin at Evening specially considering the great losse that would in all likelihood be by the ending of it at Even which is the second Consideration For supposing the Day ended at foure or five or sixe a clock either men would still continue their Religious thoughts as to close fairly their waking Time with them and this would be againe thought too much because the former Evening was challenged as Gods due whether He had it or not Or else which would be infallibly with the most of men they would instantly when it grew darke or at Sun-set which I take it was the Jewes Evening ending those Dayes that did end at Even as the Day of Expiation Lev. 23.23 throw away all thoughts of Religion and fall to worke or buying and selling in shops or to sports and play which cannot possibly but be prejudiciall to Religion by weakning the good they had received before in the Day and even making them lose any godly affections they had gotten by a cold dampe deading any spirituall heat that might be put into them by the ordinances and services of God publike or domestick or solitary by one or all Hereunto we may adde that upon the knowledge of this ending at that houre there would be before-hand matches made of meeting to make bargaines to game and play and perhaps to drink and carowse the Day being now over and then even before it were over the minds of most worldly people would so run upon those things even while they were in the exercises of devotion that they will make very little benefit by them but they will as it were sit upon thornes in the publike Ordinances and rather then faile goe out in the midst of them if they misdoubt or discerne that they are like to trench upon their worldly times And for this we would but appeale even to sober consciences when they sometimes heare a Sermon on the Week-dayes after which immediately they have worldly businesses or even but a meeting of pleasure to attend upon Whether those things doe not much run in their heads and make them sit in paine and feare and long that it were done and even tempt them to goe out unlesse shame hold them and leave it before the end or specially before the end of Prayer Psalme and Blessing And then it would be undoubtedly much worse with ordinary people as appeares but too manifestly by their goings out both morning and afternoon as soon as they think the Sermon should end the glasse being run or that it is ended and they hasten to their dinner or to serve their cattell or the like But now by the beginning and ending at Midnight or the Morning which is ordinarily all one so as one wakes in the Religious Day and lies down to sleep in it All the inconvenience on both sides is prevented Men may follow their businesses the Night before that they may the lesse disturbe them on the Day for Religion and their Night-devotions may settle their minds against the next Day and then on that Day all the waking Time being determined for Religion it will plainly secure very much all the good gotten and keepe out all mischievous disappointments by worldly thoughts and discourses and to settle a mans spirit excellently by lying down with those thoughts of God and Religion and so sleeping as in Gods armes may make all singularly happy to him And if this be so they are surely not so well advised that have so ridgedly urged the beginning of the Lords day to be necessarily at Evening as they suppose it was with the Jewish Sabbath But we have somewhat further to say to them about that from our Saviours Resurrection in the Morning Of which we shall discourse hereafter LVI 4. The same day to all mankind is conducible And now we passe
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
calling for a Revolution and Frequencie of a whole Day though we say not that it can pitch upon the Frequencie of a Seventh Dayes revolution Of which more anon XXX Another scruple satisfied If any after all shall say That we have forgotten to put into this Argument one thing before mentioned in the way to it namely That the Coninuance which the Law of Nature determines conclusively is the longest Continuance that naturall abilities can hold out unto at once which we have not yet affirmed of a Day VVe answer in a word 1. That we conceive it needlesse to take much paines to prove that the a Day of 24 houres is the longest Continuance at once that the naturall abilities of all mankind generally is able to bestow upon the worship of God or any other businesse For if sleep be so necessary as it is ordinarily to all men within that time which is a most formall interruption or breaking of the Continuance of any businesse as that not one of a hundred perhaps doth or can watch at any time a whole 24 houres together Then much lesse can it be imagined that all men should be able to hold out to a longer Continuance without such naturally necessary interruption 2. Also that we may justly say that after such a formall interruption as sleep upon the necessity of Nature is and a new Day in Nature beginning The next Time suppose any were further determined upon a mans waking were rather belonging to the Quoties or Frequencie as being a Revolution of a New Day as we said then simply to the Continuance so notoriously interrupted and ended from a necessity of Natures making Though also if there were an expresse and distinct determination further upon that second Day of any Continuance of Time then that determination were not neither a single determination of the Quoties or Frequencie but of it and the Quamdiu or Continuance jointly As in the Fast of Ester three Dayes one after another XXXI How far Nature determines the Frequencie And so we proceed to our second Question about the Law of Natures Determination of Time namely about the Frequencie How far the Law of Nature will lead us toward a Conclusive Determination thereof that is of the greatest Frequencie even single without any Continuance added to it and whether it can as well make a Conclusive Determination of the Frequencie as we have shewed that it doth of the Continuance For resolution hereof although it may seeme faire to affirme That if we shall speak according to the Naturall divisions of Time and so the Naturall revolutions distinctly observable by Naturall Rules even without art among all men all the world over the Law of Nature doth determine even conclusively the Frequency of every Day that is so often the Law of Nature doth require for the Worship of God from all men by way of command but no oftener though not forbidding oftener but only seldomer because Nature seemes to have no Frequenter distinct revolution then a Day And that it hath and is able to observe and take notice of and accordingly is able to Worship God even solemnely so often There being no impediment imaginable why within the Revolution of every Day a man may not give God some solemne Worship But we say though this seemes a faire assertion and sutable to what we had before of the Naturall Continuance of a Day yet if we shall speake Practically and Ethically as we did partly before of the Continuance we must deliver our selves somewhat otherwise and indeed so we must also in a meer Physicall or Astronomicall consideration of the Revolution of a Day And 1. XXXII Twice a day at least then in that consideration we say that the Law of Nature if it make any Conclusive determination of the Frequency of Time for Gods worship it must be of twice every Day Because there is indeed a two-fold revolution or Frequency observable in every Day Naturally the beginning and the end In each of which it is undoubtedly possible to tender to God some Worship And so it is Practically A mans first waking and his lying downe to sleepe are two distinct observable Revolutions appliable to Gods Worship we doe not now here speake of the Quando whether Natures Law doth command to take the first Time of waking and the last Time before sleep for solemne Worship that may be considered afterward But we say that these two are distinct and observable revolutions of Time in every Day And so each of them affording a remarkable possibility of Worshipping God The Law of Nature upon the former grounds of Gods being our happinesse and the Soveraigne Lord of all our Time cannot but determine both those Times to make a Conclusive determination of the Frequency if any such may be made or at least an Initiall determination that is so often at least as twice in every Day once in the morning and once toward night the Law of Nature doth determine for solemne Worship to every man This we meane of such Dayes as we call working Dayes out of which Natures Law determines twice every such Day to tender some solemne Worship to God As well as it doth the whole of one Day in a mans life as we discoursed before of which Day or any such Dayes we speake not in this Argument Because though the particular Duties are divers on such a Day and some to be repeated twice or oftener as prayer Yet this in the whole is counted but once one Continuance because no worldly thing unlesse by reason of present necessity for which a reservation is made may come in and interrupt the Continuance at all But now therefore when we speake of twice a Day we speake of those Dayes which are mainly for worldly businesses that even notwithstanding that they are so by Gods allowance and appointment N. B. whether in Nature or Scripture yet the Law of Nature doth determine a double Frequency of Religious services every such Day of every mans life Only we say not that any Continuance is strictly determined with this Frequency that so long a man must continue at his devotions twice every Day But that so oft at least for the Frequency the Law of Nature commands we thus in a word further make plaine XXXIII Confirmed by reason If it be sinne against the Law of Nature not to worship God every Day twice then the Law of Nature determines to every man the Frequency of every Day twice But it is a sinne against the Law of Nature not to Worship God every Day twice Ergo. The consequence hath been confirmed by like Arguments The Antecedent is also certainly thus made good That which is contrary to the acknowledgement of Gods being the Lord of all our Time and our happinesse is a sinne against the Law of Nature but not to worship God every day twice is contrary to those acknowledgements Ergo. The Major cannot be denied and hath often been
universall or peremptory determination of this Continuance distributively betweene the Solitary Worship the Family Worship and the Publike Worship that is there is no need That all men should be bound to such an exact or strict Continuance in each of these single But so the whole Continuance be shared betweene all three and the Publike be not so short as to afford no remarkable space for an affecting prayer and preaching and the like and so no remarkable benefit to be gotten by it nor so long as to tyre out the spirits and disappoint those that dwell farre off of conveniency of returne to their family and solitary devotions besides the regard of bodily necessities It can hardly be blamed though some be longer and some shorter in publike and so in the rest For as much as God still hath and so also every ones soule hath the full Continuance determined and allotted which conscionably observed in the varieties of those Duties may be and will be ordinarily sufficient for their consciences and soules good and so acceptable to God though sometimes more of the Time be spent in publike and sometimes more in private And so at last we have done with the proofe of the necessity of such a chiefe solemne Time to be determined for the necessary and ordinarily sufficient Time for all men It remaines that now in the last place we come to argue By whom this determination must be or may be made But for that the next Chapter is purposely reserved this having been already drawne out to a more then ordinary length through the necessary dependance of so many matters contained in it And yet there is one thing behind for the close of this Chapter LII How farre the Law of Nature commands about the Quando or season And that is a briefe discourse about the Quando season or order of beginning when once the former determination is Conclusively setled for the Continuance and Frequency of the chiefe solemne Time How farre the Law or light of Nature will guide or command about this or any generall Rules of Scripture Leaving the question by whom it also is to be determined unto the following Chapter and here only touching in a few words for many will not need about it It having no such substantiall profit as the Continuance and Frequency toward Religion but only accidentall as is needfull to be againe and againe inculcated to our adversaries who would cast off all that was heretofore determined by God because this is taken away Touching we say how farre it is necessary that there be any determination strictly and conclusively of the Quando season or order of beginning that is for the particular Day of that number that is determined for the chiefe Time of Worship and even of the beginning of that Day sooner or later at evening or morning this or that houre Now this I shall dispatch in foure Propositions 1. There is a necessity that some particular Day of such a number determined be determined before that number can be constantly observed 2. There is a necessity that to all that live within the reach one of another and so may possibly be helpes one to another or hindrances one to another the same particular Day of such a number be determined and so farre at least the same season of beginning the Day that all may afford convenient helpe to each other and none prove hindrances one to the other 3. It seemes most consonant to the Law and light of Nature and Scripture-reason that unlesse God determine it otherwise Himselfe the beginning of the Day should be in the morning that is after midnight rather then in the evening before 4. It seemes greatly conducible to the honour of God from all mankind and to the generall Communion of Saints all the world over that the same particular Day of such a number should be determined to all men of the same age that is from Adam to Christ and the same from Christ to the Worlds end all the World over to observe it according as that Day begins with them in the Countries where they live and are LIII 1. It is necessary that some Day be determined For the first of these It may easily be made good even by this one Consideration That making the instance in any one number as suppose one Day in ten be determined it thence inevitably followes that the very neglect of determining another particular Day makes the Determination fall upon the last of the ten For when all the other nine are slipped over and none of them determined the last of the ten unavoidably must be observed the first revolution and withall remaines for ever after determined unlesse a new Day be afterward determined by as sufficient authority as was in the determiner of the number and then also without an alteration of the determination of the number the new determination can only be placed upon one particular Day namely the first of the ten And so if it be done by sufficient authority it may be done without any violation or alteration of the determination of the number at all For the strength of the determination of the number lies in these things 1. That there should be but one Day for Religion to nine for worldly businesse and againe but nine for worldly businesse to one for Religion and neither more nor lesse either way ordinarily 2. That those nine Dayes being the number of working Dayes should come all together and the Day for Religion not come between them for then sometimes there would be lesse then nine together and sometimes more Now this is observed plainly and undeniably in both respects in the instanced change from the tenth Day to the first Day For in those two Revolutions of twice ten Dayes there are but two Dayes for Religion the last of the first ten and the first of the latter ten and there is twice nine Dayes for worldly businesse and in each Revolution either number of nine worldly Dayes are entirely all together and the Dayes for Religion come not in to break the number as they would doe if the second Day were determined for then there would be one Day for work only and the next for Religion and so not nine work-dayes together and again if the ninth Day were determined then there would have been in that Revolution but eight Dayes together for work and a ninth not a tenth Objection according to the determination formerly setled for the number observed for Religion If any say that this would be how ever but for once and that were no great matter specially if Religion lose nothing by it as by bringing the Day sooner it would not We answer It is true if the authority be sufficient Answer to change the number the matter is not of importance But if the authority that would change the order of the particular Day from the tenth to the ninth or so and ever after keep a tenth from
that yet hath not also an authority sufficient to change the number that one alteration would make them guilty of transgression of a Morall Commandement of God namely in the point of the number which even once must not be done by men under any pretence whatsoever To apply this now in a word to our businesse in hand as God unquestionably determined for the Jewes and we say for the old world the last of the seven so upon the supposition of one Day in seven perpetually determined as we say in the fourth Commandement And supposing also that the Church had power after Christs resurrection and ascention to change that Day to another Day of the seven Yet by this argumentation they will be found to be determined to the first Day of the Week and to no other whensoever they should make the change for else doe what they can they would the first time break the number which without speciall allowance they might not doe without sinne And so in conclusion it will come to this passe that it must be acknowledged to be Gods own determination even by vertue of the number remaining perpetually determined in the fourth Commandement And so in that sense supposing the old seventh Day abrogated we may both truly and properly say The first Day of the Week the Lords day is determined to us and must be observed by us even by vertue of the fourth Commandement N. B. which is a thing most worthy of a speciall note and may perhaps afford a more satisfying reason why there is no expresse institution mentioned of the first Day of the Week in the New Testament then usually hath been thought Namely because the vertue of the fourth Commandement doth of it selfe fall upon that Day supposing the former voyd And no other Day could have been chosen by the Church even in the silence of God without violation for once of the fourth Commandement in the number For though God we doubt not might have altered it to any other Day and even have wholly altered the number and taken one of six or five or one only of eight or ten at His pleasure whose all Times are as we have often said and desire often to remember yet He perpetuating the number no man or number of men in the Church could by humane authority determine any other Day for order but the first in stead of the last must succeed besides the high reason for that Day from Christs resurrection and resting from the work of our Redemption of which hereafter in due place Enough of our first Proposition LIV. 2. The same Day is necessary to them that live together The second is There is a necessity of the same particular Day and particular beginning of the Day to all within reach one of another to prevent mutuall hindrances and secure mutuall helpes in publike and in families Without this there would be nothing but confusion and God would not be rightly served jointly nor certainly by each one solitarily But still one or other would be interrupting and disappointing those that were neer them A man finds this very often in Family-Worship on the Week-Dayes and in Solitary Worship also that neighbours friends strangers have come and put him much by One while delayed his devotions another while forced him to abridge them and sometimes even to omit them altogether for that time through their importunities and businesses And the like experience a man meets with much more if he use to set apart a Day any thing often whether for himselfe alone solitarily or with his family he shall be divers times interrupted and hindred forced to break off do he what he can sometimes All which makes it necessary to have the beginning of the Day and so the ending of it and in a word the whole particular Day to be the same to all that are within the possibilitie of helping or hindring one another in Religion and the services of God publike domestick or solitary And this may serve rationally to answer a difficulty A difficulty dissolved supposed to be insuperable and opposed by the Historian expresly to overthrow the Lords day namely What is to be done by such who travelling East or West to such Degrees come to find that they have lost or gained a Day in their computation and so to question what Day they should observe and accordingly what beginning of the Day because the Climates vary so much that when it is morning in one it is noon in another and night in another and so proportionably as they travell The answer may be plainly and briefly this That such as travell by Sea are to observe the Day and the beginning as they did when they set forth that is as neere as they can in the morning as the morning falls out to them But if they come to Land and find that those to whom they come are by the great variation of the Climates through which they are passed a Day before them or a Day after them they are to observe it as those doe to whom they come that so all may mutually help and none hinder one another only by the reason of the former Proposition it seems fair to affirm that it is necessary for them if they find the Country to which they come a Day after them that they observe their own Day first and then the next Day with those of that Country and so God nor their soules shall be no losers neither yet their worldly occasions Gods providence having made the change to them for that once but without prejudice to any thing for which the Number and Day was appointed And here is indeed no inconvenience nor any thing to bogle at by such as count Gods service and the good of their soules and participation of His Ordinances orderly with others matters of more consequence then the nicety of Astronomicall observations of minutes and houres and Climates and the like God certainly is not the author of confusion neither would have his servants in the same Country be divided in their Solemne Times by the occasion of a long journey that some of them have taken though for once it may be with some as those in a journey at the season of the Passeover were to keep it that yeere the moneth after but not so the next yeere but with their brethren And much lesse may it be imagined that God sets so light by His Solemne Times as that such a nicety as this occasionall accident or any other variation of Climates and long time of Light or the like should disanull His Commandement about it Which as often as we read urged in any of our Adversaries books as most of our English Antisabbatarians make maine matter about the long time of Light in some Countries as an unanswerable Argument against the Morality of the fourth Commandement for one Day in seven We confesse we stand amazed at their presumption so to trifle with God and Religion and
to our fourth and last Proposition about the particular Day to be determined for the chiefe solemne Time namely That it seemes greatly conducible to the honour of God from all Mankinde and to the generall communion of Saints all the world over that the same particular day of such a number should be determined to all men of the same age that is from Adam to Christ and the same from Christ to the worlds end all the world over to observe it according as the Day begins with them sc from Midnight in the Countries where they are and live 1. To the honour of the one God That this is so in reference to the Honour of God may be shewed from Gods being One and so the greater unitie and uniformitie there is in His Worship among all His servants in all places of His Dominion the greater is His Glory Now all the whole earth is His Dominion Neither is there any other Lord in the whole World that hath supreme authority over any of mankind but Himselfe alone And therefore as much as is possible for all His Subjects to joyne together in worshipping of Him it cannot be denied but it is an advancement of His Honour Now this cannot be in regard of Place they are too many and dwell too farre asunder to joyne together in Place but in Time they may namely within the same 24 houres all the World over how farre distant so ever they be one from another and though Antipodes one to another or how many so ever they be in number yet they may at the same Time on the same Day Naturall be every one of them every where worshipping God in the most solemne manner publikely or privately with others as they can have others to joyne with them in Place or at least solitarily and alone And tender to Him not only the same proportions of Time for Continuance and Frequency the same number of Dayes one as well as another every where Namely their waking Times as was said before but also the same particular Day according as the Day falls out with them Then which of all things that are any way belonging to the outward Worship of God there is not any one thing as we conceive that can make His Worship more solemne and celebrious Nor redound more to His Honour striking all men that are yet but strangers to Him and much more His professed servants with a marvellous awe of His service and that none should dare to rob Him of His sacred Time which He so universally requires of all mankind not only for Continuance and Frequencie but also for the season and order of the Day and beginning of the Day An objection prevented And if any shall now object that this reason would enforce or inferre the same particular Day from the Worlds beginning to the Worlds end and that there should not be one particular Day or beginning of the Day from Adam to Christ and another particular Day or beginning of the Day from Christ to the Day of judgment To this we answer First that we never did nor never doe intend to dispute against God and therefore whatever we argue for this or that we meane it never no otherwise then so farre forth as He hath not revealed His will and pleasure to the contrary And therefore for the particular Day under the old Testament what ever may be said of the beginning of the Day it being clearly the will of God that it should then be the last of the Seven and now under the new Testament the first of the Seven it is unquestionally the fittest for His Honour and all things that it should so be besides the particular reasons for the change of the Day to be discoursed of fully in their proper Place hereafter But this being said we answer in the second place that Gods determining to all mankind one and the selfe same Day from Adam to Christ as some of our disputers grant and some of them deny and which wee doubt not but to prove sufficiently partly in the next Chapter and partly in a Chapter expresse for the antiquity of a Seventh Day Sabbath and so of that Seventh Day from the Creation confirmes very fairely that it is His pleasure it should be so under the new Testament also neither can we conceive any reason why it should be otherwise being as possible now to be observed every where when once it is made knowne to men by the preaching of the Gospell as it was of old for that Seventh Day there being such faire reason for it in reference to Gods Honour as we have said ◠To the Communion of Saints The like may be said also of the Communion of Saints all the World over which can no way be better no way so well exercised externally as by having not only the same number of Dayes determined to them for the chiefe Time of Worship but the same particular Day and beginning of the Day as neer as is possible by reason of the variety of the Climates That as often as that particular Day comes about every one of them where ever they are or with whomsoever doe either publikely in congregations if it may be It is certaine a day ordinary and frequent is necessary for maintenance of the true Religion and godlinesse of union and Christian societie among the fathfull c. prim p. 251. see also p. 59. C. G. Irons p. 8. or if not that then in families or at least in secret each one in solitary devotions send up their Prayers and Praises and Services together unto the Throne of Grace remembring one another in those Prayers and Praises There is no man will doubt or can question but if they all were so neer together and voyces and eares were proportionable that all could joyne together in one Place at one Time it were to be done That therefore which can be done in the exercise of the Communion of Saints seemes to be most requisite to be done Namely that they all have and observe the same particular Day even all the World over for their solemne Time of Worship And this the rather because this solemnity so determined and so observed will be a most lively visible representation of that great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Great Assembly of the Saints and Angels in Heaven spoken of Heb. 12.22 As if for that Time or Day the World were turned into Heaven Or Heaven come downe into the World As Saint Iohn sayes he saw the new Jerusalem descending thence It is true as hath been more then once toucht before all the World cannot beginne and end their solemne Worship even if they should count the Day to begin at one and the same instant as neer as they could and so some at one houre and some at another yet none could tender their solemne Worship but in their waking Times which by the diversity of the Meridians must needs be divers one from another according
to the distances of Places But yet they may be truly said to observe the solemne Time upon that same Day some beginning a little before others and so successively one after another to the end of the 24 houres of that Day one or other would be still imployed in the solemnity of Worship according to the Dayes determination And so an amends as we may say would be made for not beginning all at an instant in that hereby the Holy Time N. B. should be observed actually and continued in actuall services full 24 houres and so no part of it wholly shrunke up by sleepe or other interruptions For still in one part or other of the World whole Countries would be in their waking Time and so in the solemnity of their devotions For demonstration of this suppose at such a Place the Day begins an houre before at another as it is really so every Day in point of light and so of midnight and noone and evening c. and this other Place sees Day an houre before another yet more Westward and so of the rest as betweene Dover and the West of Ireland they say there is an houres difference Now by that Time the first Place hath begun and gone on in solemn Worship an houre the next begins and joyns with them and so the next till it be gone round So that by the twelft houre halfe the World are in their solemne Worship Publike or Private And then the other halfe takes the turne in their order till the twentifourth houre There cannot then we say be a better way to exercise the Communion of Saints upon earth Nor is there upon earth imaginable a fuller resemblance of the great and solemne Assembly which is constantly kept in Heaven And let that be further noted in a Word that the forementioned respects of Time Continuance Frequency and Season are not in Heaven distinguishable For they in Heaven doe keepe a constant and everlasting solemne Sabbatisme as it is cald Heb. 4. whereas we poore snakes on earth are forced to waite the returnes of solemne Times The reason is they above have no other worke to doe but to serve and Worship God they are spirits without bodies we on earth have bodies to care for as well as soules we have other callings commanded us to attend on as well as on Gods solemne Worship But yet it is fit we should as neer as we can conforme to them above which we say is chiefely by this joint observance of the same particular Day and number and length all the World over for our chiefe solemne Times Whereunto may be added for a conclusion that otherwise every sover all dominion as there are many in Germany and Italy and other Countries not subordinate to one Prince or State with their neighbours but small principalities and free States might vary the particular Day were it but to shew their liberty and so such as had occasion to travell among them would be very often either forced to breake the number determined to all or else keepe within doores upon their owne solemne Day and so want the help of others and be in danger to be interrupted by others And so every where upon the borders of Countries this hazard might be All which is prevented and only so by having all in all Countries of the World the same particular Day and beginning of it as we have said And so we have at length dispatched the whole of what we judge considerable about the profit and necessity of solemne Time generally and of the chiefe Time for Religion in speciall Except by whom the determination of this chiefe Time is to be made which now followes in the next Chapter CHAP. X. The Determination of the chiefe Solemne Time of Worship for all men necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time as also of the particular day for it belongs not to men but to God 1. The question explained HItherto in the former Chapters particularly about Time we have been laying foundations of fortifications where withall to defend the Perpetuity of the fourth Commandement for a seventh Day Sabbath and the Divine institution of the Lords Day the first day of the weeke for the particular day and to batter down the opposite Mounts of our adversaries both Sabbatarians and Antisabbatarians And as we have built upward we have planted some Peeces and discharged them against their workes in such fort as we are perswaded the judicious Reader already discernes them to shake and totter But now we are about to erect a Principall Tower which if we can firmely and strongly do All men will see that we have sufficiently secured our selves and our cause from any fear of future assaults from the Antisabbatarian party And as for the Jewish Sabbatarians we doubt not but we shall also quit our selves from them in the latter parts The matter we propound to be strengthned is the position exprest in the title of the Chapter That the Determination of the chiefe Solemne Time for all men necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time as also the particular day for it belongs not to men but to God To state this clearely we must needs repeate a little of our foregoing discourses and adde a few words more for full understanding of it 1. By the chiefe Solemne Time 1. What is meant by chiefe solemne Time we meane the Continuance and Frequency jointly that is so much at once so often and so often so much Time to be observed for Religion Gods honour and the soules good in Solemne Worship and that in a convenient large Proportion in the whole and a convenient large Continuance for the various kinds of worship publike domesticke and solitary and a convement space for serious performance of severall duties in each kind together with a convenient Frequency of Revolution of such continuance So as no other proportion of Time is or can be of Equall profit with this All other being lesse large for Continuance remarkably or remarkably lesse frequent and so cannot attaine to that substantiall profitablenesse to the generall of Religion that there is in the chiefe Solemne Time we speake of 2. By the Determination of this chiefe solemne Time 2. What by determination Necessary for all men we meane The appointing it so to all men by a law as that thenceforth all men that have this law given them and their posterity to the worlds end are bound in conscience to observe it and cause as much as lyes in them others also to observe it as necessary to Religion so as they sin that observe not the whole proportion or that observe it not according to the distribution of the Determination so much Continuance together in one day and no lesse and that dayes Frequency so often returning and no seldomer then is exprest in the Determination Only still admitting a reservation as we have oft touched before for necessary worldly occasions 3. What by
did so very much by the advantage and even necessity of their Callings being spirituall and in the road of Religion and their minds withall full of zeale and religious affections And thus we are the more inclined to believe because the very same Divines when they think of other men speak very fairly toward the Perpetuity of a seventh day Sabbath as necessary for all men As may be seen among others by that one place of him who is esteemed the chiefest of the Disputers against it of Mr. Calvin we meane in his Commentary upon Genesis 2.3 who thus speakes Benedictio ista nihil aliuâ—â—est quam solemnis consecratio qua sibi Deus studia occupationes hominum asserit die septimo Est quidem legitima hac totiua vitae meditatio in qua se quotidic exerceant immensam Dei bonitatem justitiam virtutem sapientiam in hoc magnifico coeli terraeque theatro considerare verum si fortominus sedulo quam par esset ad cam intenti essent homines ad supplendum quod assiduae meditationi deerat septimuâ— quisque dies peculiariter delectus est Primum ergo quievit Deus deinde benedixit hanc quietem in soeculis omnibus inter homines sancta soret vel septimum quemque diem quieti dicerit ut suum exemplum perpetua esset regula Denique sacra est ista vocatio quae homines mundi impedimentis eripit ut totos Dei cultui addicant Praetereasciendâ—â— est non 〈◊〉 tantum vel atatis vel populi sed totias humani generis commune esse hoc exercition Quies spirituisis est carnis mortificatio ne ampliussibi vivant filli Dei aut propriae voluntati indulgeant Quod eam Sabbathum figuravit temporale fuisse dico Quod autem ab initio mandatum fuit hominibus nise exerceant in Dei cultu meâ—ito ad mundi finem usque durare oportet Calv. in Gen. 2. That Blessing is nothing but a solemn Consecration whereby God challenges to Himselfe the cares and imployments of Man And afterward To supply the defects of Daily Meditation every seventh Day was peculiarly chosen First GOD rested and then He blessed this rest that it might be holy among Men in all ages He dedicated every seventh Day to rest that His example might be a perpetuall rule And again This Vocation is sacred which takes men off from Worldly impediments to give themselves wholly to GOD. And yet further VVe must know that this is the common exercise not of one Age or People only but of all Mankinde And finally after he had mentioned another end afterward added to the Sabbath under the Law to the Jews namely typicall of Christ he remarkably concludes with these words That the Sabbath did figure that sc our Mortification it was temporary But that it was given to Men from the beginning that they should exercise themselves in the VVorship of GOD worthily it ought to endure to the VVorlds end Thus he Than which and so the whole of the matter in that place nothing can be spoken more judiciously or more Orthodoxly But other where he and others forgetting we believe the necessary Worldly businesses of other men seem to speak as it besides a time for Publike Worship there were no other Sabbath now but a continuall every-dayes Sabbath It being as we said very much so with themselves and so they not finding a speciall need of a seventh Day wholly to be a Sabbath in regard of themselves spake more unwarily of the Commandement than we are perswaded they would now have done if they had lived in our Time and seen their own and other people undone by prophanations of it VVhich hath made also divers Divines of those Parts to speak more fully for the fourth Commandement of late then formerly as we shall note hereafter But this by the way and in a kind of digression not unusefull we hope And so having cleared our meaning in the Minor of our Argument we come to prove it Namely That without a Chiefe Time determined sufficiently for Solemn Worship Religion cannot certainly stand among all men Thus we further argue If without a sufficient Time determined both for Continuance XLIII The Minor confirmed and Frequencie jointly no sufficient Time will be generally observed among Mankind for Religion Then without such a Time determined Religion cannot certainly stand among all Mankind But without such a sufficient Time determined no sufficient Time will be generally observed Ergo Without such a sufficient Time determined Religion cannot certainly stand among all Mankind The Consequence of this Argument may be undeniably made good by the consideration that without a sufficient Time observed for Religion Men who are borne void of the knowledge of God and unapt enough to learne it will never attaine a sufficiencie of knowledge for the honouring of God in their hearts and lives and saving their own souls Nor is it imaginable that they can possibly come to such knowledge either by the Continuance of one whole Day once in their lives of which we disputed before or by the addition of a few Minutes twice or thrice or four times every Day by snatches and sudden fits Mans nature is too froward too much corrupted to learn the mystery of heaven and salvation so by the by as experience superabundantly proclaimes even where there is a great deale more Time then so allotted to it and observed for it Also 2. without such a sufficient Time observed for Religion The great duty of love to God which is the fundamentall affection and even the summe of all Piety can never in an ordinary course be attained or preserved or exercised and exprest Men are as averse from Gods love as ignorant in the knowledge of Him And even though they have a knowledge of the Doctrine of God as many have not only competently but even eminently by having been trained up to it and having spent much time upon it from their youth up yet they may be Atheists in regard of affection and wholly devoid of all love to God And there is no ordinary meanes to work their hearts to such a holy love but by their being busied a convenient space of Time and that frequently in the services of God hearing of Him and meditating of Him and the like whereby they may come to be convinced of the reality and certainty of those divine truths which they have learned to know and see a necessity of loving and imbracing them and God in them above all Acquaintance breeds love between those that were strangers So doth acquaintance with God by the observation of sufficient convenient times of attendance upon His Ordinances Also if in any some beginning of love and affection be bred there is no preserving of it from decay but by frequent and conveniently continued intercourses and converses in holy duties Any man that disuses these or curtals the Times of them will and doth find in himselfe if he consider himselfe
ordinarily sufficient ordinary or extraordinary 3. By the Determination of this chiefe Solemne Time as ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time we meane that the Determination is onely conclusive that no greater proportion in the whole nor longer Continuance so often nor oftner so much need ordinarily be determined or observed by all men for the chiefe Time of Worship and not that this is to be the only time to be observed which were to make it an exclusive Determination or the only Time to be determined for any of mankind what occasions so ever may be But this is sufficient we say for the chiefe Time in reference 1. To Gods acceptation 2. To the benefit of souls 3. To sober consciences 4. How it belongs not to men but to God security and satisfaction 4. By the Determination not belonging to men but to God for this chiefe Time as also for the particular day of it we meane that all the authority that men have about it is but declarative and obedientiall not legislative or decisive Men have onely to exercise their Wisdomes to find out what Determination God hath made of it in his written word and how much reason there is to acknowledge the wisdome and graciousnesse of Gods Determinations in all the respects And not to set their wits a work to find out of themselves or from any generall grounds of nature or Scripture other Times as necessary and sufficient for this chiefe Time for all men or any other particular day which God hath not appointed Again the Authority that any of mankind have even Princes and Magistrates the Church Synods and Councells is only to cause their inferiours as much as in them lyes to observe together with themselves Gods determination of these Times and not to take upon themselves the Authority of determining any other proportion Continuance or Frequency for the necessary and ordinarily sufficient chiefe solemne Time then God hath Determined to their hands already in His holy Scripture For to God we say this Determination even now belongs and ever did since Time was that is God who is undeniably and originally the soveraigne Lord of all men and times of the times of all men hath reserved to himself as a parcell of his prerogative royal from the worlds beginning to the worlds end the Determination of the chiefe solemne Time for all men necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time and of the particular dayes for it And accordingly these are to be found in His writter word namely an expresse Determination of the chiefe solemne Time for Contiunance and Frequency and a sufficient designation of the particular dayes for it in both ages of the Church II. The question confirmed The question thus stated we shall propound sundry sort of arguments to confirme our position some against mens authority whether taken severally or any number of men together and some expresly for Gods authority Again some concerning all the respects of Time together others concerning the Continuance and Frequency joyntly which make up the chiefe Time and that both in reference to the necessity of so much and so often and to the sufficiency of it for the chiefe Time others concerning either of those respects in speciall the Continuance and the Frequency and finally some which refer specially to the particular dayes And first we begin to oppugne Mens authority generally III. It belongs not to men to determine it the first argument no such authority is given them and to shew that it belongs not to them to determine the chiefe solemne Time of Worship for all men Thus we reason That Authority which neither the law of nature grants unto men nor the Scripture any where expresses or gives the least intimation of is not to be rested on or beleeved in a matter of such importance in Religion as the Determination of this chiefe solemne Time is But neither the law of nature grants nor the Scripture any where expresses or gives the least intimation of any such authority granted unto men to determine the chiefe solemne Time of Worship Ergo Such an authority is not to be rested on or beleeved in a matter of such importance in Religion as this Determination of the chiefe solemne Time is The Major we may easily confirme 1. Hist Sab. part 2. pag. 20. From the words of one of themselves in another case Non credimus quia non legimus But more from the nature of conscience which can have no other rule or ground in matters of importance but either the law of nature or the Scipture which latter indeed alone is so complete a treasury of all the will of God towards us as what is not at least insinuated there is in no wise to be admitted in any matter of importance in Religion whether of beleefe or practise For as much as it containes at least we say by way of insinuation all that the law or light of nature doth or can say toward Religion and having exprest many things more which the light or law of nature is not able to discover or speake to And therefore a Conscience dares lay no waight upon what the Scripture is wholly silent in and much lesse when the law of nature doth not pretend to speake for it neither Now that this Determination of the chiefe solemne Time of Worship for all men is a matter of mainest importance in Religion we suppose we have abundantly shewed in the two former Chapters beyond the deniall of any Conscience unto which we may breefly adde that it is a thing of singular waight in reference both to superiours and inferiours those that may pretend or offer to make this Determination or neglect to make it and those again that obey it being made by others or obey it not For on every hand there is sin unavoydable if we follow not the will of God revealed in nature or in His Word 1. If they take upon them to make this Determination to whom God hath given no such authority they grievously sin to usurpe upon his Prerogative Royall or to usurpe authority not granted them 2. If they neglect to make it to whom God hath granted the Authority they sin also in being wanting to so necessary a duty and businesse of Religion or perhaps also to the rectifying the superstitious conceit of those that think it determined by God when it is not 3. If those that have Authority make it too large in the whole proportion in that they sin in being over burdensome to men and rendring the service of God tedious and irkesome and making men to throw it off for the burdensomnesse of it even beyond that proportion which perhaps they would have been contented to have observed if it had been more moderately appointed 4. If they distribute the proportion too unequally between the Continuance and Frequency here again they sin in prejudicing either Religion by too short continuances or too seldome revolution or worldly businesses over much