this very ende and purpose to sanctifye it for a Sabbath daye and in obedience to the 4th Com let these 2. things be proued or else nothing is done I answere 2. as touching our Sauiour Christ vvhereas t is supposed he constantly kept the Lords day as a Sabbath I deny it let it be proved that euer Christ did sanctifye as a Sabbath any on Lords day Nay is not the contrary manifest that Christ trauailed a matter of 15. miles out and home vpon the very first Lords day that euer was it beinge the most eminent Lords day of any euer after because it was that very Lords day whereone he rose from the dead see Luk. 24.13.33 Christ wēt with the 2. Disciples from Ierusalem to Emmaus v. 15. which is in accounte 7. miles and an halfe counting 8. furlonges to a myle thence he returned to Ierusalem backe againe that night which is 7. myles and an halfe more now 15. myles is aboue a Sabbath dayes Iourney since a Sabbath dayes Iourney is in esteeme but about 2. myles Act. 1.12 Neighther can it be proued Christ went to Emmaus to preach and keepe Sabbath there for 1. he went from the Congregation of his Disciples which he lefte behinde at Ierusalem and we reade not of any assemblyes of Disciples that were at Emmaus now Christ beinge the pastor of his flocke and the minister or preacher to his Disciples can it be thought he vvold leaue them destitute of his helpe to sanctify the first Christian Sabbath that euer the Church sawe 2. how cold Christ keepe that day for a Sabbath since he was not in the Congregation but in the field travailing from about noone as is gatherable from circumstances of the texte and so forwards all the remainder of that after noone for he went alonge with the 2. Disciples they went not aboue a matter of 2. miles an howre as is probable by the ordenary pace of trauailers so then 15. miles spent them a matter of 7. howres Had Christ imitated God in the creation as is supposed in setting vp a Sabbath day then surely as God did rest on the 7th day and set vs his owne paterne so would Christ haue rested all this Lords day after the worke of redemption to haue bene an example to vs. what if Christ being risen from the dead cold now trauaile without paine so cold God in the Creation create without paine yet wold he leaue nothing to be created on the 7th day but rested on it for vs to imitate him and Adam in Innocency cold labor without paine yet he must rest on the Sabbath daye and what if Christ did open the Scriptures concerning himselfe v. 27 to the 2. Disciples as they went on their way together must this therefore be a proper Sabbath dayes worke as the Lord by Moses commanded Deut. 6.6.7 parentes that they shold talke to their children of the Law of God as they walked by the way c. on what day so euer and as euery Godly minister now rideing on the way vpon a Saturday towards Market or fayer will vpon occasion be talking to people that ride with him of heauenly and diuine things so much rather wold our blessed Sauiour be teaching and vpon all occasions instructing the people vpon euery day especially consideringe it was his office to teache and therfore a daily taske to preach in season and out of season vpon all occasions as we reade he did in the Gospell and as we reade Act. 1.3 Christ was seene of his Apostles for 40. dayes after his resurrection speaking to them of the things appertaining to the Kingdome of God now what did Christ preache more to these 2. Disciples on that Lords day then he preached to his Apostles euery day after it for 40. dayes together To add one thing more be it you make exceptions against Christs trauailing one the Lords day what exceptions doe you finde against the 2. Disciples of Christ with whome Christ travailed these trauailed one the Lords day Christ himselfe not disallowing but by his companying them justifyed them they vvent from the Congregation of Disciples at Ierusalem where the Sabbath was kept if any where they went to a towne not to keepe Sabbath for it was neere night ere they got thither and they but staied and supped and came backe againe member vvhat I haue formerly giuen in answere to the texts brought to proue the Lords day to be the Sabbath day as for Peters sermon Act. 2.14 it vvas not made vpon the Lords day but vpon Saturday or on the Lords Sabbath day as is proued as for Pauls sermon Act. 20.7 this was in the night not in the day now I hold the night is no parte of the day I say no parte of the Lords day as shall be proued here after in my exposition of the word Day in the 4th Com yea if they began their Sabbaths at Eueninge as is holden by many from euen to euen ye shall celebrate your Sabbath Leuit. 23.32 then Paul preacht not on the first day of the vveeke but on the second because he began his sermon at Euening after the Disciples vvere come togeather vpon the first day of the vveeke or else Paul trauailed and set saile on the Lords day if the Lords day began that euening when he began his sermon for next morneing he went to shipe Act. 20.11.13 as for that text 1. Cor. 16.2 here is no mention of any preaching at all onely it treates about a future collection c. as for the text Ioh. 20.19 here is no mention neither of any Sermon made when Christ appeared to his Disciples t is true the text saith they were assembled indeed but wherefore to heare a sermon no such thing but text saith they were assembled together for feare of the Iewes like as the Lords Prophets were in Caues in Obadiahs tyme 1. King 18.4 to shrowde themselues from danger of persecutores what other ende they had in assembleing the Scripture is silent lastly admit here vvas a sermon yet it vvas not vpon the Lords day for it vvas in the night following the Lords day now the night is not in Scripture account any parte of the day as shall be showne as for the text Reuel 1.10 vvhere it is called the Lords day by John here is not the least mention of any readeing or preaching at all nay not like there cold be any since reuelations vsually came to holy men vvhen they vvere solitary and alone not in assemblies vvhere preaching and sermons be thus I haue examined all the textes vvherein is any shewe of sermons and I finde not in any of them that euer any of the Apostles did so much as one single tyme preach any one sermon vpon the Lords day the vvhich if it be true as is most true vvhere is any the least groūd from Apostles practise of keeping the Lords day for a Sabbath they must needes proue me false in this point or else the foundation being shaken
a signe and the thing signified vvhich euer vvere together as vvas the Sabbath keeping and Gods sanctifying them for if presence of a signe and thing signified then together had caused an abolition of the signe vvhy then the Sabbath day because a signe of Gods present sanctifications had beene abolisht euen then vvhen Moses vvrote these vvordes Exod. 31.13 if presence of the thing signified could not then abolish the Sabbath why should it now since God is euer the same to them that keepe his Sabbaths then or now he sanctified them then he sanctifieth vs now there is no reason therfore that such as are signes of things present as is the Sabbath Exod. 31.13 should be abolisht My 2d distinction of signes is that there be signes of things future as hath bene showne Genes 17.11 and signes of things past as the Sabbath is made a signe of the creation and of Gods Rest at the begining of the world vvhich is a thing past Exo. 31.16.17 keep the Sabbath c. it is a signe betwene me and the children of Israel for or that in 6. dayes the Lord made heauen c. in the 7th day he rested The word for is and may be translated that as Deuter. 29.6 now though signes of things future vanish when the thing signed comes in place yet is there no cause why vve should thinke a signe should vanish as the Sabbath day whose thing signified is long since past as Gods Rest at the creation why may not the Sabbath day signify and commemorate Gods Rest and Sabbath day at the creation euen to the vvorlds end as vvell as in Moses his tyme and vvhy should vve thinke the coming of Christ in the flesh should haue more force to abolish the Sabbath day if it had beene a signe of Christ to come then the work of creation vvhich is eternally to be remembred hath force to perpetuate and eternalize the Sabbath since that the Sabbath was a signe of its remembrance I confesse I heare them produce one Text to proue that all signes be abolisht and that is written in Colos 2.16.17 vvhere the Apostle seemes to giue a reason vvhy meates and drinkes and Holy dayes Sabbath dayes are abolisht namly because they were shaddowes of things to come vvhence they collect that all shaddowes be abolisht and all signes be shadowes ergo all signes be abolisht Here vnto I answere 1. t is true that it is commonly taken that these things being shadowes vvere therfore abolisht but vvhither this be a necessary or but a contingent truth I vvill not novv question 2. Whereas they suppose all signes to be shadowes this is false for the word shadowe being but thrice as I take it vsed in the New Testament as in this Text Col. 2.17 and Heb. 8.5 and Heb. 10.1 vvith reference to Christ it euer signifieth a shadow of things to come now a signe is vsed to signifie and signe out some tyme a thing past as Rom. 4.11 some tyme a thing present as Exod. 31.13 some tyme a thing future as Genes 17.8.11 now all signes then be not shadowes since some signifie things past some typifie things present 2. Shadowes still hane reference to Christ Col. 2.17 vvhich are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ so a shadow aimes at Christ but a signe often hath reference to God to Jehouah as in Exod. 31.13 Isa 38.7 Thus as a shadow and a signe differ in vvordes so you see they differ in vse and application therfore they be not both one as they vvould But when they see this profe thus vvill not hould then they fetch about the bushe an other vvay laboring to make the vvord signe in Exod. 31.13 to be a signe of a thing future and that of Christ too and then they thinke this done the word signe in this text and the vvord shadow in Col. 2.17 vvill be both one and so their propose become good againe To this end they add these vvords By and through Christ to the Text Exod. 31.13 and vnderstand the text as if thus reade The Sabbath is a signe c. that I the Lord doe sanctifie you by and through Christ and the reason of this addition they say is because God doth all that he doth to his Church by and through Christ as in Eph. 1.3 Blessed be God vvho hath blessed vs vvith all spirituall blessings in Christ Hereto I answere 1. admit that God did sanctify by and through Christ how vvill it followe and be soundly proued that because God and Christ doe sanctify man together that therfore also vvhat God made to be a signe of his vvork of sanctification the same also must necessarily be a signe of Christs work of sanctification proue I say that it vvas Gods pleasure to make the Sabbath here a signe of Christ as vvell as a signe of himselfe for though it vvas a signe by Christ yet vvas it a signe of Christ we must know signes are not applied to God or Christ naturally but voluntarily euen according as it pleased the Author of those signes to appointe them to one or more persons to himselfe or to other I answere 2. if Christs coworking vvith God causeth that vvhich is a signe of Christ Then it followes too that the Ministers of the Gospell coeworking vvith God and Christ in the worke of sanctification that therfore if the Sabbath be a signe that God sanctifieth his people the Sabbath must be a signe also that vve of the Ministry doe sanctify Gods people and such an vse of the Sabbath vvas neuer heard of before I answere 3. if they vvill conioyne any of the persones in the Trinity vvith the vvork of God the Father in sanctifying vs it vvere most proper to ioyne the Holy Ghost and so Piscator vpon Ezek. 20.12.20 applieth it and say God sanctifyeth vs by the Holy Ghost rather than by Christ since sanctification is more properly attributed to the Holy Ghost than to Christ for the Father createth the Sonne redemeth the Holy Ghost sanctifieth But I will not stand vpon this I come to the Text Eph. 1.3 God hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in Christ if you vnderstand these vvordes so as if vvhatsoeuer blessing the Church enioyeth Christ doth equally equally and a like with the Father dispense effectuall and bestowe it on the church you misvnderstand them doth not Piscator vpon this text that the word all must haue a limitation Justification is an acte solely of God the Father not of God the Redeemer absoluing and acquiting a penitent beleeuing sinner likewise Election is an acte of God the Father not of Christ the Re-Redeemer Also the donation of the elect vnto Christ Joh. 6.37 is of like nature can it be said here God the Father gaue the elect vnto Christ in Christ by Christ or through Christ vvhereby you see Christ is so farre from effecting equally and a like all vvorkes vvith the Father that some vvorkes he hath no
is theire part to proue Paul begane his Sermon in the morneinge vvhoe say Paul kept this daye a Sabbath daye by preaching in it yea moreouer they must proue that the disciples here at Troas did refraine all servile labour and the ordinary vvorkes of theire caleinge all this first day of the vveeke or Lords day from morneinge to the end of this day if they vvill prove this day kept as a Sabbath for to refraine all workes and Rest is a branch of the 4th Com and one parte of a Sabbath dayes dutie but how they can prove this oute this text passeth myn vnderstanding 5. I deny that Paul preacht now at this tyme in conscience of the 4th Com and this they must proue or else they say nothing might not Paul preach at this extraordinary tyme in conscience of that Com 2. Tim. 4.2 preache the word in season and out of season surely this text was warrant sufficient for Paul to take all occasions of preaching the word euery day or night Sabbath day or other dayes finally how will it be proued that Paul kept this Lords day here for a Sabbath day by his preaching since that preachinge it is an euery dayes worke as hath bene showne afore can it be proved that Pauls intent and purpose in preaching was to celebrate thereby that day for a Sabbath this must be proved 6 A 6th Text produced is 1. Cor. 16.2 vpon the first day of the weeke let euery one of you put aside by himselfe c. here say they vvas a constant weekely collection for the poore now collections vsed to be after the word preached and Sacramentes administred all which were done one the Sabbath day as appeares in the histories of the Church ergo this first day of the weeke was a Sabbath I answere 1. indeed our oulde translatiō gaue some waye to vs to thinke this collection was weekly when it reade the text thus Euery first day of the weeke let euery one of you put aside c. but our newe Translatores haue well amended it and doe reade it thus vpō the first day of the weeke c. as of a single action once to be done onely and this further appeares to be true by those words in latter ende of v. 2. that so there be no gatheringe when I come so as Paul wold haue this collection cease when he came emongst them but had it bene weekly Paul wold rather haue had it reuined a freshe at his presence whoe was a furtherer of all holy performances This collection therefore was extraordinary tyeth vs not to ordenary practise for if it did then were we bound euery Lords day in euery Congregation to gather for the poore as a Sabbath dayes dutie 2. This collection was extraordenary in that it was not for their owne poore at Corinthe but for the poore of other Churches and therfore this mony collected was to be sente vpon the first day of the weeke If any shall demande which first day of the weeke the Church vvas to lay aside their almes one because there were many first dayes of the weeke in a yeere I answere since I finde it not differenced from others in the text I therefore thinke it must be vnderstoode of the first Lords day or first first day of the vveek vvhich came next after the Corinthians receiued this Epistle like as if I say to a frend come to my house one Saturday it is to be vnderstoode of the next Saturday first cominge after my invitation of him 7 A 7th and last text produced is Ioh. 20.19.26 where Christs frequent apparitiones to his disciples vpon the Lords day is made an argument to proue it a Sabbath daye but by what authority or rule of just consequēce Christs apparitions must constitute a Sabbath day nor can I conceiue nor euer haue I heard nor doe I thinke euer shall heare I answere 2. whereas the frequency and constancy of Christs apparitions one the Lords day is so much vrged I wold faine see where Christ appeared one the Lords day euer aboue once onely and that in Ioh. 20.19 as for his seconde apparition in v. 26. eight dayes after vvhich is supposed to be the next Lords daye after his first apparition it is quite other wise for in the originall it goes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after eight dayes c. now after 8. dayes cold not be the same daye sennight vpon the 8th daye but after the 8th day as on the 9th or 10th dayes after and so this seconde apparition was not vpon the Lords daye I grante there is a phrase Mark 8.31 that Christ after three dayes must rise againe and yet it must be vnderstood thus vpon the third he must rise againe But herein we must knowe thus to reade it is a departing from the naturall and proper sense of the words which is not sufferable saue in a case of necessity as to recōcile two textes of Scripture or the like as in this instance last propounded because other textes of Scripture say Christ rose vpon the thirde day 1. Cor. 15.4 and this text Mark. 8.31 saith after 3. dayes c. therfore to recōcile these two we vnderstand this latter text and the word after to be no more but vpon but now to apply this is there the like necessity in Ioh. 20.26 to vnderstand by after vpon is there any other text affirminge that vpon the 8th day Christ appeared to Thomas and the Disciples or is there any inconveniency or absurdity to take the words in their commō proper sense if neighther of these can be showne then the readinge which I vrge is sound and good I answere 3. if Christs apparition to his disciples cold be an argument of a Sabbath day Then of Gods word for the keeping of an other day then God apointed in his morall Law or 4th Com least I partake of that brande of a wicked man prophecied of Daniel 7.25 in changing tymes and the Law now since it is a propriety of God to change tymes and seasons Dan. 2.21 had not I need be carefull there be no new day as is the Lords day set vp for a Sabbath vnles it can be expresly infallibly demonstratiuely proued to be of Gods owne doeing least I say I be accessary to the sin of changeing Godes tymes Dan. 7.25 Thus haue I answered their textes of Scripture brought for the Lords daye to be a Sabbath and the common objections now let vs in next place examine their reasons whereby the Lords day is proued a Sabbath 1 The first reason is drawne from the frequēt and constant practise of Christ and of his Apostles celebration of the Lords day the which is authority sufficient for justification of the Lords day to be a Sabbatth I answere 1. admit Christ and his Apostles did preache on the Lords day thereby honour this day aboue any of the 6. working dayes yet how doth it appeare they did this on this day to
yea remoued the building must fale if Apostles neighther left precept for the Lords daye no nor their owne practise vvhoe can imagine it shold be a Sabbath by Gods appointment I answere lastly vvhereas they builde vpon the practise of the Apostles preaching so as on all is because there is not in all the newe nor ould Testaments any commandement to set vp any other Sabbath then that 7th day from the creation no nor ought else that hath the force of a commandement as no practise of Christ nor his Apostles as haue beene showne afore nay we haue Gods apointement to the contrary that no day of the 6. can be Sabbath day for in the 6. dayes vve may labour Exod. 20.9 Sixe dayes shalt thou labour c. I answere 2. Be it that Saturday Sabbath being abrogated an other Sabbath must rise vp in its roome yet it followeth not that Sunday or the Lords day on first day of the vveeke must necessarily be the new day for there may be a Sabbath though none vpō the first day of the weeke if there be one kept vpon any of the 6. dayes Moneday Tewsday Wensday or Thursday c. But hereto it vvill be said though the newe Sabbath may be on any of the 6. dayes yet we ought to choose the first day of the weeke before all others because on it vve receiued a greater a greater blessing then one any other of the 6. dayes since on that day our Lord Christ rose from the dead and therfore it is caled the Lords day I answere 1. be it so that in choosinge a day vve ought to take that day which hath neere relation to the greatest blessing yet vvold we imitate God in instituting a Sabbath at Creation we shold not set a parte for a Sabbath that very day vvhereon vve receiued that blessing or whereon Christ performed it but the day after it so God hauing finished his vvorke of creation on the 6th day he then sanctifyed the day after the 7th day so it seemeth the beleeuing Iewes learned of God to set a parte the day after a deliuerance not the very day see Ester 9.17.18 vvhere the Iewes that conquered their enemies on the 13th day of the moneth they rested on the 14th day of the month and keept it a day of feasting and ioye and those Iewes that conquered on the 13th and 14th dayes they rested on the 15th daye But vve immitate neither God nor those Godly Iewes for vve rest vpon the very day where on we receiued that great blessing that is vpon the first day of the weeke wherein the Lord rose and we shold rest rather on the second day of the vveeke which is Moneday I answere 2. be it so that the Lords day were to be kept of vs aboue any other day in memory of the resurrection of our Lord yet it followeth not that vve shold count and keepe euery first day of the vveeke and one day in 7. for a Sabbath for this were Iewish as it is caled and to imitate God in the creation but we Christians haue an other patterne that is Christ the Lord and Redemer to imitate and that in respect of the worke of Redemption So as if we hold it best to sanctify the very day whereon Christ rose why then must we sanctifye euery third day for our new Sabbath and cale and counte euery third day since the first Lords day vvhereon Christ rose The Lords day let it fale vpon the first day of the weeke or on the 2th or 3th or 4th c. one any day of the weeke my reason is because the Scriptures telleth vs that our Lord Christ rose vpon the 3th daye as God rested on the 7th day so then Christ being crucified one good Friday and riseing againe one our Suneday it appeares he was but 3. dayes vpon the worke of redemption Now if vve Christians must imitate Christ in the worke of redemption as did the Iewes God in the worke of creation Then looke as God working 6. dayes and resting the 7th the Iewes also wrought 6. dayes and rested the 7th So as Christ was 3. dayes or 3. partes of 3. dayes in the worke of redemption and rested from the same sufferings on the third day In like manner shold we Christians in imitation of Christ worke 3. dayes or 3. partes of three dayes and rest on the third keeping it for a Sabbath So we shold not then keepe these we now call Lords dayes for our Sabbath but others nor keepe a Sabbath once in 7. dayes but on t once euery 3. dayes I answere now to the reason whereby they wold choose out the Lords day afore any other of the 6. dayes for a Sabbath because on that day we receiued the Lord from the dead the greatest worke and mercy that euer we receiued c. here vnto I answere if the greatest worke shall determine the day which it shall be Then in myn account as farr at yet I can see good Friday shold be our new Sabbath day for on that day Christ performed the greatest work of any other day let vs therefore compare these 3. dayes vvorkes on good Friday not to mention the the particulares of his grieueousse passion Christ vpon the crosse hanging there in our roomes bare that most intollerable and insupportable wrath of God which was due for the sins of all Gods elect from beginning to the end of the world vvhich wrath was so hote as caused him to vtter these words My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and then as hauing borne the vtmost of his fathers wrath for sins of his elect he yeelded vp his Spirit with these words It is finished Ioh. 19.30 as for the next day the 2d. day of his passion our Saturday and so also for the 3d. day of his passion our Sunday vntill he rose what cold he suffer his soule vvas in paradise his body in the graue dead and senselesse now judge vvhither of these 3. dayes had the greatest worke done in in which of them but Friday was the greatest passion or if you vvill compare Christs resurrection with his passion I trust it vvill be fond a greater vvorke for his Deity to supporte the Humanity vpon the crosse then to send his soule from heauen into his dead body in the graue to quicken and raise it vp But you will say on the 3d. day Christ rose with out which all the former had beene insufficient 1. Cor. 15.14 if Christ be not risen our preaching and your faith is in vaine c. and Christ died for our sines and rose againe for our justification Rom. 4.25 so that it is rather the day wherein all was perfectly finished then the day wherin the greatest worke was done that we shold keepe for our Sabbath where to I answere 1. Christ vpon the crosse on good Friday said then it is finished Ioh. 19.30 secōdly if you will stay for a day where in euery complement vvas fulfilled then must
you make your Sabbath on Ascentiō day being Thursday or rather you must tarry till the worlds end till Christ hath conquered sines death 1. Cor. 15.26.56 if therfore by reasons we shall institute Sabbathes it may be thought good Friday is the only day for our new Sabbath or else to tarry till this worlds end 4 A 4th maine reason of all is to this effect If the Iewes kept a Sabbath in memory of Gods Creation Then much more ought Christians keepe an other Sabbath in memory of Christs Redemption and the common reason hereof is because the worke of Redemption is a greater worke then the worke of Creation I answere 1. the reason is not the same and therfore it followeth not for the Iewes they did not set vp a Sabbath on their owne heads with out a precept for their direction only to commemorate the creation if they had it had beene no better then will worship but they stayed for a Commandement from the God of the creation to command them a Sabbath by his 4th Comm and to tell them which day of the 7. to keepe it was Gods Commandement principally that set them one worke to keep a Sabbath novv this which is the maine for the keeping of a Sabbath day is left on t in their argument as if Gods Comm were but a by thing and not necessarily presupposed in euery Sabbath wherfore let them put into their argument the main and principall thing mouing the Iewes to keepe the Sabbath that is Gods 4th Com and then I fault not their argument as novv I doe but I bide them proue likewise that we Christians haue such strong reasons to keep our Lords day a Sabbath as Jevves had for their day that is I require to shew me where Christ or his Apostles left vs an expresse Commandement to sanctify the Lords day as God did to the Iewes to sanctify the 7th day and then I say indeed If the Iewes kept the 7th day vve Christians ought keep the 8th day Or thus is greater then the worke of creation if it be greater the answere vvill be to the elect and to the redeemed it is greater vvell be it so but what is this to our question which is generall of all Christians that liue vvith in the pale of the Church affirming that if Iewes that is all Iewes kept a Sabbath for the creation then ought Christians that is all men vvith in the pale of the Church keep a Sabbath for redemption so the question being generall of all men with in the Church you bring a reason to enforce all these men to keepe a new Sabbath which reason is proper to some of these men only as if you wold thus argue all men are bound to keep the Lords day for a Sabbath because the Lord died for some of these men this arguing is much like absurde to this If the Iewes vnder King Ahashuerosh Ester 9.17 did solemnize a day euery yeere with feasting and ioye in memory of their deliuerance from Hamans conspiracy Then so ought Christians both English French Dutchmen and Spanyardes c. that is all Christians solemnize a day euery yeare with like feasting and ioye in memory of our deliuerance from Spanyardes in the yeare 88. or from Papistes powder treason on 5 th Nouember and here to may be added a like reason as that our deliuerance in 88. or on 5 th of Nouember vvas as great as that of the Iewes from Haman now vvho doth not see the vanity of this kinde of arguing yet just thus doe they argue to set vp the Lords day for a Sabbath as here t is argued from a particular deliuerance of some Christians as English men to all Christians as French Dutch and Spanyards vvhoe had no share in that deliuerance of 88. and 5th of Nouember just so doe they argue from a particular deliuerance of some Christians as Gods elect vnto all Christians both elect and reprobate beleeuers and vnbeleeuers what reason is it that such as haue no parte in Christ as a Redeemer shold weekely celebrate on whole day neglecting their proffit and callings in memory of Christ the Redeemer of right therfore only such a day shold be a Sabbath as bindes all and euery man one as well as an other and such is the 7th day Sabhath in memory of the creation for in the creation we all beleeuers and vnbeleeuers haue our share not so in the redemption I conclude therfore that though the worke of redemption be greater then the worke of creation and therfore doth require a Sabbath as well as the creation yet doth it not require so generall universall a Sabbath as did the work of creation all men are not bounde to the one as they are to the other Nor can I conceiue how any more men shold be bound to keep this Sabbath by this reason then only a fewe which doe actually beleeue in Christ an handfull of most free Agentes so as they eighther of thē produce effectes at their pleasure by Counsaile so as they be not tyed euer to produce the same effectes the one as doth the other that this is so will appeare euen in these pointes in question it pleased God to create the vvorld by action but it pleased Christ to redeeme the vvorld by passion 2. it pleased the Father to be 6. dayes in creation but it pleased the Sonne to be but 3. dayes in redemption 3. it pleased the Father to rest on the Sabbath day but it pleased the Sonne not to rest on the Lords day but to trauaile 15. miles to Emmaus and backe againe 4. it pleased God to leaue a commandement in wrighting to posterity to keepe the Sabbath day but it pleased not our Sauiour Christ to leaue any commandement for the keeping the Lords day if therfore God Christ be so variouse in their actions how will it follow that if God kept a Sabbath or instituted one in creation then Christ must necessarily institute an other like Sabbath at redemption 5 A 5th reason seemes to ground on the 4th Com thus The 4th Comm enioynes a 7th day for the Sabbath now our Lords day is a 7th day for we keepe it euery 7th day for a Sabbath I answere 1. the 4th Comm enioyneth such a 7th day for a Sabbath as is and vvas amongst the Jewes called by his proper name the Sabbath day also now our Lords day vvas called vvith them eighther the first day of the vveeke or the first day after the Sabbath so it can not be that 7th day there meante 2. if we call our Lords day the 7th day vve departe from all churches vvhich call it the 8th day or the first day of the vveeke as doe all the 4. Euangelistes in the Gospell 3. if you call the Lords day a 7th day I pray vvhere or at what day vvill you begin to reckone for your first day of the 7 you must begine at some renowmed day as at the first day of vvorlds
permitteth Apocrypha Scriptures to be reade sometymes in our congregations yet it permitteth them not to be vsed and alleaged as a sole ground to establishe any doctrine of our church and what I pray is our reason better then Apocrypha Scriptures that wee shuld leane more to tone then to other vvere it meete we should receiue doctrines into the church vvhich haue a binding power ouer the conscience tying the whole man to obedience of them vpon payne of damnation vvhich are framed and maintainede only by force of our reason wherfore to conclude let reasons be subseruient and handmaide to the Holy Scriptures and euer follow them neuer to goe before them nor to goe vvithout them and therfore since our Sauiour Christ and his Apostles be auouched to be the founders of our new Sabbath I pray in the first place shewe vs where euer Christ or any of his Apostles gaue any commandement for it or whereas you say collection for the poore preaching be markes of a Sabbath shew me your text of Scripture vvhere it is said that collections preaching be proper infallible markes of any Sabbath day or which is yet lesse let it be showne where euer they said or did any thing which necessarily and infallibly doth giue vs notice that it was but their minde that euer after the churches should euery weeke keepe the Lords day a Sabbath in conscience of the 4th Com and since God at creation gaue a commandement for that Sabbath vvhy should we not thinke Christ would a giuen a commandement too for this Sabbath if euer he had intended to haue had it kept as a Sabbath vvould God giue a commandement for his Sabbath and Christ leaue his Sabbath without a commandement and to be collected by feeble reason vvas our Sauiour so carefull to giue a commandement for the Lords Supper to be done in remembrance of him and did he forget thinke you to leaue a commandement for the Lords day to be kept in remembrance of him could it be possible a matter of so great importance as is a Sabbath and such a Sabbath as would make so much for his remembrance to the worlds ende should be passed ouer in deepe silence not only by Christ himselfe but also by his succeeding Apostles so as not only not to commande it but which yet is lesse not so much as mention it by the name of a Sabbath whoe that considereth of this would or could euer thinke that Christ did institute and appointe this Lords day for a Sabbath vvas not these those considerations which made Calvin vpon Col. 2.16 say it is not vnlawfull to labour worke on our Sabbathes thus in effecte hee was not this it also which moued zanchie vpon the 4th com Thesis 1. to say The Apostles left the Lords day at liberty and that we are not bounde to keepe it for a Sabbath by any bonde or tye of conscience thus hee To come yet nerer home to our owne diuines was it not hence that Perkins though a greate frend to the Lords day for Sabbath as Walaeus on the 4th com quoteth him thus Perkins ingenuously saith he confesseth that as touching Christs institution the argumentes he bringes for our Lords day they be not necessary but only probable ones c. and see Perk cases of conscience chapt 16. vvhere the holy man durst not speake to the conscience peremptorily as of a thing for certaine true but tremblingly as it were repeatinge his doubtfull speeches 3. or 4. tymes ouer in 6. or 8. lines wrighting as 1. In all likely hoode saith he 2. as I take it c. 3. now I suppose c. 4. for in these pointes stil we must goe by likely hoodes c. surely had there beene any sufficient grounds for our new Sabbath this holy man durst not haue concealed them no nor would he haue spake so doubtfully whoe in other pointes speakes peremptorily and confidently and was it not hence that Doctour Prideaux in his worke vpon the Sabbath saith where is there the least mention of surrogation of the Lords day in roome of the Sabbath pag. 140. Againe where saith he amongst the Euangelists or Apostles is there any distinct institution of the Lords day yea further where is the texte whence you will necessarily proue it vvhat should I reckone vp particular men is it not the doctrine of our churche very lately a booke came to my hands printed at Oxford in the yeere 1621. written by M. Broad touching the Sabbath where on the margent pag. 2. thus he wrighteth Christian people chose the first day of the weeke and made it their Sabbath saith the booke of Homilies By the doctrine then of our church saith M. Broad the obseruation of the Lords day is an Ecclesiasticall ordinance and not an Apostolicall precept againe pag. 21. It is not by any expresse command from Christ or his Apostles but by an ordinance of the church as is the doctrine of many great diuines and of our church in the booke of Homilies that we sanctify the Lords day rather then any other day of the weeke thus wrighteth M. Broade of the Lords day and of its institution as being in the judgement of our owne church not from God nor from Christ but from certaine Godly christian and well disposed people One obiection remaineth to be remoued which is That the Church of God hath kept this Lords day for a Sabbath many hundreds of yeeres and can it be thought Gods whole church should erre and that so long I answere t is true indeed we ought to hould a reuerent regard of the tenentes of our Mother the church so as not lightely nor rashely to receiue any opinions which blemishe hir practise Neuerthelesse this we must know also that the church whilst on earth is liable to miscariages through ignorance for as much as God doth not reueale his whole truth to hir at once but successiuely now on thing and then another as she is able to beare it as the tymes may permite and as it seemes good to his Godly pleasure doe we not see daily light is brought into the church and God reueales himselfe more and more and what doth this argue but what we cannot deny that is that before such light came we were in darkenes and error as touching those pointes yea we must grante the church may doth erre in some things vnles we will affirme that shee is growne to fulnesse of stature and perfection in knowledge so as nothing more can be added I verily perswade my selfe these very cōceipts that the true Church of God cannot erre in any maine thing is the very foundation of errour in those mindes where such conceipts rule for vvhoe would be so idle to spend labour and tyme to try all thinges and with the Bereanes to serch the Scriptures if alredy our curch hath tryed all and serched all to perfection so as they haue no vvayes erred more humble thoughts of our
God and for vvhose sake the Sabbath it selfe vvas made Mark 2.27 To conclude did not our blessed Sauiour in his tyme approue of fyer making on the Sabbath think you or at least of as great vvorks and so of that by like reason vvhen he vowchsafed his presence at a feast of the Iewes on the Sabbath Luk. 14.1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c vvhere were many guestes now at a feast and many guests could not but be a fyer to dresse meat or as great labour in dressing meat and tendance of the guests as is the bare kindling of a fyer 3 The 3d thing is that the Iewe might carry no burdenes on the Sabbath day Ierem. 17.21 Nehem 13.15 I answere 1. If this be a part of the rigorous precise and strict rest required only of the Jewe vvhy doe all diuines now a dayes presse this rigorousnes vpon Christians forbidding vs novv to carry burdnes on the Sabbath day if this vvas a ceremony and to ende with Christ then vve Christians may freely beare burdenes vpō backs of men or beasts or on cartes novv on our Lords day is not this goodly stuffe hereby you may haue a taste vvhat it is for vvorthy diuines to captiuate their judgments to yeeld to much confidence to the labours of our forefathers if of Note or to take points of diuinity by tradition vpon trust from others for had this learned man vsed his owne judgment in these points he had neuer ouershot himselfe so farr as to put downe such things as these so vndigested 2. In this text God forbad carrying of burdenes only as an vnnecessary seruile vvork but he forbade not carrying burdnes in case of necessity as a vvork of charity for Christ allowed the sicke man to carry his bed on the Sabbath day Ioh. 5.8.9.10 now vvhere then vvas God so rigorous and straight vnto the Jewe since he permitted them burthens bearing if and vvhen necessity so required and so we haue examined these 3. things aboue mentioned 4 A 4th Text I may add vvhich I haue often heard alleaged for the former purpose and t is vvritten Exod. 16.23 Bake that to day vvhich ye vvill bake and seeth that vvhich ye vvill seeth and all that vvhich remaineth lay it vp till the morning for you c. vvhere say they here the Iewes vvere commanded to dresse all their meate on the Friday the day before their Sabbath day and by consequence they were forbidden to dresse any on the Sabbath I answere 1. To this I oppose an other Text Exod. 12.16 vvhere the Lord forbade the Isralites to doe any work but with this exception Saue about that which euery man must eate that only may ye doe this text so playnly giuing leaue to dresse such and so much meate on the day as a man should eat vpon the day giues me to thinke no other text should forbid the same but hereto it will be said the Text Exod. 16.23 treats of the Morall Sabbath but your Text Exod. 12.16 treats of the holy dayes of the passeouer I answere t is true this text speaks of the first and of the 7th dayes of the feast of vnleauened bread only but this must also be noted that these festiuall dayes had their holy conuocations and assemblies and wherein they were forbidden to doe any work as the text shewes just as on the Sabbath dayes yea these festiuall dayes were also called Sabbath dayes and threatened with death also if they wrought on these dayes Leuit. 23.30.32 now if God as strictly bound the Iewe to rest on these festiuall Sabbaths which were annuall as on the morall Sabbath weekly then looke what libertie God gaue vpon one of these Sabbaths vve are to judge I suppose that God gaue the like libertie on the other Sabbath the cases being a like and the ceremoniall Sabbath being as strictly to be rested in from all manner of seruile works as vvas the morall Sabbath 2. I answere to the text directly This Text in my thinking is vvonderously mis-vnderstood they suppose that Moses lade the Isralites bake vpon Friday both the two Omers gathered on that day and then by these words all that remayneth lay vp c. they vnderstand all that remaineth of the 2. omers backt and vneaten so as that which remained vneaten was backed But first they erre in supposing Moses bad them bake on the day before the Sabbath both these two omers vvhich they had that day gathered where as Moses left it free to their choise to backe as the text faith vvhat they vvould more or lesse Bake that which ye vvill bake and seeth that which ye vvill seeth c. and so t is most likly they baked that day about one omer of the two they had gathered just as they did on the other 5. vvorking dayes they gathered euery day one world So then the Sabbath if it must last till heauen comes it must then last to euery particular saint and beleeuer so long as he liues on earth abides in the church militant and it must last to the church generally to this worlds end and if so then I trust the Sabbath is no ceremony temporary and abolisht long since I answere 2. Admit the Sabbath here were a type yet is not the Sabbath as men keepe it made a type of heauen but as God kept it at creation as v. 4. Now if only Gods keeping Sabbath rt creation was a type of heaueu what is this to make the Iewes keeping Sabbath any type of heauen for our question is of the Sabbath in reference to men I answere 3. Gods rest at the creation is not a type properly as hauing relation to Christ incarnate but a similitude only as shadowing out Heauen and such similitudes are not ceremonious and temporary but perpetuall and eternall for instance Heb. 4.10 He that is entred into his rest hath ceased from his workes as God did from his if then Gods rest because a similitude to be a ceremony and temporary then also is the perfection in God a temporary ceremony for t is made a similitude of our perfection Mat. 5.48 ye shall therfore be perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as your heauenly father is perfect see a like example Joh. 5 21. And these are the textes vvhich are vsually brought to make the Rest of the 4th Comm in parte eighther too strict and rigorous or else typicall and so ceremoniall and so the 4th Com it selfe to be partly a ceremony and all to this end the better to make way for the downe fale and vtter ruine of Gods 7th day Sabbath the vvhich by Gods Mercy they haue not yet attained but you see are frustrat of their purposes so I trust shall euer be hereafter And now I come to the tyme of the Sabbath the 7th day vvhich is the maine of all and against which they haue bent all their forces and if it fall so out they haue no better successe against this 7th day Sabbath then they haue had against the Rest
Gods Rest on the same day after the vvork of creation and as it is a day for the benefit of both our bodies for rest and our soules for holinesse Thus none of those former textes you see can proue that the 7th day Sabbath vvas euer ceremoniall or yet abolisht but yet they haue two textes more behinde vvherein they put great confidence and especially in the former of the two and if they faile in these two as I trust in God they shall then are they quite gone and for euer to hould their peace for speaking more against the Lord Gods Sabbath 6. The 6th text is that Colos 2.16.17 let no man condemne you in meate and drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes vvhich are a shaddow of things to come but the body is of Christ Loe say they here you haue Sabbath dayes forbidden the very point in question they are counted a shaddaw of Christ and therfore abolisht I answere 1. as there is two Lavves a morall Lavv consisting of 10. Comm all vvritten by the finger of God vpon Tables of stone and a ceremoniall Law vvritten by Moses and deliuered to the people so are there Sabbaths morall that is such as God engraued vpon the Tables of stone vvith other 9. preceptes and there are Sabbaths ceremoniall that is such as you finde no mention of in the Decalogue but such as you finde recorded by Moses dispersed here there in the 5. bookes of Moses specially in Leuit. 23.4 c. to the end of the chapter Novv as vvhen you reade Heb. 7.12 Ephes 2.15 If the priesthode be changed then must there be a change of the lavv you vvill not here permite any man to iumble confusedly together the lavv morall and Law ceremoniall and say both these lawes are here changed but you vvill distinguish of Lawes granting them the ceremoniall Law to be meante here but not the morall so doe I in answere to this text Col. 2.16 distinguish of Sabbaths granting them here is meante only ceremoniall Sabbaths denying that here is meante the Morall Sabbath of 7th day That this distinction is good and that by Sabbaths here is meant only ceremoniall Sabbaths doe beare witnesse to me euen vvorthy diuines of their owne side as Greenham in his vvorke vpon the Sabbath day and Perkins in his cases of conscience booke 2. chapt 16. Sect. 3. and Dod vpon the 4th Comm pag. 133. and Elton vpon the Colossians 2.16 and Ames in his Thesis touching the Sabbath 2. That here is meante only ceremoniall Sabbaths is plaine by the context and that by two reasons the former in that these Sabbathes are ranked vvith other things all vvhich be ceremonies as meates and drinkes and new Moones and holy dayes so that all other things in this text vvhich the Apostle abolisheth being ceremonies it giues vs cause to thinke the Sabbaths placed and ioyned vvith them be only ceremoniall Sabbaths as M. Dod vvell obserueth vpon the 4th Com the latter reason is for that this 16th verse is as you may see by the vvord of inference Therfore a conclusion vvhose premise you haue in the 14th verse and here the Apostles discourse is on this wise If the hand wrighting of ordinances which is the Law that commanded meates drinkes and Holy dayes new Moones Sabbath dayes be put out and taken away Then let no man condemne you in meates and drinkes in Holy dayes new Moones or Sabbaths dayes But the handwrighting of ordinances is put out and taken away Therfore let no man condemne you in meates and drinkes in Holy dayes new Moones or Sabbath dayes The minor you haue v. 14. the conclusion in v. 16. Now for asmuch as it is a rule vvith Logicians that there should not be more in the conclusion then vvas in the premisses Hence it followeth that if by the vvord Sabbathes in v. 16. you vvill vnderstand the morall Sabbath of the 7th day then by handvvrighting of ordinances in v. 14. you must vnderstand at least that parte of the Morall Law vvhich is the 4th Com the vvhich commanded that Sabbath The vvhich if you doe then you rune vpon this absurdety that you make the Apostle to abolish in this text a branch of morall Law as the vvhole or at least a parte of the 4th Com and so wheras the Lord wrote vpon the Table tenne commandements Deut. 10.4 you make by this interpretation but nyne commandements or at most but nyne and an halfe or but nyne and three quarters or there abouts for tenne compleate there is not I am sure Against my distinction they say by Sabbaths in this text of necessity must morall Sabbaths be meante because vnder the name of Holy dayes is comprised all ceremoniall Sabbathes so that then the word Sabbaths must meane the morall Sabbath whereto I answere that I vvill lay you out for euery word its proper day it signifies and yet the morall Sabbath excepted 1. by nevv Moones is meante only the first day of month Numb 28.11 2. Holy day is in the originall feast day or a feaste or in parte of a feaste 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now the Lord had commanded the Jewes a feast of 7. dayes Leuit. 23.34.39 of vvhich feast the first day and also the last day were Sabbaths now the dayes goeing betwene the first and last day these vvere the parte of a feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and these the Apostle aimed at by holy day and then 3d. and lastly by Sabbaths are meante those annuall Sabbaths vvhich vvere on the first and last day of the Feast of 7. dayes now least ye think this distinction and application but a conceipte see Leuit. 23.37.38 where the Lord himselfe distinguisheth twixt Feastes and Sabbathes vvhen he said These are the Feastes c. besides the Sabbathes c. Or if by Holy day or Feast you vvill vnderstand all these 7. dayes with the first and last dayes which were Sabbathes then by the vvord Sabbathes in Col. 2.16 may be vnderstood these Sabbathes Leuit. 23.24.32 which were feastes but of one single day a peece and eighther of them called Sabbathes and these vvere the Sabbathes vvhich Paul abolished so you see there is no necessity by Sabbathes to vnderstand the Morall Sabbath at all I answere 2. to the text Col. 2.16 that hereby vve ought not to vnderstand the Morall Sabbath as if that were abolisht for this vvere to set Paul against Christ the seruant against his Lord for Christ established the morall Law and euery iott and title of it to the vvorlds end Math. 5.18 now the 7th day Sabbath vvas not lesse than a iott or title of the Law and did Christ please to ratifie it to the vvorlds end and shall vve make Paul with in a fewe yeeres after to abolish it vvhat necessety is there of such large vnderstanding of the vvord Sabbathes is there any besides mens pleasures so to haue it that they might throw downe the sacred tyme of the Lords Sabbath Beware
ye be not found fighters against God and to side it vvith that branded vvicked one in Dan. 7.25 vvho thought he might change tymes and the law It is not to be passed by vvithout obseruation that the Apostle condemnes Sabbathes but indefinitly he said not all Sabbaths generally but Sabbaths indefinitly as of some Sabbathes only but say now that an indefinite axion may be conserued eighther generally or particularly aâ— the matter and circumstances of the place requireth why shew me now vvhat occasion this context giueth you to vnderstand here Sabbathes of all Sabbathes morall and ceremoniall or of any but ceremoniall or if you haue grownds so to doe from some other text I pray shew the text or if from som reasons I pray shew the reasons and let them be necessarily sounde and demonstratiuly true for there is great cause it should be so since by force thereof you vvill confront one of Gods expresse commandements you had need looke you goe on sure grownde vvhen you attempt to altar any branch of those commandements vvhich God himselfe tooke care to wright in Tables of stone for my part I trust it shall euer be my care to death to maintaine the inviolable and eternall Law of God those is commandements and euery iett and title of them so as not to departe with any of them nor suffer a title to be snatcht from me by any light distinctions or humane vnnecessary enlargement of the sense of words I trust God vvill euer giue me to make conscience of that Commandement Deut. 12.32 vvhatsoeuer I command you take heede you doe it Thou shalt put nothing there to nor take ought there from if I must not take any thing from the Law of God then resolue I not to consent to or yeelde that the Lords Sabbath should be rente from Gods Law vpon euery or any light coniecture and probable argument I answere 3d. if by Sabbathes here must be meante all Sabbathes as well the Morall as the Ceremoniall Sabbathes then by like reason may I gather an abolition not only of the ceremoniall Law but also of the morall Law for Ephes 2.15 t is said Christ hath abrogated the law of commandements and Heb. 7.12 of necessety there must be a change of the Law now vvhy may not I by the word Law vnderstand both morall and Ceremoniall Law as vvell as you by the vvord Sabbathes to vnderstande the Morall and ceremoniall Sabbathes see therfore vvhat absurdetyes would follow if it were lawfull thus to extende vvords but happily some thinke it no absurdety to say that Christ by his death abolisht both Lawes the ceremoniall and the morall but if such thoughtes and sayings be not blasphemouse against the Law of God I know not vvhat are if such collections be not of most perniciouse dangerouse consequence in Gods Church I cannot tell what be did not the same Christ whom they vvould make to abolish the morall Law renounce this facte and also contrariwise establish this morall Law Mat. 5.17.18 saying I came not to destroy the Law c. and then vntill heauen and earth perish one iotte or title of this Law shall not passe but they vvill say it vvas reestablished againe after by the in the 4th Comm and then you giue liberty for men to exercise themselues in seruile labours at home in their families and a part a brode in the fields in ploughing dikeing carteing and the like now these exercises doe vtterly abolish Holines I doe not say Holines absolutly for a man may be holy in a calling but I say it abolisheth a Sabbaths Holinesse vvhich is to be exercised in holy performances without labour and a whole day and in holy assemblies but how can they be in the congregation in the assemblie togeather who be euery man at his owne house seuerally or in the field scatteredly at their labours the same whereof is that take away Sabbaths and you take away Rest which is signified by the vvord Sabbath againe take away Rest and you necessarily take away Holinesse that other dutie also And againe if you by this text of Col. 2.16 doe abolish the very duties of the Sabbath Rest and Holines as you doe haue you not made faire worke think you by abolishing that which you call the morality of the Sabbath euer Rest and Holinesse 7. The 7th and last text they produce for the abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath is that in Exo. 31.13 where the Sabbath are said to be a signe that the Lord did sanctifie his people now they say all signes be abrogated and therfore the Sabbath day I answere 1. The Lord God doth not say expresly in this text you shall not hereafter as namly after the death of Christ keepe the Sabbath day any more because I haue made it a signe now no but thus much is collected by humane reason because God made the Sabbath a signe now I can but vvonder how mortall man dareth by bare force of his blind feeble reason thus to confront his God God said in his 4th Comm which he wrote aboue all Scripture by his owne finger Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it The 7th day is the Sabbath in it thou shalt not work Now the quite contrary to God men now a dayes blushe not by bare force of reason to anowche Namly that the Sabbath day is abolished and therfore not to be remembred any more nor to refraine seruile work in it yea they contradict their Sauiour too who said of the Morall Law one iott or title of it should not passe to the vvorlds end Mat. 5.18 but they say yis that one iott to vvit the 7th day Sabbath may passe c. now choose you vvhither it be safer to leaue the vveight of your soules vpon Gods and Christes expresse wordes or vpon mens force of reason by way of collections and consequentes we haue formerly showne how blinde a thing mans reason is in matter of religion and especially in the duties of the first Table vvhich conserueth God and that therfore Diuines in other are signes and yet in vse still I answere 5. by distinguishing of signes and that two wayes first there be signes of things present as is the Sabbath Exod. 31.13 it is a signe c. that I the Lord doe sanctify you here the signe the thing signified are together in tyme and there be signes of things to come and such vvas the signe of circumcision Genes 17.11 vvhich aimed at Christ to come now though I grant that signes of things to come be abrogate yet I deny that signes of things present be abrogate such are the Sabbaths mentioned Exod. 31.13 a difference must be put twixt the signes of things present and future since that vvhen a signe and thing signified futurly doe mete together in tyme then the signe vanisheth as vvhen circumcision and Christs death came together then the signe circumcision vanished but t is other vvise vvith
Tables of stone to notify its perpetuity they hauing no plaine and direct Text of Scripture necessarily abolishing it it can be nothing then but their bare vvilles and pleasures to haue it abolisht and this grownded vpon the custome of the church because shee hath abolisht it now a long tyme. They haue not thus done vvith it though for they haue also certain reasons argumēts more vvhich vve novv come to my minde against the tyme and day where by they would proue the Sabbath day abolisht The first is taken from Christ himselfe Say some men vvhy Christ himselfe abolished the Sabbath day and that euen in his owne tyme whilst he vvas vpon the earth for He gaue leaue to vvork vpon the Sabbath as to leade beastes to water to toile about lifting a beast out of a ditche yea himselfe made clay on the Sabbath to open the eyes of the blinde man in so much as the Pharises taxed him for a breaker of the Sabbath and for a godlesse man for it saying This man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabbath day Ioh. 9.16.14 Hereto I answer 1. what matters it what those superstitious Pharises censured of Christ vvho were the blind leaders of the blinde and of enuy could not endure Christ should doe any thing but they would carpe and cauill at it if possiblie they could though here they would not endure Christ so much as to cure a blinde man on the Sabbath yet it appeareth it was but enuy but superstition in them for Christ approued his owne facte of healing on the Sabbath day by a common practise among the Jewes themselues at that day of the like saying what man among you if his sheepe fall on the Sabbath into a pitt doth not take it and lift it out Mat. 12.10.11 yea it appeareth the Pharises and Doctoures of the Law euen vnder the Law allowed other men though not Christ nor his Disciples to doe works of charity and necessity on the Sabbath as to lift a sheep out of the ditch and for the Priest to kill the Sacrifices on the Sabbath Matt. 12.5.11 I answere 2. let not vs attend to the Scribes and Pharises censures but hearken we to Christ the true expounder obseruer of the Law now he allowed workes of mercy and workes of necessity to be done on the Sabbath day as those instances afore mentioned doe proue but for any to suppose Christ meante hereby to abolish the Sabbath is a simple conceipte for Christ saith of the Morall Law vvhereof the Sabbath day is a branch He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Mat. 5.17 But suppose the Sabbath had beene a branch of the ceremoniall Law why yet t is absurde to think that Christ would abrogate any thing of it so long as he liued for the ceremoniall Law was equally in force with the Morall Law vntill Christs death So then these things did not argue any abolition of the Sabbath day then but rather giues vs to vnderstand how we Christians are to keepe the Lords Sabbath to the worlds end not in any superstitious strictnes as if vve might not on that day doe works of mercy and necessity but the contrary for if Christ allowed it to the Jewes euen before his death whilst no man doubtes but all Lawes morall ceremoniall were in force why should vve thinke but that he allowed as much libertie to Christians to the vvorlds end 2. A 2d reason is fetcht from that phrase Mat. 12.8 The Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath day whence it is thought that since Christ is called the Lord of the Sabbath that therefore Christ may change the Sabbath day secondly that Christ as Lord of the day did abolish the day I answere first to the former Say I should graunt that Christ the Lord of the Sabbath may or might change the Sabbath what 's that to our question vve dispute not of what Christ may or might doe but what Christ did doe I answere to the latter that neither the context nor yet the phrase of Christ being Lord of the Sabbath will afforde any such matter see the absurdety of such collections from a like phrase Rom. 14.9 Christ died and rose againe that he might be Lord both of the deade and of the liuing can any hence collect that because Christ is called Lord of the liuing that therfore Christ might or did abolish or destroy the liuing 2. to suppose Christ here did abolish the Sabbath day as a ceremony is altogether growndlesse for both at this tyme when Christ spake these vvordes all ceremonies vvere in full force and also so they remained euer after vntill the day of his death and passion for not vntill then was the handwriting of ordinances taken out of the vvay Col. 2.14 nor vntill his death did Christ euer abolish any ordinance formerly in vse in the Iewish church To conclude no more can be gathered out of this text Mat 12.8 but the right vse of the Sabbath Christ freeing it from the superstitions of the Pharises who held that no worke might be done in no case vpon the Sabbath day but Christ shewed that in a case of necessity his Disciples might plucke and rubb a fewe eares of corne to satisfie present hunger Christ did beare them out in it allowing a dispensation in such a ease for as he vvas Lord of all the commandements as touching his Godhead so of the Sabbath day also and therfore he might dispense vvith that law and that day or rather he might therfore be betrusted to haue giuen the true sense and exposition of the commandement and to haue showne them the right vse of a Sabbath day as if he had thus said since I am Lord of the Sabbath doe not you Pharisies think that I vvill giue way no not to my Disciples to doe any vnlawfull facte on this day nor suffer them to prophane this sacred tyme for it is myne I am Lord of it if therfore their plucking eares of corne had bene blame worthy you should haue found me so farre from defending them as I vvould haue bene the first that would haue rebuked them for it but herein I see they haue done no more then I doe allowe them to doe the Lord of a corne field vvill allow his seruants to make a footpath through his corne in case of a necessity 3. A 3d reason is because all things are become new now in the Kingdome of Christ 2. Cor. 5.17 and therfore the ould Sabbath is abolished say they Where vnto I answere 1. if all things be become new now in Christs Kingdome I pray shew me then vvhere you haue a new commandement for the 8th day or first day of the weeke or for the Lords day in steade of the ould 4th commandement for the 7th day or Sabbath day and where the Israelites vvere commanded in the first comm to serue the true God only shew me vvhere now we are commanded to serue any
still liuing and so vvhat if 4th Comm did not binde that country vvhere they haue not night a day so successiuely and commodiously in short tyme following eache other to a day light doth it not therfore binde vs vvho haue not the like case And thus you haue seene their artificiall reasons against the tyme and day of the Sabbath answered now it remaineth that vve answere to their inartificiall reasons and testimonies the vvhich are fetched from the Primitiue Churchs 1. The first Testimony and Authority they produce against the 7th day Sabbath is that of Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesianes saith he Let not vs keepe Sabbath in a Jewish sorte reioycing in idlenesse for who so doth not work let not him eate as saith the Scripture vvhere Ignatius vvould haue them not Sabbatize but work rather on that day I answere let the vvords be well weighed and they make nothing at all against the Sabbath to this end note a little before he had dehorted the Magnesians that they would not suffer themselues to be seduced or deceiued with other doctrines nor with fables nor vvith genealogies nor vvith Jewish smoke thus in generall next he descends to particulares first he inueighes against the Iudiciall Law and Circumcision c. and this done next he bringes in the vvords citod aboue Let not vs keepe Sabbath c. now it is to be noted vnto vvhich of those generalles aboue said from which Ignatius dehorted the Magnesians these words haue relation for my part I must thinke they haue reference to those words fables and Iewish smoke as if he had ioyned them thus Suffer not your selues to be seduced with fables nor Iewish smoke or vanity but cleaue vnto Christ and let not vs keepe Sabbath as doe the Iewes c. thus he counted their Sabbatizing such as it was there no cleaning to Christ but a vaine Iudiciall vanity now that this relation must stand thus I proue 1. Because he spake of other doctrines and of fables now its fitest to referre Circumcision to Doctrines because it vvas a Drctrine once and to referre those things he dehortes from on the Sabbath as idlenesse and daunceinges to the words fables and Iewish smoke 2. Because he dehorted them from obseruance of the Iudaicall Law now those fables Iewish vanities of idlenesse and daunceinges on the Sabbath were neuer any ceremoniall Law and therfore cannot be referred to that forespoken of the Law Now if Ignatius in this passage did not dehorte from any thing vvritten in the Law touching the Sabbath but from other fables and traditions of their owne then Ignatius did not disswade from keeping the Sabbath as it is commanded in the Law of 4th Com but from keeping of it according to their fabulouse and vaine manner let these two things therfore be noted 1. that Ignatius did dehorte from things neuer commanded the Iewes in the Morall Law 2. That the things he did disswade from they vvere fabulouse and vaine things as from eating meates dressed the day before and from drinking lukewarme drinkes what he meanes by lukewarme drinkes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cannot imagine I neuer reade of any such drinkes forbiden in the Law and from reioycing in dauncinges and vnciuill howtings or clapping of hands in the Sabbath day and other like he disswades from vvhich things are meerely Iewish fables and neuer found in Gods Law vvherfore I conclude that Ignatius did not forbidd an holy keeping of the Sabbath day such as stood with the Law of God but he only forbad that carnall and superstitious keeping of it fore mentioned such as vvas neuer commanded by any law That this is so yet more plainly appeares in that 1. in this very place and text He doth exhorte the Magnesians to keepe the Sabbath Spiritually in meditation of Gods Law and in admiration of the workes of God 2. In that Iguatius doth not disswade from keeping the Sabbath simply but after a sorte and in some manner He saith not Let not vs keep Sabbath but thus Let not vs keepe Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after a Iewish sorte and fashion as reioycing in idlenesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so you see it is a carnall sensuall rest from labours that this good man inuaigheth against Only one thing in his disswasion vvould be cleered vvhich is that he addeth these words Who so doth not labour let not him eate c. these vvords are not to be taken simply as if he would they should work in their ordenary callings on the Sabbath day for so we make him contrary to himselfe who exhorted them to keep the Sabbath day Spiritually by meditation of Gods Law and Gods vvorkes now to work and to rest from vvorke which the word Sabbatizing signifieth are contraries besides how can a man so meditate on Gods Law and the vvorks of God as in a Sabbath one should whilst the boby is in vnquiet labour yea in many callings mens workes are such as they cannot at all both doe their works and also meditate Gods Law as in the trades of grocers and other retailing shopkeepers who sell by little parcelles and are euer in bargayning so scriueners who are euer wrighting and the like trades which occupie the minde specially if they kept market on Sabbath day as we doe how could their mindes in the market be occupied about Gods Lawes and it is to be noted Ignatius did not oppose Spirituall Sabbatizing or Resting to Sabbatizing or Resting simply but thus he opposed Spirituall Sabbatizing to Judiciall Sabbatizing fabulously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvherfore to salue all seming contradiction a fit sense may be giuē of the words taking them to be comparatiuely spoken as that they should rather work on the Sabbath in an honest calling then so fabulously carnally and irreligiously to spend the Sabbath in daunceing and vnciuile showting and the like and here it seemes to me he alludeth to the like manner of speech in Isa 1.13 I cannot suffer saith the Lord your new Moones nor Sabbathes my soule hateth your appointed Feastes c. now here God did not simply forbid Sabbaths but that irreligiouse prophane judiciall keeping of Sabbaths Thus you see Ignatius his vvordes makes nothing against the Sabbath being vvell considered of but rather nesse of the abolishing of this Sabbath because these had their hands in it then I should haue done if I neuer had heard that they had any hand in it Thus you see neither their textes alleaged out of Scripture nor yet their reasons nor their testimonies can proue the Rest in the Lords Sabbath day to be partly ceremoniall nor yet the tyme and 7th day to be abrogated So then in the last place I addresse my selfe to giue some possitiue reasons to shew that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force euen to this day and so consequently must be to the worlds end The 7th day Sabbath is still in force IN the first place I would free the Sabbath day from
the hearte why may not the prophane man cauill against the Sabbath day because t is said In it thou shalt doe no worke what not any manner of worke vvhat not feede our children nor cut our owne meate this Commandement is Iewish Againe Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe vvho is able thus to doe vvherfore this Commandement pertained only to the seruitude of the Jewish nation saith the vncharitable person and againe Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours vvife nor any thing that is his that is thou shalt not haue the least desire to the least thing of the neighbours Oh saith the lawlesse Protestant these things are partly Morall partly Ceremoniall this same liuing so accuratly and so strictly pertained to the Iewes t is to vs a yoke nor we nor our fathers could beare c. if I say an exception be once made from this generall truth for you for the 7th day vvhy may not euery of these come in also with his exception too Yet farther since this is that generall truth vvhich all Ministers both in pulpit and in their bookes doe vphould vvhatsoeuer they say or vvright that it must be so and so because God had commanded it in the Morall Law vvhich particular flowes from this generall that whatsoeuer God hath commanded in his Morall Law 〈◊〉 now in force since I say they pay out such coyne to others why should they not be willing to be paid in the same coyne by others vvhy therfore should I be put to proue this principle and fundamentall truth vvhich in other cases themselues make no scruple of If so be that this be not sufficient that vvhatsoeuer is commanded in Gods Law the 10. Comm is now in force to bind vs our very principles shall become disputable and doubtfull If they shall answere by any distinction wher by they empaire the full force and virtue of any branch of this Law of God they offend against a plaine texte Deut. 12.32 whatsoeuer I command you you shall take nothing therefro yea they falsify Christs words and predication Mat. 5.18 vvho confirmed the Law and euery iote title in it to abide in such force as it was in when he preached that sermons in Mat. 5.18 thence forwards vnto the vvorlds end yea they side it vvith these Priestes Zepha 3.4 who wrested the Law or vvho did violence to the Law of Scripture vve haue but two parts left vs the one is the Law Morall the other is the Gospell now whosoeuer shall enfring or deny any iote or title of eighther of these portions of holy writt he is no freend to God 2. Neuerthelesse some thing may be said to proue that whatsoeuer God hath commanded in the 10. Commandements the same is now in force as 1. because all the 10. Commandements were all and euery one equally and a like deliuered by the same God by the same voice at the fame tyme and wrote vpon the same tables of stone therfore one should bind aswell as thother and one should last as long as any other they should haue the same duration in common reason 2. Our Sauiour Christ himselfe ratified the Morall Law and euery iote and title of it vnto the vvorlds end Matt. 5 17.18 which is to the full as much as can be desired I should proue 3. If some thing commanded in the Morall Law doth not binde now then are there not 10. Commandements for there is but 9. Commandements and an halfe or but 9. Commandements and three quarters or there abouts but sure I am tenne fully there is not for there wants the tyme of 7th day commanded in the 4th Comm if you except it now Moses telde Iewes and consequently vs that God wrote in the Tables tenne Commandements Deuter. 10.4 if therfore we haue not tenne commandements compleat then haue we Christians not the Law of God as it was deliuered at first intirely but defectiuely and maimedely and some peeces only of it 4. If that reasoning of S. Iames Iam. 2.10.11 be sound and good vvhere by he proueth that whosoeuer breaketh but one Law is guilty of all the other precepts by this reason because he that commanded one Law he commanded the other Lawes also Then so may I reason and proue whosoeuer shall violate the 7th day is guilty of all the other precepts by this reason because he that commanded vs to beepe the Sabbath day proue it from a like phrase in Scripture as in Genes 14.21.23 said Abraham to the King of Sodome I will not take so much as a threed or shoolatchet of thee c. and as in Matth. 5.26 said our Sauiour Christ thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the vtmost farthing both vvhich phrases intimate thus much that if the debtor should not come out of prison till he had paid euery farching thē should he not come out till he had paid euery penny euery shilling and euery pownd if Abraham would not take a threed or shoolatchet of the King then would he not take of him raiment cattell siluer or gould thus you see it the manner of Scripture by mentioning and denying of the very least to intimate ther by a deniall of all any the whole and euery part and parcell of that thing wher to that least belonged a like phrase you haue Mat. 10.30 yea and the haires of your head are numbred c. if the haires vvere numbred may we reason then were the hands eyes eares the teeth and the fingers numbred also just so is my atguing aboue if euery title of the Law be in force then so also are thes letters words in force to wit the 7th day is the Sabbath so you see the consequence proued good and sound I proue the Minor to wit that euery title of the Law is in force to the worlds end by Mat. 5.18 where our Sauiour prophecied of the duratiō of the Law of euery iote and title of it to last to the worlds end saying Amen or verily Isay vnto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donec vntill Heauen Earth passe one iote or one title of the Law shall not passe c. vvhere you see Christ did ratifie this prophecy by a vehement assueueration prefixed to it Amen or verily said he c. Farther note vvhat learned Chemnitius saith vpon this Text by way of exposition saith he Iote is a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and a letter of the least value of all the rest in the Alphabet and title saith he is as a pricke to a letter or as a comma to a sentence so you see Christ did stablish for euer the very least things of moment in the law and thus is the minor made good Neuerthelesse against this Text many answeres are brought as 1. that by Law here is not only meant the Law Morall but also the Law ceremoniall Here vnto I say 1. that it is a growndlesse answere it hath no foundation in the Text or context for since all the Lawes
appointed of God to be a signe and remembrancer vnto vs that Jehouah the Holy God is that fountaine and authour of our sanctification and holinesse Well then since vve Christians haue as much need of helpes and meanes to minde vs of the authour of our sanctification as those Israelites had and God hath giuen vs no other helpes or meanes in the roome of those he gaue to the Israelites then it followeth that we now and the 7th day doe both notify but one tyme which is the last day of the weeke so them conioyned by God and also permiseously vsed Exo. 20.10 Leuit. 23.3 Exod. 31.15 there you haue them conioyned by way of apposition Gen. 2.3 Exod 20.11 Exod. 16.29 Luk. 13.14 here you haue them permiscously vsed the one for the other so as the name Sabbath and the tyme the 7th day cannot be separated 2 Whereas they deny me the accident of tyme the 7th day see it expressely commanded in so many words Exod. 16.29 Exod. 20.10 Exod. 23.12 Exod. 31.15 Exod. 35.2 and so you see not only the Sabbath is in force now but also the tyme and 7th day The other commone answere is that the 4th Com and so the Sabbath day are now in force indeed as touching the Morality of them but not as touching their speciall application vnto the Iewish state Here vnto I say it is but a fained thing to thinke that eighther the 4th Com or the Sabbath day were so commanded and appointed of God to the Iewe as if made peculiar and proper to their state and not common to all nations To this end perpende we the particulars of the 4th Comm to see if ought there be that might giue vs occasion to thinke it vvas applied to the Iewish nation exclusiuely or if all Nationes might not equally participate vvith them in this Commandement as vvell as in the other 9. Commandements In the Com ye haue these things enioyned 1. Remember the Sabbath 2. to rest in it 3. to keep it holy 4. a daye 5. the 7th day or last of 7.6 because God resteth on that day What is here now that is peculiar to the Iewe so as other nations cannot obserue the same Cannot we in England as well as they in Ierusalē 1. Remember the Sabbath 2. rest in it 3. keep it holy 4. a whole day 5. the 7th day and last of 7 6. in imitation of God because he rested on this day could no nation beside the Iewe obserue thes 6. things Perhaps it vvill be said The Sabbath and so the Comm was applied to the Iewish state because of that reason mouing them to obedience of it which is annexed to the Com Deut. 5.15 namely Gods bringing them out of Egypt Here vnto I say This motiue and reason may be said to be applied indeed to the Iewish state exclusiuely as not belonging to other nations and if they meane no more but thus that the 4th Com and so the Sabbath are not now in force as touching this speciall application only to the Iewish state because the Lord brought them out of Egypt that this reason should not now be properly pressed vpon vs Christians I am not against it nor doth it at all helpe them who goeth about to proue the Sabbath is in force now to vs with relation to that reason of Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt or to moue Christianes to obedience by that reason The 4th Com stands on two partes The one is Law commanding or forbidding some thing to be done this part only I vrge The other part is reason or motiue to enforce to obedience of the Law now this I vrge not nor neede I for it is no Law properly for it nor forbides nor commandes any thing Be it that the Law as touching the motiues be applied specially to the Iewish state yet the Law as touching all things commanded or forbidden in it is vniuersall to all nations Thus hauing proued the 7th day Sabbath is still in force to this day in next place I will shew you how this Sabbath hath beene practised and in vse in the Christian Church both in the dayes of the Apostles after Christ his resurrection and after also in the more primitiue churches for the practise of the Apostles I doe the rather produce it because the contrary side I see leane much vpō their practise labouring much though all in vaine as hath beene showne to proue the practise of the Apostles vpon the Lords day vvherfore since Apostles practise is vvith them of so great strength if I shall proue now that the Apostles practised the 7th day Sabbath I trust they will forth with yeeld that the 7th day Sabbath is now in force make no further question of the matter For this purpose looke Act. 13.14.15.16 Act. 13.42.44 Act. 16.13 here ye see 3. seuerall Sabbaths and in two seuerall places the Apostles preached vpon the Sabbath day and see Act. 17.2 Paul as his manner was vvēt in vnto them and three Sabbath dayes disputed with them by the Scriptures Here you see in an other place and Church three Sabbaths more kept by Paul and those that trauailed with him nor was this any extraordenary thing for the Text saith it vvas an vsuall thing for Paul so to doe Paul as his manner vvas c. and see Act. 18.4 here Paul in an other place and Church namely in the Church of Corinthe v. 1. disputed in the Synagogue euery Sabbath day so here was a constant practise Sabbath by Sabbath Euery Sabbath day saith the Text and thus I trust I haue more soundly proued that the Apostles kept the Sabbath day and that constantly and the same in soundery Churches then they haue proued that the Apostles kept the Lords day The keeping the Sabbath day was an Apostolicall practise but so was not the Lords day Let the indifferent reader judge now and let him choose to practise that day of the twaine vvhich he seeth most soundly and plainly proued before his eyes practised by the Apostles Against this be sondry answeres brought as 1. True Paul preached on the Sabbath day amongst the Sabbath day but they vndertooke indeed but neuer did nor euer will be able to proue the Apostles did constantly keep the Lords day so in this point of Apostles practise I haue the better of them since they can not proue Apostles constantly kept the Lords day amongst nor Iewes nor Gentiles no nor Iewes and Gentiles mixt Secondly I produce an other Text against theire answere shewing the Apostles preached amongst the Gentiles in which Text is not the least grownd for any such exception as to say there was a mixture of Iewes and Gentiles see Act. 16.12.13 here Paul and Timothie preached on the Sabbath day and note 1. that there was no thing constrayning them to preach rather on this then on any other day vnles it were the 4th Comm they had beene there as the Text saith certaine dayes and of all thes dayes the Sabbath
day vvas chosen what can be thought should incline them to this choise but the 4th Comm 2. Note here is not any reason to thinke here were any Iewes because vve reade not of any Synagues the Iewes had here the people assembled in the open fields besides a riuer to pray as the Text speaketh and therfore not with the Iewes in their Synagogues as they were wonte to doe where the Jewes had Synagogues As for Lydia it will not follow shee was a Iewesse because the Text saith shee was a vvorshipper of God for so was Cornelius Act. 10.2 but yet no Iewe no nor any proselyte for he vvas vncircumcised then Act. 11.3 finally I say suppose here was a mixture of Iewes and Gentiles and also in that other place Act 13.42.44 yet ther is no cause of scruple or doubt that the Apostles would vse any ceremonies as they suppose the Sabbath to be amongst those Iewes that vvere mingled with the Gentiles no more then they would amongst the Gentiles alone for saith the Text Act. 21.21 Paul taught those Jewes that were mixed among the Gentiles to forsake Ceremonies c. and you see it his practise Gal. 2.11 he would not endure no not a Peter to Iudaize it amongst the Gentiles and can we thinke himselfe would doe vvhat he reproued in an other besides it was against reason for so he should builde vp things as ceremonies which he labored to destroy Gal. 5.1.2 I say build vp for Paul counted Judaising amongst Gentiles a constraining of those Gentiles vnto Judaizme Gal. 2.14 for all this I deny not but Paul did Iudaize but it was only in such places of assemblie where vvere none but Iewes only as at Ierusalem and the like places Act. 21.17.20.26 but in assemblies mixed of Iewes and Gentiles there he would not Iudaize lest he should constraine the Gentiles to Iudaizme as hath beene said An other and seconde answer vsually brought against this practise of the Apostles is that Paul did keepe Sabbath here vvith the Iewes to beare with their weakenesse for a tyme and as he did Iudaize it by circumcision of Timothie Here vnto I say 1. it appeareth he did not keepe Sabbath only for the Iewes sake for then vvould he not haue kept the Sabbath with the Gentiles as he did 2. vvas it a weakenesse in the Iewes to yeeld obedience to a morall precepts to the 4th Com 3. The things vvherin properly Paul was said to Iudaize were Ceremoniall things standing in force by the Ceremoniall Law as Circumcision and the Rest but things standing in force by the Morall Law as doth the Sabbath day performance of these is no Iudaizing but Moralizing if I may so speake A 3d answere is that the Apostles must take such dayes as they found in vse in the Church then or else they cold not preach and divulge the Gospell and the Iewes then would assemble on no dayes but the Sabbath Here vnto I say the Apostles cold make knowne the Gospell though they had neuer frequented the Iewes vsuall assemblies for the Apostles taught and preached Christ in priuate housen from house to house Act. 5.42 and when Paul forsooke preaching in the Synagogue he taught else where as in the Schoole of one Tyrannus and there frequented him both Iewes and Grecians Act. 19.9.10 yea Paul cold assemble the Iewes them selues vpon occasion the very chiefe of them refused not to assemble at his calle Act. 28.17.20 wherefore necessity compelled him not to keepe the Sabbath vvith them To make a more full answere to those common obiections vvhich they bring against the practise of the Apostles in keeping the Sabbath day one of vvhich maine obiections is that fore spoken of to this effecte true the Apostles practised the 7th day Sabbath but it was amongst the Iewes not amongst the Gentiles where vnto I say vvhat and if it vvere only amongst the Ievves are therefore the Apostles practises and actions vnvvareantable and vnimitable because they vvere done amongst the Iewes are all their actions amongst Jewes but of an indifferent nature if such obiections be lawfull if a preacher confirmes his doctrines in the pulp it by the practise of the Apostles then is it lawfull for any thus to cauill against it oh but that it vvas done among Jewes for instance suppose this the doctrine Ministers must preach constantly on the Sabbath day novv after it is proued c. then he confirmes it by the constant practise of the Apostles Act. 13.14.44 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 is it tollerable for an auditor to cauill thus oh this it dience and reference vnto some of those Commandements The last obiection is that t is true indeed the Apostles kept the Sabbath but it was but for a tyme till the Iewes vvere better instructed the vvhich if they had refused to keepe the Iewes vvould neuer haue heard them preach of Christ c. Here vnto I answere this obiection presupposeth now as granted two false suppositions the one that the Apostles vvould not if they cold haue auoided it haue kept this Sabbath the other that the Iewes vvere needlesly religiouse making conscience of this Sabbath now vvhen they neded not for the former for any thus to imagine or say is growndlesse for vvhere hath any of the Apostles declared themselues any enemies to the Morall Sabbath that it should be thought they had rather not to haue kept the Sabbath then to haue kept it for the latter t is true of Circumcision it might be said the Iewes vvere needlessely religious and carefull of it because vve finde the Apostle inueighing against it Galat. 5.2 but how can vve say so of the Iewes as touching the Sabbath day since vve no where finde the Apostles inueighing against it or reprehending the Iewes for keeping it as they did for Circumcision The maine errour in these obiections is that they take it for granted vvhich is not granted that is supposing the Sabbath day in the 10. Commandements to be a Ceremony as vvell as Circumcision and that so it vvas abolisht by Christ vvhereof there is no grownd in Scripture as else vvhere I haue largely shewed nay farther for any to say the Sabbath is a ceremony or that any vvord or letter of the Law or 10. Commandements is Ceremoniall is no better then blasphemy against Gods Law and Truth to speake euill of the way of God Thus you see I haue proued the practise of the Apostles vvas constantly to keep the Sabbath day and the keeping of the Sabbath day vvas an Apostolicall practise the vvhich proofe I haue made to this end that you might see vve haue better grounds for the Apostles keeping the Sabbath day then for their keeping the Lords day nay there is good ground for the Sabbath day but no ground at all for the Lords day Further more as by the way you may see it hath beene showne the Apostles kept the Sabbath day 1. constantly not once or twice or thrice and no no more 2.
In sondry places in diuerse churches not at one place or two but at more 3. that vvhere they abode diuerse dayes they chose the Sabbath day not the Lords day to teache and to preache in as Act. 16.12.13 Act. 13.42.44 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 4. They kept Sabbath with both Jewes and Gentiles together sometyme with you see the duties of a Sabbath meditation in Gods Law vvith ioy and delight and admiration of the workes of God There be I confesse that would haue all this vnderstood of the Lords day but Ignatius speakes both of the Sabbath also of the Lords day distinctly in the same Text for the very next words are thus And after the Sabbath let the Lords day be celebrated c. Athanasius in his Homilie de semente saith thus We assemble together in the Sabbath day not as if vve were sicke of Iudaizme but therefore we meete on the Sabbath that we may vvorship Iesus the Lord of the Sabbath vvhere ye see Athanasius not only auowching that they of this tyme kept the Sabbath but also he defendeth theire keeping of it from superstition or Iudaizme but our tymes are now of a contrary minde thinking and saying if we should keepe the Sabbath day we should play the Iewes and be infected with Judaizme Socrates in his History chap 8. booke 6th saith Assemblies were vvonte to be in the Churches euery weeke vpon the Sabbath vpon the Lords day Zanchie ypon the 4th Com Thes 1. saith out of Sozomen That thos of Constantinople almost all others haue Ecclesiasticall assemblies to heare Gods Word on the Sabbath day and on the Lords day Doctour Prideaux on the Sabbath saith The Churches after Christ kept both the Sabbath the Lords day for diuerse yeeres with holy assemblies and this thing is so manifest saith he as it needeth no proofe c. In a word is it not plaine the Sabbath was in vse in the Church vntill the yeere of Christ 364. at vvhat tyme the Laodicean counsaile enacted a Law against it and for the Lords day Hosp de Orig. Fest cap. 9. pag. 27. but how vniustifiable this their acte was may appeare in that they enacted a Law against Gods Law and were guilty of that brande in Dan. 7.25 of vnlawfull changing of Tymes and the Law yea how full of suspition this their facte was may appeare in this that Church of Laodicea it was the worst of all the 7. churches that S. Iohn wrote vnto in his Reuelations yea and in that this change was not made till the yeere 364. t is of small accounte since the elder the church grewe the more corrupt it grewe for 364. yeeres after Christ crept into the church superstition and so dayly thence forwards popery by degrees But how soeuer it is plaine that the Sabbath day was in vse in the church at that tyme in which they enacted a Lavv against it or else they made a Law against nothing Here it shall not be amisse to adde the testimony of two or three of our owne Diuines auowching the morality of the 7th day Sabbath I could produce many but two or three for all strengthen my selfe and vvronge not them 3. Doctour Prideaux vpon the Sabbath lately comne forth pag. 140. saith Where did Christ abrogate the Sabbath vvhere is there any mention of setting the Lords day in the roome of it well Christ ascendeth he left his Apostles preachers and did not they vvithout any scruple obserue the Sabbath of the Iewes wich the Iewes did not they institute most freely assemblies in the Sabbath day did not the succeding churches the like c And now let me propounded vnto your choise these two dayes The Sabbath day on Saturday or the Lords day on Suneday and keepe whither of the twaine you shall in conscience finde the more safe If you keepe the Lords day but prophane the Sabbath day you vvalke in great danger and perill to say the last of transgressing one of Gods eternall inviolable Laws the 4th Com but on the other side if you keep the Sabbath day though you prophane the Lords day you are out of all guneshot and danger for so you transgresse no Law at all since Christ nor his Apostles did euer leaue any Law for it 1. To conclude let me take away two or three obiections and so an end Say some what a doe is here about a day is God so strict for a day so be he hath the duties it matters not so much for the tyme To whom I answere and make not you as much a doe too as you can for the Lords day the 8th day else why may not Mooneday or Tewsday or some other day be kept in memory of Christs Resurrection as well as Sunday the first day of the vveeke and doe not our diuines of best ranke lay it downe as their judgement that the Church the whole Church cannot now alter the Lords day to any other it seemes then in your owne judgement that tyme and day how light a circumstance soeuer you make it when you dispute about the 7th day in the 4th Com yet it is a matter of vveight and moment when you argue for the Lords day for vvhich yet you haue no Com 2. Thinke you it a light matter the which God hath beene pleased to stampe his Commandement vpon Exod. 35.2 The 7th day shall be vnto you the Holy Sabbath c. Will you sleight Gods Commandements admite the tyme and 7th day be as thing little profitable to God as was the fruite of the tree of knowledge of good euill in Paradise dareth any man hazard with God as Adam did The lesse the thing is vvith the more ease vve may shew our obedience and the greater our sine if disobedient 3. We dare not forfighte a bonde with man vpon such shiftes saying whē t is paiable on 7th day of Ianuary oh my neighbour regardeth not so much the day so I carry him the full some though it be the day after t is due nor durst those faithfull Israelites so sleight Gods tymes as to circumcise on the 9th day to call Passeouer on the 15th day vvhen God hath commanded CIrcumcision on the 8th day and the Passeouer on the 14th day 2. Saith an other this vvere to bringe into the Church Iudaizme againe and that strict rigorous obseruation of the Sabbath vvhich they vsed Here to I answere Athanasius afore cited said They kept the Sabbath day in their tymes and yet he saith they were not infected with Judaizme Further Iudaizme is when obedience is yeelded to a Law Ceremoniall but he that keepes the Sabbath day doth it in obedience to a Law Morall And as touching the rigorous strictenesse of the Iewish Rest or Sabbath it is not better than an euill reporte brought vp vpon the Lords Sabbath to loathe men of it vvhat and if men erroniously thinke the Iewes vvere more strictly tyed then indeed they vvere that is their errour and what and
if the Scribes and Pharises vvere superstitious in keeping the 4th Com and forbad vvorkes of charity to be done on the Sabbath vvere they not erroniouse too in expounding and obseruing other of the Commandements But sure I am our Sauiour Christ the true expounder of the Law he gaue leaue euen to the Iewes in his tyme before any Ceremonies were abolisht to doe vvorks of charity and works of necessity euen vpon the Sabbath day as to rubbe eares of corne to carry a bedd to lift a beast out of a ditch and the like yea doe not vve hold our selues now thus strictly tyed vpon the Lords day as not to doe any vvorks thereon saue works of necessity and charity I finde not that a beleeuing Iewe vvas any thing more strictly tyed then so For my parte I see no difference twixt the doctrine of our Church of Engeland touching keeping the Lords day for strictnesse and the doctrine of Moses and of Christ touching the keeping of the Sabbath day nor can I see how a beleeuing Iewe vvas more strictly tyed then a beleeuing Christian is in right account 3. Saith a 3d. Should vve embrace the Sabbath day then should vve be accused of nouelty and the neighbour Churches of Papists vvould vpbraide vs Here too I answere vvhat if man accuseth where God commendeth it vvas new doctrine that Paul brought to Berea but it vvas theire commendations that they receiued the word vvith all readinesse and serched the Scriptures daily to see vvhither those things vvere so or not it vvas not the newenesse of the Gospell nor the singularity of Paul the teacher that cold daunte them and for Papistes it is not the first tyme that they haue vpbraided vs for nouelty if they thinke it a matter of reproche to confesse vve know but in parte and that the best Church and purest may be more pure and growe nerer to God in knowledge and reformation daily let them scoffe on what Dauid vvill regard a Michal or Isaack an Ishmael what and if vve offend the Church of Papistes if vve may gaine the Church of the Iewes doe vve not vvright of speake of and pray for and hope for conversion of the Iewes and can there be a better vvay for their entrance into our Church then by remouing a way this great stumbling blocke that is our prophanation of the Lords Sabbath day said not the Iewes of Christ this man is not of God because he keept not the Sabbath day Ioh. 9.16 can the Jewes say any better of vs at this day who are not causelesly taxed as vvas Christ why these Christians may they say vvere their religion good they vvold neuer liue in so manifest a breache of the 4th Commandement vveekly as they doe prophaning the Lords Sabbathes 4. Saith a 4th This vvere to bringe an imputation vpon our Church that haue not seene this of 1600. yeeres c. I answere for 300. or 400. yeeres after Christ this Sabbath vvas kept and that by the purest Churches of the primitine tymes so the ouer sight vvas not aboue a matter of 1200 yeeres Againe at these tyme when the Lords Sabbath vvas abolisht by the Laodicean counsaile in the yeere 364. euen then the churches began to decline strangly and then began superstition popery to creep into the Church and by little little it ouerspreade the Christian world vntill about Luthers tyme all vvhich tyme our Church vvas couered in the Romish Church as corne in the chaffe and vve vvere as captiues in a forraine nation vvhere we vvere kept from knowledge of the Lawes of our Lawfull and rightfull soueraigne the Lord our God now vvhat imputation is it to our Church that the Romish Church did ouersee this and blott out the 4th Com as they had done the 2d Com Since Luthers tyme indeed by the mercy of God the chaffe hath beene fanned away yet haue we not had a setteled constant shine of the Sune of the Gospell but twixt tymes it hath beene elouded as in the raigne of Quene Mary c. and for this short breating tyme since Quene Elizabeth of blessed memory hath not our Church had worke enough to hould the ground which our forefathers wone for vs haue vve not beene in a continued warfare battailing vvith Romish doctrine both by penne and by preaching euen vntill now of late yeeres during vvhich conflict our church hath had scarce leisure to bethinke hir selfe of any further purification but now since God hath in some sorte giuen vs rest from our enemies labour vve to growe in grace both in knowledge and in obedience labour vve to perfect Holinesse daily more and more let vs rather imitate the more pure primitiue churchs from vvhom the Church of Roome is fled in practise of the Sabbath day then the corrupted Romish church from whom vve suckte this euill milke Neither is it to be thought a thing vnpossible for a Church of God ignorantly to lye in the breache of one branch of Gods Law for a season for did not the Church of God in Iosiah his tyme as much vvhen the booke of the Law of God it selfe had beene lost for I know not how long tyme 2. King 22. now to vvhom vvas this great sine of carelesnes in loosing the booke of Gods Law to be imputed vvas it not vnto the Idolatrous tymes and church vvhich vvent last before the Raigne of Iosiah so who is mostly to be blamed for our ignorance in this but the idolatry and superstition irreligion of former tymes which began at the Counsaill held at Laodicea Anno 364. for they first puft out this light There are two sortes of people to vvhom this discourse doth pertaine the Laitie and the Clergye as for the Laity God he knoweth they can doe no more then they can doe though of vviling minds that all should goe vvell and that God might haue this owne tymes and t is not a farr thing gaine to them whither they giue God the Saturday or the Sunday but since they want the Artes tounges those instruments of knowledge in this points they must be guided by their Ministers The Priests lippes must preserue knowledge and they must aske the Law of their mouths I say the lesser care of this matter pertaines to the people I doe not say no care for their is a spurre for them in Ezek. 33.6 and a president in those Noble men of Berea for serching the Scriptures and let them in Gods feare both priuately pray to God to direct their Ministers vvith Spirituall illumination and also let them often call vpon them to see to their Ministry shewing them the price of their soules is in their hands and if Ministers neglect the soules of people pay for it As for these of the Ministry these doe knowe this matter mostly conserueth them to knovv vvhither Saturday or Sunday or Sabbath day by Gods appointement And hereof it is that our Sauiour Christ hauing ratified the Law and euery iote and title of it to the vvorlds end Matth.
or not yea he addeth that Pentecost may fall one any day of the weeke it is not therfore so generally a granted truth with diuines that Pentecost euer was vpon our Lords day as vve hold and keepe it 5. If I may add mine ovvne opinion of the matter I thinke Pentecost then when the Holy Ghost descended vpon the Apostles in cloven fiery tounges it was vpon our Saturday which was the 7th day Sabbath not one our Sunday that this may appeare note that Pentecost by the Law Leuit. 23.16 was to be vpon the 50th day and this accounte was to begin one the morrowe after the Sabbath v. 15. by Sabbath here is not to be vnderstode the vveekly Sabbath but the first Sabbath of the Passeouer thus the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 11 for they had 2. Sabbathes at the Passeouer to vvit the first day of vnleauened bread and the 7th day v. 6.7.8 to the former of thos had the Septuagint relation vvhen they said In the morrovv of the first of the Sahbathes to this a greeth Aynsvvorth one Leuit 23.11.15 alleageing the Chaldy and the Rabbines so reading and vnderstanding it So then vve must begine our account vpon the morrovv after the first Sabbath of the Passeouer novv that vve may knovv vvhat day this vvas on see Leuit 23.5.6.7 the Passeouer vvas on the 14th day of the Month on the 15th day of the month vvhich vvas the very next day vvas the first day of the Feast of vnleauened breade vvhich 15th day vvas the first Sabbath also novv then the morrow after this first Sabbath it vvas vpon the 16th day of the month and this 16th day must be the begining af our accounte Novv to apply this for so much as Christ suffred on good friday and eate the Passeouer on the day before at euening hence it follovveth that Christ eate the Passeouer vpon Thursday and it vvas the 14th day of the month and friday vvherein he suffred vvas the 15th day of the month and the first Sabbath of the Passeouer so as Saturday was the 16th day of the month and the morrow after the Sabbath and so the first day of our accounte to 50. dayes or to Pentecost To proceed if Saturday be the first day of the 50. then vpon a Saturday againe will fall the 50th day to make this appeare counte from Saturday taking it for one day 7. vveekes compleate Leuit. 23.15 and there you haue 49. dayes the 49th day falling vpon a friday here vn to ad the next day vvhich is Saturday and the morrovv after the 7th Sabbath or vveeke v. 16. and so you haue 50. dayes and also you see that the 50th day fell vpon the Saturday To conclude since Pentecost vvherein Peter preached Act. 2.1.14 vvas not one our Sunday but one our Saturday Hence it follovveth 1. that this Text Act. 2.1.14 maketh nothing for the prooving our Sunday or Lords day to be Sabbath day novv 2. it followeth that if those actions of Peters preaching converteing 3000. and baptizing them on that day were a sufficient proofe that the day wherein they were done was a Sabbath day and so ought to this day to be Then was Saturday at that tyme the Sabbath day and so ought â—o this day to be because one Saturday those actioÌ„s were performed But that those actions of Peters preacheing Baptizeing and the rest are 〈◊〉 sufficient argument and proofe that the day where one they were done was and is a Sabbath themselues confesse it Ergo Saturday was then and ought now to be the Sabbath day So you see theire owne argument makes strongly against them and for mee for the Saturday Sabbath 5. A 5th Text they produce is Act. 20.7 where the Disciples being come together to breake bread one the first day of the weeke Paul preached vnto them now by the phrase of breaking bread is commonly meante the Lords Supper so here againe they argue as before this must be a Sabbath because Sabbath duties were performed in it I answere 1. by refering you to those things in the answere to the Text last aboue Act. 2.14 which at first sight doe after themselues in answere to this place as they did to that the argument being the same I answere secondly though Paules preaching doth bind vs to preache also yet doth not the tyme wherein he preached bind vs to preach at the same tyme and day weekly for then were we bounde to preache euery Lords day till mid night for so did Paul here so that the day and tyme here which is our very question doth not bind vs. 3. Paules preaching now at Troas was extraordenary 1. in that he preached till mid night 2. in as much as he was to departe away from them the next day neuer to see theire faces againe v. 38. he cold doe no lesse then giue them a sermone one such an ocation had it bene one any day of the weeke 4. This preaching of Pauls at this tyme can make nothing for the Lords day for this sermon was only in the night not in the day tyme This appeareth by the tyme of celebration of the Lords Supper which in dayes of Christ and his Apostles was at Euening at Supper tyme for then our Sauiour celebrated it first Mark 14.17 and it was in vse so still in Pauls tyme 1 Cor. 11.21 now the Text saith The Disciples being come together one the first day of the weeke to breake bread or to receiue the Lords Supper now the end of theire comeing which was to receiue the Lords Supper declares plainly what tyme of the day they assembled in to wite in the Euening at Supper tyme to eate the Lords Supper there is no culler therfore to thinke they mett in the morneing about breakefast tyme for then be gines the publike duties of the Sabbath to goe to Supper and it addes a little light to the tyme of theire meteing to consider of the place where they mett that is in an upper chamber as t is in our Englishe Bibles v. 8. but Originall saith in a supping chamber 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in caenaculo so t is more then manifest they came but to Supper Now the disciples being assembled to that ende to receive the Lords Supper Paul tooke occasion of this present meteing after and I knovve not hovv long after they vvere mett to preache vnto them and after he had begune once then he held one his preaching till midnight but at vvhat hovvre of the night or Eueninge Paul begun his Sermon or hovv long after they vvere mett I can not finde T is true the disciples mett one the first day of the vveeke but it might be and it vvas most likely they mett a little afore shutting in of the day like as a man may be said to paye and discharge his bonde due one the 7th day of Iune though he bringe his mony but one quarter of an hovvre before Sune sett But here it must be remembred that t
note that we may call the Lords day or first day of the weeke and other common Holy dayes Resting dayes but we must know with all that thus to call and to name them is meerly humane and of our owne deuise for God neuer named or called the Lords day nor common holy dayes Resteing dayes if therfore we will call dayes as God calleth them then must vve call only the 7th day Sabbath day or Resting day for said God Exod. 20.10 The 7th day is the Sabbath or Resting day I answere 2. Sabbath day may be vsed in reference to the 4th Com or not in any reference vnto it if it be vsed not in reference to the 4th Comm I am not against it for so may we call Christmas day when t is one a weeke day Sabbath day and so may we call dayes of publike thanksgiuing and reioycing Sabbath dayes as coronation dayes Gunpowder Treason dayes c. but if vve call any day Sabbath day religiously in relation to the 4th Comm as in that sense we call our Lords day Sabbath day then know it cannot be called Sabbath day for that this name Sabbath day in reference to 4th Com it must haue these properties 1. it must be set vpon its proper day our Saturday the which is named by God Sabbath day or Resting day 2. it must be the 7th day from the creation or last day of the vveeke 3. it must be the day which God blessed and sanctified Genes 2.3 Exod. 20.11 now none of these thinges agree to our Lords day 5. The next point to be treated one is the vvord Day Remember the Sabbath day now as before vve haue heard of the Sabbath day vvhich it is for order and place as vvhither the first or 2d c. or 7th or 8th day so now vve are to heare of the duration and length of that Sabbath day A day is commonly diuided into a day naturall of 24. howres or artificiall of 12. howres but I must craue leaue to departe from this distinction though a common receiued one because how euer it may haue its vse in ciuill affaires yet is it not Canonicall and Diuine and therfore not to be a rule in expounding the word Day in Scripture that I may not seeme sleightily to deny a common distinction note the reasons moueing me here too are 1. Because it is no vvhere founde in Scripture that they had any day of 24. howres a day of 12. howres I reade of I confesse but I neuer reade of a day of 24. howres it is not safe therfore by Day in 4th Com to interpret it of a day of 24. howres 2. By a day naturall of 24. howres vve vnderstand both the light and the darknesse the day and the night vvhich fale within compasse of these 24. howres novv I pray what a woefull confusion and jumbling of things together is here vvhat is this but to put light for darkenesse vvhen ye call the night or darknesse Day may you not as vvell put darknesse for light and call the day or light Nighte may vve not as vvell comprize Hell vnder the vvord Heauen as darkenes vnder the vvord Day vnles it be Ironically I thinke this is matchlesse But hereto it will be said doth not Scripture thus Genes 1.5 So the Euening and the morning vvere the first day by Euening here is meante the night and by morning the day or light and both these made vp the first day I answere the Euening doth no vvhere in Scripture betoken the night or darkenesse and that I am not singular in this see Perkins cases of conscience at end of 2d booke but by Euening vve are to vnderstand the afternoone as vve in this land doe saying Good euene to you Sir if once it be past noone that euening is takē for the afternoone and tyme of perfect light and before Sune set appeares by the phrase of euening sacrifice which was celebrated about 3. or 4. a clocke in after noone see these textes Ex. 29.38.39 Deu. 23.11 losh 8.29 Ezra 9.4.5 Iere. 6.4 Deut. 16.6 so then according to Scriptures sense by Euening I vnderstand the afternoone and by morning the forenoone and thus the Euening that is the afternoone and the Morning that is the forenoone made the first day Genes 1.5 Hauing thus giuen my reasons why I reiect a day naturall of 24. howres consisting of day and night both In next place I am to shewe vvhat I meane by Day in 4th Com By Day I vnderstand the tyme of light only namly all that space of tyme and light from day peepe or day breake in the morning vntill day be quite off the skye at night that by Day is meante the light see Gene. 1.5 God vvhoe know best to name things called the Light Day see 1. Thes 5.5.8 1. Cor. 3.13 and that the day begines euen vvhilst it is but a little light and much darke see Ioh. 20.1 and see Mark. 1.35 this last text is to be reade as Chemnitius vvell obserues thus In the morning vvhilst it vvas very much night c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so Beza reades it too of dayes I may say there are 2. kindes according to Scripture 1. a naturall day and this is from first aproche of light vpon our horizon before Sune rise vnto the last departure of light after Sune sett from off our horizon 2. is an artificiall day and this consistes of 12. howres Joh. 11.9 are there not 12. howres in the day the naturall day is variable now longer as in Sommer novv shorter as in Winter The artificiall day is constantly of the same lenght 12. howres long I conclude by Day in 4th Com I rather thinke the the naturall day to be meante then the artificiall day for it is the safest to giue God the longer of the two that is the day from day breake to last shutting in of the day so long as is any light in the skye Here a case of conscience would be discussed that is if our Sabbath be but from day breake to shutting vp of day hovv shall vve doe in depth of vvinter at vvhat tyme vve haue not 12. howres of day light novv your opinion vvas euen novv that it is the safest to giue God the longer of the two dayes rather the naturall than the artificiall but in depth of vvinter the artificiall day of 12. howres is the longer day I ansvvere 1. though for that tyme the artificiall day be longer than the naturall day yet it is so but for a little vvhile during the depth of the winter only vvhich tyme excepted all the yeere after the naturall day is the longer and so these 2. dayes compared together in all tymes vve giue God the longer day vvhen vve giue him the naturall day 2. For so much as it is not likely that God would haue vs measure him his day by two diuers metevvands that is by the day naturall at one tyme of the yeere and by the day artificiall
assembly wherein they did no seruile labour v. 6.7 and this was a Sabbath day to wit a ceremoniall Sabbath day now the Iewes killing their passeouer on good friday as the 14th day then Saturday must be the 15th day and so an holy convocation and Sabbath by the Leuiticall Law and so here is an other Sabbath fell on and with the weekly Sabbath now to come to the point the parascue or preparation spoken of Mark 15.42 hath respect of these two Sabbathes only to this latter that is to the Ceremoniall Sabbath which was on the first day of vnleauened bread or on the 15th day of the month and it hath not respect vnto the Morall Sabbath now the reasons mouing me to say so are 1. because this parascue or preparation is not any vvhere applied to the Morall Sabbath but only it stands in reference to the ceremoniall and therfore we reade the Euangelist Ioh. 19.14 calling it the preparation of the passeouer not the preparation to the Sabbath as they would 2. we reade of a preparation euer on the day before the 15th day of the month the Sabbath on the first day of vnleauened bread but of none before the vveekly Sabbath see Luk. 22.8.9 and ye know there must be a preparation of the passeouer before it be eaten for it must be killed and rosted first Exod. 12.6.8 and a place where it must be eaten in must be prepared too Luk. 22.11 and to winde vp all in a word the parascue or preparation whereof Scripture speakes so oft is nothing else but the preparation and making ready of the passeouer to be eaten the which labour fell as now vpon the day before the Sabbath vnderstand whither Sabbath you will Mark. 15.42 so then this preparation ouer night being proper to the Ceremoniall Sabbath of the passeouer it belonged not to the weekly Sabbath so the weekly Sabbath began not ouer night ere the more for this Text Mark 15.42 Finally the cleering of this text Mark 15.42 by the way may be vsefull to shew their opinion is growndlesse vvho vrge a preparation to the Sabbath on Saturday afternoone or on Saturday euen pressing vs then to refraine our weekly labours and to spend that portion of tyme in holy exercises for my part I know no other preparation to the Sabbath to be performed more on Saturday after noone than in the forenoone or then on Friday or Thursday before that is I know none but this that we should remember it afore hand and so to be more and more mindfull of it as it drawes nerer and nerer vnto vs lest vvhen t is come we profane it You haue heard the first vse shewing vvhen the Sabbath doth not begine as namly not ouer night c. The 2d vse shall be to shew by vvay of instruction vvhen the Sabbath doth begine The Sabbath is to begin in the morning vvhen the day begines as breake of day this flowes naturally from the Comm for if God commanded vs to keepe holy the Day then must we begine vvith the day then vvhen the day begines to begin it afore the day as at midnight or the like is growndlesse and is more then God euer required so to delay the beginning an howre 2. or 3. after day breake is to robbe God of a part of his day by sanctifying to the Lord not a day but a peece of a day 6 The 6th and last point in the Comm as touching tyme and day is to enquire 1. vvhat day God sanctified but this nedeth no labour since t is apparant God sanctified the 7th day and last day of the vveeke that day vvhich followed his 6. dayes vvorke 2. vve are to enquire after the reason mouing God to sanctify this day of the vveeke before any other and this is plainly laid downe in the last clause of the 4th Comm and againe in Genes 2.3 So God plessed the 7th day and sanctified it Because that in it he had rested from all his vvork vvhere you see God renders the speciall reason mouing him to blesse and to sanctify the Sabbath day and it vvas Because that on that day himselfe had rested Use 1. may be to shew vs that God in his 4th Comm enioyneth not a day at randome but a particular day such a day as hath this reason of Gods Rest belonging to it now this belonged only to the 7th day of the vveeke not to the 8th day nor to the first day of the vveeke our Lords day for God the creatour rested not vpon our Lords day vvhen he had finished the vvorke of creatiō but vpon our Saturday the 7th day which goeth next before the Lords day Use 2. may be to shevv vs that the 4th Com can not be vrged or applied to the first day of the vveeke our Lords day because that reason of Gods Rest vpon the 7th day vvhich moued him to sanctify it neither doth nor can belong to the Lords day now since that reason of Gods Rest vvhich is a parte of the 4th Com can not belong to our Lords day no more can the whole Com belonge vnto it Use 3. and me thinks the reason of Gods Institution should say some thing for the morality and perpetuity of the Sabbath for as sine moued God to bringe death into the vvorld at the first vpon Adam Rom. 5.12 so the same continuing moues God still to continue death in the world vpon Adams posterity So Gods Rest vpon the 7th day mouing him at first to sanctify it the same reason remayning to vvorlds end should moue God to continue the sanctification of the 7th day for euer the ground of which consequence is taken from that axiome That God is immutable and vnchangable euer the same so as if things be the same towards him he againe is the same towards them Hence it is vve thus argue did God so to Abraham to David to Pharaoh c. if thou be to God as they were so God vvill be to thee as he vvas to them now as God is euer the same so is Gods rest on the 7th day And so we haue spake of the duty of the day and of the tyme next we should come to speake of the duties in the day and in the tyme the duties in the day are 2. Holines and Rest Remember to keepe the Sabbath day Holy and in it thou shalt not doe any worke but as touching exposition of these two Holines and Rest I purpose to desiste for asmuch as vve differ not in these sauing about the latter that it is houlden partly morall partly ceremoniall but of that by and by Hauing spoken of the duty of the day and mentioned the duties in the day here a question would be scanned touching both these comparatiuly to know whither is the more excellent that which God did first and principally aime at the duty of the day or the duties in the day a question at first sight I confesse it seemes friuolouse the rather I moue it
because I heare the most so sleighting this sacred tyme as but a circumstance c. and as a thing not required of it selfe and by it selfe as are the duties in this tyme Holinesse and Rest but only for an other things sake as for the Holinesse sake that is to be performed in this tyme and so as if the Holinesse be performed it skilleth not so much for the tyme. For my parte therfore I cannot see but the tyme of the 7th day is more excellent then be the duties of Holinesse and Rest in the tyme if these duties be not considered absolutly and in relation to God but respectiuly as subseruient to the tyme. Holinesse consider of it only as a dutie of first Table in this branch of praising and lauding God in an acknowledgment of his power and wisedome and goodnesse c. so reflecting Gods holy workes and attributes vpon himselfe now consider as the Heauens declare the glory of God Ps 19.1 So thinke on that 7th day as the Prophet Dauid speakes of dayes in generall v. 2. Day vnto day vttereth the same too or Day after Day as Aynsworth obserueth so then if dayes doe vtter the glory of God and shew forth his handy vvorkes reflecting vnto God and declaring the same to men then doubtlesse the 7th day Sabbath hath a kinde of secret speech vnto and praise of God by reflection vnto God and declaration vnto man the whole worke of creation done vpon the 6. dayes before shewing forth these Attributes of Gods wisedome power and goodnesse manifested in those dayes and surely this day doth more compleatly in its kinde reflect and giue God the full glory of his worke of creation then can any man vvho because he knowes things by halues can speake of them but by peeces well ther is some thing in this though I vvill not be curious nor stand vpon it 2. As for Holinesse as prayer prayses and the like I consider of it absolutly or relatiuly Absolutly without reference to any speciall tyme as a parte of Gods worship and seruice and so I graunt it may be greater then the 7th day tyme relatiuly as t is employed to the 7th day to honour it withall and thus it is not so great nor excellent I explaine my selfe by this simile a sonne hath a booke of his deceased father for his fathers sake he is so in loue with the booke as he will put vpon it siluer ot goulden claspes silkin strings double gild it other cost to the double or treble value of the book if now you demaunde whither the booke or the cost be the more excellent why sure the cost is the greater in it selfe considered and not as made seruiceable to the booke but the booke is the greater and more excellent in that for the bookes sake he begildeth it and puts on all that cost So as this Sonne gildeth and bewtifieth the booke because it was his fathers just so the Lord God blessed and sanctified the 7th day because that in it he had rested Genes 2.3 Exod. 20.11 The reason then mouing God to adorne and bewtify the 7th day so with Holines and Rest was because God had once rested on that day so as the 7th day was not set apart for holinesse sake but holinesse at this tyme was appointed for the 7th dayes sake Euen as Angles are ministering Spirites for our sakes and so are inferiour to men in some respects that is as they be attendants to vs yet further to this end see the 4th Comm where in the first place the Sabbath is commanded Remember the Sabbath day and as the cheif thing aimed at it is twice mentioned vvhereas Holines is but once named yea doth not the very order of the words and manner of vttering them importe the same like as if one should say to his seruant remember such a booke that you saue it and lay it vp carefully or that you gilde it and bewtifye it with the finest gould c. would not a man think by these words that all the seruants care and diligence and cost about the booke were for the booke and lesse than the booke in worth and excellency why iust in such frame of words the Lord deliured the 4th Comm Remember the Sabbath day that you sanctify it the which sanctifying the day is the adorning and the bewtifying of it I conclude if any man of better judgement think that so much is not to be attributed to the day and tyme as these my words importe yet I thinke these things considered he vvill judge there is much more in the tyme that by Gods ordinance then is commonly thought on and so as euery sleightie probable argument and curiouse distinction should not force a man to abolish this sacred Day and prophane this tyme me thinks we should sticke more closse to Gods Commandements than so God hath left vs but 10. Com and they be the rule of our life a light to our feet and lanthorne to our paths and that according whereto we shall be adiudged at that last day Mat. 25.34.35 Iam. 2.12 how should we contend for the maintenance of this truth which was once giuen vnto vs not suffering any of these 10. lightes to be extinguisht no nor any one of thē to be eclipsed in least degree nor enduring that any one linke be broken from this chain no nor so much as the least peece or percell from any of the linkes but that we mainteine them in the full weight and measure that euer they had not so much as the day or tyme once altred or changed remembring Deut. 12.32 vvhatsoeuer I command you c. thou shalt put Nothing there to nor take any thing there from and Galat. 3.10 Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the Law And so I haue done with exposition of this 4th Comm. The 7th day Sabbath is not abolished THat vvith the more culler of truth they might abolish the Sabbath day many haue taken in hand out of a sincere affection to their knowledge as I verily perswade my selfe yeelding too much confidence to antiquity and trust to the labours of our worthy forefathers in this point to make one of Gods tenne and morall Commandements namly the 4th to be partly Morall partly Ceremoniall a thing at first hearing very strange that of 10. only one should so farre differ in kinde from its fellowes when all vvere equally and a like deliuered by the immediate and audible voice of God and written all a like together by the finger of God in Tables of stone vvhich no ceremony vvas Nay vvhich is worce yet that not one whole commandement is said to be ceremoniall but only one peece of that one commandement is a ceremony as if one of the linkes of this chaine vvere partly gould partly lead whereas all the rest were pure gould what were this but to suppose our God to plough in his field with an oxe and
Argument is because there can be no day for a Sabbath vveekly and ordenarily but the 7th day and it may thus be framed If no day of the 7. can be Sabbath vveekly but the 7th day Then must the 7th day now be Sabbath day But no day of the 7. can be Sabbath weekly but the 7th day Therfore must the 7th day now be Sabbath day the consequence is cleere of it selfe and needs no proofe to him that howlds there ought to be a Sabbath as we all doe The Minor I thus proue because God without repeale or exception hath commanded vs or at least permitted and freely giuen vs leaue to labour and vvorke and doe all that we haue to doe in those 6. dayes whichgoe next before the Sabbath or 7th day Exod. 20.9.11 sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke for in sixe dayes the Lord made Heauen Earth c. so then we may worke vpon the Lords day or any other of the sixe dayes and that by Gods authority by his Morall Law neither may it be thought that this branch of the 4th Comm is repealed for the 6. dayes for labour were neuer made typicall and ceremoniall these were neuer shadowes of Chtist yea the Lords day it selfe vvas neuer excepted for Christ himselfe after his resurrection did both trauaile vpon the first day of the 6. namly the Lords day a matter of 15. myles and also approued of the like facte in the two disciples by his iournying together with them to Emmaus that day Luk. 24.13 as hath beene more largly declared in the former parte of this booke now looke what Christ did the like we may doe safely follow me as I follow Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 said Paul so then Christs example is our pattorne and president so as we may worke still vpon the first day of the weeke or on the Lords day if then we may work vpon any of the 6. dayes then are we not tyed to keep any of those dayes a Sabbath in resting from vvorke If any shall thinke we now keepe the 7th day and that day which followeth these dayes labour to him I say that our Lords day vvhich we keepe is the 8th day or first day in the vveeke by Diuine accounte and the 6. dayes labour spoken of in 4th Com are those 6. dayes vvhich goe next before our Saturday for those are the dayes we are to imitate God by working in them since we all confesse Saturday was the 7th day and that day whereon God rested after his 6. dayes work and since vve confesse those were the dayes the Jewes till and at Christs death did labour in 6. My 6th Argument is because God must haue one day in euery 7. dayes from the creation to the vvorlds end and it may be thus framed If God must haue one day in euery 7. dayes for a Sabbath Then must he haue Saturday the 7th day for a Sabbath and not Sunday the first day of the vveeke But God must haue one day in euery 7. dayes for a Sabbath Therfore must God haue Saturday the 7th day for a Sabbath and not Sunday the first day of the vveeke For the Minor it is confessed of all and it may be proued by the 4th Comm vvhere the Lord said Remember the Sabbath that is euery Sabbath Againe The 7th day is the Sabbath that is euery 7th day is the Sabbath like as Thou shalt not kill that is euery thou Loue thy neighbour that is euery neighbour c. For the Maior I proue its consequence Saturday the 7th day it being the last day of that vveeke if you omitte it making a change for you say that day is changed and if so then it is omitted by just consequence giue God Sunday the first day of the next vveeke for it then it is plaine God hath not a Sabbath in euery vveeke or 7. dayes for the wanted one Sabbath in that vveeke wherin the change vvas made from Saturday to Sunday now this lacke and want of a Sabbath in that vveeke can no wayes be supplied but by returning backe to giue God Saturday the 7th day againe So then if God must haue one day in euery 7 you must giue him Saturday which is the last of 7. vvithout any change to the day after or else you both deny that in practise vvhich euery man houldes in judgement to wit that God must haue one day in euery 7. and also liue in the breach of the 4th Com vvhich enioyneth euery 7th day neither vvill it serue your turne to say this change vvas made by others many 100. yeeres a gone for so long as you vphould their day and change you treade in their steppes and justify their facte and are accessary to it 7. My 7th argument is because God had expresly commanded vs the 7th day Sabbath in his Morall Law it may be thus framed Whatsoeuer God hath commanded in this Morall Law that is now in force But the 7th day Sabbath God hath commanded in his Morall Law Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is now in force For the Minor see it expresly proued Exod. 20.8.10 Exod. 23.12 Exod. 31.14.15 Exod. 35.2 Exod. 16.29 Leuit. 23.3 vvhere both the Sabbath day is commanded and likewise the 7th day is commanded equally and if any shall answere a 7th day is commanded but not the 7th day I referre him to my exposition vpon the 4th Comm and vnto the 2d thing ther in vvhere I haue sufficiently proued that God pointed at one singular vvell knowne day from all others and left vs not at rouers to take any day For the Maior namely that vvhatsoeuer God hath commanded in his Morall Law that is now in force this Maxime is so Orthodoxe as it should trouble the conscience of any man once to heare it questioned fearing men hereby goe about to serue God by halues and by peeces to take and to leaue out vvhat they lost not hauing respect vnto all Gods Commandements the very naming and mention that a thing is commanded and that in the 10. Commandements it beares downe all contradiction Hereby vve controule the Atheist the Papist the vaine swearer the Sabbath breaker the disobedient childe the murtherer adulterer theife false witnes bearer and the couetuouse person but now if any begin to question this truth and once to make one breache the flood of iniquity vvill flowe in amaine and if any exception be giuen vvay too for the 7th day commanded vnder what pretense soeuer why other sinners and prophane persons will and may be looke for the like and so the vvhole Law shall be of no force to binde vs now vvhy may not the Papist cauile against 2d Com and say that I indeed it forbad Images to the Jewes but not to Christians vvhy may not the Atheist cauill at first Command Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy hart Matt. 22.37 I sayes he this belongs not to vs for t is impossible so intirely to loue God as with all
in the sequel of the chapter which Christ expoundeth be only Morall Lawes and not Ceremoniall Lawes why should it be thought here should be any Ceremoniall Lawes meant anddoe vve not vse to restraine generall words vnto the subiect matter of the text and context vvere it not a racking of the vvord Law Heb. 7.12 to vnderstand it of all Lawes Morall and Ceremoniall vvhere the subiect matter doth occasion vs to limite it to the Leuiticall Ceremoniall Law I cōfesse Mat. 5.17 there the word Prophetes added to the vvord Jewe thinke not I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophetes c. but I see no reason why the word Prophetes should haue any aime at the Ceremoniall Law more then the vvord Law in vers 18. for the Prophetes vvere exercised about the Morall Lavv in vrging and expounding it as Matth. 22.40 yea since we finde this phrase of The Law and Prophetes to be applied to the Morall and not to the Ceremoniall Law by Christ himselfe and that too in the same Sermon as Matth. 7.12 why should it be vrged any larger here 2. By Law here must not be meante the Law Ceremoniall but the Law Morall only for Christ saith he came not to destroy or loosen the Law but to fulfill it vvhich speech cannot be true of the Law Ceremoniall for he came both to destroy or loosen it as by his death and also to fulfill it as in his life and by his death 3. The tyme wherein Christ foretold the duration of this Law was but about a matter of two yeeres before his death at vvhich tyme euery iote and title of the Ceremoniall Lavv vvas to be vtterly destroyed novv would Christ foretell touching this Law that it should endure as long as the Heauens and the Earth when as with in two or three yeeres after it vvas to be abolished nay what likelihoode is there that Christ would conioyne the Morall the Ceremoniall Law together touching duration as if they vvere both equally and a like to last and to vanish together A 2d answere is that the duration of the Law here is but vntill Christs passion which they would ground from those vvords Mat. 5.18 Till all things be fulfilled to this I say 1. This thwarteth and crosseth Christs vvords in the precedent v. 17. I came not to destroy or loosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Law c. but if the Law had retained its force but till his death then Christ came to destroy or loosen the Law for it must be his death or nothing that altred the Law and vvhat vvas done by his death that he came to doe 2. This sense were to make Christ words senselesse as if in former parte of the verse he should vowe not one iote of the Law shall passe vntill heauen and earth passe that is not vntill this worlds end and instantly should adde vntill all things be fulfilled that is vntill a two or three yeeres hence 3. The Law is to last after Christs passiō as is plaine by that of Paul Ro. 3.31 wher be saith fayth doth not make the Law of none effect nor they the Apostles of Christ but they established the Law now this was after Christs passion and indeed the Law must be in force to this day to shew vs our fine and to bringe vs to Christ Gal. 3.24 further all things shall not be fulfilled vntill the mistery of God be fulfilled Reuel 20.7 and vntill Christi seconde coming Act. 3.21 and 1. Cor. 15.24.25.26.54 c. A 3d answere is that some iotes of the Law are passed and doe not bind vs now as the preface to the Commandements I am the Lord thy God that brought the out of the Land of Egypt and as the promise to the 5th Comm That thy dayes may be long in the land which the Law thy God giueth thee th one of these concerned Egypt the other Canaan and both concerned the Iewes but neither of them concernes vs Christians Ergo Here vnto I say 1. neither of these doe nor euer did binde any for these be but reasons and motiues to obedience of the Commandements they be no commandements since they command or forbid nothing only they be appartenances to the Commandements so the Law whereof Christ spake may stand still as a Law though these motiues faile for God can moue vs to obedience by other motiues Euangelicall as Rom. 12.1 and though these motiues vvere failed yet vvere no parte or iote of the Law failed or passed since these motiues were nor Law nor parte or iote of the Law Againe 2. it cannot be said that thes 2. motiues be failed to this day for looke to vvhome they did at first belonge to the same nation and people they doe at this day belonge that is to the people of the Iewes for the deliuerance out of Egypt is yet true of their people and ought still to be a motiue to them euen to the vvorlds end so then though that reason concerneth not vs yet is it not failed since it is in force as largly as euer to the Iewe vnto vs Christians it did neuer belonge for that other annexed to the 5th Com I see not but that may be generall to all nations 9. My 9th Argument is because the Sabbath day is a meanes to keepe in memory the miraculouse worke of the creation this argument is taken out of Exod. 31.16.17 and thus it may be framed That thing vvhich vvas a speciall meanes and helpe of Gods appointement to keepe in his church the memory of that memoriable and renoumed worke of his to wit the creation of this world That thinge and meanes ought now and for euer to be in vse in Gods Church But the 7th day Sabbath was that speciall meanes and help of Gods appointement to keep in his Church the memory of that memorable renoumed vvorke of his to wit the ereation of this warld Therfore the 7th day Sabbath ought now and for euer to be in vse in Gods Church For proofe of the Maior there is no man in our Church but freely confesseth that both now and for euer there ought to be an honourable admirable and thankfull remembrance of Gods workmanship in the creation of this world as well as was in the dayes of Moses and of ould if then it be granted that there ought now to be a memory kept thereof why should it not be granted also that that speciall help and meanes ordeined once of God for that end should now be in force and in vse 2. There was neuer any helpe or meanes once appointed to keep memory of the vvorlds creation which was afterwards abolisht and if none were abolished then euery one that once vvas remaineth still true it is some Sabbathes were abolished as in Col. 2.16.17 but we must know there vvere 2. sortes of Sabbathes there were Sabbathes vvhich were shadowes or signes of the Redemption the body whereof vvas Christ annuall yeerly Sabbaths these indeed be abolisht by this text