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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16567	A defence of that most ancient and sacred ordinance of Gods, the Sabbath day Consequently, and together with it. 2. A defence of the iiijth commandement. 3. A defence of the integrity and perfection of the Decalogue, morall law, or X. commandements. 4. A defence also of the whole and intire worship of God, in all the partes thereof, as it is prescribed, in the first table of the Decalogue. 5. A discouery of the superstition, impurity and corruption of Gods worship; yea, and idolatry, committed by multitudes, in sanctifying the Lords day, for a Sabbath day, by the iiijth commandement. Vndertaken against all anti-Sabbatharians, both of Protestants, Papists, Antinomians, and Anabaptists; and by name and especially against the X ministers, ... by Theophilus Brabourne.	Brabourne, Theophilus, b. 1590.	1632 (1632)	STC 3473; ESTC S120442	538,800	670

the priests lipps should preserue knowledge they should seeke the law at his mouth Mal. 2.7 therfore I haue hitherto advised people to repaire to theire Ministers for direction information in this point but vpon better aduisment I shall recant that I vvill doe so no more for I finde theire Testimonyes affirmations protestations in this point false t is true the Priests lippes should of right preserue knovvleg but I find they doe destroy knowledg it may be saied of them as the Lord saied of those Priests But yee are gone out of the way yee haue caused many to fall by the law Mal. 2.8 iust so our Ministers novv a dayes if the people goe to them for instruction in this 4th com they shall haue destruction the lavv shall be so expounded as they will cause men to fall by the lavv saying the lavv commandeth the Lords day for Sabbath not the 7th day vvhich is as false as false can be 2. I finde theire Testimony insufficient therefore I shall no more aduise peopleto take theire Ministers counsaile in this matter I come then to shevv the insufficiency of our Ministers Testimony In an approued alovvable testimony 3. things are required the vvant of any one vvhereof doth nullify the testimony as all Diuines vvill confesse the first is wisedome for hovv can he be thought to giue a right true verdict that is ignorant the 2d is honesty for hovv can vve hope he should giue a true verdict that is dishonest the 3d is Good will for hovv can vve expect that he should spake that trueth vvhich he knovveth vvhich is an enemy to it this euill will to the cause wil not permit him to vtter his knowledge to the furtherance of it or if he doth speake it he wil deliuer it in such equiuocall doubtfull words manner as a man shall be neuer the better for it For the 2d of these properties to wite honesty for I wil begine with the second I grant it to be in our Ministers be it they be all godly religiouse yet this is but one of the properties of a vvarrantable Testimony Neuerthelesse because many people plead much the honesty of their Ministers saying they are godly holy very zealouse men c. for my parte if I could be moued to question theire honestie here is cause enough for what greater cause can there be to moue one to suspect theire zeale to be ignorance their holinesse to be hollovvnesse fained then to heare them speake or dispute against Gods word ordinance against an expresse com in the morall law a man wold thinke that man can not be sound at the core heart that dares oppose god that vnnecessarily the which they doe that oppose his commanded Sabbaths For the first of these properties to wit wisedome I graunt they haue wisedome learning enough to vnderstand this point but haue they employed this their wisedome learning in the impartiall serch of this point for the finding of it out for take a wise learned mans testimony in any Arte or in any point about Druinity wherein he is not studied he is like an vnlerned man as Sampson when his Lockes were cut he was weake like an other man Now be it that they haue neuer so much learning wisedome yet since they haue not imployed theire wisdome learning for the finding out of this point what auaileth it that they are wise lerned for in this matter they are neither wise nor learned because they haue vsed neither of thē in this study that this is so appeareth from theire own cōfessiō for some of the very chiefe principall of thē haue confessed vnto mee others vnto my frends who haue related it truly to mee that they haue saied that they haue studied indeed to maintaine A Sabbath day out of the 4th com but whither it should be vpō the 7 day or the 8th day on the Saturday or on the Sunday this point neuer came into their minds to study it well then if it hath not bene studied by the chiefe of them that haue bone the most studious serching it must be yeelded that the residue of them haue much more ouerskipt it tell me then if the sayings of these men against this point of the Lords Sabbaths be to be regarded when as it is a point vvhich never so much as came in to their minds to study it Let people no more boast of the vvisdome lerning of theire Ministers then nor yet of theire Multitud c. that they all whith one voice haue cried out spake against the Lords Sabbaths as ceremonies can a blind man iudge of cullers or a wise man speake of what he is ignorant of let people no more therfore rely vpon the wisdome lerning of their Ministers in this point but let them imitate those noble Bereans Act. 17. Let them serch the Scriptures daily to see if these things I tender vnto them be so or no and this is one cause vvhy I reiect the verdict of our Ministers in this point because it wanteth one of the properties of a warrantable testimony to vvit the vse of their wisdome lerning hereby it appeareth also vpon what poore grownds our common people haue hither to gone in relying their soules in this matter vpon their Ministers zeale holinesse learning vvhat if they be neuer so zealous holy pure lerned it is but a zeale vvithout knowledge vvhich speaketh of things not soundly studied And so I come to the 3d property namely good will this propertie of a warrantable testimony our Ministers want for they haue no good vvill at all to the cause but all euill vvill that may be witnesse all their words and deedes in about this matter if a man hath a cause to be tried before the Iudge by 12 Iury men if he suspecteth some one of the 12 to be his enemy they say it is lawfull for him to except against that mā for that cause the Iudge vvill cause that man to be drawne and an other to be svvorne in his roome vvhich declareth that a man suspected to haue no good will is not esteemed a sit man to determine of a controuercy Now that there is cause for vs to suspect most Ministers to haue euill vvill to this cause of Gods Sabbaths appeareth 1. by their vvords and deeds to the contrary among others let those many slaunders reprochfull speeches and hard vsages which they haue vsed against mee for defending this cause of Gods let these I say testify whither they be friends or enemies to the cause 2. There is great cause to suspect they will be no friends to the cause because all their liues long hitherto they haue taught the people to the contrary to vvit that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished and if novv they should be friends to this cause they must vnteach vvhat

Lords Sabbaths for the abolishing them for they haue none necessarily prouing that point nor can it be the strength of Scriptures for the alteration of the day for they haue none to that purpose neither wherefore it must needs follow that the eyes of their reason are blinded with some sinister by respects or other I will propound some let their owne hartes iudge whither I haue hit the marke or not Many looke vpon the antiquity of the pointe rather then vpon Gods Commandement verely beleeuing the abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath the erecting of the Lords day Sabbath cannot possible be an errour it is so auncient as if errour could no be ancient Many looke vpon the vniuersality of the point an other Popish argument verily beleeuing it cannot possibly be an errour vvhich is so vniuersally receiued espetially many of them being religiouse Godly men as if a Godly man could not erre Many looke vpon the learning of such as haue professed it an other Popish argument as if lerned men could not erre Thus they that looke asquint at thes by respectes when they goe to iudg of the case in question rather then at those 4 maine things euen novv propounded to be considered in Gods 4th Com. it is no maruaile they cannot see the vvood for Trees Many looke before they will reade my booke or scane the point at the vtter impossibility of any reformation as if our dayes vvere vvorse then euer were any before therfore they haue no mind to vnderstand it thus they looke vpon Gods matters vvith carnall eyes vvho in other cases teach men to doe their duety leaue the successe to God should all men treade their steppes they would make all sure against any reformation since they vvill receiue no information Some are of opinion that God will vvincke at vs as he did at the Patriarks hauing many vviues since it is the practise of all Churches to doe as we doe therfore they vvill goe on regardlesse of any further knowledge of the point But such men may liue in adultery at this day vpon the same growndlesse opinion if but many others would consent ioyne vvith them in this wicked practise so as they might but haue this plea that all men doe so or that all Curches doe so I would not be thought to speake at rouers to guesse only in these obiections by respectes at what men may think for these myne eares haue heard men make the most of these obiections which here I propound Many before they vvill open the doore of their vnderstanding to this point first cast in their mindes vvhat a scandale it vvill be to their Ministry vvhat a discredit to their persones that they haue misledd the people so long therfore iudge it better to goe on still as they haue begunne they shall answer all a swell as theire forefathers vvho haue done the like and their people shall get to heauen in this wrong vvay as well as the people of former times did therfore they will none of the knowledge of this point but I should think people would more relye vpon their Ministers honestie fidelity credit their Ministry more if they saw them so farre to neglect themselues their credit as for Gods glorie the good of their people to reueale a trueth to them though it crosse what they had formely taught them Many thinke what shall I learne what I that haue thaught others novv in myne old age it is better to hould this for an errour so to reiect all thoughts of it but I should esteme that man not worthy to teach others vvho scorneth to learne of others Many thinke if they should giue any way to the knovvledge of this point they should but disturb the peace of the Church vve are novv at a swete concord it is better therfore to be ignorant of it c. But by this reason vve might haue remained all Papists vnto this day for had our forefathers vpon this grownd reiected Luthers doctrine had vve not all bene deeply guilty still of the syne breach of the second Com. Popish Idolatry yea what I pray is this better then grosse temporizing pleasing of the times Many thinke possibly it may come to passe that the profession of this point may cost them losse or hazard of their liuings wherby they are now comfortable maintained therfore it is good not to be first in the knovvledge profession hereof they think they may know it soone enough 10 or 20 yeeres hence to their cost let others breake the yee in the meane time But these men set more by a good liuing then by a good conscience they loue to serue God but it shall be no further then they may serue theire owne turnes they will serue God if they be suer once it will cost them nothing Many thinke it is not safe to be acquainted with this point least it intangle their consciences c. But thes men vvhilst they seeme to be of tender consciences bewray they haue no conscience or very corrupt consciences for if they had any conscience or any good conscience vvould it suffer them to refuse such a light in to Gods Lavv as vvould cause them to make a conscience of it were Gods Lawes and the knowledg of them made think you to intangle mens consciences doe not Ministers people both pray vse meanes to increase in knovvledge of Gods Lavvs are they novv afraid of the knowledge them when of tendred vnto them least their consciences should be intangled with them Many thinke happily it is a trueth it vvere not amisse if it vvere preformed for vve haue little to say for our Lords day as little against the Sabbathday but that such a meane obscure fallow as this Brabourne is vvho is such such vve knovv him vvell enough both vvhat he is vvhat he was c. that such a one should attempt this reformation our Spirits cannot brooke it But bretheren I haue often still doe vvish vnfeinedly in many respectes that God had put it into the harte of some other man an eminent person to haue informed in this case that so my meanenesse should haue bene no impediment to the progresse of Gods cause but God is vvont to glorify himselfe by weake instruments that so the praise may be to God not to the instrumēt that our times are no changlinges that they differ not from former times shall appeare by a storie I reade of in Peter Heylyns Microcosmos pag. 291. where it is thus reported In the time of Luthers reformatiō one Matheo Langie A Cardinal A Byshop of A Bishopricke of the greatest reuenews of any in all Germany ingenuously confessed that the Masse was not void of its faultes that the Courts of Rome were corrupted that a generall reformation of the liues of priests fryers was necessary But that a poore rascall Munke

Euangelists after Christs resurrection calling the day before our Sunday or first day of the vveeke vvhich is Saturday the Sabbath day vvherefore if here after your Ministers vvill misapply the 4th com to the Lords day beleeue them not for you see all the 4 Euangelists call Saturday the Sabbath day not Lords day the Sabbath day and the 4th com is for that day only which is named Sabbath day as you may see by reading it The rather this is to be noted because such a mistake of one day for an other in a bond may forfeit your bond as in case through a mistake you carry your money in the 8th day of the moneth when it is due on the 7th day of the moneth now the 4th com is a bond wherein man stands bound vnto God to pay his diuine seruice on the 7th day of the weeke but if he delaies vntill the 8th day I dare assure him that he hath forfeited vvith God and broken the bond of the 4th comm For this bond is not due and payable on the 8th but on the 7th day Looke to it as you vvill Thus much for the name now we come to the thing and question it selfe SECT II. For the better scaning of this point whither the Lords day be a Sabbath day or not by Gods ordinance I purpose to handle 2 maine questions the one is whither euery first day of the weeke euery Sunday euery Lords day be a Sabbath day or not and here hereafter I purpose to let it goe for granted them for argument sake that euery Sunday is may be called Lords day vvhich yet can neuer as you haue seene be proued by the Scriptures the other is whither any one Sunday first day of the vveeke or Lords day be a Sabbath day or not Touching which questions let it be obserued and I dare say it that Papists can say as much out of the Scriptures in defence of that Fable of the Fyer in Purgatory as can be said in defence of the Lords day to be a Sabbath day Touching the former question that euery Lords day must be a Sabbath day constantly if they cannot proue this constancy that euery Sunday must be a Sabbath day then it vvill follovv that we are not now tied to keepe a Sabbath once euery weeke but onely sometimes as once in a quarter of a yeere or halfe a yeere or once in a yeere or the like and so the life and soule of this nevv Sabbath is extinguished and as good as vanished That it may appeare vvhat they can make good this vvay I vvill produce you all their textes of Scripture out of vvhich they must proue this point if it can be proued and if it shall appeare that none of those Scriptures vvill afforde any ground for a constant vveekly Sabbath then you vvill say with me that they goe groundlesly to vvorke when they vrge a constant keeping of the Lords day The first of their Textes is the 4th Com. Exod 20.8 But to this Text I answer that it is true in deed that the 4th Comm. doth call for a weekly Sabbath but this Text hath nothing at all to doe with the Lords day as shall be showne fully in the next question wherefore this Text is not to the purpose A second Text they haue it is Reuel 1.10 I was in the Spririt on the Lords day to this Text I answer admit for argument sake that this Lords day whereon S. Iohn receiued his Reuelation vvere a Sabbath day and that this name Lords day did impley so much yet can it not be proued from hence that euery Sunday and euery first day of the weeke was a Sabbath day all that can be gathered out of this Text is but to proue one day a Sabbath day and namely that one day which vvas called Lords day in this Text if it could be certainly found out which day of the weeke it was As hath bene showne it cannot be proued that euery first day of the the weeke is in Scripture called Lords day vvherefore it cannot be proued that any more first dayes of the weeke are Sabbaths then are called in Scripture Lords day and that is but one day in a yeere onely or the like Further it will not follow neither from the name or nature of the Sabbath day that if the Lords day be a Sabbath day then it must be a weekly Sabbath day as in the 4th Com. for there vvere weekely Sabbaths and yeerly Sabbaths also in the Lavv novv since they hold the vveekly Sabbaths ceremonies a svvell as the yeerly Sabbaths how kno● they vvhither of those two sortes of Sabbaths S. Iohns vvas vvherin he receiued his Reuelation for it might be a yeerly Sabbath A third Text they haue that is Ps 118.24 This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it To this Text I ansvver as before admit for argument sake that this day must be a Sabbath day yet as vve say one svvallovv maketh not a Sommer so one Sabbath day maketh not a constant practise this Text can make vvay for no more Sabbaths then one in a yeere or one in a mans life time for Dauid had but one day in his life time in vvhich he vvas Crovvned King nor had Christ here typed by Dauid any more dayes for his Resurrection then one so still here is nothing for the constancy of a vveekly Sabbath day A fourth text they haue and that is Act. 2. vvhere vpon the day of Pentecost Peter preached and conuerted 3000 soules c. To this Text I ansvver as before admite this day must needs be a Sabbath day because here vvas a Sermon in it yet vvhat is this for a constancy for a continued practise● it doth not follovv that because Peter preached this one time here vpō pentecost day that therfore he preached euery Lords day euery Sunday or First day of the vveeke after vveekly can it be showne vvhere Peter preached the next Lords day or Sunday after this day of pentecost or can it be shovvne that euer Peter preached any vvhere and at any time tvvise together vpon tvvo Lords dayes immediatly succeding one an other for it is not enough to shevv that he preached once onely vpon one Lords day but he that vvill proue a constācy must proue a vveekly practise Sunday after Sunday day by day All that can be gathered from Peters Example is but this that vve preach and heare a Sermon once in a yeere at Pentecost day that is on Whit Sunday for on Whit Sunday it is supposed that Peter preached this Sermon A fift Text they haue it is Act. 20.7 vvhere Paul preached at Troas vntill midnight c. vnto vvhich text I ansvver as before be it this day vvere a Sabbath day because Paul preached a sermon then vvhich can neuer be therby proued to be a Sabbath day yet vvhat is this to a constancy this vvas a

be redy to reply say But Sir you giue too great liberty to our people you lay the reines vpon their necke you speake most profanly c. to whom I answer I know indeed that it is full sore against their wills that I haue discouered this secret vnto their people for they had rather haue ploded on in their old errour deceiuing the people still then this light should haue bene seene but for my part I had rather please God then please men Knovving that God cannot away with it that his Ministers shold teach for his Doctrines their owne inventiones Traditiones I Know well that they doe daily reuile me reproch me say all manner of euill against me falfly before their people that so my person being brought into contempt that which I speake against their new Sabbath may be contemned likewise but I desire them to forbeare such vnchristian cuning courses I desire them that they would no more backbite me slaunder me behind my backe vvhere I cannot come to ansvver for my selfe but this is a more faire course vvich I vvill propound vnto them if they thinke in deede in trueth that I haue giuen too greate libertie vnto their people haue done vvrong vnto their nevv Sabbath then let them put pen to paper confute this booke so they shall bevvray to the vvorld that they speake as they thinke vvhen they so bitterly inueigh against me against my booke euery silly creature can say t is an errour t is a foule errour t is an abominable errour t is a wicked booke an hundreth more but I would haue Ministers that are schollers leaue vvords fale to blovves let them confute the booke neither doe I exhorte them to this as a matter at their choise to doe it or not to doe it but I vrge it vpon them as a duetie both to man and to God it is their duetie in respect of men because they haue so confidently taught them that this day is the Sabbath day and that vpon payne of damnation they are bound to sanctify it in conscience of the 4th com vvherefore either they must acknovvledg that they haue bene in an errour labour so soone as they can to reforme it which is parte of amends an argument of an honest minde or else they must defend it that so their people may see that they play not fast loose with them that they teach them no more in the pulpit then they will be redy to defend by their pen if any oppose it I cannot see how they can defend themselues for honest men vnlesse they doe thus it is not enough for them to belch out now then some reprochfull words with a kinde of scorne and disdaine to vilifie the booke the Author of it euery foole can answer a booke so It is also their duetie in respect of God for they say that I am in a foule errour and that the Lords day is a constant Sabbath of Gods institution Well then and will they not defend Gods cause who should stand vp for God if Gods Ministers will not wherefore haue they both their liuings and their office of Ministrie but to manage Gods causes defend them against all oppositions vvill they thinke you giue their liues in defence of this Lords day as they tell their people they will who will not giue their labours to defend it when as Peter the Apostle did but by his example bring in Iudaisme into the Church of Antiochia Paul the Apostle withstood him to his face and reproued him before all men Gal. 2.11.14 If therefore I like Peter haue offended against the Lords day then they like Paul in zeale of Gods glorie should rise vp to confute me before all men else they cannot iustify themselues so farre as I can see to be faithfull in their places and to be followers of the Apostles As for the people me thinke they should neuer cease pressing of their Ministers by these the like arguments to the answer of this booke for the quieting of their consciences and for the cleering of the trueth in this point they should say vnto Archippus take heede vnto the ministerie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4.17 vnlesse they desire to liue in ignorance and errour and in doubt which is the trueth It is true it hath bene reported to me that some of these 10 Ministers haue bene thus moued by their people but they haue returned this answer Wee What wee shall vvee answer his vaine booke let some Cobler Tayler or Shomaker answer it c. and are not these loftie spirits who could forbeare to reproue them openly that knoweth them in an errour in a foule and grosse errour and after sufficient meanes of conuiction tendred vnto them both priuatly publikely and done also in all meeknesse and forbearance for all this they still persist carry it out in the height of pride scorning disdaining him that shall in loue respect vnto their persons admonish them as my former booke will witnesle for me So much be spoken touching the former question wherein you see that they cannot proue it that euery Lords day or Sunday was kept for a Sabbath in the Apostles dayes as now they are SECT III. I come now vnto the second maine question which is to know whither it can be proued that any one Lords day is a Sabbath day by Gods ordinance or not For I deny not only that euery Lords day is a Sabbath constantly and weeke by weeke but also I deny that there is so much as any one Lords day a Sabbath day For the better scaning of this point I will examine all their Scriptures all their reasons which they produce in this case First for their Scriptures I haue reade ouer many the workes and writings of the patrons of this Lords day to see their grownds for it but yet among all the textes of Scripture which they alleage I can no where find a Commandement for it alleaged by them out of any parte of the new Testament and this seemeth to me a straung thing if you demaund of them who is the Authour of this new Sabbath they will tell you Christ in the next place if you demaund of them where Christ left any commandement for it by himselfe or by his Apostles here they are at a non plus they can finde no com for it in all the new Testament no nor any exhortation to keepe it nor promise or threatening to those who keepe or profane it now this at the first entrance doth breede a shrewd suspition that this new Sabbath is but some forgery when there is neither commandement nor exhortation for it in the booke of God neither promise to them who keepe it nor threatening to them who profane it when the old Sabbath was set vp it was done by an expresse Commandement and can there a