day especially in seeing them keepe his Sabbaths spiritually and conscionably Certainely they that doe so shall be sure to be blessed and rewarded of God for it To this purpose it is worth the observing that as our Saviour sayth Marke 2. 27. That the Sabbath was at the first made for man for the great benefit and behoofe of man Man could not no not Adam in Innocency have beene without it but with great danger and losse unto him So the Holy Ghost sayth there twice of the Sabbath Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. 20. 11. that he never said of any other Day That the Lord blessed that Day that is appointed it to be a meane of a greater blessing to man if hee kept it as God had commanded him to doe then any other Day or any of the ordinary workes of any other Day can possibly be Two sorts of blessings there be which the conscionable observer of the Sabbath shall be sure to receive by it 1. The first are spirituall and they indeed are the chiefe blessings of all because they are durable and lasting and because they concerne the Soule which is the chiefe and most pretious part of man And for these was the Sabbath chiefely ordained that God might by it in the use of his Ordinances enrich our Soules with spirituall blessings in Heavenly things So the Lord saith Ez 20. 12. that he gave his Sabbaths to his People to that end that they might know that he was the Lord that sanctified them Wee shall find and know that the Lord will sanctifie us both begin and increase saving grace in our Hearts if wee keepe the Sabbath conscionably Yea the Lord hath promised Isaiah 56. 6. 7. to every one that keepeth his Sabbath from polluting that he will make them joyfull in his House of Prayer And Isaiah 58. 13 14. That if a man shall keepe the Sabbath heartily and spiritually then he shall delight himselfe in the Lord. By these two places it appeareth that God hath bound himselfe by promise to them that keepe his Sabbath not only to worke sanctification increase of holines and power over their corruptions which he professeth in that former place of Ezekiel was the very end he gave his Sabbaths for but also by his spirit of adoption to encrease in their hearts a lively sence of his favour assurance that he heareth and accepteth their Prayers Peace of Conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost which are blessings the Christian Soule prizeth above all things in the World Ob. Why may you say may not a man receive increase of grace and spirituall comfort in the use of Gods ordinances on any other Day but only on the Sabbath Ans. Yes verily but these promises may give him assurance to receive them more richly and plentifully upon the Sabbath then on any other Day 2 The second sorts of blessings that the conscionable observers of the Sabbath receive by it are temporall for concerning them also wee have a promise Isaiah 58. 4. Gen. 18. 13 48. 4. Psa 1. 19. To conclude this point with the authority and judgment of a learned Bishop now living Bishop Hall Decad 6. Epis 1. Gods Day sayth he calleth for another respect then doe common Dayes The same Sunne ariseth on this Day and enlightens it yet because the Sun of righteousnes arose upon it gave a new life unto the World in it and drew the strength of Gods morall precept unto it Therefore justly do wee sing with the Psalmist This is the Day which the Lord hath made Now I forget the World and in a sort my selfe and deale with my wonted thoughts as great Men use who at some time of their privacy forbid the accesse of all suters Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing Preaching Singing good conferences are the businesses of this Day which I dare not bestow on any worke or pleasure but Heavenly I hate superstition on the one side and loosenes on the other But I find it hard to offendin too much Devotion easy in â—rophaneâ—es The whole weeke is sanctifyed by this Day and according to my care of this is my blessing on the rest Broad CHAP. III. I. Whereby the Sabbath was Sanctified THe Sabbath was sanctifyed by resting from worke Thus Zanâ—hy in effect likewise Vicest and D. Boys and this Analysâ—â— naturall Some make two parts the one affirmative the other negative but they are out of the way In the fourth Commandement we have to observe 1. The Commandement it self briefly delivered and is thus Remember the Sabbath to Sanctify it 2. Then followeth the explication in order God shewing what is the Sabbath the seaventh Day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God And after how it is sanctified In it thou shalt not doe any worke I do not write as many doe that the Sabbath was sanctified by praying hearing of word and if thou marvailest thereat see at the end of the Booke 3. A reason is yeelded why God requireth this service For in the sixe Dayes the Lord made Heaven c. Here thou seest that God himselfe being expositor to sanctifie the Sabbath Day is not to doe any worke on the seaventh Day read also Ier 17 24. II. Whereby the Sabbath was profaned The Sabbath was prophaned by worke as Exod 31. 14. Profanare sine vioâ—are vâ—cat â—o die operari perin de at que professo Mart in Math 1â— 8. Every one that defileth the Sabbath shall surely bee put to Death for whosoever doth any Worke therein that Soule shall bee cut off from among his People Further the Sabbath was profaned by the least worke and thus hee prophaned it who only gathered stickes therein As he that â—ateth the least food may be said to breake his fast as well as he that eateth his belly-full So hee that did the lâ—ast worke brake the rest or Sabbath as well as he that laboured all Day Some would have the Sabbath prophaned by Drunkennes Lasciviousnes Dauncing c. In it God said Thou shalt doe noe Worke not in it thou shalt not worship Idols thou shalt not drinke excessively c. for he needed not these things being forbidden by other Commandements Ans 1. If by one Sinne then by another and then every man profaned the Sabbath 2. Any Day in the Weeke was as well defiled by Sinne as the Sabbath for every Day was alike exempt from Sinne. The punishment for prophaning the Sabbath was Death If then such as haunted the Ale-house and the like prophaned the Sabbath as well as he that gathered stickes they should much rather in reason have undergone the punishment Now although the Sabbath was defiled by worke and whosoever wilfully or carefully did any worke therein was to be put to Death Yet in two cases worke was to be done on the Sabbath In what cases the Sabbath might be prophaned 1. In case of necessity Thus the Disciples being hungry pulled the Eares of Corne and rubbed them in their Hands Math 11. which
from other works on that day that hee might bee vacant to works pertaining to the service of God And saith hee yet further servile works as they respect either the service of sin or the service of man doe contrary the observanâ—e of the Sabbath in so much as they hinder mans application to divine things For a closure to perswade the spiritualizing of the Sabbath observe what one speaking of the word remember as it is prefixed to the fourth commandement saith To remember the keeping of the Sabbath saith hee is so to keepe it in mind as to prevent worldly busines falling on that day to desire after it to prepare for it to delight and glory in it as wee doe in those things wee keepe much in remembrance for when hee speaks of remembrance hee cals on us for such affections and actions as become remembrance therefore when God bids you remember the Sabbath hee commands you to desire it Thus David still explainâ— himselfe by the word remember in the Psalmes as Psalme 44. 4. and in other places For it is a rule amongst the Hebrewes in eâ—pounding of Scripture that verbâ— seâ—suâ— cum affectâ—◠〈…〉 so that by remembring the Sabbath wee should desire it delight in it and account the busines and imployment thereof honourable to us glorifying God in the consecrating it to him being joyfull in it and the duties of it both as the soules market day to provide it necessaries like as the Husband man is glad of the market to buy and sell in and as the soules holy-day for to procure it refreshing as Schoole-boies joy in a play-day and not bee weary of the day nor heavily doe the dutieâ— of it Broad CHAP. IV. Wherefore God ordained the Sabbath THe ends and purposes for which God ordained the Sabbath were many 1. That the Israelites might celebrate the memoriall of the Worlds creation as Exod. 31. 〈◊〉 It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for â—ver for in â—ixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seaventh day rested and was refreshed 2. That they might remember their deliverance Consider whether God commanding the Israelites to keepe the Sabbath because hee had brought them out of Egypt this bee an Argument that the Sabbath was then first enjoyned out of Egypt where 〈◊〉 doubt they might not rest any day from their burdens And remember that thoâ— wâ—st a servant in the Land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought theâ— out thence through a mighty hand and outstretchâ—d arme therefore the Lord thy God 〈…〉 3. â— That Servants and 〈◊〉 might rest and bee refreshed after their hard labour in the weeke before as Exod. 23. 12. sixe dayes thou shalt doe thy worke and 〈◊〉 the seaventh day thou shalt rest that thine Oâ—e 〈◊〉 Asse may rest and the Son of thine hand 〈◊〉 and the stranger may bee refreshed 4. That the Israelites might have more leisure to serve God who on this day as also on festivall dayes commanded them to have an holy convocation Sixe dayes shall worke bee done but the seaventh day is a Sabbath of rest and holy convocation Levit. 23. 5. That they might know how that hee was the Lord that did sanctifie them as Exod. 31. 13. Verity my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you 6. By some mens Doctrine the legall Sabbath served to put the Israelites in mind of keeping a spirituall Sabbath as the legall circumcision served to put them in mind of the spirituall circumcision of the heart hereof now in their understanding the Prophet Isaiah speaketh Chap. 58. 13. truly this spirituall Sabbath is the onely Sabbath in the judgement of Augustine Tertullian Chrysotome c. which Christians ought to keepe 7. The legall Sabbath was a type of the heavenly Sabbath it was a shadow of the blessed rest to come of which matter in the next Chap. Answer To the first of these I answer That the Israelites were a people contenting themselves with the outward part not savouring the inward and spirituall strength of things which is naturally the fault of all men till they bee better taught of God and for this reason God ever and anon made the Sabbath to follow as a Counter-checke to their carnall zeale And therefore when the making of the Tabernacle was commanded the Sabbath was even then exempted from its very worke to shew them that it was other worship that hee expected and that they were not to repose their happines and confidence in outward things but in God And as therefore in the time of Mannah hee commanded his Sabbath to shew them how that it was hee and not that which nourished them So likewise when the Tabernacle was commanded the Sabbath was urged upon them in this 31. Exod. to shew them how that it was God and not it that sanctified them And therefore did the one give place to the other So that the end of the Sabbath as it is expressed in this portion of Scripture betweene the 12. and 18. verses seemeth rather to consist in these words of the 13. verse for it is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever that yee may know that I the Lord do sanctifie you Those words which in the 17 verse make mention of the Worlds creation and Gods rest being rather added as a reason in this place to enforce this end For here it is not the meaning of the holy Ghost to discourse of the Sabbath simply but onely occasionally as appeareth by the coherence of the 11. 12. and 13. verses where the Sabbath is urged with a verily or a notwithstanding as it is in the Geneva that though hee had commanded the making of the Tabernacle yet hee would not have them repose their Religion or content in this outward Tabernacle or Temple for God dwelleth not in things made with hands but that they should looke to the spirituall part the Temple of their hearts that they should bee more carefull to build up and keepe that in repaire which did more properly distinguish them to bee the sanctified Israel of God Whosoever therefore is an Israelite indeed let him looke to make good this signe of his sanctification the sanctifying of the Sabbath by spirituall worship and service which doth excellently approve it to his conscience that God hath sanctified him that is chosen him to bee his and thus it is made holy to him as it is phrased in the 14. verse that is a day of blessing and sanctification for therein God bestoweth the best of his blessings because on that day wee are or ought to bee wholly imployed in the best of his ordinances such as belong to our soules and not to our bodies Therefore ought not this day to bee defiled with bodily imployments by such as are the Israel of God but to bee dedicated from earthly
also of the Kingdome of Heaven Answer In the 4. of Hebrewes it is beyond the Apostles scope to treate upon the sanctification of the Sabbath for that there he only disputeth upon the typicall use of it So that thence I easily grant you the significary or typicalnes of the Sabbaths rest even from the beginning so you take it not in a Iewish sence as abrogative by Christ his first comming for though Christ then came to destroy the ceremoniall Law yet came hee to fulfill the Morall Law in which the Sabbath hath his seate and whose typicalnes doth not so properly relate to Christ or to our present Rest in him as to our Rest in Heaven * As appeareth in the 4 Hev where by Gods 6 Dayes worke and reâ—ting on the seaventh i signified the travell of Mans Life and his Rest in Heaven if he be of the People of God and thus hath eveu Christ himselfe rested before us as is there also specified is partaker as well as procurer of the benefit of this Type which in Innocency wee were capable of without him although that now our capacity and interest in that Rest being lost and only recovered in and through Christ it may by accident referre to Christ as the Tree of Life is made to doe because he is become our Intermedium to that Rest which yet at first it signified without him and thus is Marriage made a Type of Christ and his Church which in Innocency was properly a Type of the Vnion and Vnity betweene God and his Church immediately till sinne made a divorce and therefore are they not as other Types occasionally taken up and occasionally laid downe but begun as I may say before Christ and shall end after him that is when hee shall give up his Kingdome into the hands of his Father to whom the Creation being appropriated this Type of the Sabbath being grounded thereupon must needs begin and end in him Yet so as that by reason of Christs intervention and the new Creation which he hath made it is by accident of use also towards him because that in and by him only wee now enjoy this Rest and are given in Marriage unto God So that if wee can here prove our Rest and Marriage unto him by Fayth then are wee inchoatively possessed of our everlasting Rest and Marriage which shall be consummated with God in Heaven * whereof these two Institutions in Innocency were figures Touching the time of Adams Fall for my part I cannot thinke it was before Gods seaventh Day and my reason is from Moses his method for he putteth it after and yet I doe beleeve hee never kept Sabbath in Innocency but fell before his owne seaventh Day Touching Adams deprivation I answer That although it be evident by Scripture and the fiery Sword that Adam was deprived of Paradice and the Tree of Life as being properly annexed to the Commandement concerning the Tree of Good and Evill yet doth not the same appeare concerning the Sabbath for that it did partake as well of duty as of commodity and was a coadjutor to the Law of nature besides we see it renewed in its proper kind and upon its primitive reason which the other are not but exempt by a fery Sword also wee see the Scripture saith the Sabbath was made for Man which indefinitely signifieth all Mankind though properly the People of God For God having still a People he hath for them a Rest in Heaven towards which the Sabbath is as helpfull as the Sacrament of the Lords supper is to our Faith in Christ. For as one sayth Even now in this marveilous light of the Gospell wee have our divine Ceremonies and Sacraments God reserving the greatest for the Kingdome of glory Broad 3. The Sabbath was a shadow of our blessed Rest in Heaven SAint Paul saying Coloss 2. that Meate Drinke Holy-dayes and Sabbaths are a shadow of things to come doth not there tell us of what things to come they are a shadow And the only place in my knowledge whereby wee may gather of what the Sabbath was a shadow is Heb 4. by which Chapter it appeareth that the Sabbath was a shadow or Type of the Rest in Heaven The Rests or Sabbaths mentioned in that chapter are three one the first seaventh Day verse 4. another the Land of Canaan verse 8. a third the Kingdome of Heaven verse 9. of the latter Rest the two former were shadowes Some tell us of a legall spirituall and Heavenly Sabbath and the legall with them was a Type of both the other which I dislike not Answer You may well imagine of what things to come Paul meaneth in that 2. Coloss if you consider the context for after he had handled Circumcision both in its Type and Antitype then he concludeth of other things of that nature in these words let no man therefore condemne you in Meat or Drinke c. As if he had said like as Circumcision so all things of that nature and institution are extinguished through Christ the substance of these shadowes and the end of these Ceremonies Amongst whichby an Argument ex non concessis you would draw in the Weekly Sabbath to bee one as if the Iewes had not other Sabbaths which more properly are to bee reckoned in that number and yet confesse it to signifie our Rest in Heaven and to have none other signification but that which signification is still in force also as wee see in the 4. of Hâ—b which properly is true of none of the abrogated Shadowes Which signification I say is still in force and consequently the Sabbath for how should it be other seeing that they are Christs owne words Math 5. 18. That till Heaven and Earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all bee fulfilled Now how can the Sabbath be abrogated seeing by your owne confession it signifieth our Rest in Heaven which is not yet fulfilled nor will not be till the second comming of Christ. whereas the Iewish Types therefore vanished at the first comming of Christ because they received the fulfilling in him properly and adequately But perchance it will be objected Obâ— That the abolishment of all the signes of the Old Testament was by this that Christ hath actually acquired all the benefits figured by them though the Elect inherit them not yet totally and perfectly and thus he hath also acquired the benefit of the Sabbaths signification for us though not yet accomplished it to us I answer 1. It is true that the benefits of both are acquired by Christ Answ. but in a different kind For the Iewish Types were since the Fall created de novo for his sake to shadow him forth and so he properly accomplisheth and soe abolisheth them Coloss 2. 17. * Whence D. Taylor observes in his Christ revealed pag 4 But this of the Sabbath was created in the beginning and was since then things so falling out by the Fall only
renewed for his sake like as was the Law also for God makes them go hand in hand and so should wee to the end that both of them may appeare 1 That as the body is the cause of the shadow so Christ was the cause of those Ceremonies by the accident of our Fall to bee now only fulfilled and accomplished on our behalfes through and by Christ. 2 That as the shadow representeth the shape of the body with the actions and motions sod those rites and Ceremonies resemble Christ in all his actions passions motions I say 2 ly It may as well bee said that the whole Law is utterly abolished by Christ as the Sabbathâ— for that he hath fulfilled the righteousnes therof for us and yet we know that to us under the Gospell the Law is still binding in a Gospell sence requiring a willing and an upright though not an absolute and perfect obedience unto it And so are we to celebrate a Gospell Sabbath though not the last of seaven as expecting Rest by workes yet the first day of seaven as having and expecting Rest by Christ for still the Law and the Sabbath fate alike So that as one sayth Christ hath both accomplished and abolished the Ceremoniall Law the 〈◊〉 Law he hath accomplished but not abolished for Christ is the End of the Daw. But as Augustine well distinguisheth the perfecting not the destroying End But by the way I must in this place the better to cleare the truth take in two objections that are made against our acceptation of this 4. Heb First they object that Gods Rest there spoken of on the seaventh Day is not meant as typifying our Rest in Heaven but only is mentioned in way of similitude Ans 1. If the Sabbath be at all a Type it must bee so from the beginning for as M. Broad observeth it appeares not else by Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all was not And againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If the Sabbath be no Type why is it disputed to be no Morall Commandement but abrogated That it is the Churches Type appeares two wayes 1 From the olteration and change which it hath undergone since Christ. 2 By the inference which is made in way of consequence from Gods resting unto his Peoples resting in the connexion of the 9 and 10 verses of this 4 chap. Heb The Sabbath it s said was made for Man that is for his benefit and here to signify his happines hereafter so Mayer in locum saith that in Gods being said to rest there must needs be an alluding to a most joyfull Rest to be had by Man seeing he was never weary neither had he need of Rest so Anselm to prove the rest of the seaventh Day and that it prefigured a further rest to come hee aleadgeth the words saith hee of the history in Genesis The seaventh Day God rested from all his Workes for in that immediately after the making of Man these words were added it is plaine that the resting of man who was last made was meant hereby For as Augustine saith God was not weary so that he had need to rest in regard of his great labour but in those words he hath promised Rest to the labouring or because he made all things very good and then it is said he rested thou maist understand also that after thy good workes thou shalt rest and rest without end Secondly they object that by Rest there is not meant our Rest in Heaven but our Rest from Sinne here upon Earth or our Gospell rest To this I answer It cannot properly beare that sence for 1. It must bee such a Rest as God rested which was not from Sinne but an everlasting Rest in Heaven from the Works of Creation 2. It must be such a Rest as is spoken of in the fourth Commandement which is not properly a Rest from Sinne but a Rest from workes 3. As Mayer observeth it is there called Sabbatismus which signifieth a time of everlasting joy and festivity which cannot bee expressed which is only proper to Heaven 4. To put all out of doubt in the 14 verse of this 4 chap. Heb it is expresly called Heaven and Christ himselfe is implyed to rest it when he ascended into Heaven Nor doth the Apostles speaking in the present tense in the third verse of this chap saying Wee which have beleeved doe enter into Rest afford any Argument against it for that is only a speech of fayth implying the certainty thereof as also intimating the inchoation or entrance which the People of God make into this Heavenly Rest or everlasting Life even in this Life For the Apostles dispute there sheweth that God hath a Rest of everlasting Happines for his People as for himselfe and which now wee are become capable of only by the promise of the Gospell through Faith by reason of Christ our high Priest who is gone thither before us but for farther satisfaction see miâ—e Analâ—â— pag 38. Broad 4. The Sabbath was a shadow in as much as it was a Sabbath that is a day of rest and refreshing THe Sabbath as hath beene said was a shadow of the blessed rest to come and hereof now it was a shadow in respect it was a Sabbath or day of rest even as the Land of Canaan was a type of Heaven in as much as it was a place of rest Some will not have a Sabbath it selfe to bee a shadow but would Saint Paul have said the holy dayes new Moones and Sabbaths are shadowes if not these but circumstances onely about them had been a shadow where is the word Sabbath taken in such a sense The word Sabbath is to bee taken in such a sense Col. 2. as it is to bee taken in other places The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Matth. 12. Mar. 2. The Sabbath was made for Man was the strict rest precise seaventh day or the like made for Man was the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath onely in such respects but let us examine their Doctrine better The Sabbath they say was shadowish or ceremoniall in some respects The Sabbath was not a shadow in as much as it was the seaventh day but the seaventh day was a shadow in as much as it was the Sabbath or day of rest consider that the thing shadowed is the rest spoken of Hebr. 4. 9. as first in respect it was the seaventh day and here they say that the number of seaven is mysticall that it is the number of perfection and tell of seaven dayes and of seaven times seaven yeares c. Ans. 1. Why may not I say also that the number of three is mysticall I am sure that three Persons in one God is the greatest mistery of all others and I can tell them of three Persons in one God of three Angels appearing to Abram 2.
It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever For in sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and in the seaventh day hee rested Now wee know it was never the property of the Iewish types to looke backward to the state of innocency but forward But you will say that the first institution of the Sabbath was but a prophecy or fore-runner of the second To this I answer That it is very ill likely that any thing that was proper to the Iewes as a ceremony and not common to the whole Church of God for whose sake the World was made was prophecyed or fore-ordained in innocency For all the things that are made use of in Scripture from the state of innocency are spoken of as appertaining to the whole Church of God and not proper to any one People or time And so is the Sabbath made use of in the fourth Hebr. to signifie an everlasting rest to whom but to the People of God But you will aske mee how I know that this Law of the Sabbath was given in innocency and not after the fall I answer that this one reason may serve for all Because that whatsoever Moses maketh mention of before the fall wee have good reason to thinke it to bee done in innocency and to allow as well his Method as his matter in that particuler But hee placeth the Law of the Sabbath before the fall Ergo c. Besides your owne Hypothesis stoppeth this objection For if Adam should have kept the Sabbath had he continued in innocency as you suppose hee should its like it was revealed to him in that state And the rather was the Sabbath given in innocency that it might bee understood to bee equall with the Law of nature and to appertaine to the whole Church of God which afterwards was to bee of a double condition and so the Sabbath serves for a double end answerable to these conditions to wit in memoriall of the creation as it is in the 20. Exod. 11. and also in memoriall of our redemption as in the 5. Deut. 15. and as is the Sabbath such is the Law of a double obligation to us in respect both of our creation and redemption Note It is very observable in those two places how an order is kept which giveth authority to our second Sabbath and to the reason thereof for in the first giving the Law Exod. 20. the Sabbath is inforced by the creation and in the repetition or second giving of it in the 5. Deut. it is altogether inforced upon the redemption the creation not being once named or mentioned there in the Law of the Sabbath or fourth commandement lively intimating the subsistence of the fourth commandement under the Gospell and the binding authority of it in our dayes by the incorporation and addition of the reason of our new creation or spirituall deliverance by Christ into the commandement in stead of the old reason which is utterly omitted as if it were forgotten or at least overtopped and triumphed over by us that are the second generation of Israel * Answerable to that 65. of Isaiah 17. I will create new Heavens and a new Earth the â—ormer shall not bee remembred nor come into mind I wish our Antisabbatâ—rians to consider well that such a repetition of the fourth commandement not seorsim or by it selfe but together with the whole Decalogue in its proper place with such a materiall omission and addition or alteration cannot but bee significantly and doctrinally meant by the holy Ghost there But some argue from this connexion of the Sabbath to their deliverance out of Egypt that the Sabbath was therefore given to them for a memoriall of a particuler benefit to them and so belonged to the Ecclesiasticall Government of the Iewes and therefore though it were not typicall yet for that cause it ought to bee done away To whom I answer that upon the same reason they may as well abolish the whole Law and turne Antinomians if they ponder it connexed with its preface I will borrow Master Richard Bifield to conclude this point pag. 88. who saith that the Sabbath in those places of Exod. 31. 13. and Exod. 20. 12. 20 is called a signe in two respects First in that it is an Argument and Document betweene God and Israel and so betweene God and his People for ever whereby they may know that God hath sanctified them Secondly it is a signe not of any future thing but of a thing present as every adjunct that is a visible concomitancy is a signe of the subject present For in the observation of the Sabbath there is a publicke profession of that communion which intercedeth betweene God and us As then every solemne profession is a signe of that thing of which profession is made so also is the Sabbath called in this respect a signe Broad ARG. IV. GOd resting on the seaventh day it became his Sabbath or Day of rest as wee tearme that a mans birth-day wherein hee was borne and as the other dayes of the Weeke were Gods working dayes This his resting as I have shewed before Chap. 5. was typicall and it was the reason why God did sanctifie the day and commanded men to sanctifie it as appeareth by Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. â—0 11. Hence I thus reason such as the foundation is such is the building The foundation Gods resting on the seaventh day was typicall The Sabbath doctrin is builded on the sands and therefore his sanctifying it presently and mans sanctifying it afterwards was no lesse Finally consiner whether more then this may bee not spoken of Sion and the Temple then is spoken of the Sabbath This is my rest for ever Psalme 132. 14. My house shall bee called an house of prayer for all People Isa. 56. 7. I doe not know where the Sabbath is tearmed Gods rest for ever and for all People Answer My former Arguments have beene sufficient to give this its answer for I have alwayes granted the Sabbath to bee typicall from the fourth Hebr. Your comparison of the Sabbath with those phrases belonging to the Temple and Sion in holy writ is a meere flourish and readily answered out of the fourth of Hebr. where the typicall rest of the Sabbath is extended farre beyond the typicall rest of Canaan wherein Sion was for the holy Ghost saith there that the Sabbaths-rest still remaineth to the People of God implying the contrary of the other rest Broad CHAP. VII THE chiefest Arguments of the adverse part answered I come now to answer the chiefest Arguments of the adverse part I say the chiefest for with a cloud not of witnesses seeing they prove nothing but of Arguments such as they are whereby some go about to obscure the light I will not at this time have any thing to do hoping that as a mist it shall of it self vanish away from before the eyes of all those that read this Treatise with understanding ARGVMENT I. ADam
received for the Christian Sabbath As the name of Christians was then given when Christianity was generally professed and received and yet was there a Sabbath before professed by many as well as there were Christians and Christianity before they were so called So that what you say of the one you may as well say of the other Broad Now I have before acquainted thee with the agreement betweene divines touching this day namely that ordinarily some necessary businesses excepted it is to be spent wholly in religious exercises The difference beâ—ween them standeth in this point Some will have the Lords-day to be the Commandement of Christ or his Apostles as the Sabbath was of God heretofore Others will have it to be only an Ecclesiastical tradition or constitution yet such an one as is of greater authority then many other Zanehius hath this saying Traditionum enim Ecclesiasticarum quaedam sunt Apostolicae quâ—dam mere Ecclesiasticae * He instanceth in the Lords-day Certe quas constat ab Apostolis fuisse profectas hae plus habeant authoritatis quam relique Red. de trad Eccles. Answer It were to be wished that how-ever Divines differ in opinion concerning the Morality that yet they agreed in the divinity or holy practise of the Sabbath But there are of your opinion that sticke not to say how that the Sabbath is but an ordinary Holy-day and that the vacant hours which are besides the publike imployments ordained by the Church * For number and season are of the same nature with working dayes and their practise is accordingly So that if we may judge the tree by the fruit then may we judge their opinions by their practise which savoureth of the flesh and not of the spirit whose furthest progresse in the practicke part is like some of the choisest heathens to regulate their actions by the light of Nature And happily they have the lanthorne of notionall divinity shining in their heads * And so take up a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof for seeing they see not and hearing they heare not but are wholly ignorant of the understanding with the heart which Christ speaketh of Matt. 13. 15. They see the Law but Gods end in it to bring the soule sensibly sentenced under sinne and wrath to need and seeke a Saviour and to keep the soul restlesse till it enjoy him and accept him on any termes God doth offer him by the sence of the depth of their filth misery they experiment not in them as appeares by their pride and I shmaelitish persecuting the sonnes of the free woman They being flesh which lusts against the Spirit and of carnall minds which is enmity against God do persecute him that is borne after the Spirit as was prophecyed Gal. 4. 29. For the flesh despiseth and opposeth spirituall worship and spirituall worshippers and being spiritually blind sticketh not to speake evill of things they know not And professing themselves to be wise they become fooles It was ever the lot of truth to be rejected of the builders Many great Rabbies professing the key of knowledge were greatest enemies to the truth as the truth is in Christ that is to the sincere proâ—ession and practice of Christianity Christ must be set as a signe and butt of contradiction Offences must come but woe be to them by whom they come For carnal Protestants are held off from the true embracing of Christ because they see the truth and sincerity of Christ every where so resisted and hated by those that are great and wise in their Generation For Holinesse in the forehead was a chiefe grace but now with us it was become a chiefe disgrace in so much that the despised members of Christ received extreme discouragement except they have such a measure of grace as raiseth them above contempt to professe holinesse to the Lord openly the Devill spewing out after the Church a flood of poison to drowne her But be it as it will I pray both the scorner and the scorned to peruse considerately the one for terrour the other for encouragement 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. verses of the Epistle of Iude. a cold clymate for Religion to dwell in which they imbracing this present world use as workemen doe their tooles to get money and preferment under the colour of an outward calling for the inward they looke not after But for the knowledge of that wherein the life and soule of Religion consisteth to wit Christ and him crucified in a saving sence they are as ignorant in it as Nicodemus was in the doctrine of Regeneration which though he had read it before in the new Covenant Ezek. 11. 19. yet seeing he saw not no more doe these and therefore no wonder if they cry downe the authority of the Lords-day that have no acquaintance with the Lord of the day but instead of serving him as their Lord and Master they serve themselves of him making his Gospell wherein they should labour in season and out of season to be their stalking horse to convey them the more plausibly to their prey of preferment here on earth and leave that of Heaven for such fooles as they call Puritanes I meane not non-conformists except they be such as they meane that is Men that make not Religion to consist in knowledge but in living according to their knowledge in inward and outward holinesse not being vainly puffed up by a fleshly minde with a voluntary obedience of will-worship or meere formall holinesse or morall excellencies or civill and naturall righteousnesse but holding the Head labouring to increase with the increase of God and to grow in the excellent and humbling knowledge of the simplicity of Christ to the praise of the glory of his grace in a word such as the Scripture calleth Saints and prophane men Precisians No men greater enemies to preaching A conscionable Minister that is painfull in the discharge of his calling labouring to save the soules of his flocke preaching twice a day and the name of a Lecturer so called for distinction sake stinks in ther nostrils as they doe in Gods I wonder how such men come to be called Divines or Preachers that thus defile their owne nest accounting soule-saving preaching foolishnesse and in a spitefull pride calumniating those that with conscience and diligence labour in the worke of the Lord. How necessary is it thinke we then to maintaine the Prerogative of the Sabbath when men of this Coate like swine tread holy things under their feet But let such ponder that place of the Evangelist and apply it Matt. 5. 19. Whosoever shall breake one of these least Commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven But to come to the difference it selfe I answer That I know no Divines that doe affirme Christ to have left it in expresse mandatory tearmes that that day should be kept Sabbath nor yet Holy-day for indeed there is no such Commandement
other types had which notwithstanding were of afarre different nature and institution to this for they were appointed since the fall and occasioned by it and in themselves temporary but this was before the fall and given for ever to the whole Church for a standing type which yet it doth not to us and yet so as the primary force and use of this is no lesse appertaining to us then them For so that other ordinance which was instituted in innocency marriage it also lasted in respect of diverse circumstances of their times and discipline which yet wee retaine pure from the first institution Secondly wee under the Gospell have also an alteration made of the individuall but not of the numerall day for wee now keepe the seaventh day according to the commandement remember that thou keepe holy the seaventh day but not theirs Thirdly in respect also of the reason whereupon the commandement was inforced upon them to wit Gods resting from the creation For whilest the law or first covenant was in force the creation was in force which still remaines with us but subordinated to the adequate reason of our Sabbath where to use Master Dowes words pag. 24. All lawes being onâ—ly positive though made by God himselfe admit mutation at least when the matter concerning which or the conditions of the persons to whom they were given is changed For as the Iewish types so many grosse and sensitive grounds and reasons are pilled of and swallowed up by the comming of Christ and more spirituall ones risen in their stead As wee see it very apparant in the 65. Isa. 17. I will saith God create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not bee remembred nor come into mind * Old things are possed away behold all things are become new Which to mee seemes a pertinent prophecy of the alteration of the Sabbath from the Iewes day to ours it being as much as to say that in comparison of the excellency of the things that shall bee under the Gospell the other things shall bee nothing worth Sence shall bee swallowed up of Spirit types of truth And though the creation bee admirable of it selfe and so also is at this day the consideration of it being exceeding usefull yet nothing comparable to our redemption Our rejoycing in the one is nothing comparable to our rejoycing in the other * So that the â—lteration of the Iewes Sabbatâ— into ours by reason of the new creatiâ— which God made 〈◊〉 the time of the Gospell doth further typisâ—â—â—nâ— assure us of the last and best alteration of new Heaven and new Eaâ—â—h â—â—okâ—n of in thâ—â— of the first of 〈◊〉 which we shall be made partakers of by the Goâ—spell As a right worthy Doctor Sibbes by name observes Gods last works are his best works the first being but preparatives and occasions of the later the new Heaven and the new Earth are the best the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best Spirituall things are better then naturall And Master Dow pag. 27 saith as mucâ— that the reason Drawne from the example of God who rested upon the Sabbath namely when the creation was finished endured onely till the time of the new creation in which all things were made new by Christ at which time it ceased or at least a second reason taken from the new covenant comming in place the former both reason and day become now old are passed away And behold all things are become new For this worke of redemption or new creation being the greater may deservedly take place of the other and as the Prophet Ieremy speaking of the deliverance that God would vouchsafe his people from the Babylonish captivity saith Behold the dayes shall come saith the Lord that it shall no more bee said the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt but the Lorth liveth that brought them up from the land of the North so may wee say of the day appointed for his worship that the day wherein hee finished the worke of creation shall no more bee observed but the day wherein our Lord Christ by his resurrection from the dead finished the worke of our redemption Thus speakes Master Dow. And how ever in other things the constitution of the Iewish Church and ours differ yet in this they are united the Sabbath being first ordained before there was distinction made or wall of partition built for an ever-lasting signe betweene God and his Church for his sanctifying it and a perpetuall rule of duty and practise chalked out to his Church for the direction of his more solemne worship Like as was his marrying of Adam and Eve in innocency both a perpetuall type of that union which is betweene God and his Church as also a perpetuall rule for the ordering of that affaire amongst mankind ever after both which were alike given in innocency and were alike both perpetuall rules and perpetuall types unto his Church Broad This booke beeing the last I intend to write of this Argument my desire is it should bee read of many before it bee published that if just exceptions can bee taken to ought I have written or that an objection of moment bee not here fully answered I may know it and afterwards may alter or adde as there shall bee cause Iohn 3. 21. Hee that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may bee made manifest that they are wrought in God Broad 2. Treatises 1. Concerning the Sabbath or seaventh day 2. Concerning the Lords day or first of the Weeke Gal. 4. 10 11. YEe observe dayes and monthes and times and yeares I am afraid of you least I have bestowed on you labour in vaine Answer You play the Souldier in the On-set at first discharging your greatest ordinance to impresse the greater feare but as you use the matter you misse the marke For this place of the Galath fals farre short of your aime as you might have perceived if without prejudice you would have perused Master Perkins upon that place whose whole discourse thereof is worth inserting if it were not too long And if you examine the context you may perceive how that the Apostle was angry at the Galathians for leaving Christ the substance and betaking themselves even in point of justification to the carnall observation of Iewish shadowes and ceremonies which in comparison hee calleth beggerly Rudiments and hee the rather tearmed them so because they were then utterly uselesse and insignificative being fulfilled and so abrogated But the Sabbath is for the equity and substance of it still of the same use as ever to wit fit for the beâ—ter procuring of mans refreshing and Gods more solemne worship Nor is it in-significative or ever shall bee till wee sing a requiem to our soules in heaven For as it concluded our creation so shall it our salvation And therefore by no meanes to bee numbred with the observation of dayes and monthes and yeares seeing that the
Apostles themselves observed the Lords day weekely or Sabbatically and not monthly or yearely as were the Iewes Sabbaths and Holy-dayes but in relation to the fourth commandement one in seaven as knowing it to bee a perpetuall rule not a temporary and vanishing ordinance which pertained to the bondage and servitude of weake and beggerly Rudiments of which the Apostle here onely speakes And as it was farre from the Apostles thought to reckon any of the ten commandements as a weake and beggerly Rudiment so let it bee abhorred of all Christian hearts and eares But may some say Obj. is not the signification of the Sabbaths institution abrogated by Christs resurrection and the comming of the Lords day The Sabbath is altered not abrogated Answ. and the signifâ—cation subordinated not annulled being instituted upon an universall and perpetuall reason for the Sabbath was no proper Iewish type but the Churches type in that wherein it was typicall as wee may see in the fourth Hebr. 9. There remaineth therefore Sabbatismus a Sabbath-rest to the people of God which words Willet in 2. Gen. saith conclude that both the type remaineth that is a Sabbatisme and the signification of the type everlasting rest And as you may further see 12 Matth. 8. in these words The Sonne of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day which words compared with the verses foregoing shew that the Sabbath is of a ceremonious nature for Christ there rankes it among things ceremoniall in a ceremoniall sense but with a note of inequality as it is implyed in that word Even of the Sabbath-day and is as the rest of the morall Law of equall continuance with the Church which for this cause was reviued to the Iewes because at that time they were the onely Israel and Church of God but now translated to us under the Gospell the partition wall being broken downe with an alteration of circumstance according to the season as Isay was prophecied in the foreâ— quoted place of Isa. 65. 17. And whereas Doctor Heylyâ— part 2. pag. 27. saith That it is not probable that the Apostle Paul who so opposed himselfe against the Sabbath would erect a new this had not beene saith hee to abrogate the ceremony but to change the day I answer that by the comming of Christ some things suffered alteration as well as others abrogation wherefore the Apostles were to preach onely the abrogative types and ceremonies to bee abrogated of which sort I prove the Sabbath to bee none and according to the nature of the new creation to alter the other of which sort the Sabbath was and therefore suffered subordination not abrogation And therefore hath the Scripture recorded it to us 〈◊〉 the name of the first day of the weeke or the first day of seaven before it stile it the Lords day in a sâ—gnificant opposition to the old antiquated last day of the weeke I will conclude this Answer with Master Hookers authority who was a confident maintainer of the morality of the fourth commandement as you may see in his Eccles. Pol. pag. 377. who speaking upon this place of the Galath Hooker saith That for as much as the Law of the Iewes by the comming of Christ was changed and wee thereunto no way bound Saint Paul although it were not his purpose to favour invectives against the speciall sanctification of dayes and times to the service of God and to the honour of Iesus Christ doth notwithstanding bend his forces against that opinion which imposed on the Gentiles the yoake of Iewish legall observations as if the whole World ought for ever and that upon paine of condemnation to keepe and observe them such as in this perswasion hallowed the Iewish Sabbaths the Apostle sharply reproveth saying yee observe dayes and monthes and times and yeares c. Thus you see how Master Hookers opinion was concerning this text of Paul onely to cry downe those obsolete Iewish observations and nothing lesse then to impeach the authority of the fourth commandement or the Lords day as you may plainely discerne by turning over leafe to pag. 378. where hee layeth downe three sorts of holy times thus saith hee Hooker It pleased God heretofore to exact some part of time by way of perpetuall homage never to bee dispenced withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance and of the rest which were left arbitrary to accept what the Church should in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto religious uses Of the first kind amongst the Iewes was the Sabbath-day Of the second those feastes which were appointed by the Law of Mosâ—s The Feast of Dedication invented by the Church standeth in the number of the last kind The morall Law requiring therefore a seaventh part throughout the age of the World to bee that way imployed although with us the day bee changed in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because of reference to the benefit of creation and now much more of renovation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the World to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seaven a duty which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever Thus you have Master Hookers opinion both of this text of the Gal. The morality of the fourth commandement the perpetuity of the Sabbath and the authority of the Lords-day Broad A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Gal. 5. 9. Chrysost. on Gal. Why but they retained the Gospell onely they would have brought in a Iewish rite or two and yet the Apostle saith that thereby the Gospell is subverted to shew how but a little thing being untowardly mingled marreth all Luther on Gal. 2. Paul had note here his owne busines in hand but a matter of faith Now as concerning faith wee ought to bee invincible and more hard if it might bee then the Adamant stone but as touching charity wee ought to bee soft and more flexible then the reed or leafe shaken with the wind and ready to yeeld to every thing Broad A treatise of the Sabbath FOr as much as I know not whether taking my booke in hand thou mindest to read it over to the end I have therefore thought good by way of prevention in the beginning to let thee understand that howsoever there bee difference in opinion among the Godly learned yet they all for ought I know agree in this namely that the Lords-day had his beginning in the time of the Apostles and being of so great antiquity so generally received and so profitable to the Church of Christ that it ought to be observed of thee according to the practice of good Christians from time to time and the godly lawes of our most Christian governour living at this present I charge thee therefore as thou wilt answer it before Gods judgement â—ear that thou dost not take occasion hence to spend
Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee c. shewing that the life of grace in a man is called eternall life because it hath its beginning from that life which shall never cease but increase to ever-lasting perfection So that the Sabbath is unalterable in regard of the individuall number but not in regard of the individuall day The number being kept the day upon occasion might bee altered And of the truth of this wee have good reason to perswade us for the issue proveth it by the divine authority of the Apostles For this fourth commandement being no Iewish ceremony but a commandement in the Decalogue and equall with the Law of nature ought for the substance of it to bee esteemed perpetuall and especially seeing that now in one of these senses to wit in the number wee see it preserved inviolable by the example of the Apostles and the practise of the Church ever since and yet in respect of the order by the selfe-same examples altered from last to first And which alteration is very agreeable to the time of the Gospell where many that are first shall bee last and last shall bee first Even as Iohn Baptist who being the last of the Prophets was therefore the greatest because nearest unto Christ yet hee that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is in the time of the Gospell is greater then hee So this seaventh day though the last in order and greatest in dignity during the supereminency of the old creation because of Gods example yet now is the number retained and the order exchanged from the last to the first of the weeke in honour of the new creation of the new Heaven and new Earth which comparatively was prophecied and promised to eaâ—e out the old in the 65. of Isa. 17. I will saith God there create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not bee remembred that is the solemnity of it shall cease and shall give place to the new for els remember it wee both doe and must doe for the memory of both may consist together and the one confirme the other in regard that our redemption restores us to a lawfull Dominion once forfeited over the whole worke of creation And why must there bee this change Why because of the greater excellency of the second creation which shall bee solemnized in stead of the first under the time of the Gospell when Christ shall bee come and shall have finished the worke of my Mercy which shall bee greater then was the worke of my goodnes in the creation Each creation must have its Sabbath of commemoration for els should God magnify his lesser worke of creation before his greater worke of redemption And therefore this is the day which wee now celebrate which the Lord hath made for us to rejoyce in now like as that was then And thus wee see it in all points now fulfilled But you will object that this new Heaven and new Earth is meant of the differing state of the Church under the Gospell to that it was under the Law Ans. I grant it whereof the solemnizing of our redemption which principally nay I may say onely made the change in stead of our old and first creation unto which wee lost all right but that it was revived by and therefore worthily changed into the second is a principall part And therefore hath the holy Ghost expressed this change in those tearmes of old and new creation rather then any other And as in the 2. of Peter 3. 13. there at the perfection of the Kingdome of Heaven hee prophecies of a reall change of the old Heaven and old Earth by an absolute dissolution of them by reason of the succession of a better condition to the people and Church of God So here in Isaiah at the inchoation of the Kingdome of Heaven I meane the time of the Gospell hee prophecies of a proportionable reall change leading unto the other of the old Heaven and old Earth by way of mitigation by reason of a more excellent benefit that redoundeth to the Church and children of God For those words according to his promise in the aforesaid text of Peter have reference to this of Isaiah By the compaâ—ison of which texts it is evident that there is as well a literall as a mysticall sense in these words which was to bee fulfilled gradatim in the Kingdome under the Gospell which was the time of the adequate accomplishment of their prophecies as well as in the Kingdome of Heaven hereafter which is the time of accomplishing our prophecies or theirs as they are transferred over to us So that if you grant it requisite to sanctifie a seaventh day or the seaventh day in respect of number I say with you but now to sanctifie the last day in the weeke were to memorize our creation above our redemption our being above our wel-being and to contradict promise and prophecy example and reason For in commemorations the lesser gives way to and is enwrapped in the greater Now then Christs resting on the first day from a greater worke then that of the creation was just cause to adjourne the great duty of commemoration to that day which finished the greater and more beneficiall action But on the other hand to keepe no seaventh day were likewise to goe against the example of the Apostles and to blot out one of the tenne commandements and so to make a morall Law Iewishly ceremoniall For there is no reason why the Apostles should weekely celebrate the day of Christs resurrection if it were not in reference to the fourth commandement seeing that if they had meant it as a bare institution of the Church they might have done by the day of Christs resurrection as wee doe by the day of his birth that is have kept it yearely And lastly it were to crosse this prophecy of Isa. 65. 17. for what reason have wee to thinke that God would simply have the remembrance of the creation lessened nothing lesse but onely respectively no more then hee would have the Egyptian deliverance forgotten because hee would have the Babylonish deliverance remembred but onely comparatively For hee would have us that are under the Gospell to celebrate the worke of our redemption above the worke of our creation and to acknowledge the day of the consummation thereof to bee the day which David speakes of Psalme 118. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Lord hath made wherein wee will rejoyce and bee glad In which words as one saith I see not how the making of the day can bee intended for the common regulation of the dayes in the creation but it appeareth to bee some dedication to an holy use of joy and gladnes sutable to the description of a Sabbath which is called a delight for our unspeakeable deliverance And not as Bishop Wâ—ite would perswade pag. 191. that the day of Christs passion was every way as blessed a day in respect of mans redemption as
the day of resurrection For the Apostle saith that if Christ bee not risen wee are yet in our sins And so againe whereas hee saith pag. 298. This great worke of humane redemption was not effected by the resurrection of Christ but by his obedience and sacrifice on the crosse and it was fully wrought and finished upon the passion friday after our Saviour had said consummatum est I aske how wee had beene redeemed from and how hee had conquered our last enemy death if hee had not risen And againe put case it were so so was the worke of creation fully finished on the sixth day and yet God sanctified the seaventh day and on that day 2. Gen. 2. it is said Hee ended his worke which hee had made because that day gave manifest declaration of his compleating the works of creation and so did the day of Christs resurrection manifest the compleating of the worke of our redemption And this day thus prophetically extolled by David was answerably honoured by Christ himselfe and kept by his Apostles So that in answer to Bishop White pag. 302 there was at least an implicite vertuall and interpretative command in the act of Christs resurrection For why should not wee thinke that Christ had a significant meaning in prolonging his resurrection to the third day which was the first of the weeke as well as God had in spinning out his creation to the seaventh day which was the last of the weeke seeing Christ could have raised himselfe out of the grave so soone as hee was in it like as God could have created all things in the twinckling of an eye So that then seeing God by this his resting from the worke of our redemption hath given us a new reason in respect of eminency of a new day and by the example of his Apostles preserving still the number wee in doing the like obey his good pleasure and his Law which is not destroyed by the comming of Christ for not one tittle of it shall passe away till Heaven and Earth passe which is the time of the Sabbaths period but fulfilled and explained by him according to the will of God and his purpose though not according to our carnall reasonings and opinions For thus is all kept whole The reason of the commandement hereby standing still good but not in cheife For Gods resting from his worke is now the occasion of our Sabbath not from the worke of his creation but from the worke of his redemption wherein hee was most remonstrated and even redoubled in the manifestation of all his attributes to our view and therefore worthy of a select day which yet altereth nothing of the substance of the Sabbath Alexander tertius Pontifex Rom. affirmat tam veteris quam novi testamenti paginam septimam diemad humanam quietem specialiter deputâ—sse id est Interprete suarez de diebus festis cap. 1. utrumque testamentum approbavit moreâ— deputandi ad quietem humanam septimum quemque diem hebdomadis quâ—d est formaliter deputare septimum diem licet materialiter non idem dies fuerit semper deputatus hoc modo verum est septimum â—llum diem in lege vâ—teri esse Sabbathum in nova vero esse diem Dominicum For as our changing of the bounds of the Sabbath which in the Iewes time was from evening to evening and now in our time is from morning to morning in relation to the time of Christs resurrection is no materiall change but that still the day remaines entire even so the change of the Iewes seaventh day to our seaventh day altereth not any whit the substance of the Sabbath or fourth commandement But you will say Obj. why was the day translated and not rather both the dayes celebrated Because that would have crossed the good pleasure of God Answ. who from the beginning thought it a meetâ— proportion to afford man sixe dayes for his necessary labour and to exact one of seaven for his more solemne worship which also is the reason why the Lords day was continued in the same number but not in the same order so that it was not transpâ—sed to bee observed in any other number but onely in another order in the same number that so the will of God in that commandement might bee observed and yet his resting from the wonderfull worke of our redemption worthily celebrated And therefore whereas Bishop White saith pag. 277. that if the fourth commandement concerning the keeping of the seaventh day bee morall and perpetuall then it is not such in respect of the first and eight dâ—y but of that one onely day which it specifieth in the commandement I answer Neither of both is morall and perpetuall as considered in the order but occasionall and changeable as the event hath shewne and that each of both is morall and perpetuall as considered in their number being unchangeable to any other number and therefore still so continueth by vertue of the morality of the Law of the Sabbath given to Adam and re-given in the fourth commandement Now whereas you urge the appointed day of the Passeover to bee unalterable in paralel to the day of Gods rest from the creation wee clearely see the contrary for upon occasion the precise individuall day of the Passeover was altered as in the 9. of Numb where hee that was uncleane or in a journey was not to eate it till the fourteenth day of the second month where the number is preserved entire whereof God was ever curious but the day is changed even thus upon occasion is the Sabbath altered the number of seaven being kept entire in this as in the other the number of fourteene and yet a change made and so both the Sabbath and Passeover for substance preserved notwithstanding the circumstantiall alteration upon occasion Yea Hezekiahs great Passeover was kept in the second month upon the exigency of the times 2 Chro. 30. 2 3. And now that you have made mention of the Passeover besides this foresaid livâ—ly illustration which it affords to set forth my meaning in this thing I would commend it as a notion worthy your consideration whether Gods ordaining the first and seaventh day of the Passeover as also of other feasts to bee kept holy might not propheâ—yâ—â—â—â— Sabbath of the true Paschall lambe Christ Iesâ—â— after his being slaine as well as theirs under the typicall the one to bee the first of the seaven as the other was the last Broad 2. When in likely hood God sanctified the seaventh day VVHen God sanctified the seaventh day Some conâ—idently teach that Adâ—a kept the first seaventh day whereas it is probable that God sanctified it not till about the end thereof I meane whether as soone as it began or about the end thereof is doubtfull of the two the latter sâ—emes most probable for God blessed and sanctified the seaventh day because therein hee had rested not would reâ—â— and was refreshed It is the manner of men to blesse
morality of the Sabbath being a meere misprision then it did from Christs act of Charity from being a morall action which may serve a caution not to make the Iewes superstitious practises and blind conceits a rule and argument to regulate our doctrine and manners by in this particuler of the Sabbath which is too much leaned upon by some D r. Heylin for one who in the beginning of his booke layeth downe this Maxime that wee can have no better Schoolemaster in the things of God then the continuall and most constant practice of those famous men that have gone before Amongst which famous men hee brings in the Iewe in their ignorant and superstitious practices to overthrow Gods cleare precepts and either shut out the light of the word to wrest it to his owne and other misguidance as he doth the text aforesaid which may yet bee further seene in the third mistake which hee makes in the interpretation of those words of Christ in the 23 verse because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath Day which pag 121. he makes to be spoken by Christ in his owne defence in reference to the healing circumstances that accompanied their worke of Circumcision that if they might breake the Sabbath in healing the party hurt by Circumciâ—ion so might he whereas it is spoken by Christ in opposition to the greevous and hurtfull nature of their action for having formerly magnified his worke above theirs from the cause in that his worke was an act of obedience to the Morall Law and theirs but to the â—eremoniall here he magnifieth it also from the effect in that his was an action of Mercy restoring to perfect health and easing of greevous paine a man that was wofully bedrid and theirs an action of bloud procuring torment For where in all the Scriptue do you find the healing part of Circumcision I meane carnally meant or spoken of I will conclude in advice to such Expositors both as touching their opinion of the Sabbath and expounding Scripture as Christ did to the Iewes concerning this matter in the 24 verse Iudge not according to appearance but Iudge righteous Iudgement Now whereas you say that this Commandement of the Sabbath was first given to the Israelites when they were delivered out of Egypt by the hand of Moses intimating hereby as if it should be a Iewish Type and Ceremony and as if it should have reference to Christ after the manner of their other abrogative Ceremonies To this I answer That all the rest of the Morall Law was given them upon their deliverance as well as the Sabbath And I doe thinke indeed that God did purposely take that occasion the better to signifie their spirituall deliverance by the concurrence of those things both by bringing them out of their Egyptian darkenes and at the same time making the Sun-shine of his Law which had been so ecclypsed ever since the fall afresh to rise upon them But that the Law of the Sabbath received then a new Institution is no way probable but only a renewed one as did the rest of the Morall Law into which it is incorporated and with which it was a shareâ— in the breach that Adam made * And so was coequall or contemporary with it in the reparation And as may also appeare by the tenour of the Commandement it self which for substance is nothing else but the first institution largely repeated only being better explained to the understandings and suted to the condition of those people Nor againe is the Sabbath a Iewish Type as appeares from the difference of their significations for the Typs of the Iewes primarily and principally had relation to the State of the Church on Earth under the time of the Gospell * Their Types were promises which have their impletion with us being shadowes of good things to come in the dayes of the Gospell and secondarily or remotely to its State in Heaven but now the Sabbath had an immediate and proper respect to Heaven being Gods rest as appeares both in the manner of Gods exhibiting it in the wildernes as you may see in due place and in the 4. Heb. But if it be objected that Canaan is a Iewish Type Obi. and that Canaan and the Sabbath signify both of them one and the same rest in that 4. Heb. I answer They do signifie the same rest but in different respects Answ. for Canaan properly there signifieth the Rest which wee here enjoyed on Earth through the Gospell and improperly or analogically the Rest of Heaven relating only thereto as True to perfect as Beatitudo viae to Beatitudo patriae but the Sabbath properly signifieth the rest that God rested in Heaven from his worldly workes and which now by beleeving wee shall rest with him there and improperly signifies the Gospell-rest here on Earth relating only to it as Perfect relates to True as Beatitudo Patâ—iae relates to Beatitudo viae by vertue of our exchanged condition for what the Law could not give that is any present Rest but all in future that Faith as a Gospell-priviledge procures us So that wee which doe beleeve doe enter into Rest even this Heavenly Rest inchoatively The summe of the Apostles meaning there being thus much that Israel according to to the letter not knowing the way of the Lord chap. 3. ver 10. but cleaving to the Law which was the ministration of death graven in stones that is a weake and dead letter 2. Cor. 3 7. and the ministration of condemnation ver 9. forsaking the way of faith and the Gospell which is the ministration of the spirit of Power 2. Cor. 3. 8. and of righteousnes ver 9. they therefore lost through unbeleife both the spirituall Rest on Earth typified by the temporall rest of Canaan which is the rest and tranquility of the Soule entred into by faith justifying us and procuring us Peace with God which should have redounded to them by the Preaching of the Gospell see the 2 and 6 of this 4. Heb. and also the Rest and Sabbath in in Heaven which God himselfe rested and signified on the seaventh Day after his worldly workes were finished which should have ensued and followed thereupon see the later part of the 3. and 4. verses whereof wee that are Gods spirituall Israel that doe beleeve are possessed already both vertually in our high Priest Christ Iesus vers 14. and personally in our selves by being partakers of this Gospel-rest through faith on Earth which essentially conduces or relates to the Sabbath-rest in Heaven compare the beginning and the ending of the 3. verse Like as 5. Matth. 6. they are said for present to bee blessed that but hunger and thirst after righteousnes and what 's the reason why saith Christ they shall bee filled Christ meanes they are entred into such an estate as doth give them right and will bring them to full blessednes They are therefore for present truly blessed because they shall bee fully blessed
it selfe from Worldly works will bee then no part of our positive happines but onely a privative helpe to our absolute glorifying God there as it is to our better sanctifying of the Sabbath here And yet for all this as I have said before not to rest on that day but to imploy our selves worldlily in inward or outward works of mind or body in thought word or deed â—ill prove our sinne * To prove that the Lords day is to bee observed with the like strictnes of us as the ancient Sabbath was among the Iewes a neighbour Minister brings this argument If saith hee the reasons of the command of strict rest to the Iewes on the Sabbath belong as well to us as to them Then the command it selfe belongs as well to us as to them But the reasons rendered in the 4. commandement in the 58. of Isa. 13. Because it is the Sabbath of the Lord and because it is the Lords Holy-day and other reasons also as because carnall works anâ— imployments are impediments to the solemne and spirituall performance of Gods holy worship and service and againe all those duties which were commanded them as essentiall to a Sabbath such as were abstinence from carnall labours and pleasures which destroy the nature of a Sabbath which is 1. to rest 2. to rest a spirituall and holy rest to God These reasons saith hee belong as well to us as to them if any Sabbath or holy-day of the Lords remaineth to bee observed of us which there doth Revel 1. 10. Where by the way take notice it is called the Lords day and not the Lords time to answer an objection of some that say wee are not bound to keepe a whole day holy-day or Sabbath and therefore not to rest saving in the time of publicke assemblies besides wee find not any time in all the Scriptures set apart as holy-day to the Lord but a whole day was the space of time Therefore the commandement it selfe both in the negative part thereof not to follow labour not to follow pleasure and in the affirmative part to follow holy exercises is required of us Christians not onely by way of Analogy but as precise commands by just consequence For because hereby wee both falsifie our present duty which wee owe to the commandement which injoyneth it us as a significant privative meanes for sanctifying the Sabbath and also make void the usefull signification of the typicall sense which consisteth in our resting from all Worldly affaires that wee may the more fully devote our selves to things spirituall and heavenly such as are praising God meditating of the life and rest to come c. for of that nature shall bee our heavenly imployment Wee know the Israelites separation from the heathen did not make them the true Israel of God for they were made such onely by their faithfull and true serving of God and yet if they intermixed themselves with the heathen it was a prophanation and sin unto them So a cessation or separation of the Sabbath-day from Worldly imployments is no positive part of our sanctifying the Sabbath though it might bee in the time of the Iewes for that our sanctification consisteth in Spirit and truth not in the literall and outward performance of rest and yet must wee of necessity and duty cease that wee may sanctifie it For it is with the Lords-day as with all other things that if it bee sanctified to the end then it is sanctified to the meanes And as the Scripture saith a man cannot serve God and Mammon especially on this Day but wee should utterly forsake the one that wee may more compleatly cleave to the other By Mammon I meane as well our carnall pleasures all profits for on that day according to the Anti-type all should bee heavenly If ever wee did the will of God as it is done in heaven it should bee on that day And as Master Hildersham observes Lect. 51. Psalme pag. 710. Hildersham God hateth rioting on the Sabbath much more then hee doth working on the Sabbath as it is plaine by Isaiah 58. 13. where in one verse hee names and forbids twice the following of our pleasures as the chiefe prophanation of the Sabbath-day If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on mine holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words c. But Bishop White pag. 257. Obi. objects against Sunday Sabbatizers precepts as hee calleth them concerning the crying downe of carnall recreations and setting up spirituall duties to bee actually and without intermission continued the whole space of a naturall day which saith hee can bee no branch of the Law of Christ nor yet consentaneous thereunto for this reason Because the Law of Christ is sweet and easie Matth. 11. 30. and his commandements are not greevous 1. Ioh. 5. 3. I answer Ans. I never knew that this was to bee expounded after the flesh but after the Spirit By the same rule hee may cry downe all fasting all abstaining from beloved lusts and heavenly mindednes now under the Gospell and quite blot out the Apostles advice to use the things of this World as if wee used them not But may some say Obi. if rest bee no part of sanctifying the Sabbath how then are wee said to sanctifie it at night when wee goe to bed Not that your rest is any sanctification of it Answ. no more then your spirituall labour is a breach of it but because that in so doing thou dost an act of mercy to thy body when thou sleepest as well as when thou eatest at due times in a due measure And indeed thou oughtest to doe it with this or some such like consideration and not meerely sensually as an oxe or an asse for God should have speciall glory by every thing wee doe that day And whatsoever wee doe without a speciall and spirituall relation to God on that day that may properly bee called our worke and so our sin For though things necessary bee lawfull to bee done yet not as on the weeke day but with much more spiritualized affections and heavenly mindednes * To the same purpose speaks one that writ upon this subject saying men may not doe the lawfull works of their calling neither in providing meat drinke cloaths or other necessaâ—ies on the Lords-day with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly pâ—ofit because this is doing of his owne wayes and works and not the worke of God unto which Gods Holy-day it wholly consecrated and set apart So no bodily sports recreations and pleasures are to bee used meerely to cherish the flesh and refresh the body but only such as are in very deed needfull in themselves and used and intended by Gods people with this purpose and â—o this end that they may with more ability alacrity
Day of atonement to make an atonement for you before the Lord. For whatsoever Soule it is that shall not be afflicted in that same Day hee shall bee cut off from among the people As who say yee have other matters in hand then worldly busines on that Day which yee must wholy intend and therefore surcease such things and such imployments as may take you of from such matters or hinder the fitnes of your hearts in them which is a thing too well knowne to them that worship God in spirit how that a small carnall imployment is found oft times an hurtfull distraction to their spirit and therefore it followes in the 30 verse whatsoever Soule it bee that doth any worke on that same Day c. Which is a lively demonstration of the nature of the Sabbath Rest in iâ—s first and chiefe respect And observe by the way how here at large as in the fourth Commandement in briefe though in other places of Scripture it also is manifested at large God first layeth downe the maine sanctification of the Sabbath before he prescribe the meanes Secondly in that this rest is so farre approved of God as it conduceth to spirituall labour and againe spirituall labour is no where condemned though it bee a breach of rest For rest take it as it was primarily intended in its first institution without the intervening holines which it contracted in the time of the Iewes is no ordinance or part of Gods worship abstractively considered for so it neither aâ—swereth the Antitype nor fulfilleth the commandement but relatively for it relateth to Gods solemne worship on the Sabbath as fasting doth to prayer upon solemne occasions * And this you may see to bee Master Breerewoods opinion in his second tract pag. 15. The commandement of the Sabbath saith hee enjoyâ—eth 1. outward worship of God 2. Cessation from works as a necessary preparation for that worship that as thee end this as the meanes which if it bee used is no part of prayer and yet omitted is an impeachement to it because joyntly considered it is an ordinance and of necessary and seasonable use at that time And as in fasting wee must not onely fast from things nourishing reall necessity ever excepted but much more from things pleasing so in keeping the Sabbath wee ought not to rest onely from profitable labours but more especially from distracting bodily recreations because the Sabbath should bee both our full delights and full imployment as Heaven shall be hereafter For the commandements being Synecdochicall as therefore in the commandements touching adultery and murder the thoughts and words conducing thereunto are forbidden So in this commandement touching the Sabbath as works are forbidden so worldly thoughts whence worldly works issue as adultery from lust and the discourse of worldly things so likewise paritate rationis pleasure must needs bee included For labour being forbidden as an impediment consequently therefore whatsoever proveth an impediment is forbidden This commandement as the rest being Synechdochicall And thus Musculus least saith hee God should seeme to speake of some prophane idlenes hee saith not remember that thou keepe the Sabbath day but that thou hallow the Sabbath-day Now to hallow saith hee that day is to make the rest of it devout holy and imployed to godly exercises whereby the mind may bee instructed exercised and grounded in things concerning godlines And Cyrill quoted by Doctor Heylyn pag. 141. in Amos 8. and Gaudentius Brixianus speake to the selfe same purpose The Iewes saith Gaudentius neglecting those spirituall duties which God commanded on that day abused the Sabbath rest unto ease and luxury For whereas being free from temporall cares saith Cyrill they ought to have imployed that day to spirituall uses and to have spent the same in modesty and temperance and in the repetition and commenmoration of Gods holy Word they on the other side did the contrary wasting the day in Gluttony and Drunkennes and idle delicacies And whereas you would bring the reason which God alleadgeth from himselfe in the commandement to make it good That to rest on the Sabbath is the adequate sanctification with this I would have you compare that speech of Christ who by your owne acknowledgement was Lord of the Sabbath I will have mercy and not sacrifice where hee blameth the Iewes notwithstanding the typicall holines of this rest in their times for their not sanctifying the Sabbath with acts of mercy through their superstitious misprison of this rest Also consider how that God intended his spirituall service and worship in the very commandements of the second Table much more then in those of the first Againe I oppose hereunto the reason which God giveth from his owne example in the fourth of Deut. to wit his not appearing to them in any likeness to cry downe their making of Images to worship them which yet is no argument to prove that their not making of Images though hee was to bee obeyed and imitated therein was his proper worship or any part thereof but onely in a negative sense which doth exclude some thing but conclude nothing And therefore that which Zanchy saith of strangers rest is proper to the busines in hand Isti jubebantur non simpliciter quiescere sed quiescere ut ipsi suo modo Sabbatum sanctificare possent * Whereby you may see how hee seâ—vâ—th your turne though put in your margent This suo modo is of different sense to different sorts and conditions of people for the strangers that knew not the true worship had their suo modo nay and the Cattle theirs and so the Iewes that knew it under types and figures had also their suo modo and so have wee now ours And indeed if that rest was principally respected why was not other cattle and creatures commanded to bee kept from labouring as well as the Oxe and the Asse Why were they not as well to stoppe up the Bee-hives on the Sabbath-day to keepe them from working like as they doe in Winter to preserve them from destroying But wee see that onely the labours of those beasts are forbidden which might bee a distraction to mans better imployments and sanctified rest which appeareth in that for the better accommodating us to holy duties as for the hearing of a Sermon wee may interrupt the rest of our Cattle though other wayes commanded and use their labour on that day as in the example of the Shunamite 2 Kings 4 22. 23. Lastly I would aske you wherein wee shall sanctifie our everlasting Sabbath in Heaven whether by a bare resting from our works or by positive worship Surely you will say by positive worship And yet I deny not but our rest will bee an happy meanes thereunto And so much is signified now by our Sabbaths rest For such as is the Antitype such is the type Thirdly touching your proofe cut of Ier. 17. 24. I answer 1. That the reason of Gods taxing them with this was because it was
labour to an heavenly rest after the example of God For when the hands cease from one imployment the heart is fittest for another And as one well observeth The Sabbath-day signified that they themselves were the Lords and therefore they abstained from their owne works to doe the Lords To the second end gathered out of the 5. of Deut. That they might remember their deliverance out of Egypt I answer that this is an Argument to incite them to the better observance of this duty of sanctifying the Sabbath and their more willing allowance of it in their servants For the 15. verse is thus much That whereas when thou wast a servant in the Land of Egypt thou couldst not have sanctified a Sabbath unto mee having no rest for thy selfe because of thine intolerable pressures which I who am the Lord thy God have set thee free from and therefore command no more then I have enabled thee to fulfill therefore doe I now expect that according to my commandement and for my mercies sake shewne to thee in working thy deliverance thou shouldest observe the Sabbath to sanctifie it For Gods mercie thus preached unto them must needs conduce much to the gaining backe from them both mercy and obedience And for this cause it is that this their deliverance is made the Preface to the whole Law sutable to that in the Gospell that wee being delivered from the hands of our enemies might serve him without feare And both this which was a signification of our redemption and that other example of Gods resting from the creation are propounded as fit Theames for them to improve and exercise their minds upon to the glorifying of him and bettering themselves on that day both which were much to one purpose to shew forth the wonderfull loving kindnes of God to his people and Church in that hee made all things for them even for them whom hee had delivered out of Egyptian thraldome which admirable mercies of his hee would have them take speciall notice of and turne to praisefull Haleluiahs on that day which hee hath sanctified to himselfe without wearisomnes cheerefully and with delight as the Angels and Saints in Heaven keepe their Sabbath If this typicall and corporall deliverance of the Iewes bee such a perswasive reason of their sanctifying the Sabbath shall not our deliverance much more stirre us up to doe the like The substance of your marginall consideration hath beene handled before onely I adde this that a commandement is not made speciall by every motive but that it may bee in force to mee though every motive brought to enforce it properly concerne not my particular Else a man may oppresse a stranger that hath not beene himselfe stranger in the Land of Egypt Though this motive bee onely proper to them in the letter yet common to us in the spirituall and better sense and therefore enforceth the commandement upon us as well as on them Touching your third end deduced from Exod. 23. 12. where God commanded the Iewes to rest from their sixe dayes worke on the seaventh day that so their Cattle Servants and Strangers might bee refreshed To this I answer that this commandement doth neither imply that a bare rest doth sanctifie the Sabbath nor that they were to use the Sabbath as a Parenthesis betweene two weekes the better to passe from labour to labour but the intent of it was 1. The better to set forth the heavenly rest which the Sabbath signified for it being thus absolutely and universally commanded both to them and every thing that was properly theirs it sheweth the absolute and universall rest which every one that belongeth to God shall bee possessed of in Heaven as well as God himselfe For as God rested from his works so shall they from theirs to enjoy an absolute and perpetuall refreshment with him in Heaven 2. That to the practices of piety which they were to performe towards God on this day they should adjoyne the practices of charity humanity to man and beast not that mercy was the proper end of the Sabbatical-rest for so you confound the two Tables the first whereof immediatly respects God the second Man And in this respect was God curious of the due observance of his Sabbaths because the right keeping of them did involue the whole Law of God Your fourth end drawne from the 23. Levit. doth refute your position of the Sabbaths being sanctified by rest For if so bee this rest of the Sabbath served properly as a meanes to further the holy duties of that day how can the holines of that day bee properly or principally said to bee included in the rest it selfe which if it bee not an holy rest that is used to an holy end and purpose it neither fulfilleth the duty of the commandement which commandeth us as well to sanctifie the Sabbath as to forbeare worke nor the signification of the Sabbath it selfe For in Heaven when there shall bee the convocation of the universall Church of God the perpetuall Sabbath shall thenbee sanctified not in that wee shall rest but in that wee shall holyly rest Your fifth end fell out to bee discoursed of in your first which shall suffice concerning it onely thus much further that I suppose it cannot bee proved that all signes of covenants were abolished by Christs comming For the Rainebow was given for a signe of Gods covenant with Noah The Sabbath for a signe of Gods covenant with Israel from which I inferre that this cannot therefore bee judged abolished because a signe because the other signe as wee see is yet remaining Catonus pag. 45. De iride autem si concedemus quod doctissimi nonnulli negant illam ante diluvium fuisse induisse à postea raâ—ionem signi sequetur tamen inde quòd nos contendimus essentiam iridis non à signo dependisse imo si promissio Dei ad certum tempus restricta fuisset expleto tamen illo iridis natura non minus integra remansisset Similiter de Sabbatho dicendum est And to give further light to that same place of Scripture Exod. 31. 3. I will here insert the discourse of a divine of prime note upon the word remember shewing the reasons wherefore it is prefixt to the foâ—rth commandement wherein he handles the aforesaid text This word remember saith hee is prefixed to the fourth commandement rather then to the rest for 2. reasons 1. Because wee are apter to forget it then any of the rest for marke it in Scripture and where any duty is charged by God with Remember it argues a pronenes to forget it as that Remember thy Creator in the daies of thy youth when many lusts are ready to draw us of And the reasons why wee are so apt to forget this Commandement and why there is need of a Memento are foure 1. Because the rest of the Commandements are written in our Hearts by light of Nature but this only was given by outward ordinance of divine instruction
answer That the first Day of the Weeke or Lords Day having taken footing among the convert Gentiles to whom the Apostle wrote he might with lesse scruple use the word Sabbaths absolutely without exception considering that all Sabbaths eo nomine were outlawed Though now as the case stands we in these times are forced to re-assume the name Sabbath not thereby to shoulder out the more worthy name of Lords Day but to vindicate the authority of the fourth Commandement and to testify our judgements touching the new Sabbath like as the primitive times are reported to take up the wearing of the Crosse to testifie their profession and Confession of a Crucified Christ against their opposers 2. To your second Reason I answer That our warrant to worke on the Iewes seaventh Day is the fourth Commandement which proportioneth us out sixe Dayes for our worldly affaires and the seaventh for an holy rest which is the totall and morall sence and summe of that Commandement and which wee still observe the order being occasionall and temporary but the number morall and perpetuall as I have proved before And therefore the Apostles did imply a nullity of the one by the bringing in of the other according to the nature of the Commandement and the Prophecy of Isaiah 65. 16. So that if you thinke it meet to retaine the Lords Day in our Church as you do in your premonition then must you grant the order to be changed For it was never the Apostles meaning nor in their power when God by a perpetuall Law from the beginning had given us sixe Dayes for labour and destined the seaventh to an holy Rest to have turned it into five Dayes labour and two Dayes Rest. For amongst the Iewes when Holy-dayes were so frequent there was never any weekely Holy day ordayned to go cheeke by jole with the Sabbath but either Monethly or Yearely So that as Moses his Serpent eate up the Sorcerers so hath our seaventh Day eaten up theirs * As the Apostle sayth in another case 2 Cor 3. 10. Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth Generatio unius est corruptio alterius Our new Heaven and new Earth have given us a new Sabbath and new Rest. For old things are passed away and all things are become new 3. To your third reason I answer That Paul in like case speaketh in divers places of Ministers maintenance and yet saith never a word to cleare the controversy of Tythes whether they bee or bee not Iure divino but he preacheth the substance to wit a meet maintenance to be necessary So in Pauls discourse of times and Dayes as also of other things although he satisfy not our Fancies who cannot see afâ—rre of yet doth he answer the will of the Holy Ghost who for reasons whereof wee are uncapable spareth to doe what wee expect And indeed the reason of Pauls not Preaching the Sabbaths alteration might be because it was neither safe nor convenient For it must needes have given great offence to the Iewes seeing it had a place amongst the morall Commandements who were so precise in the punctisioes of times as that they would have beene of your opinion that either their seaventh Day or none was morall and so would have taken advantage to vilifie his doctrine as if he had gone about to overthrow as well the Morall as Ceremoniall Law the sun shine of the Gospell being too bright for their weake Eyes to behold all at once And therefore the Aposile condescending to their infirmities chose rather to insinuate the Lords Day tâ—citly by his practice then by his doctrine For so iâ— behoved him in those times wherein hee became all to all that he might win some And therefore did he take occâ—â—â—on on the Iâ—â—ish Sabbaths to Preaâ—h the Gospell in their Synagogues when yet wee see how that privately hee sanctified the Lords Day with Châ—istians Therefore I conclude that this Scripture is nothing concerning the Weekely Sabbath whereof he writeth nothing at all directly for the reasons aforesaid but of the Iewish Ceremoniall Sabbaths which hee must needs cry downe if he set up Christ. The shadow must vanish when the substance comes in place And of this the converted Iewes were mostly as well perswaded without offence as the converted Gentiles But of this sort was not the Weekely Sabbath as I have proved elsewhere and as further is evident from the 92. Psal which is dedicated to the Sabbath Day but none of the rest of the Psalmes to any of the legall Ceremonies from which I may thus reason That seeing the Booke of the Psalmes was ordained for the consolation of the militant Church unto the Worlds end as may appeare by the Apostles exhortation it seemeth not consonant to reason that a part of Gods perpetuall worship should be dedicated to a temporary Ceremony To your fourth and fifth I answer that how the Sabbath is said to be shadowish wee have shewne before and shall have more occasion hereafter to enlarge it Amongst those two or three which justifie the morality of the Sabbath I would have you take in D r. Andrewes in his exposition of the fourth Commandement and M r. Hooker in his Eccles Pol and Bishop Hell whom I have already alleadged Broad 2. The Sabbath was a shadow from the beginning FOr Gods very Resting was Typicall as appeareth Heb 4. 4. observe that the Apostle there speaketh os the seaventh Day as rested upon by God and not as sanctified by him or enjoyned to be sanctified by Man so that the seaventh Day then became a Type when God rested therein the seaventh Day in order if not in time before it was sanctified was Gods rest and Consequently a shadow of the Rest remaining to the People of God Consider further that it doth not appeare by the Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all were not Againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If any thinke there was no shadow or Ceremony of Christ before Sin Ans Suppose that before there had beene no shadow or Type at all yet might the Sabbath bee a shadow or Type from the beginning thereof for it is very profitable that Adam fell the Day before Againe though there were no Ceremony of Christ before Sinne yet might there be a shadow of things to come that now shall be exhibited by Christ which had not Adam sinned God would have exhibited by himselfe There were it seemes three Types or shadowes in the beginning Paradice the Tree of Life and the seaventh Day Gods Rest of the comfort of all which Adam for his Sinne was deprived But afterwards God being mercifull to the posterity of Abraham they had the same Sabbath Mannah for the Tree of Life and the Land of Canaan for Paradice which was as it were another Paradice and a figure
4. whereby their minds were to bee elevated above the Mannah that they should partake of on earth which they must enjoy with paines taking even to the Mannah which they should feed on in Heaven with rest from all labour and so is not yet fulfilled neither properly nor perfectly For wee must note that the Sabbath signified properly Gods rest or our rest with God not first Christs rest and then Gods though by reason of the admixtion of the Gospell in that time of the Law it signified Gods rest to bee by Christ as in its succession to Mannah hath beene shewne I say that properly it signified not Christs rest neither literally in respect of the time of the new covenant under the Gospell wherein we are set free from the burden which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare nor spiritually in the soules of the regenerate freed from the Law for this their other Sabbaths did in regard this weekely Sabbath could not properly doe it at that time though now under the Gospell the Sabbath-day that attended the Law being done away this weekely Sabbath now supplieth the place of all their Sabbaths and now it selfe alone signifies our already entrance into our eternall rest inchoatively by being possessed of our soules spirituall rest in Christ a thing which whilest the Law was afoote it could not properly imply Because the Law gave no present rest but all future though in the time of the Law as aforesaid it was signified to bee made good to us by Christ. Yet it never properly signified the rest of Christ in the soule for then it had signified a present rest which was contrary to the Law and is now our priviledge under the Gospell The Sabbath-day being changed for that end from last to first For 4. Heb. 3. Wee which have beleved doe enter into rest where this rest of God is spoken of in a double respect to wit as denied to carnall Israel that sought to possesse themselves of it by works but granted to Gods spirituall Israel that seeke it of Grace through faith who shall not onely have it here after but even for present are possessed of it in their soules which happines the Law or first covenant never could afford So that although the Sabbath bee shadowish yet is it not the Iewes proper freehold but common with them and us being theirs onely as they were the elect Church and people of God to whom it universally belongeth and therefore was instituted even to Adam in innocency For the Church of God in the clearest state of it never was nor never shall bee upon earth without shadowish Sacraments and Sabbaths being her proper inheritance which were even in innocency where our eyes were clearer then they are now And seeing that the Sabbath is not properly Iewish it cannot bee said to bee abrogated because the substance is yet not come which is Heaven it selfe or our absolute rest and inablement to serve God there As was signified by that strict rest commanded to the Iewes on this Sabbath in the time of Mannah above other rests and other Sabbaths but onely changed to prove to us that the Gospell estates us in that rest and that presently which the Law should but could not And now in our dayes the stricter that wee rest from worldly distractions and the more sanctifiedly that wee keepe the Sabbath the nearer wee imitate Gods example * Who yet on the seaventh day that hee rested ceased not to cherish and maintaine all things that hee had made by his providence and in necessary and mercifull providence wee are to imitate God on that day as well as in resting and fulfill his intention in the institution of the Sabbath and the better wee performe our duty in glorifying God as the Iewes did in doubling their sacrifices on that day and the more comfort wee reape to our selves in lively moralizing thence our heavenly rest which we shall have hereafter free from all corruptions interruptions temptations * Doing God double service in Heaven to that wee doe him here For in proportion all that belong unto the Iewes concerning their resting and sanctifying the Sabbath belong likewise to us consideratis considerandis Broad CHAP. VI. ARguments prooving that the precept of the Sabbath is not morall nor perpetuall * Did some men teach onely that the precept of the Sabbath was greater and of longer continuance then the precepts of the holy-dayes it were not so strange but that the precept of the Sabbath and the precepts of the holy-dayes should bee of different natures the one morall and the other not is incredible Answer A pitifull shift that these Antisabbatarians and the Papists are driven to for the maintenance of their opinions even to the downe right adventuring to blot out that which God himselfe hath written with his owne hand a greater boldnes then King Belshazzar durst attempt touching the writing on the wall witnes Master Broad here and Vasquez the Iesuite else-where who being driven to acknowledge by comparing the words of the second commandement with the fourth of Deut. that the Scripture doth forbid the adoration of the true God himselfe in an Image and confessing with all that hee and his fellow Catholicks doe other wayes what saith hee then to the commandement why because it will not bee obeyed it must bee repealed and not admitted to have any place amongst the morall precepts of God it was saith hee a positive and ceremoniall Law and therefore ought to cease in the time of the Gospell thus making the commandemen of God of none effect to keepe their owne traditions Gab. Vasquez lib. 2. disput 4. cap. 4. sect 84. But the Iesuites come short of the subtilties of our age for they bluntly explode the second commandement whereas they might have let it stand still with a distinction Like as some of our Antisabbatarians For they cannot all agree upon the point doe let the fourth commandement stand though not for its owne sake or as a Law though wee must pray Lord encline our hearts to keepe this Law as wee doe to the rest but onely for some other causes and consideration dictated by our Antisabbatarians some one some another to keepe the ten commandements from a blancke I wonder what one man of a thousand hath wont to pray that prayer after the reading of the fourth commandement in their sense which if they will have passe for Doctrine they must either alter the frame of the commandement or else explode it as Master Broad doth But Doctor Heylyn part 2. pag. 241. objects that if this ejaculation bee to bee understood in a literall sense according as the words are laid downe in terminis it then must bee the meaning of it that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seaventh day precisely from the Worlds creation and keepe it in the selfe same manner that the Iewes once did To which I answer that
better to performe that duty Thirdly he objecteth There was no necessity of having one set day in every weeke for performing religious offices for man lived in Paradise in a fruition of God To which I answer 1. By the same rule seconded by their position The Church need appoint no Holy-dayes now under the Gospell * Which thei le hardly yeeld to for say they we are to keep every day Sabbath or Holy-day to the Lord which surely we cannot doe without spirituall fruition of God 2. That though Gods children enjoy now a constant fruition of God as a friend yet is this fruition much maintained increased and inlarged by their sanctifying the Sabbath And so doubtlesse should Adams it representing to him and us the perfection of our happinesse and his Fourthly he objecteth All Gods creatures were as living books to preach to man the majesty and bounty of the Creator To which I answer We account it not a needlesse action in God when he had made his creatures which we knew and saw well enough so solemnly notwithstanding to overlook them as is recorded Gen. 1. 31. Neither is there any cause why Adam should not have a solemne day of contemplation and service appointed him because of the time and meanes he had of serving God on other dayes seeing the Sabbath intimated most doctrinally what we ought to God to wit our whole selves and what service we should doe him in heaven to wit absolute without any interruption the better to enamourus of our change To conclude it is evident that the Sabbath was a Law in Commandment in time of Innocency else it could not have suffered losse and detriment by Adams fall which it did as is evident in that First It was one of the Lawes written in Moses his first Tables which were broken and spoyled to signifie as much Secondly Because there were renewed in the second Tables the very self same lawes which were at first whereof the Sabbath was one For the Sabbath waites as an handmaid on the morall Law in which respect chiefly it was made for man that is given to mankinde to be helpfull to his obedience So that seeing as a Law the Sabbath is concomitant with the Law in the second exhibition of it consequently it was so at first especially seeing it is reported that God writ the same things in the second Tables as he did in the first which signifyeth Gods twice giving the Law once in Adam which was defaced and so the Sabbath as well as the rest which he repaired as before And again work was commanded in Innocencie and consequently the Sabbath It is true that an Holy land and an Holy day suite well together but an Holy Church and an Holy Sabbath suite better and you shall finde this Holy Church keeping the Sabbath in the wildernesse before they came into the Holy land and more strictly too When God lastly asketh me that reason why I thought the Sabbath to be a Commandement I think it good to answer him 〈◊〉 his own example especially seeing he grounded an expresse Commandement thereupon afterwards And if God like not this answer he will then doe by it as he did by Adams breeches give me a better In the meane time I will chuse rather to erre by obeying then â—y disobeying and I am sure I shall give a better account of the one then you shall of the other Broad 2. In the state of Innocencie Answ. It hath been I suppose the generall opinion untill of late yeers that Adam fell the day before and otherwise his first childe had not been conceived in sin again the Devill doubtlesse would be â—empting as soone as might be his malice was so great that every houre seemed a twelve moneth before he could become a murderer and the sooner he set upon our first parents after they were created the likelier he was to prevaile the more easily should he have taâ—â—yed a day or two the woman might have learned by experience that the Creatures could not speake of themselves which had Eve known she would rather have been affrighted then deceived Further who and without curiositie would not be desirous to heare how Adam and Evâ— carryed themselves in that first Sabbath Had not this bin a notable pattern to all his posteritie In mans reason Adam should be ill dealt withall to have his evill deeds and not his good deeds committed to History Answer Let us herein be wise with Sobrietie and be content to receive it as God by Moses delivereth it to wit what was done before the fall as done in Innocency whereof the Sabbath was a part which silenceth your conjecturall reasons And therefore I will forbeare to refute conjectures with conjectures and satisfie my self with divine authoritie Though I could tell you that it is very unlikely that seeing in Gods dayes works in the first Chap. of Genesis who did yet but command and it was done so few things are recorded to be done on every day That Adam besides the businesse of his temptation fall and punishment together with the circumstances belonging to them which you may read in the third of Genesis took up no small time could receive his blessing Gen. 1. 28. and his regiment and libertie 29 30. and his putting into Paradise Chap. 2. 8. and his law of Commandement 16 17. and could give names to all Cattle fowles of the heaven and beasts of the field 19 and all on the day of his own Creation especially if we consider how much time God spent of it proportionably to the work that Moses allotteth to other dayes in creating the living things of the earth according to their kinde as Cattle creeping things and beasts and Adam himself and casting him into a sleep and creating Eve out of him and the view he took after of all that he had made Nor is it so considerable concerning Adam and 〈◊〉 keeping the first Sabbath seeing they kept none for God as your self observed made known his example at the evening of his seventh day and Adam fell before the the seventh day camâ— about If you aske 〈…〉 he fell Obiect if 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Answ. but the third which was the first day of the weeke followâ—ng and 〈◊〉 which leads me thus to thinke 〈…〉 Adam in opposition to the first * And is opposed to his â—all even in his resurrection it selfe in the 1 Câ—r 15. 21. Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead I rose on that day 〈◊〉 I thinke Adam fell And that he fell not on the first of his Creation which was Gods sixth and last day appeareth not only by the Sabbaths institution in time of innocencie as aforesaid but also by the last verse of the first Chapter of 〈◊〉 Where after God had finished the works of that Day he viewed every thing that he had made and seeing all was Good presently there followeth upon that as upon the other dayes of
as touching Circumcision and Sacrifices and the other Commandements of the breach and punishment whereof you say wee read I answer that they were either the very Lawes of Nature or els Lawes given since the Fall and upon that occasion for so was Circumcision and Sacrifices neither of which is the Sabbath Not the Law of Nature as I have said for that is only to sanctify some indefinite time to the service of God as it is likely all those did in that time of nature betweene Adam and Moses where by the way take notice of the necessarines of the Sabbath to be in the nature of a Law for the better performance of Gods solemne worship and not to be left at mans liberty nor is it a Law instituted since the Fall for its roote groweth in Paradice and therefore not of force with either in that time of little light but lay dormant all that while till it pleased God againe to reveale his more solemne worship to his more solemne Church * Nehem 9. 13. 14. And not without good reason too for besides that our rest was lost by our Fall till our deliverer tipified in Moses renewed it unto us the Sabbath was significative in its manner of exhibition for during the time of the Covenant of workes wee see how it was appointed in order after them following the workes foregoing both in the primitive institution from Gods owne example and also in the second exhibition of it to the Israelites to signify and imply our Heavenly Sabbatisme then to be as well the reward of workes as cessation from workes and now the Covenant of Grace is come it is made to precede the working Dayes being celebrated now on the first Day of the Weeke as before on the last to signify that now Heaven is no longer the reward of workes exâ—ept in an Evangelicaâ—â— sence and so wee still rest from our Labours and our Workes follow us now who seeth not a speciall providence like that of Adams not eating of the Tree of Life during his abode in Paradise implied Gen. 3. â—2 in the non ens of the Sabbath during the interim betweene the Fall and Moses which was a time when the World as the Apostle Paul saith was without the Law that is without the Covenant of the Law openly revealed to them as afterwards it was to Israel so in the same sence I may say too it was without the Gospell that is without the Covenant of Grace openly revealed to them as not it is to us because therein it had beene clouded and insignificative Which signification Bishop White * Pag 120 121. doth even now commend to us from the fourth Commandement for saith he it is not now a Cypher but the letter of the commandement figureth representeth and consequently teacheth the leading of an holy and religious life that wee may at last enter the Rest of Heaven Heb. 4. 11. c. Againe I would aske you where you find the breach of Wedlocke found fault withall for their multiplicity of Wives or punishment executed therfore which being no Law of nature but a positive Law appointed in Innocency by God as also was the Sabbath not by instinct but by revelation therefore in those times of darknes were they alike winked at by God for herein they sinned not against any knowne commandement after Adams transgression but of simple ignorance And therfore as the Apostle speaketh Sinne was not imputed when there was no Law Here by the way let mee take in a passage of Dr. Heylins pag. 123. hee sayth that the Iewes thought the Sabbath to be no part of the Morall Law because they brake it by Circumcision as thinking Circumcision to be the older Ceremony and therfore gave precedency to it not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers Nay saith he the Iewes so farre prized the one above the other that by this breaking of the Sabbath they were perswaded verily they kept the Law These things he observes out of that text Iohn 7. 22. Moses saith Christ gave unto you Circumcision not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers and you on the Sabbath Day Circumcise a man that the Law of Moses should not be broken To this I answer 1. That from this text it cannot be gathered that the Iewes thought the Sabbath no morall Law no more then that they can be said to thinke Christs charitable aâ—â— of healing the Sick man to be no morall action because they persecuted him for it or if they did it was their wilfull blindnes For Christ makes it plaine that howsoever Circumcision might and ought as a part of Gods service bee done no doubt on the Sabbath Day when it fell out to be the eighth Day according to the Law that it was their errour so to overvalew Circumcision out of their superstitious respect of Moses who they made the Author of it to them above other Lawes which are both in their Natures higher then that and which also Moses gave them as well as that as wee see in the 19 verse of that Chapter saith Christ there Did not Moses give you a Law and yet none of you keepeth the Law by which is meant the Morall Law which commandeth Charity and Mercy which is above Circumcision and yet you quarrell with mee for observing this Law of Moses or rather of God and yet for all that are your selves so nice in observing the performance of Circumcision for Moses his sake which is so farre inferiour So in the 24 verse he exhorts them to consider it better that if they might and ought to observe the ceremoniall Law on the Sabbath by doing the workes thereof much more ought he to doe the workes of charity thereon which are the duties of the Morall Law 2 By the same rule he affirmes the Iewes not to beleeve the Weekely Sabbath to be a part of the Morall Law he may affirme them not to beleeve the Sabbaths of Yeares to bee any commandement of God at all for a man may say of them in that case as he saith in this that surely had they beleeved them to be the Commandements of God that could not bâ— affirmed of them which hee saith Pag 143. to wit that they were long neglected and almost forgotten if observed at all 3. Neither did they prize Circumcision as the ancienter Ceremony because it was of the Fathers by any thing that can be gathered from that text for it meanes no such thing but the quite contrary For Christ brings these words not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers in the way of Parenthesis in the 22 verse to shew them their errour in setting so high a price upon Circumcision for Moses his sake seeing Moses was not the first founder of it but received it by derivation from the Fathers So that the Iewes blind conceit of Circumcision in comparison of the Sabbath were it so as D r. Heylin alleadgeth detracts no more from the
So here in this 4. Hebr. this Gospel-rest and Sabbath-rest are interwouen being continuous and of the same nature relating one to another as true and perfect doe So that I say the Apostle meanes that God sware that for their unbeleefes sake they should not tast nor partake neither his rest on Earth in the Land of Canaan flowing with milke and hony and where with reioycing hearts they should liberally have eaten the good things of the Land idest the rest of the Gospell making their soules flow with the milke and hony of peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost and wherein are bid to come and eate that which is good and to drinke the wine on the lees and to fill themselves with marrow and fat things the spirituall Israel of God Neither that rest by which God himselfe rested from his works of creation verse 4. and which they also should have rested with him in Heaven when all things were or should bee finished by consummation verse 3. as once they were by perfection By their unbeleefe they made themselves uncapable both of the rest of Christ here who should have led their soules into a land of uprightnes flowing with the milke and hony of righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost and of the rest of God hereafter that everlasting rest and Sabbath which they should have held with him in Heaven resting from their workes as hee did from his They should partake neither the one nor the other neither Christs rest nor Gods indeed no rest at all neither temporall spirituall nor eternall neither Canaans rest nor the Gospels rest nor the Sabbaths rest For verse 3. God sware in his wrath that they should nor enter into his rest no not although the works were finished from the foundation of the World neither beginning nor end lesse nor more first nor last of his rest should they tast or partake of by the works of the Law refusing the righteousnes of God by faith For hee inlargeth his enraged malediction from one part to the whole rest And thus much Mayer expresseth in short in his exposition of the 12. and 13. verses of this 4. Hebr. saying that those words cohere with the former thus Let us take heed that wee perish noâ— for want of beleeving the word being deprived of inward rest and peace here and shut out from the eternall rest hereafter For the word of God is full of life c. And here note by the way from those words although the workes were finished from the foundation of the World in the third verse how the Sabbath keeps and is expressed in its supereminency which it had before in its preferment to a place among the 10. commandements and precedency of rest in the wildernes for what doe they signifie but that they should not partake of his last and greatest rest hereafter with himselfe in heaven no more then of his lesse and present rest of Canaan and the Gospell Likewise also it appeaâ—es â—o bee no Iewish type from the different relations they had to Christ For the Iewish types did relate to him properly as the shadow to the body being created for his sake but the Sabbath as the Law accidentally to bee fulfilled and accomplished by him because they had miscarried by us And in this doth the supereminency of the Sabbath appeare in that Christ for himselfe as well as for us is a sharer in this types signification For in respect of this rest is hee said to sit now at Gods right hand by which gesture signifying rest is intimated as well his resting from the labours and paines hee underwent here as any other thing for whereas hee had the evill and wee the good of other types of this hee tasteth the sweet as well as wee And therefore hee saith to his Disciples If yee loved me yee would rejoyce because I goe to my Father Indeed Christ onely inherited the last day Sabbath according to the first covenant and hath left the first day Sabbath for us to inherite by the second covenant But you will say Obi. surely there cannot chuse but bee somewhat in it that the Sabbath was instituted by Moses upon the occasion of Mannah as it appeares in the 16. of Exod. before God gave the morall Law on mount Sinai I acknowledge Ans. though the Sabbath bee of a transcendent nature to the other types yet as all other things so also the Sabbath hath reference to Christ in regard of the state of the Church since the fall For as now the whole morall Law is fulfilled by Christ for us and therefore was given upon their deliverance out of their Egyptian bondage so also is the Sabbath in its celestiall signification made good to us now by a new accomplishment to wit onely by Christ Hee it is now that doth onely make us righteous in the sight of God and hee also it is that now alone maketh us partakers of the rest of God For as they were to enjoy and feed upon Mannah in Heaven with rest so they were to have this rest by Mannah id est Christ. And therefore I confesse that there is very much matter in it that thus the Sabbath doth precede the giving of the Law * There was almost nothing that befell the Israelites in the time of their being in the wildernes but it was typicall like as there was in Gods giving the promise to Abraham before circumcision Rom. 4. 11. * And indeed they should have made that use of this order of the Sabbath being instituted upon Mannah before the giving of the Law That the law which was to follow did not frustrate the promise of salvation and life which long before was made in Christ Gal. 3. 17 18. and therefore followed as conducing to it which went before but that the same rest or eternall Sabbatisme which should have beene by the Law is now to bee had by Christ. and doth also follow so immediatly the gathering of Mannah and that a double portion of Mannah for hereby is signified how that now our heavenly rest is not procured by our owne righteousnes of the Law though once it was annexed to it but that hee onely who by faith doth gather and lay up a large proportion of Christ shall certainely have this Sabbatisme of everlasting rest in Heaven succeed unto him See Rom. 5. 17. and for the very selfe same cause it is that now our Sabbath is celebrated after the day of Christs resurrection See also Doctor Taylor in his Christ revealed pag. 268. where hee saith that Mannah fell on the evening of the Sabbath in a double quantity signifying the double diligence that wee must use to get Christ while wee are in this life which is as the even of our eternall Sabbath And that upon condition of our diligence and care here below wee shall have supply enough of all grace without labour and gathering when Christ shall bee all in all to all
Israel gathered unto him So that I say the duty of the Sabbath followed as a Law together with the Law for us alwayes to observe and that the signification of it went before to signifie that our claime to this heavenly Sabbatisme is now onely by Christ. And thus you may see how you have laid your foundation upon a false ground or principle by mistaking the Sabbaths signification and in what manner it referreth to Christ. And thus by consequence your whole building falleth to the ground although it bee granted that the Sabbath is both typicall and rebus sic stantibus hath relation to Christ also Broad What God requireth on the Sabbath THe duties which God required of the people of Israel Hee required another of the Priests namely to offer two Lambs Num. 28. but this I will not stand upon on the Sabbath were two especially I. To rest from worke By servile the Scripture meaneth all worke except that is bestowed about things to eate Lev. 23. 7. 8. compared with Exod. 12. 16. that is to forbeare the doing of every thing which is commonly so called and accounted as the killing â—of beastes kindling of fires going to plow travailing c. on the first and last dayes of the feast of Passeover and some other holydayes onely servile worke is prohibited Levit. 23. 7. 8. 21. c. Num. 28. 18. 25. so that they might provide things to eate Consider that the Sabbath was ordained for a memoriall of Gods resting whereas the holy-dayes were instituted upon other occasions Exod. 12. 16. No manner of worke must bee done in them save that which every one must eate that onely may bee done of you But now on the Sabbath-day they might not doe so much For Gâ—d never that I find mentioning the word servile both in the commandement and other places saith in it Thou shalt not doe any worke They might not bake nor seeth their Mannah Exod. 16. 23. though on the other Holy-dayes they might both gather and dresse it yet they might not so much as dresse it on the Sabbath They were forbidden to kindle a fire which when a man belike would have done Exod. 35. 5. and therefore gathered stickes hee was put to death and bee it as some say though without any ground that the manner of doing did aggravate the offence yet sure I am that it did not make that an offence which had other-wayes beene none they might not then ordinarily picke up a few stickes II. A second speciall duty which God required oâ— the Sabbath was to have an holy convocation for it was not enough to worship God privately they must goe to the assemblies and praise him in the congregation To worship God privately was every dayes duty as likewise to doe works of charity for the Iew as wee was bound by the Law of nature to fulfill the nine morall commandements to the utmost of their power every day though indeed hee might performe the duties of piety and charity in greatèr measure and therefore was bound so to doe on the Sabbath as having then more opportunity idlenes being unlawfull at all times Answer By the first of these duties you seeme to mee to insinuate a Dilemma intimating by it that either the Sabbath is meerely Iewish or else that in all respects both of the duty and strictnes of rest it belongeth to us as to them Which strictnes you prove by comparing it with the other Sabbaths which had onely servile worke forbidden in them The proofe I graunt and the thing â—roved But that the Sabbath is therefore onely Iewish or that wee are bound so to observe it I deny upon these grounds 1. I deny that therefore the Sabbath is onely Iewish 1. Because that though this strict rest was typicall yet not properly Iewish because not of the same nature with Iewish types For that those which were properly types in a Iewish sence had relation to Christs and the constitution of his Church as considered properly and primarily upon Earth in its militant being in the time of grace during Christs regiment * For though Aarons bearing the names of the Tribes on his shoulders and breast signified Christ doing the same for his elect in Heaven yet it is his elect still on Earth not for his elect when they shall bee triumphant in Heaven sic de caeteris but the signification typified in this rest was of a different nature for propetly it signified the Church triumphant in Heaven it selfe which typicall difference may easily appeare onely by comparing this Sabbath with the other Sabbaths as shall bee seene anon And secondly because that this strict rest was no part of the substance of the Sabbath but onely an occasionall circumstance proper for the season of their prerâ—grination For so sooone as Mannah failed that strict rest failed so that you never after knew them condemned for providing their necessary food on the Sabbath-day although you find them often complained on for other breaches 2. And although that thus I deny this strict rest to be properly Iewish yet I deny it not to bee proper onely to the Iewes but affirme it both in respect of the duty * I meane here by duty sanction or positive holines else to rest is our duty as well as theirs of this rest as also in respect of the precisenes of it 1. For the duty of this rest I say that that was proper to the Iewes and not to us now Because that types in the time of their Discipline * Which was the time that the letter bare sway and comparatively not the Spirit carried with them a positive holines being for its continuance ordinances and not accidents But now that externall religion which consisted in types is properly no part of our worship although the thing it selfe in this particuler being a perpetuall type remaineth in the use and signification of it but as I say not in its temporary holines or occasionall precisenes for the Kingdome of Heaven now consists in righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost and not in typicall sanctions For wee must understand that the Sabbath in it selfe considered without accidents was of a perpetuall typicall meaning intending the absolute rest that should bee to the Church of God in Heaven as is notoriously evident in the fourth of Hebr. by comparing the 4. verse with the 9. and 10. For which cause it may well bee conceived to bee holy even with an externall holines as other types were in the minority of those typicall times in respect of the bare rest therein commanded which yet in that sense is no part of our sanctification for our sanctification in respect of this rest properly consisteth in the signification thereof spiritualized in our hearts and in the privative sense thereof because our resting from worldly affaires is a necessary privative meanes to our sanctifying the Sabbath Like as in the Antitype our rest in Heaven
and cheerefulnes doe the holy works and duties of Gods worship and service which are proper to that day 2. For the precisenes of the rest which you here speake of I also affirme that that was proper onely to the Iewes as also to that time of their preregrination in the wildernes and not to us for because it was no part of the substance of the commandement or Sabbath but onely an adventitious or temporary circumstance for illustration sake begun and ended in the wildernes For the Iewes being a people in their time under a typicall discipline God chose that time and this occasion of feeding them with Mannah in the wildernes which the Scripture calleth Angels food because it came so immediatly from Heaven the more clearely to exemplifie the lively signification of the Sabbaths rest which being alwayes typicall should bee much more so in their time For they having other Sabbaths commanded them with strict rest this must bee imposed upon them with stricter rest else they should not learne its proper meaning and difference And for this cause did hee command it with so much strictnes at that time even to their not gathering nor preparing Mannah when as yet their other Sabbaths were commanded them with liberty to make ready what they should eate the better to testifie the different nature and eminent signification of that Sabbath above the other For the rest of the Iewish Sabbaths were not so absolute because they were onely appointed to signifie the rest which every beleever and the whole Church hath here by Christ on Earth to wit a rest but an interrupted rest like to their rest in the Land of Canaan not absolute but interrupted and of a mixt nature in regard of such things which are necessary to befall us in this life whereas the weekely Sabbath signified the rest which the company of beleevers should have in Heaven as it is in the fourth of Hebr. 9. There remaineth a rest therefore to the people of God which is absolute and without any mixture because that in Heaven wee shall bee at Gods immediate finding as they were thâ—n whilest they were in the wildernes but never after And therefore did so much of that rest as wherein it surpassed the other Sabbaths cease for after time both to them and us because that God ceased to raine Mannah which gave life to that circumstance of strict rest commanded them at that time So that Doctor Heylins observation pag. 145. How that after their returne from the Babylonish captivity in their redresse of their Sabbath sins they had no lesse care of the annuall Sabbaths and Sabbaths of yeares then of the weekely and the markets were no more restrained on the weekely Sabbath then on the annuall might have beene spared as making nothing for his purpose And therefore so to rest now in our dayes as not to provide our necessary food * And we have Christs example to warrant it in the 14. Luke by comparing the 8. 12. 13. verses seeing God ceaseth to raine Mannah were to create types to our selves and to cloud that light with a vaile of our owne making For the extraordinary strict rest was by God then onely commanded when by him they were extraordinarily accommodated to observe it which shall bee fulfilled onely in Heaven when againe wee shall onely bee at Gods immediate finding and shall againe eat Angel food as they did in the wildernes Saith Doctor Tailor * Christ revealed pag. 269. the not gathering Mannah on the Sabbath signified that in that eternall Sabbath wee shall enjoy Mannah without meanes So that in the meane time wee are not forbidden to bee charitable to our bodies by preparing necessary food * Iustin Martyr Neither thinke it greevous that we drinke some warme thing on the Sabbath seeing God also governeth the World on this day in like manner as he doth another dayes Although I could wish with all my heart that wee were more charitable to the soules of our servants then many of us are and not on that day so to pamper our bodies as to starve their soules that are under our charge and for whom we must give account especially if wee consider that other meaning which God had in prohibiting the gathering and preparing Mannah on the Sabbath-day so much inculcated by divines to wit that it is not earthly but heavenly Mannah that is the food and welfare of our soules which on that day our appetite ought chiefely to stand to as wee see by the example of Christs Disciples Matth 12. 1. And that this strict rest was onely proper to that season and not to us I further prove it by two contexts The first is out of the 16. Exod. 29. compared with the 27. where when the people went to gather Mannah contrary to Gods commandements Moses rebuked them saying Behold how the Lord hath given you the Sabbath therefore hee giveth you bread for two dayes tarry therefore every man in his place let no man goe out of his place to wit to gather Mannah on the seaventh day where wee see the reason of that extraordinary rest was because of Gods extraordinary provision * See Tunius his reason in his comment upon the 26 verse of this chap. so that when the one ceased the other which depended on it ceased also The second place is Numb â—5 32. where it is said that whilest the children of Israel were in the wildernes they found a man that gathered stickes upon the Sabbath-day marke the phrase whilest they were in the wildernes how it seemes to restraine that strict kind of rest to that place and that time for many worse breaches were made after they were out of the wildernes and yet noe such punishment inflicted Besides it is a rule that every morall duty may bee performed of all men but under the North-Pole they cannot bee one day without fire and they neare the equinoctiall cannot keepe their meate for heate therefore this cannot take place among them and so not generall to all nor perpetuall to bee observed for ever Whereas some interpret that Law of the Israelites not kindling fires to bee meant in relation to the building of the Tabernacle which though in it selfe it bee true that being one end happily of that inhibition yet it is not the onely meaning of that Law for they were not to bake nor seeth their food on that day as appeares Exod. 16. 23. as also by the example of the man that was stoned for gathering stickes on the Sabbath-day which it is propable was not for the Tabernacles use but to bake seeth or warme some food neither was it lawfull for them to kindâ—â— fires after the Tabernacle was finished during their abode in the wildernes But there are others that interpret those words of Exod. 16. 23. Bake 〈◊〉 yee will bake to day and seeth that yee will 〈◊〉 in this manner that is say they bake and boyle according as you use to doe
what you thinke sufficient for the present day and for the rest let it bee laid up to bee baked or boyled to morrow Which 〈◊〉 bee the meaning for these reasons 1. Because of the example of the man aforesaid that was stoned for gathering stickes it is probable to that end 2. 〈…〉 the difference betweene this Sabbath and their other Sabbaths would bee confounded whereas they were distinctly in expresse termes allowed to make ready what they should eate And thirdly because it would have clouded the significancy of their gathering and preparing a large proportion of Christ to assure them of the Sabbatisme to come And fourthly because when the Sabbath day came Moses in the 25. verse of 16. Chap. said not as before in the 23. versâ— Bake that yee will bake to day and seeth that yee will seeth But hee saith onely eate that to day to wit which they had layed up baked or sodden since the day before And fifthly Those words bake what yee will bake to day and seeth what yee will seeth and that which remaineth lay it up is not meant in respect of the indifferency of proportion as if hee had said bake what proportion and seeth what proportion yee thinke good and lay up the rest raw but it respects the indifferency of their cooking it intimating that they might either bake it and seeth it or bake it or seeth it as their fancy liked best so that they did it on that day before the Sabbath for on the Sabbath they were not to alter the property but to eate what they had leâ—â— as they left it In this new-sangled fancy you shall find Doctor 〈…〉 Brahourne agreed part I. pag. 100. 101. where to backe this exposition Doctor Heylyn objectâ— that it were no wonder if being baked it purified not To which I answer that the wonder was that 〈…〉 kept it untill the morning 〈…〉 to the command 〈…〉 either raw or baked a great deale longer time without putrifying Though it having the formerly 〈…〉 first which among so many it is like was reserved of all sorts some raw some baked some boyled all which yet purified alike it was then indeed a wonder that it did not the like the second time when they kept it lawfully which sheweth that it was of God and not of the nature of the thing both that it putrified the first time and that it putrified not the second time that it was kept But to put this upstart exposition utterly out of question besides the reasons aforesaid Let them compare the 23. verse with the 5. verse whither Moses relates and there they shall find God commanding them to prepare that which they bring in on the 6. day and what was that why it followeth twice so much as they gather daily So that they were to prepare all they brought in and they brought in all they gathered and they gathered twice as much as they gathered on the other dayes So that in summe it is euident that on the sixth day they were to prepare that is to cooke or make ready by seething or baking the whole double proportion which they had gathered on that day Nor is it without ground as you affirme to say of this mans gathering stickes that his manner of doing it did aggravate his offence for there are these grounds to induce it 1. Because if it had beene necessary it had not beene unlawfull no more then Davids eating the Shew-bread for Christ sayth in this very case of the Sabbath That God will have mercy and not Sacrifice 2. It is more then probable by the context that his Sinne was out of Presumption for in the verses immediatly foregoing it is said Hee that doth ought presumptuously shall bee cut off from his people and then followeth the instance of this mans fact as it were an example of this fault and this punishment which wee never read afterwards to be inflicted upon any 3. Wee find no excuse he made for his fact so that it either was not necessary or if necessary yet occasioned by his wilfull and carelesse neglect of making his Mannah ready the day before according to the Commandement and so not excusable Now as touching your marginall consideration how that the Sabbath was ordained in memoriall of Gods resting To this I answer That wee doe not celebrate on the Sabbath the memory of Gods bare resting no more then wee do Christs bare rising but wee celebrate the consummation of the worke of Gods goodnes in the Creation and of his Mercy in our Redemption for Gods resting on that Day from the Creation was no part of the Sabbaths sanctification but a cause in him why he appointed the seaventh Day to be a sanctifyed Sabbath unto us no more then Christs Resurrection on the first Day of the Weeke was a part of the sanctification of that Day but only the cause why wee sanctify it or dedicate it to Rest and Divine imployment ever since And therefore in vaine doth B. White object p. 302. that Christs Resurrection was no Commandement containing an institution of a new Sabbath in that he erringly saith as elsewhere I shew that it was not spent in resting but in action seeing saith he the ground of the old Sabbath was Rest. But wee doe not simply celebrate Gods rest but his Rest or accomplishment of our Creation as it hath relation to us not as that rest simply respecteth God for so it is meant only as a patterne and serves as an occasion to beget this ordinance of the Sabbath as wee may see by the manner of expression that is used to set forth the Sabbaths first institution Gen. 2. 2. 3. where Gods rest is not only mentioned to be on the seaventh Day but also his compleating the worke of Creation verse 2. upon both which joyntly followeth the institution of the Sabbath verse 3. and as wee may also see by the prophecy in Isai. 65. 17. where the commemoration of the benefit of one Creation shall eate out the other Indeed Gods resting the seaventh Day was of twofold use The one of illustration for thereby was signified the Rest of Gods Church in Heaven as appeareth in the 4 of Heb. The other was to give us an example of retiring our selves from earthly things on that Day * For so on that Day God as it were returned to Heaven againe only to be conversant there for ever after having as it were been absent during the Creation As it is said Gen. 17. 22. And he left of talking with him and God went up from Abram that so wee might devote it to his glory for this Resting of God was only set as an example for us to imitate the better to obey his Commandement But more are willing to observe his example then to obey his precept that is to cease from bodily labour then to be spiritually imployed in the sanctifying of that Day by making it a Day of holy businesses and consequently a day of
a fault most obvious as may appeare in that amongst other workes hee instanceth most their bearing of burthens as the thing most frequent and abusive so doth hee complaine of their prophaning the Sabbath by working in it because that being a fault most obvious they would bee the soonest convinced thereby For man can naturally better conceive of his outward grosse and sensitive errours then of his spirituall ones which notwithstanding was implyed therein Like as at the day of judgement hee will judge us by our works and yet therein wee shall answer for our infidelity for in the one hee involues the other God tooke the same order with the Iewes under the Law that Christ did under the Gospell that is still to blame them for those faults which were either most apparant or most proper to those times and persons knowing that if they failed in those they must needs faile in the more materiall But when they were diligent to doe the outward duty and neglected the inward then God blameth them in that respect also As wee may see by that which hee telleth them touching their sacrifices how that hee that sacrificed a sheepe was as if hee cut of a dogs necke whereas had they neglected to have sacrificed hee would first have called on them for his outward service because without that the inward could not bee performed So of the Sabbath-rest hee must first bring them from prophaning the Sabbath before hee could bring them to a due sanctifying of it For except they made good their bodily rest according to the commandement they could never meditate rightly their rest in Heaven Againe in the second place I say that though God in this 17. Ier did thus sharpely reprove their prophaning the Sabbath by working yet hee never meant that in resting consisted its chiefest sanctification as may appeare by the 58. of Isa. 13. Which Master Calvin in his institutions upon the fourth commandement bringeth to prove that we were to rest from our works that day that God might worke his works in us and that the Prophets did call backe the Iewes from thinking themselves discharged by their carnall rest In the third place I answer that this rest being a transcendent type and of speciall sanctitie in those times could not bee neglected no not in the letter of it without grosse prophanation of the Sabbath besides the injury done to the usefull signification of it because that then it was a part of the Sabbaths sanctification I meane of its very positive sanctification And therefore had God just cause to complaine his Sabbaths were not sanctified when they were so notoriously prophaned Fourthly now I come to speake to your third proofe touching the prophanation of the Sabbath which is say you by working to which I answer First that a man by working if it bee seasonable sanctifieth the Sabbath and againe by resting if it bee carnall and unfruitfull he may prophane it Secondly to argue from the prophaning to the sanctifying is no good argument as because works prophane it therefore rest onely sanctifieth it It may as well bee argued from the second commandement that hee that doth not make Images to bow to them is consequently a true worshipper of God For though it bee most true that every one that resteth not from worldly imployments on the seaventh day doth prophane the Sabbath and breake the commandement Yet on the contrary every one that doth rest cannot bee said to sanctifie it no more then every one that doth not make Images to bow to them may bee said to worship God aright and yet every one that doth make Images to bow to them doth prophane the true worship of God So Master Hisdersham to keepe a bodily rest on that day from all our owne works is but the outside of the commandement and concerneth onely the outward man and the outward and bodily observation of the fourth commandement which as the whole Law is spirituall and may bee performed by a man which hath no truth of Grace in him at all Thus also Musoulus on the fourth commandement after hee hath shewne how those words of the commandement Thou shalt in it doe no manner of worke doe forbid all manner of lets which may hinder the sanctifying of the Sabbath because saith hee that is to bee done not with a patched mind but with all our indeavour and with a whole mind In his conclusion speaking against such as prophane the Sabbath by licentiousnes the very cattle saith hee doe use the Sabbath-day better then wee which though they doe nothing towards the sanctifying of it yet their rest is so farre forth to bee preferred that they doe nothing whereby the holy rest is prophaned and defiled and the eyes of Gods Majesty offended As concerning the proofe you bring to backe this last argument withall to wit the example of Gods severe punishing worke though but a small one when yet sins and other things which might seeme more to prophane it were passed over I answer First that God was curious in maintaining in violate their discipline in their dayes which was then both his owne ordinance and the proper meanes of their instruction for shadowes were then substances so that if they were remisse in observing to doe the type such as was this rest they sinned both against God and their owne soules and under went a double guilt of punishment and losse like as wee under the Gospell doe sin more in not beleeving in Christ then in breaking the whole Law Secondly I say that God was the severer in menacing and punishing this because else they would have beeue apter to thwart it judging of it rather by matter of fact then by matter of duty or command which I thinke was a notable aggravation of his sin that gathered stickes judging the offence by the thing As its like Adam did and as you doe afterward when hee ate the apple which happily God fore seeing imposed the greater judgement to over-awe him And this Sabbath-rest as that of eating the apple not being a Law written in the conscience and therefore they not having their conscience so lively in that as in other sins had need of the stronger barre to keepe them of from breaking it Thirdly this instance you give was whilest they were in the wildernes as the Scripture phraseth it Num. 15. 32. when the type was more lively and significative and they better in abled to observe it and therefore was the sin so much the more offensive and presumptuous and consequently worthy of severer punishment * Hee himselfe typifying that the neglect of Gods rest brings certaine and unavoidable ruine Which you never read of to bee executed after they came out of the wildernes and yet were their prophanations in regard of their works farre greater As for the mans carrying of his bed I answer to it two things First that it was no breach of the Sabbath but a manifestation of the miracle by a lawfull action
we are apter to forget instructions then inclinations 2. Because this more restraineth the naturall liberty then all the rest they restraining only sinfull things this lawfull things yea our very words and thoughts about them 3. Because of the multitude of our sixe daies businesses which had need bee remembred to bee seasonably finisht else they will breed distractions 4. Because the Devill prompts us to forget it so to quench the Memory of the Creation and the Creator and so to bring in the Eternity of the World as he did amongst the Heathen and there with Athisme to prevent which wee are bid to remember to keepe this Commandement as a meanes to preserve the memory of God and to keepe a foote his worship 2. Because it is of most weight to bee remembred and that for three reasons 1. Is taken from the dependancy of the observation of all the rest of the Commandements on this for in keeping of the Sabbath the Lord is wont to sanctifie his People to the keeping of all the rest of the Commandements so that keeping this wee keepe all and neglecting this wee neglect all hence God saith Exod 31. 3. Verily my Sabbaths you shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout all your Generations that you may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you moreover saith God Exod 20. 12. I gave them my Sabbaths to bee a signe betweene mee and them that they might know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie them Looke all the conversion of sinners and you shall see where one hath beene converted on the Weeke Daies 7 have beene on the Sabbath 7 to one nay 10 to one if not a 100 to one God doth delight most to dispence his grace on that Day so that keepe that Day and you keepe an oportunity where God doth bestow his graces on the Sonnes of men but neglect it and you neglect an oportunity of getting grace of God Heathen Princes are wont on their coronation Day to shew themselves to their People in all their rioalty and cast about Silver and Gold so doth God sometimes in these his solemne Daies shew himselfe to be present with us in holy duties he scatters abroad his holy graces and delights so to do wee are not to appoint God the time when to come downe and speake to his People but they must waite the time he hath appointed now God doth delight to sanctifie Men on this Day of all the rest therefore the text saith He blessed it and hallowed it that is he did blesse it to be a meanes to sanctifie it to his People for else the Sunne shines no hotter on this Day then any other but that God hath blessed it as he blessed the bread to make us blessed to observe it therefore is a means to bring ablessing on our Family Towne Kingdome where wee live take many Men that are dejected for Sinne and 〈◊〉 tell you one of the first and chiefe in their neglect of the Sabbath though it be not written in their Hearts by nature On this Day God drawes nigh to his People and they to him by whom he will be found sooner on this Day then any of the rest and if wee get grace any Day its a thousand to one it is on this Day or else something added to it Esa 36. 4. The way to lay hold of the Covenant is to keepe the Sabbath there is some hope of a Mans salvation when he makes conâ—cience of keeping the Sabbath If thou turne away thy feete c. and consecrate it as glorious c. thou shalt delight thy selfe in the Lord saith Esay implying that a man that hath no delight in keeping of the Sabbath hath no delight nor pleasure in God but the way to get pleasure in God is to keepe the Sabbath 2. Reason why this cómandement is of most weight to be remembred is taken from the efficacy of it in it wee are made most spirituall and heavenly minded it frames our spirits to be fit for every good busines by keeping the Sabbath wee are kept from idle thoughts and by this meanes are moulded up into a Heavenly frame wee are not even of this World there is nothing of it doth hang about us There remaines a Rest to the People Heb 4 9. implying that the Saints in Heaven keepe a Sabbath rest meditating divine things learning from Christ Singing praises and are in a spirituall manner wrapt up in all spirituall busines and minding Heavenly things And wee by keeping it are wrapt up from all incumbrances otherwaies lawfull but now not fitting our spirits 3. Reason is taken from the memory of those things are kept in memory by it for by keeping in mind the Sabbath wee keepe in mind Gods chiefest benefits to us as our Creation and our Redemption by its translation from the seaventh to the eight Day and Ezech 20. 12. that it is a signe that God doth sanctifie us implying thus much that whereas there are three Persons who shew themselves in three Works tending to our Salvation This Sabbath is sanctified to us to put us in remembrance of them and their works as of the Father that Created us of Christ that Redeemed us of the Holy Ghost that Sanctifies us Thus are our chiefest blessings remembred by our keeping of this fourth Commandement and therefore it is of most weight to be remembred The legall Sabbath as you call it and which you speake of in your sixth end was more then to put them in mind of the spirituall Sabbath for it was the properst meanes of bringing it about to cause them actually to keepe a spirituall Sabbath for when as they were not to do any of their owne works nor to thinke any of their owne thoughts what could they construe hence but that they were to doe Gods and thinke Gods * Like as the Apostle collects Heb 11. 14. from our Fathers saying they were strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth that they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a Countrey And therefore doth not that 58. Isaiah 13. intend only the negative part for so God should allow of Idlenes and take away the nature of the mind which is ever to be in motion but also the spirituall part which also is expressed there but if it had not it being delivered in the Negative they both ought and might thence have deduced the Affirmative and better part like as was done to them in their Typicall ordinances wherein the shell was to be cracked before they could find the kernell * It was Gods ordâ—nary way of delivery in those times like a skilfull Logitian that only mentioneth the Major and the Minor of a Syllogisme and leaveth the Conclusion to be gathered as a thing so easy because so necessary as none but Fooles and Dunces can be ignorant of and thus doth Christ deale with us also under the Gospell he giveth generall Rules for us thence to deduce
particular Conclusions To your last End I answer That it is most true that the Sabbath was a Type of the Heavenly Sabbath and a shadow of that blessed Rest to come and therefore transcendent to those Types which were properly lewish and of a Temporary nature whereas this Sabbath had its beginning with time and shall receive its ending with time when the workes are finished from the foundation of the World When as the Church of God is possessed of the Antitype then shall this universall Type vanish by the second comming of Christ as the Iewish Types have already vanished by his first comming Broad CHAP. V. 1. The Sabbath was a shadow SAint Paul in his second Chapter of the Epistle to the Coloss. hath these words Let no man judge you in Meat Coloss 2. 16. 17. or Drinke or in respect of an holy Day or of the new Moone Hoc est figurae fuerunt quae portenderent ea quae post essent verè exbiÌ„henda à Christo. Marlor or of the Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. Here by Sabbath the Weekely Sabbaths are meant as I gather 1. Because St. Paul useth another word which doth most properly signifie the festivall Dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Vnles by Sabbaths in this place the weekly Sabbaths be meant * Vide Tractâ— de Sab. cap. 2. erg 1. wee have not the least warrant in Gods word for working on the Iewes Sabbath The Sabbatarians heretofore might with more colour have put of any Text then this 3. Taking it for granted that wee 〈◊〉 not keepe the Iewes Sabbath how it is credible that S. Paul being Christs only Doctour about Dayes Rom 14. Gal 4. Coloss 2. and handling this matter purposely in three Epistles should not give us to understand as much in one of them and if in any in this 4. Thus it is taken by very many great Divines S. Aug termeth the Sabbath Sacramentum ambratile spir lit Instit lib 2. cap. 8. sect 28. cap 14. Calvin speaking of the fourth Commandement sayth umbratile veteres nuncupare solent so that it seemeth the Fathers generally for Sabbaths here understood the Weekely Sabbaths and therefore tearmed the fourth Commandement umbratile shadowish 5. I know no more but two or three in Print who take it otherwise and all that they can say is that it is Sabbaths in the plurall number See Math 28. 15. Acts 13. 14 16. 13. but Sabbaths importeth the Weekely Sabbath in many places Againe that with Sabbaths are adjoyned Meates and Drinkes and therefore that S. Paul speaketh of such Sabbaths as are in ranke with them which manner of arguing is tearmed Petitio principis This is all that ever I knew alledged by any which is so little that it only argueth a will to say something it is not so much as a shadow of sound proofe Besides this Text Coloss 2. There are other pregnant enough to prove that the Sabbath was a shadow Type or Ceremony as that Exod 31. 13. and and the like may be gathered by Heb 4. * See what I have written of this Textâ—â— my questions but of these Texts more shall bee said hereafter Answer 1. However there may be another word used to signifie Festivall Dayes yet you cannot deny but it is frequent to name their festivalls Sabbaths Because of the Rest and analogy which they had common with the Weekly Sabbath * Like as Magistrates are called Gods though there be other words to signify them And such is the sence of this Text as may probably appeare by these following reasons which you so slightly evade 1. Because it is Sabbaths in the plurall number for the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it signifieth the Weekely Sabbath and not the Weeke it selfe is for most part either expressed in the singular number or if in the plurall then it is joyned with a word singular as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after this manner it is also every where translated both in English and Latine but in this 2. Coloss 16. there are none of all these 2. Because Sabbaths are adjoyned with such things in this place of the Coloss which are indisputably abrogative and meerly Iewish * Such as are termed in the 14 verse the handwriting of ordinances and in the 17 verse are termed the shadowes of such things to come whose body is of Christ that is which are fulfilled in Christ and whose significations end when hee commeth But we know the signification as you your selfe confesse out of 4. Heb of the Sabbaths Rest is Heaven our Rest there which remaineth unfulfilled yet to the People of God as the same 4. Heb sheweth and therefore are these the likelier to be such For as Dr. Andrewes saith of the Sabbath how that it had beene folly to have put a ceremoniall Law amongst the Morall so say I in this case that it were strange if God who is the God of order and not of confusion should by his Apostle in this place mixe one of the ten Morall Commandements with the hand writing of Ordinances things meerely ceremoniall and abrogated To which two Reasons I adde these which follow 1. The Apostle himselfe did condescend to keepe the Weekely Sabbath with the Iewes not only for a time as he did some of the Iewish Holy-dayes as also their other rites but at all times and in all places as occasion offered as being a thing of a different nature from their Sabbaths which he taught 2. These three Holy-dayes New-moones and Sabbaths are but as I may so say Synonimies in sence signifying as it were one and the same thing in the intention of the Apostle by divers expressions for were not New moones Holy-dayes and Holy-daies Sabbaths so that if you dispâ—â—e from a seeming Tautology you may as well argue against New-moones as Sabbaths And I would know why Holy-daies and Sabbaths may not be as well one and the same in this place of the Coloss as in the 58. Isa 13. both of them in the one place signifying the Weekely Sabbath and in the other place the Iewish Sabbaths Which Synominy doth the rather appeare from that 4. Gal 16 which is the same in effect with this of the Coloss where the Apostle by Dayes Moneths Times and Yeares meaneth things of the same nature and Ordination to wit the Iewish abrogated Types and Ceremonies such as begun with Mans Fall or rather with Moses and ended with Christs Resurrection unto which the converted Gentiles did too much adhere not such as began in Paradice and shall end in Heaven But whereas it may bee objected that doubtlesse had not the Apostle intended all Sabbaths in the word plurall he would have made some particular exception of the Weekely Sabbath considering how considerable it was so to do if he would have had the Weekely Sabbath to bee understood to bee still of force To this I
Supposing that the number of seaven bee mysticall it followeth that wee are freed from it and not from the seaventh day onely for what have wee to doe with the Iewish darke mysteries in this cleare Sun-shine of the Gospell The weeke by this Doctrine should rather bee a mystery or shadow then the Sabbath for the Sabbath was but one day of the seaven as the first was or any other Indeed the Sabbath was the last of the seaven but what of that Saint Paul tearming the Sabbath a shadow joyneth it with the Holy-dayes and new Moones if now they will have the Sabbath be a shadow in regard it was the last of the weeke the New-moone maysome say was a shadow in regard it was the first of the Month and the holy-dayes in regard they fell at other times 3. If the number of seaven or last of seaven bee mysticall must it not bee so from the beginning And thus must the Sabbath bee a mystery or shadow from the first institution as all other shadowes were Secondly in respect of their strict rest but I know nothing of any moment God himselfe rested strictly for hee rested from all his works Gen. 2. 2. unlesse Gods example teacheth us to rest strictly it teacheth us nothing which they bring for proofe hereof and why of the strict rest and not of the whole Certainely wee shall rest wholly in Heaven And if the Sabbath was ceremoniall in respect of the strict rest then it seemeth hee that laboured all day or a good part thereof brake the morall part and so sinned Moreover the holy-dayes joyned with the Sabbath Col. 2. may seeme to want the ceremony seeing no such strict rest was in joyned in them as was shewed before Chap. 2. 3. in respect of the sacrifices offered therein Ans. First If sacrifices offered on such a day made the day a shadow then every day of the weeke was a shadow as well as the Sabbath for sacrifices were by the Law to bee offered every day Secondly Then shall wee have three Sacraments for the administration of the Lords supper is as well a part of sanctifying the Lords day as the offering of sacrifices was a part of sanctifying the Sabbath If then the sacrifices made the Sabbath a ceremony like to themselves the Lords supper maketh the Lords day a Sacrament like to it selfe also Thirdly If a ceremoniall duty enjoyned on the Sabbath made it partly ceremoniall a morall duty enjoyned on the holy-dayes made them partly morall And thus should the feast of Passeover bee partly morall as well as the Sabbath Answer I grant you that the Sabbath was a shadow or signification of the blessed rest to come and that not as it was a seaventh day * In respect of any mystery contained therein but as the seaventh day was a Sabbath But hence you would deduce a wrong conclusion that therefore it is as was the Iewish shadowes abrogative in the comming of Christ and that wee are not bound to darke mysteries say you in this cleare sun-shine Ans. Wee are not bound indeed to any mystery but to the duty contained in the number of seaven Yet to the signification of the Sabbath wee are bound which is not darke but cleare for so the Scripture hath made it to bee in the fourth Hebr. And although this Sabbath was shadowish yet was it neither of like nature with their other Sabbaths nor yet with other things whose signification reached to Heaven as well as it First I say it differed from other Sabbaths because it properly signified our rest in Heaven as wee see in the fourth Hebr. where it alone is mentioned and they properly our rest on earth by Christ and therefore were they so many and it but one and the same from the beginning to signifie that our rest here was to bee with manifold intermissions and in great variety Secondly I say it also differed from other things whose signification reached to Heaven as well as it For mostly they had a double signification the one proper and proximate as Iewish types signifying the rest and flourishing prosperity that the Church should have in the time of the Gospell the other Analogicall and remote intimating that in the end Heaven should bee the accomplishment of our Gospell graces and benefits like as in the mid way they were the accomplishment of their types and shadowes * For all the Iewish types being ordained for Christ must bee fulfilled in and by Christ in the time of grace which is his time of regiment by administring grace as now hee doth being our high Priest entered into the holy of holies with blood to make intercession for us and by compleating grace which hee shall doe hereafter when asking hee shall come in glory to set us at liberty from all our enemies in that great Iubilee when the day of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord and then after that wee have done our part and Christ his wee shall a compleate Adam in soule and body and cloathed with perfect innocency enter into our Masters everlasting rest and joy But the Sabbath had precedency of these having for its signification properly and adequately one rest in Heaven and the other abrogative Sabbaths subservient to it for the abrogative part as appeares by the significant difference of rest that was imposed upon them in the wildernes as I have else where observed more at large it being Catholicall and the Churches inheritance beginning with it and ending with it and they being that Churches inheritance in like manner receiving their beginning and ending with it If it bee objected that the Sabbath is as much fulfilled on earth as many other Iewish types for many of them have not their perfect signification accomplished here but in Heaven as the Iewish circumcision shall not bee perfected till wee bee in the Kingdome of Heaven and our everlasting rest hath its inchoation here in the soules of Gods elect what difference then Ans. The difference consisteth in the immediate object which the types primarily and principally eyed For the Iewish types primarily eyed the happy estate of the Church on Earth under the time of the Gospell thereby to invite and bring their soules into a Gospell state by beleeving so that though they are perfectly fulfilled in Heaven yet they are properly fulfilled on earth and secondarily or remotely its perfection in Heaven For the time of the Gospell was as I may say properly their Heaven as it may appeare in that it is said the Prophets and righteous men have desired to see to wit looking through their types and shadowes the things that you see c. Matth. 13. 17 these being their primary and proper object and as may appeare in the second place by the faultines of their covenant Hebr. 8. 7. and the faultlesnes of the Gospell covenant But this type of the Sabbath contrarywise primarily and principally eyed the happy estate of the Church in Heaven Hebr.
morall part Answ. none ever did nor can do and consequently there is no morall part consider that to breake the fourth Commandement and to profane the Sabbath are the same and now that the Sabbath is profaned only by worke was shewed before * Chap. 3. those Lawes only are to bee tearmed Morall whereby the observation of Morall duties such as are Prayer Almes c. are prescribed as for Time and Place they are necessary circumstances about the performance of Morall duties and their Lawes are to be tearmed Circumstantiall M r. Iacob in his reply to some notes of mine above twenty yeares since acknowledged that the fourth Commandement was circumstantiall and not morall And I suppose that many other when they have a little considered the matter will easily acknowledge as much but yet as he so they will have it perpetuall neverthelesse wherefore I come to prove that the fourth Commandement is abrogated Answer In answer to your Argument I say that the fourth Commandement can be no more broken then the first second or third For as in the first other things may be loved but not unlawfully loved and as in the second Images may be made but not unlawfully made and in the third the Name of God may be used and taken but not abused and taken in vaine so in this fourth Commandement wee may do worke and â—et breake this no more then the other if so be not unlawfull worke but such as agreeth with the sence of the Lawgiver and may bee gathered by comparing places of Scripture which wee find to bee such as may promote Piety Mercy and Charity And therefore is that following Objection of moment For in all Lawes the meaning of the Lawgiver and sence of the Law it selfe is principally to be respected not the Letter for that thing may be contradictory to the Letter of the Law which yet is no breach of the meaning of the Law if so bee it bee agreeable to the rules of Right Reason and Piety * For it is supposed that all Lawes ought to bee such and if otherwayes then they cannot in a right sense be said to bind and so consequently not to bee broken As where wee are comanded not to Sweare at all you might well imagine what would follow thence if this doctrine of yours might take place that therefore to Sweare at all is to breake this Commandement and so in this fourth Commandement where wee are bid to doe no manner of Worke if you will cleave to the Letter you may soone find your errour to your cost But God giveth his Lawes and Commandements to reasonable Creatures who should therefore be able to judge of them according to the Rules of Truth and Reason A London Marchant chargeth his Apprentice upon a Shrovetuesday that all that Day he stirre not out of his House if so bee the Apprentice upon occasion goe into the backe Court you will not say hereupon he breaketh his Masters commandement That therefore which one affirmes of mens writings is true touching Lawes to wit that wee must seeke for the meaning by the matter as well as by the Letter and lend our Eares to listen and observe what they desire to speake and not make them speake only what w 're desire to heaâ—e unlesse wee will be like 〈◊〉 Children who having some fancy running in their Heads imagine the Bells to ring and sing as they thinke and speake See that where Christ sayth Math 12. 5. That the Priests profaned the Sabbath in the Temple and â—ere blamlesse it is spoken according to the Capacity and misprision of the superstitious Pharisees * See â— Ioh 15. 16. 18. the better to convince their errour 〈◊〉 that if they counted the actions which his Dâ—â—ples did in his service to be a breach of the Sabbath they must by the same Reason account the actions which the Priests did in the service of the Temple to be a breach of the Sabbath for he had more authority to use their service then the Temple had to use the service of the Priests but that they did not therefore nor ought they to thinke this a breach of the Sabbath for indeed such workes as tend to Mercy and Piety * I conclude workes of necessity within these termes of Piety and Mercy wherto I limit the works of the Sabbath because whatsoever works are done on that Day though they be workes of necessity as â—â—dering Beasts c. ought to bring forth some speciall glory to God by some Sabbaticall and holy use under one of these two heads and therefore doth Christ turne that Act of necessity when his Apostles for hunger sake rubbed the Eares of Corne into an act of Mercy saying I will have mercy and not sacrifice are so farre from breaking the Sabbath which commandeth an holy Rest as that they are the proper fulfillings of it even as to do the will of our Father in Heaven will be no impeachment to our Rest there And indeed the just intermission of Rest on the Sabbath is most improperly called a dispensation of the keeping of the Sabbath for in nothing ought Rest to bee intermitted on the Sabbath but in such things as tend more to the sanctifying of the Sabbath such were Christs Sabbath Day cures which he might else have suspended till the next Day for Rest being principally ordained to remove the impediments of the Sabbaths sanctifying ought of right to give way to its furtherances whereas the dispensing with a duty is to prejudice that for the advantage of some other But by the way take notice that from the Pharises reproving Christs Disciples in the beginning of this 〈◊〉 Math for rubbing the Eares of Corne on the Sabbath Day Obâ— it is objected by some that that Law given in the Wâ—â—dernes in the time of Mannah touching their not preparing their Food on the Sabbath Day was then of force and a foote in the opinion and practice of the Pharises else they would not have reproved the Disciples for so doing to which I answer That they did not reprove this action of Christs Disciples in reference to that Law Answ. or with any such opinion that it was of force or in respect of any such practice of their owne but as a worke and so a breach of Rest as M r. Broad rightly observes in his third chapter nay as a needlesse and cursory worke or action as may appeare 1. In that they themselves were not so ill instructed in the lawfulnes of workes of mercy and necessity seeing they led their Oxen to watering on the Sabbath Day that they would have found fault with it had they conceived it to have beene a worke of necessity 2. In Christs excuse or justification of them from the necessity of what they did implying first that it was not needles and superfluous as they by their Pharisaicall carping and misprision conceived but necessary and secondly that it was not unlawfull because not needlesse
the 31. of Exod. wee read thus Verely my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you The like was signified by cleane meats Levit. 〈◊〉 24 25 26. Act. 〈◊〉 12 13 14 15 20. Here by sanctifying is meant separating from other Nations to bee a peculiar people to himselfe In this sense Aaron and his Sons are said to bee sanctified Exod. 29. 44. Aaron and his Sons were sanctified and severed from the other Levites to bee the Lords Priests and the Israelites were sanctified and severed from other Nations to bee the Lords people of which sanctifying the Sabbath was a signe in as much as it was a day sanctified and seperated from other dayes of the weeke for the Lords service Now if God gave the Sabbath for a signe to the Israelites the Sabbath could not bee common to other Nations and consequently was a meere ceremony as was circumcision Abraham received the signe of circumcision and the Israelites received the signe of the Sabbath Hence I thus argue such as is the Sabbath such is the precept thereof The Sabbath is a signe therefore the precept thereof is significative or ceremoniall and is abrogated Here consider that if Noah had taught his household and Lot his Sons Abraham his Sons by Hagar and Keturah Isaack his son Esau and Melchisedech his people to keepe the Sabbath the Sabbath could have beene no signe to the Israelites for the World would have beene replenished with Sabbath-keepers at that time and a long time after so that no doubt wee should often read of this matter in Heathen writers Answer You say the Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a signe of their peculiar sanctifying or seperating to bee the people of God from all others and hence you fallaciously conclude that therefore it cannot bee common to others * See this confuted in Master Richard Bifield pag. 87 88. where hee sheweth how every signe of separation or consecration is not ceremoniall Nor doth every seperating or sanctifying marke oblige onely those that haâ—e that marke pag. 1 â—0 For though it be true that as a signe it was proper to them onely in their times and so also was the whole Law as it was renewed and given of God for a covenant betweene him and them * The giving them to the Israelites was a signe the Lord was nigh to them and therefore in vaine doth Master Dow alledge pag. 15. That in that the Sabbath is called a signe betweene God and the Israelites that hee was their Sanctifier and Deliverer out of Egypt which it could not bee if it were given to all Nations in Adam seeing the Law was the like and therefore doth hee say Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee hath shewne his word to Iacob and to Israel his judgements and statutes and that hee hath not dealt so with every Nation that is with any Nation neither have they knowne his judgements so that the Sabbath and the whole Law are alike significative and indeed have somewhat of signification in them in this second exhibition For as the Church it selfe was then typicall signifying the Church of Gods elect So was the Law as given to them as may appeare in that it was twice written to shew the double writing of it by nature and grace in the hearts of the elect So that both the Sabbath and the rest of the Decalogue as they are morall Lawes are forever common to the universall Church of God being not onely bare signes but of a double nature For the same thing may bee both proper and common in diverse respects As the Land of Canaan was proper to the Iewes as it was the Land of promise and yet it was common to many Nations in the use thereof to wit as it was a place of commerce and habitation and so is to this day And so the whole Decalogue wee know was common as it was the Law of nature to all Nations and People even in those times of the Iewes but yet is it in the fourth Chap. of Deut. 13. verse appropriated to the Iewes because it was given in a speciall manner as a Covenant betweene God and them and in that respect it is opposed to things that are common to all People in the 19. verse of that Chapter as the thing wherefore and whereby God will bee especially worshipped even for that very cause because as hee himselfe layeth downe the reason there they are distributed unto all People under the whole Heaven And yet is this Law no man will deny in the morall sense of it common to us now 〈◊〉 whereof the Sabbath is a part nay * For though wee refuse the Law as a Covenant yet wee entertaine and honour it as a rule of obedience Nor surely are wee to say that the Law because it was given to the Iewes must bee in the same respect to us as to the Iawes else it bindeth not at all if so bee it bee qualified according to our times and turned from a covenant to a rule Then granting this change and yet retention of the whole why not also of that part thereof which concernes the Sabbath and was also common to them that were not Iewes even in the time of the Iewes though not in nature of a speciall Covenant yet so as it was a Law of nature which the precise Sabbath I confesse is none but onely made equivalent by revelation and therefore did they then observe though set times of worshipping God yet happily not the whole day or at least not every seaventh for that most properly is the Churches right and rite Moreover the very Sabbath it selfe was of force by vertue of the fourth commandement to all that came with in the cognizance of it as well stranger as Iew And therefore could it not bee meant a signe of separation in your sense so as to appropriate it solely to them and thereupon to create it a meere ceremony Many things there were indeed among the Iewes that bare this sense expressely as the Paschall-Lambe whereof by expresse words no stranger was to eate untill hee was made as one that was borne in the Land by circumcision Exod. 12. 48. But it was other wayes in the commandement of the Sabbath for the stranger quatenus stranger was â—o observe it if they were within their gates * Nehem. 13. 16 19 20 21. Iubebantur feriari eo die qâ—emadmodum Iudaei indigenae saith Zanchy And not as the Antisabbatarians of our age would perswade that it belonged to the proselite stranger onely Againe I argue against you out of your owne place 31. Exod. That if God menat it as a bare signe peculiar to the Iewes why then doth hee fly backe to the primitive institution of it in the seaventeenth verse re inforcing the commandement there upon that reason which is common to all mankind The words are these
was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day in the state of Innocency therefore it is morall to sanctifie one day in a weeke I thinke it best to make answer to this Argument particularly 1. Adam was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day Answ. It doth not appear that Adam received such a Command as is said before As I commanded your fathers Ier. 17. 22. rather we would thinke as I conmanded Adam in the beginning if it had been true Consider also this saying and made known to them thy holy Sabbath Nâ—hem 9 14. Chap. 1. And had God given such a Command why should it not be recorded He that will have us believe more then is set downe must alledge some Scripture or some reason why it was not set down It will be said unlesse Adam was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day wherfore did God sanctifie it in the beginning Answ. Because thou a man knowest not a reason of Gods doings this is not a sufficient reason or warrant for thee to affirme that he did more then thou findest that he did in the Scriptures And consider that others may know some reason hereof though thou and I do not This that followeth whether they be reasons or not I leave it to thy consideration I dare not say so I was not with God when he laid the foundations of the earth 1. It appeareth by Heb. 4. as is said before that Gods Resting the seventh day wherein God rested and which he sanctified was a Type of the Rest that remaineth to the people of God 2. God might sanctifie the seventh day in the beginning for a purpose not present but to come namely that the Israelites should sanctifie the same when they came into the land of Canaan another Paradise as it were and a Type also of the kingdome of heaven A blessed time and a blessed place an holy day and an holy land sort well together When a man shall stand before Christs judgement seat and being demanded wherefore didst thou say that God commanded Adam to sanctifie the seventh day when the Scripture saith not so in any place Consider whether this answer I could see no other reason of Gods sanctifying the seventh day will not prove like Adams breeches of fig-leaves I am well assured it will Answer To your answer I rejoyne That this example of God thus declared by himself was in the nature of a Command as appeareth plainly by the paralel case We see Gods creating Man male and female was a law justly inferred thence obligatory enough to binde one man to marry but one woman at once and to love her and live with her as appeareth Gen. 2. 23 24. compared with Marke 10. 6 7. where there is concluded from this exemplary action of God a perpetuall binding dutie to all mankinde without any expresse Commandement to that purpose But Gods blessing and hallowing the seventh day must needs enforce a Command if we consider that as Christ saith the Sabbath was made for man that is saith M r. Hilder sham for the great benefit and behoofe of man so that man could not no not in Innocency have been without it And if this of the Sabbath were of no obligatory â—orce I pray you then why doe you as before say that Adam if he had continued in Innocency should have kept it Me thinks he should rather then have kept every day Sabbath then we now and yet you say It is likely he should have wrought sixe dayes and sanctified the seventh Therefore as Christ saith in the case of separation it was not so from the beginning So say I in this case of the Sabbath that it was so from the beginning on Gods part actually and on mans part it both should and would have been so had he continued upright And thereforâ— as well in this of the Sabbath as in that of Marriage ought it to be so now Nor did mans fall abrogate the Sabbath any more then it did the rest of the morall Law * Know that all the Commandements given in Innocency were morall either by a naturall or positive moralitie as you would seeme to perswade in your first Chapter For God used the self same authoritie to reinforce it when he gave the Law the second time to wit his own example and the Creation both which he used in his first institution And therefore however we may think of the Sabbath in our corrupt reasonings or by other mens examples as the lewes might doe of Marriage from the example of the Patriarchs polygamy or the toleration of Moses yâ—t it was other wayes from the beginning and let God be true though men be lyers As touching your marginall note God as I may so speake had no reason to goe so farre of for an inforcement as to Adam especially it having been so long intermitted when he might have it fresh and neerer hand which he the rather chose to use for that this iteration of the Law was more peculiar and a greater Demonstration of his speciall love to them in way of Covenant and so more pressing and remarkable And yet doth he not utterly omit to make use of the first institution for he useth the same Arguments to them as to Adam for the observing it to wit his own example and the memory of the Creation which sheweth that it was to be understood as a Commandement laid then upon Adam as well as now upon the Israelites And by this rule you may say The promise and Covenant of Grace was not given to Adam because Gal. 3. 17. The Apostle draweth his Argument of refutation from that Covenant which God confirmed with Abraham 430 yeeres before the Law was given and not from the Covenant made with Adam at the first Touching the latter part of your marginall note I have answered it a little before from Psal. 147. 19 20. It may well be said as a Rejoynder to your second answer that unlesse the sanctifying of the Sabbath was instituted as an Ordinance for Adam to observe wherefore did God sanctifie it for Christ saith The Sabbath was made that is appointed or created in the beginning for man And if God had a reserved and secret intent in this why was it revealed especially when the thing was done and past seeing things revealed belong to us and to our children And from your own reason That the Sabbath was a Type of the Rest that remaines to the people of God a man may justly argue the use of it to the Church and consequently the necessitie and universalitie of it For by the people of God is not meant any visible particular but the whole Catholike Church And why God who instrict sense rested no more on that day then on others did yet so declare himself to have done ad captum vulgi and did also spin out the creation into six dayes which else he could have done in a trice if it were not for example sake I leave to any indifferent judgement And
Creation when they were finished this Conclusion And the Evening and the Morning were the sixth day Besides that it is likely God could not be said to be refreshed on the seventh day and Adam new fallen for whom all things were made and by whom all things were accursed which would have been a displeasure to God and would have taken of his refreshment Broad 3. And therefore it is Morall Answ. Suppose that it had been commanded Consider that there need not any Morall Commandement be given to Adam in the state of Innocency and in the state of Innocency yet would it not follow that this Commandement was Morall for Adam received a Commandement concerning the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill and yet was not that a Morall Commandment Answer To this I answer That all the Commandements which were given in Innoâ—encie were Morall they were both common to all mankinde and perpetuall to all ages * The Jewish â—awes were neither common nor perpetuall but expressely coâ—trary and so was that of the forbidden Tree Though M r. Dâ—w pag. 15. saith he supposeth no man will affirme it And therefore did Eve sinne a particular sinne in eating of it * The woman was first in the transgression and so should conceive whosoever of Adams posteâ—itie had eaten thereof though none but Adam could sin the publicke and Epidemicall sinne because the Covenant was made with him in the day that he should eat thereof c. but with this difference that some of them in Gods intention were proper to that state and were not to be renewed by Christ after the fall of which sort this of the forbidden Tree was one and therefore was Adam thrust out upon his fall by God from having to doe with any thing that is peculiar to that state But other Commandements there were which were intended to remaine as common to man falling or standing by meanes of Christ and of this sort was the created Law of nature in the mind of man the ordinance of marriage and then why not this of the Sabbath For this is most true that whatsoever God giveth as a law afterwards we have no reason to thinke that to be utterly abolished by the fall for from all such things we are kept by the fiery sword never to have commerce with them againe For thus we are utterly deprived of something which in Innocency signified Heaven to shew us our desert and Gods justice And something againe is renewed unto us which likewise did and doth signifie Heaven to manifest our hope and his mercy through Christ. So that then if the Sabbath be not abolished by the fall neither is it abrogated as a Type because not yet fulfilled For the Rest which it did signifie doth yet remaine to the people of God To your marginall note I answer That there was no need of a Morall Commandement to be given so farre as nature was capable but if Gods will extended further as it did in this particular of the Sabbath as I have formerly shewne then it was necessary it should be revealed as positively Morall and part of natures discipline Broad 4. To sanctifie one day in a weeke Answ. Nay rather to sanctifie the seventh day Note God commanded Adam to sanctifie the seventh day Arguments drawne from Gen. 2. Exod. 20. prove it morall perpetuall to sanctifie the seventh day wherein God created and which the Iewes sanctified or nothing ergo it is morall to sanctifie the seventh day is a neerer inference then thus ergo it is Morall to sanctifie one day of the seven or weeke And now if any deny the neerer inference the further of may better be denyed Why I marvell shall the sanctifying of one day of the weeke be rather Morall then of the seventh day What reason can they alleadge of the least moment As for Text of Scripture they can produce none Answer For your full answer to this I refer you backe to your first chapter Were the Sabbath morall naturall then the Iewes Sabbath were to be kept of us Christians but being morall positive it is alterable to the will of the law-giver For nature being one without change to all of necessity prescribeth no binding rule to any in particular but to all in generall No man being able to say This natures Lâ—w commands me to do and yet bâ—nds not another â—o do the like onely with this summary addition That the Sabbath being the Churches perpetuall Type it is to vary according to the constitution of the Church even as the shadow of a man doth according to the disposition of his body or the Sunnes shining The substance of the Commandement and the signification of the Sabbath being still kept inviolate though circumstances alter in this as in other Commandements as hath already been observed in the first Chapter And so it is with us Christians in whose time since the consummation of our redemption by Christs resurrection the last day hath been changed into the first of the weeke only to take in better loading and to fignifie how that by Christ we are assâ—redly possessed of that heavenly Rest even now in this life before our works be ended For whereas formerly by the Covenant of the Law we were to doe this and live now we must first live and then doe Broad ARGVMENT 2. THe Commandement of the Sabbath is placed among the Morall precepts in the Deoalogue therefore it is Morall like unto them Ans. Then must it be wholly Morall and then must the Iewes Sabbath be kept of us Christians Againe the Commandement of the Sabbath is placed among the Ceremoniall prâ—cepts Levit. 23. therefore be like it is ceremoniall like unto them also Answer You doe wrongfully conclude us necessarily to keep the Iewes individuall seventh day from the morality of the Sabbath For though they were bound to observe that order because they were under the Covenant of works like as Adam was when it was given him in Innocency in which time the work of Creation was the thing most worthy commemoration yet notwithstanding we being freed fâ—om the one are likewise freed from the other for as the â—ast day of seven was significative to them so is the first to us So that our new Creation being finished the first day of the weeke it hath priviledged us to sanctifie a new seventh day though an old Sabbath For in this case alteration is no dissolution no more then to adjourne the Parliament to another time is to dissolve it especially considering the Sabbath is not naturally but positively morall And whereas you say That the Sabbath is found in Scripture among the ceremoniall precepts and specially in that Levit. 23. where yet it is spoken of Paramount although because of Analogy it is reckoned amongst them I answer That I deny not but there may be found in Scripture a mixture of morall and ceremoniall Lawes without danger of confounding their natures after they had
keep unraced the ejaculation annexed to it in our Liturgy And M r. Dow pag. 9. saith in absolute tearmes They more fully expresse the nature of this Commandement who say It is partly Morall and partly Ceremoniall Broad 6. Opinion M r. Cleaver will have this strange matter come to passe by a Trope whereby one part is put for the rest He saith That in the precepts and prohibitions more is meant then in words is expressed Moral of the Law Chap. 4. Answ. I acknowledge that in the other nine Commandements more is meant then is expressed in words but here in the fourth Commandement that which is expressed in words is not meant It is a kind of Trope to put one part for the rest but when no part is put for the rest what manner of Trope may that be For this thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes and yet this in effect is all that God spake from Sinai Answer Although the fourth Commandement be a Law still in force yet as I said it bindeth us not to keep Sabbath the last day of the weeke though the seventh For the order was foretold to be altered in the 65. Isaiah 17. where it is prophecyed that Gods creating new heavens and a new earth shall make the old to be forgotten that is there shall be a wonderfull alteration and that which now men make most account of to wit the Creation then they shall account it the least sanctifying the memory of my resting from their Redemption in stead of my resting from their Creation And thus you wilfully slander us when you say that Thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes for we grant it but with an Orthodox distinction of Rest. For the Commandement it self looketh with a double face both wayes both to the Iewish Church and ours both to the old and new Creation And beareth his Title in the very front in that word Remember And as one well observeth There is no Commandement ushered with such a Memento as that of the Sabbath wherein saith he I thinke we may discerne Gods providence forearming weake Christians against the strong assaults of their own affections strugling against the restraint of a whole dayes libeâ—tie and of mans inventions oppugning Gods institutions for it is a Commandement of Remembrance so that as once we were to remember our Creation by it as appeareth bâ— the first promulgation of it in Exodus for there the Creation is only mentioned so like wise are we now to remember our Redemption by it as appeares by the second proâ—nulgation of it in Deuâ—eronomie where the old Creation is quite forgotten not a word mentioned of it and the new set forth in its Type of their â—gyptian deliverance Which observation taken from the various reasons annexed at severall times and in such an order for the inforcing of this Commandement compared with this Text of Isaâ—ah 65. 17. and the present event sutable doth both very much illustrate the perpetuitie of the Sabbath and yet prophecie the change both in one which also if we consider the nature of those times doth well prove the thing For though Christ speaketh plainly to us now yet to them he spake and prophecyed as I may so say in parables which rightly understood are no lesse proofes then ours And thus is the substance of the fourth Commandement preserved that is the dedicating of the seventh day to duties of Pietie and Mercy and sixe dayes to our other affaires as also prophecie fulfilled and the Apostles imitated But may some say Object Our Redemption was not finished on that day for that it still remaineth in acting by Christs intercession which is Bishop Whites objection page 299. Christs intercession after his dying and rising is as Gods providence was Answ. and is after his sixe dayes Creation And as notwithstanding his continuall providence his Creation was finished on the last day of the week So Now notwithstanding Christs intercession at Gods right hand our Redemption was finished on the first day of the weeke by his Resurrection And whereas Bishop White further objecteth pag. 299. That the day of Christs resurrection cannot properly be called a Sabbath or day of Rest because our Saviour was in action on that day about the necessary works of perfecting mans Redemption by applying teaching inspiring authorizing his Disciples I answer They were all Sabbath-day works and so was the seventh day a working day to God in many such like respects sutable to the first Creation and yet it was his Sabbath for this reason because he rested and ceased from that which he did before as M r. Hildersham noteth upon the Hebrew word Sabbat in his 135. Lect. on the 51. Psalme which holds in respect of Christ. Furthermore page 300. Bishop White saith That the Primitive Church devoted the first day of the weeke to the honour and service of Christ not because of Christs cessation from redemptive actions but because it was primus dies laetitiae The first day of joy and gladnesse for the resurrection of the Lord True But the cause of this joy was the perfection of our Redemption and Deliverance which we celebrate with a congratulatory commemoration on the first day like as we were to doe the perfection of our Creation on the last day of the weeke And pag. 303. hâ— saith That Christ rested upon his resurrection day no more then he did upon every day after untill his ascension and since his ascension untill the worlds end Answ. So he may say that God rested no more from his worke of Creation on the seventh day then he hath done ever since where by the way take notice That it is the consummation of the Creation and Redemption which is meant by their Resting and which we celebrate for else if Rest should respect barely their cessation then all the after time should be of equall estimation with the last day in respect of the Creation and with the first day in respect of the Redemption And now indeed I wonder why the Egyptian deliverance being in Deut. annexed by the dictate of the spirit as a reason to inforce the duty of the fourth Commandement or Sabbath in its second promulgation should not be thought a sufficient reason to inforce the same duty law upon us as well as the obedience of the whole Law is urged upon us by the same reason contained in the Preface * Deny the one and â—eny both but reâ—son and sobrietie will deny neither seeing that in both places it signifieth alike our spirituall Redemption and deliverance Especially seeing the holy Ghost in the fifteenth verse of the fifth of Deut. after he hath there affixed to the fourth Commandement our deliverance out of spirituall Egypt in its Type as the reason of it concludeth upon it mandatorily a duty not a libertie imposed upon us therefore in these
words Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day A place of Scripture if soberly consulted especially considering withall the preterition of the Creation in that place whereby this becomes not only a motive but the sole reason not easily answered by our Antisabbatarians For as one saith well In the 5. Deut. The reason of the Redemption from Egypt is put as a cause of sanctifying the Sabbath so that there beginneth a translation though not of the day it self yet of the use and sanctification of the day as to be kept in an holy and thankfull memory of the Redemption from Egypt which was but a Type and figure of our spirituall Redemption by Christ which their Redemption from Egypt if taken only literally was not to be compared to the worke of Creation that it should challenge to it selfe a right in the Sabbath before the Creation but only as it typified and prefigured that glorious worke of Redemption Now if the Redemption from Egypt which was but a Type were so glorious a worke as that the Sabbath day should be kept rather in memory of that then of the Creation then what shall we say of the worke of Redemption it selfe which doth so farre exceed in glory that from Egypt as the Sunne doth the shadow If therefore Gods ancient people were to keep the Sabbath day in memory of their Rest from Egypt how much more when a greater Rest from a greater worke of Redemption even the true and eternall Rest is come in and we in Christ doe enter into it as Heb. 4. 3. ought that day of the weeke be kept holy wherein the Lord rested from his most glorious and gracious worke And this may serve to answer your unanswerable conclusion following if you will weigh it without prejudice Broad To conclude By no wayes or meanes yet found out can it be That the precept of the Sabbath should bind to sanctifie the Lords-day And I could wish my brethren not to busie their braines to finde out more wayes as having busied them too much hereabouts already Were the fourth Commandement a law in force still it should bind to sanctifie the Iewes Sabbath and none other Broad But suppose that the fourth Commandement did bind to sanctifie the Lords-day What would follow were the fourth Commandement a law still in force and did bind to sanctifie the Lords-day See my Latine Tract Chap. 5. what would follow thereupon That we might doe no more work on our dayes then the Iewes might doe on theirs for there is not the least colour of dispensation in Gods word for doing of more and indeed after some mens doctrine we may doe no more not picke up a few sticks nor buy a little oyntment nor step over the doore sill to gather up Mannah c. See M r. Dod and M r. Cleaver on the fourth Commandement Answer It matters not what would follow now no more then what did follow when the Commandement was confessedly of force For certainly if we be to keepe a Sabbath to the Lord if we could herein doe the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven by keeping it here in the Type as they keepe it in heaven in the Antitype it were so much the better wholly heavenly free from all carnall and earthly distractions so farre as necessitie will give leave and to doe even these necessary things with such heavenly mindednesse as that the rules both of Pietie to God and charitie to our selves are fulfilled therein If at any time much more on that day â—it ought to be our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heavenly father in earth as it is done in heaven And it is apparent in Christian experience that he which that day keepeth himself and his heart diligently from terrene thoughts words and actions imploying them contrarily groweth most in grace hath the sweetest Communion with God the greatest measure of Divine comfort for a Christian never feeleth such sound comfort as when he spiritually observeth it and is the ablest to long after his dissolution * For God blessed the Sabbath day that is appointed it to be a day of blessings to them that sanctifie it which they doe that observe to dâ—e these three things 1. That they keep it delightfully not with tediousnesse grudging 2. That they busie themselves in all holy things acting them in the spirit 3. That they spend the whole day wholly and not partly thus These as M. Dâ—d rightly observeth only inhâ—rit the blessings entailed upon the Sabbath by promise which shew it to be Gods ordinance for he is wont to give a blessing to his own ordinance Whereas those that fight so much against it it is like never felt the sweetnesse of it as for your self I will passe no censure of you for I know you not but some I am able to produce that are of this licentious opinion concerning the Sabbath and are as little strict in other things which are uncontroversably naught to the scandall of the Ministery and to the palpable arguing that because they entertaine not the truth in the love of it God hath either given them over to beleeve a lie or else that they take up this opinion more to countenance their corruptions then to maintaine Truth For non-residency a formall and lazy ministery and such like follow as naturally upon this as falling away doth upon free-will Your manner of instancing is naught thus to goe about to lessen the Commandement it self and our obedience to it by a sleightie expression of the things commanded Had Adam thus excused himself to God when he accused him of rebellion and told him why it was but a mouth-full of an apple c. the aggravation had been worse then the fault a few sticks a little oyle c. is it the fewnesse of the sticks the littlenesse of the oyle that give ens and non-ens to the Sin He that hath his eyes anoynted though but with a little of Gods eye-salve knoweth that the thing commanded is to be judged by the commandement and not the commandement by the thing commanded Me thinks that Memento or watchword set at the beginning of the Commandement and so usefully expounded by M. Dod and M. Cleaver to quicken our circumspection in providing for the sanctifying of the Sabbath by prevention and foresight should have answered this Argument in the hatching especially in these petty things you speake of considering that the lesse the temptation the greater the sin But to your instances themselves I answer That in all things whatsoever a lawfull necessity granteth a lawfull liberty on the Sabbath as for gathering of Mannah I have formerly shewed you why it did bind and for what time And therefore instead of further answer I will insert for a conclusion the positive truth of such workes as may be done on the Sabbath day as you shall find it in M r. Richard Byfeild pag. 95 96. There are saith he
extant in the new Testament But they say That it is likely Christ did teach it to his Apostles before his death * As he did the place of meeting after his Resurrection Matt. 28. 16. which though it be more then I know yet sure I am their meeting thus emphatically recorded in Scripture to be on that very day and the day sennight of Christs Resurrection and answerably practised after by Paul is doubtlesse of binding authority and to an exemplary use and end And how-ever it be that Christ did or did not teach them by word of mouth before his death questionlesse in that thing at that time they were especially taught of God the instinct and secret guidance of the Spirit being in stead of a Commandement to them though perhaps for present they were ignorant of their owne practice as Mary was when she powred the boxe of oyntment upon Christs head that she did it for his burying and doing the same thing that day sennight We have just cause to thinke that Christ had an hand in it though it be not expressed in the word he having appeared to them the day before and the same effect ensuing upon the same occasion to wit his appearing to them being met againe And therefore what though the Puritanes as Bishop White stiles them from T. B. pag. 185. cannot shew the Lords-day to be made a Sabbath by any written Law he meanes no doubt in the new Testament may not the unerring spirit of the Apostles suffice us seeing that himselfe saith pag. 119. The inspiration of â—od is of as great efficacy and authority as his writing wherewith the Apostles doubtlesse were directed in the instituting of an exemplary perpetuall observation to the Church And whereas I say the instinct of the Spirit was as a Law or Commandement to the Apostles in this particular of instituting the Lords-day upon Christs Resurrection I would to this purpose commend the consideration of Moses his instituting the Sabbath upon the fall and gathering of a double portion of Mannah in 16. Exod. which yet we doe not finde in termes to be taught him of God then when that Law of Mannah was commanded ver 5. Fulke upon the 1 Revel is peremptory and saith That for the prescription of the Lords-day before any other of the seven they had without doubt either the expresse Commandement of Christ before his ascension when he gave them precepts concerning the kingdome of God and the ordering and government of his Church Acts 1. 2. or else the certaine direction of his Spirit that it was his will and pleasure it should be so and that also according to the Scriptures seeing that there is the same reason of sanctifying that day in which our Saviour Christ accomplished out Redemption and the restitution of the world by his Resurrection from death that was of â—anctifying the day in which the Lord rested from the Creation of the world Nor can it be denyed I thinke but that the Apostles had many things taught them privately by Christ which afterwards upon occasion they published some by precept and some by example * Matt 10. 27. And wee may be the rather induced that Paul had received it from Christ if so be we consider how ingenuous he is to acknowledge what he had not received in the 1 Cor. 7. 25. As concerning virgins saith he I have no Commandement of the Lord but I give you mine advice And Zanchy observes that he taught them not so much by words as by the efficacy of the Spirit which being their unerrable guide in all things concerning the Church we may well allow to be ours in this matter of the Lords-day by vertue of their exemplary Ordinance Their practice and example I doubt not you will say had been enough without precept and I remember none they have in any expresse tearmes from Christ for the ordaining Pastors and Ministers nor doe I think you will deny them to be iure divino But granting this is not commanded by Christ yet are you no gainer by it For I doe the rather thinke that because no expresse mention is made of it in the new Testament by way of Commandement it should seeme the rather to be the Sabbath Thus Eatonus de Sabbato pag. 69. de institutione iure diei dominicae ait Non opus erat mandato novo cum vetus illud mandatum de observando Sabbato in vigore esset adhuc est iam autem novum praceptum ferre de re illa quae veteri pracepto stabilita fuerat esset vetus praceptum abolore Christus autem non venit abolere legem sed implere And indeed God is most precise as we see both in Innocency and under the Iewes to prescribe the dayes of his solemne worship by speciall Commandement and so certainly would he have done this if it had been a new thing but being not commanded in the new Testament it ought the rather to be taken for granted in the matter of it from the fourth Commandement * And indeed to any sober minde that knoweth the Law of the Sabbath these things are sufficient to let us know that this is the Sabbath and in the manner to be regulated by the Apostles example which should be of force to us as well as Davids eatâ—ng the Shew-bread was to the Iewes else God would never have let such a day which hath ever in the Church been received as a weekly Sabbath to have been without an expresse Commandement especially considering how precise he was in that point even son the dayes that were appointed for the solemning of the Type in the Time of the Iews And yet as 〈◊〉 saith pag. 70. Nulla est consequeâ—tiâ— Non 〈…〉 dixit fecit Dominus noster de quibus 〈◊〉 â—pud Evâ—ngelistas facta est mentio satis auâ—◠〈…〉 It is no new thing both to beleeâ—e a thing to be 〈◊〉 diviâ— for which yet there is none other commandement expressed then practice as also to beleeve that it was commanded of God though there be no specification of any such Commandement in holy writ as for instance in the sacrificing that was before the Law where finde you any Commandement to sacrifice before you finde Abel sacrificing And yet I beleeve you doubt not but there was a command or something equivalent Neither can you other-wayes thinke but when Noah at his going into the Arke tooke with him beasts both cleane and unclean he was instructed from heaven which was which though no such instruction appeare Againe did not Christ in the instituting of the new Sabbath imitate his father in his manner of instituting the old in the old Creation For what Commandement did God give at first Was it any other then a declaration of his owne practice to Adam whom he had then extraordinarily made that he by his practice should teach it to his posterity So doth not Christ the like For because he rested by rising on the