they say the Rest in the Sabbath day is a type of the reft in the Kingdome of Heauen Heb. 4. a signe of Christ Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 yet they hold the same Rest to be morall still in force why then may not the 7th day be abolished as a type and yet remaine as a sacred time for Gods worship as a time to exercise mercy in towards poore seruants by releasing them from their laboures wherein they haue bene spent the 6. daies before why I say may not the time remaine still as it is an helpe and a furtherance vnto those morall dueties of rest the worship of God it is to be wondered at to see men goe about to reiect abolish such things as were are in themselues and may be helpes furtherances of Morall dueties A 5th instance shall be the feast of Pentecost or Whit-Sunday which was a Iewish feast day or Sabbath day as you may read in Leuit. 23.15.16.21 it was also a signe or Shadow of Christ to come as you may see Col. 2.16.17 so it was abolished neuerthelesse we Christians doe keepe this feast day sanctify it as a Sabbath day once euery yeere for as Peter did preach vpon the day of Pentecost Act. 2.1.14 so doeth our Church vpon Whit-sunday onely we haue cast of that shaddowish respect which it had amongst the Iewes of being a signe of Christ to come wherefore by the constant practise of our Church it appeareth that a Iewish ceremoniall day may be retained in our Church so be the ceremonies of it be reiected if then pentecost a ceremoniall feast or Sabbath day may be retained in a Christiā Church why may not the 7th day Sabbath also be retained amongst vs yea if it could be proued a signe of Christ to come thus by this instance you see that a Sabbath day may remaine after its significatiue nature or quality be vanished Thus I haue finished my two generall answers the former shewing that the 7th day Sabbath is not spoken of in their text Exod. 31.13 but onely the yeerly Sabbaths the latter shewing that if the 7th day Sabbath were spokē of in their text Ex. 31.13 yet no more is abolished of this Sabbath but its significatiue typicall quality but the absolute nature of the Sabbath consisting of those 5 things foremētioned may still remaine to wit 1. rest 2. holy dueties 3. on the 7th day 4. because God rested on this 7th day sanctified it 5. because God commanded these thinges My third generall answer that I may defēd the morall Law with euery thing therin commanded vnto a iot and title and shune those foule and many absurdeties which my aduersaries rune into is this the Sabbath may be considered naturally orginally so I deny it was any signe for the signe was not put into the 4th com much lesse to its first institution Gen. 2.3 or it may be considered accidentally aduentitiously and so it became a signe after its institution as in Exod. 31.13 so as the signe was but accidentall and extrinsecall to the Sabbath it being added to it many hundreth yeeres after its prime institution and I know not how long after its promulgation on Mount Sinay in this latter sense I yeeld it abolished but in the former I deny it for as the Rocke after it lost its typicalnesse it still remained a Rocke so may the Sabbath after Christ had abolished its typicalnesse which was affixed to it it may still remaine a Sabbath as it was originally at its prime institution it may remaine still as a Sacred time for Gods worship as a fit time to refresh mā beast in spent with former 6 daies labour Thus much for answer vnto this their text Exod. 31.13 wherein we haue bene the larger because they stand so much vpon it as one of their strongest fortes and suerest houldes but how weake you see there remaineth now but one text more of theirs to answer and it is a maine and chiefe one also it followeth in this next section SECT XIX 15thly they fetch an other a maine argumēt against Gods 7th day Sabbath out of this text Col. 2.16.17 Let no man therefore cōdemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an Holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies which are a shaddow of things to come but the body is of Christ But before I come to shew you their arguments out of this text against the Sabbath let me first shew you how absurdly they behaue thēselues who would fetch arguments out of this text against Gods Sabbath The first absurdety is this that they doe voluntarily wilfully without any constraint set themselues in opposition to an ancient ordinance of Gods in his Church for this purpose it is to be obserued not onely that the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath was an ordinance of Gods and in high honour in his Church but also that it was one of the most ancient ordinances that euer God established in his Church for this Sabbath day it did not onely obtaine like priuiledges and honour equally with the residue of the Morales deliuered vpon Mount Sinay but also it pleased God to Sanctify this day at the very Creation of the world as we reade Genes 2.3 So God blessed the 7th day sanctified it God did sanctifie this day rested in it making him selfe our presidēt begining this holy Sabbath in his owne person now for any man to oppose any of Gods ordinances wilfully not compelled therevnto is an euill but to oppose so ancient an ordinance as is this Sabbath is a farre greater euill Baptisme and the Lords supper are ancient ordinances in the Church yet are they nothing so ancient as be the Lords Sabbaths whereby you see that these patrones of nouelty are enemies to antiquity I meane those who defend the Lords day for a Sabbath which is a nouill thing they are enemies to the Sabbath day which is a most ancient thing were it some nouelty or new vpstart point in religion which I speake for it were tollerable that they should oppose it but being so ancient an ordinance in Gods Church as that it is backed with the greatest antiquity here to oppose that causlesly is most absurd Were they compelled herevnto or constrained by the vrgeing necessity of some portion of Scripture in the new Testament or more specially were they compelled herevnto by this one text of Scripture Col. 2.16.17 or by any thing therein conteined they might be excused but seing this text as well as all others may be so expounded as it shall not any whit oppose this ancient Sabbath and ordinance of God and seing there is no collection or consequence that is thence deduced against this ordinance of Gods which necessarily must follow from this text therefore they are altogether vnexcusable that oppose it make it so odiouse before the people of God Wherefore their
all this it may remaine still as a sacred day and time for Gods worship as a day to keepe memory of the Creation still as a fit time to refresh man and beast in by Rest from the toilsome labours of the former Sixe dayes and so as an helpe and furtherance vnto these morall dueties of Rest from labour and performance of Religiouse exercises For the clereing of this I referre you to what hath bene said in Section the 18. onely here let me giue a touch Circumcision and the Passeouer hauing either of them a double type or signe when the one was fulfilled yet these Sacraments were vsed with respect to the other vnfulfilled and admit the Sabbath should abolish as a shaddow of Christ why may it not remaine as a signe of the Creation Exod. 31.17 The difference of meates is abolished as a shaddow of Christ but remaine as in a fast and admit the Sabbath be abolished as a shaddow of Christ why may it not remaine as an helpe and furtherance vnto morall dueties and if the Proselite Gentiles obserued the Passeouer with the Iewes neglecting such things therein as were peculiar vnto the Iewes and onely obserued such things therein as were common to Iew and Gentile both as hath bene showne in Sect. 18 why may not we Gentiles neglect the Sabbath as a sâ—addow of Christ wherein it was peculiar vnto the Iewes and obserue it still in such respects as it is common to Iew and Gentile both as it is a signe of the Creation and as it is an helpe and furtherance vnto other morall dueties so much for answer to this text Col. 2.16.17 And thus like a friend to God his law and ordinance therein I haue reconciled these two textes Exod. 20.8 Col. 2.16.17 the which other men doe make to fight together like deadly enemies Before I conclude this Section let me render a reason why I doe on all occationes distinguish betwixt the 7th day Sabbath the anniuersary Sabbathes my reasones are these 1. because the 7th day Sabbath is more auncient then the yeerly Sabbaths for these began but after the giuing of the Law but that begane before the giuing of the Law 2. Because God Sanctified and hallowed the 7th day Sabbath in a speciall manner Genes 2.3 the which honour he did not to the yeerly Sabbaths these were holy but by precept but that also by President these were holy but by destination onely but that was holy by consecration also 3. Because they are distinct in themselues the one being once euery weeke the other once euery yeere 4. Because God placed the weekly 7th day Sabbath in his morall Law and in the heart or first Table thereof but the yeerly Sabbaths were excluded thence and neuer came into the Tables of stone 5. Because the 7th day Sabbath was a signe of and kept in memory of the Creation which belongeth vnto all men alike but so was it not with the yeerly Sabbaths there is good reason therefore why I should distinguish the weekly Sabbath from the yeerly Sabbathes according as I haue done in all my answers SECT XX. Hauing in the former Sections of this Chapter answered all their arguments brought against the Lords Sabbath so as it manifestly appeareth that it cannot be proued that it is abolished but that it is still in force now in the last place I purpose to spend this last section of this Chapter in a Disswasory-declaration of the common sinne of our time to wit the sinne of Sabbath breaking And here I would not be mistaken at the very Threshold entry of my discourse for by the sinne of Sabbath-breaking I doe not vnderstand the sinne of profanation of the Lords day which now a daies is called the sinne of Sabbath-breaking by our Ministers for they in this point make more sinnes then euer God made they deale by the Lords day as players doe with some of their fellowes whom they make a Counterfait King in the sight of the people by putting vpon him some robes ornaments like those of the true King thus doe our Ministers that they might honour this Lords day in the eyes of the world they haue made it a counterfait Sabbath day and that by miscalling of it Sabbath day like as if a man should cale one man by an other mans name thus they haue robbed the 7th day of its proper honourable name that they might robe and decke with it the 8th day but to leaue them to their vanities counterfaitings by Sabbath day I meane the 7th day from the creation the Saturday day wher on God himselfe Rested which is mentioned in his Morall Law and by the sinne of Sabbath-breaking I vnderstand the violation and profanation of this day contrary to Gods expresse commandement The persones guilty of this sinne are both Ministers and people for the people first let them know take speciall notice of it that they lay vnder the guilte of the sinne of Sabbath-breaking vnto this day without repentance are liable to those curses threatened in the booke of God against transgressoures of the Lawes of God I speake what I thinke is the trueth in my soule conscience I haue good cause thus to thinke for you haue seene that it cannot be certainly infallibly proued to the vndoubted satisfaction of any mans conscience that euer God did abolish this Sabbath day now if it cannot be most euidently apparantly proued that it is abolished then though there could nothing be said for it more yet it is a sinne to profane it but I haue more to say for it as you shall heare in the next Chapter for time to come therefore let men beware that they doe no more profane the Lords Sabbath day it will be a dongerouse matter to sinne goe on in sinne after admonition and information this let them take notice of as being forewarned that they doe liue and lye in the weekly breach of one of Gods Lawes for euery 7th day or Saturday they doe not onely neglect the worship of God but also notoriously profane the Lords Sabbath day by buying and selling by riding and goeing too market and fro market by ploughing and carteing by working in their Shoppes and howsen euery man in his seuerall trade and occupation and by doeing the most base drudgery and kitching workes on this sacred day when God should be most in our minds then he is furthest from our thoughtes let this be thought on by all such as make any conscience of Gods commandements But herevnto the people will reply saying Alas what would you haue vs to doe we are no schollers if it be an errour it is in our Ministers and teachers not in vs you should doe well to apply this doctrine vnto our Ministers not vnto vs we cannot iudge in such matters of difference difficulty c. To whom I answer Alas indeed I pitty you from my heart this your errour
whither it will stand with a good conscience for any man to abolish any parte of Gods worship vvhen he needes not vvhen there is no necessity by any thing in those textes to doe it I leaue it to all men to iudg of I come to the Minor here I am to proue that to sanctify the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath is a parte of the vvorship of God this I proue first in generall for it is a generall receiued trueth that all the things command in the first Table of the Decalogue are the partes of Gods vvorship yea they are Gods immdiate vvorship as Polanus in his Syntag. pag. 558. saith if then the first Table of the Decalogue commandeth the vvorship of God the sanctification of the Saturday and 7th day Sabbath must needes be a parte of the worship of God because it is commanded with the other partes of Gods worship in the first Table of the Decalogue 2. I proue it particularly and that by the Testimony of two worthy Diuines the one is Vrsinus in his Catech. on the 4th command pag. 637. where speaking of the old Sabbath day he expresly saith of it that it was tyed to the 7th day and that the obseruation thereof was necessary and it was the worship of God thus hee The other is M. Perkines in his cases of conscience pag. 108. where he expresly affirmeth that the Iewes Sabbath was both the time of Gods worship also a parte of Gods worship Thus I haue made good the Minor to wit that the Saturday 7th day Sabbath was commanded of God as a parte of his worship By the way it is to be noted that albeit men sleit this ordinance of Gods ancient Sabbath caling it but a circumstance of time and the like yet you see it cleerly proued that it is such a circumstance as is not to be sleited for it is a parte of Gods worship I conclude the Saturday Sabbath must be morall and still in vse because it is a parte of Gods worship and because if any deny it they are enemies to Gods intire and wholl worship and seruice for they doe diminish it and detracte from it they pare of from it clype it as Traitoures doe the Kings Coine making it lighter and lesser then his Maiestie coined it for ARGVM XVIII My 18th argument for the maintenance of the ancient Sabbath day is that it must be Morall and still in vse because it was obserued by Christians with the approbation of the holy Ghost after the death of Christ and abolition of all Ceremonies And thus I argue The obseruation of that thing by Christianes after the death of Christ and abolition of all Ceremonies which the Holy Ghost recordeth to posterity by way of approbation and commendation that is no ceremony but morall and still in force But the obseruation of the old Sabbath day was celebrated by Christians after the death of Christ and abolition of all Ceremonies and was recorded by the holy Ghost to all posterity by way of approbation commendation Therefore the obseruation of the old Sabbath day is no ceremony but a morall still in force For the Major there can be no doubt of it for since that all Ceremonies had their period and last date at Christs death vpon the Crosse it cannot be thought that the holy Ghost would giue the least commendation or approbation of any Ceremony practised after the death of Christ at which time all Ceremonies had their end vnlesse we should thinke the holy Ghost would build vp againe what Christ had throwne downe it cannot be thought the Holy Ghost would giue any approbation of a Ceremony vnto posterity and the Christian Churches succeding wherefore the obseruation of Chistians commended by the holy Ghost after the death of Christ and all Ceremonies must be iudged a Morall I come to the Minor the trueth of which I proue out of Luk. 23.56 And they returned and prepared odoures and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandement Jn which text we may note these particulers for the profe of our point 1. that the parties who rested this Sabbath day they were Christians namely Christian women as Mary Magdalen Ioanna Mary the mother of Iames and other women with them as the text speaketh Luk. 24.10 2dly we may note that this Sabbath day was sanctified after the death of Christ for Christ suffered the day before it 3dly it was sanctified after the abolition of all Ceremonies for all Ceremonies ended vpon Christs Crosse as we reade in Colos 2.14 So that an end was put vnto all Ceremonies on the day before this Sabbath was sanctified 4thly the sanctification of this Sabbath day was recorded by the Holy Ghost vnto all succeding Churches as we find it and reade it in this text at this day Yea which is remarkable these women preferred the Sabbath day before the embalming of the sacred body of our Lord Iesus for considering those hote countries it had bene very needfull to haue embalmed the dead body before it had bene 3 dayes dead yet as needfull as it was they neglected it preferring the sanctification of the Sabbath before it this zeale of these holy women hath the holy Ghost recorded vnto posterity 5thly that the holy Ghost recorded this by way of approbation and commendation of their fact appeareth hereby 1. because he doth ranke it together with other remarkable and commendable facts for he recordeth it with that commendable fact of Joseph of Arimathea who begged the body of Iesus of Pilate tooke it downe from the Crosse wrapped it in a linnen cloth and laid it in a new Tombe Luk. 23.50 c. And with that laudable facte of those women who obserued the place where they laid the body of Christ prepared odoures ointments and on the first day of the weeke erly in the morning they went vnto the Sepulchre to embalme the body of Christ Luk. 23.55.56 Luk. 24.1 now together with these laudable actiones is rekoned vp also the religiouse sanctification of the Sabbath day by those religiouse women 2. Had their obseruation of this Sabbath day bene any thing but morall or any thing lesse then laudable doubtlesse the holy Ghost would haue passed by this point and huried it in silence as God did the body of Moses Deut. 34.6 In a place vnknowne lest succeding Churches should hence take occation to honour sanctify it 3. The Holy Ghost commendeth in these women their obseruation of the Sabbath day most remarkablie in this that he doth not relate it barely thus they rested the Sabbath day but he further added the rule they did it by that which warranted their action which was that they did it according to the commandement that is the 4th commandement And rested the Sabbath day according to the commandement Had this their fact bene the obseruation of a ceremony a matter indifferent at that time so not deseruing
it was in vse after the giuing of the Law vntill Christ yea and it was in vse in the daies of the Apostles by the Apostles themselues after Christâ— and also it was in vse in the primitiue Churches after Christ for 300 or 400 yeeres euen so long as the Church retained its best purity and vntill corruptiones and popery begane to creepe in now if we shall value the honour of the Sabbath day by the honourable estimation that the Church of God had constantly for thowsands of yeeres of it before Christ and if we shall esteeme of its honour by the honourable estimation which the Christian Churches had of it for neere 400 yeeres after Christ then doubtlesse the Sabbath is an honourable thing and the reformation of it will be no lesse honourable and who vvould not put hand and voyce to such an honourable reformation Thirdly we will consider how Almightie God hath honoured it this will appeare in these particulares 1. God honoured it by his owne obseruation of it at the Creation for God himselfe rested vpon the Sabbath day Genes 2.3 2dly God honoured this day and time aboue all daies and times in that he blessed hallowed and sanctified this day as we reade Genes 2.3 Exod. 20.11 and so made it an Holy day 3dly God honoured this day by commanding it by his owne immediate voyce vpon Mount Sinay and by placeing it amongst the other Morales and giuing it there also an eminent and chiefe place for hee put it into the first Table of the Decalogue and after that caused it carefully to be laid vp and preserued in the Arke with the other Morales 4thly God honoured this day by taking it vnto himselfe in a speciall sorte caling it his day as myne holy day Isa 58.13 And the Sabbath of the Lord Exod. 20.10 whence it is caled the Lords Sabbath Emphatically VVherefore since God rested on this day let vs indeauour a reformation that we his children also may rest on this day and since God hallowed and sanctified this day let vs vse all good meanes that we may hallow and sanctify this day also since God deliuered this day by liuely voyce let vs vse our toungs voyces for it and since God placed it amongst the other Morales set it eminently in the first Table let not vs suffer it to be thrust out amongst the Ceremonies and seing God gaue it an high place in the Morall Law let not vs suffer it to be thrust quite out of place so as now it should haue no place at all in the Morall Law wher 's your courage wher 's your zeale for God if you can indure these things If Christian men loue to haue their hands in an honourable worke then let them cast aside shame and feare and such like carnall affectiones and let them armed with courage and zeale speake for God and defend his Sabbaths and cale for a reformation the worke is honourable for it is honoured with Antiquity with the constant practise of Gods Church that also of the purest primitiue Church and with speciall honour done vnto it by Almighty God himselfe Yet further this Sabbath is in Scripture expresly called an Holy day To morrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath vnto the Lord Exod. 16.23 Isa 58.13 and one reason thereof may be because at the Creation God blessed it and sanctified it Genes 2.2.3 And so made it an Holy day Now no day of all the 7 no not the Lords day was euer sanctified by God or caled an Holy day Yea God had many anniuersary Sabbaths as we read in Leuit. 23. Yet doe we not read that euer God blessed sanctified any of them as he did this Sabbath of the 7th day So highly God honoured it This difference therefore of this day from others is as the difference of Sacramentall bread from common bread and as was the sacred Temple from common howsen and who would not labour the reedifying of such an holy and honourable thing III. In the third place we will consider of the necessity of this Reformation and here If vntill a reformation be made diuerse sondry verses of the holy Scripture yea in the 10 commandements be as so many verses rent out of the Scripture or quite blotted out of the booke of God or stand but as so many Ciphers And also the Decalogue or Morall lawe is not taught and maintained in our Church nor in any Christian Church besids in its integrity and perfection but onely lamely and maimedly If vntill a reformation the whole 4th commandement is vtterly and wholly abolished both roote and branch If vntill a reformation be made the Land and Kingdome wherein we liue with all other Christian Churches doe liue in the weekly profanation of the Lords Sabbaths and transgression of the 4th commandement If I shall shewe vnto you that vntill a reformation be made we sanctify a common and profane day and profane a sanctified and holy day And Gods worship will languish and profanesse inuade vs And that a Romish Relique is honoured in stead of an ordinance of Gods And that Gods worship is daily neglected yea and corrupted with many other euiles If I shall proue vnto you that vntill a reformation the sinne of Idolatry is committed by many in the Land if I say I shall make these things plainly appeare vnto you then I trust you wil say with me that it is high time that euery man lay too his helping hand for a reformation that speedily I. For the first of these there are not many verses in the Decalogue or 10 commandements and yet there are no lesse then fowre whole verses in the 10 commandements which be as so many verses rent out of the Scripture or blotted out of the booke of God or stand but for so many Ciphers and they are these verse the 8th verse the 9th and verse the 10th and verse the 11th of the xx Chapter of Exodus for the Sabbath day there specified we haue not and the 7th day there specified we haue not and the Sixe daies for working daies there specified we haue not and the 7th day wherein God rested and the which God blessed and sanctified we haue not These things we haue more largly proued in the former parts of this booke therefore a touch of them here is enough Wherefore seeing we haue not in vse the things specified and commanded in those iiij verses therefore those iiij verses be as if they were rent out of the sacred Bible or blotted out of the booke of God or stand but for Ciphers Now is it not high time to stirre when the Scriptures of God are thus abused for we haue but the brann or huske that is the bare words of the 4 verses as for the flower kernell which is the sense and the things meant by those words in these verses this we haue not II. Furthermore that the Decalogue or Morall law is not
in 2. They make a conscience of obseruing of sanctifying the Lords day doe reproue such as profane it make a common day of it by working and hereby they doe Reuerence it 3. They obserue the Lords day as instituted by Christ and as commanded by God in his 4th com and in so doeing they doe Honour it and Reuerence it for they honour it as a commanded day and as a day set aparte by Christ to be Holy 4. Many Diuines doe in their publike prayers and sermones blesse God for vowchsafing vs his holy ordinances as his Sabbaths and Sacraments c. by Sabbath they meane our Lords daies whereby you see they honour the Lords day together with the Sacraments and so they must doe for the Sacraments and the Lords day haue both one vse in the Church for as the Sacraments doe minde vs of Christs death and resurrection so the Lords day is sanctified in memory of Christs death and resurrection thus the Lords day is honoured as the Sacraments are now all men confesse that the Sacraments are honoured with diuine religiouse honour and so then is the Lords day also yea who feareth not to profane the Lords day as he feareth to eate the Lords Supper vnworthily 5. They honour the Lords day with that kind of honour wherewith they honour the sacred Name of God inioyned in the third com for they are carefull to sanctifie the Lords day as they are carefull to sanctifie the Name of God and their consciences are in awe of the Lords day as well as of the Name of God for they feare to profane the Lords day as well as they feare to blaspheme abuse the Holy Name of God they respect this day as an Holy day like as Gods Name is an Holy Name 6. By setting the Lords day into the place and roome of the Sabbath day they must and doe giue vnto it the like religiouse honour which was due vnto the Sabbath day that was a religiouse honour Call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable Isai 58.13 Now this very text is applied to our Lords day wherefore it is honoured with diuine and religiouse honour and thus is their Idolatry compleate Note that if this Honour and religiouse reuerence and respect be giuen but vnto any one of the two former senses it maketh Idolatry for example if the Lords day be considered of as an Image or liknesse to the Sabbath day therevnto men add honour this is Idolatry or if the Lords day be but considered of as an imagination a fiction or a deuise of mans braine which indeed is an Idoll and Nothing and then herevnto mē add a religiouse and cōscionable honour reuerence respect be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forthwith the Lords day becomes an Idoll they Idolaters their deuotion honour conscience of it Idolatry for it is to set vp an Idoll in Gods worship when men set vp their fictions conceipts deuises to be reuerenced religiously honoured when they place their owne deuices set them in the first Table of the Decalogue as now a daies men doe this Lords day In a word it is the common and receiued opinion that all Humane inventions thrust into diuine Seruice or worship of God are plaine Idolatry now the Lords day is an Humane Invention as hath bene showne and it is thrust into Diuine Seruice and worship of God for it is beleeued and taught to be an ordinance of Gods commanded in the first Table among the parts of Gods worship and it is honoured with that religiouse reuerence which is proper vnto God and the partes of his worship and therefore the Lords day is an Idoll the religiouse sanctification of it Idolatry The Lord would not indure it that his meate c. should be giuen vnto and bestowed vpon Idoles My meate which I gaue thee as fine flower oyle and hony wherewith J fedd thee thou hast euen set it before them for a sweete sauour c. Ezek. 16.19 And can we thinke that that God who would not haue his meate oyle and hony bestowed vpon Idoles will indure it that we shall bestow his glory honour loue conscience religiouse reuerence vpon this Idoll of the Lords day Sabbath for all those Holy and religiouse affectiones which we bestow vpon the Lords day Sabbath they are Gods affectiones proper vnto his Maiestie Now my glory saith God I will not giue to an other Isa 42.8 God is a Ielouse God as we read in the second cō Ex. 20.5 and therefore he will neuer indure it that this his glory and seruice shall be bestowed vpon an Idoll of mans making deuising the Lord vpbraided the Iewes because they did Idolatrously worship the worke of their owne hands which their owne fingers had made Isa 2.8 so ridiculouse they were for who would worship a thing which himselfe hath made with his owne hands but with vs the conscience is made to stand in awc of the worke of mens braines and religiouse honour Holy affectiones and worship are bestowed vpon that which we haue made our selues if not by our owne fingers yet by our owne wittes Now who would be so ridiculouse as to feare the pollution of what himselfe hath made Holy or religiously to honour a meere nothing a very fansy For men to giue vnto the Lords day diuine honour that is to reuerence it as an ordinance of Gods vpon paine of damnation this is to aduance a fiction of mans braine and place it in equall Throne with Gods ordinances to exact of mens consciences like religiouse reuerence as is due vnto Gods ordinances for this fiction shall haue power to command and constreine the Conscience like as Gods ordinances haue and that vpon paine of damnation too what an heinouse thing is this Is it not as greate a sinne to giue Diuine worship vnto mens fantasies as vnto Images to the deuices of protestants as to the Trinkets of Papistes My glory saith God I will not giue to an other Isa 42.8 What an heinouse and horrible sinne then is it for any to giue religiouse worship which is proper vnto God to his ordinances to a meere deuice of mans making God is a Ielouse God most zealouse of his glory woe therefore vnto him that robbeth God of his glory to giue it vnto mens deuices Three euiles there are combined in this one which make it a Capitall euill 1. That the people of the Land who are most tractable vnto goodnesse haue their consciences brought into slauery bondage thraldome for they are made afraid of the shaddow of a man of the shaking of the leaues of the trees that is that vpon paine of damnation they worke not on the Lords day 2. By the supposed necessary consequences men haue aduanced this Idoll of the Lords day and ranked it among the Starres of the Heauen that is they haue placed
a knight or a Noble man and as Friday and Sunday in some sense are aboue the other of the sixe dayes So no doubt will God and so shold euery Godly man think amisse of it to heare Ministers take that name of honour from off the head of Saturday to set it vpon the head of Sunday By this translating of the name Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday common people when they read in the Scriptures of any thing of note touching the Sabbath day presently they cast that in they re minds vpon the Lords day thinking that to be meant of it thus being meerly deluded they honour the subiect for the king the maide for hir Mistris and misapply and abuse all those Textes of Scripture is it not high time then that this abuse were Looked vnto and the rather also because by theire carrynig of the name Sabbath day from the Saturday vnto the Sunday they hereby doe subtilly carry also the 4th commandement from the Saturday vnto the Sunday and thus they robb the Saturday both of its diuine name and also of its Commandement for novv no man cales the Saturday Sabbath day nor applies the fourth com vnto it at all by this robbery God and his Sabbathes are leesers but they are greate gainers for novv they haue not only got that deuine name Sabbath day for theire Sunday but also they haue got though but by vsurpation a Commandement too for theire Lords day the which had no commandement before It bewraieth theire beggarlynesse in ornaments for the Lords day when they must thus robb and pull from an other day to clothe and attire it vvith all neither hath the Lords day any thing in the nevv Testament to tye mens consciences with all but only what the patrones there of haue vniustly taken out of the Old Testament from the Saturday Sabbath and out of whose ruines they haue erected a nevv day For conclusion let me exhorte Ministers and people to refraine putting the name Sabbath day vpon the Lords day for hereafter we haue names enough besids we may call it Sunday Lords day or First day of the weeke doe not mocke God and deceiue the world any longer vvith vse of the name Sabbath day vnlesse you meant to giue God his proper Sabbath day the Saturday why should you retaine the name with out the thing this is to mocke God with a shaddovv for the Substance And here I cannot but speake of that common fault of Ministers in the pulpit vvhose very words and vvorkes are at iarr the more is the pitty for in application of theire doctrines they are frequent in pressing the obseruation of the Sabbath day amongst other virtues and holy dueties and on the contrary in many of there vses of reprofe they are very zealouse in reprouing the breach of the Lords Sabbaths together vvith other sinnes of drunkennesse Svvearing lying oppression pride and the like vvherein they doe very well if their words and their vvorkes vvent together if their words and their mind did agree for aske them in priuate vvhat day of the vveeke they meant by the name Sabbath day and they vvill tell you Sunday or Lords day so then with their toungs they call for the Sabbath day which is Saturday in Gods account as hath bene proued but they meane an other thing then they speake of for they meane it of Sunday or Lords day like as if a man should talke much and ernestly of Saturday but meaneth it of friday or of Sunday and meaneth it of Moneday Nay their ovvne mouthes shall condemne them for they call for the Lords Sabbaths in the pulpit vvhen they profane them in theire families and teach men so to doe nay the Lords Sabbathes find no greater enemies then these who call so much for them for they at other times vvill beare the people in hand that they are abolished and they vvill and dare vndertake to proue that that Sabbath day once commanded in the 4th com is a ceremony and abolished and yet these men I will haue the Sabbath of the Lord still in their mouthes and make a great clamour for it the Prophet Ieremiah reprooued those of his time saying Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Ierem. 7.4 And may not I say of our time forbeare your homonymiouse and double meaning speeches refraine your words of aequiuocation and of mentall reseruation saying the Sabbaths of the Lord the Sabbaths of the Lord either be right dovvne for the Lords Sabbaths before the people or else let them be no more heard in your mouths doe not abuse that proper name Sabbath day diuinely imposed by God vpon our Saturday and by your aequiuocations and mentall reseruations meane it of Sunday Happily I shall preuaile vvith some to forsake the abuse of this name and in stead of it they will call our Sunday the Lords day and so presse the sanctification of it vnder that name To such I say let them doe so then if they can find any grounds out of Gods vvord to vvarrant them to presse the Lords day to be kept as the Sabbath day but this let them take with it that they must with the forbearing of the name Sabbath day refraine the vse of the 4th com also for these goe inseparablie together they must not presse the 4th com vpon the Lords day for the 4th com speaketh of a day vvhich by diuine imposition is called the Sabbath day and not of a day vvhich by humane imposition is called so as hitherto many of their owne braines doe or not of a day called the Lords day the com runneth thus Remember the Sabbath day c. not thus Remember the Lords day c. Some there are vvho allredy of their ovvne accord doe call our Sunday Lords day and not Sabbath day but I maruaile of all the rest vvith vvhat face these men can presse the 4th comm vpon that day vvhich themselues confesse is named Lords day and not Sabbath day vvhen as the 4th comm doth expresly mention a day which is named Sabbath day and not Lords day The name Sabbath day therefore and the 4th com must goe inseperably together hold the one and hold the other renownce the one and renownce the other also A fourth vse shall be for the confutation of a common but very friuolouse answer let a man vrge the 4th com for the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath and presently their answere will be that the com may be vnderstood not of the Sabbath day but of a Sabbath day But that I may discouer the idlenesse of this dist inction and such as vse it first vve must vnderstand what they meane by it by the Sabbath day they meane that certaine knowne day called the 7th day from the creation which is our Saturday and by a Sabbath day they meane some vncertaine day as one or other of the 7 dayes but not determined which whither this or that novv say they
other argument as vaine as this past thus If God instituted a Sabbath in memory of the creation then so did Christ institute a Sabbath in memory of the redemption But they cannot proue this consequence it is onely their naked affirmation wherefore my bare deniall of it shall be sufficient vntill they proue it you may see this argument further incisted vpon in my former booke Pag. 48. others argue thus the greater work must carry the honour of the day c. Ans the greater work may haue greater honour though not of the same Kind for the creation may haue the greate honour of the Sabbath day to remember it and the Redemption may haue the greater honour of not one but two Sacramentes to Remember it SECT XVII An other argument for the Lords day they haue it is this the Authority of the Magistrate hath Commaunded it and therfore we must keepe it c. Let no man thinke I frame this argument of mine owne heade for as I haue often heard common people vseing it so I haue bene vrged with it my selfe by a diuine and none of the meanest neither neede they be ashamed to heare of this argument in publike which they doe vse in priuate I assure them it is the best argument which they haue for the Lords day none of all these past are like vnto it for euery soule must be subiect vnto the higher powers Ro. 13.1 if therfore the Magistrate commaundeth vs to keepe it we must keepe it To this argument I answer 1. that our question is not whither vve must keepe the Lords day or not keepe it but whither Christ hath instituted appointed it for a Sabbath or not let this be first proued then vve vvill be redy to keepe it though this argument of Authority be wanting 2. I answer if this Lords day hath no higher authority then from the Magistrate then doth it not bind conscience simply by it selfe but as all indifferent things doe which are commanded by the Magistrate Yea the Lords day it selfe must be ranked amongst indifferent things where of the Magistrate may properly make Lawes Yea whereas the Magistrate now commandeth the Lords day to be kept if it hath no higher Authority then of the Magistrate then hee may alter the solemnity of the day from Sunday to Moonday to Tewsday or to any other day of the weeke Yea not onely alter it but also at his plesure nullifye it vtterly forbide keepeing of it any more And so the Tenour of your new Sabbath will proue but a fickle and inconstant thing 3. I answer if our Lords day standeth by virtue of the Magistrate thē is it not kept by virtue of the 4th com but by virtue of the 5th Com. for it is the 5th Com. that inioyneth obedience to our Superioures wherefore then must Ministers no more presse the 4th Com. vpon the Lords day but the 5th Com. they must no more say Remember the Sabbath day But now they must say Honour thy Father thy Mother when they would haue men sanctify the Lords day And people they must no more say they keepe the Lords day in conscience of the 4th Com. but in conscience of the 5th Com. and thus also shall the 4th Commandement be vtterly abolished and out of all vse in the Church This Lords day Sabbath then may be doubly considered of as it is commaunded by God or as it is Commaunded by the Magistrate as it is commaunded by the Magistrate so I doe no waies oppose it let it stand so such as it is in that respect so long as the Magistrate pleaseth as little while as hee pleaseth but I oppose our Ministers onely who say this Lords day stands by diuine ordination from God so intangle the peoples consciences in this respect making more Commandements as we say then tenn or making Lawes to bind conscience where God maketh none For by their collections consequences they make or say they finde that there was a Law of God for the Lords day which is most false SECT XVIII Thus vve haue answered to all their Artificiall arguments now we come vnto their Testimonies the first whereof is Gods blessing of this day Gods curseing of the profaners of it first of the former say they Gods blessing of this day to the greate edification of the Church is a signe that God approueth of this day Hereunto I answer it is one thing for God to blessed this day it is an other for him to blesse his ordinance in the day Gods ordinance in the day is preaching praying now God in mercy doth vsually blesse these ordinances of his being conscionably vsed vpon any day Sabbath day or Lecture day now we must carefully distinguish betwixt Gods blessing of the day vvherin these are performed Gods blessing of the ordinances them selues they therfore mistake things that argue thus that God blesseth the day when they should say God blesseth his ordinances in the day for it followeth not that because God blesseth his ordinances done in the day that he therfore blesseth also the day time wherein these ordinances are done no more then God blesseth the place wherin these ordinances are performed Let me shew you the vanity of this arguing by the like case Gods blessing doth vsually accompany painfull labour now suppose some profane Tradsman should vvorke all day long vpon the Sabbath day or Lords day finding at night his work to haue increased thriuen in his hands might he argue thus God hath blessed this day vnto me for a working day therfore here after I shall vse it for a working day for Gods blessing vpon my laboures this day is a signe that God approueth my action alloweth of it for a working day The other part of this argument is that God hath cursed the profaners of this Lords day and this is a signe that God approueth of the day For we reade in bookes set forth by some Diuins of many remarkable iudgements of God which haue befalne the profaners of the Lords day Herevnto I answer 1. that in controuercies about points of Religion vve must not proue things by the arguments of prosperity aduersity for these are no certaine signes of Gods vvill and pleasure no man for certaine knowes loue or hatred of all that is before them Eccl. 9.1 vve must to the Scriptures in this case for there God hath manifested his vvill but you may perceiue they be almost out of breath in as much as they are inforced to flye the Scriptures and hale in any thing that may helpe to make a noise and put some culler vpon the matter before the simple By this argument vve may conclude that the Palatinate his cause vvas naught and the Emperour his cause vvas good because God crossed the Palatinate 2. We are to distinguish of the day from the dueties in the day now we may impute those curses of God vvhich
of Christ his Resurrection The Friday because of Christ his Passion Loe here then were two dayes in a weeke sanctified the Friday the Sunday and that without difference Now who that readeth this can thinke that the Church in Constantins time kept the Sunday or Lords day as a Sabbath vnlesse he should absurdly thinke that they kept two Sabbaths in a weeke the Friday the Sunday it is more likely that they kept them both but as we keepe some light holy dayes Nor did the memory of the Resurrection exalte the Lords day any higher then did the memory of the Passion exalte the Friday Thus you see in what esteeme the Church of God had the Lords day in Constantins time III. My third Testimony shall be that whereof we reade in Socrates his Ecclesiasticall Historie lib. 5. cap. 21. vvhere he thus writeth The drifte saith he of the Apostles was not to lay downe Canons Decrees concerning Feastes holy daies but to become paternes vnto vs of piety of good life Godly conuersation Whereas there is greate contention at this time to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath day instituted in the new Testament by Christ his Apostles this Historian will determine the controuercy for vs if we will be guided by the iudgement of those primitiue Churches for hee saith plainly that the Apostles made no Decrees concerning Holy dayes of which number the Lords day is one and what he saith here of the Apostles the same also in the same Chapter he saith of Christ namely that hee made no law for the Church to celebrate the feast of Easter c. Thus you see it is the iudgement of antiquitie that neither Christ nor his Apostles did euer appoint Easter day vvhich is the Lords day nor any other dayes to be sanctified for Sabbaths I deny not for all this that those times gaue any respect vnto the Lords day and other Holy dayes but this onely I deny that they sanctified this Lords day as Diuinely instituted and appointed by Christ or his Apostles but rather as from the same authority from by which they sanctified other holy dayes of the Saints to wit from by the Tradition of the Church IV. My fowrth Testimony shall be the iudgment of S. Augustine who in his 118 Epistle de festis diebus thus writeth But as for those things which we obserue by Tradition not by wrighting we vnderstand them to be giuen either by the Apostles themselues or by approued Councells c. As the anniuersary celebration of the Lords Passion the Resurrection the Ascention c. In vvhich passage vve note these particulars 1. That S. Augustine accounted the Sanctification of the Lords day to be a thing receiued by Tradition 2. That its institution was not to be founde in the Scriptures for he saith which we obserue by Tradition not by wrighting c. 3. That S. Augustine was doubtfull vncertaine vvhither the obseruation of the Lords day vvere a Tradition receiued from the Apostles or from Councells 4. That S. Augustine rekoneth the Lords day being the Feast of the Resurrection to be of no better nor higher authority then are Good Friday Hallow Thursday the Feasts of Christs Passion Ascention We may as well therefore by S. Augustins iudgement sanctify euery Friday and euery Thursday for Sabbaths throughout the yeere as euery Lords day for they haue all three the same originall selfesame grownd Authority for they be all Traditions vnwritten Traditions and doubtfull whither from the Apostles or from Councells By the way since S. Augustine knew no Scripture for the sanctification of the Lords day for the Sabbath how cometh it about I maruaile that many in our dayes haue found out so many Scriptures for it vve haue now this text of Scripture Ioh. 20.19.26 witnessing that Christ did often appeare vnto his Disciples on this day Another Text we haue for it Act. 20.7 where S. Paul preached a sermon at Troas on this day An other Text we haue found out 1. Cor. 16.2 vvhere there was a collection for the poore on this day And yet an other Text we haue Reuel 1.10 where this day is called the Lords day I maruaile S. Augustine and his times should be so ignorant as not to see these textes as warrantable institutions for the Lords day to become a Sabbath since wee see them and say they are so cleere to proue the point Shall I tell you mine opinion it is this I suppose they that first set their witts on worke to finde a Diuine institution for this Lords day they sawe nothing but Tradition of the Church for it as for the rest of Holy dayes but miseliking this they iudged it better to haue it stand by a Diuine ordinance and therefore haue vsed their witts to wrest these Scriptures thitherwards so now they haue fathered the matter all vpon God and made this Lords day a Diuine ordinance to get the more honour vnto it this durst not S. Augustin doe but he more ingenuously plainly confessed it to be as indeed in trueth it is A Tradition of the Church of equall authority for its sanctification with Good Friday Hallow Thursday other Holie daies To conclude well we may make of the Lords day what esteme we vvill but yet you see it is but a Tradition a Popish Tradition as this vvas the Iudgement of S. Augustine so you shall see it confirmed by others also by by Now if it proue but a Tradition them may vve conclud that all Romish rubish is not as yet cleane swept out of the Reformed Churches An other Testimony of S. Augustine I finde in his vvorkes contra Adimant cap. 16. vvhere he thus vvriteth For we also doe celebrate both the Lords day the Feast of Easter certaine other festiuall daies but we obserue not the times but onelie the things signified by or in those times c. Loe here S. Augustine saith they kept the Lords day indede in his time in that Church but how they kept it much like as they kept other Holy dayes and festiualls for saith he non tempora observamus we regard not the times c. I but did the Lords day stand by the ordinance of Christ then S. Augustine would haue regarded the time for he must haue regarded that very day if Christ had ordained it did the Lords day stand by virtue of the 4th Com. then S. Augustine must haue obserued the time for the day time to wit the Seauenth day vvas no lesse inioyned in the 4th Com. then rest from laboures holy excercises how can men that worke on the Lords day Sabbath be said to rob God of his time if the time be not to be regarded it is more then manifest therfore that S. Augustine the Church of God in his time did not beleeue it that the Lords day vvas instituted by Christ or that it was to be
haue we done and said much more in defence of the Lords Sabbaths thē they haue said or can say in defence of the Lords day who are patrones of it this Lords day Sabbath were it not the Diana and darling of our time supported by men of learning holinesse and zeale I would say of it that it is the most idle friuolouse thing that cane be invented for besids other defects in it they cannot proue a constant practise of it no nor that it was euer kept weeke by weeke two Lords daies together one after an other in any place nor at any time I can but wonder therefore that any man that hath but either learninge or honesty should after the consideration of these things preferre the Lords day aboue the Sabbath day or neglect the ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day to imbrace this nouill Sabbath of the the Lords day I haue now finished my 12th last argument as touching the first branch of it wherin I haue proued that the Apostles of Christ did constantly keepe the Sabbath day after Christs resurrection now I am to procede and to proue vnto you the second branch of my Minor or second proposition which is That the primitiue Churches which liued after the daies of the Apostles kept the Sabbath day for 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ And this trueth I shall confirme vnto you by sondry Testimonies 1. I will begine with that which M. Perkins reporteth saying The obseruatiō of the Sabbath was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles but afterwards it was established by Christian Emperours his Author for it is Leo Anton Edict of Holy daies Perk. in his first volume vpon the 4th com pag. 48. by the word Sabbath M. Perkins vnderstandeth the Lords day Sabbath Now of this Lords day he saith according to his author that the Churches which succeded the Apostles they neglected it vntill it vvas established by Christian Emperours now these Churches were the primitiue Churches for they liued immediatly after the Apostles they liued in the neglect of the Lords day Sabbath for about 300 yeeres after the daies of the Apostles as is gatherable by this that he saith it was established by Christian Emperoures now the first Emperour that established the Lords day was Constantine the greate as saith Hosp Cap. 9. pag. 27. this Constantine liued aboute 300 yeers after the Apostles now for asmuch as these Churches liued about 300 yeeres without the Lords day Sabbath it followeth that they all that time kept the 7th day Sabbath vnlesse we shall vncharitably censure them to haue liued profanly without any Sabbath day all that while which were absurd to thinke many Churches kept both Sabbaths together to wit the Sabbath day and the Lords day as you shall see by and by now can it be thought that some of the Primitiue Churches should be so zealouse as to keepe two daies other some so key could as to keepe none at at all wherefore since these Churches kept not the Lords day therefore it must follow that they kept the Sabbath day thus you see it followeth that the Sabbath day was in vse in the primitiue times for about 300 yeeres after the Apostles so then as the Apostles kept the Sabbath day constantly after Christs resurrection so the primitiue Churches that succeded next after the Apostles they kept it for a matter of 300 yeeres longer 2. My next Testimony shall be out of the Centuries where it is thus recorded Romae conventus ecclesiasticos non fuisse in Sabbato quemadmodum in aliarum terrarum ecclesiis Centur iiij Cap. vj. pag. 477. de ritibus ecclesiae Romanae The summe whereof is this that There was no Ecclesiasticall or Church assemblies vpon the Sabbath day at Rome as there was in other Churches In which words there is an opposition made betwixt the Church of Rome an other Churches to wit Christian Churches aboute keeping of the Sabbath day now it is recorded that there was no Church meetings vpon the Sabbathday at Rome but yet there was Church assemblies vpon the Sabbath day in other Churches abrode in the world so then by this Record it is plaine that the most Churches kept the Sabbath day albeit Rome did not and it is no maruaile that Rome had learned of the Laodicean Counsaile to reiect the yoke of Gods 4th com with the first further ' this Testimony was of what was done in these Churches for 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ so then you see that the Sabbath day was obserued in the most Churches 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ so much for this second Testimony 3. My third Testimony shall be from an acte made by the Laodicean Counsaile in the yeere of Christ 364. Laodicenum Concilium celebratum circa annum 364 sanxit Non oportere Iudaizare Christianos in Sabbatho vacare sed potius operari in eadem die Dominicam praeponendo Sabbatho quod si inventi fuerint Sabbathum Judaeorum observantes anahemate ibidem feriuntur Hospin de origin Fest Chap. 9. pag. 27. The summe whereof is this The Laodicean Counsaile held about the yeere 364 made a Law that Christianes should not Judaize rest vpon the Sabbath day but rather worke vpon it that they should praeferre the Lords day aboue the Sabbath day And if so be any were found obseruing the Iewes Sabbath they should be excommanciated or accursed By this Law then it appeareth that the Sabbath day was in vse in those times for else this Law had bene made in vaine which forbad Christians to kepe the Sabbath day any more vpon paine of excommunication for gouernes doe not enact Lawes against nothing 2. Note that as the Sabbath day was in vse in those times so also it was in vse amōgft Christianes for this law as you see was bent against the practise of Christianes forbidding Christianes to keepe the Sabbath day whereby we see that in these times the Sabbath day was honoured among Christianes 3. Note that vnto this time Christianes did honour the Sabbath day with or aboue the Lords day this I gather from hence because this Counsaile ordeined that for time to come Christianes should preferre the Lords day before the Sabbath now they neded not to haue made a law to bind Christiās to preferre the Lords day before the Sabbath day if they had done so before the making of this law this is a remarkabl thing that in these times the Sabbath day was had in such honour with Christiās as it was as highly or rather more highly set by then the Lords day was 4. Note the time this Law was made 364. yeeres or there about after Christ whereby we see that the Sabbath day was in vse amongst Christianes for nere 400 yeeres after Christ A digression by the way shewing 1. the Invalidity of this Laodicean Counsaile Decree made against the Lords Sabbaths 2. The Originall of the Lords day Sabbath 3.
plaine termes for Christianes to keepe the Sabbath day but see how this famouse Athanasius godly Bishop foreseeing this mischeife meeteth with the priuy obiectiones of some in his time who were alredy infected with this leauen saying not as if we were infected with Iudaisme The iudgement therfore of this Godly Bishop was that a Christian Church might sanctify the Sabbath day without any tainte or tincture of Iudaisme I wish all Ministers now would learne to know of Athanasius that to keepe Gods Sabbath it is no Iudaisme but how is it to be lamented to see the most diuines rather to follow that Schismaticall decree of the counsaile of Laodicea caling the keeping of Gods Sabbath Judaisme then to follow that famouse Athanasius who defendeth it that the keeping of the Sabbath day is no Iudaisme Further it is to be noted that the Christian Churches in the time of Athanasius kept the Sabbath day and that this was about 300 yeeres after Christ so that the Sabbath day was in vse with Christianes for 300 yeeres after Christ Now the first 300 yeeres after Christ are accounted for the most pure times the freest from corruptiones and the after times were lesse puer abateing of their purity daily as the Church grew elder now forasmuch as the Sabbath day was honourable amongst Christianes and religiously obserued in the most puer times this is much to be regarded for what if the Sabbath day begane to be trampled vpon and counted for Iudaisme 60 or 100 yeeres after these puer times what 's that to vs for if we follow any we will choose rather to imitate the more puer Churches I trust so then those that were lesse puer now the more puer Churches as you haue seene it abundantly proued they kept the Sabbath day To conclude so long as the Churches retained their best purity so long the Lords Sabbaths were in vse honour but when the Churches begane to decline and fale away as to set vp Images to adore the Crosse to pray to Saints to pray for the deade to beleeue a purgatory and the like then they begane to esteeme the Lords Sabbath Iudaisme that so they might forsake them and set vp dayes of their owne invention but my trust in God is that as he hath caused a reformation of the abuses of the second commandement which crept into the Church in those times so the same God will find a time to reforme the abuses of the 4th com also which crept in then too but remaine to this day vnreformed 8. My eight last Testimony shall be that of Ignatius who liued about an 100 yeeres after Christ Let not vs saith hee keepe the Sabbath day in a Iewish manner pleasing our selues with a rest or idlenesse for he that will not labour let him not eate c But let euery one of vs keepe the Sabbath day Spiritually reioyceing in the meditation of the lawe not in a remisnesse or idlenesse of the body but in an admiration of the workemanship of God not reioyceing in daunceings and vnciuill Showtinges c. And after the Sabbath day let euery one that loueth Christ celebrate the Lords day beinge the quene of dayes c. Ignat. in his Epistle to the Magnesianes In this exhortation of Ignatius we may note 1. That hee speaking both of the Sabbath day and also of the Lords day doth insinuate a plaine difference betwixt them as touching their estimation for the Lords day he counteth as the queene of daies and so leaueth a place for the Sabbath day to be in account as the King of dayes yea speaking of the Sabbath day he vseth the word Sabbathizare but speaking of the Lords day he vseth the word celebrare 2. We may note that hee speaking of the Sabbath day doth consider it doublie first as the Iewes in those dayes did vse it or abouse it rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reioyceing in idlenesse or slothfulnesse as hee speaketh And secondly as Christianes ought to vse it for the former we may note by Ignatius his words that the Iewes in his dayes did keepe the Sabbath day indeed but yet they kept it profanly as a feast of Bacchus with idlenesse with daunceings with showteing and the like now this kind of Sabbath keeping Ignatius did abhorre saying it is better for the Iewes to labour on the Sabbath day then thus to keepe it for he that will not worke saith hee let him not eate which words are to be referred vnto the Iewes not vnto the Christianes to whom he wrote vnlesse they would ioyne with these profane Iewes in reuelling and roioting on the Sabbath day by which manner of speaking Ignatius alludeth vnto a like forme of speech vsed by God himselfe in a like case saying I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabbaths c. My soule hateth them c. Isa 1.3 Now God did not simply hate their Sabbaths since he had commanded them but he hated their irreligiouse hypocriticale obseruation of the Sabbaths and so Ignatius did not meane simply that the Iewes should worke vpon the Sabbath day or else they should not eate but comparatiuly and respectiuly as if he had thus said rather then men should keepe the Sabbath as doe the Iewes in reuelling sporting idlenesse let them be forced to labour worke in it by denying them foode for it is better to worke on the Sabbath day according to that commandement which inioyneth labour 2. Thes 3.10 then to rest according to that commandement Exod. 20.10 when a man dothit onely to please the flesh and not to further him in the worship of God it is better to keepe no Sabbath then to keepe it onely in a carnall manner honest labour is better on the Sabbath then carnall slouthfull reuelling rest Now this kind of profane carnall keeping of Gods Sabbath is that which Ignatius doth admonish Christians of and doth dehorte them from saying Let not vs keepe the Sabbath as doe the Iewes or in a Iewish manner c. In the next place Ignatius speaketh of the Sabbath as Christianes ought to keepe it that is not profanly and carnally but religiously and Spiritually But let euery one of vs saith hee keepe the Sabbath Spiritually and then he proceedeth to mention the dueties of the Sabbath particularly the one whereof is to reioyce in the meditation and Diuine contemplation of the Law of God reioyceing in the meditation of the Law the other is to make an holy admiration of the Creation of the world of the prouidence of God in the gouernance of the same c. In an admiration of the workmanship of God Now vnto this Holy Spirituall religiouse obseruation of the Sabbath day did Ignatius exhorte those Christians vnto whom he wrote saying But let euery one of vs keepe the Sabbath day c. In which exhortation you see that Ignatius did not onely permit the keeping of the Sabbath day among Christianes but he goeth
further then so for he falleth to a plaine right downe exhortation and perswasion of Christians to keepe the Sabbath day Let euery one of vs saith hee keepe the Sabbath day What cā bemore plaine had Ignatius esteemed the obseruatiō of the Sabbath day an abolished ceremony as many thinke now a daies or Iudaisme as those of the Laodicean Counsaile thought it who liued 200 yeeres after Ignatius and as many of vs now a dayes iudge it to be he would neuer haue exhorted and perswaded Christianes to the obseruation of it Thus you see that so long as the Church was in its greatest purity and perfection so long it retained in honour the Lords Sabbaths for Ignatius liuing so neere vnto the time of the Apostles he liued in the most flourishing estate of the Church for purity and euen in these so pure times was the Sabbath day in honour vse so continued vntill the Church begane to decline which was 200 yeeres after this time about which time they begane to corrupt the second Command what maruaile if they then also made hauocke of the 4th commandement too but this I say so longe as the primitiue Churches remained in their greatest purity so longe Christians retained the Lords Sabbaths in honour vse thus much for the second branch of my Minor so hitherto we haue proued these two things the former that the Apostles of Christ did constantly obserue the Sabbath day in their time the other that the most pure primitiue Churches which followed the Apostles kept the Sabbath so long as they kept their purity which was 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ now I am come to the third last branch of my Minor The 3d branch of my Minor or second proposition which I am to proue is That our Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe this Sabbath day I shall not neede to goe farre for the proofe of this point for our daily prayers to God euery Sunday or Lords day in the Congregation will confirme it for the Minister as it is ordered by our Church in the booke of Common prayer rehearseth to the whole Assembly the 10. Commandements of Almightie God among the rest hee repeateth the 4th Com. saying Remember the Sahbath day to keepe it holy c. But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for the Lord rested the 7th day and therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Now as soone as this Commandement touching the 7th day Sabbath is rehearsed in the audience of the people It is by our Church ordered that the whole Congregation shall herevnto subioyne this deuout prayer Lord haue mercie on vs and incline our heartes to keepe this lawe And thus you see that our Church doth ratify the Sabbath day by praying daily to God to incline our heartes to keepe it But happily some may say our Church doth not intende by this hir prayer to ratify the 7th day Sabbath which is the Iewes Sabbath Herevnto I reply that by this hir prayer she must be vnderstod to pray to God to incline our hearts either to the keeping of the 7th day Sabbath or to the keeping of the Lords day Sabbath now strongly I am perswaded that the Reuerend Bishopes of our Church will not say that the 4th com doth command vs to keepe the Lords day therefore when we pray to God to incline our heartes to the keeping of the 4th com we cannot vnderstand our prayer to be meant of the Lords day for it is not the day caled Lords day which the 4th Com. inioyneth but it is the day called Sabbath day as you see in the Commandement and it is not the Lords day which the Minister pronounceth in reading the 4th com but it is the Sabbath day which he speaketh of neither is it the 8th day or first day of the weeke which the 4th com speaketh of but it is the 7th day and last day of the weeke which the commandement mentioneth neither is it the 8th day or first day of the weeke or Lords day where in God rested at the Creation but it is the 7th day wherein God rested as the Commandement saith neither is it the Lords day which the commandemēt saith God blessed and hallowed but it is the day caled Sabbath day which God blessed and hallowed as the 4th commandement speaketh wherefore when the Minister saith Remember to Sanctify the Sabbath day if then we shall pray thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe the Lords day doe we not so make answer as sometimes deafe men doe who when a man caleth for a knife they bring him the sheath when the Minister telleth the people which day is the Sabbath day saying But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord if then we shall pray thus Lord incline our heartes to keepe the 8th day are we not then like those that come to Church when the Sermon is done that goe to sell comodities the day after the fayer yea were not this to bable with God and to profane this Holy ordinance of prayer when the prayers of the Church cane be taken but ij waies it is a very absurd thing vncharitable for any man to expound them in the worser sense which is a false and absurd sense wherefore since the Lords day cannot be meāt in our publike prayer therefore the Sabbath day must be meante for there is none other but one of these two that can be imagined and thus I haue proued the 3d branch of my Minor to wit that our Church doth pray to God daily to incline our heartes to keepe the Sabbath day so these 3 points are proued 1. That the Apostles kept the Sabbath day 2. That the primitiue Churches after them kept it 3. That our Church daily praieth to God to keepe it wherefore if the constant practise of the Apostles the religiouse practise of the most ancient and primi tiue Churches after the Apostles the daily prayers of our Church will any thing auaile with vs then must we sanctify the 7th day Saturday Sabbath ARGUM. XIII I had thought to haue added no more by way of profe for confirmation of the Sabbath day but further serch hath ministred vnto me more arguments these they are which follow My 13th Argument for confirmation of the 7th Sabbath is because we must imitate God who kept the 7th day Sabbath and thus I frame it Whosoeuer must imitate God in his keeping of the 7th day Sabbath they must keepe the Saturday 7th day Sabbath But we must imitate God in his keeping of tho 7th day Sabbath Therefore wee must keepe the Saturday 7th day Sabbath For the Maior it is cleere for since God kept the Saturday 7th day Sabbath if we must imitate him then must we keepe the same day in order when i◠comes and so doeing
that day we should want our Sabbath daies meales and so all that day long our soules should lacke its refreshments and all the Sabbath day long our soules should be pineing and languishing wherefore the supplies made vpon the Lords day will no more helpe for the Sabbath day when it is past then a meales meate on Sunday will comfort a man on Saturday so much for this obiection there are other obiections also but I will handle them together in the next Section and thus much shall suffice for the proofe of this Dispensation Hauing proued the Dispensation here let me add a reason or two shewing why we should the more willingly imbrace it my first reason is because it tendeth much vnto peace and concord to containe the members of our Church in vnity I shall not need to shew what discord might arise if a rent in practise should be made from our Church neither shall I need to shew what a benefit peace in the Church is euery man knowes it euery man cales for it well then if it be so good to preserue peace in the Church let all that are louers of this peace imbrace all conditiones and helpes which tend vnto peace if in case they be such as may possibly be admitted of I grante it that for the present wee are fewe in number who are of this contrary iudgement but seeing the case is so plaine I verily beleeue it that in Gods good time multituds will be of the same iudgement also then the rent would be grieuouse to be borne now it is fit a wise man should haue his eyes in his heade and foresee and preuent an euill let all that loue therefore the peace of the Church receiue and imbrace this Dispensation which tendeth to the peace thereof if possiblie it may be receiued and imbraced let it haue the most charitable and fauourable constructiones that may be that so it may stand and so the peace of the Church be maintained preserued where things may be taken in a better sense and in a worser sense therelet the better be chosen But woe is mee as the Prophet Dauid speaketh my soule hath too long dwelt with them which hate peace I seeke peace and when I speake thereof they are bent to warre Ps 120.5.6.7 Neuer did I suffer and vndergoe such reproches and such tauntes as since I haue deliuered this Dispensation my good name hath bene torne into a thowsand peeces not onely in the Churches and publike places by M. Yates M. Chappell charging me with Hypocrisie and likening me vnto the false Apostles and the like But also what Table or priuate meeting is there almost wherein my good name hath not bene made odiouse thus whilst I haue sought peace with the Church and with them they haue raised vp ciuill warres against mee now that they might the better make way for my downefale they haue bene so farre from taking things in the better parte as he is accounted for the most excellent that can vse the least charity and he is most applauded that can wrest my Dispensation to the worst And so much for my first reason An other reason let me giue you whereby you may be induced to construe my dispēsatiō in the better sense not in the worse to imbrace it if possible it may be and it is this that by this Dispensation I doe treade in the footestepes of the Apostles themselues for so we ought Be yee followers of mee saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.1 For this purpose note how the Apostles had a greate reformation to worke to wit the abrogation of the Ceremonies and the Ceremoniall Law from among the Iewes Now how behaued they themselues in this matter did they gallop forth post-hast vnto a reformation did they instantly ruinate abolish the vse of Ceremonies among beleeuing Iewes no such matter but contrariwise they went therevnto in a softe walke according as the times conditiones of their people would beare it and for the present they retayned all the Ceremonies still in the Church yea they the Apostles vsed these ceremonies together with the people as you may reade Act. 21.20.21.22.23.24 And they waited for season opportunity to throw downe Ceremonies afterwards thus by their wisedome they wone many of the Iewes to the faith which otherwise by a rash violent course they might haue lost Iust so if this Dispensation be imbraced shall we imitate the Apostles in this reformation touching the Sabbath The Lords day hath bene in vse a long time now in these daies it is in greate honour so also the Lords Sabbath hath bene a long time out of vse at this time in dishonour and so greate is the loue of most men vnto the one hatred of the other as cannot easily be exprest now can it be thought that the current and streame of the times can be turned in an instant what before they haue heard on it for many haue not so much as heard of this question and many that haue heard on it haue not read it and such as haue reade it it is fit they should take a time to deliberate and to aduise about it now what shall wee doe the meane while shall we fale to a present practise and so rend our selues from our bretheren is this the way to wine them or to exasperate them rather did the Apostles rend themselues from the beleeuing Iewes in practise no such matter All things are lawfull for m◠saith Paul but all things are not expedient and all things edifye not let no man seeke his owne but euery man an others wealth 1. Cor. 10.23.24 And againe Vnto the Jewes I became as a Iew that I might gaine the Iewes 1 Cor. 9.20 It is expedient therefore that euery man seeke an others wealth and edification so as if possibly he may he diuide not from his brethren in practise but rather to seeke their wealth by holding conformety with them it is enough that the Doctrine and trueth of the Lords Sabbath is published giue it time to roote and to ripen this foundation being laid are formation by God blessing will come off in time the more kindlie and thus with the Apostles we shall waite season and opportunity for a happy reformation There are I confesse but they are such as be our aduersaries in this case who would haue vs in their rash and inconsiderate zeale to rush violently instantly vpon the practise without all respect had first vnto our brethren or to the Church wherein we line or to expediency season or opportunity or Presidents of former times and these men presse vs thereto with this that it is the Law of God and a Morall Law and it is your iudgment and the like these men would haue the haruest and the seede time both goe together so hote they are but leauing these in their indiscretion and intemperancy it is safer to imitate the Apostles and to take time
worship of God and when common and vnhallowed dayes are offred and consecrated vnto God in stead of pure and sanctified dayes Loe how Gods worship is polluted XI Yet further if I shall make it appeare that multitudes I doe not say all are guilty of Idolatry vntill a Reformation cometh then you will say with me it is high time indeed to seeke for a reformation For this purpose you must know that there is as well a puritane Idolatry as a Popish Idolatry for as when A Crucifix the Breaden God the Images of Christ the virgine Mary the rest come in presence instantly Papists vncouer the head and performe much honour in respect of them So no sooner doth the Lords day Sabbath come but forthwith Puritanes vncloth themselues of their base aray and attire themselues in their best apparell and they lay aside all seruile laboures for that time as a profanation of that sacred time and much religiouse honour and deuotion is performed in respect of this daies presence yea greate conscience is made of it Pardon me beloued the sinnes of Gods children must not be clocked neither must I be partiall no neither must I deale ouerly but tell euery man or ranke of men of their sinne without baulking I cale it Puritane Idolatry because these are the greate Patrones thereof That I may discouer it vnto you first we will begine with the word Idolatry this word is a greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is compounded of two wordes the one whereof signifieth an image and likenesse of a thing or an imagination and fiction of the braine the other signifieth honour and reuerence now put both these together and they signify an honour and reuerence of an image and liknesse of a thing or of an imagination and fiction of the braine thus you haue the signification of the word Idolatry Now when diuine and religiouse honour is giuen to a similitude or fiction of the mind then it is a dangerouse matter and when the conscience stands in awe of a similitude or fiction of the braine reuerencing it for a diuine ordinance then it is Idolary Now to apply this The Lords day is this Idoll and they that preach for it and practise it are the Idolaters to make this good you shall see how fitly these may be caled Idolaters and their practise Idolatry first touching that parte of Idolatry which consisteth in imagery liknesse you shall see how like they haue framed the Lords day to the Sabbath day made it a very image similitude liknesse of the Sabbath day consequently an Idoll for 1. They haue giuen the very name the proper name of the Lords Sabbath vnto it for doe they not vsually cale the Sunday or Lords day the Sabbath day 2. They sanctify and keepe the Lords day like vnto the Sabbath day with a resting from all seruile laboures with preaching and prayers and the like 3. they keepe it in conscience of the 4th com like as the Sabbath day was 4. They apply all those textes of Scripture vnto the Lords day which were wont to be applied to the Sabbath day and which indeed are proper to the Sabbath day as Neh. 13.15 Isa 58.13 Math. 12.1.2.3 c. with others behold then if they haue not made the Lords day as like as like may be to the Sabbath day an image or picture cannot be more like a man then they haue framed this Lords day vnto the Sabbath day nay the images similitudes which Papists make of God of Christ or of Saintes are not so like vnto God Christ Saints as this Lords day is made fashoned like the Lords Sabbath day like as idolatrouse Jeroboam made a feast vnto his calues like vnto the feast that was in Iudah 1. King 12.32 so haue these made a new Sabbath like vnto the Lords Sabbath in the Morall Law 2. Touching that other acception of the word where it is taken for an imagination or fiction of the minde or braine And in this sense an Idoll is Nothing as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 8.4 An Jdoll is nothing in the world that is it is no such thing as it is imagined fansied to be in this sense also the Lords day is an Idoll the obseruers of it are Idolaters their sanctification of it Idolatry for 1. whereas they cale the Lords day Sabbath day it is a mere fiction for they neuer found it so named in the Holy Scriptures 2. That the Lords day should be kept like the Sabbath day with a rest from laboures all day long is an imaginary conceipt for they find no such obseruation of it by Christ nor by his Apostles 3. That the Lords day should be obserued by virtue of the 4th com is not onely a fiction but an absurd foolery 4. That Christ instituted the Lords day is a mere forgery and fansy of mens braine as hath bene formerly showne and thus you see that the Lords day is a mere Idoll or a very Nothing that is nothing but a fansie fiction of mens braine of this day therefore we may say as the Lord said of Ieroboames Moneth which he had consecrated vnto his Idoles that it was the moneth which hee had forged of his owne heart 1 King 12 33. so this Lords day is the Sabbath day which men haue forged of their owne hearts And thus we haue cleered and made apparent the two first things in this Idolatry to wit that the Lords day is an Image and liknesse and that the Lords day is an imagination and fiction or an Idoll and Nothing I come now to the third thing which maketh compleate Idolatry and that is Honour and Reuerence for that is properly Idolatry when religiouse honour and reuerence is attributed vnto Images and similitudes or vnto Imaginations and fictions of the braine or vnto Idoles and Nothing as when men reuerence these as Diuine things and as ordinances of God Now I shall easily demonstrate vnto you that men giue Honour Reuerence vnto this Lords day yea no ciuill honour but diuine religiouse Honour For 1. The patrones of the Lords day they doe esteeme one day aboue an other the Lords day aboue and before any other day in the weeke and that in a religiouse manner thus they honour it by aduancing it aboue all other daies yea by holding the cause of the institutiō of the Lords day to be greater then the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day they must hold that the Lords day is an higher more honourable day then was the Sabbath day for they say that the worke of the Redemption was the cause of the institution of the Lords day now the worke of Redemption they hold to be a greater worke then was the worke of the Creation which was the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day and thus you see they must haue the Lords day in more honour then the Sabbath day was
we not call the Lords Supper which is a new institution the Passeouer by an old name For as Baptisme and the Lords Supper are come in the roome of Circumcision and the Passeouer so it is said that the Lords day is come in the roome of the Sabbath day Neuerthelesse this nicknaming of dayes as full of confusion as it is and as improper as the speech is yet it might be borne if it were not of euill consequence for hereby the poore ignorant people are deluded and hereby they are brought off the more assuredly to beleeue that the 4th comm doth bind them to rest from their labours on the Lords day but to the contrary vve haue proued that the 4th com doth bind onely to the 7th day or Saturday Yea I adde that men may as vvel say they eat Sacramentall bread at their common Tables and that they celebrate the Lords Supper when they eat bread and drinke vvine at their common Tables as to say they sanctify the Sabbath day vvhen on the Lords day they heare a Sermon pray and sing 〈◊〉 for the difference betvvixt the Sabbath day and the Lords day is as great as is the difference betvvixt the Lords Supper and our common Suppers betvvixt Sacramentall bread and vvine and common bread and vvine as shall be showne The name Sabbath day may be considered as diuinly imposed by God him selfe vpon a certaine day or as humanly imposed by man novv of all the dayes in the weeke God imposed the name Sabbath day onely vpon saturday the seuenth day of the weeke if therefore we vvill take God for our guide vve are to call no day Sabbath day in reuerence to his 4th com but that day which God himselfe hath named Sabbath day but as for the Lords day it is no where in all the scriptures called Sabbath day let the patrones of this day shew where in all the New Testament the first day of the weeke or Sunday is called Sabbath day the which since they cannot doe it is altogether grovvndlesse so to name it yet further wheras it is supposed that the Lords day was set vp for a new Sabbath at Christ his resurrection yet as it is to be noted this day had no nevv name put vpon it of many yeeres after that but it was still called by its old name to wit the first day of the weeke as we read in all the 4. Euangelists yea and when it vvas named Lords day in Reu. 1.10 yet it was not named Sabbath day then nor at any time else this name then Sabbath day being put vpon our sunday it is not of Gods imposition but of mans imposition and so t is but humane it vvere to be wished then that men vvould rater conforme theire speech vnto God then vnto man calling Saturday the Sabbath day as God did and not Sunday the Sabbath day as man doth It vvere the more tollerable I confesse if there were such a penury of words and scarcety of names as vve had no other name for our Sunday but vve haue 3 seuerall names for it to wit 1. Sunday 2. the Lords day 3. the first day of the vveeke here are names enough for one day ther 's no necessity therefore to robb the seuenth day of its name that so we might haue 4. names for one day no no it is not penury of names but ther 's an other matter in it the name Sabbath day it is an auncient name and it is an honourable name and God had made his promises to such as kept his Sabbathes if thou turne away thy foore from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on myn Holy day c. Then I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth and feede the with the Heritag of Iacob c. Isa 58.13.14 And the violation of this Sabbath day God had seuerly punished as we reade Numb 15.32.35 and Nehem. 13.18 Whereby God from heauen hath shovvne in what esteeme he had this day yea this Sabbath day God him selfe kept it and also hee Sanctified it and blessed is Genes 2.3 yet further God hath giuen a speciall commandement for this day and put it in Tables of stone vttered it vvith his owne voice and vvrote it vvith his ovvne singer Exod. 20. thus hath God honoured this day wherefore the name of it is also honourable novv the Patrones of our Lords day seing all this and finding no such honour put vpon their Lords day hence it is that they might aduance the Lords day in the minds of the multitude they haue robbed the Saturday of all its honourable ornaments that there vvith all they might decke vp and trimme vp the Lords day and hence it is that our Sunday must needs be called the Sabbath day and so by this meanes all those Scriptures which mention any thing of the Lords Sabbathes any vvhere they are together vvith the name translated vnto the Lords day vvhat is this but to robb the Mistris of hir Iewels to bestow them vpon the handmaide to take the honour due vnto the Master and giue it vnto the seruant or to take the Crovvne from off the head of the King to sett it vpon a common subiect for as for the Lords day it is but a common working day in Gods account it being one of those six dayes vvherin God said Sixe dayes shalt thou labour Exod. 20.9 T is true vve receiued a greate blessing on that day because our Lord rose then from the dead and t is as true also that vve receiued a greate blessing on friday because on that day our Lord laid dovvne his liefe for vs and suffered vpon the Crosse and yet for al that friday is accounted but for a common vvorking day for one of the sixe dayes vvherin vve must labour yet further the Lords day is but a common day in respect of Saturday as touching all thos particulares mentioned before for the name Lords day it is but nevv and put vpon Sunday but since Christ and that many yeerers too since Christ but the name Sabbath day it is auncient and put vpon the Saturday thovvsands of yeeres before Christ againe you no vvhere read of any blessings promised by God in all the New Testament to those which Keepe the Lords day Holy nor of any iudgments inflicted or threatened vpon any that worke on the Lords day further you no where in all the Nevv Testament find any commandement to keep the Lords day Holy No nor can it be showne that Christ euer Kept it In a vvord God neuer hallovved the Lords day nor blessed and sanctified it vvhereby it shold become an holy day but all these and more God did to the Saterday therefore is the Saturday as the King or Mistrise to the Lords day as then the King and all good subiects wold think amisse of him that taketh the crowne off the King and set it vpon the head of a common subiect yea though he were aboue a common subiect as is
albeit the Court knovveth not hovv he is able to make good proue his information yet it being a matter probable seeing it is the Kings cause both the Iudge and all the Iustices euen the whole Court doe countenance the cause yea so farre forth take in vvith it as that if it be possible so as no iniustice be done nor any Lavv of the Realme thereby violated he that informeth for the King shall haue the day rather then a priuate subiect and good reason for it Well in the case of the Lords Sabbaths I informe for the King of kings the King of heauen earth it is novv the parte of all Gods Ministers both superiour as Bishops inferiour as common Preachers to take in with this cause of Gods Sabbaths as Gods cause their Lord King to countenance it to their vtmost yea so farre forth to backe it take part vvith it as Gods Sabbaths may haue the day if no law of God nor text in Scripture be thereby violated as I dare pawne my life for it there shall not If Ministers in the Church both superiours and inferiours doe not thus honour God before the people by giuing his cause the preeminence the Magistrates of the common weale shall rise vp in iudgement against them condemne them I come now to the last vse of the point Is it so that thou louest the lavv of God then take vp a daily lamentation for the lamenesse imperfection of Gods lavv for the vveekly violation of Gods 4th com and for the profanation of Gods Sabbaths if we haue not Gods Law in its integrity and perfection as we haue not if vve vvant his Sabbath therein commanded then haue vve but a lame imperfect lavv and if the Saturday be Gods Sabbath as I haue shovvne it is and shall further proue hereafter then is the 4th com vveekly broken and Gods Sabbaths weekly profaned As Dauid hath bene our President shevving vs hovv vve should loue Gods law so let him be our President to shevv vs hovv vve should mourne for the violation transgression of Gods Lavv Mine eyes gush out saieth he with riuers of waters because they keepe not thy Law Psal 119.136 And againe I saw the transgressours was grieued because they kept not thy word Psal 119.158 It is a property then of a Godly man to mourne and to grieue to see Gods Lavvs transgressed and the reason of that his sorrow griefe is because he loueth Gods Law as Dauid did Oh then that all sorts of people would bevvray their loue to Gods Lavv by their sorrow of heart to see it transgressed weekly in the profanation of Gods Sabbaths Againe doest thou indeed loue the Lavv of God how canst thou but take it to heart to see this holy and Diuine Lavv of thy God so mangled defaced so lame imperfect as in these dayes it is in all Christian Churches It is and euer hath bene a speciall fauour of God to betrust any Nation or people vvith his word and Oracles as we may see it in Rom. 3.1.2 What is the preferment of the Iew c. much enery way for chiefly because vnto them were of credit committed the Oracles of God Where the Apostle counteth it a preferment of the Iew and the chiefe preferment to haue the word of God committed vnto their custodie and it is reported of them that they haue bene euer very faithfull in keeping the letter of the text vncorrupted Among all Nations and people it hath pleased Almightie God to preferr this our English Nation with this chiefe preferment and to be trust vs with the custodie of his word and Oracles those 10 Commandements wrote with his owne finger our Church is now become the receptacle and House of God wherin he hath laid vp his word for its conseruation it is the grownd and pillar to supporte and beare vp this trueth as Paul caleth it 1. Tim. 3.15 hath God thus in speciall fauour to our Nation preferred vs aboue many Nations and that vvith his chiefe preferment to betrust vs vvith the custody of his Law and Oracles and shall we proue so vnfaithfull to him as to take care but of some peeces of these Oracles onely What Nation saith Moses is so greate that hath ordinances Lawes so righteouse as all this Law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 hath God betrusted vs with a righteouse Law and with a Law so righteouse as no Nation vnder heauen but such as know God and such as haue the very same hath the like to it Yea not onely are some peeces of this Law so righteouse but all the whole Law is of the same nature so saith Moses so righteouse as all this Law is which I set before you this day and shall not we preserue then all this Law the whole Law intirly in its perfection we should blush for shame to doe otherwise we should lament mourne to see it otherwise T is true we keepe these Oracles intirly in the letter so doe Papistes but vvhat 's the letter when we weaken diminish and abolish the binding force of it for vve say this parte of Gods Oracles But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke doth not bind vs Christians In it that is in it 7th day thou shalt not vvorke saith God I but this prohibition bindeth not novv say some Ministers no vvhat doe vve vvith Lavves if they bind vs not as good take avvay the sense of the vvords of the Lavv and so it shall be senslesse as to take away the binding of the Law wherby it is made forcelesse the binding povver of a Lavv is the life and soule of the Law take avvay then its binding povver it is but a deadlieflesse Lavv it is but a Cipher or a blanke and so the Church shall be but like the Lottery pot vvhich houldeth some blankes among the prises suppose vve should say of the other 9 Oracles that vve preserue the letter of them intirly but herevnto vve should add this that they binde not vs Christians now vvhat bauocke should we thus make of the Morall Lavv it is all one therfore to reiect the Lavv as to reiect its binding power vvherby it bindeth vs. We haue alredy shovvne hovv this Lavv of God is mangled and defaced oh that all people vvould bevvaile this oh that the King vvould take it to heart so did the good King Josiah vvhen the Lavv had bene lost for a time he rent his cloathes 2. King 22.11 oh that the Bishops of the Land would take it to heart so did Elie the Priest vvhen he heard that the Arke of God vvas taken from them 1. Sam. 4.17.18 he died for grief of heart vvhy the Lords Sabbaths vvere his hallovved times as the Arke his holy place Oh that the people of the land vvould take it to heart so did the people in Nehemiahs time for saith
Lords day for it is so indeed 2. If you aske me vvhere vve haue any com to baptize infants my ansvver is that I neuer reade of any yet and therefore I take it to be an indifferent thing at the libertie of the Church to baptise vvhen infants or of riper yeeres if therefore you can shew a Com. for Baptisme of infants vvhich I cannot then is there reason you should also shew a Com. for your Lords day but if you can shew none no more then I then is your Lords day but an indifferent thing and at the liberty of the Church as Baptisme of infants is this is a rule that vvhat is not commaunded nor forbidden that is indifferent so then as the Church may baptise one sooner or later so the Church may keepe your Lords day and they may refuse to keepe it if they please and this is the highest pitch of honour that you can raise your Lords day to that it is an indifferent thing so as the Church may Rest vpon it or vvorke vpon it keepe it or refuse to keepe it at hir pleasure for a commaunded thing or day it is not by your owne confession SECT IV. Thus vve haue showne that of all the Scriptures which they bring for the Lords day they haue neuer a Commandement for it from Christ nor from his Apostles Novv let vs come vnto such kind of Scriptures as they haue for it the first vvhich vve vvill mention shall be the 4th Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it c. Herevnto I answer doe not these men thinke you stand in need of Sampsons strength to drage hale this 4th Comm. vnto the Lords day And of more then Achitophels vvite to make an argument out of this 4th Com. for the Lords day which shall stand by force of necessary consequence whereof they talke so had they not neede of a long rope to tye together this 4th Com. the Lords day the one being two thowsand yeeres before the other the one in Moses his time the other in Christ his time Doth our new ordinance of Baptisme stand by force of the old Law of Circumcision made thowsands of yeeres before euer Baptisme vvas heard of Doth our new ordinance of the Lords Supper stand by force of the old Law of the passeouer made thowsands of yeeres before the Lords Supper vvas euer heard of and how then should this nevv ordinance of the Lords day be proued to stand by force of the old Law for the 7th day Sabbath made thowsands of yeeres before euer this Lords day vvas heard on had not these men fore heads of brasse cast off shame vvit together they could not be so impudent as to vndertake such an absurd taske but this they leane vpon they can but say the vvord and it is done the simple people beleeue all for gospell if once Mr. Yates Mr. Gallard and Mr. Chappell deliuer it as their iudgment it is as if S. Peter S. Iohn S. Paul had said it in expresse vvords thus it is in our Country I beleeue it is no better in other partes of the Kingdome Who vvould thinke that these men should be so audaciously bould as to alter Gods 4th Com. from one day of the vveeke vnto an other be it that Christ had set vp the Lords day for a Sabbath is not his Authority sufficient for it are not all the Textes in the Nevv Testament able enough to iustifie it but they must flie into the Old Testament for a commandement for it can they shevv vvhere Christ or his Apostles did euer ranke this Lords day vnder the 4th com or inioyne it to be kept with reference vnto or conscience of the 4th Com let them shew their necessary consequence for this Furthermore if these men could see but that they cannot so long as they thinke wisedome must dye vvith them vvhilst they goe about to strengthen their Lords day Sabbath by the 4th Com. they therby vveaken it in the sight of all vvise men For besids vvhat hath bene said to this purpose themselues doe bevvray it that their cause is feeble and vvanteth strength supportation for their consciences tell them that the Lords day needeth a Commandement and their eyes tell them that Christ and his Apostles left none for it in all the Nevv Testament vvherefore to make vp that vvhich is lacking by Christ themselues haue supplied it by runing into the Old Testament for a Com. for it thus they intimate that Christ vvas not a perfect Lavv-giuer because he gaue none for the Lords day Sabbath and further they doe bevvray that they cannot finde arguments sufficient enough for the Lords day neither from Christ nor from the Apostles nor in all the Nevv Testament for else they vvould as vvell content themselues vvith such arguments as they find in the Nevv Testament for it as in other new ordinances they doe they rune not into the Old Testamēt to proue the doctrine of the Resurrection of Christ of Baptisme and the Lords Supper Wherefore they bewray that the Lords day is not grownded in the New Testament as is the Resurrection Baptisme and the Lords supper this kind of Sophistry is much like vnto this suppose a Lawyer should affirme it that it is vnlavvfull for an vsurer to take aboue 8. in the 100. and the vsurer should demaund againe of him vvhen that Law was made by vvhom what King vvas the Authour founder of it herevnto the Lawyer should reply it vvas enacted by King Charles a fewe yeeres since c. Suppose againe that the vsurer doubting of the matter should desire him to proue it vnto him by the Statute booke that there was such a Law enacted by King Charles in such a yeere as he spake of if novv this Lawyer could not shew any Statute Law for it enacted in King Charles his reigne but must bring forth an old Statute Lavv enacted by Quene Elizabeth many yeeres before King Charles his birth where in Shee forbade to take aboue 10 in the 100. Would not any man whose eyes are in his heade thinke the Lawyer doth but fumble And thinke here were forgery deceipt in this Lawyer iust so it is with our diuines they say with one voice that Christ instituted this Lords day and that 1630 yeeres a gone yet put them to proue it they can shew no Comm. for it made during the reigne of Christ here vpon earth or in the time of his Successours the Apostles but they rune out for a Law enacted 2000. yeers before Christ or his Apostles vvere borne is not this pretty If I might aduise them they should hould them closse to such Lawes onely and Scriptures as they can find in the New Testament enacted by Christ for the Lords day if it vvere but to saue their credites among wise men But let vs novv come vnto their arguments to see how they vvill proue the Lords day a Sabbath day
rigorousnesse he that can invent how to make this Rest the most rigorouse he is the best expositer And hence comes that vaine distinction of the Iewish Rest as if for sooth the 4th com conteined two kinds ef Rest in it A Iewish Rest A Christian Rest but the vanity hereof will appeare by by when you shall haue seene the vanity of their arguments to proue this rigorouse Iewish Rest Now let me shewe you their arguments in order and first I will lay downe 3 arguments vsed by a worthy Diuine and late writer to proue this rest rigorouse whose name I spare for honour sake the first whereof is this that the Iewe might not on the Sabbath goe forth or take a iourny any whither for any busines of his owne Exod. 16.29 this saith hee was temporary and doth not concerne these times of the newe Testament Hereunto I answer that this text Exod. 16.29 forbad the Iew to trauaile on the Sabbath indeede but by the context it doth appeare that here the Lord forbad trauailing friuolouslie when there was no neede to trauaile for in as much as on the 6th day God gaue them Manna enough for ij dayes the 6th the 7th so rained downe none on the 7th day therefore he forbad them to goe forth on the 7th day or Sabbath day this was the iourney which God forbad namly an vnnecessary iourny for why should they goe abroad to seeke Manna on a day wherein there was none in the field and why should they seeke for it on the 7th day when God gaue them enough on the 6th day both for it and for the 7th day also now I pray shew me where is that rigorouse strictnesse of the Iewish rest for which end this text is brought is that to be esteemed a rigorouse rest when men are forbidden to trauaile on the Sabbath day when they haue no neede at all to trauaile when their iourney is friuolouse to no purpose if this be a Iewish strictnesse we Christians vse it and vrge it at this day for we permit not to trauaile on the Lords day vpon euery sleity occation And doe they not want matter thinke you against Gods Sabbathes when they are forced to racke vp such poore stuffe as this is against them SECT III. An other reason hee vseth taken out of Exod. 35.3 where the Iew is forbiddē to kindle a fier on the Sabbath day yee shall kindle no fier throughout your habitationes on the Sabbath day and herein saith hee stood the rigorousnesse of the Iewish rest Herevnto I answer that this text if vnderstod generally it is set vpon the tainter hoockes and stretched beyond measure yee haue a text to wit the 4th com saying in it thou shalt not doe any worke this text the same diuines can vnderstand it expound it with a due limitation to wit of common ordenary and seruile workes why then by like reason can they not add the same limitation in the same case to this text also Exod. 35.3 and so vnderstand it thus thou shalt kindle no fier that is to doe ordenary common seruile workes withall like as common Bakers and Brewares doe by making it parte of their trade thus workes of necessity and charity to be done on the Sabbath shall be no more forbidden in this text Exod. 35.3 then they are in the 4th com Exod 20.10 to kindle a fier as Bakers doe is a seruile worke but otherwise it is a worke of mercy when but to warme one and the like Also it might haue a speciall reference vnto the building of the Tabernacle Exod. 35.3.4.5 whereof there was no such necessary hast as that they should kindle fiers on the Sabbath to worke about it For vs to thinke that God who allowed a beast to be led to the water on the Sabbath and allowed the Iewes to lift a beast out of the ditch on the Sabbath to plucke and rubb eares of corne on the Sabbath wold forbid them to kindle a fier on the Sabbath to dresse a morsell of warme meate for their dinner and to warme them selues in cold winters weather when they came from Church that so they might be the more fresh and liuely to serue God againe in the afternone ther 's no shew of reason in it would God haue mercy shewed to a beast on the Sabbath and none of a man that is made after his Image what likelihod is there of this Further our Sauiour saith the Sabbath was made for man Mar. 2.27 so to expound this text Exod. 35.3 therefore as if a man might not no not in a case of necessity kindle a fier in the time of froft and snow to warme himselfe and the like is to make the Sabbath not for man but against man and to make man for the Sabbath contrary to the words of our Sauiour Againe our Sauiour Christ was present at a ffeast on the Sabbath day Luk. 14.1.2.3.4.5.6.7 c. now at a feast there is commonly a fier to dresse meate for the guestes there is attendance to be giuen by seruants and the like now Christ by his presence at this feast allowed of fier kindling of others as great workes as the kindling of a fier is wherby it appeareth that this text is wrested when it is vnderstod so rigorously as if God had forbad his people to kindle a fier in any case thus you see that it is but a slaunder brought vp vpon the Iewish Rest to say it was rigorouse but such slaunders are frequent to loath men of Gods Sabbath SECT IV. A third reason hee fetcheth out of Ierem. 17 21. and Nehem. 13.15 take heede to your selues and beare no burden in the Sabbath day here saith hee the Iewes might beare no burdens on the Sabbath Herevnto I answer briefly that these texts as any man may see by the context speake onely of burthens bearing in an ordenary common case as a seruile worke but that all bearing of burdens was forbidden to the Iewes is false for Christ him selfe commanded the sicke man to carry his bedd on the Sabbath day Ioh. 5.8.9.10 seeing therefore that God did not forbid a man to carry a burden on the Sabbath day in his necessity where is there any grownd then here for any man to say the Ieweish Rest was strict and rigorouse I neuer yet could see but that God allowed the Jewes as much liberty on the Sabbath day as he alloweth Christianes and as much liberty as Ministers grant vnto Christians on the Lords day therefore it is but a meere slaunder to say the Iewish Rest was rigorouse the distinction betwixt the Iewish rest and the Christian Rest is a distinction without a difference for all workes of mercy and workes of necessity might be done by the Iewes on the Sabbath day as well as by vs Christianes now Loe these deuices wise men haue to defeate God of his Sabbaths SECT V. A fourth text I will
would not haue his Disciples to doe no not such necessary works as might saue their liues on the Sabbath if they might be preuented thus I haue sufficiētly proued the 4th thing in my Minor The 5th and last thing to be proued in my Minor is that this flight on the Sabbath day was spoken of to be aboute 50 yeeres after the death end of all Ceremonies that the destruction of Ierusalem by Vespasian was a matter of 40 or 46. yeeres after Christ his passion it is confessed by all that this obseruation of the Sabbath was to be 40 46 or neere 50 yeeres after the death of all ceremonies is proued by this that all ceremonies ended with Christ vpon the Chrosse as you may reade Ephes 2.15 Colos 2.14 Now the Sabbath day being to be obserued by an holy Rest at the destruction of Ierusalem by Vespasian which was neere 50 yeeres after Christs passion at which time all Ceremonies ended it followeth that the Sabbath was to be obserued neere 50 yeeres after the end of all Ceremonies and thus I haue proued and confirmed both propositiones in my argument Yet I cale to mind iij obiections more that may be made against this argument the one is that Christ had not respect so much vnto the Religion conscience of the Sabbath as rather to this that he had a care to the safeguard of the liues of those beseiged for if they should flie in the winter they should be hindered by the foulnesse of the waies and if on the Sabbath day they should be hindered by their superstitiouse needlesse conscience which they would make of the Sabbath so it might come to passe that their enemies should surprise them because they could not make that speede that was fiting in such a time of danger Herevnto Iāswer 1. It is agrosse cōceipt of any to account that obedience superstitiouse needlesse which was done according to the prescript of a Morall Commandement to wit the 4th com seeing they cannot proue the old Sabbath mentioned in the 4th com to be abolished 2. I haue before showne that Christ when he spak of slight on the Sabbath he spake it in a religiouse respect but admit that Christ spake these words for the safeguard of their liues yet so it will come to the same still that Christ ratified the Sabbath day for as in the winter the deepenesse of the waies the shortnesse of the daies tediousnesse of the weather would aggrauate theire crosse hinder their speedy flight so on the Sabbath day the greate sorrow of heart that would seaze vpon them for that they were vrged to moile toile worke so hard vpon that day wherein they were wont sweetly to Rest with the people of God to praise God in the assemblie of the Saintes for that they were inforced to profane the Sabbath which they would gladly haue sanctified in obediēce to Gods 4th com these things would aggrauate the crosse and sticke so in their minds as it would make their heartes to faile them and so hinder their speedie flight thus the winter would be an impediment to their bodies and the Sabbath would be an impediment to their soules so the whole man would be disabled for a speedy flight and for the safeguard of their liues Further more as touching their superstitiouse conscience what reason can be imagined that it should be more vnfit to flie on the Sabbath day then on a weeke day or why should their speedy flight be more hindered on the Sabbath day then on an other day if not for this cause that they made a conscience of flying trauailing on the Sabbath day more then on any other day now forasmuch as our Sauiour commanded them to pray to God that they might not fly on that day for the offence of their consciences thereby he allowed of approued of their making conscience of the Sabbath day suppose our Sauiour Christ had commanded Agur Prov. 30.8.9 to pray that he might not haue too much least he should grow proud and hauty nor too little least he should steale he should thereby approue of Agurs feares of growing prowd of stealing so it is in our case for in that Christ bad them pray that they might not flie on the Sabbath day least thereby their consciences should be offended their hearts filled with sorrow for profaning Gods Sabbath thereby Christ allowed of their conscience of the Sabbath day of their sorrow for profaning it and so it was no superstitiouse conscience had the Sabbath day bene abolished long before this seige as this obiection supposeth so the conscience of Christs Disciples bene but superstitiouse then would Christ neuer haue commanded them to pray to God in this case for this were to giue gold for drosse to spend Substance for shaddowes would Christ think you haue bidden them spend Diuine prayers for the satisfying the desires of a superstitiouse needlesse conscience had not this bene an abuse of holy prayer and of the Maiestie of God to begg of him things for their lust vaine desires If their conscience were a vaine needlesse conscience then they should pray to God to fulfill the desires of a vaine needlesse conscience and Christ should instruct them so to doe too which is most absurd Had the conscience of Christs Disciples bene superstitiouse touching the Sabbath day then would Christ haue reproued them for it and rather haue rectified their iudgements taught them now before hand that as touching the Sabbath if it fell out that they must flie on the Sabbath day they should then take no care for that for he came to abolish that amongst other things and it should be nullified long before their flight so as that should be no let vnto their flight thus would Christ haue prepared them beforehand and streng thened them against this superstition if it had bene superstition nay had it bene superstitiō Christ had nusled them vp flattered them in it when he bad them pray to God that their superstitiouse consciences might not be crossed or disquieted therefore it was no superstitiouse but a iustifiable religiouse conscience which they made of the Sabbath day and this is yet the more strengthened by consideration of the persones that should make this conscience of the Sabbath they were Christs owne Disciples of his owne teaching and can we thinke he would leaue them in superstition at this time and in this case when it was so needfull that they should be instructed therein Happily it will be said they were not fit to heare now of the abolishing of the Sabbath it being a thing so highly honoured amōgst them c. but why I pray were they not as able to heare of the abolishing of the Sabbath as to beare of the destruction of the Temple for they had the Temple in honour no lesse then the Sabbath Yet further it appeareth by the context
and leisure To conclude since this Dispensation tendeth to the peace of the Church and also imitateth the Apostles let it obtaine the most fauourable construction that may be at least let it not be racked wrested vncharitably SECT V. I haue reserued this Section to make answer vnto fondry obiections which are framed vpon occation of this Dispensation and these they are which follow OBIECT I. Some obiect thus forasmuch as I am perswaded that the Lords Sabbath is still in force howbeit I am also well perswaded of the trueth of your dispensation yet can I not passe ouer the Sabbath when it cometh profaneing it working vpon it without many great checkes of conscience and much sorrow of heart that I should profane the Lords Sabbath and that too after I know it to be the Lords Sabbath still in force by the 4th commandement thus I am afflicted and pricked in conscience euery weeke now I pray what say you to this is it not a sinne for me to goe against the checkes of my conscience what may I doe in this case For answer herevnto we must know that some checkes of conscience doe arise from the doinge of something which we should not doe and for a man to goe against these it is dangerouse and sinnefull and a note of an harde heart Againe there are some checkes of conscience which arise from the doinge of something which we would not doe and these are not alwayes sinnefull but are notes of a softe heart and tender conscience for they would not doe the things they doe if it were in their power to amend them I will cleere this case by some examples it is lawfull for a man to fly for his life his enemy pursuing him vpon the Sabbath day and it is lawfull for a man to worke in quenching of a fyer on the Sabbath day neuerthelesse a softe heart and tender conscience will be full of prickings in the time of his flight and whilst he is at worke Now the reason hereof is not because these his actions are sinefull but because he doth what he would not doe vpon this day if it could be auoided and because he neglecteth the speciall seruice of God all that time which he would much rather haue bene imployed about Furthermore Dauid when he eat the Sewbread it could not but grieue him that he was cast vpon such necessity as that he must eate that which was not lawfull for him to eate And Dauid when he spared the life of Ioab which he should haue taken away it could not but be a corziue to his conscience so often as he saw that murtherer liue And the Apostles when they obserued those things commanded in the Ceremoniall Law in circumcising shauing the head and the like they knowing that these things were abolished they could not but doe it with checking and vnquiet consciences in some respect and yet these were not euill consciences nor these actiones sinnes but they were markes of softened heartes and tender consciences and so is it with the checkes in conscience which we cannot but haue in some respectes so often as we neglect the Lords Sabbath they are notes of soft heartes tender consciences plainly bewraying that we would much rather Sanctify the Lords Sabbath if it were in our power Furthermore whereas you asked me what you should doe in this case I answer euen all you can doe to the vtmost of your power to get out of this necessity that so you may haue your hearts desire in sanctification of the Lords Sabbaths for no man will lay still vnder a necessity any longer then he needs must a poore man will get out of his pouerty a sicke man out of his sicknesse a prisoner out of prison with all the speed they may Now the way to get out of our necessity is this to labour a generall reformation and that first by instant constant prayer to God and next by divulging this trueth of God as farre as thin occationes and caleing will permit that so it may rune from man to man till at length it may come vnto the Magistrate whose office it is to make reformation and so to loosen thee from thy necessity of profaning the Lords Sabbaths any longer Indeed it is fit we should haue prickes and checkes in conscience all the time we lay in the neglect of the Lords Sabbaths that so we may be thereby often rowsed vp to vse all good meanes possible and speedily for a reformation If God should let vs bequiet in minde we would grow secure with this Dispensation sit downe and take our ease neuer careing what becomes of Gods sacred Sabbaths nor when a reformation were made OBIECT II. Some who are enemies to Gods Sabbaths and friends to the Lords day argue thus forasmuch as the Lords day may be kept for a Sabbath still by virtue of this Dispensation why should we trouble our selues for we haue that alredy let vs keepe vs where we are still for we are well enough But herevnto I answer that you are not well enough for the discouery of this you must note for whom this Dispensation is made vnto whom it doth properly belonge for it belongeth not vnto all men this Dispensation therefore is made for such as are perswaded that the Sabbath day is still in force and therefore doe make a conscience of it who in a case of necessity may keepe the Lords day for it for a season vntill a time of reformation But this Dispensation is not made at all for our newe Sabbatharians who make no conscience of the old Sabbath for to what end should they haue a Dispensation from the old Sabbath who make no conscience at all of it In the Dispensation it is allowed for men to keepe the new Sabbath or Lords day for the old Sabbath and in steade of it for a season which doth imply that they had rather keepe the old Sabbath then the newe that they haue a conscience of the old Sabbath still and that the Lords day is not kept for it selfe sake but for the Sabbaths sake so that it is the Sabbath that hath all the respect and honour the Lords day hath none as for it selfe Now our new Sabbatharians will not keepe the Lords day still in this sense but if they will take any aduantage from our Dispensation and from our keeping the Lords day with them they must keepe it in this sense for in this sense the old Sabbathatians doe keepe the Lords day we honour the Sabbath day as our King and we esteeme the Lords day in its roome but as a deputy that for the time occupieth the place of the King and whom we honour not for his owne sake but for the Kings whose place he possesseth so we honour the Lords day for the Sabbath daies sake which went last before the Lords day and in roome whereof the Lords day stands as a deputy for the present necessity 2.