the fourth Commandement seeing it was a figure and type and that by fulfilling in himselfe and in his faithfull servants the truth of the thing figured by the outward Sabbath to free them from the necessity of the observation thereof was not a dissolving and overthrowing of it neither on his part nor on theirs but rather an effectuall ratification thereof as in the same sence he hath not dissolved any of the legall figures but hath fulfilled them all 13 Secondly I say that of necessity the broachers of this argument must advow that Iesus Christ doth not blame in this place all inobservation of the Sabbath neither doth he establish precisely and absolutely the observation thereof for ever according to all the tearmes and the whole sence of the fourth Commandement For it should from thence follow that he blameth for ever and ever the inobservation and commandeth for evermore the observation and sanctification of the last day of the weeke by a legall service in remembrance of the Creation of Gods workes in sixe dayes and of his rest on the seventh because the Commandement carrieth with it that necessity to which is contrary the practise of the Christian Church Therefore this limitation must be added that Christ's intention is to forbid the transgression and to command for ever the observation of the Commandement touching the Sabbath and of all the rest as farre as it may and ought to oblige us according to the tearmes of the Gospell Now we have shewed that it obligeth us not as it ordaineth one day of seven or a certaine seventh day or a legall sanctification but so farre only as it commandeth that Gods publike service be practised for ever according as it shall be established by him and that an ordinary day be appointed for that purpose And therefore Iesus Christ in this respect only and no further condemneth the transgression and injoyneth the observation of the fourth Commandement 14 Thirdly Iesus Christ in the place before alleadged hath not regard to the Decalogue only but universally to all the Commandements of God whether morall or ceremoniall contained in the Law and in the Prophets which he had spoken of in the 17. verse that is in all the bookes of the ancient Testament and to repulse the false accusation that the Scribes and Pharisees laid to his charge declareth what was his minde concerning all these Commandements to wit that there was not any one of them nay not of those that are the least or may by men be esteemed that ought to remaine unprofitable vaine and without effect and that the man whatsoever he be that either by teaching or by practise shall despise and reject any of them shall be despised and rejected of God That on his part he fulfilled them all and extended and setled the accomplishment of them for ever to wit of those that are morall by obeying them all in his owne person and charging his Disciples with their perpetuall observation and sanctifying them inwardly that they may observe them Of those that are ceremoniall by performing and exhibiting the truth of all things signified and figured by them which truth he should make to have an eternall continuance and efficacy towards all that are his although he was to make the use of the figures to cease as the intention of God and reason did require But that the Pharisees were the men who on their part made void the Commandements of GOD both ceremoniall and morall The ceremoniall by adding unto them over and above a thousand superstitious observations The morall by corrupting them with false glosses and interpretations and preferring unto them the traditions of men which he layeth to their charge in diverse places and namely in the verses following of this fifth Chapter of Saint Matthew Now according to this sence which is true and naturall it is evident that they which alleadge this passage can inferre nothing of it for their purpose 15 They pretend in vaine to fortifie and confirme it with the words of Saint Iames in the second Chapter and tenth verse where the Apostle speaking of the Law of the Decalogue saith that whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point hee is guilty of all because the same God who hath injoyned one of the points hath also injoyned all the rest Whence they would inferre that the inobservation of the seventh day of Sabbath which is a point of the Law maketh a man guilty of the transgression of the whole Law that therefore wee are obliged to the observation thereof For I answer in few words that indeed Saint Iames saith that to faile or to commit a sinne against any Commandement of the Law maketh him that committeth it guilty of the universall transgression of the Law But I deny the inobservation of the Sabbath as it is commanded by the Law to be under the New Testament a sinne and a fault properly so called because in so farre as it commandeth the Sabbath it obligeth not any more For it was for the Iewes and not for us And therefore not to observe the Sabbath according to the tenor of the Law is not a fault and a sinne in any point as Saint Iames understandeth it So if one should say that he that hath kept the whole word of God if he offend in one point thereof should make himselfe guilty of all that saying should be true according to the meaning of Saint Iames But if any should inferre upon this that not to observe still under the Gospell all the legall ceremonies because they make a part and are points of the Word of God is a trangression whereby a Christian is made guilty of all this word and therefore he is bound to keepe them all it should be an absurd illation for not to keepe these ceremonies now is not a fault nor sinne to us because they oblige not any more No man sinneth against a Law or word but in as much as it obligeth But neither the word of God as it commandeth the legall ceremonies nor the decalogue as it commandeth the Sabbath is any more obligatory to us ward wherefore we sinne not now by not observing these points and therefore we make not our â—â—lves in that behalfe guilty of the Law and word of God who is author of all the points of this Law and of this word but hath not given them all to all men nor to continue in all times but some of them only to some men and to have vigor and being for a certaine time only CHAPTER Tenth Answer to the Eighth Reason 1. Eight reason Iesus Christ speaking to his Disciples advised them to pray that their flight should not be on the Sabbath day that is on our Sunday 2. First answer The Sabbath day is ever taken in the New Testament for the Sabbath of the Iewes and is so here taken by Christ. Neither is our day of publike service any where in holy Scripture called the Sabbath day 3. True
of the maymednesse of his argumentation wherein is left out the rest commanded to men in the fourth Commandement if by the rest of God wee must understand Gods owne rest and not the rest which he ordained to men For I deny not but that this was also understood by the Apostle But as I have said courtly indirectly and by consequence taken from the rest which he expresseth from which this other hath its beginning and dependance although it be not of the same antiquity and that it cannot bee proved that the Apostle meaneth any such thing Moreover albeit we could not find a way to answer such a reply and to refute it there should not bee in that any great inconvenience seeing the thing it selfe affords an easie answer and the Apostle answereth not alwayes formally in all places to all replyes which might be made to his allegations It sufficeth if their vanity bee evident of it selfe or if they may be otherwise refuted as here the reply which is broached against the Apostle his reasoning might have beene easily CHAPTER Sixth Answer to the fifth Reason taken from the fourth Commandement and first to the generall argument taken from the nature of the said Commandement 1. First objection The fourth Commandement is a part of the morall Law and therefore it is morall 2. A generall answer shewing the nullity of this objection 3. A particular answer shewing that the Decalogue is an abridgment of the whole Law of Moses 4. Specially that the fourth Commandement is an abridgment of the ceremoniall Law 5. This is confirmed by the Prophets who by the profanation of the Sabbath understand the transgression of the whole ceremoniall Law 6. Falsity of an objection that the Prophets urged not the transgression of the ceremoniall Law 7. Second Objection The Decalogue had divers prerogatives which the ceremoniall and Iudiciall Law had not 8. Cleere refutation of this Objection 9. Third Objection God distinguisheth betweene his covenant comprehending the moralities only and his statutes and judgements which were ceremoniall lawes 10. Uanity of the said distinction 11. Fourth Objection The Summarie of the Decalogue is morall therefore all the precepts thereof are morall 12. Answer in this summary the ceremoniall Law is comprised 13. Refutation of the fifth Objection taken from the union of the tenne Commandements 14. Answer to the sixth Objection that our opinion mutilates the Decalogue of a Commandement and authoriseth the changing of times 15. Another Answer The fourth Commandement is morall in the principall substance thereof 16. But is ceremoniall in the determination of a particular seventh day for Gods service 17. Seventh Objection that if this were so God would not have named it in the Decalogue more then the place of his service 18. Answer these things are not alike 19. Eight Objection answered to wit that God might have named in the Decalogue the New Moones and other Holy dayes 20. The former answer confirmed 21. A farther answer shewing that under the Sabbath all Holy dayes were comprised as under the word Sanctifie all ceremoniall duties 22. Those of the contrary opinion confessing that there is some thing ceremoniall in the fourth Commandement cast themselves into a great absurdity 23. The falsitie of their doctrine that a seventh day in generall is only commanded shewed by Scriptures 24. And by reason 25. How it may be said that all dayes appointed for Gods service are grounded on the fourth Commandement 26. One of seven dayes cannot be morall and the seventh ceremoniall 27. Wherein consists the morality of the fourth Commandement 28. How the keeping of one of seven dayes may be gathered out of the fourth Commandement 29. Answer to the first inconvenience that of tenne Commandements nine only should be morall 30. Answer to the second inconvenience that Papists may affirme the second Commandement to bee likewise ceremoniall 31. Confirmed by the testimony of Pagans of the Prophets and of the Apostles 32. Answer to the third inconvenience that the second Commandement should also be ceremoniall 33. Confirmed by Bellarmine 34. Answer to the fourth inconvenience that the fourth Commandement might be taken out of the Decalogue 35. The retorsion shewing that the doctrine of the morality of the Sabbath giveth a great advantage to the Roman Church 1 THe principall reason alleadged to prove the morality of the Sabbath is taken from the fourth Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it holy c. And first they urge in generall the nature of the Commandement which is one of the ten of the morall Law which God Himselfe pronounced with his owne mouth ingraved with his owne hand upon two Tables of stone for a signe and token of perpetuall continuance and caused the said Tables to be put and kept in the Arke and therfore the fourth Commandement must of necessity be morall and perpetuall as the rest are otherwise nine Commandements onely shall be morall But these nine being morall it cannot be said reasonably that this is not morall And if any man should dare to say it profane men may be so licentiously bold as to make the same exception against the rest in all things wherein they cope with their particular vices saying also that they are not morall That they of the Roman Church who to shrinke from the objection which we make against their idolatry by the formall words of the second Commandement of the Law presume to answer that this Commandement is not morall and did belong to the Iewes only shall finde a sufficient colour to this answer if it were true that in the morall Law there is to be found a Commandement which is not morall and that the fourth Commandement is such a one And therefore as they have taken out of the Decalogue the second Commandement although without all reason seeing it is morall and perpetuall others may take out of it the fourth Commandement and comprehend it no more with the rest and that with as good reason seeing it is not morall and concerneth us not 2 To this I answer first that in vaine doe they seeke to shew that the Commandement of the Sabbath obligeth us because it maketh a part of that Law which God uttered with his owne mouth in the mountaine of Sina with so many evidences of his Majesty and wrote it with his finger upon two Tables of stone which he gave to Moses and caused to be put in the Arke as if these considerations did give greater force and efficacy to this Law to binde us as it did binde the Iewes to keepe it in all things that it comprehendeth for they might prove with as good reason that in these time under the Gospell we are bound to have a Tabernacle or Temple like unto that which the Iewes had of old and to observe the same service which they observed in it because God in the same mountaine with much Majesty shewed the patterne thereof to Moses and commanded him to make it after that patterne Whereas much
had observed the same course towards Adam for that commandement as hee did for all the rest and for all the rest as for that which neverthelesse he did not For he ingraved the substance and tenor of all the other Commandements in Adams heart and made him to know them naturally without any instruction by word of mouth whereof he had no need But he wrote not in his heart the knowledge of the fourth Commandement seeing as they say he declared it unto them by audible words resounding in his eares that he might know it whence it followeth that all the rest are morall but this is not whereof we shall have occasion to discourse more largely in the first Chapter of the second part of this Treatise 2 Of those that defend the morality of one Sabbath day in the weeke some seeke to decline the weight and edge of the foresaid arguments by a frivolous distinction saying that morall things are of two sorts the one that are founded in the Law of nature and therefore oblige all men naturally The others that are of a positive Law depend on institution and notwithstanding are parts of the morall Law of a perpetuall necessity and of an immutable right as well as all other morall precepts are that the morall Law as it is morall is of farre greater extension then is the Law of nature and that the Sabbath is morall in this last sort 3 But first they speake against the ordinary sence and custome of all men who by the word morall understand that which is naturally and universally just that is which reason when it is not misled and the inward Law of nature dictateth by common principles of honesty or ought to dictate to all men of it selfe without any outward Vsher This Law all men take for the Law of nature and reciprocally they take the Law of nature for this Law which is proved by the ordinary and common distinction that all Divines make betweene the morall ceremoniall and judiciall Lawes which in former times God gave to the Iewes in which distinction they referre to the last hands and sorts all the positive ordinances which pertained to the ecclesiasticall or civill government and to the first the ordinances and rules of the Law of nature wherof these others were circumstantiall appendices and determinations Nay morall signifieth onely the duties of essentiall godlinesse and righteousnesse in things belonging naturally to good and holy manners towards GOD or towards man whether in doing good or departing from evill and not all things that may be usefull and in some sort may bee referred to the rules of good behaviour Otherwise things ceremoniall and judiciall as such should not bee distinguished from morall things for these also have an usefull reference to the foresaid duties of good and godly behaviour And therefore if the ordinance of the Sabbath although advowed to bee a positive Law is notwithstanding called morall it shall bee in one and the same respect both morall and ceremoniall and all ther ceremonies may after the same manner challenge the name of Moralities which is absurd 4 Secondly after they have confessed the Sabbath to bee a part of the positive Law grounded only on the order and discipline that GOD was pleased to establish they broach an affirmation without ground and without reason when they say therewith that it is of an immutable right and carrieth with it a perpetuall obligation For where and from whence is there any evidence of this doth this right belong to all things that are of the positive Law Their condition and nature giveth it unto them Will any Divine any Lawgiver any Logician make of this a probleme and hold for the affirmative Away with Sophistry and captious dealing It must bee the revealed will of God that matcheth positive with naturall Lawes and marketh them with the silver stampe of immutability Now if GOD hath not communicated this dignity with any positive Law ordained by him from the beginning of the world till this day what appearance is there that he hath given it as it were by birth-right to the Sabbath Have they to underprop this their assertion any cleere and evident testimony brought from the unreprocheable truth of holy Scripture For we make no account of any mans bare affirmation But the whole drift of the discourse following shall shew more and more God willing how short they come of their promises and of the But and Blank they aime at CHAPTER third REASON 3. 1. The Pagans never knew neither by Nature nor by Tradition the necessity of the keeping of a Seventh day of Sabbath 2. Yet they knew all morall duties commanded in the first and second Table of the morall Law 3. They knew also that God is to be served publikely and that a part of his service consisted in the offering of Sacrifices 4. They knew likewise by naturall light that some dayes are to be appointed for his service and are blamed for the transgression of all other Commandements that are morall c. 5. But are never blamed for the inobservation of one day of Seven 6. Nay they did laugh to scorne the Iewish Sabbath 7. Answer to an objection taken out of Philo against the foresaid affirmation 8. To another from IOSEPHUS 9. As also to other passages of diverse Authors Pagans Iewes and Christians which serve to overthrow it 10. The Pagans did never keepe regularly for their publike devotions any other Seventh day of the weeke 11. Yea are never reproved for any such omission 12. Reply to this answer 13. First answer to the said reply 14. Second answer unto it 1 MY third argument shall be taken from this that the Gentiles never knew by naturall light nor also by tradition come unto them from hand to hand by the care of their fore-Fathers the necessity of the keeping of the Seventh day of the weeke and never practised any such day Surely if it were a morality and a point of the Law of Nature or if GOD had prescribed it by a particular Commandement to Adam willing him to sanctifie it particularly and to celebrate in it the remembrance of his workes and rest hee had done it purposely that Adam should instruct his off-spring to the like seeing there was a like reason for them and for him Yea all his progeny and successors in whom abideth still the Law of Nature although darkened with sinne had knowne in some sort by the residue of the light of Nature glittering in them that they were bound to keepe a Seventh Day At least the notice of this Commandement which is pretended to have beene given to their first Father from the beginning should have come to them by Tradition successively from the Fathers to the Children till their dayes For we see that all the Gentiles by the light of Nature and by Tradition have had some knowledge of all things that in themselves are good and lawfull and of all morall precepts 2 They have knowne that one
true and onely GOD is to bee worshipped in spirit and in truth and not in materiall idols That His Name ought to bee hallowed and great heed is to bee had that it bee not prophaned That respect and honour is to bee yeelded to Fathers to Mothers and to all Superiours That murther adultery lechery theft false witnesse covetousnesse of things belonging to another are vices condemnable and worthy to bee censured We finde a great deale of good precepts and excellent documents in the Lawes and writings of Paynims pertaining to these points And they all may be confirmed by naturall reason Therefore the Apostle speaking of Infidels in his Epistle to the Romanes Romanes 2. verse 14 15. saith That they doe by nature the things contained in the Law shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts and are a Law unto themselves If they have sinned against these points as undoubtedly they have most horribly many wayes as the same Apostle sheweth in the first Chapter of the said Epistle they have by such hainous and monstrous sinnes fought against their owne knowledge and detained in unrighteousnesse the truth which GOD had imprinted in their mindes and whereof they were not ignorant Romanes 1. 18. Whereupon God thunders fearefull threats upon their unrighteous heads which in all ages have beene accompanied with terrible thunder bolts of exemplary judgment Moreover in things concerning Gods outward and publike service they have knowne that all men ought to serve GOD publikely and that to offer sacrifices unto him is a service wherewith he is well pleased This they knew not onely by a naturall instinct and by the voice of that inward Doctor saying to their hearts that all sinnes whereof mortall men are guilty must be expiated and that atonement must be made betweene man offender and God offended by offerings and sacrifices But also questionlesse by an acquired knowledge come unto them successively from these first Fathers who by Gods Ordinance and allowance had offered sacrifices of atonement to his most holy Majesty This is the true originall and source of the sacrifices which these blinde and mis-led wights have alwaies offered to the God-head which they in their ignorance thought worthy to be worshipped 4 They have likewise knowne by naturall and necessary consequence that seeing God will be served publikely and by troupes of people times must be appointed for their meetings Therefore they have with one accord consecrated festivall and solemne daies for the publike and common exercises of their religion And God hath often blamed the vices and abominations of their sacrifices and solemnities propounding and traducing them in the persence of his people to whom hee spoke having regard to their instruction and correction and not to the conversion of the Gentiles whom hee suffered to walke in their owne waies Acts 14. vers 16. 5 But as there is no naturall reason shewing the least sparkle of justice and equity in the keeping of the seventh day of the weeke rather than another So the Gentiles did not keepe and are no where blamed for not keeping one day of seven which is to be thought on and considered with great attention For if they knew or were bound to know the necessity of the observation of this day if they were obliged unto it as to a morall thing or as to an Ordinance of God published by God himselfe to all men in the person of Adam Father of us all from the beginning of the world I aske What can be the cause that God never accused never reprehended them for the inobservation or profanation of so holy a day Seeing hee rebuked and threatned them so eagerly for the transgression of all other Commandements of the morall Law as may be seene in divers places of the Bookes of Moses Fxodus 23. verse 24. 32. Exod. 34. vers 12. 13 14 15 16. Levit. 18. vers 3. 24. Levit. 20. vers 23. Deut. 6. vers 14. Deut. 7. vers 4. 5. 10. 25. Deut. 12. ver 2. 3. 30. 31. Of the Prophets 1 King 14. vers 23. 24. 2 Chron. 33. vers 2. c. Psal. 106. vers 35. c. Esa. 10. vers 7. 12 13. Esa. 13. vers 11. Esa. 16. vers 6 Esa. 47. vers 6. c. Ierm 10. vers 2. 3. Ierem. 48. vers 7. 13. 29. 30 35. Ierem. 31. ver 13. 35. 47. Ezech. 16. vers 49. Ezech. 20. vers 7. Ezech. 23. verse 7. 8. 30. Ezech. 25. vers 3. 15. Ezech. 28. vers 2. 5. 16 17. 18. Ezech. 32. vers 12. Ezech. 35. vers 5. 6. 12. Amos 1. vers 3. 6. 9. 11. Obad. vers 3. 10 11. Micah 4. vers 5. Nahum 1. vers 14. Nahum 2. vers 12. Nahum 3. vers 14. Habak 1. vers 11. 13. 16. Habak 2. vers 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 15. 18 19. Zeph. 2. vers 8. 10. 15. Zech. 9. vers 3. 5. and else-where and of the new Testament and namely in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans Againe I would faine know how it is come to passe that Gods ordinary custome was to withdraw the Israelites from all the vices that he had forbidden by telling them that the profane and aliene Nations had defiled themselves with all these vices and when these vices of Infidells were in some sort of such a quality that they sorted well to his people would most bitterly upbraide them with following the abominations of the Nations and yet hee hath never kept that course in the inhibitions that hee hath made so frequently to the Israelites against the breach of the Sabbath hath never told them that the Gentiles were Sabbath-breakers hath never warned them not to follow in this crime their example which had beene much to the purpose if the Gentiles had beene obliged to keepe the Sabbath day 6 Surely God never tied them by any positive Law to such a day neither gave hee them any notice thereof by the inbred light of nature And it appeareth not any where that they ever heard amongst them any mention of a seventh day of Sabbath but as of a Iewish Ceremony and Ecclesiasticall regiment the rumour whereof ranne abroad after the Law was given to the people of Israel in the wildernesse Hence it is that this ceremonies is by their Authours attributed to the Iewes as come from them and particular to their Nation Yea many of them laid it in their dish with flowting and derision Whereunto some doe apply these words of Ieremiah in his Lamentations Chap. 1. verse 7. The adversaries of Ierusalem saw her and did mocke at her Sabbaths And Seneca a wise Heathen said of the Iewes jeering at them that by the observation of their Sabbath they made losse of the seventh part of their life 7 They object against this that Philo a learned Iew who lived in the times of the Apostles in the second Booke of the life of Moses speaking of other Nations which were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the
libertie to take such order about that matter as they should thinke good Who seeth not in this a manifest absurditie Doth it not remaine alwaies Is not the situation of the earth which is the same that it was from the beginning as great an impediment under the new Testament to the universall keeping of a seventh day in all places and namely of that particular seventh wherein Christ rose from death unto life which is the first of the seven daies of the weeke as it was under the old Testament to an universall observation of a particular seventh in those times to wit of the last of the weeke 4 Whatsoever is morall is universall obligeth equally all men and may be kept of all Likewise all commandements which Gods purpose is to give to all men are such that they may be kept of all How then is a thing called morall the keeping whereof the order of nature hath made impossible to many men such as is the regular keeping of a set day And how is it said that the Commandement enjoyning the keeping of a particular seventh day whether the last or the first of seven was on Gods part an universall commandement obliging all men seeing it is farre more impossible to a great number of men to keepe it because they dwell in more remote climats then we doe 5 Therefore it is more conformable to reason to say that the Commandement which under the Old Testament ordained the keeping of a Seventh day obliged the people of Israel only which was the onely people of GOD was shut up within the narrow bounds of a little corner of the earth and might with great facility keepe that day even as all the rest of the politike and ecclesiasticall regiment established by Moses pertained to them onely And that under the new Testament in whose times the Church hath beene spread abroad thorow all the earth God hath not given any particular Ordinance concerning the keeping of any day whatsoever but hath left to the discretion of the Church to appoint the times of Gods service according to the circumstances of places and of fit occasions CHAPTER Sixth REASON 6. 1. The Observation of the Seventh day of the weeke is no where commanded in the New Testament and therefore it is not morall 2. Iesus Christ prescribing to his Disciples the celebration of the Sacrament of his body and bloud appointed not a particular and set day for that holy exercise 3. Neither did he by himselfe or by his Apostles appoint a particular time for the other exercises of Religion 4. Whence it followeth that the keeping of a Seventh day for Gods service cannot be a morall point 1 THe whole tenor of the Gospell confirmeth our assertion It is most certaine that if it were a morall duty to keepe a Seventh day all Christians should be obliged unto it under the New Testament as the Iewes were under the Old Testament Now if Christians were bound unto it under the New Testament we should finde some expresse Ordinance concerning it in the writings of the Evangelists and of the Apostles For if all the morall points which the Law commandeth are ratified in many places of their bookes and all the faithfull are often commanded to keepe them as the worshipping of one true God the shunning and detestation of Idols and of all services of mans invention the sanctification of the Name of God the honour dew to Fathers to Mothers and to all superiors the refraining from murder from whoredome from adultery from theft from false witnesse from all lusting after evill things and such like Also in them are often commanded and recommended the holy meetings for the hearing of the word of God the administration of the Sacraments the publike prayers and generally the appointing of times for that use because it is a morall thing that GOD bee served publikely whereunto fixed and stinted times are necessary But as for the ruling and stinting of those times God hath left it as he hath done the appointing of places to the Church For hee would not prescribe unto us any particular place nor time for his service as hee did under the Old Testament because he giveth greater liberty to the Church under the New Testament then he did under the Old Testament to whose bondage pertained this restraint of a certaine day and place of Gods service by expresse commandement as also because the greatnesse and dilatation of the Church of the New Testament which is Catholike could not suffer such a particular determination nay made it so impossible that of absolute necessity it dependeth on the discretion and commodities of the Church 2 When IESUS CHRIST made his last Supper with his Disciples and commanded it should be celebrated to the worlds end as hee determined the use and practise thereof with certaine elements of Bread and Wine he might if hee had thought fit allot unto it a certaine time such as was of old the time of Passeover But hee was pleased to say onely this in generall tearmes This doe yee as oft as yee doe it in remembrance of me Likewise Saint Paul As often as you shall eate this bread and drinke this cup you shall shew the LORDS death till hee come both limiting the elements as the necessary matter of this Sacrament But neither of them prescribeth a particular time for the solemnizing thereof which being an accidentall circumstance he left the direction thereof to the Church to the which Church in things concerning times places and other circumstances of like nature God hath given no other commandement saving this generall one Let all things be done decently and in good order 3 Now there is no other ordinance of Christ or of his Apostles concerning particular times for all other duties of the Christian Religion then for the time of the LORDS Supper For seeing they were pleased to say of the Holy Supper As often as you doe this it is an easie matter to conclude thence that they intended not to ordaine any thing over and besides belonging to the other exercises but to say only as often as you shall come together to heare the word to pray publikely c. Leaving the determination of the fittest times for all such things to the Church and therefore there is not to bee found in the whole Gospell any thing injoined to that purpose Also there is the same reason for all other exercises and for the Lords Supper concerning the determination of a set tiâ—â— For if our Lord Iesus Christ had thought expedient to appoint a set time for the hearing of the Word there had beene as good cause to prescribe one also for the Communion of his Body and of his Blood I know that some passages of the new Testament are produced which are pretended by those of the contrary opinion to injoine expresly a set day of the weeke for the exercises of Religion but I shall shew hereafter God willing that they are deceived in their
true beleever hath authority and freedome to exempt himselfe from the keeping of the Sabbath for his owne need and to yeeld to such necessities which are more urgent and of greater importance then was the Sabbath of which sort was the narrow strait whereunto hunger had driven Christs Disciples that is no lesse forcible to fight against the morality of the Sabbath as appeareth by that which hath beene already said 10 Such then being the nature of the Sabbath it is evident that it is not morall that of its selfe it obligeth not the conscience to the keeping of it that if it bindeth conscience it commeth from GODS command by a positive Law such as he gave to the Iewes and that only when more inforcing reasons doe not dispense with the observation of it as there be some such Now the positive Lawes given to the Iewes being wholly abrogated no man can say that the Law of the Sabbath bindeth the conscience of Christians if it be not shewed that Christ will have this Law of the Sabbath to continue under the New Testament and hath commanded the keeping of a Seventh day as he might have done In which case that Law should bee obligatory not for any morality it hath in it but because Christ had ordained it for the order of the Church This I pretend cannot be shewed but rather that the stinting of the time of GODS publike service hath beene left to the free will of the Church and that even now at this time when a Seventh day is set downe we ought to keepe it in obedience to the Church as following herein the order which she hath thought good to institute and not through opinion of any necessity proceeding from GODS immediate command farre lesse of Religion inherent in the thing it selfe CHAPTER Eighth REASON 8. 1. The Apostle condemneth the Galatians for observing dayes and moneths and times and yeeres 2. It is answered that the Apostle condemneth onely the observation of dayes c. prescribed in the ceremoniall Law 3. Refutation of that answer out of the drift of the whole Chapter 4. Besides that it maketh the Apostle to condemne thà t which he approved and so to contradict himselfe if this answer were true 1 I further justifie this by the Apostle in his Epistle to the Galatians Chapter 4. verse 10. where hee blameth them for observing dayes and moneths and times and yeeres for they deemed that in the observing of them there was a point of Religion and of Gods service which they were necessarily obliged unto on Gods behalfe and that for conscience sake either because the thing it selfe deserved as much or through respect to Gods Commandement It is this surmise which the Apostle blameth For if the Galatians had kept some dayes but as a thing indifferent and an ecclesiasticall order for the publike practise of divine service by the exercise of the ministrie the celebration of the Sacraments and other holy duties more and more sanctified with prayers thankesgiving Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall songs knowing and being perswaded by the Lord Iesus that there was no divine obligation no Religion tyed to those dayes in themselves it is as sure as can be that they had not bin worthy to be censured for all that is done and may be done in the Church under the New Testament Hereupon I say that we fall manifestly into the Apostles censure if we keepe a Seventh day of Sabbath beleeving it to be a morall thing which God hath expresly commanded and therefore necessary and as such binding the conscience For this is evidently to observe dayes after the fashion which the Apostle condemneth 2 It is answered to this that the Apostle speaketh in that Chapter of judaicall dayes moneths times and yeeres only as they are ordained to be kept by the ceremoniall Law of Moses as for example to observe in things belonging to the Sabbath the Seventh day of the weeke Which law being abolished he blameth the Galatians that they indeavoured to set up again the observation of dayes after the manner of the Iewes but reproveth them not for keeping a Sabbath day 3 This answer giveth no content at all I acknowledge freely that doubtlesse the dayes kept by the Galatians were the same which the Iewes observed For to esteeme that they were dayes consecrated to Idols which they had beene enured unto when they lived in Paganisme and had observed unto that time even after their conversion is farre from all likelihood and contrary to the Text which speaketh of dayes belonging to these weake and beggarly rudiments which God had ordained in the infancy of the Church which were judaicall dayes and none other and from which Iesus Christ was come into the world to redeeme men And the Apostle blameth the Galatians universally for observing such dayes without exception of any other day which he ought to have excepted if there had beene any other obligatory Nay he blameth them not for keeping them after the fashion of the Iewes by the practice of the ceremoniall service which the Iewes yeelded to God on those dayes whereof he maketh no mention neither is there any likelihood that the Galatians did any such thing but for keeping them for Religions sake And his reprehension is such a one that the right thing he aimed at in it is to condemne the observation of any day whatsoever under the New Testament for Religion and conscience sake in reference to any obligation from the day it selfe The foundation of his reproofe as appeareth manifestly by the whole drift of his discourse is this that to be Religious about dayes and to be tyed unto them by Gods command was a point of bondage belonging to the rudiments of the Law and that the Gospell which is the Law of liberty cannot suffer this bondage Therefore hee speaketh in generall tearmes Yee observe dayes and moneths and times and yeeres and addeth not judaicall or after the Iewish fashion because also to keepe other dayes then those of the Iewes and that for conscience sake and for the same opinion of Religion which the Iewes had of their dayes although otherwise then they hâ—d beene as bad and contrary to the Gospell it is not so when dayes are kept simply for ecclesiasticall order although they were Iudaicall dayes And indeed the Sabbath day of the Iewes to wit the last day of the weeke was kept by the Apostles and by diverse Christians in the Primitive Church many yeeres constantly As likewise the feasts of the Iewish Passeover and Pentecost were observed by the first Christians without any fault or offence on their part because this observation was not practised by them in the same respects that they were by the Iewes that is through opinion of Religious necessity and divine obligation 4 Verily if wee be obliged in our conscience and by a divine commandement under the new Testament to the observation of a seventh day of rest â—eligiously as the Iewes were as is pretended although it
be not the same seventh day who will not conceive that it had not well become the Apostle to condemne the observation of Iudaicall daies namely of the particular day of the Iewish Sabbath as being a yoake and a ceremony of the Law considering that in the meane while hee tied the Christians to the odinary and precise observation of a stinted day even of a seventh day of Sabbath which was all one seeing the day onely had been changed and the yoake and the ceremony had been still kept For the yoake and bondage of the Law consisted in the observation of certaine stinted daies and namely of a seventh day of Sabbath by Gods Ordinance and obligation of conscience and not in keeping the last seventh day rather than another seeing otherwise it is not a heavie yoake nor a greater bondage to keepe the last then to keepe the first of the seven daies of the weeke CHAPTER ninth REASON 9. 1 A most forcible argument out of the Epistle to the Colossians Chap. 2. vers 16. where the Apostle teacheth that Christian mens conscience is not tied to the keeping of holy daies and of Sabbaths 2 Answer is made that the naming of Sabbaths in the plurall number sheweth they must be understood of the Sabbaths of holy daies and not of the weekely Sabbath 3 First reply In the name of a holy day the Sabbaths thereof are included 4 Second reply Sabbaths in the plurall number include necessarily the weekely Sabbath which also is most frequently called Sabbaths in holy Scripture 5 Third reply The Apostle by Sabbaths understandeth onely the weekely Sabbath 6 Fourth reply The weekely Sabbath did belong to the Law of Commandements which is abolished and the Apostle speaketh without exception indefinitely of the â—â—â—gation of holy dayes and Sabbaths 7. Thence it followeth that the fourth Commandement in so farre as it stinteth the seventh day for Gods service is not morall 1 OF the same nature is the passage in the second Chapter of the Epistle to the Colossians verse 16. Let no man judge you in meat or in drinke or in distinction of a holy day or of the new Moone or of Sabbaths Where the Apostle teacheth that under the New Testament the conscience of beleevers is not bound to make distinction and observation of any holy day and namely of Sabbaths neither altogether nor in part no more than of meats and of drinkes ranking all those with the ordinances and shadowes which have beene abrogated by Iesus Christ ver 14 17. For like as in matters concerning meat and drinke nature hath necessarily need of them for the entertainment of the body but the conscience is not now bound to that distinction of them which was of old prescribed by the Law of Moses even so it is necessary for the maintenance of the Soule that times bee appointed for Gods publike service in the Church but mens conscience is no more subjected to a seventh day which the Law prescribed to the Iewes 2 To this passage answer is made that the Apostle speaketh of the Iewish holy dayes the Passeover Pentecost c. and of divers Sabbaths which the Iewes observed such as were the first and last day of some annuall feasts which lasted many dayes to wit of the Passeover of the feast of Tabernacles of the feast of Propitiations which was kept on the tenth day of the seventh moneth every seventh yeere which was the Sabbath of rest unto the land because in it they did neither sow their field nor prune their Vineyards every fiftieth yeere which was a jubile All which times are called Sabbaths in the Scripture But it s denyed that he speaketh of the Sabbath day which God had ordained to be kept weekely as well under the New as under the Old Testament For which cause the Apostle speaketh of Sabbaths in the plurall number and not of a Sabbath in the fingular number to signifie that he understood those Sabbaths and not this 3 This answer is not sufficient For the Apostle speaketh generally of an holy day and of Sabbaths saying that we should not be judged or condemned in distinction and separation or part and respect of an Holy day and putting the word signifying an Holy day in the singular number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word denoteth any holy day whatsoever Now if we be bound for conscience sake to the observation of a seventh day of Sabbath if we be tyed by Religion to make a distinction of dayes if we be condemned for the omission of that pretended duty are wee not condemned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in distinction of an Holy day 4 Againe seeing he speaketh of Sabbath in the plurall number with what reason can it be affirmed that his intention was to speak only of the Sabbaths of certaine yeerely feasts and not of the ordinary Sabbath of every weeke although he useth a word befitting it aswell yea more than the rest and including it infallibly in its plurality Namely seeing this word is much more used in the plurall number then in the fingular and is ordinarily taken both in the New and in the Old Testament for the Sabbath whereof wee treat The seventy Greeke translators of the Old Testament are accustomed to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number when in Hebrew mention is made of the ordinary Sabbath of the weeke in the singular number as we may see Exod. 16. ver 23 26 29. Exod. 20. uer 8 10. Exod. 31. ver 16. Exod. 35. v. 2 3. Levit. 23. v. 3. Levit. 24. ver 8. Numb 28. 2 9. Deut. 5. ver 12 14 15. and else where conformably to them This plurall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used in the same sence by the writers in the New Testament as Matthew 12. verse 1 5 10 12. Matth. 28. ver 1. Mark 1. ver 21. Mark 2. ver 24 28. Mark 3. ver 2. Luk. 4. ver 16 31. Luk. 13. ver 10. Iohn 20. ver 1 19. Acts 13. ver 14. Acts 16. ver 13. Acts 17. ver 2. I say therefore that to conclude that the Apostle in the foresaid passage speaketh not of the Sabbath day which returned weekely because he useth the word Sabbath in the plurall number is a weake argument seeing in the Scriptures stile and manner of speaking this word in the plurall number hath a single signification Nay it may bee affirmed with good reason that the Apostle when he speaketh of Sabbaths understands only the ordinary Sabbath of the seventh day and under the name going before of an Holy day hath comprehended all other Sabbaths which God had commanded in the Law even as God himselfe in Leviticus Chapter 23. ver 37. by the word Feasts understandeth all other solemne dayes which he had commanded and ver 38. by the word Sabbaths the seventh day in every weeke according to the ordinary signification thereof not only in the Greeke but also in the Hebrew tongue to which purpose there is a most manifest
place Exod. 31. ver 13. where God saith Uerily my Sabbaths yee shall keep for it is a signe betweene me and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you And for more ample declaration in the Verses following 14. 15 16 17. he expounds those Sabbaths of the weekely Sabbath only Although this were not so whosoever speaketh of Sabbaths in the number of multitude and maketh no exception understandeth whatsoever is contained in the signification of that word and hath the same denomination Verily when the Apostle saith that no man should condemne us in distinction of an Holy day or of Sabbaths if he had not understood all Sabbaths but had beleeved that God hath expresly ordained under the New Testament as hee did under the old a day to be for his service a day of festivity and of Sabbath he was bound to except it particularly and by name and so to keepe the Church from falling into an error namely seeing we are not taught in any part of his Epistles nor else where in the New Testament that GOD hath made such an ordinance that in any time the observation of a Sabbath hath beene injoyned unto us that any such day hath beene excepted from those dayes and Sabbaths which in the said New Testament we are forbidden to keepe 6 When the Apostle saith that Christ hath abolished the Law of commandements Eph. 2. vers 15. and hath made a change of the Law Heb. 7. vers 12. We see easily that he understandeth the ceremoniall and not the morall Law because in the same places he explicates his meaning calling it The Law of Commandements contained in ordinances the middle wall of partition betweene the Iewes and Gentiles Ephes. 2. vers 14 15. the Law of a carnall Commandement and of the Leviticall Priesthood weake unprofitable and which made nothing perfect Heb. 7. vers 11. 16 18 19. Because also in many other places wee are taught that the Law abolished by Christ is the Ceremoniall only and doe see all morall Commandements confirmed and ratified by him But when the Apostle discourseth of the abolishment of holy daies and of Sabbaths without any limitation or modification there is no cause why the seventh day should be excepted seeing he excepted it not neither is it excepted in any place of the Gospell which speaketh no where unto us of morall daies of Sabbath as also it is absurd to establish any such day 7 It sufficeth not to alledge that the fourth Commandement of the Law injoineth the seventh day of Sabbath and to inferre from thence that of necessity the Apostles minde was to except that Sabbath as being morall For I say rather that the fourth Commandement in as farre as it injoineth the observation of a seventh day of Sabbath is not morall seeing the Apostle without exception saith that under the Gospell our consciences should not be tied to Sabbath daies words which he had never so uttered if the Sabbath of the fourth Commandement had beene morall and obligatory At least in some other places information and instructions had beene given us of this by him and by the rest of the Evangelists and Apostles who have instructed us in the knowledge of all other morall points which is not to be found For there is not to be seene in the whole new Testament any injunction to observe a Sabbath day But of this point we shall speake more fully hereafter CHAPTER Tenth REASON 10. 1 The Christians in S. Pauls time had no time appointed to them for Gods service seeing some of them esteemed one day above another others esteemed every day alike 2 Answer is made to this argument that those which esteemed every day alike were weeke and therefore erred 3 Refutation of this answer First by the analogie of the other point where hee who did eat herbs onely is called weake and he who knew he might eat all things is called strong 4 Second Because to esteeme all daies alike cannot be called weakenesse 5 Third Because if Christ or his Apostles had appointed a set day for Gods service to esteeme all daies alike had not beene weaknesse but profanenesse which neverthelesse it was not 6 Fourth Otherwise the Apostle would not have said that he that doth not regard a day to the Lord doth not regard it but rather against the Lord. 7 Of what day it is said that one regarded it another regarded it not 8 Fifth Seeing to regard a day is weaknesse and not to regard a day is strength of knowledge God hath not obliged the Christian Church to any set day for his service by any morall or positive Law 1 THE same is plainly shewed by these words of the Epistle to the Romans Chap. 14. vers 5 6. One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his owne minde He that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord And he that regardeth not the day to the Lord he doth not regard it In this place the Apostle speaketh of religious Christians shewing that they were at variance about two divers heads For some of them beleeved that a Christian man should not sticke nor make a scruple of conscience to eate indifferently all meats Others for conscience sake would eate nothing but herbs Some of them also esteemed every day alike others esteemed one day above another Of those two parties he calleth the one strong the other weak and exhorteth them that were strong to beare the infirmities of the weake namely seeing these things were of small moment and that the weake did such things out of conscience and through a religious respect to God that indeed their conscience was not well informed and directed but at length might be and affiance was to be had that they should be holden up because GOD was able to make them stand verse 4. As concerning eating of all things or eating of herbs onely the Apostle calleth directly weake those which did eate nothing but hearbes And strong those which beleeved that they might eate and indeed did eate all things indifferently But on the other point concerning the disagreement which was among them about dayes whether every day should be esteemed alike or one day should bee esteemed above another he declareth not expresly who were strong who weake Some of those which urge the observation of the Sabbath day as a point of Religion and of conscience commanded by Christ shunning the argument which this place affords against their opinion doe say that those which esteemed every day alike were weake and the others were strong and that this is the Apostle his intention But it is easie to perceive that the contrary opinion is true that say I those which esteemed every day alike were strong and those weake which esteemed one day above another 3 First the analogy of the other point which the Apostle alleadgeth concerning meates sheweth it manifestly For as
those which did not sticke for conscience sake to eate all kinde of meates because they esteemed them all to bee indifferent were strong and those which were scrupulous for conscience sake to eate any thing but hearbes were weake even so accordingly to that wee must ac-acknowledge those which made no difference of dayes for conscience sake but esteemed all dayes equally to have beene strong and those which esteemed one day above another to have beene weake 4 Secondly I cannot see how any man should imagine that the Apostle in his judgement esteemed those to be weake which esteemed every day alike seeing to esteeme every day equally without distinction of any day for conscience sake putting the case there were a fault in that opinion cannot be called weakenesse and infirmity in the sence wherein this word weakenesse is taken by the Apostle in this place and in other places of the Gospell For weaknes and infirmity is said to be in a man when there is a defect in his beliefe concerning things which are lawfull to him that is to say when hee beleeveth not that to bee lawfull which is lawfull unto him and therefore refraineth for conscience sake from that which he is not bound to forbeare So he who beleeveth that it is not lawfull unto him to eate all kinde of meates although God hath given him the free use of them all is weake and infirme But when there is excesse in his beliefe when I say he beleeveth to have liberty to doe that which is not lawfull unto him to doe and doth it without any respect of conscience unto it that is not in the Scriptures language called weakenes but rather ignorance error mistaking If then those which esteemed every day alike had failed in this point as they had done of necessity if there had beene any fault in them they had never beene esteemed and called weake by the Apostle as they are pretended to have beene but rather ignorant errants nay dissolute loose profane 5 Verily if it were true that Iesus Christ had ordained the observation of a set day of rest that the Apostles had commanded it that the Church had practised it as a divine ordinance and as a morall point belonging to Religion as is pretended these Christians who could not bee ignorant of such things and neverthelesse esteemed every day alike established not religion and a point of conscience in any of them and made no greater account of the Lords day then of any other day were of necessity profane men and no better reckoning was to be made of them Yet the Apostle reputeth them not to bee such For he forbiddeth to judge and condemne them as hee will not have them to judge and condemne those that were of contrary opinion ver 3. 10. 6 Nay he affirmeth that those which regarded not the day to the Lord regarded it not verse 6. the meaning of which words is that in so doing they had regard to the glory and obedience due to God knowing that he had made them free from the distinction of dayes and received them being well pleased with that which they did Now supposing the morality of the Sabbath and the commandement of Christ and of his Apostles which made the observation thereof a necessary point of Religion which these men could not be ignorant of I cannot conceive how not regarding the day for Religion and conscience sake to the Lord they regarded it not seeing they had rather sinned against the Lord by not regarding it For they had manifestly vilipended him by their misbeliefe whereby they esteemed not the observation of a day of rest which they knew to be morall and most straitely commanded of God to bee a necessary point of Religion It is therefore more conformable to reason that those which made distinction of dayes and esteemed one above onother were weak And in this doe all the interpreters agree Neverthelesse the Apostle saith with good reason of these weake ones that what they did they did it to the Lord because they did it through devotion and tendernesse of conscience having some Religious ground which was a colourable excuse to their infirmitie and made it tolerable not only to men but to God also 7 Now it being so that the Apostle did write to the Romans who were Gentiles converted to the Christian faith wee may esteeme with great appearance that this day which some of them through infirmitie had so much regard unto was Sunday which was kept in the Church not by any divine Ordinance not also through necessity of Religion but simply by an ecclesiasticall custome in remembrance that on that day Christ rose from death unto life was esteemed of them a day of necessary observation in and for it selfe which others better instructed esteemed not This being so establisheth throughly the opinion that I defend and evicts the other But although the Apostle had intended to speake of dayes commanded in the Old Testament by the Law of Moses to the religious observation whereof many not as yet well instructed in the knowledge of Evangelicall liberty thought themselves to be bound for conscience sake the argument remaineth as strong as can be 8 For howsoever the Apostle his meaning be taken he speaketh generally and imputeth to infirmity of knowledge and of conscience under the Gospell the esteeming of one day above another and to strength and firmenesse the esteeming of all dayes alike which he neither could nor should have pronounced so in generall tearmes if at the same time there had beene a set day of rest binding the conscience of Christians to observe it for its owne sake as being morall and for Gods sake who had commanded it For by this meanes those had not well done so farre were they from being strong in knowledge and conscience for esteeming every day equally which they should not have done But the others had done well and religiously to esteeme one day above another so far were they from being weak which yet notwithstanding is manifestly against the scope of the Apostle who declareth them to be weak not simply as we have touched heretofore for observing a certaine day but for keeping it with a consciencious regard and opinion of a religious obligation particular unto it more than to any other day which is the only thing worthy to be blamed and might be a just cause of offence CHAPTER Eleventh REASON II. 1. The Sabbath was to the Israelites a signe of their sanctification 2. Not only in the toylesome ages of this mortall life but also in the eternity and rest of the life to come 3. Through IESUS CHRIST who hath perfectly accomplished the benefits which it represented imperfectly 4. And therefore it was to continue till his comming only 5. This truth is confirmed in the Epistle to the Hebrewes by the type of the bodily rest of the people in the land of Canaan 6. As also by the type of Gods rest on the Seventh day 7. Gods rest and
otherwise we are not bound to keepe the Law in that respect that God pronounced it in the Mountaine of Sina and wrote it upon two Tables which were given to Moses For in those respects it obliged the Iewes only to whom alone also it was adressed in the preface put before it Heare Israel c. No more are these considerations of value to make it continue for ever The inscription therof in Tables of stone might have had another end and usage then that which is pretended by those which say that it denoteth the perpetuity of all that is contained therein for it represented the hardnesse of the heart of man which is more refractary and thwart to the spirituall inscription of the Law of God then the hardest stone is to the materiall inscription which hardnesse the Law is not of it selfe able to vanquish and overcome because it is a dead letter written in stone It is God God alone who by his grace and by the power of the Gospel and of the Spirit which accompanieth the Gospell changeth the heart of stone into an heart of flesh Ezech. 36. ver 26. and 2 Cor. 3. ver 3 6 7 8. Wee are bound to the observation of the Law and it is perpetuall only as it is morall and written naturally in the tables of the heart and as it commandeth us things which of their nature are good just and holy or forbiddeth those which in themselves are evill which also the Gospel of Iesus Christ our onely Law hath declared and confirmed to be such as it confirmeth the other nine Commandements but maketh no mention of the fourth Commandement which is here brought in question as if it did binde us to the observation of a seventh day 3 Neither doe I see any inconvenience to affirme that the Law of the ten Commandements which is called Morall is not such in its totality but only in regard of the greatest part thereof to wit of the nine Commandements for whose sake it hath deserved the title given unto it of morall naturall universall and perpetuall Law as often the whole is named from that which is the principall in it And that it is Ceremoniall particular and temporall in regard of a parcell thereof to wit of the fourth Commandement For the Scripture saith no where that all the Commandements of this Law are without exception Morall Nay seeing this Law is often called in generall termes Gods Covenant made with the Israelites Exod. 34. vers 28. Deut. 4. vers 13. 23. Deut. 5. vers 3. Deut. 9. vers 9. 11. 15. c. 1 King 8. vers 21. which Covenant comprehended not onely the Morall points but also the Ceremonies as may be seene Exod. 24. vers 7 8. Exod. 34. vers 10. 27. Levit. 2. vers 13. Levit. 26. vers 2. 15. Ierem. 34. vers 13. It is most like or rather most plaine that God comprehended in the said Law as in an Epitome or short discourse all his Ordinances both Morall and Ceremoniall which afterward hee declared more fully to Moses and which are dispersed here and there in his Bookes And as the other nine Cōmandements are the summary of the Morall ordinances even so the fourth Commandement concerning the Sabbath day and the sanctification thereof which was done with the practice of Ceremonies is a summary of all the Ceremoniall ordinances 4 For to this Sabbath day all other Sabbaths and legall feasts have relation and to them all the Ceremonies whereby they were solemnized have reference Philo a learned Iew hath observed this very well in his exposition of the Decalogue where he saith that the ten Commandements are the summary of all the speciall Lawes contained in the whole sacred volume of the Law-giver and that the fourth Commandement containeth compendiously the Feasts Sabbaths Sacrifices Vowes Purifications and other Ceremonies And indeed the Sabbath is joyned with all other holy-daies in the 23. Chapter of Leviticus as being of the same nature and is put in the first place before them all as being the first and principall of them all It is also joyned with the Sanctuary Levit. 19. vers 30. and with the new Moones and other solemnities Esa. 1. v. 13 14. where God declareth that hee cannot away with it and maketh no better account of it then of all the rest of their solemne meetings and appointed Feasts Also the observation of the Sabbath day is taken in divers places of the old Testament as denoting summarily all the Ceremoniall service which God had of old injoyned to Israel as being a speciall and principall point of that service and a meane for the observation of all the other points whereby he would be honoured Notable amongst other places is that of Ezechiel Chap. 20. vers 11. 12 13. where God saith first that he gave them his Statutes and made them to know his Iudgments which if a man doe he shall even live in them vers 11. understanding by Statutes and Iudgements the Morall Commandements properly as it is evident by the 18. Chapter of Leviticus whence these words are taken and where the Statutes Iudgements and Ordinances wherof we speake are expresly opposed to the vices of the Land of Egypt and of the Land of Canaan vers 3 4 5. As in the foresaid 20. Chapter of Ezechiel vers 18. 19. they are also opposed to the vices of their Fathers who in former times had lived in Egypt to which vices the Commandement of the ceremoniall Law could not be conveniently opposed because before the times of the pilgrimage of the Israelites in the wildernesse they were unknowne and had no sway Now after this God addeth in the foresaid Chapter of Ezechiel ver 12. Moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths to be a signe between me and them c. distinguishing the Sabbaths from the Statutes whereof he had spoken before as a Commandement ceremoniall and typicall from those that are Morall and comprehending under it all other typike and figurative ordinances of the Law whereof for this cause although hee had established them in the wildernesse as well as the Sabbath he maketh no mention at all 5 And in the 22. Chapter of the same Prophet God blaming in many particularities the crimes committed by the Iewes against the Morall Law condemneth their transgression of the Ceremoniall Law saying simply vers 26 that they had defiled his holy things and had their eyes from his Sabbaths Likewise in the 23. Chapter vers 38. and in other places the prophanation of the Sabbath is set downe to signifie the violation of the whole outward and ceremoniall service which God had ordained in that time because the Sabbath day was then solemnly destinated to the practice thereof Yea the violation also of the internall spirituall and Moral service but by consequence because the externall service was ordained of God to be unto his people a help and meanes to fortifie them in the practice of the other in such sort that he who neglected
that it containeth Yet in some sort all the tenne may be defended to be morall because the fourth Commandement is morall as well as the rest in its foundation and principall end although the thing expressed in it be a particular determination ceremoniall and positive Whence profane fellowes cannot with any colour of reason inferre that the substance of the other Commandements is not morall nor obligatory to Christians For whatsoever is in them saving the promise annexed to the fifth Commandement which belongeth not to the substance thereof sheweth of it selfe that it is morall because it hath its foundation in the Law of nature written in the hearts of all men and is found so frequently that no thing is more frequently ratified and confirmed by the Scripture of the New Testament which is the rule of Christianity and therefore obligeth all Christians untill the worlds end which can not be so said of the fourth Commandement in the expression that it maketh of a seventh day for a day of rest For fitly that is not of the Law of Nature and is not prescribed by the Gospell it cannot oblige Christians as a morall Law 29 By the same meanes is taken from the Roman Church the pretence which some think this doctrin furnisheth unto them that the second Commandement whereof we make so great use against their Idolatry is not morall nor perpetuall but was particular to the Iewes even as according to our confession was the fourth Commandement For all that the second Commandement aimeth at is contained and expressed most clearely in the words thereof which is to forbid to represent and worship God by Images to make Images to bowe downe to them and to serve them religiously and all that is essentially morall and perpetuall grounded on the Law of nature which of it selfe teacheth and sheweth that it is a thing most absurd and unworthy of God who is a Spirit Infinite Almighty Eternall Immortall Inuisible and the only Wise GOD to represent and serve him by mortall Images As also a thing unworthy of man to worship the worke of his owne hands as the Paynims themselve have acknowledged and written 30 Witnesses hereof are the most ancient Romanes who knowing by the Law of Nature that GOD is a Spirit judged by the same light that hee ought not to be figured nor served by Images And therefore they had no Images at all during the space of more then an hundred threescore and ten yeeres And Uarro a Romane and a Pagan saith that if that had continued so the Gods had beene served more purely adding that the first which framed Images to the Gods abolished the feare due unto them and were the cause of many errors as wee reade in S. Augustine in the fourth booke and 35. Chapter of the City of God The Prophets also in many places of the old Testament rebuke the Nations which were strangers from the Covenant of God for their Images and Statues as being guilty of a most hainous sin in making and worshiping them against a Law which pertained to them and which they were bound to know These their reprehensions they confirme by naturall reasons as may be seen Exod. 23. vers 24. Exod. 34. vers 13. Deut. 7. vers 5. 25. Deut. 12. v. 3. Deut. 29. vers 17. Psal. 97. vers 7. Psal. 115. vers 4 5 6. 7 8. Psal. 131. vers 15. 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24. Esay 44. vers 9. 10. 18. 19. Ierem. 10. vers 3. c Ierem. 8. vers 19. Ier. 51. vers 17 18 19 47. Habac. 2. vers 18 19 20. The Apostles have likewise done the same in the new Testament and namely S. Paul who in the 17. Chapter of the Acts proved and made it knowne to the Athenians And in the first Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans condemned the Romans for transgressing the Law of Nature darkening the light thereof and smothering the secret and inward sting of their consciences by changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the Image of a corruptible man and of other living creatures S. Iohn in his first Epistle and in the fifth Chapter and last verse thereof exhorteth the faithfull to keepe themselves from Idolls And in the ninth Chapter of the Revelation the crossnesse of false Christians is noted verse 20. by this that notwithstanding so many plagues wherewith GOD had visited them they repented not of the workes of their hands that they should not worship Idols of gold and silver and brasse and stone and of wood which neither can see nor heare nor walke Therefore seeing the whole matter of the second Commandement is morall grounded upon the Law of nature and established not only by the Old but also by the New Testament the Commandement is also morall 32 For whereas some would referre and reduce to the second Commandement the whole externall service of the Iewes as contained in some sort therein to inferre from thence that if the fourth Commandement be in part ceremoniall because unto it are referred all the Sabbaths of the Iewes all their holy dayes and New Moones the second may likewise be called ceremoniall in part for the same reason To that I answer that a reduction and reference of the externall and ceremoniall service of the Iewes may in some respect be made to all the Commandements of the first Table As indeed some ceremoniall ordinances are in certain respects referred to each of them by some interpreters And may be all in this manner referred to the second Commandement which being negative GOD under the prohibition to make any kinde of Images for religious worship compriseth all will-worship And sith in all negative commandements the affirmative opposed unto them are comprehended he commandeth on the contrary that he be served according to his ordinance and Commandement Now sith at that time the manner of his service consisted in the observation of holy dayes and diverse ceremonies prescribed by him in the Law of Moses it may be said that in it he commanded them all But indirectly and a farre of Which cannot make the second Commandement to be ceremoniall because the ceremoniall and outward service appertaineth not Directly and properly to the substance thereof and is not expressed therein But whatsoever is expressed in it is of it selfe morall Whereas in the fourth Commandement the foresaid feasts and ceremonies are directly and neerly comprised For in it God ordaineth a principall holy day and under it comprehendeth all others All that is expressed in it is ceremoniall And the ceremoniall service of the Iewes maketh an essentiall part of the sanctification of the Sabbath injoyned in it So this commandement is not ceremoniall indirectly and in regard only that unto it may be referred and appropriated by a remote and farre fetched reduction the feasts New Moones and Iewish Sabbaths but it is such directly and properly in it selfe even in the neerest substance and matter which it propoundeth So the foresaid exceptions against it should be
absurd and impertinently inferred upon our saying concerning the fourth Commandement because these two Commandements stand not in equall tearmes 33 If any Papists should make such an inference Bellarmine himselfe will lend us his helping hand to refute it For in the seventh Chapter of his second booke of Relikes and Images he acknowledgeth and affirmeth that saving the Commandement of the Sabbath all the rest are explications of the Law of nature and are naturall precepts which all Christians are bound to observe 34 This being so the Roman Church cannot cleanse her selfe of a great crime for cutting off from the Decalogue in all her service bookes the second Commandement and for not propounding it ordinarily to the people for that it fighteth against her idolatry And in my judgement it should be also an hainous fault although not in the same manner and respect to nip away from the Decalogue the fourth Commandement or to make no mention of it in the Church For though it be not morall and obligeth not Christians under the New Testament in the particulars which it expresseth yet sith it is morall in the foundation whereupon it is built and in the generall end that it aimeth at as hath beene said before and sith God would insert it in the abridgement of his Law which he gave of old to the people of Israel it should be foole-hardinesse to pull it away and to remove it out of the roome where God hath placed it Even as although that which is said in the preface of the Law concerning the deliverance of the people out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage and in the fifth Commandement of the prolongation of dayes in the land of Cannaan is not addressed to us directly in that which these termes doe expresse yet it should be ill done to cut these clauses quite off or to make no mention of them when we learne write rehearse or teach the Decalogue We must keepe religiously and mention whatsoever God hath beene pleased to put in it But we must also understand every thing conveniently appropriating to us whatsoever belongeth to us as well as to the Iewes and to the Iewes only that which was proper to them And such was the ordinance of the seventh day 35 Which day if it be not acknowledged to be ceremoniall and therefore Subject to be abrogated by IESUS CHRIST and comprised among the points of the Law which the Gospell declared to be annulled place should be given to an inconvenience that will follow thereupon farre better then the former which is inferred upon the opinion that the fourth Commandement is ceremoniall for so the bridle should be loosed to the immoderate transcendent and irregular authority which Papists challenge to the Church to have power to change and alter the things which God himselfe hath established For it is evident that God by the fourth Commandement hath established the seventh and last day of the week to be a day of rest and it is agreed upon as most true that under the Gospel that seventh day hath been changed into another neither can it be sufficiently and clearely proved that Iesus Christ or his Apostles have made that innovation as shall be seene hereafter whence they doe inferre that the Church having done it of her selfe without commandement she may change the things established and ordained of God in the morall Law Whereunto it is impossible to give a pertinent answer but by saying as it is most true that the prescription of the seventh day of Sabbath although it be among the Commandements of the morall Law is not morall for that but pertaineth to the government of the Iewes and is to be numbred with these things which were but for a time to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill the time of reformation as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 9. vers 10. of these shadowes of things to come whereof the body was in Christ as they are named Col. 2. vers 16 17. where amongst other shadowes the Sabbaths are specified That therefore the Church in not keeping any more the Sabbath prescribed by the fourth Commandement but another hath not usurped any authority upon the things established of God but hath followed the order of God who had not established that day but for a certaine time to wit untill the comming of the Messias by whose death the ceremonies were to be abolished and consequently the Sabbath day was to expire and give up the Ghost CHAPTER Seventh Answer to the particular reasons taken from the words of the fourth Commandement 1. First Objection The Sabbath was long before the Law because God commanded to remember it and remembrance is of things past 2. Three answers to this Objection 3. Second Objection from the first reason of the keeping of the Sabbath sixe daies shalt thou labour c. which is a reason of equity binding Christians as well as Iewes 4. Answer to this Objection shewing what is morall and obligatory in this reason what not 5. Third Objection If the labour of sixe daies be not ceremoniall the rest on the seventh day likewise is not ceremoniall refuted by three answers 6. Fourth Objection from the second reason in the words but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God it is Gods day therefore it is sacriledge to rob him of it 7. Two answers to this Objection 8. Fifth Objection from the third reason in the words In it thou shalt not doe any worke c. where a great regard is had unto servants beasts strangers whereunto Christians are also obliged 9. Answer shewing what in this reason is morall what belonging to order onely 10. Sixth Objection from the words For in sixe daies the Lord made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day shewing that God after his example will have all men to keepe the seventh day till the end of the world 11. First answer denying that God ordained the seventh day for a memoriall of the creation 12. Second answer although things past should be kept in perpetuall remembrance their memorialls ordained in the old Testament are not perpetuall 13. Third answer to the instance taken from Gods example shewing in which attributes God is to be imitated in which not 14. As also in which of his actions in which not we are to follow his example 15. This answer is applyed to the seventh day shewing that it hath not inherent in it any essentiall righteousnesse why God did rest in it but as many other actions hath no other foundation but Gods free-will 16. Whereby hee ordained the observation of that day to the Iewes and not to Christians 17. Who in the observation of their holy day follow not Gods example as they should if it had any morality in it 18. Instance the seventh day was changed into the first day of the weeke in remembrance of our redemption by Christ which is a greater worke then the creation 19. First answer hence it followeth that
contained in the Law and in the Prophets 7 Againe the same is clearely seene by the intention and end of Iesus Christ in the passage that is in question which is to shew for the justification and clearing of himselfe that although he urged above all the observation of the most weighty points of the Law such as are the morall points and blamed the Scribes and Pharisees for tying themselves principally to the ceremonies as to Sacrifices Purifications Sabbaths c. which were of little importance in comparison with morall duties and exhorted his Disciples to be carefull that their righteousnesse should exceed the righteousnesse of these Hypocrites and for that cause was by them accused as a Destroyer of the ceremonies commanded by the Law and authorized by the Prophets neverthelesse he was not come to destroy them but to fulfill them 8 The instance that they make saying that the Lawes which Iesus Christ expoundeth in the verses following of the fifth Chapter of S. Matthew are all morall is too weake For they are not all such In them there is something which hath expresse regard to the ceremonies and a comparison of them with the moralities vers 23. 24. And some other things which belong to the politike or judiciall Law vers 25. 31. 38. 9 But besides this although they were all morall that inforceth not by a necessary proofe that in the seventeenth and eighteenth verses Christ hath spoken of morall duties or that the twentieth one the twentieth two and verses following have so strait a connexion with the 17 and 18. verses which goe before that they speake all of the same subject and matter For how ordinary is it in the same sequele of a discourse to diversifie the particular subjects and to passe from one to another And indeed our Lord IESUS CHRIST passeth most conveniently from the Ceremonies which the Scribes Pharisees accused him falsely to destroy to the moralities which they destroyed in effect The tenor of his discourse being this I am accused by the Scribes and Pharisees to destroy the ceremonies and ordinances of the Law because I blame the superstitious usage and preferring of them to morall duties which are of greater importance But that is most false For I destroy them not but doe shew their true usage and am come to exhibite the truth of them in my person neither is there any of them nor of the Prophesies that shall not be fulfilled in me But this accusation may be truly laid in the dish of the Scribes and Pharisees For they are the men which destroy the Law yea in things that in it are of greatest moment debasing and disrespecting it as if it were nothing in comparison of their traditions and ceremoniall observations Therefore I say unto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceed theirs yee shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven For they make glosses upon the morall Commandements which pervert their true sense and in so doing teach men to breake them This then being evident that in the foresaid 18. verse mention is made of the Law as much nay much more as it containeth the ceremoniall ordinances then the morall the argument taken from it remaineth without force on the behalfe of those that alledge it if they will not by the same meanes render us necessary keepers of all other ceremonies of the Law as well as of the Sabbath day which is not their intention 10 Neither doth that follow of the saying of Iesus Christ. For it is most true that he was not come to annihilate and destroy the ceremonies of the Law either by his Doctrine or by his Actions Not by his Doctrine by declaring them to be vaine idle and frustratory things not by his Actions by saying or doing any thing contrary unto them by casseering and abolishing them without fulfilling the truth of things figured by them The verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Evangelist imports as much for it signifieth often to overthrow and destroy and is here equivalent to the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle in the same subject and to the same intention Rom. 3. vers 31. saying that through faith the Law is not made void but established where by the Law he understandeth not onely the morall Commandements but also the Ceremonies figures and prophesies as appeareth by the 21. verse where he speaketh of the righteousnesse of faith witnessed by the Law which belongeth to the whole Law given by Moses yea properly to the ceremoniall Law which led men directly to Christ which the morall Law did not but by an oblique and indirect way Christ I say was not come to destroy the Law of ceremonies but to fulfill them which he did both by teaching what was the end they tended unto and by a reall exhibition in himselfe of the body of their shadowes and of the truth of their figures which was no impediment unto him why he should not make them to cease after he had fulfilled them Nay much otherwise it was necessary hee should make them to cease seeing they had no other end but to figure and represent him which was not a destroying of them but rather the true meanes whereby he made them to obtaine their perfection making them to abut to their end In which respect the Apostle in the tenth Chapter to the Romans vers 4. calleth Christ the end of the Law Now the Sabbath day being a ceremoniall point of the Law injoyned in the 4th Commandement of the Decalogue in that wherein it was ceremoniall as hath beene shewed before Iesus Christ ought not destroy it but by fulfilling the truth that it figured make it to cease and expire as all other legall ceremonies And therefore although Iesus Christ in the foresaid passage had intended to speake onely of the Law of the ten Commandements the objection taken from this place should not be of any moment and consquence 11 Of this that wee have said ariseth an answer to the instance taken from the ninteenth verse following in the same Chapter Whosoever therfore shall breake or rather shall destroy one of these least Commandements and shall teach men so hee shall bee called the least in the Kingdome of Heaven Of which words presupposing still that Iesus Christ in them intendeth to speake only of the Commandements contained expresly in the Decalogue they inferre that seeing the Commandement of the Sabbath is one of them Iesus Christ condemneth for ever the inobservation or transgression and on the other part ordaineth and establisheth the observation thereof 12 Wherevnto granting unto them for their greater advantage that Iesus Christ in these words hath regard to the Commandements of the Decalogue only I answer that he speaketh of the dissolving annihilating and overthrowing of these Commandements For this the signification of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the originall And condemneth all those that dare to doe it But to abrogate the Sabbath day injoyned by
on the Sabbath day if not for your owne sake who being well informed and instructed in the faith shall know that yee may flee on that day and make no difficultie for conscience sake yet in regard of others who shall be distressed with the same necessity to flee with you but who being altogether ignorant of the liberty of the Gospell as the Iewes not as yet converted or the weake ones retaining after their conversion and profession of the Gospell a religious respect towards the ceremonies of the Law of Moses as many Christians who for conscience sake towards the Sabbath will be scrupulous to flie on it for whom in respect of their ignorance and weakenesse you ought to pray that your common flight be not on that day For yee are all members of one body 6 I say more that although Iesus Christ by the Sabbath day had signified the first day of the weeke which after his Ascension was to be observed by all Christians and had commanded his Disciples to pray that their flight should not fall out on Sunday least they should be compelled to imploy upon bodily working travelling and hurrying up and downe a day which otherwise they had applyed to GODs service of that no man can conclude neither that a seventh day of rest is a morall point nor also that Christs minde was to injoyne the observation of the first day of the weeke but only that he foresaw that after his Ascension the first day of the week should be kept by Christians of their owne free will through respect to his resurrection which should befall on that day and that it should be loathsome and grievous unto them to weary themselves with fleeing on a day wherein they were wont to rest from all worldly imployments and to addict â—hemselves to serve God in his house Verily although a day be not ordained of God to be stinted for his service yet if by the custome of the Church it be ordinarily imployed for that use a true Christian will be hartily sorry that hee should be forced by necessity to busie himselfe in other exercises then those which are proper to Gods service and he may with good reason make humble suit unto GOD that he be not brought to such a hard strait And therefore CHRIST might advise his Disciples to pray that their flight should not befall on the Saturday without any other inference that can be gathered from thence saving a future use and custome to observe such a day in the Church and not any obligation proceeding from him farre lesse a naturall and morall obligation towards a seventh day of the weeke which is the point in question CHAPTER Eleven Answer to the Ninth Reason 1. Ninth Reason the Apostles kept the Sabbath 2. First answer they entred into the Synagogues of the Iewes on the Sabbath day not for conscience sake but for the commodity of the place and time to convert the Iewes 3. Second answer In this and in the observation of other ceremonies they applyed themselves to the infirmity of the Iewes 4. Passages alleadged to prove that the Apostles absolutely and simply did keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes 5. First Answer Acts 13. ver 42. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be interpreted indifferently people folke 6. Second answer the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be interpreted of the weeke betweene 7. If wee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they signifie in a day betweene the Sabbaths this answer is not refuted by the 44. verse 8. Third Answer The 44. Uerse may be truly translated not of the next Sabbath day but of the next weeke 9. Fourth Answer in both verses the Sabbath being taken for the next Sabbath they prove not that which is intended 10. The passage alleadged Acts 16. verse 12 13. cannot be understood but of those that were Iewes in Religion 11. Whether they had a Synagogue or not they met together out of the townes 12. There they had a place appointed for prayer c. called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an Oratory or place of prayer 15. Where Saint Paul and his fellowes joyned with them to seeke to gaine them to Christ. 14. Why the Apostles which taught sufficiently the abrogation of the Sabbath and of Holy dayes did not preach against them as they did against Circumcision and other ceremonies 15. Answer to the last Reason concerning the Sabbaticall River 1 IT is with as little shew nay it is rather against themselves that to prove a necessary and perpetuall obligation to keepe the Sabbath some make use of that which is noted in diverse places of the Acts of the Apostles as in the Chapter 13. verse 14 43 44. and 16. verse 13. and 17. verse 2. and 18. verse 4. and other where that the Apostles after the Ascension of Iesus Christ kept the Sabbath going to the Synagogues of the Iewes and expounding the Scriptures there 2 For this argument if it were good for any thing would prove that under the New Testament the Iewish Sabbath day to wit the last of the week is to be kept because in the foresaid places mention is made of that day only But the going of the Apostles to the Synagogues on that day came not from any obligation of the law tying them to the Sabbath nor from any religious respect to that day as if it had beene still a necessary point of Gods service but because it was the ordinary day of the congregations of the Iewes whom they desired to convert and it was expedient for that end that they should be present at such times and places that the Iewes did meet in to wit on the Sabbath day and in their Synagogues as for the same reason they observed also the annuall feasts and indeavoured to bee at Ierusalem on such dayes as may be seene Acts 20. verse 16. I adde that they applyed themselves in this point as in many other legall ceremonies to the infirmitie of the Iewes Acts. 15. v. 29. Acts 16. verse 3. Acts 21. verse 24 26. and 1 Cor. 9. ver 20. to gaine them more easily to the faith and to preserve them in it after their conversion For it is certaine that the faithfull Christians converted from the Iewish Religion to the faith of Christ kept still a great zeale for the ceremonies as it is said in the Acts Chap. 21. verse 20. and consequently for the Sabbath day 4 There be some who would have the Iewish Sabbath to be still kept in the Christian Church and to prove that the Apostles did particularly and carefully observe the seventh day of the weeke without any occasion of condescent to the Religion and devotion of the Iewes towards the Sabbath doe alleadge the thirteenth Chapter of the Acts verse 42 43 44. where it is said that when Paul and Barnabas were on the Sabbath day gone out of the Synagogue of the Iewes the Gentiles besought them that they would preach the word unto them the next Sabbath
which being granted unto them the next Sabbath day almost the whole City wherein were comprised more Gentiles than Iewes came together to heare the Word of God They alleadge also the sixteenth Chapter of the Acts verse 13. where without any mention of Iewes or of Synagogue it is said that Paul and Silas being in Philippi a Towne of Macedonia where they sojourned certaine dayes on the Sabbath went out of the City by a river side where prayer was wont to be made keeping the Sabbath amongst the Gentiles without any respect to the Iewes 5 To this I may answer without great difficulty And first to the passage in the Acts Chapter 13. verse 42. I might say that this intreaty made to Paul and Barnabas to preach the next Sabbath day is not by all the interpreters ascribed to the Gentiles but to the Iewes who before as may be seene in the fifteenth verse had intreated them to propound some word of exhortation For the word Gentiles in some Greeke editions and in some versions is not to be found Besides this some are of opinion that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be taken not for the Gentiles as they are distinguished from the Iewes but indifferently for the multitude of people that was there present in this sence and the folke or people besought Paul and Barnabas which may be referred to the Iewes as well as to the Gentiles 6 But not to stand upon that I say Secondly that the originall Text doth not shew manifestly that the request made by the Gentiles to Paul and Barnabas was that they would preach unto them the next Sabbath day for it may signifie in the intermedium of the Sabbath that is in any time betweene the Sabbath wherein they had presently preached to the Iewes and the next Sabbath following For seeing the Sabbath was the day which the Iewes reserved for themselves and which the Apostles imployed amongst them for their instruction the Gentiles belike desired to take some other day for them wherein with more commoditie they might heare the word And verily there is no likelihood that Gentiles not as yet instructed neither in the Law nor in the Gospell would aske of their owne head the Sabbath day rather than any other and it is more likely that they did aske any other commodious day betweene the Sabbath of the Iewes such as Paul and Barnabas should be pleased to appoint unto them whiles they were not busied with teaching the Iewes The words in the originall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which many interpreters doe translate not the next Sabbath day as if the Gentiles had chused that day but in the Sabbath or in the weeke betweene that is in any day betweene till the next Sabbath 7 And there are some which probably esteeme that these words should be red 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should bee taken for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie cleerely in any day whatsoever betweene the Sabbaths This interpretation is not sufficiently refuted by the allegation of the 44. Verse where it is clearely said that the next Sabbath day came almost the whole City together to heare the Word of God For it is not necessary that this 44. Verse should declare the accomplishment of the request made by the Gentiles in the 42. Verse It is rather likely that the Apostles having already fulfilled it betweene the two Sabbaths when the Sabbath day came wherein the Iewes according to their custome met together and Paul as his manner was preached unto them as we may see Acts 17. verse 2. and Acts 18. verse 4. the whole City being moved with curiosity by the rumour spread abroad of the former sermons made both to Iewes and Gentiles ranne together in a farre greater number than before to heare the word Thirdly seeing the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sabbath is sometimes taken both in the Old and in the New Testament not particularly for the Sabbath day but for the weeke as in Leviticus 23. verse 15. and 25. verse 8. in Saint Matthew 28. verse 1. in St. Luke 18. v. 12. wherefore may we not in the foresaid passages understand that the Gentiles seeing it was the end of that weeke intreated Paul and Barnabas to preach unto them the next weeke verse 42. and that they did so the next weeke conformably to their desire ver 44. without expression of the particular day of that week So the sence shall be this And the next weeke came almost the whole City c. But although we should grant that both in the request of the Gentiles verse 42. and in the accomplishment thereof verse 44. the Sabbath day must be understood it followeth not neither that the Gentiles ought to observe that day nor that the Apostles had any regard unto it for Religion and conscience sake but only that the Gentiles of whom mention is made in the 42. Verse having beene present at the Sermon which Paul and Barnabas made to the Iewes on the Sabbath day and not having a particular day or time appointed to them for the hearing of the word of the Gospell because the Christian Religion was not as yet received nor established in their Towne as the Iewish Religion was having her Sabbaths and Synagogues free which the Apostles resorted unto intreated them that they might heare them againe on another Sabbath day and in the Synagogue of the Iewes because it was a most fit time and place for them by reason of the liberty that the Iewes injoyned for the exercises of their Religion which Paul and Barnabas yeelded unto whereof the speech being spread abroad through the Towne great multitudes trouped together on the next Sabbath through curiosity and ran to the Synagogue of the Iewes to heare them So it was not any devotion neither of the Gentiles nor of the Apostles to the Sabbath but the simple commodity that moved them to make choice of it 10 To the other passage cited out of the sixteenth Chapter of the Acts verse 12 13. I say likewise that Paul and Silas tooke occasion to observe the Sabbath because the Iewes met together for the exercise of their Religion on that day For although it be not said that those which resorted unto the place of prayer were Iewes no more is it said that they were Gentiles But it may be gathered out of the Text that they were Iewes either by birth and of the same nation or by Religion and religious communion because they were persons which ordinarily assembled together to call upon God on the Sabbath day verse 13. and who already served God as amongst others it is said of Lydia verse 14. with whom the Apostles made no bones to joyne themselves Which cannot in any wise be taken of Gentiles Infidels and of their devotions to their Idols as is evident nor also
travellers that seeke it the cessation and bringing of it to naught teacheth that the Sabbath hath ceased and is abrogated And so having refuted all reasons that are put abroach for the morality and perpetuity of the Sabbath I end here the second part of this Treatise THE THIRD PART Of the originall and institution of the first day of the weeke for the day of Gods publike service in the Christian. CHURCH CHAPTER First Establishment of the opinion most admittable concerning the originall and institution of the Lords day 1. The first day of the weeke was kept from the beginning of the Christian Church in remembrance of Christs Resurrection not for any necessity in the thing it selfe 2. Not also by obligation of the fourth Commandement 3. The state of the Question whether this day be an institution of IESUS CHRIST or of his Apostles or whether the faithfull of themselves without any Commandement made choice of it 4. The first opinion hath no solid foundation The second hath 5. First argument against the first opinion There is no record in the whole New Testament that Christ or his Apostles ordained that day c. 6. Second argument the first day of the weeke was not equally kept by all Christians till Constantine by an imperiall Law tyed them unto it as also to the sixt day which wee call Friday 7. First observation upon the imperiall Law of Constantine concerning the first day of the weeke 8. Second Observation upon the same Law concerning the sixt day 9. Whence it is cleere that both were of Ecclesiasticall institution 10. Third argument the first Christians especially in the East observed for the space of three hundred yeeres and more the seventh day of the weeke with the first day 11. Confirmation of this truth by the Councell of Laodicea and sundry Fathers c. 12. Which shew evidently that the Christians in those dayes beleeved not that the first day of the weeke was by CHRIST or his Apostles subrogated to the Iewish Sabbath 1 IT is plaine and generally agreed on that the first day of the weeke was kept from the beginning of the Christian Church and that undoubtedly upon the consideration of the Resurrection of CHRIST which came to passe on that day Yet this observation was not grounded upon any necessity of the thing it selfe obliging Christians to keepe that day of the weeke rather than another For as it hath beene shewed before it is impossible to explicate with shew of reason either what morall necessity one day of seven hath in it more than hath another number or wherefore it was necessary that the day of the week that Christ rose in should be kept in the Christian Church rather than the day wherein he was borne or the day wherein he suffered on the Crosse or the day wherin hee ascended into heaven Or if the day of his Resurrection must be observed why these others of his birth death and Ascension ought not to be also kept weekely The resurrection of Christ might did give occasion unto the observation of that day but that it was a cause obliging necessarily and having a fundamentall relation or that CHRIST by his Resurrection on that day intended to sanctifie it particularly to the Christian Church cannot bee proved 2 Neither also hath the fourth Commandement obliged Christians to observe this day For it injoyned the last day of the weeke precisely and not the first and in that respect was ceremoniall which also hath beene shewed And therefore the observation of the first day of the weeke cannot be grounded upon the tearmes thereof For the foundation thereof should be absurd and unreasonable thus God ordained under the Old Testament as a point of ceremony and of order for that time the last day of the weeke wherein hee rested from all his workes Therefore in vertue and through obligation of this Commandement men are bound under the New Testament to observe the first day of the weeke wherein God began to apply himselfe to the production of his works Who seeth not the manifest absurdity of such an illation Therefore this observation of the first day of the weeke must of necessity bee attributed to some other free and voluntary institution made concerning it in the New Testament 3 Here beginneth a new question whether the institution therof be divine or Apostolicall If it was our Lord Iesus Christ that ordained it after his Resurrection to be kept by all Christians during the whole time of the New Testament if the Apostles also injoyned it to all the faithfull till the end of the world so that they are all bound to the observation thereof by the institution of Christ or of his Apostles Or whether the faithfull did not of themselves without any commandement through respect to the Resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ keepe the day wherein it came to passe as also to make a distinction thereby between them and the Iewes and to shew that they were made free from all Iewish observations types and figures amongst which was the Sabbath day and that they observed not a day in quality of type and figure but onely for orders sake and for Ecclesiasticall government to apply themselves together to the exercises of Religion and for that cause had changed the seventh day of the Iewes into another which usage and custome as very fit and convenient being begunne first amongst a few faire and softly prevailed and was established with the Christian Religion amongst all those that imbraced it and since that time hath continued in the Christian Church till this day 4 Although the first of these opinions were true it cannot inforce the morality of a seventh day of rest but only that the first day of the weekes was instituted by IESUS CHRIST or his Apostles as a point of order whereunto in such a case the faithfull should be bound by the necessity of a divine and apostolicall commandement But I see not that this opinion hath any solid ground whereas the second is well founded For there is nothing found in the New Testament concerning the observation of the first day of the weeke importing a commandement of Christ or of his Apostles neither is there any such commandement inferred but by remote and most weake consequences and it is more likely that all the places alleadged to that purpose denote onely a simple usage among some Christians in those dayes which by succession of time hath beene setled and is become universall 5 Indeed if Iesus Christ or his Apostles by expresse commandement from him or by divine inspiration had ordained that day as a point so necessary as it is thought to be I doubt not but their commandement should have beene expressely set downe in the books of the New Testament as are all other ordinances of necessary things and that in them we should finde reprehension against those that had neglected the observation of that day as in them there are reprehensions against all kinde of
to us that which was a figure And afterwards From these words For God in six dayes created the heaven and the earth and rested the seventh day This probable conjecture is inferred that the holinesse of the Sabbath was before the Law Bullinger Sermonum decade 2. Serm. 4. Scimus Sabbatum esse ceremoniale quatenus conjunctum est cum sacrificiis reliquis Iudaicis ceremoniis quatenus alligatum est tempori Caeterùm quatenus Sabbato religio piet as propagatur justus or do retinetur in Ecclesia perpetuum non ceremoniale est Wee know that the Sabbath is ceremoniall so farre as it is joyned with the sacrifices and the rest of the Iewish ceremonies and so farre as it is tied to a certaine time But so farre as by the Sabbath religion and piety is advanced and good order preserved in the Church the observation of it is everlasting and not ceremoniall Musculus in locis Commun in praeceptum 4. Deus diem exprimit quo sanctificandum sit Sabbatum unum videlicet de septem diebus eumque nec primum nec secundum c. sed postremum 1. septimum God doth specifie the day in which the Sabbath is to be sanctified namely that it is one of seven and that neither the first nor the second c. but the last that is the seventh Item Legale Sabbatum non erat naturâ suâ ita comparatum ut esset perpetuum Erat enim non verum sed umbratile non perfectum sed elementarium ac paedagogicum adeóque imperfectum populo elementario accommodatum Quare Novi Testamenti tempore desiit ut spiritus libertati locus esset Christus est corpus cujus adventu rectè cessarunt umbrae The legall Sabbath considered in it selfe was not appointed to be of a perpetuall duration for it was not a true one but onely typicall not perfect but elementary and pedagogicall and by consequent imperfect and appropriated to an elementary and rude people Therefore it was most reasonable that it should have end under the New Testament that the Christian liberty of the spirit might have place Christ is the body at whose comming it behooved all shadowes to vanish away Cal. 2. Item Observantia legalis Sabbati non perinde imposita reliquis nationibus atque Israelitis Etenim non extat praeceptum Dei quod gentes ad hanc septimi diei observationem astringat sicut ad illam Israelitae manifesta lege obstringuntur Quare convinci non potest quòd septimi diei Sabbatum ante hanc legem vel ante diluvium ab Adamo ad Noe usque vel post diluvium à Noe ad Mosem usque vel per Abraham vel posteros ejus servatum fuerit unde quidam Hebraeorum fatentur non esse scriptum de Abrahamo quòd Sabbatum observârit Quin etiamsi de patribus qui ante legem vixerunt certò constaret quòd Sabbati hujus religionem servârint haud tamen quisquam mortalium illorum exemplo ad consimilem alligaretur observantiam nisi dicturi sumus esse nobis pecudes immolandas propterea quòd patres ante post diluvium de pecoribus sacrificâsse leguntur The observation of the legall Sabbath was not so imposed upon other nations as upon the Iewes for there is no divine precept that obligeth the Gentiles to this keeping of a seventh day as the Iewes by an expresse law are tied to doe Wherefore it cannot be proved that a seventh dayes rest was observed before the Law either before the deluge from Adam to Noe or after the deluge from Noe to Moses or by Abraham and his posterity Hence it is that some of the Iewish Writers doe confesse that it is no where written of Abraham that hee observed the Sabbath But grant that there were any certaine proofe that the Fathers who lived before the Law did keepe the Sabbath Notwithstanding it doth not follow that any man by their example should be tied to the same except wee will also conclude that we must now sacrifice beasts because we reade the Fathers before and after the flood did so Item Decalogus hic quatenus pertinet ad legem Israeli per Mosem in Monte Sina divinitus datam pertinet ad solos Israelitas This Decalogue so farre as it hath reference to the Law given to the Iewes from God by Moses in mount Sinai doth onely pertaine to the Iewes Item Qui baptizatus est in Christum servatorem spiritum gratiae accepit profectò non sive grandi Christi gratiae injuria jugo se legis serviliter subjicit si se legalis Sabbati servandi debitorem esse judicat Hee who was baptized in Christs name and hath received the spirit of grace doth not without putting a grosse affront upon the same spirit slavishly subject himselfe to the yoke of the Law if he thinketh himselfe bound to keepe the legall Sabbath Item Ad legem pertinet ut aliquo die vacetur sacris ritibus exercitiis Hactenus non debemus Sabbati id est quietis sanctificationem abjicere quae usque adeò naturali lege traditur ut universae gentes stativas quasdam ferias universo populo communes rebus sacris obeundis consecratas habuerunt Ad legem verò Mosaicam referendum est quòd non primus non secundus non tertius c. sed septimus dies sacro otio expressè legaliter deputatur Ista legalis septimi diei deputatio consecratio neminem mortalium constringit praeter Iudaeos idque non nisi ad tempus usque Novi Testamenti quo Lex Mosis unà cum sacerdotio Christo sacerdoti cessit Quare haud est praeter rationem quòd Apostolus tantopere Legis Sabbati legalis observantiam rejicit c. It is a branch of the law of nature that some day be set apart to the performing of holy rites and sacrifices And thus far we are not to reject the sanctifying of a Sabbath a day of rest which by the law of nature is so clearely taught us that even all nations have had set holy dayes generall thorow the whole people and consecrated to holy exercises But it is by Moses Law that not the first not the second not the third c. but the seventh day is expresly and legally appointed for a holy rest That legall appointing and consecrating of a seventh day doth oblige no people under heaven but the Iewes and that for a certaine time till the time of the New Testament under which Moses Law and Priesthood gave place to Christ our Saviour Wherefore it is not without reason that the Apostle is so zealous for the cancelling of the Law and the legall Sabbath c. Ursin. in Tractat. Theolog. de praecept 4. Praecepti hujus duae sunt partes quarum una est moralis sive perpetua videlicet ut sanctificetur Sabbatum id est aliquod tempus certum tribuatur ministerio Ecclesiae sive publico Dei cultui