required of the Gentiles and as Ainsworth saith was used of Israel and all Nations till the coming of Christ And it is evident that the publick and solemn manner of making Prayers and Supplications to God both by the Jews and Gentiles was with sacrifices of Beasts and after this manner they also offered their praises and thanksgivings And as for preaching it is recorded that Enoch prophesied and Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness and the Spirit of God in him preached to the old World and in Melchisedeck blessed Abraham From all which it is plainly manifest that there was a Revelation of the Will of God for his Worship and Service and also for the sanctifying of the seventh day Sabbath before the Ministration of Moses Law whereby the Gentiles were directed how to exert their particular Obedience in answer to the general Obligation of the Light of Nature which being more fairly transcribed by Moses was still the Rule of the Gentiles obliging them to Worship God according to the Revelation of his Will they had received before the Law confirmed in the Law and to the new discovery of it afterwards by the Gospel SECT V. HEre I proceed to prove Exod. 21.12 16 18 19 22 23. Chap. 22.1.5.18 19. ch 23.8 Levit. 20.15.16 Deut. 19.18 19 Chap. 20.10 to 16. That the Ten Commandments as such are of themselves binding to all Men under the Gospel as a Rule of Holy Life And first Because the Moral Expositions of them with sundry penalties that were not only Judaical but are perpetual Appendixes to the Moral Law given and commanded in the Books of Moses are still to be observed thô they are not all repeated again in the New Testament for else neither by the Institution of God to Noah that whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed can a Mans life be spared for killing his Neighbour unawares Nor in the sixth Command Thou shalt not kill have we any liberty to kill in lawful War or Battel Nor have we any bodily penalty prescribed for wilful murder nor for a Witch nor for stealing either in the Ten Commandments or in the New Testament so that we must either in these and other cases have respect to the Moral Expositions and those penal Appendixes of the Ten Commandments recorded in other places of Scripture in the Old Testament and consequently to the Commandments themse lves as binding to us or else we are left to the uncertain dictates of Nature 2. The Ten Commandments of themselves are binding to all Men as a Rule of Holy life because the Explicatory precepts of the seventh Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery do in Levit. 18. chap. 19.29 Deut. 23.17 particularly explain and prohibit Whoredom Fornication and Incestnous Marriages as Moral branches of this Law For the Gentiles which had not the written Law were charged with them as immoral Evils for which things God cast them out of the Land of Canaan And therefore seeing that the substance of those Explicatory Precepts were morally binding to those Gentiles before the Law See the asoresaid Baptâ—sts and the other two Confes of Faith where incestous Marriages are asserted to be unlawful and forbidden in Levit. 18. thô we find in the N. Testament only two of those incestous Marriages in Levit. 18. to be forbidden Matth. 14.3 4. and 1 Cor. 5.1 and that they are generally acknowledged to be in force thô they are not all of them expresly repeated distinctly forbidden nor explained in the Ten Commandments to be sin neither by Jesus Christ nor his Holy Apostles except two of them in the New Testament any otherwise than their forbidding of those Evils in general terms must have a natural reference to the particulars that are found in the Old Testamant and included as branches of the moral law We may then as fairly conclude that the seventh Commandment and consequently the other nine are of themselves binding to us as well as that those explicatory precepts or moral branches deduced from them should be still in force without their particular Confirmation in the New Testament 3. The ten Commandments are of themselves binding to us For the Apostle faith Rom. 3.9 We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin viz. that the Gentiles that are not under the Law of Circumcision are notwithstanding under the Works of the Moral Law written in their Hearts by Nature and the Jews are under the same Obligation transcribed on Tables of Stone and in other appendant Moral Precepts given to them by Moses And the Apostle having proved that the Gentiles that were without the Law in Tables of stone were under sin by the Law of Nature Chap. 2.14 15 16. and the Jews by the law of Circumcision ver 25. does then from Chap. 3.9 to ver 20. treat of all in general and concludes that both Jews and Gentiles are all under the Law viz. one and the same moral Obligation that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God And the Apostle farther arguing both of the Jews and Gentiles concludeth with these words Do we then make void the Law through faith Chap. 3.29 30 31. God forbid yea we establish tie Law And so doth the Apostle James who wrote to his Brethren the Jews that had the Faith of Jesus Christ saying If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture James 2.8 9. Chap. 2.1 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well But if ye have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offends in one point he is guilty of all From whence I observe that the believing Jews were still under the Obligation of the Moral Law as a Rule of Holy Life which of its self or by its own Authority is binding under the Gospel for else if it had been abrogated by the New Testament Ministration the Apostle would not have cited the Law of Moses out of the Old Testament as the Obligation of their Obedience as the Apostle farther argueth in Ver. 11 12. and exhorteth them so to speak and do as they that shall be judged by the Law of liberty that is as much as to say that they should be judged by the Law under the relief and benefit of the Grace of Christ in the Gospel So then if the believing Jews under the Gospel are made Transgressors by the Law of Moses as the Apostle sheweth it is a clear Demonstration that the Law is still of its self binding to them and it being the same in substance as the Law written in the Heart of Man by Nature but in a fairer Copy delivered by the Jews to the Gentile Nations now with the Gospel of Christ in the New Testament it is also equally binding to us as to the Jews For if the Jews by Faith in Christ are not brought from under the Obligation
of the Moral Law why then should the same Faith in the Gentiles excuse them from it as a Rule 4. Moreover I shall farther add that while the holy Apostles are throwing down the Types and Shadowy Worship under that legal Dispensation 1 Tim. 1.8 yet they assert that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully viz. as a Foundation of our Worship and Obedience to God and just behaviour towards Man which thrô Gospel Grace after the measure we have received is or ought to be put forth according to the several Moral branches of the Law and the Divine Precepts and Patterns given to us in the New Testament And therefore we find the Holy Apostles and Gospel Writers often proving and confirming the Moral part of their Doctrine by the Law as appears in Ephes 6.1 2 3. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth Here the Apostle confirms his Moral Doctrine to the Gentiles by the Authority of the fifth Commandment or first with promise which plainly shews that it is of its self binding to us all under the Gospel and he Moralizeth the Promise by saying Earth instead of the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee So that the Promise was not only to pertain to the Jews in the Land of Canaan but was perpetually to continue to all the Gentiles and so we may say in the aforesaid case of every one that killed a Man unawares who was to flee into the City of Refuge and continue there until the Death of the High-priest Numb 35.25 that thô we have no such High-priest in Gospel days yet the equity of that Law is still in force But to return to our present business we may farther find the Apostle proveth the moral part of his Doctrine from the Commendments Exod. 20. For in Rom. 13.8 9 10. we are exhorted to love one another for saith he Love is the fulfilling of the law and he briefly citeth five of the Ten Commandments to confirm the Duty of Love which comprehendeth them all And in Chap. 7.7 12. What shall we say then is the law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the law had said Thou shalt not covet Wherefore the law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good Therefore surely this Moral Precept in particular and others in general mentioned by the Apostle are of themselves binding to us as a Rule of Holy life for whatsoever Law is morally holy just and good as this particular precept is by which the Apostle came to the knowledge of Sin it is perpetually and universally binding to all Men Rom. 2.14 15. who have the substance of it written in their Hearts by Nature So that from the Apostles making use of the Anthority of the Moral Law of Moses to confirm his Doctrine Matth. 5.19 James 2.8 Chap. 4.11 1 Joh. 3.4 and from the Commendations of it in the New Testament it clearly appears to be in force unto all Men now under the Gospel And seeing the fourth Commandment in particular is delivered in such moral Terms as doth not of its self bind us to the observation of the Sabbath after the Jewish Pattern from Evening to Evening any more than after our Christian pattern from Morning to Morning which does answer that Very Precept as well as theirs did from that single Law we have then no reason to exclude the fourth Commandment from the rest of the Decalogue but to believe it is equally Moral with the other nine as will appear more patticularly in the next ensuing Section SECT VI. TO proceed therefore on the fourth Commandment I shall here recite Exod. 20.9 10 11. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 1. That this Commandment is morally binding to both Jews and Gentiles is evident because it is in substance the same with God's sanctifying the seventh day for Man Gen. 2. And if the Sabbath be not from thence perpetually binding to all Nations but restrained to the posterity of the Jews then by the same Rule the Gentiles had no interest in the promise of the Womans Seed Gen. 3.15 or the Messias that should bruise the Serpents Head as then made to our first Parents and therefore as I believe it will be granted by all Christians that the Gentiles as well as the Jews had an interest in the first promise as then made viz. in the Original discovery of the Messias as well as in those after promises that are the fruits and effects of it So in like manner we have also ground to believe that the first sanctifying of the Sabbath-day was from thence and is also from the fourth Commandment morally binding of its self to both Jews and Gentiles for if we question the one we may also doubt of the other 2. The End of the fourth Commandment sheweth it to be a Moral Precept for a time of rest is naturally moral and by the example of God and his sanctifying the seventh day to every six working days it is also become morally and perpetually binding for all Men to keep the seventh day Sabbath as a boundary to neither more nor less than six working days together and therefore for any to deny the same in the fourth Commandment is in effect to deny the World their sixed Sabbath for thô the Gospel first-day Sabbath hath a new Sanctity yet it is founded on the old Law and Gods sanctifying of the seventh day for Man from the beginning or else it is left very dubious whether we are bound to keep any fixed day of Rest at all but as there is the same Moral reason for a Sabbath as was before so we have reason to conclude that the same Law in the fourth Commandment is morally binding to us all 3. I shall offer some Reasons for satisfaction wherefore I believe the Lord was pleased to sanctifie the Sabbath and to deliver the fourth Command to observe it under the name of the seventh day rather than of the first day Sabbath And 1. Because althô Man abstained from work on the first day after he was compleatly formed yet seeing God gave the Sanctity to the Day for a Memorial of his Creation and for Man to worship him there was reason that the day should answer the memorial of his finishing of and ceasing from the work of Creation rather than of Adams solemn entring upon his subordinate Dominion under God viz. in Honour to the Creator rather than to the Creature
brought under the Obligation of Obedience to the Moral Law tho they were at Liberty from most of the Ceremonial Service of it that was teaching and instructive to them SECT IV. HEre I shall speak to a Proposition which is that the Law of Nature and the same in the written Moral Law of Moses obligeth all men to worship God tho' after what manner he is pleased to be worshipped is not perfectly known but by the Revelation of it to them and then it followeth that either the Gentiles in the time of the Law were bound to worship God according to the Ceremonial Precepts of Moses or had some other ways the Will of God revealed to them 1. To the first we have Reason to believe that the Gentiles were lest to their own Liberty and were not absolutely required to observe the whole Ceremonial Law of Moses For as I cannot sind a command for it Deut. 16.16 Exod. 34.23 so many Nations were at too great a distance for all their Males according to the Commandment to go up three times a Year to appear before the Lord at Jerusalem 1 Kings 11.36 Dent. 12.5 6 c. the City which he had chosen to put his Name there Nor could some Northern People observe their Sabbaths according to the Precepts from Evening to Evening of which more hereafter and whatever may be said for the Proselites that dwelt in Canaan yet those Gemtles that inhabited other Countreys could not properly make the acknowledgement required in the Law Deut. 2â— 3 9. viz. That they were come unto the Countrey which the Lord sware unto their Fathers for to give them and it was impossible for all the World to inhabit in so small a Country as the Land of Canaan for it could not bear them And therefore our present business is to consider what the Gentiles were obliged to in Point of Worship before and under the Dispensation of the Law of Moses Which 2. Seeing the Gentiles were not absolutely required to renew the Law of Nature delivered on Mount Sinai as a Visible and External Covenant intailing the Ceremonial Worship of God delivered to the Jews but were to receive the Moral Law on the Obligation of Nature as a Rule of Holy Life whereby they were under an Obligation of some Divine Worship which forasmuch as it could not be of the whole Ceremonial Law of Moses and that the Light of humane Nature alone could not discover the Will of God for their perfect Obedience therein We have then Reason to believe that the Gentiles before the Law had some Precepts of God or Divine Revelation given to them how they should worship him and that these were handed down unto Posterity I deny not but the Light of Nature might shew them it was their Duty to Pray and Praise God and to Teach or Declare to one another what they knew of him but yet through the Corruption and Depravity of our Nature by the fall we find by Experience that notwithstanding we have the Additional Light of the Holy Scriptures there are different Apprehensions amongst Men about the manner of performing these Moral Duties and then we have much more Reason to conclude that the Light of Nature it self is an uncertain Guide and therefore it is rational to believe that the Gentiles before and under the Law had some Information of the Will of God concerning their Worship of him which was handed down from Adam and then from Noah after the Flood who were both publick Fathers of all Nations Jews and Gentiles Gen. 6.2 c. Levit. 18.24 For the Scriptures shew that the Sons of God were reproved for taking Wives of all which they chose and that God charged the old Inhabitants of Canaan before the Law with Sin for those unjust Copulations forbidden in the Law for which the Lord cast them out of the Land before the Children of Israel for though he might wink at it in the Patriarks Gen. 26.34 3â— Chap. 28.1 2 8. who to escape the wicked Idolaters of their Day it is likely were under some necessity of Marrying within the bounds of Consanguinity yet had he not revealed his Will against such Incestuous Marriages they could not have been charged as Sin upon them For where there is no Law Rom. 5 1â— there is no Transgression And therefore we have from hence some ground to believe that God did not leave the old Gentiles without some discovery how he would be also worshipped Especially considering that Enoch was a Holy Prophet of whom it s testified That he pleased God Heb. 11.5 and that Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness to the old World that Shem the Son of Noah of whom it 's witnessed that the Lord God Gen. 9.26 compare Gen. 11. with chap. 24.67 chap. 25.7 20. See Ainsw on Gen. 24.62 and on chap. 14.18 2 Pet. 2.5 7 8 9. was Shems God was a live in Isaacs time and is thought to be that Melchizedeck King of Salem and Priest of the most high God who blessed Abraham and that Lot who was not concerned with Abraham in the Covenant of Circumcision was a Godly Righteous Man for no doubt they were true Worshippers of God in their Families and taught others to do the like being great Lights and Witnesses of the Ways and Will of God in their Generations Moreover As the Law of Nature obliged the old Gentiles to Worship God so we find they were taught how to Exert their Obedience to it in Offering Sacrifices unto him which had a Tipical respect to the Sacrifice of Christ For it is believed from the Coats of Skin which God made to cloath Adam and Eve that they were of the Beasts that God taught Adam to Sacrifice which agreeth with what Mr. Ainsworth saith on Gen. 4.3 That the Hebrew Doctors say it is a Tradition by the hand of all 1 Chron. 21.22 26. and 22.1 2 Chron. 3.1 Gen. 22.9 Gen. 8.20 that the place wherein David and Solomon built an Altar was the place where Abraham builded an Altar and bound Isaac upon it and where Noah builded after he came out of the Ark and that was the Altar upon which Cain and Abel offered And on it Adam the first Man offered an Offering after he was Created See Dutch Annot on Job 1.1.3 and chap. 2.11 See Mr. Caryl on Job 1. and chap. 2. And we find that Jobs three Friends as it seemeth by the hand of Job as their Priest who were all four Gentiles or separated from Abrabams Seed in the Line of Isaac and Jacob and were not with their Seed taken into Gods peculiar Covenant with them were commanded of God to offer Sacrisices See Ainsw on Gen. 4.3 Job 42.8 9. 1 Sam. 13.12 Gen. 8.20 21. Exod 18.1 9. to 13. Num. 23.1 to 6 Judg. 13.17 19 1 Chron. 16.1 2 7. Jude 14.15 2 Pet. 2.5 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. Heb. 7.1 6 7. 2 Pet. 1.21 So that sacrificing of Beasts were
Sabbath as the Greek Word Sabbaton properly signifies but in the Text Col. 2.16 the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Sabbaths for so it is in the Greek and not Sabbath-days as we translate it is not their joined as in those other places to express any particular day of the Week but stands singly of its self for Sabbaths and therefore can only be understood of the Sabbath-days themselves which the Word properly signifies and cannot be otherwise understood but at least comprehensively of the seventh-day weekly Sabbath because other Holy or Feast-days are in the same verse expresly named distinctly by themselves So then seeing the seventh-day Sabbath is included with the New Moon and other Holy or Feast-days as Shadows of Gofpel things it was also abolished with them and there is the like Ceremonial Reason for it as there is for those other Holy-days Gal. 3. to v. 4. Chap. 4.3 4 5 9 10 11 21. Chap. 5.1 to 5. Chap. 6.12 13. Feasts and New Moon expressed with it it being a Sign of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt And considering also that the Apostle saith to the Galatians who after they had been converted from the Idolatry of the Heathens to the Christian Faith desired to be under the Law and were turning to those weak and beggerly Elements Ye observe Days and Months and Times and Years I am afraid of you least I have bestowed upon you labour in Vain I do therefore conclude that the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath is abrogated with their other Holy-days and Times For to imagine that our Lord Jesus who is faithful over his own House Heb. 3.6 should by his Apostle so reprove the Observation of the Jewish Days and Times in general and Name their Sabbaths distinctly from other Holy-days and describe them all to be but shadows which are to be done away and changed with the Priesthood Heb. 7.12 without one word of Exception in the New Testament to confirm the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath for our Observation nor to leave us one Example of any Christian Churches Custom to meet on that day but on the first Day of the Week and yet to require us to keep their Sabbath is groundless and irrational to believe 3. I come to prove the Jewish seventh day Sabbath to be Ceremonial and not Morally binding to all Nations from the Necessity of Nature which renders it impracticable in divers Countreys and in Order therunto I shall first Premise four things 1. It was commanded Israel that they should celebrate their Sabbaths from Evening to Evening Lev. 23.32 and if after the Jewish Pattern the Sabbath must begin and end at Evening in every part of the World then in some parts of it the Sabbath would begin when it endeth in other places and so it could not be Gods design to bind all men to keep their Sabbath at one Point of Time prefixed to the Children of Israel in the Wilderness or in the Land of Canaan 2. The Mosaical seventh-day Sabbath could not be the same Successive seventh-day Sabbath from the Creation if this were either successively kept before their Egyptian Bondage by the Ancient Fathers or if these Patriarchs began and ended their Days and Weeks successively in the same Order of Time from the Creation For God was pleased to the end as it is believed that he might more effectually draw his People from the Idolatry of the Heathen to alter the account of the beginning and ending of their days and years in sacred things to what it was before the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt and to what was afterwards observed by them in Civil things and this appears by the Evidence of divers Authors and from the Testimony of the Sacred Scriptures And 1. We find in Scripture that the account of the beginning and ending of the Year was altered to the Jews at their coming out of the Land of Egypt Exod. 12.2 8. This Month viz. Abib shall be unto you the beginning of Months it shall be the first Month of the Year to you Exod. ch 13.3 4. which Month is partly in our March and partly in April Thus their Sacred Year began but their Civil Year began after their Ingathering of the Fruits of the Feild Exod. 23.16 Chap. 34.22 Levit. 25.89 for then it is said to be the End of the Year in their seventh Month of Tisri or Ethanim partly in our September and October for on the tenth day of this Month was the Trumpet blown to begin their fiftieth year of Jubilee And this Mr. Ainsworth noteth on Gen. 7.11 where he saith The second Month to wit of the Year agreeable in part to that we call October For the End and Revolution of the Year was about the Month which we call September Exod. 23.16 and 34.22 and so the New Year then began This was after called the Month of Enthanim 1 Kings 8.2 where the Chaldee paraphraseth that they called it of Old the First Month but now saith he it is the seventh month for the Year changed the beginning of it Ecclesiastically upon the coming of Israel out of Egypt see Euod 12.2 and Levit. 23.39 compared with Exod. 23.16 And Mr. Ainsworth farther saith on Exod. 12.2 By Reason of this their going out of Egypt the Year which before began in September Exod. 23.16 hath his beginning to the Jews Ecclesiastically in Abib or March but for the Jubilees and Civil Affairs it began as it had done before Levit. 25.8 9 10. And to this agreeth Mr. Pool's and the Dutch Annotations on Exod. 12.2 And Mr. Godwyn in his Moses and Aaron page 85. 86. and Mr. Charnock in his Works Vol. 2. page 853. saith It is probable that from the Creation the Year began in September the Autumnal Equinox the Fruit being on the Trees at the Creation but now God orders the beginning of the Year from the time of this first Passeover which was in March the Vernal Equinox Lastly Mr. And. Willet in his Hexapla on Exod. 12.2 speaking of this alteration of the Year agreeth with others that the Jews Ecclesiastical Year began in their first Month called Abib and that their Civil Year began in their seventh Month yet his Opinion is that this Sacred Year began in renovation of the former account discontinued in Egypt but he citeth Josephus to whom saith he consenteth Perertus Simler that the Hebrews always before this time held the seventh Month to be the first Month as they did afterwards for the computation of Jubilee and for other Civil Matters As to Josephus Mr. Willet gives his sense out of his Book in the Greek Latin or some other Tongue for our late English Translation hath either from a corrupt Copy or default in the Translator or Printer an apparent Error viz. December is put instead of September or as the Year began before the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt 2. I find there was also an alteration made of the Account of
in the Gospel to the Ministration of Death in the Law and he telleth us that the Glory of the Ministration of Death had no Glory in respect to the Ministration of Righteousness that excelleth it in Glory So that that which was to be done away does not appear to be the binding quality of the Ten Commandments as a Rule of Holy Life or the Commandments themselves but the Renown of their glorious manner of Ministration to Israel which is incomparable to the Revelation of the Grace of God in the Gospel with their power of final Condemnation to those that lay hold of and have an Interest in the Ministration of Righteousness by Jesus Christ Answer 3. To the Objection from Coloss 2.14 Blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Here some may also think the Apostle hath abolished the binding quality of the Ten Commandments but it otherwise appeareth from the Reasons following And 1. I shall here recite the Dutch Annotations on this Scripture say they Having blotted out that is dashed through and expunged or wholly razed out as we speak the hand-writing which was against us the Greek word Cheirographon i. e. Hand-writing some do take here for a Writing written with Gods own hand in Tables of Stone as the Law of the Ten Commandments was Exod. 34. â— and this is by them understood of the Moral Law or of the Ten Commandments which are said to be against us in respect of their strict requiring of perfect Obedience or in default thereof by Reason of its Curse which Christ hath born for us on the Cross and delivered us from it Gal. 3.10 13. But seeing the Apostle here properly sets himself against the Observation of Circumcision and other Ceremonies therefore this Hand-writing is here to be understood of the Law of the Ceremonies of the old Testament which are called an Hand-writing that was against us because the same were as an Engagement or Bond of Debt whereby indeed Men daily acknowledge their Trespasses and Debts before God but notwithstanding were never discharged by the outward Performance of the same as Paul declares Heb. 10.1 As this Word Cheirographon or Hand-writing is also taken in the Greek Text Tâ—b 5.3 and 9.3 This appears also by comparing this place with Eph. 2.14 15. where this Word Hand-writing in Institutions is called the Law of Commandments in Institutions which Word Dogmasi i. e. Ordinances or Institutions is no where in Gods Word used for the Law of the Ten Commandments nor yet the Word Dogmatizes the Ver. 20. And that which is there added by Paul proves this also clearly For the Moral Law properly maketh no Enmity betwixt Jews and Gemiles seeing that is also written in Nature Rom. 2.14 but it is only the Ceremonial Law by which this Difference and Enmity betwixt these Nations is occasioned as is noted there Neither can it be well said of the Moral Law That Christ hath taken it away by his Death to free us wholly from the Observation thereof as Pauls intent here is to prove For althô we are by Christ delivered from the Curse and Rigid Observation of the Moral Law nevertheless we remain obliged to the Observation thereof as the Rule of Thankfulness which we owe unto God for our Deliverance To this I shall here add Levit. 11. Deut. 14.21 Acts 10.12 c. Rom. 14.14 Luke 15.2 John 4.9 That the Ceremonial Law was against the Gentiles as a Wall of Partition that kept them more separated from the Jews than under the Gospel Administration For 1. There was a difference in Meats that were forbidden to the Jews by the Law of Moses but were lawful for the Gentiles to eat and this did occasion some Separation of the Jews from them Deut. 7.3 Ezra 9.1 2 14 c. Chap. 10. 2. The Jews were not to take them Wives of the Heathens nor join Affinity with other Nations round about them 3. Josh 14 15. Levit. 25.25 Rom. 9.27 Gal. 3.14 17 29. The Land of Canaan was given and divided by Lot to the Children of Israel for an Inheritance and they were not to sell their Possessions for a longer time than the Year of Jubilee So that the Gentiles could not inherit the Land with them but were separated as Strangers and Sojourners 4. Dent. 14.1 2. Rom. 9.4 5. Thô according to the Election of God in the Covenant of Grace there were a remnant of literal Israel saved as the Seed of Christ yet as they were a Nation in the peculiar Covenant of Circumcision they were all accounted the Children of God above all the Nations that were upon the Earth Isa 56. in so much as the Prophet sheweth that the Sons of the Strangers who laid hold on the Righteousness to be revealed and of Gods Covenant viz. of Grace in Christ were under such Discouragements as to say The Lord hath utterly separated me from his People 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. For the Law being such a Vail that the Children of Israel coald not stedfastly look unto the end of that which is abolished was also a Cloud on the Minds of the Gentiles tho the Lord was pleased to inlighten a Remnant of them so as to discern his Grace in Christ through that shadowy Dispensation But the Knowledge of the Oracles of God which the Elect then sought after amongst the Jews now since the breaking down of the middle Wall of Partition Math. 28.19 is sent by Christs Commission and more clearly opened and revealed by the Ministry of the Gospel to all Nations Ephes 3.4 5 6 7 8. That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same Body and partakers of the Promise in Christ by the Gospel So that the Legal Covenant or Hand-writing of Ceremonial Ordinances mentioned in the Text thô it was neither a Bar against the Proselyting of the Gentiles if they would to the Jews Religion nor did so blind their Minds as to hinder a Remnant of them from laying hold on Christ by Faith yet as it added nothing simply of it self to the Salvation of their Souls by reason they could attain the Knowledge of the Oracles of God without putting themselves absolutely under the Covenant of Circumcision therefore it was a means to keep them out of the Visible Church-state and was such a Wall of Partition and Vail upon their Understandings as in great measure did hide the Mystery of Christ Which the Apostle saith in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men as it is now revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Whereof saith he I was made a Minister that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ Object 3. A Jew Travelling from Canaan Westward round the World pieceth every day in length but loseth in the Compass of the whole Globe a day in Tale so that when
he cometh home the first-day in Canaan is by his account but the seventh-day and contrarywise if he Travelleth round the World Eastward he loseth in the length of his days but gaineth a day in Tale so that by his account the first day in Canaan falleth to be his second day at his return from whence some have argued that neither a Law nor Example can bind us universally to the Observation of any one Day and therefore if it were agreed amongst men any day of the Week or one day in seven may be made our seventh-day Sabbath boundary to six working days and so would answer the Moral Law Answer 1. The Question is Whether the Moral Law bindeth us to keep the seventh-day which men may appoint at their own pleasures or the seventh-day that we are directed unto in the Holy Scriptures Phil. 3.17 2 Thes 3.9 Surely we ought to exert our Obedience to Gods Precepts after the Examples of those that are set forth to be an Example to us I say not that we should follow them in all things they ever did but in all things they did which were essential to answer any Moral or Gospel Precept given for our Practice and consequently in this particular of the first-day Sabbath For seeing the Ceremonial Precept for the Sabbath is abroga ed and the Course of Nature maketh it impossible to be morally binding to all Nations we have then no other Directions how to answer the Moral Law but the Gospel Pattern justified by the Example of our first Parents and therefore we having a positive Law to keep the seventh-day Sabbath we are under a necessity to make that our Pattern For tho' the Apostle did go into the Jews Synagogues and there preâ—â—â—hed the Gospel on their seventh-day Sabbath 2 Tim. 4.2 as the meetest time to Convert both the Jews and Gentiles who assembled together on that day Yet we no where sind in Scripture that the Apostles Disciples of Christ and Primitive Churches did of choice set a-part that day but the first day of the Week for Gospel Service and this being Recorded as the only Example of the Gospel Churches Obedience to the Moral Law in this particular of the Sabbath surely it is lest for our Directions whatever is otherwise handed down by Humane History as the Practice of some Christians for the Scriptures snew that divers were under mistakes and errors Acts 15.1 c. Gal. 2.12 Ch. 4.21 and Ch. 3 and very Subject to Judaize even in the Apostles days 2. Mr. Chasie saith That Mr. Ironside also from the Diversity of Meridians proveth that one and the same day cannot be universally kept and therefore never commanded the whole Church One and the same day sath he could not possibly be observed a Sabbath by all the Jews in the East parts and West parts 〈◊〉 of Judea and in Babilon and in Rome by Reason of their Diversity of Longitudes And if it be supposed to be but two or three 〈◊〉 difference of Longitudes yet will that difference make the days as truly to differ from being the same as will an hundred and three tho it will not make them so much to differ But altho' this be true and the Law of Moses for sixing the Jewish Sabbath to begin at Even in the Wilderness and in the Land of Canaan was never designed to bind the Israelites to that which is impossible viz. to begin their Sabbaths both at the same time of day and at the precise Point of Time to contemporize in all places where they sojourned yet it doth not from hence follow as some have argued that such differences of days do free us from all Obligations to keep any one particular day so that if Christians agree upon the fourth fifth sixth or any other day of the Week to make it the seventh-day Sabbath after our six working days it does answer the Mind of God in the Moral Law as well as by keeping our first-day Sabbath For altho as I have proved the Jewish Sabbath being by Law to begin at Even was therefore never designed for a universal Pattern to all Nations yet who will say that it was not a Pattern for the Jews in all places that had Evenings where they did sojourn and where the days have no Evenings for many Revolutions of the Sun there was no Provision made for their Sabbath in the Ceremonial Law which they were under For God had placed Israel within other Nations and required all their Males three times a Year to appear before him in Jerusalem And therefore Dem. 16.16 they were not to sojourn so far amongst the Heathens as those Northern or Southern Parts while they were a free and peculiar Kingdom of Priests to God Exod. 19.5 6. So then notwithstanding the Ceremonial Precept for the Sabbath was neither designed to oblige the Heathens In those Northern Countreys if they were then inhabited nor could by Reason of the difference of their days accommodate the Jews to keep their Sabbaths there Yet if that Law was binding at all under the least Alteration of their Day as I think none can doubt of that nor consequently that it was obliging to the Jews in other parts of the World also where the days differed more in Point of Time to begin their Sabbaths at Evening with allowance to comply with the Necessity of the Course of Nature I say then seeing that Ceremonial Precept was binding under such Alterations of their day it must be granted that it obliged them not to vary from one another in the time of keeping their Sabbath farther than the Necessity of Nature did compell them for the beginning and ending of it at the time prefixed by the Law Otherwise if their Law did not so restrain them it was of no force nor use to them and consequently if the Gospel Pattern for us to keep the first day Sabbath be any Pattern at all for us to follow as I have shewed it is it doth then oblige us to observe it with no farther Allowance to alter the day than to accommodate the Necessity of Nature in every Countrey where we dwell Object 4. Tho' Gods seventh-day Sabbath on which he rested after his six Creation days was Adams first-day Sabbath of Abstinence from work before his six working days yet that was properly Gods own Sabbath on which he rested and not Adams because he could not be said to rest before he had any working days and therefore tho Adam abstained from work on Gods Sabbath yet the Moral end of Gods Example fixed Adams first Sabbath to begin on the next seventh day after the Sabbath on which God had rested from his Work of Creation Answer 1. Adam was either allowed to dress the Garden on Gods seventh-day of Rest which he sanctified and so to have seven working days as hath been said before he could rest on the next successive seventh-day or have his seventh-day rest a day before it which I believe
God therefore it was the precise successive seventh-day from the Creation Answer 1. The Reason for the Sabbath in the fourth Command is For in six days the Lord made Heavon and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the sâ—â—enth-day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and ballowed it Now tho this resers us to the Pattern in the beginning yet it followeth not that therefore this Precept sixed the old precise successive seventh-day to Israel For 1. It is not assigned to be the same nor doth it appear that the reference was made to the first Pattern for that end But that as God had six Creation days together and then his Sabbath so after his Example they should also have six working days and no more together to one Sabbath or Lords day For it is not ours for common use but to rest and refresh our selves to worship and serve the Lord Isa 58.13 and therefore 't is called his Holy day as other things are called his that were set a-part from common use to his Service yea tho' they were not the very same from the Original Ezra 6.16 17. Zach. 6.14 and 7.2 3. Exod. 13.2 12 13 15. Chap. 12.29 30. â—evit 27.8 as 1. The new Temple builded in Ezra's time was called the House of God and Temple of the Lord tho it was not the same which Solomon builded 2. The first-born among the Children of Israel both of Men and of Beasts were sanctified and set a-part to the Lord and are said to be his and yet the same in kind was not always required of them for his Service for tho' they were to Sacrifice all the first-born to the Lord being Males except the first-born of Man which they redeemed yet they were also allowed to redeem an unclean Beast according to the Estimation of the Priest and to be at Liberty either to redeem an Ass with a Lamb or break his Neck And so we sind in the Case of the seventh-day Sabbath given to Israel in the Wilderness Exod. 20.10 Josh 10.13 Isa 38.8 Chap. 58.13 that tho' after our English Translation 't is said in the sourth Command to be the Sabbath of the Lord thy God yet nevertheless after the Interruption of the orderly course of the Night and Day and consequently of the Sabbath-day too it was called Gods Holy Day and therefore we cannot say that because the Sabbath given to Israel in the Wilderness is called the Sabbath of the Lord therefore there is ground to believe it was the same precise successive seventh-day from the Creation 2. Mr. Ainsworth Translateth the Hebrew Text Exod. 16.23 To Morrow is the Sabbatism the Sabbath of Holiness to Jehovah And ver 25. It is the Sabbath to day unto Jehovâ—th And Lâ—vit 23.3 But in the seventh shall be a Sabbath of Sabbatism And Deut. Mr. Rebertsons Gate to the Holy Tongue Page 110. See Mr. Hughes in his Analitical Exposition 5.13 But the seventh-day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy God And Exod. 20.10 But the seventh-day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy God Which two last places Ari. Montanus reads Et die septimo Sabbathum Domino Deo â—uo And Mr. Will. Robertson translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laihovah Elobecha to the Lord thy God and Mr. Hughet on Exod. 16.23 reads it To Morrow is the Sabbatism the Sabbath of Holinesâ— to Jehovah ver 25. For the Sabbath to Jehovah is to day and Chap. 20.10 But the seventh-day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy God And Mr. Pools Annotations reads the last place Exod. 20.10 Or to the Lord i. e. Conscerated to his Vse Honour and Service And therefore seeing that whith our English Tranâ—lations read in the fourth Commandment the Sabbath of the Lord is a Sabbath to Jehovah there is nothing that hath the least Appearance of Demonstration that the Sabbath day instituted in the Wilderness was the same precise successive seventh-day from the Creation Object 9. It does not appear that the Sabbath as to its first Original was Typical or instituted to prefigure any thing that was Future for the Law of it was before the sirst Promise of Christ in the state of Innocency wherein there was no respect unto the Mediation of Christ And therefore the Sabbath could not be abolished in the New Testament as a shadow of things to come Answer Gen. 2.9 Prov. 3.18 Luke 23.43 Rev. 2.7 Chap. 22.2 14. The Tree of Life in the midst of the earthly Paradice was also before the fall of Man and the first Promise of Christ and yet both of them were Types of the Spiritual Tree of Life in the Heavenly Paradice So that tho' the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden and the Sabbath Originally before the fall were not known to Adam as Figures of Future Things in Christ yet from the Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God they were designed as Shadows of things to come For in the Covenant with his Eternal Son before the Foundation of the World Ephel 1.4 11 having Chosen and Predestinated a Select number of Mankind to inherit an Heavenly Paradise he also disposed and ordered all things to accommodate the Declaration of his Counsel to fallen Man with Shadows of those Heavenly Things that were to come And therefore there is no Reason to deny the day of Gods rest from the Work of his Creation to be more than for a Memorial of it but to believe it was also designed of God before the fall to be of Typical Use to Man as appeareth Heb. 4. 2. In Answer to this Objection I have this farther to say that whatever may be thought of the Original Sabbath from the Creation yet the Sabbath days in Colos 2.16 cannot be denied to be the Jewish Sabbaths and of these the Apostle saith they are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ and therefore the shadows are done away Object 10. Seeing the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath did answer the Moral Law and yet you say it is abrogated under the Gospel Colos 2.16 Then either its Typicahâ—ess or Significative Nature as it is a Shâ—â—ow or was a Memerial of Israâ—h Deliverance out of Egypt is only abolished and not the day it self or else a Branch of the Moral Law it self is reâ—ealed Answer I have shewed before that the seventh-day Sabbath must at least be comprehended in the Prohibition of Sabbaths as a shadow of things to come and have already cleared this Scripture Colos 2.16 from divers Exceptions that may seem to weaken its Authority from abrogating the Jewish Sabbath yet because I sind Mr. Brabourne has laboured with all his might to stifle that which I conceive is the Mind of the Holy Ghost in it I shall therefore clear it from other things that may possibly puzzle the Minds of some weak Christians And 1. It s there said Let no Man therefore judge you in Meat oâ— in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day Gr. of a
alike Let every Man be fully perswaded in his own Mind Whatever some may imagine from this Scripture yet seeing Adam in Paradice had his Sabbath for the solemn worship of God Levit. 23.3 and Israel had their Sabbath for the same end and to rest from their work and labour there being still the same Moral Use and Necessity of Nature for a Sabbath there is Reason to believe that such a day is to be observed as well now and in after Ages as it was before And considering the undeniable Evidence that hath been given to prove the Decalogue to be Morally binding to us under the Gospel there is a necessity for the Preservation of the Concord of Holy Writ to give such an Exposition of this Text of Scripture as will both suit and agree with the Letter of it and the binding quality of other Scriptures to keep a Sabbath-day To proceed therefore the Apostle surely would not have singled forth the first-day of the Week on which the Churches were wont to have their Assemblies as the properest time to make their Collection for the Saints Nor would the Apostle John have called it the Lords day as hath been shewed from History if it had not been a sanctified day for Holy Use neither would the Holy Ghost have Recorded the Disciples gathering together on the two first-days after the Resurrection of Christ nor that the Church of Troas came together on the first day of the Week to solemnize the Gospel Ordinances of Divine Worship as the only Examples to answer the Moral Law in the fourth Commandment If the same Spirit of Truth in the Apostle had here designed to make every day alike Common 2. If the Apostle in this Scripture had so designed he would not have cited so many Precepts of the Ten Commandments in Chap. 13.9 of the same Epistle and have said of the rest of them as binding to the Romans to confirm his Moral Doctrine That if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying namely Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self And therefore seeing he doth so plainly discover the binding quality of the Ten Commandments to the Gentile Christians there is no Reason to conceive he should dissolve the Obligation of any one of them in the following Chapter considering that the Liberty there mentioned of esteeming or not esteeming of Days is not there reserred or applyed as having Retation to the Moral Observation of the sourth Command 3. The Apostle would not have abolished as hath been shewed the Jewish Feasts Holy days and Sabbaths Colos 2.16 17. nor have said to the Galatians Ye observe Days Gal. 4.10 and Months and Times and Years I am afraid of you least I have bestowed upon you labour in Vain If he or any other by Christs Authority had given absolute Liberty for Christians to observe the Jewish Holy days And therefore the sence of this Text which is freest from all Exceptions is That the Apostle neither giveth us Liberty to sleight the Observation of the seventh-day required of us in the fourth Commandment as the Bond of the Gospel Pattern nor yet doth give us absolute Liberty to observe the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath and their other Holy-days but he is teaching us how we should bear with one another in indifferent Matters as the eating of Herbs and esteeming of Jewish days That in Case a Brother should be so weak as that after he is converted from the Jewish Religion to the Christian Faith he should still retain some esteem of their Holy days yet being sound in all the Essential Principles to Salvation and in the constituted Order of a Regular Gospel Church his Communion is not to be refused Ver. 1. but here let the Reader well observe that my meaning is not that any Church should receive such a Christian into full Communion with them at the Lords Table that holdeth and maketh our first-day Sabbath only as a common day to him for this in the Judgment of a Church according to Scripture Rule bringeth him under the guilt of Sin and the Church should not partake of it by their holding such full Communion with him But the Apostle means that in Case a Converted Jew as he is there treating of such a one as maketh a difference between Meats to be Clean and Unclean Ver. 14 1â— if he should still esteem some of their Holy days yet if he also keepeth the first-day Sabbath Holy unto the Lord the Church in such a Case should be tender of grieving his weak Conscience by Continual and Uncharitable Disputations with him about the Matter wherein he is not clearly enlightned so as to give him an occasion to stumble and sall at the Offence For seeing he Conscientiously keepeth Holy the first-day Sabbath Gal. 4.13 15 20 21 23. for his retaining an esteem for some Jewish Holy days so they be kept to the Lord in Christian Worship and not for Jewish Sacrifices or such things which betoken Christs not being yet come and fully exhibited in the Flesh we are not to deny Communion at the Lords Table with such a Brother seeing he neither observeth the Jewish days to uphold their worship contrary to the Prohibition of Legal Ceremonies under the Gospel Dispensation nor can any ways be charged with disorders in Ordinances or in Matters Essentially pertaining to the Regular Constitution of a Gospel Church And that this is the Mind of Christ in the Text appeareth in two things 1. Because the Apostle joineth this Liberty of Regarding or not Regarding of days with Eating or not Eating of Meats as things of a like indifferent Nature but the Keeping or not Keeping of the Weekly Sabbath hath been fully proved to be no indisserent thing but an absolute Duty and therefore it is none of the Subject Matter included in the Apostles Words 2. He intended to give no Liberty to observe the Jewish days for Legal Ceremonial Worship for this under the Gospel would not be counted a keeping of a day to the Lord but not a keeping of it to him and so as the Apostle argueth it is not a keeping of a day at all And thus having opened this Scripture and given the sence of the Apostles Words in Reconciliation to the Authority of other Places that are binding to us for the Observation of the Sabbath day I shall leave it to the serious Consideration of the Impartial Reader Answer 2. To the Objection from 2 Cor. 3.7 where the Apostle saith But if the Ministration of Death written and ongraven in Stones was glorious so that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the Face of Moses for the Glory of his Countenance which Glory was to be done away how shall not the Ministration of the Spirit be rather Glorious In Answer to this Scripture I shall Note that in the preceding and following Verses the Apostle is signifying the different and exceeding Glory of the Ministration of the quickening Spirit