Sabbath above them therefore and its equality with nature seeing God makes use of it so especially to exhibite the commandement of nature by amongst the Lawes thereof But now in that opinion wherein you and Master Breerewood jumpe I must differ from you both to wit that now onely the generall Law of nature remaines which is that some time is to bee sanctified to Gods worship and that this fourth commandement which you call Gods speciall commandement is utterly abrogated For as for the Law of nature which consisteth onely in an indefinite sequestring of some time to the service of God it comes infinitely short of that compleatnes and solemnity of time which our necessity requireth and which God deserveth at our hands and which if hee may bee his owne spokesman hee commandeth also Indeed to set apart some time as perhaps an houre in a Day or some such like time for prayer or meditation it may bee nature or conscience would affirme it requisite but to set a part so much time and in so solemne manner as it seemes God lookes for and our state requires neither nature nor conscience will so prompt us either now or as I thinke in innocency And therefore as I may well conclude that that first institution of God concerning the Sabbath was rather a supply to nature then any Law in nature which our Antisabbatarians unnecessarily labour to disprove * Though I must say of some argumâ—nts of some former Writers of this subject of the Sabbath who not then finding opposition which hath beene an ordinary meanes in the course of Gods providence for the more diligent inquisition after the truth of God and happy discovery thereof as Hierome saith of the Fathers How that before Arrius rose up They delivered some things innocently yet lesse varily and such as cannot avoid the calumny of peâ—verse persons and superadded of God after created nature by immediate and speciall revelation So I have just cause to beleeve that this was for many speciall and perpetuall respects For left God his solemne and publicke worship to have beene arbitrarily ordered by nature and not have by himselfe determined a speciall time therefore it would have falne out very crosse to Gods intentious either being slenderly and seldomely performed or at least very confusedly and disjoyntedly seeing that so many men have so many mindes and so many severall and various occasions which by man would never have beene determined at once to have kept so solemne and compleat a portion of time as it seemes God expected especially seeing nature never suggested it if God by an over-ruling mandat had not put it past posse and velle * As he did the eating of the Passeover though a man were in a journey or were uncleane by a law made Numb 9. which hee who is not the God of confusion wisely foresaw and prevented So that though some time even by nature is taught to bee set apart for Gods worship which I deny not yet I say that this is more private and personall not so solemne and publicke as God would have it and therefore may bee arbitrary without disorder and distraction which the other cannot if left to mans free-will and therefore is purposely revealed of God and is no law innate in nature because of the reason aforesaid for nature doth not discerne of numbers or why God should chose to be worshipped on the seventh day rather then on the eight or ninth but a commandement on the by of equall force antiquity and perpetuity with nature prescribed as a rule coincident with nature for the Church of God in all ages to imitate And to this purpose speakes Marius Marius in Gen. 2. Since saith hee it is the Law of nature that some time bee peculiarly insinuated for the worship of God it was meete that that should bee determined by a positive Law But against this it will be objected Why might not time as well as place bee left to the disposition and authority of Man to appoint seeing that time and place bee alike necessary in nature to all actions I answer Answ. time and place are in nature alike necessary to all actions in genere but so is not this or that particuler time or place save where by positive Law it is made so God did appoint the seaventh day for solemne worship and left all places at liberty till it pleased him to designe one onely place for Sacrifice-worship under the Law the necessity whereof being now abrogated by the Gospell the place is left to choyce One time may agree to all the world for worship but so cannot one place Againe it will be objected Obj. that Bishop White pag. 33. layeth it downe as an essentiall Character that Lawes and Preceps meerely positively morall oblige onely the Persons or State or Nation and Republike upon which they are imposed by the Lawgiver or to whom they are published by a legall promulgation So pag. 38. If it be a precept meerely positive it can oblige those people onely upon whom it was imposed Also pag. 77. hee saith flatly that although the seaventh day Sabbath had not beene a legall Ceremony yet if it were onely a positive morall precept the obligation hereof ceased under the Gospell So that by this rule the Sabbath should not bee of universall obligation being onely positively morall To all which himselfe gives the Answer pag. Answ. 27. where hee saith Lawes positive are common and generall either for all mankind as the Law of Polygamy and Wedlocke with in some degrees mentioned or els for one nation Republicke or Community of people So that wee see through forgetfulnesse his Character doth not hold but that a positive morall Law may bee perpetuall and universall as well as nationall of which sort we have reason to reckon the Sabbath because it and the Law of Polygamy which hee instanceth in were Twins both brought forth in the state of Adams innocency Broad I praise God for the comming forth of Master Breerewoods booke The difference is in â— manner onely verball for wee both hold that the generall law of nature remaineth and againe that Gods speciall Commandementis abrogated for though there bee some difference betweene us yet meane Schollers are able to judge of it might I have spoken with him I doubt nothing but that wee should soone have accorded in lesse then an houâ—es space Answer I could wish you had perused Master Richard Byfields reply to Master Breerewoods booke before you had sent abroad this Manu-script that so you might have thanked God for that which had beene thanke worthy But that you may not bee a stranger to him I will bee bold to bring you acquainted by putting you the oftner in mind of him in this my Answer Touching the substance of your difference mentioned in the Margin I have already spoken to it and shall have more occasion as I goe along Broad I published not long since a
Israelites out of the Egyptian captivity a figure of our deliverance from Satans bondage as he led them through the Wildernes towards the Land of Canaan a Type of the Heavenly Paradise he gave them Mannah to to eate 1. Cor. 10. 3. so that they did eate the same Spirituall meate with us even the Lambe Christ Iesus slaine from the beginning of the World who though he be not called the Tree of Life yet tearmes himselfe the bread of Life that came downe from Heaven This Mannah they gathered sixe Dayes and on the seaventh Day Moses commanded them to rest for this Commandement was first given by the hand of Moses for ought that wee do find in the Scriptures and not long after God called it againe to their remembrance Consider that the word Remember is not used Deut. 5. nor else wherein the Law or the Prophets saying Remember the Sabbath Day to sanctify it Answer The summe of this your objection is that nor Adam nor his posterity for any thing we can find santifyed the Sabbath day till it was given the Israelites by the hand of Moses * I could reply that throughout the History of Ioshua Iudges Samuel we find not the observation of the Sabbath And touching that you say you finde no mention of Weekes before the Israelites comming out of Egypt I could put you to answer that Gen. 29. 27. fulfill her Weeke but it is truth and not victory that I seeke and therfore I rather desire to resolve my Reader then to pusle my opposer To which I answer that whether the Sabbath was observed or not observed yet notwithstanding it was of force For 1. I aske whether you thinke those words of Gods sanctifying the Sabbath in Innocency were but a bare narration without any use or efficacy towards man Yes say you they were spoken to man as considered in Innocency and had he still remained in Innocency then had he kept the Sabbath Wherto I reply that there was nothing that was instituted to Adam before his Fall but it was of force after his Fall excepting such things from which he was expresly debarred by manifest voyce of Scripture by the curse and fiery sword whereof the Sabbath is none Againe I say if this Institution were proper only to the state of Innocency how comes it to be renewed unto the Israelites and that upon the primitive reason Which indeed shewes it to be a thing given unto his Church for speciall use and to be coequall with the Law of Nature for wee see that so soone as God had chosen out of the world a remarkeable and established Church to which he renewed the Law of Nature he also as coincident there with reneweth the Law of the Sabbath including and determining in this positive Commandement of the Sabbath the Law of Nature like as other Commandements in the Law directly forbid the actions of sinnes inclusively the habits 2. Exconcessis Putting the case the Sabbath never was kept by the Patriarchs I answer to it two things First that neither did they keepe for the most part the Law of Marriage for generally they lived in Poligamy and yet was that Law of force even in their times for one man to marry but one Woman And therfore when the Pharises alledged Moses his Law of Divorcement for the priviledging them to put away their Wives which might better authorize their practice therein then the Patriarchs omission can justify our neglect of the Sabbath but how did Christ answer them saith he how was it from the beginning as who say tell not mee of Moses his Law which you plead only to maintaine your licentiousnes and which was only a concessary Law granted for the hardnes of your hearts but looke beyond Moses at God what he did in the state of Innocency for that must be the rule of your practice So say I looke not at the errours of the Patriarchs to do what they did when wee have Gods example to the contrary Secondly that to draw an argument de facto from mans not keeping the Sabbath against the right and institution of the Sabbath is improper * For by the same reason you may as well argue against the second exhibition of it because of the interruption which for any thing wee find it received in the time of the Babilonish Captivity as against the first because it appeares not that the Patriarchs observed it in their time Especially if wee consider man falne whereby the very Law of nature suffered but doubtlesse the Sabbath being grounded upon the covenant of works and having by the fall lost its vertue being thereby made void its Law was blotted out and quite raced by the speciall hand and permission of God and noe wonder seeing that even in innocency nay and after his Fall too during his abode in Paradise he remembred not to eate of the Tree of Life where by he should have lived for ever Gen 3. 22. by a like secret but just worke of God the cause wee shall further see anon being no Law of Nature but a necessary improvement and determination of the Law of Nature in that particuler for the better accomodating Man for the publicke and more solemne service and worship of his Creatour and therefore was renewed when Gods Church came to be publicke and nationall * Damascen de fide Orthod lib. 4. cap. 24. sayth that when there was no Law nor Scripture that then there was no Sabbath neither but when the Law was given by Moses then was the Sabbath set a part for Gods publicke worship as M. Breerwood implyes from his observation upon the word Remember annexed either saith he it is because it is not meerely morall and a Law of Nature as the others are and therefore being not so effectually imprinted by Nature in the heart of man needed a speciall admonition for the observance least it should slip out of mind c. as it seemeth it had done of a long time before and therefore was renewed with a Memento as who say doe thou remember to keepe holy the seaventh Day which thy Fore-fathers have so long forgotten Indeed it is evident that it was lost and Adam despoiled of it by his Fall because it was written in Moses his first Tables which were broken and defaced by a Fall to shew the fruit of Adams fall and renewed together with the rest of the Law in Moses his second Tables to shew that it suffered as well as the rest they in the Conscience it in the memory at the first ordeyning them and therefore is renewed together with the rest in the second with a Memento prefixed for this Memonto imports more then a bare Memorandum even a different quality of this Law from the rest els it was as requisite to have beene prefixed to the second as to the fourth Commandement considering the Israelites were as inclinable to Idolatry as they were averse from the Sabbath see Deut. 31. 16. And
as touching Circumcision and Sacrifices and the other Commandements of the breach and punishment whereof you say wee read I answer that they were either the very Lawes of Nature or els Lawes given since the Fall and upon that occasion for so was Circumcision and Sacrifices neither of which is the Sabbath Not the Law of Nature as I have said for that is only to sanctify some indefinite time to the service of God as it is likely all those did in that time of nature betweene Adam and Moses where by the way take notice of the necessarines of the Sabbath to be in the nature of a Law for the better performance of Gods solemne worship and not to be left at mans liberty nor is it a Law instituted since the Fall for its roote groweth in Paradice and therefore not of force with either in that time of little light but lay dormant all that while till it pleased God againe to reveale his more solemne worship to his more solemne Church * Nehem 9. 13. 14. And not without good reason too for besides that our rest was lost by our Fall till our deliverer tipified in Moses renewed it unto us the Sabbath was significative in its manner of exhibition for during the time of the Covenant of workes wee see how it was appointed in order after them following the workes foregoing both in the primitive institution from Gods owne example and also in the second exhibition of it to the Israelites to signify and imply our Heavenly Sabbatisme then to be as well the reward of workes as cessation from workes and now the Covenant of Grace is come it is made to precede the working Dayes being celebrated now on the first Day of the Weeke as before on the last to signify that now Heaven is no longer the reward of workes exâ—ept in an Evangelicaâ—â— sence and so wee still rest from our Labours and our Workes follow us now who seeth not a speciall providence like that of Adams not eating of the Tree of Life during his abode in Paradise implied Gen. 3. â—2 in the non ens of the Sabbath during the interim betweene the Fall and Moses which was a time when the World as the Apostle Paul saith was without the Law that is without the Covenant of the Law openly revealed to them as afterwards it was to Israel so in the same sence I may say too it was without the Gospell that is without the Covenant of Grace openly revealed to them as not it is to us because therein it had beene clouded and insignificative Which signification Bishop White * Pag 120 121. doth even now commend to us from the fourth Commandement for saith he it is not now a Cypher but the letter of the commandement figureth representeth and consequently teacheth the leading of an holy and religious life that wee may at last enter the Rest of Heaven Heb. 4. 11. c. Againe I would aske you where you find the breach of Wedlocke found fault withall for their multiplicity of Wives or punishment executed therfore which being no Law of nature but a positive Law appointed in Innocency by God as also was the Sabbath not by instinct but by revelation therefore in those times of darknes were they alike winked at by God for herein they sinned not against any knowne commandement after Adams transgression but of simple ignorance And therfore as the Apostle speaketh Sinne was not imputed when there was no Law Here by the way let mee take in a passage of Dr. Heylins pag. 123. hee sayth that the Iewes thought the Sabbath to be no part of the Morall Law because they brake it by Circumcision as thinking Circumcision to be the older Ceremony and therfore gave precedency to it not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers Nay saith he the Iewes so farre prized the one above the other that by this breaking of the Sabbath they were perswaded verily they kept the Law These things he observes out of that text Iohn 7. 22. Moses saith Christ gave unto you Circumcision not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers and you on the Sabbath Day Circumcise a man that the Law of Moses should not be broken To this I answer 1. That from this text it cannot be gathered that the Iewes thought the Sabbath no morall Law no more then that they can be said to thinke Christs charitable aâ—â— of healing the Sick man to be no morall action because they persecuted him for it or if they did it was their wilfull blindnes For Christ makes it plaine that howsoever Circumcision might and ought as a part of Gods service bee done no doubt on the Sabbath Day when it fell out to be the eighth Day according to the Law that it was their errour so to overvalew Circumcision out of their superstitious respect of Moses who they made the Author of it to them above other Lawes which are both in their Natures higher then that and which also Moses gave them as well as that as wee see in the 19 verse of that Chapter saith Christ there Did not Moses give you a Law and yet none of you keepeth the Law by which is meant the Morall Law which commandeth Charity and Mercy which is above Circumcision and yet you quarrell with mee for observing this Law of Moses or rather of God and yet for all that are your selves so nice in observing the performance of Circumcision for Moses his sake which is so farre inferiour So in the 24 verse he exhorts them to consider it better that if they might and ought to observe the ceremoniall Law on the Sabbath by doing the workes thereof much more ought he to doe the workes of charity thereon which are the duties of the Morall Law 2 By the same rule he affirmes the Iewes not to beleeve the Weekely Sabbath to be a part of the Morall Law he may affirme them not to beleeve the Sabbaths of Yeares to bee any commandement of God at all for a man may say of them in that case as he saith in this that surely had they beleeved them to be the Commandements of God that could not bâ— affirmed of them which hee saith Pag 143. to wit that they were long neglected and almost forgotten if observed at all 3. Neither did they prize Circumcision as the ancienter Ceremony because it was of the Fathers by any thing that can be gathered from that text for it meanes no such thing but the quite contrary For Christ brings these words not because it was of Moses but of the Fathers in the way of Parenthesis in the 22 verse to shew them their errour in setting so high a price upon Circumcision for Moses his sake seeing Moses was not the first founder of it but received it by derivation from the Fathers So that the Iewes blind conceit of Circumcision in comparison of the Sabbath were it so as D r. Heylin alleadgeth detracts no more from the
therefore for their sakes I have in diverse places inlarged my Booke wherein I have removed those stumbling blockes which seeme to lie in the way of this doctrine of the Sabbath by answering their colourable arguments against it That whereas M r Primerose hath put out another Booke against the Sabbath of later Edition I have also perused it and such things as I found any whit materially to clash de novo against some particulars in this Answer I have particularly answered them not naming him because they are so very few the rest of his Treatise receiving answer herein upon the occasion of other mens Arguments If perhaps you find not every collaterall Argument answered to your mind yet let not that prejudice the maine cause but weigh substances with substances and pull not downe the whole House for the defect of â— Tyle or two Let Circumstances and by-matters have respect accordingly VINDICIAE SABBATHI Broad MAster Breerewood in his Treatise of the Sabbath 1. Nature teacheth to set apart Page 24. 41. some time for the worship of God but not one day in seven nor a whole day neither yet to forbeare all worke in that time as the Israelites were bound to doe on the Sabbath 2 Gods Commandement touching the Sabbath Page 64. 40. 41. was first given in the wildernes it being limited to the Iewes Sabbath only the Iewes Sabbath is vanished and Gods Commandment was not nor could not be translated from the Iewes Sabbath to the Lords day 3 We are bound to keepe the Lords day not by Page 37. any divine Commandement but by the constitution of the Church onely Thus hath Master Breerewood written in his booke and more I doe not write in mine but it will be said yet in answer to an objection he will have the generallity of Gods Commandement to bee morall and perpetuall Answer It is true and I cannot sufficiently marvaile thereat The Objection he frameth against himselfe is this Page 4â— If the old Sabbath vanished and Gods Commandement was limited and fixed to that day only then is one of Gods Commandements perished Hereunto to hee answereth that the generality of that Commandement is a Law of nature and remaineth The law of Nature touching the sanctiâ—ying of some time and Gods command touching the sanctâ—fying of the seventh day were two divers lawes The one a generall law only the other a speciall law only But if there bee a generallity of that commandement how was that commandement limited and fixed to the Sabbath only Further hee should have considered that the like may as well be said of the precepts of Holy-dayes Nature teacheth to have some times of vacancy for one reason God appointed the Sabbath to be a time of vacancy for other reasons the holy-dayes Shall not the law of nature now be the generall of all these precepts indifferently as well of the precepts of the holy-dayes as of the precepts of the Sabbath Answer In this thing I must take Master Breerewoods part against you for hereby is the morall * Dâ—r Heylin quoteth the schoolem n Patt 2. pag. 163. saying that the fourth Commandement is placed in the Decalogue in quantuâ—â— est preceptum morale et naturale that is say they Quantum â—d hoc quod homo depu tet â—â—â—uod tempus vitâ—e sâ—â— ad vac 〈◊〉 diâ—iâ—is pag. 162 So Bishop White maketh the Law o Nature to be involved in the 4 th Commandement pag. 121. and is still obli gaâ—â—y to the worlds end Pag. 1â—0 law of God kept entire without a mayme which is very requisite seeing that the Decalogue is granted to be an explanatory reinforcing of the law of entire Nature imprinted in us by creation but much defacedby our fall and being honoured with those eminences of priority signes of perpetuity immediatly from God himselfe upon Mount Sinai Such as were his twice writing them with his owne finger * Touching this priority of Gods own writing them see how emphatically it is expressed by God himselfe Exod. 24. 12. in way of suâ— ereminency by vertue of that â—râ—viledge to those which Moses had written a little before ver 4 Moreover also sâ—e this difference lively intimâ—ed by Moses Deut. 4. 13 where he maketh the Covenâ—nt to consist in the ten Commandements written by God himselfe and speakes in the following verse in way of dimination of the other lawesin comparison of them calling them statutes and judgements which were 1. taught by him and secondly to be observed in the land whither they went to possesse it and voted also by his Spirit through the mourth of Moses to bee the Tenne Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Deut. 4. and put into the Arke as perpetuall rules for the Catholique Church whereof it was a Type None of all which Prerogatiues was the Ceremoniall law crowned withall for that it was as a vanishing shadow sutable only to the Hemispheare of those times But the decalogue being the very Law of Nature explained and redelivered must as well now as ever have for its substance a generall ayme at all men though in some circumstances it may bee more peculiar to the Iewes then others by reason of the time place and people to whom it was renewed Like as almost all other Scripture is for substance common and for circumstances proper because they were most an end written occasionaly Put case then that this Commandement was given onely to the Iewes as you affirme and so were abrogatiue yet may the Law of Nature bee well presupposed and included in it as you your selfe afterwards acknowledge it is in your 8. Chapter in the answer you give there to the fifth opinion for who knowes not that in those ten words much more is meant then manifested So that if so it be granted that the Law of Nature and this Law bee not the same in all points yet are they not two divers lawes but the same in substance And thus much in effect Master Breerewood affirmes in his second Tract pag. 3. Morall saith he is that which pertaineth to manners 1. Either by the instinct of Nature as belonging to the inward Law written in our hearts or Secondly by the instruction of Discipline as being of the outward Law pronounced of God as that of observing the seventh Day so that it may beetermed Naturall as being not of the institution of Nature but of the disciplining of Nature Not of Nature as it wâ—s fâ—rst ordained of God but as after informed by him For indeed this fourth Commandement both as it was at first instituted in Paradise and now revived on Mount Sinai is but the law of Nature explained and enlarged according to the will of God in this particular for reasons and uses whereof created nature was not capable but by revelation And what though the Law of nature bee the generality as well to the precepts of the Iewish holydayes as of the Sabbath this shewes the superexcellency of the
Apostles themselves observed the Lords day weekely or Sabbatically and not monthly or yearely as were the Iewes Sabbaths and Holy-dayes but in relation to the fourth commandement one in seaven as knowing it to bee a perpetuall rule not a temporary and vanishing ordinance which pertained to the bondage and servitude of weake and beggerly Rudiments of which the Apostle here onely speakes And as it was farre from the Apostles thought to reckon any of the ten commandements as a weake and beggerly Rudiment so let it bee abhorred of all Christian hearts and eares But may some say Obj. is not the signification of the Sabbaths institution abrogated by Christs resurrection and the comming of the Lords day The Sabbath is altered not abrogated Answ. and the signifâ—cation subordinated not annulled being instituted upon an universall and perpetuall reason for the Sabbath was no proper Iewish type but the Churches type in that wherein it was typicall as wee may see in the fourth Hebr. 9. There remaineth therefore Sabbatismus a Sabbath-rest to the people of God which words Willet in 2. Gen. saith conclude that both the type remaineth that is a Sabbatisme and the signification of the type everlasting rest And as you may further see 12 Matth. 8. in these words The Sonne of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day which words compared with the verses foregoing shew that the Sabbath is of a ceremonious nature for Christ there rankes it among things ceremoniall in a ceremoniall sense but with a note of inequality as it is implyed in that word Even of the Sabbath-day and is as the rest of the morall Law of equall continuance with the Church which for this cause was reviued to the Iewes because at that time they were the onely Israel and Church of God but now translated to us under the Gospell the partition wall being broken downe with an alteration of circumstance according to the season as Isay was prophecied in the foreâ— quoted place of Isa. 65. 17. And whereas Doctor Heylyâ— part 2. pag. 27. saith That it is not probable that the Apostle Paul who so opposed himselfe against the Sabbath would erect a new this had not beene saith hee to abrogate the ceremony but to change the day I answer that by the comming of Christ some things suffered alteration as well as others abrogation wherefore the Apostles were to preach onely the abrogative types and ceremonies to bee abrogated of which sort I prove the Sabbath to bee none and according to the nature of the new creation to alter the other of which sort the Sabbath was and therefore suffered subordination not abrogation And therefore hath the Scripture recorded it to us 〈◊〉 the name of the first day of the weeke or the first day of seaven before it stile it the Lords day in a sâ—gnificant opposition to the old antiquated last day of the weeke I will conclude this Answer with Master Hookers authority who was a confident maintainer of the morality of the fourth commandement as you may see in his Eccles. Pol. pag. 377. who speaking upon this place of the Galath Hooker saith That for as much as the Law of the Iewes by the comming of Christ was changed and wee thereunto no way bound Saint Paul although it were not his purpose to favour invectives against the speciall sanctification of dayes and times to the service of God and to the honour of Iesus Christ doth notwithstanding bend his forces against that opinion which imposed on the Gentiles the yoake of Iewish legall observations as if the whole World ought for ever and that upon paine of condemnation to keepe and observe them such as in this perswasion hallowed the Iewish Sabbaths the Apostle sharply reproveth saying yee observe dayes and monthes and times and yeares c. Thus you see how Master Hookers opinion was concerning this text of Paul onely to cry downe those obsolete Iewish observations and nothing lesse then to impeach the authority of the fourth commandement or the Lords day as you may plainely discerne by turning over leafe to pag. 378. where hee layeth downe three sorts of holy times thus saith hee Hooker It pleased God heretofore to exact some part of time by way of perpetuall homage never to bee dispenced withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance and of the rest which were left arbitrary to accept what the Church should in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto religious uses Of the first kind amongst the Iewes was the Sabbath-day Of the second those feastes which were appointed by the Law of Mosâ—s The Feast of Dedication invented by the Church standeth in the number of the last kind The morall Law requiring therefore a seaventh part throughout the age of the World to bee that way imployed although with us the day bee changed in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because of reference to the benefit of creation and now much more of renovation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the World to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seaven a duty which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever Thus you have Master Hookers opinion both of this text of the Gal. The morality of the fourth commandement the perpetuity of the Sabbath and the authority of the Lords-day Broad A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Gal. 5. 9. Chrysost. on Gal. Why but they retained the Gospell onely they would have brought in a Iewish rite or two and yet the Apostle saith that thereby the Gospell is subverted to shew how but a little thing being untowardly mingled marreth all Luther on Gal. 2. Paul had note here his owne busines in hand but a matter of faith Now as concerning faith wee ought to bee invincible and more hard if it might bee then the Adamant stone but as touching charity wee ought to bee soft and more flexible then the reed or leafe shaken with the wind and ready to yeeld to every thing Broad A treatise of the Sabbath FOr as much as I know not whether taking my booke in hand thou mindest to read it over to the end I have therefore thought good by way of prevention in the beginning to let thee understand that howsoever there bee difference in opinion among the Godly learned yet they all for ought I know agree in this namely that the Lords-day had his beginning in the time of the Apostles and being of so great antiquity so generally received and so profitable to the Church of Christ that it ought to be observed of thee according to the practice of good Christians from time to time and the godly lawes of our most Christian governour living at this present I charge thee therefore as thou wilt answer it before Gods judgement â—ear that thou dost not take occasion hence to spend
of an eye which solemne contrivement sure was not to create a Iewish abrogative type and therefore is accordingly observed under the Gospell onely mutatis mutandis But to come to that which you would inferre which is that onely the last day of the seaven is to bee kept Sabbath I answer First that in respect of the point of time I thinke I need not bee large to prove the variation of it For I thinke it will be granted upon this one instance 10. Ios. 13. how that the Sabbath was not alwayes observed answerable to the first institution in respect of the point of time for that by the Suns standing still the weeke was lengthened beyond its due proportion Doctor Heylin pag. 48. alleadgeth that a man travailing the World Westward may lose a whole day now what shall that man doe at his returne saith hee if to sanctify one day in seaven bee morall I answer first Let him tell mee what a Iew should have done in that case when the Sabbath was confessedly obligatory and so should that man doe now Secondly I answer that though things that are morall by nature because they bind alwayes and in all places alike are ever the same Yet things that are morall onely by Discipline admit variety through exigency of time and occasion Thus it was lawfull for Adams immediate posterity to conjugate with their consanguinity which now the exigency of those times being over is utterly unlawfull by disciplinary morality Nay nature her selfe being disciplined from the alteration of time and variety of choyce now abhorres it as utterly undecent so the man that having in his lawfull calling of merchandizing lost a day and had during his travell in his particuler practise rent from the Church in her computation of time without a schisme being lawfully necessitated thereunto by the course of nature may as lawfully at his returne reduce himselfe againe unto the conformity and practise of the Church to avoid a wilfull rent and disorder like as they that were in a journey were to keepe the Passeover on a different time by themselves from the Church of the Iewes but at their returne they were to returne to the Churches observation Secondly but in regard of the order which I thinke you labour to maintaine to wit that the Sabbath ought to bee the last and not the first day of the weeke or else not to bee at all To that I answer that some reasons and circumstances even in the morall Law are occasionall and so changeable and yet the substance of the commandement is perpetuall and immutable * And as one well observes Diverse positive lawes which are morall perpetuall and bind all men in their generations though they bee firme and immutable in themselves and in their obligation yet because the duties of obedience which they impose upon men and the men upon whom the duties are imposed are in their state and condition mutable and changeable and the changes and alterations of things commanded in times places and other relations and respects doe not at all change the Law nor prove it ceremoniall and changeable As for instance the Law of beleeving in Christ is firme and unchangeable from the first promise that was made of him and yet the duty which hee requires is changeable and is changed now under the Gospell from that it was under the Law in circumstance for they were to beleeve in Christ to come but we as come for the changing of the day now since Christ does not make vâ—id but establish the Law of the Sabbath As in the first commandement where Israels corporeall deliverance is now changed into Israels ghostly deliverance So in the fifth commandement the land of Canaan is properly the land meant which had that promise belonging to it But now it is enlarged to all that in the feare of God obey that commandement throughout the World So this commandement had the reason of Gods resting from the creation occasionally affixed unto it because that then the creation was Gods greatest and eminentest worke and being occasionall and appointed for commemoration was therefore changeable whensoever he should rest from a greater worke that better deserved commemoration then that And yet the substance of the commandement remaineth unalterable which substance or unalterable part of the commandement consisteth in the number as seaven is opposed to all othâ—r numbers and not in the order But may some say Obj. those allegations out of the first and fift commandements hold not paralel with this reason of the fourth commandement because they were onely given in the time of the Iewes but this was from the beginning I answer both the one and the other was given for the Churches sake Answ. and therefore alterable according to Gods good pleasure and the state of the Church But you will further object When doe you find any thing altered that was as this is from the beginning I answer I find the curse which was annexed to the fall of man to bee taken away and brought under by the death and resurrection of Christ And well then may the reason of the then Sabbath bee altered by it when the curse is annulled it being the Churches type or ceremony and that thing changed wherein the ceremony consisted to wit the order from last to first according to the different state of the Church Like as it may bee supposed of the Iewes when they came to bee a sedentary Church they altered their gesture from standing to sitting but still retained the Passeover So wee still retaine the substance of the fourth commandement though wee have altered the ceremony which was grounded upon Gods example And now God having given us another example of another rest upon another day wee imitate his example and still keepe his commandement by observing the number but altering the order For indeed as by Gods ordination and disposition the Law and Sabbath goe together so they fare alike for the Law was to continue in the nature of a covenant till Christ came and so the Sabbath on the last day who bâ— fulfilling the righteousnes of the one did inherite the rest of the other being annexed thereunto and entailed thereupon whereof man failed by his fall and thereupon changed the natures of both subordinating the Law to the Gospell making it in stead of a cause procuring life to bee a rule and an effect of life and grace received and so the last day Sabbath to the first changing rest by workes into working by rest A happy change if wee make not our selves unhappy by allowing a rest to the Law but none to the Gospell for whereas before wee held by a tenure of feare our happines being all in the future for wee were all our life long to doe this and then to live now wee hold by the tenure of faith and our happines is in present for saith the Apostle Hebr. 4. 3. wee which have beleeved doe enter into rest according to
morality of the Sabbath being a meere misprision then it did from Christs act of Charity from being a morall action which may serve a caution not to make the Iewes superstitious practises and blind conceits a rule and argument to regulate our doctrine and manners by in this particuler of the Sabbath which is too much leaned upon by some D r. Heylin for one who in the beginning of his booke layeth downe this Maxime that wee can have no better Schoolemaster in the things of God then the continuall and most constant practice of those famous men that have gone before Amongst which famous men hee brings in the Iewe in their ignorant and superstitious practices to overthrow Gods cleare precepts and either shut out the light of the word to wrest it to his owne and other misguidance as he doth the text aforesaid which may yet bee further seene in the third mistake which hee makes in the interpretation of those words of Christ in the 23 verse because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath Day which pag 121. he makes to be spoken by Christ in his owne defence in reference to the healing circumstances that accompanied their worke of Circumcision that if they might breake the Sabbath in healing the party hurt by Circumciâ—ion so might he whereas it is spoken by Christ in opposition to the greevous and hurtfull nature of their action for having formerly magnified his worke above theirs from the cause in that his worke was an act of obedience to the Morall Law and theirs but to the â—eremoniall here he magnifieth it also from the effect in that his was an action of Mercy restoring to perfect health and easing of greevous paine a man that was wofully bedrid and theirs an action of bloud procuring torment For where in all the Scriptue do you find the healing part of Circumcision I meane carnally meant or spoken of I will conclude in advice to such Expositors both as touching their opinion of the Sabbath and expounding Scripture as Christ did to the Iewes concerning this matter in the 24 verse Iudge not according to appearance but Iudge righteous Iudgement Now whereas you say that this Commandement of the Sabbath was first given to the Israelites when they were delivered out of Egypt by the hand of Moses intimating hereby as if it should be a Iewish Type and Ceremony and as if it should have reference to Christ after the manner of their other abrogative Ceremonies To this I answer That all the rest of the Morall Law was given them upon their deliverance as well as the Sabbath And I doe thinke indeed that God did purposely take that occasion the better to signifie their spirituall deliverance by the concurrence of those things both by bringing them out of their Egyptian darkenes and at the same time making the Sun-shine of his Law which had been so ecclypsed ever since the fall afresh to rise upon them But that the Law of the Sabbath received then a new Institution is no way probable but only a renewed one as did the rest of the Morall Law into which it is incorporated and with which it was a shareâ— in the breach that Adam made * And so was coequall or contemporary with it in the reparation And as may also appeare by the tenour of the Commandement it self which for substance is nothing else but the first institution largely repeated only being better explained to the understandings and suted to the condition of those people Nor againe is the Sabbath a Iewish Type as appeares from the difference of their significations for the Typs of the Iewes primarily and principally had relation to the State of the Church on Earth under the time of the Gospell * Their Types were promises which have their impletion with us being shadowes of good things to come in the dayes of the Gospell and secondarily or remotely to its State in Heaven but now the Sabbath had an immediate and proper respect to Heaven being Gods rest as appeares both in the manner of Gods exhibiting it in the wildernes as you may see in due place and in the 4. Heb. But if it be objected that Canaan is a Iewish Type Obi. and that Canaan and the Sabbath signify both of them one and the same rest in that 4. Heb. I answer They do signifie the same rest but in different respects Answ. for Canaan properly there signifieth the Rest which wee here enjoyed on Earth through the Gospell and improperly or analogically the Rest of Heaven relating only thereto as True to perfect as Beatitudo viae to Beatitudo patriae but the Sabbath properly signifieth the rest that God rested in Heaven from his worldly workes and which now by beleeving wee shall rest with him there and improperly signifies the Gospell-rest here on Earth relating only to it as Perfect relates to True as Beatitudo Patâ—iae relates to Beatitudo viae by vertue of our exchanged condition for what the Law could not give that is any present Rest but all in future that Faith as a Gospell-priviledge procures us So that wee which doe beleeve doe enter into Rest even this Heavenly Rest inchoatively The summe of the Apostles meaning there being thus much that Israel according to to the letter not knowing the way of the Lord chap. 3. ver 10. but cleaving to the Law which was the ministration of death graven in stones that is a weake and dead letter 2. Cor. 3 7. and the ministration of condemnation ver 9. forsaking the way of faith and the Gospell which is the ministration of the spirit of Power 2. Cor. 3. 8. and of righteousnes ver 9. they therefore lost through unbeleife both the spirituall Rest on Earth typified by the temporall rest of Canaan which is the rest and tranquility of the Soule entred into by faith justifying us and procuring us Peace with God which should have redounded to them by the Preaching of the Gospell see the 2 and 6 of this 4. Heb. and also the Rest and Sabbath in in Heaven which God himselfe rested and signified on the seaventh Day after his worldly workes were finished which should have ensued and followed thereupon see the later part of the 3. and 4. verses whereof wee that are Gods spirituall Israel that doe beleeve are possessed already both vertually in our high Priest Christ Iesus vers 14. and personally in our selves by being partakers of this Gospel-rest through faith on Earth which essentially conduces or relates to the Sabbath-rest in Heaven compare the beginning and the ending of the 3. verse Like as 5. Matth. 6. they are said for present to bee blessed that but hunger and thirst after righteousnes and what 's the reason why saith Christ they shall bee filled Christ meanes they are entred into such an estate as doth give them right and will bring them to full blessednes They are therefore for present truly blessed because they shall bee fully blessed
So here in this 4. Hebr. this Gospel-rest and Sabbath-rest are interwouen being continuous and of the same nature relating one to another as true and perfect doe So that I say the Apostle meanes that God sware that for their unbeleefes sake they should not tast nor partake neither his rest on Earth in the Land of Canaan flowing with milke and hony and where with reioycing hearts they should liberally have eaten the good things of the Land idest the rest of the Gospell making their soules flow with the milke and hony of peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost and wherein are bid to come and eate that which is good and to drinke the wine on the lees and to fill themselves with marrow and fat things the spirituall Israel of God Neither that rest by which God himselfe rested from his works of creation verse 4. and which they also should have rested with him in Heaven when all things were or should bee finished by consummation verse 3. as once they were by perfection By their unbeleefe they made themselves uncapable both of the rest of Christ here who should have led their soules into a land of uprightnes flowing with the milke and hony of righteousnes peace and joy in the holy Ghost and of the rest of God hereafter that everlasting rest and Sabbath which they should have held with him in Heaven resting from their workes as hee did from his They should partake neither the one nor the other neither Christs rest nor Gods indeed no rest at all neither temporall spirituall nor eternall neither Canaans rest nor the Gospels rest nor the Sabbaths rest For verse 3. God sware in his wrath that they should nor enter into his rest no not although the works were finished from the foundation of the World neither beginning nor end lesse nor more first nor last of his rest should they tast or partake of by the works of the Law refusing the righteousnes of God by faith For hee inlargeth his enraged malediction from one part to the whole rest And thus much Mayer expresseth in short in his exposition of the 12. and 13. verses of this 4. Hebr. saying that those words cohere with the former thus Let us take heed that wee perish noâ— for want of beleeving the word being deprived of inward rest and peace here and shut out from the eternall rest hereafter For the word of God is full of life c. And here note by the way from those words although the workes were finished from the foundation of the World in the third verse how the Sabbath keeps and is expressed in its supereminency which it had before in its preferment to a place among the 10. commandements and precedency of rest in the wildernes for what doe they signifie but that they should not partake of his last and greatest rest hereafter with himselfe in heaven no more then of his lesse and present rest of Canaan and the Gospell Likewise also it appeaâ—es â—o bee no Iewish type from the different relations they had to Christ For the Iewish types did relate to him properly as the shadow to the body being created for his sake but the Sabbath as the Law accidentally to bee fulfilled and accomplished by him because they had miscarried by us And in this doth the supereminency of the Sabbath appeare in that Christ for himselfe as well as for us is a sharer in this types signification For in respect of this rest is hee said to sit now at Gods right hand by which gesture signifying rest is intimated as well his resting from the labours and paines hee underwent here as any other thing for whereas hee had the evill and wee the good of other types of this hee tasteth the sweet as well as wee And therefore hee saith to his Disciples If yee loved me yee would rejoyce because I goe to my Father Indeed Christ onely inherited the last day Sabbath according to the first covenant and hath left the first day Sabbath for us to inherite by the second covenant But you will say Obi. surely there cannot chuse but bee somewhat in it that the Sabbath was instituted by Moses upon the occasion of Mannah as it appeares in the 16. of Exod. before God gave the morall Law on mount Sinai I acknowledge Ans. though the Sabbath bee of a transcendent nature to the other types yet as all other things so also the Sabbath hath reference to Christ in regard of the state of the Church since the fall For as now the whole morall Law is fulfilled by Christ for us and therefore was given upon their deliverance out of their Egyptian bondage so also is the Sabbath in its celestiall signification made good to us now by a new accomplishment to wit onely by Christ Hee it is now that doth onely make us righteous in the sight of God and hee also it is that now alone maketh us partakers of the rest of God For as they were to enjoy and feed upon Mannah in Heaven with rest so they were to have this rest by Mannah id est Christ. And therefore I confesse that there is very much matter in it that thus the Sabbath doth precede the giving of the Law * There was almost nothing that befell the Israelites in the time of their being in the wildernes but it was typicall like as there was in Gods giving the promise to Abraham before circumcision Rom. 4. 11. * And indeed they should have made that use of this order of the Sabbath being instituted upon Mannah before the giving of the Law That the law which was to follow did not frustrate the promise of salvation and life which long before was made in Christ Gal. 3. 17 18. and therefore followed as conducing to it which went before but that the same rest or eternall Sabbatisme which should have beene by the Law is now to bee had by Christ. and doth also follow so immediatly the gathering of Mannah and that a double portion of Mannah for hereby is signified how that now our heavenly rest is not procured by our owne righteousnes of the Law though once it was annexed to it but that hee onely who by faith doth gather and lay up a large proportion of Christ shall certainely have this Sabbatisme of everlasting rest in Heaven succeed unto him See Rom. 5. 17. and for the very selfe same cause it is that now our Sabbath is celebrated after the day of Christs resurrection See also Doctor Taylor in his Christ revealed pag. 268. where hee saith that Mannah fell on the evening of the Sabbath in a double quantity signifying the double diligence that wee must use to get Christ while wee are in this life which is as the even of our eternall Sabbath And that upon condition of our diligence and care here below wee shall have supply enough of all grace without labour and gathering when Christ shall bee all in all to all
the 31. of Exod. wee read thus Verely my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you The like was signified by cleane meats Levit. 〈◊〉 24 25 26. Act. 〈◊〉 12 13 14 15 20. Here by sanctifying is meant separating from other Nations to bee a peculiar people to himselfe In this sense Aaron and his Sons are said to bee sanctified Exod. 29. 44. Aaron and his Sons were sanctified and severed from the other Levites to bee the Lords Priests and the Israelites were sanctified and severed from other Nations to bee the Lords people of which sanctifying the Sabbath was a signe in as much as it was a day sanctified and seperated from other dayes of the weeke for the Lords service Now if God gave the Sabbath for a signe to the Israelites the Sabbath could not bee common to other Nations and consequently was a meere ceremony as was circumcision Abraham received the signe of circumcision and the Israelites received the signe of the Sabbath Hence I thus argue such as is the Sabbath such is the precept thereof The Sabbath is a signe therefore the precept thereof is significative or ceremoniall and is abrogated Here consider that if Noah had taught his household and Lot his Sons Abraham his Sons by Hagar and Keturah Isaack his son Esau and Melchisedech his people to keepe the Sabbath the Sabbath could have beene no signe to the Israelites for the World would have beene replenished with Sabbath-keepers at that time and a long time after so that no doubt wee should often read of this matter in Heathen writers Answer You say the Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a signe of their peculiar sanctifying or seperating to bee the people of God from all others and hence you fallaciously conclude that therefore it cannot bee common to others * See this confuted in Master Richard Bifield pag. 87 88. where hee sheweth how every signe of separation or consecration is not ceremoniall Nor doth every seperating or sanctifying marke oblige onely those that haâ—e that marke pag. 1 â—0 For though it be true that as a signe it was proper to them onely in their times and so also was the whole Law as it was renewed and given of God for a covenant betweene him and them * The giving them to the Israelites was a signe the Lord was nigh to them and therefore in vaine doth Master Dow alledge pag. 15. That in that the Sabbath is called a signe betweene God and the Israelites that hee was their Sanctifier and Deliverer out of Egypt which it could not bee if it were given to all Nations in Adam seeing the Law was the like and therefore doth hee say Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee hath shewne his word to Iacob and to Israel his judgements and statutes and that hee hath not dealt so with every Nation that is with any Nation neither have they knowne his judgements so that the Sabbath and the whole Law are alike significative and indeed have somewhat of signification in them in this second exhibition For as the Church it selfe was then typicall signifying the Church of Gods elect So was the Law as given to them as may appeare in that it was twice written to shew the double writing of it by nature and grace in the hearts of the elect So that both the Sabbath and the rest of the Decalogue as they are morall Lawes are forever common to the universall Church of God being not onely bare signes but of a double nature For the same thing may bee both proper and common in diverse respects As the Land of Canaan was proper to the Iewes as it was the Land of promise and yet it was common to many Nations in the use thereof to wit as it was a place of commerce and habitation and so is to this day And so the whole Decalogue wee know was common as it was the Law of nature to all Nations and People even in those times of the Iewes but yet is it in the fourth Chap. of Deut. 13. verse appropriated to the Iewes because it was given in a speciall manner as a Covenant betweene God and them and in that respect it is opposed to things that are common to all People in the 19. verse of that Chapter as the thing wherefore and whereby God will bee especially worshipped even for that very cause because as hee himselfe layeth downe the reason there they are distributed unto all People under the whole Heaven And yet is this Law no man will deny in the morall sense of it common to us now 〈◊〉 whereof the Sabbath is a part nay * For though wee refuse the Law as a Covenant yet wee entertaine and honour it as a rule of obedience Nor surely are wee to say that the Law because it was given to the Iewes must bee in the same respect to us as to the Iawes else it bindeth not at all if so bee it bee qualified according to our times and turned from a covenant to a rule Then granting this change and yet retention of the whole why not also of that part thereof which concernes the Sabbath and was also common to them that were not Iewes even in the time of the Iewes though not in nature of a speciall Covenant yet so as it was a Law of nature which the precise Sabbath I confesse is none but onely made equivalent by revelation and therefore did they then observe though set times of worshipping God yet happily not the whole day or at least not every seaventh for that most properly is the Churches right and rite Moreover the very Sabbath it selfe was of force by vertue of the fourth commandement to all that came with in the cognizance of it as well stranger as Iew And therefore could it not bee meant a signe of separation in your sense so as to appropriate it solely to them and thereupon to create it a meere ceremony Many things there were indeed among the Iewes that bare this sense expressely as the Paschall-Lambe whereof by expresse words no stranger was to eate untill hee was made as one that was borne in the Land by circumcision Exod. 12. 48. But it was other wayes in the commandement of the Sabbath for the stranger quatenus stranger was â—o observe it if they were within their gates * Nehem. 13. 16 19 20 21. Iubebantur feriari eo die qâ—emadmodum Iudaei indigenae saith Zanchy And not as the Antisabbatarians of our age would perswade that it belonged to the proselite stranger onely Againe I argue against you out of your owne place 31. Exod. That if God menat it as a bare signe peculiar to the Iewes why then doth hee fly backe to the primitive institution of it in the seaventeenth verse re inforcing the commandement there upon that reason which is common to all mankind The words are these
was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day in the state of Innocency therefore it is morall to sanctifie one day in a weeke I thinke it best to make answer to this Argument particularly 1. Adam was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day Answ. It doth not appear that Adam received such a Command as is said before As I commanded your fathers Ier. 17. 22. rather we would thinke as I conmanded Adam in the beginning if it had been true Consider also this saying and made known to them thy holy Sabbath Nâ—hem 9 14. Chap. 1. And had God given such a Command why should it not be recorded He that will have us believe more then is set downe must alledge some Scripture or some reason why it was not set down It will be said unlesse Adam was commanded to sanctifie the seventh day wherfore did God sanctifie it in the beginning Answ. Because thou a man knowest not a reason of Gods doings this is not a sufficient reason or warrant for thee to affirme that he did more then thou findest that he did in the Scriptures And consider that others may know some reason hereof though thou and I do not This that followeth whether they be reasons or not I leave it to thy consideration I dare not say so I was not with God when he laid the foundations of the earth 1. It appeareth by Heb. 4. as is said before that Gods Resting the seventh day wherein God rested and which he sanctified was a Type of the Rest that remaineth to the people of God 2. God might sanctifie the seventh day in the beginning for a purpose not present but to come namely that the Israelites should sanctifie the same when they came into the land of Canaan another Paradise as it were and a Type also of the kingdome of heaven A blessed time and a blessed place an holy day and an holy land sort well together When a man shall stand before Christs judgement seat and being demanded wherefore didst thou say that God commanded Adam to sanctifie the seventh day when the Scripture saith not so in any place Consider whether this answer I could see no other reason of Gods sanctifying the seventh day will not prove like Adams breeches of fig-leaves I am well assured it will Answer To your answer I rejoyne That this example of God thus declared by himself was in the nature of a Command as appeareth plainly by the paralel case We see Gods creating Man male and female was a law justly inferred thence obligatory enough to binde one man to marry but one woman at once and to love her and live with her as appeareth Gen. 2. 23 24. compared with Marke 10. 6 7. where there is concluded from this exemplary action of God a perpetuall binding dutie to all mankinde without any expresse Commandement to that purpose But Gods blessing and hallowing the seventh day must needs enforce a Command if we consider that as Christ saith the Sabbath was made for man that is saith M r. Hilder sham for the great benefit and behoofe of man so that man could not no not in Innocency have been without it And if this of the Sabbath were of no obligatory â—orce I pray you then why doe you as before say that Adam if he had continued in Innocency should have kept it Me thinks he should rather then have kept every day Sabbath then we now and yet you say It is likely he should have wrought sixe dayes and sanctified the seventh Therefore as Christ saith in the case of separation it was not so from the beginning So say I in this case of the Sabbath that it was so from the beginning on Gods part actually and on mans part it both should and would have been so had he continued upright And thereforâ— as well in this of the Sabbath as in that of Marriage ought it to be so now Nor did mans fall abrogate the Sabbath any more then it did the rest of the morall Law * Know that all the Commandements given in Innocency were morall either by a naturall or positive moralitie as you would seeme to perswade in your first Chapter For God used the self same authoritie to reinforce it when he gave the Law the second time to wit his own example and the Creation both which he used in his first institution And therefore however we may think of the Sabbath in our corrupt reasonings or by other mens examples as the lewes might doe of Marriage from the example of the Patriarchs polygamy or the toleration of Moses yâ—t it was other wayes from the beginning and let God be true though men be lyers As touching your marginall note God as I may so speake had no reason to goe so farre of for an inforcement as to Adam especially it having been so long intermitted when he might have it fresh and neerer hand which he the rather chose to use for that this iteration of the Law was more peculiar and a greater Demonstration of his speciall love to them in way of Covenant and so more pressing and remarkable And yet doth he not utterly omit to make use of the first institution for he useth the same Arguments to them as to Adam for the observing it to wit his own example and the memory of the Creation which sheweth that it was to be understood as a Commandement laid then upon Adam as well as now upon the Israelites And by this rule you may say The promise and Covenant of Grace was not given to Adam because Gal. 3. 17. The Apostle draweth his Argument of refutation from that Covenant which God confirmed with Abraham 430 yeeres before the Law was given and not from the Covenant made with Adam at the first Touching the latter part of your marginall note I have answered it a little before from Psal. 147. 19 20. It may well be said as a Rejoynder to your second answer that unlesse the sanctifying of the Sabbath was instituted as an Ordinance for Adam to observe wherefore did God sanctifie it for Christ saith The Sabbath was made that is appointed or created in the beginning for man And if God had a reserved and secret intent in this why was it revealed especially when the thing was done and past seeing things revealed belong to us and to our children And from your own reason That the Sabbath was a Type of the Rest that remaines to the people of God a man may justly argue the use of it to the Church and consequently the necessitie and universalitie of it For by the people of God is not meant any visible particular but the whole Catholike Church And why God who instrict sense rested no more on that day then on others did yet so declare himself to have done ad captum vulgi and did also spin out the creation into six dayes which else he could have done in a trice if it were not for example sake I leave to any indifferent judgement And
these 17. and 18. verses of the 5 th Matt. doe intend as well the Ceremoniall as the Morall Lawes for Christ going about to bring himself into liking with the Iewes by removing the impediment of their Law shewing that he made for and not against it First concerning the Ceremoniall whereas they thought Christ had meant to have made those Laws to be no laws but to have brought in a new way of Righteousnesse and Salvation into the world he telleth them his coming was not to disparage or annihilate those lawes but rather to ratifie them by fulfilling them not so much to take away their being as to give them a better being Secondly concerning the morall Law whereas they trusted to it to their own destruction and misinterpreted it in favour to their carnall and corrupt mindes he came to shew them the true sence and meaning of God in it to wit that they were not to be saved by their own but by his fulfilling it and that God will as well be served in spirit as in letter So that he was so farre from abolishing this Morall law as that he did more enforce it and gave life to that which they had made to be but a dead letter And thus this text maketh for the perpetuitie of the fourth Commandement for that Christ fulfilled both the Lawes the one by adding the substance to the shadow the other by delivering men from the curse of it through grace and confirming it by a new exposition * New I meane to them and a manifestation of the spirituall part of it as a rule of manners for all ages which is evinced out of the 19. verse where notwithstanding he had formerly said how that he had fulfilled the Law yet doth he there presse them to obedience which must needs be of the Morall Law Moreover as Christ meant not to destroy the law so neither did he meane to confound the natures of lawes perpetuall and temporary which was a way to destroy them and consequently not to annihilate the use and being of any thing save only such as did help to build the partition wall and were ordained for the state and time of the Iewish Church before Christs coming Much lesse the Sabbath which sprung out of Paradise before any promise of Christ was made and which now in our State or Church is every whit as usefull and proper as ever serving to cherish the Morall law and to help us to heavenly mindednesse by its signification Nor doe we say as you would force upon us in your Margine that every tittle in the Decalogue is perpetuall to wit striâ—tly for that the Law like other Scripture being occasionally written in the strictnesse of the Letter did partake of those times and of the state of the Church to which it was then given but Evangelically and in a sutable sence to our times it is perpetuall Broad ARGVMENT 4. A Fourth Argument is taken from Christs words Mat. 24. 20. but this Text being rightly understood maketh nothing for them neither An exposition of Christs words Math. 24. 20. Pray that Your not of the Apostles only who were all well nigh dead or departed out of Iury before that time not of the Disciples alone who before the siege departed to Pella but of the Citizens of Ierusalem and generally of all the Iewes Flight that is calamity from which I councell you to fly there being no hope by any meanes to avoid the same He tearmeth it flight to note the certainty of their overthrow Be not in the Winter neither On a Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a feast or festivall Sabbath and I am induced thus to expound this Text. 1. Did Christ mean the weekly Sabbath yet this Text would stand them in no stead See M. 〈◊〉 Tract pag. 73. Because Christ seemeth not to meane any one particular day for he speaketh of daies as before vers 19. and again after ve 22. except those daies should be shortened 2. Because he counselleth them to fly as soone as they see Ierusalem besieged Luk. 21. 20. And indeed it had been a great folly knowing that the City should be destroied not to shift for themselves whilest they might but to tarry untill the last brunt 3. Because the calamity befalling at the Passeover became came farre more grievous then other wayes it would have been for a great number repairing to Ierusalem at that feast were shut in by the Romanes and thus Totâ— gente velut in carcerem conclusa as Iosephus speaketh it came to passe 1. Bâ—ll lud lib. 1. cap. 1. That the aire was infected and many died of the pestilence 2. That they sooner wanted food and many miscarryed through famine 3. That there was greater dissention among them for quot homines tot sententiâ—e and many perished by this meanes 〈…〉 Some of late restraining Christs words to the Disciples onely hold the reason of his counsell to be that so they might not be hindred from the sanctifying of one Sabbath which say they would be grievous to the soule as to 〈◊〉 in winter would be grievous to the body Answ. As though they might not be as well hindered from sanctifying the Sabbath in defending themselves against the Romans as in flying from them and againe in hiding themselves after their flight being scattered here and there as the manner is of such If the Disciples following Christs counsell Luke 21. would depart out of Ierusalem as soone as it began to be besieged it is likely that they might then depart in what day almost best pleased themselves or rather indeed in what night they would which is the time wherein men usually seeke to depart out of Cities besieged If they would tarâ—y untill the city were ready to be taken which in them had been extreame folly there is no likelihood that they could fly and escape at all But not to stand longer hereupon the verses both before and after doe sufficiently convince that Christ gave this counsell for the better avoiding of bodily calamities and the event hath manifested the same Answer I will not much dispute what Sabbath was meant by Christ in these words of his Math. 24. 20. For admitting the conclusion how that Christ gave this counsell for the better avoiding of bodily harmes and calamities and the increase of those troubles which at the least was such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time nor ever should be For that they were to typifie the calamities that should befall the wicked and unbeleevers at the last day I confesse this exposition of yours to be in my conceit very genuine and yet it may for that very reason intend the weekly Sabbaths as well as any of their festivals For as by the one the Iewes should be multiplyed at Ierusalem at that time and so should their misery be increased So againe by the other might their consciences be so straitned in
I meane not such a speciality as Master Brâ—â—râ—wood doth which belonged to the Sabbath or to this generall commandement is rather ended which did consist of those occasionall interventions of Mannah kindling fires and double sacrifices and if you will of the foresaid sanction of the very rest it selfe which as I have said being significative happily had in their times an holines belonging to it which did peculiarly belong unto the Iewes and which were no parts of the substance of this commandement which in that respect is as well common to us as to them the reason annexed being of like and equall force to all from the creation For the annexing of extrinsecall and adventitious circumstances doth not any whit harme the nature and morality of the Sabbath no more then Pauls circumcising of Timothy which in respect of the season was needfull did annull or doe injury to baptisme nor then a signe of an Inne or shoppe being pulled downe annulles or impaires an house So that their rest is common to us but in a riper sense for the grouth and stature of our times so much overtopping theirs the Lord lookes that wee should answer his expectation as well as obey his commandement in sanctifying a more excellent and Evangelicall Sabbath to him then ever they were able to doe The Church of the new Testament saith Master Perkins hath more knowledge and more grace then the people of the old Testament had and in that regard ought to have more zeale and greater alacrity in the worship of God then they had that it may exceed the Iewes according to the measure of grace * Greater mercies require greater and better duties received The Arguments of love being not so forcible to prompt obedience in the time of the Iewes as in ours they being under the old covenant and the Spirit not so stirring then as now the obedience was rather performed to the commandement then to the commander For God in their time passed under the name of a Lord implying them to bee servants and their obedience to bee serviceable obedience but now in our times hee passeth under the name of a Father implying us to bee sons and our obedience to bee filiall and spirituall And yet as spirituall obedience was even then due to God and expected by him though not with that eminency of expectation as of us So the types and Sacramentall umbrages which now are of use to us being performed in conscience to Gods commandement have their holines suteable and respective to our times but not in that degree not in that kind of positive and intrinsecall holines as in the times of the Iewish nonage Like as in the spring time while the sappe is weake and but comming all that wee expect from trees is flowers but when a riper seasoninsueth then wee looke for riper fruit so that then the prime and beauty of these flowers ceaseth though their vertue remaine And by the punishment that God so severely annexed to the not performing the rites of the two Sacraments wee may see the extraordinary nature of things of that kind then in the time of their Pedagogie for he that was uncircumcised and that eate leavened bread in the passeover was to be cut off And therefore did God intend their rest as may well bee gathered to bee a positive part of their sanctification because of the typicall use thereof which yet hee doth not doe to us and yet hee accounts our not resting a prophanation of the Sabbath and all imployments which hinder his worship and conduce not to the sanctifying of that day to bee sinnes Like as Christ who whilest hee was upon the earth accepted small things at his Apostles hands but after hee was ascended and had given gifts unto men hee looked for other services or as a Pater-familias that having a boy and a man to waite at his table the boy if hee can fill a cup of beere and shift a trencher by reason of his non-age hee is willing to take it as a good part of his service but to his man hee gives better wages and therefore expects better service at his hands hee lookes that hee should bee able to furnish and disfurnish the table with grace to his Master and yet not to neglect those lesser things Or which better expresseth my meaning as of children wee require a bodily service in saying their prayers and graces and catechisme and though they have little or no understanding and sense of that they say yet wee take it in good part till they attaine to more knowledge and ripenes of yeares and then wee looke for sutable performance thereto Even so the Lord hee expects from us an high degree of sanctifying his Sabbath even a ravishment of Spirit which service wee can never performe if wee doe not rest A Christian and Evangelicall use therefore of this Sabbaticall rest is still in force to us though the Iewish sanction may bee determined for their precise resting was with respect to the formall holines in the rest but wee are to rest with respect to its finall holines of furthering Gods more substantiall worship and the spiritualizing our owne mindes by it and thus doth the whole commandement for substance and use remaine to us the difference being onely in some occasionall circumstances * Like as one in answer to an Antiâ—oniâ—n that objects because the Tables of stone wherein the Morall Law was written were removed with the Tabernacle other like adjuncts therefore the Mosaicâ—l Law is â—â—erly abolished saith Must it needs follow that because the Tables of stone wherein the Law was written bee abolished that therefore the Lawâ— it selfe is utterly abolished together with them were the Tables of stone so essentiall to the Morall Law that it had neitheâ— birth before them nor being after them wee know that the putting them into the Arke was typicall though the Law it selfe was â—orall â—o that so â—aâ—re as these Tables of the Covenant had any thing ceremoniall in them or any thing concerning other circumstances or persons time place terrour rigor and the like being peculiar to the Church of the Jewes in thaâ— estate of the Mosâ—â—cal Pedagogy so farre I say they are removed with the 〈◊〉 Buâ— the morall Law contained in the 10. commandements could not bee ceremoniall for then should the morall and ceremoniall have beene confounded whereas even by their writtings in tables of stone and by the finger of God they were distinguished neither was there then any thing for the substance of it nor is now as now it stands upon record in the booke of God but it doth concerne us as well as them and therefore though the Tables of stone bee removed the morall Law is yet continued and hath except is excipiendis his properuse and force still as 1. Because the Sabbaths rest was significative from the beginning it might in their times as I have said carry with it a typicall or externall holines as their
other types had which notwithstanding were of afarre different nature and institution to this for they were appointed since the fall and occasioned by it and in themselves temporary but this was before the fall and given for ever to the whole Church for a standing type which yet it doth not to us and yet so as the primary force and use of this is no lesse appertaining to us then them For so that other ordinance which was instituted in innocency marriage it also lasted in respect of diverse circumstances of their times and discipline which yet wee retaine pure from the first institution Secondly wee under the Gospell have also an alteration made of the individuall but not of the numerall day for wee now keepe the seaventh day according to the commandement remember that thou keepe holy the seaventh day but not theirs Thirdly in respect also of the reason whereupon the commandement was inforced upon them to wit Gods resting from the creation For whilest the law or first covenant was in force the creation was in force which still remaines with us but subordinated to the adequate reason of our Sabbath where to use Master Dowes words pag. 24. All lawes being onâ—ly positive though made by God himselfe admit mutation at least when the matter concerning which or the conditions of the persons to whom they were given is changed For as the Iewish types so many grosse and sensitive grounds and reasons are pilled of and swallowed up by the comming of Christ and more spirituall ones risen in their stead As wee see it very apparant in the 65. Isa. 17. I will saith God create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not bee remembred nor come into mind * Old things are possed away behold all things are become new Which to mee seemes a pertinent prophecy of the alteration of the Sabbath from the Iewes day to ours it being as much as to say that in comparison of the excellency of the things that shall bee under the Gospell the other things shall bee nothing worth Sence shall bee swallowed up of Spirit types of truth And though the creation bee admirable of it selfe and so also is at this day the consideration of it being exceeding usefull yet nothing comparable to our redemption Our rejoycing in the one is nothing comparable to our rejoycing in the other * So that the â—lteration of the Iewes Sabbatâ— into ours by reason of the new creatiâ— which God made 〈◊〉 the time of the Gospell doth further typisâ—â—â—nâ— assure us of the last and best alteration of new Heaven and new Eaâ—â—h â—â—okâ—n of in thâ—â— of the first of 〈◊〉 which we shall be made partakers of by the Goâ—spell As a right worthy Doctor Sibbes by name observes Gods last works are his best works the first being but preparatives and occasions of the later the new Heaven and the new Earth are the best the second wine that Christ created himselfe was the best Spirituall things are better then naturall And Master Dow pag. 27 saith as mucâ— that the reason Drawne from the example of God who rested upon the Sabbath namely when the creation was finished endured onely till the time of the new creation in which all things were made new by Christ at which time it ceased or at least a second reason taken from the new covenant comming in place the former both reason and day become now old are passed away And behold all things are become new For this worke of redemption or new creation being the greater may deservedly take place of the other and as the Prophet Ieremy speaking of the deliverance that God would vouchsafe his people from the Babylonish captivity saith Behold the dayes shall come saith the Lord that it shall no more bee said the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt but the Lorth liveth that brought them up from the land of the North so may wee say of the day appointed for his worship that the day wherein hee finished the worke of creation shall no more bee observed but the day wherein our Lord Christ by his resurrection from the dead finished the worke of our redemption Thus speakes Master Dow. And how ever in other things the constitution of the Iewish Church and ours differ yet in this they are united the Sabbath being first ordained before there was distinction made or wall of partition built for an ever-lasting signe betweene God and his Church for his sanctifying it and a perpetuall rule of duty and practise chalked out to his Church for the direction of his more solemne worship Like as was his marrying of Adam and Eve in innocency both a perpetuall type of that union which is betweene God and his Church as also a perpetuall rule for the ordering of that affaire amongst mankind ever after both which were alike given in innocency and were alike both perpetuall rules and perpetuall types unto his Church Broad This booke beeing the last I intend to write of this Argument my desire is it should bee read of many before it bee published that if just exceptions can bee taken to ought I have written or that an objection of moment bee not here fully answered I may know it and afterwards may alter or adde as there shall bee cause Iohn 3. 21. Hee that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may bee made manifest that they are wrought in God Broad 2. Treatises 1. Concerning the Sabbath or seaventh day 2. Concerning the Lords day or first of the Weeke Gal. 4. 10 11. YEe observe dayes and monthes and times and yeares I am afraid of you least I have bestowed on you labour in vaine Answer You play the Souldier in the On-set at first discharging your greatest ordinance to impresse the greater feare but as you use the matter you misse the marke For this place of the Galath fals farre short of your aime as you might have perceived if without prejudice you would have perused Master Perkins upon that place whose whole discourse thereof is worth inserting if it were not too long And if you examine the context you may perceive how that the Apostle was angry at the Galathians for leaving Christ the substance and betaking themselves even in point of justification to the carnall observation of Iewish shadowes and ceremonies which in comparison hee calleth beggerly Rudiments and hee the rather tearmed them so because they were then utterly uselesse and insignificative being fulfilled and so abrogated But the Sabbath is for the equity and substance of it still of the same use as ever to wit fit for the beâ—ter procuring of mans refreshing and Gods more solemne worship Nor is it in-significative or ever shall bee till wee sing a requiem to our soules in heaven For as it concluded our creation so shall it our salvation And therefore by no meanes to bee numbred with the observation of dayes and monthes and yeares seeing that the
Iohn 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee c. shewing that the life of grace in a man is called eternall life because it hath its beginning from that life which shall never cease but increase to ever-lasting perfection So that the Sabbath is unalterable in regard of the individuall number but not in regard of the individuall day The number being kept the day upon occasion might bee altered And of the truth of this wee have good reason to perswade us for the issue proveth it by the divine authority of the Apostles For this fourth commandement being no Iewish ceremony but a commandement in the Decalogue and equall with the Law of nature ought for the substance of it to bee esteemed perpetuall and especially seeing that now in one of these senses to wit in the number wee see it preserved inviolable by the example of the Apostles and the practise of the Church ever since and yet in respect of the order by the selfe-same examples altered from last to first And which alteration is very agreeable to the time of the Gospell where many that are first shall bee last and last shall bee first Even as Iohn Baptist who being the last of the Prophets was therefore the greatest because nearest unto Christ yet hee that is least in the Kingdome of Heaven that is in the time of the Gospell is greater then hee So this seaventh day though the last in order and greatest in dignity during the supereminency of the old creation because of Gods example yet now is the number retained and the order exchanged from the last to the first of the weeke in honour of the new creation of the new Heaven and new Earth which comparatively was prophecied and promised to eaâ—e out the old in the 65. of Isa. 17. I will saith God there create a new Heaven and a new Earth and the former shall not bee remembred that is the solemnity of it shall cease and shall give place to the new for els remember it wee both doe and must doe for the memory of both may consist together and the one confirme the other in regard that our redemption restores us to a lawfull Dominion once forfeited over the whole worke of creation And why must there bee this change Why because of the greater excellency of the second creation which shall bee solemnized in stead of the first under the time of the Gospell when Christ shall bee come and shall have finished the worke of my Mercy which shall bee greater then was the worke of my goodnes in the creation Each creation must have its Sabbath of commemoration for els should God magnify his lesser worke of creation before his greater worke of redemption And therefore this is the day which wee now celebrate which the Lord hath made for us to rejoyce in now like as that was then And thus wee see it in all points now fulfilled But you will object that this new Heaven and new Earth is meant of the differing state of the Church under the Gospell to that it was under the Law Ans. I grant it whereof the solemnizing of our redemption which principally nay I may say onely made the change in stead of our old and first creation unto which wee lost all right but that it was revived by and therefore worthily changed into the second is a principall part And therefore hath the holy Ghost expressed this change in those tearmes of old and new creation rather then any other And as in the 2. of Peter 3. 13. there at the perfection of the Kingdome of Heaven hee prophecies of a reall change of the old Heaven and old Earth by an absolute dissolution of them by reason of the succession of a better condition to the people and Church of God So here in Isaiah at the inchoation of the Kingdome of Heaven I meane the time of the Gospell hee prophecies of a proportionable reall change leading unto the other of the old Heaven and old Earth by way of mitigation by reason of a more excellent benefit that redoundeth to the Church and children of God For those words according to his promise in the aforesaid text of Peter have reference to this of Isaiah By the compaâ—ison of which texts it is evident that there is as well a literall as a mysticall sense in these words which was to bee fulfilled gradatim in the Kingdome under the Gospell which was the time of the adequate accomplishment of their prophecies as well as in the Kingdome of Heaven hereafter which is the time of accomplishing our prophecies or theirs as they are transferred over to us So that if you grant it requisite to sanctifie a seaventh day or the seaventh day in respect of number I say with you but now to sanctifie the last day in the weeke were to memorize our creation above our redemption our being above our wel-being and to contradict promise and prophecy example and reason For in commemorations the lesser gives way to and is enwrapped in the greater Now then Christs resting on the first day from a greater worke then that of the creation was just cause to adjourne the great duty of commemoration to that day which finished the greater and more beneficiall action But on the other hand to keepe no seaventh day were likewise to goe against the example of the Apostles and to blot out one of the tenne commandements and so to make a morall Law Iewishly ceremoniall For there is no reason why the Apostles should weekely celebrate the day of Christs resurrection if it were not in reference to the fourth commandement seeing that if they had meant it as a bare institution of the Church they might have done by the day of Christs resurrection as wee doe by the day of his birth that is have kept it yearely And lastly it were to crosse this prophecy of Isa. 65. 17. for what reason have wee to thinke that God would simply have the remembrance of the creation lessened nothing lesse but onely respectively no more then hee would have the Egyptian deliverance forgotten because hee would have the Babylonish deliverance remembred but onely comparatively For hee would have us that are under the Gospell to celebrate the worke of our redemption above the worke of our creation and to acknowledge the day of the consummation thereof to bee the day which David speakes of Psalme 118. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Lord hath made wherein wee will rejoyce and bee glad In which words as one saith I see not how the making of the day can bee intended for the common regulation of the dayes in the creation but it appeareth to bee some dedication to an holy use of joy and gladnes sutable to the description of a Sabbath which is called a delight for our unspeakeable deliverance And not as Bishop Wâ—ite would perswade pag. 191. that the day of Christs passion was every way as blessed a day in respect of mans redemption as
the day of resurrection For the Apostle saith that if Christ bee not risen wee are yet in our sins And so againe whereas hee saith pag. 298. This great worke of humane redemption was not effected by the resurrection of Christ but by his obedience and sacrifice on the crosse and it was fully wrought and finished upon the passion friday after our Saviour had said consummatum est I aske how wee had beene redeemed from and how hee had conquered our last enemy death if hee had not risen And againe put case it were so so was the worke of creation fully finished on the sixth day and yet God sanctified the seaventh day and on that day 2. Gen. 2. it is said Hee ended his worke which hee had made because that day gave manifest declaration of his compleating the works of creation and so did the day of Christs resurrection manifest the compleating of the worke of our redemption And this day thus prophetically extolled by David was answerably honoured by Christ himselfe and kept by his Apostles So that in answer to Bishop White pag. 302 there was at least an implicite vertuall and interpretative command in the act of Christs resurrection For why should not wee thinke that Christ had a significant meaning in prolonging his resurrection to the third day which was the first of the weeke as well as God had in spinning out his creation to the seaventh day which was the last of the weeke seeing Christ could have raised himselfe out of the grave so soone as hee was in it like as God could have created all things in the twinckling of an eye So that then seeing God by this his resting from the worke of our redemption hath given us a new reason in respect of eminency of a new day and by the example of his Apostles preserving still the number wee in doing the like obey his good pleasure and his Law which is not destroyed by the comming of Christ for not one tittle of it shall passe away till Heaven and Earth passe which is the time of the Sabbaths period but fulfilled and explained by him according to the will of God and his purpose though not according to our carnall reasonings and opinions For thus is all kept whole The reason of the commandement hereby standing still good but not in cheife For Gods resting from his worke is now the occasion of our Sabbath not from the worke of his creation but from the worke of his redemption wherein hee was most remonstrated and even redoubled in the manifestation of all his attributes to our view and therefore worthy of a select day which yet altereth nothing of the substance of the Sabbath Alexander tertius Pontifex Rom. affirmat tam veteris quam novi testamenti paginam septimam diemad humanam quietem specialiter deputâ—sse id est Interprete suarez de diebus festis cap. 1. utrumque testamentum approbavit moreâ— deputandi ad quietem humanam septimum quemque diem hebdomadis quâ—d est formaliter deputare septimum diem licet materialiter non idem dies fuerit semper deputatus hoc modo verum est septimum â—llum diem in lege vâ—teri esse Sabbathum in nova vero esse diem Dominicum For as our changing of the bounds of the Sabbath which in the Iewes time was from evening to evening and now in our time is from morning to morning in relation to the time of Christs resurrection is no materiall change but that still the day remaines entire even so the change of the Iewes seaventh day to our seaventh day altereth not any whit the substance of the Sabbath or fourth commandement But you will say Obj. why was the day translated and not rather both the dayes celebrated Because that would have crossed the good pleasure of God Answ. who from the beginning thought it a meetâ— proportion to afford man sixe dayes for his necessary labour and to exact one of seaven for his more solemne worship which also is the reason why the Lords day was continued in the same number but not in the same order so that it was not transpâ—sed to bee observed in any other number but onely in another order in the same number that so the will of God in that commandement might bee observed and yet his resting from the wonderfull worke of our redemption worthily celebrated And therefore whereas Bishop White saith pag. 277. that if the fourth commandement concerning the keeping of the seaventh day bee morall and perpetuall then it is not such in respect of the first and eight dâ—y but of that one onely day which it specifieth in the commandement I answer Neither of both is morall and perpetuall as considered in the order but occasionall and changeable as the event hath shewne and that each of both is morall and perpetuall as considered in their number being unchangeable to any other number and therefore still so continueth by vertue of the morality of the Law of the Sabbath given to Adam and re-given in the fourth commandement Now whereas you urge the appointed day of the Passeover to bee unalterable in paralel to the day of Gods rest from the creation wee clearely see the contrary for upon occasion the precise individuall day of the Passeover was altered as in the 9. of Numb where hee that was uncleane or in a journey was not to eate it till the fourteenth day of the second month where the number is preserved entire whereof God was ever curious but the day is changed even thus upon occasion is the Sabbath altered the number of seaven being kept entire in this as in the other the number of fourteene and yet a change made and so both the Sabbath and Passeover for substance preserved notwithstanding the circumstantiall alteration upon occasion Yea Hezekiahs great Passeover was kept in the second month upon the exigency of the times 2 Chro. 30. 2 3. And now that you have made mention of the Passeover besides this foresaid livâ—ly illustration which it affords to set forth my meaning in this thing I would commend it as a notion worthy your consideration whether Gods ordaining the first and seaventh day of the Passeover as also of other feasts to bee kept holy might not propheâ—yâ—â—â—â— Sabbath of the true Paschall lambe Christ Iesâ—â— after his being slaine as well as theirs under the typicall the one to bee the first of the seaven as the other was the last Broad 2. When in likely hood God sanctified the seaventh day VVHen God sanctified the seaventh day Some conâ—idently teach that Adâ—a kept the first seaventh day whereas it is probable that God sanctified it not till about the end thereof I meane whether as soone as it began or about the end thereof is doubtfull of the two the latter sâ—emes most probable for God blessed and sanctified the seaventh day because therein hee had rested not would reâ—â— and was refreshed It is the manner of men to blesse
was a kind of reaping and threshing Where their Fingers were in stead of Hookes and their Hands of Thresholds Thus againe the Iewes pulled Oxen out of Pitts and thus in the time of the Maccabees they determined to fight in their defence on the Sabbath 1 Mac 2. 2. When they had Commandement from God or Christ Iosh 6. thus the Israelites by Commandement from God compassed Iericho thus the man by Commandement from Christ caryed his Bed Ioh 5. some say that the carying of the Bed was a meanes of publishing the miracle and thus defend the fact but there was other meanes to make the miracle knowne and they will not say I thinke that the Man on the next Sabbath might have done so againe on his owne â—ead that then which made his fact lawfull was only the Commandement of Christ who being Lord of the Sabbath could cause any man to prophane the same when he saw good Answer Herein you go about to prove ' that the' Sabbath was either only or chiefely sanctified by resting from Worke. First by your owne Analys of the fourth Commandement wherein you would make God to put the chiefest part of the Sabbaths sanctification in Rest. Secondly by your proofe out of Ier 17. 24. Thirdly by proving the Sabbath to be prophaned by workes which againe you prove by shewing how he that gathered Stickes on that Day was more severely punished then many a one that other wayes seemed more to prophane it 1. For your proposition it selfe which is that the Sabbath was sanctified by resting from worke To this I answer I wish the Geneva note upon the title of the 92 Psal which is a Psalme or Song for the Sabbath Day that this teacheth that the use of the Sabbath standeth in praising God and not only in ceasing from Worke. Whereunto I adde Mr. Calvin upon the 2. of Gen saith he God did not simply command man to keepe the seaventh Day holy as if he were delighted with rest but to the end he being free from all other businesses might more willingly and quietly apply his mind to the Creator of the World Furthermore saith he it is an holy rest which delivereth Men from the impediments of the World that they may wholy bend themselves to the service of God Secondly I answer that it was neither only nor principally sanctified by resting for then any labour even about the worship and service of God had beene unlawfull and by this doctrine the best way for them to have sanctified it had beene to have laine all Day in their Beds * But as one observes upon Gods commanding Adam to worke in Innocency that Idlenes was never Mans happines much lesse his holines and they had sanctified it better in the Night then in the Day and every man in his owne House then in publicke Congregations which but even now you your selfe contradict Which Dr. Heylin would have us beleeve it is whilest every where he would perswade us That holy labours and necessary were breaches of it among the Iewes such as were Circumcision offering sacrifices and fight or flight in time of danger c. Whereas hee ought to know that rest from our owne workes is only enjoyned Isai 58. 13. that so wee may be imployed in Gods * And therefore Exod 35. 2. It is called a Sabbath of rest to the Lord that is to the Lords use like as the same phrase in the 5 verse shewes where they are bid to take from among them an offring to the Lord. And therefore was not the worke of Circumcision unlawfull though a painefull one nor the worke of offering Sacrifices though a toylesome one much lesse workes of mercy and Charity For Christ sayth Math 12. 12. That it is lawfull to doe well on the Sabbath Day No worke was a breach of the Sabbath which was either in it selfe as were religious actions or upon occasion lawfull to be done upon the Sabbath And therefore in the beginning of that chapter he makes the Disciples rubbing the Eares of Corne for hunger occasioned in his service on the Sabbath Day to be equall with the Priests sacrificing in the service of the Temple which was in it selfe no prophanation of the Sabbath though in the 5 verse Christ said Have yee not read in the Law how that on the Sabbath Day the Priests in the Temple prophane the Sabbath for wee read no such thing in the Law that they prophaned the Sabbath But he meanes they did that on the Sabbath which the Pharisees might through their superstitious misprison as well call a prophanation of the Sabbath and count unlawfull as that action of his Disciples I deny not but Rest from worldly workes was a positive part of the Sabbaths sanctification in the time of the Iewes because of the holines which did then accompany it being a Type and that transcendent to all the rest as I have often said But that it was ever meant to be either the whole or principall part of the Sabbaths sanctification I utterly deny although they abusivâ—ly made it so even to the neglect of acts of mercy for which they were blamed by Christ the Lord of the Sabbath as you say by a superstitious misinterpretation of Gods commandement agreeing with selfe-love and sensuality as you doe by falsifying the true sence of the word Sanctifie 2. To come to your Analys whereby you would prove your position to it I answer That in it you confound the end and the meanes by making the Commandement it selfe which consisteth in the first and last words to be expounded by the middle part as if sanctification which alwayes signifieth to set apart to an holy use should be properly interpreted by resting from worke as if God would put up with negative service only or as if that which is negative could be the principall matter of a precept affirmative But indeed the rest which you would make to be the only interpretation is chiefely and properly of a subservient nature serving as a significant accomodation to the maine duty of holines commanded as may appeare First by the Rest which was commanded them on their other Sabbaths was it not chiefely removendo prohibens by removing an impediment the better to devote them to services which was then enjoyned them of feasting and sacrificing and humbling their Soules and doth not the same hold good to us in our Sabbath which is to be sanctified by all these at once in a spirituall sence That it was so to them is evident in the 23. Levit 27. 28. 29. 30. Where God having instituted the day of attonement telleth them how they were to sanctifie it in the 27 verse to wit it shall be an holy convocation to you and yee shall afflict your Soules and offer an offering to the Lord and then in the 28 and 29 verses he bids them yee shall doe no worke in that same Day and what 's the reasons why it followes for it is a
answer That the first Day of the Weeke or Lords Day having taken footing among the convert Gentiles to whom the Apostle wrote he might with lesse scruple use the word Sabbaths absolutely without exception considering that all Sabbaths eo nomine were outlawed Though now as the case stands we in these times are forced to re-assume the name Sabbath not thereby to shoulder out the more worthy name of Lords Day but to vindicate the authority of the fourth Commandement and to testify our judgements touching the new Sabbath like as the primitive times are reported to take up the wearing of the Crosse to testifie their profession and Confession of a Crucified Christ against their opposers 2. To your second Reason I answer That our warrant to worke on the Iewes seaventh Day is the fourth Commandement which proportioneth us out sixe Dayes for our worldly affaires and the seaventh for an holy rest which is the totall and morall sence and summe of that Commandement and which wee still observe the order being occasionall and temporary but the number morall and perpetuall as I have proved before And therefore the Apostles did imply a nullity of the one by the bringing in of the other according to the nature of the Commandement and the Prophecy of Isaiah 65. 16. So that if you thinke it meet to retaine the Lords Day in our Church as you do in your premonition then must you grant the order to be changed For it was never the Apostles meaning nor in their power when God by a perpetuall Law from the beginning had given us sixe Dayes for labour and destined the seaventh to an holy Rest to have turned it into five Dayes labour and two Dayes Rest. For amongst the Iewes when Holy-dayes were so frequent there was never any weekely Holy day ordayned to go cheeke by jole with the Sabbath but either Monethly or Yearely So that as Moses his Serpent eate up the Sorcerers so hath our seaventh Day eaten up theirs * As the Apostle sayth in another case 2 Cor 3. 10. Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth Generatio unius est corruptio alterius Our new Heaven and new Earth have given us a new Sabbath and new Rest. For old things are passed away and all things are become new 3. To your third reason I answer That Paul in like case speaketh in divers places of Ministers maintenance and yet saith never a word to cleare the controversy of Tythes whether they bee or bee not Iure divino but he preacheth the substance to wit a meet maintenance to be necessary So in Pauls discourse of times and Dayes as also of other things although he satisfy not our Fancies who cannot see afâ—rre of yet doth he answer the will of the Holy Ghost who for reasons whereof wee are uncapable spareth to doe what wee expect And indeed the reason of Pauls not Preaching the Sabbaths alteration might be because it was neither safe nor convenient For it must needes have given great offence to the Iewes seeing it had a place amongst the morall Commandements who were so precise in the punctisioes of times as that they would have beene of your opinion that either their seaventh Day or none was morall and so would have taken advantage to vilifie his doctrine as if he had gone about to overthrow as well the Morall as Ceremoniall Law the sun shine of the Gospell being too bright for their weake Eyes to behold all at once And therefore the Aposile condescending to their infirmities chose rather to insinuate the Lords Day tâ—citly by his practice then by his doctrine For so iâ— behoved him in those times wherein hee became all to all that he might win some And therefore did he take occâ—â—â—on on the Iâ—â—ish Sabbaths to Preaâ—h the Gospell in their Synagogues when yet wee see how that privately hee sanctified the Lords Day with Châ—istians Therefore I conclude that this Scripture is nothing concerning the Weekely Sabbath whereof he writeth nothing at all directly for the reasons aforesaid but of the Iewish Ceremoniall Sabbaths which hee must needs cry downe if he set up Christ. The shadow must vanish when the substance comes in place And of this the converted Iewes were mostly as well perswaded without offence as the converted Gentiles But of this sort was not the Weekely Sabbath as I have proved elsewhere and as further is evident from the 92. Psal which is dedicated to the Sabbath Day but none of the rest of the Psalmes to any of the legall Ceremonies from which I may thus reason That seeing the Booke of the Psalmes was ordained for the consolation of the militant Church unto the Worlds end as may appeare by the Apostles exhortation it seemeth not consonant to reason that a part of Gods perpetuall worship should be dedicated to a temporary Ceremony To your fourth and fifth I answer that how the Sabbath is said to be shadowish wee have shewne before and shall have more occasion hereafter to enlarge it Amongst those two or three which justifie the morality of the Sabbath I would have you take in D r. Andrewes in his exposition of the fourth Commandement and M r. Hooker in his Eccles Pol and Bishop Hell whom I have already alleadged Broad 2. The Sabbath was a shadow from the beginning FOr Gods very Resting was Typicall as appeareth Heb 4. 4. observe that the Apostle there speaketh os the seaventh Day as rested upon by God and not as sanctified by him or enjoyned to be sanctified by Man so that the seaventh Day then became a Type when God rested therein the seaventh Day in order if not in time before it was sanctified was Gods rest and Consequently a shadow of the Rest remaining to the People of God Consider further that it doth not appeare by the Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all were not Againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If any thinke there was no shadow or Ceremony of Christ before Sin Ans Suppose that before there had beene no shadow or Type at all yet might the Sabbath bee a shadow or Type from the beginning thereof for it is very profitable that Adam fell the Day before Againe though there were no Ceremony of Christ before Sinne yet might there be a shadow of things to come that now shall be exhibited by Christ which had not Adam sinned God would have exhibited by himselfe There were it seemes three Types or shadowes in the beginning Paradice the Tree of Life and the seaventh Day Gods Rest of the comfort of all which Adam for his Sinne was deprived But afterwards God being mercifull to the posterity of Abraham they had the same Sabbath Mannah for the Tree of Life and the Land of Canaan for Paradice which was as it were another Paradice and a figure
also of the Kingdome of Heaven Answer In the 4. of Hebrewes it is beyond the Apostles scope to treate upon the sanctification of the Sabbath for that there he only disputeth upon the typicall use of it So that thence I easily grant you the significary or typicalnes of the Sabbaths rest even from the beginning so you take it not in a Iewish sence as abrogative by Christ his first comming for though Christ then came to destroy the ceremoniall Law yet came hee to fulfill the Morall Law in which the Sabbath hath his seate and whose typicalnes doth not so properly relate to Christ or to our present Rest in him as to our Rest in Heaven * As appeareth in the 4 Hev where by Gods 6 Dayes worke and reâ—ting on the seaventh i signified the travell of Mans Life and his Rest in Heaven if he be of the People of God and thus hath eveu Christ himselfe rested before us as is there also specified is partaker as well as procurer of the benefit of this Type which in Innocency wee were capable of without him although that now our capacity and interest in that Rest being lost and only recovered in and through Christ it may by accident referre to Christ as the Tree of Life is made to doe because he is become our Intermedium to that Rest which yet at first it signified without him and thus is Marriage made a Type of Christ and his Church which in Innocency was properly a Type of the Vnion and Vnity betweene God and his Church immediately till sinne made a divorce and therefore are they not as other Types occasionally taken up and occasionally laid downe but begun as I may say before Christ and shall end after him that is when hee shall give up his Kingdome into the hands of his Father to whom the Creation being appropriated this Type of the Sabbath being grounded thereupon must needs begin and end in him Yet so as that by reason of Christs intervention and the new Creation which he hath made it is by accident of use also towards him because that in and by him only wee now enjoy this Rest and are given in Marriage unto God So that if wee can here prove our Rest and Marriage unto him by Fayth then are wee inchoatively possessed of our everlasting Rest and Marriage which shall be consummated with God in Heaven * whereof these two Institutions in Innocency were figures Touching the time of Adams Fall for my part I cannot thinke it was before Gods seaventh Day and my reason is from Moses his method for he putteth it after and yet I doe beleeve hee never kept Sabbath in Innocency but fell before his owne seaventh Day Touching Adams deprivation I answer That although it be evident by Scripture and the fiery Sword that Adam was deprived of Paradice and the Tree of Life as being properly annexed to the Commandement concerning the Tree of Good and Evill yet doth not the same appeare concerning the Sabbath for that it did partake as well of duty as of commodity and was a coadjutor to the Law of nature besides we see it renewed in its proper kind and upon its primitive reason which the other are not but exempt by a fery Sword also wee see the Scripture saith the Sabbath was made for Man which indefinitely signifieth all Mankind though properly the People of God For God having still a People he hath for them a Rest in Heaven towards which the Sabbath is as helpfull as the Sacrament of the Lords supper is to our Faith in Christ. For as one sayth Even now in this marveilous light of the Gospell wee have our divine Ceremonies and Sacraments God reserving the greatest for the Kingdome of glory Broad 3. The Sabbath was a shadow of our blessed Rest in Heaven SAint Paul saying Coloss 2. that Meate Drinke Holy-dayes and Sabbaths are a shadow of things to come doth not there tell us of what things to come they are a shadow And the only place in my knowledge whereby wee may gather of what the Sabbath was a shadow is Heb 4. by which Chapter it appeareth that the Sabbath was a shadow or Type of the Rest in Heaven The Rests or Sabbaths mentioned in that chapter are three one the first seaventh Day verse 4. another the Land of Canaan verse 8. a third the Kingdome of Heaven verse 9. of the latter Rest the two former were shadowes Some tell us of a legall spirituall and Heavenly Sabbath and the legall with them was a Type of both the other which I dislike not Answer You may well imagine of what things to come Paul meaneth in that 2. Coloss if you consider the context for after he had handled Circumcision both in its Type and Antitype then he concludeth of other things of that nature in these words let no man therefore condemne you in Meat or Drinke c. As if he had said like as Circumcision so all things of that nature and institution are extinguished through Christ the substance of these shadowes and the end of these Ceremonies Amongst whichby an Argument ex non concessis you would draw in the Weekly Sabbath to bee one as if the Iewes had not other Sabbaths which more properly are to bee reckoned in that number and yet confesse it to signifie our Rest in Heaven and to have none other signification but that which signification is still in force also as wee see in the 4. of Hâ—b which properly is true of none of the abrogated Shadowes Which signification I say is still in force and consequently the Sabbath for how should it be other seeing that they are Christs owne words Math 5. 18. That till Heaven and Earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe from the Law till all bee fulfilled Now how can the Sabbath be abrogated seeing by your owne confession it signifieth our Rest in Heaven which is not yet fulfilled nor will not be till the second comming of Christ. whereas the Iewish Types therefore vanished at the first comming of Christ because they received the fulfilling in him properly and adequately But perchance it will be objected Obâ— That the abolishment of all the signes of the Old Testament was by this that Christ hath actually acquired all the benefits figured by them though the Elect inherit them not yet totally and perfectly and thus he hath also acquired the benefit of the Sabbaths signification for us though not yet accomplished it to us I answer 1. It is true that the benefits of both are acquired by Christ Answ. but in a different kind For the Iewish Types were since the Fall created de novo for his sake to shadow him forth and so he properly accomplisheth and soe abolisheth them Coloss 2. 17. * Whence D. Taylor observes in his Christ revealed pag 4 But this of the Sabbath was created in the beginning and was since then things so falling out by the Fall only
4. whereby their minds were to bee elevated above the Mannah that they should partake of on earth which they must enjoy with paines taking even to the Mannah which they should feed on in Heaven with rest from all labour and so is not yet fulfilled neither properly nor perfectly For wee must note that the Sabbath signified properly Gods rest or our rest with God not first Christs rest and then Gods though by reason of the admixtion of the Gospell in that time of the Law it signified Gods rest to bee by Christ as in its succession to Mannah hath beene shewne I say that properly it signified not Christs rest neither literally in respect of the time of the new covenant under the Gospell wherein we are set free from the burden which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare nor spiritually in the soules of the regenerate freed from the Law for this their other Sabbaths did in regard this weekely Sabbath could not properly doe it at that time though now under the Gospell the Sabbath-day that attended the Law being done away this weekely Sabbath now supplieth the place of all their Sabbaths and now it selfe alone signifies our already entrance into our eternall rest inchoatively by being possessed of our soules spirituall rest in Christ a thing which whilest the Law was afoote it could not properly imply Because the Law gave no present rest but all future though in the time of the Law as aforesaid it was signified to bee made good to us by Christ. Yet it never properly signified the rest of Christ in the soule for then it had signified a present rest which was contrary to the Law and is now our priviledge under the Gospell The Sabbath-day being changed for that end from last to first For 4. Heb. 3. Wee which have beleved doe enter into rest where this rest of God is spoken of in a double respect to wit as denied to carnall Israel that sought to possesse themselves of it by works but granted to Gods spirituall Israel that seeke it of Grace through faith who shall not onely have it here after but even for present are possessed of it in their soules which happines the Law or first covenant never could afford So that although the Sabbath bee shadowish yet is it not the Iewes proper freehold but common with them and us being theirs onely as they were the elect Church and people of God to whom it universally belongeth and therefore was instituted even to Adam in innocency For the Church of God in the clearest state of it never was nor never shall bee upon earth without shadowish Sacraments and Sabbaths being her proper inheritance which were even in innocency where our eyes were clearer then they are now And seeing that the Sabbath is not properly Iewish it cannot bee said to bee abrogated because the substance is yet not come which is Heaven it selfe or our absolute rest and inablement to serve God there As was signified by that strict rest commanded to the Iewes on this Sabbath in the time of Mannah above other rests and other Sabbaths but onely changed to prove to us that the Gospell estates us in that rest and that presently which the Law should but could not And now in our dayes the stricter that wee rest from worldly distractions and the more sanctifiedly that wee keepe the Sabbath the nearer wee imitate Gods example * Who yet on the seaventh day that hee rested ceased not to cherish and maintaine all things that hee had made by his providence and in necessary and mercifull providence wee are to imitate God on that day as well as in resting and fulfill his intention in the institution of the Sabbath and the better wee performe our duty in glorifying God as the Iewes did in doubling their sacrifices on that day and the more comfort wee reape to our selves in lively moralizing thence our heavenly rest which we shall have hereafter free from all corruptions interruptions temptations * Doing God double service in Heaven to that wee doe him here For in proportion all that belong unto the Iewes concerning their resting and sanctifying the Sabbath belong likewise to us consideratis considerandis Broad CHAP. VI. ARguments prooving that the precept of the Sabbath is not morall nor perpetuall * Did some men teach onely that the precept of the Sabbath was greater and of longer continuance then the precepts of the holy-dayes it were not so strange but that the precept of the Sabbath and the precepts of the holy-dayes should bee of different natures the one morall and the other not is incredible Answer A pitifull shift that these Antisabbatarians and the Papists are driven to for the maintenance of their opinions even to the downe right adventuring to blot out that which God himselfe hath written with his owne hand a greater boldnes then King Belshazzar durst attempt touching the writing on the wall witnes Master Broad here and Vasquez the Iesuite else-where who being driven to acknowledge by comparing the words of the second commandement with the fourth of Deut. that the Scripture doth forbid the adoration of the true God himselfe in an Image and confessing with all that hee and his fellow Catholicks doe other wayes what saith hee then to the commandement why because it will not bee obeyed it must bee repealed and not admitted to have any place amongst the morall precepts of God it was saith hee a positive and ceremoniall Law and therefore ought to cease in the time of the Gospell thus making the commandemen of God of none effect to keepe their owne traditions Gab. Vasquez lib. 2. disput 4. cap. 4. sect 84. But the Iesuites come short of the subtilties of our age for they bluntly explode the second commandement whereas they might have let it stand still with a distinction Like as some of our Antisabbatarians For they cannot all agree upon the point doe let the fourth commandement stand though not for its owne sake or as a Law though wee must pray Lord encline our hearts to keepe this Law as wee doe to the rest but onely for some other causes and consideration dictated by our Antisabbatarians some one some another to keepe the ten commandements from a blancke I wonder what one man of a thousand hath wont to pray that prayer after the reading of the fourth commandement in their sense which if they will have passe for Doctrine they must either alter the frame of the commandement or else explode it as Master Broad doth But Doctor Heylyn part 2. pag. 241. objects that if this ejaculation bee to bee understood in a literall sense according as the words are laid downe in terminis it then must bee the meaning of it that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seaventh day precisely from the Worlds creation and keepe it in the selfe same manner that the Iewes once did To which I answer that
morall part Answ. none ever did nor can do and consequently there is no morall part consider that to breake the fourth Commandement and to profane the Sabbath are the same and now that the Sabbath is profaned only by worke was shewed before * Chap. 3. those Lawes only are to bee tearmed Morall whereby the observation of Morall duties such as are Prayer Almes c. are prescribed as for Time and Place they are necessary circumstances about the performance of Morall duties and their Lawes are to be tearmed Circumstantiall M r. Iacob in his reply to some notes of mine above twenty yeares since acknowledged that the fourth Commandement was circumstantiall and not morall And I suppose that many other when they have a little considered the matter will easily acknowledge as much but yet as he so they will have it perpetuall neverthelesse wherefore I come to prove that the fourth Commandement is abrogated Answer In answer to your Argument I say that the fourth Commandement can be no more broken then the first second or third For as in the first other things may be loved but not unlawfully loved and as in the second Images may be made but not unlawfully made and in the third the Name of God may be used and taken but not abused and taken in vaine so in this fourth Commandement wee may do worke and â—et breake this no more then the other if so be not unlawfull worke but such as agreeth with the sence of the Lawgiver and may bee gathered by comparing places of Scripture which wee find to bee such as may promote Piety Mercy and Charity And therefore is that following Objection of moment For in all Lawes the meaning of the Lawgiver and sence of the Law it selfe is principally to be respected not the Letter for that thing may be contradictory to the Letter of the Law which yet is no breach of the meaning of the Law if so bee it bee agreeable to the rules of Right Reason and Piety * For it is supposed that all Lawes ought to bee such and if otherwayes then they cannot in a right sense be said to bind and so consequently not to bee broken As where wee are comanded not to Sweare at all you might well imagine what would follow thence if this doctrine of yours might take place that therefore to Sweare at all is to breake this Commandement and so in this fourth Commandement where wee are bid to doe no manner of Worke if you will cleave to the Letter you may soone find your errour to your cost But God giveth his Lawes and Commandements to reasonable Creatures who should therefore be able to judge of them according to the Rules of Truth and Reason A London Marchant chargeth his Apprentice upon a Shrovetuesday that all that Day he stirre not out of his House if so bee the Apprentice upon occasion goe into the backe Court you will not say hereupon he breaketh his Masters commandement That therefore which one affirmes of mens writings is true touching Lawes to wit that wee must seeke for the meaning by the matter as well as by the Letter and lend our Eares to listen and observe what they desire to speake and not make them speake only what w 're desire to heaâ—e unlesse wee will be like 〈◊〉 Children who having some fancy running in their Heads imagine the Bells to ring and sing as they thinke and speake See that where Christ sayth Math 12. 5. That the Priests profaned the Sabbath in the Temple and â—ere blamlesse it is spoken according to the Capacity and misprision of the superstitious Pharisees * See â— Ioh 15. 16. 18. the better to convince their errour 〈◊〉 that if they counted the actions which his Dâ—â—ples did in his service to be a breach of the Sabbath they must by the same Reason account the actions which the Priests did in the service of the Temple to be a breach of the Sabbath for he had more authority to use their service then the Temple had to use the service of the Priests but that they did not therefore nor ought they to thinke this a breach of the Sabbath for indeed such workes as tend to Mercy and Piety * I conclude workes of necessity within these termes of Piety and Mercy wherto I limit the works of the Sabbath because whatsoever works are done on that Day though they be workes of necessity as â—â—dering Beasts c. ought to bring forth some speciall glory to God by some Sabbaticall and holy use under one of these two heads and therefore doth Christ turne that Act of necessity when his Apostles for hunger sake rubbed the Eares of Corne into an act of Mercy saying I will have mercy and not sacrifice are so farre from breaking the Sabbath which commandeth an holy Rest as that they are the proper fulfillings of it even as to do the will of our Father in Heaven will be no impeachment to our Rest there And indeed the just intermission of Rest on the Sabbath is most improperly called a dispensation of the keeping of the Sabbath for in nothing ought Rest to bee intermitted on the Sabbath but in such things as tend more to the sanctifying of the Sabbath such were Christs Sabbath Day cures which he might else have suspended till the next Day for Rest being principally ordained to remove the impediments of the Sabbaths sanctifying ought of right to give way to its furtherances whereas the dispensing with a duty is to prejudice that for the advantage of some other But by the way take notice that from the Pharises reproving Christs Disciples in the beginning of this 〈◊〉 Math for rubbing the Eares of Corne on the Sabbath Day Obâ— it is objected by some that that Law given in the Wâ—â—dernes in the time of Mannah touching their not preparing their Food on the Sabbath Day was then of force and a foote in the opinion and practice of the Pharises else they would not have reproved the Disciples for so doing to which I answer That they did not reprove this action of Christs Disciples in reference to that Law Answ. or with any such opinion that it was of force or in respect of any such practice of their owne but as a worke and so a breach of Rest as M r. Broad rightly observes in his third chapter nay as a needlesse and cursory worke or action as may appeare 1. In that they themselves were not so ill instructed in the lawfulnes of workes of mercy and necessity seeing they led their Oxen to watering on the Sabbath Day that they would have found fault with it had they conceived it to have beene a worke of necessity 2. In Christs excuse or justification of them from the necessity of what they did implying first that it was not needles and superfluous as they by their Pharisaicall carping and misprision conceived but necessary and secondly that it was not unlawfull because not needlesse
in stead of joy in the holy Ghost bringing indeed meat to their nests but through hast or lazines eating none themselves or like Taylors make cloathes for other men to weare so they never assaying their owne points how they fit or may fit their owne Spirits but thinke it is their duties to teach and other mens duties to doe And let mee also admonish the People that they take not scandall or offence by carping or misprision at the Ministers absence in time of publicke prayer as the Pharises did here at Christs Disciples but rather judge them necessitated to it But it will bee said Obj. that it is beyond flesh and blood thus to spend a whole day in heavenly mindednes It is indeed hard to flesh and blood Answ. but where the Spirit is there is liberty A Gentleman that handles a flale for novelty sake thinks it an hard thing to thresh an houre together but the Country Husbandman that is called to it and by frequent use hath made it another nature to him thinks it no hard thing to thresh a whole day together So flesh and blood wanting the skill to handle spirituall tooles and feeding on spirituall things with a forced and not a naturall palate digesting divine truths but as other truths of other arts onely into a notionall meditation to improve his understanding or outward practice a little to such a man it must needs bee hard But hee that is begotten of God and hath a new nature put into him hee is skilled in the way of the Lord and findeth such sweetnes in digesting divine truths into his Spirit and in renewing and maintaining his spirituall acquaintance with God in giving and receiving and in the variety of Gods spirituall ordinances as that it is not hard to him for when flesh and blood knowes it shall have no liberty it will looke for none and then the Spirit easily beareth rule I wish by the way that such men as talke of keeping every day Sabbath to cry downe the weekely Sabbath â—thereby doe know their owne meaning whilest withall they say to spend a whole day in heavenly mindednes and spirituall imployments is an heavy yoke and implyingly make it part of our Christian liberty to bee redeemed unto earthly mindednes and not unto heavenly whereas it is both the best and cheifest part of our Christian liberty to bee redeemed and inabled unto heavenly mindednes and to a willing powerfull spirituall performance of holy things in this time of the ministration of the Spirit being delivered from the ministration of the dead letter which embondaged them to the outward and carnall part and unwilling weake performance of them through the weakenes of the flesh For the Spirit is therefore a free Spirit not because hee freeth us from the Law but because hee sets us free to the performance of it Thus David looked to bee a free man and set at liberty not from obeying but to obeying and doing the commandements Psalme 119. 32. I will run the wayes of thy commandements when thou hast enlarged my heart I wish wee were lesse guilty of this Iudaisme in our dayes viz. making our holines consist rather in rest then in resting to bee holy Sure I am those that walke the most exactly and strictly in this way of heavenly mindednes on that day find the benefit and sweet thereof to their soules and good reason For that promise Isaiah 58. 14. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord is not onely made to but also to bee fulfilled by the performances of the duties injoyned us in the foregoing verse of not doing our owne wayes not finding our owne pleasure not speaking our owne words the Spirit of God working this unspeakable delight and comfort in the soules of them that so walke Now I come to speake to your answer to the second objection and therein to shew you when wee are said to breake the morall part of the Sabbath which is when wee either doe our owne works or Gods worke to our owne ends For had rest beene properly or onely the morall part of the Sabbath then had the superstitious Iewes kept it none better But a man may rest and not keepe the Sabbath and a man may worke and not breake the Sabbath And indeed that man that both resteth and worketh to wit from his owne works to doe the works of God is the onely true Sabbath keeper And therefore as wee are advised in another case that whether wee eate or drinke c. So in this case say I whether wee rest or worke let it bee done to the glory of God else our rest is but the rest of brute beasts and our works the works of prophane Men and Hypocrites So that on the Sabbath our rest must give place to all Gods good works and on the contrary all our works must give place to Gods rest For whether wee rest or worke it must be unto God and not unto our selves for so onely wee fulfill the Sabbaths signification Lastly for answer to that which you say in proofe hereof how that those Lawes are onely to bee tearmed morall c. I aske you what prayer or Almes c. is there commanded in the third commandement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine and yet this you cannot deny to bee a morall Law If you say there are then I answer no more then in the fourth commandement where wee are to keepe holy the Sabbath or to sanctifie it with an holy rest by which is not meant a bare rest no more then by an holy convocation is meant a bare meeting together but it is meant in regard of the holy duties that were to bee done thereon of praying praysing God reading Moses Law sacrificing c. And why is not remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath-day as well morall also as thou shalt not make to thy selfe any graven Image in the sense in hand And whereas you say that time and place are circumstantiall implying them thereby to bee indifferent things I answer that in themselves they are so but if God please to alter their natures hee may Thus hee disposed of the Temple for a time and the Sabbath for ever to bee his proper ordinances Consider how inconsistent you make it for resting to bee the sanctifying of the Sabbath and yet the Law of the Sabbath to bee but circumstantiall to other duties Broad ARG. II. BY Sabbaths Col. 2. 16. the weekely Sabbaths are to bee under stood by ordinances then in the 14. verse the Law of these Sabbaths must needs bee meant as well as the Lawes of new Moones and Holy-dayes and now these ordinances that is precepts of the Sabbath new Moone and Holy-dayes are here said most manifestly to bee blotted out Though Saint Paul here saith that the precept of the Sabbath is blotted out Obj. yet his meaning is not that it is wholly blotted out but onely in part So any one may
say of the precepts of the new Moone and Holy-dayes Answ. and would it not trouble them to shew by the Scriptures how much is blotted out and what is left uncancelled The received division of Moses Law hath beenâ— into morall ceremoniall and judiciall That any commandement should bee partly ceremoniall and partly morall partly an ordinance and partly not partly nayled to the Cresse and partly remaining in the Arke partly blotted out and partly left to be read and observed I could never yet find in any part of Gods word Master Dod and Master Cleaver on the com And this no doubt some of late perceive well enough and therefore teach that the precept of the Sabbath is wholly morall or as their words are no more ceremoniall then all the rest They see plainely that hee which will have it partly blotted out and partly not had need bee greater then an Angell as teaching in part another Gospell then Saint Paul did Consider that Saint Paul here saith as much of the Sabbath and the precept thereof as hee doth say of the New-moone and the precept of the same and againe that hee saith as much here of the New-moone and its precept as is said of them in any other place Though the precept of the Sabbath bee wholly blotted out Obi. as the precepts of the New-moone and Holy dayes ioyned with it yet not the fourth commandement in the Decalogue Wee grant the fourth commandement is ceremoniall and blotted out so far forth as it Touching the supposed substance and morality of this commandement see chap. 8. sect 4. 5. enioyneth the Sabbath not onely the seaventh day and strict rest but this commandement is of a larger extent then this commeth to The fourth commandement and the commandement Answ. of the Sabbath are the same after the Scriptures so that Saint Paul here saying the commandement of the Sabbath is blotted out it is all one as if hee had said the fourth commandement in the Decalogue is blotted out you have no colour of proofe to the contrary As touching the fourth commandement being blotted out so farre forth as it enioyneth the Saboath consider that the fourth commandement must needs enioyne the Sabbath Such as â—each and this is the common Doctrine that the fourth commandement is partly ceremoniall doe say in effect that it is partly blotted out so farre forth as it is contained in these words Remember the Sabbath-day to sanctifie it c. If God had made this Law bath for Iewes and Christians is it credible but that hee would have set it downe in words fitting both sorts so that Christ at his comming should not have blotted out any part thereof Certainely Christ would not have written that againe which hee had once blotted out suppose that hee also had left Tables In a word the Sabbath is the onely thing spoken of in the fourth commandement and no Law of God or Man ever stood in force longer then it bound to doe the thing mentioned in it * Many in England so doe yea the last Parliament may well bee thought to dislike it for neither in their title of the act forkeeping the Lords-day nor yet throughout The body thereof is this name used although the heathenish name Sunday bee in both yea and although the commandement read in the Church of speaketh of sanctifying the Sabbath as many as dislike the name Sabbath for the Lords-day have cause to dislike this commandement for the Law thereof for the one is as well Iewish as the other Answer By Sabbaths in that 2. Col. 16. is to bee understood the Iewish ordinances which properly belonged to them and their time such as were their solemne fealts * Seâ— Isa. 1. 13. compared with the 14. verse which although they were Iewish Holy-dayes yet did they also carry the name of Sabbaths and holy convocations because of the Analogy they had with the weekely and morall Sabbath as wee may see Levit. 23. In the beginning of which Chapter you shall find the weekely Sabbath most gloriously intituled THE SABBATH OF THE LORD and remarkeably paled out from among those Iewish Holy-dayes Feasts and Sabbaths For God in that Chapter instituting his solemne Feastes or Iewish Holy-dayes in the first place noteth out his weekely Sabbath in the third verse to bee none of them by a glorious and sublime title and pregnant difference which sâ—emeth to bee distinctly penned by the holy Ghost to prevent confusion and unequall mixture * Which very thing is your fault and labour And having first done this then hee in the rest of the Chapter proceedeth to shew what Feasts hee meaneth which hee also calleth Sabbaths but in a farre different sense And thinke you that the Apostle would so carelesly and slightly have jumbled together in this place of the Col. what God even in the time of the Iewes was so carefull to distinguish as in this 23. Levit. appeareth as also in the exhibiting of his Lawes which were of severall natures ceremoniall and morall amongst which this was one and which with the rest was put into the Arke And as in your answer to the first objection you say that you cannot find in any place of Gods word why any * Indeed the Sabbath is both wholly ceremoniall and wholly morall as was signified by its double exhibition to the Iewes once by the hand of Moses and another time together with the Law shewing that though it was of a typicall and ceremonious signification yet notwithstanding it was of equall condition with the morall Lawes by Gods speciall appointment For when I say the Sabbath is ceremoniall I meane not in an abrogative but in a significative sense commandement should bee partly ceremoniall partly morall partly nailed to the Crosse and partly remaining in the Arke partly blotted out and partly left to bee read and observed I affirme the same of the Decalogue or ten commandements as Moses numbers them Deut. 4. 13. Not but that in the delivery and exhibition of this Decalogue this rejoyneth upon your following answer to the second objection there were things as I have said before which were more proper in regard of circumstance to the Iewes then to us and yet God made the Decalogue as a Law both for Iewes and Christians and hath set it downe though not altogether in words and letters yet in sense and substance fitting both sorts So that the Law may still bee truly said to remaine although Christs comming and the state of the Church differing may vary some circumstances as by changing the Egyptian deliverance into the antitype thereof to wit our spirituall and the Land of Canaan meant in the fift commandement into England where wee dwell and so likewise the memory of our creation into the memory of our redemption and their gates into our jurisdictions and thus though there is an alteration made yet doth the Law remaine the same in sense Broad ARG. III. IN
better to performe that duty Thirdly he objecteth There was no necessity of having one set day in every weeke for performing religious offices for man lived in Paradise in a fruition of God To which I answer 1. By the same rule seconded by their position The Church need appoint no Holy-dayes now under the Gospell * Which thei le hardly yeeld to for say they we are to keep every day Sabbath or Holy-day to the Lord which surely we cannot doe without spirituall fruition of God 2. That though Gods children enjoy now a constant fruition of God as a friend yet is this fruition much maintained increased and inlarged by their sanctifying the Sabbath And so doubtlesse should Adams it representing to him and us the perfection of our happinesse and his Fourthly he objecteth All Gods creatures were as living books to preach to man the majesty and bounty of the Creator To which I answer We account it not a needlesse action in God when he had made his creatures which we knew and saw well enough so solemnly notwithstanding to overlook them as is recorded Gen. 1. 31. Neither is there any cause why Adam should not have a solemne day of contemplation and service appointed him because of the time and meanes he had of serving God on other dayes seeing the Sabbath intimated most doctrinally what we ought to God to wit our whole selves and what service we should doe him in heaven to wit absolute without any interruption the better to enamourus of our change To conclude it is evident that the Sabbath was a Law in Commandment in time of Innocency else it could not have suffered losse and detriment by Adams fall which it did as is evident in that First It was one of the Lawes written in Moses his first Tables which were broken and spoyled to signifie as much Secondly Because there were renewed in the second Tables the very self same lawes which were at first whereof the Sabbath was one For the Sabbath waites as an handmaid on the morall Law in which respect chiefly it was made for man that is given to mankinde to be helpfull to his obedience So that seeing as a Law the Sabbath is concomitant with the Law in the second exhibition of it consequently it was so at first especially seeing it is reported that God writ the same things in the second Tables as he did in the first which signifyeth Gods twice giving the Law once in Adam which was defaced and so the Sabbath as well as the rest which he repaired as before And again work was commanded in Innocencie and consequently the Sabbath It is true that an Holy land and an Holy day suite well together but an Holy Church and an Holy Sabbath suite better and you shall finde this Holy Church keeping the Sabbath in the wildernesse before they came into the Holy land and more strictly too When God lastly asketh me that reason why I thought the Sabbath to be a Commandement I think it good to answer him 〈◊〉 his own example especially seeing he grounded an expresse Commandement thereupon afterwards And if God like not this answer he will then doe by it as he did by Adams breeches give me a better In the meane time I will chuse rather to erre by obeying then â—y disobeying and I am sure I shall give a better account of the one then you shall of the other Broad 2. In the state of Innocencie Answ. It hath been I suppose the generall opinion untill of late yeers that Adam fell the day before and otherwise his first childe had not been conceived in sin again the Devill doubtlesse would be â—empting as soone as might be his malice was so great that every houre seemed a twelve moneth before he could become a murderer and the sooner he set upon our first parents after they were created the likelier he was to prevaile the more easily should he have taâ—â—yed a day or two the woman might have learned by experience that the Creatures could not speake of themselves which had Eve known she would rather have been affrighted then deceived Further who and without curiositie would not be desirous to heare how Adam and Evâ— carryed themselves in that first Sabbath Had not this bin a notable pattern to all his posteritie In mans reason Adam should be ill dealt withall to have his evill deeds and not his good deeds committed to History Answer Let us herein be wise with Sobrietie and be content to receive it as God by Moses delivereth it to wit what was done before the fall as done in Innocency whereof the Sabbath was a part which silenceth your conjecturall reasons And therefore I will forbeare to refute conjectures with conjectures and satisfie my self with divine authoritie Though I could tell you that it is very unlikely that seeing in Gods dayes works in the first Chap. of Genesis who did yet but command and it was done so few things are recorded to be done on every day That Adam besides the businesse of his temptation fall and punishment together with the circumstances belonging to them which you may read in the third of Genesis took up no small time could receive his blessing Gen. 1. 28. and his regiment and libertie 29 30. and his putting into Paradise Chap. 2. 8. and his law of Commandement 16 17. and could give names to all Cattle fowles of the heaven and beasts of the field 19 and all on the day of his own Creation especially if we consider how much time God spent of it proportionably to the work that Moses allotteth to other dayes in creating the living things of the earth according to their kinde as Cattle creeping things and beasts and Adam himself and casting him into a sleep and creating Eve out of him and the view he took after of all that he had made Nor is it so considerable concerning Adam and 〈◊〉 keeping the first Sabbath seeing they kept none for God as your self observed made known his example at the evening of his seventh day and Adam fell before the the seventh day camâ— about If you aske 〈…〉 he fell Obiect if 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 Answ. but the third which was the first day of the weeke followâ—ng and 〈◊〉 which leads me thus to thinke 〈…〉 Adam in opposition to the first * And is opposed to his â—all even in his resurrection it selfe in the 1 Câ—r 15. 21. Since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead I rose on that day 〈◊〉 I thinke Adam fell And that he fell not on the first of his Creation which was Gods sixth and last day appeareth not only by the Sabbaths institution in time of innocencie as aforesaid but also by the last verse of the first Chapter of 〈◊〉 Where after God had finished the works of that Day he viewed every thing that he had made and seeing all was Good presently there followeth upon that as upon the other dayes of
Creation when they were finished this Conclusion And the Evening and the Morning were the sixth day Besides that it is likely God could not be said to be refreshed on the seventh day and Adam new fallen for whom all things were made and by whom all things were accursed which would have been a displeasure to God and would have taken of his refreshment Broad 3. And therefore it is Morall Answ. Suppose that it had been commanded Consider that there need not any Morall Commandement be given to Adam in the state of Innocency and in the state of Innocency yet would it not follow that this Commandement was Morall for Adam received a Commandement concerning the Tree of Knowledge of good and evill and yet was not that a Morall Commandment Answer To this I answer That all the Commandements which were given in Innoâ—encie were Morall they were both common to all mankinde and perpetuall to all ages * The Jewish â—awes were neither common nor perpetuall but expressely coâ—trary and so was that of the forbidden Tree Though M r. Dâ—w pag. 15. saith he supposeth no man will affirme it And therefore did Eve sinne a particular sinne in eating of it * The woman was first in the transgression and so should conceive whosoever of Adams posteâ—itie had eaten thereof though none but Adam could sin the publicke and Epidemicall sinne because the Covenant was made with him in the day that he should eat thereof c. but with this difference that some of them in Gods intention were proper to that state and were not to be renewed by Christ after the fall of which sort this of the forbidden Tree was one and therefore was Adam thrust out upon his fall by God from having to doe with any thing that is peculiar to that state But other Commandements there were which were intended to remaine as common to man falling or standing by meanes of Christ and of this sort was the created Law of nature in the mind of man the ordinance of marriage and then why not this of the Sabbath For this is most true that whatsoever God giveth as a law afterwards we have no reason to thinke that to be utterly abolished by the fall for from all such things we are kept by the fiery sword never to have commerce with them againe For thus we are utterly deprived of something which in Innocency signified Heaven to shew us our desert and Gods justice And something againe is renewed unto us which likewise did and doth signifie Heaven to manifest our hope and his mercy through Christ. So that then if the Sabbath be not abolished by the fall neither is it abrogated as a Type because not yet fulfilled For the Rest which it did signifie doth yet remaine to the people of God To your marginall note I answer That there was no need of a Morall Commandement to be given so farre as nature was capable but if Gods will extended further as it did in this particular of the Sabbath as I have formerly shewne then it was necessary it should be revealed as positively Morall and part of natures discipline Broad 4. To sanctifie one day in a weeke Answ. Nay rather to sanctifie the seventh day Note God commanded Adam to sanctifie the seventh day Arguments drawne from Gen. 2. Exod. 20. prove it morall perpetuall to sanctifie the seventh day wherein God created and which the Iewes sanctified or nothing ergo it is morall to sanctifie the seventh day is a neerer inference then thus ergo it is Morall to sanctifie one day of the seven or weeke And now if any deny the neerer inference the further of may better be denyed Why I marvell shall the sanctifying of one day of the weeke be rather Morall then of the seventh day What reason can they alleadge of the least moment As for Text of Scripture they can produce none Answer For your full answer to this I refer you backe to your first chapter Were the Sabbath morall naturall then the Iewes Sabbath were to be kept of us Christians but being morall positive it is alterable to the will of the law-giver For nature being one without change to all of necessity prescribeth no binding rule to any in particular but to all in generall No man being able to say This natures Lâ—w commands me to do and yet bâ—nds not another â—o do the like onely with this summary addition That the Sabbath being the Churches perpetuall Type it is to vary according to the constitution of the Church even as the shadow of a man doth according to the disposition of his body or the Sunnes shining The substance of the Commandement and the signification of the Sabbath being still kept inviolate though circumstances alter in this as in other Commandements as hath already been observed in the first Chapter And so it is with us Christians in whose time since the consummation of our redemption by Christs resurrection the last day hath been changed into the first of the weeke only to take in better loading and to fignifie how that by Christ we are assâ—redly possessed of that heavenly Rest even now in this life before our works be ended For whereas formerly by the Covenant of the Law we were to doe this and live now we must first live and then doe Broad ARGVMENT 2. THe Commandement of the Sabbath is placed among the Morall precepts in the Deoalogue therefore it is Morall like unto them Ans. Then must it be wholly Morall and then must the Iewes Sabbath be kept of us Christians Againe the Commandement of the Sabbath is placed among the Ceremoniall prâ—cepts Levit. 23. therefore be like it is ceremoniall like unto them also Answer You doe wrongfully conclude us necessarily to keep the Iewes individuall seventh day from the morality of the Sabbath For though they were bound to observe that order because they were under the Covenant of works like as Adam was when it was given him in Innocency in which time the work of Creation was the thing most worthy commemoration yet notwithstanding we being freed fâ—om the one are likewise freed from the other for as the â—ast day of seven was significative to them so is the first to us So that our new Creation being finished the first day of the weeke it hath priviledged us to sanctifie a new seventh day though an old Sabbath For in this case alteration is no dissolution no more then to adjourne the Parliament to another time is to dissolve it especially considering the Sabbath is not naturally but positively morall And whereas you say That the Sabbath is found in Scripture among the ceremoniall precepts and specially in that Levit. 23. where yet it is spoken of Paramount although because of Analogy it is reckoned amongst them I answer That I deny not but there may be found in Scripture a mixture of morall and ceremoniall Lawes without danger of confounding their natures after they had
been once formally instituted But that the ten Commandements which God himselfe both spake and gave after such an extraordinary manner with such majesty and terrour and in regard of the place for all the world to take notice of it and which he calleth his Covenant and himselfe in a speciall manner recordeth them to be ten in number Deut. 4. and with his owne finger wrote them twice in Tables of stone signifying as well their lasting nature as any other thing and commanded them to be put into the Holy of Holies in the Arke under the Mercy-seate and which were all of them institute in Innocency either by created Nature or immediate Revelation whereas all other Ordinances were delivered by the mediation of Moses a mortall man but that immediately by the immortall God as witnesseth Iosephus in his Iewish antiquities Moses saith hee received the ten Commandements from the high and unexcessible mountaine Sinai with thundrings but other Lawes he received in the Iewish Tabernacle ascending no more the mountaine Now that one of these should be temporary and the other nine perpetuall is doubtlesse in any reasonable mans opinion very ill likely I am sure Bishop Andrewes in his Chatechisticall doctrine saith That it were not wise to set a Ceremony he meanes a Iewish abrogative Ceremony in the midst of morall precepts And one saith Certainly God did intend something extraordinary by this great odds of conveyance and what more proper then that these were mortall and dependant upon those those immortall and independant especially if we weigh the manner how Moses concludeth his repetition of the ten Commandements with these words God added no more but wrote them in Tables of stone to shew that these words be valued of a greater rate then those which should be added by the hands of Moses which were either to be explanations of these or shadowes of Christ And as God did not adde so man may not diminish from these words and so consequently there is no reason without sacriledge to suspect the morality of the fourth Commandement Broad One heretofore required me to shew a satisfactory reason why if the fourth Commandement be of no higher rancke then the other temporary constitutions of Moses Touching Gods gracing the fourth commandement as much as the nine morall God should grace it as much as the nine morall Ans. I dare not take upon me to yeeld a reason of Gods doings And I would gladly know what reason themselves can yeeld wherefore God should use so many words touching abstinence from worke on the Sabbath and not one word of comming together to pray and to heare the word preached Yet this I say In mans judgement it is great reason that one Ceremoniall Commandement at the least should be placed amongst many morall precepts in the Tables of the Covenant seeing God made a Covenant with the Israelites after the tenour of both sorts indifferently as is to be seen Exod. 24. There we read how that Moses having written in a book sundry Lawes as well Ceremoniall as other the booke is called the booke of the Covenant vers 7 8. Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words See also Chapter 34. from the 10. verse to the end of the 27. Answer You say you daâ—e not give a reason of all Gods doings I could with you were as modest in not reasoning against God as you are in reasoning for him As concerning your question why God speaketh so much of rest and so little of holy duties Answ. You are sufficiently answered out of the Commandement it self For those words Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day are a most plenary expression of the sanctifying of that day with the duties of holinesse which being thus premised then followeth after in the Commandement the urging of Rest or abstinence from work both as a meanes to further the Sabbaths sanctification like as in the Sabbath of Atonement Levit. 23. 27 28. and as a significant part thereof conjunctively considered and spiritually * Thâ—ugh by reason of the minoâ—tyof the Iewish pedagogy as aforesaid there was then interpretatâ—vely by God 〈…〉 abâ—tract holinesse of this Rest being sâ—â—cowish and significative as of other Types improved For as fasting joyned with prayer is a necessary medium of Gods extraordinary worship by removing impediments and also a significant medium concerning our extraordinary humiliation So is the Sabbaths Rest both a medium and a significant medium to Gods extraordinary worship and our extraordinary happinesse And it is not rare to finde fasting urged in Scripture without expresse mention of Prayer as in Ester 4. 16. Where when Ester gave Mordecai in charge to assemble the Iewes and to fast for her three daies and nights there is no mention of prayer And yet no man can deny but it is most necessarily understood and implyed though it be not expressed So it is As for your Arguments drawn from the Covenant which because it consisted both of Morall and Ceremoniall Lawes therefore say you it is reason that one Ceremoniall Commandement at least should be placed among many Morall precepts in the Tables of the Covenant Answ. Nay rather it is good reason that both the Lawes should be written together in the Booke of the Covenant as indeed they were in regard that the two Tables were to be laid up in the Holy of Holies and so not to be come by but the copies of that Book were of continuall use And again seeing the Covenant of the Iews consisted of both it is the more reason that they should be carefully distinguished as likewise they were then confounded seeing you cannot deny but that which was Morall was to appertain to after ages and if they had then been undistinctly mixed how could after ages tell which was which But this was prevented through Gods good providence by their disjunction and distinct exhibition at the first Broad If this will not satisfie him or any other then as Christ answered some Questioners Matt. 21. let them first tell me wherefore God should appoint a greater punishment for the breach of a Ceremoniall Law then he did of some Morall And I will afterwards tell them wherefore he should grace a Ceremoniall Commandement as much as a Morall Answer There may be very good reason for it for though sometimes God doth inflict the most grievous temporall punishment upon the greater sins to aggravate the danger of committing them So other some times he ordaineth a great punishment for a lesser sinne least according to our corrupt judgements we should thinke it small and if it were not for the punishment threatned be the carelesser to observe it And secondly to shew that it is not so much the Nature of the thing commanded as the Will of the Commander that gives weight to the Commandment And thirdly A man may commit some morall offence with lesse guilt then the Iewes might a Ceremoniall As if a man
should steale a loafe of bread for pure need he was not so great a sinner as he that through contempt or wilfull neglect omitted or carelesly performed the Sacrifices of the Law or other Ceremonies Broad Againe Touching Gods gracing of the fourth â—ommandement above the other temporary Constitutions He would needs know a reason why God should grace the Commandement of the Sabbath above the other temporary Constitutions Answ. The reason happily was because the Sabbath served more then any of the other I thinke I may say then all the other Ceremonies to the furtherance of the Morall Law True that on the first and last dayes of the Passeover the Israelites were to have holy Convocations as well as on the Sabbath but this Feast as other came but once in the yeere whereas the Sabbath was once in the weeke Answer If the Commandement of the Sabbath had had its beginning with the rest of the Ceremonies you might have had some colour for what you say But seeing it was first set on foot in Innocency and afterwards revived as an equall among and contemporary with the Morall Lawes why now it should only be preferred to be the Master of the Iewish abrogative Ceremonies and so Moses his tale of ten Commandements brought by us into the number of nine I can see small reason to perswade And I know no use the Sabbath was of then for advantage to the Morall Law * In confâ—ssing the Sabbath to be of such furtherance to the Morall law he must needs imply against himself that the Sabbaths Rest was a significant medium to the sanctification of the Sabbath and not the sanctification it self properly and only but it is of the same use to us now especially if it should have been usefull as it should in Innocency So that if the Sabbath faile which is the sinewes of Religion then farewell the power of Godlinesse For doubtlesse it was the very reason why it was given of God as a perpetuall and absolute necessary Concomitant and Appendix to the Morall Law superadded by him in the time of â—nnocency to the Law of Nature as I have said before that it might be a perpetuall help thereto and therefore as it begun with it so it shall end with it Broad Not to stand longer hereupon Consider that the Sabbath was instituted for divers weighty purposes as no other Ceremony the like whereof before Chapter 4. Secondly that it concerned all the Israelites generally both Priests and People and also very often as few Ceremonies the like Thirdly that as soone as it was instituted it was prophaned the like whereof I doe not finde did befall any other Ceremony And if this last consideration did minister sufficient occasion unto God to grace the Sabbath above other Ceremonies seeing the people had already disgraced it more then the other and thereby bewraied what they were likely to doe in time to come how much more the two former considerations concurring herewithall This much to give him and others satisfaction if it may be Answer You say very true of the Sabbaths super-excellency above all other Ceremonies and let me adde one which is That as it was before them in dignity time so shall it be after them to the end of the world But for your third reason of the prophanation of the Sabbath as soone as it was instituted which you say you finde not to befall any other I answer that you need not goe farre to seeke one for their gathering Mannah was prophaned with covetous gathering and disobedient keeping of it before the Sabbath And you may as well say that therefore it was commanded to be put into a golden pot and laid up before the Testimony as that because the Sabbath was prophaned therefore it was put among the ten Commandements Besides offering of incense was prophaned in the very first exercise of Aarons Priesthood by strange fire Levit. 10. 1. Broad Now out of that hath been here said an answer may be taken also unto these words of the Prophet Isaiah 58. 13. 14. No more can be gathered from that Text then from the placing of the fourth Commandement among the morall Commandements in the Decalogue which is that God much respected the keeping of the Sabbath And this I acknowledge but this he did likewise the paying of tythes and offerings Mal. 3. and doth the partaking of the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 11. Broad ARGVMENT 3. SOme of late would fetch an argument from Christs words Matth. 5. 18. where by the Law they understand the Decalogue only Answ. Then shall the word Law be taken in one sense vers 17. and in another vers 18. for by the Law in the 17. vers is meant * The five bookes of Moses Gen. Exod. Levit c. the whole Law of Moses as likewise Matth. 11. 13. It is altogether improbable that where there is a distribution of Scripture into parts by the Law should be signified the Decalogue only Againe when Christ cometh to instance afterward in many particulars of the law some of the instances are taken out of other places as vers 33. 38. 43. If it be said these particulars may be referred to some Commandements in the Decalogue Answ. So it would be said if Christ had instanced in any Ceremoniall precept throughout the whole Law The instances as also that which is said vers 16. and 20. doe shew that Christ spake of the Law Morall or that which is to be kept of Christians but seeing the instances are taken out of divers places it cannot be gathered by them nor by ought else here what is morall in Moses law * Five books and to be kept of Christians and what not were it that by the law the Decalogue is only meant yet seeing no more is said of the law vers 18. then is said of the Law and Prophets If every tittle of the Decalogue in their meaning be perpetuall then are we to blame that we keepe not the Iewes Sabbath and forbeare all worke therein This text might better have been urged by the Sabbatarianis heretofore vers 17. the meaning cannot be that every thing that is enjoyned in the Decalogue is perpetuall for then it should follow that every thing enjoyned likewise in the Prophets is perpetuall and to be observed of Christians Now that no more is said of the law vers 18. then is said of the Prophets vers 17. is manifest for there Christ saith that he came to fulfill the Prophets which is as much as one tittle of the Prophets shall not passe till all be fulfilled That Christ spake thus as it were vers 17. The Law and the Prophets shall be fulfilled in part and thus vers 18. The Law shall be fulfilled wholly is not to be imagined It would aske a long discourse to shew Christs meaning Let it then suffice to have shewn that this Text maketh nothing for the perpetuitie of the fourth Commandement Answer It is true that
regard of their superstitious resting which they used upon the Sabbath as that they would rather endure to dye then fly especially considering the Religion they put in that tradition of a Sabbath daies journey which was but two miles as they accounted it So that had they fled â—ut two miles further then their stint they would have thought themselves more to have violated the Sabbath then if they had spent the whole day in contentions and seditions within the City For of such force is zeale when it is not according to knowledge of Scripture as that through our corrupt nature it bindeth the conscience more straight then any command of God rightly understood As we may see by those souldiers who when they were besieged rather then they would drinke of the well into which a dog was throwne they would starve or render the City * Turkish History And so doubtlesse would many of the Iewes chuse to dye before they would fly further then their superstitious tradition gave them leave But as I have given truth its due in commending your exposition so give me leave to discover the fallacy of your marginall sophisme by comparing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 already spoken of in the 2 Col. 16. There because it maketh for your advantage you will have it to be meant the weekly Sabbath and yet the Article is not prefixed and in this place you will have it to be meant the lewish Sabbath because the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not prefixed This is scarce good dealing But I pray you let one and the same defect beget one and the same sense in both places and so let them both passe alike for the Iewish extraordinary festivals and so your Argument shall not only prevaile with us but evince the truth Broad CHAP. VIII VVHat would follow were the fourth Commandement morall or perpetuall Such as give a different sense of the same Law at sundry times make it like a nose of waxe Were the fourth Commandement morall or perpetuall it would follow that we Christians ought to keep the Iewes Sabbath for the meaning of this Commandement must needs be the same as heretofore it was A Law cannot say one thing to day and another to morrow though a Law-giver may And now the meaning of the fourth Commandement heretofore was * God sanctified the seventh day Gen. 2. not one day of seven or the like the fourth commandement enjoyned the same that the seventh day wherein God rested should be sanctified other meaning this Commandement could have none as the words thereof doe manifestly declare they import this and nothing else Such I know among us as urge the perpetuity of the fourth Commandement will have it bind now to sanctifie the Lords-day but they cannot agree among themselves show this strange matter â—hould come to passe I say this strange matter for there being an old statute for fasting on the Friday if it should be said that hence forward we should be bound thereby to fast upon Saturday would it not seeme wonderfull strange A strange matter it is that the fourth Commandement should bind to sanctifie the Lords-day and how it may come to passe many strange opinions there are which I thinke needfull here briefly to examine 1. Opinion There are who teaching that the fourth Commandement bindeth to sanctifie the Lords-day will have it thus to come about They say that those words in the beginning Remember to sanctifie the Sabbath are for substance the whole fourth Commandement that which followeth being only an explication and a reason and here they take the word Sabbath in a generall sense so that this with them is a more generall Commandement then if God had said Remember to sanctifie the seventh day Ans. I acknowledge that these words are for substance the whole fourth Commandement as you teach but whereas you put a difference betweene Sabbath and seventh day Consider further 1. That once onely before mention is made of the Sabbath and that Sabbath was the seventh day 2. Remember saith God to sanctifie the Sabbath and what Sabbath should they remember to sanctifie but that before mentioned 3. That the word Sabbath is not to be taken againe in such a generall sence throughout tâ—e Scripture this I cannot approve of for these reasons 1. Because then the word Sabbath should be taken in one sense in the beginning of the Commandement and in another towards the end for towards the end by Sabbath must needs be meant the seventh day onely And rested the seventh day wherfore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and sanctified it Here Gods resting on the seventh day is the reason why he sanctified the Sabbath and can it be a reason of sanctifying another day besides the seventh day especially seeing he laboured on all the other Suppose that we had the like speech in the new Testament as thus He rose again on the first day wherefore he blessed the day of resurrection and sanctified it Who would not take the day of resurrection here for the first day only Reas. 2. By this your Doctrine the fourth Commandement should be of larger extent then that Commandement in the beginning suppose it were a Commandement as you would have it for there it is said God blessed the seventh day not the Sabbath Answer In stead of answer to this in this place I referre you to a review of your first Chapter and mine where the selfe same point is largely discoursed Onely a word or two more 1. Touching your consequence of the unchangeablenesse of the Iews day into ours if the fourth Commandement be admitted morall See for this Eatâ—nus de Sabbato pag. 40. de Moralitate Sabbathi Neque enim saith he mutâ—bile cum ceremoniâ—li bene est coniunctum aut cum eo convertendum Quamvis enim omne ceremoniale sit mutabile non é contra tamen Multa enim sunt positiva â—â—â—tabilia quae non sunt Ceremoniâ— huius generis sunt leges Iudiciales Exod. 21. c. Sic etiam totuâ— Decaloguâ— aliquo modo mutabilis fuit ut disertè Apostolus expriâ—it in 3 ad Gal. 13. Christus redemit nos ab execratione legis cap. 4. 30. Ejice ancillam filium eius quâ— ancilla ut vers 25. apparet moâ—â— Sicai erat qui est in Arabia Hoc est lex quae ibi pronunciata fuit Hisce liquet quod lex maleâ—â—ctio eius in Christo sunt abrogata quatenus aliquo modo erant murabilia totam autem legem ceremonialem esse nemo est qui dixerit 2. And touching your instance or similitude of fasting Friday by Statute I answer That indeed it were strange to turn Friday into Saturday by vertue of the letter of the same law Rebus sic stantibus but put case we had some extraordinary Deliverance fell out on Friday as the Gun-powder Treason and were to keepe it weekely as we are the Sabbath then if either
keep unraced the ejaculation annexed to it in our Liturgy And M r. Dow pag. 9. saith in absolute tearmes They more fully expresse the nature of this Commandement who say It is partly Morall and partly Ceremoniall Broad 6. Opinion M r. Cleaver will have this strange matter come to passe by a Trope whereby one part is put for the rest He saith That in the precepts and prohibitions more is meant then in words is expressed Moral of the Law Chap. 4. Answ. I acknowledge that in the other nine Commandements more is meant then is expressed in words but here in the fourth Commandement that which is expressed in words is not meant It is a kind of Trope to put one part for the rest but when no part is put for the rest what manner of Trope may that be For this thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes and yet this in effect is all that God spake from Sinai Answer Although the fourth Commandement be a Law still in force yet as I said it bindeth us not to keep Sabbath the last day of the weeke though the seventh For the order was foretold to be altered in the 65. Isaiah 17. where it is prophecyed that Gods creating new heavens and a new earth shall make the old to be forgotten that is there shall be a wonderfull alteration and that which now men make most account of to wit the Creation then they shall account it the least sanctifying the memory of my resting from their Redemption in stead of my resting from their Creation And thus you wilfully slander us when you say that Thou shalt sanctifie the seventh day wherein I rested is no part of Gods Law in these dayes for we grant it but with an Orthodox distinction of Rest. For the Commandement it self looketh with a double face both wayes both to the Iewish Church and ours both to the old and new Creation And beareth his Title in the very front in that word Remember And as one well observeth There is no Commandement ushered with such a Memento as that of the Sabbath wherein saith he I thinke we may discerne Gods providence forearming weake Christians against the strong assaults of their own affections strugling against the restraint of a whole dayes libeâ—tie and of mans inventions oppugning Gods institutions for it is a Commandement of Remembrance so that as once we were to remember our Creation by it as appeareth bâ— the first promulgation of it in Exodus for there the Creation is only mentioned so like wise are we now to remember our Redemption by it as appeares by the second proâ—nulgation of it in Deuâ—eronomie where the old Creation is quite forgotten not a word mentioned of it and the new set forth in its Type of their â—gyptian deliverance Which observation taken from the various reasons annexed at severall times and in such an order for the inforcing of this Commandement compared with this Text of Isaâ—ah 65. 17. and the present event sutable doth both very much illustrate the perpetuitie of the Sabbath and yet prophecie the change both in one which also if we consider the nature of those times doth well prove the thing For though Christ speaketh plainly to us now yet to them he spake and prophecyed as I may so say in parables which rightly understood are no lesse proofes then ours And thus is the substance of the fourth Commandement preserved that is the dedicating of the seventh day to duties of Pietie and Mercy and sixe dayes to our other affaires as also prophecie fulfilled and the Apostles imitated But may some say Object Our Redemption was not finished on that day for that it still remaineth in acting by Christs intercession which is Bishop Whites objection page 299. Christs intercession after his dying and rising is as Gods providence was Answ. and is after his sixe dayes Creation And as notwithstanding his continuall providence his Creation was finished on the last day of the week So Now notwithstanding Christs intercession at Gods right hand our Redemption was finished on the first day of the weeke by his Resurrection And whereas Bishop White further objecteth pag. 299. That the day of Christs resurrection cannot properly be called a Sabbath or day of Rest because our Saviour was in action on that day about the necessary works of perfecting mans Redemption by applying teaching inspiring authorizing his Disciples I answer They were all Sabbath-day works and so was the seventh day a working day to God in many such like respects sutable to the first Creation and yet it was his Sabbath for this reason because he rested and ceased from that which he did before as M r. Hildersham noteth upon the Hebrew word Sabbat in his 135. Lect. on the 51. Psalme which holds in respect of Christ. Furthermore page 300. Bishop White saith That the Primitive Church devoted the first day of the weeke to the honour and service of Christ not because of Christs cessation from redemptive actions but because it was primus dies laetitiae The first day of joy and gladnesse for the resurrection of the Lord True But the cause of this joy was the perfection of our Redemption and Deliverance which we celebrate with a congratulatory commemoration on the first day like as we were to doe the perfection of our Creation on the last day of the weeke And pag. 303. hâ— saith That Christ rested upon his resurrection day no more then he did upon every day after untill his ascension and since his ascension untill the worlds end Answ. So he may say that God rested no more from his worke of Creation on the seventh day then he hath done ever since where by the way take notice That it is the consummation of the Creation and Redemption which is meant by their Resting and which we celebrate for else if Rest should respect barely their cessation then all the after time should be of equall estimation with the last day in respect of the Creation and with the first day in respect of the Redemption And now indeed I wonder why the Egyptian deliverance being in Deut. annexed by the dictate of the spirit as a reason to inforce the duty of the fourth Commandement or Sabbath in its second promulgation should not be thought a sufficient reason to inforce the same duty law upon us as well as the obedience of the whole Law is urged upon us by the same reason contained in the Preface * Deny the one and â—eny both but reâ—son and sobrietie will deny neither seeing that in both places it signifieth alike our spirituall Redemption and deliverance Especially seeing the holy Ghost in the fifteenth verse of the fifth of Deut. after he hath there affixed to the fourth Commandement our deliverance out of spirituall Egypt in its Type as the reason of it concludeth upon it mandatorily a duty not a libertie imposed upon us therefore in these
Primitive Church 2. That I never saw to my remembrance any saying of Father Councell Ecclesiasticall writer cited by any in their Sabbath discourses whereby it might certainly be gathered that so much as one learned man in the Primitive Church was ever of other judgement and took himselfe bound by this Commandement to sanctifie the Lords-day one day in a weeke or any day or time whatsoever note it and search their books Answer M r. Cleaver in his booke called the Morality of the Law hath there given you your answer to this particular objection of the Fathers opinions in this point where the Reader may see the true meaning of the ancients in this particular and how Saint Augustine is wronged and perverted by you I say for plenary satisfaction to the Reader I refer him in this particular of the Fathers opinion in this point to peruse these pages of M r. Cleavers booke aforesaid 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136. Broad 3. That M r. Calvin speaking of the fourth Commandement hath these words â—nstit lib. 2. cap. 8. Sect. 28. Vmbratile veteres nuncupare solent The ancients not onely some of the Ancients accounted it shadowish not onely partly shadowish Of what judgement M r. Calvin was may partly appeare by that he writeth afterward sect 34. It a evanescunt nugae Pseudo prophetarum c. D r. Field excepteth the fourth Commandement out of the number of the Morall Commandements Booke 5. of the Church Chap. 22. pag. 101. Answer In the beginning of this worke you gave occasion to manifest M r. Calvins opinion and so I did As for D r. Field he doth not except the fourth Commandement from the number of the Morall but from the number of those that are connaturall with man and therefore is more subject to change then the rest His words are these These Lawes saith he are imposed upon men by the very condition of their nature and creation as the very condition and nature of a man created by God requireth that he should honour love feare and reverence him that made him and therefore touching the precepts of the first Table that concerning the Sabbath excepted it is cleare and evident that they cannot be altered Broad M r. Rogers in his Cathe Aâ—l 7. propos 3. Doctrine of the Church of England blameth D. B. for teaching as contrary to the seventh Article that the Sabbath was none of the Ceremonies which were justly abrogated at the coming of Christ Note well what hâ— writeth I write no more againe that the Commandement of sanctifying every seventh day as in the Mosaicall Decalogue is naturall morall and perpetuall Answer It is true that M r. Rogâ—rs blameth D. B. for teaching that the Sabbath was none of the Ceremonies which were justly abrogated at the coming of Christ for which he is much to blame himselfe till he can evince it to be one of them which he doth not Broad Who so readeth what M r. Rogers hath written in the Preface to his booke See the Preface beginning at the â—0 Section shall understand that I am not the first or onely man that have stirred much in this matter God grant I be the last that hath need to stir much herein and that the day of Rest to the Iewes be not the cause of contention among Christians any longer The end of the first Treatise Answer Here you fulfill the Proverbe you wish all were well so you were not the cause of it if you may be suffered to speake the last word you care not though all keep silent I did wish though it be now unseasonable when I first framed this answer that it might come to the notice and knowledge of authority the disturbance of the peace which M r. Rogers and you have brought into the Church by endeavouring to discover a shamefull nakednesse of contradiction in your Mother by labouring to set the Articles and the Liturgy at odds one with another For how cometh it to passe that we are commanded by the church to pray Lord encline our hearts to keep an abrogated Ceremony of the Iewes even in her opinion as he and you would have it But the contrary is apparent not onely by the Liturgy but also by the Homily * Of the place and time of prayer parâ— 1. established and received for the Doctrine of our Church as you may see it quoted to this very purpose by M r. Richard 〈…〉 in answer to M r. Breerowood He 〈◊〉 thus You come in with the Edicts of Princes as one that would have the Lords-day depend upon the constitutions of the Church and Edicts of Princes onely and so not to differ from another Holy-day Most wicked popisâ—â— and worse then popish and against all famous lights ancient and moderne Or doe you mention Princes Edicts and Churches-Constitutions to glose with ours Ours deâ—est your Tenet and you seeke herein to wound Church and Prince For how they hold of the Lords day that it is directly grounded on the fourth Commandement appeareth in the 〈◊〉 in the booke of Homilies and in the Statutes and godly provisions for redresse of prophanations This is the doctrine of the Church * Homily of the place and time of prayer part 1. pag. 125. By this Commandement speaking of the fourth we ought to have a time as one day in the weeke wherein we ought to rest yea from all lawfull and needfull works For like as it appeareth by this Commandement that no man in the six dayes ought to be slothfull or idle but diligently to labour in that estate wherein God hath set him even so God hath given expresse charge to all men that upon the Sabbath-day which is now our Sunday they should cease from all weekly and work-day labour to the intent that like as God himselfe wrought six dayes and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour Even so Gods obedient children should use the Sunday holily and rest from their common and daily businesses and also give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and service So that God doth not only command the observation of this Holy-day but also by his owne example doth stirre and provoke us to the diligent keeping of the same Good naturall children will not onely become obedient to the Commandements of their parents but also have a diligent eye to their doings and gladly follow the same So if we will be the children of our heavenily Father we must be carefull to keep the Christian Sabbath-day which is the Sunday not onely for that it is Gods expresse Commandement but also to declare our selves to be loving children in following the example of our gracious Lord and Father Thus farre the words of the Homily which saith M r. â—yfeild to M r. 〈◊〉 Crosseth all that you hold in this your Treatise and fully speaketh what we hold Consider it 1. Our Christian Sabbath is Gods expresse
an opposer of the Sabbath and therefore it must needs be upon the first day of the weeke or Lords-day Again in the same place he quarrels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the 1 Cor. 16. 1. to intend the first day of the weeke under some authorities quoted to countenance his acceptation But Bishop White being in print before him might have given him better satisfaction saving that it seemeth he loves to vary who pag. 196. saith In the holy Gospel this day is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first day of the weeke following Matth. 28. 1. Mark 16. 2. Iohn 20. 1. likewise Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. Besides his quotation of sundry authors to confirme this translation which phrase is an Hebraisme thus to expresse the first day by one day and so used in the 1. Gen. and the word Sabbath for weeke Levit. 25. 8. Luke 18. 12. as M r. Sprint affirmeth pag. 101. And sure I am the same phrase is used by the Evangelists to signifie the day of Christs resurrection to be on the first day of the weeke Moreover pag. 211. Bishop White in positive tearmes upon the argument in hand saith That the Apostles themselves at some times observed the Lords-day and brings with a for it is written these very places to prove it Acts 20. 7. The first day of the weeke c. and 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Concerning the gathering for this Saints even as I have ordained in the Churches of Galatia so do ye Every first day of the weeke c. In that you say Every Apostolicall Ordinance doth not bind I grant it if the Ordinance be circumstantiall proper either to times or persons it cannot be properly said to be cominon but if it have for substance a Morall Law for order a Prophecy for confirmation an Apostolique ordinance and example me thinks this might be very well allowed to be binding And all this is as hath been proved true of the Christian Sabbath Some ordinances I confesse there are of the Apostles that are not of perpetuall obligation for that they were done only occasionally and to an exemplary end for to authorize their successours the Governours of the Church to order things of an indifferent nature to the benefit of the Church all which things the Church had and hath authoritie as well occasionally to abolish as occasionally to institute but this Ordinance of the Sabbath is beyond the authoritie of the Church to abolish or alter as much as it is to adde or detract from the new Testament And therefore is it not of those sorts of Apostolique Ordinances which bind not in perpetuum For the foundation of it is so laid in Scripture as aforesaid as neither time nor authoritie can expire nor alter it Broad 2. Because the Disciples at Troas being come together to breake bread on the first day of the weeke Saint Paul preached to them Answ. Granting that the Disciples assembled every first day and also by Pauls own ordinance neither of which can be proved yet doth it not follow that they kept it Holy-day and abstained altogether from works of their Callings Saint Augustine saith Tom. 2. Epist. 118. that in some places they communicated every day and in others on the Sabbath and Lords-day Socrates saith Hist lib. 1. cap. 21. that in all Churches of Christians two excepted they communicated every Sabbath-day Sozomenus saith Lib. 7. cap. 19. that at Constantinople and almost in all other places they came together on the Sabbath and the day following that is the Lords-day yet no man I trust will hence inferre Certainly such as communicated every day did not keep every day Holy-day that these who met and received the Communion both on the Sabbath-day and the Lords-day kept them both Holy-dayes and forbare worke altogether Adâ—e that in likelyhood they came together at Troas late in the Evening about that time of the day Consider that many Christian servants had heathens to their Masters who would not suffer them to keep the Lord-day Holy-day Againe this had beene 2 meanes to bewray Christian Masters wherein Christ did institute the Sacrament otherwise Saint Pauls preaching till midnight should have been very long and this they might well doe though they kept it not Holy-day The Disciples at Troas assembled on the first day to breake bread ergo Saint Paul ordained that all Christians should assemble on that day to breake bread is a likelier inference then this ergo Saint Paul ordained that all Christians should keep that day Holy-day If any thing may be inforced from their meeting at Troas this may as well or rather better that the Lords Supper must be celebrated every first day Answer That on that day the Disciples abstained from the workes of their callings exercised on the other sixe I have even now more then probably proved by a just and proper deduction or collection from 1 Cor. 2. 16. I have also quoted the authority of Ignat ad Mag. and Aug. serm de temp 251. And is it probable that the lewes were to abstaine from workes on their remissest Holy-dayes and that we must make a worke-day or a mixed day of our Caâ—itallest And as for the time of the day when they metâ— though it might bee in the Morning for ought the Scripture saith to the contrary it is not so materiall to us to know considering the Natures of those Times It sufficeth that that was the only day being also paralel with consonant places of Scripture of the same nature that they imployed solemnely in their sacred affaires And if there were diverse observed as you say it was because for a time Christians were diverse consisting of Iewes and Gentiles As touching your conclusions whereby you argue hence rather the practice of the Sacrament then the Sabbath I answer That if it was an ordinance yet it was but temporary for from those words of Christ So often as ye shall â—at it the times of celebrating the Sacrament are at the disposition of the Church and it was in the Churches then occasionally celebrated for the Christian Sabbaths sake as a means of its sanctifying and not the Sabbath for its sake whereas the time of the Sabbath and Lords-day is by Precept and practise determined Broad 3. Because Saint Iohn telleth us that he was in the spirit on the Lords-day Answ. I acknowledge that whereas Christians in many places used to assemble on the first day of the weeke Christ hereby may seeme to approve of their meetings on this day and this is the most that can be gathered from Saint Iohns being in the spirit Now whereas from the name Lords-day some would inferre that therefore the Lord himselfe enjoyned it Let them consider that this name might well be given because that upon occasion of Christs Resurrection the Churches held their meetings therein Psal. 74. 8. The Synagogues in Canaan are called the Synagogues of God and yet we finde not that God