should God permit a man to doe against nature as it was in his perfection Whensoeuer a law of nature is broken Gods image after which wee were created is defaced in some measure and God cannot permit that his Image in vs should be defaced Now of this iudgement among other great Divines M. Calvin was I make no questiō thou maist perceaue by his manner of writing that as he would not haue it morall so neyther would he haue it the absolute Law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every week Thus he writeth Institut lib 2. in 4 praecept Ita evanescunt nugae Pseudoprophetatum qui Iudaica opinione populum superioribus seculis imbuerunt nihil aliud afferentes nisi abrogatum esse quod cerimoniale erat in hoc mandato id vocant sua lingua diei septimae taxationem remanere autem quod morale est nempe vnius diei observationem in hebdomade .a. Calvin will not haue it morall to sanctifie one day of every weeke which yet is the common doctrine in these dayes Atqui id nihil aliud est quam in Iudaeorum contumeliam diem mutare diei sanctitatem animo eandem retinere .b. Againe he will not haue the Lords day holy as the Sabbath was that is Sacramentally holy but in these dayes some haue published that there is asmuch difference betweene the Lords day and other dayes of the weeke as betweene Sacramentall bread and common bread siquidem manet nobis etiamnum par mysterij in diebus significatio quae apud Iudaeos locum habebat Et sanè videmus quid tali doctrina profecerint qui enim eorum constitutionibus haerent crassa carnalique Sabbathismi superstitione Iudaeos ter superant Chrysostome in a Sermon against obseruers of Newmoones 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. A DIALOGVE BETVVEENE A IEVV and a CHRISTIAN of the common Opinion Christian I Keepe the Sabbath otherwise called by the name of Lords day 1. Part. Here is shewed the difference betweene Iewes and Christians about keeping the Sabbath Iew. I keepe the Sabbath as for your otherwise called I finde it not in our Scriptures will you christen the Sabbath with this new name think you thereby to make it more and lesse Jewish Chr. I keepe the Sabbath in obedience to the fourth commandement in the Decalogue Iew. And I keep the Sabbath in obedience to the same Commandement Chr. I keepe not the Sabbath as a shadow of things to come Iew. Neither doe I so keep it Moses and the Prophets teach vs no such thing at leastwise in our vnderstanding as you may perceaue by those many thousands of our nation Act. 21. who beleeuing in Christ yet were zealous of the Law which they would not haue beene had they knowne that the Sabbath New moone c. were shadowes of things to come and the body was of Christ as since your Apostle Paul makes you beleeue Chr. I keep the Sabbath on the first day Iew. I keepe the Sabbath on the seauenth day and in so doing I fulfill the fourth commandement as well as you by your owne doctrine and better in my vnderstanding Chr. I forbeare all weeke-daie work spend the Sabbath in the seruice of God both in publike and in priuate Iew. And I doe likewise Chr. I dresse my dinner and doe such like workes on the Sabbath Iew. I dare doe no worke for so hath God charged Exo. 20. I finde Gen. 2. that he himselfe did none heretofore he rested frō all his worke on the seauenth day You Christians indeed are bold to doe some worke but take heed for we know that a mā for gathering sticks not cutting down wood was stoned to death Chr. We are as certaine that we may doe such workes as wee are sure Christ came into the world and was crucified by you You were often angry with him for his doings on the Sabbath iudged him not of God Ioh 9. because he kept not the Sabbath when opportunity serued you nailed him to the crosse thinking happily that he being taken out of the way the Sabbath should be better kept in this respect But whē you nailed him to the Crosse Col. 2. he nailed the handwriting of ordinances to the Crosse also and tooke it out of the way since which time the Sabbath is not to be kept as before You will one day repent your crucifying of Christ for you did not only shed innocent blood but also made the obseruation of many things in your law sinne vnto you You bid vs take heed about our keeping the Sabbath but looke to your selues you were best Iew. Wherefore Part. 2. It is said that the Iewes Sabbath was Ceremoniall in regard it was the seauenth day and here thou hast some light what to iudge of this doctrine Chr. You keepe the Sabbath on the seauenth day Iew. Is it not said in the fourth commandement the seauenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God Shall God haue two Sabbaths in one weeke For the seuenth day must needs be still his Sabbath the day wherein he rested And suppose that the fourth Commandement as you teach bindeth to sanctifie one day in the weeke doth it not binde to sanctifie the seauenth day as much as any other Can you blame vs herein even by your owne doctrine Chr. Wee cannot blame you absolutely for keeping the seauenth day but you keepe it in obedience to the ceremoniall part of the 4th commandement Iew. I doe not well vnderstand this I pray explaine it Chr. J will the best I can but I had rather you should goe to some other who can doe it better The fourth Commandement is partly morall partly Ceremoniall or shadowish the morall part bindeth to sanctifie one day of the weeke the Ceremoniall or shadowish part bindeth to sanctifie the seauenth day only Now to sanctifie the seauenth day in obedience to the morall part is tolerable but you keepe it in obedience to the shadowish part for you take your selues bound to sanctifie the seauenth day alone and so you keeping the seauenth day obserue a shadow whereas did we keep the same day we should not for we would keepe it in obedience to the morall part and then wee might sanctifie the seauenth day as well as any other vnlesse happily for some other considerations Iew. This doctrine is strange to me you speake much of Shadow and shadowish take heed this doctrine bee not rather shadowish then substantiall Had your Apostles taught such doctrine in the Synagogues I beleeue our Rabbins would haue smiled at it neither would so many of our Nation haue followed them To keep the Sabbath on the seauenth day as not bound by the 4th Commandement to keepe it on that only day is tolerable but to keepe the Sabbath on the seauenth day as bound by the fourth Commandement to keepe it on that only day is to obserue a shadow This is very nice doctrine Well haue you any thing
that besides the Sabbath and other holidaies inioined by the law they sanctified the Lords daie and so rested from worke two daies in every weeke I cannot beleeue without some proofe and hitherto I haue seene none at all As touching the Churches of the Gentiles it seemeth by the Scriptures that some of them for a time came together rather on the Iewes Sabbath then on any other daie indeed S. Paul as he yeelded lesse to the Jewes then other so happilie in the Churches by himselfe established hee beganne sooner then other to appoint their meetings on the first daie of the week which daie growing more more in request before the yeare 96 obtained the name of Lords day which name had it beene giuen when S. Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians S. Luke the Acts it is likely that one of them would haue vsed it and yet it is not vnlikely that this name Lords day was giuen as soone as the day began to be in any great account Now about this Lords Day the first day of the weeke commonly called Sunday there are in these times three opinions something differing the one from the other 1 Opinion It is the will and command of God that Christians should sanctifie one daie of euery weeke as he bound the Israelites heretofore to sanctifie the Sabbath or seauenth day so in this time of the Gospell hee bindeth vs Christians to sanctifie the Lords day or first daie of the weeke 2 Opinion It is the will and command of God that Christians should sanctifie one day of euery weeke but whereas he bound the Israelites heretofore to sanctifie the seaventh day alone hee left it to the Christian Church to chuse their day and it hath chosen the Lords day 3 Opinion Redemp in 4 praecep It is the will and command of God to sanctifie some time aliquam temporis partem as Zanchius speaketh whē this time shall be God left to the Christian Church to appoint and it hath appointed the Lords day Of the former opinion I scarce knowe any Divines of note vnlesse of late yeares betweene the two latter opinions there is in respect of vs little or no difference at all for by both the Lords day is the command of God mediatly God mediatly and by the Magistrate bindeth vs Christians to sanctifie the Lords day Obiect Then the Gouernours of the Church may alter the day yea they may appoint the first of one weeke the third of the next the fift of the next c. Answ It doth not follow for the best order is the will of God and law of Nature The Gouernours then cannot set downe what order they will neither touching the time and place of Gods worship neither touching other things belonging therevnto but what in their vnderstanding is the best order they are bound to set downe Obiect If God mediatly and by the Magistrate bindeth vs Christians to sanctifie the Lords day certainely this bond is so weake that very many will easily breake it Answ This bond is strong enough to hold him that is not very vnruly In the fift of Marke we read of one that being often bound with fetters and chaines brake them in peeces no Man could binde him strong enough but when Christ had cast out the euill Spirit they see him saith the text sitting Mar. 5.15 cloathed and in his right minde In like sort deliuer these vnruly fellowes from the evil Spirit be a meanes to bring them into their right minde afterward J doubt not the Gouernours of the Church shall binde them well enough They will sit still bee quiet and be content to be ruled by reason they wil see by the light of nature that as there are feet so there must be an head of the body and that the feet cannot say to the head We haue no need of thee without the helpe of the head they cannot chuse the best way they wil remember by whom kings raigne that all power is from aboue and that as God hath set the members euery one in the body as it pleased him so hath he set some in the Church 1. Cor. 12.18.28 first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly teachers c. This and much more will they call to minde when they are brought into their right minde and very willing shall we haue them to be ordered What thinke we Had such vnruly fellowes liued vnder the law and Note that even in the time of the law some things were left to be ordered by the Magistrate lex à ligando had they beene bound strong enough Nay verily for though God appointed the precise daie and commanded to haue an holy Convocation yet no time of the day for this Convocation not two Convocations not Synagogues When they had beene called This commande of Paul or law of Nature is the generall comprehending the fourth commondement in the Decalogue and all other Commandements touching the time and place of Gods worship and other things belonging therevnto they would haue answered with Dathan and Abiram We will not come for God himselfe hath not bidden vs come to such a place nor at such time of the day Let the law of Nature be no more then all acknowledge to sanctifie some time as the Gentiles did suppose no other command but that of Paul Let all things bee done to edifying decently and in order If there come a command from authority to sanctifie any day of the weeke yea besides the Lords day this is enough to bind him that is in his right minde if any wilfully breake this bond Iud. ver 8. it is by the comming of another Spirit vpon him then came vpon Sampson heretofore It were good to beware least any of vs bee found such as Iude speaketh of Despising gouernment speaking euill of dignities for it is too much to despise Governours but more to despise gouernment it selfe Certainely if any man bee so vnruly that Gods Ministers and Officers here bee not able to binde him God hath other officers and seruants elsewhere which are able And the King said to the servants Take him and binde him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknesse To make an end They which say least say enough to cause all those who haue the feare of God before their eyes to sanctifie the Lords day and they which say most doe not say enough to cause those who feare not God to forbeare driuing pack-horses therein frequenting the Tauerne and the like Would to God no man might once say more nor lesse than the truth for doubtlesse were the truth alone preached the greatest good would follow therevpon and this is one matter more which causeth me should cause thee Gentle Reader often and earnestly to pray in this manner or to this effect Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our Governours hearts to take such order that once at length we may be all brought to the right vnderstanding of the fourth Commandement Amen FINIS Errata Pag. 1. line 8. strike out had p. 3. l. 4. strike out your p. 5. l. 4. for here likeneth read here he likeneth p. 5. l. 16. text read type p. 6. in marg If the Sabbath were a shadow c. p. 9. l. worke r. weeke p. 10. l. 16. after Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it read this should be a more generall commandement then if hee had said Remember the seauenth day to sanctifie it p. 12. l. 3. vs r. me p. 18. l. 3. commanding r. commanded p. 26. The saying of Chrysostome should be placed last of all after the note touching the Lords day p. 27. l. 7. to make it more Christian and lesse Iewish Other faults escaped in printing the Reader may amend
literall I obserue in St Augustine and some other but by the common doctrine in these dayes there is a third of that commandement touching the Sabbath though not of the other namely partly literall for it bindeth vs to sanctifie one day of the weeke But there a question may wel be demanded How shal the 4 commandement being delivered in such forme of words binde vs to sanctifie any day but only the seaventh Suppose that Christ had said to his Disciples Remember the day of Resurrection to sanctifie it sixe dayes of the weeke ye shall labour and doe all that ye haue to doe but the first day is the day of Resurrection in it you shall doe c. How should this commandement binde vs to sanctifie any day but onely the first the day of Resurrection So God saying Remember the sabbath or day of Rest to sanctifie it 6 dayes shalt thou labour doe al that thou hast to doe but the 7 day is the Sabbath c. How should this commandement binde vs to sanctifie any day but onely the seaventh the day wherein God rested and which the Iewes sanctified I haue thought good thus to vnfold the 4 commandement for the better vnderstanding of that which followeth Answere of a great Divine heretofore In the 4 commandement we haue to obserue .1 The commandement it selfe briefly delivered is thus Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it .2 Then followeth an Explication in order God shewing first which is the Sabbath the seventh day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God and after how it is sanctified in it thou shalt doe no worke .3 Lastly a reason is yeelded why God requireth this service Redem in 4 precept for in sixe dayes the Lord made c. Thus Zanchius in effect thus Virell likewise in his Grounds of Religion and this analisis of the 4 commandement is so naturall that every one of vnpartiall iudgement must needes approue it and I could wish that such as vndertake to handle the 4th commandement would take notice of it So then this is for substance the whole 4 commandement Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it as for that which followeth it is eyther an explication or a Reason Here now the word Sabbath a great Divine would haue taken in a generall sence so that God saying Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it That thou maist the better conceaue his meaning Suppose God had said to the Israelites Remēber to honour your King Saul is your kinge When Saul was dead and David come into his place this commandement Remember to honour your kinge had bound them still asmuch to honour David now as Saul before So God saying Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it and the 7 day is the Sabbath when the 7 day ceased to be the Sabbath the first day came in his place this commandement Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it may binde aswell to sanctifie the first day now as it did the 7 day heretofore Thus teacheth a great Divine but I cannot easily subscribe herevnto In my opinion God saying Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it is all one as if he had said Remember the 7 day to sanctifie it The Sabbath is the 7 day and the 7 day is the Sabbath in the scriptures many reasons there are which will not suffer vs to approue his doctrine .1 The dayes of the weeke may be named thus the first day the second day c. or thus the day of creating light the day of creating the firmament c. As now the first day and the day of creating light are the same so likewise the seaventh day and the day of Rest And this appeareth to be the iudgment of Augustine Eusebius So likewise it is taken in some Courts a proces citing to appeare dic Sabbati is vpon Saturday Tertullian c. seeing in their books by the Sabbath is meant the 7 day and by the Lords day is meant the first for otherwise they would haue vsed the names of Sabbath and Lords day for one the same day of the weeke .2 By the word Sabbath in the end of the commandement must needes be meant the 7 day only For obserue and rested the 7 day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath sanctified it Here thou seest that Gods resting on the 7 day is the reason wherefore he sanctified the Sabbath and can it be a reason of sanctifiing any other day besides the seventh especially when he laboured on all the other The reason of the 7 dayes institution vanished as a shadow with the shadow Suppose we had the like speech in the New Testament as thus He rose againe vpon 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 Adde that were not Sabbath seventh day the same it should rather haue beene said Wherefore the Lord blessed the 7th day or this Sabbath then the Sabbath Againe it is said blessed the Sabath the meaning is in the beginning and now turne to Gen. 2. and there it is said that God blessed the 7 day and sanctified it These words then Sabbath and seventh day are vsed promiscuè in the Scripture .3 By this doctrine the 4 commandement should be of larger extent then that commandement in the beginning suppose it were a commandement as some will haue it for there it is said God blessed the 7 day not the Sabbath .4 Thus should the 4 commandement consist of a generall commandement and a particular the generall Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it the particular The 7 day shall be the Sabbath 5 Had they who first appointed that order of reading the 4 commandement and the people praying after beene of this iudgment they would mee thinks haue put the first in place of the seventh the first day and not the 7 being now the Sabbath to the Lord our God Suppose God had given this commandement to the Israelites Remember to honour your kinge and Saul is your kinge This commandement being read in the Synagogues and the people praying after Lord haue mercy on vs c. when Saul was dead and David kinge would they haue still read the commandement in the same forme of words Remember to honour your kinge and Saul is your kinge I cannot belieue it They then no doubt who first appointed this order in the Church tooke the Sabbath the 7 day for the same in the 4 commandement Answeres of other in these dayes Answere 1 That the Sabbath and the 7 day are the same is acknowledged by some other in these dayes but they would haue the word seventh taken in a generall sence so that I conceaue they would haue the 4 commandement read thus Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it c. sixe daies c. but a seventh day is the Sabbath c Herevnto my answere is .1 A seventh day that is one of seven as I vnderstand
them That the word truly and properly translated is the seuenth for the particle is there vsed neyther I belieue did any ever translate it otherwise .2 Thus should the word be taken in one sence in the beginning of the commandement and in another afterward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For after it is said and rested on the 7 day here by seuenth day must needes be meant one certaine day .3 If God sanctified a seventh day then he made man on a sixth day were not this to confound every dayes worke .4 The same word is vsed Gen. 2 and there it must be translated the seuenth day for it were absurd to say in it God blessed a 7 day because he rested on the 7 day if God blessed a seuenth day then he rested vpon a 7 day Gen. 2. vers 3. .5 Thus should not god from Sinai appoint what day of the weeke the Israelites should sanctifi so indeed writeth a reverend Divine It was never commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should bee kept among seaven but that there should be observed a seventh day But should Paul haue taught in the Iewes Synagogues that God from Sinai did no more appoint their day to be sanctified then ours and that Christians sanctified the Lords day kept the 4 commandement according to the letter asmuch as they I leaue it to other to consider what would haue followed therevpon Answere 2 There are other againe which will haue it read the 7 day is the Sabbath to the c. but yet by their doctrine any day of the weeke may be meant hereby and with them the Lords day is the seventh That the Lords day is and must be the 7th day beginneth to be somthing a common doctrine Thus a learned Preacher wrote vnto mee The 7 day alone is sanctified but the Lord hath not assigned any immutable Date of time from which this 7 must be reckoned for he never sayth in any place God sanctified the 7 from such or such a Date So the observing of that number is immutable but the taking of one only beginning from which to begin the account is not immutable had it beene the Apostles in whose time the chang of Dates began would sure haue knowne it and not suffered such chang without reproof This I receaued from a learned Preacher Now vnto those his words for he neuer sayth in any place God sanctified c. my answere is That he had no need so to say unlesse there had beene more then sixe dayes before the first seventh or that hee had blessed any other seaventh day since Neyther of which being so the Date must needes bee from the day wherein God separated the light from the darknes and what more certaine Date of time from whence to beginne the reckoning then from the beginning of the creation before which there was no time at all Againe whereas he sayth that the change of Dates began in the Apostles dayes I would know where this doth appeare Rather the contrary appeareth Act 20. 1. Cor. 16. for by the first of the weeke as themselues say is meant the Lords day See then the ancient Date of time is continued by the Apostles for if the Lords day were the first of the weeke the Iwes Sabbath must needes be the 7th and last of the weeke in the Apostles time as it was in the beginning I haue much mervailed wherefore some must nedes haue the Lords day be the 7th so contrary to the Scriptures who terme it the first of the weeke in two places and at the mouth of two witnesses we would thinke this matter should be established But it seemeth as Isaac said Gen. 27. Iacob haue I blessed he shal be blessed so they thinke God blessed the 7th day and it must be blessed wherefore vnlesse the Lords day come to be the 7th it is not blessed sanctified But they should consider that God did not blesse the day The Lords day will come to be the 7 when Esau commeth o be Iacob because it was the 7th had he then were it some reason that the name and blessing should still goe together but now he blessed the day because he had rested therein and if these two may be sundered much more the other What God hath put asunder let not man ioyne together Gen. 2.3 Lords day and seventh day it will not procure them a blessing to goe about in such sort to maintaine the trueth If their doctrine can otherwise be maintained I desire them in Christs name that they would if their doctrine cannot otherwise be maintained I admonish them in the feare of God to teach such doctrine as may Were it once receaved that wee must sanctifie the 7th day and they neyther by Scripture reason nor Fathers can proue that the day we doe now sanctifie is the seventh will it not come to passe that we shall fall back to the Iewes day The Scripture is against them and that in two places Act. 20. 1. Cor. 16 Reason is against them for if the Iewes Sabbath vntill the change were the 7 how should the next day be the seventh also the name seventh hath reference to other dayes going before shall one and the same day bee the seventh of one weeke and the sixth of the next weeke Now among the Fathers Ierome is against them for he termeth Wednesday the fourth of the weeke Si dies observare non licet menses tempora annos nos quoque simile crimen incurrimus quartam Sabbati observantes Parasceven diem Dominicam c. Com in Ep ad Gal cap 4. Finally by this answere as by the former the word seventh should be taken in one sence in the beginning of the commandement and in another afterward for after it is said and rested on the 7th day Here by seventh day must needs be meant one certaine day no man will say that God rested on the day we now keepe holy Againe if by seventh day Ex. 20. any day be meant aswell as Saturday by first day Act 20. why shall not any day be meant aswell as Sunday But not to stand longer hereabout this last answere cannot stand without the overthrow of Gods weeke that it may be receaved God had need to make the world againe A likelier answere then either of the former Chrisostome on Gen. 2. hath these words Iam hìc ab initio doctrinam hanc nobis insinuat Deus c. Here from the beginning God doth insinuate this doctrine that one day in the circle of the weeke should be severed for spirituall worke Note the word insinuateth Dr Field hath these words in his 5 booke and 29 chapter Presupposing the knowledg of the creation reason convinceth vs that one day of seven must be a day of rest Reason convinceth Some such thing I thinke must be said here as that God by giving this commandement to the Israelites doth insinuate that Christians should
sanctifie one day of the weeke Or thus Inasmuch as God having chosen to himselfe a Church commanding thē after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the 7 day reason convinceth or this is an argument that it is Gods will we Christians now his Church should doe in some sort as the Israelites by the 4th commandement were bound to doe heretofore The 4th commandement bindeth vs to sanctifie one day of the weeke that is It bindeth vs to belieue that it is Gods will we should sanctifie one day of the weeke seing as thereby it appeareth he once appointed the Israelites after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the seventh day the same reasons in part still continue To end this matter Were it a law of this kingdome set forth long agone in these words Remember to fast vpō Thursday We in these times faring well vpon Thursday fasting vpō friday some man should say that the forenamed law bound vs so to doe vnlesse we did fast vpō Friday we brake that Statute who hearing this would not be much moved at the strangenes of the matter presently demand How shall this be seing the Statute speaketh of Thursday How can such a Statute binde vs to fast vpon Friday Now how the like vnto this may be I haue shewed with the best skill I haue and if any thinke my skill herein defectiue and say Never any law of God or man did binde in such manner as you speake of I must confesse it in my knowledge but did ever any other law of God or man appoint a thinge to be done on one day of the weeke and binde to doe it on another day or appoint a thinge to be done in one place and binde to doe it in another place Such a law if there were ever any such did binde in such manner as I speake of or if any hath more skill to answere this question I greatly desire him to shew his skill The question is such as we would thinke every one of the meanest vnderstanding would demand it first of all and it is made a needfull question to be answered by reason of those strange interpretations of Gods word aforemencioned I mean that the Sabbath and seauenth day are not the same in the fourth Commandement againe that by seauenth day in the fourth commandement any day of the week may be signified Should way bee giuen to such interpretations of the Scripture who seeth not what would follow therevpon It doth not a little moue me when in Protestant writers I read such passages as this It was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seauen c. Consider well of the matter and thou wilt say that I am not moued without cause III QVESTION HOW shall it appeare to be the law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke Answere Almighty God having in 6 dayes created the heaven and the earth rested vpon the 7 day Gen. 2.3 and therfore sanctified it as is said Gen 2. Hence now some would gather that it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day in euery weeke but indeed it will hence rather follow that it is the law of nature to sanctifie the precise seauenth day Vpon these premises God made the world in six daies and resting on the seauenth day sanctified it by the light of nature or reason this inference should rather bee made therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day Then doe we most neerely follow Gods example when we worke vpon those very dayes which he wrought vpon and sanctifie that very day which he sanctified God in the beginning sanctified the seauenth day therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day is a neerer inference than that other therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day of the seauen or weeke The like may be said touching the placing of the fourth commandement among the moralls if any would fetch an argument thence to prooue this matter In the 2 to the Romans Paul saith That the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2 14. and were a law to themselues From which text happily an argumēt might be fetched to proue as much the law of nature as M. Dod affirmeth that is to haue solemne times for so the Gentiles had but now the Gentiles sanctified not one day in euery weeke It will rather follow from the practise of the Gentiles that it is the law of nature to haue a place appointed than one day in euery weeke appointed for publike meetings the Gentiles had Temples 1. Cor. 11.14 In the 1 Cor. 11. S. Paul hath these words Doth not even nature it selfe teach you that if a man hath long haire it is a shame vnto him Now should I say in like manner doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs to sanctifie one day in euery weeke For one that would affirme many I thinke at first would deny that nature taught it them they see no such thing by the light of nature they had neuer any naturall inclination to sanctifie one day of euery seauen But though at first euery man will be ready thus to say yet vpon consideration happily it will seem the best order and if we see by The light in vs whereof Christ speaketh Mat. 6. Though it be not by any expresse command from Christ or his Apostles but by an ordinance of the Church as is the doctrine of many great Diuines of our church in the booke of Homilies that we sanctifie the Lords day rather then another day in the weeke yet can I maintaine that it is the law of Nature to sanctifie this very day for it is The best order And this I think no man of iudgement will once offer to deny vnlesse perhaps because some hold a superstitious conceit of the day that it is the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then me thinks it may bee said that nature doth teach vs so to doe Let all things saith Paul be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. This command of Paul is the very law of nature doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs as much The best order is the will of God and the law of nature This is it then which I say If reason the light in vs or Nature for these I take for the same teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then is it to bee held the law of nature so to doe but Reason the light in vs What the Philosophers tearme Reason Christ tearmeth The light in vs and Paul Nature or Nature teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in every weeke therefore it is to be held the law of nature so to doe This is the only argument to prooue this matter But here are two things which I thinke good to advertise thee of One is that we should not tearme it Morall to