themselues no neither can man else vse them vnto the day we now keepe for God did moue vnto the obseruation of the Saturday 7th day 1. Because him selfe at the Creation rested on it 2. Because he had blessed that day hallowed it so made it an Holy day now these two reasones neither are nor can be applied to our Lords day for God at the creation did not rest on our Lords day no neither did he then blesse sanctify the Lords day for the Lords day was not then knowne Thus you see how they baue made cleere worke for they haue taken away both the body of the 4th com the reasone annexed to it by God thus they haue taken away the whole 4th com head taile roote branch it stands for vs now onely to looke vpon Loe now we may say with the Prophet Dauid It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue destroied thy Law Psal 119.126 Thus since I haue faithfully plainly discouered this Notoriouse errour I haue done what in me lyeth towards a reformation onely this remaineth that with the residue of the congregation I make this prayer vnto God That it may please him to bring into the way of trueth all such as haue erred are deceiued CHAPT V. This Chapter conteineth sondry substanciall arguments out of the word of God proueing that the Lords Sabbath day written in the Morall Law is still in force so ought to be vnto the worlds end like as are the other morales I Haue now finished the fowre first partes of my booke the first whereof was in defence of the Morall Law The second was an exposition of the 4th com with a discouery of the corrupt expositiones thereof The third was an answer vnto those Scriptures reasones wich are vsually brought to proue the Lords day the Sabbath day The fowrth was an answer vnto those abused Scriptures which are brought against the Lords Sabbath day And now by order I am come vnto the fith parte of my booke and herein I am to proue vnto you the perpetuity of the Lords Sabbath and that it is still in force and so ought for euer to be Touching the Sabbath I note two things 1. I see many lerned and greate Diuines of late prime men and of the formost ranke in the Vniuersities both on this side and beyond the Seas disclaiming and wrighting against the Lords day Sabbath but I see none of them shew vs where we shall haue an other Sabbath in the absence of this as the former bewrayed their learning and iudgement so this latter bewrayed their forgetfulnesse what shall the Church of God be left without a Sabbath now shall we turne from Superstition to Anabaptistry I ioyne with them in throwing downe the Lords day for a Sabbath but I dare not put an end to the worke when it is but halfe done 2. As those Iewes of old cried the Temple of the Lord the temple of the Lord so I obserue the Patrons of the Lords day to cry out of the prophanation of the Lords Sabbaths the prophanatiō of the Lords Sabbaths as if they were the onely friends to Gods Sabbaths whereas in deed in trueth they are the chiefe enemies to them and are foulely mistaken in their iudgement for they are the Lords dayes which they meane not the Lords Sabbath dayes if therefore any man may in a right accompt be said to be a true friend to Gods Sabbaths it is not they it is hee that writeth for them and defendeth them against the world and corruptiones of the time hee may indede say with Eliah I haue bene very Ielouse for the Lord of hostes for they haue forsaken thy Couenant broken downe thy Sabbaths and I onely am left The Lords Sabbaths are still in force or Gods ancient 7th day Saturday Sabbath is still in force SECT I. IN defending the Lords Sabbath I purpose to obserue this method first I will proue the point by arguments lesse forcible and then by arguments more forcible first by arguments shewing that it is a thing meete convenient and very befiting vs to keepe the Lords Sabbath then by arguments shewing that it is a thing very necessary in regard of Gods appointment ordination By the way whereas there are many light and triuiall obiections vsually brought against the Lords Sabbath and some place would be reserued to answer them I think it vnfit to place them after the point is proued by necessary arguments for when Gods will is once knowne there is no place left for carnall and triuiall obiections against it and therefore I hold it better to place these obiections next after the point is proued by probable arguments and arguments of conveniency and so these triuiall obiections shall rather come in by way of opposition vnto arguments of conveniency then vnto arguments deriued from Gods ordination Wherefore I purpose to spend the first Section about arguments of conveniency and the second Section in answer vnto sondry obiections and then the third Section in arguments prouing the point necessarily from Gods ordination To begine with the first of these namly conveniency and arguments lesse forcible in handling of this point first I will proue by sondry arguments that it is meete we should keepe a Sabbath day one or other indefinitly and then I will proue that it is most meete fitest to keepe the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath before any other One reason mouing me to handle these two points is to preuent Prophane and carnall men thus to thinke why you haue throwne downe the Lords day Sabbath now therfore what need we any more Sabbaths c I procede therfore to giue such reasones as may take place in a carnall mind For the former of these I proue that it is meete we should keepe a Sabbath day because it is a worke of mercy that this may the better appeare we will consider of it in respect of man beast touching man we will consider of him generally and then particularly and first for man in generall it is a greate comforte and worke of mercy vnto all men to keepe a Sabbath day for therein their bodies are exceedingly refreshed and comforted for looke as the Bedd at night is a greate refreshment vnto man that hath bene occupied all the day before in his painfull calling so is the Sabbath day a sweete refreshment vnto men after that they haue bene exercised Sixe dayes one after an other in continuall laboures the trueth of this point euery man findeth by good experience We haue a prouerb that men must worke to day as they may worke too morrow that is that men doe not so ouerworke themselues in one day as they be vnfit for worke the next day this prouerb may well be applied to our present occation that men must worke this weeke so as they may worke the next weeke also that is they must not so worke and tyre out their
the King our Soâ—eraigne Lord with the assent of the Lords Spirituall Temporall the Commons in this present Parliament assembled that all the daies hereafter mentioned shall be kept holie daies c. That is to say all Sundaies in the yeere c. S. Mathew S. Mark S. Iohn Baptist S. Peter S. Iames c. Then a prouiso is added Prouided alwaies it is enacted by the Authoritie aforesaid that it shall be lawfull to euery Husbandman labourer fisher man to all euery other person or persones vpon the holie daies aforesaid in Haruest or at any other times in the yeere when necessitie shall require to labour ride fish or work any kind of work at their free wills plesures any thing in this Act to the contrarie in any wise notwithstanding These things are remarkable in this Statute 1. That our Sunday or Lords day was by these Law-makers rekoned to be of no higher nor other authority then are the other holy dayes of the Apostles as S. Mathews S. Marks S. Iohns dayes and the rest 2. That the Sunday or Lords day is ordained by the Church and State for a Sabbath day or holy day that it is at their liberty to doe in this matter as they shall iudg most convenient 3. A most remarkable thing in this Statute for our purpose is that the Lords Spirituall and Temporall with the Commons and so consequently the Church of England were cleere of iudgment openly in this Act professed it that our Sunday or Lords-day-Sabbath is not of Diuine institution for they declared it whilst they said it is not to be thought that there is any certaine time or definit number of daies prescribed in the holy Scriptures so then there is no Scripture for the Lords day Againe But that the apointment both of the time and also of the number of daies is left by the Authoritie of Gods word to the libertie of Christs Church to the Rulers thereof to be determined so then ther 's no Diuine institution for the Lords day SECT XXII Hauing finished my answer touching the Lords day Sabbath for a conclusion of this Chapter I purpose to spend a few words in this Section by way of Admonition dehortation from Superstition voluntary religion will-worship the which as I direct it vnto all men whome it may concerne so in a speciall sorte I apply it vnto such patrones of the Lords day Sabbath as haue alredy made head against my former booke with greate zeale haue scandalized it among the people so occationed this booke by name Mr. Hutchinson Mr. Benton Mr. Furnace Mr. Gallard Mr. Yates Mr. Chappell Mr. Grenewod Mr. Stinnet Mr. Iohnson Mr. Ward These men obstinatly persisting in their erroniouse false doctrine after sufficient meanes of conviction ought to take these things into consideration First touching the Admonition by the whole discourse touching the Lords day already finished thou maiest see Christian reader that there is no footeing or grownd in the word of God to make the Lords day a Sabbath wherefore I doe hereby admonish both Ministers and people and desire them to take knowledge of it henceforth that this their zealouse sanctifying of the Lords day in conscience of the 4th com of Christ his institution it is no better before God with wisemen then Superstition and needlesse religion for when men will doe that in Gods seruice in obedience vnto God the which hee hath no where commanded them what is this but a needlesse religion and superstition when men cannot shew Gods will for that they doe then it must follow that it is of their owne willes so their religion in that point is a voluntary-religion and a will-worship Let me not be mistaken the Lords day may be considered as an ordinance of God or as an ordinance of man as it is ignorantly conceiued to be an ordinance of God in this sense only I speake against it but as it is an ordinance of man that is as it is commanded by the Magistrate so at his will and plesure to continue it or discontinue it in this regard I haue nothing against it so much for the Admonition I come now vnto the Debortation my first reason disswasiue is because we hate Superstition will-worship in others how doe we beare against our aduersaries the Papistes because of their superstitiouse Traditiones and Religion of will-worship and can we see an errour in them and cannot we see the same errour in our selues had we bene wise for our selues we might haue seene this errour long agone for they haue often admonished vs in their writings against vs telling vs that our Lords day is but a Tradition from the fathers and a Tradition of the Church herein giue the deuill his right as they say they haue spoken most truly albeit we haue giuen deafe care vnto them laboured to shifte it of and will we condemne them for will-worship superstition practise the same our selues well heare what S. Paul saith therefore thou art inexcusable O man whosoeuer thou art that condemnest for in that that thou condemnest an other thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that condemnest doest the same thinges Rom. 2.1 Many Ministers thinke them selues farr enough of from superstition will-worship whilst in the pulpit they can cry out against the superstition of Papists when as indeed and in trueth themselues are euen then very Papistes in this point greate patrones and maintainers of superstition will worship wherefore let them reforme themselues or else let them be silent touching Papistes you haue seene it proued by good Authority that the Lords day is but a Tradition of the Church shall we retaine Popish Traditiones will these Ministers be still patrones and supporters of vnwritten Traditiones I would hope better of them My second reason disswasiue is because we shall all leese our labour in the Sanctification of the Lords day vve shall labour in vaine For if we like seruants will be doeing of such vvorkes as our Maister neuer appointed vs doe vve thinke our Maister vvill thanke vs yea reward vs for them you haue heard that God neuer commanded vs to sanctify the Lords day by the 4th Com. that Christ neuer appointed it in the New Testament if therefore we will be hallowing of the Lords day thinke you that God will reward you for it or that Christ vvill thanke you for it many men that are honestly disposed of ingenuouse minds being misled by some Ministers they leese some yeeres their Hay in the field some yeers their corne in the field all of conscience thinking it a duety for them so to doe rather then to labour on the Lords day many others keepe the Lords day very strictly both priuatly publikly erroniously misperswaded that that text Isa 58.13 inioyneth theÌ„ so to doe but is not all this Labour in vaine God neuer commanded it Christ neuer
33.4 and who should defend the Churches right if not your Maiestie King Dauid chose this Law for his inheritance as we reade Psal 119.111 and I beleeue so hath your sacred Maiestie defend it therefore Why should the corrupt expositions thereof which the ignorance of former ages haue hatched be still retained Why should one part of this sacred Scripture be retained an other part of the same reiected Why should not God haue his whole and intire worship prescribed in this Law as well as some partes of it you will not indure it that your Coyne be clypped or impaired but count him for a traitour that doth it how thē should you thinke well of him that will clippe impaire this current golden Law of God you cannot indure it that any part of your Royall inheritance of Crowne Lands should be detained from you And how should you indure it that any part of your Spirituall inheritance the Law of God should be withholden from you any longer Why should we serue God by halues any longer The Lords Sabbathes which are a portion of Gods Law and a part of your Maiesties the Churches inheritance now contemned as Iewish and ceremoniall and now prophaned trampled vnder foote I humblie beseech your Highnesse to take a care of As the 5th Commandement is directed vnto inferiours so is the obseruation of the Sabbath in the 4th Cōmandement directed vnto Superiours as M. Brerewood in his Treatise on the Sabbath hath well obserued the care therefore of Gods Sabbathes pertaineth vnto Kings and the 4th Comm. doth in a most eminent sorte oblige Kings Hence no doubt it was that Nehemiah that Godly Gouerner tooke the reformation of the prophaned Sabbath into his care charge Whose steppes may it please you to treade hauing finished the great worke you may to your eternall comfort with him petition Almighty God to be mindfull of this your care zeale for him saying Remember mee O my God concerning this c. Nehem. 13.22 How famouse vnto all ages are those Godly Kings Hezekiah Iosiah the rest for Reformers of Religion for Restorers of the worship of God! Oh that your zeale might equall theirs that it might be left as a monument vnto all posterity that you Restored the worship of God in his Sacred Sabbaths If I be able to compare them none of your Progenitours did euer leaue the like honourable fact to this vpon recorde vnlesse it were they that made the Reformation from Popish Idolatry and that indeed may be compared with this for that concerned the 2th Com. and this concernes the 4th Com. that was a Morall Law and so is this that was touching a parte of Gods worship in the first Table and so is this Two Morall Laws to wit the 2th Com. and the 4th Com. haue bene corrupted for many hundreth yeers together the one by Image worshiping the other by Sabbath breaking as for the former that hath by the Mercy of God bene reformed this hundreth yeers and vpwards euer since we departed from Rome and Gods blessing hath abundantly followed our Church euer since As for the latter we still sticke fast in the myre and remaine still in ignorance blindnesse togeather with Rome to this day and this waiteth for the Reformation of our English Nehemiah Hezekiah or Josiah As it was with the good Kings of Israel and Iudah in restauration of Religion still they left something vndone So our Ancestours though they reformed the corruptions about the 2th Com. yet they left the high places I meane the prophanatiō of the Lords Sabbaths still vntouched No doubt God foresaw it that the reformation of one of his Commandements was worke enough for those his seruants in those gaine-saying times the reformation of the other he hath reserued for these later times oh that these times might be so happie as to take the Time Let not posterity take this Crowne glory The restauration of the integrity of Gods worship and the raising vp againe of Gods Sabbathes call for your Maiesties helpe Helpe O King T is true innovations are dangerouse yet in some case necessary as we see by new lawes daily inacted But this is no innovation it is but the reuiuing of an old Law a long time laine dead and the putting into execution Gods 4th Comm. now and of long time out of vse Neither can it be thought a thing impossible to be done or disaduantageouse vnto your Realme for the change of the Sabbath from the Sunday backe againe to the Saturday that holy Day Gen. 2.3 will not proue I suppose one farthing losse vnto your Subiectes and for your Maiestie it is but your pleasure say the word onely it is done your Maiesties proclamation or the like workes a present Reformation Let me say vnto your Highnesse therefore as once those seruants of Naaman said vnto their Lord when the Prophet bad him but this smale easy thing Goe wash and be cleane If it were a great thing which the Lord requireth of thee wouldest thou not haue done it how much rather when he saith vnto thee wash be cleane 2. King 5.13 I leaue the application To conclude the counsaile of the Lord is to inquire for the old way Ier. 6.16 be pleased therefore to serch the Scriptures and to inquire of your reuerend Bishops and lerned Clergy as they will answer it before God if this be not the old way and the way wherein we must walke to the Worlds end Your Maiesties most humble Subiect THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE To the most Reuerent Arch-Bishops and Bishops of this Kingdome RIGHT Reuerent Fathers in God right graciouse honourable Lords I presume to offer this Treatise of the Sabbath day vnto your graue iudicious considerations as vnto whom it doth more principally appertaine to weigh determine of questions controuercies of such great consequence and whose it is in a most eminent manner to see that all corruptions in Gods worship be reformed all Truethes of God fostered cherished and all the partes of Gods worship duly religiously obserued Amongst other things in this Treatise I humbly desire your Lordshipes to take these fiue into your best deepest considerations 1. That that Sacred ordinance of Gods Sabbath then the which is not any in our Church more ancient commanded by God in his Morall Law ratified by Christ the Sonne of God practised by the Apostles also by the primitiue Churches after them for 300 or 400 yeeres together is now sinfully trampled vnder foote prophaned 2. That the Decalogue 10 Commandements of Almighty God are not wholly and fully taught and maintained in our Church but onely by partes by peeces 3. That God hath not his whole intire worship seruice prescribed in the first Table of the Decalogue but is denied one fourth part thereof weekly 4. That Gods 4th commandement is by the commō doctrine in our Church wholly frustrate and nullified both roote
and branch 5. That by very many in our Church there is grosse superstition committed Gods worship corrupted yea plaine Idolatry wrought and that by sanctifying of the Lords day for a Sabbath day by the 4th Com. These things as I beleeue you shall find cleerly proued in this Booke Vnto whose consideration should I commend these things for redresse if not vnto your Lordshipes hath not his Maiestie therefore deputed you vnto your seuerall charges to ouersee see to the well ordering of the Church worship of God and hath not the Almightie laied it vpon you To warne some that they teach none other doctrine 1. Tim. 1.3 And To redresse the things that are amisse Or To set in order the things that are wanting Tit. 1.5 Downe then with that Idoll the Lords day Sabbath so dealt Hezekiah with the Brazen Serpent when idolatrously abused and bring into its roome into the Church of God againe that ancient ordinance Gods Sacred Saturday-Sabbath let not an idoll of mans deuiseing stand in Gods Church where an ordinance of Gods inioyned by a Morall Law should stand Oh my honourable Lords what a pitty it is to see Antiquity true and honourable Antiquity I meane the Lords Sabbathes troden vnder foote why should not our Church become followers of those Ancientest and most pure Churches of the primitiue times that liued next after Christ his blessed Apostles in obseruation of the Lords Sabbath Who so long as they retained their greatest purity so long they religiously obserued the Saturday-Sabbath Why should not your Lordshipes exhorte vnto the obseruation of the Sabbath day as did that Godly Bishop Ignatius in his time Epist ad Magnesi And why should not your Lordships defend the Sabbath day as did that famouse Bishop Athanasius in his time Centur. iiij cap. 6. pag. 410. This done the Law of God should be taught and maintained in our Church in its integrity and perfection the 4th Commandement should be in vse amongst vs againe and be accounted as Morall as any of the other nyne and God should haue his whole intire worship prescribed in the first Table as well amongst vs as euer he had among the Iewes when they were the onely people of God If it please not God to inkindle your Lordshipes hearts with more zeale for his glory in this behalfe then is to be found among common Ministers Gods Sabbaths are like still which God forbid to lay waste his Lawes to be partially taught and his intire worship to be still denied him Let none suggest vnto your Lordships that the obseruation of the ancient Sabbath is Iudaisme for Athanasius liuing in those first ages of the Christian Churches taketh away this obiection saying Wee keepe the Sabbath day and yet we are not tainted with Iudaisme Centur. iiij In the Booke of Common Prayer after the 4th Commandement wherein the old Sabbath day is by name specified is publikly rehearsed by the Minister we are ordered to vse this deuout prayer Lord haue mercy vpon vs incline our hearts to keepe this Law Which prayer which commandement cannot vnder your Lordships correction be vnderstood of the Lords day nor of any other day but the old Sabbath day onely Wherefore the obseruation of the old Sabbath is no Iudaisme vnlesse we be taught to pray to God to incline our hearts to Iudaisme It is not vnknowne vnto your Lordships that not many yeeres since the Crosse in Baptisme hath by some bene counted idolatrouse the holy dayes Romish yet hath our Church freed them from such imputations I trust therefore that in your graue religiouse consultations it will be iudged meete that the Lords Sabbaths shall be also freed from the slaunder of Iewish Iudaisme and the like If the Holy dayes of the Saints may be defended I trust the Holie day of the Holie one of Israel shall be protected I haue done myne errand I haue discharged my duety the cause is no longer myne then in my breast I now commend it vnto your Lordships for protection the cause is Gods and therefore youres and the Churches it deserueth the patronag of the greatest of the lernedest T is true my person is meane I care not though it be fleited so the cause be honoured Iudges regard not persones but Causes In Courtes of Iustice if any sewe or informe for the King if the Kings Title be in question though the Informer be meane neglected yet the Cause is much regarded for it hath all the honour furtherance that the Iudges Courte can afford it in speciall sorte the Iudges they take in with it mannage it as if it were their owne Counsaile shall be assigned to pleade for it other causes shall stand by whilst it be tried informer witnesses shall be countenanced incouraged to speake the like so as if possible the Kings Title shall get the day Let me petition your Lordships therfore in your Triall of this Controuercy to haue regard whose the Title is that is in question it being the Lords Sabbath a branch of the Morall Law a parte of Gods worship and one of the most ancient ordinances that euer God established in his Church the Title is plainly Gods therfore yea it is called the Sabbath of the Lord or the Lords Sabbath and myne Holy Day The Title being Gods then let it haue that fauourable and honourable triall in your Synods Consistories Consciences the which earthly Kings Titles obtaine in their Courtes Who euer make squemish of it your Lordships as Iudges wil take in with it I trust knowing the Title of him is now in question of whom you hold all you inioy for the present and hope to inioy hereafter let the day be Gods let iudgement passe on his side if possible let the Informer haue incouragment countenance all helpes furtherances if not for his owne sake yet for his Cause sake and for Gods sake hee pleads the Kings broad Seale an expresse precept the 4th Com. one of the 10 Morales and one of the First Table too what better or higher Euidence can be demanded Let no argument or Text of Scripture be vrged to the abolishing of this ordinance of Gods Sabbath to the impairing ecclipsing of the Morall Law 10 Commandements and to the ouerturning of any parte of Gods worship once established in his Church if possible they may be salued and answered by any warrantable distinctiō or exposition Nor let any answer passe for orthodox wherby any iote or title of the Decalogue or any parte of Gods worship should be denied This I humbly begg and craue of our Lordships and that in the name of God whose Title I informe for and whose Title you are to iudge for and defend and that by virtue of your places high offices For I hold it as an vndoubted Maxime that it is not godly nor Lawfull to abolish an ordinance of Gods being a parte of Gods worship once established
we not call the Lords Supper which is a new institution the Passeouer by an old name For as Baptisme and the Lords Supper are come in the roome of Circumcision and the Passeouer so it is said that the Lords day is come in the roome of the Sabbath day Neuerthelesse this nicknaming of dayes as full of confusion as it is and as improper as the speech is yet it might be borne if it were not of euill consequence for hereby the poore ignorant people are deluded and hereby they are brought off the more assuredly to beleeue that the 4th comm doth bind them to rest from their labours on the Lords day but to the contrary vve haue proued that the 4th com doth bind onely to the 7th day or Saturday Yea I adde that men may as vvel say they eat Sacramentall bread at their common Tables and that they celebrate the Lords Supper when they eat bread and drinke vvine at their common Tables as to say they sanctify the Sabbath day vvhen on the Lords day they heare a Sermon pray and sing 〈◊〉 for the difference betvvixt the Sabbath day and the Lords day is as great as is the difference betvvixt the Lords Supper and our common Suppers betvvixt Sacramentall bread and vvine and common bread and vvine as shall be showne The name Sabbath day may be considered as diuinly imposed by God him selfe vpon a certaine day or as humanly imposed by man novv of all the dayes in the weeke God imposed the name Sabbath day onely vpon saturday the seuenth day of the weeke if therefore we vvill take God for our guide vve are to call no day Sabbath day in reuerence to his 4th com but that day which God himselfe hath named Sabbath day but as for the Lords day it is no where in all the scriptures called Sabbath day let the patrones of this day shew where in all the New Testament the first day of the weeke or Sunday is called Sabbath day the which since they cannot doe it is altogether grovvndlesse so to name it yet further wheras it is supposed that the Lords day was set vp for a new Sabbath at Christ his resurrection yet as it is to be noted this day had no nevv name put vpon it of many yeeres after that but it was still called by its old name to wit the first day of the weeke as we read in all the 4. Euangelists yea and when it vvas named Lords day in Reu. 1.10 yet it was not named Sabbath day then nor at any time else this name then Sabbath day being put vpon our sunday it is not of Gods imposition but of mans imposition and so t is but humane it vvere to be wished then that men vvould rater conforme theire speech vnto God then vnto man calling Saturday the Sabbath day as God did and not Sunday the Sabbath day as man doth It vvere the more tollerable I confesse if there were such a penury of words and scarcety of names as vve had no other name for our Sunday but vve haue 3 seuerall names for it to wit 1. Sunday 2. the Lords day 3. the first day of the vveeke here are names enough for one day ther 's no necessity therefore to robb the seuenth day of its name that so we might haue 4. names for one day no no it is not penury of names but ther 's an other matter in it the name Sabbath day it is an auncient name and it is an honourable name and God had made his promises to such as kept his Sabbathes if thou turne away thy foore from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on myn Holy day c. Then I will cause thee to ride vpon the high places of the earth and feede the with the Heritag of Iacob c. Isa 58.13.14 And the violation of this Sabbath day God had seuerly punished as we reade Numb 15.32.35 and Nehem. 13.18 Whereby God from heauen hath shovvne in what esteeme he had this day yea this Sabbath day God him selfe kept it and also hee Sanctified it and blessed is Genes 2.3 yet further God hath giuen a speciall commandement for this day and put it in Tables of stone vttered it vvith his owne voice and vvrote it vvith his ovvne singer Exod. 20. thus hath God honoured this day wherefore the name of it is also honourable novv the Patrones of our Lords day seing all this and finding no such honour put vpon their Lords day hence it is that they might aduance the Lords day in the minds of the multitude they haue robbed the Saturday of all its honourable ornaments that there vvith all they might decke vp and trimme vp the Lords day and hence it is that our Sunday must needs be called the Sabbath day and so by this meanes all those Scriptures which mention any thing of the Lords Sabbathes any vvhere they are together vvith the name translated vnto the Lords day vvhat is this but to robb the Mistris of hir Iewels to bestow them vpon the handmaide to take the honour due vnto the Master and giue it vnto the seruant or to take the Crovvne from off the head of the King to sett it vpon a common subiect for as for the Lords day it is but a common working day in Gods account it being one of those six dayes vvherin God said Sixe dayes shalt thou labour Exod. 20.9 T is true vve receiued a greate blessing on that day because our Lord rose then from the dead and t is as true also that vve receiued a greate blessing on friday because on that day our Lord laid dovvne his liefe for vs and suffered vpon the Crosse and yet for al that friday is accounted but for a common vvorking day for one of the sixe dayes vvherin vve must labour yet further the Lords day is but a common day in respect of Saturday as touching all thos particulares mentioned before for the name Lords day it is but nevv and put vpon Sunday but since Christ and that many yeerers too since Christ but the name Sabbath day it is auncient and put vpon the Saturday thovvsands of yeeres before Christ againe you no vvhere read of any blessings promised by God in all the New Testament to those which Keepe the Lords day Holy nor of any iudgments inflicted or threatened vpon any that worke on the Lords day further you no where in all the Nevv Testament find any commandement to keep the Lords day Holy No nor can it be showne that Christ euer Kept it In a vvord God neuer hallovved the Lords day nor blessed and sanctified it vvhereby it shold become an holy day but all these and more God did to the Saterday therefore is the Saturday as the King or Mistrise to the Lords day as then the King and all good subiects wold think amisse of him that taketh the crowne off the King and set it vpon the head of a common subiect yea though he were aboue a common subiect as is
a knight or a Noble man and as Friday and Sunday in some sense are aboue the other of the sixe dayes So no doubt will God and so shold euery Godly man think amisse of it to heare Ministers take that name of honour from off the head of Saturday to set it vpon the head of Sunday By this translating of the name Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday common people when they read in the Scriptures of any thing of note touching the Sabbath day presently they cast that in they re minds vpon the Lords day thinking that to be meant of it thus being meerly deluded they honour the subiect for the king the maide for hir Mistris and misapply and abuse all those Textes of Scripture is it not high time then that this abuse were Looked vnto and the rather also because by theire carrynig of the name Sabbath day from the Saturday vnto the Sunday they hereby doe subtilly carry also the 4th commandement from the Saturday vnto the Sunday and thus they robb the Saturday both of its diuine name and also of its Commandement for novv no man cales the Saturday Sabbath day nor applies the fourth com vnto it at all by this robbery God and his Sabbathes are leesers but they are greate gainers for novv they haue not only got that deuine name Sabbath day for theire Sunday but also they haue got though but by vsurpation a Commandement too for theire Lords day the which had no commandement before It bewraieth theire beggarlynesse in ornaments for the Lords day when they must thus robb and pull from an other day to clothe and attire it vvith all neither hath the Lords day any thing in the nevv Testament to tye mens consciences with all but only what the patrones there of haue vniustly taken out of the Old Testament from the Saturday Sabbath and out of whose ruines they haue erected a nevv day For conclusion let me exhorte Ministers and people to refraine putting the name Sabbath day vpon the Lords day for hereafter we haue names enough besids we may call it Sunday Lords day or First day of the weeke doe not mocke God and deceiue the world any longer vvith vse of the name Sabbath day vnlesse you meant to giue God his proper Sabbath day the Saturday why should you retaine the name with out the thing this is to mocke God with a shaddovv for the Substance And here I cannot but speake of that common fault of Ministers in the pulpit vvhose very words and vvorkes are at iarr the more is the pitty for in application of theire doctrines they are frequent in pressing the obseruation of the Sabbath day amongst other virtues and holy dueties and on the contrary in many of there vses of reprofe they are very zealouse in reprouing the breach of the Lords Sabbaths together vvith other sinnes of drunkennesse Svvearing lying oppression pride and the like vvherein they doe very well if their words and their vvorkes vvent together if their words and their mind did agree for aske them in priuate vvhat day of the vveeke they meant by the name Sabbath day and they vvill tell you Sunday or Lords day so then with their toungs they call for the Sabbath day which is Saturday in Gods account as hath bene proued but they meane an other thing then they speake of for they meane it of Sunday or Lords day like as if a man should talke much and ernestly of Saturday but meaneth it of friday or of Sunday and meaneth it of Moneday Nay their ovvne mouthes shall condemne them for they call for the Lords Sabbaths in the pulpit vvhen they profane them in theire families and teach men so to doe nay the Lords Sabbathes find no greater enemies then these who call so much for them for they at other times vvill beare the people in hand that they are abolished and they vvill and dare vndertake to proue that that Sabbath day once commanded in the 4th com is a ceremony and abolished and yet these men I will haue the Sabbath of the Lord still in their mouthes and make a great clamour for it the Prophet Ieremiah reprooued those of his time saying Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Ierem. 7.4 And may not I say of our time forbeare your homonymiouse and double meaning speeches refraine your words of aequiuocation and of mentall reseruation saying the Sabbaths of the Lord the Sabbaths of the Lord either be right dovvne for the Lords Sabbaths before the people or else let them be no more heard in your mouths doe not abuse that proper name Sabbath day diuinely imposed by God vpon our Saturday and by your aequiuocations and mentall reseruations meane it of Sunday Happily I shall preuaile vvith some to forsake the abuse of this name and in stead of it they will call our Sunday the Lords day and so presse the sanctification of it vnder that name To such I say let them doe so then if they can find any grounds out of Gods vvord to vvarrant them to presse the Lords day to be kept as the Sabbath day but this let them take with it that they must with the forbearing of the name Sabbath day refraine the vse of the 4th com also for these goe inseparablie together they must not presse the 4th com vpon the Lords day for the 4th com speaketh of a day vvhich by diuine imposition is called the Sabbath day and not of a day vvhich by humane imposition is called so as hitherto many of their owne braines doe or not of a day called the Lords day the com runneth thus Remember the Sabbath day c. not thus Remember the Lords day c. Some there are vvho allredy of their ovvne accord doe call our Sunday Lords day and not Sabbath day but I maruaile of all the rest vvith vvhat face these men can presse the 4th comm vpon that day vvhich themselues confesse is named Lords day and not Sabbath day vvhen as the 4th comm doth expresly mention a day which is named Sabbath day and not Lords day The name Sabbath day therefore and the 4th com must goe inseperably together hold the one and hold the other renownce the one and renownce the other also A fourth vse shall be for the confutation of a common but very friuolouse answer let a man vrge the 4th com for the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath and presently their answere will be that the com may be vnderstood not of the Sabbath day but of a Sabbath day But that I may discouer the idlenesse of this dist inction and such as vse it first vve must vnderstand what they meane by it by the Sabbath day they meane that certaine knowne day called the 7th day from the creation which is our Saturday and by a Sabbath day they meane some vncertaine day as one or other of the 7 dayes but not determined which whither this or that novv say they
Christ how vaine then are those men vvho vvould novv a dayes haue a nevv sense of the name Sabbath day for vntill Christ these words Sabbath day signified the Sabbath day but novv since Christ they must signify a Sabbath day then they signified the Saturday but novv they must signify the Sunday or Lords day was euer such madnesse heard of before must vvords be mutable and chang their sense with the chang of times that one vvord in diuerse Textes may signify diuersly is not strang but that one word or name in one the same Text should for thovvsands of yeeres signify one thing and the selfe same word or name after thowsands of yeers then should haue an other sense it is matchlesse this may be the queene of all absurdeties yet thus absurd are all they who would by their distinction of a and the Sabbath and the like bring the Sunday or Lords day novv into the 4th com and turne away the 7th day The approach of the gospell hath not altered the sense of words in the lavv for these words passeouer Circumcision Sacrifice though they be abolished and we haue others in their roome yet those words in the same Textes doe signify now none other thing then they were vvont to doe must only the word Sabbath be changed in its sense If words in the Old Testament shall haue one sense before Christ came and an other sense after his coming there vvil be no certainty of the sense of any of the Scriptures of the Old Testament This is quite to ouerturne all certainty of Exposition Were a man but to construe a peece of lattine out of some profane Author Terence or the like and should Engelish a word in a different sense from that sense which vvas vsed in that Authores time and diuerse from all Dictionaries and the like vvould it be borne with all thinke we and yet many of our diuines vvill deale worse with Gods sacred Scriptures then vvith a profane Author for albeit the word Sabbath vvas euer vsed in the Scriptures for Saturday and so in our Dictionaries also yet they will haue one foolish ansvver or distinction or other vvhereby they vvill turne off the Saturday to bring in the Sunday into the name Sabbath day and into the 4th com yea and neuer so much as blush at it neither iudg good Reader if the Scriptures be not fouly and shamfully abused by these men vvhen they vvill by their corrupt Expositions of the 4th com offer that violence vnto it that all men are a shamed to offer vnto A profane Authour as Terence or the like But haue you no more care of the soules of those God hath committed to your charge then thus to vse your vvites to blind their eyes least they should se the trueth and vvalke in the vvay of Gods 4th com se to it in time if Sabbath day did once signify the Saturday it must so signify to the vvorlds end Thus farr I haue laboured to vindicate Gods 4th com from the corruptiones of the time but before I passe this point I desire to lay before the eyes of our Ministers tvvo notoriouse abuses the one is the abuse of theire flockes the people of God the other is the abuse of Gods sacred vvord for the former by their corrupt pressing the 4th com so hard vpon the consciences of their people for the Sanctifying of the Lords day they haue drawne many well affected people to a great deale of zeale in keeping it holy in so much as many doe in conscience of the 4th com heare tvvo Sermones in a day if not in some places 3 or 4 they reade the scriptures priuatly at home they refraine all seruile labour all the day long they refraine so much as to talke of vvorldly businesses they neglect their gaine and proffites which else they might haue yea oft they sustaine losse and all in conscience of the day and time and of the 4th com and in hope and expectation that they performe a good vvorke and acceptable vnto Almightie God and such as shall one day be vnto their praise and glory but vvhat novv if this euen all this be in vaine and to no purpose in respect of their endes and grownds by reason it is a seruice which God requireth not haue not then such Ministers lamentably abused their people for this end consider what hath formely bene proued to wit that God in his 4. com requireth the Sabbath day not the Lords day the Saturday Rest not the Sunday-Rest the 7th day for Sabbath day not the 8th day or first day for Sabbath day so then to Sanctifie the Sunday or Lords day in conscience of the day and of the 4th Com. is meere superstition and needlesse religion because this Sunday or Lords day is no where commanded in the 4th com now to doe any thing in cōscience of the 4th com the which is not commanded in the same commandement it is meere superstition so all that care and zeale of good people yea all their paines and zealouse deuotiones are lost labour oh what a pitty it is so that vnlesse as vve may if vve may in the deepest and greatest of our charity hope that God will accept of those good meanings and good intensions of ignorant misled and deluded Papists vve can not hope that God vvill accept of the good meanings and intensions of our best people in their zealouse sanctifying of the Lords day but that rather when at that day they shall expect the praise of their piety God may say vnto them and who hath requireth this at your hand Isa 1.12 for because this day stands not by Gods Com. all our performances in conscience of the day becomes a limme of that voluntary religion and will-worship condemned by S. Paul Col. 2.23 it hath as he saith indeed a shew of wisedome but it is but a shew not the substance vve may a svvell Sanctify Friday as Sunday But it vvill be obiected vve haue the dueties as Rest and holinesse though vve haue not the day Wher to I ansvver that many indeed doe sooth and flatter themselues much with this ansvver but I say you haue not the duties to vvit the duties of the Sabbathday but all you haue is that you haue like duties to thos of the Sabbath you haue not the same for none can properly be called Sabbath day dueties but such as are done in the Sabbath day and by virtue of the 4th com vvhen you keepe a fastday or a day of publike thanksgiuing to God or an holly day on these you Rest and performe holy actions as vpon the Sabbath day but vvill you call these Sabbath dueties if you will then may you keepe thes holy dayes also in obedience to Gods 4th com for Sabbathes and then may you also say of these holy dayes though we haue not the day yet haue vve the duties of the day and so you may erect yet more Sabbaths and so stand
comm which vvere reason enough for vs to put a difference of dayes if we had none other We see then it is a friuolouse obiection to say the least of it for men to say it matters not so much which day we giue God for his Sabbath so be he hath one God is in loue with his owne choise no day can so please him as his owne chosen day The Iewes might as well haue said so be we offer Sacrifice in an house by a man it matters not which house nor what man yet God had chosen his Temple before all Housen his Priests aboue all men therefore they durst not alter Gods choise Might not we as well say now it matters not so much what man ministreth the Sacraments so be a man doth it nor what we drinke at the Lords Supper so it be liquor doe wee not abhorre such obiections If vve will keepe a Sabbath by the 4th com vve must betake vs to such a day onely vnto vvhich this reason of the Sabbaths institution mentioned in the 4th com doth properly belong it cannot be said of any of the other 6 dayes Sunday Monday Tewsday Wednesday Thursday or Friday that God blessed or sanctified any of them because he had Rested on them if therefore vve choose any of these 6 dayes 1. vve keepe a day vvhich God did not blesse nor sanctify for that end 2. We defeate disapoint God of his maine reason end vvhich moued him to ordaine command the Sabbath to blesse it and to sanctify it for because God had rested on the 7th day which is Saturday Therefore the Lord blessed the 7th day hallowed it Genes 2.2.3 I pray let this point be well obserued for it is of great consequence Vse 2. is it so that God hath sanctified hallowed this 7th day Saturday Sabbath hovv is it come about that this sacred time is novv euery where in all Churches so strangly profaned for as those Iewes dealt then with the Temple they bought in it sould in it changed their money in it Mat. 21.12 So doe we now profane the Saturday Sabbath by hauing markets therein by buying selling therein yea vve refuse not to doe the most base seruill drudgery vvorkes that the Kitchine hath on the Lords Sabbath day vve are farre vnlike our heauenly Father in the vse of this day he sanctified it we profane it he rested on it we worke on it he commanded vs to Remember it we forget it These things considered it is high time for euery man to make a serch inquisition to know what 's become of the Lords Sabbath and to be well informed of the reason why the Lords Sabbaths are now forgotten so strangly profaned The Priests lippes must preserue knowledge and people must seeke the law at their mouths Mal. 2.7 Wherefore I aduise people to haue recourse to their Ministers in this matter and in most seriouse manner demand of them what 's become of the Lords Sabbaths by what warrant this sacred time is now so profaned and if they cannot for the present giue you a sound reason desire them to take it into consideration to study the point better that so a full satisfaction may be giuen to Gods people in this matter or else a reformation may be sought it is no dallying the matter is weightie that a sacred day so hallowed by God should be now so profaned it standeth euery man vpon to haue sound arguments for it vnlesse he will be guilty of the sinne of profaning Gods Sabbaths weekly and transgression of the 4th com sleiting Gods example and president This one thing I dare confidently auovvch that no Minister is able to shew any text of holy writ which doth necessarily abolish this 7th day Sabbath as for those textes Coloss 2.16 Exod. 31.13 vvhich are their maine textes ther 's no necessity at all in them for abolition of the Morall Sabbath for there be ansvvers enough to them sufficient enough as shall be seene hereafter when we come to ansvver to all their obiections if those that oppose God in his Sabbaths did but please to retaine them and to sanctify them I am confident therefore that it is nothing but their meere willes pleasures that makes them inueigh against the Lords Sabbaths Let people therefore see to it what manner of arguments reasons they admit of from their Ministers for their profaning of the Lords Sabbaths which he hath hallowed sanctified let not euery trifling probable argument be auailable hauing but some liklihod to be so but let them call for such solid substantiall reasons as doe proue the abolishing of the Sabbath day necessarily cleerly vndeniably to the full satisfying of their consciences let Ministers giue them no reasons here for their iustifiable profaning of the Lords hallowed Sabbath but such as will hould currant before God at the day of iudgement when God shall call for an account of his sacred time holy Sabbaths neither let the people rest satisfied till they haue such reasons for their profanation of the Sanctified 7th day Sabbath as they doe verily beleeue are sound warrantable such as God will accept at their hands vvhen they shall be questioned therefore before his Tribunall for no probable contingent doubtfull arguments will then passe for current against an expresse commandement and so ancient sacred an ordinance as is Gods Sabbath I conclud this point with those words of the voyce from heauen to Peter Act. 10.15 The things that God hath purified pollute thou not So say I to Ministers when your people repaire vnto you for reasons to iustify them in the profanation of the Lords sacred holy Sabbaths haue a care least you dravv all the guilt of Sabbath breaking the sinne of transgression of the 4th com vpon your owne soules and that by your reasons you doe not pollute the things which God hath sanctified purified the Lords Sabbaths I meane the things that God hath sanctified pollute thou not SECT IX I come novv to the 3d thing considerable in the reason to the 4th com mentioned in these vvords For in sixe dayes the Lord made heauen earth the sea all that in them is rested the 7th day Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day hallowed it These words sixe dayes you haue them tvvise mentioned in this 4th com the first time they are mentioned is in Exod. 20.9 and there they are to be considered as a commandement for they are deliuered in commanding termes The second time you haue them mentioned is in Exod. 20.11 and here they are to be considered as a reason and so much is manifest by the rationall particle for prefixed as you see Wherefore novv vve are to consider of these vvords as they are a reason vrged by God to induce vs to the Sanctifying of his Saturday 7th day Sabbath commanded in this 4th comm the reason is
then hee vvill haue an account of his vvholl Lavv not of peeces and percels of it as vve please Thus vve se vvhat the duety of Ministers is namely to teach the people to obserue the Lords seauenth day Sabbath which is one of the commandements though you make it the least and it is their duetie also if they vvill be freed of Christ his Cursse to obserue keepe the 7th day Sabbath before the people so leading them by liefe doctrine together but hovv sarre off is the practise of most Teachers from obseruing the minde vvill of Christ in steade of practising the 7th day Sabbath in their ovvne persones for example vnto others they could be content to persecute any that they se forward this way oh fearfull In stead of teaching the people this vvhich they count the least of Gods commandements vrging them to keepe euery iote and title of Gods Lavv so the Lords Sabbath day they teach openly publikly the quite contrary as namely that this least of Gods commandements it is abolished and that the Sabbath day commanded it is abolished thus this least of Gods commandements is trampled downe because it is a little one a ceremoniall one a circumstantiall one not the Law of Nations nor found novv in the hartes off all men falne corrupted as a Law of Nature and because commanded to the Iew and the like but vvhat soeuer be their shiftes suer Iam the Sabbath day is not lesse then one of the iotes and titles of Gods Law nor is it lesse then the least of Gods commandements wherefore vvho soeuer teacheth in opposition to this Sabbath day he bevvraieth himselfe to be no frend of Christs and that he regardeth not his mind and vvill in teaching and obseruing all euery of the Commandemets nay he proclaimeth him selfe in open pulpit to be a professed enemy to Christ our Sauiour and these his vvordes Mat. 5.18.19 and to the integrity vvholnesse as I may call it of Gods Lavv he had rather haue it lamed percelled out that so he might serue God by halues and by peece meale then to haue an indifferent respect vvith Dauid vnto all Gods Commandements Psal 119.6 rather then he vvould haue Gods Lavv intire compleate in the perfection of partes vnto a iote and title Is not it true of such Ministers werewith the Lord charged those corrupt Priests Mal. 2.9 to vvit that they were partiall in the Law are not these also in our time partiall in Gods Law when not with standing vvhat Christ hath said for the integrity of the Lavv yet these men wil reiect a parte of it and so become like those Priests partiall in Gods Lavv for a parte of Gods Lavv they vvill haue an other parte they vvill none of the dueties of rest and holinesse in the 4th com this parte of the 4th com they vvill haue but the other duetie of the Time this parte of the same 4th com they vvill none of Were these Ministers of the lovver ranke for zeale of the Number of those vvhich are not accounted so zelouse of Gods Lavves it vvere the lesse to be vvondred at but being puritant Ministers and such as vvould be displeased at him vvho should say to them they had not an indifferent respect vnto all Gods commandements vvith out exceptions that these I say should picke and choose take leaue become like those profane Priests partiall in Gods Law it is to be maruailed at Mistake me not good Reader it is not purity that I mislike in puritanes for of all men I honour no men more then such as are endeauour to be of pure harte holy liefe but this I hate in them to se their practise belye their doctrine professiō for they teach daily for vniversall obediēce to all Gods com without exceptions resernations but Loe they are found here halting one of the least as they say of Gods Commandements ratified by our Sauiour they neglect and contemne Others there be of the same ranke which be not so impudent as the former they preach teach not against the Lords Sabbaths therefore are not guilty of the Cursse of Christ for breaking this least Com. teaching men so yet are they enemies to this least Comm. for haueing heard of my former booke which I vvrote in defence of this least Com. and for the Lords Sabbath yea and after they haue seene it reade it ouer they spitt fyer at it cry out burne the booke t is a foule errour c. These men like Iames Iohn not knovving of vvhat Spirit they are vvould haue fyer come downe presently although they know not either how to proue their Lords day to be a Sabbath day nor yet hovv to disproue the Lords Sabbath day or to confute the booke yet they can cry burne the booke t is a foule errour c. Thus these are so farre from teaching this least com to the people as that they vse all their diligence to scare afright simple people vvith greate vvords that so they might still remaine caught in theire snares in blind ignorance if the Lawes of this Realme vvere fitted to these mens minds it should be vvoe to him that toucheth this Lords day Sabbath the Diana of our time but seing they doe it out of a good affection I shall vvith Paul make it mine hearts desire and prayer to God for them that they may repent for I beare them witnesse that they haue the Zeale of God but not according to knowledge They thinke it much that they cannot preuaile vvith the rude multitude for the keeping Holy of the Lords day Sabbath but that say they vvhat they can yet they will reuell riote profane it vvell the case is novv become their ovvne it shall be seene whither all that I haue said can preuaile vvith them for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths on the 7th day suer I am I haue said shall say much more more soundly for the 7th day Sabbath to moue them to keepe it then euer they did or could say to profane persones for the keeping of the 8th day Sabbath if therfore synister affections preuaile so vvith them that they vvill not liften to mee no more then their profane hearers will to them let them tell me then what is the difference betvvixt them selues and their profane auditours An other sorte there are who are disobedient to Christs will by deniall of the integrity wholnesse perfection of Gods law in as much as they doe not onely refuse to teach the people this least of Gods commandements namely which is the proper day time of Gods worship seruice but if they finde that by the paines of any others more faithfull in this point then themselues any of their flocke are taught instructed in this way of the Lord more perfectly that they begin to see a further light into this Law of
for the desire to thy iudgements v. 20. Giuâ— me vnderstanding that I may learne thy commandements v. 37. J am thy seruant grant me vnderstanding that I may know thy Testimonies v. 125. By comparisons he setteth forth his loue vnto Gods law I haue had as great delite in the way of thy Testimonies as in all riches v. 14. The Law of thy mouth is better vnto mee then thousands of gold and silner v. 72. Thy Testimonies haue I taken as an heritage for euer for they are the â—oy of my heart v. 111. Therefore loue I thy commandements about gold yea aboue most fine gold v. 127. In a word the law of God it is the Churches inheritance possession Moses commanded vs a law for an inheritance of the Congregation of Iakob Deuter. 33. â— hence it was that Dauid had taken vnto him he law as his inheritance for euer Psâ— 119.111 hence no doubt it is that our Church hath taken this law also vnto hâ—r as hir inheâ—itance for euer causing it to be read publikly in the Congregation in most solemne manner the Assembly all vpon their knees praying to God to incline their hearts to keepe this Law Here be arguments and reasons enough without further amplification to moue euery Godly heart to loue the law of God for it is a royall law a righteouse law a light for our comfortable direction a law most louely oh how loue I thy law a law to be desired Mine heart breaketh for desire of thy iudgements It is better then thousands of gold and siluer it is an inheritance and the inheritance of the Church What neede of more As there is no Christian Church in the world which inioyeth this Law of God intirly in its perfection So is there no member of our Church that I know who inioyeth this Lavv in its integrity in his iudgment practise both albeit it were much to bewished it being the Inheritance of the Church wherin euery member may challeng his share I diuide our Church Congregations therfore in to two sortes purposing to make application of this doctrine vnto them both the one sorte that the fewest by infinite numbers are such as are informed in their iudgments inlightened in this Law of God in the integrity perfection of the partes therof The other sorte those the most remaine yet it darknesse ignorance of this their Inheritance the Law of God in its perfection Touching the former sorte is it so that thou louest his Law of God then let this thy loue to it appeare that by harty firuent prayers vnto Almightie God daily that he vvould be pleased to infuse the light of this knowledge in to the minds haerts of all men that it would please God to incline the heart of our soueraigne Lord King together with all the greate gouerners in Church Common weale to embrace this Law of God in its integrity perfection that so a reformaiion being made we may inioy the Lords Sabbath in practise as well as in iudgment To this end two things are required of thee who arte already inlightened doest loue this Lavv of God in the perfection thereof the one is that thou further disperse the knowledge thereof as farre forth as thy place calling will peremit vnto thy frends acquaintance thus did Dauid Teach me thy Statutes saith he then he addeth these words with my lipps haue I declared all the iudgments of thy mouth Ps 119.12.13 and againe I will speake of thy Testimones before Kings will not be a shamed Ps 119.46 Hereto accordeth S. Paul wherefore exhorte one an other edify one an other euen as you doe 1. Thes 5.12 and Exhorte one an other daily while it is called to day Heb. 3.13 he that loueth the Law must not onely loue it in the knowledge of it but also in the practise of it hovv shall he attaine the practise of it vnlese it be made knowne vnto all that so a generall reformation may be The other thing required of thee is that in loue to Gods Law thou beest redy in thy place to defend it the integrity perfection of it against all gainsayers as the Apostle Iude saith contend for the maintenance of the faith which was once giuen vnto the Saints Iud. 3. so should we contend for the maintenance of the integrity and perfection of the Law which vvas once giuen vnto the Saints and Church of God This is that vvhich God laied to the charge of his Church long since that No man contendeth for the trueth Isai 59.4 bevvare it be not laid to our charge also Moses had many brethren the Hebrewes yet vvould he not suffer any one of them to suffer vvrong of the Egyptianes but rose vp in their defence and defended them so one after an other that at last he vvas forced to flie for his ovvne liefe Exod. 2.11.15 so vve brethren if vve loue this Lavv of God it vvill Kindle in vs an holy zeale of Gods glory indignation against the enemies of Gods trueth so as vve shall rise vp to defend rescve any one and euery one of Gods commandements against those that would be shredding pareing some thing or other avvay from the same Dauid saith Gods testimonies they were the ioy of his harte and againe oh how lou I thy Law thinke vve that Dauid could vvith patience haue seene this Lavv vvhich he so loued mangled and hacked and so defaced as vve novv are forced to behould it I come novv to the other sorte of people in our Church they are those vvho be yet in darknesse ignorance vvho albeit they know much of this Lavv of God yea the most of it yet are ignerant of it in its integrity perfection for they are ignorant of Gods 7th day Sabbath conteined in his 4th com and so they knovv not all the Lavv they are not acquainted vvith the vvhole Lavv and vvill of God for number these are the most and therfore the case is the more lamentable yea and by so much also the more lamentable yet in that they are not fully instructed in a matter vvhich neerly concerneth them for this they must take speciall notice of to vvit that by this Lavv vve shall be iudged at that dreadfull day of iudgment as many as haue sinned in the Law shall hr iudged by Law Rom. 2.12 and againe so speake yee and so doe yee as they that shall beiudged by the Law of libertie Iam. 2.12 Now it is a fearefull thing for a man to be ignorant of any one parte ar percell of that Lavv vvhereby he shall be adiudged it concernes euery man therfore to study this Lavv and to take in information of it of all the partes of it that vvith speed But you may say hovv shall this exhortation to loue the Lavv of God in its perfection concerne such as you say are ignorant of the
for counsaile aboute the matter and all their vvites frends should be imployed for to find it out as they vvould haue it if it vvere possible but novv the Tyeth of Gods Lavv or a portion of the tieth at least is detayned from God and from themselues by themselues and here they vvill neither runne nor ride nor aske for Counsaile in this case no nor accept vvelcome it vvhen it is brought thrust in to their heades it giues a man to suspect that these loue more vnfeinedly a good liuing then Gods law Nay I cannot but thinke that if I had tendered vnto some Ministers a liuing of 50l. or 60l. a yeere that vpon no better euidence title then in my former booke I tendred them the Lords Sabbaths I cannot thinke I say that any man in the kingdome could wrest it out of their hands In a word these that are so mindelesse of Gods lavv vvhen they are so mindfull of their owne liuings like as God said vnto his people the Iewes when they neglected the building of the Temple yet were diligent to builde themselues houses Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste Hagg. 1.4 So may I say vnto them Is it time for you yee Ministers to enioy your liuings when the Lords Sabbaths lie waste God must haue a rekoning of you for these things This rule being applied to common people will detect them also Is it so that whosoeuer loueth Gods law in trueth he will with all redinesse willingnesse imbrace the knowledge of the vnknowne partes thereof Then if I shall make it appeare that most men are vnwilling to imbrace the knowledge of the vnknovvne partes of Gods lavv it vvill follovv very suspiciously that most men doe not loue the law of God in trueth what euer they say thinke to the contrary Thus I make it good against them The doctrine of Gods Sabbaths is a parte of the lavv it is the vnknovvne part of Gods lavv Novv the knowledge of this being tendered vnto men they bevvray their vnwillingnesse to be taught instructed in it that two wayes the one is in that vvhen the matter cometh to tryall they admit of insufficient Artificiall arguments for they preferr feeble and weake reasons before strong and able reasones the other is in that they admit of insufficient Inartificiall argumēts for they admit and allow of dissallowable and vnsufficient Testimonyes to decide this controuercy by vvhen these two things are made plaine the case vvill goe cleere against them for a foundation first of all suppose we the point in controuercy to wit this vnknowne parte of Gods Law touching his Sabbathes is as disputable contingent questionable as doubtfull as you will in so much as in your very consciences you thinke it may be it may not be a trueth and that it is as likly not to be true as to be true let all this be granted perhaps there is some reason it shold be granted seeing that it is a point not heard of before by common people neither haue they euer spent any time in the study of the point Well be it so I proceed then For the first to vvit that vvhen the point of Gods Sabbaths comes to be argued people yea Ministers also admit of insufficient arguments preferring them before able strong reasons and this shall appeare by comparing together the reasons brought onboth sides the reasons brought for the Lords Sabbaths among others are these 1. Gods expresse Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day and In it thou shalt not doe any worke 2. Christ ratified it vvhen he vvith so vehement an Asseueration auovvched the duration of euery iot and title of the Lavv vnto the vvorlds end saying Verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth perish one iote or one title of the Law shall not escape vntill all things be fulfilled And againe whosoeuer therfore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.18.19 On the other side the reasons brought against Gods Sabbathes by those which are the enemies therof are these Gal. 4.10 ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres c. and Col. 2.16 let no man condemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes Novv let these argumēts on both sides be laid into the ballances they for the Lords Sabbath in to the one ballāce they against the Lords Sabbath in to the other ballance and then iudg thou good Reader vvhither hath the greater weight For breuitysake we wil compare onely these two textes Exo. 20.8 and Col. 2.16 The one thou seest is a Commandement and a Morall Commandement it toucheth the very point in question to vvit the 7th day Sabbath yea that the 4th Com. intendeth the seauenth day Saturday Sabbath is so plaine as vvas it neuer doubted of by any The other thou seest is a dissvvasion from Sabbath dayes indefinitly that is from some Sabbath dayes for the Apostle saith not all Sabbath dayes in generall but Sabbath dayes as of some Sabbath dayes in speciall so then this texte toucheth not the point in question to wit the 7th day Sabbath but other annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths if this Text did make ought against the Morall 7th day Sabbath it must speake of all Sabbathes generally in the largest sense that so the Morall Sabbath might be included condemned too but the text doth not mention the note of generallity all neither is it necessarily to be collected for 1. their owne expositers as Perkins Dod Greenham Elton Ames with diuerse others as shall be shovvne doe limite this text vnto some Sabbaths as vnto the ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths and. 2. The text giueth light vnto it for it condemneth onely such things as neuer vvere vvrote in the Morall Law as meate and drinke and new moones c. and therefore vve iudge the Sabbaths condemned in this Text to be onely such Sabbaths also as vvere neuer vvrote in the 10 Commandements as their yeerly Sabbaths so the vveekly Sabbaths in the 4th Com. stand still vntoucht by this text 3 suppose vve that the Apostle had spake not onely of Sabbaths plurally but also of Sabbaths generally had vsed the particle all saying all Sabbaths yet vve knovv that the particle all is often times restrained in Scripture is not taken in the largest sense that may be witnesse these Scriptures 1. Cor. 6.12 1. Cor. 9.25 1. Corint 10.23.33 1. Cor. 13.2.7 1. Cor. 15.22 vvhereby vve see that this their text Col. 2.16 may be vnderstood of some Sabbaths onely as namely of the yeerly Sabbaths and so ther 's no necessity it should touch the morall vveekly Sabbaths at all Iudge novv good Reader whither of these two textes are more for the purpose for the 4th com it is vnderstood directly of the 7th
the text all the people wept when they heard the words of the Law Nehe. 8.9 And is there not like cause for our people to vveepe also when in the Congregation they heare these Tenn Oracles reade and yet but nyne or nyne a peece of them kept for that vvhich concerneth the 7th day Sabbath is altogether by euery one neglected Ezra the Priest vvhen he tooke into consideration the vnlavvfull Marriages of the people it is said he rent his cloathes and pluckt of the haire of his head and beard and sate downe astonied Ezra 9.3 because of their strange Marriages hovv should vve then be affected to thinke of the strange Sabbathes vvhich now are kept for vve haue diuorsed put avvay from vs Gods ancient Sabbaths and vve are married to a nevv Lords day Sabbath a strange Sabbath neuer heard of in Scripture for a Sabbath Greate cause we haue to lament for 1. the Sacred holy day vvhich is of greatest antiquity is profaned this Holy day being as ancient as the vvorld it selfe Genes 2.3 secondly the most honourable Holy day is vnhallovved For God him selfe made it an holy day by blessing it and sanctifying it Genes 2.3 Yea and God himselfe rested on it Genes 2.2.3 Therfore it is two vvaies honourable 3. That day vvhich God expresly commanded Exod. 20.8 is profaned and by profaning of it not onely Gods 4th Com. is violated but also Gods example is profaned and set at naught for vve doe not novv imitate God by resting on the 7th day as he did vve haue an other day to vvit the 8th day And also Gods reason vvhich he annexed to the 4th Com. to allure and persvvad men to keepe his 7th day Sabbath this is nullified and out of all vse in these our dayes so Gods reasons are profaned as not vvorth the naming in our Churches is not this to be lamented vvhen neither Gods Com. nor Gods example nor yet Gods reasons can auaile vvith vs somtimes things honourable somtimes things Auncient are admired and esteemed but heere loe neither the Antiquity nor yet the Honourablenesse of the Lords Sabbaths can auaile vvith vs and is not this to be lamented vvhat an yron age liue vve in that none of all these cane moue vs A 4th cause of lamentation is because by this neglect of the right day and keeping of a vvrong day by setting a common vnhallowed day to wit the Lords day in roome of a Sanctified and holy day namly the Sabbath day all our Religion in keeping this vnballowed day for God neuer hallovved it in Conscience of the 4th com is meere superstition and God may say vnto our people an other day vvho required this at your hands thus are people abused and is not this a cause of lamentation some lament for the Ceremonies of the Church as the Surplisse and the like some complaine of Arminianisme how it spreads some complaine of Popery vsed in corners of the land euery one complaines of his grievance but I heare none of them all complaine of the profanation of the Lords Sabbaths of Gods example of Gods reasons and of Gods 4th com no man takes these to heart albeit euery one of them haue theire hands in these profanationes I wish the current of mens complaintes vvould turne vnto these things which more neerley concerneth them then those others A 5th cause of lamentation is because vnto the conscionable sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths there are promises annexed see Isa 58.13.14 and on the other side to such as profane them there are curses annexed se Numb 15.32.35 Nehem. 13.1718 now inasmuch as vve profane that very day to wit the Saturday Sabbath vnto vvhich these promises were properly made it follovveth that we are not novv capable of any of those promises because vve keepe not the day vnto vvhich the promises vvere made I confesse that our Diuines haue and doe apply these promises vnto a Counterfaite day to wit the Lords day that they might doe it with the lesse suspition with the greater applause they haue like counterfaiters dissemblers called this Lords day Sabbath day thus by their humane imposition of new names vpon the daies of the weeke the simple vvell meaning people are beguiled but the day vnto vvhich these promises properly doe belong it is the day called in a Divine accompt Sabbath day not vnto the day so called in an humane accompt not vnto the day called Lords day And is not this to be lamented when people neglect their proffites commodites on the Lords day some loose their Corne some their Hay many poore men their labour and vvorke wherby they maintaine their families vvith many other losses and damages to their estates which might be rekoned vp and all these the vvell minded people of the land doe vvillingly neglect and loose all in hope of these promises trusting to make a better exchang that for losse of erthly things in conscience to Gods Command they shall gaine heauenly things and interest into Gods promises but behould they must faile of the promises because they faile God in the Condition for Gods promises rune thus if thou performe the condition which is to Sanctify the day named Sabbath day not the day named Lords day tell me novv is not this matter of iust lamentation to see the people of the land thus beguiled and deceiued and that both in their temporall estate also of the promisses of God if men haue any compassion brotherly loue in them they cannot but sorrow and mourne for these things On the contrary as for those forementioned Curses annexed to the Sabbath day and the profaners of it vvheras our people hope to auoide them by a religiouse sanctifying of the Lords day behould the people to be pittied for all that they fale into the danger of these Curses because they profane that very day named Sabbath day vnto the profanation of vvhich these curses vvere poperly made for these curses were neuer made vnto the profanation of the day named Lords day or vnto the day nicknamed counterfeitly called Sabbathday as now the Lords day is for these curses were threatened long before euer the Lords day had any being or could be kept for a Sabbath day if it had euer so bene kept as for their religiouse sanctifying of the Lords day in conscience of this 4th com God may say vnto them who required it at your hands is not this also matter of iust lamentation to see well minded people striue and endeauor with greate dilligence to auoide Gods Curses and yet by reason of miseinformation corrupt teaching to fale into danger of them yea it is the more pittifull in that the selfe same labour deuotiōs had they bene performed both on the day before they had for certaine out of all doubt both bene liable to all the promisses made to them that keepe Gods Sabbaths and also bene freed from the least danger of the Curses
Christ vpon the Lords day farre vnlike to the example of God on the 7th day and therefore we may follow the example of Christ and be as vnlike on the Lords day to the example of God on the 7th day as Christ was Against this some Ministers obiect thus that happily the new Sabbath was not yet knovvne the Church being in hir infancy and Christ being newly risen from the dead things were not yet established in the Church c. Herevnto I answer 1. if this new Sabbath was not knowne vpon this first Lords day why then they graunt me what I would haue which is that the Lords day was not constantly weekly kept in the dayes of Christ his Apostles as now they vrge vs to keepe it euery where and so they ouerthrow their owne doctrine 2. This obiection maketh the matter worse then it was before for now they will to maintaine their errour cast blame vpon Christ for if this nevv Sabbath was not knowne to the Church no not this chiefe principall Lords day whose fault was it but Christs in that hee being their Pastour had not taught it them yet no not when it was more then time that they had knowne it that so they might haue kept it The Lords day being instituted by Christ to be kept for a Sabbath day in remembrance of our Redemption as our new Sabbatharians imagine it could not but make as much for the Memory of Christ his death as the Lords Supper did of which Christ saied doe this in remembrance of mee now can any man thinke that Christ could passe ouer the doctrine of this a point of such consequence that in so seasonable a time vvhithout some neglect if there had bene any such thing to be taught them they cannot plead that Christ could not conveniently come at his Disciples erly enough in the morning to haue minded them of it for he rose very erly c. neither wanted he meanes to haue sent them vvord of it for he sent them word by Mary Magdalene that they should goe downe into Galile and there they should see him Mat. 28.1.10 hee might as easily haue sent them vvord also that it was his will that they should keepe that present day for a Sabbath if euer he had intended any such matter 3. I answer that this obiection spoiles all for if through infancy of the Church and the like as some infant-like-men imagine this first Lords day was not instituted for a Sabbath whither I maruaile then vvill they rune for an institution for there is not any mention in the Scriptures of any word of institution nor of any practise or example of Christ or of any of the Apostles about their sanctifying any Lords day after this first Lords day vntill Pentecost day Act. 2. vvhich was 6 or 7 vveekes after this first Lords day so here then is a greater errour for not onely the first Lords day vvas omitted for a Sabbath but also there is no footing for any Lords day kept like a Sabbath for 6 or 7 weekes together after Christs resurrection Thus the further vve serch in to this point the more vaine it doth appeare in so much as it irketh me to blot so much paper as I haue done and must doe to answer to such an idle argument as is the Lords day Sabbath it vexeth me to see men of such able partes for lerning naturall endovvments and so renoumed for sanctity thus to befoole themselues in the defence of such a friuolouse tenet as is this Lords day Sabbath But it fareth with them as I thinke like men that haue had wrong possession a long time when the true owner comes to claime his right yet since they haue possest it so long they will invent somthing to defend it still they vvill find trickes quilites and quirkes in the Lavv to hould possession still against the true ovvner so it is here the Lords day hath thrust out the Lords Sabbath day from possession novv this many yeeres and since it is done the Lords day hath hath had the possession long some culler must be set on the matter somthing must be invented to maintaine possession still though neuer so vvrongfull though neuer so to the shame of the defenders of it But for all this they are redy to reply thus but vvhat is the matter that this Lords day is so often repeated in the Nevv Testament aboue any other day of the vveeke and vvhy vvere such notable vvorkes still done vpon that day as Christ rose then and appeared to his Disciples the Holy Ghost descended Act. 2. Peter preacht and converted thovvsands Paul preacht on that day and here vvas a Collection for the poore on that day S. John receiued a Reuelation vpon the same day now all this cannot but point at something c. Where vnto I ansvver t is true all these doe point at some thing but vvhat is the thing vvhich they point vnto they should tell vs vvhat thing they point vnto not say onely they point at something I doubt not but they point at something but vvithall I beleeue they point at nothing for their purpose to helpe to proue the constant vveekly practise of the Lords day for a Sabbath if they did they vvould not be ashamed to say what they point vnto in particular turning it off thus in generall termes all these point at something In the night time Ioseph had a reuelation concerning Christ Mat. 1.20 Mat. 2.13.14 In the night Christ came vnto his Disciples vvalking myraculously on the Sea Mat. 14.25 In the night time Christ vvas betraied Mark 14.27 In the night time vvas brought by the Angel to the Shepheards those most ioyfull tydinges of a Sauiour borne into the vvorld Luk. 2.8 In the night Paul Silas sung Psalmes vnto God Act. 16.25 In the night Paul preached at Troas raised vp Eutychus falne dovvne dead Act. 20.7.8.9 Novv all these you may say pointed at something indeed true it is But tell vs proue it vnto vs what is that somthing they will not say we must hence learne to keepe Popish Vigiles or holy nightes I trust 2. Whereas they speake of the often repetition of the Lords day in the Nevv Testament the Sabbath day is oftener repeated then it t is true the 4 Euangelists doe euery one of them mention it but all that is but as if it vvere once mentioned onely for the Euangelists doe but mention one the same thing albeit it be 4 times repeated by them all that there are more Sabbath dayes spake of then Lords dayes see these textes Act. 13.14.42.44 Act. 16.13 Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 Thirdly vvhereas they make some greate matter of it because there vvere so many notable vvorkes done vpō this Lords day this point is much in their mouthes J ansvver 1. the day vvheron notable vvorkes vvere done is vsually put dovvne in Scripture for the more certainty sake novv to
enquire after other reasons ends vvhereof the Scripture is silent is prying curiosity to affirme any other ends is presumption Ezekiel the Prophet had a reuelation or a vision on the fifth day of the 4th moneth Ezek. 1.1 Novv vvho can tell me vvhy he had his vision on the fifth day rather then on the first or in the 4th moneth rather then in the 5th or 6th moneth Eliah had a reuelation in the third yeere 1. King 18.1 Hezekiah that godly King began to raigne on the third yeere 2. King 18.1 who can giue a reason why these notable workes fell out still vpon the third yeere In the 7th moneth the Arcke rested vpon the Mount Ararat Genes 8.4 on the 7th moneth they had a solemne fast day Leuit. 16.29 on the 7th moneth they had a Sabbath Leuit. 23.24 in the 7th moneth the trumpet for the Iubile was blowne Leuit. 25.9 now what wise man can tell why God did these things still on the 7th moneth rather then on the eight or nynth moneth vnlesse the Scripture had reuealed it these are idle braines vanities 2. I answer if these notable workes done in the Lords day should sanctify the day time for euer after why should they not haue power to sanctify the place also wherin they weredone for these workes should aswell sanctify place as time in common reason and so Ierusalem should be the Holy place still for Gods worship as well as the Lords day be the Holy time for Gods worship for were not all these notable workes done in the place of Ierusalem as well as in the time of Lords day did not Christ rise from the dead there did he not appeare to his Disciples there did not the Holy Ghost descend there in Ierusalem did not Peter preach convert thowsands there did not Christ suffer there But happily they may thinke that these notable workes had more power ouer the circumstance of the time then of the place and therfore to satisfy them in all their fopperies vve must speake of the time because the question is for sooth about time well then for time if these notable workes had power to sanctify or to declare as sanctified the Lords day the First day of the weeke then why should they not sanctify or declare as Sanctified the yeere that is the first yeere of euery seauen from the first yeere of our Lord hitherto and so vve should keepe euery first yeere of euery 7 yeeres for a Sabbath yeere in memory of the Redemption like as the Iewes kept euery 7th yeere a Sabbath yeere Leuit. 25.4 for the reason is the same as good that we should keepe euery first yeere in 7. as well as euery first day in 7. for the reason why they would haue euery first day a Sabbath is because such notable workes were done in the first day of the weeke the Lords day well then why should we not haue the first yeere of the 7 a Sabbath yeere also for the selfe same notable workes that were done in the Lords day or First day of the weeke the selfe same notable workes were done in the first yeere of our Lord for in this yeere Christ rose from the dead in this yeere he appeared to his Disciples very frequently in this yeere the Holy Ghost descended in this yeere Peter preached and converted thowsands in this yeere Christ ascended vp into heauen why therfore should we not haue this first yeere a Sabbath as vvell as the First day since the reason is one and the same in both 3. I answer they erre and that by applying these notable workes done on the Lords day to vses and ends whereof the Scripture giueth them not the least light for they apply all these notable vvorkes vnto the time day wherein they were done as if they did shew declare this time this day to be a more holy time and a more holy day then other dayes and times and by name that it must be a Sabbath day too whereas the Spirit of God intendeth no such matter in recording these vvorkes that we can find but thereby aimeth at other ends as for example the reason vvhy Christ rose on the Lords day rather then on any day after might be least that he should see corruption Act. 2.27 and a reason why hee appeared to his Disciples vpon this Lords day rather then vpō any day after might be least his Disciples should dispaire in him saying he is swallowed vp of death and also Christ appeared to them on that very day to put an end to their sorrow and mourning for him as soone as might be for vnto that very day the Disciples were sadd for him yea they mourned for him and wept Luk. 24.17 Mark 16.10 yea Christ appeared on the Lords day to fulfill make good his own prophecies of himselfe before his death as that Mat. 12.40 as Ionas was 3 dayes 3 nights in the whales belly so shall the sonne of man be 3 dayes 3 nights in the heart of the earth And Destroy this Temple and in 3 dayes I will raise it vp againe Ioh. 2.19.21 It was needfull therefore that both Christ should rise on the Lords day it being the third day from his Passion and also that he should shew himselfe being risen to his Disciples vpon this third day to make good his owne words And for the holy Ghosts descent vpon this day Act. 2.1 it being Pentecost day a great feast day of the Iewes wherein were mert at Ierusalem many strangers and on which day all the people of the Citty were at home not abroad in the fields and were more apt to assemble and gather together to take knovvledge of this myracle therefore as it is most likly did the holy Ghost choose this day rather then any other to shew this myracle to grace countenance the Gospell in the sight of all men and to add authority vnto the Apostles doctrine before all men that they might be wone to the faith and what notable effect it tooke you see for thowsands of the people assembling to see the myracle vpon Peters sermon instantly made vnto them were conuerted Act. 2.14.41 The like may be said of Peters sermon vpon this day it was meerly occationall as namely to take off the slaunder of drunkennesse cast vpon the Apostles Act. 2.13 and to informe those that doubted of this myracle what it should meane Act. 2.12 but to suppose the holy Ghost descended to make this day a Sabbath is an idle fiction fained inuention Hereby you may see how they wring and wrest the Scriptures vnto such vses as the holy Ghost neuer intended whereof the holy Scripture is altogether silent who made these men of Gods priuy Counsaile that they should be so well acquainted with such ends of the holy Ghosts actions as he hath concealed such interpreters of holy Scripture if they had their due would be sent backe to the Uniuersity againe to
new Sabbath come into its roome with out a Commandement was God more carefull to institute a Sabbath in memory of the Creation then Christ was to set vp a Sabbath in memory of the Redemption Furthermore the new ordinances which Christ set vp in the Gospell as Baptisme and the Lords Supper Christ was mindfull to leaue commandements for them expresly as for Baptisme Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them c. Mat. 28.19 for the Lords Supper Take eate this is my body whith is broken for you c. 1 Cor. 11.24.26 now this Lords day is affirmed by them to be an ordinance of the Gospell a new ordinance of the new Testament instituted in memory of the Redemption is it likely that Christ would leaue commandements for some of his new ordinances not for the rest This Lords day if it be as they make vs beleeue it may well be counted by the Church a third Sacrament for it is to be kept in remembrance of Christ like as are the two other Sacraments of Baptisme the Lords Supper yea and this new Sabbath wich is or may well be a nevv Sacrament also is of as great vse if not of greater then the tvvo Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper for Baptisme remembreth a man of Christ but once in his life time in a speciall sorte the Lords supper putteth vs in minde of Christs death but once a quarter but this nevv Sabbath nevv Sacrament should put vs in minde of Christ once a weeke so as this vvould be very vsefull aboue the others novv can vvee thinke that Christ vvould be so mindfull as to leaue Comm. for the ij Sacraments be altogether vnmindfull to leaue a commandement for the Lords day to be a Sabbath if euer he had meant it should be a Sabbath and for the Apostles some fansy that Christ left a commandement vvith them Act. 1.2 but let it then be shovvne vvhere is it vvritten I marueile nay can vve thinke that if Curist had giuen the Apostles a commandement to deliuer to the Church that they durst haue concealed it could this haue stood vvith their faithfulnesse The consideration of this one point is enough to make any man to stagger the vvhole building to totter their case is aboue 50 in the 100 the vvorse for this that they are inforced at the first onset to confesse that they can shevv no commandement for the Lords day from either Christ the founder of it or his Apostles The Saturday Sabbath hath a commandement to authorise it but the Sunday Sabbath hath none vvherefore I shall make my choise of the Saturday Sabbath let them that list choose the Sunday Sabbath Hence this one note vvould be obserued that since there is no Commandement for the Lords day therfore it followeth that the Patrones thereof must fetch all their grownds for it by reason collections consequences out of Scripture now how feeble a thing mans blind reasons is vvho knoweth not that knowes himselfe how liable are vve to mistake yea how subiect to fallacies to be deceiued thereby are the best Logiceans especially in the Matters of God so that if reason may possibly err be deceiued thē may they be deceiued that stand for the Lords day yea though I in stead of opposition should ioyne with them all men say Amen to them for reason and consequences are their best guide direction so then at the best the foundation of our Lords day Sabbath hath but the sandy foundation of mans blinde shallow reason But here vnto they are redy to reply that necessary consequence out of Scripture is as sound as Scripture it selfe vvhere vnto I answer 1. That the comparison made of mans reason with Gods vvord is vnbefitting for be it that necessary consequence is sound and very sound yet seing consequence is by force of manes reason it is not fit that it should be compared equalled with the neuer erring vvord of God 2. I answer t is true that necessary consequence is very sound indeed but then the difficulty is to knovv when a consequence is necessarily true and vvhen not for many men take their consequences to be necessarily true which are but contingent and doubtfully true But to passe by this point let it be noted that these men vvho doe so aduance mens reason and consequences and talke so much for consequences and of necessary consequences ther 's no men vse necessary consequences lesse then they doe in somuch as I begine to question it that they talke beyond their skill vvhen they talke so before the people of necessary consequences for if they knew vvhat they said vvhen they so speake vve should sinde them vse this necessary consequence in their disputations and arguments framed by them for the Lords day Sabbath for it is in this argument and vpon this occation that they talke so of necessary consequences thereby insinuating vnto common people that they haue neuer erring Necessary consequence for their Lords day Sahbath But heere I challeng them any of them all to shew me but one argument out of any Text of Scripture for the Lords day Sabbath vvhich standes by force of necessary consequence vvhich if they can not doe as I know vvell they cannot doe it then are they but vngodly bragadoceans proud boasters to prattle of necessary consequences as if forsooth they meant it to proue all they say by necessary consequence but when they come to it they flinch giue in and doe nothing lesse this is but one of their trickes to delude the people withall Because vve are vpon the point let me shew you some of their necessary consequences as 1. Christ appeared to his Disciples vpon the Lords day Therefore the Lords day must of necessity be a Sabbath day 2. Christ rose vpon the Lords day ergo euery Lords day after must necessarily be a Sabbath 3. The holy Ghost descended on the Lords day ergo it cannot possibly be otherwise but it must be a Sabbath 4. Peter preached once on the Lords day at an other time I know not how many yeeres after Paul preached a sermon too on the Lords day Therefore of necessity it must be a Sabbath day 5. There vvas a collection for the poore on the Lords day Therefore it must be a Sabbath a poore consequence 6. It vvas called the Lords day therefore it must be a Sabbath day As much as if they had argued thus necessarily it vvas called Sunday therefore it must be Saturday These the like are the necessary consequences which they vse who talke so much of necessary consequence the very mention whereof is enough to loath a mans stomake vnto vomiting Here cometh in an obiection say they if you must haue a command for the Lords day shew vs you then where we haue a com for the Baptisme of infantes 1. I answer you doe vvell to confesse that you haue no comm for your
such weake textes as no man of note will make vse of this way for to this purpose one M. Pottes an auncient diuine beiond the Seaes obiected this very text vnto me as finding fault with me for putting it into my former booke so lightly hee esteemd it now to wipe away such preiudiciall thoughts let it be knowne I could instance Authoures in printed bookes who doe vrge it but sparing them I will nominate one of my 10 aduersaries standing vpon this text stifly and it is M. Gallard Minister of Sprowston in Norff sometyme pupill to the foresaid M. Pottes and so I come to the answer My 1. answer to this Text is that vvhereas M. Gallard saith the vvord made may be translated sanctified I answer him that so the vvord may be translated made also and that to translate it made is the more fitting in this place all our Translators both old and nevv doe beare me vvitnesse for they all render it made Novv if it may be translated made how vvill he proue that it must be translated sanctified for hee must remember that it is his part to proue that the vvord must necessarily be translated Sanctified Happily he vvill say that the vvord signifieth to sanctifye vvhen it is referred to dayes c. but so the vvord vsually signifieth also vvhen it is referred vnto men and yet in one place it signifieth appointed or ordeined thus the Medes Persians are said to be sanctified of God Isa 13.3.17 That is appointed of God to execute his iudgements vvhy may not the vvord then be once so meant also vvhen it is referred to dayes 2. I ansvver him suppose it must be translated sanctified then I distinguish of Sanctification of dayes some dayes are sanctified for Sabbaths for the Church to Rest on other some dayes are sanctified for other endes as for some particular mans vse in the Church as here in this text Ps 118.24 This day which the Lord made or sanctified he made it or sanctified it for Dauids vse properly for the day wherin he should come to the Crowne and so typically for Chtist his vse and for the day wherein he should be honourablie raised from the dead the Lords day now this Psalme is to be vnderstood in this latter sense as he that hath but halfe an eye may see how then vvill he proue that this Lords day whereon Christ rose was sanctified for the Church to sanctifie vvhen it vvas sanctified for Christ alone to rise in for this day vvas not sanctified for the vvhole Church and people but for Christ alone not for the Church to rest on but for Christ to rise on 3. I answer by an other distinction the word Day is some time taken in Scripture for a shorte ordenary day of 12. howres or the like and sometime it is taken for a long space of time conteining many dayes vveekes moneths or yeeres as Ioh. 8.56 Abraham reioyced to see my day c. and 2. Cor. 6.2 behold now the day of saluation Now the word Day in Psa 118.24 may be taken in this latter sense for all that time vvherein Dauid raigned and so for all that time of Christ vpon the earth after his resurrection or longer wherein he raigneth in his Church as King how then vvill M. Gallard doe to proue that by day here must be meant a shorte ordenary day of 12 or more howres or a weekly Sabbath day 4. I answer say the vvord day be to be taken for a short day then let it be proued that this is a prophecy of a weekly day as of euery Sunday or Lords day for it may be a prophecy of a yeerly day onely as of Easter day since on that day Christ rose from the dead and if it be no otherwise how will they doe for a weekly Sabbath on euery Lords day 5. I answer that this Psalme cannot be a prophecy that the Lords day or day wherein Christ was to rise should be a Sabbath day and that I proue because Christ kept not this Lords day or day of his resurrection vvhen it came as a Sabbath day but as a vvorking day for hee trauailed vp and downe too and fro on that day and so did his Disciples yea the Apostles themselues were ignorant that this first Lords day should be a Sabbath for they beleeued not that Christ was risen but sorrowed vvept all the day long vntill it vvas nere night and so could not kepe it a Sabbath in memory of the resurrection These things haue bene proued alredy Novv had this Psalme bene a prophecy that the first Lords day vvhereon Christ rose should haue bene a Sabbath day Christ must haue kept this day together vvith his Disciples as a Sabbath day because Christ must fulfill all things prophecied of him And thus much for ansvver to this abused text of Scripture SECT VI. Thus we haue answered the Scriptures vvhich they abuse bring out of the Old Testament in the next place vve come vnto those Scriptures which they alleage out of the New Testament abuseing them also the first vvhereof is that Text Act. 2.1.14 c. Where Peter preached on Pentecost day and also converted 3000 soules and administred the Sacrament of Baptisme vnto them and this Pentecost day was on the Lords day and therfore the Lords day must be a Sabbath day Here vnto I answer and in answering I must be the larger because in this Text they put greate confidence saying heere vvas a Sermon heere vvas thowsands converted heere vvas the Sacrament of Baptisme administred on this day the Holy Ghost descended vvhat vvould you haue more saith Mr. Gallard admit that this Pentecost day was our Lords day yet forasmuch as it vvas onely our Lords day vvhich vve call White-Sunday if it be a Sabbath it doth not follow that any more Lords dayes in a yeere must be Sabbaths then one that vpon our White-Sunday 2. I answer it is not to be supposed but it must be proued by them that this Pentecost day vvhereon Peter preached vvas that yeere vpon the Lords day or Sunday for it is houlden by many that Pentecost day doth follow according to the day of the Moneth variably and not according to the day of the vveeke constantly Waleus vpon the 4th Com. Pag. 161. saith it is caled into question of some whither this Pentecost day fell then vpon the Lords day or not Yea he addeth that Pentecost may fale on any day of the weeke To this agreeth Aynsworth on Leuit. 23.11.15 alleaging it to be the opinion of Sondry Rabbines and according to the Hebrew Canones and translations of the Chaldee Septuagint that Pentecost followeth the day of moneth and so is variable being one yeere vpon one day of the weeke an other yeere vpon an other day of the vveeke and herevnto also doe beare witnesse the Iewes wheresoeuer novv liuing for they keepe their Feast of Pentecost by the accounte of the Moone and
paye it not till a quarter of an howre before Sune set so may they be said to mete on the first day albeit it vvas not till the very last point of the day Now I hold that the night is no parte of the day as formerly I haue showne in the exposition of the 4th comm nor is the night to be counted rekoned for any parte of the day goeing before it so then this text maketh nothing at all for the Lords day all that they can hence collect is no more but this that vve are bound to keepe euery 8th dayes night or euery Lords day night for a Sabbath night and that we must preach as Paul did till midnight c. Wherfore if they will haue it that Pauls sermon their assembling begane in the morning let them proue it for the text hath no such thing in it I know they are redy to say these were times of persecution and they could not meete till night for feare c. but the text hath nothing of any persecution now at Troas and againe since they mett to receiue the Lords Supper there was no neede for them to meete in the day time or morning for that the euening was soone enough let them proue that the Disciples would haue mett sooner but for feare if they can and lastly had feare of persecution hindred them then would they not haue mett on the first day c. in the day time least they should be seene walking in the streetes entring into the common house of assemblie they then vvould rather haue mett erly before day light or late after the day vvas shut in least they should be seene c. but they assembled in the day time therefore no feare of persecutors 3. I ansvver admit that they mett in the morning of the Lords day that the sermon the Lords Supper vvere administred in the day time yet what makes this for a Sabbath for these are euery dayes worke preaching is an euery dayes worke and Lords Supper is so too for Christ did eate the Lords Supper on a Thursday night all that can be hence collected is no more but this that the Lords day is a Lecture day like as Tewsdayes and Thursdayes be in many places of the kingdome Now ther 's great difference betwixt a Sabbath day a Lecture day Besides whereas they tell vs that this instance in Act. 20.7 is an example of a Sabbath day they are much mistaken for this is but a Sermon example it is not a Sabbath example great difference there is betwixt a Sermon example a Sabbath example for to proue a Sabbath example they must proue that these Disciples did Rest all day from morning to night and then secondly that they performed those holy actions in conscience of the day of the 4th com so then hitherto they haue not proued so much as any one Lords day kept for a Sabbath day in the Apostles times Onely they haue grosly abused this portion of Scripture also as they haue done the former to make the holy Ghost say what he neuer thought this abuse of Scripture would be reformed by such as make conscience 4. I answer vvhereas they plead that Paul tarried 7 dayes at Troas preached on the last day it being the Lords day and no mention of any sermon but on the Lords day if this will proue a Sabbath day then haue I learned a way how to proue Saturday to be the Sabbath day and that by the like arguing for Paul tarried certaine dayes at Philippie and preached on the Sabbath day to wit the Saturday Sabbath and baptized Lydia hir family on the same day but no mention there is of any preaching on the Lords day or an any other day Act. 16.12.13.14.15 therefore Saturday must be the Sabbath day 2. What though there be no mention that Paul preached in any of the 7 dayes till this Lords day doth it thereof follow that he did not preach on any of those dayes Were not many things done that were not mentioned else the world could not cōteine the bookes c. Yet it may be proued that Paul preached on the day before this first day or Lords day to wit on the Saturday Sabbath for S. Luke testifieth of S. Paul that vvhere Paul came it vvas his custome to preach euer vpon the Sabbath day Paul as his manner was went in vnto them iij Sabbath dayes disputed with them Act. 17.2 Act. 18.4 And Paul who exhorted Timothie to preach the word in season and out of season himselfe I trust was not idle at Troas all those 6 dayes which went before the Lords day But then they turne to quaeries and why preached he on this day and why is this day mentioned and none of the other Thus when they can goe no further they fale to beging of questions of vs vvhen it is their part to proue it vvhy this day rather then any other is mentioned if any reason in it they can find that vvill helpe them let them produce it 5. I answer that this sermon of Pauls was occationall extraordenary and therefore no likelyhood that it was a Sabbath neither is it likely that this assembly at Troas was a Sabbath assembly for Sabbath assemblies are vvorkes of the day not of day night both Suppose therefore that the Church at Troas assembled in the morning of the Lords day and so held on their assemblie whilst midnight yea all night also for so much is plaine by the text Act. 20.7.11 and so they held society a whole day and a vvhole night also 24. howres is this to be deemed an ordenary Sabbath day worke if it be then must our Congregations assemble euery vveeke on the Lords day morning and so hold on vntill Moonday morning or else we are not like our patterne here the Church at Troas see if these mens eyes be in their heads who would draw this Lords day and action of the Church at Troas vnto the erecting institution of an ordenary Sabbath for if this Text be our President for our new Sabbath then it is good reason vve should keepe our new Sabbath as this text vvitnesseth they kept it Againe as for Pauls sermon Sabbath sermons are workes of the day not of day and night both Now if Paul begane his sermon in the morning the Text saith that he continued it vnto midnight v. 7. yea that he had spoken a long while to the dawning of the day v. 11. If this were a Sabbath sermon what a sacke full of troubles were our new Sabbatharians in for they must leaue their howre ij howre sermons and make sermons many howres long yea when they haue done preaching in the day time they must too it againe and preach in the night also euen to midnight As this example at Troas was extraordenary so was it occationall occationed by Pauls departure from them the next day for he had tarried with them 7
the Iewes then must they thinke that these famouse actiones must be remembred not on the day wherein they were done the Lords day but the day after it on Moonday this day must be our new Sabbath or if they vvill imitate God and borrovv any light from him then must they thinke that the day after all is done must be the Sabbath and as God set vp the 7th day in remembrance of his vvorke of Creation on the 6 dayes so they are to thinke that Christ vvho in this pointe imitated God as they say set vp the 9th day of the vveeke in remembrance of his worke of Redemption done on the 6th 7th 8th dayes of the vveeke so all those notable actiones should betoken vnto vs that Moonday is our nevv Sabbath day it being the day after We vvill be thought to grownd this Lords day vpon Scripture yet not follow either the example of God or of the Church of God recorded in Scripture for we will not keepe the day after but the very day vpon which those actiones were done SECT XV. An other of their arguments for the Lords day to be a Sabbath day is because on this day Christ rose from the dead this is in euery mans mouth saying why should the Lords day be a Sabbath doe you aske why did not Christ rise on this day thus they argue so confidently as if it could not be doubted of but that the Resurrection must needs raise vp a new Sabbath But herevnto I answer by the like reasoning shewing that by as good reason as this is we may haue euery friday euery thursday Sabbathes also for friday may not a man say thus friday must be our Sabbath day because on this day Christ suffered for vs on the crosse it is Christs Passion day and can any aske why friday should be Sabbath day since it was Christs Passion day for thursday may not a man say as much for it also Thursday must be our Sabbath day because on this day Christ ascended vp into heauen c. Thus you see by like reason we may as well haue 3 Sabbathes in a weeke as this one of Lords day If any shall obiect that the Lords day was the greatest therfore most fit that it before the other ij should be the Sabbath I answer if we may compare them friday vvas the greatest for on it Christ bore the vnsupportable vvrath of his father for vs vvhich made him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me but on the Lords day there was onely Christs soule put into his dead body so reuiued againe now it was agreater matter as I think euery one will confesse for the Diety to support the humanity on his Passion day vnder that vnsupportable wrath of God then to put his soule into his dead body in his resurrection day 2dly I answer how come they by this knowledg that they can say that this day must be a Sabbath day because Christ rose on it is not this one of their audaciouse presumptuouse assertiones who are bold to affirme what they lift in the matters of Gods worship suer I am the Scriptures say no such thing nor doe they relate any such matter when they speake of Christ his Resurrection I find the Scriptures thus saying that Christ died for our sinnes rose againe for our iustification Rom. 4.25 where we heare what vse we are to make of Christs resurrection that is that it vvas to iustifie vs but vve no vvhere reade that Christ rose to make the Lords day a Sabbath day As for this action of Christs riseing on this day can any man thinke that God vvould raise vp nevv ordinances in his Church as this Lords day Sabbath is by a bare action vvithout a vvord of institution added to it suppose vve that Christ at his last Supper had onely brake the Bread giuen a morsell to this man a morsell to that man without any words of institution added vnto this action to declare vnto them what they should doe with the breade and what vse they should make of it and suppose be had onely giuen the Cup to this man to drinke to that man to drinke and neuer said any thing vnto them touching this Cup tell me now could the Apostles without a myracle haue knowne what vse they should make of this bread of this wine Why so it is here Christ rose vpon this Lords day but neuer added any word of institution vnto it to signifie vnto vs that therefore he rose on this day because his Church should keepe it for a Sabbath how then I pray can any the patrones of our Lords day Sabbath gather by their consequences any thing from this bare action of Christs rising on this day Nay let me come neerer suppose the Iewes had read it in the Scripture that God himselfe Rested on the 7th day but had neuer read it in the 4th com that they should imitate God and Rest on the 7th day also how could they haue gathered from that bare action of Gods Rest on the 7th day that they ought in conscience to imitate God Rest on the 7th day also when God had added no com or word of institution vnto his owne Rest for their direction what can men know Gods minde without his word to teach it them yis doubtlesse our nevv Sabbathairans can a bare action vvithout any vvord of institution is enough for them had these but sene Christ breake the bread onely it had bene enough for them or heard say that God Rested on the 7th day these needed no more it is enough they knovv thus much that Christ rose vpon the Lords day they can convert this to their owne vse well enough to deceine the simple coosine themselues SECT XVI An other argument they haue for the Lords day and that is this If the Iewes kept a Sabbath in memory of the Creation then much more ought we Christianes to keepe a Sabbath in memory of the Redemption The reason hereof they say is this because the worke of Redemption is greater then the worke of creation I answer first to their argument herein they haue altered the state of the question by putting in the vvord keepe into their argument in steade of the word institute or ordeine for our question is not about the keeping of the Lords day but about the institution ordination of the Lords day let them therefore first proue that the Lords day vvas instituted once appointed by God for a Sabbath then they may saue themselues the labour of prouing vnto vs that vve must keepe it for vve are not vnwilling to keepe it if once it be proued to be a Sabbath this is but a peece of their Sophistry to proue one thing vvhen they should proue an other Behold vvhat difference there is betwixt these ij Sabbathes and the practise of the Iewes our practise for there vvas
an expresse commandement to the Iewes to keepe that Sabbath in memory of the Creation but there can be no commandement showne vs from Christ or his Apostles for vs to keepe the Lords day in remembrance of the redemption wherefore we are not bound vnto this new Sabbath as they were vnto the old Sabbath for there is not the like reason this sophistry euery man may see I come now to their reason they say the Redemption is greater then the vvorke of Creation Herevnto I answer to know vvhither it be greater or not vvould cost more labour then this their reason is worth vvherefore for argument sake I suppose it is greater but heere I demaund of them to whom it is greater Whither it be greater vnto all men or but vnto some men their answer vvill be that the vvorke of Redemption is greater vnto the elect vnto the redeemed and to those onely vvhich haue faith Well then the Redemption is neither greater nor great nor any thing at all to those vvhich are not elected not redeemed and vvhich liue dye vvithout faith of these ij sortes of people the elect are the fewer number the vnbeleeuers are the greater number Well then see how these things hange together the thing they must proue is that we Christians that is all we Christians euen euery one vvithin the pale of the Church that is baptised all these ought to keepe the Lords day for a Sabbath in memory of the redemption vvhen as the one halfe of these are not redeemed and their reason to bind all euery man thus to keepe a remembrance of this redemption is because the vvorke of redemption is greater vnto some onely of these men How absurd is this that euery man should be bound to keep a ioyfull memory of that thing which doth belong but vnto some of them onely as not to the one halfe of them this is as if they would vndertake to perswade not onely English men but also Dutch men French men to keepe a yeerly ioyfull remembrance vvith vs for our deliuerance from the Spanyard in 88 Why vvhat haue French Dutch to doe vvith our deliuerance in 88 this concerned not them it vvas not their deliuerance so vvhat haue such to doe to keepe a ioyfull remembrance euery Lords day for the redemption vvhen it belongeth not vnto them they being vnbeleeuers and such as loue not the Lord Iesus Wherefore they cannot presse this their new Sabbath of Lords day by this their reason vpon any but vpon such as they see by their fruits doe alredy beleeue such as doe not yet beleeue vvhich commonly are the greater number these are not tyed vnto the keeping of this Lords day behold vvhat a Sabbath they haue then to vvit such a one as onely the fewer number of the Church Parish are tied to keepe it as for the greater number of our Citties Townes Parishes these are not bound to keepe it this their reason therefore doth bewray the idlenesse of the cause for vve must haue such a Sabbath as the reason of it doth belong vnto all and to euery man none excepted and such is the Saturday Sabbath vvhich is to be kept in memory of the Creation now all euery man hath a benefit by the Creation and therefore all are bound to it none excepted but it is not so with the Sunday Sabbath for a fewe onely haue reason to keepe it Yet further to discouer the vanity of this argument since they vvill haue vs keepe a Sabbath in remembrance of the Redemption I demaund of them hovv often they vvould haue vs keepe a Sabbaah in memory of the Repemption once euery 7th day ofter or seldomer they vvill answer once euery 7th day vvhy say I that is Iewish and sauoureth of Iudaisme to obserue a 7th day this they haue learned from the Iewish Sabbath vvherefore since they doe so abhorre Iudaisme the 7th day Sabbath vvhy doe they imitate the Jewes herein and the 7th day Sabbath by choosing a 7th day the 7th day is in imitation of Gods rest on the 7th day and in memory of the Worlds creation finished at the 7th day but vve are Christians and as they say all things are become new old things are passed away vvell then vve must now imitate Christ the Redeemer as the Iewes did God the Creatour and we must fetch light from the vvorke of Redemption to know how often to keepe our new Sabbath as the Iewes did by Gods direction from the vvorke of Creation If then we must imitate Christ the Redeemer as did the Iewes God the Creatour then must we trauaile too fro vpon the Lords day for so did Christ himselfe 2. If we must fetch light hovv often to keepe our nevv Sabbath from the vvorke of redemption as the Iewes did from the worke of Creation then must we since all things are become new take vp a new account of time also vve must no longer regard a 7th day but now we must regard the third day for as God was sixe dayes in the worke of creation rested the 7th so Christ vvas three dayes in the worke of redemption rose rested the third day on good friday he suffred vpon the crosse on Saturday on a parte of the Lords day he lay in the graue so you see the vvorke of redemption cost Christ 3 dayes worke vvherefore if they vvill imitate Christ they must keepe euery third day for a Lords day for a new Sabbath so they shall keepe two Sabbathes in a weeke or thereabouts if they doe not thus they may talke vvhat they vvill that all things are become new that as the Iewes kept a Sabbath in imitation of God at the Creation so vve in imitation of Christ in the redemption but vvhere is their imitation of Christ doe they trauaile too fro follow their callings on the Lords day as Christ did doe they keepe euery third day a Lords day and Sabbath day as Christ rose vpon the third day no such matter Furthermore whereas they suppose that we haue as greate neede of a Sabbath to keepe a memory of the Redemption as the Iewes had of a Sabbath to keepe in memory the Creation I deny it for God had giuen the Jevves the Sabbath day and it alone to keepe in memory his Creation therfore it vvas necessary because they had no other helpes but for vs for the Redemption vve haue two Sacraments Baptisme the Lords Supper to keepe in memory the Redemption these are helps enough so as there is no necessity of a Sabbath day also for the same end Doe this in Remembrance of mee so hereby then the Redemption shall be kept in memory all though vve haue no Lords day Sabbath at all There is neede therfore to haue a Sabbath to keepe memory of the Creation when there is no neede to haue one to keepe memory of the Redemption They haue also an
lighted vpon men on the Lords day vnto their contempt of Gods ordinances of preaching and prayers performed in that day it is rather to be thought that God punisheth the contempt of his ordinances then the neglect of the day for such as profane the Lords day come not at Church then to serue God vvhen euery body doth serue God it is a signe that they be ordenary contemners of Gods worship seruice most iustly therefore may God plague them for contempt of his ordinances when they are growne to that height of impiety that they dare ordenarily neglect Gods worship yea and vpon solemne times also appointed by the Church and vvhen all men meete together to vvorship God then to shew a contempt is a greater sinne then otherwise so it is rather the contempt of Gods ordinances then the neglect of the day that God punisheth 3. Well nigh all men are perswaded in their consciences that the Lords day is the Sabbath day inioyned by the 4th Comm. albeit in trueth Saturday is the Sabbath day by the 4th Com. now if men doe neither giue God the right day through their ignorance nor yet will giue God a wrong day whereof they are notvvithstanding well persvvaded in their consciences that it is the right day then they sinne against conscience whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 now it is iust with God to plague men if they will neither giue him the 7th day for a Sabbath nor the 8th day neither for so they are guilty of the breach of the 4th Com. in that they giue God no day no Sabbath no not that day vvhich their consciences tell them is Sabbath day thus God may punish them for a sinne against conscience though not for the day sake and hereby it appeareth that their arguing is amisse when they say that God punisheth men for breach of the Lords day for it is rather to be thought that God punisheth for other causes SECT XIX Their second argument fetched from Testimony is from the practise of the primitiue Churches after the Apostles for the Histories of the Church say they make mention that they kept the Lords day constantly Herevnto I answer 1. that it seemeth this practise was not vniuersall in all Churches but onely in some places or not in all times but at some time onely for Mr. Perkins vpon the 4th Com. affirmeth out of the Histories of the Church that the Sabbath meaning it of the Lords day Sabbath was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles but afterwards it was reuiued established by Christian Emperours And for confirmation hereof he alleageth his Author Leo and Anton. Edict of Holy dayes Whereby it appeareth by the History of the Church also by confession of M. Perkins that this Lords day vvas not kept in the primitiue Churches constantly as now we keepe it in our Churches for it was not kept vntill Christian Emperours established it now the first Christian Emperour that enacted a Law for the Lords day as farr as I can find was Constantine this was about 300 yeeres after Christ so that this Lords day was not onely not kept by the primitiue Churches but also it was not kept in all probability not of 300 yeeres after Christ so that they haue no greate cause to alleage the practise of the primitiue Church for their Lords day 2. I ansvver but admit the primitiue Churches had kept it constātly in all places at all times alwaies yet there is a tvvofould keeping or solemnizing of a day the one is the keeping it a Sabbath day the other is the keeping of it for an Holy day now I deny that they kept it for a Sabbath day for it is most likly that they kept it for an holy day vvhich is more remise and slenderly kept then a Sabbath day and this appeareth 1. by Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesians where he exhorteth both to the keeping of the Sabbath day also to the keeping of the Lords day both in one the same page novv it is not likely that Ignatius did exhorte his people to keepe two Sabbath dayes in a vveeke the Saturday Sunday and therfore it is likely that the Lords day they kept it slenderly as an holy day Againe hee cales the Lords day there the Quene Princesse of dayes where you see he left an higher roome for the Sabbath day accounting it as the King prince of dayes therfore it is likly kept not the Lords day as they did the Sabbath day Yet furher it is to be noted that Ignatius exhorting his people to the keeping of both the Sabbath day the Lords day he refuseth to giue that word vnto the Lords day vvhich he giueth to the Sabbath day vvhich is most proper for a Sabbath day for in exhorting to the Sabbath day he vseth this vvord Sabbatizet but in exhorting to the Lords day he changeth the vvord and vseth this vvord celebret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in liklihood noteth a difference in the vse of these two dayes the one being kept as a Sabbath the other as a Festiuall day 2. It appeareth by a law made by Constantine as any may reade it reported by M. Fox in his booke of Martyres the new Edition pag. 93. thus The Sunday hee commanded to be kept holy of all men and free from all Iudiciary causes from markets Martes fayers all other manuall laboures onely hushandry excepted Where you see the workes of husbandry as plowing the like excepted this might be done in those dayes and in that Church on the Lords day Now Constantine was the most famouse defender of the Lords day of any Emperour would he thinke you haue giuen men leaue to goe to plough carte on the Lords day if hee had esteemed it as a Sabbath day no surely for this is plaine contrary to the very letter of the 4th com In it thou shalt doe no manner of worke no not in earing time nor in haruest Exod. 34.21 wherefore since Constantine gaue leaue to plough sowe the like workes of husbandry on the Lords day it is a manifest thing that in his time the Lords day was not kept for a Sabbath day but rather as a light holy day hereby it appeareth that the patrones of the Lords day haue little cause to glorie so much in the law that Constantine made for the keeping of the Lords day holy 3. It appeareth by this that Constantine made a law for the keeping holy of Friday of Sunday both the Friday because of Christ his passion the Sunday or Lords day because of Christs resurrection For this see Euseb de vita Constant lib. 4. Cap 18. and see Sozom. lib. 1. Cap. 8. these ij dayes were inacted in one the same law in one the same manner whereby you see that the Lords day vvas accounted in the primitiue Churches no more an holy
day then Friday was an holy day now I trust no man will think that the primitiue Churches kept Friday for a Sabbath day no nor yet that they kept both these as Sabbathes the Friday the Lords day for so they should haue kept ij or iij Sabbathes in a weeke Thus you see their argument fetched from the practise of the primitiue Churches for the Lords day will doe them no good SECT XX. Their third argument from Testimony is the constant practise of the Church for many hundreth of yeeres togeather for say they the Church of God hath kept this Lords day for a Sabbath now this Sixtene hundreth yeeres vpwards can it be thought that Gods Church should laie in an errour so longe what Sixetene hundreth yeeres Herevnto I answer 1. that the Church of God hath not euer in all places kept the Lords day for it was neglected of thos Churches which succeeded the Apostles vntill it was established by Christian Emperours so as in all porbability it was not kept for 300 yeers by some Churches as you haue heard quoted out of Perkins in the last Section before this 2. In those Churches where it was kept it was not kept for a Sabbath but as an holy day remisly and with workes of husbandry done in it like as they kept their Friday as we haue showne in the former Section 3. Since those formost ages of the Church it hath bene kept by all Christian Churches being Romish but as an other holy day vntil Luther and many yeeres since for vntill Luther or thereabouts our Church hath lyen buried in the Romish Church as wheate in the chaffe now it is vvell knowne that the Church of Rome doe hould maintaine the Lords day to be but a Tradition of the Church and that it is to be kept but like an other holy day not by the 4th com herein they are neerer the trueth then wee are thus you see how the Church of Rome doth jumpe and agree vvith the Ancient Church in Constantins time how both in Constantins time and in the Church of Rome since vntill Luthers time the Lords day hath beene accounted but as an holy day the contrary whereto cannot be showne thus you see what account the Churches haue made of the Lords day vntill Luthers time vvhich is a matter of fiften hundreth yeeres And now let vs come vnto the times since Luther If we shall take a suruey of the Reformed Churches in France the lovv Countries it is apparant that they haue kept it remisly like an holy day not like a Sabbath day sauing that in the Low Countries at this time it is more solemnly kept much what as solemnly as we in England keepe it now but they haue not kept it so solemnly vntill now of late yeeres as within this 7 or 10 yeeres or thereaboutes as is well knowne Come we then vnto our owne Church which is the most famouse Church for keeping of the Lords day of any other I demaund how long our Church of England hath kept this day so zealously as now it doth it is well knowne by men of yeeres that can but remember 40 or 50 yeeres agone that then the Lords day was not kept as it is now I spare to make a Catalogue of the ordenary workes of mens caleings then done on the Lords day publikly frequently I cannot remember 40 yeers past and yet in my time I can remember such ordenary workes done generally of all sortes of men as are no Sabbath day workes I am suer but for the particulars I referr you to the memory of men of greater age more yeeres Thus I haue briefly giuen you a suruey of the times ages of the Church how the Lords day hath bene in account in practise from the Apostles times vntill now with in these 40 or 50 yeeres hitherto it hath not bene kept like a Sabbath day how then can the patrons of the Lords day boast that it bath bene kept as a Sabbath in the Churches constantly for Sixetene hundreth yeeres whereas they aske by way of admiration is it possible that the Church of God should lye in an errour so long what 1600 yeeres they bewray their owne errour ignorance to speake so for I haue showne that the Church neuer accounted it or kept it for a Sabbath day but for an holy day remisly for 1500 or 1600 yeeres together But admit that our Church or some in our Church rather haue accounted the Lords day for a Sabbath day by the 4th com for this 40 yeeres or 50 yeeres make they such a wonder that a Church may lye in such an errour as this is as if it were vnpossible what will they then say vnto the Churches that succeeded the Apostles that neglected the Lords day all together for a matter of 300 yeeres vntill it was reuiued by Christian Emperours as we haue formerly proued why may not our Church or some in our Church rather err in thinking the Lords day to be a Sabbath when it is not as well as those Churches which succeeded the Apostles did err as these men thinke that patronag the Lords day in thinking the Lords day was not to be kept at all if they might err for 300 yeeres togeather may it not be thought possible for our new Sabbatharians to err for 40 or 50 yeeres together Besids it is not the Church of God that hath erred so long it is the errour only of our nevv Sabbatharians who haue erred from their cradle they thinke therfore that the whole Church of God hath also euer bene in errour with them from the Apostles dayes vntill now indeed they would faine make the world beleeue that all Gods Church hath euer bene of their minde for the Lords day but you see they are foulely beguiled ther 's no such matter it is but their dreame when they awake they will see better It is to be lamented to see how by this golding conceipt that the Church of God hath euer constantly kept this Lords day for a Sabbath since the Apostles they haue ledd the world after them and now they haue bred such a firuent zeale of the Lords day in the hearts of many men as that they thinke it no lesse then blasphemy for a man to say any thing against it as they hold it But since they haue alleaged vnto vs the practise of the Church I wish they would stand to their owne argument and that they would subscribe vnto it that vve are no otherwise bound to the Lords day then can be proued the primitiue Churches practisedit for then should not all Churches be bound to keepe the Lords day but some might keepe it that pleased so to doe and other Churches might omit the keeping of it vvho pleased not to keepe it for so vvas it in the primitiue Churches some kept it but othersome kept it not no not for 300 yeeres together as vve haue
it meete that Christian people shold be pressed in sermones to sanctify this Lords day that vpon certaine paine of damnation if they faile when it is vncertaine whither it be of Christs institution or not iudge of the matter good reader To conclud how euer this is plainly yeelded by M. Perkines that if we will borrow light from the Histories of the Church it is the common opinion of such as are acquainted with them that the old Sabbath was noe throwne downe nor the Lords day Sabbath set vp vntill long after Christs ascention vntill a matter of 300 yeeres after Christ And so much concerning the testimony of M. Perkins XIII My 13th Testimony shall be that of Doctour Prideaux in his Treatise of the Sabbath day where he thus writeth where is there saith he any the least mention of surrogateing the Lords day into the roome of the Sabbath day pag. 140. and againe where saith he is there amonge the Euangelists or Apostles any distinct institution of the Lords day yea where is the text wherby you can necessarilie proue it if you should deale with an aduersarie with whom you must deale punctuallie not by prayer intreatie pag. 143. and againe as for an institution of the Lords day whither expressed or gathered by consequence let him shew it that can finde it pag. 144. In which vvords this learned great Divine plainly denieth the Lords day to be of Christs ordination and affirmeth that it cannot be so much as collected out of the Scriptares XIV My 14th and last Testimony shall be that of M. Brerewod in a learned Treatise of his lately come forth against M. Byfield on the Sabbath day who in pag. 37. thus writeth You will say saith hee the celebration of the old Sabbath was translated to the first day of the weeke translated by whom by any commandement of God where is it it is certaine there is none And therefore the solemnity of the Lords day was not established iure Diuino by any commandement of God and consequently to worke on the Lords day is for certaine no breach of any Diuine commandement Hereby we may see that a man may worke on the Lords day safely without the danger of sinne and how ably and sufficiently M. Brerewod hath managed this point against M. Byfield his worke shall speake for it selfe To the like effect I might here adde the Testimony of M. Broad of Gomarus de Orig. Sabbat and of Riuetus in Decal all late writers against the Lords day Sabbath also as is well knowne XV. I thought here to haue surceased and wrote no more for matter of Testimony but time and further serch haue ministred vnto mee yet an other cloude of witnesses for I shall yet further sett before your eyes the Testimonies of sondry lerned Diuins of two Godly Martyrs and of the Church and state of England assembled in Parliament all with one ioynt consent testifying that the Lords-day-Sabbath is not of Diuine institution My 15th Testimony then shall be that of Zwinglius ad Coloss cap. 2. pag. 515. who thus writeth The Sabbath so farr forth as it is Ceremoniall is abolished and therefore now wee are not tied or bound vnto any certaine times Where you see the iudgement of Zwinglius is that now we are not tyed vnto the sanctification of any dayes or times and consequently that we are not tied vnto the sanctification of the Lords day And this is that which elsewhere I haue said admit this errour that the old Sabbath day is a Ceremony and abolished and farewell all Sabbaths for we can find no other Sabbath then that neither in the Old nor yet in the New Testament XVI My 16th Testimony shall be that of Melanchthon in his Loc. Commun De potestate Ecclesiastica seu de clavibus who thus writeth The Church at the begining appointed the Lords day and certaine other Holy daies that there might be certaine times for instruction But these ordinations ought not to be superstitiously vnderstood For they are no necessary partes of Gods worship but they are in verie deede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things of an indifferent nature which out of the case of scandall may be omitted without sinne Therefore vnto these Traditions we owe obedience in regard of scandall but out of the case of scandall our consciences are free at libertie In which Testimony you see Melanchthon affirmeth these things of our Lords-day-Sabbath 1. That it is a Tradition They therfore who preach so for the Lords day Sabbath they are Patrones of old Traditions they doe but defend vphould maintaine Traditions and why may they not aswell preach for other Popish Traditions as for this And further if the Lords day proue but a Tradition then it appeareth that all Romish Reliques are not as yet abolished out of the Reformed Churches 2. That that Church which instituted the other holy dayes the same Church instituted the Lords day Sabbath and consequently the Lords day Sabbath other Holy dayes are all of equall like authority 3. Whereas hee saith that the Church appointed the Lords day thereby it appeareth that it was not the appointemēt of Christ his Apostles but of the Church after them 4. He affirmeth that the obseruation of the Lords day is but an indifferent thing so as if authority be not offended our consciences are free at liberty vve neede not sanctify it 5. For any man to esteeme better of the Lords day then as of an indifferent thing he affirmeth it plainly to be Superstition Hovv many thowsands then of superstitiouse people Ministers haue we now in this Kingdome XVII My 17th Testimony shall be that of Hemingius in his Enchiridion class 3 cap. 12. pag. 366. who thus writeth Traditions are rites which are said to be deliuered without Scripture either of the Apostles or of the Holy Fathers after the Apostles of which kinde are the Baptisme of infants the obseruation of the Lords-day Here Hemingius affirmeth 1. that the Lords day is a Tradition of the Church 2. That there is no Scripture for the obseruation sanctification thereof The Lords day then is but an vnwritten tradition A Popish Tradition preach for it as long as they list they doe but preach for Popish Traditions XVIII My 18th Testimony shall be that of Bastingius in his Commentary on the Catechisme on the 4th Com. pag. 455. where he thus writeth In that the Lords day certaine other daies alloted for the hearing of Sermones are still retained obserued therein wee differ farr from the Iewes and we doe nothing against the Doctrine of the Apostle forbidding difference of daies For the obseruation of the Lords day differeth from the Jewish Sabbath in that it was not lawfull for the Iewes to omit or to change the Sabbath of the 7th day by reason of the expresse Command of God But the Christian Church whither it doth allote the first day or any other day doeth it
was the signe not abolished but to be vsed An other instance of like kind we find in Isa 7.14 you may see it at your leisure by all which instances this one thing appeareth that a signe may remaine lōg after the thing signified by it be come thus is their 3d argument answered Oh how doe these men loue the Law of God who thus dispute against it and what would be the issue if they could obtaine their desires why this Gods Law should become A Monstre we Protestantes should become Anabaptistes profane persones kepeing no Sabbaths at all for besides this Sabbath they shall neuer be able to shew vs any other Hauing answered to all that they can say out of this text to euery argument seuerally now I come to giue iij. answers more which may serue to euery of their 3. arguments but first I desire my aduersaries either to imbrace these my answers and distinctiones whereby I would preserue Gods Sabbaths or else to study such others as may please them better or else they bewray abhominable partiallity to Gods Law trueth for they cane preserue nyne commandements halfe of the 4th why not the other halfe so all the tenn intirely First whereas they take it for granted that the Sabbath here mentioned Exo. 31.13 which they say is made a signe of sanctification that it is the 7th day Sabbath mentioned in the 4th com this I deny there are ii sortes of Sabbaths the weekly 7th day Sabbath the yeerly Sabbaths now this their text may be vnderstod of the Annuall and yeerly Sabbaths which neuer came into the Morall Law if therefore I shall make it appeare that this text of theirs may be vnderstod of the Annuall and ceremoniall Sabbathes and not of the morall weekly Sabbath then is all their labour lost and all their 3 arguments friuolouse for all their arguments haue argued onely against the yeerly ceremoniall Sabbaths the which no man will defend for this purpose therefore note these things 1. It is very improbable that all those verses v. 13.14.15.16.17 which are 5 in number should treate but of one kind of Sabbath to wit the 7th day Sabbath as may appeare by the very reading of them ouer vnlesse you would say here were a Tautologie ouer and ouer againe with the same thinge Wherefore it is more probable that in this long and large discourse of Sabbaths Moses speaketh of ij sortes of Sabbaths of the yeerly Sabbaths in Exod. 31.13.14 and of the weekly Sabbath in Exod. 31.15.16.17 some light is added herevnto if we doe but obserue Moses for he vseth often in speaking of the Sabbath to mention both kinds before he hath done that is both the anniuersary Sabbaths and the weekly Sabbath as you may see in Exod. 23.12.14.15.16 and in Exod. 34.21.22.23 and in Leuit. 23.3.4.24.32.38.39 A 2d reason may be this the Lord had giuen Moses in charge to build the Tabernacle Exod. 25.8.9 the making whereof would cost greate longe labour now least the people should thinke that because the worke about this Tabernacle was an holy worke perteyning vnto God for his seruice and worship that therefore they might put no difference of dayes whilst they were in this worke but that they might worke vpon the Sabbaths also whither weekly Sabbaths or yeerly Sabbaths as well as on the 6 working dayes to preuent this Notwithstanding saith the Lord my Sabbaths yee shall keepe c. Exod. 31.13 c. as if the Lord had said albeit I will that you make me A Tabernacle c. Yet I will not that you worke about it on my Sabbath dayes now because the people were as prone vpon this occation of building the Tabernacle to worke vpon the yeerly Sabbaths when their turne came as vpon the weekly Sabbath on the 7th day therfore it is meete for vs to thinke that God would as well make prouision heere for his yeerly Sabbaths as for the weekly Sabbath and that therefore in this text Exod. 31. Moses spake of the yeerly Sabbaths as in v. 13.14 and of the weekly Sabbath as in v. 15.16.17 that so the people appointed to worke about the Tabcrnacle as Bezaleel and Aboliab and the rest they might not worke either vpon the yeerly or weekly Sabbath but were all these 5 verses spent onely about one kind of Sabbath as the weekly Sabbath onely then had not God made provision heere for his yeerly Sabbaths which cannot be likly A third reason may be this that in these fewe verses v. 13.14.15.16.17 there is threatened the punishment of death to those that doe any worke on the Sabbath two seuerall times in two seuerall verses as in v. 14. whosoeuer worketh therein the same person shall be cut of from his people and in v. 15. whosoeuer doth any worke in the Sabbath day shall dye the death Now it is not likly that one and the same punishment should be repeated and twise together threatened for the breach of one kinde of Sabbath day and therefore to auoid a Tautologie and needlesse repetition it is most likly that here Moses spake of two kinds of Sabbaths of the yeerly Sabbath in v. 13. and so threatened death to the transgressoures of them in v. 14. and of the weekly Sabbath in v. 15. and so threatened death also to the transgressours of it in the latter end of the same v. 15. A 4th reason may be this that the Sabbaths in v. 13.14 are made a signe of Sanctification or Redemption by Christ as they say but the Sabbath in v. 15.16.17 is kept in memory of the Creation and is a signe of Creation to remember that in 6 dayes the Lord made beauen and earth and rested on the 7th day as you haue it in v. 17. now these diuerse signes doe intimate that here may be diuerse Sabbaths spoken of in these verses for Sanctification and Redemption may be applied to the one kind and Creation to the other kind of Sabbaths for it is nothing probable that Redemption and Creation should be both applied vnto one kind onely Thus you see what liklihod there is that the Sabbaths mentioned in v. 13. vpon which they grownd all their arguments are not the 7th day Sabbath which is our question but that they are the yeerly Sabbaths which neuer came into the morall law and about which we make no question at all wherefore vnlesse they cane take away these answers and proue vnto v. that by the word Sabbathes in v. 13. is meante the weekly 7. day Sabbath they are besids the question all their labour hath bene in vaine and all being granted them which this text cane afford them it will make onely for the abolishing of the yeerly Sabbaths but nothing for the abolishing of the 7th day Sabbath for suppose it granted that the yeerly Sabbaths in v. 13.14 were signes of Sanctification and Redemption by Christ and therefore abolished yet it will not follow that the weekly Sabbath
vs to sanctify the Lords day it is no where said in the new Testament Remember the Lords day to sanctify it 2. As there is no expresse commandement for the Lords day so is there no collection or consequence that can be made out of any text of Scripture whereby it can be necessarily infalliblie proued that euer Christ ordeined this day or left any commandement touching it with his Disciples or Apostles that this is so I proue 1. by the third parte of this my booke where by way of answer I haue showne that none of all their Scriptures nor reasons which they doe alleage for the Lords day will or can proue it any more then a Lecture day at the most they cannot proue it a Sabbath day this first argument is of greate consequence and much to be thought on I proue it also by the Testimony of Diuines of note first of M. Perkines who thus doubtfully argueth for the Lords day in his second reason for it in his Cases of Conscience Chap. 16. Sect. 2. pag. 106. The Sabbath day in the new Testament saieth he in all likelihood is tied to that which we cale the Lords day that as J take it saith he by Christ himselfe And then by by he addeth these words for in these points still we must goe by likelihoods by all which doubting speeches you may see that M. Perkins was of opinion that it could not be proued out of the Scriptures necessarily infallibly that the Lords day is a Sabbath as for doubtfull probable proofes and likelihoods what haue we to doe with them in points of this consequence for if the matter be doubtfull then it cannot be done in faieth Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth eateth not of faith saith Paul and whatsoeuer is not of faieth is a sinne 2. Doctour Prideaux in his worke vpon the Sabbath day thus writeth where finde you saith he amongst the Euangelists or Apostles any distinct institution of the Lords day yea where is the text of Scripture saith he whereby you can necessarily proue it pag. 143. Herevnto add the Testimony of Caluine of Zanchie of Vrsinus with many others who I haue formerly cited as S. Augustine Peter Martyr Paraeus Chemnitius Zuinglius Melanchton Hemingius Bastingius the two godly Matyrs M. Fryth M. Tindall with the whole Parliament assembled in the daies of Edward the Sixte all saying that the Lords day cannot be found in the Scriptures for a Sabbath My second profe of the minor is from this that our Sauiour Christ made the Lords day a trauailing day for he trauailed too fro in the Country from Ierusalem to Emmaus a matter of 15 miles vpon the Lords day as you may reade Luk. 24.13.15.29.36 so also the Disciples of Christ made this day a trauailing day as you reade in the fore alleaged text Luk. 24.13.15.29.36 yea which is more the Disciples and Apostles of Christ they were altogether ignorant that the Lords day was a Sabbath day this I thus proue the Lords day as the Patrons thereof hold is celebrated in memory of the resurrection of Christ now the Apostles themselues did not beleeue that Christ was risen from the dead vntill the day was past or vntill night as you may see Mark 16.10.11.13.14 Luk. 24.36.38.41.45.46 Ioh. 20.19.26.27 Now since Christ his Apostles did not know beleeue that Christ was risen from the deade vntill this Lords day was past how could they keepe this Lords day in memory of Christ his resurrection wherefore since Christ his Disciples made this Lords day a trauailing day since the Apostles themselues did not so much as know that this Lords day was a Sabbath day therefore no man fearing God may defend the Lords day to be a Sabbath day vnlesse he will reproue not onely Christ but also his Disciples for traualing vpon it and vnlesse hee will be thought to be wiser then the Apostles were that is by knowing the Lords day to be a Sabbath day which they were ignorant of My third profe of the Minor is from the 4th com for there the Lord commandeth vs to labour Sixe dayes saying Sixe dayes shalt thou labour c. Now this commandement was neuer repealed the Lords day is one of these 6 dayes and by name it is the first of the 6 or the first day of the weeke wherefore by Gods ordinance and commandement this Lords day is a labouring day a working day therefore no man fearing God may speake to defend the Lords day to be a Sabbath day a resting day vnlesse he will contradict Almightie God ARGVM II. My 2d argument to proue the 7th day Sabbath still in force is because it was neuer yet abolished thus it may be framed Euery man fearing God must maintaine defend either that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force or else that is was abolished But no man fearing God may maintaine defend that the 7th day Sabbath was abolished Therefore euery man fearing God must maintaine defend that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force For the Major or first of these propositiones it is of vndeniable trueth for either the 7th day Sabbath must be abolished or else it must be in force one of these two must be a trueth for there is no third way so then this first proposition cannot be denied I come to proue the minor or second proposition to wit that no man fearing God may maintaine defend that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished and my reason hereof is because it cannot be defended in faieth no man can say in faieth that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished this I proue because there is no word of God for the grownd of their faieth for there is not in all the new Testament any commandement or Prohibition as a Countermand to the 4th com where it is expresly written Thou shalt not sanctify the 7th day Sabbath no neither is there any text of Scripture out of which it can be necessarily proued that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished that this is true it appeareth by the 4th parte of my booke where by way of answer vnto all their abused textes which they brought against the 7th day Sabbath I haue showne the vanity and absurdety of their arguments wherefore since they cannot soundly infallibly proue that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished therefore may not any mā speake against the 7th day Sabbath for if he doth he speaketh against it not of faieth whatsoeuer is not of faieth it is sinne Rom. 14.23 no man fearing God will wilfully vse his tounge or penne sinnefully 2. I proue the point by many absurdeties that such doe rune into who defend the 7th day Sabbath to be abolished as 1. hereby they deface Gods royall Law mancle it rob it of its Integrity perfection diminish the compleate number of Tenn commandementes make it a morall ceremoniall Law a very monstre among
Major I affirme that all the 10 commandements doe bind vs to obedience they make this vngodly answer by a distinction that all of them doe not bind vs will put me to proue that they doe bind vs. If this answer be lawfull why may not Papists deny that the 2d com bindeth vs or that it is still in force saying the 2d com touching Images it is Iewish concerned the Iewes onely and that it forbad onely Iewish Images that it concerneth not Christians Christian Images why may not Anabaptistes and Libertines our new sprung vp Eatonistes deny the whole Law euen all the 10 commandementes that vpon plausible pretenses also Furthermore such distinctiones are Blasphemouse therefore to be reiected for to deny that any thing commanded by God in his 10 com both bind vs to obedience is to deny that Gods will should be obeied by vs to reiect his Soueraignty gouernance as much as if we should say we will not that God shall Raigne ouer vs. is it not Blasphemy when the Creatour shall say doe this the creature shall answer He will not thus doe they who by distinctions will reiect any one thing commanded in the 10 commandements Further such answers as by distinctions deny any one thing commanded in the 10. commandements doe plainly bewray the Authoures thereof to be professed enemies to the Integrity perfection of God Lawe and would that God should be serued but by halues by peecemeale and therefore their such distinctiones are vnsound to be reiected by all men fearing God louing the Lawes of God Such answers are to be reiected and men are solely to rest contented with this that it is commanded in the Morall Law without demaunding any other proofes my reason hereof is because neither better proofes nor of higher authority can be possibly produced for the profe of any doctrine in Diuinity for vvhat better proofe can any man bring or any Christian man expect then Gods commandements amongst all Gods commandements then his 10 Morall commandements there is no Scripture of higher Authority then the Morall Lavv. The 10 Commandements the Creede and the Lords prayer these of all other Scriptures are holden as principles of our Christian Religion now how absurd a thing it is for any to deny principles in any Arte let all men iudge that haue any skill in Artes A man may as vvell be permitted by a distinction to deny that euery one of the 6 petitiones of the Lords prayer doe belong vnto vs or that some of the Articles of our faith doe belong vnto vs vpon some plausible reasones forged as by a distinction to deny that whatsoeuer is commanded in the 10 commandements doth belong vnto vs. Thus I haue proued that it is vnsufferable in A Christian Church that any man should vse a distinction or deniall against this Orthodox most cleere trueth that all things commanded in Gods 10 commandements are in force doe binde vs to obedience for this cause I neede not procede any further for the proofe of this Major orthodox trueth for if it be so cleere vndeniable a trueth as no man may deny it then I may very well spare the proofe of it Neuerthelesse for the truethes sake for its further confirmation I will proue it vnto you by many and sondry arguments but by the way one thing first I would should be taken into consideration which is this that Diuines and all others who are enemies vnto this most auncient ordinance of Gods Sabbath they are driuen to shrowd themselues from the force of this my 8th Argument by this abominable vngodly answer saying that all Gods commandements doe not binde vs to obedience or that some of the 10 commandements doe not bind vs to the obedience of them nay they must hold if they abolish the 7th day Sabbath that it is a sinne for vs to yeeld obedience vnto all the 10. commandements that it is Iudaisme I desire that all men would take speciall notice of this absurdety that so they may see what rockes these are forced to rune vpon who deny the Lords Sabbaths Should common people make such answers they deserued but a common censure but if Ministers yea Puritane Ministers shall make such vngodly answers what censure are they worthy of I haue greate reason to vrge this point because if they grant me this trueth to wit that all Gods commandementes doe binde vs to obedience the which no man fearing God can deny then of necessity they must grant me that the old Sabbath is still in force because it is one of Gods commandements An other thing I desire should be taken into consideration is that such as deny any thing in my Major by any distinctiō that so they may deny Gods 7th day Sabbath they rune into these other absurdeties 1. they hereby doe deface Gods royall Law making it a Morall-ceremoniall Law an euerlasting-temporary Law a very Monstre 2. They draw vs to Anabaptistry prophanesse that so we should haue none of Gods Sabbaths 3. They make an auncient holy prayer of our Church a mere babling with God to wit that prayer added to the 4th com in the Congregation 4. As the Sabbath is Gods ordinance so the Decalogue is Gods Law now were men professed enemies to God then if they should doe what in them is to abolish his Sabbaths to reiect as much of his Law as possibly they could denise it were but sutable to their profession but that wee who are professed friēds to God to his Law that wee I say should reiect desire to reiect as much of Gods Law as possibly by any wite we can deuise this is abhominable so I come to make profe of the point That all Gods commandements are now to be obserued and obeied I proue it by Testimony humane Diuine for humane Testimony the first shall be that of Reuerent Perkines who writing against our common aduersary the Papist he vndertaketh to proue that the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature amongst many other arguments he sheweth how that Papists doe repeale make of none effect all the 10 commandements of the Morall-Law and to this purpose he begineth on this wise The morall Law conteining perfect righteousnesse is flat opposite to mans corrupt nature therefore whatsoeuer religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commandements of the Morall Law the same religion must needs ioyne hands with the corruption of mās nature stand for themaintenance of it This doth the Religion of the Church of Rome it may beit doth not plainly repeale them yet in effect it doth and if it shall frustrate but any one point of any one commandement yea the whole Law thereby is made vaine Perkines in his first volume pag. 400. vnder the title A papist cannot goe beyond a reprobate I desire that these his words may
haue we done and said much more in defence of the Lords Sabbaths thē they haue said or can say in defence of the Lords day who are patrones of it this Lords day Sabbath were it not the Diana and darling of our time supported by men of learning holinesse and zeale I would say of it that it is the most idle friuolouse thing that cane be invented for besids other defects in it they cannot proue a constant practise of it no nor that it was euer kept weeke by weeke two Lords daies together one after an other in any place nor at any time I can but wonder therefore that any man that hath but either learninge or honesty should after the consideration of these things preferre the Lords day aboue the Sabbath day or neglect the ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day to imbrace this nouill Sabbath of the the Lords day I haue now finished my 12th last argument as touching the first branch of it wherin I haue proued that the Apostles of Christ did constantly keepe the Sabbath day after Christs resurrection now I am to procede and to proue vnto you the second branch of my Minor or second proposition which is That the primitiue Churches which liued after the daies of the Apostles kept the Sabbath day for 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ And this trueth I shall confirme vnto you by sondry Testimonies 1. I will begine with that which M. Perkins reporteth saying The obseruatiō of the Sabbath was neglected of those Churches which succeeded the Apostles but afterwards it was established by Christian Emperours his Author for it is Leo Anton Edict of Holy daies Perk. in his first volume vpon the 4th com pag. 48. by the word Sabbath M. Perkins vnderstandeth the Lords day Sabbath Now of this Lords day he saith according to his author that the Churches which succeded the Apostles they neglected it vntill it vvas established by Christian Emperours now these Churches were the primitiue Churches for they liued immediatly after the Apostles they liued in the neglect of the Lords day Sabbath for about 300 yeeres after the daies of the Apostles as is gatherable by this that he saith it was established by Christian Emperoures now the first Emperour that established the Lords day was Constantine the greate as saith Hosp Cap. 9. pag. 27. this Constantine liued aboute 300 yeers after the Apostles now for asmuch as these Churches liued about 300 yeeres without the Lords day Sabbath it followeth that they all that time kept the 7th day Sabbath vnlesse we shall vncharitably censure them to haue liued profanly without any Sabbath day all that while which were absurd to thinke many Churches kept both Sabbaths together to wit the Sabbath day and the Lords day as you shall see by and by now can it be thought that some of the Primitiue Churches should be so zealouse as to keepe two daies other some so key could as to keepe none at at all wherefore since these Churches kept not the Lords day therefore it must follow that they kept the Sabbath day thus you see it followeth that the Sabbath day was in vse in the primitiue times for about 300 yeeres after the Apostles so then as the Apostles kept the Sabbath day constantly after Christs resurrection so the primitiue Churches that succeded next after the Apostles they kept it for a matter of 300 yeeres longer 2. My next Testimony shall be out of the Centuries where it is thus recorded Romae conventus ecclesiasticos non fuisse in Sabbato quemadmodum in aliarum terrarum ecclesiis Centur iiij Cap. vj. pag. 477. de ritibus ecclesiae Romanae The summe whereof is this that There was no Ecclesiasticall or Church assemblies vpon the Sabbath day at Rome as there was in other Churches In which words there is an opposition made betwixt the Church of Rome an other Churches to wit Christian Churches aboute keeping of the Sabbath day now it is recorded that there was no Church meetings vpon the Sabbathday at Rome but yet there was Church assemblies vpon the Sabbath day in other Churches abrode in the world so then by this Record it is plaine that the most Churches kept the Sabbath day albeit Rome did not and it is no maruaile that Rome had learned of the Laodicean Counsaile to reiect the yoke of Gods 4th com with the first further ' this Testimony was of what was done in these Churches for 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ so then you see that the Sabbath day was obserued in the most Churches 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ so much for this second Testimony 3. My third Testimony shall be from an acte made by the Laodicean Counsaile in the yeere of Christ 364. Laodicenum Concilium celebratum circa annum 364 sanxit Non oportere Iudaizare Christianos in Sabbatho vacare sed potius operari in eadem die Dominicam praeponendo Sabbatho quod si inventi fuerint Sabbathum Judaeorum observantes anahemate ibidem feriuntur Hospin de origin Fest Chap. 9. pag. 27. The summe whereof is this The Laodicean Counsaile held about the yeere 364 made a Law that Christianes should not Judaize rest vpon the Sabbath day but rather worke vpon it that they should praeferre the Lords day aboue the Sabbath day And if so be any were found obseruing the Iewes Sabbath they should be excommanciated or accursed By this Law then it appeareth that the Sabbath day was in vse in those times for else this Law had bene made in vaine which forbad Christians to kepe the Sabbath day any more vpon paine of excommunication for gouernes doe not enact Lawes against nothing 2. Note that as the Sabbath day was in vse in those times so also it was in vse amōgft Christianes for this law as you see was bent against the practise of Christianes forbidding Christianes to keepe the Sabbath day whereby we see that in these times the Sabbath day was honoured among Christianes 3. Note that vnto this time Christianes did honour the Sabbath day with or aboue the Lords day this I gather from hence because this Counsaile ordeined that for time to come Christianes should preferre the Lords day before the Sabbath now they neded not to haue made a law to bind Christiās to preferre the Lords day before the Sabbath day if they had done so before the making of this law this is a remarkabl thing that in these times the Sabbath day was had in such honour with Christiās as it was as highly or rather more highly set by then the Lords day was 4. Note the time this Law was made 364. yeeres or there about after Christ whereby we see that the Sabbath day was in vse amongst Christianes for nere 400 yeeres after Christ A digression by the way shewing 1. the Invalidity of this Laodicean Counsaile Decree made against the Lords Sabbaths 2. The Originall of the Lords day Sabbath 3.
whence I came 4. My fourth Testimony shall be the words of M. Perkins and Doctour Prideanx M. Brerewood For M. Perkins he moueth a question to know who changed the Iewes Sabbath And then his answer is this It is commonly thought saith hee that the Iews Sabbath was changed into this Lords day by Christian Emperours long after the Ascention of Christ Perk. in his Exposition vpon the first Chapter of the Reuelation and verse the 10th In which words M. Perkins doth deliuer though not his owne yet the common opinion and iudgment of others now the common opinion is saith hee that the Iewes Sabbath was changed long after Christ his Ascention and that by Christian Emperours so then it is the common opinion that the Sabbath day lasted in the Churches a long time after Christ his Ascention euen 300. yeers For Doctour Prideaux saieth he in his worke vpon the Sabbath pag 140 Annon Sabbathum Iudaeorum oum Iudaeis sine scrupulo murmure obseruarunt Apostoli caetus in Sabbatho coactos libentissime instituerunt Annon insequens Ecclesia tam Sabbathum hoc quam diem Dominicum per aliquot annorum decursum sacris conventibus distinauit Notiora sunt ista quam vt probatione indigeant The summe whereof is this did not the Apostles saith hee obserue the Iewes Sabbath with the Iewes without the least scruple making did they not most willingly appoint assemblies on the Sabbath day and did not the Church which followed them appoint both the Sabbath day the Lords day for holy assemblies for diverse yeeres these things are so well knowne that they need not to be proued By whose Testimony you see that the Churches which followed the Apostles they obserued and kept the Sabbath day for diuerse yeeres this is so plaine by History that it needeth not any quotations or profe For M. Brerewood Professor in Gresham College in London in his Treatise of the Sabbath day against M Bysield pag. 77. thus writeth And little doe you know saith hee of the ancient condition of the Church if you know it not that the ancient Sabbath did remaine was obserned together with the Lords day by the Christians of the Easterne Church aboue 300 yeers after Christs death c. And againe The Sabbath of the 7th day was religiously obserued in the East Church 300 yeeres more after our Sauiours passion That Church being a greate parte of Christendome Thus by the iudgement of those who are well seene into the Histories of the Church it is a plaine case that the Sabbath day was religiously obserued and that by Chrïstians for more then 300 yeeres after Christ 5. My fifth Testimony shall be that recorded by Zanchie out of Sozomen the summe whereof is this That those of Constantinople almost all others haue Ecclesiasticall Assemblies to heare Gods word on the Sabbath day on the Lords day Zanchie vpon the 4th com Thes 1. Here you see that not onely at Constantinople they kept the Sabbath day but also almost in all other Churches the Sabbath was kept 6. My sixth Testimony shall be out of Socrates the summe whereof is this Assemblies were wonte to be in the Churches euery weeke vpon the Sabbath day vpon the Lords day Socrat. Chap. 8. lib. 6. againe At Cesarea Cappadocia in Ciprio vpon the Sabbath day vpon the Lords day the Presbiters Bishopes did euermore interpret expound the Sciptures Socrat. Cap. 21. lib. 6. here you see a weekly obseruation of the Sabbath day a constant practise of Presbiters and Bishopes to expound the holy Scriptures vpon the Sabbath day But before I proceed any further it shall not be amisse to answer a doubt that may rise in the minds of some that reade these Antiquities may they say what did the primitiue Churches keepe two Sabbath daies euery weeke for it seemeth so because they kept both the Sabbath day and the Lords day For answer hereto we must know that howbeit they kept two daies yet it is not to be thought that they kept them both for Sabbath daies resting from labour all day long according to the 4th com for 1. This were more then euer God required in his morall Law to rest two daies in Seauen 2. Jgnatius put a difference betwixt the Sabbath day and the Lords day as betwene the King and the Quene for he caled as you shall see by by the Lords day the quene of daies hereby intimating that the Sabbath day whereof he spake also in that place was the King of daies 3. The Christianes against whom the Laodicean Counsaile enacted that law forespoken of they honoured the Sabbath day aboue the Lords day as there we shewed 4. Many Churches of Christianes they kept not the Lords day at all for 300 yeeres together as we haue showne out of Perkines 5. In Cōstantines time he gaue leaue for men to goe to plough and other workes of husbandry on the Lords day as else where we haue showne by all which it is more then manifest that the primitiue Curches though they kept the Lords day yet they kept it not for a Sabbath day or like the Sabbath day but rather much like as we now keepe a common Holy day or a lecture day wherin we come to Church heare the word of God but we keepe not the whole day in a rest from laboures in conscience of the 4th com thus you see albeit they kept two daies in a weeke yet but one onely was kept for their Sabbath the other was kept lightly and partially they kept these two daies in a weeke then much like as we now kepe the Lords day and some light Holy day or the Lords day a Eecture day when they fall both in one weeke 7. My seauēth Testimony shall be that of Athanasius who liued about the time of Constantine 300. yeeres after Christ who in his Homilie de Semente saith thus Wee assemble together in the Sabbath day not as if we were infected with Iudaisme but therefore wee meete together in the Sabbath day that we may worship Iesus the Lord of the Sabbath Centur. iiij Cap. vj. pag 410. In which words we see what was the practise of the Christian Curches in the daies of Athanasius for then they kept the Sabbath day as we see here Furthermore it is worth our obseruation to consider that Athanasius doth not onely barely auowch it that they then kept the Sabbath day but moreouer he doth Iustify defend their keeping of it for whereas some might obiect vnto him saying but doe your Churches keepe the Sabbath day still why that is Iudaisme c. of this mind was the Laodicean counsaile that liued not long after Athanasius and it seemeth that this slaunderouse opinion of the Sabbath was creeping into the Church in the daies of Athanasius growne to ripenesse within a matter of 60. yeeres after him for now the Laodicean counsaile durst cale it Iudaisme in
attinet be morall and perpetuall but not quod ad Speciem attinet then this absurdety followeth that we shall haue a genus without a Species 9. If the time in the 4th com be morall quod ad genus attinet then must also the Speciall Sabbaths conteined in the genus be also morall for the genus cannot be without its Species the proper Species to the genus of the 4th com are the weekly 7th day or Saturday Sabbaths and thus this distinction will proue a good argument for the morallity of the old Sabbath day and so much for this distinction IX An other euasion we meete withall and it is this let a man alleage the 4th com for the Lords Sabbath and one answer shall be to this effect That the Law belongeth vnto vs Christiās but as it is the law of nature or so farre forth as it agreeth with the Law of Nationes and light of Nature c. now this is an answer of greate esteeme for they foresee it that the Gētiles haue not by the light of nature found out and obserued the Saturday Sabbath of all other things in the morall Law For confutation of this if no more could be said against it but that the authores thereof are partiall in Gods Law Mal. 2.9 and haue not an indifferent respect vnto all Gods commandements Psa 119.6 this were enough for since we imbrace Gods Law it is shamefull to professe it by haules and peeces thus these doe who imbracing all other things commanded in the morall Law doe neuerthelesse by this distinction reiect that parte thereof which commandeth Gods Sabbath 2. If they will receiue no more of the Decalogue then agreeth to the Law of nature then these absurdeties will follow 1. That they must reiect the doctrine of the Trinity in vnity for this is not found in the Law of nature or Nationes 2. They must reiect the 10th com for S. Paul could not find lust to be a sinne by the Lawes and light of nature but by the Law of God I had not saith he knowne lust except the Law had said thou shalt not lust Rom. 7.7 they must renownce the doctrine of originall sinne for the Gentiles could not find it out by their light so then they may aswell reiect the first and the 10th commandements as reiect the Sabbath of the Lord. 3. This distinction is blaphemouse for it quite raseth out one of the 10 morall Lawes to wit the 4th com for the Law of nature teacheth no more but that some time be allotted for Gods seruice not respecting that 7th day which God hallowed at the Creation Genes 2.3 and expresly commanded Exod. 20.8 now sometime is alloted for Gods worship on fridaies and wednesdaies on Lecture daies and all this may be and is without the 4th com and thus the 4th commandement is rased out Yea further some time or other for Gods worship is necessarily implied in the second Com. where Gods worship is inioyned for if God must haue a worship of necessity he must haue some time alloted for it if therefore they will haue no more of the morall Law then agreeth to the Law of nature they must most wickedly blott out Gods 4th com as a superfluouse and needlesse Law for all that the Law of nature caleth for it is found in the 2th com and that which is in the 4th com it is besids or more then the Law of nature requireth thus by flying ro the Law of nature they haue reiected the Law of God 4. If the Law of God must be ruled by the Law of nature so as rather the Law of nature must teach vs what is morall and appertaineth to our obedience then the Law of God then this blasphemy followeth that the Law of nature is a more perfect rule for Christians to walke by then the Law of God and then also these absurdeties follow 1. That it was needlesse for God at the first to commit his Law vnto writing Exod. 20.1 for the Iewes had the light of nature to direct them why would God giue them an imperfect rule when they had already that which was more perfect 2. If the Law of nature can direct vs Christians and better too then the Law of God then what neede haue we now of the Law at all 3. If the Law of God be not sufficient for our direction without the Law of nature to correct it why are we sent by all Diuines vnto the Law of God for direction of our liues they should add this limitation so saith the Lord Ex. 20. ◠c. according to the Law of nature 4. If the Law of nature be the supreme for direct on let vs no longer studie diuinity out of the Law of God but rather out of the writings of the Heathen Whither it be fiter for vs to subiect Gods Law vnto the Law of nature for tryall or bring the Law of nature to be tried by the law of God I leaue it to the consideration of all mē to cōoclud whither the Law of God giuen to his people the Jewes is to be preferred aboue the Lawes of nationes let Moses determine it What nation saith he is so great that hath ordinances Lawes so righteousse as all this law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 Did not Moses here preferre the law of God aboue the lawes light of nature Againe He sheweth his word vnto Iakob his Statutes his Iudgements vnto Israell he hath not dealt sowith euery Nation neighther haue they knowne his Iudgements Psal 147.19.20 And shall this law then giuen to Israell be snibbed pared cheked by the Lawes of Nationes light of nature the Prophet saith the Nations haue not knowne Gods Iudgements that is his Lawes shall they be our guides and instructers to teach vs what is morall shall blind men iudge of cullers for vs shall we to the ignorant to get knowledge why may we not flie to the Pope to determine for vs whither the 2d com be morall or not since he is a Christian as well as flie to the Nationes to tell vs whither the 4th commandement be morall or not since they be heathen 5. It is the iudgement of Diuines that the reason of the writing of the law on Mount Sinay was because this Law being a Law from the Creation the law of nature begane then to be obliterated and blotted out of mens mindes and therefore God wrote it now in Tables of stone which before was written in the Table of mens heartes well and is it so that the light of nature waxed dime as the world waxed old to amend which God it mercy wrote his law in the Tables of stone for a perpetuall helpe of memory preseruation from corruption will wee now forsake this law and betake vs to the dime light of nature for direction were the people of God before the giuing of the Law in danger to forget
that day we should want our Sabbath daies meales and so all that day long our soules should lacke its refreshments and all the Sabbath day long our soules should be pineing and languishing wherefore the supplies made vpon the Lords day will no more helpe for the Sabbath day when it is past then a meales meate on Sunday will comfort a man on Saturday so much for this obiection there are other obiections also but I will handle them together in the next Section and thus much shall suffice for the proofe of this Dispensation Hauing proued the Dispensation here let me add a reason or two shewing why we should the more willingly imbrace it my first reason is because it tendeth much vnto peace and concord to containe the members of our Church in vnity I shall not need to shew what discord might arise if a rent in practise should be made from our Church neither shall I need to shew what a benefit peace in the Church is euery man knowes it euery man cales for it well then if it be so good to preserue peace in the Church let all that are louers of this peace imbrace all conditiones and helpes which tend vnto peace if in case they be such as may possibly be admitted of I grante it that for the present wee are fewe in number who are of this contrary iudgement but seeing the case is so plaine I verily beleeue it that in Gods good time multituds will be of the same iudgement also then the rent would be grieuouse to be borne now it is fit a wise man should haue his eyes in his heade and foresee and preuent an euill let all that loue therefore the peace of the Church receiue and imbrace this Dispensation which tendeth to the peace thereof if possiblie it may be receiued and imbraced let it haue the most charitable and fauourable constructiones that may be that so it may stand and so the peace of the Church be maintained preserued where things may be taken in a better sense and in a worser sense therelet the better be chosen But woe is mee as the Prophet Dauid speaketh my soule hath too long dwelt with them which hate peace I seeke peace and when I speake thereof they are bent to warre Ps 120.5.6.7 Neuer did I suffer and vndergoe such reproches and such tauntes as since I haue deliuered this Dispensation my good name hath bene torne into a thowsand peeces not onely in the Churches and publike places by M. Yates M. Chappell charging me with Hypocrisie and likening me vnto the false Apostles and the like But also what Table or priuate meeting is there almost wherein my good name hath not bene made odiouse thus whilst I haue sought peace with the Church and with them they haue raised vp ciuill warres against mee now that they might the better make way for my downefale they haue bene so farre from taking things in the better parte as he is accounted for the most excellent that can vse the least charity and he is most applauded that can wrest my Dispensation to the worst And so much for my first reason An other reason let me giue you whereby you may be induced to construe my dispēsatiō in the better sense not in the worse to imbrace it if possible it may be and it is this that by this Dispensation I doe treade in the footestepes of the Apostles themselues for so we ought Be yee followers of mee saith S. Paul 1 Cor. 11.1 For this purpose note how the Apostles had a greate reformation to worke to wit the abrogation of the Ceremonies and the Ceremoniall Law from among the Iewes Now how behaued they themselues in this matter did they gallop forth post-hast vnto a reformation did they instantly ruinate abolish the vse of Ceremonies among beleeuing Iewes no such matter but contrariwise they went therevnto in a softe walke according as the times conditiones of their people would beare it and for the present they retayned all the Ceremonies still in the Church yea they the Apostles vsed these ceremonies together with the people as you may reade Act. 21.20.21.22.23.24 And they waited for season opportunity to throw downe Ceremonies afterwards thus by their wisedome they wone many of the Iewes to the faith which otherwise by a rash violent course they might haue lost Iust so if this Dispensation be imbraced shall we imitate the Apostles in this reformation touching the Sabbath The Lords day hath bene in vse a long time now in these daies it is in greate honour so also the Lords Sabbath hath bene a long time out of vse at this time in dishonour and so greate is the loue of most men vnto the one hatred of the other as cannot easily be exprest now can it be thought that the current and streame of the times can be turned in an instant what before they haue heard on it for many haue not so much as heard of this question and many that haue heard on it haue not read it and such as haue reade it it is fit they should take a time to deliberate and to aduise about it now what shall wee doe the meane while shall we fale to a present practise and so rend our selues from our bretheren is this the way to wine them or to exasperate them rather did the Apostles rend themselues from the beleeuing Iewes in practise no such matter All things are lawfull for m◠saith Paul but all things are not expedient and all things edifye not let no man seeke his owne but euery man an others wealth 1. Cor. 10.23.24 And againe Vnto the Jewes I became as a Iew that I might gaine the Iewes 1 Cor. 9.20 It is expedient therefore that euery man seeke an others wealth and edification so as if possibly he may he diuide not from his brethren in practise but rather to seeke their wealth by holding conformety with them it is enough that the Doctrine and trueth of the Lords Sabbath is published giue it time to roote and to ripen this foundation being laid are formation by God blessing will come off in time the more kindlie and thus with the Apostles we shall waite season and opportunity for a happy reformation There are I confesse but they are such as be our aduersaries in this case who would haue vs in their rash and inconsiderate zeale to rush violently instantly vpon the practise without all respect had first vnto our brethren or to the Church wherein we line or to expediency season or opportunity or Presidents of former times and these men presse vs thereto with this that it is the Law of God and a Morall Law and it is your iudgment and the like these men would haue the haruest and the seede time both goe together so hote they are but leauing these in their indiscretion and intemperancy it is safer to imitate the Apostles and to take time
and leisure To conclude since this Dispensation tendeth to the peace of the Church and also imitateth the Apostles let it obtaine the most fauourable construction that may be at least let it not be racked wrested vncharitably SECT V. I haue reserued this Section to make answer vnto fondry obiections which are framed vpon occation of this Dispensation and these they are which follow OBIECT I. Some obiect thus forasmuch as I am perswaded that the Lords Sabbath is still in force howbeit I am also well perswaded of the trueth of your dispensation yet can I not passe ouer the Sabbath when it cometh profaneing it working vpon it without many great checkes of conscience and much sorrow of heart that I should profane the Lords Sabbath and that too after I know it to be the Lords Sabbath still in force by the 4th commandement thus I am afflicted and pricked in conscience euery weeke now I pray what say you to this is it not a sinne for me to goe against the checkes of my conscience what may I doe in this case For answer herevnto we must know that some checkes of conscience doe arise from the doinge of something which we should not doe and for a man to goe against these it is dangerouse and sinnefull and a note of an harde heart Againe there are some checkes of conscience which arise from the doinge of something which we would not doe and these are not alwayes sinnefull but are notes of a softe heart and tender conscience for they would not doe the things they doe if it were in their power to amend them I will cleere this case by some examples it is lawfull for a man to fly for his life his enemy pursuing him vpon the Sabbath day and it is lawfull for a man to worke in quenching of a fyer on the Sabbath day neuerthelesse a softe heart and tender conscience will be full of prickings in the time of his flight and whilst he is at worke Now the reason hereof is not because these his actions are sinefull but because he doth what he would not doe vpon this day if it could be auoided and because he neglecteth the speciall seruice of God all that time which he would much rather haue bene imployed about Furthermore Dauid when he eat the Sewbread it could not but grieue him that he was cast vpon such necessity as that he must eate that which was not lawfull for him to eate And Dauid when he spared the life of Ioab which he should haue taken away it could not but be a corziue to his conscience so often as he saw that murtherer liue And the Apostles when they obserued those things commanded in the Ceremoniall Law in circumcising shauing the head and the like they knowing that these things were abolished they could not but doe it with checking and vnquiet consciences in some respect and yet these were not euill consciences nor these actiones sinnes but they were markes of softened heartes and tender consciences and so is it with the checkes in conscience which we cannot but haue in some respectes so often as we neglect the Lords Sabbath they are notes of soft heartes tender consciences plainly bewraying that we would much rather Sanctify the Lords Sabbath if it were in our power Furthermore whereas you asked me what you should doe in this case I answer euen all you can doe to the vtmost of your power to get out of this necessity that so you may haue your hearts desire in sanctification of the Lords Sabbaths for no man will lay still vnder a necessity any longer then he needs must a poore man will get out of his pouerty a sicke man out of his sicknesse a prisoner out of prison with all the speed they may Now the way to get out of our necessity is this to labour a generall reformation and that first by instant constant prayer to God and next by divulging this trueth of God as farre as thin occationes and caleing will permit that so it may rune from man to man till at length it may come vnto the Magistrate whose office it is to make reformation and so to loosen thee from thy necessity of profaning the Lords Sabbaths any longer Indeed it is fit we should haue prickes and checkes in conscience all the time we lay in the neglect of the Lords Sabbaths that so we may be thereby often rowsed vp to vse all good meanes possible and speedily for a reformation If God should let vs bequiet in minde we would grow secure with this Dispensation sit downe and take our ease neuer careing what becomes of Gods sacred Sabbaths nor when a reformation were made OBIECT II. Some who are enemies to Gods Sabbaths and friends to the Lords day argue thus forasmuch as the Lords day may be kept for a Sabbath still by virtue of this Dispensation why should we trouble our selues for we haue that alredy let vs keepe vs where we are still for we are well enough But herevnto I answer that you are not well enough for the discouery of this you must note for whom this Dispensation is made vnto whom it doth properly belonge for it belongeth not vnto all men this Dispensation therefore is made for such as are perswaded that the Sabbath day is still in force and therefore doe make a conscience of it who in a case of necessity may keepe the Lords day for it for a season vntill a time of reformation But this Dispensation is not made at all for our newe Sabbatharians who make no conscience of the old Sabbath for to what end should they haue a Dispensation from the old Sabbath who make no conscience at all of it In the Dispensation it is allowed for men to keepe the new Sabbath or Lords day for the old Sabbath and in steade of it for a season which doth imply that they had rather keepe the old Sabbath then the newe that they haue a conscience of the old Sabbath still and that the Lords day is not kept for it selfe sake but for the Sabbaths sake so that it is the Sabbath that hath all the respect and honour the Lords day hath none as for it selfe Now our new Sabbatharians will not keepe the Lords day still in this sense but if they will take any aduantage from our Dispensation and from our keeping the Lords day with them they must keepe it in this sense for in this sense the old Sabbathatians doe keepe the Lords day we honour the Sabbath day as our King and we esteeme the Lords day in its roome but as a deputy that for the time occupieth the place of the King and whom we honour not for his owne sake but for the Kings whose place he possesseth so we honour the Lords day for the Sabbath daies sake which went last before the Lords day and in roome whereof the Lords day stands as a deputy for the present necessity 2.
indeed that Reformation must begine at the head His Maiestie the Reuerend Bishopes and ParliameÌ„t are they that cane doe this greate worke Neuerthelesse priuate persones and single persones may be helpers The Master builder layes the stone but inferiour persones hewe the stone and single persones carry stone to the building His Maiestie and ParliameÌ„t enacteth Lawes yet often and againe those Lawes take their originall in the Country from priuate persones and single persones who foreseeing the necessity of such Lawes acquainting their brethren therewith they rune from man to man till at length they come to the King himselfe All therefore I desire thee as a priuate person to doe is but this first pray to God instantly and constantly to make knowne this doctrine of his Sabbath to all persones and so in time vnto his Maiestie and other Reformers vnder him and that God would incline both His and all mens hearts vnto a publike and generall Reformation Secondly vse all meanes possible within the compasse of thy caleing that may any waies tend vnto a reformation to this end after thou hast well studied the pointe then speake of it freely as occation serueth vnto all whom it doth concerne let the Lords Sabbaths haue thy good word let them haue thy countenance and all possible furtherance that so the light of this trueth may be conveighed from man to man vntill it be spread all ouer the Kingdome vntill it hath reached vnto the Pallace of the King and Parliament house When the Lords Tabernacle was to be made euery one of a wiling heart brought something therevnto some brought gold siluer some blew silke skarlet some oyle for the light some rammes skines and badgers skinnes so euery one would haue an hand in that gloriouse and sacred worke Now the Lords Sabbaths are to be reedified let euery one bring something therevnto and if they cannot afford gold and siluer yet let them bring something a skine or two or a little oyle for the light a man cannot afford God and his cause lesse then his good word and countenance and his good word may proue as oyle for the light for it may procure much light this is all which I desire of priuate persones and thus they may serue very vsefully for the Lords building as hewers of stone for the building or as bearers of stone to the Master builders or as oyle for the light and this is all I desire of single persones who say I am but one c. why one may light a Candle which may giue light vnto twenty and one may kindle a fyer that may warme a greate many and so much for common persones Further we must know this Exhortation concerneth not onely common persons but it reacheth vnto the very chiefe it belongeth vnto Laiety and Clergy both it concerneth common Ministers neerly but it concerneth the Byshopes and Fathers of the Church more neerly it concerneth the Commons of the land neerly but it concerneth the Gentrie and Nobilitie more neerly and his Maiestie most neerly for by how much God hath aduanced any in Authority aboue others by so much this Reformation more neerly concerneth them or him and in case they neglect it the greater account they shall haue to render vnto God at that day The 4th com it was as hath been showne most principally giuen vnto Superiours c. And Nehemiah reproued the Nobles and Rulers of the land for the peoples profanation of the Lords Sabbaths Nehem. 13.17 Let the Commons speake for a reformation let the Magistrats make reformation and so I come vnto the Motiues I. In the first place we will consider of the greatnesse and so of the difficulty of this reformation that so many men may be moued to put too their helpe Since the daies of the Apostles I cannot call to minde that euer the Church of God made any reformation comparable to this of the Lords Sabbaths vnlesse it were that one remarkable reformation touching the second commandement begune by that worthy instrument of Gods glorie Martine Luther if the euill eye of the inviouse man will giue me leaue to say so The greatnesse whereof may appeare 1. Because it concerneth all men without exception for there is no man liuing in the Church but the obseruation of the Sabbath concerneth him and that in a speciall sorte 2. It will be the greater because it hath layne buried now aboute twelue hundreth yeeres euen since that wicked and Schismaticall decree of the Counsaile of Laodicea Anno 364 which rente the Churches a sunder one from an other the younger from the more ancient and pure Churches as touching the obseruation of the Lords Sabbaths Now an old sore is not easily cured the myracle of Christ was the greater vpon Lazarus because he raised him from the dead when he had bene so long buried that he stank againe the Lords Sabbaths haue bene now so long dead and buried that they stinke againe in mens nostriles through their want of a true Sente the reuiuing and raising of them vp againe therefore will be a worke of greate difficulty 3. It will be the greater because it is like to meete with mighty and greate oppositiones for what greate worke was euer attempted that had not as greate oppositiones when the Wales of Ierusalem were builded what oppositiones and when the Temple was reedified what oppâ—sitions and no doubt but at the reedifying and raising vp againe of the Lords Sabbaths there will be no smale oppositiones Now greate workes and difficult workes as they stand in neede of the helpe of greate men so they neede the helpe of many men to one Captaine or Generall there are hundreths and thowsands of common soldiers it is needfull therefore that euery priuate man should put to his hand and his voyce for the reedifying of the Lords Sabbaths and by how much the more difficult by so much the more neede there is of a generall assistance and the aide of all men II. In the second place we will consider of the Honourablenesse of this reformation and this will appeare by the Honourablenesse of the thing to be reformed to wit the Lords Sabbath touching which first we will consider of its antiquity this ordinance of Gods Sabbath of all others it is one of the most ancient for it is of the age of the world it being instituted at the Creation Genes 2.3 If therefore the honourablenesse may be valued by the antiquity what can be more honourable for nothing is more ancient who would not haue an hand and a voyce in the raising vp againe of so ancient and honourable an ordinance of Gods as is his sacred Sabbath Secondly we will consider of its constant obseruation a longe all times and ages from before the giuing of the Law vpon Mount Sinay vntill 300 or 400 yeeres after Christs ascention for as we haue formerly proued the Sabbath day was in vse in the Church before the giuing of the Law and so also
taught or maintained in its integrity wholenesse and perfection in our Church this I haue made plaine also in the former parte of this booke for vnlesse we hold and teach which we doe not that the Decalogue is wholly Morall without any Ceremony commanded in it and so maintaine the Lords Sabbaths for morall we doe not teach and maintaine Gods Lawes in their integrity perfection but we teach the lawes of God by halues and by peeces in a lamed manner taking and leauing picking and choosing now is it not high time for euery man to bestirre him when the Priests are become partiall in the Law and when they reueale not vnto the people the whole counsaile of God III. Yet further that the whole 4th commandement is vtterly ouerthrowne and altogether abolished both roote and branch this I haue also formerly proued here therefore the mentioning of it is enough not onely the roote and body of the commandement is nullified but also that most preualent and liuely reason which Almightie God in his wisedome thought good to annex vnto his 4th commandement Exod. 20.11 And the which was drawne from his owne example and also from his blessing it As you may see Exod. 20.11 This is also become as a Cipher in our Churches and so the whole commandement is abolished both in the duety prescribed and in the reason also to moue vnto that duety and so roote and branch is quite gone and is not a reformation necessary thinke you when a whole lawe of God and a Morall Law too is abolished is it not high time now for euery man to stirre what will you see the lawes of God trampled vnder foote and still be silent IIII. Furthermore that euery man lyeth in the weekly profanation of the Lords Sabbaths and transgression of the 4th commandement this is most plainly proued also in the former parte of this booke for we haue alredly firmely proued that the Sabbath day mentioned in the 4th commandement it is no day of the weeke but Saturday now since we profane the Saturday it followeth vndeniably that we profane the Lords Sabbaths and that weekly and are guilty of the breach of the 4th commandement and so may as well liue in the sinne of Adultery weekly against the 7th commandement as in Sabbath breaking against the 4th commandement and is it not necessary that there be a reformation when vntill then euery man is a Sabbath breaker and euery weeke guilty of a sinne against the 4th commandement is it not high time that men cast aside shame and feare of men and such carnall affectiones and shewe forth their shame and feare towards God and be no longer silent V. Vntill a time of Reformation a profane common day is giuen vnto God in stead of a sanctified and holy day for the cleering of this we must remember that the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath it was consecrated sanctified and so made an holy day by God at the Creation Genes 2.2.3 yea it is expresly so called Exod. 16.23 To morrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath c. The like we read of in Isa 58.13 but we no where reade that the Lords day or first day of the weeke was euer so called nay it is by Gods ordinance in the 4th com one of the 6 working daies so a profane and common day as Thursday or Friday is wherefore such as giue God the Lords day they giue him a profane and common day for a Sanctified and Holy day now as well may we vse common bread in the Sacrament for Consecrated Bread as a common day for a Consecrated day and as well might the Iewes haue performed Gods worship in a common house in stead of the Temple as we to giue God a common day for an Holy day and is it not time then that a reformation were made that so the Holy God might be serued with an Holy Sabbath his Holy Church haue an Holy day wherein to performe hir Diuine seruice Furthermore which is worse we not onely sanctify a profane day but we also profane a Sanctified day who can but take it to heart to see sacred things profaned now were it not meete this should be reformed VI. Vntill a time of a Reformation Gods worship will languish of a declining consumption and profannesse will invade vs for the cleering of this note that Masters will not permit their seruants one wholl day in euery weeke to be vacant from their seruice and to goe to Church spend the time in holy exercises nor will they set apart one day in a weeke for themselues for holy exercises so freely when that day is but of mans institution as when the day is of Gods institution this we may see cleerly in the difference betwixt the Lords day now which is supposed of Diuine institution our other Holy daies which are of humane institution how deuoutly is God serued on the Lords day what greate Assemblies then in comparison of other Holy daies But now since the Lords day is found faulty and destitute of a Diuine institution what difference thinke you will erre long be made betwixt the Lords day other holy daies and thus the heate of Religion will abate and prophannesse creepe in now is not a speedy Reformation needfull to preuent this VII Vntill a time of Reformation a Romish Relique and Popish Tradition is honoured in stead of an ordinance of Gods his Holy Sabbath for the cleering of this I shall proue vnto you first that the Lords day is a Tradition and secondly that it is a Popish Tradition or worse 1. That the Lords day is a Tradition of the Church you may remember I haue formerly proued it and that by the Testimonies of S. Augustine of Melanchthon of Hemingius and out of the Harmonie of Confessions 2. It must needs be a tradition no better for the institution of it is no where found in the Holy Scriptures as hath bene showne and therefore it must be supposed to be ordeined by the Fathers or to come vnto vs from the Apostles by some vnwritten Tradition of the Church or else it must haue a worse originall Thus you see the Lords day is a Tradition or worse giue it its due and it is an old Tradition newly furbushed trimmed vp or an old Tradition cullered painted ouer with Scripture Now that it is a Popish Tradition and Romish Relique I thus proue it because there being no grownd for it in Scripture yet for all that the patrones of it doe vrge presse the obseruation of it as a necessary thing as tying meÌ„s consciences vpon paine of damnatioÌ„ now for any to vrge indifferent things not found in the Scriptures vpon paine of damnation is Romish and Popish Neither let this seeme strange vnto any that I call it a Romish and popish Tradition for the Papists themsâ—lues doe willingly owne it and father it and stifely defend it for one of their vnwritten
worship of God and when common and vnhallowed dayes are offred and consecrated vnto God in stead of pure and sanctified dayes Loe how Gods worship is polluted XI Yet further if I shall make it appeare that multitudes I doe not say all are guilty of Idolatry vntill a Reformation cometh then you will say with me it is high time indeed to seeke for a reformation For this purpose you must know that there is as well a puritane Idolatry as a Popish Idolatry for as when A Crucifix the Breaden God the Images of Christ the virgine Mary the rest come in presence instantly Papists vncouer the head and performe much honour in respect of them So no sooner doth the Lords day Sabbath come but forthwith Puritanes vncloth themselues of their base aray and attire themselues in their best apparell and they lay aside all seruile laboures for that time as a profanation of that sacred time and much religiouse honour and deuotion is performed in respect of this daies presence yea greate conscience is made of it Pardon me beloued the sinnes of Gods children must not be clocked neither must I be partiall no neither must I deale ouerly but tell euery man or ranke of men of their sinne without baulking I cale it Puritane Idolatry because these are the greate Patrones thereof That I may discouer it vnto you first we will begine with the word Idolatry this word is a greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is compounded of two wordes the one whereof signifieth an image and likenesse of a thing or an imagination and fiction of the braine the other signifieth honour and reuerence now put both these together and they signify an honour and reuerence of an image and liknesse of a thing or of an imagination and fiction of the braine thus you haue the signification of the word Idolatry Now when diuine and religiouse honour is giuen to a similitude or fiction of the mind then it is a dangerouse matter and when the conscience stands in awe of a similitude or fiction of the braine reuerencing it for a diuine ordinance then it is Idolary Now to apply this The Lords day is this Idoll and they that preach for it and practise it are the Idolaters to make this good you shall see how fitly these may be caled Idolaters and their practise Idolatry first touching that parte of Idolatry which consisteth in imagery liknesse you shall see how like they haue framed the Lords day to the Sabbath day made it a very image similitude liknesse of the Sabbath day consequently an Idoll for 1. They haue giuen the very name the proper name of the Lords Sabbath vnto it for doe they not vsually cale the Sunday or Lords day the Sabbath day 2. They sanctify and keepe the Lords day like vnto the Sabbath day with a resting from all seruile laboures with preaching and prayers and the like 3. they keepe it in conscience of the 4th com like as the Sabbath day was 4. They apply all those textes of Scripture vnto the Lords day which were wont to be applied to the Sabbath day and which indeed are proper to the Sabbath day as Neh. 13.15 Isa 58.13 Math. 12.1.2.3 c. with others behold then if they haue not made the Lords day as like as like may be to the Sabbath day an image or picture cannot be more like a man then they haue framed this Lords day vnto the Sabbath day nay the images similitudes which Papists make of God of Christ or of Saintes are not so like vnto God Christ Saints as this Lords day is made fashoned like the Lords Sabbath day like as idolatrouse Jeroboam made a feast vnto his calues like vnto the feast that was in Iudah 1. King 12.32 so haue these made a new Sabbath like vnto the Lords Sabbath in the Morall Law 2. Touching that other acception of the word where it is taken for an imagination or fiction of the minde or braine And in this sense an Idoll is Nothing as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 8.4 An Jdoll is nothing in the world that is it is no such thing as it is imagined fansied to be in this sense also the Lords day is an Idoll the obseruers of it are Idolaters their sanctification of it Idolatry for 1. whereas they cale the Lords day Sabbath day it is a mere fiction for they neuer found it so named in the Holy Scriptures 2. That the Lords day should be kept like the Sabbath day with a rest from laboures all day long is an imaginary conceipt for they find no such obseruation of it by Christ nor by his Apostles 3. That the Lords day should be obserued by virtue of the 4th com is not onely a fiction but an absurd foolery 4. That Christ instituted the Lords day is a mere forgery and fansy of mens braine as hath bene formerly showne and thus you see that the Lords day is a mere Idoll or a very Nothing that is nothing but a fansie fiction of mens braine of this day therefore we may say as the Lord said of Ieroboames Moneth which he had consecrated vnto his Idoles that it was the moneth which hee had forged of his owne heart 1 King 12 33. so this Lords day is the Sabbath day which men haue forged of their owne hearts And thus we haue cleered and made apparent the two first things in this Idolatry to wit that the Lords day is an Image and liknesse and that the Lords day is an imagination and fiction or an Idoll and Nothing I come now to the third thing which maketh compleate Idolatry and that is Honour and Reuerence for that is properly Idolatry when religiouse honour and reuerence is attributed vnto Images and similitudes or vnto Imaginations and fictions of the braine or vnto Idoles and Nothing as when men reuerence these as Diuine things and as ordinances of God Now I shall easily demonstrate vnto you that men giue Honour Reuerence vnto this Lords day yea no ciuill honour but diuine religiouse Honour For 1. The patrones of the Lords day they doe esteeme one day aboue an other the Lords day aboue and before any other day in the weeke and that in a religiouse manner thus they honour it by aduancing it aboue all other daies yea by holding the cause of the institutiō of the Lords day to be greater then the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day they must hold that the Lords day is an higher more honourable day then was the Sabbath day for they say that the worke of the Redemption was the cause of the institution of the Lords day now the worke of Redemption they hold to be a greater worke then was the worke of the Creation which was the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day and thus you see they must haue the Lords day in more honour then the Sabbath day was
it among the Ordinances of God giuen it like power ouer the conscience which they haue now how God will take this at their hands it behoueth the Authors hereof to be thinke themselues 3. The Authors hereof doe bewray most audaciouse presumption in that they dare approch so neere the Majestie of God that Ielouse God with their owne inventions that they dare ranke them with the Ordinances of God now what would they more vnlesse they take the Crowne that is to Deify themselues for who but A God can exercise power ouer the conscience and make ordinances tying conscience and of equall authority power with Diuine ordinances Since this deformity is in the visage of a Protestant happilly it will be winked at or ouerly looked vpon or minced and extenuated if not defended but were it in the face of a Papist suer I am it should find no mercy but according to the iust desert thereof it should be aggrauated to the full but what should I say loue is blind I meane self loue we can spie a blemish in an other but cannot or will not see it in our selues I cannot see but that these men may as well set vp a new Sacrament of Baptisme in stead of the old one as to set vp a new Sabbath in roome of the old one or an other Lords Supper in stead of that instituted by Christ as an other Sabbath in roome of that instituted by God and since none but a God can set vp Sacraments and Sabbaths in the Church what else doe they but vsurpe the roome and Authority of God who set vp new Sabbaths in the Church By the way as touching Gods ancient Sabbaths haue not Papists by their reasons and consequences out of Scripture which these men call their neceessary consequences but how vnnecessary you haue seene abolished Gods Sabbaths expresly commanded in the Morall Law and haue they not hereby aduanced their Syllogisticall reason to be of equall authority with neuer erring Scriptures and their consequences to be of equall authority with Gods 4th commandement nay to take the vpper hand and to showlder out of place Gods commandement Now since a law inacted in Parliament cannot be reuoked but by the same authority that first inacted it doth it not follow that Papists make Idoles of themselues whē their reason shall be a Countermand to Gods commandement were Papists onely guilty of this sinne a man might with applause manage this argument against them but since Protestants also haue a hand therein I dare not passe my censure Thus you see the Lords day is an Idoll the preachers for it Idolaters and their obseruation of it Idolatry let none enuy malice mee for discouering vnto them this their sinne but rather let them turne their enuy against themselues for being such sinners and their malice against their sinne nor let any study to wrest my words but let their study be how to worke a reformation To conclude this point seeing that as the case standeth there is Idolatry committed by many thowsands in the Land and that by most puritanes is it not high time to seeke out for a reformation Now lay all these forementioned things togeather and be stirred vp to endeauor for a reformation for so as S. Iames speaketh Thou shalt hide a multitude of sinnes Iam. 5.20 And endeauour for a speedy reformation for reformation is Repenance Repentance is by no meanes to be delayed and procrastinated as we are daily taught I reade in the prophecy of the Prophet Haggay an excellent exhortation to incourag all sortes of people to the reedifying of the Temple it is this Yet now be stronge o Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong o Ioshuah sone of Jehozadak the High Priest and be strong all yee people of the Land saith the Lord and worke for J am with you saith the Lord of Hoastes Hagg. 2.4 I verily thinke that I may apply this Exhortation vnto all sortes of people now to incourag them to the reedifying of the Lords Sabbaths saying be strong o Prince be strong o Priest be strong all yee people of the Land and worke for the Lord of Hoastes is with you God was with his Church in the daies of Luther he prospered thē so as gloriously they reformed the corruptions in his worship and the Idolatry daily committed against the second commandement why should we doubt but that the same God fauourably alloweth this our worke or feare to expect a like blessing when the Cases are so like Remember the Sabbath day to keepe it Holy That 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke For the Lord rested on the 7th day and therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and Hallowed it Exod. 20.8.10.11 Lord haue mercy vpon thy vniversall Church and incline their heartes to keepe this law speedily to reforme the weekly transgressions of it Amen Amen My reward with men for times past hath bene euill my expectations for time to come are worse but Lord wipe not thou out the kindnesse that J haue shewed to thy Law and to thy Holy Sabbaths Remember mee o my God concerning this and pardon mee according to thy greate mercy Nehem. 13.14.22 1. Cor. 4.4 FINIS Faults escaped In pag. 51. lin 9. for reuerence read reference pag. 103. lin 2. for preformed read reformed pag. 165. lin 5. for denegerated read degenerated pag. 331. lin 6. for contraicted read contradicted pag. 421. lin 22. for eparate read separate pag. 475. lin 2. the text Rom. 15.1 there cited with ij lines before it I iudge vnsoundly applied pag. 582. lin 36. for subiect and Magistrate read seruant and Master As for other faults as mise-pointing of sentences and mis-placing lacke or superfluity of a letter here and there the intelligent Reader may easily correct them
learne more Logicke or confined to their studies for a season that they might grow better acquainted with the holy Scriptures before they be permitted to make publike interpretatiōs of them they let not to damne men to the pit of hell for not keeping this Lords day constantly for a Sabbath and that vpon these idle grownds were it fit to put a sword into a mans hand that knovves not when or vvhere to vse it should these men be betrusted vvith the keyes to shut men out of heauen and to locke men into hell thus causlesly By what hath bene said it appeareth 1. that it can no where be proued that the Lords day was in Christs the Apostles times kept constantly weekly for a Sabbath day 2. That the first Lords day was not kept for a Sabbath day by Christ nor by his Apostles Disciples Wherefore it followeth that if this Lords day was not kept constantly vveekly in the dayes of Christ his Apostles then we are not tyed in conscience in imitation of their examples to keepe euery Lords day vveeke by vveeke as now we doe it is sufficient if vve keepe but some Lords day sometime as one in a yeere or one in thre moneths or one in 6 moneths or the like but a vveekly obseruation is a needlesse growndlesse obseruatiō since it cannot be showne nor proued in the holy Scriptures Thus much touching the Scriptures Novv a vvord or two out of the Histories of the Church We reade it mentioned by Mr. Perkins in his first Volume vpon the 4th com pag. 48. that the Lords day vvhich he there cales Sabbath day was neglected and not obserued by those primitiue Churches which liued next after the Apostles vntill it was established by Christian Emperours c. Thus you see the Lords day vvas not obserued by many of the primitiue Churches for 300 yeeres for so long it was ere Constantine enacted a law for it who was a Christian Emperour Now who can imagine that the Lords day was euer kept in the Apostles dayes weekly and constantly for a Sabbath day when as those Christian Churches who immediatly succeded the Apostles kept it not at all for 300 yeeres together is it credible that those purest Churches should neglect such an ordinance of Christ as the Lords day Sabbath if any such ordinance there had euer bene in the Church No no the vveekly constant obseruation of the Lords day Sabbath it is but a nouelty and lately sprung vp The vse I vvould make of this point is this is it so that the Scriptures doe not bind vs to a vveekly keping of the Lords day but that it is enough if vvee keepe it at some times onely Why then doe Ministers presse the people so hardly to keepe euery Lords day and euery Sunday none excepted may it not in this respect be said of these Ministers as the Lord spake of those Prophets I haue not sent these Prophets saith the Lord ye◠they ranne I haue not spoken to them and yet they prophecied Ier. 23.21 Why are these Ministers more strict then God himselfe why doe they presse to a vveekly practise when Gods vvord speaketh but of a seldome practise Why should vve be tied to keepe the Lords day oftener then did the Apostolike Churches Forasmuch as vve are bound to keepe but some Lords dayes in a yeere vvhy are people hindred in the time of haruest to gather in their corne on the Lords day that vpon payne of damnation if they doe vpon pretense of a breach of the 4th com since they may both worke on euery Lords day all the time of haruest yet keepe some Lords dayes after haruest is done Also in the time of wheat seile barly-seile why may not the husbandman plow his ground some his seede on the Lords day since he may keepe some Lords day in a yeere after these busy times be past In the time of Hay-seile vvhy should not men make their haye on the Lords day seeing they may keepe Lords dayes enough all the yeere after When a Fayer fales vpon the Lords day why may they not keepe it vpon that day or if it fale vpon the Monday why may they not ride to it driue cartes to it on the Lords day the day before it as vvell as Christs Disciples trauailed 15 myles vpon the Lords day and vpon the most eminent Lords day since they may keepe some Lords dayes on the other times of the yeere vvhen there is no fayer It is true I verily beleeue that the 7th day Saturday Sabbath is still in force and that I beare a reuerence a religiouse respect vnto that day and for the conscience and duety I ovve vnto it I doe sanctify the Lords day not for it selfe but for the Sabbath dayes sake vvhich goeth before it giuing God one day for an other by vvay of a change vntill the time of reformation as they did change the Passeouer day Numb 9.1.3.11 It is also true that most of our Ministers hould the 7th day Saturday Sabbath for a ceremony abolished novv could I be perswaded in my conscience that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished as they say they are I doe protest it that I vvould not make any conscience or scruple of doeing the ordenary vvorkes of the 6. dayes vpon the Lords day neither vvould I in any respect of any diuine institution or conscience of the 4th com vvithhold any of my family from doeing the like should I leese my haye in time of Hay-seile or my corne in time of haruest or but hinder my vvorkes there abouts or suffer my conscience to be in thraled for such nifling trifling reasons as these no I trust not the like I say vnto men of all trades occupationes in Citties Townes if they can be satisfied in their consciences before God that the old Sabbath day on the 7th day is abolished then let them not feare or doubt to doe any ordenary workes of their calings vpon the Lords dayes or Sundayes no more then vpon any other dayes of the weeke for there is nothing forbidding them so to doe in all the scriptures nay there is warrant for them so to doe by the Scriptures if they will harken to them rather then to their Ministers for God saith in the 4th com Sixe dayes thou shalt worke c this Lords day is the first day of these Sixe dayes neither vvas this law euer yet repealed 2. Christs Disciples made this Lords day a trauailing day also Christ him selfe trauailed in it too fro as hath bene proued wherefore if vve may receiue instruction from Gods 4th com or if vve may follovv the example of Christ of his Disciples then may vve safly doe the vvorkes of our calings on the Lords day as vvell as vpon any other day of the weeke But herevnto some of our Ministers as those who are so hote for the Lords day Sabbath will
be redy to reply say But Sir you giue too great liberty to our people you lay the reines vpon their necke you speake most profanly c. to whom I answer I know indeed that it is full sore against their wills that I haue discouered this secret vnto their people for they had rather haue ploded on in their old errour deceiuing the people still then this light should haue bene seene but for my part I had rather please God then please men Knovving that God cannot away with it that his Ministers shold teach for his Doctrines their owne inventiones Traditiones I Know well that they doe daily reuile me reproch me say all manner of euill against me falfly before their people that so my person being brought into contempt that which I speake against their new Sabbath may be contemned likewise but I desire them to forbeare such vnchristian cuning courses I desire them that they would no more backbite me slaunder me behind my backe vvhere I cannot come to ansvver for my selfe but this is a more faire course vvich I vvill propound vnto them if they thinke in deede in trueth that I haue giuen too greate libertie vnto their people haue done vvrong vnto their nevv Sabbath then let them put pen to paper confute this booke so they shall bevvray to the vvorld that they speake as they thinke vvhen they so bitterly inueigh against me against my booke euery silly creature can say t is an errour t is a foule errour t is an abominable errour t is a wicked booke an hundreth more but I would haue Ministers that are schollers leaue vvords fale to blovves let them confute the booke neither doe I exhorte them to this as a matter at their choise to doe it or not to doe it but I vrge it vpon them as a duetie both to man and to God it is their duetie in respect of men because they haue so confidently taught them that this day is the Sabbath day and that vpon payne of damnation they are bound to sanctify it in conscience of the 4th com vvherefore either they must acknovvledg that they haue bene in an errour labour so soone as they can to reforme it which is parte of amends an argument of an honest minde or else they must defend it that so their people may see that they play not fast loose with them that they teach them no more in the pulpit then they will be redy to defend by their pen if any oppose it I cannot see how they can defend themselues for honest men vnlesse they doe thus it is not enough for them to belch out now then some reprochfull words with a kinde of scorne and disdaine to vilifie the booke the Author of it euery foole can answer a booke so It is also their duetie in respect of God for they say that I am in a foule errour and that the Lords day is a constant Sabbath of Gods institution Well then and will they not defend Gods cause who should stand vp for God if Gods Ministers will not wherefore haue they both their liuings and their office of Ministrie but to manage Gods causes defend them against all oppositions vvill they thinke you giue their liues in defence of this Lords day as they tell their people they will who will not giue their labours to defend it when as Peter the Apostle did but by his example bring in Iudaisme into the Church of Antiochia Paul the Apostle withstood him to his face and reproued him before all men Gal. 2.11.14 If therefore I like Peter haue offended against the Lords day then they like Paul in zeale of Gods glorie should rise vp to confute me before all men else they cannot iustify themselues so farre as I can see to be faithfull in their places and to be followers of the Apostles As for the people me thinke they should neuer cease pressing of their Ministers by these the like arguments to the answer of this booke for the quieting of their consciences and for the cleering of the trueth in this point they should say vnto Archippus take heede vnto the ministerie that thou hast receiued in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4.17 vnlesse they desire to liue in ignorance and errour and in doubt which is the trueth It is true it hath bene reported to me that some of these 10 Ministers haue bene thus moued by their people but they haue returned this answer Wee What wee shall vvee answer his vaine booke let some Cobler Tayler or Shomaker answer it c. and are not these loftie spirits who could forbeare to reproue them openly that knoweth them in an errour in a foule and grosse errour and after sufficient meanes of conuiction tendred vnto them both priuatly publikely and done also in all meeknesse and forbearance for all this they still persist carry it out in the height of pride scorning disdaining him that shall in loue respect vnto their persons admonish them as my former booke will witnesle for me So much be spoken touching the former question wherein you see that they cannot proue it that euery Lords day or Sunday was kept for a Sabbath in the Apostles dayes as now they are SECT III. I come now vnto the second maine question which is to know whither it can be proued that any one Lords day is a Sabbath day by Gods ordinance or not For I deny not only that euery Lords day is a Sabbath constantly and weeke by weeke but also I deny that there is so much as any one Lords day a Sabbath day For the better scaning of this point I will examine all their Scriptures all their reasons which they produce in this case First for their Scriptures I haue reade ouer many the workes and writings of the patrons of this Lords day to see their grownds for it but yet among all the textes of Scripture which they alleage I can no where find a Commandement for it alleaged by them out of any parte of the new Testament and this seemeth to me a straung thing if you demaund of them who is the Authour of this new Sabbath they will tell you Christ in the next place if you demaund of them where Christ left any commandement for it by himselfe or by his Apostles here they are at a non plus they can finde no com for it in all the new Testament no nor any exhortation to keepe it nor promise or threatening to those who keepe or profane it now this at the first entrance doth breede a shrewd suspition that this new Sabbath is but some forgery when there is neither commandement nor exhortation for it in the booke of God neither promise to them who keepe it nor threatening to them who profane it when the old Sabbath was set vp it was done by an expresse Commandement and can there a