set apart to serve and worship the Lord his Creatour and for the repose of his Servants and Cattle The Answer will be according to the Letter of the fourth Precept only the Seventh day of every week but in the Moral consideration it will be so much time as is sufficient to answer these ends which as things may often do fall out may require more than seven daies time togeâ—her notwithstanding the Letter of the fourth Precept which saith six daies shalt thou labour or six daies may work be done And this is the sense wherein I take the fourth Command in the Decalogue to be Moral and under this consideration I say it obligeth universally I mean it bindeth all men in all times and places to set sufficient time apart to worship their Creatour and to give their Servants and Cattle convenient rest and this the light of Reason or Law of Nature doth clearly teach and hence our Apostle might well say the Gentiles having not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law sith all Nations so far as I ever yet Rom. 2. heard do reserve a competent time for his Worship whom they acknowledge for their God But whereas the fourth Command doth precisely limit a certain point of time viz. the seventh day of every week not requiring more or less In this respect I say the fourth Command in the Decalogue is Ceremonial and done away by Christ Done away I say as it was part of the yoke of bondage as also other things of like nature were for example the place of worship which in many respects was only the Temple at Jerusalem neither of which are so done away as to destroy either time or place for serving the Lord but rather so as that all times and all places are so far sanctified unto us by Christ as that we may in every place and at all times serve him with as great acceptation as if we were in the Temple of Jerusalem on the SABBATH DAY Be it farther considered that the relief of the poor and the maintenance of such as are Ministers of Gods Word do appertain to Moral duty being grounded upon the Law of right reason Do to others as you would be done to Thou shalt not muzzle Mat. 7. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 9 10 the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corn c. Now saith Paul for our sakes no doubt this is written that is for the sake or in the behalf of the Ministers of Christ But now if the Question be What is the portion of the poor and such as Minister the Word The Answer will be according to Moses's Law The tenth part of the increase of thy Land must be set apart for that purpose yea before Moses it is evident that Tythes were paid but before Moses no man can be assigned that ever kept the Sabbath But in Moral consideration the Answer to the Question will be this So much as is necessary ought to be set apart for the poor and for such as Minister the Word So then it is clear that some part of our time some part of our substance and some place must be set apart for the Worship of God c. And what part that must be either Christ and right reason or the Law of Moses must inform us If Moses's Law then the Seventh day of every week the Temple at Jerusalem and Tythes must be assigned But if Christ and right reason then the time is whensoever you can the place is wheresoever you can and for substance what you can or what is necessary The two last I suppose will not be denyed and for the first it mâ—y thus appear The Lords Supper is ordained as a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ as the Passeover was in the Church under Moses but yet there is no set time assigned by Christ for its Celebration as we know there was for the Celebration of the Passeover Again the Church under Moses were commanded to offer many Sacrifices to the Lord and had their their respective times limited wherein to do it Christians are bound to offer to the Lord spiritual Sacrifices even the fruits of Heb. their lips giving thanks to his name but this without the limitation of time having rather this general rule in that case namely to do it continually that is as often as we can Furthermore the work of exhortation is a standing Ordinance in Christs Church but not limited to any set time but rather to be performed daily that it to say as frequently as we can And hence we may perceive a very great difference as to the liberty of time Heâ— in things pertaining to God between the Law of bondage and the Gospel of Christ for certainly the work of Christian exhortation praising the Lord and the celebration of his divine Supper doth as it were comprize the whole body of Christian Worship as it consists in Practicals and answers to that which comprized the body of Legal worship but with this remarkable difference the one is left free as to the circumstance of time while the other was tyed to their strict points of time under which consideration we have cause to say as the Apostle said of some who went from Christ to Moses yee observe dayes and moneths and times and yeares I am afraid of you c. Among which days I have no doubt the Jews Sabbath-day was included and that because it was of a ceremonial consideration and so done away by Christ and that it was of such a consideration I shall endeavour to demonstrate by the grounds which here ensueth The first Reason Because nothing which is really moral is impossible but upon due consideration it will be found impossible for the whole Universe i e. all mankind with their Cattel to observe one certain point of time to rest from labour c. because the bounds of their habitations hath made the time so far various as the time of mid-night is the time of mid-day in their respective Regions where they live so that unavoidably one part of the world will be found in the dead of the night asleep on their beds when the other in the heat of the day are in devotion to the Lord. But that which makes this matter the more considerable is the great diversity of time which happens to those who live in the * I speak not here of the utmost South and North but the most remote habitable parts of the World far Southern and Northern parts of the world a day in these places being as long as many of ours so that to enjoin a Sabbath-so emnity in those places would prove a strange undertâ—king and would not answer the Morality of the fourth Commâ—nd which undoubredly requires a sufficient time of rest for man and beast and that his Name may be sanctisied by all men in the celebration of his Ordinances The substance of S. J. his Answer to this Reason is this If
wherein they were given and we say persons may now be under the authority of a Precept formerly attended with the penalty of death and yet not now attended therewith For example God commands that his name be not taken in vain and assigned the punishment of death to them that did Prophesie Lies in his Name But will any man say that all false Prophets ought now to be put to death Let them say so that can prove it Again that kinde of Fornication mentioned in 1 Cor. 5. 1. was punishable by death Lev. 20 11. We are under the power of the Precept which forbids that sin and yet not under that penalty 2 Cor. 2. 6 7. And now concerning the fourth Precept we say we are under the moral part thereof and yet we say mens not setting sufficient time apart to serve God is not now punishable by death It doth not therefore follow that we break this Law to avoid the penalty But we say first we are not bound to the Cerimonial part thereof and therefore we observe it not Secondly we deny your observation of it because you urge a necessity of the penalty And whereas it is alledged that our plea will as well conclude against the sixth Precept as against the observation of the seventh-day I answer not so for the penalty of death to him that commits murther is discernable to be due by the Law of Reason and was exacted by Gods appointment long before the Law of the Sabbath-day was given And albeit according to our reasoning but yet by our Saviours tolleration some of the children of the wicked one must be let alone in the field to wit the world and that till Harvest even the end of the world yet this can onely be understood of those whose errors happen in matters of Religion for as touching Murtherers c. they must either be taken away or humane society would fail Spiritual wickedness then is for ought I see onely punishable by the Word of God and censures of the Church whilst here by God himself hereafter corporal sins are punishable by Magistrates here though the sinner be never so repentant by God himself hereafter also if he repent not Finally I offer it to the consideration of sober men whether it would be Gospel like for Believers in Christ to compel their Families to celebrate the Sabbath such of them especially as are of Faith and Religion contradistinct to them in that point and yet behold this must they do according to Moses for the Law of the Sabbath requires the Master of the house to order his Children and Servants in point of Sabbathizing An Objection answered The most important Objection here to be removed is this If Christians be not bound to observe the Seventh-day how can any be blamed for neglecting any time whatsoever agreed upon by the Church for the worship of God Answ This Objection is the best answered by considering some cases like the case propounded As first God appointed a certain place where to be worshipped as well as a time when and required that thrice every year his people should appear before him in the place which he should chuse c. Now we know there is as little possibility to congregate Gods people without place as without time to that purpose and such as will cavil at the time agreed on by the Church may as well cavil at the place agreed on by the Church for how can I bind any man to come to my house or to permit me to come to his unless I acknowledge the power of the Churches agreement to be sufficient for both Thus then this Objection will inforce a particular and constant place as wel as a particular and constant time as then he cannot escape just reproof who regardeth not the place which the Church by mutual consent asligneth for Gods Worship so neither can he escape who regardeth not the time in like manner assigned to that end and purpose Secondly it 's Christians duty to celebrate the memorial of the passion of Christ with bread and wine and to wait upon-God in fasting and prayer But if I ask when and where these things must be done it would prove as difficult to answer as the question propounded Thirdly there is much to be said for the first day of the week as having been religiously observed by the Apostles and primitive Churches both from holy Scripture and some other authorities worth our consideration But for my part I do not think any set time was so imposed but that the Church if occasion should press might yet without sin observe another time Brethren â—e are called unto Liberty only use not your Liberty as an occasion to the Flesh Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again with the yoke of Bondage THE END The POSTSCRIPT SHewing the opinion of some of the Jewish Rabbins concerning the sabbath-Sabbath-day And certain Antient Christians concerning the sabbath-Sabbath-day and the First day The Rabbins We read saith Pet. Galatinus on the Jews gloss upon these words The Lord hath given you the Sabbath What means these words The Lord hath given Ex Heylin Hist de Sabbath you Because it was given to the Jews and not unto the Gentiles Rabbi Johanan saith that whatsoever Statute God gave Israel he gave it to them publickly except the Sabbath and that was given to them in secret according to that of Exodus it is a sign between me and the children of Israel Josephus in his book of Antiquities and Wars of the Jews calls the Sabbath Antiq l. 14 c. 18 de Bello l. 2. c. 16 a National and Local custome a Law peculiar to that people The Antient Christians of the 1 2 3 4. Centuries Justin Martyr saith none of the righteous men and such as walked with Justin in Dyal cum Trypho God were either Circumcised or kept the Sabbath until the several times of Abraham and Moses Ireneus saith that Circumcision and the Sabbath were both given for signs Iren. advers Heres l. 4. c. 30 and that all the multitude of the faithful before Abraham were justified without the one i. e. Circumcision and that the Patriarks which preceded Moses were justified without the other Tertullian requires the Jews to prove if they can that the Fathers of former Tertul. advers Judaeos times meaning before the time of Abraham were Circumcised or kept the Sabbath or that thereby they obtained to be called or accounted the friends of God Eusebius saith The Religion of the Patriarks of old was like the Christian Euscb Hist l. 1. c. 4. and he proves it thus They were not Circumcised no more are we They kept not the Sabbath no more do we They were not bound to abstain from sundry kindes of meats no more are we And elsewhere he saith Melchesideck was a Priest of the most high God neither being Circumcised nor annointed with the holy Oyle c. no not so much as knowing that there was a Sabbath c. and living most agreeable to the Gospel Concerning the First day Ignatius was of this minde that both the Seventh and First dayes was to be observed these are his words After we have thus kept the Sabbath Ignat. l. 8. let every one that loveth Christ keep the Lords day Festival the Resurrection day the Queen and Empress of all dayes wherein our life was raised again and death was overcome by our Lord and Saviour Justin Martyr saith upon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation as being the First day wherein God separated the Light from the Darkness Just Mart. Created the World and Jesus Christ our Saviour rose again from the Dead Augustine saith The Lords day was made known to us Christians by the Aug. Ep. 119. Resurrection and from that began to be accounted holy Read this yet know all th' Antients did not say One self same thing 'bout th' First or Seventh day FINIS
that I know of but this kinde of speech when used with respect to Laws is appropriate to such as were temporary and ordained upon some special occasion for the Church as such and hence Circumcision is called a sign or token of the Covenant Rom. 4. Gen. 17. Now let us consider wherein the Sabbath was a sign that so we may the better perceive to whom it was given First then it was a sign of Israels cleansing from sin to which Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. do well agree shewing that the Sabbath was a sign that Israel might know that the Lord did sanctifie them here it is plainly of a Sacramental use and appropriate to the Church it is a sign between me and you i. e. between me as your God and you as my Church Secondly The Sabbath was a sign of remembrance that Israel should remember they were once bondmen in Aegypt where convenient rest was denied them and that now they should let their servants rest as well as themselves Deut. 5. 15. Thirdly It was a sign that the true sabbathizing is to take up our Rest by faith in Christ Heb. 4. As for the thousand years Rest at Christs second coming and eternal Rest in Heaven of which some would have the Sabbath to be a sign or Type I will not insist upon them because I have not yet met with clear Texts to satisfie me therein But admit the Sabbath for a sign in all these respects yet will it not prejudice but rather strengthen us in saying the Seaventh-days-sabbath was Ceremonial and particular in respect of the persons to whom it was given For first The Sabbath could not be a sign to all men or the World universally that They were sanctified because in the time of the Law the whole World except the Jewish Nation was counted unclean that is to say unsanctified Secondly Neither could the Sabbath be a sign literally or spiritually to the whole World of their deliverance out of Aegyptian bondage for literally the whole World was never in Aegypt and spiritually they are not yet delivered from the bondage thereof 1 John 5. 19. Thirdly The Sabbath could not be a sign to the whole World of their entring into rest by Faith in Christ because as such they are and ever were in unbelief Fourthly Neither could the Sabbath be a sign to the whole World in either of the two last respects sith as such they have no part in the first resurrection nor yet in that eternal Inheritance of the Saints in Light From these Considerations it may appear that the Sabbath was never given as a sign to all men and thence I conclude it was never given to all men For the more ready discerning the meaning of this Ground or Reason I will digest it into this Syllogism Those to whom the Sabbath was given to them 't was a sign of their present sanctification But it was no sign of the present sanctification of the whole World Therefore it was never given to the whole World therefore of no moral consideration therefore Ceremonial The sixth Reason The Festivals of the Iews was Cerimonial and therefore the Seventh-day-Sabbath was Ceremonial Thus saith the Lord The Feasts of the Lord which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations even these are my feasts Six daies shall work be done but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest an holy convocation ye shall do no work therein it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings The fourteenth day of the first month is the Lords Passeover and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened-bread in the first day ye shall have an holy convocation c. We learn from these Scriptures that as the Passeover so the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath was a feast unto the Jews and equally called the feast of the Lord and therefore reasonably to be concluded to be one and the same Ceremonial consideration and by consequence to vanish or terminate with them If this be denied let us see what will follow we must then hold that some of the Jewish feasts were Moral and perpetual and so obligatory to such as had not the Law as well as to those that had it Or else that the Sabbath was delivered as a feast to the Jews but not so to the rest of mankinde but the first of thâ—se can never be proved as I conceive and if the latter be accepted it must be proved which I take to be a very difficult undertaking and if it could be proved it will confirm what we have said at least in part because it will evince the Seventh-day-Sabbath to be Ceremonial to that part of Mankinde to whom it was delivered as a Feast And here it may well be enquired from what ground men do now pretend to keep the Seventh-day-Sabbath according to the Law of Moses and yet keep it not as a Feast of the Lord in all their dwellings And because we see here the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath reckoned with the Ceremonial Feasts of the Jews it will not be impertinent here to add a parralel between the Seventh-day-Sabbath and the yearly Sabbath as also the Sabbath of years that so we may the better discern it to be of a Ceremonial consideration To begin with the Institution Most certain it is that no mention is made in the book of God of the observation of any of these Sabbaths neither weekly nor annual c. until the seed of Abraham became a Nation to whom the Law of all the Sabbaths was given by Moses neither is the Seventh-day-Sabbath the first in observation for the Passeover in which were Sabbaths of rest was in use before it and the rest followed * As for that passage Gen. 2. which some conceive to enforce the institution of the Seventh-day-Sabbath from the beginning and others conceive it to speak of the Sabbath only by a prolepsis or anticipation I shall omit at this time being satisfied first that if it were even then instituted which I do not grant yet would it not necessarily binde all the world to the perpetual solemnity of the seventh day of every week nor in the least infer the time to be of a Moral consideration seeing the Almighty was at liberty to give either a positive or Ceremonial Law at that time which yet might not equally extend to all persons in all times and places as indeed he seems to have done in the Law concerning the forbidden fruit But secondly I am satisfied that those who take that mention of the Sabbath Gen. 2. by a prolepsis are not without considerable grounds for so doing the Scriptures in many other cases necessarily requiring as might be shewed were it my business to prosecute the argument it The second Parallel is in the time of the continuance of these Sabbaths the Seventh-day-Sabbath having nothing in that respect above the rest as will be seen by the scriptures following For the continuance of the weekly Sabbath see Exod. 31. 16. For
the continuance of the Paschal Sabbath see Exod. 12. 14. For the continuance of Penticost Sabbath see Lev. 23. 21. For the continuance of the Expiation Sabbath see Lev. 23. 31 For the continuance of the Feast of Tabernacles Sabbath see Lev. 23. 41. The third parallel is in the Service of these Sabbaths and that I have shewed already wherein it appears that the Services of the annual Sabbaths was not onely greater than those of the weekly but to be done as exactly yea though they fell upon the seventh day Numb 28 29. chap. The fourth Parallel is of forbearing Labour which was as strictly to be observed on the yearly as on the weekly Sabbaths Exod. 31. 14. compared with Lev. 23. 30. The fifth Parallel of the time to begin to keep the Sabbath ' which is supposed to be the evening before but in this the annual Sabbaths are not onely equal to the weekly but indeed the pattern for of one of them onely it is said from Even to Even shall you sanctifie your Sabbath Lev. 23. 32. The sixth Parallel is of the Penalties which was death and was as well the penalty for breach of the yearly Sabbaths as for breach of the seventh-day-Sabbath Lev. 23. 30. * Note that these words in the Texts that soul shall be cut off from his people is meant of the Magistrates executing the Law for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath and then why not in the other cases also And although it be not exprest that the Magistrate must execute the penalty for breach of the yearly Sabbath yet it may be gathered that hee must do it See and compare these Scriptures Exod. 30. 28. * Note that these words in the Texts that soul shall be cut off from his people is meant of the Magistrates executing the Law for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath and then why not in the other cases also and Exod. 31. 14. * Note that these words in the Texts that soul shall be cut off from his people is meant of the Magistrates executing the Law for breach of the Seventh-day-Sabbath and then why not in the other cases also And this may serve as an answer to some when they did us shew that the penalty of death was ever to be inflicted upon the breakers of any Law but the moral Law Nor is this the onely instance for the holy Persume might not be imitated under pain of Death Exod. 30. 28. Neither might man or beast so much as touch the holy Mount but be punished by stoning or by being thrust through with a Dart Exod. 19. 23. compared with 12 and 13. verses of the same chapter The seventh and last Parallel shall be of the Sabbath of years in which we may observe that at the giving thereof to Israel the Lord gave them the bread of three years the year before the Sabbathical year as he gave them the bread of two daies before the sabbath-Sabbath-day Now let it be considered what sollid Reason there remains for the continuation of the seventh-day-seventh-day-Sabbath more than for the yearly Sabbaths and Sabbath of years sith there is no more express prohibition of the one than the other in the Scriptures except in Col. 2. 16. Where in truth the seventh-day-Sabbath is rather more expressly prohibited than the rest and seeing we do as constantly enjoy the time of first fruits in-gathering c. as the Jews did wherein they held holy Sabbathisms to rejoyce before the Lord for all the good things wherewith he blessed them it might very justly be enquired of some why they observe not these solemnities together with the seventh-seventh-day The seventh Reason The Observation of the seventh-day-seventh-day-Sabbath according to the Law of Moses cannot stand without the Execution of the Penalty of death upon such as break it Were it not so it should not be the religious Observation of the day which is in it self a thing tollerable and about which Christians need not judge one another I say were it onely this it should not offend me But now these which stand for the observation of the seventh-day according to the Law of Moses do also stand for the penalty of death to be inflicted upon such as they judge wilful breakers thereof confessing even in their printed Books that the reason why they do not execute that penalty is Because they are no Magistrates Stennet against Russel So then it seems such men want but opportunity and doubtless by how much men are the more zealous by so much they would drive the more furiously and indeed S. J. doth peremptorily conclude that such their proceedings if Magistrates would be no more an act of Persecution than killing a Murtherer in our daies by the hand of a Magistrate can be termed Persecution We see then there is cause to fay as sometimes we have said that this present Sabbath-Doctrine doth bring in with it a state of Persecution In which we have deliverd no Fable of our own for beside the light of reason by which we are in some measure able to judge of the consequence of mens tenents mine ears are mine evidence that putting the case those men were Magistrates we must either submit to their government concerning the Sabbath c. or else seek a place where we might enjoy our liberty to which as formerly even so now I answer that is much what the same liberty which is granted us now It is a maxime to be wel heeded that Truth hath no bad consequences but admit once this Sabbath Principle in the penal part and then we must admit of all the penalties once due for breach of the three precedent Commands and then must all Blasphemers and Idolaters be destroyed their Cities and substance consumed by fire Deut. 13. and then the lives of the greatest part of men must be ascribed to the sin of the Magistrates But would this proceeding be like a Gospel dispensation wherein God is suffering the contradiction of sinners against himself and waits if peradventure his long-suffering may lead them to repentance as it did Saul who was once a Blasphemer c. In whom God shewed forth a pattern of his patience to those who should live after Wherefore fith the Execution of the said penalties are inconsistent with Gods clemency in Christ in this day of his Gospel patience we therefore dare not subscribe to the Doctrine of the present Sabbath-keepers concerning their Sabbath-observation The substance of S. J. his Answer to this Reason is this That we are like those that run into the fire to keep from burning into the water to keep from drowning to kill because we must be killed for our pains to approve of Man-stealing because death is the due punishment for that sin and here he laies us under non-sense foolishness c. together with these absurdities To which I reply that the dis-ingenuity of these retortings will appear if it be considered First that we distinguish of commands according to the time or dispensation
in its observation as it hath been frequently dispensed with in very low cases of Necessity insomuch that the saving the life of a beast is preferred before its observation as to the point of time the seaventh-day and then much more in cases of necessity which concern the life of a man insomuch that I conceive there was never yet a Sabbath-day but it was broken and that by lawful cases of necessity I say Lawful cases considering the cases still by the Moral Law notwithstanding the Law of the Sabbath in the ceremony thereof to the contrary No man that reads the Scriptures can lightly be ignorant how much our Saviour insisteth upon cases of Necessity as sufficient Answers to those whoever carped at his doings on the Sabbath-day whose conclusion was that he was not of God because he kept not the Sabbath And certainly if we consider the fourth Precept according to the letter of that Law our Saviour both did and commanded to be done some things utterly inconsistent with the sabbathical observation of the seaventh-day as appears by comparing Jer. 17. 22. with John 5. 8. 9 10 11 12. John 9. 14. Hence it is plain that our Saviour went further then cases of necessity in the non-observation of the Sabbath sith there was no necessity for the Lame to carry his bed on the sabbath-day nor yet for our Saviour to make Clay on the Sabbath sith he frequently wrought Cures by the words of his lips and could have done it on the Sabbath as well as at other times I conceive therfore it was his pleasure to do thus on the Sabbath-days that he might hereby give some intimation of the abrogation of the Sabbath as he did the like concerning other ceremonial observations for Example his eating with Publicans and sinners as also his taking persons off from their esteem of the sanctity of one place above another thereby fore-shewing that he would take John 4. away that sanctity which had been ascribed to the Jewish Nation above the Gentiles and to Jorusalem above Samaria and then why not the same kind of sanctity ascribed to one day above another I say the same kind of sanctity for certainly the seaventh-day hath no real sanctity in it above any other day no more than the Jewish Nation had above any other Nations or the City Jerusalem above Samaria the holinesse in all these being only Ceremonial Of this Reason S. J. takes no notice therefore I proceed to the next The fourth Reason Thus saith the Lord to the Christian Church Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy-day or the new Col. 2. 16. Moons or of the Sabbath-dayes which are a shadow of good things to come but the body is of Christ From these words it appears that not only the holy dayes yeatly to be observed by the Jews which are confest on all hands to be Ceremonial but also the Sabbath dayes * It is a poor shift to except against the supplement days in Col. 2. 16. Sith in other Texts the like supplements are allowed but if the supplement were omitted yet the word Sabbath is comprehensive enough themselves were with the rest to pass away as a shadow when Christ the Body was come which will yet more fully appear by Hebr. 4. from the 3d. verse to the 12. where it is evident that the seaventh-day-sabbath is reckoned among other legal Types for here Israels Rest in Canaan and the seaventh-dayes Rest are both made Typical of our entring into rest by faith in Christ wherefore let all that are entred into rest by faith in him take heed how they stand upon this sabbathical shadow least they know not how to avoid other things which though Legal shadows will claim a place with it The substance of S. J. his Answer to this Reason is this If the Seaventh-day which is the pillar of the fourth Precept be one of these shadows mentioned Col. 2. 16. how can the fourth Command be Moral as is granted by the Author of the Reasons I Reply First it is worth observing how the circumstance of time is made the Pillar of the Precept which may so many ways be dispensed with as hath been shewed But must wee think the pillar of a Moral Precept must give place to the the preservation of an Oxe or an Asse Not so for I shewed before that other moral Laws admit not of such Dispensations in nocase of Necessity for a mans own preservation And how this Precept may be held meral notwithstanding the abrogation of the Circumstance of time I have already shewed Nor is this the only precept which may thus be distinguished upon for certainly it is Moral duty to relieve the poor and the stranger yet this may be done without letting the corners of our fields be unmown our Grapes ungleaned or the paying of Tythes all which was once assigned by the Law of God as the portion of the poor and stranger Add hereunto as before observed the maintenance of such as minister the Word which is moral duty yet the set portion of Tythes or the tenth part of every mans increase once due by the law of God are not necessarily to be paid for which I am of opinion as much may be said as for the observation of the Seventh-day for the tenth part of our Substance seems to be as equal a proportion as the seventh part of our time the ends for both are equally remaining the law for both equally obliging but I will not insist further being well satisfied Christians are made free from these impositions and yet stand engaged to do their duties both towards God the Poor and his Ministers The fifth Reason The Seventh-day-Sabbath was a sign of their Sanctification to whom it was given therefore of a Ceremonial nature and not given to all men Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. Thus saith the Lord speak thou also to the Children of Israel saying verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that you may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you Hence it appears that as other holy or if I may so speak Sacramental constitutions are peculiar to the Church and not delivered to all men even so the Sabbath was peculiar to the Church of the Jews as for the stranger among them c. their resting was no more a Sabbathizing than the resting of the Cattle and so not to be accounted a divine solemnization of the Sabbath for how could it be a sign that the Lord did sanctifie the world in general who had no part in such priviledges they being without God without hope and strangers and aliens from the Covenants of Promises Ephes 2. 12. Again from this form of speech It shall be a sign or it is a sign It appears that the Sabbath is Ceremonial because such Laws as are Moral and imprinted in the heart of man are no where called signs