Text reads it And vindicated That Law which said and that the Article ὠwill agree to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is exprest in the verse before as well as to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is not named we answer This variation will neither prejudice our cause nor our Argument at all if it be rightly considered For of what Law speakes the Apostle It must needs be granted of the written Law Where say we either in the Book of Moses at large or particularly in the Decalogue and so in the two Tables of stone Not the former for then the forementioned Ceremonious Iew might again have come upon him with this That Law which sayth Thou shalt not kill sayth also Thou shalt not eat swines flesh so by eating swines flesh a man is a transgressor and breaker of the whole Law For this is as well found in the Law of Moses written by him as the other Therefore of necessity it must be meant of the Decalogue the Law of the Tenne Commandements considered as one Law together and so though the severall Commandements be so many distinct branches with reference to each other Yet are they joyned in one bulk and body together as one perpetuall Law as spoken altogether and written altogether and that in such a manner as no other Lawes were Neither will it be possible to satisfie the Apostles drift and make his argument good unlesse we thus interpret it And therefore we must needs take Liberty to account both Papists transgressours for breaking the 2d. Commandement Because he that said or that Law that said Thou shalt have no other Gods but me said also Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image And so our adversaries transgressours for breaking the fourth Commandement Because he that said or that Law that said Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain said also Remember the Sabbath Day to Sanctifie it c. Prim. p. 180. 181. Nor is this place eluded by the answers which one of our adversaries attempts or rather makes a shew to give it For he meddles not at all with the Force of the Apostles argumentation But insists principally upon the words of offending in one point having first denied the inobservation of the Sabbath to be under the New Testament a sinne because the Law so farre as it commands the Sabbath obligeth not any more Mean time he touches not at all in his answer the strength of the reason whereby the Apostle proves his sentence But contrary in the allegation of our argument he enervates both it and the Text it selfe particularly viz. The scope of it namely by altering the Apostles words and instead of instancing in two Commandements of the Decalogue as the Apostle doth vers 11. wherein we place the strength of our argumentation as we have said before he only generally saith and that in another Character then the Text is in as if it were our inference not the Apostles The same God which injoynes the one of these Points hath injoyned all the rest By which generall expression because a heedlesse reader may happen to be deceived we make bold to aske him what points be those the Apostle means Did not he himself say for us that he speaks of the Law of the Decalogue and if he would deny it the instances vers 11. will constraine him again to grant it whereupon we urge him thus further If Saint James speake of the Decalogue then of the words of the Decalogue as God said them or as the Law said them as they were spoken by God and written by him And if so then either he must deny the fourth Commandement to have been with the rest spoken by God and written by him or deny Saint Iames his argument that because one Commandement of the Decalogue binds now therefore another doth or deny his own denyall that the fourth Commandement in the very words of it is now in force let him take his choice And if now himself or any for him think to urge us by the same argument to the old Jewish seventh Day as commanded by the fourth Commandement which they do oft and continually we must as oft and continually deny that it was commanded in the Decalogue directly and as the substance of the fourth Commandement and of this we shall give good account in due time and place Mean time we let passe the residue of what he saith to this place of Saint Iames because it goes altogether upon that supposition And counting our selves to have made good our two first Testimonies of the Prophet and Apostle we come to a Third of an ancient Father Namely Irenaeus who thus speakes for us God 3. Irenaeus ◠4. c. 31. the better to prepare us to Eternall Life did by himselfe proclaime the Decalogue to all the people equally which therefore is to be of full force amongst us as having rather been enlarged then dissolved by our Saviours comming in the flesh Upon which words the Historians evasion is frigide and flash when thus he glosses Hist of Sab. Part 1. p. 66. Which words of Irenaeus if rightly considered must be referred to that part of the fourth Commandement which is indeed Morall or else the fourth Commandement must not be reckoned as a part or member of the Decalogue because it did receive no such enlargment as did the rest of the Commandements by our Saviours Preaching but a Dissolution rather by his practise But this Glosse corrupts the Text making an exception where the Father made none and besides it proceeds upon a misprision of the sence and scope of that Commandement supposing the seventh day Sabbath to be directly commanded in it and one in seven to be but Ceremoniall whereas the contrary we hope shall be manifested in both which if it be done this Commandement hath as well received enlargement as the rest By the substitution of the Lords-day in stead of the old Sabbath and the Religious observation of it But of this in time and place convenient 4. The adverse party themselves C. D. p. 8. Lastly One even of our Adversaries thus pleads our cause The Precepts of the Morall Law are summarily comprehended in the Decalogue which have this Prerogative peculiar to them that they were delivered not by Moses but by God himselfe and by him written in Tables of stone and preserved in the Ark to shew their degnity above others and to note out the Perpetuitie note that of observance which was due unto them This is an ingenuous confession if he would be constant to it But whether it be his misprision or his misdevotion to the fourth Commandement he afterward comes in with his Exceptions That this is to be understood of the Decalogue as far as it is Morall Though in so saying he doth either expresly contradict himselfe or speak non-sense in one of these Assertions But because this Exception lies chiefly against the fourth Commandement we will remit
himselfe to be determined unto by some vow of his owne or Gods command or some Superiours whom he dare not disobey So that whatsoever is left indeterminate to such is to be reckoned as nothing as never any of it imployed for God and the soule Therefore the determination of the Continuance and Frequencie of Time for Religion is so Profitable that it cannot be too large or too frequent if it leave but enough for bodily necessities and and other necessary worldly occasions Religion also being the chiefe and most necessary businesse as hath beene said 2. But now for the Quando XIX 2. The season or order of beginning hath of it selfe no substantiall profitablenesse toward Religion though accidentally it may have some or Season of Beginning what day of any number of dayes or what houre or part of any day there being no validity or efficacie in it indeterminately and voluntarily applyed to Religion as we have also shewed unlesse meerely by accident A determination of it is no further profitable then as it may Accidentally serve to secure the other respects of Continuance and Frequencie before determined As if some hours foure or six of a day were determined It is profitable that the beginning be determined somewhat early that so interruptions may not prevent the observation of so many hours Also if a whole day be determined as for solemne humiliation once a quarter It is profitable to determine some particular day some while at least before hand least interruptions of busines not so well ordered as might have been upon foresight of such a day determined do disturbe the orderly and religious observation of it even by himselfe alone Also so farre as in any other accidentall respect a man can foresee any helpe on such a day or houre or the freedome of his owne spirits or better disposition of body or the like it may be profitable to him to determine such a season of beginning for himselfe Otherwise it is not ordinarily profitable at all what particular season whether it be this day or that the first or third or seventh or tenth of that revolution or this or that houre or beginning of such Continuance that is before determined God nor the Soule gaine not nor loose not either way XX. The Quando season or order of Time that is the particular dayes may be accidentally profitabâ—y determined namely to preserve the memoriall of some worke of God on such a day and accordingly to helpe to affect with thankfulnesse specially when appointed by God to that purpose But we must not forget that in Religion or toward it that is toward some particular Consideration in Religion there may be some Accidentall profit in some determination of the Quando or Season of Beginning some solemne Worship like unto which there is nothing for study or any civill businesse which we toucht in the beginning of the foregoing Chapter Namely some Memoriall of a speciall worke of God done upon that season that day Of which sort God instituted divers under the Old Testament undeniably and we say he did also one such Day under the New Testament the first Day of the weeke cald therefore the Lords Day in stead of the Old Seventh Day-Sabbath which was in memory of Christs rest from the worke of redemption as the former of Gods rest from the worke of Creation And men also both under the Old and New Testament have instituted some particular dayes in memoriall of Gods workes as upon such dayes as the dayes of purim in the booke of Ester and the feast of the dedication mentioned Joh. 10.22 and instituted in the Time of the Maccabees as we read 1. Mac. 4.59 And no man doubts but the Christian Church hath instituted divers such dayes of memoriall Our Adversaries affirming it even of the Lords Day it selfe But that we shall dispute with them about in due season Now for the profit of these institutions so farre and so long as God commanded or commands yet any there is no doubt some profit in that by a spirituall blessing even upon that day above another not commanded by him All his Ordinances being ever accompanied with a blessing unto and upon the right observers of them and accordingly at the very first institution of the Seventh Day Sabbath God is said to blesse it as well as to sanctifie it Nay first to blesse it then to sanctifie it though it was doubtles the same act as of purpose to secure the blessing to the observers of its sanctification Gen. 2.3 And withall it may serve in a degree to quicken not the memory only but the affections also toward God for such a benefit as the Worlds Creation and so for the other benefits of which some other dayes were appointed memorialls Gods command certainly make these memorials lively and operative for these purposes so long as he would have them to be so used XXI How far and in what case the Quando or particular day appointed by man only for a memoriall of any worke or benefit of God may be Profitable As for dayes instituted by men for memorials some little profit there may also be in determining the particular day in a revolution as somewhat serving to quicken and affect the mind with the occasion But then this must also be where it is certaine and clear that the day determined is answerable to the day of the benefit Or else if that be doubted of it is like to affect but very little indeed And the services also of the Day must be specially and affectingly applied to the occasion of the memoriall Or else again there will be very little if at all any profit by the determination of such a particular day Likewise it is to be remembred that upon the particular Dayes which God instituted under the Old Testament XXII The Quando or particular dayes appointed by God under the Old Testament were ordained by Him partly for a Typicall signification and so also had an accidentâ—ll profit But it is not 〈◊〉 with any under the New Testament appointed by God and much lesse of any appointed by Men. He was pleased to put some particular typicall signification relating to Christ the body of all those shadowes as the Apostle generally tells us of them all Col. 2.16 So that He made them for the time being for that infancie of the Church yet more profitable in this consideration of being Documents of some of the Mysteries of Christ In which use no Day appointed by Man of old ever did or could serve for any Profit Neither doth any Day now either of Gods or much lesse of Mans appointment God having put an end to all Typicall uses by the comming of Christ in the flesh and His suffering and resurrection But we say before His comming even the Quando or seasons of Times determined by God had some profit in them in those two Considerations and the Lords day hath still as a memoriall appointed by
world we must rather yeeld God and our soules six of seven or more even all then rest in such a scanty proportion and give the world so much but by vertue of the Indulgence in the fourth Commandement which without all question cannot be longer lived then the Commandement it selfe let them consider it and tell us their mindes when they are resolved of an answer Meane while LXXI 4. There is a blessing of God required to make any proportion of Time sufficient we intreate them to take a fourth consideration along with them or a further confirmation as we may call it of this last though it hath somewhat distinct as will appeare For 4. Besides the Commands requiring the mainest part of our Time for Religion and God as we have seen There is to be considered a Blessing necessary to make any proportion and distribution of Time lesse then all to be sufficient for mens soules And this we are put in mind of by the very first mention of Gods determining a particular Time Gen. 2. under the terme of Blessing which also the Commandement emphatically repeates and Esay particularly comments upon as we shall see We say whatsoever Time is taken out of the whole and allotted by Indulgence to worldly businesse doth not nor cannot leave the residue how great soever the proportion be sufficient for mens soules but by vertue of speciall blessing upon that proportion of Time which is determined for soules be it more or lesse And this Blessing comming only from God the determined proportion must be also from Him for Religion which of it selfe gives assurance of an answerable blessing according to the intendment of that Time even though there should be no distinct mention of a Blessing which yet as we said God hath annexed to His determination of a Weekly Sabbath for the chiefe Time for Religion even from the beginning But without such expresse and particular determination from God or an expresse promise of Blessing on the proportion which men or the Church shall determine whatever it be which is no where to be found in Scripture We have no manner of ground to conceit a Blessing on any proportion of Time that can be determined by men for Religion to make that sufficient for mens soules A Blessing we say beyond the proportion of that which might be expected from so long and so often attendance on Religion a multiplying Blessing in the nature of Christs blessing the five loaves and two fishes to feed more by many then the naturall proportion could possibly give hopes of So that the attendance on God one Day in seven which is the Time in question shall be blessed beyond an ordinary Dayes service if it were not specially appointed by God and have a stronger influence on all the other sixe Dayes of the Week following then could be expected from so much Time spent in Religion simply considered as so much Time And without such a Blessing upon the consecrated solemne Time the soule would still be leane hungry and even starve for want of a sufficient proportion of Time by reason of its manifold continuall necessities faintings decayes and temptations So that whatever our Adversaries dispute against the Commandement of God we conceive they dispute against their own participation of a Blessing upon whatsoever Time is determined and observed by men themselves or others And that a certainer Blessing may be rested on in the observation of one Day in seven as from Gods determination then in two Dayes in seven three Dayes nay sixe Dayes in seven at mans appointment For here still would be uncertainty whether this proportion were sufficient But Gods command which in all His Ordinances hath eternally a Blessing annexed to the right observers is sure and certaine to convey a Blessing and make a sufficiencie for the chiefe Time in which Consciences may abundantly rest and satisfie themselves And this we are fully perswaded God meant to signifie to us when Gen. 2. at the first mention of His consecrating a solemne Time He saith The Lord blessed the seventh Day and sanctified it A Day or any other such creature is capable of no other Blessing then to be made a meanes of Blessing to the right users of it according to Gods command And observe that because God saw that the encouragement of a Blessing was greatly necessary in this matter He saith not the Lord sanctified the seventh Day and blessed it But the Lord blessed and sanctified First blessed and then sanctified Though we cannot tell how to conceive the Blessing without the Sanctification going before or at least concurrent yet God to shew more abundantly his goodnesse and graciousnesse both in challenging this proportion to himselfe of one Day in seven and allowing by His indulgence sixe Dayes of seven for worldly occasions He puts the Blessing foremost and so He doth also remarkably in the fourth Commandement where having expresly allowed the indulgence of six Dayes for worldly work after He had challenged a seventh Day for a Sabbath for Himselfe He repeats His own example of sixe Dayes work and then His blessing a Sabbath a seventh Day and sanctifying it Why so but to assure us that a happy Blessing should attend the conscionable observation of this Sabbath of one Day in seven that though it were so little a proportion yet it should be ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time And all the sixe Dayes between the revolutions of this Sabbath one Day in seven should taste of the good gotten on that Day The strength of it lasting in mens soules from Sabbath to Sabbath with a little of each Day besides as was said formerly and they should by it principally grow in grace and spirituall comfort in God towards eternall life notwithstanding all their ordinary and great interruptions of worldly businesses on the Working Dayes And upon this we have as it seems to us LXXII The Text of Isa 56.2 expounded the Evangelical Prophet Isa a clear pertinent commentator interpreter as we toucht before and that in two Chapters of his Prophesie towards the latter end where he is much if not altogether upon the Times of the Gospel Let us see what he saith to our purpose c. 56. 58. In the former place calling all sorts to Gods Covenant and particularly to the observation of the Sabbath he begins with Blessed is the man that doth this and the son of man that layes hold on it that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it v. 2. Then encouraging the Eunuchs though persons under a kind of legall curse in those dayes to this observation he promiseth them from God an everlasting name better then of sons and of daughters a name which should not be cut off that is a spirituall blessing on their soules and an owning them for His true and faithfull servants v. 3 4 5. And againe encouraging the strangers the Heathen outwardly as yet without the Covenant of Grace to come in and sanctifie the
all allow it in their minds to be necessary specially not the whole Day in any wise but even scarcely the publique houres of it and much lesse do they thinke any other Times to be necessary or scarcely so much as convenient to be ordinarily bestowed upon Religion as not delighting in God and so the Time they attend upon Him is rather a Penance then a delight a torment then a comfort to them As their language and carriage do more then enough proclaime The blessing then of this Text is happy and cleare also as we suppose Let Consciences judge LXXIV An exception answered But ere we part with this last place besides the former cavill of a typicall mysticall or spirituall sence and that seventh Day-Sabbath which from the former answer may be sufficiently satisfied considering still the nature of the chiefe solemne Time we must not misse taking notice that some even of our Orthodox Divines in point of the Sabbath do interpret this place Esay 58. of a Fast which they say hath the nature of a Sabbath and indeed the yearly fast of Gods appointment Lev. 23. the Day of Expiation is called a Sabbath and they give this reason that in the beginning of the Chapter the Prophet speakes of a Fast and so they judge he doth here at the latter end D. Ames Medul Theol. lib. 2. c. 15. Sect. And one of chiefe note in this matter of the Sabbath seemes somewhat strangely to enervate the strength of that 13. ver which we have alledged for the strict observation of the Sabbath leaving doubtfull whether it be meant of the ordinary Sabbath or a solemne Fast and as far as we can understand even contradicting himself within a few lines in the explicating that thirteenth verse as the judicious Reader may observe But to answer to all this briefly We say 1. That these Divines Sol. though they think the Sabbath secured for all this interpretation of this Text by a Fast and even by it For say they Such strictnesse belongs to a Fast but as it is a Sabbath and so if it be to be so observed a Sabbath much more Do yet afford a wrangler too much advantage in that they wave the clearest place against worldly words and thoughts on the Sabbath that is any where in Scripture And if an opposer should say as they will that a Solemne Fast is to be more strict then a Sabbath that very fasting being a strictnesse which includes divers things in it from which eating and specially dressing any meate on the Sabbath loosens a man they would not so easily convince such as they think that all this belongs to an ordinary Sabbath but only an extraordinary which is also a Fast Although for our parts we hold that the nature of Religious Time as the Sabbath was doth infallibly extend both as words and thoughts But this is not usually taken notice of 2. But further for the thing it selfe as it is no argument Sol. 2. that because the Prophet speakes of a Fast in the beginning of the Chapter therefore he doth so in the end also For it is most usuall in Scripture and particularly in the Prophets to go from one matter to another without any solemne preface So 3. It seemes to us to be cleare Sol. 3. that the contents of our last translation of the Bible doe rightly and distinctly analise this Chapter and lay out the parts of it to be evidently foure severall matters 1. A reproofe of Hypocrisie vers 1.2 2. An expression of a counterfeit fast and a true vers 3. to 8. 3. Promises to godlinesse in generall vers 8. to 13. 4. Lastly Promises to the keeping of the Sabbath vers 13.14 Or if any list to extend the promises in the former verses to a right Fasting Yet is there no reason to confine these two last to that matter For 4. It is not likely Sol. 4. that having before vilified a Dayes Fasting vers 5. even though with outward strictnesse and afflicting the soule too he would make such splendide promises as vers 14. containes againe to that Dayes observance specially not intituling it by its ordinary Name but borrowing the Name Sabbath for it Sol. 5. 5. But above all if it be rightly considered what glorious promises are here made as we said and that emphatically to the keeping of a Day named Gods holy Day or a weekly Sabbath usually bearing the title of Gods Holy Sabbath and Gods Sabbath every where and to the calling it the Day a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable c. It is no way probable that this can be meant of a Day rarely comming about when there was a weekely Day to which all these Titles properly belonged and that it is ten times twenty times more signe of godlinesse to sanctifie the Sabbath constantly weekly then to observe an extraordinary Fast Day once in a yeere and God had appointed no more and if in Time of speciall feare or danger Gods providence or Prophets also called to another Day yet still this was but a small matter compared with the piety and devotion of a constant weekely Sabbath A worldling in feare and distresse may possibly call one such Fast-day a delight c. but not a weekely Sabbath whose sudden revolution over-suddaine a great deale for worldly minds to delight in its comming will try the best spirit that is And while worldlings language at least in their hearts is When will the Sabbath be gone He had need be a godly man in earnest that can in the presence of God constantly call it a delight wish it come and delight in it being come and observe it as is here exprest with supposition too of humane frailties And therefore there is much more reason to take it properly for the weekely Sabbath then improperly for an extraordinary and seldome observed Fast Sol 6. 6. Whereunto we may in the last place adde that the 14 verse doth not only continue the spirituall blessing forenoted upon particular persons but a most high and rich and full promise unto the whole Nation that should observe the Day there spoken of Now what likelihood is there that a whole Nation should be so remarkably encouraged to observe one particular single Day in a yeere or so for still we say the emphasis in the 13. verse is clearely to observe the Day spoken of what ever it be and not rather to observe the weekely Sabbath Of which both our Prophet and Jer. c. 17. and Ezek. c. 20.22 23. and other places of Scripture speake so much with all earnestnesse of promises and threatnings and mentions of judgements even relating to the whole Nation as we have formerly toucht in our Epistle Dedicatory where also we have given a memorandum of Gods most gracious fulfilling this promise to our Nation ever since we held forth the Doctrine of the Sabbath professedly Which blessing we trust and heartily pray we shall never be so
32. It is said They are the Lords His part His tribute And so the payment of them was a speciall Homage to Him an immediate Honour a part of worship And that which is specially to be noted antecedent to any particular use which He meant to put them to and whereto He did afterward apply them sc the maintenance of His Priests Levites For this we read not of till Num. 18. which was divers yeers after Whereupon it is there and elsewhere said That the Lord is the portion of Levi that is Levi should enjoy the Lords portion of Tithes as also of Offerings But this use of them was secondary and we doe not say that in this considration the payment of them was properly Worship For it was not immediately to Gods honour but only mediate in as much as those Levites that were maintained by them were Gods Ministers That which made them Parts of Worship was antecedent as we said to this Namely Gods challenging them as His portion His own primarily and originally though now making the Levites His receivers Hence the witholding them is called robbing of God not defrauding or robbing the Levites Mal. 3. And if we understand aright This is that Sacrilege mentioned Rom. 2. where after the Apostle had twice said Thou breakest the same Commandements thou teachest others not to break Stealing and committing Adulterie he adds Thou that abhorrest Idols or Images dost thou commit Sacriledge Dost thou break the same Commandement viz. the second robbing God of part of His Worship by detaining His portion of Tithes However to be sure they were His portion formerly and so a part of His worship 3. And so was that share which God reserved to Himselfe out of the Midianites spoiles The Lords Heave-offering v. 29.41 Num. 31. which is called the Lords tribute the Lords portion And was His a part of homage to Him a part of His worship on that occasion antecedently to the speciall use He afterward allotted that also to be disposed of by Eleazar the Priest as we there read Now if these things by this meanes became parts of Worship So is it in reason with that Time which God challenges as His tribute or peculiar portion out of all our Time It must be a part of Worship in that it is His allotted to His Honour antecedent to any particular uses which it is put to to any particular Duties of Worship which yet become the imployment of it Namely one or other of them or more than one even all the varieties of Duties doe actually imploy this Time unto Gods Honour But antecedent we say to any particular Duties the Time being Gods His portion is to His Honour immediately and a part of Worship and consequently calling for some particular Duties of Worship to help imploy it to Gods honour In a word Though it cannot be actually imployed to Gods Honour without some particular Duties yet hath it a distinct consideration abstracted from the Duties As requiring and calling for and even commanding as we said formerly of Solemne Time in generall Duties to attend it some or other And so is distinctly by and of it selfe to the Honour of God immediately as well as the Duties themselves though not actually separated from all For that is a contradiction in Religion to say That a Time can be to Gods honour and not be imployed in some Religious Duties or other But we have said enough as we conceive to illustrate and evince the Proposition of our Argument That the Time which is Gods portion is a part of VVorship The Assumption That the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion is the Time which together with the particular Day for it God requires out of all our Time out of all mens Time as His peculiar portion that is above all other Time hath been proved abundantly in the foregoing Chapters 9. 10. And this we also conceived to be meant in those words of the fourth Commandement The seventh Day or a seventh Day one Day of seven is the Sabbath or a Sabbath of the Lord thy God or to the Lord thy God namely That he being the Lord of all thy Time as of all things else that are thine hath reserved to Himself and challenges for Himself while He allowes thee six Dayes mainly for thy woâ—ldly businesse this proportion of Time of one whole day of seven The Lords Day if from Divine Authority must needs be a part of worship and more holy then other Dayes G.I. pag. 16.9 as his peculiar portion to be sanctified imployed to His immediate honour And like to this as we conceive is the meaning in the New Testament of the terme of the Lords Day it is the particular Day which he hath taken and challenges to Himself as His peculiar portion out of all the Dayes of the Weeke to be sanctified wholly to His honour whence the conclusion followes inevitably That this Time in all the respects of it is a part of Gods worship a part of the speciall homage and tribute due to Him from all men and specially accepted by Him We proceede to another Argument IX Arg. 2. It is the observation of a morall Commandement of the first tab e. Ergo. properly respecting the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Continuance and Frequency jointly Thus The obedience to and observation of a morall Commandement of the first table is a part of Gods immediate worship But the observation of the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion is the obedience to and observation of a morall Commandement of the first table Ergo The observation of this Time is a part of Gods immediate worship Both the Propositions are confessed and granted by our Disputers Prim. p. 2. Therefore they must own the child issuing from such Parents The Major is thus expressed Whatsoever is morall is universally an essentiall part of Gods service The Minor thus The morall substance of the fourth Commandement is to have a Time regulate frequent c. And generally they all speake of a sufficient Time as morall naturall It is then a part of worship a proper and essentiall part of it by their own sentence But we will a little further prove and illustrate it also by our own grounds and not depend upon them 1. For the Major we say That the Commandements of the first Table do all of them plainly concerne the immediate worship and honour of God and all the objects of those Commandements namely the things and actions outward or inward commanded in them are matters of Divine worship Therefore the obedience to those Commandements the observation of them must needs be a part of worship of our Homage to God and redound to His immediate honour For 2. Whatsoever is to be presented to God by vertue of a morall Commandement of the first table is to be Presented to Him by all men as a speciall homage they all owe to Him as when a Landlord keeping court requires all his
Sabbatum Redivivum OR THE Christian Sabbath VINDICATED IN A Full Discourse concerning the Sabbath And the LORDS DAY Wherein whatsoever hath been written of late for or against the Christian Sabbath is exactly but modestly Examined And the perpetuity of a Sabbath deduced from grounds Of Nature and Religious Reason By Daniel Cawdrey and Herbert Palmer Members Of the Assembly of Divines Divided into Foure Parts 1. Of the Decalogue in generall and other Laws of God together with the Relation of Time to Religion 2. Of the fourth Commandement of the Decalogue in speciall 3. Of the old Sabbath in particular 4. Of the Lords Day in particular The FIRST PART Ezek. 22.26 They have hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned amongst them Mark 2.28 The SONNE OF MAN is Lord also of the Sabbath London Printed by Robert White for Thomas Vnderhill and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bible in Woodstreete 1645. The License THis Treatise entituled Sabbatum Redivivum Or the Christian Sabbath vindicated as in my opinion the most satisfactory of any I have seen and that in a point of Divinity wherein as appeares by the many Books written against it the wisdome of the flesh maintaines as great an enmity against God as in any whatsoever I recommend unto the Presse as of excellent use in these times CHARLES HERLE The Contents of the first Part. CHAP. I. OF the Term of a Morall Law and the distinction of Laws into Ceremoniall Judiciall and Morall And of Morall Laws into Naturall and Positive CHAP. II. Rules to know a Law to be Morall though but positive CHAP. III. Every Law of the Decalogue is a Morall and Perpetuall Law CHAP. IV. The Exceptions to the former Rule answered CHAP. V. Christ hath confirmed all the Commandements of the Decalogue as perpetuall Mat. 5.17 c. CHAP. VI. Solemne Worship is Morall-Naturall both Solitary and conjoyned in Families and Churches and how far CHAP. VII Generall Considerations about Time and its profitablenesse in reference to Morall actions of importance CHAP. VIII Considerations of Time in relation to Religion and the Worship of God how far it may be profitable thereunto CHAP. IX A Determinate Solemn Time for Gods Worship is Morall-Naturall and that in the first â—ommandement And what kinde and manner of Determination of Time for Religion may be proved Necessary by the Law or Light of Nature and generall Rules of Scripture CHAP. X. The Determination of the chiefe Solemn Time of Worship for all men Necessarily and Ordinarily Sufficient for the chief Time as also of the particular day for it belongs not to Men but to GOD. CHAP. XI Two Corollaries from the former Discourses about Solemne Time 1. All Times and Dayes are not equall under the Gospell 2. Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion CHAP. XII The Necessary sufficient chief Time for Religion together with the particular Day for it is a part of Worship and not a meer Adjunct or Circumstance only Errata PAge 108. Line 2. And specially c. unto the end of that Paragraph should have been inserted line 16. after the word pleases p. 136. l. 33. for much read which p. 168. l. 7. for coninuance r. continuance p. 233. l. 34. for lets r. let p. 242. l. 16. for mahomet r. Mahomet l. 33. for if r. If p. 260. l. 19. for puplique r. publique p. 261. l. 17. after of r. it p. 266. l. 32. for Chhistian r. Christian p. 273. l. 3. for Pimitive r. Primitive p. 274. l. 25. for justification r. institution p. 275. l. 12. for possibilies r. possibilities p. 276. l. 33. for Apostle r. Apostles p. 277. l. 4. for the r. that p. 282. l. 23. for ver 16. r. ver 14. p. 283. l. 25. blot out not p. 296. l. 30. for them r. that l. 36. for charity r. Charybdis p. 305. l. 13. for mianly r. mainly p. 314. l. 5. for referoed r. referred p. 318. l. 27. for continue r. containe p. 322. l. 7. for oligatory r. obligatory p. 332. l. 25. for Lev. 23. r. Lev. 27. p. 346. l. 28. for viz. r. both p. 352. l. 15. for that r. the To the Christian Reader WE are now Christian Reader to enter upon a very great work not so much in respect of the bulk and length as containing under it many controversies as in respect of the subject matter it selfe the worth and Dignity of it The vindication of the Christian Sabbath In the entrance and Preface whereunto we think it not amisse to give thee a briefe account of some particulars which may not being satisfied stand as prejudices in the reading of the following Discourse and they are these 1. What is the concernment of a Sabbath that we are so large in vindication of it 2. Why after so many books of this subject we adde any more 3. Why seeing there are three parts more this part comes forth alone without its fellowes For the first of these In reading of the Scriptures 1. The Elogies of a Sabbath we do observe that there is not any one part of Religion except but the mystery of our Redemption of which more is spoken than of the Sabbath The Elogies of it are so many that they would easily swell into a volume if we listed to enlarge our selves We shall therefore give thee but a touch or taste of the chiefest Heads 1. In Generall it is the Compendium of all Religion And first of all in generall we may call the Sabbath and the due observation of it the Compendium or Continent of all Religion Hereupon it is very observable that as the commandement of it stands in the Heart of the Decalogue as the bond of both the Tables so it is in other places of Scripture joyned with the chiefest Duties of both Of the first Table in that place You shall keep my Sabbaths Levit. 26.2 and reverence my Sanctuary Of the second Table in that other place You shall feare every man his father and his mother Levit. 19.3 Having all the Priviledges that Commend the most Substantiall Lawes in Scripture and sanctifie my Sabbaths The Law of the Sabbath hath all those priviledges that do commend any the most substantiall Lawes in Scripture It is one of the Ten spoken by God himself with Majesty and Terror written in the Tables of stone with his own finger put in the Arke by his own command together with the rest to signifie as even one of the Adversaries sayes the perpetuity of it 2. In Particular 1. The Frequent mention of it in all parts of sacred Scripture More Particularly 1. There is as frequent mention of it as of any one Commandement implying as on the one side the Importance of it so on the other Mens untowardnesse and backwardnesse in the observation of it There is no part of Scripture wherein there is not something remarkable of a Sabbath 1. In the Law or five Books
to the distances of Places But yet they may be truly said to observe the solemne Time upon that same Day some beginning a little before others and so successively one after another to the end of the 24 houres of that Day one or other would be still imployed in the solemnity of Worship according to the Dayes determination And so an amends as we may say would be made for not beginning all at an instant in that hereby the Holy Time N. B. should be observed actually and continued in actuall services full 24 houres and so no part of it wholly shrunke up by sleepe or other interruptions For still in one part or other of the World whole Countries would be in their waking Time and so in the solemnity of their devotions For demonstration of this suppose at such a Place the Day begins an houre before at another as it is really so every Day in point of light and so of midnight and noone and evening c. and this other Place sees Day an houre before another yet more Westward and so of the rest as betweene Dover and the West of Ireland they say there is an houres difference Now by that Time the first Place hath begun and gone on in solemn Worship an houre the next begins and joyns with them and so the next till it be gone round So that by the twelft houre halfe the World are in their solemne Worship Publike or Private And then the other halfe takes the turne in their order till the twentifourth houre There cannot then we say be a better way to exercise the Communion of Saints upon earth Nor is there upon earth imaginable a fuller resemblance of the great and solemne Assembly which is constantly kept in Heaven And let that be further noted in a Word that the forementioned respects of Time Continuance Frequency and Season are not in Heaven distinguishable For they in Heaven doe keepe a constant and everlasting solemne Sabbatisme as it is cald Heb. 4. whereas we poore snakes on earth are forced to waite the returnes of solemne Times The reason is they above have no other worke to doe but to serve and Worship God they are spirits without bodies we on earth have bodies to care for as well as soules we have other callings commanded us to attend on as well as on Gods solemne Worship But yet it is fit we should as neer as we can conforme to them above which we say is chiefely by this joint observance of the same particular Day and number and length all the World over for our chiefe solemne Times Whereunto may be added for a conclusion that otherwise every sover all dominion as there are many in Germany and Italy and other Countries not subordinate to one Prince or State with their neighbours but small principalities and free States might vary the particular Day were it but to shew their liberty and so such as had occasion to travell among them would be very often either forced to breake the number determined to all or else keepe within doores upon their owne solemne Day and so want the help of others and be in danger to be interrupted by others And so every where upon the borders of Countries this hazard might be All which is prevented and only so by having all in all Countries of the World the same particular Day and beginning of it as we have said And so we have at length dispatched the whole of what we judge considerable about the profit and necessity of solemne Time generally and of the chiefe Time for Religion in speciall Except by whom the determination of this chiefe Time is to be made which now followes in the next Chapter CHAP. X. The Determination of the chiefe Solemne Time of Worship for all men necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time as also of the particular day for it belongs not to men but to God 1. The question explained HItherto in the former Chapters particularly about Time we have been laying foundations of fortifications where withall to defend the Perpetuity of the fourth Commandement for a seventh Day Sabbath and the Divine institution of the Lords Day the first day of the weeke for the particular day and to batter down the opposite Mounts of our adversaries both Sabbatarians and Antisabbatarians And as we have built upward we have planted some Peeces and discharged them against their workes in such fort as we are perswaded the judicious Reader already discernes them to shake and totter But now we are about to erect a Principall Tower which if we can firmely and strongly do All men will see that we have sufficiently secured our selves and our cause from any fear of future assaults from the Antisabbatarian party And as for the Jewish Sabbatarians we doubt not but we shall also quit our selves from them in the latter parts The matter we propound to be strengthned is the position exprest in the title of the Chapter That the Determination of the chiefe Solemne Time for all men necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time as also the particular day for it belongs not to men but to God To state this clearely we must needs repeate a little of our foregoing discourses and adde a few words more for full understanding of it 1. By the chiefe Solemne Time 1. What is meant by chiefe solemne Time we meane the Continuance and Frequency jointly that is so much at once so often and so often so much Time to be observed for Religion Gods honour and the soules good in Solemne Worship and that in a convenient large Proportion in the whole and a convenient large Continuance for the various kinds of worship publike domesticke and solitary and a convement space for serious performance of severall duties in each kind together with a convenient Frequency of Revolution of such continuance So as no other proportion of Time is or can be of Equall profit with this All other being lesse large for Continuance remarkably or remarkably lesse frequent and so cannot attaine to that substantiall profitablenesse to the generall of Religion that there is in the chiefe Solemne Time we speake of 2. By the Determination of this chiefe solemne Time 2. What by determination Necessary for all men we meane The appointing it so to all men by a law as that thenceforth all men that have this law given them and their posterity to the worlds end are bound in conscience to observe it and cause as much as lyes in them others also to observe it as necessary to Religion so as they sin that observe not the whole proportion or that observe it not according to the distribution of the Determination so much Continuance together in one day and no lesse and that dayes Frequency so often returning and no seldomer then is exprest in the Determination Only still admitting a reservation as we have oft touched before for necessary worldly occasions 3. What by
Sabbath he promises in Gods name That they should be made joyfull in Gods house of Prayer and their services accepted by Him v. 3 6 7. So that spirituall comfort in God and His gracious acceptation of their services is the blessing promised to the faithfull observance of this Time appointed by God for the chiefe solemne Time of His Worship Neither can this be eluded by our Disputers as they offer to Except 1 throw off all the places of the Old Testament by saying that this Except 2 was typicall of Christ and our spirituall rest in Him from sinne or else that it belonged only to the seventh-day Sabbath which the Jewes observed and so either way and both wayes we have nought to doe with it For we have proved sufficiently Solut. that a solemne proportion of Time determined for Religion for the necessary and sufficient chiefe Time as the Weekly Sabbath then was undeniably is no typicall matter but a substantially-necessary thing to Religion and that there is need of a Blessing upon such Time whatever the proportion be unlesse it were all our Time or else it will not be sufficient And so the Blessing here cannot be to the Sabbath in any typicall respect but as that proportion of Time determined by God for the chiefe Time for Religion His worship and mens soules Inst And though they may happen to object the mention of Gods accepting of their burnt offerings and sacrifices upon His Altar which Sol. if referoed to our Times must needs be meant typically 1. This will not hurt our interpretation of this place since the difference is apparant enough between His calling for the observation of that which is so substantially necessary in the kind of it to Religion that is either this Proportion determined for the chiefe Time or some other and that which is plainly a figure and a type as all burnt offerings and materiall sacrifices were Of which kind there are now none such under the Gospel So that in this the Prophet only speaks in the language of the present time that while sacrifices were offered and burnt upon Gods altar by the conscientious observers of His Sabbath according to His command those services should bee accepted and after they were ceased their spirituall services of prayers and thanksgivings which are in stead of them under the Gospel Like unto that of David Psal 51. who first saith God would have no sacrifices from him but a broken and contrite heart yet afterward he saith God would accept young bullocks from him Sol. 2. v. ult And as for the seventh Day they urge so much we deny the emphasis to lie at all upon that though it were the particular Day then to be observed but wholly upon the Proportion though taking in that seventh Day because then in being and then only commanded by God But we have shewed our grounds of difference enough between these two in point of substance and necessity to Religion one Day in seven and that seventh Day And what needs more to be said we shall adde when hereafter we shall come to shew as we have promised it and are forced to repeat it oftener then we would that the seventh Day was not directly commanded in the words of the fourth Commandement nor at all as the substance and particular matter of them But only within the generall scope as then appointed by God elsewhere and so our Lords-day comes equally within it and is now become successour to it in the particular title to the Blessing as we shall see So that this place stands good for our having a Blessing on Gods determined Time His Sabbath observed both by Jew and Christian The other place is Isa 58. Where LXXIII Another text Isa 58.13 expounded after he had called to a most carefull observation of the Sabbath both negative and affirmative and that both outwardly in deed and word and inwardly in thought v. 13. he promises in Gods name a remarkable spirituall Blessing v. 14. Then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord that is God will so afford thee His divine Blessing upon thy conscionable imployment with joy and cheerfulnesse calling the Sabbath a delight of that Day of Gods solemne appointment for the chiefe Time of His worship that all the week after thou shalt find a delight in the Lord thou shalt have a heart oft to think of Him even in the midst of thy worldly businesses and to redeeme Time also ever now and then from thy worldly businesses to converse voluntarily with Him and be glad of all opportunities so to doe not willingly missing any time any day when thou canst have freedome to converse with Him and attend upon Him And that this is the meaning of this Promise and Blessing understanding it Evangelically and not to an absolute perfection of delight in God in this world which is not to be found in sinfull man We desire no other proofe than the Consciences of Christians that keep the Lords day as Gods Sabbath by Him commanded and their very manifestation of it in the eyes of their very adversaries Namely that such as delight in the strict and exact observation of the Sabbath doe answerably delight or seem at least to delight in conversing with God at other times and every Day gladly wait upon God some time morning and night even they and their families too and at extraordinary times they delight to heare and pray publikely and to converse with Christians in a spirituall manner privately and to attend upon God by themselves alone when they can get leisure Which is unlesse men will say that all such are wilfull and grosse Hypocrites a reall Comment upon this Promise of the Prophet of delighting in God increased in men by the Sabbaths observation And on the contrary it is more then evident that the most of those that make no conscience of the Sabbath of the Lords day doe expresse very little or no delight in God or any true spirituall converse with Him at any other Time They care little for any other Opportunity of hearing His word they worship Him not at all or seldome or very slightly with their families and lesse perhaps if the truth were known in their own solitary devotions In a word the one sort though Gods commandement and indulgence together satisfie them that one Day in seven is ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time for God and their soules yet they cannot satisfie themselves their consciences towards God nor their longings after Him unlesse they besides both daily and extraordinarily redeeme what Time they can possibly or at least conveniently redeeme to waite upon Him and satiate their soules more and more in enjoying a spirituall converse with Him like a friend or lover whose felicity is to be with the party loved as much and often as may be The other sort though they have no ground to think that Time sufficient not regarding the Commandement yet they hardly or not at
over as neer as may be One and the selfe-same particular Day for the chiefe Time to Religion among all Christians hath been declared in the former Chapter To which may now be added That we remember not to have ever read or heard in any Religion but those that professed the same Religion observed the same particular Dayes for the chiefe solemne Times belonging to their Religion It was ever so in the Jewish Religion and is so still and the like was done by all that became proselites to their Religion Also all Christians at this Day doe and have ever done so farre as any records lead us observed actually the same particular Day for the chiefe Time to Religion the Lords day the first Day of the Weeke even those that joyned some other dayes with it as some did a while the Old Sabbath and others other Dayes yet this was ever the chiefe Day as is learnedly shewed by a late Author in his elaborate collections from Antiquity expresly concerning the Lords day Neither did ever the Church of Rome as presumptuous as she hath been in other matters even to controll the undoubted Lawes of God and Christ as about incestuous marriage and the Cup in the Lords Supper dare to try or practise her authority upon the Lords day in changing it to any other Day Which is also so much the more remarkable because of the impetuous fiercenesse of the Romish Victor even in the second Century after Christ and hard after the Apostles Times about the particular Day for Easter mentioned before And that in the very Councell of Trent some alledged upon some occasion that the Lords day stood but by the Authority of the Church Yet for all that The Romish Church never durst venture upon it to alter it to any other The more impudent slander therefore we esteeme it to be and without all shadow or colour which Barclay as the Translator of Doctor Prideaux his Lecture quotes him with an accent of credulity reports that Master Calvin should consult of changing it into Thursday To which we only say thus much If to accuse without proofe shall be sufficient who can be innocent And the World hath been enough abused with notorious untruths concerning that man of God both since he is dead and even when he was alive which also have been sufficiently refuted by undeniable proofes Therefore we wish also the relatour of this sleevelesse tale to consider whether he be any better then the delatour If those sentences of Solomon be true Prov. 10.18 and Pro. 17.4 But we have somewhat more to say in the matter in hand that is the very Professours of the Mahometane Religion though some of them differ among themselves even to an abhorring one of another in some other matters as the Turkes and the Persians Yet they all agree in the keeping of the same particular Dayes for the chiefe Times of their Religion namely the Friday as we noted before And so it was also among the Heathens they had multiplicities of Religions But we find not among those that professed the same Religion with others any disagreement or variety about the particular Dayes of their chiefe Times of solemne Worship So that it seemes a kind of consent in Nature and very agreeable to say the least of it to the very Law of Nature that it should be so Which makes us the more admire at some at least of our Adversaries disputing as if the present Church had power to alter the Lords day to any other day of the Weeke And what Church they meane Nationall or Vniversall which to be sure will never meate so much as representatively if we include all Christians of Europe Asia Africa and America within the universall Church Or what they intend by it And whether they would be glad to see any Nationall Church or all the Westerne Churches together to take in hand such a thing to shew their authority as Lords of the Lords day and silence all future disputes by whose authority the particular Day stands What ever their thoughts be We for our parts hope we shall never live to see any Nationall Church much lesse ours and least of all many Nations to rush upon so desperate an adventure And so we conclude this argument with this note That as we suppose the ground that hath made all the World thus consent in the same particular Dayes according to their severall Religions was immediately their perswasion That those Dayes are determined to them by their gods and that it was so delivered by those that commended to them those particular Dayes So this perswasion was built upon another originall principle that the determination of them did properly belong to their gods LXXVIII Arg. 4. from the consent of the heathen And this may make up another argument briefly of great probability at least not only for the particular Dayes but also and principally for the chiefe Time to Religion namely The universall consent of Heathens and misbeleevers whose practise is by some of our adversaries delivered us as the best Comment upon the Law of Nature or Morality of the fourth Commandement practising and observing their chiefe Times for their Religion as determined to them by their gods and so owning the determination of them to belong to their authority only This we say hath not only seemed reasonable to the Mahometans as we shewed but to the very Heathen of old Among whom as their Priests or Law-givers the immediate institutours of their Religion feigned the other matters of their Religion and Worship to be prescribed by their gods in Oracles Visions Dreams and the like according to that naturall principle which is the generall affirmative part of the second commandement God every God is to be worshipped with His own prescribed Worship So according to the generall meaning of the fourth Commandement or at least according to part of the generall meaning of that second forementioned They ever ascribed the institution of their chiefe and ordinary Holy-dayes and solemne Times for their Religion and the service of their gods Dij miserati laboriosum a natura genus humanion remissiones laborum ipsi constituerunt de leg 2. LXXIX The 5. generall Arg. from confession of the very adversaries C. D. pag. 21. unto their gods themselves Hear Plato speake for them all The Gods compassionating the laboursome life of mankind themselves appointed remission of their labours that is Dayes or Times of remission from their labours which were their Holy-dayes Specialties of these may be found in other Authors But now after all what will our Readers say if some of our greatest adversaries in this question have themselves confessed as much as will necessarily inferre All this determination about the chiefe Time and particular Day for it to belong to God without peradventure or long dispute Heare them speake Thus one delivers his opinion Men may by the Light of Nature from the Creature climbe up to the knowledge of the Creator
* When without all controversie God determined to the Iewes the chiefe solemne time the weekly Sabbatâ— yet He did not the hâ—ures of publike morall worship much lesse the continuance on week-dayes And it was so even of old when that Law of Tithes was undeniably in force So there is no manner of necessity or reason to inferre That if it please God and it appeare necessary to us for Him so to doe to determine one thing a chiefe thing the chiefest in the kind Therefore He must also doe all of the kind Or that because He hath not determined all of the kind or not this or that Therefore we have no need that He should determine at all any of the kind not so much as the chiefest For 3. We adde that Gods not determining the Continuance of Sol. 3 the Time for the Publique Worship on the Solemne Dayes nor yet of Family or Solitary Worship on the Work-Dayes is so far from arguing that He hath not or need not for our sakes determine the chiefe solemne Time for Religion His own Honour and mens soules generally that it rather strongly confirms that He hath and that we needed He should As being the only certaine and sufficient obligation to hold men to necessary sufficient just and profitable attendance upon God and their soules and to supply the defects that are or may be in scanty performances on the Week-Dayes and to scoure off the rust and filth then contracted by much handling of worldly matters and to make up a full advantage beyond that which the nature of the Publike Services whether shorter or longer could of themselves meerly reach unto God we say saw it necessary and we can by His shewing see it too that He should not leave all Time to mens determinations and yet convenient He should leave some undetermined strictly Therefore accordingly so He hath done determining the chiefe Time with the particular Day for it expresly in His Word and somewhat of each Day by the very Law of Nature as we have shewed and leaving the rest undetermined to all men in regard of any strict determination and referring it to the various occasions and affections of every one for themselves apart and of superiors for themselves and their inferiors both ordinarily and extraordinarily according to generall rules of the Scripture speaking of His Honour and the good of soules And all this most wisely and graciously as we trust hereafter every Conscience that duely waighs the premisses will confesse with us Unto which acknowledgment yet all our following Discourses will not be unprofitable for the fuller removing of all objections and scruples in any part of the whole Question and the setling of mens judgements in all the maine matters belonging to this great Controversie as we hope will appeare in the sequel CHAP. XI Two Corollaries from the former Discourses about Solemn Time 1. All Times and Dayes are not equall under the Gospel 2. Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion IT is found by experience That Truth sometimes is as much or more prejudiced by some common Sentences which have some shew of probabilitie or veritie in them as by the strongest Argumentations against it Because these are only confined to the Discourses and Writings of learned men and are formally and sufficiently opposed by the Patrons of Truth But those are usually tossed up and down among all sorts and passe for the most part without examination and so doe great hurt insensibly Therefore it is that those who would effectually vindicate an opposed Truth must as well take some paines to encounter such common sayings even distinctly and expresly as any other contradicting Arguments applying to them without feare of being counted Tautologists such Reasons as are laid down even in other places with the addition of any other that are particular and proper so to discover fully the falsitie and danger of those vulgar Conceits and Expressions I. Two Corollaries from the former Discourse The thought of this hath made us esteeme it necessary to bestow this Chapter entirely upon the examination of two common Assertions which serve our Adversaries at every turne almost 1. That all Dayes and Times they say are alike and equall under the Gospel 2. That Time and Place are equall circumstances in Religion Which have been so commonly agitated not only in all Writings of theirs in this Subject though without any judicious and exact scanning but in vulgar discourses that they are grown to be in a sort Proverbs among them Insomuch as we find that the latter of these hath in some sort tainted some even of those who yet are Orthodox in the maine about Solemne Time so that even they speak the same language now and then of an Equalitie of Time and Place All which constrained us to take in hand a Particular Consideration of both these forementioned Assertions And though we must of necessity say over some of those things we have spoken already and touch some others beforehand whose proper place to argue fully comes hereafter yet we rather choose to doe so though some should call it tautologizing than for want of a formall setting our selves against those fallacious Principles to leave such prejudiciall conceits in the mindes of any Readers To begin with the first then Our Position is II. The first All Times and Dayes are not equall All Times and Dayes are not equall under the Gospel The Contradictory whereunto had wont to be exploded as an Anabaptisticall fancy But now of late among the Disputers concerning the Sabbath and Lords day it hath gotten some more venerable fautors And which addes to the strangenesse even those that cry it down in the Anabaptists say as much as they in sense and neere their very words So that there is little or no difference between them and the other whom they would seem to oppose Except it be that our Disputers give somewhat more to the Churches power about Times and Dayes than the Anabaptists allow But that we may refute both the one and the other III. The question stated by shewing in their erroneous expressions or meanings We will first a little state the Question now before us and then declare our Grounds opposite to their Assertions and finally give a touch of Satisfaction to their chiefest strength from the New Testament which may seem to favour them But all briefly 1. It is true That all Times and Dayes in themselves 1. Our consent as Times and Dayes materially considered are equall and of the very same nature One not more excellent more holy more necessary to be observed to Religion than another that is antecedent to all determination of God or in sensu diviso So that the learned Bishop speaks right in this Every day of the week had one and the same efficient cause namely Divine creation B. of E. p. 34. And all times and things created by God were very good But if they so state the
is in a manner acknowledged by one that yet makes exception to this Distinction Primr p. 5. It must saith he be the revealed will of GOD that matches Positive with Naturall Lawes and marks them with the silver stamp of Immutabilitie So we say it must be and so it is for XXII 2. His wil hath done so in severall Ages Secondly the same Will that was pleased to make Positive Laws universally and perpetually obligatory to the World of the same Age may no doubt make Lawes universall and perpetuall for both Ages of the World But God hath done the former as will appeare by these instances 1. For the old World even beginning with Adam and ending with Christ as Divines commonly make the period the Law of Sacrifices was an universall and perpetuall Law the practice whereof we find in the very beginning in Cain and Abel without doubt not without some Divine command to their Father and all succeeding Generations even of Heathens practised this 2. To Noah was a Law of this kind given for himselfe and all his Posteritie as cannot be denied Gen. 9. To abstaine from eating blood though afterward it was more specially renewed and applied to the Jews and the Gentiles lost it as they did other things even of the Law of Nature as we touched before 3. In the new World beginning with Christ At least for this Age. and continuing till the day of Judgement the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper are unquestionably Positive Lawes yet universall as soon as the Gospel comes to any and perpetuall and so may be termed Morall from the time they were given to the worlds end 4. Nay we have a Record of a Law Morall-Positive given to Adam even before his fall reaching to all his Posterity to the worlds end viz. The not eating of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge For that it bound all men appeares by too wofull experience all Mankind being sinners for breaking of it in and with Adam Therefore since God hath done thus from the beginning to give Positive Lawes and yet make them Morall Universall and Perpetuall we can see no reason but that there may be some other such for both Ages of the World Only we must looke that we pitch our mark aright upon those that are indeed so To which therefore we say further Thirdly that not only there may be XXIII 3 There are such still in force Confessed by the Adversaries themselves XXIV 1. in Sense C. D. p. 8. but that there are some other such Positive Lawes delivered in Scripture that from the time they were first given bind all Posterities in the Generations succeeding even in all Ages and this by the confession of the Adversaries themselves 1. in sense and 2. in plain words 1. In sense To which purpose let those words of one of them be considered That however all the Precepts of the Morall Law he meanes it of the Decalogue belong to the Law of Nature as being agreeable to Reason which is the rule of humane actions and are in that respect of perpetuall observation yet all of them are not of the same ranke nor belong in the same degree and manner to the Law of Nature Something 's there are which we by the instinct of Nature presently see to be good or bad c. Others there are that require more consideration of Circumstances and use of Discourse to apprehend and judge of them And lastly there are some to the knowledge whereof Humane Reason stands in need of Divine instruction And these two latter sorts specially the last though they in some sort belong to the Law of Nature and were haply at our first Creation written in the Tables of mans Heart in more plain characters and more easie to be read then now since the fall they are may in respect of the other be termed Morall not in regard of Nature dictating but in regard of Discipline informing Nature He speaks here of the last sort of Laws under the Title of Lawes of Nature which is more then we will say But afterwards qualifying the speech and calling them Morall not in regard of Nature dictating but in respect of Discipline informing Nature he saith the very same that we doe For Morale Disciplinae and Morale Positivum are one and the same Divine Instruction or Revelation contra-distinguished to Nature and Divine Imposition is altogether the same in point of Lawes Tract of Sab. pag. 3. To which purpose see another of their own Mr. Brerewood by name who being dead was forced first to speak against the Morality of the fourth Commandement yet this Distinction he acknowledgeth and applies to the fourth Commandement Morall is that which belongs to Manners 1. by the instinct of Nature as belonging to the inward Law written in our hearts Or 2. by Instruction of Discipline as being of the outward Law appointed by GOD as that of observing the seventh Day so that it may be termed Naturall which is more then we yet say as being not of the Institution of Nature but of the Discipline of Nature c. XXV 2. In expresse words Bp. of E. p. 27. Namely 1. Against Polygamie Proved Positive yet Morall Secondly in the very words the learned Bishop speaking of Lawes Positively Morall saith Some are common and generall to all Mankinde as the Law of Polygamie and Wedlock within some degrees mentioned Lev. 20. And that the Law against Polygamie published by Adam or by GOD himselfe to Adam at the first beginning For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and they two shall be one flesh Gen. 2. was indeed but Positive may be sufficiently concluded by that that many even of the holiest men after Abraham were Polygamists Of whom it were a wild sentence to say they lived continually in a breach of a Law of Nature Can it be supposed that those holy men who had the light of Divine revelation often should generally have wanted light about a Law of Nature or much lesse that they could have lived in a Practice against any light they had Divines also generally acknowledging the Negative part of the Lawes of Nature to binde ad semper and to be perpetually indispensable It was then a Positive Law yet Morall and therefore though ignorantly yet they sinned in breaking of it as appeares by what Malachy writes Mal. 2. And our Saviour specially argues from the institution of Mariage in the beginning Mat. 19. Again for the Lawes against incestuous mariages XXVI 2. Against incestuous Mariages proved Morall though Positive wherein we have at once many instances of Lawes Positively Morall That they were and are Morall appeares by Gods counting the Transgressions such Abominations when he speaks of them and saying that for them the Land of Canaan did spue out her Inhabitants though Gentiles And that they were yet but Positive appeares also by the speciall instance of Cain and Seth
1. That there is a God 1. That there is a God Which even the most Barbarous and Savage people of the World in all Ages and even the worst of Atheists at some time or other have been forced to acknowledge The Frame of the Greater World Yea the Frame of the Lesser World Man doe Preach to every one vocally and as it were proclaime a Deity Rom. 1.20 IV. 2 That he must have Worship 2. That this God must be Worshipped by all reasonable Creatures capable of the knowledge of him and so of Worshipping him And this results from the former For nature it selfe cannot but conclude thus If there be a God it is but reason he should be honoured by all his Creatures that are capable of understanding what it is to honour him There is then a Naturall Homage and Allegeance due to God from all mankind by the very Law of their Creation and particularly the Praising and Magnifying of Him and so the performance of all other duties toward Him that He prescribes men to Worship Him by both with Soule and Body V. The Worship of God two fold 1. Ejaculatory described Now this Worship of God may be further distinguished into Ejaculatory and Solemne Ejaculatory is That which a man may tender to God either with the Heart alone or with the Tongue also in Prayer Praises Singing c. even in the midst of Worldly imployments sometimes Experience shewes the possibility of this sometimes and but sometimes For some worldly imployments as study and divers others do so wholly take a Man up both body and mind as without sensible interruption a Man cannot have leisure to tender so much as an Ejaculation to God for a while and much lesse to speake of him But other imployments doe admit now and then at least much freedome both for the mind and tongue So that even while the eyes and hands are busied in worldly worke as ploughing or spinning or weaving and the like one may without any interruption of what they are about lift up the soule to God and the voyce too for God and so worship Him immediately while withall they worship him mediately also in a worldly calling VI. Proved to be a duty for all men Now unto this kind of Worship of God every one of mankind is undoubtedly bound as much as it is possible for them to performe it And namely by those generall Precepts which bind Semper as the schooles speake that is on all opportunities though not ad semper at all moments without intermission Pray without ceasing Rejoyce evermore In every thing give thankes Trust in the Lord at all times Meditate in the Law of God day and night Speak of it when thou sittest in the house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest downe and when thou risest up And by that universall of all others Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy mind and with all thy strength All this we say infallibly calls for such Ejaculatory worship as much and as often as a man can possibly have leisure and at all seasons when he shall not thereby be interrupted in his necessary attendance upon his body and bodily occasions I say not that these commands require no more but Ejaculatory Worship But so much infallibly they do require and without this they are not satisfied how much or how often soever any one do tender Solemne Worship unto God And so indeed it is both our misery and our sinne That though in the Solemne Worship of God we are apt too apt God knowes to fall upon thoughts of the world of our worldly callings and businesses at least besides worse matters Yet in our ordinary callings we seldome remember God as we might and should It being too true of all in a degree which is the common Character of the ungodly To forget God and not to have him in our thoughts But however VII 2. Solemne described be it at the best that can be imagined with us in this kind this Ejaculatory Worship is not all the homage we owe to God But we stand further bound even every one of mankind to tender also Solemne Worship unto him And that is The presenting the whole man soule and body both together unto God Taking ones selfe wholly off from all worldly things and devoting themselves with all their strength altogether for a while to the service and Worship and enjoyment of God Setting aside all other businesses quite to attend meerly upon that for so long And this to be a duty as well as the former VIII Proofe of it being a duty obliging all men by two Reasons 1. God is Lord both of soule and body not only the forementioned Precepts evince speciall that of loving God with all thy heart c. besides manifold more in Scripture But even the Law of Nature necessitates to it whether we consider God or our selves our soules specially 1. God being our Creator not of our Soules only but also of our bodyes and Lord of all that man hath The glorifiing of him both with the soule and body too is and must needs be acknowledged the Principall end of Mans Creation For God made Man as all things else Principally for himselfe for His owne Glory And so it cannot be enough that man should serve and Worship Him by the by only or by fits and snatches meerly in Ejaculatory Worship while they are mainly busied and intent upon somewhat else But his Soveraigne Majesty and Dominion requires also sometimes such a Solemne and serious attendance upon him for the Illustration of His Glory as that a man should mind nothing else that while nor yet suffer any part or Member of His hand or foot or eye or any to be at all busie about any thing of the world As hereby acknowledging kimself wholly and altogether to belong to God and to hold all that he hath even his whole being from Him IX 2. The good of mans souls repuires it 2. Neither is it to be forgotten that even the good of mens soules for which in the second place Man was made and sent into the world requires the same For since the fall of man particularly and even before a full enjoying of God which is the soules happinesse cannot be had no not such as this life is capable of in the midst of worldly imployments though a man doe now and then even as often as it is possible for him by lifting up his soule to God in Holy Ejaculations get a little comfort and sweetnesse Therefore in this respect also it is necessary for men sometimes to attend wholly upon God specially we say since the fall being now fettered with so much corruption and filled with so much vexation and to have no diversion from any thing that his hands or eyes or any part of him are busied about But that the whole soule doe
God But these are still but accidentall Considerations as we said before and not having that direct and substantiall influence into Religion that the Continuance and Frequencie of Time determined hath and namely that the Continuance of a whole Day in the frequent revolution of a Week of seven Dayes hath which we say was together in Time determined Gen. 2.3 with that seventh Day in order for the Quando or particular Day for that World But before it in Nature the particular Day that Seventh being in Nature after one of seven And undoubtedly one Day of seven was determined in the fourth Commandement And we say That and no more directly and substantially commanded and determined there and hope to prove it sufficiently in due place time as being of substantiall importance to Religion and the worship of God which God then gave out his CoÌ„mandements to settle the substantials of N. B. All other Commandements of the Decalogue are wholly substantiall and so perpetuall The Fourth then being substantiall for one day in seven for Religion This may conclude that to be the whole substance of the Commandement and not that particular seventh day which hath no substantiality in it And then that one day in seven is likewise perpetuall as appears by all the other CoÌ„mandements of the first Table by all the Commandements of the second Table being substantials of duty to Man And that the 7th day Sabbath though then in force was not at all directly commanded there nor as any part of the substance of it as being not of any substantiality toward Religion more then any other day of the seven Would then have been if then commanded by God as that was before that time Or then the Lords day is now supposing it commanded now as we doe by God or even commanded only by the Church as they suppose if it be but certain that the old Day is no longer in force In a word This is that we say think we have clearly proved from the nature of the respects of Time toward Religion as before toward study for Learning or any other Civill businesse That the Quando Season or Order of Beginnings viz. This or that particular Day first or last of seven or of any other number hath no Materiality or Substantiality in it toward Religion to make it be profitably determined rather then such another of such a number but only accidentally And so in this Consideration to be greatly inferiour to the Quamdiu or continuance as also to the Quoties or frequencie of revolution which are so mainly profitable as we shewed before 3. Whence it followes clearly as was also said before in relation to Learning That whereas a Determination of the Continuance and Frequencie of Time for Religion XXIII Therefore there may be an alteration of it without hurt to Religion whether of either of them singly or both of them joyntly cannot be altered in any remarkable degree without an answerable alteration in the Profit of it toward Religion namely the Profit must needs be greater if it be altered from a lesse proportion to a greater as from halfe a Day to a whole Dayes continuance and from the Frequencie of one Day in seven to one in six or five and so the profit will be lesse if altered from a greater proportion to a lesse as from a whole dayes continuance to 3 or 4 houres only of a day and from the frequencie of one day in seven to one in eight or ten only and consequently a determination of these respects of time remains in the nature of it constantly perpetually profitable to Religion It is quite otherwise with the Season or Order of Time for Religion For of that there may be a remarkable alteration as from the last Day of seven to the first of seven from Evening to Morning * It is ususually taken for granted that the Sabbath of old began in the Evening This we doe not affirme nor yet altogether deny but shall consider it hereafter But now we speak of it by way of supposition that it â—â—d so begin or the like and yet no alteration at all unlesse in some Accidentall Considerations forenoted in the Profit of it In as much as still God and the Soule may have the same proportion of Time both for Continuance and Frequencie singly or jointly and so as much substantiall advantage and no more be toward Religion in the alteration of the Season or Order of Beginning as was before this was altered We say again there is no substantiall convenience or inconvenience profit or disadvantage to Religion in the perpetuating or changing the Season or Order of Beginning from one Day of the Week to another or from Evening to Morning * Whereas we say It makes no substantiall change in the profit to alter the Beginning from Evening to Morning We yet conceive an accidentall profit by it in that by the meanes of the beginning in the Morning we are sure to have the Continuance if for a whole Day not to be ended while we are awake The profit of which we shall argue hereafter But that if no accidentall Consideration recommend a Change that Season or Order of Beginning may be perpetuated under the New Testament which was under the Old without prejudice to Religion And if any Accidentall Consideration doe recommend a Change that Season or Order of Beginning the Day or Time for beginning the Day may be changed and that fitly so it be done by sufficient authority Also in that change It is all one what Season or Order of Beginning be placed in the stead of the former unlesse there be some particular accidentall consideration that recommends one rather then another and then that for that cause is fittest to be chosen and determined accordingly And these things we affirme of the alteration of the Season or Order of Beginning under the Old Testament from the last Day of the Week to the first Day of the Week and from beginning in the Evening to beginning in the Morning This alteration is without any substantiall prejudice to Religion so long as the Determination of the Continuance and Frequencie joyntly that is of one whole Day in seven remaines unaltered Also it is without any substantiall profit For still there is just the same and no more nor lesse advantage toward Religion Gods honour and the Soules good that there was before And God altering it as we say He hath done the Authority is unquestionably sufficient And we have also sufficient ground recommending such an alteration and such a choice even supposing as our Anti-Sabbatarians doe that God hath put over this authority to the Church not only from the Type annexed to the old Day but from a greater benefit then that which the Old Day was a memoriall of namely the Redemption of the World being above the Creation and this Redemption completed in the morning of the Resurrection day while withall
authority 3. Also if any want Authority to secure themselves in the Time determined or to awe unwilling inferiours as also to awe and satisfie their minds somewhat by the cleare equity and reasonablenesse of the proportion determined and distributed between the Continuance Frequencie The determination in all probability cannot be profitably even though it should be wisely determined For it would never be constantly observed by any whom it was made for If inferiours made it to themselves they would be oft taken off by the command of untoward superiours And they would not know what to doe because they are not Masters of their owne Time Againe It is certaine before hand that all unwilling Inferiours would despise it and neither observe it themselves nor suffer others that they had under them to observe it if they stood in no Awe of the Authority commanding And such a thing foreseen concludes any determination or Law to be so farre forth altogether unprofitable Likewise what ever wisdome or worldly Authority such should have as made that determination if they made it not with such cleare evidence of equity and reason on both sides that so much and so often were necessary and no lesse nor no seldomer and againe that so much and so often were ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe solemne Time and no more at once nor no oftener were requisite the unwilling would be sure not to regard the determination when they were out of sight and hearing as not holding themselves bound to so much or so often and so it would be still unprofitable in reference to such And on the other side the conscientious would be doubtfull whether so much and so often were ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe solemne Time and so neither would attaine a sufficient Profitablenesse to them 4. Most of all Such a Determination in all probability XXXVIII 4. Or all these will not be profitable if made by such in whom there is a want in all these respects of Wisedome Willingnesse and Authority sufficient for such a Determination of such consequence and importance as this is of And now whether any man or number of men even within the Church may not be found wanting in some or all of these requisites to make such a Conclusive Determination of the Continuance and Frequencie of Time jointly to make up the ordinarily sufficient and necessary chiefe solemne Time for all men as we shall discourse in a following Chapter shortly So we referre it to the Readers conscience in the mean while And goe on to adde the other Consideration opposite to this Namely 4. That that cannot but be a singularly profitable Determination XXXIX When all these meet the determination Conclusive is very profitable which is made Conclusively in both the respects of Continuance and Frequencie jointly by such whose Wisedome Affection to Religion and Authority is every way undoubted For hereby all scruple and pretence of scruple will be taken away about the necessity and sufficiency of this Time so determined for the ordinary chiefe solemne Time for Religion and the Vnwilling will be as much awed as by any other Law whatsoever and the Willing have a full and free liberty to attend it rejecting all unnecessary Interruptions from whomsoever Now all this is unquestionably true of God who did determine in this sort conclusively the Continuance to be a whole Day and the Frequencie jointly that it should be one in seven in the fourth Commandement undeniably to the Jewes as the necessary and ordinarily sufficient chiefe solemne Time of Worship Therefore also we can think no otherwise but that this Commandement in this regard is a substantially-profitable Commandement for all men in all ages to be bound unto And because we find not any certain Repeale of it afterward we cannot but think according to our Rule formerly laid down about such Lawes substantially-profitable that it is Morall and Perpetuall Neither doubt we but the consciencious Reader will be of the same mind too if we can prove as we even now intimated that no man or number of men to whom this may be supposed to be left by God under the New Testament can make the Determination in any proportion so profitable for Religion Gods honour and the good of all mens soules and consciences But of that as we said hereafter We have yet some further Considerations to adde about the profitablenesse of the manner of Determinations The next is XI A remisse determination is profitable for tryall of affections 5. A Remisse Determination namely of the Continuance or Frequencie of Time for Religion may also be profitable partly to recommend the importance of Religion to be attended as a chiefe businesse and particularly in such and such Duties which are named as being of chiefest importance to Religion and partly withall to intimate a mind in the Superior that makes it to try the affections of Inferiors to the businesse of Religion generally or any particular businesse of Religion which such Determination may particularly concerne by intimating somewhat generally about the proportion of Time for it but referring the speciality of it to their minds As we thus find God making a Remisse Determination of the Continuance for Prayer Col. 4. Continue in Prayer which implies some convenient proportion of Continuance to be ordinarily allotted to it but leaving the specialty of it to mens own affections which accordingly are exceedingly tried by such continuance voluntarily prolonged They whose affections are strongest to the duty and the businesse of the duty conversing with God and wrestling with Him for all manner of blessings doe undoubtedly continue longer and those whose affections are weaker doe continue lesse while Understanding this of the right praying of the heart and soule and not the lip-labour of the tongue or the outward continuance upon ones knees suppose even in secret where the mind is distracted by many fancies For so a man may continue a long while about the duty and yet continue but a little while in the duty Pray but a little while for want of godly at least strong affections But if a man pray all the while he is at prayer It is undeniable that he hath the strongest affections that continues longest So also God hath bâ—en pleased to give out a Remisse Determination for the Frequencie of reiteration of Prayer Praying alwayes Eph. 6.18 Of Meditation Thou shalt meditate therein day and night Jos 1.8 And of the Lords Supper often by those phrases Doe this as oft as you drink it in remembrance of me And as oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup 1. Cor. 11.25 26. Where the two former for Prayer and Meditation imply a very often reiteration yet not prescribing exactly the number how often and the other for the Lords Supper intimating some Frequencie yet not determining specially so or so often So in each leaving the specialty to mens affections and occasions And no man can deny but here also
Day as their Naturall spirits can hold out unto as they are able to continue waking in the service of God But it doth not bind all then equally to the same proportions of minutes because all are not able to wake equally one as long as an other But so farre as men are able it binds all equally all being bound to serve God in the Day with all their strength the strength of all their Naturall abilities And so much we shall presently see The Law of Nature commands every one of mankind and more then so much it doth not command whether the Continuance be longer or shorter compared with others XXIV Answ 2. 2. But with all we say If any one of mankind through neglect of the service of God or misse-devotion to it doe willingly sleepe more and wake lesse Time then he need to doe whether againe the Continuance compared with other men be longer or shorter he is and will be found a transgressour against this Law of Nature For this is but corruption in him though perhaps he may pretend Naturall infirmity But of that and all other such like pretences this Rule in a word may be a certaine and sufficient judge That what Continuance soever a man is able to keep himselfe waking in a Day about any worldly businesse or matter of pleasure gaming or the like he is able to keepe himselfe according to Nature the same Continuance of Time in the service of God in one or other exercise of Religion which Naturally weary not the spirits more then worldly matters but rather lesse then many worldly matters and the varieties may refresh and doe greatly the mind so farre as carnallity and corruption oversway not And therefore in the first stating of this position concerning a Day to be determined by the Law of Nature we distinguisht Naturall abilities from corruption For we take it for a most undeniable Truth That corruption doth not hinder the Law of Nature from commanding to the utmost of Naturall abilities as long at least as it exceeds not them For the loving and so serving God withall our strength as was toucht before is infallibly of the Law of Nature and yet no mans corruption now suffers him to yeeld God so much love and service This also made be made good in manifold particular instances That the Law of Nature doth command us to doe things which now according to Our corruption it is impossible for any man to doe As to pray or read or hear the Word when ever he doth any of these Duties with a steady fixed heart and mind without any distractions or worldly thoughts at all that while for that they are so farre forth a taking of Gods holy name in vaine Yet this no man is able now to doe as all mens consciences will confesse even though they imploy but a very short Continuance in it And now we come to prove XXV An argument to prove that nature determines a dayes continuance that a Dayes Continuance for Religion is determined by the Law of Nature from grounds and principles in Nature which we have formerly made use of If it be sin against the Law of Nature never in a mans life to give God a whole Day at once then the Law of Nature determines to every man a whole Dayes Continuance once at least in his life But it is sinne against the Law of Nature never to God a whole Day at once Ergo The consequence is undeniable The Antecedent is thus further made good That which is contrary to the acknowledgement of Gods being the Lord of us and all our Time and Gods being our happinesse is a sinne against the Law of Nature But never in a mans life to give God a whole Day at once is contrary to those acknowledgements Ergo. The Major is most plaine and certaine The Minor also may be infallibly proved Because those acknowledgments call for as much Continuance at once as Nature can possibly determine and possibly give at once where all that a man hath is due that debt cannot be satisfied unlesse all be tendred to Him So unlesse all the Continuance of a Day be tendred to God he hath not all that is due to Him as Lord of all our Time Also where a man acknowledges his whole happinesse to lie that cannot but carry him with the whole of his strength to the utmost Continuance Nature hath to give For all that a man doth is toward his happinesse and nothing can draw his mind from it while his acknowledgement of it failes not Now we have already shewed that Nature can and doth determine such a Day to every man for businesse of what kind soever and that it can give it wholly to God imploy it wholly in the service of God taking in specially the Reservations of any necessary refreshings which Nature and not corruption calling for God allowes and any extraordinary other Necessary interruption as we have formerly said Therefore never throughout a mans life to give God that which Nature is so able to give Him is against those acknowledgements of Gods Soveraignty and His being our Happinesse and so a sinne against the Law of Nature XXVI An objection answered If here it be objected That the same Argument will as well prove the whole Continuance of every Day of our life as of one Day which yet it doth not doe nor cannot because our Naturall necessities allowed by God and even commanded by the Law of Nature as it concernes the second Table duties admits it not And therefore the Argument is either false or impertinent or both We answer that the Objection furnishes us with sufficient justification of the Arguments both truth and pertinencie For we grant according to the Objection that God in the Law of Nature commands to attend necessary Worldly businesses as well we say not as much that is as absolutely necessarily as His services and the pursuing immediately of the Soules happinesse in and by them Therefore in sensu composito it is not true that the Argument proves the whole of every Dayes continuance to be determined by the Law of Nature for Religion and Gods immediate worship Although in sensu diviso it proves of every particular Day that is this or that Quando as well as of one But we propound it not of any particular Day in respect of the Quando or Season this or that Day but only of one single Continuance of a Day And so it is both true and pertinent It is true For though naturall necessities of Worldly businesses will not admit the whole Continuance of every Day one after another that is the Quoties or Revolution joyned to the Continuance which we meddle not with in the Argument Yet they will certainly admit one Day in a mans life we mean ordinary businesses will and for extraordinary necessities we grant as before Reservation for them if they should fall out when a man were upon that one Dayes devotions Therefore
still Nature can give such a Day and therefore again we say It is true that the Law of Nature doth determine it And as for the pertinencie of this Discourse we shall shew it by and by A second Objection may be made Namely XXVII Another objection answered That what is necessary by the Law of Nature is alwayes and certainly so But so is not this because for any thing the light of Nature can see or say God may have declared that He will not have a whole Day at any time at once and then the Argument will overthrow it selfe He being the Soveraigne Lord of in and all our Time But to this we answer two things 1. That we have in part already prevented this Objection because before we propounded this Question of our judging of the Law of Natures determining a Continuance of Time conclusively for Religion we propounded it under the favour of Gods allowance of it even because all Time is His and He hath no need of any service of ours Therefore the Argument is intended but so far forth as God hath not refused a whole Dayes continuance at once to be tendred to Him in Solemn Worship 2. We adde that unlesse we had such an expresse refusall in Scripture we cannot conceive how the Light of Nature can suppose any such thing as that God should not allow His creatures to attend upon Him so long together at once as their naturall abilities are able to doe and their ordinary worldly necessities with the allowed reservations do certainly admit That it can stand we say with His Honour to refuse and forbid a whole Day The rather because none of our Adversaries notwithstanding their displeasure is mainly against the Continuance of a whole Day B. of E. p. 255. C. D. p 5â— G. Irons p. 268. did ever expresse any imagination that it should not be lawfull to observe a whole Day Only they will not admit it necessary But though we contend not for a necessity from the Law of Nature for a whole Day every seven Dayes yet if it be certainly lawfull to have one whole Day in a mans life as they more then grant while they yield it ordinarily lawfull every Week We suppose the Argument foregoing will prove so much necessary even by the Law of Nature as we have said XXVIII A third objection answered One Objection yet remaines That two halfe Dayes may doe as well as one whole Day as being the same proportion in the whole We answer divers things 1. We suppose we have already in the former Chapter proved That the longest Continuance is more profitable to Religion as also more convenient for leaving freedome for worldly businesses at other times then to divide the proportion of so many houres between divers Dayes 2. For any man unncecessarily to break off the continuance of his attendance upon Gods solemne Worship is undeniably to discover want of Devotion to the Service of his Lord and want of affection to God his happinesse If a Necessity take him off for a little while or for longer the Reservation which we have oft named acquits him of sinne but it may and should be a griefe to him Else Christ would not have bidden His Disciples Pray that your flight be not on the Sabbath Mat. 24.20 Implying it ought to grieve them though it were lawfull of which place we shall speak fully in due time But therefore we say again To break off unnecessarily when a man hath free liberty to attend on God is a sinne 3. Besides that He knowes not whether he may not be hindred to morrow or when he would make up his other halfe Day and so lose it altogether or be so long put off from Day to Day till a great deale of his Affections gotten or quickned in the former halfe Day be quenched again and lost A carefull Tenant when his Rent is due and he hath it all ready will not bring halfe and leave the rest to another time lest he be robbed in the mean while or be forced to spend it and so want it when he should pay it If a man be bound to give God the proportion of a whole Day as this Objection grants and that by unnecessary delaying he should die having tendred but one halfe Day when he might have given the whole he dies in a sinne Therefore for certainty two halfe Dayes are not so good as a whole Day 4. If after that one whole Day a man can certainly have freedome for another halfe Day we adde or even for another whole Day the Argument will again hold for that halfe Day also or that second whole Day and so will adde such a Frequencie to the Continuance But this were lost we mean the benefit of the second halfe Day if upon an unnecessary breaking off at the former halfe Dayes end or not beginning till halfe were gone this second must goe to make up the former proportion of a whole Day whereas here had been halfe a Day clearly gained to Religion if the former Day had been wholly observed Therefore we conclude that notwithstanding all these Objections A whole Dayes continuance at least once in every mans life is determined to him for Religious attendance upon God in that sort that hath been discoursed Other Arguments there are which will helpe to evince the same as we suppose But we shall have occasion to propound them hereafter in place convenient And we conceive we have sufficiently proved it here by this one And now if any ask To what purpose is all this paines XXIX A scruple removed seeing that this hath not come hitherto into an expresse Controversie but rather by some of our Disputers words seems to be granted as we have noted We answer That as the inquiry is pertinent to such as look narrowly into the nature of Religious Time as we professe to doe So we conceive it may be very usefull to our main Controversie which as we divers times noted is principally about the Continuance whether it be to be a whole Day at once or lesse and for the sake of this all the other Disputes are brought upon the stage Now we suppose that this being evinced and upon those grounds that have been produced It will hence follow when we come to joyn the Frequencie to the Continuance in a Conclusive Determination to be looked after of both these Respects of Time joyntly to make up the chiefe Solemne Time for Religion that whatever the Revolution be for number yet in all probability to say no more yet it must be of a whole Dayes Continuance unlesse it can be found that God hath now altogether rejected a whole Day or that Worldly Necessities even with the benefit of Reservation on the Day for some will not now admit so long a Continuance for Religion though they did of old For if God have not refused it nor can worldly necessities exclude it we see not but the Law of Nature will be
calling for a Revolution and Frequencie of a whole Day though we say not that it can pitch upon the Frequencie of a Seventh Dayes revolution Of which more anon XXX Another scruple satisfied If any after all shall say That we have forgotten to put into this Argument one thing before mentioned in the way to it namely That the Coninuance which the Law of Nature determines conclusively is the longest Continuance that naturall abilities can hold out unto at once which we have not yet affirmed of a Day VVe answer in a word 1. That we conceive it needlesse to take much paines to prove that the a Day of 24 houres is the longest Continuance at once that the naturall abilities of all mankind generally is able to bestow upon the worship of God or any other businesse For if sleep be so necessary as it is ordinarily to all men within that time which is a most formall interruption or breaking of the Continuance of any businesse as that not one of a hundred perhaps doth or can watch at any time a whole 24 houres together Then much lesse can it be imagined that all men should be able to hold out to a longer Continuance without such naturally necessary interruption 2. Also that we may justly say that after such a formall interruption as sleep upon the necessity of Nature is and a new Day in Nature beginning The next Time suppose any were further determined upon a mans waking were rather belonging to the Quoties or Frequencie as being a Revolution of a New Day as we said then simply to the Continuance so notoriously interrupted and ended from a necessity of Natures making Though also if there were an expresse and distinct determination further upon that second Day of any Continuance of Time then that determination were not neither a single determination of the Quoties or Frequencie but of it and the Quamdiu or Continuance jointly As in the Fast of Ester three Dayes one after another XXXI How far Nature determines the Frequencie And so we proceed to our second Question about the Law of Natures Determination of Time namely about the Frequencie How far the Law of Nature will lead us toward a Conclusive Determination thereof that is of the greatest Frequencie even single without any Continuance added to it and whether it can as well make a Conclusive Determination of the Frequencie as we have shewed that it doth of the Continuance For resolution hereof although it may seeme faire to affirme That if we shall speak according to the Naturall divisions of Time and so the Naturall revolutions distinctly observable by Naturall Rules even without art among all men all the world over the Law of Nature doth determine even conclusively the Frequency of every Day that is so often the Law of Nature doth require for the Worship of God from all men by way of command but no oftener though not forbidding oftener but only seldomer because Nature seemes to have no Frequenter distinct revolution then a Day And that it hath and is able to observe and take notice of and accordingly is able to Worship God even solemnely so often There being no impediment imaginable why within the Revolution of every Day a man may not give God some solemne Worship But we say though this seemes a faire assertion and sutable to what we had before of the Naturall Continuance of a Day yet if we shall speake Practically and Ethically as we did partly before of the Continuance we must deliver our selves somewhat otherwise and indeed so we must also in a meer Physicall or Astronomicall consideration of the Revolution of a Day And 1. XXXII Twice a day at least then in that consideration we say that the Law of Nature if it make any Conclusive determination of the Frequency of Time for Gods worship it must be of twice every Day Because there is indeed a two-fold revolution or Frequency observable in every Day Naturally the beginning and the end In each of which it is undoubtedly possible to tender to God some Worship And so it is Practically A mans first waking and his lying downe to sleepe are two distinct observable Revolutions appliable to Gods Worship we doe not now here speake of the Quando whether Natures Law doth command to take the first Time of waking and the last Time before sleep for solemne Worship that may be considered afterward But we say that these two are distinct and observable revolutions of Time in every Day And so each of them affording a remarkable possibility of Worshipping God The Law of Nature upon the former grounds of Gods being our happinesse and the Soveraigne Lord of all our Time cannot but determine both those Times to make a Conclusive determination of the Frequency if any such may be made or at least an Initiall determination that is so often at least as twice in every Day once in the morning and once toward night the Law of Nature doth determine for solemne Worship to every man This we meane of such Dayes as we call working Dayes out of which Natures Law determines twice every such Day to tender some solemne Worship to God As well as it doth the whole of one Day in a mans life as we discoursed before of which Day or any such Dayes we speake not in this Argument Because though the particular Duties are divers on such a Day and some to be repeated twice or oftener as prayer Yet this in the whole is counted but once one Continuance because no worldly thing unlesse by reason of present necessity for which a reservation is made may come in and interrupt the Continuance at all But now therefore when we speake of twice a Day we speake of those Dayes which are mainly for worldly businesses that even notwithstanding that they are so by Gods allowance and appointment N. B. whether in Nature or Scripture yet the Law of Nature doth determine a double Frequency of Religious services every such Day of every mans life Only we say not that any Continuance is strictly determined with this Frequency that so long a man must continue at his devotions twice every Day But that so oft at least for the Frequency the Law of Nature commands we thus in a word further make plaine XXXIII Confirmed by reason If it be sinne against the Law of Nature not to worship God every Day twice then the Law of Nature determines to every man the Frequency of every Day twice But it is a sinne against the Law of Nature not to Worship God every Day twice Ergo. The consequence hath been confirmed by like Arguments The Antecedent is also certainly thus made good That which is contrary to the acknowledgement of Gods being the Lord of all our Time and our happinesse is a sinne against the Law of Nature but not to worship God every day twice is contrary to those acknowledgements Ergo. The Major cannot be denied and hath often been
proved The Minor is also infallible because that acknowledgment calls for as Frequent Worship of God as Nature can possibly point out and possibly give to God But we have already shewed how Nature doth point out clearly and distinctly two Revolutions of Time every Day and that it is infallibly possible to apply both of them to give God some Worship at least in a short Continuance as a minute or halfe a minute together Therefore not to give God so oft some Worship is against that acknowledgement and so a sin against the Law of Nature which also it is more then probable God meant to teach his people by the appointment of the daily morning and evening Sacrifice And this Frequency of twice every Day for some solemne Worship of God though it primarily respect Solitary Worship XXXIV 1 With respect to solitary worship which is as we said in a former Chapter the most Essentially and Properly Morall-Naturall solemne Worship and Perpetually necessary as being perpetually possible for even while a man is in the midst of a crowde it is possible for him to present to God such solitary and secret Worship as we have described to be solemne even the whole man being intent on no other thing for that while how short so ever the Continuance prove So that we cannot possibly conceive what can hinder a man and so what can excuse him from such tender of some solemne Worship to God solitary and single by himself twice every Day Namely between morning and noon and between noon and his sleeping at night Yet withall 2. As also to family worship we wish all those that have or may have company to joyn with them in Family Worship to consider seriously between God and their consciences whether the forementioned grounds for solemne family Worship be so far forth also Morall-Naturall as it is possible to be performed with any conveniency and then the Argument but even now mentioned laid together will not also evince it to be Morall-Naturall for such to performe solemne family worship as often namely twice a Day once in the morning or toward noon and once in the evening or at night We are very sensible That this will be a very harsh pill for many Readers to swallow familie Duties being so exceedingly neglected and even disputed against by very many as no where commanded in Scripture Therefore we only propound it againe to all consciences to weigh in sobriety what just hinderances they can have and so what excuses they can possibly plead which God will accept of if they tender him not such Worship so often they and all their families ordinarily And whether a quarter of an houre or halfe a quarter at a Time can be refused by any but minds forgetfull of the Soveraignty of God and the obligation they owe to Him for His Protection and Blessing Night and Day preserving from dangers and prospering endeavours and the dependance they have upon Him continually without whom sinne and misery will at all seiasons seze upon them and againe forgetfull that their Spirituall Happinesse lies in Him conversing with Him and pursuing and enjoying His Favour And then we suppose the issue of their religious and conscientious thoughts will be no other then that rather more and oftener then seldomer and lesse is due to God and necessary for them and their families for their owne good of soule and body spirituall and even temporall namely to secure a blessing upon themselves every way Daily XXXV Nature cannot make a conclusive determination of the Frequency But to returne to our Question whether thus often by a Conclusive Determination of the Frequencie for Solemne Worship and that the Law of Nature doth require no oftner then twice a Day Besides that if that be good which we have but now discoursed of twice required for solitary Worship and twice for family Worship also we have already gotten to four times a day instead of twice we add yet further that we cannot absolutely rest here for a certain definite and determinate number or Frequency For if we speake still Practically as we must in matter of Religion These determinations of twice or foure Times every Day will not infallibly satisfie the Law of Nature Nor indeed any other number of Frequency that can be named And so in a word we say That the Law of nature cannot possibly make a Conclusive determination of the Frequency of Time considered simply for Gods VVorship that is That so often should be peremptorily necessary for all men and no oftener and so that so often should be sufficient for all men generally considered The reason of it although some particulars might be yet obliged to some what oftener The reason hereof is plainly this That Practically it is possible to observe a revolution of Time wherein we may if we have hearts to it set our selves to Worship God even solemnely as oft as our minds cease from being taken up wholly with any worldly businesse and that such businesse will by any means admit an interruption of a minute or halfe a minute to lift up the soule to God in Prayer or Prayses and this may possibly be manifold Times in a Day even innumerable before hand And now the Law of Nature from those often mentioned and ever to be thought on acknowledgements of Gods being our Soveraigne Lord and of all our Time and our happinesse and so to be infinitely preferred before our selves and all our worldly businesses will be constantly calling upon us in all those Revolutions of Time to â—ender to Him some Worship how short soever And from this no consideration of Gods not only dispensation but command to imploy our selves in worldly callings and performe such worldly businesses as are necessary accordingly can be pretended to be a sufficient discharge absolutely and alwayes For we have before proved in the Chapter of Solemn Worship and it is not denied by any that we know That it is oftentimes a Duty which we now say is according to the Law of Nature not only in the midst of Worldly businesses to tender some Ejaculatory Worship to God namely Prayers and Praises But even upon sundry occasions to interrupt for a little while our Worldly businesses wholly to pray to Him and praise Him somewhat solemnly Therefore we say againe that these occasions being impossible to be numbred before-hand for any one man and much lesse for all generally there can be no certain Conclusive Determination of the Frequencie by the Law of Nature that just so often and no oftner should be necessary for solemn worshipping of God by all men And now from this we go on to our third Question propounded XXXVI Nature cannot make a conclusive determination of the Continuance and Frequencie jointly concerning the joyning of these two Respects of Time the Continuance and Frequencie both in one Conclusive Determination that is Whether the Law of Nature can possibly make a Conclusive Determination of
that yet hath not also an authority sufficient to change the number that one alteration would make them guilty of transgression of a Morall Commandement of God namely in the point of the number which even once must not be done by men under any pretence whatsoever To apply this now in a word to our businesse in hand as God unquestionably determined for the Jewes and we say for the old world the last of the seven so upon the supposition of one Day in seven perpetually determined as we say in the fourth Commandement And supposing also that the Church had power after Christs resurrection and ascention to change that Day to another Day of the seven Yet by this argumentation they will be found to be determined to the first Day of the Week and to no other whensoever they should make the change for else doe what they can they would the first time break the number which without speciall allowance they might not doe without sinne And so in conclusion it will come to this passe that it must be acknowledged to be Gods own determination even by vertue of the number remaining perpetually determined in the fourth Commandement And so in that sense supposing the old seventh Day abrogated we may both truly and properly say The first Day of the Week the Lords day is determined to us and must be observed by us even by vertue of the fourth Commandement N. B. which is a thing most worthy of a speciall note and may perhaps afford a more satisfying reason why there is no expresse institution mentioned of the first Day of the Week in the New Testament then usually hath been thought Namely because the vertue of the fourth Commandement doth of it selfe fall upon that Day supposing the former voyd And no other Day could have been chosen by the Church even in the silence of God without violation for once of the fourth Commandement in the number For though God we doubt not might have altered it to any other Day and even have wholly altered the number and taken one of six or five or one only of eight or ten at His pleasure whose all Times are as we have often said and desire often to remember yet He perpetuating the number no man or number of men in the Church could by humane authority determine any other Day for order but the first in stead of the last must succeed besides the high reason for that Day from Christs resurrection and resting from the work of our Redemption of which hereafter in due place Enough of our first Proposition LIV. 2. The same Day is necessary to them that live together The second is There is a necessity of the same particular Day and particular beginning of the Day to all within reach one of another to prevent mutuall hindrances and secure mutuall helpes in publike and in families Without this there would be nothing but confusion and God would not be rightly served jointly nor certainly by each one solitarily But still one or other would be interrupting and disappointing those that were neer them A man finds this very often in Family-Worship on the Week-Dayes and in Solitary Worship also that neighbours friends strangers have come and put him much by One while delayed his devotions another while forced him to abridge them and sometimes even to omit them altogether for that time through their importunities and businesses And the like experience a man meets with much more if he use to set apart a Day any thing often whether for himselfe alone solitarily or with his family he shall be divers times interrupted and hindred forced to break off do he what he can sometimes All which makes it necessary to have the beginning of the Day and so the ending of it and in a word the whole particular Day to be the same to all that are within the possibilitie of helping or hindring one another in Religion and the services of God publike domestick or solitary And this may serve rationally to answer a difficulty A difficulty dissolved supposed to be insuperable and opposed by the Historian expresly to overthrow the Lords day namely What is to be done by such who travelling East or West to such Degrees come to find that they have lost or gained a Day in their computation and so to question what Day they should observe and accordingly what beginning of the Day because the Climates vary so much that when it is morning in one it is noon in another and night in another and so proportionably as they travell The answer may be plainly and briefly this That such as travell by Sea are to observe the Day and the beginning as they did when they set forth that is as neere as they can in the morning as the morning falls out to them But if they come to Land and find that those to whom they come are by the great variation of the Climates through which they are passed a Day before them or a Day after them they are to observe it as those doe to whom they come that so all may mutually help and none hinder one another only by the reason of the former Proposition it seems fair to affirm that it is necessary for them if they find the Country to which they come a Day after them that they observe their own Day first and then the next Day with those of that Country and so God nor their soules shall be no losers neither yet their worldly occasions Gods providence having made the change to them for that once but without prejudice to any thing for which the Number and Day was appointed And here is indeed no inconvenience nor any thing to bogle at by such as count Gods service and the good of their soules and participation of His Ordinances orderly with others matters of more consequence then the nicety of Astronomicall observations of minutes and houres and Climates and the like God certainly is not the author of confusion neither would have his servants in the same Country be divided in their Solemne Times by the occasion of a long journey that some of them have taken though for once it may be with some as those in a journey at the season of the Passeover were to keep it that yeere the moneth after but not so the next yeere but with their brethren And much lesse may it be imagined that God sets so light by His Solemne Times as that such a nicety as this occasionall accident or any other variation of Climates and long time of Light or the like should disanull His Commandement about it Which as often as we read urged in any of our Adversaries books as most of our English Antisabbatarians make maine matter about the long time of Light in some Countries as an unanswerable Argument against the Morality of the fourth Commandement for one Day in seven We confesse we stand amazed at their presumption so to trifle with God and Religion and
the loosing it among the Pagans doth not acquit them from sinne though their sinne be but of ignorance in not observing it still And that they have not nor had not any power to determine the sufficient Time having lost the knowledge of Gods determination And so for any servants of God in those Paganish places that they were not to expect the determination of the sufficient Times for Gods Worship and their soules good from their Paganish Superiours But that God Himselfe did vouchsafe it to them by revelation or by His Word after it was written and His determinations therein exprest and that to those only they were to hold And now against the Paganish Authority thus we dispute 1. XVI 1. By the importance By an Argument formerly used That which supposes God to leave a thing of exceeding importance in Religion to the consciences and judgements of men devoid of conscience or true knowledge of God to determine not only for themselves but for all that are under them is not to be credited or admitted But to say that God hath given to any Pagan Governours Authority to determine the sufficient Time of His Worship is to suppose that He hath left a thing of exceeding importance in Religion to the consciences and judgements of men devoid of conscience and true knowledge of God to determine not only for themselves but for all under them Ergo That God hath left this Authority to Pagan Governours is not to be credited or admitted Both the propositions of this Argument have been formerly confirmed Only there is a clause in this which being illustrated will make it of much greater force And that is The determining the sufficient Time of Worship for all those that are under them Concerning which letting passe the consideration of their Paganish inferiours let us put the case as it is the case really at this Day with sundry Christian Captives among the Pirates of Algiers of any servant of God living in a Paganish Country and under the tyranny of an infidell Master or Governour Can it be supposed that such are bound to serve God and attend solemnely on Him even in solitary Worship no other being to be had and take care solemnely of their owne soules good no other Time then their infidell and Pagan Masters and Governours determine to them Nay we say rather are they free and at liberty to attend on God and their soules no other Time then what their Infidell and Pagan-governours determinations allow them As suppose Joseph sold to Potiphar and afterward the Jaylours servant in the prison They know themselves bound to serve their Masters and Governours in all worldly service and bodily worke and labour every Day and all the Day long except the necessary Times of naturall refreshing by sleep and eating and the like and the Times that must be tendred to God and for their soules good in solemne Religious worship Now if there be no such determination of any sufficient Time for Religion to them but only according to the pleasure of their ungodly superiors Is not this a bondage worse then all the residue of their outward bondage That though they have never so great desire to waite solemnely upon God they can have no sufficient Time for it Or though their soules need it never so much as they cannot without miracle but need it extremely where specially they have never any helpe from any publike or domestick worship but all their good and comfort must come from solitary worship yet they cannot be allowed it Because God upon this supposition of putting it over to their Pagan and profane masters hath in effect debarred them from taking any and much more from determining any to themselves without their Pagan-Superiors allowance And if they should offer it they might be challenged with disobedience for not working continually every Day and all Day long as much as their naturall spirits could hold to at their Superiors command and might be urged with better reason then Pharaoh did the Israelites Exod. 5. You are idle you are idle therefore you say let us go sacrifice unto the Lord our God For they had Gods expresse command to warrant them and Pharaoh could not gainsay it though he would not obey it But here Pagan-Superiors have the full advantage of them and have the Law in a manner wholly in their own hands as having authority to command in all things even this not excepted Because God hath put over this authority of determination expresly of the Time sufficient for His worship to them Now unlesse we can imagine that God will so far ratifie this supposed authority of Pagan Governours in this matter as to accept as sufficient for His honour and blesse as sufficient for His servants soules any pittance of Time that they shall allow and determine or rather which His servants can redeeme in any breathing times that they afford them in naturall respects and so make any the least proportion sufficient how can we say that God hath left the Determination of this sufficient Time to Pagan Governours But we adde further we must not admit the state of the Question to be varied We propound the present Dispute about the detetmination of this sufficient Time to whom it belongs as supposing it must of necessity be determined to Religion Because therefore it is not to be believed that Pagan-Governours will make this determination for their inferiors which are Gods servants as experience also shewes in places where Christians are now slaves this determination must belong to some other then to them And we before gave some Reasons why single men should not have this authority to themselves whereof one was which is specially appliable to this case That it would be lesse honour to God lesse good to their Soules lesse comfort to their Consciences then of God himselfe should determine it for them For in the case in hand if the determination were Gods own they might have more confidence to plead it to their Pagan-superiors and hopes by their faithfulnesse and diligence at other times to obtaine liberty to observe it Or if they could not yet they might comfortably suffer for it in refusing any work contrary to it Suffering according to the will of God they might as S. Peter speaks 1 Ep. 4. ult who we verily believe includes this case in that sentence commit their soules and lives and all unto Him in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creatour Whereas if they had no expresse determination from God they could not so plead His Honour And they would be apt for the saving of their skins and bodies to neglect their soules often having no certainty what they ought to observe but their own conceits and determinations upon it and so their comfort both in waiting on God and following their Superiors work and in suffering or scaping would be wavering and disturbed in that they would be perplexed with manifold distracting doubts whether they had determined too much
to be so captivated we hope we should blesse God for His command of the Sabbath and comfortably beare witnesse to the truth of it even before those that are altogether strangers and enemies to God and His true Religion and Worship as well as to any other part of the Truth and Word and Commandement of God And again that this Commandement of His were incomparably more advantagious to our comforts then if the determination of the Time were left either to our selves or to the Church Suffering for Gods Commands gives assurance of encouragement and comfort in suffering to beare a soul out as all His servants have found and even the Maccabees did for refusing to eate Swines flesh while that Commandement stood in force though but ceremoniall But to suffer for the Churches determination in any thing specially being out of her precincts and in an Infidell Country of which we shall say a word more anon as it hath no peculiar promise to it So we remeÌ„ber not any credible example of those that have done so among Orthodox Christians or much lesse any that have had any spirituall comfort in so suffering We expect therefore of our disputers XVIII The adverse party pressed or the next for them that shall undertake the defence of their cause which of the forenamed sentences they will stand to 1. Either that the morality of the fourth Commandement is only for Publique Worship and for Solemne Time but consequently for it and then a resolution how this can be called a Morall Naturall Commandement which is not not can be possible for so many of mankind to observe Or whether this be not a formall contradiction that any man is totally fâ—re from a Morall Naturall Commandement 2. Or that the Morality is for a sufficient Time to be determined by men and then by whom Whether by the Pagan Governours in their Countryes and if they do it not then by whom whether by a poor captive for himself Or the Church Christian for him And in both cases whether be may and must venture upon all the rage of his cruell and ungodly Master for it 3. Or if in neither of these as we conceive not any great pleasure they can take in asserting any of them whether then as Master Broad hath already dared to do they will venture to lay the fourth Commandement wholly levell and rase it out of the number of the morall commandements making no more a decalogue but an Ennealogue no more ten but nine Commandements and some of them speak suspitiously enough that way though yet for shame or fear they dare not speake out And if so yet then again whither they will admit no necessity neither of any sufficient Time to be determined for Gods Worship and mens soules how little and how seldome soever and how Religion can except by miracle or extraordinary divine dispensation possibly stand without it 4. If they will have such a determination still under what command it comes Who must make it and 5. Finally what the poor captived Christian shall do or may or must do when his barbarous and tyrannous Master will not allow him to keep any such sufficient proportion what ever it be If the Lords day may be but conscionably observed till they give the world a rationall answer to these necessary questions we suppose we shall need trouble our selves no more to dispute for it whilest we live A second argument we have sutable also to a former against Pagan Governours XIX 2. The impossibility of agreement having this authority to determine the times of Gods Solemne Worship that is There is no probability or possibility that the severall Pagan Governours will agree in the same proportion number and length of times or of the same particular day neither among themselves nor with the Christian Church Which yet we have argued greatly conducible to the honour of God for all mankind all the world over and the generall exercise of the communion of Saints This we will only prosecute by putting one question to our adversaries and so to the Judgment of the Christian reader concerning the particular day suppose the number and continuance were agreed on And that is suppose the Great Turke or Governour of Algiers or the King of Persia who are all Mahometans would offer to any Christians within their Territories liberty to Worship God one day in a weeke only they would determine them for the day to Friday which is the day appointed by mahomet and observed by all that professe the Mahometan religion we will not instance in Saturday which is the day observed by the Jewes still because our adversaries would say perhaps that this day being rejected of God might not of all others be taken up again at least for feare of breeding superstition again in men toward it as necessary But we instance in Friday a day not forbidden by God any where no more then not commanded Will they now say that Christians whether Captives or others inhabiting those countries might lawfully or must necessarily accept and observe that day and relinquish the Lords day This they must say if even the particular day be but left to the determination of Pagan Governours And if they would say that the Church Christian having determined the Lords day it may not be relinquished at the command of a Pagan Prince we aske again will they put such Christians then upon the necessity of extreme sufferings for such a circumstance as they usually make this day to be God not having determined it in His Word as they say if they say yes Pagan Governors in this case are to be obeyed even with thankes for allowing the liberty of any day so frequently and the particular day not to be made a matter of persecution without cause and without profit We desire them to consider how a sober conscience reading the story of the Apostles observing of the first day of the weeke the Lords day for the day of publique meeting and with an intimation of the generall meeting and the Sacrament deferred till that day Act. 20.7 And again reading the intimation of an Apostolicall precept for that day and expresse mention of observation of it for collection for the poor which was wont to be in the publique meeting or aftâ—â— 1 Cor. 16.2 and again the title of the Lords day given to it by the Holy Ghost Rev. 1.10 as a day for the Lords Honour His day by way of possession as the word Lords is a plaine possessive terme belonging to the Lord expounded by the Church in the next Age and ever since till this quarrelling age which denyes all things to be meant of that first day of the weeke observed from that Time to this by the Christian Church we say how a sober Christian reading all this in Gods word dares let this day go and make the Lords day a common work-day and entertaine another invented by a meere man Even by such a wicked devillish Impostor
as Mahomet the veriest villaine one of them that ever lived in the world If they shall say that this day of Mahomets invention is to be abhorred indeed in token of detestation of his impiety but some other day might be yeelded to We reply 1. That still then Christians must suffer for that nicety of a day 2. That it is scarcely imaginable that any Pagan Governour would allow any other day then what they observed themselves for the first would be double against their profit in that 1. they could not have their servants labour when they were at leisure to joyne with them and over look them and when they were absent they would feare their work would be done but untowardly 2. Besides that whosoever observe a day doth it in some reference to their own Religion and so would rather tye them to that then let them have another specially 3. When they might be able to tell them out of our adversaries suppositions that their Religion their Scriptures did not determine them to any particular day but left it to their Governours to determine And so still they must observe a day invented by wicked men 3. However what day soever they took up a sober conscience would we think shrinke to throw away the Lords day at a Pagans command Let this we say be considered We on the other side being perswaded that God hath not only determined us to one day in seven by the fourth Commandement but to the Lords day for the particular day by those designations of His word as also that in this day this only the number was exactly preserved of one Day a Sabbath six Dayes worke even at the very Time of the change of the Day as we shewed in the former Chapter and that by this meanes God may have the same Day all the World over des other Arguments of which in their due Place We we say upon this perswasion can answer the question readily that we must hold to this particular Day the first Day of the weeke the Lords day and no other whoever commands or forbids offers or threatens For that Gods will must stand and be obeyed before mens against mens and He must be trusted to maintaine us our soules at least which is enough and the most we can be assured of in a hundred other cases in maintaining His Ordinances and appointments XX. 3. They know of no such authoritie We have yet one Argument more to urge against this Authority of Infidell and Pagan-governours for the sufficient Time for Religion and the particular Dayes for it If Pagan-governours have this Authority put into their hands by God Then it is reasonable they should know that this Authority is committed to them But Pagan-governours so farre as we remember in any story never knew of any such Authority committed to them Ergo It is not probable that any such Authority is put over to them The consequence of this Argument may be confirmed by the necessity of a determination to be made proved and confessed to be Morall Naturall And that it cannot be imagined such Princes should take this upon them and exercise this Authority unlesse they have some knowledge or perswasion that this Authority belongs to them The Antecedent may also be fairely argued from the silence of all bookes in this point For though we know that Pagan Princes and states did appoint some dayes extraordinarily yet we find not that they did so ordinarily nor ever thought they might doe so But what was done in this kind was from Oracles or pretences of Oracles of their gods by their priests or otherwise And the greatest flatterers of Pagan Princes never did that we remember ascribe this Authority to them as given them by their gods It were wonderfull then that we Christians should find out this Authority given by God to Pagan Princes of which as we said before there is not the least word nor intimation nor shadow of any such thing in Scripture and the Law of Nature also is sufficiently cleare against it We conclude then here the Authority is not and yet upon divers suppositions of our Adversaries touched already and to be toucht hereafter here it must be or no where among men for those that live in Pagan Countries For to come to the other sort of men That is the Church of God Of which we say as before XXI 2. Not to the Church for all mankind God hath not given to it the Authority of determining the chiefe solemne Time necessary and ordinarily sufficient for the chiefe Time unto all mankind Mankind in referrence to the Church is againe distinguishable into Pagans and Members of the Church Of the latter fort we shall dispute more at large of the former a few words may suffice which yet added to the former discourses will carry the Cause clearly and undeniably That it being Morall Naturall to all men to have and observe a sufficient Time determined for Religion This determination doth not nor cannot belong to men but to God himselfe Thus we reason concerning Pagans If the Church universall hath no Authority but ever her owne Members Then the Authority of determining the necessary and sufficient Time for Religion unto all men belongs not to the Church But the Church universall hath no Authority but over her owne Members Ergo The Authority of determining this Time unto all men belongs not to the Church The Consequence of this Argument cannot be denied Unlesse any would offer to say that all mankind are Members of the Church universall which is most absurd The Antecedent is easily proved As well 1. The Apostle denies any such Authority to be in the Church of Iudging those that are without 1 Cor. 5. And if they cannot judge them then not determine any thing to them For this and that Authority goe together in things determinable by the Church Though the Church may judge in things wherein it may not determine in the sence we now take determination that is the Church may censure which is the judging there meant offenders against Gods Law as the incestuous Person spoken of But it may not determine that to be incest which God hath not made so nor determine any to be lawfull or dispence with it when God hath forbidden it however presumptuous the Church of Rome hath been in both It is lesse then to determine and make Lawes then to judge and censure offenders The Church therefore having no power of censure of those without those that are not her Members can have no power to determine any thing unto them They who are out of the Church are already in as bad a condition as the Churches censure can make them that can but deliver them to Satan and Satan undeniably hath them already The Churches Authority is apparantly but the Authority of a mother now a mother as a mother hath no Authority over children not her owne 2. As also because it is and would be extremly
say of that particular Day but not of the Continuance and Frequencie of one Day in seven for the chiefe Time Of which we have already intimated faire Reasons some and shall handle it fully in its proper place And withall they find a designation in Gods word in the New Testament of a new Day to Christians which Day also by the former Arguments of the Determinations belonging to God and not to men the Pagans those that are yet out of the Church are bound to yield to as soon as they know it out of Gods word And therefore 3. Also that Church that hath the Word particularly written for them are bound to the determinations therein exprest both for the chiefe Time necessary and sufficient for Continuance and Frequencie which is one whole Day in seven according to the fourth Commandement and for the particular Day which is the first Day of the week the Lords Day according to the New Testament We proceed to another Argument And come more pressely to oppose the Churches authority in this Determination XXIV A caution premised And if herein we shall seem by some Arguments to shake the authority the Church is esteemed to have in other things or to favour the authority which is challenged by some to belong to particular Churches or Congregations We desire not to be mistaken For as we shall argue nothing upon this occasion but what we esteeme to be both true and necessary to secure fully this mainest concernment of Religion about the Determination of this chiefe Time for Gods honour and the good of all mens soules So to prevent all causelesse suspitions we professe before-hand fully and freely 1. That we neither take the authority of the Church to reside chiefly in particular Congregations though somewhat more we believe belongs to the Ministers of particular Congregations then they have in some places been suffered to exercise much lesse that all the people have the rule in their hands as the Separatists say and least of all to take in women also as the Anabaptists doe Though in the point in controversie we must needs assert the authority to determine this chiefe Time for Religion rather to belong to every particular Church or Congregation for themselves then to any superior Governments or Governours to determine it for them As we have already argued that it rather belongs to every man and woman single for themselves then to any number of men for all the rest Therefore againe we professe that in those matters wherein the Church hath authority the authority is in the Church-Governours not in the whole body and greater authority in superior Governments as in Synods Provinciall and Nationall together with the authority of the Christian Magistrate most of all in Generall Councels or such a Councell as is of many Christian Nations together called by the consent of Christian Princes and States 2. That we are perswaded the Governours of the Church have some authority even legislative in some matters as far as the Scripture-rules admit namely That all things be done to edification and decently and in order and with charity and which may make for peace that is in matters indifferent as they are commonly called in things wherein God hath not determined this way or that way precisely and so are matters of smaller concernment which may admit of variation in divers Churches at the same time and in the same Church at divers times and wherein the main concernments of Religion Gods honour and the soules good or even mens outward bodily necessities are not prejudiced as they may be on either hand undeniably by an unnecessary or unsufficient determination of the Time we are speaking of These things thus cautioned we proceed to our Arguments which will be numerous and we suppose waighty every one of them whereby we shall evince both the falsenesse of our Adversaries assertion of the Churches authority in this matter as also discover unto the observant Reader how negligently and carelesly they have hitherto handled this point about the determination of this necessary-sufficient-chiefe Time for Religion by the Churches authority as if they had had to do with men that would take their dictates for oracles and never require satisfaction in most important difficulties which attend their Positions and Conclusions Our next Argument is this XXV Arg. 2. The Church cannot make Time necessary to Religion If the Church have authority to determine unto its members the necessary and ordinarily sufficient chiefe Time for Religion then it hath authority to make that Time necessary to Religion by vertue of its determination which was not necessary before us determination But the Church hath not authority to make that Time necessary to Religion by vertue of its determination which was not necessary before us determination Ergo the Church hath not authority to determine to its members the necessary ordinarily sufficient and chiefe Time for Religion The Consequence cannot justly be rejected For the authority we are disputing about is a legislative authority and that concerning a Time necessary for Religion which authority God had unquestionably in His hands of old and whatsoever Time He determined was necessary unto Religion even by vertue of His determination Now we say we are disputing of this authority Whether this be put over to the Church or not because such a determination must be as we have shewed of a Time necessary unto Religion Therefore if the Church have the authority to determine this Time to make this determination It hath authority to make that necessary by vertue of its determination which before its determination was not necessary For if it were necessary before then the Church doth not make the determination or exercise a legislative authority but only doe a prudentiall act or ministeriall to declare and preach to its members what Time God in Nature or Scripture hath made necessary not determining we say any thing by vertue of any authority given to it in that case The Antecedent is no lesse certaine divers wayes 1. Because if the Church could make a Time necessary which was not before necessary by vertue of its determination then it could make any Time it should determine necessary by vertue of its determination for A quatenus ad omus valet consequentia the authority To the purpose of this Antecedent See hereafter a distinct Argument proving those Times only necessary to Religion which Gâ—d himselfe appoints Sect. 62. and so the vertue of it being the same in one as in another And then not only one whole Day in a Week which is so burdensome to our Adversaries even to thinke of should be necessary if the Church should determine it but even two whole Dayes in a Week or three whole Dayes two whole Dayes still together or three or any other proportion or number that they should thinke good to determine should be necessary to Religion which all men would confesse to be absurd Therefore it remaines that the
since the service of God is our perfect freedome if our Church say true in her prayers and are not to give God attendance constantly in Publique Worship and so constantly look after their soules And then what becomes of the Morality of the fourth Commandement for Publique VVorship and what of Publique Worship and a sufficient Time at least for it Morall Naturall It is beyond our wits how our adversaries can expedite themselves out of the intanglements of these contradictions whereas in our way all is plaine in three words God determining the Time to all all even sevants and inferiours are bound to observe it to His honour and the good of their soules so to be willing and carefull of it and they are free to observe it being willing notwithstanding any opposition of men Masters Parents or others And though they may and must regard Gods reservations and so stay at home to tend a sick person and do any thing which is truly necessary yet not upon slight pretences or trifling occasions and when they are at home they are to redeeme all Time possible to serve God and look after their soules by themselves And if for this they incurre their superiours displeasure they must trust God in that as well as if they would urge them to lye or do any other wickednesse XXXIII Proved by reason 2. Another proofe of our Antecedent against the Churches authority even for the Publique Worship in a word according to what hath been touchâ— in a former argument is that If the Church hath authority to commanded all its members to observe constantly that Time in Publique Worship which it determines to them It may command them 2 3 4 5. Dayes in a Weeke and 5. or 6. or 8. Houres of each of those Dayes both Masters and Servants Inferiours and Superiours and call them from their workes to publique Worship so often and so long But this must not be therefore the Church hath no such authority even for the Publique Worship and the Times for it A sixth argument is this XXXIIII Argument sixth The Church cannot make a perpetuall determination If the Church hath authority to make this determination of the chiefe solemne Time necessary and sufficient to its members for Religion Then it hath authority to make a perpetuall determination But the Church hath no authority to make a perpetuall determination Ergo The Church hath not authority to make this determination The Consequence may be thus confirmed that proportion of Time which is both necessary for Religion sufficient for Religion for the chiefe Time of Worship is in reference to men not to say in the nature of Perpetual For nothing can be taken from that which is necessary nor added by mans authority to that which is sufficient So that if the determination of the Church hath made the Time necessary and sufficient to Religion it hath made it withall perpetuall and unalterable The Antecedent that the Church cannot make a determination perpetuall Is partly proved by the confession of the adversaries in this case in hand For they dispute and argue divers of them for the Churches authority at this day to alter and change the Time the Lords Day not onely to some other Day of the week but to some other number greater or smaller Partly by the general confession of all Orthodoxe Divines even the Hereticall Papists also that all institutions determinations lawâ— of men even of the Church universall are in their own not â—e alterable and at least the Church universall may alter them in a generall Councell And so that it belongs to God only to make lawes perpetuall and unchangeable And therefore say we it belongs only to Him to make this determination of the necessary and sufficient chiefe solemne Time for all men and particularly for all the members of the Church which doing it is unquestionably in reference to men XXXIV Argument seventh perpetuall and unalterable A seventh Argument thuâ— proceeds If God have given the Christian Church this authority to determine the necessary sufficient chiefe solemne Time for Religion It is a burden to Christians that the Church have this authority to all its members Then it is by way of spirituall priviledge and liberty for Christians But it is not a spirituall priviledge or liberty to Christians to have this authority given to the Church Ergo God hath not given to the Church this authority The Consequence is not to be denyed 1. Because our adversaries do so much and so oft urge the notion of Christian liberty to prove Christians free from all Gods former determinations of Times even that of one day in seven for a Weekely Sabbath in the fourth Commandement and to prove that the Church is to determine the necessary and sufficient Time now 2. Indeed there can be no other reason imagined why God should set His Christian Church to make this determination or make voyde all His own former determinations but in favour to His people now for a spirituall priviledge and Christian liberty The Time of the Gospell being a Time of spirituall freedome above the Time of the Old Testament The Antecedent may be verifyed severall wayes 1. By the confession of the adversaries who say sometimes and offer at some reasons for it that the Christian Church may appoint and determine more and oftener dayes than the Jewes had determined to them by God himselfe And if it be absolutely left to the Church to determine they may determine as many as they will And so there wil be lesse liberty in that sence they plead for it lesse freedom for worldly occasions work and sports then the Jewes had or then we urge from the fourth Commandement for one whole Day in seven For two Dayes in a week or even twenty seven Holy dayes in a yeare besides the Lords dayes weekely which are in our Church if they must be observed at least by abstaining from all work as some urge in their bookes and to be sure the Ecclesiasticall Courts did urge in practise punishing all those that they could prove did work on any part even of a Holy day This we say was and would be lesse freedome then the Jewes had or then we would have if the Lords day were wholly observed and no other dayes strictly besides But they may determine as hath been said even twise thrise as many more dayes if they have such authority as we dispute of Where then is the liberty talked of 2. If the Church had not such an absolute authority to determine but as much as was of old one whole Day in seven And without an expresse prohibition or pregnant reasons to the contrary which our adversaries in their way have not yet alledged this cannot be denied by them And so keep the number and continuance still and onely change the Day as we say is done but by God not men We aske again where is the liberty talked of unlesse they will say
the old Day abrogated by Christ and then as we have implyed heretofore and shall again urge further hereafter the first Day of the Weeke came even by vertue of the determination of one in seven in the roome of it immediately Besides what may be argued for Christs justification of it when we come to handle that question against the Jewish Sabbatarians And this being of lesse importance then the determination of the Continuance and Frequency God in His unsearcheable wisdome thought fit only to afford some designations of its observation and His owning it as His in the New Testament and not any peremptory command like to that of the Decalogue Of which also more hereafter XLIV Arg. 11. Then it should belong to every congregation We proceed in our arguments The next is this If the authority of determining to Christians the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion belong to the Church Then it belongs to every particular congregationall Church to determine it unto its members But it belongs not to every particular congregationall Church to determine it unto its members Ergo It belongs not to the Church at all The Consequence hath been partly made good already But we must repeate those things briefly and bring them under one view together and adde some other things to them for fuller confirmation 1. The practise and observation of a necessary and sufficient Time for Religion immediately concernes every particular Church even every particular conscience as we have said for Gods honour among them and the benefiting of all their soules 2 The Time must be determined and that as necessary and sufficient that it may be so observed by that particular Church and all its members 3. It hath been already shewed the great uncertainties that there are about the determination of this Time belonging to a Church Nationall or Vniversall and the Possibilies of their erring either in the point of necessity or of sufficiency through want of zeale excesse of zeale and want of prudence In all these cases what can be said but that the authority must be devolved to each particular congregationall Church for its members that so God may have His honour among them though he hath it not aright among others and their souls may be benefited and their consciences not over-burthened however it be in other Churches 4. In case any particular Church be in a Paganish Country converted and gathered by meanes of some captive Christian or the like who yet is able to shew no authenticke proofe of any determination of the universall Church in this point nor of any Nationall Church which this particular Church should be bound to by vertue of their authority over it It is of necessity that that particular Church determine the Time for it selfe and its members 5. To this Day as we toucht before the universall Church hath not nor scarce any Nationall Church of late made a cleare determination or declaration of the Continuance of the Day which is by practise every where weekely observed How much we say of the Lords day is to be kept holy and strictly for God and the soule Yet this is necessary to be determined Therefore the authority to determine it must needs be devolved to every particular Church through the defect of the universall Churches determination of it and so of Nationall and Provinciall or Diocesan or Classicall Churches As also as was argued formerly in particular Churches default in like sort to particular Persons for themselves and their owne soules and consciences single 6. Finally the Scripture upon our Adversaries suppositions is undeniably we thinke for this And so is the practise of the Christian Church 1. The first certaine intimation we have in Scripture of the new Day observed by Christians for Religion though this also some quarrell with and question is Act. 20.7 which was in a particular Church at Troas and our Adversaries will not allow us to inferre from St. Pauls presence and observation of it with them that he instituted it there and much lesse among all Churches It was then as they contend the particular institution of that particular Church of Troas and so the determination of the particular Day and Frequency whatever was or was not of the Continuance belonged to particular Churches 2. Our Adversaries refuse also the intimation of 1 Cor. 16.2 notwithstanding the mention of an Ordination at least about the Collection that either to Corinth or to the Churches of Galatia the Apostle did institute or determine the first Day of the weeke to Religion Yet it was observed then as they doe not deny in their good moods though they can find in their hearts to dispute against that place also Therefore the institution and determination was made by those particular Churches for the Day and the Frequency at least 3. The practise of the Christian Church will say the same too For 300 yeeres after Christ there was not neither could there be till there was a Christian Emperour any generall Councell So that the universall Church determined it not neither could it Nor doe we read any Nationall or Provinciall Councell that seemes to determine it till that of Laodicea which was neer 300 yeeres after Christs resurrection Whereas the Lords day was practised and observed by that name and the name of the first Day of the weeke in every age from the Apostles Times as we shall shew hereafter It must be then instituted and determined by some particular Churches and imitated by others and so came to be universally practised Unlesse the Apostle instituted and determined it for all which our Adversaries admit not and we have disproved in their sense or that God and Christ ordained it whether immediately or mediately by the Apostles it matters not greatly and so certainly it was XLV Which is disproved by many reasons For now to prove our Antecedent That it belongs not to every particular congregationall Church to make this determination 1. It is not credible that all particular Churches if the power were in themselves would determine the same Continuance nor the same Frequency nor so much as the same particular Day For to speake of the first doe not our disputers now argue one while for Thursday to be as fit a Day in memory of Christs Ascention as the Lords day in memory of His Resurrection Another while for Friday in memory of His death How would this then be if they or such as they had the authority in their owne hand much if not altogether being the Ministers and so at least the chiefe in authority in the particular Congregations should we not be likely in a great City as London but specially in a Nation or Kingdome to have all the Dayes of the Weeke determined by one or other particular Church namely one by one and another by another and so others by others Againe in such diversities of tempers differences of zeale or worldlinesse wanting a steady Rule as we shall see and
mans calling may be allowed to be the divider and the distributer of the chiefe Time of all men and so God and the soules of men have no other allowance for the chiefe Time to Religion then what those worldly considerations shall allot This thought about Gods indulgence is a most weighty and most necessary consideration in this dispute But it doth not seeme to be at all taken into consideration by our disputers in this question We shall therefore anon make a distinct argument of it that we may be sure they and all Readers that will take the paines to view those discourses shall not be able to misse it or passe it sleightly over But we must first make up this Argument and another in the meane Time We say then that by all this discourse of the Nature of God the Nature of the Soule the Nature of the Duties of Worship the Nature of the Body and worldly occasions Take any of them single and apart or joyne any of them or all of them together in the consultation and we are as farre as can be from any guesse how to proportion the Time betweene Religion and other matters except that we ought undoubtedly to say if we have nothing but these to direct us That to Gods honour and the souls benefit the farre greater proportion of Time is necessary and that it cannot be sufficient to let the world possesse the largest share And if this be true as we cannot see how it can possibly be denyed and we shall yet further confirme it in a following argument our Adversaries have made a goodly purchsse by disputing the abrogation of the fourth Commandement for one Day in seven In as much as in stead of their pretended Christian liberty not to be tyed to such a proportion all other rules call for twise thrise as much and rather for six Dayes of seven and leave but one for worldly businesses And if they shall object Excep that mens bodily lives could not be preserved with so little a proportion for worldly businesses and trades We Answer set aside the Wisdome of God Sol. and His allowance of six Dayes Worke in the fourth Commandement it is not possible for any man living or any number of men to assigne certainly how much Time is to be spent in worldly businesses for the preservation of mankind in a bodily life If there were that simplicity of Diet of Apparell of Buildings all other things that there was in the first Ages of the world and is yet in some Countries though our pride and curiosity call them Barbarous for it certainly a great deale lesse Time would serve then now doth for worldly matters And though as the constitution of the world now is we are far from blaming such Trades and Manufacturers or the using of them as sinnes because specially we beleeve God to have allowed six Dayes in a Week mainly for worldly businesse according to the fourth Commandement Yet we say still that if this allowance were not we see not any warrant to imploy mankind so much in these businesses which as we said have been spared of old and are spared in other places at this Day to so notorious prejudice and undervaluing of God and His honour and the good of soules And so still we are altogether at a lesse for a rule of wisdome how to determine our necessary and sufficient chiefe Solemne Time for Religion And therefore this determination could not be nor was ever left to man to Adam or the Partriarkes before Moses Much losse to the Gentiles and Heathen for themselves and theirs nor yet to the Church of the New Testament LII 5. Nor the old proportion of one Day in seven in the fou th Commandement But remained ever in Gods hand which is the thing to be proved But we must not forget our fifth Consideration mentioned in reference to the Christian Church That our Adversaries in their best moodes when they say The Church must not offend in excesse or defect not render the yoke of Christians too heavy by appointing too much nor slight or seeme to slight the service of God and render it contemptible by appointing too little They seeme to fancy that the proportion of one Day of seven though by no meanes necessary to be perpetuated may be a convenient direction that thereabouts it should be among Christians and accordingly in the Christian Church ever one Day in a week hath been observed which with the addition of Holy dayes more rarely appointed they count a sufficient Time for Religion equall if not superiour to the Time that God had from the Jewes under the Old Testament Now to this we have divers things to say though we will not offer to follow their extravagancies in and out step by step in this dispute but onely shew somewhat the insufficiency and absurdity of this pretence LIII This is proved absurd We say then 1. That for other Holy dayes besides the weekely Solemne day they come not properly into this dispute about the ordinary chiefe Time for Religion They are 1. Extraordinary Dayes of which kind the Jewes also had some of Gods appointing and some of their own more then many Christian Churches have though not so many as some others Also 2. These are taken up without any such rule as may either urge the conscience to judge them necessary or conclude them together to be sufficient Therefore 3. Also herein the Christian Churches greatly differ which as we have argued before must not be in the proportions of the chiefe solemne Time necessary and sufficient for all Christians Likewise 4. No Church Reformed that hath retained Holy dayes hath spoken fully and clearely about the Continuance of them and how necessarily they are to be observed to Religion and imployed wholly in Religious duties or not And so they come not properly into this dispute about the necessary chiefe Time for Religion 2. Leaving these out and considering the weekely solemne proportion it was of old determined to the Jewes in the fourth Commandement One whole Day of seven Both which as well as the particular seventh Day the Saturday Sabbath which they pin to the Commandement But we shal shew their errour in it hereafter our Adversaries make to be now abrogated by Christ that is both the number one Day of seven and the Continuance one whole Day Of both these we must now argue the case with them how upon the supposition of Gods making these void they can finde out a rule for the Christian Church to make a determination of the chiefe Time for Religion for Frequency and Continuance And first we must discourse of the Frequency LIV. 1. With respect to the Frequency For the number of one Day in seven which is from Christs Time to this Day observed and perpetuated among all Christians by all confession Some kept as is said more Dayes but all kept the Lords day the first Day of the Week and
old particular Day was retained a while at least in publike among the Jewes and so were the forbearance of things strangled and blood even ordained so and Circumcision it selfe and Sacrifices were practised a while But after a while all left and by Divines called not only dead but deadly So by the same reason after a while a new number ought to have been taken up by the Christian Church as is apparant a new particular Day was even in full opposition to Judaisme as upon this ground the Councell of Laodicea anathematises those that should keep the old Jewish Day So should it have been for the number if it as well as the other had been meerly Judaicall and both together cashiered by God Let it be considered 6. But we have yet one thing more to urge That looking to the number of old determined to the Jewes LX. 6. The old number can give no direction to the Church if it be now made voyd can afford the Christian Church no direction at all towards the setling of a new number For as much as 1. there is no Argument sufficient to convince or satisfie a Conscience whether that number was rejected by God as too often a revolution or too seldome Themselves in their Disputes discourse ambiguously of it and with their argumentations contradict themselves as it is usuall for Errours to doe One while they say The number may be oftener but it may not be seldomer Another while they urge That it is a part of our Christian libertie not to be tied to that number of seven But these destroy one another For if we ought to have an oftener number as they also plead sometimes because we are more beholden to God then the Jewes were and freed from many other burdensome Ceremonies where then is our Christian liberty Are we not in the particular in more straights then the Jewes And by the Churches tying us againe as they say it hath to the number of one in seven Is not our Christian libertie infringed it being libertie not to be tyed to that number Unlesse they will say It is libertie not to be tyed by Gods expresse commandement of that number and yet libertie still to be tyed by the Churches command who hath authoritie from God to determine the Moralitie of the fourth Commandement and lay the strength even of the Law of Nature upon us for the number which is to make it as necessary as ever Contrarily if it be Christian libertie not to be tyed to this number then we ought not to be tyed to a more frequent number nor yet to the same number againe as we are Some of these things we had before in a former Argument But the nature of the thing in question did in a sort necessitate a repetition Else we do not delight to burthen the Readers with the same Notions againe 2. But suppose it were clearly certaine on which hand the scale should now weigh to a number more frequent upon the reason of our greater obligation to God and greater meanes of grace to improve the Times to better purpose then they which our disputers also discourse by fits or to a number lesse frequent upon the reason of Christian Liberty Yet now is there no rule to satisfie a doubting conscience or convince a disputer though no wrangler how neer to the number of one in seven the number should be kept and setled For if it be one of three or foure Or even three or foure or five of seven still here is the more for God and the soul And if it be but one of ten of twenty of thirty or a hundred here is the more liberty such as it is for we are not willing to call it Christian In a word the seldomest number will hardly be proved necessary to those that offer to dispute the contrary Or if it may yet will it be as farre from appearing sufficient to a zealous or doubtfull mind nor indeed any number how frequent so ever that can be determined can by any argument be demonstrated to be sufficient to such a conscience Or if it be then again on the other side it will be more impossible to prove it necessary to an unwilling or worldly mind Either way both wayes we are all altogether upon uncertainties and so this old number of one Day in seven determined to the Iewes can stand us in no stead at all toward the determination of the number for the chiefe Time now 2. But we shall also be as much at a losse if not more LXI 2. With respect to the Continuance for a whole day For about the Continuance In which we disagree most and is as we have oft intimated the mainest thing in dispute which we plead for and they most oppose But if they come not home to us and to the fourth Commandement for a whole Day they will be farther to seeke for a Rule to direct them and us in this determination then in the former To which purpose 1. We observe 1. They doe not expresse how much time is necessarie and sufficient that our disputers in this point of the Continuance that is most of them doe not so much as offer to expresse how neer we Christians must necessarily and may sufficiently come to a whole Dayes Continuance which was determined to the Jews and by them observed when they made any conscience of the Commandement Only they sometimes vouchsafe to grant That they doe not sinne who observe the whole Day for Religion rather that they do well and commendable And now and then they even say They doe best who so observe it But they will not yeeld that it must necessarily be so observed for this were to yeeld all That they say is superstition to thinke and judaizing and tyranny to urge others unto 2. Nor can if it be not for a whole day 2. Therefore we make bold to uâ—ge them to tell us at last what Continuance of Time on the Lords day is certainly necessary and certainly sufficient To convince the unwilling to whom a very little while together is irkesome and tedious and to satisfie the godly who may be apt to thinke lesse then the whole Day too little And that for all the pretence of Christian liberty the respect to Gods Honour and their owne souls good which undoubtedly concerne Christians as much at least as the Jewes The Continuance of a whole Day should have been kept as well as the number of one Day in Seven Let them venture upon any proportion of Continuance that they will or can and what can the example of a whole Day in the fourth Commandement direct them to If they refuse a whole Day Will they leave out an houre at night and as much in the morning Or only at night Or two houres Or halfe an houre How will they argue so much as they determine to be necessary and not the rest which they leave out Or how will they prove so
unwise and unhappy as to forfeit by our forsaking the doctrine or practise of this Day of blessing as we there said And now the errour imputed by the Author Sol. 7. quoted in the objection will fall upon himselfe who can no way make good his owne assertions of the Holy observation of the Lords day the Sabbath unlesse he grant all actions words and even thoughts meerly humane which are not necessary for of necessities we have as all agree granted reservations to be sinnes so farre forth For that this were to take so much how little soever from God whose Day it altogether is and from the soule for whose good it is to bestow it and that we say unnecessarily upon the World and a mans selfe in earthly respects And then also how shall the magnificent promise be fulfilled to those that allow not God the whole of His owne twice called holy Day We would not have toucht this slip of so reverend an Authors pen but that we have met with it objected against us and his testimony against us might sway with others if we had wholly passed it over in silence But now we are perswaded we have made good this text also for the securing of happy blessing both personall and nationall to the observers of Gods determined chiefe solemne Time or Sabbath And so our whole Argument taken from His indulgence of the Time for our worldly businesses And so we passe on to some speciall Arguments LXXV God must determine the particular day Arg. 1. for Gods determination of the particular day all time and dayes are his none ours but by his indulgence vindicating the determination of the particular Day for the chiefe solemne Time as well as the chiefe Time it selfe But in a very few words in comparison of our former great length Thus we reason If all Time be Gods and none ours for worldly imployments but by His indulgence Then the particular Day or Dayes for the chiefe Time to Religion belongs to Gods peculiar determination and not to mens But all Time is Gods and none ours for worldly imployments but by His indulgence Ergo The particular Day or Dayes for the chiefe Time to Religion belongs to Gods peculiar determination and not to mens The Antecedent cannot be denyed and hath been sufficiently illustrated in the foregoing Parallel Argument The Consequence of this may also be cleared If we consider 1. That how ever this be no such matter of importance in Religion in the essentiall part of it as the former was yet even this concernes in some sort the Soveraignity of God so far as we can conceive of it Unlesse He had fully and clearely exprest himselfe which we no where find in His Word to have put over the determination of this Particularity to men 2. That an indulgence to men of so much Time so often for their worldly imployments as of sixe Dayes in seven doth not yet in the nature of it allow them to be their own Carvers in the particular Dayes But they must wait upon Gods particular allowance of the particular Dayes before they may presume to imploy any of them at all to their own worldly occasions The order as well as the proportion is in Gods hand originally and He puts not the disposition of that out of His hand without an expresse declaration of so much particularly or at least generally As Lawyers say of the King that He passes away none of his rights in any grant by doubtfull and ambiguous words If but a master say to his servant or scholar or a parent to his child I will allow you so many houres for your selfe your own businesse or sport c. and so much Time you shall attend your booke and my businesse this Day or any Day Will any conclude that such servant scholar or child may take those houres to himselfe when he lists himselfe though he should attend on this master or parent the rest of the Time For this would shew that himselfe rather then his superior were the Lord and commander of his Time and so be an act of presumption as if also his superior were rather beholden to him for affording to give such attendance upon him at all then he to his superior for his indulgence of so much Time when he could have challenged none at all all being his superiors none his own for his private occasions Let this be thought upon and it cannot well be denyed but it is a proper peece of soveraigntie even of all superioritie to retaine the appointment of the particular Times for the chiefe attendance of inferiors upon them in their own hands and a part of the naturall homage such owe to their superiors to depend upon their expresse pleasure for the particularities of the chiefe Times of such attendance as well as for the proportion of such Times A Lord even of a Manour uses to reserve this authority in his own hands That his Courts when all his homagers shall be bound to doe their suit and service to him shall be at his calling and not at the Tenants pleasure either extraordinarily or ordinarily How much more is this a Royaltie beseeming the LORD-Paramount of Heaven Earth We conclude then this Argument with this admonition That our Disputers would but root out that pernicious thought which we feare they are deeply tainted with That Time is now rather our own than Gods And then we make no doubt but they will readily yield both the chiefe Time for His Worship and the particular Dayes for it to belong eternally to His determination and all disputes between them and us will suddenly be at an end We confirme this Argument by a second LXXVI Arg. 2. Upon that determination depends Gods blessing neere of kin to the former sutable also to our foregoing discourses for the chiefe Time If we stand in need of a Blessing from God upon the proportion of Time which we observe for the sufficient chiefe Time for Religion Then the determination of the very particular Day belongs to God peculiarly and not to men But we stand in need of a Blessing from God upon the proportion of Time which we observe for the sufficient chiefe Time for Religion Ergo The determination of the very particular Day belongs to God peculiarly and not to men The Antecedent hath been sufficiently confirmed before The Consequence may be proved by considering 1. That the Proportion cannot be regularly observed but by the determination of a particular Day for it 2. That men have no power to annexe Gods blessing to any determination of theirs That comes freely from Gods own will and pleasure from His meere grace which men cannot so much as know without He reveale it himselfe by way of Promise or Covenant which He doth to His own ordinances but no where to mens ordinances that is to any such determinations of men as are intended obligatory to others N. B. or for any permanencie We adde this
explication because we find that God did for a single act allow His people even after His own Altar was made to build an Altar for sacrifice to Him upon a speciall occasion of earth or of whole stones But they were not to make a custome of using that Altar and therefore the materials of it were to be loose Also in the Passeover Exod. 12. God allowed particular persons according to their store to take a Lambe or a Kid but not that He allowed the Elders to enjoyne all to one sort nor was he that now used a Kid obliged to it the next turne But here the particular Day in question is to be determined for many indeed for all mankind as the next Argument will offer proofe of and so to be oligatorie and accordingly to be at least for some while permanent For it were both altogether ridiculous would bring forth manifold confusions to be every 2d. or 3d. turn or revolution changing the particular Day Therefore we say no such permanent and obligatorie determination hath any promise of Blessing unlesse it be the determination and ordinance of God himselfe Now upon the particular determination of the Day or the particular Day determined the Blessing doth fall though not properly for the particular Dayes sake but for the Proportions to make that sufficient to be observed for the chiefe Time as hath been said Accordingly then that particular Day to make it capable and susceptible of the Blessing that is that the observers of that particular Day may enjoy the Blessing promised to the observers of the chiefe Time that particular Day must not be determined by men but by God LXXVII Arg. 3. It is very fit all the world should have one and the same day as neere as may be A third Argument to like purpose of which also touches have been formerly given but we conceive it convenient to be here expresly handled is from the more then conveniencie neere to a necessitie if not altogether so that there should be one particular Day as neere as may be according to the variation of Climates even the selfe-same Day all the world over for the Honour of God generally from all His servants together at the same time and for the generall exercise of the Communion of Saints also all the world over Thus we propound it If all the world over there is to be as neere as may be one and the self-same particular day for the chief time to Religion Then the determination of this particular Day belongs to God peculiarly and not to men But there is to be all the world over as neere as may be one and the selfe-same particular Day for the chiefe Time for Religion Ergo The determination of this particular Day belongs to God peculiarly and not to men The Consequence of this Argument is evident 1. By the constant necessity of having a particular Day determined for the chiefe Time to Religion so as if any such particular Day which was once determined for it be abrogated upon any grounds whatsoever there must without delay be a new particular Day determined as without which the chiefe Time necessary to Religion cannot be observed by all those whom it concernes by all Christians 2. By the Impossibilitie that without a Divine determination or at least a divine revelation all Christians could so much as come to know what Day particularly were determined by all that know of the abrogation of the former particular Day before them As suppose the Apostles going into severall Countries and preaching the abrogation of the old seventh Day and that a new Day was to be determined by the Church and that Matthew goes first and Thomas after him and Bartholomew after him how can the Christians to whom Thomas or Bartholomew preach thus know without divine revelation what Day is determined by the Churches that made the first determination namely those to whom Matthew preached 3. By a like impossibilitie of their knowing what the Churches that should receive the Gospel after them would determine concerning the particular Day as namely to whom suppose Philip and Andrew and Simon should preach after the others 4. The impossibilitie that they would all agree upon the same Time though they did know one anothers minds unlesse some command from God did necessitate the latter converted Churches to consent to the determination of the first Churches and this supposed would to them be in the nature of a divine determination and would suppose an inspiration from God to have assisted the determination by those Churches 5. Of this the great and violent difference even presently after the Apostles times about the keeping of Easter day upon the particular Day of the Week or the particular Day of the Moneth between the Western and Easterne Churches shewes proofe sufficient namely how little hope or possibilitie there would have been even in the Primitive Times of the agreement about the particular Day for the chiefe Time to Religion and so much rather now if wholly left to the determination of men of the Church Particular or Nationall Churches or any 6. Finally if it may be imagined Except that an Vniversall Councell representing the whole Church might sufficiently have agreed upon the particular Day for all Churches and so for all Christians all the world over We desire it may be considered Sol. 1 1. that there was no such thing as any such universall or generall Councell representing the whole Church in the first Times when the Lords day Inst Sol. the first Day of the Weeke came first to be practised 2. If any shall say that of Act. 15. was such an one he must yet remember there was no such determination made For if it had the Holy Ghost would have recorded it being so necessary a thing Sol. 2 And againe the determinations there were the determinations of the Holy Ghost as is expresly said in the Synodicall Epistle v. 29. Sol. 1 3. Neither could there be any such so soone as this needed to be and was determined for the practise of particular Churches and Christians For we said before there could be no delay after the abrogation of the old seventh Day Sabbath preached And the conversion of Churches so late one after another made a generall Councell of all the Churches in severall Nations of the World impossible till the Gospel had beene planted in all Nations From all which it followes undeniably that if one and the selfe-same Day were or were to be determined in the Apostolike and first Times for the particular Day unto the chiefe Time for Religion unto all Christians all the World over it could be no otherwise then by a Divine determination either by Christ himselfe while He conversed with His Disciples after His resurrection or else by the Apostles divinely inspired and commanding in the Name of God and Christ which comes all to one passe for the point in hand The Antecedent That there is to be all the World
oftener being not so necessary and so burdensome And therefore still this houre in a yeere or any other Continuance in any other Frequencie pitcht upon is above all other Times for Religion no other being equall to it VII Arg. 4. Nature requires a determination of a particular day Ergo. 4. If there must necessarily be together with the determination of the Continuance and Frequencie for the necessary sufficient chiefe Time also a particular determination of the particular day and houre wherein this houre in a yeere must be observed or else it is impossible to be observed by a whole Particular Church together constantly and much more impossible in regard of a whole Nation and most of all for all Christâ—ans and men all the world over Then when that particular Day and Houre is once determined by what authority soever in any Church as it must necessarily be as soon as the old seventh-day Sabbath was known to be abrogated All Dayes and Times are not equall in Religion under the Gospel even in regard of the particular Season or Order Day or Houre No other Day or Houre is equall to this determined Day or Houre but It above them all That particular Day wherein that Houre is to be observed is above all other Dayes and that particular Houre of that Day is above all other Houres even of the same Day As a King once chosen in an elective Kingdome and chosen he must be as soon as possible may be is above all other men in that Kingdome or Nation and none equall to him from henceforth whatever they were before his election And in reference to this election necessary to be made of a King that State is called properly a Kingdome even during the inter-regnum or vacancie and it cannot be said properly that all men are equall in that State because the Fundamentall Law of the State requires that one be above all the rest as King So that from the Law of Nature and the confessions of our Adversaries themselves It cannot be properly said that in any one of the Respects of Time Continuance Frequencie or Order all Times or Dayes are equall in Religion under the Gospel For that 1. The Law of Nature requires a determination of all the three Respects that so a chiefe Time may be observed 2. It then requires upon the supposition of Gods not determining now an undelayed immediate determination of all of them by the Church 3. It binds consequently upon the supposition of this determination left to the Church the Consciences of all under the Churches authority to that determination in all respects as well and as strongly as if God himselfe had expresly made it And so to all inferiors in the Church and superiors too unlesse endued with cleare authority to alter what is once ratified by God that Time so determined for Continuance Frequencie and Order also is necessary and unalterable and above all others 5. If God in the New Testament VIII Arg. 5. God ownes one day as his viz. the Lords-day Ergo. have owned one particular Day in a Revolution as His calling it the Lords day as He hath undoubtedly whatsoever ridiculously D. Gomarus hath fancied that it signifies only the day of the vision to John and no more Then how seldome soever it come about be it but once in a yeere Or whatever be meant by it whether the day of the Lords nativitie Christmasse day as it is called or of His resurrection Easter-day or any other day and how little soever be to be observed of it as holy and spent in Religion two houres or one houre or lesse Yet still in as much as it is intituled the Lords-day by the Spirit of God guiding St. Johns pen All Dayes and Times are not equall in Religion under the Gospel for Frequencie and the particular Day in that Frequencie For this Day in its Frequencie is above all other It alone and no other with it or besides it is honoured and graced with that Majestick and glorious title IX Arg. 6. The Church in all ages hath owned the Lords day Ergo. 6. If the Church in all Ages from St. Johns time be a sufficient Interpreter or living Dictionary of a word or phrase in Scripture as a man would thinke no man would offer to contradict that Then the Lords-day signifies both a Day in a Weekly revolution and not an Annuall Day and the first Day of the Week the Day after the old Sabbath which was the last Day of the Week On which first Day of the Week S. Paul being at Troas seven Dayes kept a speciall meeting and administred then the Sacrament and on that first Day of the Week he appointed at least the charitable collections to be taking it for granted that that Day was weekly observed as undeniably it was in the next Age and ever since Then also againe All Times and Daies are not equall in Religion under the Gospel But the Lords-Day the first Day of the Week for Order and Frequencie is above all other Daies and numbers of Daies One Day in seven and the first of the seven have that dignity in the New Testament to be owned as Gods as the Lords own time which no other Number or Day can pretend unto None so necessarie as this to be observed X. Arg. 7. The Lords day in all the three respects of Time most necessary to Religion Erg. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perrincus al Dominum Scap. 7. If whatsoever God ownes as His possession by way of discrimination or difference from other things of the same kind uses to be wholly His no part or parcell of it for worldly use as it was with the Lords house and the like Then is the Lords day wholly the Lords wholly sacred the whole Continuance of it being the Lords possession to be wholly imployed in His immediate worship and service The Greeke word for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being plainly a Possessive belonging to the Lord. And then also again All Times and Daies are not equall in Religion vnder the Gospel even for Continuance as well as for Frequencie and Order But the Lords-day is in all the 3. Respects of Time more necessary to Religion than any other and so above all other Dayes and Times There being none besides this ennobled with such a relation to the Lord to be stiled by Himselfe His. None so every way or any way the Lords day as this For also XI Arg. 8. The Scripture ownes the Lords day as of his institution Ergo. 8. If Scripture may be safely interpreted by Scripture even about the nature and reason of a phrase or terme as that uses to be a generall rule among Divines except there be in the Text it selfe an evidence that it cannot be here taken as it is elsewhere or that it oppose some other undoubted truth Then besides all that hath been already noted of the Lords-day it is hereby also intitled to an Institution from the
LORD Himselfe from CHRIST The Primitive Church seemes to beare witnesse to this calling the Prayer instituted by Christ by the same terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oratio Dominica neither can it signifie any thing but the Prayer of the Lords institution Though the Generations after weakned the Testimony by calling Churches so As being paralell in phrase with the LORDS Supper which beyond all peradventure had no other Institour but Christ The Spirit of God who directed the two Apostles Paul and John in these two titles which are neither of them used in Scripture but once a peece never vouchsafed the terme to any other thing in the New Testament but only to the Supper and the Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had his choyse of words and spake nothing but upon admirable reason And no other good reason can be imagined why he would match these two these only in this appellation If they both had not had the same Author and Institutour And if he had not intended to insinuate so much unto us and teach it us even by the phrase particularly giving first the terme to the Supper and when we could not mistake that matching the Day with it that we might not mistake that neither Then also once more All Times and Dayes are not equall in Religion under the Gospell The Lords day is above all other Dayes and Times in regard of its Author and Institutour No Day is equall to this in this highest dignity and prerogative whence its being His peculiar His possession wholly His sacred to Him infallibly flowes unlesse He had said the contrary having its authority and institution from the Lord himself and so being then unquestionably necessary to Religion and most properly Holy and beyond controll altogether unalterable by man None of which can be alledged with any the like pretence from Scripture for any other Day under the New Testament We are not ignorant that exceptions are made by our disputers against these things that we have represented concerning the Lords day But the speciall answer to them we reserve to its proper place where we shall by His assistance for whose Commandement Day and Honour we argue in all this take all that they say against it into consideration and give we hope a satisfactory discharge to all their objections In the meane Time upon so just an occasion in this place we thought it requisite to give our Readers a breefe of what we shall more at large then discourse of whereby we doubt not but even without the help of our solutions divers will be able by the innate light of these considerations here presented to discover the adverse exceptions to be but frivolous and no way enervating our assertions about it But we have one proofe more of the inequality of Times now XII Arg. 9. God retaines the determination of Times to himself Ergo. all not equall 9. If God himselfe retaine in His own hand even under the Gospell the determination of the Continuance and Frequency of the chiefe Time necessary and sufficient to Religion for all men for the chiefe Time and that it is not put over by Him to men the Church nor any other as hath been at large proved in the forgoing Chapter Then the fourth Commandement is unquestionably that determination expreslly for one whole Day in seven and the Lords day the first Day of the seven of the week is the particular Day and all that we have here now said of the Lords day is undeniably true unlesse our Antisabbatarians will turne Sabbatarians and pleade for the Saturday-Sabbath as still in force by the fourth Commandement from which Hold we yet doubt not but we shall beate them hereafter and all that argue for it But howsoever then still it followes most certainly that all Times and Dayes are not equall in Religion under the Gospell But that there is still as great an inequality of some Dayes though not of so many as ever there was under the Old Testament except the typicall use of the particular Dayes then appointed even upon the highest ground of Divine command which lifts up the Lords day for the whole Day in a constant weekely revolution above all other Times and Dayes now whatsoever as certainly and only necessary to Religion and sufficient for the chiefe Time unto all Christians and men all the world over and properly Holy and unalterable by man and honoured with the blessing mentioned in the fourth Commandement and needed by men as we have discoursed before XIII Objections answered And now from all this will follow a certaine and easie Answer to those places of the New Testament which seeme to favour the adverse opinion and to lay all Dayes and Times levell now As Gal. 4. Blaming the observation of Dayes and Moneths and Times or seasons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word and Yeeres And Rom. 14. making stronger Christians to pronounce every Day alike Sol. These places we say must of necessity be interpreted of the Iewish Dayes and Seasons the particular Dayes which they observed for the Weekely Sabbath and the New Moones These texts and Collections are oft earnestly urged by our disputers therefore we shal in another place more fully sift and scan them and the objections raised from them But here it was necessary to touch them in briefe and the seasons for their Yeerely festivalls the Passeover feast of Weekes Trumpets Tabernacles and their Sabbaticall Yeeres every seventh Yeere and Yeares of Iubilee every 50. Yeares of these Seasons and Dayes speakes the Apostle which the false Apostles would still obtrude upon Christians and weake ones still made conscience of Of all these Dayes and Seasons it is most true that they are all alike under the Gospell and none higher then others none of them to be observed with any religious respect to the Day any more or as Holy-Times as being made voyde by Christ and laid levell with all ordinary Dayes and Times But these cannot be extended to all Dayes and Times universally If but any one of the former positions in this Chapter be true and much lesse can they be urged against us if all our reasons here exprest be good as we beleeve them to be And specially the third and the last For which without more adoe now we appeale to the consciences of all readers Whether they will admit of our interpretation of these places or make voide even any necessity of any sufficient Time at all for Religion and so hazard the loosing of all Religion for want of a sufficient Time so much as one Houre in a Yeare or any day at all to be certainly determined for Religion Gods Worship and soules good Which whatsoever it be or by whomsoever it be determined All Dayes and Times are not equall but the determined sufficient Time must be above all other Times and the Day for it above all other Dayes And if they grant such a determination necessary then whether
Religion 17. As all Time is Gods and none ours for worldly businesse XLII 17. All Time is Gods all Places are ours but by his indulgence And indulgence of his we have none that we can securely challenge sufficient for worldly occasions but the six Dayes in a weeke mentioned in the fourth Commandement which indulgence cannot be perpetuated without the perpetuating also and first of the command of one Day of seven for God and Religion So that without this Commandement and indulgence we trespasse upon God continually in following our worldly businesses But as for Place though the whole earth be Gods yet in expresse termes He hath given it to the children of men Psal 115. by a generall indulgence Neither calls for any of it back under the New Testament as he did a little spot for typicall use of old any place is convenient for so many bodyes serving all the necessary turnes for Religion And so there is no Trespasse upon God in point of Place if there be but an observation of his appointed Times in any Place Whence still the same conclusion rises Time and Place are not equall Circumstances in Religion 18. Mens soules need a singular blessing XLIII 18. There needs a blessing to make sufficient not so for place to make any Time lesse then all sufficient for their soules which have so manifold necessities and are so infinitely more worth then all bodily occasions Which blessing as none but God can bestow so is there no ground to expect it but to his own appointments and determinations And such blessing He annexed to His determinations of Time Gen. 2. and Exod. 20. But there being no influence of Place into the soul any Place is sufficient which is sufficient for the bodyes convenience And so no blessing is to be expected with relation to the Place But only to the meeting and to the observation of the Time so appointed by God neither did God ever blesse any Place for Religion but only typically In this then also Time and Place are not equall Circumstances in Religion XLIV 19. The necessary Time for Religion is properly holy so is not any Place 19. The Necessary Time for Religion is properly holy and the sufficient Time acceptable to God or else it could not be counted sufficient But no Place is or can be now properly holy or acceptable to God Nor was ever any Place so of old in a morall sense or with reference to Morall Worship But onely typicall The Synagogues are no where called holy Places in Scriptures No not the very court of the Temple where the people meet to pray and heare and the like Neither were they suffered to go at any Time into that holy Place but the Priests only and only the High Priest and but once a yeare into the Holy of Holies on the day of Attonement All to teach the people that all the holinesse and acceptation of service in the Temple was only typicall which when it should cease all holinesse of Places should withall cease and no more acceptation to be expected from the service presented in any Place with reference to the Place or any consecration of it to Religion So though we may now consecrate or set apart Places for Religion as the Centurian a Gentile of his own accord and in love to the Jewish nation as themselves say and not as an act of devotion built them a Synagogue Luke 7.5 Yet can we neither make them Necessary Holy nor Places of acceptation Place and Time therefore are not equall circumstances in Religion XLV 20. The New Testament honours a Time viz. the Lords Day no Place as the Lords house 20. Finally to wind up divers things in a few words The New Testament honours a Time with the glorious title of Gods possession the Lords day which Day for Continuance Frequency and Order may be observed all the world over with but a little difference according to the climates how many millions soever of Christians there be in the world Which joynt serving of God eminently redounds to his great honour and is the greatest exercise of the Communion of Saints upon earth from which no persecution imprisonment or the like can hinder them so long as they have but spirits enough to lift up their soules to God But the New Testament dignifies no Place now with the title of the Lords house His possession Neither can all Christians now because of the Churches amplitude meet in one Place And if any would say all their places of meeting might be of the same proportion all the world over We Answer It is indeed possible in nature but altogether improbable and next to impossible in practise that it should be so without a divine command For it were altogether ridiculous in reason as it would be to have all men weare cloathes of the same bignesse and length Besides this would only be publique Places not domesticke much lesse solitary And again persecution and imprisonment might hinder from using these Once more then Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion nor fit to be equally left to men to the Churches determination or any other And so we doubt not but we have sufficiently evinced this assertion as well as the former If any think XLVI The conclusion we have spent too many words about it let him thank our disputers confidence on the contrary side which hath in a sort forced us to it while withall we have given a kind of recapitulation of some principall heads in the foregoing Chapters which some Readers perhaps will not be sorry for We end with this advertisement That if we had listed to make our Selves or our Readers merry in so serious a subject as our generall matter is we would not have wisht for a handsomer subject then this paralelling of Time and Place as equall But we durst not be light in so waighty a cause And now we have a third Corollary to adde That the chiefe Time is a part of worship and not a meere circumstance which will be yet another proofe of its being above Place But this is for the next Chapter CHAP. XII The necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion together with the Particular Day for it is a Part of Worship and not a meere Adjunct or Circumstance only I. A third Corollarie The necessary sufficient Time is a part of Worship THis Assertion we conceive to be a necessary Corollarie from our foregoing Discourses Yet is usually denyed even by some who differ not from us in the maine grounds of it Therefore we judge it expedient to be subjoyned and cleared Because also we are perswaded it will not only adde a little more light to some things already laid down but likewise somewhat more awe the Consciences of every one in the point of strict observation of the whole Lords day in a weekly revolution For if men be once fully convinced that not only the performance of such particular
Law of Nature that is of things which in a Rationall and Ethicall Consideration according to the Light of Nature may be and are to His honour either constantly or accidentally as Prayer to Him Swearing by His name 2. Or by positive Law in Scripture and calling Him to witnesse or appealing to Him 2. Or by Positive Law in Scripture which is the only way now Or of old by Dreams and Visions and the like altogether by vertue of His divine institution and appointments As the use of Water in the Sacrament of Baptisme and of Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper which being things of common use for worldly purposes have no other aptitude to be immediately to His honour But from His owne Command 7. These things thus premised VI. The question stated first by us we shall briefely state our question thus We say the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion together with the particular Day for it is a part of worship and not a meer adjunct and circumstance only Hereby we mean that that Time observed for Religion is a part of our speciall homage to God and an immediate honour to Him And that it ought to be presented with such intention as being specially commanded by God partly in the Law of Nature namely the Continuance and Frequency being to the honour of God only in a Rationall and Ethicall Consideration and partly in Scripture as hath been shewed Chap. 10. And accordingly is specially acceptable unto God and such speciall acceptation may be and ought to be expected from God And so the Duties of Religion are then doubly worship and doubly acceptable both in reference to the Duties themselves and to the Times wherein they are performed Only still it must be remembred that all our acceptation is in and through Jesus Christ We say they are doubly Worship and doubly acceptable or trebly or foure fold as filling up together the whole Continuance commanded of a Day and answering the required observation of such a frequent Day and being presented upon the appointed particular Holy Day Like unto which there is now no other Time under the New Testament in this compleat sort Worship or so greatly acceptable Though there be some other Times that may have a little share also as we shall see anon In the meane time all our indeterminate and voluntary Times in any respect so far as they are voluntary are meere Circumstances of VVorship and no way to any speciall or immediate Honour to God in their observation nor any matter of speciall acceptation and so not to be presented with any such intention or expectation This is our opinion and meaning VII 2. By others 8. But now on the contrary others deny that under the Gospel any Time or Dayes at all are parts of Worship or that the Worship of God consists now at all in the observation of them Thus one resolutely O.R. p. 202.2 We deny that the worship of God can be placed in the observation of any Day unlesse we speak improperly Yet we acknowledge That in the Holy-Dayes there is a kind of worship of God as far as they are instituted to the Honour of God alone and the faithfull are congregated to them to holy performances But this is very improper indeed For besides that by being instituted to the Honour of God alone he meanes not that the Dayes instituted or observed are any speciall or immediate Honour to God positively but only that negatively they are reduced to His Honour when they are not instituted to the Honour of Creatures Saints or Angels among Orthodoxe Christians though they are among the Idolatrous Papists But besides this we say If the Faithfull congregating can make a Day a part of Gods worship then any Day or every Day of the Week or Yeere may be a part of Worship when the Faithfull meet to that purpose which no man affirmes p. 204.1 But heare him once againe The worship of God ought to be the end of the indiction of such Dayes But the Dayes themselves are no part of worship but an adjunct only or circumstance of worship If any man shall say The learned Professour speaks it only of the Holy Dayes appointed by the Church We answer VVe know he doth so But then he must remember that he makes the very Lords day to be of Ecclesiasticall constitution only which cannot make a thing a proper part of worship and so the same is appliable to the Lords-day also But he is not alone in this Assertion his Fellow Professour is of the same mind which we wonder at for the Lords-day when he puts this difference between the Jewish times and ours That the very Dayes D. Wal. de Sab. p. 93.95 and the Rest upon them was a part of worship to the Jewes But ours only a necessary circumstance thereof Another followes thus To speak properly a Day makes no part of Gods service Primr p. 250. 278. under the New Testament but is only an accidentall circumstance thereof And again Times appointed now make no part of Gods service and are not appointed but relative to the publike exercises p. 287. c. VVe need say no more for the stating the Question The difference is apparent They say The Time is only a necessary circumstance VVe say it is more than so a speciall part of worship VVhich thus we come to manifest by these ensuing Arguments That Time which the Lord requires out of all our Time VIII Arg. 1. It is Gods portion Ergo a part of worship as His peculiar portion is a part of worship But the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Religion together with the particular Day for it is that Time which God requires out of all our Time as His peculiar portion Ergo It is a part of worship The Proposition is made good by instances of other things which being challenged by God as His peculiar portion became thereby parts of worship parts of the speciall Homage due to Him immediately tending to His Honour As 1. The Place which God did peculiarly chuse out of all the Tribes to set His name there as the Place often is the Lords House the Lords Temple was by vertue of such Divine challenge of it a part of worship sc of the Ceremoniall worship undeniably and the presenting there their services was a speciall part of the Jewes homage to God and an immediate honour to Him as also a matter of speciall acceptation with God even so far as that no other legall services were otherwhere acceptable at all except upon extraordinary command as Elijahs was 1 King 18. And if it were so with Place then there can be no reason but it is so with Time now though not now in a typicall respect but morall whether naturall or positive it is all one 2. So was it also of old with the Tithes which God challenges as His peculiar portion out of every mans substance Lev. 27.30
Duties of worship But under the New Testament there is no such thing there is no Duty of Religion no particular Duty of worship that Morally and Theologically must necessarily be performed on the Lords-day and on no other Day Neither is there any particular Duty of worship Prayer only excepted which can never be wholly excluded when we have to doe with Religious Times or Duties of worship necessary to the observation of the Lords-day absolutely or infallibly So that in a Theologicall or Morall sense it is not proper nor true to say that either the continuance of a whole Day or the revolution of that whole Day once in seven Dayes or the particular Day the Lords-Day is a necessary circumstance to any particular act of worship But only to worship to Religion in general in the manner forenoted as commanded by God for the chiefe Time according to the Law of nature and Scripture and for the particular Day according to both Old and New Testament And in such a sense being Morally and Theologically necessary this Time in all the respects of it call it a circumstance or adjunct or what you will cannot be avoyded but it will have the nature of a part of worship according to any right description of it XIII Obj. 2. Answered But he still goes on striving rather to explaine then to deliver himself from his former Argument by instances As courser fare or meaner apparell in time of mourning hath no more holinesse in it then any other but only is subservient to worship and holinesse And as a Day of Fasting is no more holy then another but serves to holinesse c. Lastly as the houres of the morning and evening sacrifices every Day were not more holy then other houres of the Day but as circumstances only to be observed So for so he would inferre as we conceive the Dayes of the New Testament are but circumstances of worship not any parts of worship To this we answer First the difference between the things compared Sol. 1 at least as he seemes to understand them is very great as much as the Divine institution and the want thereof For he confesses that one Day in seven is morall and commanded by God in the fourth Commandement But as he seemes to take the other things we have no command for them Otherwise when God ever did as of old command the abstinence from some kind of meates from some kind of apparell and commanded sackcloth c. Those observations were a part of the legall worship And when God ordained an annuall Fast that very Day in its observation was a part of worship as well as the Sabbath But when men voluntarily set apart Dayes to Fasting and Prayer the particular Dayes are no parts of worship but only meanes subservient to the worship of God because they have no Divine command concerning those particular Dayes So when men appoint Holy-dayes as they are called they are no parts of worship but only circumstances subservient to it But if God have appointed any Time as even according to this Author He hath one Day in seven by the fourth Commandement that Time must needs be a part of worship as well as a necessary circumstance to Holinesse and Religion And this his third instance doth help to manifest For though the precise point or minute of Time was not commanded for the Morning or Evening sacrifice yet the Time was within a latitude It might not be before such an houre nor after such an houre as the Jewish Authors expressely name the bounds understood by them So that we may also well say that the observation of them within that latitude not sooner nor later was a part of Worship part of the Jewes speciall homage part of the immediate honour they owed to God and whereunto they were infallibly bound by Religion and conscience of Gods command namely to observe such seasons of Time strictly in such revolutions And to have performed the same services sacrifices which neglect of those speciall respects of Time had made them guilty of violation of Gods worship Also from hence they had intimations at least of promises of blessing and acceptation speciall even with relation to the very Times observed besides the particular services presented on them And the services then presented according to those times were more acceptable than others presented at their own voluntary times Therefore Elijah waits for the Time of the offering the evening-sacrifice 1 King 18. Even when he was to present his extraordinary sacrifice and worship And David mentioning acceptation saith not barely as a sacrifice but as an evening-sacrifice Psal 141. There came a speciall blessing to the three Kings distressed for water at the Time of the offering the meat-offering 1 King 3. And even in Daniels Day of solemne Humiliation and Fasting the Angel comes to him with a gracious and comfortable message at the Time of the evening sacrifice Dan. 9. All these intimations shew that there was a peculiar respect had to those Times those Houres both by men and even by God himself They were then specially acceptable and parts of worship The chiefe Time then the Sabbath much more Sol. 2 2. Let it be considered whether by this kind of arguing this Author do not make all Dayes under the Gospel equall and so in the issue contradict himself For if Times and Dayes now be not parts of worship but only necessary circumstances of worship in his sense then the LORDS Dayes are no holier no better then other Dayes on which any worship is performed For they are also necessary circumstances of that worship performed on them But to say and hold that one Day in seven is morall by the fourth Commandement is to say that all Dayes are not equall and if now this be not a contradiction let the Readers judge XIV Obj. 3. Answered He hath only one thing more to object That in the New Testament no such promises are made to the observation of our Day as were to the seventh Day of old but only to the exercises of piety and publique worship And hence he would it seemes infer that it is no part of worship Sol. 1 But to this we answer 1. We find no expresse promises made to the seventh Day in the beginning when it was as he holds given to Adam Yet no doubt were implyed in Gods blessing and sanctifying the Day and so it may be now Sol. 2 The promises were not made to speake properly to the seventh Day but to the Sabbath or rather to the observation in duties of piety and Religion which is the imployment of the Sabbath And if one Day in seven be required now as he holds the promises do in like manner belong to it What command of God or Ordinance of Religion is there Sol. 3 which is not attended in the very nature of the thing with promises As godlinesse in generall hath all the promises So every duty of godlinesse hath its share This Day then being commanded being Gods ordinance a duty of godlinesse in its observation is not without promises It was lesse needfull to make new promises to this Day in particular Sol. 4 since they are made already Gen. 2. Exod. 20. Esa 58. as we have seen unto Gods Day His Sabbath the Day of His appointment for the sufficient chiefe Time of His Worship Look therefore as the duties of the Day a holy rest fall on our Day by vertue of the fourth Commandement So by the same equity and analogie the Blessings annexed to that Day fall on our Day on the right observers of it And so all his Objections are satisfied And our Conclusion good The chiefe Time and the particular Day for it is a Part of VVorship not a meere Circumstance We will now close this Chapter XV. The testimonies and confessions of the adverse party Hooker Eccles Pol. lib. 5. p. 378. with some Testimonies and Confessions 1. The judicious Hooker holding one Day of seven to be morall and of perpetuall obligation by the fourth Commandement as we shall heare hereafter thus delivers his Judgement concerning the nature of this Time It cannot 〈◊〉 denied but the very Law of Nature it selfe requires the sanctifâ—â—ation of Times For which cause it hath pleased God heretofore 〈◊〉 exact some part of Time by way of perpetuall Homage Where by Homage he meanes a piece of part of service which we owe to God the Lord of time and us by the fourth Commandement 2. Heare our Adversaries G. Irons p. 88. Chalenging a tribute of our Time p. 70. G.D. p. 21. There ought to be a certaine part of our Time given to God p. 59. B. of E. p. 121. That God should have a Tribute of our Time for Publike VVorship was never by any man denyed to be Morall and Naturall By Tribute he meanes we suppose a Part of VVorship as Tribute paid to Kings is a Part of the Homage and Honour due to them 3. Another thus The Heathens had their Feasts and set Dayes consecrated to the worship of their gods That is as we thinke he cannot but mean Not only they did worship their gods on those Dayes but did observe those Dayes as a part of worship in honour of their gods 4. This followes also upon that of the learned Bishop The Religious observation of holy times is reduced to the fourth Commandement as a speciall to a generall But say we The Religious observation of holy times by the fourth Commandement is a part of worship 5. For this was preached at Court and not long since printed by Command D. Turners Sermon at Whitehall March 10. 1635. p. 19. Statut. 1 Carol. The Religious observation of the Lords-day who doubts but it is a part of Gods immediate worship 6. Finally The King and State have proclaimed as much Forasmuch as there is nothing more acceptable to God than the true and sincere worship of Him according to His holy will And that the holy keeping of the Lords-day is a principall part of the true service of God We have what we have argued for And with this we rest and end our first Part. FINIS
waite upon God and the whole body also in a due and serviceable proportion that so he may by such Solemne Worship of God have a full draught as I may say out of the Fountaine of Gods Goodnesse and satisfie his soule with a more compleate fruition of His Divine Grace Or rather to speake according to the unhappy condition that all mankind are now naturally in by reason of sinne and corruption to seeke to recover his lost happinesse in God by seeking Reconciliation with Him and the regaining and so retaining of his Favour in the use of such Holy meanes as himselfe hath appointed to this end namely the Ordinances of His Worship These things the Law of Nature teaches and commands to all men universally without exception or exemption of any And they must be Brutes or Atheists or both that deny them Moreover X. Solemn Worship distinguished into Solitary Conjoyned and that into Domesticall and Ecclesiasticall in as much as Worship may be presented to God either by any one single person alone or by divers joyning together in the tendring of it which usually though not so properly is exprest by the termes of Private Worship and Publike we had rather say Solitary and Conjoyned and then divide the latter into Domesticall or Family-Worship and Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall It is further considerable what of any of these is to be acknowledged a necessary duty for all men even according to the Law of Nature And for this we say 1. Generally and briefly How far each of these is a Necessary Duty That as far as any of them are possible to be performed all mankinde stand bound to tender them respectively that is so much and so often as they have no just and necessary impediment 2. Particularly for each of these severally 1. Every one is bound to tender to God solemne worship by themselves alone 2. Every one that lives in a family where he may have others to joyn with him in solemn worshipping of God is bound to that also to joyn them to him and himselfe to them in presenting some solemne worship to God 3. Every one also that lives in a convenient nearnesse with others with whom he may joyn in an Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall assembly to worship God solemnly together stands bound in like sort hereunto and may not alwayes absent himselfe from them but some time or other it is his duty to joyn with them in such solemne Worship even notwithstanding any danger of Persecution and that the place of such Worship be but a private House or Chamber or a Field or a Wood or a Cave as it fared with the Primitive Christians And of each of these we conceive proper Reasons to evince the necessity 1. For the first of these Solitary Worship XI Solitary Worship which is not owned as Solemn by our Adversaries ordinarily called Private Worship A man would think none should offer to deny it But in our Disputers books I am sure it is very â—â—intly and seldome acknowledged and the second lesse rather then more And by their language neither Solitary nor Family-Worship is owned under the notion of Solemne Worship For as much as it is usuall with them that when they any where name Solemne Worship they adde Publike to it As being afraid left if they should grant any other Solemne Worship to be a Necessary Duty besides Publike whereby they mean Ecclesiasticall as appeares by their Discourses upon it It would inforce as indeed it will as we shall see a necessity of a solemne time for it as well as for the solemne Publike Worship And then their generall Moralitie of the fourth Commandement which they have devised to be only for the Publike Worship will be found too scanty and their whole Cause be endangered to fall to the ground as we shall make it appeare hereafter Therefore we must needs take a little more paines to prove both Family-Worship and even Solitary Worship to be necessary duties and part of our homage to God and even to be Morall-Naturall and withall to deserve the name of Solemne Worship And afterward we will say somewhat also of the necessity of Publike Worship likewise and so conclude the whole Chapter XII Solitary Worship proved a duty three wayes 1. Now for Solitary Worship such as is performed with the whole man setting himselfe altogether apart from all worldly businesses and distractions to attend upon God immediately and tender both Soule and Body to Him That this is a necessary duty appears from the grounds before laid in a threefold respect 1. That it is altogether unreasonable to imagine that God should lose any of his honour from any man single because there is no other company to joyn with him in the solemnity of Worship 2. It is also unreasonable to think that a man is not bound to seek the recovery of his soules lost happinesse in his enjoying God and conversing with Him in duties of Worship to be performed both with Soule and Body because he is alone and hath none besides himselfe that will have any regard to further him and themselves together in conjoyned Worship 3. Otherwise it were not absolutely a Morall-Naturall duty to worship God solemnly that is with the whole man at all For every such duty which we by the Law of our Creation owe absolutely to God cannot but be perpetually possible and universally to all He being perpetually existent and present with us and we with Him But solemne Family-Worship and much more solemne Publike or Ecclesiasticall Worship is not universally and perpetually possible to all And so no other solemne Worship is possible to them but only Solitary And if that be not to them a Morall-Naturall duty then none is absolutely so For it is cleare a Christian may be and many are forced to live many yeares in such a place among Turks or Pagans as a Captive or the like where there is no possibility at all of having any other to joyn with him in the worship of God no not secretly much lesse publikely So that though we deny not but Publike that is Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall solemne Worship is so far forth Morall-Naturall as it is Possible Yet we maintain that Private that is Solitary solemne Worship is more Morall and Necessary yea firstly Morall being not only Necessary as the the other is when it may be but certainly Possible for every one of Mankinde to performe which the other is not at all times and in all places when a man will And now that such Solitary or Private VVorship deserves to be called and counted Solemne VVorship XIII Well called Solemne appeares from the description of Solemne Worship forementioned against which no just exception can be taken As also by the instance of Daniels prayers which though performed by himselfe alone in his Chamber yet cannot reasonably be denied to have been Solemn VVorship being three times a day constantly and on his knees and his
windowes open toward Jerusalem Also his setting himselfe to seek the Lord by fasting though alone c. 9. Can it be reckoned lesse then Solemn VVorship We adde if many Christians all a Country or Kingdom over should agree to fast and pray upon one particular day every one in their Chamber apart alone this were without doubt a very Solemne service and worship yet Solitary and private We conclude then that as there is such a Duty required of every one apart at least sometimes which we call Solemne Worship so such a Duty being performed with the whole man is worthy to be called and counted Solemne And if Solitary Worship may deserve to be called Solemne then surely Family-Worship also is justly to be counted Solemne Such was the eating of the Passeover which was ever in private houses and Esthers Fast with her maids Est 4. three dayes one after another and the Humiliation mentioned Zach. 12. every family apart and their wives apart which seemes to be a Solitary VVorship yet Solemne undoubtedly So that all Solemn VVorship is not Publike But if any one would yet list to wrangle about the word Solemne let him but give us another fit word to describe such Solitary or Private VVorship of the whole man tendred unto God so seriously and it shall serve our turne sufficiently for the end we intend it for as we shall see hereafter Mean time we say that conjoyned VVorship XIV Family Worship proved a duty where it is possible to to be performed is also a necessary duty even so far forth Morall-Naturall and that in both the kindes of it Domesticall and Congregationall For in the second place The Honour of GOD and Good of Soules doe also require Family-VVorship from all such joyntly as live in Families where they have any to joyn with This appeares 1. Because it being God that hath placed men in a Community setting the solitary in families as the Psalmists phrase is Psal 68. it cannot be justly conceived that He should doe this meerly for their worldly conveniencies but rather chiefly that they should improve their society one with another to His Glory who is the Lord of them all together as well as of every one of them single and so that they should worship Him joyntly together as well as each of them solitarily and apart To which tends undeniably the forenoted charge given Deut. 6.6 7. These words that I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently to thy children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in the house Deut. 11.18 and when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up For though it comprehend plainly Ejaculatory Worship in part as we have noted before yet it reaches further specially being added immediately unto the great Commandement ver 4. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy might And indeed how can any man love God with all his heart and soule and not be willing to joyne others to himselfe and himselfe to others as much as may be in the worship of God And how doth the Master of a Family love God with all his strength that imployes not his authority over all his Family to call them to worship God even in the Family with himselfe at least some times I say at least some times for we yet are but upon the Duty the consideration of the Time is to come afterward Therefore also we finde it a part of the unhappy character of Pagans Jer. 10.25 Whereas some to elude the strength of this Text for Family-Prayers alleadge that Psal 79.6 the words are the Kingdomes that call not upon thy name and so by Family here is meant no more then there by Kingdoms I answer The parallelling the two plates proves the thing more clearly for as the Kingdome is not said to call upon Gods name unlesse the King command publike meetings to that end and that is counted a Heathenish and ungodly Kingdome so is it with a Family where by the authority of the Governour there are no joynt meetings to pray to God devoted to the wrath of God The Heathen that know Thee not and the Families that call not on Thy Name And indeed how hath the Family that knowledge of God to be 1. Their great Lord and Master 2. The Author of their Peace among themselves that the Governour is gentle to the inferiours and the inferiours dutifull to the Governour and Superiour 3. The Author of all Blessings to them all Of health and strength to follow their businesse of successe and comfort in them How I say have they the knowledge of God if they agree not together to joyne in Worship of Him their Lord and in tendring Prayers and Praises for such things as they expect and receive from Him 2. The Good of soules calls for this also Every one needing helpe from others and all being helped by the Solemne services joyntly presented to God in the Family 1. In minding one another by mutuall testification of the common Allegeance and Homage they all owe to Him their great Soveraigne and so preventing the forgetting of Him 2. Withall affecting one another by example of reverence and devotion 3. They being also infallibly taught and minded of and provoked to some particulars of Duty and furnisht with some matter of comfort by every such service performed joyntly supposing that every ones heart joynes faithfully in it which before they were either ignorant or forgetfull of or backward to or should have missed if they had beene wholly and ever alone As reason cannot but insinuate and experience continually shewes It remains then that Domesticall and Family-Worship is a Necessary Duty and as farre as it is Possible even Morall-Naturall XV. Publike Worship proved a Duty 3. So is also Ecclesiasticall or Congregationall VVorship which is usually called Publike VVorship Even for the Reasons forenamed Gods Honour and Soules Good He is Lord of all societies and the Author of them as well as of Families And so is to have a tribute of VVorship and Glory from all joyntly The Lord having universall Dominion over all flesh should publikely be worshipped by societies of men G. Irons p. 261. as well as from any severally And Love to God cannot but promote this as much as is possible And the mutuall blessings expected and received by greater Communities as well as Families doe require the like according to just conveniences Which is so assuredly of the Law of Nature that all Nations that have ever been heard of have had their joynt Publike Solemne Worship And have had Persons set apart purposely for it Priests or Ministers for the more compleat performance of it Finally both Reason and Experience declare that the good of Soules both calls for publike Congregationall VVorship as also commends it as exceeding profitable and advantagious Not only in that
of the Frequency and make it as Frequent as may be every day of the seven or even eveâ—â— Morning and Evening in each of the seven dayes and so make the Continuance shorter as it must needs be according to the greater Frequency Of which we thus propound our apprehensions in justification of the Wisdom of that Determination of God and so the Profitablenesse of it of One whole dayes Continuance only once in seven dayes rather then oftner for Frequency and with lesse Continuance We say then 7. That if we pitch upon an equall Proportion for the whole XXVIII The largest continuance with a lesser Frequency is better then the greatest Frequency with a lesse continuance as this for Instance it will appear more profitable by far to have the largest Continuance that may be with a Frequency somewhat remote as it is in the fourth Commandment then to have the greatest Frequency that may be with a Proportionably lesse Continuance And this may be evidenced both in Reference to Religion and also to worldly businesses In both Respects it will be found the most Profitable Determination to have it all upon one Day rather then divided into parcells upon every day of the seven or proportionably upon six or five or four or three or two dayes of seven We suppose the Proportion of a Day is about 14. or 16. hours namely the Ordinary waking Time of a Day which only can be applied solemnly to Religion as we shall see afterward Now this divided between two dayes is seven or eight hours a piece between three dayes is five hours a piece or little more between four Dayes about four hours a piece between five dayes about three hours a piece between six Dayes about two hours and a halfe a piece between all the seven Dayes about two hours a piece XXIX 1. With respect to Religion it selfe or little more Here now if we first consider the Businesses of Religion We have already shewed the great Profit of a whole dayes Continuance for the divers kinds of worship Solitary Domesticke and Publike and for variety of Duties in each kinde and compleat improvement of them all by full space for each and before the publike particuly to prepare for it and after it to make the utmost benefit of it But if we abate any of this Continuance by multiplying the Revolution more Frequently and specially the more we abate of it by the greater Frequency as of five or six or seven Dayes Some at least of this benefit must be prejudiced either the Publike or else the Domesticke or at least the Solitary worship must be neglected in some of those revolutions Or if all be still performed yet much more slightly because so scantiâ— and only some Duties in each kinde and not all that might well have been in a whole dayes Continuance or a very small pittance afforded to the severall Duties and so a very weake profit to redound particularly to mens souls by the observance of such Times The heart would often not be brought in frame till a great part of the Duty and perhaps of the whole Time for the various Duties were over-past and gone And another while that which was gotten of knowledge or Affection would straightway be lost again by Diverting the minde suddainly unto worldly Cogitations As is more then evident unto the consciences of Christians when after a Sermon heard on the weeke day at the Market they do whether Necessarily or Voluntarily immediately lay aside the thoughts of it and engage themselves in worldly businesses In such cases it is a very very little Profit that their souls make by such attendance upon God though for an hour or more together and with the best help of the publike Ministery unlesse the matter did very much sute with their present affections and so sinkes more then ordinarily deep into them Or that they specially call themselves to a serious account the next free hour they have to settle it upon their minds and consciences by meditation and Prayer And this they have often no leisure for on the week dayes till they have even forgotten the most of what they had heard But now in the Continuance of a whole Day they have not only leisure but in a manner a Necessity of laying to heart what specially they have learned in the publike Ministerie For all worldly businesses discourses or even cogitations being then unseasonable and unlawfull they have now no manner of excuse if they meditate not of what specially may and doth concerne their consciences and of which they have been that day instructed and put in minde And if they live among any that regard God at all they may have help from them for remembrance and affection both by conference of what they have heard even at meals besides other Times Neither can they have any discourse so proper as of that usually nothing of the world being then allowed ordinarily as was touched before A great deale more might be said to evidence the singular profit of having the Continuance with the largest that may be But we shall have occasion to speak of it again in the next Chapter and so we forbear to amplifie things now Only we must not forget to note that if we shall take our Adversaries proportion upon the Lords Day namely three or four hours which is about that proportion which the practise of our Church generally allots for the publike worship though we remember not that they any where vouchsafe to name such a Proportion diâ—…tly If we say we shall take this proportion to be solemnly observed in a weeks Revolution The matter in hand will be much more cleare that the whole proportion is more profitably determined together in one Continuance within such a Revolution then to have it broken into smaller Parcells by reason of the multiplication of the Frequency For this Proportion of three or four hours in a weeke is but about two hours of a Day if divided between two dayes and if between three dayes about an hour and a quarter If between four dayes about an hour in a day If between five dayes not an hour for each day If between six dayes not three quarters of an hour for each and if between 7. dayes about half an hour for every day Here now whereas the whole three or four hours would afford some discernable Profit if all upon one day and so make it one Continuance admitting them also a Reservation for going home to dinner because there would be some convenient roome for the varieties of publike duties though none at all according to their account for the private and so it might worke somewhat upon them yet if it came to be lessened by division into more dayes and so more Frequent Revolutions There would be either an exclusion of Prayer or Reading or Singing or Preaching or Catechising one or other of them not to name the Sacraments which are not usually every week but Baptisme only
occasionally and the Lords Supper seldome oftner then once a moneth in any Church which would so far forth prejudice the good that might have been gotten by that which is so omitted Or else very much scanty each of them and so weaken the good to be received by every one of them singly and jointly XXX 2. With respect to mens worldly businesses But withall on the other hand the considerations of mens worldly callings and necessary businesses would suffer no lesse if not more sensible prejudice by dividing the Time between more dayes then if it were all put into one It would hinder journies and day-labourers and all men of much businesse exceedingly For the publike worship being then to be waited on it could not be in most places of the country particularly and for the sake of weaker bodies till about nine a clocke in the morning or toward three in the afternoone if the beginning were not in the morning and this would marvelously disappoint travelling and indeed every worke which could noâ— at the clocke striking as one may say be laid downe and the â—â—r those that dwell a mile or two from Church as much Time would be spent in going to the publike worship and home againe if not more then in the worship it selfe and so it would be a most greivous interruption and hindrance to all their worldly businesses Neither doubt we but if the consent of men were asked one by one the most part by farre both of good and bad the willing and unwilling those that love the service of God and the businesse of their soules and those that love it not All would give their voyces to have the whole Time how much or how little soever the porportion were for houres upon one Day in such a revolution rather then upon more frequent Dayes with a shorter Continuance that so they that love Gods worship and their soules good might have more full scope for that And they that love the world better might have the lesse interruption in their worldly businesses and more freedome to follow them From which discourse before we passe to another Consideration XXXI A consequence from thence Let us make bold to put the reader in mind of a consequence that we suppose will undeniably follow if these premises stand good namely That unlesse fourteen or sixteen houres be too large a proportion to be determined for Gods Honour and the good of all mens soules within the revolution of seven Dayes then the dermination of one whole Dayes Continuance for so many houres in such a revolution will prove so substantially a profitable determination for all men in all ages As they will find it a very hard taske that will afterward goe about to prove either that this determination was not from the beginning considering what is said at least towards it Gen. 2. Or that it is not perpetuall since there is certainly no expresse repeale of such a proportion of Continuance within that revelution And whether now under the Gospell such a proportion be too large in the whole as we wish the readers conscience to bethinke it selfe seriously even now that he is upon this discourse So we shall give him a further occasion to resolve in a Chapter or two after Meane Time we have one Consideration more yet to adde about the kinds of determination of these respects of Time and which is the last of this sort 8. XXXII How the determination of the Quando or season is profitable As a joynt determination of the Continuance and Frequencie so largely as hath been said must needs be Profitable for all men alike because all men are a like concerned in the Worship of God and care of their soules good To which tend all the determinations of Time religiously so it cannot be denied but upon the supposition of such a determination there will be at last a Profitablenesse accidentall not only of some Quando season or order of beginning but of the same for all that live neere one another at least so farre as to secure the helping one of another in family or publike Worship and to prevent hindring one another even in solitary Worship or the admitting of hindrances one from another Only it is to be observed withall that as all accidents are in Nature after the substances to which they are accidents though they are oft together for Time And againe all separable accidents may be after in Time So this accidentall determination of the Season or order of Time for Religion is in Nature after the substantiall determination of the Continuance and Frequencie even though possibly it was in Time determined together as the Seventh Day from the Creation together with one Day of seven Gen. 2. Supposing we say the particular Day determined to Adam the same moment with the other yet was the determination of it after it in Nature as being but meerely accidentall to the businesse of Religion for which infallibly the determination of one Day in seven was made And if what we have discoursed of the alteration of the order without prejudice to Religion be good it might possibly be determined some while after in Time But however it must not be forgotten that the particular order or season of beginning this or that Day is only accidentally and in no sort substantially profitable to Religion as hath been proved before XXIII For the manner of Determinations And so we come to the third and last main Consideration about the Profitablenesse of determinations of Time for Religion namely about the manner of determination of any of the respects of Time or all of them 1. No Exclusive Determination is profitable 1. Here is specially to be noted That no Exclusive Determination for the generall businesse of Religion can be conceived to be Profitable That is It cannot be profitable to have a Determination of so much Continuance at once and never longer as well as not shorter and of so frequent a revolution and never oftener as well as no seldomer and at such a season or in such an order for beginning that is on such a particular Day or part of the Day Evening or Morning this or that Houre and never sooner as well as no later never at any other Houre or on any other Day This we say cannot be profitable to Religion because Religion in both the intendments of it Gods honour and the good of mens soules is every mans chiefest and most important businesse of all other all the time of his life The attendance therefore upon this must never be forbidden strictly which is in the nature of an Exclusive Determination in any respect But it is ever lawfull not now to say necessary to prosecute the businesse of Religion both voluntarily without determination of the Time beforehand as also to determine Time for it where the necessities of a mans worldly condition and worldly imployments can and doth admit it It is true that if