THREE QVESTIONS ANSVVERED I. QVESTION What should our meaning be when after the reading of the fourth Commandement we pray Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law II. QVESTION How shall the fourth Commandement being deliuered in such forme of words binde vs to sanctifie any day but onely the seauenth the day wherein God rested which the Iewes sanctified III. QVESTION How shall it appeare to be the Law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke ACT. 20.20.26.27 I am pure from the blood of all men for I haue kept backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but haue declared vnto you all the counsell of God SAPIET FELICI AC OX AT OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD and IAMES SHORT Printers to the famous Vniversitie 1621. To the Reader THERE is sarce any point of doctrine more controverted then the doctrine of the Sabbath Two points of difference amongst vs are when the day beginneth what worke may be done therein as Dr Bound telleth vs indeed not only we Protestants among our selues but the Papists also among their selues differ in opinion hereabout Againe there is in England iudging one another there is doing things doubtingly and there is doing things with offence which were they tolerable in the Church of Christ Rom. 14. St Paul would not haue spent a whole chapter about these matters Moreover whereas the Papists praying in latin doe pray without vnderstanding many amongst vs doe pray with a sinfull vnderstanding for as in words so in meaning they desire God to incline their hearts to keepe the 7th day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein Farthermore It was printed last 1618. some in their booke often printed to say nothing of other haue these and the like passages The 4th commandement is no more Ceremoniall then all the rest the observation of the 7th day is a morall and perpetuall duty we may not pick vp a few sticks on the Sabbath there is asmuch difference betweene the Sabbath and other dayes as betweene Sacramentall bread and common bread c. The knowledg and consideration hereof among other things causeth mee greatly to desire that the doctrine of the Sabbath may once at length be throughly discussed by men of sound iudgment and doubtles what the Scriptures sentence is in this matter would soone be knowne were it as Dr Cranmer sometime advised well handled by the learned men of our Vniversityes Act. and Monum no man amongst vs should need any longer to halt betweene two opinions as the more to be lamented many of long time haue done and still doe yea and vnlesse the better order be taken no doubt will doe even vnto the end of the world Now to provoke herevnto I haue written this little booke and partly also as hoping it will conduce somthing to the finding out of the trueth when the time commeth that it shal be more carefully sought after which time God hasten for his sake which is the trueth Iesus Christ vnto the illumination of whose Spirit I commend thee gentle Reader and so rest Thine in him as long as life lasteth TH. BROAD I. QVESTION AS when the 8. commandement is read and we pray Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law it is all one as if we said Lord incline our hearts not to steale So when the 4. commandement is read and we pray Lord incline our hearts to keepe this Law it is all one as if we had said Lord incline our hearts to sanctifie the Sabbath to keepe the 7. day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein for this is that law The Iewes had asked this in words and meaning both suppose they had had the like māner of praying after this commandement and we must needs aske the same in words as they should haue done The question then is Whether should we aske the same in meaning as we doe in words or what should our meaning be Answere of some in these daies By the doctrine of some in these daies as in words so in meaning we should desire God to incline our hearts to keepe the 7. day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein They teach that the observation of the 7. day is a morall and perpetuall duty that we may not so much as picke vp sticks in the same and in a word that the 4. commandement is no more Ceremoniall then all the rest Now whereas there is one text principally against them Col. 2.16 17. namely this Let no man therefore iudge you in meate or in drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the New-moone or of the Sabbaths Which are a shaddow of things to come c by Sabbaths here they will not haue the weekely Sabbaths meant But what haue they to say It is Sabbaths in the plurall number and doth not the word Sabbaths in the plurall number import the weekely Sabbaths See Mat. 28.1 Act. 13 14. and 16 13 with many other places This in my knowledge is all they haue to say which is so little that it only argueth a will to say something it is not so much as a shadow of sound proofe Consider 1 that St Paul here vseth another word which doth most properly signifie the Festivall daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore it is very vnlikely that by Sabbaths the same daies should be meant as they would haue it this had beene a needlesse repetition 2 Vnlesse by Sabbaths here are meant the weekely Sabbaths Christian people chose the first day and made it their Sabbath sayth the booke of Homilies By the doctrine then of our Church the observation of the Lords day is an Eccles ordinance and not an Apostol precept Sozom lib 5. cap. 8. what warrant haue we in the Scripture to worke vpon the Iewes Sabbath Will they say that the Apostles command to sanctifie the Lords day in memory of Christs resurrection Be this granted which cannot be proved and is something discrepant from the doctrine of our Church doth it therefore follow that we neede not keepe the 7. day in memory of the worlds creation Constantine commanded that the 6 day should be kept in memory of Christs death on the Crosse yet was the day of Christs resurrection kept also Sozomenus saith that at Constātinople almost in all other places lib. 7. cap. 19. Sabbato postridie Sabbati conveniunt and in the Scripture wee read of meetings on both daies It is then a weake argument The Apostles commanded to keepe the first day in memory of Christs resurrection therfore wee neede not keepe the 7 day in memory of the worlds creation This I would haue thee well to consider that St Paul of the Apostles is Christs only Doctour about dayes he alone by way of doctrine handleth this point and he handleth it purposly in three severall Epistles here to the Romanes among whom he had never beene Col. 2. Rom. 14. Gal. 4. The controversy about the Sabbath would soone
And shall I demaunde of them when the 7 day Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such I doubt not wee should all enter into the heavenly Sabbath before they would agree vpon an answer to this question Obserue that the Apostle Hebr 4 4 I say if not in time for in likelihood God did not sanct the 7 day before the first 7 day was ended Note these words Gen. 2.3 because in it he had rested not would rest speaketh of the 7 day as rested vpon by God and not as sanctified by him or inioyned to be sanctified of man so that the 7 day then became a type when God rested therein The 7 day in order if not in time before it was sanctified was Gods Rest and consequently a shaddow of the rest remaining to the people of God But this by way of disgression to returne Inough hath beene said to make it appeare that the 4 commandement is more Ceremonial then th◠〈◊〉 and therefore not as the other to be observed â—â—â—â—ding to the letter only I will add for a conclusion â—â—â—t saying of Augustine Quisquis illum diem Sabbatuâ— observat sicut litera sonat carnaliter sapit that is Spig lit cap. 14. Whosoeuer observeth the Sabbath as the letter soundeth savoureth of the flesh Now they which keepe the 7 day doe no worke therein keepe the sabbath as the letter of the precept soundeth Their Handwriting then should haue beene blotted out and not put in print who teach that the observation of the 7 day is a morall and perpetuall duty and that we may not so much as pick vp sticks in the same Answere agreeable to the Doctrine of our Church When the 8 commandement is read and wee pray So for the rest of the comman Lord incline our hearts to keepe this Law our words and meaning must agree as in words so in meaning wee desire grace not to steale but here not so Though in words we desire God to incline our hearts to keepe the 7 day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein yet not in meaning It is said in the booke of Homylies that whatsoever is found in the 4 commandement appertaining to the law of nature The 4 comman bound the Israelites to do that which they were not bound to doe by the law of nature but not vs Christians This is the coÌ„mon doctrine ought to be observed of all good Christians our meaning then after the doctrine of our Church should be thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law so far forth as it is the Law of nature Or thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe so much of this Law as appertaineth to the law of nature which is the same in effect Thus haue I answered a very needfull question in my opinion what other will iudge of this matter I know â—â—â—â—t for mine owne part I iudge it so needfull to be knowne Our Church hath taken order for the nstruction of the ignorant in this matter I meane by the booke of Homilyes but in these dayes sew parishes haue that booke in fewer it is read and where ttis read scarce one in an hundred I feare learneth a right meaning by it that with St Paul I would gladly spend be spent to bring my ignorant brethren to a right meaning hereâ—â—â—s it not a lamentable case when a man prayeth Lord in â—â—â—e mine heart to keepe the 7 day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein to meane according to his word which is to obserue a shadow and this a kind of deniall that Christ is come The Papists pray without vnderstanding but such pray with a sinfull vnderstanding And if by some triall I may make coniecture thus doe the greatest part of this kingdome neyther is it any mervaile if very many so doe when they are so taught by some in these dayes Againe I finde by experience that they wil hardly be brought to a right meaning here it seemeth to them so strange that in the Publike Service one thing should be spoken and another meaÌ„t as that they should heare the 7 day is the Sabbath when not the 7 day but the first day must be kept by them And when to make them take more heed I tell them that to keepe the 7 day for Sabbath and to doe no worke therein as the words of the coÌ„mandement are is to savour of the flesh which is death in the iudgment of St Augustine and other learned Divines Sapere secundum carnem mors est Spir. lit cap. 14. this maketh them even to stand amazed at the strangnes of the matter Moreover as it is hard to bring them to so no doubt will it be to keepe them in a right meaning these words the 7 day is the Sabbath and in it thou shalt doe no worke still sounding in their eares Which I write to this end that my brethren may be more carefull often to ingeminate vnto their Parishioners the doctrine of our Church delivered in the booke of Homilyes Truely if ever it had here need be as the Prophet Esaie speaketh precept vpon precept precept vpon precept line vpon line line vpon line here a little Esai 28.10 and there a little or rather indeed here a great deale and there a great deale and yet I feare mee all to little as would be found vpon triall afterward II. QVESTION IN the iudgment of St Augustine we Christians are bound by the 4 commandement to keepe a figuratiue or spirituall Sabbath Epist 99. ad Ianuar. Inter omnia illa decem precepta c. Among all those ten precepts that alone which is there placed of the Sabbath Tertul adver iud is commanded figuratiuely to be observed Thus Tertullian termeth Christ whom as the beloved Sonne wee must heare Mat. 17. Hebr. 1. Sabbati spiritualis cultorem and Chrysostome saying that Legis iustitia prima salutaris decem habet mandata setteth downe this for the 4 Cole Sabbatum spirituale Cited by Mus loc commun keepe a spirituall Sabbath There is according to Augustine and other as I obserue in my little reading a twofold keeping of those commandements touching the Sabbath circumcision There are two sorts of Sabbath after Augustine and other the one literall carnall or temporall the other figuratiue spirituall and eternall sacrifices and the like the one literall or carnall the other figuratiue or spirituall Now the Israelites were bound to keepe these in a literall manner that is to doe no worke on the 7 day to circumcise on the 8 day to offer lambs and such like in sacrifice to the Lord We Christians are bound to keepe these in a figuratiue or spirituall manner that is to rest from the works of our corrupt nature all the dayes of the worke to circumcise the foreskins of our hearts and to offer spirituall sacrafices of praise thanksgiuing These two kinds of binding figuratiue and
sanctifie one day of the weeke Or thus Inasmuch as God having chosen to himselfe a Church commanding thē after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the 7 day reason convinceth or this is an argument that it is Gods will we Christians now his Church should doe in some sort as the Israelites by the 4th commandement were bound to doe heretofore The 4th commandement bindeth vs to sanctifie one day of the weeke that is It bindeth vs to belieue that it is Gods will we should sanctifie one day of the weeke seing as thereby it appeareth he once appointed the Israelites after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the seventh day the same reasons in part still continue To end this matter Were it a law of this kingdome set forth long agone in these words Remember to fast vpō Thursday We in these times faring well vpon Thursday fasting vpō friday some man should say that the forenamed law bound vs so to doe vnlesse we did fast vpō Friday we brake that Statute who hearing this would not be much moved at the strangenes of the matter presently demand How shall this be seing the Statute speaketh of Thursday How can such a Statute binde vs to fast vpon Friday Now how the like vnto this may be I haue shewed with the best skill I haue and if any thinke my skill herein defectiue and say Never any law of God or man did binde in such manner as you speake of I must confesse it in my knowledge but did ever any other law of God or man appoint a thinge to be done on one day of the weeke and binde to doe it on another day or appoint a thinge to be done in one place and binde to doe it in another place Such a law if there were ever any such did binde in such manner as I speake of or if any hath more skill to answere this question I greatly desire him to shew his skill The question is such as we would thinke every one of the meanest vnderstanding would demand it first of all and it is made a needfull question to be answered by reason of those strange interpretations of Gods word aforemencioned I mean that the Sabbath and seauenth day are not the same in the fourth Commandement againe that by seauenth day in the fourth commandement any day of the week may be signified Should way bee giuen to such interpretations of the Scripture who seeth not what would follow therevpon It doth not a little moue me when in Protestant writers I read such passages as this It was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seauen c. Consider well of the matter and thou wilt say that I am not moued without cause III QVESTION HOW shall it appeare to be the law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke Answere Almighty God having in 6 dayes created the heaven and the earth rested vpon the 7 day Gen. 2.3 and therfore sanctified it as is said Gen 2. Hence now some would gather that it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day in euery weeke but indeed it will hence rather follow that it is the law of nature to sanctifie the precise seauenth day Vpon these premises God made the world in six daies and resting on the seauenth day sanctified it by the light of nature or reason this inference should rather bee made therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day Then doe we most neerely follow Gods example when we worke vpon those very dayes which he wrought vpon and sanctifie that very day which he sanctified God in the beginning sanctified the seauenth day therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day is a neerer inference than that other therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day of the seauen or weeke The like may be said touching the placing of the fourth commandement among the moralls if any would fetch an argument thence to prooue this matter In the 2 to the Romans Paul saith That the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2 14. and were a law to themselues From which text happily an argumēt might be fetched to proue as much the law of nature as M. Dod affirmeth that is to haue solemne times for so the Gentiles had but now the Gentiles sanctified not one day in euery weeke It will rather follow from the practise of the Gentiles that it is the law of nature to haue a place appointed than one day in euery weeke appointed for publike meetings the Gentiles had Temples 1. Cor. 11.14 In the 1 Cor. 11. S. Paul hath these words Doth not even nature it selfe teach you that if a man hath long haire it is a shame vnto him Now should I say in like manner doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs to sanctifie one day in euery weeke For one that would affirme many I thinke at first would deny that nature taught it them they see no such thing by the light of nature they had neuer any naturall inclination to sanctifie one day of euery seauen But though at first euery man will be ready thus to say yet vpon consideration happily it will seem the best order and if we see by The light in vs whereof Christ speaketh Mat. 6. Though it be not by any expresse command from Christ or his Apostles but by an ordinance of the Church as is the doctrine of many great Diuines of our church in the booke of Homilies that we sanctifie the Lords day rather then another day in the weeke yet can I maintaine that it is the law of Nature to sanctifie this very day for it is The best order And this I think no man of iudgement will once offer to deny vnlesse perhaps because some hold a superstitious conceit of the day that it is the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then me thinks it may bee said that nature doth teach vs so to doe Let all things saith Paul be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. This command of Paul is the very law of nature doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs as much The best order is the will of God and the law of nature This is it then which I say If reason the light in vs or Nature for these I take for the same teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then is it to bee held the law of nature so to doe but Reason the light in vs What the Philosophers tearme Reason Christ tearmeth The light in vs and Paul Nature or Nature teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in every weeke therefore it is to be held the law of nature so to doe This is the only argument to prooue this matter But here are two things which I thinke good to advertise thee of One is that we should not tearme it Morall to
else to say wherein we are to blame Chr. 3. Part. It is said that the strict rest was Ceremoniall here thou hast some light what to iudge of this doctrine also Numb 15. Yes You forbeare to dresse meat and to doe such like workes on the Sabbath for which were there nothing else Christ at his cōming to iudgement would cast you into hell Iew. Did not your Christ giue out that he was the sonne of God Chr. Yes and so he is what of that Iew. God put a man to death in this world because he did gather stickes on the Sabbath and will the sonne of God cast vs into hell because wee doe not gather stickes kindle a fire and dresse meat therein Chr. That he will for this strict rest was shadowish also Jt hath beene an olde saying that the Ceremonies ought to haue some time to be honestly buried but now it is too long to keepe them aboue ground they stinke by this time And least you should maruell that I say Christ wil condemne you for your manner of keeping the Sabbath knowe that to obserue a shadow is to denie after a sort that he came into the world Jt is too much by word to denie the sonne of Mary the Virgin to be the Christ but you denie it by your deeds also as long as you obserue a shadow A Father of our Church Augustine by name whom wee esteeme as much as you doe any of your Rabbins speaking of the Sabbath doth say Whosoeuer keepeth that day as the letter soundeth sauoreth of the flesh such are yee Iew. Though we keepe the Sabbath according to the letter as by your leaue some Christians also doe in their vnderstanding yet we keepe it not as a shadow as I said before Chr. That 's nothing in my opinion you keepe it in obedience to the shadowish part of the fourth commandement You keepe not circumcision neither as a shadow and put case beside that you did not obserue precisely the eight day and more that you did not cut off all the foreskinne yet this would not excuse you from obseruing a shadow As neither shall it excuse those amongst vs for some such I feare there are who though they keepe not the Feast of Whitsuntide as a Ceremony neither at the same time nor altogether in the same manner as you doe yet through ignorance keepe it in obedience to that your law Leuit. 23. For this is euen all in all to obserue any day time meat c. in obedience to a shadowish Commandement which I desire you and those of my brethren whom it may concerne to consider well off and so Fare yee well Iew. Nay I pray be not so hasty I may become a Christian and then some doubt may trouble my mind Chr. What is that Iew. You say that the strict rest is shadowish and by your doctrine he which resteth too strictly obserueth a shadow for he doth it in obedience to the ceremoniall part of the fourth commandement mistaking it for the moral I would now demand of you whether he doth not rest too strictly who forbeareth that worke on the Sabbath which is not forbidden by the moral part of the fourth commandement Chr. Yes for that worke is forbidden by the ceremoniall part All worke is forbidden by the fourth commandement now the greater workes are forbidden by the morall part and the lesser by the ceremoniall part and where the moral part ceaseth to forbid there the ceremoniall part beginneth to forbid as I conceaue by this our common distinction Iew. Me thinks you Christians are here betweene Scylla and Charibdis you can hardly chuse but either breake the morall part or fulfill the ceremoniall part of the fourth commandement I pray shew mee how I may rightly discerne the partition for there must needes bee very little difference betweene some workes forbidden by the morall part and other forbidden by the ceremoniall Againe whereas I perceaue by your words erwhile that to forbeare dressing of meat is to rest too strictly and to fulfill the ceremoniall part I would learne of you whether about dressing of meat I need not feare breaking the morall part Chr. Yes you may labour as hard about dressing meat as at plow or you may bestow too much time thereabout and thus breake the morall part Againe I must tell you that you may dresse meat and yet fulfill the ceremonial part for you may seeth an Egge and refuse to seeth Flesh so rest two strictly Iew. It is needfull then that you define precisely what meat may be dressed in what maner how long I may be about it how hard I may labour thereabout whether vntil I sweat or not so for seruing cattle whether I may carry burthens of fodder into the field how big burthens I may carry how farre I may carry them c. and so for many other matters Chr. I maruell that our learned men who haue written so largely vpon the fourth commandement haue not better canvased this matter to say nothing that they doe not agree among themselues But I can stay no longer with you only I say when you become a Christian if you come to me you shall haue my best advise FINIS A note touching the Lords day I Knowe not any learned and godly Divine but will acknowledge that the Lords daie is of great antiquitie and had his beginning from some of the Apostles but if any man would haue vs beleeue that Christ did institute it and that from the time of his resurrection it hath beene generally obserued of the faithfull hee must bring better proofe then hitherto I haue seene any The Church of Christ cōsisted of Iewes Gentiles and as touching the beleeuing Jewes at Jerusalem it is out of question that for many yeares they obserued the same day as before for they were zealous of the Law one part whereof was the obseruation of the seauenth daie Act. 21.20 If Baptisme would not serue them insteed of Circumcision who can beleeue that the Lords daie would serue them insteed of the Sabbath Nether is it to bee maruelled that they were zealous of the Law when as Iames and the Elders did not so much as teach them that the law of commandements contained in ordinances was abolished as is manifest in that they desired St Paul to make it appeare by his practise Act 21.24 that the report of him was nothing that he himselfe also walked orderlie and kept the Law But were they zealous of the Sabbath or not seeing the vnbeleeuing Jewes were so angrie with Christ afore time for the carriage of a bed on the Sabbath Ioh 5. and at this time with S. Paul for his prophanation of the Temple Act. 21.28 as they supposed it cannot be that they would suffer their Sabbath and other holidaies to be prophaned by Christians as long as their commonweale stood The Church then at Jerusalem a long time obserued the Sabbath or seauenth daie and now
that besides the Sabbath and other holidaies inioined by the law they sanctified the Lords daie and so rested from worke two daies in every weeke I cannot beleeue without some proofe and hitherto I haue seene none at all As touching the Churches of the Gentiles it seemeth by the Scriptures that some of them for a time came together rather on the Iewes Sabbath then on any other daie indeed S. Paul as he yeelded lesse to the Jewes then other so happilie in the Churches by himselfe established hee beganne sooner then other to appoint their meetings on the first daie of the week which daie growing more more in request before the yeare 96 obtained the name of Lords day which name had it beene giuen when S. Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinthians S. Luke the Acts it is likely that one of them would haue vsed it and yet it is not vnlikely that this name Lords day was giuen as soone as the day began to be in any great account Now about this Lords Day the first day of the weeke commonly called Sunday there are in these times three opinions something differing the one from the other 1 Opinion It is the will and command of God that Christians should sanctifie one daie of euery weeke as he bound the Israelites heretofore to sanctifie the Sabbath or seauenth day so in this time of the Gospell hee bindeth vs Christians to sanctifie the Lords day or first daie of the weeke 2 Opinion It is the will and command of God that Christians should sanctifie one day of euery weeke but whereas he bound the Israelites heretofore to sanctifie the seaventh day alone hee left it to the Christian Church to chuse their day and it hath chosen the Lords day 3 Opinion Redemp in 4 praecep It is the will and command of God to sanctifie some time aliquam temporis partem as Zanchius speaketh whē this time shall be God left to the Christian Church to appoint and it hath appointed the Lords day Of the former opinion I scarce knowe any Divines of note vnlesse of late yeares betweene the two latter opinions there is in respect of vs little or no difference at all for by both the Lords day is the command of God mediatly God mediatly and by the Magistrate bindeth vs Christians to sanctifie the Lords day Obiect Then the Gouernours of the Church may alter the day yea they may appoint the first of one weeke the third of the next the fift of the next c. Answ It doth not follow for the best order is the will of God and law of Nature The Gouernours then cannot set downe what order they will neither touching the time and place of Gods worship neither touching other things belonging therevnto but what in their vnderstanding is the best order they are bound to set downe Obiect If God mediatly and by the Magistrate bindeth vs Christians to sanctifie the Lords day certainely this bond is so weake that very many will easily breake it Answ This bond is strong enough to hold him that is not very vnruly In the fift of Marke we read of one that being often bound with fetters and chaines brake them in peeces no Man could binde him strong enough but when Christ had cast out the euill Spirit they see him saith the text sitting Mar. 5.15 cloathed and in his right minde In like sort deliuer these vnruly fellowes from the evil Spirit be a meanes to bring them into their right minde afterward J doubt not the Gouernours of the Church shall binde them well enough They will sit still bee quiet and be content to be ruled by reason they wil see by the light of nature that as there are feet so there must be an head of the body and that the feet cannot say to the head We haue no need of thee without the helpe of the head they cannot chuse the best way they wil remember by whom kings raigne that all power is from aboue and that as God hath set the members euery one in the body as it pleased him so hath he set some in the Church 1. Cor. 12.18.28 first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly teachers c. This and much more will they call to minde when they are brought into their right minde and very willing shall we haue them to be ordered What thinke we Had such vnruly fellowes liued vnder the law and Note that even in the time of the law some things were left to be ordered by the Magistrate lex à ligando had they beene bound strong enough Nay verily for though God appointed the precise daie and commanded to haue an holy Convocation yet no time of the day for this Convocation not two Convocations not Synagogues When they had beene called This commande of Paul or law of Nature is the generall comprehending the fourth commondement in the Decalogue and all other Commandements touching the time and place of Gods worship and other things belonging therevnto they would haue answered with Dathan and Abiram We will not come for God himselfe hath not bidden vs come to such a place nor at such time of the day Let the law of Nature be no more then all acknowledge to sanctifie some time as the Gentiles did suppose no other command but that of Paul Let all things bee done to edifying decently and in order If there come a command from authority to sanctifie any day of the weeke yea besides the Lords day this is enough to bind him that is in his right minde if any wilfully breake this bond Iud. ver 8. it is by the comming of another Spirit vpon him then came vpon Sampson heretofore It were good to beware least any of vs bee found such as Iude speaketh of Despising gouernment speaking euill of dignities for it is too much to despise Governours but more to despise gouernment it selfe Certainely if any man bee so vnruly that Gods Ministers and Officers here bee not able to binde him God hath other officers and seruants elsewhere which are able And the King said to the servants Take him and binde him hand and foot and cast him into vtter darknesse To make an end They which say least say enough to cause all those who haue the feare of God before their eyes to sanctifie the Lords day and they which say most doe not say enough to cause those who feare not God to forbeare driuing pack-horses therein frequenting the Tauerne and the like Would to God no man might once say more nor lesse than the truth for doubtlesse were the truth alone preached the greatest good would follow therevpon and this is one matter more which causeth me should cause thee Gentle Reader often and earnestly to pray in this manner or to this effect Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our Governours hearts to take such order that once at length we may be all brought to the right vnderstanding of the fourth Commandement Amen FINIS Errata Pag. 1. line 8. strike out had p. 3. l. 4. strike out your p. 5. l. 4. for here likeneth read here he likeneth p. 5. l. 16. text read type p. 6. in marg If the Sabbath were a shadow c. p. 9. l. worke r. weeke p. 10. l. 16. after Remember the Sabbath to sanctifie it read this should be a more generall commandement then if hee had said Remember the seauenth day to sanctifie it p. 12. l. 3. vs r. me p. 18. l. 3. commanding r. commanded p. 26. The saying of Chrysostome should be placed last of all after the note touching the Lords day p. 27. l. 7. to make it more Christian and lesse Iewish Other faults escaped in printing the Reader may amend