with 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 as it were upon Mount Zion and proclaime by word or writing in so many expresse words That the Iewish Sabbath is abrogated and the first day of the week instituted in its roome to be observed of all Christians to the end of the world For t is not the Lords manner so to speak in many other things which concerne his Kingdome but as it were occasionally or in way of History or Epistle to some particular Church or people and thus he doth concerning the Sabbath and yet Wisdomes mind is plain enough to them that understand Nor do I doubt but that those Scriptures which are sometimes alledged for the Change of the Sabbath although at first blush they may not seeme to heare up the weâ—ght of this cause yet being throughly considered they are not onely sufficent to stablish modest minds but are also such as may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or stop the mouths even of wranglers themselves Thesis 25. I doe not thinke that the exercise of holy duties on a Day argues that such a Day is the Christian Sabbath Day for the Apostles preached commonly upon the Jewish Sabbath sometime upon the first day of the week also and therefore the bare exercise of holy duâ—ies on a day is no sufficient Argument that either the one or the other is the Christian Sabbath for then there might be two Sabbaths yea many Sabbaths in a week because there may be many holy duties in severall dayes of the week which we know is against the Morality of the fourth Commandment Thesis 26. Yet notwithstanding although holy duties on a Day doe not argue such a Day to be our Sabbath yet that Day which is set apart for Sabbath services rather then any other Day and is honoured above any other Day for that end surely such a day is the Christian Sabbath Now if it may appear that the first Day of the week was thus honoured then certainly it is to be accounted the Christian Sabbath Thesis 27. The Primitive patterne Churches thus honoured the fiâ—st Day of the weeke and what they practised without reproof that the Apostles who planted those Churches enjoyned and preached unto them so to do at least in such weighty matters as the Change of Dayes of preferring one before that other which the Lord had honoured before and what the Apostles preached that the Lord Jesus commanded Matth. 28.20 Go teach all Nations that which I Command you unlesse any shall think that the Apostles sometime went beyond their Commission to teach that to others which Christ never commanded which is blasphemous to imagine for though they might erre in practise as men and as Peter did at Antioch and Paul and Barnabas in their contention yet in in their publike ministry they were infallibly and extraordinarily assisted especially in such things which they hold forth as patterns for after times if therefore the Primitive Churches thus honoured the first day of the week above any other day for Sabbath services then certainly they were instituted and taught thus to do by the Apostles approving of them herein and what the Apostles taught the Churches that the Lord Iesus commanded to the Apostles So that the approved practise of the churches herein shewes what was the Doctrine of the Apostles and the Doctrine of the Apostles shewes what was the command of Christ so that the sanctification of this Fiâ—st Day of the week is no humane tradition but a Divine institution from Christ himselfe Thesis 28. That the Churches honoured this Day above any other shall appeare in its place as also that the Apostles commanded them so to doe Yet Mr. Primrose saith that this latter is doubtful and Mr. Ironside not questioning the matter fals off with another evasion viz. That they acted herein not as Apostles but as ordinary Pastours and consequently as fallible men not only in commanding this Change of the Sabbaâ—h but in all other matters of Church government among which he reckons this of the Sabbath to be one which he thinks were imposed according to their private wisdome as most fit for those times but not by any Apostolicall Commission as concerning all times But to imagine that matters of Church-government in the Apostles dayes wete coats for the Moon in respect of after-times and that the form of it is mutable as he would have it I suppose will be digested by few honest and sober minds in these times unlesse they be byassed for a season by politick ends and therefore herein I will not now contend oneâ—y it may be considered whether any private spirit could abolish that Day which from the beginning of the world God so highly honoured and then honour and advance another Day above it and sanctifie it too as shall be proved for religious services Could any do this justly but by immediate dispensation from the Lord Christ Jesus and if the Apostles did thus receive it immediately from Christ and so teach the observation of it they could not then teach it as fallible men and as private Pastors as he would have it a pernicious conceit enough to undermine the faith of Gods elect in many matters more weighty then this of the Sabbath Thesis 29. To know when and where the Lord Christ instructed his Desciples concerning this Change is needlesse to enquire It is sufficient to beleeve this that what the Primitive Churches exemplarily practised that was taught them by the Apostles who planted them and that whatsoever the Apostles preached the Lord Christ commanded as hath been shewen Yet if the Change of the Sabbath be a matter appertaining to the Kingdome of God why should we doubt but that within the space of his forty dayes abode with them after his Resurrection he then taught it them for 't is expressely said that He then taught them such things Acts 13. Thesis 30. When the Apostles came among the Jewes they preached usually upon the Jewish Sabbaths but this was not because they did thinke or appoint it herein to be the Christian Sabbath but that they might take the fittest opportunity and season of meeting with and so of preaching the Gospel to the Jewes in those times For what power had they to call them together when they saw meet or if they had yet was it meet for them thus to do before they were sufficiently instructed about Gods mind for setting apart some other time and how could they be sufficiently and seasonably instructed herein without watching the advantage of those times which the Jewes yet thought were the only Sabbaths The dayes of Pentecost Passeover and houres of prayer in the Temple are to be observed still as well as the Iewish Sabbath if the Apostles preaching on their Sabbaths argues the continuance of them as Mr. Brabourne argues for we know that they preached also and went up purposely to Ierusalem at such times to preach among them as well as upon the Sabbath dayes look therefore as they laid hold upon the
his time till Christs Ascension if since that time they bring it a peg lower and make it to be a humane Constitution of the Church rather then any Divine Institution of Christ Iesus and herein those that oppose the Morality of it by dint of argument and out of candor and conscience propose their grounds on which they remaine unsatisfied I do from my heart both highly and heartily honour and especially the labours of Master Primrose and Master Ironside many of whose Arguments and Answers to what is usually said in defence of the Morality of the day who ever ponders them shall finde them heavie the foundations and sinewes of whose discourses I have therefore had a speciall eye to in the ensuing Theses with a most free submission of what is here returned in answer thereto to the censure of better minds and riper thoughts being verily perswaded that whoever finds no Knots or Difficulties to humble his spirit herein either knows not himselfe or not the Controversie but as for those whose chiefe arguments are reproaches and revilings of embittered and corrupt hearts rather then solid reasons of modest minds I wholly decline the pursuit of such creatures whose weapons is their swell and not any strength and do leave them to his tribunall who judgeth righteously for blearing the eyes of the world and endeavouring to exasperate Princes and make wise men beleeve that this Doctrine of the Sabbath is but a late Novelty a Doctrine tending to a high degree of Schisme a phanatick Iudaizing like his at Tewksbury Sabbata sancta colo i. e. a peece of Disciplinary Policy to advance Presbytery a superstitious seething over of the hot or whining simplicity of an over-rigid crabbed precise crack-brain'd Puritanicall party the righteous God hath his little dayes of judgment in this life to clear up and vindicate the righteous cause of his innocent servants against all gainsayers and who sees not but those that will be blinde that the Lord hath begun to do something this way by these late broyles the controversie God hath with a Land is many times in defence of the controversies of his faithfull Witnesses the sword maintaines argument and makes way for that which the Word could not those plants which not many yeers since most men would not beleeve not to be of Gods planting hath the Lord puld up the three innocent Fire-brands so fast tyed to some Foxes tayles are now prety well quencht and the tayles almost cut off this cause of the Sabbath also the Lord Iesus is now handling God hath cast down the Crownes of Princes stained the Robes of Nobles with dirt and blood broken the Croziers and torne the Miters in peeces for the controversie of his Sabbath Jer. 17.27 he hath already made way for his Discipline also which they feared the precise Sabbath would introduce again by such a way as hath made all hearts to ake just according to the words never to be forgotten of Mr. Udal in his Preface to the Demonstration of Discipline The Councel of Matiscon imputed the irruption of the Goths into the Empire to the prophanation of the Sabbath Germany may now see or else one day they shall see that one great cause of their troubles is that the Sabbath wanted its Rest in the dayes of their quietnesse England was at rest till they troubled Gods Sabbath The Lord Iesus must reign the Government of his House the Laws of his Kingdom the Solemn days of his worship must be established the cause of his suffering and afflicted servants not of our late religious scorners at Ordinances Lawes and Sabbaths who are now at rest from their labours but in former times wept and prayed and petitioned and preacht and writ and suffered and dyed for these things and are now crying under the Altar must and shall certainly be cleared before men and Angels Heaven and earth shall passe away before one tittle of the Law much lesse a whole Sabbath shall perish But while I am thus musing me thinks no measure of tears are sufficient to lament the present state of times that when the Lord Iesus was come forth to vindicate the cause and controversie of Sion there should rise up other Instruments of spiritual wickednesses in high places to blot out the name and sweet remembrance of this Day from off the face of the earth the enemies of the Sabbath are now not so much malignant time-servers and aspiring brambles whom preferment principally byassed to knock at the Sabbath but those who have eaten bread with Christ a generation of professing people do lift up their heel against his Sabbath so that what could not formerly be done against it by Angels of darknes the old Serpent takes another course to effect it by seeming Angels of light who by a new device are raised up to build the sepulchres of those who persecuted the Prophets in former times to justifie all the books of sports the reading of them yea all the former present profanations yea scoffs scorns against the Sabbath day For as in former times they have Ceremonialized it out of the Decalogue yet by humane constitutiō have retained it in the Church so these of later times have spritualized it out of the Decalogue ye out of of all the Churches in the world For by making the Christian Sabbath to be only a spirituall Sabbath in the bosome of God out of Heb. 4. they hereby abolish a seventh dayes Sabbath and make every day equally a Sabbath to a Christian man This I hope will be the last but it is the most specious and fairest colour and banner that ever was erected to fight under against the Christian Sabbath and is most fit to deceive not only some sudden men of loose and wanton wits but especially men of spirituall but too shallow minds In times of Light as these are reputed to be Satan comes not abroad usually to deceive with fleshly and grosse forgeries and his cloven foot for every one almost would then discerne his haltings but with more mystical yet strong delusions and invisible chaines of darknesse whereby he bindes his captives the faster to the judgment of the great day And therefore the watchword given in the bright and shining times of the Apostle was to Try the Spirits and Believe not every Spirit And take heed of Spirits who indeed were only fleshly and corrupt men yet called Spirits because they pretended to have much of the Spirit and their doctrines seemed only to advance the Spirit the fittest and fairest cobwebs to deceive and intangle the world in those discerning times that possible could be spun out of the poysonfull bowels of corrupt and ambitious wit The times are now come wherein by the refined mysticall divinity of the old Monks not only the Sabbath but also all the Ordinances of Christ in the New-Testament are allegorized and spirituallized out of the world And therefore 't is no marvel when they abolish the outward Sabbath because of
well as of necessity and piety are Sabbath Duties for which end this Day which Beza finds in an ancient Manuscript to be called the Lords Day was more fit for those Collections then any other day partly because they usually met together publikely on this day and so their Collections might be in greater readinesse against Pauls coming partly also that they might give more liberally at least freely it being supposed that upon this Day mens hearts are more weaned from the world and are warmed by the word and other Ordinances with more lively faith and hope of better things to come and therefore having received spirituall things from the Lord more plentifully on this Day every man will be more free to impart of his temporal good things therein for refreshing of the poore Saints and the very bowels of Christ Iesus And what other reason can be given of Limiting this Collection to this Day I confesse I cannot honestly though I could wickedly imagine And certainly if this was the end and withall the Iewish Day was the Christian Sabbath the Apostle would never have thus limited them to this Day nor honoured and exalted this first Dâ—y before that Iewish seventh which if it had been the Christian Sabbath had been more fit for such a work as this then the first Day if a working day could be 6. Suppose therefore that this Apostolical and Divine Institution is to give their Collections but not to institute the Day as Master Primrose pleads suppose also that they were not every Lords Day or first Day but sometime upon the first day Suppose also that they were extraordinary and for the poor of other Churches and to continue for that time onely of their need Suppose also that no man is injoyned to bring into the publike Treasury of the Church but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 privately to lay it by on this Day by himselfe as Mr. Brabourne urgeth against this Text yet still the question remaines unanswered viz. Why should the Apostle limit them to this Day either for extraordinary or private Collections and such special acts of Mercy unlesse the Lord had honoured this day for acts of mercy and much more of Piety above any other ordinary and common day What then could this Day be but the Christian Sabbath imposed by the Apostles and magnified and honoured by all the Churches in those dayes I know there are some other Replies made to this Scripture by Master Brabourne but they are wind-egges as Plutarch calls That Philosophers notions and have but little in them and therefore I passe them by as I do many other things in that book as not worth the time to name them 7. This Lastly I adde this first Day was thus honoured either by Divine or Humane Institution If by Divine we have what we plead for If by Humane custome and tradition then the Apostle assuredly would never have commended the observation of this Day who elsewhere condemnes the observation of dayes though the dayes were formerly by Divine Institution Ye observe saith he Dayes and Times and would he then have commended the observation of these dayes above any other which are onely by humane but never by Divine Institution It s strange that the Churches of Galatia are forbidden the observation of dayes Galat. 4.10 and yet commanded 1 Cor. 16.1.2 a more sacred and solemne observation of the first Daye of the week rather then any other Surly this could not be unlesse we conclude a Divine Institution hereof For we know how Zealous the holy Apostle is every where to strike at Humane customes and therefore could not lay a stumbling block to occasion the grievous fall of Churches to allow and command them to observe a Humane Tradition and to honour this above the seventh Day for such holy services ar are here made mention of But whether this Day was solemnely sanctified as the Sabbath of the Lord our God we come now to inquire Thesis 37. In the third Text Revel 1.10 Mention is made of the Lords Day which was ever accounted the first day of the week It seems therefore to be the Lords Day and consequently the Sabbath of the Lord our God Two things are needfull here to be considered and cleared 1. That this Day being called the Lords Day it is therefore set apart and sanctified by the Lord Christ as holy 2. That this Day thus sanctified is the first day of the week and therefore that first Day is our Holy or Sabbath Day Thesis 38. The first Difficulty here to prove and cleare up is that This Day which is here called the Lords Day is a day instituted and sanctified for the Lords honour and service above any other Day For as the Sacrament of Bread and Wine is called the Lords Supper and the Lords Table for no other reason but because they were instituted by Christ and sanctified for him and his honour so what other reason can be given by any Scripture-light why this is called the Lords Day but because â—t was in the like manner instituted and sanctified as they were Master Brabourne here shifts away from the light of this Text by affirming that it might be called the Lords Day in respect of God the Creator not Christ the Redeemer and therefore may be meant of the Iewish Sabbath which is called the Lords holy Day Isaiah 58 3. But why might he not as well say that its called the Lords Supper Table in respect of God the Creator considering that in the New Testament since Christ is actually exalted to be Lord of all this phrase is onely applyed to the Lord Christ as Redeemer Look therefore as the Jewish Sabbath being called the Lords Sabbath or the Sabbath of Iehovah is by that title and note certainly known to be a Day sanctified by Iehovah as Creator so this Day being called the Lords Day is by this note as certainly known to be a Day sanctified by our Lord Jesus as Redeemer Nor do I finde any one distinct thing in all the Scripture which hath the Lords superscription or name upon it as the Lords Temple the Lords Offerings the Lords people the Lords Priests c. but it is sanctified of God and holy to him why is not this Day then Holy to the Lord if it equally bears the Lords name Master Primrose indeed puts us off with another shift viz. That this Day being called so by the Churches customs John therefore calls it so in respest of that custome which the church then used without Divine institution But why may he not as well say that he calls it the Lords Table in respect of the Churches Custome also the Designation of a Day and of the first time in the Day for Holy publike services is indeed in the power of each particular Church Suppose it be a Lecture and the houres of Sabbath-meetings but the Sanctification of a Day if it be Divine worship to observe it if God command and appoint it then
a spirituall Sabbath in Christ if through Gods righteous judgment blinding their hearts they be also left to reject the outward Word because of an inward woâ—d to teach them and outward Baptisme and Lords Supper because of an inward Baptisme by the Holy Ghost and spirituall Bread from Heaven the Lord Christ Iesus and all outward Ordinances Ministries Churches because of an inward Kingdome and Temple and the Argument will hold strongly that if because they have an inward Sabbath of Rest in the bosome of Christ which I deny not that they may therefore cast away all externall Sabbaths they may then very well reject all outward Baptisme Lords Supper all Churches all Ordinances because herein there is also the inward Baptisme spirituall feeding upon Christ and inward Kingdome and Temple of God But thus they wickedly separate and sever what God hath joyned and may well stand together through the madnesse of which hellish practise I have long observed almost all the late and most pernicious errours of these times arise and those men who have formerly wept for Gods precious Sabbaths and Ordinances and have prayed for them and pleaded for them and have offered their lives in sacrifice for them and fought for them yea that have felt perhaps the comfort sweetnesse and blessing of Gods Sabbaths yea the redeeming and saving-power of Gods Ordinances to their owne soules yet through pretences of more spirituall enjoyments above and beyond and without all these they can part with these their old friends without weeping and reject them as polluted rags and fleshly formes and dark vailes and curtaines which must be drawne aside that so they may not hinder the true Light from shining in them This therfore is the reason why the love of manâ— at this day is grown cold toward the external Sabbath because the internall and spirituall Sabbath is now all in all And therefore many men walk either with bold consciences and will observe no Sabbath or else with loose consciences thinking it lawfull to observe it if men will injoyn it but noâ— thinking that they are tyed and bound therunto from any precept of God That place of Hebrews 4. which they so much stick to wants not light to demonstrate that the Sabbatisme there may well agree not onely with the internall but the outward Christian Sabbath but some of the ensuing Theses will serve to cleare up these things This onely I feare that because of these indignites done thus to Gods Sabbaths even by the under-workings of some of Gods owne people that the time hastens wherein if no man should speake yet the right hand of the sore displeasure of a provoked God by plagues and confusion upon the glory of all flesh will plead for his own Name and for that in speciall which is engraven upon the forehead of his holy Sabbaths Jerusalem remembred with regret of heart in the dayes of her affliction and misery all her pleasant things and especially this of the Sabbath Lam. 1.7 If the dayes of our rest and quietnesse cannot make us to relish the good things of his Temple in the fruition of our Sabbaths then doubt not of it but that the dayes of our affliction shall make a remnant to remember that they were pleasant things of all the mercies of God to Israel this is reckoned to be one of the greatest that he gave his Lawes to Israel Psal. 147.19 20. And of all Lawes this of the Sabbath For so the remnant of the Captivity acknowledged it Nehem. 9.14 who perhaps had far lower thoughts of it before their bondage And if the very making of it known be such a sweet mercy what then is the rest and peace of it the blessing and comfort of it for which I doubt not but many thousands are admiring God in heaven at this day And shall a shady imagination of an Every-day-sabbath make us sell away for nothing such a heavenly and precious season and make it common The Lord Iesus wisht his Disciples to pray that their flight from Jerusalem might not be in winter nor on the Sabbath-day Matth. 24.20 accounting it a great misery that his people should lose the publike benefit through the disturbance of any of one Sabbath-day for be it Iewish or Christian Sabbath I now dispute not sure I am it was a Sabbath-day which it seemes was to continue after Christs Ascension to the Father and therefore not wholly ceremonial And shall we account it no affliction or misery to fight or flie to ride or go to work or play to heare the Word in publike or stay at home upon the Sabbath-day Is it no mercy in these dayes to injoy many Sabbaths which was so sore a misery in Christs account and in the Apostles dayes to lose but one if mans heart be lost in the necessary cumbers of the weeke upon the Sabbath the Lord is wont to recall it again to him if any feare that the time of Grace is past the continuance of the Sabbaths the speciall seasons of grace confutes him if a mans soul be wearied with daily griefs and outward troubles the bosome of Iesus Christ which is in speciall wise opened every Lords day may refresh him and shall we have and professe so little love to such a time more precious then gold to humbled hearts as to cast away such a rich portion of precious time and make it common under a pretence of making every day a Sabbath which is either impossible to do or sinfull the loudest voice one of them of the love of Christ which now sounds in the world continually in the yeers of his people is this Come into my bosome ye weary sinners and enjoy your rest and the next voice to that is this of the Sabbath to call us off from all occasions and then to say to us Come to me my people and rest in my bosome of sweetest mercy all this day Which call would not be a mercy if it were every day for then our owne occasions must be neglected which the wise and fatherly providence of God forbids and spirituall work onely minded and intended which God did never command Nor should any marvel that the voyce of the Law should containe such a voyce of Love and therefore should not think that this controversie about the Law or for this one law of the Sabbath is unfit and unsutable to these Evangelicall and Gospel times for although the Law is dreadfull and full of terrour as considered without Christ and is to man fallen a voyce of words and a voice of terrour and feare which genders unto bondage yet as it is revealed with reference to Christ and a people in Christ so every Commandment doth spirare amorem as he speaks and breaths out Christs love for which the Saints cannot but blesse the Lord with everlasting wonderment that ever he made them to know these heart-secrets of his good will and love especially then when he writes them in their hearts and thereby gives
the Decalogue onely Rom. 3.20 Iames 3.8 and sometimes more largely for the whole doctrine contained in all the writings of the Old Testament wherein the Gospel also is comprehended Psal. 19.7 Psalme 119.1.51 55. so the word Covenant is sometime taken more strictly for the covenant of works which is contained compendiously in the Decalogue onely writ by the finger of God in two Tables Deut. 4.13 14 Exod. 34.38 and sometime more largely for all the holy writings of Moses Exodus 24.7 8. and 34.10 Levit. 26.14 Ier. 34.13 Now although all the writings of Moses may be called the Covenant as it is largely taken and so the covenant comprehends not onely morall but ceremoniall lawes yet they are never called That Covenant which was writ by the finger of God in two Tables of stone and given to Moses and in this strict sense the word Covenant comprehends no other lawes but morall nor can the places and texts which they alleadge evince the contrary for in that place of Exodus 24.7 it is not said that the Tables of the Covenant but the Booke of the Covenant was read in the audience of all the people which Booke we readily acknowledge to comprehend ceremonials as well as morals but not the Tables of the Covenant of which the question now is so also when the Lord saith Exod. 34.10 that he will make a Covenant his meaning is that he will revive his Covenant by writing as it is there set downe in the same chapter in which writing it is very true that there is mentioned made of many ceremoniall lawes but suppose this covenant written by Moses comprehends sundry ceremoniall lawes will it therefore follow that the Tables of the Covenant written with the finger of God did the like No such matter and therefore there is an expresse difference put in the same chapter verse 27 28. between the covenant written by Moses and the ten Commandments written by the finger of God But secondly Let it be granted that the Decalogue comprehends summarily all the lawes which are particularly dispersed here and there in the writings of Moses yet it doth not follow that there must bee one ceremoniall law written by the finger of God and lifted up in the Decalogue to be the epitome and summarie of all ceremoniall lawes elsewhere explained in the writings of Moses For all lawes whether ceremoniall or judiciall may be referred to the Decalogue as appendices to it or applications of it and so to comprehend all other lawes as their summary But such a summary will no way enforce a necessity of making any one of them the epitome of ceremonialls and the other nine of them of the morals for we know that many judiciall lawes are comprehended under morall lawes being referred as appendices thereunto by Calvin Martyr Chemnitius Ames and sundry others and yet it will not follow from hence that one of the lawes in the Decalogue must be a judiciall law as the summary of all judicials which are branches of the Covenant as well as Master Primrose his ceremonials Thesis 34. It should not seem strange that that law which in the generall nature of it is moral may in the particular application of it be unto a thing ceremoniall and in this respect it cannot be denyed but that the morall law may comprehend all ceremoniall lawes but it will not hence follow as Mr. Primrose inferres that one law in the Decalogue must be ceremoniall as the head and summary of all ceremoniall lawes because we say ceremoniall lawes may bee comprehended under some morall law as speciall applications thereof ex gr It is a morall law to worship God according to his owne will and not after mans inventions as the second Commandment holds it forth Now in the application of this law the Lord points out his owne instituted worship in sundry significant ceremonies sacrifices sacraments c. which particular institutions though ceremoniall are to be referred unto and are comprehended under the second Commandment which is a morall law for if God will be worshipped with his owne worship according to this Commandment then its necessary for the Lord to shew and that under his Commandment what those institutions be wherein he will bee worshipped many of which are ceremoniall which are therefore directly comprehended here Thesis 35. There is therefore no necessity of making one law in the Decalogue to bee ceremoniall that it may be the summary head of all ceremonials viz. because ceremonialls are branches of the covenant which is the Decalogue for upon the like ground there must bee one judiciall law also as the summary of all judicials nay one Evangelicall law also as the head of all Evangelicals sprinkled here and there in Moses his writings of which we read Iohn 5.43 Rev. 10.6 7 8. with Deut. 30.12 13. Gal. 3.8 with Gen. 12.3 for judicials and Evangelicals are branches of the Covenant as well as ceremonials if Mr. Primrose his principle be true but if by his owne confession nine of them are morals and one of them only the head of ceremonialls how shall judiciall and Evangelicall summaries come in which either he must make room for in the Decalogue or acknowledge his foundation to be rotten upon which he hath built up one ceremoniall law among the nine moralls Thesis 36. It is true that among men the same body of Lawes may be framed up of divers articles as Mr. Primrose pleads but that the Decalogue was such a body as had ceremonials mixt with morals it can never be made good by any colour of proof except it be that which we have shewn will as strongly enforce an introduction of some one judiciall and another Evangelicall law into the Decalogue as well as one ceremoniall but such a confusion of Law and Gospell Evangelicals and judicials ceremonialls and morals the blessed God abhorres for it neither suits with Gods wisedome and end in giving the law nor yet with mans weaknesse which God pitties to make such a jumbling and confusion of things together for who can then tell what law is morall and what Evangelicall and what ceremoniall unlesse it be as was shewn by flying for light to the dictates and instinct of nature to shew unto poore deceitfull man what lawes are morall and what not wherein the remedy would have been as bad as the disease Thesis 37. If there must be one law in the Decalogue ceremoniall that so the more Authority may bee procured hereby as Mr. Primrose pleads unto all Gods Ordinances and therefore one of the ceremonials was written in the Decalogue with Gods owne finger and honoured with the like prerogatives as the morall lawes were which were immediately spoken by God himselfe Then if this reasoning be solid why was not one judiciall and another Evangelicall precept alike honoured also For was there not as much need to procure Authority to this as well as to ceremonials and yet wee see their Authority was sufficiently procured without
the destruction of a civill government so to crown every day with equall honour unto Gods set dayes and Sabbaths which he hath anointed and exalted above the rest this anarchy and confusion of dayes doth utterly subvert the true Sabbath to make every day a Sabbath is a reall debasing and dethroning of Gods Sabbath Thesis 69. 'T is true that every day considered materially and physically as a day is equally holy but this is no argument to prove that therefore every day is morally and theologically holy for those things which of themselves are common may by divine appointment superadded to them become holy witnesse the dedicated things of the Temple and so 't is in dayes and times under the old Testament we see some dayes were more holy by Gods appointment then others and yet all dayes then were materially and alike holy Thesis 70. 'T is true that under the new Testament all places in a safe sence are equally holy but it doth not follow from hâ—nce as our Adversaries would inferre that therefore all times are so and Wallaeus himself confesseth the argument to be invalid for it was not easie nor meet but very dissonant from divine and heavenly wisdome to appoint in his word all particular places where his people should meet their meetings being to bee in so many thousand severall Countries and various situations which places are indeed for their generall nature commanded and necessary but in respect of application to circumstances of this and that place and countrey the variation of them is almost endlesse and therefore very incongruous and uselesse to set them downe in the word but it was not so in respect of solemne time or a solemne day of worship for herein the Lord might easily appoint a particular day to be observed according to the rising and setting of the Sunne proportionably throughout all the world and the Scripture hath expressely fore told in respect of place that neither in Ierusalem Iudea nor Samaria but that in every place incense should bee offered up to God Malach. 1.11 but it hath not so spoken but rather the contrary in respect of time Thesis 71. Nor is any time morally holy in this sense viz. instrumentally holy or as an instrument and meanes by which God will convey any spirituall and supernaturall grace as Sacraments now doe and sacrifices of old did but being sanctified of God they are holy seasons in which God is pleased to meet and blesse his people rather then at other times and dayes of our owne devising or of more common use reserving onely the Lords prerogative to himselfe to work at other times also more or lesse as he sees meet Indeed it 's true that by our improvement of our time and of such times the Lord sweetly conveyes himself to us yet still 't is not by time it self nor by the day it self but as he conveyes himself to us by holy things and at holy places as the Ark and Temple so in holy times Thesis 72. There are indeed sundry Scriptures which to one who is willing to have all dayes equall may carry a great bredth and make a specious shew and I ingeniously confesse that upon a rigidum examen of them they are more weighty and heavy than the disputers in this controversie usually feele them and therefore they doe more lightly cast them by and passe them over and it is to bee wished that those who doe not think that all dayes are equall yet will not acknowledge a seventh day to be morall had not put weapons unawares into the hands of others strengthening them thereby to destroy the morality of any day and so to lay all dayes levell for I scarce know an argument or Scripture alledged by any Germane writer against the morality of a seventh day but it strikes directly against the morality of any day which yet they acknowledge to be morall Thesis 73. The fairest colour and strongest force from Gal 4.10 and Col. 2.16 lies in the gradation which some suppose to be intended in both those places Ye observe saith the Apostle dayes and moneths and times and yeares Gal. 4.10 Wherein the Apostle seemes to ascend from the lesser to the greater from dayes which are lesse then moneths and therefore weekly Sabbath dayes to moneths from moneths or new moones to times which are higher then moneths and by which is meant their annuall feasts and fasts ordered according to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fittest seasons of the yeare and from times he ascends yet higher to yeares viz. their Sabbaticall yeares because they were celebrated once in many years sometime seven sometime fifty years by which gradation it seems evident that the observation of dayes which are lesse than moneths and therefore of weekly Sabbaths are hereby condemned The like gradation is urged from Col. 2.16 where the Apostle seems to descend from condemning the greater to the condemnation of the lesser Let no man judge you saith the Apostle in respect of a holy day new moon or Sabbath dayes there holy dayes seem to bee their annuall or Sabbaticall dayes their new moones are lesse than them being every moneth and therefore by Sabbath days they inferre must needs be meant the weekly Sabbaths lesse than new moones Indeed some understand by dayes and times in Gal. 4. heathenish dayes but hee speaking of such dayes as are beggerly rudiments under which not the Heathens but the Children of the old Testament were in bondage verse 3. hee must therefore speak not of Heathenish but of Iewish dayes I know also that some understand that of Col. 2.16 to be meant of Iewish and ceremoniall Sabbaths which were annuall but this the Apostles gradation seems to overthrow Thesis 74. To both these places therefore a threefold Answer may bee given First Admit the gradation in them both yet by dayes Gal. 4.10 is not necessarily meant all weekly Sabbath dayes for there were other dayes Ceremoniall which the Iewes observed and which the Iewish teachers urged besides the Sabbath to instance onely in Circumcision which they zealously prest Gal. 5.3 which we know was limited unto the eighth day and which they might urge as well as Circumcision it selfe However look as the Apostle when he condemnes them for observing times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Fit seasons he doth not therin condemn them for observing all fit seasons for then wee must not pray nor heare the word in fit seasons but hee condemnes the Iewish Ceremoniall times and seasons so when he condemnes the observation of dayes the Apostle doth not condemne the observation of all dayes for then dayes of fasting and feasting must be condemned as well as dayes of resting under the new Testament but the observation of Ceremoniall dayes which the Iewes observed and false teachers urged and indeed the Apostle speaks of such dayes as were beggerly elements and rudiments now Iames speaking of the morall law which comprehends Sabbath dayes hee doth not call it a beggerly law
is not meant the weekly Sabbath for then say some what will you understand by new moons which are conjoyned with them yet these two things are evident 1. That Sabbaths and new moons were set times of worshipping God under the old Testament 2. That it is usuall with the Prophets to vaile and not alway to type out the worship and so the times of worship which were to be under the new Testament under the Ordinances of God observed in the old as may appeare Isa. 19.19 Mal. 1.11 as also by Ezekiels Temple and such like hence then it followes that although this place should not evict a seventh dayes Sabbath yet it demonstrates at least thus much that some let times and dayes shadowed out under the name of new moons and Sabbaths are to be observed under the new Testament and this is sufficient to prove the point in hand That all daies are not equall under the Gospell Thesis 78. The Kindome of heaven indeed doth not consist in meat and drink as the Apostle saith Rom. 14.17 i. in the use of externall indifferent things as those meats and drinks and some kind of dayes were or if in some sense it did yet not chiefely in them as if almost all religion did chiefely consist in them but doth it from hence follow that it consists not in things commanded nor in any set dayes of worship which are commanded If because the kingdom of God consists in internall peace and righteousnesse and joy of the holy Ghost that therefore all externall observances of times and duties of worship are not necessary to be attended by Gospel-worshippers as some secretly imagine then farewel all externall Preaching Sacraments Profession and Confession of the Name of Christ as well as Sabbaths and let such artists of licentiousnesse bring in all prophanesse into the world again by a law from heaven not condemning the acts of the outward man though never so abominable in abstinence from which by this rule the kingdome of heaven doth not consist Is it no honour to the King of glory as it is to earthly Princes to be served sometimes upon speciall Festivals in speciall state with speciall and glorious attendance by his people as well as after a common and usuall manner every day We have seen some who have at first held community of dayes onely to fall at last through the righteous judgment of God blinding their hearts to maintaine community of wives and that because the kingdome of God hath as they have thought consisted no more in outward relations as that is between Husbands and Wives than in the observation of externall circumstances and dayes Thesis 79. But this is not the ordinary principle by which many are led to maintaine an equality of dayes under the Gospel but this chiefely viz. that the morall law is not to bee a Christians rule of life for we aknowledge it to be no Covenant of life to a Beleever that either by the keeping of it he should be justified or that for the breach of it he should be condemned but they say that when a Believer hath life by the Covenant of grace the law is now not so much as a rule of life to such a one and then 't is no wonder if they who blow out the light of the whole morall law from being a light to their feet and a lamp to their paths if they hereby utterly extinguish this part of it viz. the Commandment of the Sabbath This dashing against the whole law is the very mystery of this iniquity why some doe cashier this law of the Sabbath and they doe but hide themselves behinde a thread when they oppose it by their weapons who therefore abandon it because it alone is ceremoniall above any other law Thesis 80. The Sabbath saith one is perpetuall and morall but not the Sabbath day the Sabbath which some make continuall and inward onely is perpetually to be observed but not the Sabbath day a Sabbath is by Divine ordination but a Sabbath day is to be observed onely as a humane constitution But they should doe well to consider whether that which they call an inward continuall Sabbath be inconsistent with a speciall day for I am sure that they under the old Testament were bound equally with us to observe a continuall Sabbath in resting from all sinne and resting in God by Iesus Christ Heb. 4.1 2. yet this did not exempt them from observing a speciall day A speciall day is a most powerfull meanes to Sabbatize every day Why then may not a Sabbath and a Sabbath day consist together An every day Sabbath is equally opposite to a time occasionally set as to a set day which the Commandment enjoyns and therefore if it exempts a Christian from observing a set day it sets him free also from all observation of any such set time for if because a Christian Sabbath ought to bee continuall and that therefore there ought to bee no set dayes then there should not bee any occasionally set times for the worship of God because these neither can be continuall and if there ought to be no such set times we may then bid good night to all the publick worship and glory of God in the world like the men with one eye to him who put his other eye quite out And if any here reply that there is not the like reason because holy time and days are not necessary but holy duties are necessary and therefore require some occasionall set time for them I answer That let the difference be granted yet that which I now dispute on is this ground and supposition onely viz. That if all set dayes are to bee abandoned because a Christians Sabbath ought to bee continuall and inward then all occasionall set times also are to bee abandoned upon the same ground because these cannot bee continuall and inward no more than the other as for them who think no holy day necessary but holy duties lawfull every day we have already and shall hereafter cleare up more fully in its proper place Mean while it is yet doubtfull to me whether those who follow Master Saltmarsh and some others will acknowledge the lawfulnesse of any occasionall set times for publick worship of hearing the word and prayer c. For he makes the bosome of the Father to bee the Christian Sabbath typified in the seventh day of the first Creation and he makes the six dayes of worke to be a type not onely of the Lord Iesus in his active and fulfilling administrations while he was in the flesh but also to be a figure of the Christian in bondage or to use his own words of a Christian under active and working administrations as those of the law and Gospel are as all formes of worship Duties Graces Prayer Ordinances c. From whence it will follow from his principles for I know not his practice that all formes of worship Duties Graces Prayer Ordinances are then to cease as types
these things because commanded let him then quit himselfe from hypocrisie and himselfe from being a deep hypocrite in all these if he can Surely those who straine at this gnat viz. not to doe a duty because commanded will make no bones of swallowing down this camell viz. not to forsake sinne because 't is forbidden and whosoever shall forsake sinne from any other ground shewes manifestly hereby that hee hath little conscience of Gods command I know the love of Christ should make a Christian forsake every sin but the last resolution and reason thereof is because his love forbids us to continue in sinne for to act by vertue of a command is not to act onely as a creature to God considered as a Creator but by vertue of the will and commandment of God in a Redeemer with whom a Beleever hath now to doe Thesis 101. To act therefore by vertue of a command and by vertue of Christs Spirit are subordinate one to another not opposite one against anotherâ— as these men carry it This caution being ever remembred that such acting bee not to make our selves just but because we are already just in Christ not that hereby wee might get life but because we have life given us already not to pacifie Gods justice but to please his mercy being pacified toward us by Christ already for as Iunius well observes a great difference between placare Deum and placere Deo i. between pacifying God and pleasing God for Christs bloud onely can pacifie justice when it is provoked but when revenging justice is pacified mercy may be pleased with the sincere and humble obedience of sons Col. 1.10 Heb. 13.21 When a Beleever is once justified hee cannot be made more just by all his obedience nor lesse just by all his sins in point of justification which is perfected at once but he who is perfectly justified is but imperfectly sanctified and in this respect may more or lesse please God or displease him be more just or lesse just and holy before him It is I confesse a secret but a common sinne in many to seek to pacifie God when they perceive or feare his anger by some obedience of their own and so to seek for that in themselves chiefely which they should seek for in Christ and for that in the Law which is onely to be found in the Gospel but corrupt practises in others should not breed as usually they doe corrupt opinions in us and to cast off the law from being a rule of pleasing God because it is no rule to us of pacifying of God For if wee speak of revenging not fatherly anger Christs bloud can onely pacifie that and when that is pacified and God is satisfied our obedience now pleaseth him and his mercy accepts it as very pleasing the rule of which is the precious law of God Thesis 102. They that say the law is our rule as it is given by Christ but not as it was given by Moses doe speak niceties at least ambiguities for if the Lord Christ give the law to a Beleever as his rule why should any then raise a dust and affirme that the law is not our rule For the Law may be considered either materially or in it selfe as it containes the matter of the Covenant of works and thus considered a Beleever is not to be regulated by it for he is wholly free from it as a covenant of life or it may be considered finally or rather relatively as it stood in relation and reference unto the people of the God of Abraham who were already under Abrahams Covenant which was a Covenant of free-grace viz. To be his God and the God of his seed Gen. 17.7 And in this latter respect the law as it was given by Moses was given by Christ in Moses and therefore the rule of love toward man commanded by Moses is called the law of Christ Gal. 6.2 For the law as it was applyed to this people doth not run thus viz. Doe all this and then I will be your God and redeemer for this is a Covenant of workes but thus viz. I am the Lord thy God viz. by Abrahams Covenant who brought thee out of the land of Egypt and house of bondage Therefore thou shalt doe all this If therefore the law delivered by Moses was delivered by Christ in Moses then there is no reason to set Christ and Moses together by the eares in this respect I now speake of and to affirme that the law not as delivered by Moses but as given by Christ is our law and rule Thesis 103. The law therefore which containes in it selfe absolutely considered which Luther cals Moses Mosissimus the Covenant of works yet relatively considered as it was delivered by Moses to a people under a Covenant of grace which the same Author cals Moses Aaronicus so it is not to bee considered onely as a Covenant of workes and therefore for any to affirme that the law is no Covenant of works as it is delivered on Mount Sion and by Jesus Christ and that it is a Covenant of works onely as it is delivered on Mount Sinai and by Moses is a bold assertion both unsafe and unsound For if as it was delivered on Mount Sinai it was delivered to a people under a Covenant of grace then it was not delivered to them onely as a Covenant of workes for then a people under a Covenant of grace may againe come under a Covenant of works to disanull that Covenant of grace but the Apostle expressely affirmes the quite contrary and shewes that the Covenant made with Ahraham and his seed which was to be a God to them Gen. 17.7 and which was confirmed before of God in Christ the law which was foure hundred and thirty yeares after cannot disanull Gal. 3.17 Now that the people were under a Covenant of grace when the law was delivered on Mount Sinai let the Preface of the ten Commandments determine wherein Gods first words are words of grace I am the Lord thy God c. and therefore thou shalt have no other Gods but mee c. I know Paraeus Zanchy and others affirme that the law is abrogated as it was in the hands of Moses but not as it is in the hand of Christ but their meaning is at sometime in respect of the manner of administration of the Law under Moses and when they speake of the morall law simply considered yet it never entred into their hearts that the law as delivered on mount Sinai was delivered onely as a Covenant of works as some would maintain Thesis 104. But there is a greater mystery intended by some in this phrase as given by Christ for their meaning is this to wit As Christ by his Spirit writes it in our hearts not any way a rule as written by Moses A Beleevers heart saith Master Saltmarsh is the very law of Commands and the two Tables of Moses and in this respect it becomes not saith he the glory of
a sinner as a sinner had need consider what they say for is it to a sinner as possest with Christ and receiving of him or as dispossest of Christ not having of him but rather refusing and rejecting of him If they say the first they then speak the truth but then they raze down their own pernicious principle that Christ and Gods love belongs to them As sinners If they affirm the latter then they do injuriously destroy Gods free grace and the glory of Christ who think to possesse promises without possessing Christ or to have promises of grace without having Christ the foundation of them all For though the common love of God as the bare offer of grace is may be manifested without having Christ yet speciall actuall love cannot be actually our own without having and first receiving of him And if the Spirit of God convince the world of sin and consequently of condemnation while they do not beleeve Ioh. 16.9 I wonder how it can then convince them of pardon of sin and reconciliation before they do beleeve unlesse we will imagine it to be a lying spirit which is blasphemous These things not considered of have and do occasion much errour at this day in the point of evidencing and hath been an inlet of deep delusion and open gaps have been made hereby to the loose waies and depths of Familism and grosse Arminianism and therefore being well considered of are sufficient to clear up the waies of those faithfull servants of the Lord who dare not sow pillows nor cry peace to the wicked much lesse to sinners as sinners both from the slanderous imputation of legall ministrations after an old Testament manner as also of making works the ground of faith or the causes of assurance of faith the free offer being the ground of the one and the free promise the cause and ground of the other Briefly therefore 1. The free offer of grace is the first evidence to a poor lost sinner that he may be beloved 2. The receiving of this offer by faith relatively considered in respect of Christs spotlesse righteousnesse is the first evidence shewing why he is beloved or what hath moved God actually to love him 3. The worke of sanctification which is the fruit of our receiving this offer is the first evidence shewing that he is beloved If therefore a condemned sinner be asked whether God may love him and why he thinks so he may answer Because Jesus Christ is held forth and offered to such a one If he be further asked why or what he thinks should move God to love him he may answer Because I have received Christs righteousnesse offered for which righteousnesse sake only I know I am beloved now I have received it If he be asked lastly how he knows certainly that he is beloved he may answer safely and confidently Because I am sanctified I am poor in spirit therefore mine is the kingdom of heaven I do mourn and therefore I shall be comforted I do hunger and thirst and therefore I shall be satisfied c. We need in time of distresse and temptation all these evidences and therefore it is greatest wisdom to pray for that spirit which may clear them all up unto us rather then to contend which should be the first And thus we see that the whole morall law is our rule of life and consequently the law of the Sabbath which is a branch of this rule We now proceed to shew the third branch of things generally and primarily morall Thesis 120. Thirdly Not only a day nor only a rest day but the rest day or Sabbath day which is expressed and expressely interpreted in the Commandment to be the seventh day or a seventh day of Gods determining and therefore called The Sabbath of the Lord our God is here also enjoined and commanded as generally morall For if a day be morall what day must it be If it be said that any day which humane wisdom shall determine whether one day in a hundred or a thousand or one day in many years if this only be generally morall then the rule of morality may be broken because the rule of equality may be thus broken by humane determination For it may be very unequall and unjust to give God one day in a hundred or a thousand for his worship and to assume so many beside to our selves for our own use There is therefore something else more particularly yet primarily morall in this Command and that is The Sabbath day or such a day wherein there appears an equal division and a fit proportion between time for rest and time for work a time for God and a time for man and that is a â—â—venth day which God determines A fit proportion of time for God is morall because equal man cannot determine nor set out this proportion God therefore only can and must A day therefore that he shall determine is morall and if he declares his determination to a seventh A seventh day is therefore morall Gomarus confesseth that by the Analogy of this Commandment not one day in a thousand or when man pleaseth but that one day in seven is morall at least equal fit and congruous to observe the same and if the Analogy he speaks of ariseth virtute mandati divini or by vertue of Gods Commandment the cause is in effect yielded but if this Analogy be made virtute libertatis humanae so that humane liberty may do well to give God one in seven because the Jews did so and why should Christians be more scant then I see not but humane liberty may assume power to it self to impose monthly and annuall holy daies as well because the Jews had their new moons and yearly festivals and by Analogy thereof why may not Christians who have more grace poured out upon them and more love shewn unto them under the Gospel hold some meet proportion with them therein also as well as in Sabbaths But it can never be proved that God hath left any humane wisdom at liberty to make holy daies by the rule of Jewish proportions Beside if humane wisdom see it meet and congruous to give God at least one day in seven this wisdom and reason is either regulated by some law and then 't is by vertue of the law of God that he should have one day in seven or 't is not regulated by a law and then we are left to a loose end again for man to appoint what day he sees meet in a shorter or a longer time his own reason being his only law and this neither Gomaras nor the words of the Commandment will allow which sets and fixeth the day which we see is one day in seven which not man but God shall determine and therefore called The Sabbath of the Lord our God Thesis 121. The hardest knot herein to unloose lies in this to know whether a seventh day in generall which God shall determine or that particular Seventh day from the creation be
here only commanded the first seems in Mr. Primrose apprehension to writhe and wrack the words of the Commandment the second if granted abolisheth our Christian Sabbaths Thesis 122. For clearing up of this difficulty therefore and leaving the dispute of the change of the Sabbath to it 's pâ—â—per place it may be made good that not that seventh day from the creation so much as a seventh day which God shall determine and therefore called the seventh day is primarily morall and therefore enjoyned in this Commandment for which end let these things be considered and laid together 1. Because the expresse words of the Commandment do not run thus viz. Remember to keep holy That seventh day but more generally the Sabbath day 't is in the beginning and so 't is in the end of this Commandment where it is not said that God blessed That Seventh day but The Sabbath day by which expression the wisdom of God as it points to that particular seventh day that it should be sanctified so it also opens a door of liberty for change if God shall see meet because the substance of the Commandment doth not only contain That seventh day but The Sabbath day which may be upon another seventh as well as upon that which God appointed first and that the substance of the command is contained in those first words Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy may appeare from the repetition of the same Commandment Deut. 5.12 where these words As the Lord thy God commanded thee are immediately inserted before the rest of the words of the Commandement be set down to shew thus much that therein is contained the substance of the fourth command the words following being added only to presse to the duty and to point out the particular day which at that time God would have them to observe 2. Because in the explication of those words the Sabbath it is not called That seventh but The seventh for so the words runne Six daies shalt thou labour but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God the meaning of which is thus much to wit that man taking six daies to himself for labour that he leave the seventh to be the Lords now unlesse any can shew that no other day but that Seventh could be the seventh for rest nor no other six daies but those six daies going before thaâ— seventh could be the six daies for labour they can never prove that this fourth Commandment hath only a respect to That particular Seventh and it is no small boldnesse necessarily to limit where God hath left free for we know that if God will man may take other six daies for labour and leave another Seventh for God then those six daies and that Seventh day only 3. The change of the Sabbath undeniably proves thus much if it can be proved that the morality of this command did not lie in that particular day only for if that only was morall how could it be changed and if it did not lie only in that Seventh wherein then did it more generally lie was it in a day more largely or in a Seventh day more narrowly now let any indifferent conscience be herein judge who they be that come nearest to the truth whether they that fly so far from the name Seventh which is expresly mentioned in the Commandment or they that come as near it as may be whether they that plead for a Seventh of Gods appointing or they that plead for a day but God knowes when of humane institution and it 's worth considering why any should be offended at the placing of the morality of the command in a Seventh more then at their own placing of it in a day for in urging the letter of the Commandment to that particular Seventh to abolish thereby the morality of a Seventh day they do withall therein utterly abandon the morality of a day for if That Seventh only be enjoyned in the letter of the Commandment and they will thence inferre that a Seventh therefore cannot be required how can they upon this ground draw out the morality of a day 4. Because we know that ratio legis est anima legis i. the reason of a law is the soul and life of the law now let it be considered why God should appoint the Seventh rather then the ninth or tenth or twentieth-day for spirituall rest and the reason will appear not to be Gods absolute will meerly but because divine wisdom having just measures and ballances in its hand in proportioning time between God and man it saw a seventh part of time rather then a tenth of twentieth to be most equall for himself to take and for man to give and thus much the words of the Commandment imply viz. that it is most equall if man hath six that God should have the seventh now if this be the reason of the law this must needs be the soul and substance of the morality of the law viz. That a Seventh day be given to God man having six and therefore it consists not in That Seventh day only for the primary reason why God appointed this or that Seventh was not because it was that seventh but because a Seventh was now equall in the eye of God for God to take to himself man having the full and fittest proportion of six daies together for himself and because a seventh was the fittest proportion of time for God hence this or that individual and particular seventh in the second place fall out to be morall because they contain the most equall and fittest proportion of a Seventh day in them there was also another reason why That Seventh was sanctified viz. Gods rest in it but this reason is not primary as hath been said and of which now we speak 5. Because if no other Commandment be in the Decalogue but it is comprehensive and looking many waies at once why should we then pinion and gird up this only to the narrow compasse of that Seventh day only 6. Because our adversaries in this point are forced sometime to acknowledge this morality of a Seventh with us we have heard the judgement of Gomaras herein Thesis 44. and M. Primrose who speaks with most weight and spirit in this controversie professeth plainly That if God give us six daies for our own affairs there is then good reason to consecrate a Seventh to his service and that in this reason there is manifest justice and equity which abideth for ever to dedicate to God precisely a seventh day after we have bestowed six daies upon our selves it cannot be denied saith he but that it is most just Now if it be by his confession 1. just 2. most just 3. manifestly just 4. perpetually just to give God precisely one day in seven the cause is then yeelded the only evasion he makes is this viz. that though it be most just to give God one day in seven yet it 's not more just then to give God one in six
Our Saviour indeed doth not speak particularly about the law of the Sabbath as he doth of killing and adultery c. but if therefore it be not morall because not spoken of here then neither the first second or fift command are morall because they are not expresly opened in this Chapter for the scope of our Saviour was to speak against the Pharisaicall interpretations of the Law in curtalling of it in making grosse murder to be forbidden but not anger adultery to be forbidden but not lust which evil they were not so much guilty of in point of the Sabbath but they rather made the Phylacteries of it too broad by overmuch strictnesse which our Saviour therefore elsewhere condemns but not a word tending to abolish this Law of the Sabbath Thesis 150. If therefore the Commandment is to be accounted morall which the Gospel reinforceth and commends unto us according to Mr. Primrose principles then the fourth Commandment may wel come into the account of such as are morall but the places mentioned and cleared out of the New Testament evince thus much The Lord Jesus comming not to destroy the Law of the Sabbath but to establish it and of the breach of which one Law he that is guilty is guilty of the breach of all Thesis 151. If the observation of the Sabbath had been first imposed upon man since the fall and in speciall upon the people of the Jews at mount Sinai there might be then some colour and reason to cloath the Sabbath with rags and the worn-out garments of ceremonialnesse but if it was imposed upon man in innocency not only before all types and ceremonies but also before all sin and upon Adam as a common person as a Commandement not proper to that estate nor as to a particular person and proper to himselfe then the morality of it is most evident our adversaries therefore lay about them here that they might drive the Sabbath out of Paradise and make it a thing altogether unknown to the state of innocency which if they cannot make good their whole frame against the morality of the Sabbath fals flat to the ground and therefore it is of no small consequence to clear up this truth viz. That Adam in innocency and in him all his posterity were commanded to sanctifie a weekly Sabbath Thesis 152. One would thinke that the words of the Text Gen. 2.2 3. were so plain to prove a Sabbath in that innocent estate that there could be no evasion made from the evidence of them for it is expresly said that the dâ—y the Lord rested the same day the Lord blessed and sanctified but we know he rested the Seventh day immediatly after the Creation and therefore he immediately blessed and sanctified the same day also for the words runne copulatively he rested the Seventh day and he blessed and sanctified that day but its strange to see not only what odde evasions men make from this cleare truth but also what curious Cabilismes and fond interpretations men make of the Hebrew Text the answer to which learned Rivet hath long since made which therefore I mention not Thesis 153. The words are not thus copulative in order of story but in order of time I say not in order of story and discourse for so things far distant in time may â—e coupled together by this copulative particle And as Mr. Primrose truly shews Exod. 16.32 33. 1 Sam. 17.54 but they are coupled and knit together in respect of time for it is the like phrase which Moses immediatly after useth Gen. 5.1 2. where t is said God created man in his Image and blessed them and called their names c. which were together in time so t is here the time God rested that time God blessed for the scope of the words Gen 2.1 2 3. is to shew what the Lord did that seventh day after the finishing of the whole creation in six daiâ—s and that is He blessed and sanctified it For look as the scope of Moses in making mention of the six daies orderly was to shew what God did every particular day so what else should be the scope in making mention of the seventh day unlesse it was to shew what God did then on that day and that is he then rested and blessed and sanctified it even then in that state of innocency Thesis 154. God is said Gen. 2.1 2 3. to blesse the Sabbath as he blessed other creatures but he blessed the creatures at that time they were made Gen. 1.22 28. and therefore he blessed the Sabbath at that time he rested Shall Gods work be presently blessed and shall his rest be then without any Was Gods rest a cause of sanctifying the day many hundred yeers after as our adversaries say and was theâ—e not as much cause then when the memory of the creation was most fresh which was the fittest time to remember Gods work in M. Primrose tels us that the creatures were blessed with a present benediction because they did constantly need it but there was no necessity he saith that man should solemnize the seventh as soon as t is made but as we shall shew that man did then need a speciall day of blessing so t is a sufficient ground of believing that then God blessed the day when there was a full and just and sufficient cause of blessing which is Gods resting it being also such a cause as was not peculiar to the Jews many hundred yeers after but common to all mankinde Thesis 155. The Rest of God which none question to be in innocency immediatly after the creation was either a naturall rest as I may call it that is a bare cessation from labour or a holy rest i. a rest set apart in exemplum or for example and for holy uses but it was not a naturall rest meerly for then it had been enough to have said that at the end of the sixt day God rested but we see God speaks of a day the seventh day God hath rested with a naturall rest or cessation from creation ever since the end of the first sixt day of the world untill now why then is it said that God rested the seventh day Or why is it not rather said that he began his rest on that day but that it is limited to a day Certainly this argues that he speaks not of naturall rest meerly or that which ex natura reâ— follows the finishing of his work for it 's then an unfit and improper speech to limit Gods rest within the ciâ—cle of a day and therefore he speaks of a holy rest then appointed for holy uses as an example for holy rest which may well be limited within the compasse of a day and hence it undeniably follows that if God rested in innocency with such a rest then the seventh day was then sanctified it being the day of holy rest Thesis 156. It cannot be shewn that ever God made himself an example of any act but that in the present
which notwithstanding may be morall although it be not so immediatly known Thesis 198. If we speak of the law of corrupt nature largely taken for that law which when 't is made known by divine determination and declaration is both sutable and congruous to naturall reason and equity we may then say that the Law of the Sabbath is according to the light of nature even of corrupt nature it self for do but suppose that God is to be worshipped and then these three things appear to be most equall 1. That he is not only to have a time but a speciall time and a fit proportion of time for worship 2. That it 's most meet that he should make this proportion 3. The Lord having given man six daies and taken a Seventh to himself mans reason cannot but confesse that it is most just to dedicate that time to God and for my own part I think that in this respect the law of the Sabbath was as fairly writ on mans heaâ—â— in innocency as many other morall laws which none question the morality of at this day but disputes about this are herein perhaps uselesse Thesis 199. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper may be administred meet circumstances concurring every Lords day nay upon the week daies often as they did in the primitive persecutions and hence our Saviour limits no time for it in the first institution thereof as he did for the Passeover of old but only this As oft as you doe it doe it in remembrance of me Hence it will follow that now under the Gospel there is no set Sabbath as M. Primrose would because our Saviour at the first institution of the Lords Supper limits no particular day for the celebration thereof as once he did for the Passeover for though there is an appointed speciall time as shall hereafter appeare for the publique exercise of all holy duties not being limited to those times but enlarged to other times also hence there is no reason why our Saviour should institute a set Sabbath when he instituted the Lords Supper as the proper time of the celebration thereof as it was in case of the Passeover Thesis 200. It is no argument to prove the Sabbath to be ceremoniall because it is reckoned among ceremonials viz. shew-bread and sacrifices as M. Primrose and Wallaeus urge it out of Mat. 12.1 2 3. for 1. upon the same ground fornication and eating of idolothytes are ceremoniall because they are ranked among ceremonials viz. bloud and things strangled Act. 15.29.2 upon this ground the Sabbath hath no morality at all in it no more then shew-bread and sacrifices which were wholly ceremoniall 3. The Sabbath is in the same place reckoned among things which are morall as pulling a sheep out of a pit upon the Sabbath day an act of humanity why may it not then be as well accounted morall 4. One may as well argue that the not keeping company with Publicanes and sinners was a ceremoniall thing because the Lord Jesus useth the same Proverbiall speech I will have mercy not sacrifice Mat. 9.13 upon which he defends the lawfullnesse of pulling the ears of corn upon the Sabbath day in this Mat. 12.15 the scope therefore of this place is not to shew the nature of the Sabbath day whether it be ceremoniall or morall but the lawfullnesse and morality of his act in eating the ears of corn upon this day and thus the arguments of our Saviour are very strong and convicting to prove the morality of such an act but no way to prove the ceremoniality of the Sabbath for that is the scope of our Saviour that mercy to the hungry is to be preferred before the Sacrifice of bodily resting upon the Sabbath M. Primrose indeed replies hereto and tels us that mercy is to be preferred before sacrifice or ceremoniall duties but not before morall duties and therefore Christ preferring it before the rest on the Sabbath the Sabbath could not be morall but we know that mercy in the second table is sometimes to be preferred before morall duties in the first table a man is bound to neglect solemn praier sometime to attend upon the sick it 's a morall duty to sanctifie some day for a Sabbath saith M. Primrose and yet suppose a fire be kindled in a town upon that day or any sick to be helped must not mercy be prefer'd before hearing the word which himself will acknowledge to be then a morall duty Thesis 201. When Christ is said to be Lord of the Sabbath Mat. 12.8 the meaning is not as if he was such a Lord as had power to break it but rather such a Lord as had power to appoint it and consequently to order the work of it for his own service M. Primrose thinks That he is said to be Lord of it because he had power to dispense with the keeping of it by whom when he would and that Christ did chuse to do such works upon the Sabbath day which were neither works of mercy or necessity nay which were servile which the Law forbade for Christ saith he as mediatour had no power to dispense with things morall but he might with matters ceremoniall and therefore with the Sabbath How far Christ Jesus might and may dispence with morall laws I dispute not now I think Biell comes nearest the truth in this controversie only this is considerable suppose the Sabbath was ceremoniall yet it 's doubtfull whether Christ Jesus who came in the daies of his flesh to fulfill all righteousnesse could abolish or break the law ceremoniall untill his death was past by which this hand-writing of Ordinances was blotted out Colos. 2.14 and this middle wall of partition was broken down Ephes. 2.14 15 16. But let it be yeelded that Christ had power to break ceremoniall laws then before his death yet in this place there is no such matter for the words contain a clear proof for the right observance of the Sabbath against the over-rigid conceptions of the superstitious and proud Pharisees who as they thought it unlawfull for Christ to heal the sick upon the Sabbath so to rub out and eat a few corn ears upon it although hunger and want and perhaps more then ordinary in the Disciples here should force men hereunto which was no servile work as Mr Primrose would but a work of necessity and mercy in this case and our Saviour proves the morality of it from the example of David eating the Shew-bread and those that were with him preferring that act of mercy before sacrifice and abstinence from Shew-bread and hence our Saviour argues That if they attending upon David might eat the Shew-bread much more his hungry Disciples might eat the corn while they attended upon him that day who was Lord of the Sabbath and that they might be the better strengthened hereby to do him service These things being thus where now is there to be found any reall breach of the Sabbath or doing of any
those his messengers as preach peace yet me thinks it argues great blindnesse in those men who plead for a morality in a tenth pigge or sheaf of corn and yet will acknowledge no morality in a Seventh day Thesis 207. I shall therefore conclude and shut up these things with answer to M. Carpenters and Heylins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an argument against the Sabbath which they have gone compassing the whole earth and heavens about to finde out never heard of till their daies and now it 's brought to light I would not make mirth with it as some have done and left the scruple untoucht but in words of sobriety and seriousnesse and plainnesse If the Sabbath or Lords day say they be morall then the morall Law is subject to manifold mutation because the nations issuing out of Noahs ark spread themelves from thence over the face of the whole earth some farther some at a shorter distance whereby changing the longitude with their habitation they must of necessity alter the differences of times neither can any exactly and precisely observe any one day either as it was appointed by Moses or as it was instituted by Christs Apostles afterwards by reason of the manifold transportation of Colonies and transmigration of nations from one region into another whereby the times must necessarily be supposed to vary The answer is ready and easie viz. Although the nations issued out of Noahs ark and spread themselves over the face of the whole earth some farther some at a shorter distance and thereby changing their longitude altered the differences of time some beginning the day sooner some later yet they might observe the same day for the day is regulated and measured by the Sun and the Sun comes to one meridian sooner or later then to another and hence the day begins in one place sooner or later then in another and so the beginning of the day is respectively varied but yet the day it self remains unchangeably the same what though our countreymen in old England begin their Sabbath above 4. hours before us in new they beginning at their evening we at our evening yet both may and do observe the same day all nations are bound to keep holy a Seventh part of time but that time must be regulated by the Sun neither is it necessary that the same individuall 24. hours should be observed by all but the same day as it is measured by the Sun in this or that place which may begin in places more easterly many hours sooner then in other places more westerly a day is not properly time but a measure of time and therefore the manifold transportation of Colonies and transmigration of nations from one region unto another hinder not at all but that they may exactly and precisely observe the same day which was instituted and appointed for although the time of the beginning of the day be varied yet the day it self is not cannot be varied or changed Now whereas they say that if any man should travell the world about a whole day must needs be varied and if two men from the same place travell the one Eastward the other Westward round about the earth and meet in the same place again they shall finde that he who hath gone Eastward hath gotten and the other going Westward hath lost a day in their account yea the Hollanders after their discovery of Fretum de Mayre comming home to their countrey found by comparing their accounts with thtir countreymen at home that they had lost a day having gone Westward and so compassed the earth round I answet what though a traveller varying perpetually the quantity of the day by reason of his continuall moving with or against the Suns motion in time get or loose a day in his account is the day therefore of it's own nature variable or changeable God hath placed the Sun in the Firmament and appointed it for times and seasons and in speciall for the regulating of the day and as the motion of the Sun is constant so there is an ordinary and constant succession of daies without variation for unlesse the Suns course be changed the day which is regulated by it is not changed Now if any shall travell round about the world and so anticipate or second the diurnall motion of the Sun and thereby varying continually the quantity of the day at length gain or loose a day according to their reckoning they may and ought then to correct their accounts Gregory the 13. having found the Julian year to be too great for the Motion of the Sun cut off ten daies by which the AEquinoxes and Solstices had anticipated their proper places that so the year might be kept at it's right periods and is it not as good reason that a traveller who opposing the Suns diurnall course continually shortens somewhat of his day till at last in compassing the earth round he gains a whole day should cut off in his accounts that day which he hath gained by anticipating the Suns course and so rectifie his account of the day For in every region and countrey whatsoever and howsoever situate as men are to begin the day at that time when the day naturally begins in that place so likewise they are to reckon and count the daies as they are there regulated and ordered by the Sun and that should be the first or second day of the week to them which is naturally the first or second day of the week to that place where they are and thus their doubts are easily satisfied when they return to the place from whence they first came But if any shall say it 's very difficult for men thus to rectifie their accounts and to observe that time in every place which was at first instituted and it 's probable that the nations in their severall transmigrations and transportations never used any such course The answer is obvious mens weaknesse or neglect and carelessenesse to do what they ought is not a sufficient argument to prove that not to be their duty besides 't is not probable that any nations were thus put to it to travell round about the whole earth although some particular persons in this later age have sailed round about it and therefore could not vary a whole day possibly but going some Eastward some Westward some Southward some Northward they spread themselves over the face of the whole earth some at a shorter some at a farther distance and so some began the day sooner some later and yet all as hath been shewn might observe the same day the morality of the Sabhath is not built upon Astronomicall or Geometricall principles and therefore it cannot fall by any shady speculations so far fetcht Here ends the Morality of the fourth Commandment The Change of the Sabbath follows THE CHANGE OF THE SABBATH Wherein the true Grounds of the Change of the Day are plainly opened Sundry Scriptures also usually alledged for this Change are more fully cleared and vindicated from
pray that their flight may not be in the winter or Sabbath-day as it were easie to open these places against all Cavils and therefore it is for substance Moral Yet the word Sabbatisme Heb. 4.9 and the Apostles gradation from yeerely Holy-dayes to monthly new-moons and from them to weekly Sabbaths which are called shadowes of things to come Colos. 2.16 seemes strongly to argue some type affixed to those individual Sabbaths or Jewish seventh dayes and hence it is perhaps that the Sabbath is set among Moral Lawes in the Decalogue being originally and essentially Moral and yet is set among ceremonial Feast-dayes Levit. 23.2 3. because it is accidentally typical And therefore Mr. Brabourne need not raise such a dust and cry out Oh monstrous very strange what a mingle-mangle what a hâ—tch-potch have we here what a confusion and jumbling of things so farre distant as when Morals and Ceremonials are here mingled together No verily we do not make the fourth Commandment essentially Ceremonial but being acidentally so why may it notwithstanding this be mingled among the rest of the Morals Let one solid reason be given but away with words Thesis 21. If the question be what Type is affixed and annexed to the Sabbath I think it difficult to find out although mans wanton wit can easily allegorize and readily frame imaginations enough in this point Some thing it typified Christs Rest in the grave but I feare this will not hold no more then many other Popish conjectures wherein their allegorizing Postillers abound Bullinger and some others think that it was Typical in respect of the peculiar Sacrifices annexed to it which Sacrifices were Types of Christ Numb 28.9 And although much might be said for this against that which Mr. Brabourne replies yet I see nothing cogent in this for the multiplying of Sacrifice which were 〈…〉 on this Day proves rather a specialty of worshipping God more aboundantly on this Day then any Ceremonialnesse in it for if the offering of Sacrifices meerly should make a day Ceremonial why did it not make every Day Ceremonial in respect of every dayes offering of the Morning and Evening Sacrifice Some think that our Rest upon the Sabbath not God the Fathers Rest as Mr. Brabourne turnes it was made not onely a resemblance but also a Type of our Rest in Christ of which the Apostle speaks Heb. 4.3 which is therefore called a Sabbatisme vâ—r 9. or a keeping of a Sabbath at the word signifies What others would inferre from this place to make the Sabbath to be meerly Cermonial and what Mr. Brabourne would answer from hence that it is not at all Ceremonial may both of them be easily answered here again as already they have been in some of the former Theses Some scruples I see not yet through about this text inforce me herein to be silent and therefore to leave it to such as think they may defend it as one ground of some affixed Type unto the Jewish Sabbath Thesis 22. Learned Iunius goes before us herein and points out the Type affixed to that Sabbath For besides the first institution of it in Paradise he makes two other causes which he calls Accessory or affixed and added to it 1. One was Civill or Civil that men and beasts might rest from their toilsome labour every week 2. Ceremoniall or Ceremonial for their solemne Commemoration of their deliverance out of Egypt which we know typified our deliverance by Christ Deut. 5.15 Some think indeed that their deliverance out of Egypt was upon the Sabbath day but this I do not urge because though it be very probable yet it is not certaine onely this is certaine that they were to Sanctifie this Day because of this their Deliverance and 't is certaine this Deliverance was Typical of our deliverance by Christ and hence 't is certaine that there was a Type affixed to this Sabbath and because the Scripture is so plain and expresse in it I 〈◊〉 inclined to think the same which Iunius doth that this is the Type rather then any other I have yet heard of against which I know many things may be objected onely it may be sufficient to clear up the place against that which Mr. Brabourne answerâ— to it Thesis 23. The Deliverance 〈◊〉 of Egypt saith he is not 〈…〉 as the ground of the Institution of the Sabbath but onely as a motive to the observation thereof as it was more generall in the Preface to the Decalogue to the obedience of every other command which notwithstanding are not Ceremonial for God saith I am the Lord who brought thee out of Egypt therefore keepe thou the first the second the third the fifth the sixth as well as the fourth Commandment and therefore saith he we may make every Commandment Ceremonial as well as the Sabbath if the motive of deliverance out of Egypt makes the Sabbath to be so This is the substance and sinewes of his discourse herein and I confesse its true their Deliverance out of Egypt was not the first ground of the institution of it but Gods Rest after his six dayes labour yet it was such a ground as we contend for viz. a secondary and an annexed or affixed ground And that it was not a Motive only to observe that day as it is in the Preface to the Decalogue but a superadded ground of it may appear from this one consideration viz. because that very ground on which the Lord urgeth the observation of the Sabbath in Exod. 20.11 it is wholly left out in the repetition of the Law Deut. 5.15 and their deliverance out of Egypt put into the rome thereof for the ground in Exod. 20.11 is this Six daies God made Heaven and Earth and rested the seventh day and sanctified it but instead of these words and of this ground we finde other words put into their roome Deut. 5.15 Remember thou wast a servant in the Land of Egypt and that the Lord brought thee out thence with a mighty hand therefore the Lord thy God commandeth thee to Keepe the Sabbath Which seems to argue strongly that these words are not a meer Motive but another ground of the observation of the Sabbath And why might not the generall Motive in the Preface of the Decalogue serve as a sufficient Motive to the obedience of this Commandment if there was no more but a Motive in these words of Deutr. and therefore I suppose this was also the ground and affixed Type unto the Jewish Sabbath Thesis 24. But still the difficulty remains for Master Brabourne will say that those were but humane reasons but what ground is there from Scripture for the institution of another Sabbath as well as of the abrogation of the old which if it be not cleared I confesse this cause sinks here therefore let it be again observed that we are not to expect such evidence from Scripture concerning this Change as fond and humorous wit sometimes pleads for In this controversie namely That Christ should 〈◊〉
surely it is wil-worship for any Humane Custome to institute it Now the Lords name being stamped upon this Day and so set apart for the honour of Christ it cannot be that so it should be called in respect of the Churches customes for surely then they should have been condemned for wil-worship by some of the Apostles and therefore it is in respect of the Lords institution hereof Thesis 39. The second Difficulty now lies in clearing up this particular viz. That this Day thus sanctified was the first Day of the week which is therefore the Holy Day of the Lord our God and consequently the Christian Sabbath for this purpose let these ensuing particulars be laid together 1. That this Day of which Iohn speaks is a known Day and was generally known in those dayes by this glorious name of the Lords Day and therefore the Apostle gives no other title to it but the Lords Day as a known day in those times for the Scope of Iohn in this Vision is as in all other Prophetical Visions when they set down the day and time of it to gain the more credit to the certainâ—y of it when every one sees the truth circumstantiated and they heare of the particular time and it may seem most absurd to set down the day and time for such an end and yet the day is not particularly known 2. If it was a known Day what Day can it be either by evidence of Scripture or any Antiquity but the first Day of the week For 1. There is no other Day on which mention is made of any other work or action of Christ which might occasion a Holy Day but onely this of the Resurrection which is exactly noted of all the Evangelists to be upon the first Day of the week and by which work he is expressely said to have all power given him in heaven and earth Matt. 28.18 and to be actually Lord of dead and living Rom. 14.9 and therefore why should any other Lords Day be dreamed of why should Master Brabourne imagine that this day might be some superstitious Easter Day which happens once a yeer the Holy Ghost on the contrary not setting downe the month or day of the yeer but of the week wherein Christ arose and therefore it must be meant of a weekly Holy Day here called the Lords Day 2. We do not read of any other Day besides this first Day of the week which was observed for Holy Sabbath Duties and honoured above any other day for breaking of Bread for preaching the Word which were acts of piety nor for Collections for the poor the most eminent act of mercy why then should any imagine any other day to be the Lords day but that first day 3. There seems to be much in that which Beza observes out of an ancient Greek Manuscript wherein that first Day of the week 1 Cor. 16.2 is expressely called the Lords Day and the Syriack Translation saith that their meeting together to receive the Sacrament 1 Cor. 11.20 was upon the Lords Day nor is there any antiquity but expounds this Lords Day of the first Day of the week as learned Rivet makes good against Gomarus professing that Quotquot Interpretes hactenus fuerunt haec verba de die Resurrectionis Domini intellexerunt solus quod quidem sciam Cl. D. Gomarus contradixit 4. Look as Iehovahs or the Lords Holy Day Isaiah 58.13 was the seventh Day in the week then in use in the Old Testament so why should not this Lords Day be meant of some seventh Day the first of seven in the week which the Lord appointed and the Church observed under the New Testament and therefore called as that was the Lords Day 5. There can be no other Day imagined but this to be the Lords Day indeeed Gomarus affirms that it s called the Lords Day because of the Lord Jesus apparition in Vision to Iohn and therefore he tell us that in Scripture phrase the Day of the Lord is such a Day wherein the Lord manifests himselfe either in wrath or in favour as here to Iohn But there 's a great difference between those phrases The Lords Day and the Day of the Lord which it is not called here For such an interpretation of the Lords Day as if it was an uncertaine time is directly crosse to the Scope of Iohn in setting downe this Vision who to beget more credit to it tels us First of the person that saw it I Iohn ver 10. Secondly the particular place in Paimo Thirdly the particular time the Lords Day These considerations do utterly subvert Mr. Brabournes discourse to prove the Jewish Sabbath to be the Lords Day which we are still to observe and may be sufficient to answer the scruples of modest and humble minds for if we aske the Time of it It is on the first Day of the week Would we know whether this time was spent in holy Duties and Sabbath services this also hath been proved Would we know whether it was sanctified for that end Yes verily because it s called the Lords Day and consequently all servile work was and is to be laid aside in it Would we know whether 't is the Christian Sabbath Day Verily if it be the Day of the Lord our God the Lords Day why is it not the Sabbath of the Lord our God If it be exalted and honoured by the Apostles of Christ above the Jewish Sabbath for Sabbath duties why should we not beleeve but that it was our Sabbath Day And although the word Sabbath Day or seventh day be not expressely mentioned yet if they be for substance in this Day and by just consequence deduced from Scripture it is all one as if the Lord had expressely called them so Thesis 40. Hence therefore it followes that although this particular seventh day which is the first of seven be not particularly made mention of in the fourth Commandment yet the last of seven being abrogated and this being instituted in its roome it is therefore to be perpetuated and observed in its roome For though it be true as Mr. Brabourne urgeth That New Institutions cannot be founded no not by Analogy of proportion meerly upon Old Institutions as because children were Circumcised it will not follow that they are therefore to be baptized and so because the Iewes kept that seventh day that we may therefore keep the first day Yet this is certaine that when New things are instituted not by humane Analogy but by Divine appointment the Application of these may stand by vertue of old precepts and general Rules from whence the Application even of old Institutions formerly arose For we know that the Cultus institutuâ— in the New Testament in Ministry and Sacraments stands at this day by vertue of the second Commandment as well as the instituted worship under the Old And though Baptisme stands not by vertue of the institution of Circumcision yet it being De novo instituted by Christ as the Seale of
tâ—hings as they were then in their nature when they did first exist before Sacrifices were thought of Adam called the names of things according to their natures and special use and is it credible that before his fall where there was no use of Sacrifices that he should know of Morning and Evening Sacrifiâ—es in which respect it was called Evening morning and yet suppose it was in respect of Religious use that these names are given to each day yet why must not the Evening begin the day rather then the Morning it being as hath bin proved fiâ—st in being as it is fiâ—st in naming Thesis 42. 'T is true the time before day Marke 1.35 is called early Morning and we read of the Morning watch before day light Ex. 14.24 yet these places no way prove that which they are produced for viz. That Morning begins at midnight that Christ went to prayer at midnight because he went to it in the early Morning or that the Morning watch began at midnight for we know it was some time after it these places indeed shew thus much That sometime before Day-light is sometime called Morning which is readily acknowledged in the respects forementioned Thesis 43. The Angels indeed were created together with the third Heaven Gen. 1.1 in the beginning of Time for being incorruptible as the third Heaven is they could not be afterward created out of the first matter as all this visible and corruptible World was therefore the Earth is said to be dark and void i. e. of all Inhabitants and beautiful forms in opposition to the third Heaven which was made with it which was lightsome and full of Inhabitants viz. the Angels and if it was a Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the World surely this Kingdom had a King then and this King had his subjects who could they then be but Angels but to infer from hence that this Time of darknesse wherein the Angels were created should be morning and that therefore they are called by Iob the Morning stars Iob. 38.6 7. as some imagine will follow no more then as if one should affirm that the King of Babel called Lucifer was certainly born in the Morning because he also is called a Morning star Isa. 14 13. for who sees not but that the speech is metaphoricall in both glorious excellency above others being bestowed on them as speciall brightnesse and lustre is given to the Morning star Thesis 44. Belshazar is said to be slain in the night Dan. 5.30 which the Prophet Isaiah has foretold should be in the Morning Isa. 47.11 but will it follow hence that this Morning is the time of midnight might it not be after midnight as well for the Text is silent and yet I do not think that the word Morning in Isay is meant of midnight nor any part of any night but by a metaphor the apparent time of the beginning of his misery the light of the Morning manifesting all things apparently the Lord also alluding to the manner of humane Judicatures who were wont to passe the sentence and inflict it in the Morning as the Scripture frequently holds forth Thesis 45. Though also it be true that the Lord smote the Egyptians at midnight and that the Israelites were prohibited from stirring out of doors till Morning Exod. 12.22 29 30. and yet that they did stir up one another to depart before morning-light yet it will not hence follow as some would infer that midnight was the beginning of their Morning for then 1. They might have risen at midnight just then when God was destroying the Egyptians first born for that was part of the Morning by this account 2. They are prohibited from stirring out of doors till Morning as of themselves yet if God and Pharoah and Moses will force them out there is no rule broken by stirring out in such a case before day light morning 3 'T is more then probable that there was some good space after midnight before they stird out which is said to be in the Morning watch for the Deaths stroak was at midnight after which Pharoah and his councel must fit and consult and conclude what to do and send for Moses after which there must be some time for Moses to acquaint the Israelites to make them fit and ready to depart their departure therefore in the Morning was not at midnight which began this Morning 4. Pharoah sends for Moses after midnight yet this Time is called Night Psal. 30.31 and not Morning and indeed properly it was not so onely called so by an improper speech Thesis 46. When Iob saith that God stretcht out the North upon the empty Iob 26.7 â—tis not spoken of the empty Chaos for Iob hath no occasion to speak thereof nor is it his scope but of the places near the North Pole which are void and empty of Inhabitants none being able now to dwell in that frigid Zone Thesis 47. If God hath set any time to begin the Sabbath surely 't is such a time as may be ordinarily and readily known that so here as well as in all other Ordinances the Sabbath may be begun with prayer and ended with praise but if it should begin at midnight what man of a thousand can readily tell the certain time when it begins that so they may in a holy manner begin the Sabbath with God all men have not the midnight Clocks and Bells to awaken them nor can the crowing of Cocks herein give a certain sound a poor Christian man had need be a good and watchful Mathematician that holds this opinion or else I see not how he will know when midnight is come and if he cannot then it s very considerable and to me unquestionable that that cannot be the beginning of holy Time which cannot be begun in a holy manner there was never any Ordinance of God but it was so ordered as that it might ordinarily be begun and ended with God which makes me question that the beginning of it at Morning midnight cannot be of God Thesis 48. Others there be who do not begin the Sabbath at Morning midnight but begin and end it at Morning light at the rising of the Sun and the light of it who indeed are assisted with better proofs and stronger arguments then any of the rest and therefore need tryall and we have need to know what weight they are of As also to be accurately wary least the rule of love be broken towards such gracious and learned servants of Godâ— considering how much they have to say in this point in which case much love respect and indulgence hath been ever accounted necessary by men of moderate and sober minds Thesis 49. The six working dayes being considered absolutely in themselves in this respect it is no matter whether they begin at Eving or Morning or Midnight or Mid-day nor is it in this respect a sin to begin and end the dayes according to the custome of the civil Nation where we live but
Sabbath did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 draw on shine forth Luke 23.54 now this shining or breaking forth of the Sabbath cannot be meant of the day light morning shining forth for its a meare dream to think that Ioseph should be so long a time in doing so little work from Saturday in the afternoon untill the next morning light onely in taking of Christ from the Crosse wrapping him in Linnen and laying him in his own Sepulchre which was not far off but neer at hand also Iohn 19.42 The shining forth of the Sabbath also stopâ— the women from proceeding to annoint Christs Body after they had brought their Spices and therefore if the shining forth of the Sabbath had been the morning after they might certainly have had sufficient time to do that work in the shining forth therefore of this Sabbath was in the latter evening in which the Sabbath began and it s said to shine forth by a metaphor because it did then first appear or draw on or as Piscator and sundry others think because about that time the stars in Heaven and the Lamps and Candles in houses began to shine forth which is just then when darknesse is predominant which is the beginning of the Sabbath at evening time 2. If that evening had not begun the Sabbath why did not the women who wanted neither conscience nor affection nor opportunity annoint his body that evening but defer it untill the night after what could stop them herein but onely the conscience of the Commandment which began the Sabbath that evening 3. Either the Sabbath must begin this evening or they did not rest the Sabbath according to the Commandment for if they began to keep the Sabbath at morning light then if they rested according to the Commandement they must keepe it untill the next morning light after but its manifest that they were stirring and in preparing their Oyntments long before that even in the dark night before the light did appeare as hath been formerly shewn Thesis 99. Why the women did not goe about to embalme Christs body the beginning of the dark evening after the Sabbath was past but staid so long a time after till the dark morning cannot be certainly determined perhaps they thought it not suitable to a rule of God and prudence to take some rest and sleep first before they went about that sad work and might think â—he morning more fit for it then the dark evening before when their sorrowfull hearts and spent spirits might need mercy to be shewn them by taking their rest awhile first They might also possibly think it offensive to others presently to run to the embalming of the dead as soon as ever the Sabbath was ended and therefore stayed till the dark morning when usually every one was preparing and stirring toward their weekly work Thesis 100. The Lord Christ could not lie three daies in the grave if the Sabbath did not begin at evening and for any to affirm that the dark morning wherein he arose was part of this first day and did belong thereunto is not onely to overthrow their own principles who begin the Sabbath at the beginning of day light morning but they also make the beginning of the Sabbath to be wholly uncertain for who can tell at what time of this dark morning our Saviour arose Thesis 101. T is true there are some parts of the habitable world in Russia and those Northern Countries wherein for about a moneths time the Sun is never out of sight now although they have no dark evening at this time yet doubtlesse they know how to measure their naturall daies by the motion of the Sun if therefore they observe that time which is equivalent to our dark evenings and sanctifie to God the space of a day as t is measured by the circling Sun round about them they may then be said to sanctifie the Sabbath from even to even if they do that which is equivalent thereunto they that know the East West South North points do certainly know when that which is equivalent to evening begins which if they could not do yet doubtlesse God would accept their will for the deed in such a case Thesis 102. If therefore the Sabbath began at evening from Adams time in innocency till Nehemiahs time and from Nehemiahs time till Christs time why should any think but that where the Jewish Sabbath the last day of the week doth end there the Christian Sabbath the first day of the week begins unlesse any can imagine some Type in the beginning of the Sabbath at evening which must change the begining of the day as the Type affixed did change the day or can give demonstrative reasons that the time of Christs Resurrection must of necessity begin the Christian Sabbath which for ought I see cannot be done And therfore it is a groundlesse assertion that the reasons of the change of the day are the same for the change of the beginning of it and that the chiefe of the reasons for the evening may be as well applyed against the change of the day it selfe as of the time of it But sufficient hath been said of this I shall onely adde this that there is no truth of Christs but upon narrow search into it hath some secret knots and difficulties and so hath this about the beginning of the Sabbath t is therefore humility and self-deniall to follow our clearest light in the simplicity of our hearts and to wait upon the Throne of grace with many tears for more cleare discoveries untill all knots be unloosed FINIS THE SANCTIFICATION OF THE SABBATH WHEREIN The true Rest of the Day together with the right manner of Sanctifying of the Day are briefly opened BY THOMAS SHEPARD Pastor of the Church of Christ at Cambridge in New-England The fourth Part. LONDON Printed for Iohn Rothwell 1650. The generall Contents upon the Sanctification of the Sabbath 1. THe word Sabbath what it signifies Thesis 1. 2. All weekly labour for the Rest of the Sabbath Thesis 2. 3. The Rest of the Sabbath the meanes for a higher end Thesis 3. 4. As strict a Rest now required as was formerly among the Iewes and those places cleared which seeme contrary Thesis 4 5. 5. What worke forbidden on the Sabbath Day Thesis 10. 6. Servile worke forbidden and what is a servile worke Thesis 11 12. 7. The holinesse required upon the Sabbath in five things Thesis 14. 8. A lamentation for prophanation of the Sabbath The Sanctification of the Sabbath Thesis 1. THe word Sabbath properly signifies not common but sacred or holy Rest. The Lord therefore enjoyns this Rest from labour upon this day not so much for the Rest sake but because it is a Medium or means of that holinesse which the Lord requires upon this day otherwise the Sabbath is a day of idlenesse not of holinesse our cattell can rest but a common rest from labour as well as we and therefore its mans sin and shame if he
in regard of the bare abstinence from work but that having no work of our own to mind or do we might be wholly taken up with Gods worke being wholly taken off from our own that he may speak with us and reveale himselfe more fully and familiarly to us as friends do when they get alone having called and carried us out of the noyse and crowd of all worldly occasions and things Thesis 14. Holy rest therefore being for holy work it may not be amisse to enquire what this work is and wherein it consists for which end I shall not instance in any the particular severall duties in publique and private of holinesse and mercy because this is to be found in all who write upon this subject I shall onely speake of that kind of holinesse which the Lord requires in all publique and private duties and is to run thorow them and as it were animate them and in truth to finde out this and observe this is one of the greatest difficulties but yet the greatest excellency of a Christian life It consists therefore in these five things Thesis 15. The first The Holinesse upon this day ought to be immediate I doe not meane without the use of publique or private means but in respect of worldly things for we are commanded to be holy in all manner of conversation all the week in our worldly affaires 1 Pet. 1.17 Holinesse is to be writ upon our cups and pots and hors-bridles and ploughs and sickles Zach. 14.20.21 but this holinesse is more immediate we enjoy God by and in the creature and in our weekly occasions and providences but do we think that there is no more holinesse required upon the Sabbath verily every day then should be our Christian Sabbath which is most false and therefore some more immediate holinesse is required now on this day which is not then nor required of us every week day and what can this be but drawing neer to God this day more immediately and as neer as mortall man can do and casting aside the world and getting out of it and so to be neere God in Prayer in hearing the Word in Meditation c Psal. 95.5.6 if it were possible to be with and enjoy Christ in Heaven where there are no meanes we should this day long for it and prize it but because this cannot yet be and that the Lord comes down from Heaven to us in his ordinances and thereby makes himselfe as neer to us as he can in this fraile life hence we are not onely to draw neer to Ordinances but to God and Christ in them upon this day and so be as neere them with greatest immediatenesse that we can Psalm 42.1 2. Psalm 63.1 2 3. Adam did enjoy God in his calling the week day but this was not so immediate as he was to have upon the Sabbath day Thesis 16. The second is this holinesse ought not only to be immediate but also speciall and in our endeavours after the highest degree and with the greatest intention of holinesse for we are bound every day to be holy in more immediate and neere approaches to God some time or other of the day but now we are called to be more specially holy because both the day and our selves are now set apart for it in a more speciall manner we are to love feare delight in God and pray to him and muse on him every day but now in a more speciall manner all these are to be done the Sabbath is not onely called holy but holinesse to the Lord Exod. 31.15 which shewes that the day is exceeding holy and suitably our affections and hearts ought therefore so to be the Sacrifice on this day was to be doubled Numb 28.9 the Lord would have double honour from us this day that as in the weeke time we are sinfully drowned in the cares of this world and affections thereto so upon every Sabbath we should be in a holy manner drowned in the cares and thoughts and affections of the things of God and hence we are commanded to call the Sabbath our delight and not to think our own thoughts or doe our own workes this day Esay 58.13 David said Psalm 43.4 that he would goe to the Altar of God the place of publique worship to God his joy yea his exceeding joy so are we not onely to draw neere to Altar Word Sacraments Prayer but to God in them nay to God in them as our exceeding joy our exceeding love our exceeding feare c. especially upon this day there is scarse any week but we contract soyle from our worldly occasions and by touching worldly things and we suffer many decayes and lose much ground by temptations herein now the Lord pitying us and giving us a Sabbath of Recovery what should we doe now but return recover and renew our strength and like the Eagle cast our bils and stand before our God and King this day of State and Royall Majesty when all his Saints compassâ— his Throne and presence with our most beautifull Garments mourning especially that we fall so farre short of Sabbath acts and services we should not content our selves with working-day holinesse joyes feares hopes prayers praises but Sabbath joyes feares praises must be now our ornaments and all within us must be raised up to a higher straine that as God gives us this day speciall grace means of grace seasons of grace speciall occasions of grace by reviewing all our experiences the week past so there is good reason that the Lord should be honoured with speciall holinesse this day Thesis 17. The third is This holinesse ought to be not onely immediate and speciall but constant and continued the whole day together For upon every day of the week we are to take some time for converse with God but our worldly occasion soon call us off and that lawfully but Sabbath holinesse must be constant and continued all the day if the Lord was so strict that he would not lose a moments honour in a ceremoniall day of rest Levtt 23 3â— what shall we thinke the Lord expects upon this day which is morall the Lord would not be honoured this day onely by fits and flashes and sudden pangs which passe away as the early dew but as t is in the Psalme for the Sabbath It s good to sing of his loving kindnesse in the morning and of his faithfulnesse every night Psal. 92.1 2. and though this be a wearisome thing to the flesh to be so long pent in and although we cannot perfectly doe it yet it s a most sweet and glorious work in it selfe to think that the infinite glorious God should call a poor sinfull creature to be with him and attend upon him all the day long to be ever with the Lord is best of all but next to that to be with him a whole day together they that see how fit they are to be for ever banisht from the presence of the most High and how exceeding