answer That the first Day of the Weeke or Lords Day having taken footing among the convert Gentiles to whom the Apostle wrote he might with lesse scruple use the word Sabbaths absolutely without exception considering that all Sabbaths eo nomine were outlawed Though now as the case stands we in these times are forced to re-assume the name Sabbath not thereby to shoulder out the more worthy name of Lords Day but to vindicate the authority of the fourth Commandement and to testify our judgements touching the new Sabbath like as the primitive times are reported to take up the wearing of the Crosse to testifie their profession and Confession of a Crucified Christ against their opposers 2. To your second Reason I answer That our warrant to worke on the Iewes seaventh Day is the fourth Commandement which proportioneth us out sixe Dayes for our worldly affaires and the seaventh for an holy rest which is the totall and morall sence and summe of that Commandement and which wee still observe the order being occasionall and temporary but the number morall and perpetuall as I have proved before And therefore the Apostles did imply a nullity of the one by the bringing in of the other according to the nature of the Commandement and the Prophecy of Isaiah 65. 16. So that if you thinke it meet to retaine the Lords Day in our Church as you do in your premonition then must you grant the order to be changed For it was never the Apostles meaning nor in their power when God by a perpetuall Law from the beginning had given us sixe Dayes for labour and destined the seaventh to an holy Rest to have turned it into five Dayes labour and two Dayes Rest. For amongst the Iewes when Holy-dayes were so frequent there was never any weekely Holy day ordayned to go cheeke by jole with the Sabbath but either Monethly or Yearely So that as Moses his Serpent eate up the Sorcerers so hath our seaventh Day eaten up theirs * As the Apostle sayth in another case 2 Cor 3. 10. Even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory which excelleth Generatio unius est corruptio alterius Our new Heaven and new Earth have given us a new Sabbath and new Rest. For old things are passed away and all things are become new 3. To your third reason I answer That Paul in like case speaketh in divers places of Ministers maintenance and yet saith never a word to cleare the controversy of Tythes whether they bee or bee not Iure divino but he preacheth the substance to wit a meet maintenance to be necessary So in Pauls discourse of times and Dayes as also of other things although he satisfy not our Fancies who cannot see afâ—rre of yet doth he answer the will of the Holy Ghost who for reasons whereof wee are uncapable spareth to doe what wee expect And indeed the reason of Pauls not Preaching the Sabbaths alteration might be because it was neither safe nor convenient For it must needes have given great offence to the Iewes seeing it had a place amongst the morall Commandements who were so precise in the punctisioes of times as that they would have beene of your opinion that either their seaventh Day or none was morall and so would have taken advantage to vilifie his doctrine as if he had gone about to overthrow as well the Morall as Ceremoniall Law the sun shine of the Gospell being too bright for their weake Eyes to behold all at once And therefore the Aposile condescending to their infirmities chose rather to insinuate the Lords Day tâ—citly by his practice then by his doctrine For so iâ— behoved him in those times wherein hee became all to all that he might win some And therefore did he take occâ—â—â—on on the Iâ—â—ish Sabbaths to Preaâ—h the Gospell in their Synagogues when yet wee see how that privately hee sanctified the Lords Day with Châ—istians Therefore I conclude that this Scripture is nothing concerning the Weekely Sabbath whereof he writeth nothing at all directly for the reasons aforesaid but of the Iewish Ceremoniall Sabbaths which hee must needs cry downe if he set up Christ. The shadow must vanish when the substance comes in place And of this the converted Iewes were mostly as well perswaded without offence as the converted Gentiles But of this sort was not the Weekely Sabbath as I have proved elsewhere and as further is evident from the 92. Psal which is dedicated to the Sabbath Day but none of the rest of the Psalmes to any of the legall Ceremonies from which I may thus reason That seeing the Booke of the Psalmes was ordained for the consolation of the militant Church unto the Worlds end as may appeare by the Apostles exhortation it seemeth not consonant to reason that a part of Gods perpetuall worship should be dedicated to a temporary Ceremony To your fourth and fifth I answer that how the Sabbath is said to be shadowish wee have shewne before and shall have more occasion hereafter to enlarge it Amongst those two or three which justifie the morality of the Sabbath I would have you take in D r. Andrewes in his exposition of the fourth Commandement and M r. Hooker in his Eccles Pol and Bishop Hell whom I have already alleadged Broad 2. The Sabbath was a shadow from the beginning FOr Gods very Resting was Typicall as appeareth Heb 4. 4. observe that the Apostle there speaketh os the seaventh Day as rested upon by God and not as sanctified by him or enjoyned to be sanctified by Man so that the seaventh Day then became a Type when God rested therein the seaventh Day in order if not in time before it was sanctified was Gods rest and Consequently a shadow of the Rest remaining to the People of God Consider further that it doth not appeare by the Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all were not Againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If any thinke there was no shadow or Ceremony of Christ before Sin Ans Suppose that before there had beene no shadow or Type at all yet might the Sabbath bee a shadow or Type from the beginning thereof for it is very profitable that Adam fell the Day before Againe though there were no Ceremony of Christ before Sinne yet might there be a shadow of things to come that now shall be exhibited by Christ which had not Adam sinned God would have exhibited by himselfe There were it seemes three Types or shadowes in the beginning Paradice the Tree of Life and the seaventh Day Gods Rest of the comfort of all which Adam for his Sinne was deprived But afterwards God being mercifull to the posterity of Abraham they had the same Sabbath Mannah for the Tree of Life and the Land of Canaan for Paradice which was as it were another Paradice and a figure
day especially in seeing them keepe his Sabbaths spiritually and conscionably Certainely they that doe so shall be sure to be blessed and rewarded of God for it To this purpose it is worth the observing that as our Saviour sayth Marke 2. 27. That the Sabbath was at the first made for man for the great benefit and behoofe of man Man could not no not Adam in Innocency have beene without it but with great danger and losse unto him So the Holy Ghost sayth there twice of the Sabbath Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. 20. 11. that he never said of any other Day That the Lord blessed that Day that is appointed it to be a meane of a greater blessing to man if hee kept it as God had commanded him to doe then any other Day or any of the ordinary workes of any other Day can possibly be Two sorts of blessings there be which the conscionable observer of the Sabbath shall be sure to receive by it 1. The first are spirituall and they indeed are the chiefe blessings of all because they are durable and lasting and because they concerne the Soule which is the chiefe and most pretious part of man And for these was the Sabbath chiefely ordained that God might by it in the use of his Ordinances enrich our Soules with spirituall blessings in Heavenly things So the Lord saith Ez 20. 12. that he gave his Sabbaths to his People to that end that they might know that he was the Lord that sanctified them Wee shall find and know that the Lord will sanctifie us both begin and increase saving grace in our Hearts if wee keepe the Sabbath conscionably Yea the Lord hath promised Isaiah 56. 6. 7. to every one that keepeth his Sabbath from polluting that he will make them joyfull in his House of Prayer And Isaiah 58. 13 14. That if a man shall keepe the Sabbath heartily and spiritually then he shall delight himselfe in the Lord. By these two places it appeareth that God hath bound himselfe by promise to them that keepe his Sabbath not only to worke sanctification increase of holines and power over their corruptions which he professeth in that former place of Ezekiel was the very end he gave his Sabbaths for but also by his spirit of adoption to encrease in their hearts a lively sence of his favour assurance that he heareth and accepteth their Prayers Peace of Conscience Ioy in the Holy Ghost which are blessings the Christian Soule prizeth above all things in the World Ob. Why may you say may not a man receive increase of grace and spirituall comfort in the use of Gods ordinances on any other Day but only on the Sabbath Ans. Yes verily but these promises may give him assurance to receive them more richly and plentifully upon the Sabbath then on any other Day 2 The second sorts of blessings that the conscionable observers of the Sabbath receive by it are temporall for concerning them also wee have a promise Isaiah 58. 4. Gen. 18. 13 48. 4. Psa 1. 19. To conclude this point with the authority and judgment of a learned Bishop now living Bishop Hall Decad 6. Epis 1. Gods Day sayth he calleth for another respect then doe common Dayes The same Sunne ariseth on this Day and enlightens it yet because the Sun of righteousnes arose upon it gave a new life unto the World in it and drew the strength of Gods morall precept unto it Therefore justly do wee sing with the Psalmist This is the Day which the Lord hath made Now I forget the World and in a sort my selfe and deale with my wonted thoughts as great Men use who at some time of their privacy forbid the accesse of all suters Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing Preaching Singing good conferences are the businesses of this Day which I dare not bestow on any worke or pleasure but Heavenly I hate superstition on the one side and loosenes on the other But I find it hard to offendin too much Devotion easy in â—rophaneâ—es The whole weeke is sanctifyed by this Day and according to my care of this is my blessing on the rest Broad CHAP. III. I. Whereby the Sabbath was Sanctified THe Sabbath was sanctifyed by resting from worke Thus Zanâ—hy in effect likewise Vicest and D. Boys and this Analysâ—â— naturall Some make two parts the one affirmative the other negative but they are out of the way In the fourth Commandement we have to observe 1. The Commandement it self briefly delivered and is thus Remember the Sabbath to Sanctify it 2. Then followeth the explication in order God shewing what is the Sabbath the seaventh Day is the Sabbath to the Lord thy God And after how it is sanctified In it thou shalt not doe any worke I do not write as many doe that the Sabbath was sanctified by praying hearing of word and if thou marvailest thereat see at the end of the Booke 3. A reason is yeelded why God requireth this service For in the sixe Dayes the Lord made Heaven c. Here thou seest that God himselfe being expositor to sanctifie the Sabbath Day is not to doe any worke on the seaventh Day read also Ier 17 24. II. Whereby the Sabbath was profaned The Sabbath was prophaned by worke as Exod 31. 14. Profanare sine vioâ—are vâ—cat â—o die operari perin de at que professo Mart in Math 1â— 8. Every one that defileth the Sabbath shall surely bee put to Death for whosoever doth any Worke therein that Soule shall bee cut off from among his People Further the Sabbath was profaned by the least worke and thus hee prophaned it who only gathered stickes therein As he that â—ateth the least food may be said to breake his fast as well as he that eateth his belly-full So hee that did the lâ—ast worke brake the rest or Sabbath as well as he that laboured all Day Some would have the Sabbath prophaned by Drunkennes Lasciviousnes Dauncing c. In it God said Thou shalt doe noe Worke not in it thou shalt not worship Idols thou shalt not drinke excessively c. for he needed not these things being forbidden by other Commandements Ans 1. If by one Sinne then by another and then every man profaned the Sabbath 2. Any Day in the Weeke was as well defiled by Sinne as the Sabbath for every Day was alike exempt from Sinne. The punishment for prophaning the Sabbath was Death If then such as haunted the Ale-house and the like prophaned the Sabbath as well as he that gathered stickes they should much rather in reason have undergone the punishment Now although the Sabbath was defiled by worke and whosoever wilfully or carefully did any worke therein was to be put to Death Yet in two cases worke was to be done on the Sabbath In what cases the Sabbath might be prophaned 1. In case of necessity Thus the Disciples being hungry pulled the Eares of Corne and rubbed them in their Hands Math 11. which
VINDICIAE SABBATHI OR AN ANSWER TO TWO TREATISES OF MASTER BROADS The one Concerning the Sabbath or seaventh Day The other Concerning the Lords-day or first of the Weeke With a survey of all the rest which of late have written upon that subiect by GEORGE ABBOT Psalme 36. 9. In thy Light shall wee see Light LONDON Printed by I. D. for Henry Overton and are to be sould at his shop entring into Popes-head-Alley out of Lumbard-street Anno 1641. TO HIS MVCH HONORED FATHER IN LAW M r. WILLIAM PUREFEY OF CALDEcoate in Warwickshire Esquire SIR THe times favoring truth it becomes every one now that God hath given oportunity to bring out of his store both new and old as he is provided This which I here present to you and the World is both for it deals with our primitive English Antisabbatarians Breerewood and Broad but chiefely with the latter because none else that I know of have undertaken him being not in print and therefore knowne but to a few as also with the whole cluster of our moderne Writers upon that subject which are too many to name except with an c. For the plot of the times haâ—s beene against the power of Godlines which could never been pulled downe whilest the Sabbath stood upright and therefore our Patrons of impiety have rightly projected to take that out of the way which stood so much in theirs and to remove that same holy interruption which God in his care and wisedome had put to our dayes and wayes of Worldly natures that so they might bring all to a levell by paring away Sabbathâ— and Sermons which was the onely way to mount them to the height of their designe of bringing Godlines to a forme and all things but Episcopacy from ius Divinum to iâ—s Humanum that they may bee all in all but all this while they have kicked against the pricks for which they now smart nor could they expect other then that they which opposed the rest of God should have their owne rest molested for God will find a time to bring truth to light though she wade through a long Eclipse and to shut up errour in darknes and her abetters in disgrace as now they are for with the froward hee hath threatned to shew himselfe froward and hee hath made it good to the praise of the glory of his power Your ever obliged Son in Law GEORGE ABBOT Deare friend I Doubt not that God shall have honour by this Booke from others let him have the honour of it from your selfe When we come to give up our accounts wee must acknowledge our receipts first as from God Matth. 25. 20. Master thou deliveredst mee five talents then our gaine and improvement by and of them unto God for wee trade for our Master and not for our selves There is light in the Treatise more then hath shewne in former times or Authors as the declaration of Christ to the World was progressive so is the illumination of the spirit not only in particular Mens Soules but in the whole Church which must have her growth as well as particular Men and what if somebody in after times may stand on your shoulders and see further let God yet be gloryfied though he make the feete of posterity to stand as high as our heads so wee blessed be God have shorter shadowes then our predecessours and still the more light ariseth the lesse shall bee the shadowes till they be none at all It was Gods providence that brought M r Broads Manu-script to your hands and that thereupon stirred up your spirit to doe something against the fresh forces that should come in now of late to fight against the Sabbath God did not tell you his Errand when he sent the Booke to you but the event is the finger that points to Gods providence as Time is the Mid wife of Truth God found out you who being vacant from other imployments might the better worke in this Vine yard you who being not ambitious of humane 〈◊〉 named learning should keepe close to the Scripture the spirit and reason without doting upon names of Fathers c. which wee in these times are mad upon and so hinder our owne growth by putting their old spectacles on ouâ— Noses which dimme our Eyes and thinke it not Scholler-like to go beyond Aristotle This I must needs say the whole Booke savours of spirituall matter and argues that it came from the Spirit and promiseth to breed Spirit in the Reader and truly all Scripture-knowledge should be written as the Scripture was and that is by the carriage of the holy Ghost Holy men wrote saith hee as they were carried by the holy spirit so should so are holy men carried now not by selfe-humours and ends Let the wilfull blind slight it 〈◊〉 2. 15. barke and scorne it yet the spirituall man is judged of no man though himselfe discerne all things God will most probably reveale his Sabbath to them that best keepe it here and that shall enjoy his Sabbatisme hereafter and they are his people I verily beleeve thus much of the Booke that it overthrowes and confutes the Antagonists and if they can produce no better reasons and records then they have it will be Master of the field for mee thinkes M r Broad is very weake and loose when compared with yours I could wish your Booke a speedy birth if any that it might give pauze to others that intend any thing of that kind to the Presse Commit it to Gods patronage for he is the fittest Patron it can have My Prayer shall be that your spirit may be such as may procure a blessing on the Booke by giving it to God first and then his Church in a spirit of Humility and selfe-deniall see Gods providence and his assistance see your end in Writing Printing see what a seasonable time and opportunity of good and be confident of this that in spirituall men it will breed spirituall knowledge and affection whether it carry them in all points of judgment or no Vale. The Author of this answer desireth the Reader to take notice of these things THat herein you have first M r Broad faithfully transcribed and my answer following saving that in some places you shall find some things passed by without answer which I take to be not much materiall and therefore to avoyd tediousnes I passe them but I had not dealt faithfully if I had not transcribed them being his That the chiefe of my ayme is to deale with his Arguments and not with his Authors and therefore my paines is principally bestowed in the rationall part so farre as Scripture and Reason the sword of the Lord and Gideon lead mee which are the best satisfiers of godly and reasonable men though where his Quotations come into my way I have not utterly balked them That this Tractate was written long before these late Antisabbatarian Treatises of B P White D r Heylin and M r Dow came forth and
therefore for their sakes I have in diverse places inlarged my Booke wherein I have removed those stumbling blockes which seeme to lie in the way of this doctrine of the Sabbath by answering their colourable arguments against it That whereas M r Primerose hath put out another Booke against the Sabbath of later Edition I have also perused it and such things as I found any whit materially to clash de novo against some particulars in this Answer I have particularly answered them not naming him because they are so very few the rest of his Treatise receiving answer herein upon the occasion of other mens Arguments If perhaps you find not every collaterall Argument answered to your mind yet let not that prejudice the maine cause but weigh substances with substances and pull not downe the whole House for the defect of â— Tyle or two Let Circumstances and by-matters have respect accordingly VINDICIAE SABBATHI Broad MAster Breerewood in his Treatise of the Sabbath 1. Nature teacheth to set apart Page 24. 41. some time for the worship of God but not one day in seven nor a whole day neither yet to forbeare all worke in that time as the Israelites were bound to doe on the Sabbath 2 Gods Commandement touching the Sabbath Page 64. 40. 41. was first given in the wildernes it being limited to the Iewes Sabbath only the Iewes Sabbath is vanished and Gods Commandment was not nor could not be translated from the Iewes Sabbath to the Lords day 3 We are bound to keepe the Lords day not by Page 37. any divine Commandement but by the constitution of the Church onely Thus hath Master Breerewood written in his booke and more I doe not write in mine but it will be said yet in answer to an objection he will have the generallity of Gods Commandement to bee morall and perpetuall Answer It is true and I cannot sufficiently marvaile thereat The Objection he frameth against himselfe is this Page 4â— If the old Sabbath vanished and Gods Commandement was limited and fixed to that day only then is one of Gods Commandements perished Hereunto to hee answereth that the generality of that Commandement is a Law of nature and remaineth The law of Nature touching the sanctiâ—ying of some time and Gods command touching the sanctâ—fying of the seventh day were two divers lawes The one a generall law only the other a speciall law only But if there bee a generallity of that commandement how was that commandement limited and fixed to the Sabbath only Further hee should have considered that the like may as well be said of the precepts of Holy-dayes Nature teacheth to have some times of vacancy for one reason God appointed the Sabbath to be a time of vacancy for other reasons the holy-dayes Shall not the law of nature now be the generall of all these precepts indifferently as well of the precepts of the holy-dayes as of the precepts of the Sabbath Answer In this thing I must take Master Breerewoods part against you for hereby is the morall * Dâ—r Heylin quoteth the schoolem n Patt 2. pag. 163. saying that the fourth Commandement is placed in the Decalogue in quantuâ—â— est preceptum morale et naturale that is say they Quantum â—d hoc quod homo depu tet â—â—â—uod tempus vitâ—e sâ—â— ad vac 〈◊〉 diâ—iâ—is pag. 162 So Bishop White maketh the Law o Nature to be involved in the 4 th Commandement pag. 121. and is still obli gaâ—â—y to the worlds end Pag. 1â—0 law of God kept entire without a mayme which is very requisite seeing that the Decalogue is granted to be an explanatory reinforcing of the law of entire Nature imprinted in us by creation but much defacedby our fall and being honoured with those eminences of priority signes of perpetuity immediatly from God himselfe upon Mount Sinai Such as were his twice writing them with his owne finger * Touching this priority of Gods own writing them see how emphatically it is expressed by God himselfe Exod. 24. 12. in way of suâ— ereminency by vertue of that â—râ—viledge to those which Moses had written a little before ver 4 Moreover also sâ—e this difference lively intimâ—ed by Moses Deut. 4. 13 where he maketh the Covenâ—nt to consist in the ten Commandements written by God himselfe and speakes in the following verse in way of dimination of the other lawesin comparison of them calling them statutes and judgements which were 1. taught by him and secondly to be observed in the land whither they went to possesse it and voted also by his Spirit through the mourth of Moses to bee the Tenne Commandements 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Deut. 4. and put into the Arke as perpetuall rules for the Catholique Church whereof it was a Type None of all which Prerogatiues was the Ceremoniall law crowned withall for that it was as a vanishing shadow sutable only to the Hemispheare of those times But the decalogue being the very Law of Nature explained and redelivered must as well now as ever have for its substance a generall ayme at all men though in some circumstances it may bee more peculiar to the Iewes then others by reason of the time place and people to whom it was renewed Like as almost all other Scripture is for substance common and for circumstances proper because they were most an end written occasionaly Put case then that this Commandement was given onely to the Iewes as you affirme and so were abrogatiue yet may the Law of Nature bee well presupposed and included in it as you your selfe afterwards acknowledge it is in your 8. Chapter in the answer you give there to the fifth opinion for who knowes not that in those ten words much more is meant then manifested So that if so it be granted that the Law of Nature and this Law bee not the same in all points yet are they not two divers lawes but the same in substance And thus much in effect Master Breerewood affirmes in his second Tract pag. 3. Morall saith he is that which pertaineth to manners 1. Either by the instinct of Nature as belonging to the inward Law written in our hearts or Secondly by the instruction of Discipline as being of the outward Law pronounced of God as that of observing the seventh Day so that it may beetermed Naturall as being not of the institution of Nature but of the disciplining of Nature Not of Nature as it wâ—s fâ—rst ordained of God but as after informed by him For indeed this fourth Commandement both as it was at first instituted in Paradise and now revived on Mount Sinai is but the law of Nature explained and enlarged according to the will of God in this particular for reasons and uses whereof created nature was not capable but by revelation And what though the Law of nature bee the generality as well to the precepts of the Iewish holydayes as of the Sabbath this shewes the superexcellency of the
Apostles themselves observed the Lords day weekely or Sabbatically and not monthly or yearely as were the Iewes Sabbaths and Holy-dayes but in relation to the fourth commandement one in seaven as knowing it to bee a perpetuall rule not a temporary and vanishing ordinance which pertained to the bondage and servitude of weake and beggerly Rudiments of which the Apostle here onely speakes And as it was farre from the Apostles thought to reckon any of the ten commandements as a weake and beggerly Rudiment so let it bee abhorred of all Christian hearts and eares But may some say Obj. is not the signification of the Sabbaths institution abrogated by Christs resurrection and the comming of the Lords day The Sabbath is altered not abrogated Answ. and the signifâ—cation subordinated not annulled being instituted upon an universall and perpetuall reason for the Sabbath was no proper Iewish type but the Churches type in that wherein it was typicall as wee may see in the fourth Hebr. 9. There remaineth therefore Sabbatismus a Sabbath-rest to the people of God which words Willet in 2. Gen. saith conclude that both the type remaineth that is a Sabbatisme and the signification of the type everlasting rest And as you may further see 12 Matth. 8. in these words The Sonne of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day which words compared with the verses foregoing shew that the Sabbath is of a ceremonious nature for Christ there rankes it among things ceremoniall in a ceremoniall sense but with a note of inequality as it is implyed in that word Even of the Sabbath-day and is as the rest of the morall Law of equall continuance with the Church which for this cause was reviued to the Iewes because at that time they were the onely Israel and Church of God but now translated to us under the Gospell the partition wall being broken downe with an alteration of circumstance according to the season as Isay was prophecied in the foreâ— quoted place of Isa. 65. 17. And whereas Doctor Heylyâ— part 2. pag. 27. saith That it is not probable that the Apostle Paul who so opposed himselfe against the Sabbath would erect a new this had not beene saith hee to abrogate the ceremony but to change the day I answer that by the comming of Christ some things suffered alteration as well as others abrogation wherefore the Apostles were to preach onely the abrogative types and ceremonies to bee abrogated of which sort I prove the Sabbath to bee none and according to the nature of the new creation to alter the other of which sort the Sabbath was and therefore suffered subordination not abrogation And therefore hath the Scripture recorded it to us 〈◊〉 the name of the first day of the weeke or the first day of seaven before it stile it the Lords day in a sâ—gnificant opposition to the old antiquated last day of the weeke I will conclude this Answer with Master Hookers authority who was a confident maintainer of the morality of the fourth commandement as you may see in his Eccles. Pol. pag. 377. who speaking upon this place of the Galath Hooker saith That for as much as the Law of the Iewes by the comming of Christ was changed and wee thereunto no way bound Saint Paul although it were not his purpose to favour invectives against the speciall sanctification of dayes and times to the service of God and to the honour of Iesus Christ doth notwithstanding bend his forces against that opinion which imposed on the Gentiles the yoake of Iewish legall observations as if the whole World ought for ever and that upon paine of condemnation to keepe and observe them such as in this perswasion hallowed the Iewish Sabbaths the Apostle sharply reproveth saying yee observe dayes and monthes and times and yeares c. Thus you see how Master Hookers opinion was concerning this text of Paul onely to cry downe those obsolete Iewish observations and nothing lesse then to impeach the authority of the fourth commandement or the Lords day as you may plainely discerne by turning over leafe to pag. 378. where hee layeth downe three sorts of holy times thus saith hee Hooker It pleased God heretofore to exact some part of time by way of perpetuall homage never to bee dispenced withall nor remitted againe to require some other parts of time with as strict exaction but for lesse continuance and of the rest which were left arbitrary to accept what the Church should in due consideration consecrate voluntarily unto religious uses Of the first kind amongst the Iewes was the Sabbath-day Of the second those feastes which were appointed by the Law of Mosâ—s The Feast of Dedication invented by the Church standeth in the number of the last kind The morall Law requiring therefore a seaventh part throughout the age of the World to bee that way imployed although with us the day bee changed in regard of a new revolution begun by our Saviour Christ yet the same proportion of time continueth which was before because of reference to the benefit of creation and now much more of renovation thereunto added by him which was Prince of the World to come wee are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seaven a duty which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever Thus you have Master Hookers opinion both of this text of the Gal. The morality of the fourth commandement the perpetuity of the Sabbath and the authority of the Lords-day Broad A little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Gal. 5. 9. Chrysost. on Gal. Why but they retained the Gospell onely they would have brought in a Iewish rite or two and yet the Apostle saith that thereby the Gospell is subverted to shew how but a little thing being untowardly mingled marreth all Luther on Gal. 2. Paul had note here his owne busines in hand but a matter of faith Now as concerning faith wee ought to bee invincible and more hard if it might bee then the Adamant stone but as touching charity wee ought to bee soft and more flexible then the reed or leafe shaken with the wind and ready to yeeld to every thing Broad A treatise of the Sabbath FOr as much as I know not whether taking my booke in hand thou mindest to read it over to the end I have therefore thought good by way of prevention in the beginning to let thee understand that howsoever there bee difference in opinion among the Godly learned yet they all for ought I know agree in this namely that the Lords-day had his beginning in the time of the Apostles and being of so great antiquity so generally received and so profitable to the Church of Christ that it ought to be observed of thee according to the practice of good Christians from time to time and the godly lawes of our most Christian governour living at this present I charge thee therefore as thou wilt answer it before Gods judgement â—ear that thou dost not take occasion hence to spend
it selfe from Worldly works will bee then no part of our positive happines but onely a privative helpe to our absolute glorifying God there as it is to our better sanctifying of the Sabbath here And yet for all this as I have said before not to rest on that day but to imploy our selves worldlily in inward or outward works of mind or body in thought word or deed â—ill prove our sinne * To prove that the Lords day is to bee observed with the like strictnes of us as the ancient Sabbath was among the Iewes a neighbour Minister brings this argument If saith hee the reasons of the command of strict rest to the Iewes on the Sabbath belong as well to us as to them Then the command it selfe belongs as well to us as to them But the reasons rendered in the 4. commandement in the 58. of Isa. 13. Because it is the Sabbath of the Lord and because it is the Lords Holy-day and other reasons also as because carnall works anâ— imployments are impediments to the solemne and spirituall performance of Gods holy worship and service and againe all those duties which were commanded them as essentiall to a Sabbath such as were abstinence from carnall labours and pleasures which destroy the nature of a Sabbath which is 1. to rest 2. to rest a spirituall and holy rest to God These reasons saith hee belong as well to us as to them if any Sabbath or holy-day of the Lords remaineth to bee observed of us which there doth Revel 1. 10. Where by the way take notice it is called the Lords day and not the Lords time to answer an objection of some that say wee are not bound to keepe a whole day holy-day or Sabbath and therefore not to rest saving in the time of publicke assemblies besides wee find not any time in all the Scriptures set apart as holy-day to the Lord but a whole day was the space of time Therefore the commandement it selfe both in the negative part thereof not to follow labour not to follow pleasure and in the affirmative part to follow holy exercises is required of us Christians not onely by way of Analogy but as precise commands by just consequence For because hereby wee both falsifie our present duty which wee owe to the commandement which injoyneth it us as a significant privative meanes for sanctifying the Sabbath and also make void the usefull signification of the typicall sense which consisteth in our resting from all Worldly affaires that wee may the more fully devote our selves to things spirituall and heavenly such as are praising God meditating of the life and rest to come c. for of that nature shall bee our heavenly imployment Wee know the Israelites separation from the heathen did not make them the true Israel of God for they were made such onely by their faithfull and true serving of God and yet if they intermixed themselves with the heathen it was a prophanation and sin unto them So a cessation or separation of the Sabbath-day from Worldly imployments is no positive part of our sanctifying the Sabbath though it might bee in the time of the Iewes for that our sanctification consisteth in Spirit and truth not in the literall and outward performance of rest and yet must wee of necessity and duty cease that wee may sanctifie it For it is with the Lords-day as with all other things that if it bee sanctified to the end then it is sanctified to the meanes And as the Scripture saith a man cannot serve God and Mammon especially on this Day but wee should utterly forsake the one that wee may more compleatly cleave to the other By Mammon I meane as well our carnall pleasures all profits for on that day according to the Anti-type all should bee heavenly If ever wee did the will of God as it is done in heaven it should bee on that day And as Master Hildersham observes Lect. 51. Psalme pag. 710. Hildersham God hateth rioting on the Sabbath much more then hee doth working on the Sabbath as it is plaine by Isaiah 58. 13. where in one verse hee names and forbids twice the following of our pleasures as the chiefe prophanation of the Sabbath-day If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on mine holy-day and call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne wayes nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words c. But Bishop White pag. 257. Obi. objects against Sunday Sabbatizers precepts as hee calleth them concerning the crying downe of carnall recreations and setting up spirituall duties to bee actually and without intermission continued the whole space of a naturall day which saith hee can bee no branch of the Law of Christ nor yet consentaneous thereunto for this reason Because the Law of Christ is sweet and easie Matth. 11. 30. and his commandements are not greevous 1. Ioh. 5. 3. I answer Ans. I never knew that this was to bee expounded after the flesh but after the Spirit By the same rule hee may cry downe all fasting all abstaining from beloved lusts and heavenly mindednes now under the Gospell and quite blot out the Apostles advice to use the things of this World as if wee used them not But may some say Obi. if rest bee no part of sanctifying the Sabbath how then are wee said to sanctifie it at night when wee goe to bed Not that your rest is any sanctification of it Answ. no more then your spirituall labour is a breach of it but because that in so doing thou dost an act of mercy to thy body when thou sleepest as well as when thou eatest at due times in a due measure And indeed thou oughtest to doe it with this or some such like consideration and not meerely sensually as an oxe or an asse for God should have speciall glory by every thing wee doe that day And whatsoever wee doe without a speciall and spirituall relation to God on that day that may properly bee called our worke and so our sin For though things necessary bee lawfull to bee done yet not as on the weeke day but with much more spiritualized affections and heavenly mindednes * To the same purpose speaks one that writ upon this subject saying men may not doe the lawfull works of their calling neither in providing meat drinke cloaths or other necessaâ—ies on the Lords-day with a bare respect of naturall good and worldly pâ—ofit because this is doing of his owne wayes and works and not the worke of God unto which Gods Holy-day it wholly consecrated and set apart So no bodily sports recreations and pleasures are to bee used meerely to cherish the flesh and refresh the body but only such as are in very deed needfull in themselves and used and intended by Gods people with this purpose and â—o this end that they may with more ability alacrity
blessing Thus using their Rest either swinishly or superstitiously as the Iewes did theirs * Ignatius ad Mag saith let us not Sabbatize after the Iewish manner as rejoycing in Idlenes for hee that doth not labour let him not eate sayth the Scripture but let every one of us keepe the Sabbath spiritually rejoycing in the meditation of the Law not in the ease of our bodies admiring the workemanship of God not eaâ—â—ng things of the Day before nor drinking things luke-warme nor walking measured paces nor rejoycing in Dancings and mad Shoutings and clapping of the Hands and Feete But such ought to know that Gods example in resting was not the summe of his commandement concerning the Sabbath nor the proper duty injoyned therein but only the occasion of his Commandement and a meanes appointed for the fulfilling of it as appeareth in the tenour of the fourth Commandement where it is said that because God rested the seaventh Day from the worke of Creation Therefore he blessed the seaventh Day and hallowed it What you say of the second Duty is true both in the letter and in your meaning as I conceive it except you meane that the sanctifying of the Sabbath consisteth only of the time of publicke Duties which I cannot beleeve you doe because you speake of private as well as publicke worship and againe because of your adjuration prefixed to your Treatise Herein you give an Answer to some of your Partizans as B. White pag. 140. c. and Dr. Heylin pag. 113. 114. who sayth that two things the Lord commanded concerning the keeping holy of the Sabbath The one in relation to the people which was to rest and the other in reference to the Priests which was to offer sacrifice but of any Sabbath duties which were to be performed betweene them joyntly saith he wee find not And againe saith he of any reading of the Law or exposition of the same unto the people or publike forme of prayers to be presented to the Lord in the Congregation wee find no footestep till Nehemiahs dayes after their returne out of the Babilonish captivity And againe though resting from workâ—â— were a thing commanded yet sayth he the imployment of this Rest to particuler purposes either of contemplation or devotion that is not declared unto us in the word of God but left at large to the liberty of the people So also Bishop White pag 144. saith That there should bee any publicke or solemne reading or expounding of the Law every Weekely Sabbath Day is not expresly required and commanded in the Pentateuch And againe he sayth Pag 146. After the captivity the Iewes frequented their Synagogues upon the Sabbath Dayes and Moses was read but saith he this was not commanded in the Decalogue or by any expresse sentence or Mandat of Moses Law Answer These Antisabbatarians discover a strange partiality for where as they jeere others for their too precisely calling for a Scriptum est for the proofe of every circumstance yet now when the point comes in issue for themselves they fly to the same way of argumentation Non invenimus non scriptum est * So Bishop White pag 41. cannot find the will of God in the 2. Gen touching the sanctiâ—ying the Sabbath but brings this as an argument to justify 3 Prâ—lepsis That there is no other meanes for us to know what the will and act of God was Gen 2. but only divine revelation and the holy Scripture neither makes mention of any Commandement of God given to Adam concerning his resting upon the Sabbath Day c. And againe pag. 43. There are no commanding or imperative words nor any sentence declaring or signifying a precept in Gen 2. And yet wee plainly find an example of God in that Gen 2. 23. 24. paralel to this of the Sabbath nay soÌ„ewhat short to passe for a Law and to have a binding inâ—erence inferred thereupon as I have more at large observed in the beginning of my Answer to M. Broads 7. chap. And yet in the practice of our Church there are some things for which not having expresse Scripture wee lawfully build them upon proper deductions as for Baptizing of Children we find in Scripture that the Apostles Baptized whole Families amongst which say wee it s most likely there were some Children But in this matter of the Sabbath no consequences must be allowed by our Antisabbatarians There must be nothing but a bare rest commanded by God to the People no private contemplation nor publicke devotion although as M. Broad sayth God required as a speciall Duty on the Sabbath to have an holy Convocation and so it is expresly called Levit. 23. 3. for it was not enough sayth he to worship God privately but they must goe to the Assemblies and praise him in the Congregation Idlenes being unlawfull at all times And indeed if God may be suffered to tell his owne meaning wee find it plaine enough what he meant which sure must be his command else the Iewes erred not in seeking salvation and life by the right cousnes of the Law though God meant it as a â—choolemaster to bring the unto Christ Isaâ—ah 58 13 where he sayth If thou turne away thy foote from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my Holy Day and call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honâ—rable and shalt honour him not doing thine owne waies nor finding thine owne pleasure nor speaking thine owne words then shalt thou delight thy selfe in the Lord c. which sheweth us the meaning of those words of the Commandement Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath Day and the end of that Rest which in the following words of the Commandement is enjoyned which as the other Commandements implyed more then is expressed And Bishop White saith pag. 146. That some other religious actions were intended by God as the end of the precept notwithstanding that no other but Rest was formally commanded If then religious actions were the end of Gods command surely then rest must be properly enjoyned as the subordinate meanes usefully and significantly conducing to fulfill that end And what a perversencs this sheweth in men to dispute upon Chimeraes and to frame acâ—y arguments of suppositionâ—s in matter of fact among the Iewes when Gods purpose which ought to give meaning to his Lawes and to sway our judgements is both knowne and acknowledged Which place of Isaiah Dr. Heylin pag 174 will have to signifie a spirituall Sabbath in abstaining from doing evill which in the Page foregoing he sayth was figured unto us in the fourth Commandement But it is apparant that the workes and pleasures there prohibited are so our owne as that wee have intimated a liberty to use them at another time which is our owne though not at this time which is so especially and extraordinarily Gods so as the imployment of that time ought to be Gods in like manner like as the workes mentioned in the fourth Commandement are such as may be done
I meane lawfull though Christ had not commanded it being necessary because happily hee had never a one else being a poore man to ly on at night Or els in his absence his bed might have beene wronged or stolne * See paâ—alell to this Matth. 9. 6. And put case hee had left it and in his absence it had beene stolne and hee meeting the theife the theife threw it downe and runne away might not hee in your opinion have then taken it up and carried it home And why then might not hee lawfully carry it home before to prevent stealing as after it was stolne And wee have reason to beleeve it to bee commanded by Christ to one of these ends For it is like hee was poore or had no body to watch it nor yet to carry it for him for then hee might have had some man to have put him into the Poole when the water was troubled but hee had none In like case I appeale to your opinion whether you thinke it a breach of the Sabbath for a Iew in his Sabbath-dayes journey finding a cloake-bagge or a bagge of money to take it up and carry it away least if hee leave it there till the next day to avoide carriage on the Sabbath another that hath as little right to it as hee find it and carry it for him Secondly I answer that Christ neither could nor did command him to breake the Sabbath or prophane it First I say hee could not for that tye which the Law hath upon us by the condition of our nature because wee are borne under it it had upon Christ by the condition of his office and voluntary susception because hee was made under it So that it behoved him to fulfill all righteousnes And therefore hee is said in that respect to have beene obedient to his parents though hee were not onely the Son of Mary but the Lord of Mary Therefore when Scripture denieth all sin to have beene in him it implieth that hee was exactly conformable to the Law in doing all that it requires and in leaving undone all that it forbids Secondly I say hee did not upon that reason which you alleage to wit as being Lord of the Sabbath For 1. Though indeed hee was Lord of the Sabbath yet in his humane nature wherein hee was under the Law hee was not to shew his foveraigne authority to the breach of any part of it either morall or ceremoniall for so it behoved him to fulfill all righteousnes Secondly that place of Scripture whence you borrow your reason is mistaken by you For those words the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath-day doe not intend that Christ is Lord of it as you meane for him to keepe or breake it at pleasure But Son of man signifieth mankind as is evident 1. by comparing the 27. and 28. verses of the second of Mar. The 27. verse saith The Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath and then in the 28. verse it followeth with this word of coherence therefore the Son of Man is Lord c. where the one and the other doe intend man in genere and for Christ if you will secondly because that in that action it was not Christ himselfe that Lorded it over the Sabbaths-rest but his Disciples for though it was done in his service yet not by his commands as you reason but of themselves for the releife of their necessity But to conclude I see not then by these arguments how your first * To wit in the sense proposition can be made good For if so bee rest sanctifieth the Sabbath then doth man and beast sanctifie it alike then is there no difference betweene the stranger and the Israelite nor betweene the Israelite and his oxe If you had said that not resting in the prophaning of the Sabbath as bowing to Images is the prophaning of Gods worship wee had easily agreed But that by the sense of the fourth commandement it is properly or principally * Though occasionally and by accident I acknowledge it to be a part of the Sabbaths sanctification in the 〈◊〉 of the Iewes the sanctifying of the Sabbath I can no more yeild you then that not bowing to Images is properly or principally the worship of God by the sense of the second commandement Ohi. But you will say is not Gods commandement kept in both these when they doe not bow to Images and when they doe not labour but rest Ans. I answer that the things which the commandements properly and principally strike at are not observed thereby For these are rather preventions of Gods dis-worship then any parts of his worship And hee that knoweth these commandements aright knoweth they intend doing as well as not doing And therefore hee that out of a good conscience forbeareth to doe the one wherein indeed he negatively keepeth the commandement will by vertue of the same conscience set you the other For otherwise hee should give but a poore account to his Master at the last day who when hee asketh him what hee hath done answereth him with what hee hath not done and when hee asketh him an account how hee hath imployed his Sabbaths and what glory and worship hee hath done him in them hee answereth him I never prophaned thy Sabbaths with bodily labour but alwayes rested on that day neither did I ever bow to an Image surely his wayes shall bee as his that hid the talent in a napkin for hee hath reason to looke for no better thinking of God as hee did that hee was hard in his commandements and therefore hee kept them as hardly in the negative and not in the affirmative * Whereas Bishop Lake in his Sermons pag. 213. saith that negatives are but to attend affirmatives and God doth not reward the ferbearance of â—vill but the doing of good Master Dod pag. 74. saith one may forbeare the sins of the second commandement and yet bee a damnable breaker of that commandement for God commands not onely to turne from dumbe Idols but also that wee should serve the true and living God 1 Thes. 1. 9. else such are as well guilty of the breach of this Law as Idolaters they for doing that they should not wee for not doing that wee should So of the fourth commandement And for authority sake take notice what Thomas Aquinas saith to this purpose In the observance of the Sabbath saith hee two things are to bee considered one whereof as the end and this is that man bee vacant to divine things which is signifiâ—d in that which hee saith remember that thou sanctifie the Sabbath for those are said to bee sanctified in the Law which are applied to divine worship But the other is the cessation of works signified when it 〈◊〉 added on the seaventh day of the Lord thy God thou shalt not doe any workâ— And againe saith hee Spirituall works are not forbidden on the Sabbath-day for therefore doth a man abstaine
from other works on that day that hee might bee vacant to works pertaining to the service of God And saith hee yet further servile works as they respect either the service of sin or the service of man doe contrary the observanâ—e of the Sabbath in so much as they hinder mans application to divine things For a closure to perswade the spiritualizing of the Sabbath observe what one speaking of the word remember as it is prefixed to the fourth commandement saith To remember the keeping of the Sabbath saith hee is so to keepe it in mind as to prevent worldly busines falling on that day to desire after it to prepare for it to delight and glory in it as wee doe in those things wee keepe much in remembrance for when hee speaks of remembrance hee cals on us for such affections and actions as become remembrance therefore when God bids you remember the Sabbath hee commands you to desire it Thus David still explainâ— himselfe by the word remember in the Psalmes as Psalme 44. 4. and in other places For it is a rule amongst the Hebrewes in eâ—pounding of Scripture that verbâ— seâ—suâ— cum affectâ—◠〈…〉 so that by remembring the Sabbath wee should desire it delight in it and account the busines and imployment thereof honourable to us glorifying God in the consecrating it to him being joyfull in it and the duties of it both as the soules market day to provide it necessaries like as the Husband man is glad of the market to buy and sell in and as the soules holy-day for to procure it refreshing as Schoole-boies joy in a play-day and not bee weary of the day nor heavily doe the dutieâ— of it Broad CHAP. IV. Wherefore God ordained the Sabbath THe ends and purposes for which God ordained the Sabbath were many 1. That the Israelites might celebrate the memoriall of the Worlds creation as Exod. 31. 〈◊〉 It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for â—ver for in â—ixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seaventh day rested and was refreshed 2. That they might remember their deliverance Consider whether God commanding the Israelites to keepe the Sabbath because hee had brought them out of Egypt this bee an Argument that the Sabbath was then first enjoyned out of Egypt where 〈◊〉 doubt they might not rest any day from their burdens And remember that thoâ— wâ—st a servant in the Land of Egypt and that the Lord thy God brought theâ— out thence through a mighty hand and outstretchâ—d arme therefore the Lord thy God 〈…〉 3. â— That Servants and 〈◊〉 might rest and bee refreshed after their hard labour in the weeke before as Exod. 23. 12. sixe dayes thou shalt doe thy worke and 〈◊〉 the seaventh day thou shalt rest that thine Oâ—e 〈◊〉 Asse may rest and the Son of thine hand 〈◊〉 and the stranger may bee refreshed 4. That the Israelites might have more leisure to serve God who on this day as also on festivall dayes commanded them to have an holy convocation Sixe dayes shall worke bee done but the seaventh day is a Sabbath of rest and holy convocation Levit. 23. 5. That they might know how that hee was the Lord that did sanctifie them as Exod. 31. 13. Verity my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you 6. By some mens Doctrine the legall Sabbath served to put the Israelites in mind of keeping a spirituall Sabbath as the legall circumcision served to put them in mind of the spirituall circumcision of the heart hereof now in their understanding the Prophet Isaiah speaketh Chap. 58. 13. truly this spirituall Sabbath is the onely Sabbath in the judgement of Augustine Tertullian Chrysotome c. which Christians ought to keepe 7. The legall Sabbath was a type of the heavenly Sabbath it was a shadow of the blessed rest to come of which matter in the next Chap. Answer To the first of these I answer That the Israelites were a people contenting themselves with the outward part not savouring the inward and spirituall strength of things which is naturally the fault of all men till they bee better taught of God and for this reason God ever and anon made the Sabbath to follow as a Counter-checke to their carnall zeale And therefore when the making of the Tabernacle was commanded the Sabbath was even then exempted from its very worke to shew them that it was other worship that hee expected and that they were not to repose their happines and confidence in outward things but in God And as therefore in the time of Mannah hee commanded his Sabbath to shew them how that it was hee and not that which nourished them So likewise when the Tabernacle was commanded the Sabbath was urged upon them in this 31. Exod. to shew them how that it was God and not it that sanctified them And therefore did the one give place to the other So that the end of the Sabbath as it is expressed in this portion of Scripture betweene the 12. and 18. verses seemeth rather to consist in these words of the 13. verse for it is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever that yee may know that I the Lord do sanctifie you Those words which in the 17 verse make mention of the Worlds creation and Gods rest being rather added as a reason in this place to enforce this end For here it is not the meaning of the holy Ghost to discourse of the Sabbath simply but onely occasionally as appeareth by the coherence of the 11. 12. and 13. verses where the Sabbath is urged with a verily or a notwithstanding as it is in the Geneva that though hee had commanded the making of the Tabernacle yet hee would not have them repose their Religion or content in this outward Tabernacle or Temple for God dwelleth not in things made with hands but that they should looke to the spirituall part the Temple of their hearts that they should bee more carefull to build up and keepe that in repaire which did more properly distinguish them to bee the sanctified Israel of God Whosoever therefore is an Israelite indeed let him looke to make good this signe of his sanctification the sanctifying of the Sabbath by spirituall worship and service which doth excellently approve it to his conscience that God hath sanctified him that is chosen him to bee his and thus it is made holy to him as it is phrased in the 14. verse that is a day of blessing and sanctification for therein God bestoweth the best of his blessings because on that day wee are or ought to bee wholly imployed in the best of his ordinances such as belong to our soules and not to our bodies Therefore ought not this day to bee defiled with bodily imployments by such as are the Israel of God but to bee dedicated from earthly
renewed for his sake like as was the Law also for God makes them go hand in hand and so should wee to the end that both of them may appeare 1 That as the body is the cause of the shadow so Christ was the cause of those Ceremonies by the accident of our Fall to bee now only fulfilled and accomplished on our behalfes through and by Christ. 2 That as the shadow representeth the shape of the body with the actions and motions sod those rites and Ceremonies resemble Christ in all his actions passions motions I say 2 ly It may as well bee said that the whole Law is utterly abolished by Christ as the Sabbathâ— for that he hath fulfilled the righteousnes therof for us and yet we know that to us under the Gospell the Law is still binding in a Gospell sence requiring a willing and an upright though not an absolute and perfect obedience unto it And so are we to celebrate a Gospell Sabbath though not the last of seaven as expecting Rest by workes yet the first day of seaven as having and expecting Rest by Christ for still the Law and the Sabbath fate alike So that as one sayth Christ hath both accomplished and abolished the Ceremoniall Law the 〈◊〉 Law he hath accomplished but not abolished for Christ is the End of the Daw. But as Augustine well distinguisheth the perfecting not the destroying End But by the way I must in this place the better to cleare the truth take in two objections that are made against our acceptation of this 4. Heb First they object that Gods Rest there spoken of on the seaventh Day is not meant as typifying our Rest in Heaven but only is mentioned in way of similitude Ans 1. If the Sabbath be at all a Type it must bee so from the beginning for as M. Broad observeth it appeares not else by Scripture when the Sabbath became a shadow and which was the first Sabbath that was such if the first of all was not And againe that all other shadowes and Types were such from their first institution If the Sabbath be no Type why is it disputed to be no Morall Commandement but abrogated That it is the Churches Type appeares two wayes 1 From the olteration and change which it hath undergone since Christ. 2 By the inference which is made in way of consequence from Gods resting unto his Peoples resting in the connexion of the 9 and 10 verses of this 4 chap. Heb The Sabbath it s said was made for Man that is for his benefit and here to signify his happines hereafter so Mayer in locum saith that in Gods being said to rest there must needs be an alluding to a most joyfull Rest to be had by Man seeing he was never weary neither had he need of Rest so Anselm to prove the rest of the seaventh Day and that it prefigured a further rest to come hee aleadgeth the words saith hee of the history in Genesis The seaventh Day God rested from all his Workes for in that immediately after the making of Man these words were added it is plaine that the resting of man who was last made was meant hereby For as Augustine saith God was not weary so that he had need to rest in regard of his great labour but in those words he hath promised Rest to the labouring or because he made all things very good and then it is said he rested thou maist understand also that after thy good workes thou shalt rest and rest without end Secondly they object that by Rest there is not meant our Rest in Heaven but our Rest from Sinne here upon Earth or our Gospell rest To this I answer It cannot properly beare that sence for 1. It must bee such a Rest as God rested which was not from Sinne but an everlasting Rest in Heaven from the Works of Creation 2. It must be such a Rest as is spoken of in the fourth Commandement which is not properly a Rest from Sinne but a Rest from workes 3. As Mayer observeth it is there called Sabbatismus which signifieth a time of everlasting joy and festivity which cannot bee expressed which is only proper to Heaven 4. To put all out of doubt in the 14 verse of this 4 chap. Heb it is expresly called Heaven and Christ himselfe is implyed to rest it when he ascended into Heaven Nor doth the Apostles speaking in the present tense in the third verse of this chap saying Wee which have beleeved doe enter into Rest afford any Argument against it for that is only a speech of fayth implying the certainty thereof as also intimating the inchoation or entrance which the People of God make into this Heavenly Rest or everlasting Life even in this Life For the Apostles dispute there sheweth that God hath a Rest of everlasting Happines for his People as for himselfe and which now wee are become capable of only by the promise of the Gospell through Faith by reason of Christ our high Priest who is gone thither before us but for farther satisfaction see miâ—e Analâ—â— pag 38. Broad 4. The Sabbath was a shadow in as much as it was a Sabbath that is a day of rest and refreshing THe Sabbath as hath beene said was a shadow of the blessed rest to come and hereof now it was a shadow in respect it was a Sabbath or day of rest even as the Land of Canaan was a type of Heaven in as much as it was a place of rest Some will not have a Sabbath it selfe to bee a shadow but would Saint Paul have said the holy dayes new Moones and Sabbaths are shadowes if not these but circumstances onely about them had been a shadow where is the word Sabbath taken in such a sense The word Sabbath is to bee taken in such a sense Col. 2. as it is to bee taken in other places The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath Matth. 12. Mar. 2. The Sabbath was made for Man was the strict rest precise seaventh day or the like made for Man was the Son of Man Lord of the Sabbath onely in such respects but let us examine their Doctrine better The Sabbath they say was shadowish or ceremoniall in some respects The Sabbath was not a shadow in as much as it was the seaventh day but the seaventh day was a shadow in as much as it was the Sabbath or day of rest consider that the thing shadowed is the rest spoken of Hebr. 4. 9. as first in respect it was the seaventh day and here they say that the number of seaven is mysticall that it is the number of perfection and tell of seaven dayes and of seaven times seaven yeares c. Ans. 1. Why may not I say also that the number of three is mysticall I am sure that three Persons in one God is the greatest mistery of all others and I can tell them of three Persons in one God of three Angels appearing to Abram 2.
4. whereby their minds were to bee elevated above the Mannah that they should partake of on earth which they must enjoy with paines taking even to the Mannah which they should feed on in Heaven with rest from all labour and so is not yet fulfilled neither properly nor perfectly For wee must note that the Sabbath signified properly Gods rest or our rest with God not first Christs rest and then Gods though by reason of the admixtion of the Gospell in that time of the Law it signified Gods rest to bee by Christ as in its succession to Mannah hath beene shewne I say that properly it signified not Christs rest neither literally in respect of the time of the new covenant under the Gospell wherein we are set free from the burden which neither we nor our Fathers were able to beare nor spiritually in the soules of the regenerate freed from the Law for this their other Sabbaths did in regard this weekely Sabbath could not properly doe it at that time though now under the Gospell the Sabbath-day that attended the Law being done away this weekely Sabbath now supplieth the place of all their Sabbaths and now it selfe alone signifies our already entrance into our eternall rest inchoatively by being possessed of our soules spirituall rest in Christ a thing which whilest the Law was afoote it could not properly imply Because the Law gave no present rest but all future though in the time of the Law as aforesaid it was signified to bee made good to us by Christ. Yet it never properly signified the rest of Christ in the soule for then it had signified a present rest which was contrary to the Law and is now our priviledge under the Gospell The Sabbath-day being changed for that end from last to first For 4. Heb. 3. Wee which have beleved doe enter into rest where this rest of God is spoken of in a double respect to wit as denied to carnall Israel that sought to possesse themselves of it by works but granted to Gods spirituall Israel that seeke it of Grace through faith who shall not onely have it here after but even for present are possessed of it in their soules which happines the Law or first covenant never could afford So that although the Sabbath bee shadowish yet is it not the Iewes proper freehold but common with them and us being theirs onely as they were the elect Church and people of God to whom it universally belongeth and therefore was instituted even to Adam in innocency For the Church of God in the clearest state of it never was nor never shall bee upon earth without shadowish Sacraments and Sabbaths being her proper inheritance which were even in innocency where our eyes were clearer then they are now And seeing that the Sabbath is not properly Iewish it cannot bee said to bee abrogated because the substance is yet not come which is Heaven it selfe or our absolute rest and inablement to serve God there As was signified by that strict rest commanded to the Iewes on this Sabbath in the time of Mannah above other rests and other Sabbaths but onely changed to prove to us that the Gospell estates us in that rest and that presently which the Law should but could not And now in our dayes the stricter that wee rest from worldly distractions and the more sanctifiedly that wee keepe the Sabbath the nearer wee imitate Gods example * Who yet on the seaventh day that hee rested ceased not to cherish and maintaine all things that hee had made by his providence and in necessary and mercifull providence wee are to imitate God on that day as well as in resting and fulfill his intention in the institution of the Sabbath and the better wee performe our duty in glorifying God as the Iewes did in doubling their sacrifices on that day and the more comfort wee reape to our selves in lively moralizing thence our heavenly rest which we shall have hereafter free from all corruptions interruptions temptations * Doing God double service in Heaven to that wee doe him here For in proportion all that belong unto the Iewes concerning their resting and sanctifying the Sabbath belong likewise to us consideratis considerandis Broad CHAP. VI. ARguments prooving that the precept of the Sabbath is not morall nor perpetuall * Did some men teach onely that the precept of the Sabbath was greater and of longer continuance then the precepts of the holy-dayes it were not so strange but that the precept of the Sabbath and the precepts of the holy-dayes should bee of different natures the one morall and the other not is incredible Answer A pitifull shift that these Antisabbatarians and the Papists are driven to for the maintenance of their opinions even to the downe right adventuring to blot out that which God himselfe hath written with his owne hand a greater boldnes then King Belshazzar durst attempt touching the writing on the wall witnes Master Broad here and Vasquez the Iesuite else-where who being driven to acknowledge by comparing the words of the second commandement with the fourth of Deut. that the Scripture doth forbid the adoration of the true God himselfe in an Image and confessing with all that hee and his fellow Catholicks doe other wayes what saith hee then to the commandement why because it will not bee obeyed it must bee repealed and not admitted to have any place amongst the morall precepts of God it was saith hee a positive and ceremoniall Law and therefore ought to cease in the time of the Gospell thus making the commandemen of God of none effect to keepe their owne traditions Gab. Vasquez lib. 2. disput 4. cap. 4. sect 84. But the Iesuites come short of the subtilties of our age for they bluntly explode the second commandement whereas they might have let it stand still with a distinction Like as some of our Antisabbatarians For they cannot all agree upon the point doe let the fourth commandement stand though not for its owne sake or as a Law though wee must pray Lord encline our hearts to keepe this Law as wee doe to the rest but onely for some other causes and consideration dictated by our Antisabbatarians some one some another to keepe the ten commandements from a blancke I wonder what one man of a thousand hath wont to pray that prayer after the reading of the fourth commandement in their sense which if they will have passe for Doctrine they must either alter the frame of the commandement or else explode it as Master Broad doth But Doctor Heylyn part 2. pag. 241. objects that if this ejaculation bee to bee understood in a literall sense according as the words are laid downe in terminis it then must bee the meaning of it that wee should pray unto the Lord to keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes even the seaventh day precisely from the Worlds creation and keepe it in the selfe same manner that the Iewes once did To which I answer that
as touching your second reason why God should thus antedate the Sabbath and have such a speciall eye to Israel in the time of Innocency when there was no partition wall built up I see no reason nor could the ancient Iewes ever dreame of such an interpretation neither can you produce the like example in any thing else from all the Scripture to give some colour of probability to your conceit But some there are who screw their wits further then you to foyle this Doctrine of the Sabbath Ob. and for want of other objections stick not to say that those words Gen. 2. ver 3. were not at all delivered by God in Innocency but are onely by Moses speaking there of Gods rest aptly introduced in way of Anticipation declaring what God did then the better to give authority to the Sabbath that was instituted in his time To which I answer three things as followeth Ans. 1. That they may as well and better affirme the the foure and twentieth verse of that Chapter to be a deduction drawn and inserted orbiter by Moses Had these objectors lived in the time of the Iewes before this Gospell of Math. 19. 5. was written they would doubtlesse readily have sided for the maintenance of Moses his bill of divorce and have invented tricks against the law of marriage mentioned Gen. 2. vers 24. as now they doe against the law of the Sabbath mentioned vers 3. In both which Moses doth alike couple the example and duty whereas had it not been then preceptive why should Moses pussle our faith and transgresse the rules of method not contenting himselfe with the relation of the history alone as it is penned vers 2. especially seeing he needed not have begged any credit to the duty of the Sabbath by inserting it into that place For God had sufficiently warranted it under his owne hand in the Tables of stone from mount Sinai I say they have farre lesse reason to make this a Prolepsis of Moses his inserting then that of 24. vers of this second of Genesis which rather seemes to be an inference of Moses his owne collecting from Adams former words in the verse foregoing then this a Prolâ—psis of his inserting from Gods resting on the seventh day And the reason likewise is the same for whereas it was done saith D. Heylyn pag. 10. by Moses because of the Iewes adversenesse to observe that day and therefore they are minded of it by an intimation of the equity and reason of it even in the entrance of Gods book derived from Gods first resting on that day after all his works So in like manner they may alleadge this to be a minding of them of their duty in this from the equity and reason of Gods making them male and female at first because of the aversenesse of the Iewes to this conjugall law seeing that Moses was faine to grant them a bill of divorce for the hardnesse of their hearts besides the Polygamy that even the Patriarchs gave example of But I know no man affirme this later and if any doe let them compare this 24. verse with Math. 19. 4 5. and their mouthes will soon be stopped and as little reason have they to affirme the former but to grant this its being from the beginning as well as that 2. I answer That if these words Gen. 2. 3. were onely inserted of Moses and were not institutive but that Gods giving the law of the Sabbath to the Iewes was the first institution of it then these words of the fourth Commandement mentioned Exod. 20. 11. would have run in the present tense thus therfore the Lord blesseth or doth now blesse the seventh day and halloweth it and not in the preter tense thus therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it for this hath a reference with it implying it to have been done aforetime of God as indeed it was like of those last words of the third verse of the second of Gen. which God had created and made imply a precedent Creation in Innocency not referring to its institution upon the fall of Mannah as some object for then there was no mention made of blessing and hallowing 3. I answer That this appeares plainly to be the meaning of the Church of England though opposed by our late Doctors which in the Bible allowed by Canon Canon 80. in the contents prefixed to the second chapter of Gen. calleth it peremptorily the first Sabbath But Bish. White brings in this objection p. 42. That the Law of the fourth Commandement was not agreeable to the state of Innocency 1. For that in that happy estate there was no toylesome labour c. Sweat of face entred into the world after the fall and before the fall mans labour was matter of delight and pleasure To which I answer 1. That this is a good argument with those that grant him rest to be either the onely or principall sanctification of the Sabbath 2. That there was labour enjoyned Adam which though it was not toylesome yet as we have elsewhere observed it must necessarily take him off from immediate contemplation and more solemne service and worship and that he was so farre capable of wearisomnesse even in Innocency as to have found other manner refreshment in divine and spirituall things then in worldly affaires 3. No more was Gods labour in the worke of creation toilesome but delightfull and yet he saith of himselfe that he rested the seventh day Secondly he objects That Adam being a free man might have intermitted labour at any time when himself pleased To which I answer 1. So no doubt might God in his worke of Creation 2. And so Adam by voluntary worship in keeping every day Sabbath and not this should have lost an excellent and significant ordinance as I have proved the Sabbath to be Iust as they would now have an every day Sabbath under the Gospell to blow up the weekly Sabbath As if because that under the Gospell God hath promised that he will teach us * Or as if because it is promised that now under the time of the Gospell wee shall have the Law written in our hearts in opposition to it as it was graven in stone and so given to the Israâ—lites We should turne Antinomians and not allow the Law in a sutable sense to our times viz. as a rule of obedience and a repaire to decayed nature to belong to us Ier. 31. 31 34. therefore we might cast away the use of meanes whereby we are to get knowledge But as the best way to be taught of God is to use the meanes whereby he workes knowledge So the best way to keep this every day Sabbath is to sanctifie the Sabbath of the Lord that so the Lord of the Sabbath may sanctifie us as he hath promised And those that most truly and conscionably desire to keep an every day Sabbath to the Lord finde most need of a Sabbath being built up sensibly thereby the
regard of their superstitious resting which they used upon the Sabbath as that they would rather endure to dye then fly especially considering the Religion they put in that tradition of a Sabbath daies journey which was but two miles as they accounted it So that had they fled â—ut two miles further then their stint they would have thought themselves more to have violated the Sabbath then if they had spent the whole day in contentions and seditions within the City For of such force is zeale when it is not according to knowledge of Scripture as that through our corrupt nature it bindeth the conscience more straight then any command of God rightly understood As we may see by those souldiers who when they were besieged rather then they would drinke of the well into which a dog was throwne they would starve or render the City * Turkish History And so doubtlesse would many of the Iewes chuse to dye before they would fly further then their superstitious tradition gave them leave But as I have given truth its due in commending your exposition so give me leave to discover the fallacy of your marginall sophisme by comparing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 already spoken of in the 2 Col. 16. There because it maketh for your advantage you will have it to be meant the weekly Sabbath and yet the Article is not prefixed and in this place you will have it to be meant the lewish Sabbath because the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not prefixed This is scarce good dealing But I pray you let one and the same defect beget one and the same sense in both places and so let them both passe alike for the Iewish extraordinary festivals and so your Argument shall not only prevaile with us but evince the truth Broad CHAP. VIII VVHat would follow were the fourth Commandement morall or perpetuall Such as give a different sense of the same Law at sundry times make it like a nose of waxe Were the fourth Commandement morall or perpetuall it would follow that we Christians ought to keep the Iewes Sabbath for the meaning of this Commandement must needs be the same as heretofore it was A Law cannot say one thing to day and another to morrow though a Law-giver may And now the meaning of the fourth Commandement heretofore was * God sanctified the seventh day Gen. 2. not one day of seven or the like the fourth commandement enjoyned the same that the seventh day wherein God rested should be sanctified other meaning this Commandement could have none as the words thereof doe manifestly declare they import this and nothing else Such I know among us as urge the perpetuity of the fourth Commandement will have it bind now to sanctifie the Lords-day but they cannot agree among themselves show this strange matter â—hould come to passe I say this strange matter for there being an old statute for fasting on the Friday if it should be said that hence forward we should be bound thereby to fast upon Saturday would it not seeme wonderfull strange A strange matter it is that the fourth Commandement should bind to sanctifie the Lords-day and how it may come to passe many strange opinions there are which I thinke needfull here briefly to examine 1. Opinion There are who teaching that the fourth Commandement bindeth to sanctifie the Lords-day will have it thus to come about They say that those words in the beginning Remember to sanctifie the Sabbath are for substance the whole fourth Commandement that which followeth being only an explication and a reason and here they take the word Sabbath in a generall sense so that this with them is a more generall Commandement then if God had said Remember to sanctifie the seventh day Ans. I acknowledge that these words are for substance the whole fourth Commandement as you teach but whereas you put a difference betweene Sabbath and seventh day Consider further 1. That once onely before mention is made of the Sabbath and that Sabbath was the seventh day 2. Remember saith God to sanctifie the Sabbath and what Sabbath should they remember to sanctifie but that before mentioned 3. That the word Sabbath is not to be taken againe in such a generall sence throughout tâ—e Scripture this I cannot approve of for these reasons 1. Because then the word Sabbath should be taken in one sense in the beginning of the Commandement and in another towards the end for towards the end by Sabbath must needs be meant the seventh day onely And rested the seventh day wherfore the Lord blessed the Sabbath and sanctified it Here Gods resting on the seventh day is the reason why he sanctified the Sabbath and can it be a reason of sanctifying another day besides the seventh day especially seeing he laboured on all the other Suppose that we had the like speech in the new Testament as thus He rose again on the first day wherefore he blessed the day of resurrection and sanctified it Who would not take the day of resurrection here for the first day only Reas. 2. By this your Doctrine the fourth Commandement should be of larger extent then that Commandement in the beginning suppose it were a Commandement as you would have it for there it is said God blessed the seventh day not the Sabbath Answer In stead of answer to this in this place I referre you to a review of your first Chapter and mine where the selfe same point is largely discoursed Onely a word or two more 1. Touching your consequence of the unchangeablenesse of the Iews day into ours if the fourth Commandement be admitted morall See for this Eatâ—nus de Sabbato pag. 40. de Moralitate Sabbathi Neque enim saith he mutâ—bile cum ceremoniâ—li bene est coniunctum aut cum eo convertendum Quamvis enim omne ceremoniale sit mutabile non é contra tamen Multa enim sunt positiva â—â—â—tabilia quae non sunt Ceremoniâ— huius generis sunt leges Iudiciales Exod. 21. c. Sic etiam totuâ— Decaloguâ— aliquo modo mutabilis fuit ut disertè Apostolus expriâ—it in 3 ad Gal. 13. Christus redemit nos ab execratione legis cap. 4. 30. Ejice ancillam filium eius quâ— ancilla ut vers 25. apparet moâ—â— Sicai erat qui est in Arabia Hoc est lex quae ibi pronunciata fuit Hisce liquet quod lex maleâ—â—ctio eius in Christo sunt abrogata quatenus aliquo modo erant murabilia totam autem legem ceremonialem esse nemo est qui dixerit 2. And touching your instance or similitude of fasting Friday by Statute I answer That indeed it were strange to turn Friday into Saturday by vertue of the letter of the same law Rebus sic stantibus but put case we had some extraordinary Deliverance fell out on Friday as the Gun-powder Treason and were to keepe it weekely as we are the Sabbath then if either
the Parliament sedente curia should alter the law or the King by a non obstante should for this cause publish an alteration or by his and the Courts example should change the day from Friday to Saturday in memory of that Deliverance Friday being made thereby rather a Day of Feasting then Fasting I thinke no wise man will say that the law was repealed or suffered any detriment by this So c. Christ came not to give new lawes but to renew the old upon a new condition and in this sense was it a new Commandement to love one another And thus is the Lords Day a renewed Sabbath not given as a new law but altered by example For ours is a new Sabbath as the Covenant is said to be a new Covenant which is only in exhibition not in substance For there was nothing but by the coming of Christ it was ground under one of these two wheeles either it suffered abrogation or qualification But the Sabbath suffered not abrogation Therefore Qualification And which was proper to Christ who though he came not to give new lawes yet he was to qualifie and renew the old upon Evangelicall tearmes Broad 2. Opinion By this first opinion though the fourth Commandement bindeth to keep the Sabbath yet not the seventh Day but others teach that it bindeth to keep the seventh day as heretofore it did Those have then to prove that the Lords-day is the seventh or last of the weeke Now how can they prove this They deale wisely herein for they have not the least shew of proofe Nay I know not any that hath so much as gone about it hitherto and to save their pains hereafter I would have them know that the Scriptures Fathers and Reason are against them in this matter 1. The Scriptures are against them for they terme the Lords-day the first of the weeke in two places Act. 20. 2 Cor. 16. It is imagined that Christ before his Ascension or the Apostles presently after commanded to keep the Lords-day for Sabbath which if Christ or his Apostles had done and it had been needfull that the Lords-day should be the seventh day Either the Sabbath was not so soone changed into the Lords-day or it was not then needfull that the Lords day should be the seventh day doubtlesse order should have been taken for this also and then Saint Paul would not have tearmed it the first of the weeke well-neere twentie yeeres after this time writing especially unto the Gentiles 2. The Fathers are against them for they tearmed Wednesday the fourth of the weeke Si dies observare non licet Origen Nicephorus have the like saying menses tempora annos nos quoque simile crimâ—n incurrimus quartum Sabbati observantes parascenem diem Dominicum c. Hieron in Gal. 4. 3. Reason is against them for if the Iews Sabbath untill the change were the seventh day how should the next day be the seventh also Consider that the name seventh hath reference to other dayes going before Either there must be once two seventh dayes together or there must be one monstrous weeke consisting of eight dayes or else one day must be in no weeke Answer It is not needfull to prove the Lords-day to be the last day of the weeke It is enough to hold correspondencie with the Commandement if we prove it to be the seventh day not in order but in number For though the Commandement bindeth perpetually to the number it was and is the present condition of the Church in regard of our benefit from God and Gods Covenant to us which bindeth us to the order first or last In which adjournment we as is requisite retain and observe the scope and equitie of the Commandement since God hath afforded us sixe dayes for the dispatch of our own businesses that we should willingly dedicate the seventh to his worship For the altering of the circumstance of time doth not abolish the substance of the Commandement This difference is evident and usuall in other matters as for instance It was one thing to have the Tridentine Councell translated to Bolonia and the ending of it was another thing So there is a difference between the adjourning of the last to the first and the dissolution of the Sabbath day And although the Sabbath be now the first day of the weeke in one respect to wit according to order yet it remaines still the last in another respect to wit as they are seven in number And that it was thus even in the Christians account the last as well as the first appeareth in the 1 Cor. 16. where Paul biddeth them that every first day of the weeke every one should contribute as God had prospered him to wit in the sixe fore-going work-dayes And as touching your reason I answer that every thing must have a time of institution and beginning Had God made Adam the first day then had he kept Gods seventh day Sabbath but God making him the sixth day and he being first to spend sixe dayes in one kinde of imployment and the seventh in another thereupon it is more then likely he was to keepe the thirteenth day from the first day of the Creation as his first Sabbath and not the fourteenth day as his second * Had Adam kept Gods seventh day Sabbath then had he kept a Sabbath in Innocency for it was instituted before his fall Againe if to be God did raine Mannah on the first day according to the computation of the Creation then they kept that seventh day Sabbath But if he did not begin to raine Mannah on that day but on some other in the weeke then was that computation broken and yet the Sabbath rightly kept So had Christ risen on the last day of the weeke but then had not Isaiah his prophecie been fulfilled 65. 17. then had we observed that day but the Sonne of man as you say being Lord of the Sabbath its fit the Sabbath should waite on him and not he on the Sabbath and therefore as he chose the first day to rise on as likewise the morning and not the evening to rise in so have we done well after Saint Pauls rule in imitating him as he imitated Christ in keeping the Lords-day Sabbath ever since which as I have noted before was not darkly prefigured in the keeping the first and seventh day in the time of the Passeover As like wise to being the Sabbath in the morning and not in the evening which yet cannot be done without some losse of time being that the Iewes Sabbath ended at the evening for if we change the day because of Christs resurrection and by Pauls example why not then the terminations of the day according to the time of Christs resurrection and example of Paul in his practice at Troâ—s I speake this as an argument against some that are of opinion the Sabbath still beginneth at evening as in the time of the Iewes and first
words Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day A place of Scripture if soberly consulted especially considering withall the preterition of the Creation in that place whereby this becomes not only a motive but the sole reason not easily answered by our Antisabbatarians For as one saith well In the 5. Deut. The reason of the Redemption from Egypt is put as a cause of sanctifying the Sabbath so that there beginneth a translation though not of the day it self yet of the use and sanctification of the day as to be kept in an holy and thankfull memory of the Redemption from Egypt which was but a Type and figure of our spirituall Redemption by Christ which their Redemption from Egypt if taken only literally was not to be compared to the worke of Creation that it should challenge to it selfe a right in the Sabbath before the Creation but only as it typified and prefigured that glorious worke of Redemption Now if the Redemption from Egypt which was but a Type were so glorious a worke as that the Sabbath day should be kept rather in memory of that then of the Creation then what shall we say of the worke of Redemption it selfe which doth so farre exceed in glory that from Egypt as the Sunne doth the shadow If therefore Gods ancient people were to keep the Sabbath day in memory of their Rest from Egypt how much more when a greater Rest from a greater worke of Redemption even the true and eternall Rest is come in and we in Christ doe enter into it as Heb. 4. 3. ought that day of the weeke be kept holy wherein the Lord rested from his most glorious and gracious worke And this may serve to answer your unanswerable conclusion following if you will weigh it without prejudice Broad To conclude By no wayes or meanes yet found out can it be That the precept of the Sabbath should bind to sanctifie the Lords-day And I could wish my brethren not to busie their braines to finde out more wayes as having busied them too much hereabouts already Were the fourth Commandement a law in force still it should bind to sanctifie the Iewes Sabbath and none other Broad But suppose that the fourth Commandement did bind to sanctifie the Lords-day What would follow were the fourth Commandement a law still in force and did bind to sanctifie the Lords-day See my Latine Tract Chap. 5. what would follow thereupon That we might doe no more work on our dayes then the Iewes might doe on theirs for there is not the least colour of dispensation in Gods word for doing of more and indeed after some mens doctrine we may doe no more not picke up a few sticks nor buy a little oyntment nor step over the doore sill to gather up Mannah c. See M r. Dod and M r. Cleaver on the fourth Commandement Answer It matters not what would follow now no more then what did follow when the Commandement was confessedly of force For certainly if we be to keepe a Sabbath to the Lord if we could herein doe the will of God on earth as it is done in heaven by keeping it here in the Type as they keepe it in heaven in the Antitype it were so much the better wholly heavenly free from all carnall and earthly distractions so farre as necessitie will give leave and to doe even these necessary things with such heavenly mindednesse as that the rules both of Pietie to God and charitie to our selves are fulfilled therein If at any time much more on that day â—it ought to be our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heavenly father in earth as it is done in heaven And it is apparent in Christian experience that he which that day keepeth himself and his heart diligently from terrene thoughts words and actions imploying them contrarily groweth most in grace hath the sweetest Communion with God the greatest measure of Divine comfort for a Christian never feeleth such sound comfort as when he spiritually observeth it and is the ablest to long after his dissolution * For God blessed the Sabbath day that is appointed it to be a day of blessings to them that sanctifie it which they doe that observe to dâ—e these three things 1. That they keep it delightfully not with tediousnesse grudging 2. That they busie themselves in all holy things acting them in the spirit 3. That they spend the whole day wholly and not partly thus These as M. Dâ—d rightly observeth only inhâ—rit the blessings entailed upon the Sabbath by promise which shew it to be Gods ordinance for he is wont to give a blessing to his own ordinance Whereas those that fight so much against it it is like never felt the sweetnesse of it as for your self I will passe no censure of you for I know you not but some I am able to produce that are of this licentious opinion concerning the Sabbath and are as little strict in other things which are uncontroversably naught to the scandall of the Ministery and to the palpable arguing that because they entertaine not the truth in the love of it God hath either given them over to beleeve a lie or else that they take up this opinion more to countenance their corruptions then to maintaine Truth For non-residency a formall and lazy ministery and such like follow as naturally upon this as falling away doth upon free-will Your manner of instancing is naught thus to goe about to lessen the Commandement it self and our obedience to it by a sleightie expression of the things commanded Had Adam thus excused himself to God when he accused him of rebellion and told him why it was but a mouth-full of an apple c. the aggravation had been worse then the fault a few sticks a little oyle c. is it the fewnesse of the sticks the littlenesse of the oyle that give ens and non-ens to the Sin He that hath his eyes anoynted though but with a little of Gods eye-salve knoweth that the thing commanded is to be judged by the commandement and not the commandement by the thing commanded Me thinks that Memento or watchword set at the beginning of the Commandement and so usefully expounded by M. Dod and M. Cleaver to quicken our circumspection in providing for the sanctifying of the Sabbath by prevention and foresight should have answered this Argument in the hatching especially in these petty things you speake of considering that the lesse the temptation the greater the sin But to your instances themselves I answer That in all things whatsoever a lawfull necessity granteth a lawfull liberty on the Sabbath as for gathering of Mannah I have formerly shewed you why it did bind and for what time And therefore instead of further answer I will insert for a conclusion the positive truth of such workes as may be done on the Sabbath day as you shall find it in M r. Richard Byfeild pag. 95 96. There are saith he
Commandement in the fourth precept of the Law enjoyned 2. That it is given of God in expresse charge to all men 3. That all men are charged to cease from all weekly and worke-day labour and rest from common and daily businesses and give themselves wholly to heavenly exercises of Gods true Religion and service 4. That all this standeth in force upon all men for the Lords-day from the example of God himselfe who wrought sixe dayes and rested the seventh and blessed and sanctified it and consecrated it to quietnesse and rest from labour which example bindeth us to imitation * when the Lord 〈◊〉 said the seventh day is the Sabbaâ—h of the Lord hee enjoyned our Sabbath which is also the seventh day And that this was the proper meaning of our Church besides the former words take these that follow in the Homily also they are these This Example and Commandement of God the godly Christian people began so follow immediatly after the ascension of our Lord Christ and began to chuse * From these words Christain people chose the first day M. Broad elsewhere â—ath argued that the doctrine of our Church granteth the observation of the Lords day to be an Ecclâ—siasticall ordinance and not an Apostolical precept which objection or argument you have fully answered in M. Cleaver his Morality of the Law pag. 137 c. whither I refer you them a standing day of the weeke to come together in yet not the seventh day which the Iewes kept but the Lords-day the day of the Lords Resurrection the day after the seventh day which is the first day of the weeke Ten times is the sanctifying of the Lords-day in that part of the Homily called the Commandement of God in all meaning no other then the fourth Commandement Now why should some be bold to say and be suffered to put forth this wicked doctrine to the casting an aspersion on our famous Church That to establish the Lords-day upon the fourth Commandement is to encline too much to Iudaisme This also layeth the like aspersion on the Scottish Church * Preface of the assembly at 〈◊〉 which teacheth that the sanctification of the Lords-day is of diuine institution as well by reason of the divine precept commanding the seventh day in generall to be observed as of the practise of Christ which hath the force of a divine precept Broad A Treatife of the Lords-Day CHAP. I. THe Church of Christ hitherto consisted of Iews and Gentiles And as touching the beleeving Iews at Ierusalem The Church of the Iewes Acts 〈◊〉 10. it is out of question that for many yeeres they observed the same day as before for they were zealous of the Law one part whereof was the observation of the seventh day If Baptisme would not serve them in stead of Circumcision who can beleeve that the Lords-day would serve them in stead of the Sabbath Yea Iames and the Elders did not so much as teach them Acts â—1 â—4 that the law of Commandements contained in ordinances was abolished as it is manifest in that they desire Saint Paul to make it appeare by his practice that the report of him was nothing and that he himselfe also walked orderly and kept the Law John 5. But were they zealous of the Sabbath or not when the unbeleeving Iews were so much offended w th Christ afore time for the carriage of a bed on the Sabbath Acts â—1 28. and at this time with Saint Paul for prophaning the Temple as they supposed it cannot be that they would suffer their Sabbath and other Holy-dayes to be prophaned by Christians as long as their Common-wealth stood It is then out of question that the Church at Ierusalem a long time observed the Sabbath and now Mention is thrice made of the Lords-day but alwayes among the Gentiles that besides the Sabbath and other Holy-dayes enjoyned in the Law they sanctified the Lords-day and so rested from worke two dayes in every weeke I cannot beleeve without some proofe and 〈◊〉 I have seene none at all Answer Here in you fight with your own shadow for it is easily yeelded all you say but what you would conclude hence I see not or what you can well conclude from the weaknesse of the beleeving Iewes to disprove the Lords-day to be the Sabbath no more then you can prove Baptisme to be no Sacrament because many of them held themselves still to Circumcision in all which Paul was â—aine to comply with them that by becoming all to all he might win some Yet still keeping the Doctrine of Christian libertie whole among the Gentiles * Verse 21. of that 21. Chapter where there was no stumbling blocke though in his practice he warped towards the weak Iews amongst them at Ierusalem And therefore did those that advised him to comply with the Iewes declare their faith in the point and shew him that it was meerely done to winne upon their weaknesse as appeareth in the 25. verse which I would have you take notice of as well as of the 20. and 24. verses * Of thâ—t â—1 Acts. where they tell him as touching the Gentiles that beleeve we have written and determined that they observe no such thing So that from the practice of the Apostles among the beleeving Gentiles we are to gather conclusions for our directions and not from the practice either of the Iewes or of the Apostles among the Iewes For you your self will say that the Iewes 〈…〉 observing the Sabbath because you say it was then abrogated And I say they erred in observing that day Sabbath for as Iames and the elders said to 〈◊〉 in the 25 verse of that 21. Chap. of the Acts 〈…〉 say I concerning the Sabbath That they had taugâ—t the Gentiles to observe no such thing as to keepe the 〈◊〉 seventh day nor yet did they â—each to keepe no day Sabbath but instituted the Lords-day there where they know they might doe it usefully Broad As touching the Church of the Gentiles The Church of the Gentiles I see no likelyhood that for some yeers the beleeving Gentiles came together rather on one day then on another but esteeming every day alike and assembled as often as they could with conveniency And thus it continued as may be thought untill neere twentie yeeres after Christs resurrection for the text of Scripture were first we finde mention of any such matter is â— Car. 16. which Epistle was written above twentie yeeres after Christ arose as is said by some learned The Epistle was written before the meeting at Troas againe for a time after the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles there was no need of an appointed day some few only in a Citie imbracing the faith of Christ. Answer Happily this is true which you say concerning the Church of the Gentiles also That for a long time they used no such Sabbath but assembled as they could conveniently But what doth this argue against
the Lords-day being the Sabbath no more then that of the Iews aforesaid For we are not to judge of the Church of the Gentiles in their worst but in their better estate This new Creation had at first its Chaos as well as the old without forme till things were perfected by degrees now a little and then a little It was no little while before they were perswaded that fornication was a deadly sinne The Lords-day received its Institution at the consummation of this new Creation as the Sabbath did at the consummation of the old though perhaps this by reason of the Churches non age had its intermission like as that had being also set a foot in its season as that was But let us not pitch either upon the rudenesse of the Iews or the rawnesse of the Gentiles to take example by but see the disposing providence and directing hand of God in the Apostles them selves in those times who were ordered by the speciall instinct of the spirit and we shall see that in the 20 th of Iohn where in the 19 th verse it is said that the same day at night which was the first day of the weeke and when the doores was shut where the Disciples were assembled for feare of the Iews came Iesus c. and so again in the 26 th verse it is said That eight dayes after againe the Disciples were within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus c. Which sheweth Gods speciall hand in assembling them on the day of Christ resurrection and the Spirits care to record it for our learning together with Christs approbation and blessing thereof by his presence Neither is there the least mention made of the Iewish Sabbath but it is reckoned in the Text as the rest eight dayes after and so Paul he passeth over the Iewish Sabbath as an ordinary day in the 20. Acts 6. and honoureth only the first day of the weeke when he saith That he abode at Troas seven dayes and the first day of the weeke the Disciples being come together c. D r. Heylyn Part. 2. pag. 22. to make the matter good biddeth us take notice that Paul had tarryed at 〈◊〉 seven dayes before this meeting But we may do better to take notice that he wrongs the Text which implies no such thing but that his stay was but seven dayes in all for the 6. verse having briefly told us Pauls journall from Philippi to Troâ—s it also sheweth us the number of dayes that he spent there which were but seven in all where we abode seven dayes saith he and then the 7. verse historizeth to us the remarkeable example of Paul and the Disciples touching the first day of the weeke only being silent of the rest And upon the first day of the weeke when the Disciples c. And as touching that 1 Cor. 16. which you mention The words of Paul there seeme to take for granted the foreknowledge and acquaintance that the Christian Coriâ—ths already had of that day to be the Lords And if so be the Lords-day be not the Sabbath why was it kept of them and is it now kept of us in paralel to the Sabbath weekly and not anniversarily or yeerely as Easter-day and other remembrances of Christ are and as all the times of Commemorations which the Church of her own accord dedicated have ever and only been as we see by the feasts of Puriâ— and of dedication among the Iews and so now amongst us Christâ—â—â— and Easter c. Broad We read that the Disciples weré called first Christians at Antioch though by whose meâ—â—â— it be not said in the Acts but as touching the meeting on the first day of the week Acts 11. 26. we neither find where it began nor by whom This in my judgement is very probable if not certain that this manner of assembling on the first day of the weeke was approved by the Apostles as was the name of Christians Yea and Christ himselfe may seeme to approve it likewise in as much as on this day he revealed those mysteries to the beloved Disciple So long it was between the writing of the first Epistle to the Corinths and the Revelation About fortie yeeres after this order began the name Lords-day was given to the first of the weeke which name had it been given when Saint Paul wrote his first Epistle to the Corinths and Saint Luke the Acts it is probable that one of them would have used it and yet it is not improbable that this name Lords-day was given as soone as the day began to be in any great account Answer It is true that in Antioch the Disciples were first called Christians and be the meanes what it will it was not without the speciall hand of God nor without a speciall prophecy and promise as appeareth in the 65 of Isaiah 15. Where the name of the Iews is cryed down and the name of the Christians set up * D r. Hall upon the place Ye shall leave your name as a curse unto my chosen for the Lord God shall slay you and call his * Marke God himself was the Father and gave the name who â—ver was the God-father servaâ—â—â— by another name And as thus God prophecyed the alteration of the old name into a new in the 15 th verse so in the 17. verse he prophecyed the alteration of the Creation from old to new together with the forgetfulnesse of the old by reason of the joyfull remembrance of the new which was yet further prophecyed by the Psalmist in the 118. Psal. 22. 24. The stone which the builders refused that is crucified and cast off is the head of the corner that is is raised again of God and made our salvation for this is the sense thereof as you may see in the 4 th Acts 10 11 12. And what followeth in the Propheâ— of David That this worke of raising up Christ againe by his mightie power is a thing marvellous in our eyâ—s And that therefore this is the Day which the Lord * Is not this divine institution and a sufficient reasâ—n for the denomination of the Lords-day Dr. Andrews is exprâ—sse for it in his 13 Sermon upon the Resurection pag. 529. Sayes he How came it to be the Lords day but that as it is in the Psalme the Lord made it And why made he it but because on it the stone cast aside that is Christ was made the head-stone of the corner that is because then the Lord rose hath made for us to rejoyce and be glad in it as it followâ—th in the 23 and 24 verses of that 118 Psâ—lme Obiect But it will be objected that hereby is no particular day denoted but indefinitely the time of the publication of the Gospel Answ. To which I answer That the promise of the accomplishment of our 〈…〉 3. 15. on the very particular day of Christs 〈◊〉 is eminently meant hereby as is evident by compâ—ring this place with
of his worship consist in the observation of times or places neither did Christ or his Apostles command us Christians to any day whatsoever yet this generall Commandement we have 1 Cor. 14. Let all things be done to edifying decently and in order yea and Nature teacheth that there should be Times and Places set apart for publike meetings as we see the Gentiles had by the very light of nature 2. This order to assemble on the Lords-day had his beginning in the time of the Apostles and was approved by them neither is there the least doubt to be made but that were Saint Paul now alive he would approve of it in like manner onely he would be much more earnest then I have been aâ— or can be to have all superstition cleere weeded out of mens minds After the Apostles time the succeeding churches observed the same order as partly appeareth by these sayings of Iustin Martyr and others before alleadged and thus it hath continued ever since and no doubt shall so continue to the second coming of Christ. Some of late have made it a question whether the Church may change the Lords-day into any other day of the weeke but in my judgement they might well have spared their pains therein for what can be imagined wherefore any Church should attempt such a matter unlesse it be to withdraw some from a superstitious conceit they have of the day Let this errour be reformed and there is no feare of a change Answer To this changing of the Lords-day into another I answer That as the order of the last day in the weeke was significant in the time of the Iewes So is the first day now as I have observed before and as therefore that was commanded so was this prophecyed by Isaiah * I have formerly shewne how both by Isaiah and David this was cleerly foretoâ—dand promised in the old Testament and accordingly practised in the new and therefore can no more be altered now without contradiction of divine authority then the other could in the time of the Iewes Except you can imagine God hereafter to bestow a benefit on us as much greater then our Redemption as our Redemption was then our Creation Besides the Church hath no liberty to alter any day the which hath a cleare ground and warrant in the word which the Christian Sabbath or Lords-day hath And moreover you say Christ is Lord of the Sabbath if so then sure the priviledge and authority of altering belongeth only to him Broad The Apostle Hebrews 13. giveth this charge Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves and againe Rom. 13. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake Some peradventure hearing that God hath not immediately commanded us Christians to sanctifie the Lords-day as he did the Israelites to sanctifie the Sabbath will be ready to demand what need we then forbeare any worldly businesse on the Sunday for answer unto whom though unworthy of any let me also demand what need you repaire to the Church the place of prayer That you may so doe must we teach that God in expresse termes hath commanded to build Churches and in such places in every Parish Had these men lived in the time of the Law though they had forborne worke on the Sabbath yet certainly they would not have repaired to the Synagogues when they had been called they would have answered with Dathan and Abiram we will not come for God hath not bidden us come to such a place nor at such a time of the day Even in the time of the Law some things were lest to bee ordered by the Magistrate Should thy soâ—â—e being sent of thee into the field thinke with himselfe I need not goe for it is not written in the Scriptures that I should goe plow to day As God in generall termes hath charged thy sonne to obey his father so God in generall tearmes hath charged thee an inferiour to obey thy Governours both spirituall and temporall by whose joynt Commandement thou art bound to sanctifie the Lords-day and if thou wilfully breakest this double bond know that it is by the comming of another spirit upon thee then came upon Sampson heretofore even such a spirit as the man had that brake the yron chaines and setters in pieces Mark 5. Answer Pray you turne the point of this Argument into your owne breast and consider if the same authority which commandeth you to sanctifie the Lords-day doe not likewise in the Liturgy command you to pray for inablement to keep the fourth Commandement * Have a better nion of your 〈◊〉 then to think she wil command you to pray for that which you oâ—ght not to beleeve and practise but it sâ—emeth whosoever is in authority you will be supreme binding that authority that should rather bind you But if the authority be thus as you would make it in the hand of the Magistrate onely to appoint the time of Gods solemne worship and that the fourth Commandement is now of no force nor yet the prophecy or Apostolicke practice to bind us then you may say with Ames in his Medulla pag. 355. ut si ipsis videatur diem 〈◊〉 ex viginti aut triginta huic usui assignare non posint hoc nomine argui alicuius 〈…〉 aut scripturae Nay rather we may hence argue it as a fault in the Apostles and primitive times that they would take upon them of their authority to create so neere a semblance to the Sabbath and not rather an annuall remembrance of the Resuâ—â—ection and by an humane institution to shoulder out a divine one anâ— yet the substance thereof to wit the benefit of the Creation still remaineth to be remembred But it is strange that the Church should either assume this liberty or that we should give it to the Church 1. Seeing the fourth Commandement doth dictate to us both the proportion of time which we are to celebrate to God and the reason of that celebration the Time is the seventh day the reason is Gods resting from or consummating his greatest and beneficiallest worke which Christ the author and actor of the new Creation God and Man hath now fulfilled by his Resurrection and so pointed and appointed us the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the particular seventh day nothing dissenting from the Commandement nor destroying it but fulfilling and establishing it upon better tearmes 2. Seeing God commandeth to labour six dayes and to rest a seventh And Christ hath not exempted us from labouring in our calling to the end of our lives therfore a seventh day is to be kept for Sabbath weekly to the end of the world And it is not left in the power either of the Church or any humane authority doctrinally to shorten or enlarge this proportion of dayes for our labour and holy Rest or any way to abrogate or alter this Commandement Broad  Gal. 5. 13. For brethren ye
particular Conclusions To your last End I answer That it is most true that the Sabbath was a Type of the Heavenly Sabbath and a shadow of that blessed Rest to come and therefore transcendent to those Types which were properly lewish and of a Temporary nature whereas this Sabbath had its beginning with time and shall receive its ending with time when the workes are finished from the foundation of the World When as the Church of God is possessed of the Antitype then shall this universall Type vanish by the second comming of Christ as the Iewish Types have already vanished by his first comming Broad CHAP. V. 1. The Sabbath was a shadow SAint Paul in his second Chapter of the Epistle to the Coloss. hath these words Let no man judge you in Meat Coloss 2. 16. 17. or Drinke or in respect of an holy Day or of the new Moone Hoc est figurae fuerunt quae portenderent ea quae post essent verè exbiÌ„henda à Christo. Marlor or of the Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ. Here by Sabbath the Weekely Sabbaths are meant as I gather 1. Because St. Paul useth another word which doth most properly signifie the festivall Dayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Vnles by Sabbaths in this place the weekly Sabbaths be meant * Vide Tractâ— de Sab. cap. 2. erg 1. wee have not the least warrant in Gods word for working on the Iewes Sabbath The Sabbatarians heretofore might with more colour have put of any Text then this 3. Taking it for granted that wee 〈◊〉 not keepe the Iewes Sabbath how it is credible that S. Paul being Christs only Doctour about Dayes Rom 14. Gal 4. Coloss 2. and handling this matter purposely in three Epistles should not give us to understand as much in one of them and if in any in this 4. Thus it is taken by very many great Divines S. Aug termeth the Sabbath Sacramentum ambratile spir lit Instit lib 2. cap. 8. sect 28. cap 14. Calvin speaking of the fourth Commandement sayth umbratile veteres nuncupare solent so that it seemeth the Fathers generally for Sabbaths here understood the Weekely Sabbaths and therefore tearmed the fourth Commandement umbratile shadowish 5. I know no more but two or three in Print who take it otherwise and all that they can say is that it is Sabbaths in the plurall number See Math 28. 15. Acts 13. 14 16. 13. but Sabbaths importeth the Weekely Sabbath in many places Againe that with Sabbaths are adjoyned Meates and Drinkes and therefore that S. Paul speaketh of such Sabbaths as are in ranke with them which manner of arguing is tearmed Petitio principis This is all that ever I knew alledged by any which is so little that it only argueth a will to say something it is not so much as a shadow of sound proofe Besides this Text Coloss 2. There are other pregnant enough to prove that the Sabbath was a shadow Type or Ceremony as that Exod 31. 13. and and the like may be gathered by Heb 4. * See what I have written of this Textâ—â— my questions but of these Texts more shall bee said hereafter Answer 1. However there may be another word used to signifie Festivall Dayes yet you cannot deny but it is frequent to name their festivalls Sabbaths Because of the Rest and analogy which they had common with the Weekly Sabbath * Like as Magistrates are called Gods though there be other words to signify them And such is the sence of this Text as may probably appeare by these following reasons which you so slightly evade 1. Because it is Sabbaths in the plurall number for the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where it signifieth the Weekely Sabbath and not the Weeke it selfe is for most part either expressed in the singular number or if in the plurall then it is joyned with a word singular as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and after this manner it is also every where translated both in English and Latine but in this 2. Coloss 16. there are none of all these 2. Because Sabbaths are adjoyned with such things in this place of the Coloss which are indisputably abrogative and meerly Iewish * Such as are termed in the 14 verse the handwriting of ordinances and in the 17 verse are termed the shadowes of such things to come whose body is of Christ that is which are fulfilled in Christ and whose significations end when hee commeth But we know the signification as you your selfe confesse out of 4. Heb of the Sabbaths Rest is Heaven our Rest there which remaineth unfulfilled yet to the People of God as the same 4. Heb sheweth and therefore are these the likelier to be such For as Dr. Andrewes saith of the Sabbath how that it had beene folly to have put a ceremoniall Law amongst the Morall so say I in this case that it were strange if God who is the God of order and not of confusion should by his Apostle in this place mixe one of the ten Morall Commandements with the hand writing of Ordinances things meerely ceremoniall and abrogated To which two Reasons I adde these which follow 1. The Apostle himselfe did condescend to keepe the Weekely Sabbath with the Iewes not only for a time as he did some of the Iewish Holy-dayes as also their other rites but at all times and in all places as occasion offered as being a thing of a different nature from their Sabbaths which he taught 2. These three Holy-dayes New-moones and Sabbaths are but as I may so say Synonimies in sence signifying as it were one and the same thing in the intention of the Apostle by divers expressions for were not New moones Holy-dayes and Holy-daies Sabbaths so that if you dispâ—â—e from a seeming Tautology you may as well argue against New-moones as Sabbaths And I would know why Holy-daies and Sabbaths may not be as well one and the same in this place of the Coloss as in the 58. Isa 13. both of them in the one place signifying the Weekely Sabbath and in the other place the Iewish Sabbaths Which Synominy doth the rather appeare from that 4. Gal 16 which is the same in effect with this of the Coloss where the Apostle by Dayes Moneths Times and Yeares meaneth things of the same nature and Ordination to wit the Iewish abrogated Types and Ceremonies such as begun with Mans Fall or rather with Moses and ended with Christs Resurrection unto which the converted Gentiles did too much adhere not such as began in Paradice and shall end in Heaven But whereas it may bee objected that doubtlesse had not the Apostle intended all Sabbaths in the word plurall he would have made some particular exception of the Weekely Sabbath considering how considerable it was so to do if he would have had the Weekely Sabbath to bee understood to bee still of force To this I
the 31. of Exod. wee read thus Verely my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene mee and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie you The like was signified by cleane meats Levit. 〈◊〉 24 25 26. Act. 〈◊〉 12 13 14 15 20. Here by sanctifying is meant separating from other Nations to bee a peculiar people to himselfe In this sense Aaron and his Sons are said to bee sanctified Exod. 29. 44. Aaron and his Sons were sanctified and severed from the other Levites to bee the Lords Priests and the Israelites were sanctified and severed from other Nations to bee the Lords people of which sanctifying the Sabbath was a signe in as much as it was a day sanctified and seperated from other dayes of the weeke for the Lords service Now if God gave the Sabbath for a signe to the Israelites the Sabbath could not bee common to other Nations and consequently was a meere ceremony as was circumcision Abraham received the signe of circumcision and the Israelites received the signe of the Sabbath Hence I thus argue such as is the Sabbath such is the precept thereof The Sabbath is a signe therefore the precept thereof is significative or ceremoniall and is abrogated Here consider that if Noah had taught his household and Lot his Sons Abraham his Sons by Hagar and Keturah Isaack his son Esau and Melchisedech his people to keepe the Sabbath the Sabbath could have beene no signe to the Israelites for the World would have beene replenished with Sabbath-keepers at that time and a long time after so that no doubt wee should often read of this matter in Heathen writers Answer You say the Sabbath was given to the Israelites as a signe of their peculiar sanctifying or seperating to bee the people of God from all others and hence you fallaciously conclude that therefore it cannot bee common to others * See this confuted in Master Richard Bifield pag. 87 88. where hee sheweth how every signe of separation or consecration is not ceremoniall Nor doth every seperating or sanctifying marke oblige onely those that haâ—e that marke pag. 1 â—0 For though it be true that as a signe it was proper to them onely in their times and so also was the whole Law as it was renewed and given of God for a covenant betweene him and them * The giving them to the Israelites was a signe the Lord was nigh to them and therefore in vaine doth Master Dow alledge pag. 15. That in that the Sabbath is called a signe betweene God and the Israelites that hee was their Sanctifier and Deliverer out of Egypt which it could not bee if it were given to all Nations in Adam seeing the Law was the like and therefore doth hee say Psalme 147. 19 20. Hee hath shewne his word to Iacob and to Israel his judgements and statutes and that hee hath not dealt so with every Nation that is with any Nation neither have they knowne his judgements so that the Sabbath and the whole Law are alike significative and indeed have somewhat of signification in them in this second exhibition For as the Church it selfe was then typicall signifying the Church of Gods elect So was the Law as given to them as may appeare in that it was twice written to shew the double writing of it by nature and grace in the hearts of the elect So that both the Sabbath and the rest of the Decalogue as they are morall Lawes are forever common to the universall Church of God being not onely bare signes but of a double nature For the same thing may bee both proper and common in diverse respects As the Land of Canaan was proper to the Iewes as it was the Land of promise and yet it was common to many Nations in the use thereof to wit as it was a place of commerce and habitation and so is to this day And so the whole Decalogue wee know was common as it was the Law of nature to all Nations and People even in those times of the Iewes but yet is it in the fourth Chap. of Deut. 13. verse appropriated to the Iewes because it was given in a speciall manner as a Covenant betweene God and them and in that respect it is opposed to things that are common to all People in the 19. verse of that Chapter as the thing wherefore and whereby God will bee especially worshipped even for that very cause because as hee himselfe layeth downe the reason there they are distributed unto all People under the whole Heaven And yet is this Law no man will deny in the morall sense of it common to us now 〈◊〉 whereof the Sabbath is a part nay * For though wee refuse the Law as a Covenant yet wee entertaine and honour it as a rule of obedience Nor surely are wee to say that the Law because it was given to the Iewes must bee in the same respect to us as to the Iawes else it bindeth not at all if so bee it bee qualified according to our times and turned from a covenant to a rule Then granting this change and yet retention of the whole why not also of that part thereof which concernes the Sabbath and was also common to them that were not Iewes even in the time of the Iewes though not in nature of a speciall Covenant yet so as it was a Law of nature which the precise Sabbath I confesse is none but onely made equivalent by revelation and therefore did they then observe though set times of worshipping God yet happily not the whole day or at least not every seaventh for that most properly is the Churches right and rite Moreover the very Sabbath it selfe was of force by vertue of the fourth commandement to all that came with in the cognizance of it as well stranger as Iew And therefore could it not bee meant a signe of separation in your sense so as to appropriate it solely to them and thereupon to create it a meere ceremony Many things there were indeed among the Iewes that bare this sense expressely as the Paschall-Lambe whereof by expresse words no stranger was to eate untill hee was made as one that was borne in the Land by circumcision Exod. 12. 48. But it was other wayes in the commandement of the Sabbath for the stranger quatenus stranger was â—o observe it if they were within their gates * Nehem. 13. 16 19 20 21. Iubebantur feriari eo die qâ—emadmodum Iudaei indigenae saith Zanchy And not as the Antisabbatarians of our age would perswade that it belonged to the proselite stranger onely Againe I argue against you out of your owne place 31. Exod. That if God menat it as a bare signe peculiar to the Iewes why then doth hee fly backe to the primitive institution of it in the seaventeenth verse re inforcing the commandement there upon that reason which is common to all mankind The words are these
It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever For in sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and in the seaventh day hee rested Now wee know it was never the property of the Iewish types to looke backward to the state of innocency but forward But you will say that the first institution of the Sabbath was but a prophecy or fore-runner of the second To this I answer That it is very ill likely that any thing that was proper to the Iewes as a ceremony and not common to the whole Church of God for whose sake the World was made was prophecyed or fore-ordained in innocency For all the things that are made use of in Scripture from the state of innocency are spoken of as appertaining to the whole Church of God and not proper to any one People or time And so is the Sabbath made use of in the fourth Hebr. to signifie an everlasting rest to whom but to the People of God But you will aske mee how I know that this Law of the Sabbath was given in innocency and not after the fall I answer that this one reason may serve for all Because that whatsoever Moses maketh mention of before the fall wee have good reason to thinke it to bee done in innocency and to allow as well his Method as his matter in that particuler But hee placeth the Law of the Sabbath before the fall Ergo c. Besides your owne Hypothesis stoppeth this objection For if Adam should have kept the Sabbath had he continued in innocency as you suppose hee should its like it was revealed to him in that state And the rather was the Sabbath given in innocency that it might bee understood to bee equall with the Law of nature and to appertaine to the whole Church of God which afterwards was to bee of a double condition and so the Sabbath serves for a double end answerable to these conditions to wit in memoriall of the creation as it is in the 20. Exod. 11. and also in memoriall of our redemption as in the 5. Deut. 15. and as is the Sabbath such is the Law of a double obligation to us in respect both of our creation and redemption Note It is very observable in those two places how an order is kept which giveth authority to our second Sabbath and to the reason thereof for in the first giving the Law Exod. 20. the Sabbath is inforced by the creation and in the repetition or second giving of it in the 5. Deut. it is altogether inforced upon the redemption the creation not being once named or mentioned there in the Law of the Sabbath or fourth commandement lively intimating the subsistence of the fourth commandement under the Gospell and the binding authority of it in our dayes by the incorporation and addition of the reason of our new creation or spirituall deliverance by Christ into the commandement in stead of the old reason which is utterly omitted as if it were forgotten or at least overtopped and triumphed over by us that are the second generation of Israel * Answerable to that 65. of Isaiah 17. I will create new Heavens and a new Earth the â—ormer shall not bee remembred nor come into mind I wish our Antisabbatâ—rians to consider well that such a repetition of the fourth commandement not seorsim or by it selfe but together with the whole Decalogue in its proper place with such a materiall omission and addition or alteration cannot but bee significantly and doctrinally meant by the holy Ghost there But some argue from this connexion of the Sabbath to their deliverance out of Egypt that the Sabbath was therefore given to them for a memoriall of a particuler benefit to them and so belonged to the Ecclesiasticall Government of the Iewes and therefore though it were not typicall yet for that cause it ought to bee done away To whom I answer that upon the same reason they may as well abolish the whole Law and turne Antinomians if they ponder it connexed with its preface I will borrow Master Richard Bifield to conclude this point pag. 88. who saith that the Sabbath in those places of Exod. 31. 13. and Exod. 20. 12. 20 is called a signe in two respects First in that it is an Argument and Document betweene God and Israel and so betweene God and his People for ever whereby they may know that God hath sanctified them Secondly it is a signe not of any future thing but of a thing present as every adjunct that is a visible concomitancy is a signe of the subject present For in the observation of the Sabbath there is a publicke profession of that communion which intercedeth betweene God and us As then every solemne profession is a signe of that thing of which profession is made so also is the Sabbath called in this respect a signe Broad ARG. IV. GOd resting on the seaventh day it became his Sabbath or Day of rest as wee tearme that a mans birth-day wherein hee was borne and as the other dayes of the Weeke were Gods working dayes This his resting as I have shewed before Chap. 5. was typicall and it was the reason why God did sanctifie the day and commanded men to sanctifie it as appeareth by Gen. 2. 3. and Exod. â—0 11. Hence I thus reason such as the foundation is such is the building The foundation Gods resting on the seaventh day was typicall The Sabbath doctrin is builded on the sands and therefore his sanctifying it presently and mans sanctifying it afterwards was no lesse Finally consiner whether more then this may bee not spoken of Sion and the Temple then is spoken of the Sabbath This is my rest for ever Psalme 132. 14. My house shall bee called an house of prayer for all People Isa. 56. 7. I doe not know where the Sabbath is tearmed Gods rest for ever and for all People Answer My former Arguments have beene sufficient to give this its answer for I have alwayes granted the Sabbath to bee typicall from the fourth Hebr. Your comparison of the Sabbath with those phrases belonging to the Temple and Sion in holy writ is a meere flourish and readily answered out of the fourth of Hebr. where the typicall rest of the Sabbath is extended farre beyond the typicall rest of Canaan wherein Sion was for the holy Ghost saith there that the Sabbaths-rest still remaineth to the People of God implying the contrary of the other rest Broad CHAP. VII THE chiefest Arguments of the adverse part answered I come now to answer the chiefest Arguments of the adverse part I say the chiefest for with a cloud not of witnesses seeing they prove nothing but of Arguments such as they are whereby some go about to obscure the light I will not at this time have any thing to do hoping that as a mist it shall of it self vanish away from before the eyes of all those that read this Treatise with understanding ARGVMENT I. ADam