by the Tradition of the Church present to all Believers in every Age in which those Believers lived That the whole World was governed by Tradition only for the first Two thousand Years And he is so exact as to enumerate the very Tenets which they held by Tradition viz. The fall of Adam and their Conception in Original Sin. The means to be used to free themselves and their Children from it The immortality of the Soul and that the Rewards and Punishments of the next Life lasted for ever What Repentance they were to use That they were to stand fast to their Traditions and account it a damnable Sin to forsake them The Observation of the Sabbath the Precept of not eating Blood obliging all the World the distinction betwixt clean and unclean Meats and Beasts the Precept of Circumcision observed Four hundred Years by Abraham 's Posterity by Tradition the Covenant God made with Abraham that he should be the Father of many Nations Disc p. 91. and that the Messiah should be born of his Seed R. H. informs us of other Positive Divine Laws viz. Those of Sacrifice Firstlings Holocausts Peace-Offerings Birds in Sacrifice not divided mention of the Holy Times Places Persons Prophets of Tythes paid to the Priest Purifyings Cleansings changing their Garments Vows Prohibition of Polygamy contracting Marriages with Vnbelievers Excommunication And these Laws saith he we may presume were received from an external infallible Proponent and were preserved by the Ecclesiastical Superiors and Teachers of these Laws in such a manner as those delivered since and for the certainty of their Religion there seems an Infallibility in these as necessary if not more for solving the great doubts arising therein before as after the times of a written Law. Such Arguments as this and those that follow are not worthy of any consideration by reason of their great impertinency were it not upon this account that it is easie to evince they are so far from being Arguments for that they are certain Demonstrations against the certainty and the Infallibility of the Traditions disputed betwixt us and the Church of Rome and plainly overthrow the Cause they were designed to maintain To make this evident let it be noted First That the Controversy betwixt us and the Church of Rome is not this Whether any thing may be derived down to Posterity by Tradition for this we have confessed in many Cases and where Tradition from the beginning can undoubtedly be had we own it But the Question is Whether they who own or have Tradition for their Rule may not add many things to that which truly was received by Tradition pretending falsly that they also were derived by Tradition to them For if this may be so the Church of Rome may also own at present Tradition for her Rule and yet with the like falshood may pretend that many Doctrines and Practices descended by a Primitive Tradition to her and the Traditions here enumerated may also truly bear that name and yet the very same persons may have handed down at the same time many other Practices and Doctrines under the same pretence which tended to corrupt the Faith and Manners of those very Ages Secondly The great Enquiry is Whether in tract of time viz. the space of Sixteen hundred Years such Doctrines and practices may not be admitted and owned as Primitive Traditions by a prevailing party of Gentiles Jews or Christians which were nothing less than so For if this hath been actually so before and after the writing of the Law of Moses and also since the publication of the Gospel then may the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome in so long tract of time be thus admitted and yet be nothing less than Primitive Traditions And Thirdly Whether Pretences to Tradition may not justly be suspected when ancient Records which had equal reason to take notice of them and could not have condemned what the whole Church received as a Divine Verity not only do say nothing of but plainly contradict them Having premised these things I answer Fourthly § 2 That these great Pretenders to Tradition in this Assertion contradict both the Tradition of the Jews and of the Ancient Fathers The Tradition of the Jews Selden de jure Nat. l. 1. c. 8. p. 102. c. 10. p. 116. ad p. 126. who unanimously declare That the Law given to the World after the Fall of Adam was only that of the Precepts of Noah against Idolatry 2. Blasphemy 3. Murther 4. Vnlawful Copulation 5. Theft 6. The Law concerning Civil Government all which are Laws of Nature And 7. The Law forbidding to eat Blood. The Fathers also generally assert Vid. Seld. ib. l. 1. c. 8. p. 98 99. Apol. 2. p. 83. That before the written Law men lived according to the Law of Nature So Justin Martyr That God admonished them Per naturalia praecepta quae ab initio infixa dedit hominibus nihil plus ab iis exquisivit by the natural Precepts from the beginning implanted in their Hearts and required nothing more of them So Irenaeus That it was Reason L. 4. c. 28. or Philosophy which before the coming of our Saviour was necessary to make them Righteous and that it was their Schoolmaster to bring them to Christ Strom. 1. p 282. So Clemens of Alexandria That they were guided by the Law written In Naturalibus tabulis De Cor. Milit. c. 6 Adv. Jud. c. 2. in the Tables of their Heart which was the common Law of the World and that it was this Law of Nature which à Patribus custodiebatur was observed by the Fathers and by which Noah Abraham and Melchizedeck were Righteous Praepar Evang l. 7. c. 7. So Tertullian That before the written Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were adorned with the Virtue of Piety by right Reason so Eusebius That God led the Heathens to Piety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the Law of Nature Serm. 1. Contr. Graec. ad Sylberg p. 20. and of the Creation so Theodoret. Particularly they inform us That before Moses the Patriarchs observed not the Sabbath That without the Observation of it all the just Men forenamed viz. Adam Abel Enoch Lot Noah and Melchezedeck Dial. cum Tryph. p. 236.245 L. 4. cap. 30. Adv. Jud. c. 2. 4. Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 4. Praep. Evang l. 7. c. 6. Demonstr Ev. l. 1. c. 6. pleased God and after them Abraham and his Posterity till Moses so Justin Martyr That Abraham was justified Sine observatione Sabbathi without the Observation of the Sabbath so Irenaeus Non Sabbatizabant The Patriarchs did not keep the Sabbath saith Tertullian They took no care of Circumcision or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Observation of the Sabbaths saith Eusebius Secondly of Sacrifices they affirm that Abel Noah Qu. Resp ad Orthod qu. 83. Const Apost l 6. c 20 p. 284. and others offered them not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Divine
Command but being moved to it by the Light of Nature by which although they could not judge them necessary yet might they think them apt Testimonies of their Acknowledgment of God's Goodness to them and of their gratitude to him Now either in these Traditions the Fathers were mistaken or they were not if in these things delivered by them so unanimously they were mistaken this is a farther Argument of the uncertainty of Tradition if they were not mistaken then the Patriarchs before and since the Flood till Moses in their Religious Service were not led by Tradition much less by that alone but rather guided by the Light of Nature And to this Holy Scripture seems plainly to accord declaring That the Heathens had no positive Laws that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Knowledge of God was so revealed Rom. 1.19 20. by the Light of Nature to them That they became inexcusable in that they did not glorify him as God That the Ungodliness and Unrighteousness of Men was so revealed by the Light of Nature to them that they knew that they who did the evil Actions mentioned in the First of Romans were by God's righteous Judgment worthy of Death and that they were condemned in their own Consciences when they committed Sin V. 32. and were obnoxious to Tribulation Rom. 2.15 Wrath and Anguish from God's Justice for so doing though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Iniquity was by no positive Law forbidden V. 9 12. V. 15. Rom. 12.17 Rom. 2.10 15. That they had the Work of the Law written in their Hearts directing them to what was good teaching them what was honest in the Sight of all Men testifying to them that they did well in the Observance of those things and promising Glory Honour and Peace to them who did them That albeit they were Gentiles V. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 having no Law positive or written to direct them yet were they by this Light of Nature a Law unto themselves and did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 keep the righteous Precepts of the Law. Now is it likely V. 26. if God had given to the heathen World so many positive Laws as are here mentioned And if they had been then so to be guided by Tradition and bound under the pain of Damnation to receive such Traditions as the positive Laws of God and to conveigh them still as such to Posterity they should be represented still as without Law As for the Instances here mentioned § 3 and not yet considered some of them vainly are affirmed to be Traditions as V. G. The Doctrine of Original Sin imputed and the Means to be delivered from it The Eternity of Rewards and Punishments The Prohibition of Polygamy Birds in Sacrifice not divided Cleansing and changing of their Garments Some of them might be learned by the Light of Nature as far as it was needful they should know them as What Repentance they were to use viz. That which consisted in ceasing to do Evil That the Soul had a Subsistence when separated from the Body That they who would not submit to the Laws of their Society should be excluded from it or not admitted to the Privileges of that Society which is Excommunication That it was fit to have Times and Places set apart for God's Worship and to tender to him the First Fruits and Tythes of our Encrease to make and pay our Vows to God not to marry with Idolaters Some of them being Matters of continual Practice might very easily be preserved by Tradition to Posterity as v. g. Circumcision not eating of Blood Oblation of First Fruits paying of Tythes though it is certain that they had then no Law for Tythes or offering of First Fruits the Distinction betwixt Clean and Vnclean Meats and Beasts And lastly most of those things which R. H. reckons up as positive Divine Laws are by the learned Dr. Spencer proved to be Customs received from the Gentiles into the Family of Abraham and taken up as things consonant to Reason though not commanded by it It is true also as R. H. observes That Abraham obeyed the Voice of God and kept his Charge his Commandments or moral Precepts Gen. 26.5 his Statutes touching the Service of the True God the Circumcision of his Family and his Laws or Judgments touching the doing Justice and Judgment and that he taught his Children so to do according as God himself had foretold of him Gen. 18.19 saying I know Abraham that he will command his Sons and his House after him to keep the Way of Jehovah to do Justice and Judgment But then it is as true In locum that Chrysostom referrs this Praise of Abraham to his Obedience to God's Voice in leaving of his Fathers House Custodia viae domini dictitur tempore Abrahae id quod cuique ex officio praestandum erat Seld. de jure Nat. l. 1. c. 8. p. 100. going he knew not whither and sojourning in a strange Land in offering his Son Isaac and in casting forth his Son Ismael and not to his observance of any positive and ceremonial Precepts delivered to him by Tradition The things which he conceives he was to teach his Children excepting Circumcision were likewise not of this nature but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do no Injury to preferr nothing before Justice things taught them by the light of Nature Moreover it well deserves to be observed § 4 That when it pleased God that these and many other Precepts of like nature should be observed by the Jews knowing how little Tradition was to be trusted and how quickly the Progeny of Adam and of Noah had deviated from it in the highest Matters he very exactly prescribes these things in Writings still to be perused by or read unto his People that they might learn to do the things he had commanded The Apostolical Constitutions teach That when Men had corrupted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 8. c. 12. the Law of Nature God gave the Jews the written Law. St. Chrysostom informs us That God gave not his Law in writing to Noah Abraham and Job but finding their Minds pure gave them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Grace of his Holy Spirit instead of Books but when the People of the Jews fell into the Gulf of Wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Matth. p. 1. then was it necessary for them to have the Tables and the written Law to keep them in remembrance of their Duty Theophylact in like manner saith Proem in Matth. That when Men became unworthy to be taught and guided by the Holy Spirit then God the lover of Mankind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gave them the Scriptures that by them they might be made mindful of his Will Declaring that they knew nothing of the derivation of God's positive Worship by Tradition only but thought it necessary that it should be made known unto them either by Writing or the immediate dictates of the
Sabbath who gives us Rest from our Sins Catech 4. p. 38. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem tells his Catechist That all Observation of Sabbaths is to be rejected It would be endless to recite all that the Fathers say upon this Subject but if we do consider how constantly the Fathers teach That the Patriarchs and pious Men before the promulgation of the Law of Moses observed not the Sabbath how generally they teach that it was a shadow of good things to come by Christ and that our Saviour both by his Miracles performed upon that day and by his Contests with the â—harisees designed to insinuate the dissolution of it we can no longer doubt the Judgment of the Ancients in this Matter To proceed then to Answer the Objections of the Sabbatarians § 14 First Mr. M. Objects Object 1 That God Blessed the Seventh day and Sanctified it because in that and not in any other §. 9. p. 205. he had rested from all his Work Gen. 2. And then enquires How comes this Blessing given to no other day among the Seven but given to the Seventh day only to be lost who took away the Sanctification of it given by God himself and given for a Reason which is as obliging now as ever To this I Answer Answ That to Bless and Sanctifie the Seventh day doth only signifie to set apart that day for his peculiar Worship or as the Badge and Sign by which the People who owned Jehovah for their God should be distinguished from all other People and by which He should also be disting uished from all other Gods by a Work peculiar to himself for it being the Custom of all Nations and of all Religions to set apart some day or time as Sacred for the Worship of their Gods and in that time to Solemnize their Worship by the Commemoration or the imitation of some peculiar Actions for which they were Honoured God would have this to be the Sign of His peenliar People the Resting on the Sabbath day in Token that they owned him as the Creator of the World by imitation of the Rest he took when he had made it This God himself declares by saying Exod. 31.15 16. The Children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath to observe it through their Generations for a perpetual Covenant It is a sign betwixt me and the Children of Israel for ever for in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he Rested that is Now that the Seed of Abraham are come to be my People in Covenant they shall keep the Seventh day as a Sign that they are Consecrated to the Service of the Creator of the World and that they own him as their God. Ezek. 20.12 Hence are these Sabbaths said to be given to be a sign betwixt God and them that they might know he was the Lord that sanctified them and God commands them to observe them Exod. 31.13 that they might know he was the Lord that sanctified them that is did consecrate and separate them from all other Nations to be his own peculiar People Hence also was it that till God had made of Abraham a great Nation till he had freed this Nation from that Bondage they were under to the Aegyptians who would not let them rest from Work and chosen them to be his own peculiar People He laid not this injunction on them for even the very Sabbath day before that mentioned by Moses to be observed by them as a day of Rest Exod. 16.1 Neh. 9.14 they marched a wearisom Journey and came at Night to the Wilderness of Sin and therefore Nehemiah saith That God made known to them his Holy Sabbath by the hand of Moses his Servant that is then did he set a part that day to be a day to be observed by them in Honour of him Accordingly the Christian Fathers generally teach That none of the Patriarchs did keep the Sabbath nor do we find from Adam to Joseph the least mention of the Observation of it though we find frequent mention of all other Acts and Requisits of their Religious Worship of their Groves and Oratories their Priests and Altars their Sacrifices and Oblations Prayers Vows Thanksgivings and after Abraham of their Circumcision the Book of Genesis is partly spent in giving an account of the Travels of these Patriarchs from one place to another and yet it addeth not one word of their resting any where because it was the Sabbath day Now doth it not seem strange that such a solemn Command should have been given to Adam and all Mankind as some conceive it was and not the least Print or Token of the Observation of it to be found for Two thousand Years And whereas some Object those Words of Moses Object This is that which the Lord hath said Exod. 16.23 To morrow is the Rest of the Holy Sabbath to the Lord and thence Collect that God had before Moses given a Command touching the Observation of that day It may be Answered That the word is is wanting in the Hebrew and so the Words may thus be rendred This is that which the Lord hath said To morrow shall be the Rest of the Holy Sabbath to the Lord and so they will accord exactly with those other Scriptures which tell us That the Sabbath was made known to the Jews not by Abraham or Joseph but by the Hands of Moses Ezek. 20.10 12. that God caused them to go forth out of the Land of Aegypt and then gave them his Sabbaths to be a sign between him and them whereas the Sign of the Covenant between him and Abraham was only that of Circumcision Now from all these Considerations it seems evident that the import of those Words of Moses in Genesis the Second Wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it is only this God made the World in Six days and rested the Seventh which was the Reason that when he chose to himself a peculiar People he made that the day they were to set apart for his Service that so they might acknowledge him whom they served to be the Creator of the World. And Because on the same Day God overthrew Pharaoh and his Host in the Red Sea See Mr. Mede Disc 15. p. 56. and by that Action compleated his Deliverance of his People from Aegyptian Bondage therefore he gives that as a farther Reason of the Observance of that Day Deut. 5.15 saying Remember that thou wast a Servant in the Land of Aegypt and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day Hence therefore 1. We see sufficient cause why this Command should be inserted into the Decalogue with as much Ceremony and Solemnity as the others were although it were not Moral as to the Nature of it it being so far Moral with respect unto the end of