is in a manner acknowledged by one that yet makes exception to this Distinction Primr p. 5. It must saith he be the revealed will of GOD that matches Positive with Naturall Lawes and marks them with the silver stamp of Immutabilitie So we say it must be and so it is for XXII 2. His wil hath done so in severall Ages Secondly the same Will that was pleased to make Positive Laws universally and perpetually obligatory to the World of the same Age may no doubt make Lawes universall and perpetuall for both Ages of the World But God hath done the former as will appeare by these instances 1. For the old World even beginning with Adam and ending with Christ as Divines commonly make the period the Law of Sacrifices was an universall and perpetuall Law the practice whereof we find in the very beginning in Cain and Abel without doubt not without some Divine command to their Father and all succeeding Generations even of Heathens practised this 2. To Noah was a Law of this kind given for himselfe and all his Posteritie as cannot be denied Gen. 9. To abstaine from eating blood though afterward it was more specially renewed and applied to the Jews and the Gentiles lost it as they did other things even of the Law of Nature as we touched before 3. In the new World beginning with Christ At least for this Age. and continuing till the day of Judgement the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper are unquestionably Positive Lawes yet universall as soon as the Gospel comes to any and perpetuall and so may be termed Morall from the time they were given to the worlds end 4. Nay we have a Record of a Law Morall-Positive given to Adam even before his fall reaching to all his Posterity to the worlds end viz. The not eating of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge For that it bound all men appeares by too wofull experience all Mankind being sinners for breaking of it in and with Adam Therefore since God hath done thus from the beginning to give Positive Lawes and yet make them Morall Universall and Perpetuall we can see no reason but that there may be some other such for both Ages of the World Only we must looke that we pitch our mark aright upon those that are indeed so To which therefore we say further Thirdly that not only there may be XXIII 3 There are such still in force Confessed by the Adversaries themselves XXIV 1. in Sense C. D. p. 8. but that there are some other such Positive Lawes delivered in Scripture that from the time they were first given bind all Posterities in the Generations succeeding even in all Ages and this by the confession of the Adversaries themselves 1. in sense and 2. in plain words 1. In sense To which purpose let those words of one of them be considered That however all the Precepts of the Morall Law he meanes it of the Decalogue belong to the Law of Nature as being agreeable to Reason which is the rule of humane actions and are in that respect of perpetuall observation yet all of them are not of the same ranke nor belong in the same degree and manner to the Law of Nature Something 's there are which we by the instinct of Nature presently see to be good or bad c. Others there are that require more consideration of Circumstances and use of Discourse to apprehend and judge of them And lastly there are some to the knowledge whereof Humane Reason stands in need of Divine instruction And these two latter sorts specially the last though they in some sort belong to the Law of Nature and were haply at our first Creation written in the Tables of mans Heart in more plain characters and more easie to be read then now since the fall they are may in respect of the other be termed Morall not in regard of Nature dictating but in regard of Discipline informing Nature He speaks here of the last sort of Laws under the Title of Lawes of Nature which is more then we will say But afterwards qualifying the speech and calling them Morall not in regard of Nature dictating but in respect of Discipline informing Nature he saith the very same that we doe For Morale Disciplinae and Morale Positivum are one and the same Divine Instruction or Revelation contra-distinguished to Nature and Divine Imposition is altogether the same in point of Lawes Tract of Sab. pag. 3. To which purpose see another of their own Mr. Brerewood by name who being dead was forced first to speak against the Morality of the fourth Commandement yet this Distinction he acknowledgeth and applies to the fourth Commandement Morall is that which belongs to Manners 1. by the instinct of Nature as belonging to the inward Law written in our hearts Or 2. by Instruction of Discipline as being of the outward Law appointed by GOD as that of observing the seventh Day so that it may be termed Naturall which is more then we yet say as being not of the Institution of Nature but of the Discipline of Nature c. XXV 2. In expresse words Bp. of E. p. 27. Namely 1. Against Polygamie Proved Positive yet Morall Secondly in the very words the learned Bishop speaking of Lawes Positively Morall saith Some are common and generall to all Mankinde as the Law of Polygamie and Wedlock within some degrees mentioned Lev. 20. And that the Law against Polygamie published by Adam or by GOD himselfe to Adam at the first beginning For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and they two shall be one flesh Gen. 2. was indeed but Positive may be sufficiently concluded by that that many even of the holiest men after Abraham were Polygamists Of whom it were a wild sentence to say they lived continually in a breach of a Law of Nature Can it be supposed that those holy men who had the light of Divine revelation often should generally have wanted light about a Law of Nature or much lesse that they could have lived in a Practice against any light they had Divines also generally acknowledging the Negative part of the Lawes of Nature to binde ad semper and to be perpetually indispensable It was then a Positive Law yet Morall and therefore though ignorantly yet they sinned in breaking of it as appeares by what Malachy writes Mal. 2. And our Saviour specially argues from the institution of Mariage in the beginning Mat. 19. Again for the Lawes against incestuous mariages XXVI 2. Against incestuous Mariages proved Morall though Positive wherein we have at once many instances of Lawes Positively Morall That they were and are Morall appeares by Gods counting the Transgressions such Abominations when he speaks of them and saying that for them the Land of Canaan did spue out her Inhabitants though Gentiles And that they were yet but Positive appeares also by the speciall instance of Cain and Seth
marying their sisters and necessarily for there were no other women to marry yet had they not only leave but charge to increase and multiply Gen. 1. But considering that as was said before Negative Lawes of Nature bind ad semper and are held perpetually Indispensable It is not to be imagined that God would have necessitated them to break a Law of Nature but rather for the time have created them wives as he did to Adam It was therefore a Positive Law given after that time and so from thenceforth Morall Universall and Perpetuall And their Perpetuity is also acknowledged by all Divines and even many of the Heathens From all which as we have made our Distinction good XXVII Some inferences from those Confessions Pag. 31. so we may also note 1. That the Bishops 3. character of a Law simply and formally Morall by which he meanes Morall-Naturall That it is of universall and perpetuall Obligation is not sound and true because not convertible For himself hath given us here an instance of many Lawes common and generall to all Mankinde and consequently of universall and perpetuall Obligation which yet he confesseth to be positively Morall 2. And further if a Positive Law may be of perpetuall Obligation why may it not be of immutable Institution They were not then well advised who cavill at this Position as an affirmation without ground Hist of Sab. part 2. p. 177. and without reason or such a peece of Learning and Contradiction as was never put up to shew till in these latter times For what is that they quarrell at That a Positive Law should be immutable in it selfe Dr. Ames Theol. 2. c. 15. §. 6. So the Historian reports Dr. Ames his words But the Doctor if he look again did not say it was immutable in it selfe that is his addition but immutabilis plane Institutionis he meant it with respect to men on whom it was imposed who have no power to change the Institution of GOD For so he addes So that in respect of our duty and obligation it hath the very same force with those Lawes that were Naturall And again a little after This Positive Right on which this Institution is grounded is right Divine and in respect of men altogether immutable Mark you Sir in respect of men and Divine Institution it is immutable not in it selfe And we heard before that the revealed will of God may match Positive with Naturall in regard of Immutabilitie But besides these we have the approbation of this Distinction by other Authors Take one more Tract of Tithes Mr Carleton afterward a Bishop distinguishing of the right of Tythes saith thus Morall things are so either by Nature or by Institution as sanctifying a seventh day and Tithes And we cannot but wonder that these men who so stifly plead for Tithes to be due Jure Divino not Naturall but Positive shall yet cry out of this Distinction only when it is applied to the 4th Commandement for one day in seven Let them consider it XXVIII Agreements of Morall-Naturall and Morall-Positive Lawes The distinction now of Morall Lawes into Naturall and Positive being sufficiently cleared we shall only propound the further agreement of these Lawes and then conclude this Chapter They differ as afore and agree in 2 things besides Perpetuitie First in their Authority and force of Obligation A Positive Law in force doth as strongly binde the Conscience as a Naturall aeque though not aequaliter 2. In their Independence both depend upon God Pag. 31. and not upon the will of man and so are indispensable by humane authority The Bishop therefore misapplieth this peece of his 3d. Character as belonging to Lawes simply and formally Morall That no Authority of men or Angels can exempt or priviledge any from their Obligation For neither can they doe it in a Positive Law CHAP. II. Rules to know a Law to be Morall though but Positive THat there are Lawes of GOD Morall or Perpetuall I. What Positive Lawes are Morall which we henceforth take for one and the same thing though but Positive we suppose to have evinced in the former Chapter Yet we grant withall that sundry Lawes in Scripture being Positive are not Morall and those not only which were speciall to a Person or Nation but also some of them which were generall to the first Age of the World namely untill Christs comming Divers of these we confesse abolished and of no obligation under the New Testament Wherefore that we may make use of our Distinction and Assertion of some Lawes Morall-Positive as well as some Morall-Naturall we must in the next place lay down what kinde of Positive Lawes we hold to be still in force and upon what grounds we hold so of them By giving some Rules whereby it may be conceived how far we stand obliged with conscience of obedience to them And they are these or some of these which follow First II. Rule 1. Every Law of God though but Positive recorded in the Scripture is Morall and Perpetuall unlesse it be afterward found Repealed by God or Expired in the nature of it We will explaine this Rule and then prove it 1. Explained This Rule is propounded of all the Lawes of God generally as recorded in Scripture 1. Because the Fundamentall proofe of it is equally for both Testaments 2. Because some Lawes not only recorded in the New Testament but seeming to be ratified there as that of not eating Blood c. of which Law we shall speak somewhat anon are taken to be afterward repealed 3. Because some Lawes or Precepts of the New Testament are esteemed expired though not repealed as that Joh. 13. of washing one anothers feet Of anoynting the sick with oyle that they might recover Jam. 5. And perhaps some others are of a like nature 2. We say All Lawes are perpetuall except first God hath afterward repealed them that we may reserve to him the soveraignty of his Authority particularly over Positive Lawes which as they proceeded at first from his authority and pleasure so may any of them or all of them at any time by his pleasure and authority be taken away and repealed againe Or 2. It be expired of which by and by 3. By Gods repealing of any Law we understand any sentences of Scripture particularly of Christ and his Apostles declaring that it is not the will of God that such Lawes should any longer be counted in force whether they be named expresly as in some places they are or comprehended under those generall expressions concerning the Jewish Ceremonies calling them shadowes and Worldly Rudiments Col. 2. Weak and beggerly Elements Gal. 4. Carnall Ordinances imposed on them untill the time of Reformation Heb. 9. and a yoak which they were not able to beare Act. 15. which latter phrase will fetch in also some of the Judicials perhaps such namely as cannot now be observed by particular Christians without manifest prejudice much lesse
all with it as having ever judged it a bone of Contention needlesly striven about by reason of its ambiguitie And so by not being distinguished aright having bred much mistaking one of another and much confusion in Discourses of this Subject Why then we use it But because the World hath so taken it up that it will not easily lay it down again it is in a sort necessary to make use of it and accordingly to discourse a little of it in the very entrance of our Dispute by shewing how divers men take it diversly what we understand by it in this Controversie Though when all is said and done it will be still an ambiguous Terme and liable to mistakes and quarrels II. Divers Acceptions of it 1. The Notation of the word Morall relating to a Law signifies in it selfe any Precept serving to regulate the Manners of Men. And accordingly thus 1. There are some who seeme to take it sometimes as that it may and doth extend to all the Divine Laws in Scripture of what kind soever Thus that learned Bishop doth proceed B. of E. Tract of Sab. p. 26. Divine Law called Morall is a just Rule or Measure imposed by GOD directing and obliging to the obedience of things Holy Honest and Iust The same is simply Morall or Morall onely by some Externall Constitution of GOD. These Positive Lawes Morall are either Personall or Common to all Mankinde or to one Nation c. But this we conceive to be too large a sense for this is to make the Ceremoniall and Judiciall Lawes Primr of Sab. p. 4. among the Jewes to be Morall And he is told by one of his own side This is to speak against the ordinary Sense and Custome of all men 2. Acception of it who use to distinguish Morall against Ceremoniall and Iudiciall 2. Others againe take the word to signifie only that which is Naturall as if that only were to be termed Morall which is of the Law of Nature So the Author last named in the place cited in the Margent Ibid. This Law Morall all men take to be the Law of Nature and reciprocally they take the Law of Nature for this Law And thus also doe others take it or we understand them not The Morall Law saith one is that which concernes the manners of men C.D. Disc of Sab. p. 6. The Law Morall is the Law Natural G. Irons of Sab. q. 7. p. 77. as men and this commands those things which in themselves are acceptable and well-pleasing to God c. But say we the Law Naturall only cōmands such things Therefore the Law Naturall only in his judgement is to be called Morall This Sense of these men we think to be as much too narrow as the other was wide and to be too short to containe the full meaning of the word For whereas Vniversall and specially Perpetuall are even by their own confession Characters of a Morall Law there may we suppose and they too be found some Lawes which are but Positive and not Naturall which yet after they were once given did and doe concerne all men in all Ages to observe both under the Old Testament and under the New and so we think deserve the terme of Morall Lawes We therefore so understand the word 3. Our description of a Morall Law as to imply any Law of God exprest in Scripture whether it can be proved Naturall or not which from the time it was given to the end of the world binds all succedding Generations of their Posterity to whom it was given and more specially obliges the Church because the Scriptures the Word of God was specially written for them and comes specially to them And that there are such Lawes even in the Old Testament not Naturall yet in that sort Vniversall and Perpetuall we shall discover having premised briefly a Division of Lawes generally contained in Scripture And here III. Generall Division of the Laws of God letting passe the Personall Commands given to some particular men or women for themselves and one or two more and obliging none but them as that to Abraham To leave his Fathers house and afterward To sacrifice his Sonne And to Manoahs Wife How to order her selfe being with childe and her Sonne when he should be borne and some other such like which are easily discerned by their Extraordinary Quality Matter and Reasons not appliable to others Letting these passe we say The whole of Gods Lawes recorded in Scripture Ceremoniall and Iudiciall Lawes also called Judaicall and Mosaicall though all not first given to the Jewes may well be divided as it is usuall into 3. Ranks Ceremoniall Judiciall and Morall of which the two former are commonly called Judaicall or Mosaicall Lawes though divers of the Ceremonials were not first given by Moses nor to the Iewes only but in Ages before them For Sacrifices were as ancient as Cain and Abel Gen. 4. and no doubt from a Divine command or inspiration to their Father And 2. the Prohibition of eating Blood was given to Noah and all his Posteritie immediately after the Flood Gen. 9. Also 3. Circumcision was given to Abraham and all his Posteritie and their Families which were to grow into divers Nations Gen. 17. And perhaps some others besides these may be found which were given as Lawes before Israel became a People the People of God Why then they are so called But however because it is certaine that whatever of this kinde was given a Law to Posterities was renewed to Israel by the Ministery of Moses when God took them to be his people peculiarly therefore these and all other peculiarly given to them whether Ceremoniall or Judiciall which are not esteemed Perpetuall are termed Iudaicall or Mosaicall Lawes IV. Generall Nature of Ceremonials and Judicials The nature of which that we may briefly dispatch we are to conceive that the Nation of the Jewes taken to be Gods peculiar people was both a Church the only Visible Church that God then had upon Earth as also a Body Politick or Civill Societie And in both those considerations God himselfe was pleased to be their Lawgiver and besides the Morall Lawes which concerned them as Men together with all the rest of Mankind both towards God and one another He vouchsafed to ordaine them other Lawes as they were a Church but a Church in infancie and under age till the Messiah the promised Seed should come and these are usually called Ceremonials And others also as they were a Common-wealth to whom the Land of Canaan was allotted for an inheritance and from among whom that promised Messiah was to be borne And these Civill Lawes are they that are usually called Iudicials But for as much as these two considerations of their being a Church and a Civill State had both of them as we have intimated speciall relation unto Christ to come and so their very Land was a Typicall Land and their Nation a
another time describe it by being written in the hearts of the Gentiles of old And so they goe to seek in Humane Authors for the generall Practice and acknowledgement of the Gentiles which where they finde wanting they deny such Lawes to be Lawes of Nature And under this pretence they strongly reject as they think the 4. Commandement for one Day in seven from being Morall by which they will understand only Morall-Naturall because it was not written in the hearts of the Gentiles not acknowledged nor practised by them of old XVII 2 Reasons of it But this description of Morall-Naturall we cannot admit for a double Reason 1. Because some Lawes had the Testimony of all the Heathens Practice and Acknowledgement generally and so seemes written in all their hearts which yet are so far from being Morall-Naturall that they were meerly Ceremoniall and are now abolished as the Law of sacrificing some materiall things to God a Sheep or an Oxe or Flowre or Wine or the like 2. And specially because the most undeniable Law of Nature or one of them that is or can be namely the worshipping of one only God shall not be Morall-Naturall if we stand to the proofe of the Generality of the Heathens Practice and Acknowledgement For all that know any thing know that they generally and even the very Jewes too very often before the Babylonish Captivity worshipped a Plurality of Gods If therefore the Gentiles not observing nor owning a seventh-day Sabbath be a sufficient proofe to evince the 4. Commandement not Morall though we contend not for its being Morall-Naturall as it commands so much and no more of solemne Time for Continuance and Frequencie together It will not only thrust out also the second Commandement from being Morall because it is apparent that all the World of old made and worshipped Images and so it is cleare that Law was not generally written in all their hearts But even the first Commandement will not be admitted to be Morall because all the World generally worshipped a plurality of Gods And so neither was the Law of having no other Gods but the Lord written generally in the hearts of the Gentiles We know some of the wiser Philosophers did indeed professe but one God as Socrates but even for that as they write he was condemned to death by his ungodly Countrymen Also it is certaine that it may be proved even from those Principles of the light of Nature remaining in the hearts of all Reasonable men now That there is but One GOD and so That we are to worship Him alone and so but One. Whence it followes that as there is now no other Judge of Lawes of Nature but our present Nature however corrupted so we say the Judgement must be made not simply according to first Apprehensions but awakened Principles Therefore also for a further clearing of these Lawes of Nature XVIII Degrees of Morall Naturall Laws 1. Principles Aquin. 2. â— 94 art 2. c. 1 we adde That they are not all of equall evidence or clearenesse but admit of Degrees And so they may be further distinguished 1. There are some Principles of Nature of which the Great Schooleman thus writes Although in themselves the Precepts of the Law of Nature are many yet may they all be reduced to this one Good is to be prosecuted Evill is to be avoyded 2. 2. Conclusions Some are Conclusions necessarily resulting from that Principle by way of Demonstration Which Conclusions as they arise at the first or second hand or the like may further be distinguished into immediate or mediate The immediate Conclusions are only two Immediate Mat. 2â— The first Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. And the second Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy selfe On these two Commandements saith our Saviour hang all the Law and the Prophets The mediate Conclusions are such 2. Mediate as doe also arise from the former Principle but by the interposition of the two former Conclusions And of this kinde are confessedly some even most of the Commandements of the Decalogue if not all But of this more anon The summe then of this Discourse of Naturally-Morall Lawes XIX Character of Laws Moral-Naturall is That their proper Character is To be in themselves not only just and convenient but even necessary in the Nature of the Laws themselves for all reasonable creatures such as Mankind are universally and perpetually to stand obliged unto toward GOD themselves and one another and which very Nature though corrupted may be forced to confesse such But now besides these Morall-Naturall Lawes XX. Description of a Morall-Positive Law there are we say others which we call Morall-Positive And these we describe to be Laws clearely laid down in Scripture in expresse words or certaine consequence which Nature though corrupted cannot reasonably deny to be just good and so convenient to be perpetuated according to the Lawgivers pleasure Though antecedent to His Will some way revealed to them it would not nor could not have judged them to be of themselves altogether necessary Nature even corrupted cannot deny but that it is fit that the Law-givers Will and Pleasure should stand for a Law with his Creatures and so though it could have discerned no necessity of such or such an Obligation by the light of Nature meerly as perhaps even created Nature could not in some of them yet such equity and equality and goodnesse being in them as they cannot but acknowledge them convenient and fit to be perpetuated unlesse God have exprest himselfe to the contrary These we call Morall-Positive Laws and esteem them universall to all their Posteritie to whom they were given and Perpetuall to them from the time they were given unto the Worlds end and so to all the Church in after ages unlesse where God was pleased to make any particular exceptions or exemptions And though we confesse God might have changed or abrogated any of these Lawes so qualified yet we doe not beleeve that He hath unlesse it be undeniably exprest of this or that particular Law in question Of which perswasion we shall give our grounds in due season And now upon this Distinction if we be not deceived the greatest part of the present Controversie in this Discourse depends It concernes us therefore to vindicate this fully and make good this ground before we proceed any further And that there are some Positive Lawes in Scripture thus Morall that is of universall extent after they were once given and perpetuall obligation we thus endeavour to make manifest XXI Proofes that there are such Laws 1. Gods Prerogative may make such First GODS Prerogative and absolute Dominion over all men as his Creatures as we touched before may authorise his Will to make such Lawes and to impose them upon the World and that even for a proof of his Prerogative Royall absolute dominion and consequently a Tryall of his Creatures Obedience And this
to undertake to prove Leâ— lata non irrita facta ian obligat Epis Win opusc pag. 148. that Tythes are due by divine right this Law saith he did sometimes oblige the Church as cannot be denyed but it is not now Abrogated therefore it binds still in which argumentation he must needs take our Rule for a ground A Law instituted in the old Testament not Abrogated in the New is of perpetuall obligation though it have no expresse ratification in the Gospel leaving therefore our adversaries at home to answer him we add yet a further proof of our Rule Thirdly otherwise the Church of God VII 3. Else no Canon till the New T. written immediately after the Death of Christ for many yeers together that is untill the New Testament was written had had no written Canon at all for their practice either toward God or toward men but were left meerly to the Law of Nature For the old Testament was it seemes quite disanulled at the Death of Christ at least in regard of all Positive Lawes that against Polygamie and all and as for the Morall they bound not the Christians as written in the old Testament or as some say as given by Moses but only as Lawes of Nature All which we conceive a great inconvenience in regard that Nature corrupted which is now to be the Judge as we said before is but a dimm Light in those in whom it is most clear And whereas it may be pretended that the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles might sufficiently supply the want of the written Law wee answer that though it might to the Gentiles who were strangers to the Scriptures of the old Testament yet not to the Iewes and those that conversed with them who could never have beene wrought upon to have embraced the Doctrine of the Gospel if it had not been grounded upon the Doctrine of the Law of the old Testament that is if they that Preached it had not called for Repentance for transgressions of the Law and urged still to the obedience of it as indeed both Christ and his Apostles do upon all occasions and without it also their Preaching would easily have been both forgotten and mistaken if there had been no grounds of Gods Law written by and upon which to settle the consciences of their hearers Fourthly VIII 4. Confirmed by Christ and his Apostles to all which we may in the last place adjoyne this consideration that if those places in the New Testament be observed some of them at least if not all where it is pretended that Christ or any of his Apostles do ratifie any of the Lawes of the Old Testament it will be found that they containe no such ratification as our adversaries pretend in this question For they will appear not to be spoken by way of such confirmation without which those Lawes ought to have been no longer accounted in force which in propriety of speech is a new imposition of them As when a King by his Proclamation confirms his former Proclamation which was voyd by the death of his Predecessor this is properly a new imposition of the same things by his Authority which after the former Kings death were not of any validity at all We say that the confirmation that the New Testament gives unto the Lawes of the Old Testament will not be found to be of this Nature but rather testifications of those Lawes standing in force and so alledging them to confirm their own Doctrine or to be a ground of it As our Saviour evidently Alledges a Text out of Gen. 2. to ground and confirm his Doctrine against divorce Mat. 19. and the Apostles in like manner as we shall give some other instances hereafter rather fetching their Authority in part at least from the books of the Old Testament in matters of practise as well as of Faith then lending strength to them by their owne Authority IX So that the very silence of the N. T. rather confirmes any Law then Abrogates it And so we suppose we may upon just reason inferre that the silence of the New Testament concerning a Law expressely and cleare-livered in the Old Testament is a confirmation rather then an abrogation of it or an intimation that it is expired judicious Divines giving this for a reason of the silence of the New Testament in diverse points which are most vehemently urged in the old as against incestuous marriages fore noted and that others are but slightly and as it were occasionally mentioned as the Lawes about Tythes and usury c. because they are so clearly and importunately pressed in the old And therefore till we see better reasons to the contrary then any we have yet met with in all our disputers books we must needs hold that all the Lawes of the Old Testament are perpetuated to this day if there be nothing against them in the New Testament by way of repealing them or at least in reason which might plead for an expiration And if any one think that by this assertion sundry of the Lawes which are usually counted judaicall will prove to be in force still we answer that perhaps it may prove so indeed And if we may have Liberty to expresse our apprehension of the Case in generall we must needs confesse that as we beleeve it lies upon our Consciences in particular to prove any particular Law this or that which we hold to be Ceremoniall or Judaicall to be such or else we cannot justly nor safely plead it to be Repealed or Expired if it be not named among such expresly in the New Testament So we are afraid that many Divines not to say some Churches and States now adayes have been a little too bold in rejecting sundry Lawes as meerly Judaicall which upon further advisement might perhaps be found Morall and Perpetuall To which our next Rule will speak some what more fully But before we proceed to that X. The Text Act. 15.28 29. expounded we will as we intimated before a promise in our Margent speak a little of that place Act. 15. for 3 causes specially One is that The things there mentioned to be Necessary to be observed when all the rest of the Jewish Ceremonies were discharged are not all of one kinde but one of them is Morall the other three Ceremoniall 2. Because not only some persons are yet tender in the point of eating Blood but also the Greek Church generally hold that Prohibition in force Therefore we will say somewhat at least toward the clearing of both these as also why the Ceremonies mentioned were continued then if they be not now in force 3. For that some light also may perhaps from hence be afforded to judge of some other Lawes But all briefly that we may not be held too long in any Digression from the main Intendment We find in that place Act. 15. XI 1. Why Fornication forbidden there being Morall four Laws by name recommended to the Christian
Determinate solemne Time for Gods Worship is Morall Naturall This we must first Explaine and then we shall set upon the proofe of it For explication we desire it may be observed 1. 1. Meant onely of the Continuance and Frequency That We affirme it onely in regard of the quantity or Proportion of time but yet of that in both the respects of it the Quamdiu or Continuance and the Quoties or Frequency That some Determinate solemne Continuance is Morall Naturall and again some Determinate solemne Frequency is commanded by the very Law of nature namely according to our former description of the law of nature c. 1. That every reasonable man notwithstanding the present corruption of his nature may be forced to acknowledge it necessary to be given to God in duties of His immediate and solemne worship in regard of the importance of those respects of time for Religion Gods Honour and the good of mens soules And that accordingly duties must attend those Determinations of Time to fill up the whole Continuance and answer the revolutions But we say no such thing of the Quando season III. Not of the season or order of beginning by it self considered as not being of it self any way materiall to Religion as hath been discoursed before Only when the other respects are discerned to be determined there will also appeare some kind of necessity of some Determination of this also at least to secure mens helping one another and prevent their hindring one another who live in a neernesse together as we shall see more hereafter IIII. 2. Of those both single and joyntly 2. We affirme this Determination of the law of nature not onely of each of those respects single of some Continuance and some Frequency but of both of them jointly that some Determination of such a Continuance so often V. 3. Not remisse only nor conclusive nor exclusive but only Initiall and of such a Frequency with such Continuance is Morall Naturall and made by the very law of nature 3. That by the Determinations which we maintaine in this position to be made by the law of nature of these respects of time As on the one hand we understand more then a remisse Determination to say as many disputers do onely a convenient Time or a sufficient Time leaving both the termes and limits for length or shortnesse of Continuance and for Frequency or seldomenesse of Revolution wholly undesigned So on the other hand we meane not a conclusive Determination assigning exactly the limits on both sides much lesse an exclusive determination of which sort we have before noted that we find none absolutely given out by God any where in reference to the generall businesse of Religion But onely such Determination as we have before termed Initiall wherein the Initiall terme of either of those respects of Time of the Continuance and of the Frequency is determined that is the Continuance to be so long together at least and no lesse while as also the revolution so often at least and no seldomer So requiring somewhat both for Continuance and Frequency strictly and implying withall somewhat more in each respect but leaving that somewhat to some other Determination of God or man More plainly we meane that the Law of nature determines the Continuance in regard of the shortest proportion That so much together at least cannot but be necessary to be presented to God at one time or other of every manslife and so again That so often at least in a revolution to waite upon God solemnely in duties of Religion and Divine Worship cannot but be necessary to every man during his life upon earth VI. 2 Proved of the Continuance single And now we come to prove our Position 1. For the Quamdiu or Continuance single If there may be sin against the law of nature in giving God too little time at once in waiting upon him in the dutyes of solemne worship then some Determined solemne Time is Morall Naturall in regard of the proportion of continuance in his worship But there may be sin even against the law of nature in giving God too little Time at once Ergo. The consequence of this argument is undeniably confirmed by those sentences of the Apostle that whosoever sins transgresses the law for sin is the transgression of the law and where no law is there is no transgression So that if to give God never above halfe a minute at once in waiting upon him in any solemne worship be a transgression and sinne even against the law of nature then the law of nature Determines a solemne Time at least somewhat above that Propotion of Continuance and so a whole minute or three quarters of a minute or the like is a Determinate solemne Time by the law of nature and morall naturall or any other proportion of continuance that can be named or imagined smaller then this will serve to illustrate and confirme this consequence The Antecedent is no lesse certaine and cleare what ever conscience of the most corrupted man be called to judge if he wholly deny not a God and a worship due to him for all men cannot but confesse that it were sin never throughout a mans whole life to give God above halfe a minute at once or a quarter of a minute or any lesse proportion of continuance if lesse can be mentioned or observed As for instance that of the Publican Luke 18. when he smote his breast and cried Lord be mercifull to me a sinner this was a solemne Worship and continued a little longer then an instant and so was measurable for Continuance but never to give God a larger Continuance cannot but be acknowledged a sinne Ergo our conclusion is firme that some Determinate solemne Time above that proportion of Continuance is Morall-Naturall and determined even by the law of nature The like argument will serve mutatis mutandis for some Determinate solemne Time in regard of the Quotie VII Of the frequency single or Frequency single If there may be sin against the law of nature in wayting upon God too seldome then some Determinate solemne Time is Morall Naturall in regard of the Frequency of revolution But there may be sin against the law of nature in waiting upon God too seldome Ergo. The consequence is proved as before That where no law is there is no transgression no sin c. So that if it be transgression and sinne even against natures law never through a mans life to waite upon God in his worship above once then the law of nature Determines a solemne Frequency above the proportion of once and so twice at least in a mans life is a Determinate Time by the law of nature and so Morall Naturall The Antecedent is also undeniable by any one that hath not altogether forsworne all conscience and renounced all Religion in regard of God For whether by waiting upon God we understand presenting unto him Eiaculatory Worship which may perhaps be dispatched
both these Respects of Continuance and Frequencie jointly and so doe make up the chiefe solemne Time for Worship And if not yet whether the Light of Nature will not then tell us that there must be such a Determination necessarily made for Religion and what conditions and qualifications it must have And so consequently where we are to seeke it and may be like or certaine to finde it In answer whereunto 1. Confessed by the adverse party we have in the first branch of this Question though it be so but in a few points besides about the main matters in the whole Argument our Anti-Sabbatarians full and constant agreement with us Namely in resolution of this Inquirie in the Conclusion though not altogether in the Argument proving it That the Law of Nature doth not make any such Conclusive Determination of both the Respects of Time the Continuance and Frequencie jointly for Gods worship So we suppose that it doth not nor cannot and so they say the same in sense with much earnestnesse in as much as they make it their principall argument against the fourth Commandements being Morall for one Day in seven because say they the Law of Nature doth not command any such thing Which Argument of theirs as appliable against the Moralitie of one Day in seven though we deny the Consequence of as taking Morall to be that which is Vniversall and Perpetuall though it be not of the Law of Nature whereas they by Morall will only understand Morall-Naturall as we have shewed in the first Chapter Yet we take hold of the Antecedent That the Law of Nature doth not command any such thing neither the Determinate Proportion of Continuance in such a Frequencie nor any other that is not distinctly strictly and conclusively And that they not hereafter recede from it we will make bold with the Readers patience to prove it our selves also upon our own grounds that so hoping to build very considerably upon it by and by we may not lay the weight of our fabrick in any matter of importance meerly upon their grants as we said but a while agoe or build as it were upon another mans foundation Thus therefore we argue XXXVII 2. Proved by strong reason If man by the light of Nature cannot judge any Continuance and Frequencie of Time jointly to be sufficient to be bestowed in Gods worship unlesse it be the whole of a mans Time that is the whole Continuance of every Day then the Law of Nature doth not make any such Conclusive Determination of the Continuance and Frequencie of Time joyntly for the worship of God But man by the Light of Nature is not able to judge any Continuance and Frequencie of Time jointly determined to be sufficient to be bestowed in Gods worship unlesse it be the whole of a mans Time that is the whole Continuance of every Day Ergo. The Consequence is certain 1. From the description of such a Conclusive Determination formerly given Namely that as it requires strictly so much so oft and so oft so much as is exprest so it requires not any more so oft nor so much any oftner then is exprest 2. From the Light of Nature being the ground of the Law of Nature and so the Law of Nature requires no greater proportion of Continuance and Frequencie jointly then the Light of Naaure must needs judge is sufficient For if it judge that unsufficient then the Law of Nature accordingly straight would require more and oftner And so the Conclusive Determination is not made till the Light of Nature have judged the proportion sufficient and that being not to be done there is no such Determination made by the Law of Nature The Antecedent is easily proved by appealing to the former principles of the Light and Law of Nature Of Gods being the Soveraigne Lord of us and all our Time and our happinesse For what can be said to satisfie these principles and to argue that sufficient Time is given to God unlesse He have all Where all that a man hath is due to another that debt is not satisfied neither can it be judged to be satisfied unlesse all be tendred to him Also where a mans whole happinesse lies lesse then all his time cannot be judged sufficient to be imployed toward that for what can be pretended to draw a man away from his happinesse when all that a man doth is but toward that The light of Nature then cannot judge lesse then all a mans Time to be sufficient to be given to God and bestowed in waiting upon Him and conversing with Him If it be said that the light of Nature will tell every man XXXVIII An objection Answered that he cannot live if he devote all his Time to waite upon God solemnly We answer 1. This will infer no more then that the Law of Nature upon that ground makes a Reservation for Naturall necessities of sleep and eating and such like and so providing necessaries meerly for preservation of a mans bodily life and still calls for all the rest of the Time 2. That it being altogether uncertaine by any rules or principles of the light of Nature how much Time is altogether absolutely necessary for those naturall necessities of the body it helps to make it impossible for a man by the light of Nature to say that such Continuance and Frequency of Time whatsoever can be supposed is sufficient for God For if Nature can give more this is not sufficient and it is still uncertaine whether Nature can give more or else it will be uncertaine whether Nature can give so much leaving room for those Naturall necessities of the body We conclude then that the Law of Nature neither doth nor can Determine the necessary sufficient chiefe Time for Continuance and Frequency jointly And so that we are so far from Asserting That the Law of Nature Determines us to one in seven or that one day in seven according to the fourth Commandment is Morall-Naturall as the sufficient Time conclusively determined for Religion That we say the Law of Nature would rather command more often a day or more then that proportion of fourteen or sixteen hours of a weeke and call for one day of every six or five or four or three or each other day or half or more of every day But indeed none of all this certainly or conclusively because as we said the light of Nature can in no wise Determine how much is sufficient for Religion or how much worldly necessities can possibly admit Our Antisabbatarian-Adversaries therefore may hereafter spare their Arguments whereby they labour to prove the fourth Commandement for one day in seven not to be Morall-Naturall For we also avouch it and have helped to prove it though little to their advantage as we suppose as we shall shew them anon XXXIX Yet Nature sayes a Determination of a chiefe time is necessary We passe then to the second branch of our Inquiry about this chief Time and
3. But we beleeve we shall put it past a reply specially by taking into consideration some generall sentences of Scripture which call for so much Time for Religion and so often and with such Arguments as seeme to leave then so little for worldly businesses as the wisest among men cannot tell which way to satisfie those sentences and his worldly occasions both unlesse he have the helpe of a particular indulgence from God for so much and so often Time ordinarily for His worldly businesses which expresly as we said involves Gods particular determination of the chiefe Time for Religion necessary and sufficient for the chiefe Time and so a division of every Time or the maine part of it distinctly betweene Himselfe and worldly matters Consider we say the great Commandement To Love God with all our hearts with all our soules with all our minds with all our strengths And how love commands the Time every one hath to imploy specially such a high love as this On the other side the charge of not loving the World nor the things that are in the World and that upon this ground If any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him Such an one hath not a jot of love to God so farre is he from loving him with all his heart and strength as before againe the precept of Christ is not to labour for the meat that perishes but for the meat that endures to eternall Life doth not this call for our Time for the Soule much beyond the Body and worldly matters Also lay not up for your selves treasures on earth but in heaven And set not your affections on things on the earth saith the Apostle They are enemies to the Crosse of Christ and their end is destruction who mind earthly things To be carnally minded is death And he that sowes to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption our Saviour seemes to go yet further when He allowes not to take thought so much as for the morrow even what we shall eate or drinke or wherewith we shall be clothed but to seeke first the Kingdome of God and speakes of praying alwayes and so doth His Apostle often even of praying without ceasing and continuing in prayer and watching thereunto with all perseverance And many more such like places All which though we abundantly acknowledge that they must not be interpreted strictly according to the expresse letter and phrase of them For then they would wholly shut out all worldly businesses and turne us altogether into an angelicall manner of devotion and to waite for miraculous sustentations as we toucht before which crosses divers other sentences of Scripture ordering about worldly businesses and particularly charging Servants to be diligent in their earthly Masters work Yet for all that they do undeniably preferre in dignity and commend to all mens care the honour of God and the respect to mens soules to be attended upon in Religious duties above the respect that men are allowed to have to the world or worldly matters or even their bodily lives And this would necessitate undeniably the greatest part of every man by far if there were no particular indulgence of such proportions to be ordinarily and for the maine of them allotted by God Himselfe to our worldly occasions For it would be nothing to say in generall LXX An Exception answered God hath allowed me Time for worldly businesses and appointed me by His providence to such a worldly imployment of a lawfull kind and profitable for men and it is not possible for the generality of mankind to subsist without miracle which God now allowes not to expect and it were to tempt him to expect any in a neglect of a worldly calling unlesse the greatest part of mens Time be imployed about worldly businesses and so it is necessary that the greatest part of Time be so allotted and determined For to all this Sol. from the sentences forecited an invincible reply might be made God hath commanded His own service and the good of mens soules to be looked after as matters of infinitely more absolutely necessity to look after them We say first and far above the other in a manner wholly rejecting and forbidding the other in comparison of these and the necessities of the soul as was in part urged before cannot according to reason be satisfied with lesse then the greatest part of our Time or even with lesse then all And in the comparison between the soul and the body earth and heaven this world and that to come for eternity These alledged Texts do incomparably prefer the soul heaven eternity the world to come as the things to be loved cared for pursued waited upon and so the greatest part of Time to be sure must be alloted to Religion for these ends unlesse we say a particular indulgence of God Himselfe and so a particular ditermination of a sufficient chiefe Time for Religion be to be found and acknowledged Here then we appeale again to the consciences of all that will consider God and mens soules in one ballance and mens worldly businesses in another How hath the Christian Church dared to take six Dayes ordinarily to themselves and leave God but one of seven how hath it dared to take six dayes ordinarily for the world and leave but one of seven for the soules of men We adde how dare our disputers quarrell with that one Day of seven and scarcely yeeld to the number but only from custome but specially quarrell with our challenge of the whole Day for God and mens soules as though it were too much and a heavy yoke which Christ must dye to free us from We aske them how can they or any conscience say so much so often is enough Sufficient for the chiefe Time but by Gods indulgence in the fourth Commandement of six Dayes ordinarily and for the maine for worldly businesses And what could Adam or any of the Patriarkes even according to the law and light of nature without such indulgence particularly exprest to them conclude lawfull for them to imploy in worldly businesses and count the residue sufficient for God and their soules For those sentences named though recorded in the New Testament yet cannot be denyed to be dictates of the very law of nature in Adams heart and all others that acknowledge a God to be worshipped and soules to be immortall Who then might dare of old or may now be so hardy to take six Dayes of seven for worldly occasions or five or foure or three or two or one of seven without out Gods expresse leave and where is there any such leave but in the fourth Commandement and the paralell places to it Gen. 2. and elsewhere Let our Disputers now turne themselves which way they will or can we cannot for our parts imagine how they can wind themselves out of the cords of this argument But that instead of one Day in seven for Religion and six of seven for the
Typicall Nation It is hard to give any such exact description either of Ceremoniall or Judiciall Lawes as shall neither be too scanty so as to leave out none of that kind nor yet enterfere with the other kind And harder perhaps to find any Judiciall proper to the Jewes which had not somewhat of Ceremoniality in it But we will endeavour to difference them as distinctly as we can and that we doe in the manner following V. Description of Lawes properly Ceremoniall 1. By the Ceremonials we understand such as concerned the Jewes as Gods Church underage and with them so many whose Ancestors had received any of them in matters between God and them or relating to a mans particular selfe even single Containing in them Types and Figures of Christ and of his Graces and Benefits Or Documents of Spirituall and Morall Duties And these were partly belonging to the outward Worship of God which in those times stood most in such Typicall Observances and partly belonging to matters of common use as the Prohibitions of Meats and of Touching such and such things which those Lawes made uncleane and of Plowing the 7th yeare or with an Oxe and an Asse together and divers such like By which God would traine them up in that time of his Churches infancie till Christ should come as the Apostle implies Gal. 3. and Heb. 9. We say traine them up 1. Saint Peter speaking of them Act. 15. saith They were a yoke on their necks which neither they nor their Fathers were able to beare To enquire after the spirituall mysteries contained in those Precepts and Prohibitions of most of which no other tollerable reason could be conceived by them but only that God did intend them to signifie some higher matters as also 2. to long for the comming of that promised seed who should deliver them from the bondage of those wearisome observances and burdensome forbearances As even by the Jews writings it appears that they did expect such freedome by their Messiah These we take to be properly Ceremonials But forasmuch as the word Ceremony is of much use in our future Controversie and is diversly taken by divers men VI. Divers acceptions of the word Ceremonial by others We will here once for all to avoid vain repetitions distinguish it according as severall men use to take it And withall shew how far we consent to such sences of the word and why we dissent from them at all It is then taken three wayes by some others 1. For Ecclesiasticall VII 1. For Ecclesiasticall to signifie any externall Rite belonging to externall Worship as being a Church-matter and distinguished against things Politicall concerning the Common-wealth For God hath been pleased in all times of the Church to Ordain as some externall Worship so some Rites and Ceremonies belonging thereunto sutable to those times And so Divines usually speak of the Tree of life in Paradise That it was a religious Rite or Ceremony and namely to be a Sacrament to Adam in his Innocency And in this sense even the Sacraments of the New Testament may be called Ceremonies as being Ecclesiasticall and Religious Rites commanded by God for his Worship And it is further said by some That by Gods prescription the Jews themselves had divers Rites of this nature not Typicall of Christ to come or his Grace c. yet Ceremoniall Vnder this name Ceremony may and ought to be comprised saith one not only the Types and Figures Primâ— part 1. c. 12. §. 17. which manifestly are such but universally all the observations of the Ecclesiasticall Policy some whereof had no Typicall signification at all but were only Ordinances belonging to Order and Ecclesiasticall government Which though we cannot admit as supposing all the Jewish Rites though we be not able to riddle every one to have been Typicall particularly because of that of the Apostle Heb. 8. ver 5. That all things belonging to the Tabernacle being commanded to be made according to the pattern shewed Moses in the Mount 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the Priests using them served for an example and shadow of heavenly things Yet for the present we are content to Record what he grants as usefull for some purposes hereafter perhaps against himself VIII 2. For temporary Patt rn of Catech Doct. p 234. D. Wal. dissert de Sab pag 16. 2. Some others take Ceremoniall for Mutable and Temporary So the learned Catechist gives the Notation of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 given only for a time and then after to expire And some others as they take Morall and Immutable for the same so by Ceremoniall they understand changeable and Temporary And if we take it so then all the Judicials as they are commonly called come no lesse properly under the term of Ceremoniall then the Typicalls But though we believe sundry Judicials had some Typicallnesse in them â—s was toucht before and so were partly Ceremoniall yet to rank them and the Typicalls both equally under the term of Ceremoniall we think is a little too much to confound things different IX 3. Figurative 3. Others by Ceremoniall understand only Figurative as unquestionably most of the Jewish Rites were but then they divide them into three sorts as being they say either 1. Memorials of somewhat past or 2. significative of somewhat present or 3. Typicall of somewhat to come of Christ his Actions or Passions or Benefits arising from both and some Ceremonies had all these uses undoubtedly as the Passeover and some others This sense wee grant in part to be proper having before described Ceremonies to be Types Figures and Documents But we shall not easily grant them that All Memorials of things past or signes of things present no not under the old Testament much lesse under the New are properly called Ceremoniall so as to be contradistinct to Morall and so to be mutable and temporary we by morall understanding perpetuall as we said before X. Description of Laws properly Judiciall Now for the Judicials we conceive they may be thus described to be Lawes given to the people of Israel in civill matters between man and man to order them as they were a body politick to whom the Land of Canaan was allotted for an inheritance and from among whom the promised Messiah was to be born We put in those relations to the Land of Canaan and to the Messiah because all the peculiar civill Laws they had were founded as we suppose and instances may undoubtedly be given of it in very many of them upon peculiar respects unto those Promises Which we the rather conceive because some of them were Indulgences and some Precepts which are not now so much as lawfull to be practised much lesse perpetuall and necessary to us As to instance in no other but that of Divorce which was an Indulgence to them as our Saviour expresly saith and by Him thenceforth repealed Mat. 5. 19. Luk. 16. And that
take away some particularity circumstance about them and namely the individuall object of them and to abrogate and abolish that yet he vouchsafed to continue the Substance of those Lawes still under the New Testament and for that purpose himselfe ordained new Particularities new Individuall Objects whereby those Lawes should subsist and made only a change in the Circumstances and no diminution nor alteration at all of the Substance of those profitable Lawes Of this I have a double undeniable instance to produce one of the Ministery the other of the Sacraments 1 It cannot be denyed XXXI 1. In the Ministery but it is a Substantially Profitable Law for all men in all Ages That there should be some men set apart to minister between GOD and his People and the People submit to them being appointed of GOD to that office and depend upon them so far as GOD ordaines Accordingly besides Melchisedek mentioned to be a Priest of the most High GOD Divines generally hold that before the Leviticall Law was given every Father of a Family had the office of a Priest or Minister of God to his Family even from Adams time in Abrahams time Gen. 14. GOD as soon as ever he took Israel to be his people had first the first-borne to be his Priests Exod. 24.5 Num. 3. c. and afterward the Tribe of Levi and the Family of Aaron besides also his raising up extraordinary Prophets for part of that office But these Levites and Aaronites though he hath under the New Testament taken away from being Hereditary Ministers of his and so abolished their Order yet hath he not left his Church without Ministers But Christ himselfe upon Earth chose and sent some in that imployment and appointed them to send others in succession which accordingly they did as the Acts and Epistles shew and likewise continually gives gifts to men to that end Ephes 4. and so upon those who are according to his Word ordained to that Office lies the Substantiall Duty of GODS Ministers even the same for substance that was from the beginning namely to teach and pray and judge the People in things pertaining to GOD according to his Word And Gods people are bound to submit to them and depend upon them answerable to the rules of the Word as well and as much as they of old were to his Ministers in those times And all this because of the substantiall profit of those Lawes for Gods honour and mens soules as the termes of Embassadors Watchmen Shepheards Husbandmen Builders Fishers and the like doe abundantly testifie So that a substantially profitable Law appeares to be perpetuated even where God makes some change about it And if we consider that God did once speak to his people generally by his own Majestick voyce Exod. 20. and oftentimes of old to Particulars by Dreams and Revelations and by apparitions of Angels There was no necessity neither on Gods part nor Mens that such Lawes should be made or any such Office of Men establisht But it was only the pleasure of God and a Positive Law of his desired also by the people as we find Exod. 20. after they had heard that dreadfull voyce and in answer thereunto He promised a succession of Prophets Vide Calv. in locum and specially Christ the great Prophet Deut. 18. Yet for the substantiall profitablenesse of it perpetuated by God throughout all Ages and acknowledged and practised even by all the Heathens Yet by no Argument can it be proved Morall-Naturall as I suppose XXXII 2. In the Sacraments 2. The other Instance is yet more if need be undeniable for a Positive Law to be perpetuated because substantially-profitable for all men in all ages And that is the Law of the Sacraments of being Seales for confirmation of a Covenant between God and men Of this it cannot be said there is any necessity in regard of God who knowes all mens hearts before and without this nor yet absolutely in regard of Men For all Orthodox Divines hold men may be and are saved without them if they be not willing contemners of them They are then necessary only necessitate Praecepti not Medii And the nature of them is such as that God himselfe must appoint them or else they are so far from being necessary or profitable to advance his honour and Soules good that they are unlawfull to be used Men may not make or appoint Religious seales of the Covenant between God and them The using then of any such comes from Gods Positive Law Yet because in his Wisdome and Grace he saw it would be profitable for his Church to have such Seales of the Covenant between him and them And accordingly we are able to discourse of a substantiall profit of such seales of Gods appointment to strengthen our faith and engage us the more solemnly and strongly to him and that from time to time Therefore God not only gave to Adam in innocencie the Tree of Life for a Sacrament as Divines generally hold But after his fall Sacrifices which had certainly the nature of Sacraments seals of Gods covenant And now under the New Testament though he hath abolished the old seales of Circumcision and the Passeover and Sacrifices yet he hath not abolished the Law of Sacraments of Seales in generall though also that Law be no where expresly laid down in the generall but under the particular Seales of each Age But hath only changed the former Individuall Objects and set up himselfe new ones Baptisme and the Lords Supper Unto the Lawes of which even the generall Lawes of Seales to be gathered from the Old as well as the New Testament All his people are still bound because of the substantiall profitablenesse as well and as much as they of old were Though not to the specialties which appear peculiar to the old Seals Still then we find God Perpetuating Substantially-Profitable Lawes even although he change some circumstance about them We will therefore conclude this discourse and this Chapter with this Epiphonema from both our Rules That XXXIII An Epiphonema for conculsion as we being Subjects of the great Lawgiver dare not pleade our selves loose from any Law of his which we shall find in his Word and specially not from any such substantially-profitable Law without we can be sure he hath discharged us of it according as we have discoursed of expirations and repeale So upon this supposition We shall not need be overcurious in distinguishing Morall-Naturall from Morall Positive for both will come to one effect to us CHAP. III. Every Law of the Decalogue is a Morall and Perpetuall Law WEE have one Rule more to adde I. The third Rule Every Law of the Decalogue is Morall to know a Law to be Morall though but Positive and that is Every Law of the Decalogue or every one of the tenne Commandments is a Morall and Perpetuall Law This Rule we finde doth not passe currant with the contrary
they are hereby yet more affected by a more Generall Example recommending the Worship of God but also because by the Solemne Ordinances of Prayer the Word and the Sacraments Administred and Dispensed and used in Publike multitudes are at once taught and minded of and provoked to the Duties they owe to God and Man better then their own solitary thoughts and endeavours or only their Families helping them could ordinarily have attained unto And this so much the rather because of the gifts which God to this purpose hath endued His Ministers with who by His appointment are set apart mainly for the Publike VVorship exceeding those which others have usually or ordinarily Yet by the advantage of Publike VVorship every particular Person present both enjoyes the benefit of the Ministers gifts of Prayer and specially of his knowledge and wisedome in interpreting the Scriptures and rightly dividing them for the edification and consolation of every one and so may reape in one houre the strength of that which hath been growing divers yeeres and feed upon that which hath been gathering divers dayes More we shall not need to adde concerning this at this time Because every conscience both feeles the gaine and encrease of spirituall good and comfort by the publike Ordinances as also by their earnest desire and seeking after them proclaime it sufficiently to others As also because to this generally our adversaries are frequent enough in affording their Testimonies And therefore also we will here spare the paines to quote any of them Hereafter we shall have occasion to make use of some of them Now we shut up this Chapter with summing up for a conclusion That both Solitary and Conjoyned VVorship in Families and Churches are Solemne and Necessary Duties required of all men so farre as hath beene said and so Morall-Naturall And now what time is required for all this we shall consider in the Chapters that follow CHAP. VII Generall Considerations about Time and its Profitablenesse in Reference to Morall Actions of Importance THe Necessity and Morality of Solemne VVorship having been in the former Chapter discoursed of I. Scope of the ensuing discourses about Time We are now to take in hand the consideration of the Time which may be or is to be allotted to it both generally and for the performance of the severall kinds of Worship Noted Driving it to this scope to shew by the Profitablenesse that may be in a wise determination of Time for Religion and Gods Solemne Worship That the determination of one day in seven for a Sabbath which we find in the fourth Commandement is a Law substantially profitable for all men in all ages to be bound unto Which then upon the grounds formerly laid of the Morality of such a Law though but Positive unlesse God be found to have clearly repealed it if we can vindicate from the supposed repeale which some contend for as we believe we shall we shall have demonstratively proved the perpetuity of that fourth Commandement in that Consideration and gained the Principall Fort striven for in this Cause And then the residue will be easie to be dispatched and made ours To this end we suppose it convenient to discourse first II. Why we first handle it generally with respect to Civill Actions concerning Time in generall as it may referre to humane Actions even Civill and that for two Causes 1. That hereby if it be possible we may gaine upon mens prejudices and take them of while we make it appeare that we wrest not things about Time to our purpose beyond the Nature of them but that whether we ever meddled with Religion or not Yet the considerations we shall note are reall and certaine even in ordinary businesses and civill affaires And so bringing our Cause before the barre of Reason and Nature to which our adversaries have appealed from the words of the Scripture we may take from them all evasions and wayes of shifting 2. That hereby the whole matter may be more cleare and distinct for every one to conceive and beare away when it is first set down generally with an Application to Civill Actions and afterward particularly shewed to agree to matters of Religion and Gods Solemne VVorship III. Why we use so many distinctions and divisions And apply them a second Time Melim est doctos onorare notis quam rudes fraudare discendis Leo Magnus Phil. 3.1 To write the same things to me indeed it is not grievous But for you it is safe And if in the former part we shall seeme to some somewhat too curious in spinning out distinctions and divisions we crave a respite of such censure untill we have added our Application wherein it will appeare that not one of all those divisions how nice so ever it seems but hath some Profitable not to say Necessary Vse toward the clearing and giving light to this most important controversie On the contrary if we be charged by others to tautologize in our Application of things to Religion in the following part We wish such to consider that many of the Notions being New and not of ordinary observation it may be more excusable to say some things a 2d time over which pregnant wits might have sufficiently understood and remembred by once mentioning them then by a single mention of any thing of importance to endanger the loosing of any ordinary readers apprehension or memory in a discourse of such length and weight as this is These things thus premised we fall to our worke to scanne the Nature of Time in reference to Humane and Morall Actions IV. Time an adjunct yet may be substantially profitable Time generally considered is a naturall adjunct and circumstance accompanying Humane Actions of what kind soever But yet such a circumstance as hath according as it may be ordered a reall as I may say a substantiall influence into the businesses for which such Action is performed and so may be substantially Profitable unto the maine businesse even according to naturall reason and in a constant course supposing the businesse not to be effected by one single and momentaneous Action V. This consideration hath been hurtfully neglected And Place unfitly paralelled with Time in Religion Which reallity of the effect of Time toward Morall Actions being not observed or not regarded by disputers in this Cause hath bred much confusion and occasioned manifold mistakes as appeares even by that one most common Assertion of all the adversaries That Time and Place are equall circumstances in Religion Which how false it is and how prejudiciall not to our Cause only but to Religion it selfe If we doe not anon demonstrate beyond the possibility of any reasonable deniall we shall despaire of ever prevailing in the Cause we have undertaken But on the contrary if we shall make manifest as we are confident by God helpe we shall That the one namely Time is of exceeding importance in Religion even without respect to any particular institution
action is once done or a businesse finisht it is all one in Naturall reason whether the Time belonging to it were antecedently indeterminate or determinate as being then exactly equall one to another and as exactly measurable or computable one to the other Yet is there between them before-hand even in Civill actions a great and remarkable difference namely as much as between may and must for which they deserve to be carefully observed and distinguished into their natures and degrees XIV Indeterminate Time is attendant on businesse To begin with indeterminate Time The nature of this is to be meerly an attendant upon actions and businesse and a meere circumstance Necessary indeed but not in any Ethicall or Morall consideration but meerly Physicall and Naturall as a shadow is a necessary that is a naturall attendant upon any body in the sun-shine in as much as it is simply impossible in Nature to performe any action without the concomitance and attendance of Time But on the other hand the nature of determinate Time is to be a commander of businesse requiring the aitendance of such actions as are for the businesse And it is as necessary Ethically to performe some such actions according to the determinations of Times as it is Physically to have some Time to accompany actions But withall it is to be observed and the observation will prove of much weight as we shall see That even indeterminate Time to some businesses and namely such as admit of variety of degrees may prove a circumstance of much importance to the advancement or disappointment of a mans end in his actions even according to Reason and Nature and in an ordinary and constant course We will instance in the businesse of Learning which to attaine to is a Students businesse and his end though not ultimate and unquestionably admits of great varietie of degrees And toward it divers actions are directed as attendants on his Masters or Tutours teaching and to give him account of his learning and conversing with his Fellow-Scholars or Fellow-Pupils or Fellow-Students in acts and exercises of Learning Disputations and Orations and the like As also studying reading and meditating by himselfe XV. Yet profitable even voluntarily applied Proved for his further progresse and increase in Learning Now to all this we say even Indeterminate Time may in some respects be of much importance towards the furtherance or hinderance of his businesse of Learning according as any voluntarily without any antecedent determination applies himselfe and imployes his Time Namely this is true of the two first respects of Time the Quamdiu or Continuance and the Quoties or Frequencie which are the two affections of the Quantity or Proportion of Time These are in themselves though indeterminate very materiall and as we may say substantiall circumstances in the businesse of Learning But it is not so with the Quando or season of Beginning For take that altogether indeterminately and it is of no value or efficacie at all to the speeding or putting back of Learning that is not in it selfe though perhaps it may be somewhat by accident A little further to explaine these things will be worth our paines and so we will consider each of these respects severally as also joyn the two first together as far as they agree in this Observation in hand Here then 1. we affirm that the Quamdiu or continuance of Time XVI 1. In the Continuance even altogether Indeterminate and uncertain before-hand and only prolonged by a mans own will according to present affections and occasions or shortened accordingly doth answerably promote a mans Learning or defeat it For infallibly the longer supposing his bodily spirits not tyred a Student continues attending his Tutour and receiving directions and instructions from him or exercising himselfe with others in matter of Learning or hearing them or studying by himselfe and so in any of these or all these continues the pursuit of Learning the more he prospers and the lesse while he continues the lesse he advances in such learning So that a man may both foretell of two Students of equall capacitie and opportunity of helps that he who hath bestowed even altogether voluntarily and without any antecedent determination a longer Time such Day upon Learning hath gotten more that Day then the other that bestowed lesse Time As also by observing the progresse of two such any Day he may even without all examination which of them continued longest at his study or with his Tutour and the like conclude and pronounce demonstratively That he who hath profited most did continue longest and he who hath profited lesse did continue a shorter time 2. We say the like of the Quoties or reiteration of Time XVII 2. In the Frequencie even altogether uncertaine and indeterminate till a mans own minde made him voluntarily returne to his study That the frequencie of such returne to study and to his Tutour for helpe and the like or the seldomnesse of it doth exceedingly set forward or keep back a mans Learning For infallibly he that reiterates it every day twise a day or so prospers and goes on and he that returnes to it but once or twise a week or moneth or yeere makes little or nothing of it in comparison Other things being equall as we touched before So that here again a man may both foretell and judge infallibly between two otherwise equall which is or will be the better Proficient namely he that is more frequent in returning to his study and he the worse that reiterates it remarkably seldomer Also by discerning their different progresse he may without examination say demonstratively Such an one studied more Dayes in a Week or Moneth or Yeere and such an one fewer XVIII 3. In both 3. Insomuch as taking these two Considerations of Time together they are the usuall Periphrasis of a good Scholar or Student He is one that continues and keeps close to his study for a good while together when he is at it and is diligent in returning to it constantly day by day Or in going often to his Tutour or frequenting Acts and Exercises and the like whereby Learning is gotten XIX 4. An evidence of Affection 4. Withall it is not to be forgotten That even such Voluntary applying of Time indeterminately much or little together and often or seldome where there is no necessary or just impediment is a most evident and undeniable demonstration what speciall affection a man hath to Learning much or little Neither is it almost possible for a man to expresse his own love or anothers to Learning or want of love to it but by imploying at least somewhat about the Proportion of Time the Continuance long or short and the Reiteration often or seldome for such imployment XX. 5. And Wisdome 5. Finally This application of the continuance and frequencie of Time to any thing hath so great an influence into all businesse of importance that we usually count
the Determination of that Solemne Time be in it self sinfull as in some considerations it may be in mens Determinations as we shall see It would be sin not to present or proportion Duties according to the Determination made namely 1. During the whole Continuance 2. Upon every Revolution 3. At the particular Season of the Time Determined Only it must not be forgotten That X. Yet admits of a Reservation If any Authenticke Reservation or Dispensation were made together with the Determination of such solemne Time in any respect Or be sufficiently delivered afterwards by the Authority that makes that Determination namely and specially by God whose Authority is most sacred and undeniably absolutely supreame in every thing or even by any Superiour Such Reservation or Dispensation for any particular case to interrupt the Determination and solemnity in any respect may be and ought to be allowed without imputation of sinne or check of Conscience and yet for the residue the Determination to stand strong and firme Of which we shall see some considerable Instances hereafter And the like is to be yielded where a man 's own Vow hath determined any Time to himselfe If the Reservation were made together with the Determination But afterward he hath no power to put in a reservation at his own pleasure upon the change of his mind Only he may make use of any such as Gods command in some other consideration may necessitate him occasionally to give way unto As for instance A man may by Vow determine to himselfe such a Day wholly to be spent in Humiliation Prayer and Fasting From this now no meere change of his own mind afterward nor ordinary occasion of wordly businesse can dispense with him for any part of the whole Day Unlesse with such Vow he did reserve a liberty to admit such or such Interruptions But the Providence of God may interrupt him and he then without any present sinne may give way to some necessary occasions which admit not of a delay whether concerning others or himselfe Such namely as God not only allowes but even commands to interrupt any Time by Himselfe determined as Quenching of a Fire Resisting of an Enemy Affording necessary help to a sick person a travelling woman or the like And if there were any sinne it was in making the Vow too strictly without such Reservation But where God hath not appointed a Reservation in Times by Him determined there a mans own Vow making a Determination of Time to himselfe will tye him fast so far as he made no Reservation together with the Determination it selfe even though it should prove some kind of outward inconvenience or prejudice to himselfe to observe it so strictly For as an Oath to man because God is called for a witnesse in it will bind him fast that makes it though it be to his own hindrance outwardly in some degree unlesse the matter of the Oath appeare when it should be performed to be against some Commandement of God So a Vow to God much more will bind any man though he cannot keep it after without some inconvenience to himselfe unlesse we say it crosse any other Command of God in regard of some other necessary duty or the like XI The profitablenesse of such a Determination for Religion And now we are to proceed to consider according to the method of the former Chapter what Profitablenesse or Necessity generally there is or may be in any Determinations of Time solemnly for Religion and Solemne Worship and that both Conjoyned and Solitary Worship with reference also both to the kindes of Determinations in regard of the Respects of Time themselves and of the manner of them likewise according to Rules of Religious Reason and Experience and the Law of Nature and Scripture Here first All the causes of a profitable and necessary Determination forenoted agree clearly and undeniably to commend a Determination of solemne Time for Religion and even call for it as necessary 1. It is without doubt a most important and necessary businesse XII 1. Religion and Gods worship is a most important and necessary businesse and most worthy to have Time determined for it to tender Worship to God solemnly and accordingly to promote the Soules good It is the most important and most necessary businesse of oll other Gods Worship is the primary and chiefest end of Mans Creation Being and comming into the World and continuing in it And the Soules good is the secondary and next principall end of Mans life and abiding in the World His worldly businesses and even the good of his Body come but in the third place to be matters of necessity or importance If therefore for any thing it is or can be profitable and necessary to have Time determined it is for Religion certainly and for worshipping of God in the first place that He may have glory from us and our Soules blessing from Him And this Profit and Necessity for our Soules is now since the Fall exceedingly increased because thereby we fell from all our happinesse in regard of our Soules And so if any pretence could be alleadged that it was not necessary for Adam in innocencie to have any determinate Time for Solemn Worship to which Question we shall give some occasionall touches as we goe along it not now deserving a long dispute However we to be sure who are in a lost condition by Nature stand in need of Time to be determined for our Soules to seek againe from God by solemne waiting upon Him assured Reconciliation and recovery of our lost felicity in Him 2. By what we have in the Chapter concerning Solemn Worship XIII 2. It is impossible to worship God solemnly and doe any other businesse the while discoursed It appears sufficiently that it is impossible to attend it and other businesses of the World together at the same Time Not only because divers Worldly businesses in the nature of them take up the whole of Time or the whole of a man for the Time while they are doing and so leave not room for so much as Ejaculatory Worship or any thing toward God or the Soules good for some instants But also for that it is the proper nature of Solemn Worship even though Solitary to take up the whole man and so the whole Time whiles that Worship is presenting and it is so much profanesse as a man unlesse in cases by God allowed interrupts for the least moment of Time his Solemn Worship or affords any of that Time to any thing but God and his Soule That therefore there may be some fit Time for Solemn Worship N. B. and other fit Time for Worldly businesse it is clearly profitable to have some Determination of Time for Religion and in a degree necessary It is Heavenly-mindednesse and a gilding of our Earthly imployments to intermingle Ejaculatory Worship with them But it is Earthly-mindednesse and adulterating our Solemn Devotions if we willingly meddle with any Worldly
occasionally and the Lords Supper seldome oftner then once a moneth in any Church which would so far forth prejudice the good that might have been gotten by that which is so omitted Or else very much scanty each of them and so weaken the good to be received by every one of them singly and jointly XXX 2. With respect to mens worldly businesses But withall on the other hand the considerations of mens worldly callings and necessary businesses would suffer no lesse if not more sensible prejudice by dividing the Time between more dayes then if it were all put into one It would hinder journies and day-labourers and all men of much businesse exceedingly For the publike worship being then to be waited on it could not be in most places of the country particularly and for the sake of weaker bodies till about nine a clocke in the morning or toward three in the afternoone if the beginning were not in the morning and this would marvelously disappoint travelling and indeed every worke which could noâ— at the clocke striking as one may say be laid downe and the â—â—r those that dwell a mile or two from Church as much Time would be spent in going to the publike worship and home againe if not more then in the worship it selfe and so it would be a most greivous interruption and hindrance to all their worldly businesses Neither doubt we but if the consent of men were asked one by one the most part by farre both of good and bad the willing and unwilling those that love the service of God and the businesse of their soules and those that love it not All would give their voyces to have the whole Time how much or how little soever the porportion were for houres upon one Day in such a revolution rather then upon more frequent Dayes with a shorter Continuance that so they that love Gods worship and their soules good might have more full scope for that And they that love the world better might have the lesse interruption in their worldly businesses and more freedome to follow them From which discourse before we passe to another Consideration XXXI A consequence from thence Let us make bold to put the reader in mind of a consequence that we suppose will undeniably follow if these premises stand good namely That unlesse fourteen or sixteen houres be too large a proportion to be determined for Gods Honour and the good of all mens soules within the revolution of seven Dayes then the dermination of one whole Dayes Continuance for so many houres in such a revolution will prove so substantially a profitable determination for all men in all ages As they will find it a very hard taske that will afterward goe about to prove either that this determination was not from the beginning considering what is said at least towards it Gen. 2. Or that it is not perpetuall since there is certainly no expresse repeale of such a proportion of Continuance within that revelution And whether now under the Gospell such a proportion be too large in the whole as we wish the readers conscience to bethinke it selfe seriously even now that he is upon this discourse So we shall give him a further occasion to resolve in a Chapter or two after Meane Time we have one Consideration more yet to adde about the kinds of determination of these respects of Time and which is the last of this sort 8. XXXII How the determination of the Quando or season is profitable As a joynt determination of the Continuance and Frequencie so largely as hath been said must needs be Profitable for all men alike because all men are a like concerned in the Worship of God and care of their soules good To which tend all the determinations of Time religiously so it cannot be denied but upon the supposition of such a determination there will be at last a Profitablenesse accidentall not only of some Quando season or order of beginning but of the same for all that live neere one another at least so farre as to secure the helping one of another in family or publike Worship and to prevent hindring one another even in solitary Worship or the admitting of hindrances one from another Only it is to be observed withall that as all accidents are in Nature after the substances to which they are accidents though they are oft together for Time And againe all separable accidents may be after in Time So this accidentall determination of the Season or order of Time for Religion is in Nature after the substantiall determination of the Continuance and Frequencie even though possibly it was in Time determined together as the Seventh Day from the Creation together with one Day of seven Gen. 2. Supposing we say the particular Day determined to Adam the same moment with the other yet was the determination of it after it in Nature as being but meerely accidentall to the businesse of Religion for which infallibly the determination of one Day in seven was made And if what we have discoursed of the alteration of the order without prejudice to Religion be good it might possibly be determined some while after in Time But however it must not be forgotten that the particular order or season of beginning this or that Day is only accidentally and in no sort substantially profitable to Religion as hath been proved before XXIII For the manner of Determinations And so we come to the third and last main Consideration about the Profitablenesse of determinations of Time for Religion namely about the manner of determination of any of the respects of Time or all of them 1. No Exclusive Determination is profitable 1. Here is specially to be noted That no Exclusive Determination for the generall businesse of Religion can be conceived to be Profitable That is It cannot be profitable to have a Determination of so much Continuance at once and never longer as well as not shorter and of so frequent a revolution and never oftener as well as no seldomer and at such a season or in such an order for beginning that is on such a particular Day or part of the Day Evening or Morning this or that Houre and never sooner as well as no later never at any other Houre or on any other Day This we say cannot be profitable to Religion because Religion in both the intendments of it Gods honour and the good of mens soules is every mans chiefest and most important businesse of all other all the time of his life The attendance therefore upon this must never be forbidden strictly which is in the nature of an Exclusive Determination in any respect But it is ever lawfull not now to say necessary to prosecute the businesse of Religion both voluntarily without determination of the Time beforehand as also to determine Time for it where the necessities of a mans worldly condition and worldly imployments can and doth admit it It is true that if
also the Determinations themselves in the residue of the Times will be a great deale more certain to be observed by this allowance of such really important necessities The taking away of an excuse saving sometimes the main of a Duty which else under the pretence of prejudicing a necessary present businesse would have been wholly neglected as an unreasonable command Accordingly therefore we find sufficient intimations in the Scripture and particularly by our Saviours pleading with the Pharisees on that occasion That works of mercy to any of Mankind and even to a Beast as the lifting them out of a pit or even leading them forth to water are Reservations made by God himselfe out of the strictest Determinations of Time for Religion namely out of the Sabbath And the same Equity is generally held by the strictest Divines to extend to all such businesses of Necessity which could neither have been done the Day before nor can be deferred to the next Day As the quenching of a fire breaking out in a Hay-stack though in a field and remote from any dwelling house and the like Further particulars of which Reservations to be gathered from the instances of our Saviour and His discourses about them and other generall expressions we shall have occasion again hereafter to examine As also that to us now under the Gospel there is some further allowance in this kinde then was to the Jewes of old We being more freed from all reall burdens then they were Only it must still be remembred that Gods indulgence herein must be so far from making us think the Determinations to be of no force as our Adversaries most absurdly argue against the whole Doctrine and Law of the Sabbath from those expressions of our Saviour about these Reservations as we shall see that we ought rather to esteem our selves the more obliged to them since God is so graciously pleased to condescend to us as to prefer our naturall and worldly necessities in such cases before His own immediate services But doubtlesse if we thinke His services and our Soules necessities any matters of regard at all we shall not see any just ground to think that God ever meant by such Reservations for particular cases and occasions to lay all Time levell and referre all to mens courtesies whether they will give Him any back again or how much or how little often or seldome And so we have done at length with this Discourse about the Profitablenesse of Determinations of Times for Religion generally XLIV The Conclusion together with some Intimations of Application more particular unto the Determination of one Dayes Continuance in the frequent revolution of seven Dayes according to the fourth Commandement But the full application cannot be made till we have added also the Considerations that concerne the Necessity of this or that kind of Determination and this or that Manner and likewise scanned whether the chiefe Determination for the necessary and ordinarily sufficient chiefe solemne Time can be profitably made by any other but God himselfe To which two Points we shall speak by His assistance in the two following Chapters And if in this already or in any that follow we shall seem to any too prolixe and tedious We must desire them to consider that the Argument is not only of great importance but also hath hitherto been handled very confusedly in this Point about the Nature of Time which yet is one of the main hinges upon which the whole Controversie depends even by all the Adversaries as well as the friends of our or rather of Gods cause for His Solemn Time and Day of Holy Rest We have therefore been desirous to beat things out so as that any attentive Reader may see clearly the way we goe and the strength of the Arguments on which we ground our Cause that so far as is possible and as God shall vouchsafe to blesse we may satisfie all Consciences even of ordinary Readers which we much misdoubt we should not have done if we had strived to contract our selves unto the quicker apprehensions of the more pregnant wits while withall we assure the one and other sort that we take no further delight in expatiating either in matter or words then we judge it necessary to the clearing of doubts which others or our own minds have made about the whole or any part of this undertaking CHAP. IX A Determine Solemne Time for Gods Worship is Morall Naturall and that in the first Commandement And what kinde and manner of Determination of Time for Religion may be proved necessary by the Law or Light of Nature and generall rules of Scripture I. Determinate Time is 1. Morall Naturall THE Generall nature of Time in Religion as well as in civill actions and the Profitablenesse of the Determination of it for Religion as well as for Learning or any other civil businesse hath been in the foregoing chapters at large considered and discoursed of Now we are to proceed to a higher step concerning it Namely the Necessity of its Determination for Religion Gods honour and the good of mens soules of which though we have also spoken somewhat in generall already Yet are there further considerations to be set down about it and particularly What kind of Determination of any one of the respects of Time single or of any two of them jointly or of all three of them together is necessary for Religion As also what manner of Determination Remisse Initiall or Conclusive according to what may be proved from Generall rules of the law and light of nature Applyable to all men in all ages all the world over and generall rules also of Scripture without allegation of the fourth Commandement or any such determination exprest in Scripture But onely to consider whether those generall rules will not necessitate us to have recourse to the fourth Commandement for the determination conclusive of the Continuance and Frequency joyntly for all mankind now that come to the knowledge of it as well as for the Jewes of old and to the first Day of the week the Lords-Day for the season or order of beginning to count and so for the particular day to be necessarily observed by all Christians to the worlds end As also to make us acknowledge that the same Continuance and Frequency of one Day in seven was given to Adam and all his Posterity according to Gen. 2. together with the last Day of seven from the beginning of the Creation for the season and order And this is the taske of this and the next Chapter chiefely for the laying down the Positive grounds of our tenents generally reserving the discussion of particular exceptions and objections to the following parts where we shal deale with the severalls in their order distinctly To begin then II. 1 Explained we propound two Positions in the forefront of this discourse about the necessity of Determinate Time for Religion according to the Title of this Chapter whereof the first is Some
and from the Nature of God conclude His Worship and from the Nature of His Worship conclude a Time as to all other things to be due to it But to goe further and determine what part of our Time is due he means we cannot For it will not follow that because some Time is due Ergo. The seventh more then the eighth of every Moneth or any other Day above or under that number So he Whence we inferre our former conclusion If men cannot determine what is due some being due God must determine it Except If he say he only meanes men cannot determine it by the Light of Nature but by other Rules they may We reply 1. Then God Sol. 1 by this confession must determine it for all the Heathen for all that have no other Rules then the Light of Nature 2. Besides that we Sol. 2 have disproved all other Rules as unsufficient let him try if he can prescribe any sufficient Rules for it Till when we must say againe since man cannot determine it God must that is God hath But heare another To offer sacrifice Abel might learne of Adam Hist sab part 1. pag. 35. or of naturall reason which doth sufficiently instruct us that we ought to make some publike Testimony of our subjection to the Lord. But saith he neither did Adam observe the Sabbath See Prim. p. 8. sect 3. nor could Nature teach it Now marke what followes If Nature could not teach it then Adam could not determine it and if not Adam much lesse any man Except or men now Therefore againe God must and did If he say Adam might determine another Time but not this We Sol. 1 reply 1. If he might without a Rule he might stumble upon this number and day for any thing this Author knowes as well as any other and specially since we heare some notice taken of a Weeke or seven Dayes before Moses was borne of which more Sol. 2 hereafter 2. If he might not without a Rule and had no Rule nor could have any certaine as hath been proved then he might not determine any Yet some Time must be determined Therefore it was by God himselfe Prim. p. 3. adde but one more Adam neither had nor should have had any knowledge of keeping a seventh Day if God had not enjoyned it to him hy a particular Commandement And yet Pag. 127. None can institute a day as Morall but God alone Prim. p. 160. see p. 249. It is Gods prerogative exclusively to men and angels to sanctifie a thing to be an essentiall part and properly so called of Gods service saith he A stinted Day is necessary Ergo say we God must determine it For what could Adam have more for any other time or Day then for a seventh Day without Gods particular Commandement And consider but the Similitude between the second and the fourth Commandements the Matter and the Time of Worship Adam say they or naturall reason might teach Abel to Sacrifice But what Whether a Sheep rather then a Lion or a Swine and how much Whether one Sheep or two Lambs a quart or pecke of fine flower c Neither Adam knew nor could Nature teach either Abel or himselfe Therefore God must direct them So say we of the Time of Worship the chiefe solemne Time That some Time be so set apart for Gods Worship Adam knew and Nature might teach both him and us But how much at once or how often or when that is either the length number or order the Continuance Frequency or particular Day Neither Adam nor Nature nor all the men in the World could or can determine without Divine authority we say not any one of these unlesse they will yeeld the Continuance of a whole Day to be the determination of Nature as we discoursed before and much lesse all of them Therefore we say still it must necessarily belong to God Which things being thus evinced in reason and from their owne confessions in part We cannot but wonder they should so soone forget themselves as to resolve upon the contrary C. D. pag. 39. That however it be necessary that some Time be dedicated to Gods service Yet the determination to this or that particular Day is not necessary to be designed by Scripture And they say the like with more earnestnesse for the Continuance and Frequency of the Dayes which they will have now left to the Church The cleane contrary whereunto doth necessarily follow from their owne grants as we have shewed That some sufficient Time being necessary to be determined for Religion and some particular Dayes also that the sufficient Time determined may be constantly observed And that no man can determine what is that sufficient Time or what Day will please God all must necessarily be designed by Divine authority And that now in the Scripture Or else he must needs run upon the same absurdity that he would put upon us That the Scripture is deficient in things necessary and so forsake his colours of Reformation and passe over into the Campe of the Romanists If he be ashamed of this let him learne and confesse that it is necessary That God in Scripture doe define the chiefe Time of His owne Worship in all the respects of it and accordingly that He hath certainly so done for Christians now as well as for the Jewes of old LXXX The 6. generall Arg. from confession of the Romanists Al. Halens Sum. Theolog. p. 3. q. 32. n. 2. Aquin. 1.2 q. 91. a. 4. c. secundo c. And why should he or any of his fellowes be ashamed to confesse that which some of the Romanists themselves have ingenuously confessed Who yet are knowne to be men not apt to offend in over much modesty where the authority of the Church comes in competition One hath thus resolved plainly When we must rest to God it belongs not to man to determine And againe By the written Law it ought to be determined when men must rest to God And even Aquinas himselfe though he yeeld not the particular Thing in question Yet he layes downe a generall Truth which is justly applyable to the very case in hand He gives this for one reason why it was necessary that besides the Naturall and Humane Lawes we should have a Divine Law Because saith he of the uncertainty of mans judgement specially about things contingent and particular It happens that men are of divers judgements concerning humane acts Therefore that man might without any doubting know what he was to doe and what to avoyd It was necessary that in his proper acts he should be directed by a Law Divine which cannot erre Now seeing the observation of the chiefe Time for Religion is a thing of so great moment as hath been demonstrated and that the judgements of men are so different and so unable to determine what is necessary and what is sufficient for the chiefe Time and which particular Day is fittest It was
Question the Anabaptists and they and we are all agreed They have no Adversary in this Cause But yet this is nothing For they may as well say this of all Times and Dayes under the Law as under the Gospel That all were materially equall and in themselves considered By the Sun-rising or setting no Theologicall difference appeared in any of them no more than now Here then lies no scruple Ames Medal Theol. lib. 2. c. 15 sect 50.53 2. It is also granted That the Church may set apart some Times and Dayes for publike Worship But with some limitations before insinuated 1. That they be not accounted as necessary to Religion or as essentiall parts of Gods Worship 2. That they be not esteemed and used as properly Holy so farre that it should be unlawfull to change them or to imploy them in any but sacred uses 3. Lastly that they be not esteemed as efficacious meanes of Holinesse and Blessing in reference to the particular Times Dayes or Houres to the observers of them But in this sense againe nor we nor the Anabaptists we thinke will much contend with them For the Anabaptists granting a publike Worship by Assemblies must needs confesse That there must be some Times or Dayes set apart for orders sake to that use and that every one may know when to joyne with the publike Assemblies B. of E. p. 132. Yea we are told that some of them did judaize and kept the Saturday-Sabbath as instituted of old by Divine authority and not the Sunday as being in their opinion and our disputers too but of humane institution There was therefore no reason to quarrell with the Anabaptists concerning the inequallity of Dayes if this be all the difference Rather it seemes the Anabaptists were offended at this that those Dayes which man only had instituted were called Holy dayes and observed as they conceited in that manner and with that opinion of Holinesse c. as those of Gods institution were to be observed 3. Nor is there any question made by any side Whether Divine institution alone doe not make any Times this or that particular Day or Houre properly Holy and necessary to Religion For this is granted there were some Dayes so made Holy under the Law And the reason is the same under the Gospel If God institute or perpetuate any 2. Our dissent Our opinion explained 4. But herein as we conceive lies the businesse and difference betweene us That we say All Times under the Gospel are not equall in reference to Religion But that some Times in the severall respects of Time some expresse and definite Continuances some expresse and definite Frequencies or Revolutions and some expresse and definite Seasons or particular Dayes are necessary to Religion and properly Holy so as they may not be changed abrogated or otherwise imployed by man and so necessary above others in sensu composito not by a Physicall necessity of ordinary nature but by a Theologicall necessity Consentancum est rationi naturali vel potius moraliter necessarium est ut fasti sint dice Suarez lib. 2. de Relig c. 2. or Ethicall and Morall as some other besides us have expressed themselves And that so it should be sin in all men except in the cases of reservation admitted by God to interrupt solemne Times not to observe those particular Times and Dayes which is not to be said of other Dayes and Times Our disputers contrarily do maintaine That no expresse or definite Continuances or expresse and definite Revolutions or expresse and definite particular Dayes 3. The contrary opinion explained are so necessary to Religion as that all men or all Christians should be guilty of sin for the in observation of them more then of others This we say is that which many of their reasonings apparantly tend unto and which they must meane if they understand themselves Also we cannot deny but that at other times they say that which will not stand with this as we shall even here by and by shew them But we cannot help that if they contradict themselves as they doe in more things than one but only by shewing it them and our Reasons on the one side As we shall here now doe for our Assertions to win them fully to them if it may be We say then for the confirmation of our Position IV. Confirmations of our Assertion Arg. 1. Nature determines a whole day at least once Ergo. and refuting of theirs 1. If the Law of Nature determine at least once in every mans life a whole Dayes continuance expresly as necessary to be altogether spent in Religion as we have argued in the ninth Chapter then is not all Time equall under the Gospel in respect of Continuance for Religion No other proportion will satisfie the Law of Nature no not two or three Halfe-Dayes in stead of one whole Day And so this Continuance of a whole Day may not by man be abrogated altered or alienated and is more properly Holy than any other Continuance of Time for Religion that is than any other that is lesse For greater there can be none in Nature as hath been shewed 2. If the Law of Nature determines for every Work-day of a mans life at least a double Frequencie of attendance upon God V. Arg. 2. Nature determines for twice every day Ergo. as necessary unto all men which we have also argued in the forenoted place Then is not all Number or Frequencie of Times equall in Religion Or all Times equall in respect of an expresse Frequencie or Revolution so often Halfe the Day spent in Religion will not suffice to discharge from the second due attendance nor ten times upon the Day before or the Day after compensate for that neglect Because the Continuance being not here determined the Service may be so suddenly dispatcht as nothing but want of Will and Devotion can be assigned as the cause of not tendring that double proportion on the most busie Day that any man hath in his whole life VI. Arg. 3. Nature requires a determination for Continuance and Frequencie Ergo. 3. If the Law of Nature require any determination of Time at all for Continuance and Frequencie jointly as we have also proved at large and all our Adversaries also acknowledge under the termes of a Sufficient Time to be Morall-Naturall Then whosoever be the determiner of this sufficient Time or whatever the proportions be though but an houre in a yeere yet is not all Time equall in Religion under the Gospel for Continuance and Frequencie both For this houre in a yeere is necessary to Religion and so properly holy and unchangeable by man who may not take a shorter Continuance or lesse Frequencie because this is necessary not a longer Continuance and greater Frequencie because this is sufficient for the chiefe Time lesse and seldomer being against the Law of Nature which cannot be said of other Continuancies and Frequencies more large Yet againe more and
say there is no such thing to be affirmed of the proportion of Place in any of the dimensions or all of them or of the Vbi of Place where one waits upon God in it selfe considered and in reference to a mans owne particular devotion in solitary worship or even to domesticke or publike worship after the bodily conveniences forenoted be satisfied A little low narrow closet is equall to a large high wide roome And the open field of many miles long and broad which hath no limit but the aire within the reach of the eye on any side nor no other covering or bound of height but the Canopy of Heaven is equall to either And a cave or grot under ground equall to them all and none of them more or lesse conducible toward Religion then other Time therefore and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion But this must be shewed more particularly 2. By observation of any ones progresse in Learning XXVII 2. Proficiencie in Religion argues a longer Time imployed nothing of Place or Religion above another of equall capacitie and other helps A man may certainly judge even without being told that the best Proficient hath imployed at least indeterminately larger proportions of Time for Continuance or Frequencie or both toward Learning and Religion than the other who is behind-hand But who can say so of Place Who can judge whether he hath been in a wide roome or a straight within the house or in the field in a Church or besides the very High Altar as the language hath been of late and the devotions of some even where-ever they have travelled He had need be a Prophet that could tell where such an one had prayed or read for it can never be gathered from his Pietie gotten or not gotten Therefore againe Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion 3. The like is evident XXVIII 3. Longer Time imployed argues greater proficiencie not so Place in judging of proficiencie in Religion or Learning other things being equall by the Proportion of Time spent and observed toward it Who so hath observed most and oftnest Time may infallibly be judged to have advanced more than he that hath observed lesse and seldomer And againe a man may by the like reason certainly foretell without a Prophetick spirit That he that observes two houres for anothers one and so proportionably a greater Continuance and Frequencie remarkably will make a remarkable benefit above the other answerable to his Time But can any man so judge or so foretell by the Place the Roome where a man studies or prayes or the like If he would offer to speake so superstitiously of a Church or Chancell or the very High Altar yet rationally he cannot neither will the event or examination credit his confidence Therefore still Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion XXIX 4. A longer Time imployed voluntarily argues greater affections to Religion No place doth so 4. A mans imploying voluntarily and indeterminately much or little often or seldome Time upon study or devotion God and his soule is a cleare demonstration supposing no accidentall hindrances of his greater and earnester affections than another mans that doth otherwise and that other mans sleight and faint affection to spirituall things But doth the Place a man is in or goes to shew any such thing unlesse that it declare a care of being free from accidentall hindrances for which sometimes a wide field is the best securitie Or of having accidentall helps as in a Librarie or the like And yet in that Field or Librarie a man may be idle and sleight and heartlesse even scarce pray or study at all though that were his errand thither But so it is not if a man observe Time For then he cannot but pray and the like and continue his affection in some sort Or else he altogether loses his Time and observes it not Againe then we say Much Time imployed in Religion demonstrates beyond deniall much devotion and affection to it And little proclaimes it to be little And so often or seldome But what doth the largenesse of the Place commend or the narrownesse disparage What doth the frequent returne to the same Place or the change of Place discover of a godly disposition or a worldly Againe then Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion XXX 5. There is wisdome in redeeming Time to Religion not Place 5. He is a wise man that orders his Time aright for his most important businesses as Study to a Scholar Religion to a Christian that though he could not determine the Proportion before-hand yet redeemes Time with the greatest largenesse that may be for these things for Continuance and Frequencie both But what wisedome is there or can there be about the largenesse or frequent reiteration of Place unlesse meerly accidentall Or can a man be properly said to redeeme Place that is more quantity and roome for study or devotion The Philosopher said of old Solius Temporis honesta est avaritia It is only commendable to be covetous of Time of large proportions of it to redeeme it and imploy it to the most usefull and important purposes The very Sentence excludes covetise of Place and largenesse of that or any thing of it Reason and Religion say the same Perpetually then the Conclusion is to be repeated Time and Place are not equall circumstances in Religion The evidence of this will yet be more cleare if we come to compare determinate Time solemne consecrated Time with determinate or consecrated Place toward Religion the profit and necessity of either generally and particularly both with reference to Solitary Worship and Conjoyned whether Domestick or Ecclesiastick Which will afford us many more differences For to begin with the generall XXXI 6. A Time determinate is morall-naturall So is not Place 6. A determinate Time for Religion is required by the Law of Nature And the Law of Nature doth at least initially determine an expresse Continuance and Frequencie both that it may be no lesse nor no seldomer as we have formerly argued Also without a Sufficient Time determined for all men We have proved from the Light of Nature That Religion cannot stand among all men We put all these together for brevity sake But is there any such thing in reference to Place A determinate Place That there should be a Law of Nature Theologicall not Physicall commanding a determinate set Place for Religion for any mans single and solitary Worship or for Domestick or even for Ecclesiastick What Religious morall necessity can there be in it Since we saw before There is not cannot be any substantiall profit toward Religion in the proportions or reiterations or variations of Places One roome is as good as another and no better and an open place as good as a closed roome and no better Pauls Crosse and Pauls Church are equall Norwich Green-yard and the Cathedrall Also when men goe about to build a
in an instant or imperceptible Time or solemne Worship which cannot but take up some more remarkable Continuance In either sence and in both none can chuse but acknowledge that it were sin never throughout a mans whole life to waite upon God but once even though that once should be continued as long as ever any man in the world did wait upon God even fourty dayes and fourty nights as Moses did miraculously upon Mount Horeb once and a second time Therefore this Conclusion is also infallible That some determinate solemne Time above once for Frequencie is Morall-Naturall VIII Of both jointâ—y Again the same Argument will also serve to prove a joint Determination of somewhat both for Continuance and Frequencie together even by the Law of Nature thus If there may be sinne against the Law of Nature in waiting upon God too little while at once though one do wait upon Him often and in waiting upon Him too seldome though one do wait upon Him a good while together for once then a determinate solemne Time is Morall-Naturall both for some Continuance and some Frequencie together But there may be sinne against the Law of Nature in waiting upon God too little while at once though one doe wait upon Him often and in waiting upon Him too seldome though one doe wait upon Him a good while together for once Ergo. The Consequence stands good upon the former proofes so also doth the Antecedent for what heart can deny but the Continuance of halfe a minute were too little at once constantly for Gods worship though a man did reiterate it for Frequencie every Day and even divers times every Day And again who can but acknowledge that to worship God solemnly but once or twice in a mans life were too seldome how long soever he continued at it when he did worship Him The Conclusion then is beyond gainsaying That a Determinate Solemne Time is Morall-Naturall both for Continuance above a quarter of a Minute and for Frequencie above once or twice in a mans life time IX An Objection prevented two wayes If any now wonder why we have troubled our selves or our Readers with so many words about so plain a matter as this seems to be which also all that handle these Disputes seem to grant abundantly We desire such to receive satisfaction from a two-fold Answer which we offer in this behalfe X. Answ 1. First that throughout this whole Discourse we chuse rather to prove what we assert than to be beholding to our Adversaries for granting it as well to satisfie the consciences of all Readers as for that we know not whether our Adversaries in this question of the Sabbath will be alwayes so liberall as to grant all that now in their books they sometimes doe Which we are in more suspition of because we find as we shall put them in mind often in the ensuing Discourse that they doe ever now and then retract their grants of divers things which if they would steadily have held to they would have been forced to have come unto us in the maine as we hope to give them to understand ere we hâ—ve done 2. But withall we cannot chuse but professe XI Answ 2. that in particular we have not as yet been able to observe in their writings any such constant and clear confession of these things we have now taken paines to prove as we conceive necessary to be expresly set downe for a right foundation of understanding of these disputes For though all of them usually affirme in sense if not in expresse termes That one Day in seven for frequencie is very agreeable to the Law of Nature and that lesse then one in seven it may not be and that Christians must not give God lesse then the Jewes did and such like speeches which we shall note hereafter in their due place And some of them offer also now and then to say That a Day which when we speak of we mean for Continuance a Day together is of the Law of Nature which is more then we yet have said Yet soon after like men that have trod upon a Quagmire or a Serpent they step back again and as having granted more then they can well afford us or then indeed will well stand with their cause they fall off again to meere generals and uncertainties under the notions of a sufficient and convenient Time and such like doubtfull phrases which without some particularizing come in effect to nothing more then a more then a meere indeterminate Time as we have noted in the former Chapter and never so much as grant explicitely and clearly any distinct Determination at all by the Law of Nature either for the Continuance so much as a Minute at once or for the Frequencie once in a Yeere which hath made us apprehend it necessary to set down somewhat at least of our own by way of ground-work and lay our foundation as low as may be and so try what we can further build upon it in due season While withall we doubt not but we may rise divers steps higher both for the Continuance of Time for Worship and for the Frequencie then those we have discoursed of hitherto As namely That all men will confesse that 1. for the Continuance single the Law of Nature doth determine every man to somewhat more then a quarter of an houre then halfe an houre even to a whole houre at least as to a necessary proportion to be given to God at one time or other during a mans life and that it were sin even against the Law of Nature if a man should never in all his life give God a whole houre at once And 2. for the Frequencie single that the Law of Nature doth determine every man to somewhat more then twice in his life even more then twice in seven yeeres more then twice in every yeere of his life every quarter of a yeere every moneth even once at least every day as a necessary proportion to be given to God in a Revolution And that it were sin even against the Law of Nature to worship God seldomer then so in some manner Also 3. Putting both these Respects together and the Law of Nature doth still determine every man to at least an houre together We say not every Day but at least every Moneth as a necessary proportion to be given to God and that lesse at once every moneth or seldomer so much as an houre were sin even against the Law of Nature And this we are perswaded even very corrupted Nature will not find in their hearts to deny nor can they upon the former Principles of Gods being the Lord of all our Time and our Happinesse And further also then so we might perhaps goe but we are not willing to particularize too far by way of guesse because nothing certain can be concluded on uncertainties Therefore we will rather make triall whether the Law or Light of Nature will help us any
further in any certain Determination of any more distinctly then we formerly asserted in the explication of this first Position XII 2. It is Morall by the first Commandement But we think good first to interpose our second Position noted in the Title of the Chapter That the Determinate Solemn Time forenoted and argued to be Morall-Naturall is within the compasse of the first Commandement To prove which we propound this ensuing Argument XIII Argum. That which requires that we give not God too little Time at once or too seldome Time in a revolution comprehends under it such a Determinate Solemn Time as hath been mentioned both for Continuance and Frequencie But the first Commandement requires that we give not God too little Time at once or too seldome Time in a revolution Ergo. The Major is cleare from the former grounds in that the Sin and the Duty must needs come both under the same Commandement The Minor may be two wayes confirmed 1. 1 Confirmation That Commandement which requires an acknowledgement that the Lord is our God and the soveraigne Lord of us and all our Time requires that we give Him not too little Time at once or too seldome Time in a revolution But the first Commandement requires that acknowledgement that the Lord is our God and soveraigne Lord of us and all our Time Ergo. The Major is certain because the sin of giving God too little Time at once and too seldome Time in a revolution is contrary to the forementioned acknowledgement The Time being therefore too little and too seldome for Him and His worship because He is the supreme Lord of us and all our Time and as we said before the Sin and the Duty must needs be both under one Commandement The Minor cannot be denied in that the affirmative part of the first Commandement being expresly to have the Lord for our God This necessarily includes the acknowledgement of Him to be our absolute Soveraigne and Lord of all our Time and whatsoever else we can call ours or else some other must be acknowledged Lord of it either our selves or some other creatures and to affirme that were to make such creatures our God Therefore the owning the Lord to be our God requires and comprehends such an acknowledgement and such duty and forbids such sin 2. The second confirmation of the Minor of the first Syllogisme XIV 2 Confirmation may be thus conceived That Commandement which requires the acknowledgement that God is our Happinesse requires that we give Him not too little Time at once or too seldome in a revolution for attendance upon Him and converse with Him But the first Commandement requireth that acknowledgement that God is our Happinesse Ergo. The Major is manifest from the former grounds again because the sin of giving God too little Time or too seldome Time is contrary to that acknowledgement of Him being our Happinesse For what ever a man counts his Happinesse he doth and can doe no otherwise then devote much and often Time to it to attend and enjoy it being carried to his Happinesse with all his strength And Love which is the immediate off-spring of such accounting any thing our Happinesse both commands a mans Time and all else of him in thankfulnesse and kindnesse and wisedome for the service of and converse with that object loved Neither can love afford to offend in giving too little or too seldome Time But it is a sin against love and a manifestation of the want of love so far forth to scanty or abridge Time either for Continuance or Frequencie The Minor is no lesse easily proved Because that is plainly our God which to serve and enjoy is our happinesse As for that reason mainly Money is called the covetous mans god Honour the ambitious mans god Pleasure the voluptuous Epicures and he whose happinesse it is to pamper his belly is he that makes his belly his god In like sort we have not the Lord to be our God which the first Commandement requires unlesse He be our happinesse or which comes to all one unlesse to serve and enjoy Him be our happines As then Prophanenesse Covetousnesse and Worldly-mindednesse are sins against the first Commandement undeniably and they so take up the Time for our own carnall selfe and the creatures as that they are the causes and the only causes why any gives God too little or too seldome Time so they prove that the sin of giving God too little or too seldome Time comes under the compasse of the said first Commandement and consequently that that first Commandement requires such a determinate solemne Time as we have spoken of XV. A Consequence thereof for Continuance and Frequencie both And this which we have now asserted considered by it selfe we conceive that every one even our very Adversaries will and must grant us But when we shall come to make our Inference from it Namely that not only a Remissely determinate Time for Religion but even an Initiall determination both of some solemne Continuance of Time and some solemne Frequencie of Revolution being commanded in the first Commandement both singly and jointly it will thence follow that nothing is left for the fourth Commandement but only the precise and conclusive determination of a whole Dayes continuance in the revolution of seven Dayes as the chiefe Time for Religion and so if the Commandement be not in force now for one Day in seven it is altogether void and there are not now ten Commandements but only nine When we say we shall thus urge them from hence as we suppose we may most justly and strongly they will interpose some Exceptions against this Position of ours concerning the first Commandement including such Determinations of Time as we have named of which kinde we have already met with some from some Discourses We shall therefore in the next Part where this application is properly to be made propound such Exceptions as we can conceive may be made against it and accordingly as we hope sufficiently satisfie them And then so many as dare not directly take away the fourth Commandement wholly will be forced to yield it in force as we contend for one Day in seven even from this very Argument besides all others Mr. Broad indeed hath ventured to be so audacious as to reject this Commandement wholly and one or two more of our Disputers doe now and then speak very broadly towards it as shall be noted in due place But we suppose the most even of those that as yet consent not with us for the perpetuity of one Day in seven are not yet grown to that confidence but that they will rather yield to our assertion of that then altogether to throw away the Commandement For their sakes it is and for other conscientious Christians who count themselves bound to cleave to the whole Decalogue for the Reasons before alleadged in the 2. 3. 4. and 5. Chapters that we take paines to maintaine that