Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	contain_v	law_n	moral_a	2,485	5	9.8922	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A16915	Three questions ansvvered I. Question. What should our meaning be, when after the reading of the fourth Commandement, we pray; Lord incline our hearts to keepe this law? II. Question. How shall the fourth Commandement, being deliuered in such forme of words, binde vs to sanctifie any day, but onely the seauenth, the day wherein God rested, & which the Iewes sanctified? III. Question. How shall it appeare to be the law of nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke?	Broad, Thomas, 1577 or 8-1635.	1622 (1622)	STC 3806; ESTC S106710	26,614	43

sanctifie one day of the weeke Or thus Inasmuch as God having chosen to himselfe a Church commanding thē after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the 7 day reason convinceth or this is an argument that it is Gods will we Christians now his Church should doe in some sort as the Israelites by the 4th commandement were bound to doe heretofore The 4th commandement bindeth vs to sanctifie one day of the weeke that is It bindeth vs to belieue that it is Gods will we should sanctifie one day of the weeke seing as thereby it appeareth he once appointed the Israelites after 6 dayes labour to sanctifie the seventh day the same reasons in part still continue To end this matter Were it a law of this kingdome set forth long agone in these words Remember to fast vpō Thursday We in these times faring well vpon Thursday fasting vpō friday some man should say that the forenamed law bound vs so to doe vnlesse we did fast vpō Friday we brake that Statute who hearing this would not be much moved at the strangenes of the matter presently demand How shall this be seing the Statute speaketh of Thursday How can such a Statute binde vs to fast vpon Friday Now how the like vnto this may be I haue shewed with the best skill I haue and if any thinke my skill herein defectiue and say Never any law of God or man did binde in such manner as you speake of I must confesse it in my knowledge but did ever any other law of God or man appoint a thinge to be done on one day of the weeke and binde to doe it on another day or appoint a thinge to be done in one place and binde to doe it in another place Such a law if there were ever any such did binde in such manner as I speake of or if any hath more skill to answere this question I greatly desire him to shew his skill The question is such as we would thinke every one of the meanest vnderstanding would demand it first of all and it is made a needfull question to be answered by reason of those strange interpretations of Gods word aforemencioned I mean that the Sabbath and seauenth day are not the same in the fourth Commandement againe that by seauenth day in the fourth commandement any day of the week may be signified Should way bee giuen to such interpretations of the Scripture who seeth not what would follow therevpon It doth not a little moue me when in Protestant writers I read such passages as this It was neuer commanded nor appointed what one certaine day should be kept among seauen c. Consider well of the matter and thou wilt say that I am not moued without cause III QVESTION HOW shall it appeare to be the law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke Answere Almighty God having in 6 dayes created the heaven and the earth rested vpon the 7 day Gen. 2.3 and therfore sanctified it as is said Gen 2. Hence now some would gather that it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day in euery weeke but indeed it will hence rather follow that it is the law of nature to sanctifie the precise seauenth day Vpon these premises God made the world in six daies and resting on the seauenth day sanctified it by the light of nature or reason this inference should rather bee made therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day Then doe we most neerely follow Gods example when we worke vpon those very dayes which he wrought vpon and sanctifie that very day which he sanctified God in the beginning sanctified the seauenth day therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie the seauenth day is a neerer inference than that other therefore it is the law of nature to sanctifie one day of the seauen or weeke The like may be said touching the placing of the fourth commandement among the moralls if any would fetch an argument thence to prooue this matter In the 2 to the Romans Paul saith That the Gentiles did by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2 14. and were a law to themselues From which text happily an argumēt might be fetched to proue as much the law of nature as M. Dod affirmeth that is to haue solemne times for so the Gentiles had but now the Gentiles sanctified not one day in euery weeke It will rather follow from the practise of the Gentiles that it is the law of nature to haue a place appointed than one day in euery weeke appointed for publike meetings the Gentiles had Temples 1. Cor. 11.14 In the 1 Cor. 11. S. Paul hath these words Doth not even nature it selfe teach you that if a man hath long haire it is a shame vnto him Now should I say in like manner doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs to sanctifie one day in euery weeke For one that would affirme many I thinke at first would deny that nature taught it them they see no such thing by the light of nature they had neuer any naturall inclination to sanctifie one day of euery seauen But though at first euery man will be ready thus to say yet vpon consideration happily it will seem the best order and if we see by The light in vs whereof Christ speaketh Mat. 6. Though it be not by any expresse command from Christ or his Apostles but by an ordinance of the Church as is the doctrine of many great Diuines of our church in the booke of Homilies that we sanctifie the Lords day rather then another day in the weeke yet can I maintaine that it is the law of Nature to sanctifie this very day for it is The best order And this I think no man of iudgement will once offer to deny vnlesse perhaps because some hold a superstitious conceit of the day that it is the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then me thinks it may bee said that nature doth teach vs so to doe Let all things saith Paul be done decently and in order 1. Cor. 14. This command of Paul is the very law of nature doth not euen nature it selfe teach vs as much The best order is the will of God and the law of nature This is it then which I say If reason the light in vs or Nature for these I take for the same teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in euery weeke then is it to bee held the law of nature so to doe but Reason the light in vs What the Philosophers tearme Reason Christ tearmeth The light in vs and Paul Nature or Nature teacheth it to bee the best order to sanctifie one day in every weeke therefore it is to be held the law of nature so to doe This is the only argument to prooue this matter But here are two things which I thinke good to advertise thee of One is that we should not tearme it Morall to

sanctifie one day in the weeke though it bee the law of nature so to doe Some would haue the Morall law and the law of Nature to be the same but when they haue better considered the matter I doubt not they will be of another minde The law of nature to distinguish of it so farre forth as concerneth the present purpose The la●●ture is partly morall partly circumstantial 〈◊〉 twofold First the law of nature bindeth vs to performe Morall duties as to pray giue almes c. every one by the light of nature knoweth that he must doe good vertuous and godly actions to his power Secondly 〈…〉 of nature bindeth vs to obserue circumstances ●● time and place about the performance of morall duties that good may then and there be done when and where it is best to bee done and this againe we all knowe by the light of nature in vs. Now then inasmuch as the law of nature bindeth vs to performe morall duties let it be ●●ed morall it is a morall law of nature to pr●●●● to giue almes to relieue the oppressed c. But inasmuch as the law of nature bindeth vs to obserue circumstances as time and place about the performance of morall vertues it should in my vnderstanding be tearmed circumstantiall Time as place is a Circumstance therefore I cannot like that a commandement whereby the obseruation of any time is required should be tearmed morall it properly belongeth vnto those commandements whereby morall vertues are inioyned And this seemeth to bee the iudgement of our most iudicious Divine D. Field who excepteth the fourth commandement out of the number of the Moralls booke 5. chap. 22. S. Augustine hath their words in Galat. cap. 3. Scine priùs debet quis c. We ought first to knowe the 〈…〉 ●●kes of the law are twofold for part belong vnto S● 〈…〉 ●nd part vnto manners Vnto the Sacraments th● 〈…〉 ●ircumcision of the flesh Note that hee saith the Temporall Sabath and not only the litterall or seaventh day Sabath the temporall Sabbath t● 〈…〉 ●he sacrifices and innumerable such like obseruat● 〈…〉 into mann●● Thou shalt not kill 〈◊〉 shalt no●●●●●it adultery Thou shalt not beare false 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 If now the temporall Sabbath did 〈…〉 ●●nners if a Jew sanctifying his Sabbath 〈…〉 ●me a morall duty then is it not morall 〈…〉 ●●●e day of the weeke for the seauenth day to ●●e Iewes was as this law of nature it selfe seeing they laboured all the six daies going before If the Temporall Sabbath belongeth not to manners neither doth ours for ours is aswell temporall as the Iewes though not so litterall or shadowish ours is no more eternall then theirs was The other thinge which I thinke good to advertise thee of is that though it be the law of nature to sanctifie one day of every weeke yet not absolutely but after a sort After a sort for it is most commonly the best order not absolutely for it is not alwayes the best order One and the same order cannot be best at all times and in all places circumstances alter matters of circumstance so that what Nature teacheth vs to doe at one time it may forbid vs to doe at another time This which is a circumstantiall law of nature one yeare may not bee such the next yeare To instance the last yeare of Kinge Edward the sixt Nature taught the godly it was the best order to meete at appointed times in publick Temples there to pray receaue the Sacraments c. but the next yeare following being the first of Queene Mary Nature or Reason forbad them so to doe and taught them to meete when with safety they might in private houses fields or woods as they did in the Primitiue Church during the times of persecution this was then the best order Againe the absolute Lawes of Nature may not be broken in case of necessity a man may not forsweare him selfe lye or steale to saue his life but to saue the liues of his cattell a man may labour all the week and make every day working day The Sabbath 〈…〉 said before was to the Israelites as this law of Nature nay it was more Col. 2. for the Sabbath was a shadow of things to come yet in case of necessity the Israelites might breake and profane the Sabbath as in the time of the Macchabees some intended to doe 1. Mac. 2. The Sabbath as Christ sayth was made for the good of man and not man for the observation of the Sabbath Mar. 2. That he must be pinched with hunger that hee must loose his Oxe fallen into a pit the like so that whensoever it fell out as often it did that mans good must be impaired or the Sabbath must be violated the Sabbath ought rather to be violated as being inferiour to the good of man for which it was made and ordained Such as will haue it the absolute Law of Nature to sanctifie one day in every weeke of three thinges must affirme one .1 Eyther they must say that in case of necessity a man may not labour all the weeke but this no man doth say in my knowledg 2 Or else they must say that a man labouring all the weeke doth sanctifie one of the dayes and this some seeme ready to affirme But if to sanctifie a day be to forbeare our owne worke and to spend it in the service of God how doe I sanctifie that day which I spend about mine owne busines If he that laboureth all day may sanctifie a Sabbath or Rest then he that feasteth all day may sanctifie a Fast also Moreover I would demaund When I labour hard every day of the weeke about the same needfull busines suppose repairing of the Sea bankes defending a citty from the enemy seeking cattell covered with snow c. which of the dayes doe I sanctifie If I sanctifie one I may aswell sanctifie all and then it seemeth I ought so to doe as being the better .3 Or thirdly they must say that an absolute law of Nature may be broken in case of necessity but this againe I knowe none that will say though some affirme that a law of Nature may be broken by speciall commandement from God thus the Israelites killed the Canaanites and brake that law Thou shalt not kill But to speake properly the Israelites did not kill the Canaanites but God killed them by the Israelites hands ipse non occidit qui ministerium debet iubenti sayth Augustine it is the Iudge and not the Executioner Aug de Civitat that putteth a thiefe to death In like sort to speake properly the Israelites did not rob the Canaanites nor the Egyptians for god whos 's the earth is gaue vnto the Israelites the goods of them both D. Field saith touching all the commandements excepting the fourth In the .5 booke chap 22. It is resolued that God cannot permit a man to doe the things forbidden by them Indeed how