XIII Sheweth the ancient Observation of the first day of the Week called Sunday by the Heathens And that there is greater Reason to believe it is rather than the Jewish Sabbath the Old seventh-day Sabbath from the Creation tho' neither the one nor the other can be assured of the same Page 47. Sect. XIV Containeth a brief Discourse shewing wherein our first day Sabbath answers the Pattern of Adams Sabbath better than the Jewish Sabbath doth Page 50. And also sheweth the time of Day when our Christian Sabbath should begin and the Reasons why we had no Positive Command left us in the New Testament to observe the first day of the Week a Sabbath Page 52 c. With a Discourse of the Morality of Adams Pattern Page 56. And of Gods accepting the first of Time Page 58. Lastly Answers to the Chiefest Objections made against our keeping the first day Sabbath A TRACT ON THE Sabbath-Day WHEREIN The keeping of the First Day of the Week a Sabbath is justified by an Institution of God and a double Example contained in the Old and New Testament THAT we have both a Precept and a double Example to justifie the keeping of the first day of the week a Sabbath I have here to produce from the Holy Scriptures The Precept is in the Fourth Commandment founded on God's first sanctifying the Sabbath-day and we have the Example of Christs Disciples with the primitive Gospel Churches in the New Testament and of Adam to his Posterity all which I shall prove and explain as followeth SECT I. First That the Reader may not be under any mistake about the use I make of the word Moral throughout this Treatise I shall here acquaint him that in its self it belongeth to Manners Civility or Behaviour properly to the Actions of Man only as he is Man And so by some the Moral Law is taken for the Law Light or Instinct of Nature which Adam had in the State of Innocency which altho this be true yet I also make a larger use of the word For as no Man knoweth by Nature the extent of Adams light in all particulars for his Obedience when he was in Innocency and therefore cannot describe the whole of that Law of Nature And as I suppose the prohibition to him not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil will not be deny'd by any to have been binding for all his posterity as Men so we must have recourse to Divine Revelation for the better understanding our Moral and universal Duty to God since the Law of Nature is so much obliterated in us through the fall And therefore because of the darkness and depravity of our Minds we have the substance of the Law of Nature given to us in written Precents which may be called Moral as they are not Ceremonial but perpetually and universally binding to all Men for their Obedience unto God and also Institutions by Divine Revelation as being now a more full discovery to us of the Mind of God first implanted in our innocent Parents than we retain in our Natures or can recover in our fall So that when I speak of the Moral Law or of Morality it must be taken as the Adjunct Matter governs it in either sence of the Law or Light of Nature alone in the State of Innocency or contained in those transcribed Precepts of the Ten Commandments as the substance thereof in general Heads and in those other Precepts that morally do explain them which I shall only take notice of wherein I am concerned and not collect and reserr them all to their proper Heads In brief I use the word Moral in common to those things that are of universal and perpetual Concern to all Mankind for their Obedience to God as their Creator For as to the case before us seeing it s said that God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it We cannot say that Adam by his pure Light of Nature alone knew that it was meetest to have but six working days and no less as 5 7 or 8 together to one Sabbath but that from God's Example revealed to him the light of Adams Nature told him that it was most meet for him to divide his time like his Creator and so it became the Moral Duty of Men as Men to have no more nor less than six working or common days to one Sabbath SECT II. TO proceed on the Subject Matter of this Treatise I shall here recite the first Foundation Scripture for keeping the seventh day Sabbath as a boundary to six working days and briefly Note something of the Nature and Quality of the Text Gen. 2.2 3. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made It is here said God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it that is he made it a happy and holy day by setting it apart from common use for Man to worship him and he appointed it to be a rest for Adam by Revelation as he did that he should not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil for otherwise Adam could not by his Light of Nature alone know the time which had passed before he was Created nor could he understand the Mind of God as it was in God himself and therefore the knowledge Adam had of God's sanctifying the seventh day Sabbath was by Supernatural Revelation to him And this I presume none will deny for a time for Man to abstain or rest from his own business to exert his solemn Worship to God is morally implanted in the Heart of Man by Nature and surely God did not conceal from Adam the meetest time when he sanctified the first seventh day of the World for that end Besides before that God had formed Eve Gen. 2.7.8 15. he put Adam into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it and therefore Adam being appointed to do this business he might have applyed himself thereto immediately after Eve was formed and brought to him if he had not received the knowledge of God's sanctifying the seventh Day yea then it had been lawful for him to have worked on God's Sabbath if it had not been revealed to him Moreover Our Saviour puts this matter clearly out of doubt because he referrs the making of the Sabbath not to the first Institution of it at the gathering of Manna in the Wilderness but to the time of God's creating Man Mark 2.27 saying The Sabbath was made for Man and not Man for the Sabbath that is the Sabbath was not first made and then Man for the sake of the Sabbath but Man was first Created and then the Sabbath was sanctified for his Happiness as the blessing of it signifieth God's bare ceasing from Work did not make it for Man but
that thô the Israelites were under a special Obligation of persect Obedience to Sinai's Covenant of Works yet there was another Covenant before confirmed of God in Christ ministred with it and by it that the Elect by Faith beholding Christ as their perfect High Priest and compleat Propitiation through the Veil and Shadowy Dispensation of the Law might be relieved from its Curse by Reason of its weakness through the Flesh that could not keep it Rom. 8.3 3. The Decalogue or Ten Commandments being declared with a particular Direction unto Israel â—â—â—de thâ— Oâ—â—igation of Obedience to them as so promâ—lgated on Mount Stuâ—i to belong unto them as general Heads not only oâ—tâ—â—e Moâ—d Bâ—anches of the Law in other Precepts given by Moses bâ—t also of the Typical and Ceremonial Bâ—anches thereof which being appropriated and suited only to that prelent State of the Jewish Church did Intitle the Moral Law particularly unto them as a Covenant of Works which to us is only an Everâ—asting Rule as declarative of the Will of God and the substance of the Law of our Creation And therefore is any mean that the Decalogue as given on Mount Sinai is not binding to us as it was as I hinted before directed peculiarly to Israel as a Covenant connexed and related to the Ceremonial Law or as the Foundation of their Obedience to the Typical and Shadowy as well as other Moral Precepts and Commandments tied to it under that Temporary Dispensation then we do agree that it is not so binding to us under the Gospel But as the Law given to Israel on Mount Sinai was the Substance of the Law of Nature in our first Parents or of Creation again renewed in Tables of Stone and committed to Israel as the declarative Will of God so it was for the use of the Gentiles also For seeing our Sin and depravity of Nature through the fall does not weaken the Authority of Gods Law over us Ephes 2.3 Rom. 2.14 15 16. chap. 3.19 and that the Gentiles as well as the Jews before the Law was given to Israel were under its Obligations as written in their Hearts by Nature Gods delivering a fairer Copy of it by Moses than what remained in us since the fall could no ways weaken but strengthen the Obligation of it unto us all as being alike under it by Nature Moreover as the Moral Law written in Tables of Stone was the declarative Will of God strengthning the Obligation of the same Law written in the Heart of Man by Nature so Christ in the Gospel does not any ways dissolve but much strengthneth this Obligation to us all And to this agreeth the Assemblies the Congregational Churches and also the Baptists Confession of Faith recommended by the Messengers of and concerned for upwards of one hundred Baptized Congregations denying Arminianism wherein Chap. 19. are the following Words Rom. 2.14 15. Deut. 10.4 Rom. 13.8 9 10. James 2.8 10 11 12. Matth. 5.17 18 19. Rom. 3.31 Heb. 2.1 1 Cor. 9.8 9 10. The same Law that was first written in the Heart of Man continued to be a perfect Rule of Righteousness after the fall and was delivered by God upon Mount Sinai in Ten Commandments and written in two Tables the Moral Law doth for ever bind all as well justified Persons as others to the Obedience thereos neither doth Christ in the Gospel any way dissolve but much strengthen this Obligation Besides this Law commonly called Moral God was pleased to give to the People of Israel Ceremonial Laws to them also he gave sundry Judicial Laws which expired together with the State of that People not obliging any Now by Virtue of that Institution their general Equity only being of Moral Use So that here is the concurring Testimony of the three aforesaid Confessions of Faith that the Moral Law or Ten Commandments doth for ever bind all Persons to the Obedience thereof 4. Rom. 5.20 Chap. 7.23 Psal 19.7 8. Prov. 6.23 Gal. 3.23 24 25. It appears from the Holy Scripture that one chief end of Gods giving the Law and recording of it by Moses was That the Offence might abound and that Sin by the Commandment might become exceeding Sinful That is the Law being a clearer Light than what remains in our Natures since the fall it worketh the clearer and fuller Conviction of Sin upon our Minds and so it was our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ by sheâ—ing us an absolute necessity of laying hold on the Relief provided for us in him That we might be justisied by Eaith And this being declared in the New Testament as one universal end of Gods giving the Law it was then designed for the use of both Jews and Gentiles And 5. The Decalogue's peculiar Direction to Israel was no more an Exclusion of the Gentiles from its Moral Use and Instruction than the Promise of the Messias and Gods command that Israel should hearken unto him in all things had no respect unto the Gentiles And therefore as the Gentiles came by the certain Knowledge of the Promises and Prophecies of the Messias Gen. 3.15 Chap. 49.10 Chap. 22.18 Gal. 3.8 14 16. Rom. 4.9 10 11. Deut. 18.15 19. by the House of Abraham and the sacred Record of Moses of the Promise made to our first Parerts of Jacobs Prophecy That unto Shiloh should the gathering of the People be Of the Blessing of the Gentiles through Faith in Christ Abrahams Seed and of the command of God that Israâ—â— should hearken unto him and his threatnings to those that â—â—use to hear him So by the same means viz. by the Books of Moses whereby the Gentiles had the certain Knowledge of the Messias that was to come they had also the Knowledge of the Law And seeing there is no Reason to think that God designed his discovery of the Messias and the Record made of him in the Books of Moses should be only for the Use and Benefit of the House of Israel and that after Noah and the following Ancient Fathers who lived so many uundred Years to hand down the Knowledge they had received were Dead and the World as well as the Church was more increased that the Gentiles should be still left without any other ground of Faith than at best the uncertain Traditions of their short-lived and Idolatrous Fathers but that these also who had an Interest in the Messias respecting the call of the Elect that were among them should also have an Interest in and to the Use and Benefit of all the general Promises and Prophecies of him that were delivered to the Jews So consequently the Law and Matter of Instruction contained in the Legal Covenant relating to the clearer Convictons of Sins against the Moral Law and to the discovery of Christ for their Relief and Salvation from the Penalty of the Curse thereof being recorded together with those Promises and Prophecies of Christ was then for the Use and Benefit of the Gentiles also they being by Nature
brought under the Obligation of Obedience to the Moral Law tho they were at Liberty from most of the Ceremonial Service of it that was teaching and instructive to them SECT IV. HEre I shall speak to a Proposition which is that the Law of Nature and the same in the written Moral Law of Moses obligeth all men to worship God tho' after what manner he is pleased to be worshipped is not perfectly known but by the Revelation of it to them and then it followeth that either the Gentiles in the time of the Law were bound to worship God according to the Ceremonial Precepts of Moses or had some other ways the Will of God revealed to them 1. To the first we have Reason to believe that the Gentiles were lest to their own Liberty and were not absolutely required to observe the whole Ceremonial Law of Moses For as I cannot sind a command for it Deut. 16.16 Exod. 34.23 so many Nations were at too great a distance for all their Males according to the Commandment to go up three times a Year to appear before the Lord at Jerusalem 1 Kings 11.36 Dent. 12.5 6 c. the City which he had chosen to put his Name there Nor could some Northern People observe their Sabbaths according to the Precepts from Evening to Evening of which more hereafter and whatever may be said for the Proselites that dwelt in Canaan yet those Gemtles that inhabited other Countreys could not properly make the acknowledgement required in the Law Deut. 2â— 3 9. viz. That they were come unto the Countrey which the Lord sware unto their Fathers for to give them and it was impossible for all the World to inhabit in so small a Country as the Land of Canaan for it could not bear them And therefore our present business is to consider what the Gentiles were obliged to in Point of Worship before and under the Dispensation of the Law of Moses Which 2. Seeing the Gentiles were not absolutely required to renew the Law of Nature delivered on Mount Sinai as a Visible and External Covenant intailing the Ceremonial Worship of God delivered to the Jews but were to receive the Moral Law on the Obligation of Nature as a Rule of Holy Life whereby they were under an Obligation of some Divine Worship which forasmuch as it could not be of the whole Ceremonial Law of Moses and that the Light of humane Nature alone could not discover the Will of God for their perfect Obedience therein We have then Reason to believe that the Gentiles before the Law had some Precepts of God or Divine Revelation given to them how they should worship him and that these were handed down unto Posterity I deny not but the Light of Nature might shew them it was their Duty to Pray and Praise God and to Teach or Declare to one another what they knew of him but yet through the Corruption and Depravity of our Nature by the fall we find by Experience that notwithstanding we have the Additional Light of the Holy Scriptures there are different Apprehensions amongst Men about the manner of performing these Moral Duties and then we have much more Reason to conclude that the Light of Nature it self is an uncertain Guide and therefore it is rational to believe that the Gentiles before and under the Law had some Information of the Will of God concerning their Worship of him which was handed down from Adam and then from Noah after the Flood who were both publick Fathers of all Nations Jews and Gentiles Gen. 6.2 c. Levit. 18.24 For the Scriptures shew that the Sons of God were reproved for taking Wives of all which they chose and that God charged the old Inhabitants of Canaan before the Law with Sin for those unjust Copulations forbidden in the Law for which the Lord cast them out of the Land before the Children of Israel for though he might wink at it in the Patriarks Gen. 26.34 3â— Chap. 28.1 2 8. who to escape the wicked Idolaters of their Day it is likely were under some necessity of Marrying within the bounds of Consanguinity yet had he not revealed his Will against such Incestuous Marriages they could not have been charged as Sin upon them For where there is no Law Rom. 5 1â— there is no Transgression And therefore we have from hence some ground to believe that God did not leave the old Gentiles without some discovery how he would be also worshipped Especially considering that Enoch was a Holy Prophet of whom it s testified That he pleased God Heb. 11.5 and that Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness to the old World that Shem the Son of Noah of whom it 's witnessed that the Lord God Gen. 9.26 compare Gen. 11. with chap. 24.67 chap. 25.7 20. See Ainsw on Gen. 24.62 and on chap. 14.18 2 Pet. 2.5 7 8 9. was Shems God was a live in Isaacs time and is thought to be that Melchizedeck King of Salem and Priest of the most high God who blessed Abraham and that Lot who was not concerned with Abraham in the Covenant of Circumcision was a Godly Righteous Man for no doubt they were true Worshippers of God in their Families and taught others to do the like being great Lights and Witnesses of the Ways and Will of God in their Generations Moreover As the Law of Nature obliged the old Gentiles to Worship God so we find they were taught how to Exert their Obedience to it in Offering Sacrifices unto him which had a Tipical respect to the Sacrifice of Christ For it is believed from the Coats of Skin which God made to cloath Adam and Eve that they were of the Beasts that God taught Adam to Sacrifice which agreeth with what Mr. Ainsworth saith on Gen. 4.3 That the Hebrew Doctors say it is a Tradition by the hand of all 1 Chron. 21.22 26. and 22.1 2 Chron. 3.1 Gen. 22.9 Gen. 8.20 that the place wherein David and Solomon built an Altar was the place where Abraham builded an Altar and bound Isaac upon it and where Noah builded after he came out of the Ark and that was the Altar upon which Cain and Abel offered And on it Adam the first Man offered an Offering after he was Created See Dutch Annot on Job 1.1.3 and chap. 2.11 See Mr. Caryl on Job 1. and chap. 2. And we find that Jobs three Friends as it seemeth by the hand of Job as their Priest who were all four Gentiles or separated from Abrabams Seed in the Line of Isaac and Jacob and were not with their Seed taken into Gods peculiar Covenant with them were commanded of God to offer Sacrisices See Ainsw on Gen. 4.3 Job 42.8 9. 1 Sam. 13.12 Gen. 8.20 21. Exod 18.1 9. to 13. Num. 23.1 to 6 Judg. 13.17 19 1 Chron. 16.1 2 7. Jude 14.15 2 Pet. 2.5 1 Pet. 3.18 19 20. Heb. 7.1 6 7. 2 Pet. 1.21 So that sacrificing of Beasts were
required of the Gentiles and as Ainsworth saith was used of Israel and all Nations till the coming of Christ And it is evident that the publick and solemn manner of making Prayers and Supplications to God both by the Jews and Gentiles was with sacrifices of Beasts and after this manner they also offered their praises and thanksgivings And as for preaching it is recorded that Enoch prophesied and Noah was a Preacher of Righteousness and the Spirit of God in him preached to the old World and in Melchisedeck blessed Abraham From all which it is plainly manifest that there was a Revelation of the Will of God for his Worship and Service and also for the sanctifying of the seventh day Sabbath before the Ministration of Moses Law whereby the Gentiles were directed how to exert their particular Obedience in answer to the general Obligation of the Light of Nature which being more fairly transcribed by Moses was still the Rule of the Gentiles obliging them to Worship God according to the Revelation of his Will they had received before the Law confirmed in the Law and to the new discovery of it afterwards by the Gospel SECT V. HEre I proceed to prove Exod. 21.12 16 18 19 22 23. Chap. 22.1.5.18 19. ch 23.8 Levit. 20.15.16 Deut. 19.18 19 Chap. 20.10 to 16. That the Ten Commandments as such are of themselves binding to all Men under the Gospel as a Rule of Holy Life And first Because the Moral Expositions of them with sundry penalties that were not only Judaical but are perpetual Appendixes to the Moral Law given and commanded in the Books of Moses are still to be observed thô they are not all repeated again in the New Testament for else neither by the Institution of God to Noah that whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed can a Mans life be spared for killing his Neighbour unawares Nor in the sixth Command Thou shalt not kill have we any liberty to kill in lawful War or Battel Nor have we any bodily penalty prescribed for wilful murder nor for a Witch nor for stealing either in the Ten Commandments or in the New Testament so that we must either in these and other cases have respect to the Moral Expositions and those penal Appendixes of the Ten Commandments recorded in other places of Scripture in the Old Testament and consequently to the Commandments themse lves as binding to us or else we are left to the uncertain dictates of Nature 2. The Ten Commandments of themselves are binding to all Men as a Rule of Holy life because the Explicatory precepts of the seventh Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery do in Levit. 18. chap. 19.29 Deut. 23.17 particularly explain and prohibit Whoredom Fornication and Incestnous Marriages as Moral branches of this Law For the Gentiles which had not the written Law were charged with them as immoral Evils for which things God cast them out of the Land of Canaan And therefore seeing that the substance of those Explicatory Precepts were morally binding to those Gentiles before the Law See the asoresaid Baptâ—sts and the other two Confes of Faith where incestous Marriages are asserted to be unlawful and forbidden in Levit. 18. thô we find in the N. Testament only two of those incestous Marriages in Levit. 18. to be forbidden Matth. 14.3 4. and 1 Cor. 5.1 and that they are generally acknowledged to be in force thô they are not all of them expresly repeated distinctly forbidden nor explained in the Ten Commandments to be sin neither by Jesus Christ nor his Holy Apostles except two of them in the New Testament any otherwise than their forbidding of those Evils in general terms must have a natural reference to the particulars that are found in the Old Testamant and included as branches of the moral law We may then as fairly conclude that the seventh Commandment and consequently the other nine are of themselves binding to us as well as that those explicatory precepts or moral branches deduced from them should be still in force without their particular Confirmation in the New Testament 3. The ten Commandments are of themselves binding to us For the Apostle faith Rom. 3.9 We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin viz. that the Gentiles that are not under the Law of Circumcision are notwithstanding under the Works of the Moral Law written in their Hearts by Nature and the Jews are under the same Obligation transcribed on Tables of Stone and in other appendant Moral Precepts given to them by Moses And the Apostle having proved that the Gentiles that were without the Law in Tables of stone were under sin by the Law of Nature Chap. 2.14 15 16. and the Jews by the law of Circumcision ver 25. does then from Chap. 3.9 to ver 20. treat of all in general and concludes that both Jews and Gentiles are all under the Law viz. one and the same moral Obligation that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God And the Apostle farther arguing both of the Jews and Gentiles concludeth with these words Do we then make void the Law through faith Chap. 3.29 30 31. God forbid yea we establish tie Law And so doth the Apostle James who wrote to his Brethren the Jews that had the Faith of Jesus Christ saying If ye fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture James 2.8 9. Chap. 2.1 Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self ye do well But if ye have respect to persons ye commit sin and are convinced of the law as transgressors For whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offends in one point he is guilty of all From whence I observe that the believing Jews were still under the Obligation of the Moral Law as a Rule of Holy Life which of its self or by its own Authority is binding under the Gospel for else if it had been abrogated by the New Testament Ministration the Apostle would not have cited the Law of Moses out of the Old Testament as the Obligation of their Obedience as the Apostle farther argueth in Ver. 11 12. and exhorteth them so to speak and do as they that shall be judged by the Law of liberty that is as much as to say that they should be judged by the Law under the relief and benefit of the Grace of Christ in the Gospel So then if the believing Jews under the Gospel are made Transgressors by the Law of Moses as the Apostle sheweth it is a clear Demonstration that the Law is still of its self binding to them and it being the same in substance as the Law written in the Heart of Man by Nature but in a fairer Copy delivered by the Jews to the Gentile Nations now with the Gospel of Christ in the New Testament it is also equally binding to us as to the Jews For if the Jews by Faith in Christ are not brought from under the Obligation
of the Moral Law why then should the same Faith in the Gentiles excuse them from it as a Rule 4. Moreover I shall farther add that while the holy Apostles are throwing down the Types and Shadowy Worship under that legal Dispensation 1 Tim. 1.8 yet they assert that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully viz. as a Foundation of our Worship and Obedience to God and just behaviour towards Man which thrô Gospel Grace after the measure we have received is or ought to be put forth according to the several Moral branches of the Law and the Divine Precepts and Patterns given to us in the New Testament And therefore we find the Holy Apostles and Gospel Writers often proving and confirming the Moral part of their Doctrine by the Law as appears in Ephes 6.1 2 3. Children obey your Parents in the Lord for this is right Honour thy Father and Mother which is the first Commandment with promise that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth Here the Apostle confirms his Moral Doctrine to the Gentiles by the Authority of the fifth Commandment or first with promise which plainly shews that it is of its self binding to us all under the Gospel and he Moralizeth the Promise by saying Earth instead of the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee So that the Promise was not only to pertain to the Jews in the Land of Canaan but was perpetually to continue to all the Gentiles and so we may say in the aforesaid case of every one that killed a Man unawares who was to flee into the City of Refuge and continue there until the Death of the High-priest Numb 35.25 that thô we have no such High-priest in Gospel days yet the equity of that Law is still in force But to return to our present business we may farther find the Apostle proveth the moral part of his Doctrine from the Commendments Exod. 20. For in Rom. 13.8 9 10. we are exhorted to love one another for saith he Love is the fulfilling of the law and he briefly citeth five of the Ten Commandments to confirm the Duty of Love which comprehendeth them all And in Chap. 7.7 12. What shall we say then is the law sin God forbid Nay I had not known sin but by the Law for I had not known lust except the law had said Thou shalt not covet Wherefore the law is holy and the Commandment holy and just and good Therefore surely this Moral Precept in particular and others in general mentioned by the Apostle are of themselves binding to us as a Rule of Holy life for whatsoever Law is morally holy just and good as this particular precept is by which the Apostle came to the knowledge of Sin it is perpetually and universally binding to all Men Rom. 2.14 15. who have the substance of it written in their Hearts by Nature So that from the Apostles making use of the Anthority of the Moral Law of Moses to confirm his Doctrine Matth. 5.19 James 2.8 Chap. 4.11 1 Joh. 3.4 and from the Commendations of it in the New Testament it clearly appears to be in force unto all Men now under the Gospel And seeing the fourth Commandment in particular is delivered in such moral Terms as doth not of its self bind us to the observation of the Sabbath after the Jewish Pattern from Evening to Evening any more than after our Christian pattern from Morning to Morning which does answer that Very Precept as well as theirs did from that single Law we have then no reason to exclude the fourth Commandment from the rest of the Decalogue but to believe it is equally Moral with the other nine as will appear more patticularly in the next ensuing Section SECT VI. TO proceed therefore on the fourth Commandment I shall here recite Exod. 20.9 10 11. Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not do any work For in six days the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it 1. That this Commandment is morally binding to both Jews and Gentiles is evident because it is in substance the same with God's sanctifying the seventh day for Man Gen. 2. And if the Sabbath be not from thence perpetually binding to all Nations but restrained to the posterity of the Jews then by the same Rule the Gentiles had no interest in the promise of the Womans Seed Gen. 3.15 or the Messias that should bruise the Serpents Head as then made to our first Parents and therefore as I believe it will be granted by all Christians that the Gentiles as well as the Jews had an interest in the first promise as then made viz. in the Original discovery of the Messias as well as in those after promises that are the fruits and effects of it So in like manner we have also ground to believe that the first sanctifying of the Sabbath-day was from thence and is also from the fourth Commandment morally binding of its self to both Jews and Gentiles for if we question the one we may also doubt of the other 2. The End of the fourth Commandment sheweth it to be a Moral Precept for a time of rest is naturally moral and by the example of God and his sanctifying the seventh day to every six working days it is also become morally and perpetually binding for all Men to keep the seventh day Sabbath as a boundary to neither more nor less than six working days together and therefore for any to deny the same in the fourth Commandment is in effect to deny the World their sixed Sabbath for thô the Gospel first-day Sabbath hath a new Sanctity yet it is founded on the old Law and Gods sanctifying of the seventh day for Man from the beginning or else it is left very dubious whether we are bound to keep any fixed day of Rest at all but as there is the same Moral reason for a Sabbath as was before so we have reason to conclude that the same Law in the fourth Commandment is morally binding to us all 3. I shall offer some Reasons for satisfaction wherefore I believe the Lord was pleased to sanctifie the Sabbath and to deliver the fourth Command to observe it under the name of the seventh day rather than of the first day Sabbath And 1. Because althô Man abstained from work on the first day after he was compleatly formed yet seeing God gave the Sanctity to the Day for a Memorial of his Creation and for Man to worship him there was reason that the day should answer the memorial of his finishing of and ceasing from the work of Creation rather than of Adams solemn entring upon his subordinate Dominion under God viz. in Honour to the Creator rather than to the Creature
before his six working days but as for our first-day Sabbath we are justified in keeping it by the Example of Christs Disciples and the Primitive Churches and the more because as it was changed from the Jewish Sabbath it is our first-day Sabbath before our six working days and so it better agrees with Adams Pattern than the Jewish Sabbath then can do 4. If it should be said as I acknowledge it may that the Jewish Sabbath may be called their first-day Sabbath respecting their first observing it in the Wilderness as a boundary before and after their six working days and so by Imitation does answer the Pattern of Adams Sabbath I have this to Answer that yet the Jewith Sabbath did not imitate Adams Pattern as our Christian Sabbath doth in beginning it with the Morning Day light for the Jews began their Sabbath at Even contrary to Adams Pattern as there is Reason from Scripture to believe And if it be objected that the Pattern of Adam respecting the beginning of his Sabâ—ath in the Morning is not plainly exprest but drawn by Interence from the Scripture but the Jewish Pattern is expresly commanded and therefore there is better ground of the two to observe the Sabbath after the Pattern in the Mosaical Precept I answer 1. It is not expressy said that Adams first Sabbath was his first-days Sabbath Mark 2.27 But yet seeing Christ hath said the Sabbath was made for Man and that none can deny but that Adam was bound in Duty to God to observe Gods seventh day Sabbath wherein he rested from his Works of Creation then we may insist on the sufficiency of our Evidence for Adams beginning his Sabbath in the Morning it being so rationally inserred thô it is not in Words expressed in the Scriptures 2. It hath been shewed how our Lord made void the Mesaical Precept of Divorcement and justified the doing of it by the Moral Pattern in our first Parents tho' it was not by any express Word of God nor by so clear an evidence from Adam and Eves being one Fresh that he nor his Posterity but by a special permission of God should not put away their Wives except for Fornication as there is Reason to believe that Adam began his Sabbath in the Morning day light And therefore tho' Christ might have abolished that Precept without setting a Moral Pattern against it yet his justifying the doing of it from thence 2 Tim 3.16 is an Example to be of use to us in other Cases 3. We have greater Reason to begin our Sabbath in the Morning in every Countrey where it can be so observed after the Pattern of Adams Sabbath and the Reason of its change in the New Testament tho' his beginning of it so is but inferred from the Scripture and not expressed in it rather than to begin it after the Jewish Precept at Evening for were this universally binding it could not being a Positive Command accommodate the Necessity of Nature for the different beginning and ending of the Sabbath as the Pattern in Adam and the New Testament Example doth And this I conceive to be one chief Reason that the Jewish Sabbath is abrogated and that we have only the Pattern of Adams Sabbath left us by rational Inference from the Scripture and the Reason of the change of the Sabbath in the New Testament for our beginning of it in the Morning and that we have not any command fixing of it as it was to Israel For 1. That would have either bound us to the precise Point of Time of its beginning in the Lard of Canaan and then the Memorial of Christs Resurrection early in the Morning had not been signified by its beginning in other Nations remote from their Borders for in some places it must then begin at Noon c. and so its day-light there had been divided and the Service of God distructed and our worldly Affairs too much intruding on the meetest time for solemn Worship Or 2. Such a command to six the beginning of the Sabbath would have required it univerfally to begin in the Morning or at the dawning of the Day which is inconsistent with the course of Nature for many Weeks together in some Northern Parts of the World And therefore that those People should not be obliged by any Law to keep such a Sabbath which they are not capable constantly to observe God was pleased to leave only the Moral Precept of the fourth command founded on his first sanctifying of the Sabbath to be binding to us all that those Northern People should answer it by beginning their Sabbath with the first and seventh-day or proportionable Division of a day bounding before and after their six working days and allow it the same Proportion of Time and should preserve the Memorial of the Resurrection of Christ by observing the first day of the Week from and in Distinction to the Jewish seventh-day as near as they can to Answer the Example of the Primitive Churches in the New Testament And that we and all others that have constantly our natural days with Evenings and Mornings twenty four hours long should answer the same Moral Law after the Gospel Pattern and as precisely as we can to begin our first-days Sabbaths early or at the dawning of the Morning in every Nation For if we and all other such Nations should be tyed successively to begin our Sabbath at the very precise Point of Time of the dâ—wning of the first-day in Jerusalem to contemporize with them in the Land of Canaan where our Lord afore from the Dead then they must either in other Countries Eastward to the Sun from the Land of Canaan begin their Christian Sabbath later in their Day-light or Westward from them sooner in their Night than they should in Judea and so in the Compass of the whole World Eastward or Westward there would be a beginning and ending of the Sabbath near a day and night differing in their Time of day to the dawning of the day in the Land of Canaan and by this means in some parts of the World the Christian Sabbath would begin at Noon at Evening and at all hours of the Day and Night and so except in that very spot in and about the Land of Canaan they would lose its Memorial of Christs Resurrection at the Dawning of the Day But if other Countries Eastward and Westward from Canaan begin as they ought their first-days Sabbath like them at the same time of the day then they must either begin their first day sooner or later than the first day began in Canaan and so in the Compass of the World Eastward or Westward it must begin and end in all Hours of the Jewish seventh or second day of the Week and in some place their first-day must be in the same time and contemporize with their seventh * Or within a very small time of it viz. of their seventh or second-day or in some place with their second-day
when the Humane Nature was compleatly formed to offer the first of Time to the Praise of his Creator before he served himself did first begin the Sabbath with the day-light unto Man we have then Reason to conclude that such a Sabbath is most morally to be observed by the World as no other Sabbath can more universally suit with the Course of Nature in the greatest part of it Indeed God can by his Prerogative and as I have shewed did dispense with the Alteration of the Sabbath from this first Pattern by a Law to Israel as he did by the Precept of Divorcement dispense with the Moral Pattern in Adam and Eve that none should put away his Wife for the causes allowed afterwards by a Ceremonial Law but this we find did not at all destroy the Moral Use and Binding Quality of the Pattern in our first Parents after Christ was come and so it is with the first Pattern of the Sabbath which no doubt was binding to others after Adam as precisely to observe the same day as near to the orderly Succession of the same time as could be according to the allowance of the Course of Nature in every Climate wherein they dwelt It 's true it may be said we cannot keep the Sabbath from our Knowledge that we observe the same precise Succession and Order of Time as Adam did and others in the first Ages did or should do in their feveral Countreys But then as God was pleased Exod. 13.2 12 to 16. insigâ—d of the first-born of the Children of Israel which were the Lords to require and accept of the Levites for his Service Exod. 34.19 20. Numb 3.41 to the end Chap. 8.16 c. Levit. 27.25 26 c. Chap. 22.29 30. Deut. 12.6 but still kept up the Memory of his Right by Causing afterwards the Israelites to acknowledge it in paying Redemption Money for their first-born of Man and unclean Beasts and did still require the first-born of clean Beasts to be offered to him So likewise the Practice of Christs Disciples and the Primitive Churches shews us that the first of Time from the work of purchasing our Redemption bearing the Image of the first of Adams and Eves Time from the Creation is most acceptable to God and after the aforesaid Example of Gods Command and Allowance to Israel concerning their first-born we should likewise offer it as God accepteth of it instead of the same precise Succession of Time from the Creation in Memorial thereof and of the purchase of Mans Salvation And it is rational to conclude that seeing the beginning of the day was changed upon the account of the Type a day might well be changed upon the account of the Antitype If this in the Figure was reckoned worthy of such Note that the account of the days beginning from the Creation with the Day-light most give place to the Memorial of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt so as that their days must begin at Evening the substance of this Figure appearing might well be the Cause of the Change of a Day and of a Typical Memorial to its Spiritual and Gospel Memorial in our first-days Sabbath To close this Matter seeing the Moral Law requireth the seventh or first-day a boundary to our six working days and that the Precept for the Jewish Pattern is abtogated in the New Testament Nature it self also taking away its binding quality to all Nations because it cannot accommodate its necessity how then can we answer the fourth Command so well as by keeping such a Sabbath that every way agreeth with that Moral Precept that also suiteth with and is justified by the Morality of Adams Sabbath the end of its change from the Jewish seventh-day and the Example of Christs Disciples with the Primitive Churches which doubtless we are bound to follow in Obedience to the fourth Command as we observe their Examples in Obedience to other Precepts As for instance laying on of Hands for Confirmation of Elders or Church Officers and consummating their Ordination is a Divlne Rite which is the Duty of all Compleat and Orderly Gospel Churches Authoritatively to Practise Ordination of Elders being Instituted in Titus 1.5 but yet the manner of compleating this Institution is no otherwise known nor practised by us as I can find but from the Examples of the Apostles and Primitive Churches Acts 14.23 26. with Chap. 13.1 2 3. Chap. 6.1 to 7. Objections Answered Object 1. THE Psalmist saith Psal 147.19 20. He sheweth his Word anto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Natton and as for his Judgments they have not known them Answer This Scripture is no ways repugnant to what I have said of the Use and Benefit of the Law of Moses to the Gentiles For we find the Israelites had continual Wars with the Heathens round about them and the old Inhabitants of Canaan were not wholly subdued till Joab David's Servant 1 Chron. 11.4 c. Chap. 19.20 took the Castle of Jebus which is Jerusalem or about the latter end of Davids days So that till they had obtained Peace and Rest and became in Repute and Honour in Salomons Reign it cannot rationally be supposed that any Gentile Nation for the Text excludes not single Persons had a full and distiuct Knowledge of Moses Law with the Statutes and Judgments therein contained Nay tho' the Gentiles had an Interest in the Uso and Benefit of the Law and were to seek after the Knowledge of the Oracles of God committed to the Jews yet such was their hatred against them and love to gross Idolatry that till about two hundred eighty Years before the Nativity of Chirst See Josephus Book 12. Ch. 2. Ptolomy Philadelphus King of Egypt had caused the Law to be translated into Greek by the Seventy two Interpreters it was never as I can find translated out of the Hebrew Tongue So that as David rightly said that God had not dealt so with any Nation viz. with any other Nation besldes Israel so as to shew them his Oracles under a peculiar Obligation in trust for others also He having designed to pour the Water out of Jacobs Buckets it is likewise also Evident Numb 24.7 that no Gentile Nation thenâ— in Davids Time had a full and distinct Knowledge of Gods Laws tho' respecting the particular Election of God among them they might by some means or other receive the true and saving Knowledge of the Messias through their converse with the Jews Object 2. Some may say the Apostle in Rom. 14.5 seemeth to leave the keeping of days to our own Liberty and also in 2 Cor. 3.7 8. Coloss 2.14 he seemeth to abolish the binding quality of the Ten Commandments as given on Mount Sinai and therefore it is doubtful whether we are under any Obligation to keep a Sabbath or Day of Rest at all Answer 1. To Rom. 14.5 One Man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day
in the Gospel to the Ministration of Death in the Law and he telleth us that the Glory of the Ministration of Death had no Glory in respect to the Ministration of Righteousness that excelleth it in Glory So that that which was to be done away does not appear to be the binding quality of the Ten Commandments as a Rule of Holy Life or the Commandments themselves but the Renown of their glorious manner of Ministration to Israel which is incomparable to the Revelation of the Grace of God in the Gospel with their power of final Condemnation to those that lay hold of and have an Interest in the Ministration of Righteousness by Jesus Christ Answer 3. To the Objection from Coloss 2.14 Blotting out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way nailing it to his Cross Here some may also think the Apostle hath abolished the binding quality of the Ten Commandments but it otherwise appeareth from the Reasons following And 1. I shall here recite the Dutch Annotations on this Scripture say they Having blotted out that is dashed through and expunged or wholly razed out as we speak the hand-writing which was against us the Greek word Cheirographon i. e. Hand-writing some do take here for a Writing written with Gods own hand in Tables of Stone as the Law of the Ten Commandments was Exod. 34. â— and this is by them understood of the Moral Law or of the Ten Commandments which are said to be against us in respect of their strict requiring of perfect Obedience or in default thereof by Reason of its Curse which Christ hath born for us on the Cross and delivered us from it Gal. 3.10 13. But seeing the Apostle here properly sets himself against the Observation of Circumcision and other Ceremonies therefore this Hand-writing is here to be understood of the Law of the Ceremonies of the old Testament which are called an Hand-writing that was against us because the same were as an Engagement or Bond of Debt whereby indeed Men daily acknowledge their Trespasses and Debts before God but notwithstanding were never discharged by the outward Performance of the same as Paul declares Heb. 10.1 As this Word Cheirographon or Hand-writing is also taken in the Greek Text Tâ—b 5.3 and 9.3 This appears also by comparing this place with Eph. 2.14 15. where this Word Hand-writing in Institutions is called the Law of Commandments in Institutions which Word Dogmasi i. e. Ordinances or Institutions is no where in Gods Word used for the Law of the Ten Commandments nor yet the Word Dogmatizes the Ver. 20. And that which is there added by Paul proves this also clearly For the Moral Law properly maketh no Enmity betwixt Jews and Gemiles seeing that is also written in Nature Rom. 2.14 but it is only the Ceremonial Law by which this Difference and Enmity betwixt these Nations is occasioned as is noted there Neither can it be well said of the Moral Law That Christ hath taken it away by his Death to free us wholly from the Observation thereof as Pauls intent here is to prove For althô we are by Christ delivered from the Curse and Rigid Observation of the Moral Law nevertheless we remain obliged to the Observation thereof as the Rule of Thankfulness which we owe unto God for our Deliverance To this I shall here add Levit. 11. Deut. 14.21 Acts 10.12 c. Rom. 14.14 Luke 15.2 John 4.9 That the Ceremonial Law was against the Gentiles as a Wall of Partition that kept them more separated from the Jews than under the Gospel Administration For 1. There was a difference in Meats that were forbidden to the Jews by the Law of Moses but were lawful for the Gentiles to eat and this did occasion some Separation of the Jews from them Deut. 7.3 Ezra 9.1 2 14 c. Chap. 10. 2. The Jews were not to take them Wives of the Heathens nor join Affinity with other Nations round about them 3. Josh 14 15. Levit. 25.25 Rom. 9.27 Gal. 3.14 17 29. The Land of Canaan was given and divided by Lot to the Children of Israel for an Inheritance and they were not to sell their Possessions for a longer time than the Year of Jubilee So that the Gentiles could not inherit the Land with them but were separated as Strangers and Sojourners 4. Dent. 14.1 2. Rom. 9.4 5. Thô according to the Election of God in the Covenant of Grace there were a remnant of literal Israel saved as the Seed of Christ yet as they were a Nation in the peculiar Covenant of Circumcision they were all accounted the Children of God above all the Nations that were upon the Earth Isa 56. in so much as the Prophet sheweth that the Sons of the Strangers who laid hold on the Righteousness to be revealed and of Gods Covenant viz. of Grace in Christ were under such Discouragements as to say The Lord hath utterly separated me from his People 2 Cor. 3.13 14 15. For the Law being such a Vail that the Children of Israel coald not stedfastly look unto the end of that which is abolished was also a Cloud on the Minds of the Gentiles tho the Lord was pleased to inlighten a Remnant of them so as to discern his Grace in Christ through that shadowy Dispensation But the Knowledge of the Oracles of God which the Elect then sought after amongst the Jews now since the breaking down of the middle Wall of Partition Math. 28.19 is sent by Christs Commission and more clearly opened and revealed by the Ministry of the Gospel to all Nations Ephes 3.4 5 6 7 8. That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs and of the same Body and partakers of the Promise in Christ by the Gospel So that the Legal Covenant or Hand-writing of Ceremonial Ordinances mentioned in the Text thô it was neither a Bar against the Proselyting of the Gentiles if they would to the Jews Religion nor did so blind their Minds as to hinder a Remnant of them from laying hold on Christ by Faith yet as it added nothing simply of it self to the Salvation of their Souls by reason they could attain the Knowledge of the Oracles of God without putting themselves absolutely under the Covenant of Circumcision therefore it was a means to keep them out of the Visible Church-state and was such a Wall of Partition and Vail upon their Understandings as in great measure did hide the Mystery of Christ Which the Apostle saith in other Ages was not made known unto the Sons of Men as it is now revealed unto his Holy Apostles and Prophets by the Spirit Whereof saith he I was made a Minister that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable Riches of Christ Object 3. A Jew Travelling from Canaan Westward round the World pieceth every day in length but loseth in the Compass of the whole Globe a day in Tale so that when
he cometh home the first-day in Canaan is by his account but the seventh-day and contrarywise if he Travelleth round the World Eastward he loseth in the length of his days but gaineth a day in Tale so that by his account the first day in Canaan falleth to be his second day at his return from whence some have argued that neither a Law nor Example can bind us universally to the Observation of any one Day and therefore if it were agreed amongst men any day of the Week or one day in seven may be made our seventh-day Sabbath boundary to six working days and so would answer the Moral Law Answer 1. The Question is Whether the Moral Law bindeth us to keep the seventh-day which men may appoint at their own pleasures or the seventh-day that we are directed unto in the Holy Scriptures Phil. 3.17 2 Thes 3.9 Surely we ought to exert our Obedience to Gods Precepts after the Examples of those that are set forth to be an Example to us I say not that we should follow them in all things they ever did but in all things they did which were essential to answer any Moral or Gospel Precept given for our Practice and consequently in this particular of the first-day Sabbath For seeing the Ceremonial Precept for the Sabbath is abroga ed and the Course of Nature maketh it impossible to be morally binding to all Nations we have then no other Directions how to answer the Moral Law but the Gospel Pattern justified by the Example of our first Parents and therefore we having a positive Law to keep the seventh-day Sabbath we are under a necessity to make that our Pattern For tho' the Apostle did go into the Jews Synagogues and there preâ—â—â—hed the Gospel on their seventh-day Sabbath 2 Tim. 4.2 as the meetest time to Convert both the Jews and Gentiles who assembled together on that day Yet we no where sind in Scripture that the Apostles Disciples of Christ and Primitive Churches did of choice set a-part that day but the first day of the Week for Gospel Service and this being Recorded as the only Example of the Gospel Churches Obedience to the Moral Law in this particular of the Sabbath surely it is lest for our Directions whatever is otherwise handed down by Humane History as the Practice of some Christians for the Scriptures snew that divers were under mistakes and errors Acts 15.1 c. Gal. 2.12 Ch. 4.21 and Ch. 3 and very Subject to Judaize even in the Apostles days 2. Mr. Chasie saith That Mr. Ironside also from the Diversity of Meridians proveth that one and the same day cannot be universally kept and therefore never commanded the whole Church One and the same day sath he could not possibly be observed a Sabbath by all the Jews in the East parts and West parts 〈◊〉 of Judea and in Babilon and in Rome by Reason of their Diversity of Longitudes And if it be supposed to be but two or three 〈◊〉 difference of Longitudes yet will that difference make the days as truly to differ from being the same as will an hundred and three tho it will not make them so much to differ But altho' this be true and the Law of Moses for sixing the Jewish Sabbath to begin at Even in the Wilderness and in the Land of Canaan was never designed to bind the Israelites to that which is impossible viz. to begin their Sabbaths both at the same time of day and at the precise Point of Time to contemporize in all places where they sojourned yet it doth not from hence follow as some have argued that such differences of days do free us from all Obligations to keep any one particular day so that if Christians agree upon the fourth fifth sixth or any other day of the Week to make it the seventh-day Sabbath after our six working days it does answer the Mind of God in the Moral Law as well as by keeping our first-day Sabbath For altho as I have proved the Jewish Sabbath being by Law to begin at Even was therefore never designed for a universal Pattern to all Nations yet who will say that it was not a Pattern for the Jews in all places that had Evenings where they did sojourn and where the days have no Evenings for many Revolutions of the Sun there was no Provision made for their Sabbath in the Ceremonial Law which they were under For God had placed Israel within other Nations and required all their Males three times a Year to appear before him in Jerusalem And therefore Dem. 16.16 they were not to sojourn so far amongst the Heathens as those Northern or Southern Parts while they were a free and peculiar Kingdom of Priests to God Exod. 19.5 6. So then notwithstanding the Ceremonial Precept for the Sabbath was neither designed to oblige the Heathens In those Northern Countreys if they were then inhabited nor could by Reason of the difference of their days accommodate the Jews to keep their Sabbaths there Yet if that Law was binding at all under the least Alteration of their Day as I think none can doubt of that nor consequently that it was obliging to the Jews in other parts of the World also where the days differed more in Point of Time to begin their Sabbaths at Evening with allowance to comply with the Necessity of the Course of Nature I say then seeing that Ceremonial Precept was binding under such Alterations of their day it must be granted that it obliged them not to vary from one another in the time of keeping their Sabbath farther than the Necessity of Nature did compell them for the beginning and ending of it at the time prefixed by the Law Otherwise if their Law did not so restrain them it was of no force nor use to them and consequently if the Gospel Pattern for us to keep the first day Sabbath be any Pattern at all for us to follow as I have shewed it is it doth then oblige us to observe it with no farther Allowance to alter the day than to accommodate the Necessity of Nature in every Countrey where we dwell Object 4. Tho' Gods seventh-day Sabbath on which he rested after his six Creation days was Adams first-day Sabbath of Abstinence from work before his six working days yet that was properly Gods own Sabbath on which he rested and not Adams because he could not be said to rest before he had any working days and therefore tho Adam abstained from work on Gods Sabbath yet the Moral end of Gods Example fixed Adams first Sabbath to begin on the next seventh day after the Sabbath on which God had rested from his Work of Creation Answer 1. Adam was either allowed to dress the Garden on Gods seventh-day of Rest which he sanctified and so to have seven working days as hath been said before he could rest on the next successive seventh-day or have his seventh-day rest a day before it which I believe
God therefore it was the precise successive seventh-day from the Creation Answer 1. The Reason for the Sabbath in the fourth Command is For in six days the Lord made Heavon and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the sâ—â—enth-day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath-day and ballowed it Now tho this resers us to the Pattern in the beginning yet it followeth not that therefore this Precept sixed the old precise successive seventh-day to Israel For 1. It is not assigned to be the same nor doth it appear that the reference was made to the first Pattern for that end But that as God had six Creation days together and then his Sabbath so after his Example they should also have six working days and no more together to one Sabbath or Lords day For it is not ours for common use but to rest and refresh our selves to worship and serve the Lord Isa 58.13 and therefore 't is called his Holy day as other things are called his that were set a-part from common use to his Service yea tho' they were not the very same from the Original Ezra 6.16 17. Zach. 6.14 and 7.2 3. Exod. 13.2 12 13 15. Chap. 12.29 30. â—evit 27.8 as 1. The new Temple builded in Ezra's time was called the House of God and Temple of the Lord tho it was not the same which Solomon builded 2. The first-born among the Children of Israel both of Men and of Beasts were sanctified and set a-part to the Lord and are said to be his and yet the same in kind was not always required of them for his Service for tho' they were to Sacrifice all the first-born to the Lord being Males except the first-born of Man which they redeemed yet they were also allowed to redeem an unclean Beast according to the Estimation of the Priest and to be at Liberty either to redeem an Ass with a Lamb or break his Neck And so we sind in the Case of the seventh-day Sabbath given to Israel in the Wilderness Exod. 20.10 Josh 10.13 Isa 38.8 Chap. 58.13 that tho' after our English Translation 't is said in the sourth Command to be the Sabbath of the Lord thy God yet nevertheless after the Interruption of the orderly course of the Night and Day and consequently of the Sabbath-day too it was called Gods Holy Day and therefore we cannot say that because the Sabbath given to Israel in the Wilderness is called the Sabbath of the Lord therefore there is ground to believe it was the same precise successive seventh-day from the Creation 2. Mr. Ainsworth Translateth the Hebrew Text Exod. 16.23 To Morrow is the Sabbatism the Sabbath of Holiness to Jehovah And ver 25. It is the Sabbath to day unto Jehovâ—th And Lâ—vit 23.3 But in the seventh shall be a Sabbath of Sabbatism And Deut. Mr. Rebertsons Gate to the Holy Tongue Page 110. See Mr. Hughes in his Analitical Exposition 5.13 But the seventh-day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy God And Exod. 20.10 But the seventh-day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy God Which two last places Ari. Montanus reads Et die septimo Sabbathum Domino Deo â—uo And Mr. Will. Robertson translateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laihovah Elobecha to the Lord thy God and Mr. Hughet on Exod. 16.23 reads it To Morrow is the Sabbatism the Sabbath of Holinesâ— to Jehovah ver 25. For the Sabbath to Jehovah is to day and Chap. 20.10 But the seventh-day is a Sabbath to Jehovah thy God And Mr. Pools Annotations reads the last place Exod. 20.10 Or to the Lord i. e. Conscerated to his Vse Honour and Service And therefore seeing that whith our English Tranâ—lations read in the fourth Commandment the Sabbath of the Lord is a Sabbath to Jehovah there is nothing that hath the least Appearance of Demonstration that the Sabbath day instituted in the Wilderness was the same precise successive seventh-day from the Creation Object 9. It does not appear that the Sabbath as to its first Original was Typical or instituted to prefigure any thing that was Future for the Law of it was before the sirst Promise of Christ in the state of Innocency wherein there was no respect unto the Mediation of Christ And therefore the Sabbath could not be abolished in the New Testament as a shadow of things to come Answer Gen. 2.9 Prov. 3.18 Luke 23.43 Rev. 2.7 Chap. 22.2 14. The Tree of Life in the midst of the earthly Paradice was also before the fall of Man and the first Promise of Christ and yet both of them were Types of the Spiritual Tree of Life in the Heavenly Paradice So that tho' the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden and the Sabbath Originally before the fall were not known to Adam as Figures of Future Things in Christ yet from the Counsel and Fore-knowledge of God they were designed as Shadows of things to come For in the Covenant with his Eternal Son before the Foundation of the World Ephel 1.4 11 having Chosen and Predestinated a Select number of Mankind to inherit an Heavenly Paradise he also disposed and ordered all things to accommodate the Declaration of his Counsel to fallen Man with Shadows of those Heavenly Things that were to come And therefore there is no Reason to deny the day of Gods rest from the Work of his Creation to be more than for a Memorial of it but to believe it was also designed of God before the fall to be of Typical Use to Man as appeareth Heb. 4. 2. In Answer to this Objection I have this farther to say that whatever may be thought of the Original Sabbath from the Creation yet the Sabbath days in Colos 2.16 cannot be denied to be the Jewish Sabbaths and of these the Apostle saith they are a Shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ and therefore the shadows are done away Object 10. Seeing the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath did answer the Moral Law and yet you say it is abrogated under the Gospel Colos 2.16 Then either its Typicahâ—ess or Significative Nature as it is a Shâ—â—ow or was a Memerial of Israâ—h Deliverance out of Egypt is only abolished and not the day it self or else a Branch of the Moral Law it self is reâ—ealed Answer I have shewed before that the seventh-day Sabbath must at least be comprehended in the Prohibition of Sabbaths as a shadow of things to come and have already cleared this Scripture Colos 2.16 from divers Exceptions that may seem to weaken its Authority from abrogating the Jewish Sabbath yet because I sind Mr. Brabourne has laboured with all his might to stifle that which I conceive is the Mind of the Holy Ghost in it I shall therefore clear it from other things that may possibly puzzle the Minds of some weak Christians And 1. It s there said Let no Man therefore judge you in Meat oâ— in Drink or in respect of an Holy Day Gr. of a
for the Observation of the Sabbath on the seventh-day does destroy its Moral Limitation to the seventh-day appointed to Israel next after the sixth day on which they gathered Manna as a Pattern sixing their six working days before their Sabbath because we are referred by it to the Pattern in the beginning when Gods seventh-day Sabbath was Mans first-day Sabbath and not to the time of gathering Manna nor of Israels coming out of Egypt which last appeareth from other places of Scripture to be the Reason of the Ceremonial beginning and ending of their Sabbath from Evening to Evening It 's true that seventh-day appointed in the Wilderness did answer the Moral Precept of the fourth Commandment but yet mistake me not It is not found to Answer it simply because it was that very seventh-day then appointed or simply for that very days-sake without regard to their Deliverance out of Egypt and that new Appointment for if another seventh-day had been sixed for their Sabbath it had answered the command as well as that but because that same seventh-day was appointed to them a boundary successively before and after their six working days nor did this command Morally-limit them to keep the same precise seventh-day successively from the Creation for such a Limitation is not in this Precept nor in any other place in the Holy Scriptures but it tyeth the Sabbath to the seventh-day as a boundary to their or our or any Nations six working days or to the first-day before and after them which answereth the same Law SECT IX I Shall here Instance some particular Cases in the New Testament in which we are referred to the Pattern in our first Parents which may serve as Examples to juslifie our doing the like for the Observation of the Sabbath-day as 1. It is said in 1 Tim. 2.11 12 13. Let the Woman learn in Silence with all Subjection But I suffer not a Woman to 〈◊〉 nor to usurp Authority over the Man but to be in Silence For Adam was first formed then Eve And Adam was not deceived but the Woman being deceived was in the Transgression And 1 Cor. 14.34 Let your Women keep Silence in the Churches for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law In these two Scriptures there are two Moral Reasons given and one Command mentioned for Womens Subjection unto the Men. 1. Because Adam had the Priority of being formed before Eve and he having her Original Humane Substance first in himself had thereby a natural Precedency to her Free and Voluntary Subjection But 〈◊〉 The Woman being first deceived and in the Transgression she fell thereby under a more absolute Law of Obedience to her Husband Gen. 3.16 Vnto the Woman he said thy desire shall be to thy or as it is in our Margin Subject to thy Husband and he shall rule over thee Now from hence we may clearly see how the Apostle confirms his Doctrine from the Order of Nature in our first Parents and the Institution of God to them and if these are of Moral Use and Perpetually binding for our Obedience then we have Reason to believe that Gods sanctifying the first seventh-day-Sabbath and the Order of Adam and Eve keeping of it before their six working days is also of Moral use unto us 2. I shall shew that an express Law of Moses is not only Abrogated by the Authority of Jesus Christ but he justifies the doing of it by the Moral Pattern in our first Parents as may be seen in Mark 10.2 3 4. And the Pharisees came to him and asked him Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife tempting him And he answered and said unto them What did Moses command you And they said Moses suffered to write a Bill of Divorcement and to put her away And Jesus answered and said unto them For the hardness of your Heart he wrote you this Precept But from the beginning of the Creation God made them Male and Female For this cause shall a man leave his Father and Mother and cleave to his Wife and they twain shall be one Flesh what therefore God hath joined together let no man put asunder And he saith unto them whosoever shall put away his Wife Matthew saith except it be for Fornication and Marry another committeth Adultery against her 1. To prevent any mistake about this Precept of Divorcement and to confirm what I may conclude from our Saviours Words before recited I shall consider the Original Transcript of it in Deut. 24.1 When a Man hath taken a Wife and married her and it come to pass that she find no favour in his Eyes because he hath found some uncleanness in our Margin it is matter of Nakedness in her then let him write her a Bill of Divorcement and give it in her hand and send her out of his House And here I shall note that this matter of Uncleanness or Nakedness is not to be understood of Adultery or Whoredom For the Dutch Annotations say that the Hebrew Word signifieth Nakedness or Scandalousness of any thing wherein the Husband taketh dislike to her except Whoredom or Fornication And Mr. Ainsworth saith It is any thing of Shame or Ignominy as the Greek translateth a Shameful or Vncomely thing and he also saith that this is thought of some not to be meant of Adultery for which she was to dye if it were proved but of some evil thing in her Conditions or Actions which displeased her Husband Deut. 22.22 So the Phrase was used in Deut. 23.14 for that which was uncleanly and unseemly 2. The Sence of our Saviours Words clearly sheweth that this Law of Divorcement was designed for other Matters than for Whoredom or Fornication for our Lord owning Moses Precept of Sufferance to put away their Wives excepts against it unless it be in the Case of Fornication which if it were so limited under the Law then Moses Sufferance was nothing but what our Saviour still alloweth and Christs Prohibition was nothing at all This being Premised it now follows that our Lord maketh that Adultery under the Gospel that was not accounted so under the Law And from the Moral Pattern in Adam and Eve he Abrogateth the Use and Authority of Moses Precept for suffering Men to put away their Wives for smaller Causes than Fornication and if the Pattern in our first Parents was of such Moral use as to justifie our Saviours abolishing of a written Precept of Moses we have then Reason also to believe that their Example or the Order of time of their first observing the Sabbath-day that was sanctified for them is of Moral use to us we also having the Jewish Sabbath Abrogated by Christs Authority in the New Testament SECT X. HAving opened and explained the two Foundation Scriptures for our keeping the Sabbath-day and proved the fourth Commandment to be Morally binding to all Nations and that the Jewish Pattern for the Sabbath is
†Or within a very small time of it viz. of their seventh or second-day in the Land of Canaan And therefore seeing the Sabbath cannot be begun universally both at the precise Point of Time and Time of day as it should begin in the Land of Canaan to contemporize with them there And considering that Adams Sabbath was not only designed for the Moral end of Mans abâ—inence from Work for a time of solemn Worship to God but that it had its Memorial of the Creation and that the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath afterwards bearing that Memorial was also appointed for â—loral Ends and for a Ceremonial Memorial that rendred it uncapable of being a universal Pattern and that the Memorial of Christs Purchase of our Spiritual and Eternal Salvation should be preferred before that of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt then we ought to observe our Christan Sabbath as much as can be to Answer thereunto the end of its chinge which may be done by all Nations including those Northern People keeping their first-day Sabbath in Distinction to and from the Jewish seventh day And as for its beginning early in the Morning or at the dawning of the Day the Scriptures shew that so it began in Judea Matth. 28.1 In the end of the Sabbath as it began to dawn or as John 20.1 While it was yet dark i. e. not light day towards the first-day of the Week came Mary Magdalen and the other Mary to see the Sepulchre c. And in Mark 16.2 It 's said they came unto the Sepulchre at the rising of the Sun and ver 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first-day of the Week he appeared first to Mary Magdalen and said unto her John 20 1â— Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God And therefore seeing the Evangelists have Recorded the Time of the dawning and Sun rising of the Day to the History and Circumstances of Christs Resurrection and that we find he was then but newly riten because he had not yet ascended unto the Father when Mary first saw him We have then greater Reason to six the beginning of our first-day Sabbath in all Nations where we can at the dawning of the day expressed in the Scripture to bare the fuller Memortal of the Resurrection of our Lord than at any other time of the day And this we may strengthen from the Example of the Jews beginning their Sabbath in the Evening here in England and in other Nations tho our Evenings here differ and in other Nations are farther from the precise Time of the Evening in the Land of Canaan and their Reason for it is taken from the Precept of Moses which bindeth them to celebrate their Sabbaths from Evening to Evening Lev. 23.32 Exod. 12 18 19. And therefore seeing God was pleased under the Type of the Gospel Salvation Church and Sabbath to require the Memorial of that Deliverance by beginning their Sabbath in the Evening as the most proper time to bear its lively remembrance and that from thence they conclude it best answereth the express command of God and his End and Design in sixing the Jewish Sabbath to begin at Evening in the Land of Canaan for them to begin it so in other Countries also rather than to begin it at the precise Point of time of its beginning in Canaan and differ in the Time of day then we have Reason from the Type and their Example to begin our first-day Sabbath rather at the dawning of the day in all the World where we can than at the precise Point of Time at a different time of day to contemporize in all places And whatever the Jewish Sabbatharians may invent to say from the Necessity of the Course of Nature in those Northern or Southern Parts against the beginning of our first-days Sabbath early in the Morning or at the dawning of the day in all other Parts of the World the same Arguments will equally serve against the beginning of their Sabbath in the Evening where it can be so observed so that they cannot gain the least Advantage by opposing us in beginning our Christian Sabbath early in the Morning unless they can first invalid and disprove the Authority we bring for our keeping the first-day it self that it does not answer the Pattern of Adams Sabbath the Moral Law in the fourth Commandment and the Example of Christs Disciples and the Primitive Churches with all the ends of a Sabbath which is a task too hard for them And seeing the Scriptures sheweth by the Resurrection of our Lord that our Sabbath should begin at the dawning of the first-day of the Week it must consequently not end till the dawning of the second-day Mark 15.42 Luke 23.54 See Mr. Heemse Christ Synagogue Page 74. Who tells us the Jews had three Preparations to their Sabbaâ—h Succeeding each other And from the Custom of the Jews to make Preparations for their Sabbath the preceding Time from twelve a Clock on Saturday Night vulgarly so called till the dawning of the first-day it that time be not spent in our Nights rest it should be employed to prepare our Minds for the Worship and Service of God on the approaching Sabbath day But to proceed That I may remove any doubts that may yet arise about the usefulness of the Pattern of Adams Sabbath to us under the Gospel I shall add something to demonstrate how far it is of a Moral Nature for seeing I have forborn to call it a Moral Pattern because no one Pattern respecting the beginning and ending of the Sabbath can be wholly alike universally so to all Nations I think it 's therefore needful to explain the Moral use that is to be made of Adams Sabbath that so whatever different Apprehensions there may be about the use of the Word Mortal â—o Adams Pattern the thing it self may be understood and the Controversie may not be fomented about Words which some have made the Subject of much Discourse when they have not been able to Confute the thing that was plainly intended by them 1. Therefore as I shewed Page 2. that from Gods sanctifying the seventh-day for Man the Light of Adams Nature taught him that it was most meet to divide his time like his Creator and so it became the Moral Duty of Men as Men to have no more nor less than six working days to one Sabbath 2. See Page 24. I have also shewed the Reason we have from Scripture to believe that after Adams first sleep in the Night when the Hamane Nature was compleatly formed and Eve was brought to him at the end of the sixth Creation day their Sabbath began with the Morning day light of the seventh-day and the first day after the finishing of the Creation which seeing the Order of Gods Working and Rest and the Original Moral Duty of Man
Feast or of the New Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the Body is of Christ Here as was mentioned before Sabbaths are distinctly expressed from the New Moon and Feasts or other Jewish Holy days that were or had also Sabbaths and were observed under the Law and therefore their weekly seventh-day Sabbath must at least be comprehended in the Word Sabbaths and equally prohibited with the New Moon and other selâ—ival Sabbaths that were then observed 2. It appeareth the Jewish seventh-day was a shadow of things to come in that it was a Sign and Memorial of Israth Deliverance out of Eâ—ypt for that Deliverance with all its Memorials was a Type of our Salvation by Jesus Christ and oâ— the Gospel Signs and Memorials of it for it s said That all the Prophets 〈◊〉 11.13 and the Law prophesud until John 3. Tho' the change of the Jâ—â—ish seventh day into the Christion sirst-day Sabbath in Distinction to tieiâ—s was Typed out by the eighth or sust day and by the Year of Jâ—bilee under the Law as I have shewed yet our Claiâ—â—ion Salbath considered as our seventh-day to our six working days was also shadowed by the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath 4. It this will not fatissie I have also this to say That we find nothing applyed in the New Testament as the Antitype of the New Moon It 's true there is something signisied or shadowed to us by the New Moon Isa 66.23 And by the Feast of Tabernacles Zach. 14.16 which places both relate to Christs Glorious Kingdom yet to come and not to our present Gospel-day but yet we cannot certainly say what the New Moon and Feast of Tabernacles does particularly shadow to us Howbeit from thence it 's plain that the New Moon is a shadow of something yet to come and seeing the Apostle saith so too and comprehends the seventh-day Sabbath with it we can no more deny his forbidding all Men not to judge or censure the Christians for not observing the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath than for not observing their New Moons and other Holy days and for any to except the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath out of this Prohibition because they sind no present Gospel Antitype shadowed by it expresly applyed to it in the New Testament will give equal Liberty for others to except against the Prohibition of observing their New Moons And therefore seeing those Typical days and times of the New Moon and Feast of Tabernacles that were not evident shadows of present but of suture Gospel things are not to be kept in our Gospel days as Signs and Memorials of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt or for any other Reason and yet the Record of them in Scripture does retain their Typical and Shadowy Significations then surely we have equal Reason to conclude that in Case it were granted as it is not that the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath was no shadow of any present Gospel thing yet as a Sign and Memorial of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt and also as a shadow of suture things it is not to be observed tho' the Record of it in Scripture does still retain a shadowy Signification and is so of Use to us 5. Tâ—â— some have sound out a more cunning Distinction than an Explanation of Truth batteen the typicalness or significative Nature of the Jewish Sabbith and the Sabbath or day it self yet this covâ—â—ing may castly be removed and their mistake Corrected for tho' the Pypical use oâ— their Sabbath to suture things still temaineth on sacred Record and is not wronged by transâ—erring the same Typical Signiâ—ication to be born also by our actual keeping the 〈◊〉 day Sabbath as the seventh-day Sabbath also yet it is the Jewish seventh-day Sabbath the day it self that is aboâ—ished as other things were that were Memorials of Israels Deliverance out of Egypt which respecting their seventh-day Sabbath was in their beginning and ending of it From Evening to Evening to answer their new day from the Sacrisice of their first Passover thereby weekly and dailytoo to keep that deliverance in fresher Memory and so the significative Nature of the day respecting an actual and practical bearing up the Memory of that Deliverance could not be removed unless the Sabbath day it self were altered in its beginning and ending which was to cease with their Church-state and to give way to our Gospel Memorials of the greater deliverance when our Spiritual Redemption and Eternal Salvation was purchased by Jesus Christ 6. The Jewish Sabbath its self is abrogated without a repeal of any part of the Moral Law or Ten Commandments or any Moral Branch of that Law tho' the keeping of it by the Jews did answer and fulfil it in the fourth Command For as I have noted the fourth Command of its self does not require the Sabbath to begin and end from Evening to Evening so it consequently follows it does not of its self limit the keeping of that very day but this was done by another Ceremonial Precept which till it was abrogated tho' it answered the Moral Law as being their seventh-day boundary to their six working days yet it does not therefore follow that it was of its self of a Moral Nature for then we must also say that all other Ceremonial Precepts are Moral and all the Jewish Worship is Moral for nothing was required contrary to the Ten Commandments but for Israels putting forth their Obedience to them which was to be exerted according to the revealed Will of God in all the other Appendant both Moral and Ceremonial Precepts and Branches of the Decalogue So that the prohibiting of the Sabbath according to the Jewish Pattern is no repeal of any Part or Moral Branch of the Ten Commandments but is only an Abrogation of a Ceremonial Precept that pertained to it during the shadowy Dispensation of the Law Object 11. Here I shall answer to something I find in Mr. Edward Stennet's Book of the seventh-day Sabbath Page 47. concerning those Countreys where they have so much day together in the Summer and Night together in the Winter Saith he the Psalmist saith Psal 74.20 The dark places of the Earth are full of the Habitations of Cruelty That is saith he they are the places by Divine Appointment for the cruel Wild Beasts and not for Man except they will become like Beasts for as David saith There is no Sperch nor Language under Heaven where the Voice of Day and Night is not heard Psal 19.2 3. So that if there be any Speech or Language under Heaven that hear not the Voice of Day and Night they are gone out of that orderly State which they were in in Davids Time and so ought to return again into such Countreys where they may be in a Capacity to serve God and live under the means of Grace for men ought to sorsake all that this World affords rather than Sin against God and if so then men may well forsake their dark
serve God with all our Hearts and with all our Minds let all men stand in awe and fear to prophane his Holy day Nen. 13.17 18. Ezek. 20.13 Isa 56.2 6 7. lest they bring the Wrath of the Lord upon us as it fell on Judah and Israel for that Transgression of the Law And let us labour more in Love and Respect to his Commandments for the Blessing intailed on the due observers of it for it s said Blessed is the Man that doeth this and the Son of Man that layeth hold on it that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it Also the Sons of the Stranger that join themselves to the Lord to Serve him and to Love the Name of the Lord to be his Servants every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it and taketh hold of my Covenant Even them will I bring to my Holy Mountain and make them joyful in my House of Prayer And if thou turn away thy Foot from the Sabbath 〈◊〉 â—8 1 from doing thy Pleasure on my Holy day and call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable and shalt Honour him not doing thine own ways nor finding thine own Pleasure nor speaking thine own Words Then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord and I will cause thee to ride upon the High Places of the Earth and feed thee with the Heritage of Jacob thy Father for the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And he will surely fulfil his Promises Heb. 4. â— Rom. 8 1â— to 2â— and in his Time will give his chosen the great Rest that remaineth for them which is typed forth by the Legal and Gospel seventh-days Sabbaths When the whole Creation that groaneth and travelleth in Pain shall be delivered from the Bondage of Corruption into the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God When the whole Earth shall be at Rost and Quiet Isa 14.7 and shall break forth into Singing for the Meek shall inherit the Earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of Peace O house of Israel Psal 37 1â— Isa 2.5 Heb. 4.1 Cha 3.18 1 Ephâ—l 4.1 Isa 3.14 come ye and let us walk in the Light of the Lord And fear least a Promise being lest us of entring into his Rest any of us should seem to come short of it through â—â—helief And let us labour to walk more worthy of the Vocation wherewith we are called That so when the Sinners in Sum shall be asraid seat fulness shall surprize the Hypocrite And Mens Hearts shall fail them for fear and for looking after those Thiâ—gs which are coming upon the Earth 〈…〉 Mâ—th 2◠〈◊〉 we may enter into the Chambers of God and shat the Door about us until the Indignation be over-past and be accounted worthy to escape all those things and to enter into the Joy of our Lord. FINIS ADVERTISEMENT There is now Printed a Book Intituled A Treatise of the Holy Tria unity in two Parts The First 〈◊〉 the Deity of 〈◊〉 Châ—â—st and â—â—e Holy Spirit in the Vnity of â—â—sence with God the 〈…〉 The See 〈◊〉 Defence of the 〈◊〉 answereth the â—â—â—efest Objections made against this Doctriâ—â— By I. M. Chap. I. THe Case is brielly stated Chap. II. Sheweth that there is but one God the Câ—â—â— for and Former of all things Chap. III. Afferteth a Plurality of Divine Subsâ—â—â—ences Chap. IV. Of the Father Chap. V. Proveth the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ 1. By his Names 2. That God in the Old Testament in divers Places is Christ in the New 3. By seven particular Texts of Holy Scriptures 4. That Christ pre-existed his Incarnation in his Divine Nature and is no Angel incarnate but is Coeternal with the Father 5. His Deity is proved by his Works And 6. By Divine Worship given to him Chap. VI. Proveth the Deity of the Holy Ghost 1. That he is a Divine Person 2. His Deity is asserted from several Texts of Scripture 3. By his Works 4. By Divine Worship given to him Chap. VII Proveth the Unity of the Holy Trinity Chap. VIII Containeth some Explications of the Holy Trinunity 1. Of the Essential Being of God 2. Oâ— the Divine Persons the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit 3. Of the Distinctions of the Divine Nature and the Persons and some Shadows by way of Comparison of the incomparable and inconceivable Being of God and of the Union of Christ's two Natures PART II. Chap. I. Answereth Objections against the Scriptural Proofs of Christ's Deity Chap. II. Answers to Objections drawn from several Texts of Scriptures Chap. III. Answers to several Arguments against the Deity of Christ Chap. IV. Answers to several Objections against the Scriptures that prove the Deity of the Holy Ghost Chap. V. Answers to some Objections drawn from divers Scriptures to disprove the Deity of the Holy Spirit Chap. VI. Answers to some Scriptures from whence our Adversaries assert that the Father only is the true God With a general Answer and Conclusion Price bound one â—â—â—ling