it and corrupt it and shall we thinke the Gentiles Heathen that know not God haue retained all the Morall Law perfectly without forgetting any thing therein doe we thinke better of the Heathen Gentiles who haue liued since the giuing of the Law then of the people of God who liued before the Law if the light of nature in the people of God before the Law needed a better light to wit the Law of God to direct their Law and light of nature can the blind light in Heathen people since the Law giue a light vnto the Law if it cannot why then will we rather learne what is morall by the light of nature and lawes of nationes then by the light of lightes the Law of God Should we vrge the practise of any thing that is vn-naturall or which nature abhorreth then there might be some more â—uller for this distinction but since we vrge nothing vn-naturall nor any thing impossible nor any thing harmefull to a Church or State commoÌ„ wealth in this case what grownd should there be to draw vs to the Lawes light of nature suer I am though nature be ignorant of the Lords Sabbath yet enemy vnto it it cannot be for let nature be informed what manner a thing Gods Sabbath is and it will imbrace it for nature abhorreth to profane sacred things of which kind the Sabbath is and nature approueth of a day and this day as well as any other day for Gods worship and for mans refreshment in a rest from laboures why then should we reiect Gods Sabbath because blind nature is ignorant of it and not rather imbrace it because if nature be but taught it it cannot oppose it it will imbrace it I find it that this distinction is merely inuented for the very nonce to thwarte rase downe and roote out Gods ancient Sabbaths for I find nothing else prescribed in the morall Law which they doe reiect by this dinstinction but onely Gods Sabbaths now as well might they reiect the drinking of wine in Lords Supper as the Sabbath day in the 4th com for ther 's the same reason seing that the drinking of wine is not naturall to English men no more then the Sabbath is to Heathen people for wine is not the naturall fruite and liquor of our Country but Beere like as they say the 4th com belongeth vnto vs but as it is the Law of nature but not as it was giuen to the Iewes for so it was Iewish so might they say the institution of the Lords Supper belongeth vnto vs English men but as it is a law in our nature and not as it was giuen to the Iewes Christs Disciples to drinke Beere is naturall to vs but to drinke wine is Iewish for the Iewes vsed wine at their meales as we vse Beere 6. The Apostle Paul telleth vs of a Law written and of a Law of nature the one written in Tables of stone the other in the Tables of the heart the one giuen the Iewes the other to the Gentiles As manie as haue sinned without the Law shall perish with out the Law as manie as haue sinned in the Law shall be iudged by the Law Rom. 2.12.14 I would faine know where the difference lieth betwene these two Laws the Law of nature the written Law of God if vve vvill imbrace no more of Gods written Law then the Gentiles find written in their hearts yea vvhat then are we the better for hauing Gods vvritten Lavv among vs 2. Inasmuch as the Apostle saieth that as manie as haue sinned in the Law they must be iudged by the Law hence it follovveth that all vve Christians who imbrace the written Law we must stand or fall to this written Law and must be iudged by it an other day can we then vvith safety reiect this vvritten Lavv and take the vnvvritten Lavv for the rule of our Liues no surely vnlesse vve could thinke vve should liue by one Lavv be iudged by an other 7. If so much of the Lavv of God be Morall as is found among the Gentiles then is the Ceremoniall Lavv of Sacrifices a Morall Lavv for the Gentiles haue had their Sacrifices thus vve reade that Iupiters Priests brought Bules vvith garlands vnto the gates vvould haue Sacrificed vnto Paul and Barnabas Act. 14.13 Wherefore the light of nature in the Gentiles is no sufficient rule to distinguish Morales from Ceremoniales 8. This distinction is Antichristian for it is against Christ and his Apost es for they euer sent the Churches vnto the vvrittâ—n Law neuer to the vnvvritten Law Mat. 1.18.19 Rom. 3.31 Iam. 2.8.10 Paul saieth hee beleeued all things vvhich vvere written in the Lavv c Act. 24.14 And vvhatsoeuer things are written a fore time are written for our lerning Rom. 15.4 and cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things vvhich are written in the booke of the Law to doe them Gal. 3.10 and the vvhole Scripture is by inspiration to teach c. 2. Tim. 3.26 in all vvhich scriptures vve are sent vnto the vvritten Lavves the Lavves giuen to the Ievves not vâ—to the vnvvritten Lavves that vvere giuen to the Gentiles the Holy Ghost vvould that vve should borrovv light from the vvritten Lavvs giuen to the people of God but the Authors of this distinction vvill send vs to the vnwritten Laws vvhich are found among Heathen people and Infideles to borrovv ligâ—t from them It seemes then that vve shall borrovv light from darknesse Ye were once darknesse but are now light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 9. If no more of the Law shall bind vs then so much as is found out by the light of nature then Gods word shall not bind properliâ— by of it selfe but that it must borrow strength elswhere as from the Law light of nature or else it shall not bind nor be a Law this is to detract from the Dignity Authority of Gods word for a Minister must not now come with Thus saith the Lord but he must strengthen it with this so saith the Law of nature he must not say onely Thou shalt not steale not commit adultery for thus no man is bound vntill he add this And this the Law of nature 10. If so many of the precepts of the Law onely shall be in force with vs as are allowed of by the Law of nature then it shall follow that so many such qualified men among vs shall stand bound to the first Commandement onely as by the Law light of nature did acknowledge the true God and they are for number a few 3 or 4 in a Country Citty or Kingdome and for quality onely the most lerned and deepest schollers for such onely did acknowledge the true God among the Heathen The reason hereof is that if we must fetch direction from the Heathen to know which precepts we are bound vnto then by like reason must we fetch light from them also to know how many
persons what qualified men are bound to those precepts 11. Whereas they say that the 4th Com. belongeth vnto vs no othervviâ—e then as it is the Lavv of nature hereby they graunt that some time in generall is prescribed as Morall in the 4th Com. for they all say the Lavv and light of nature teacheth that some time in the generall is to be allotted for the vvorship of God And hereby they deny that there is any thing else commanded in the 4th Com. as Morall saue onely some time in generall novv the absurdety of this opinion that onelie some time in generall is all vvhich is Morall in the 4th Comm. I haue by sondry other arguments confuted in their 8th euasion the Section last before this vvhither I referr my reader for a further confutation of this distinction if further he desireth to see it confuted And so much of this Atheisticall Antichristian blasphemouse and most absurd distinction vvherein I haue taken the more paines because I find it stood vpon euen by all as a common and sound ansvver X. The 10th euasion not vvorth the naming but that the Patrones of it put confidence in it is that the Sunday or Lords day may be the 7th day as vvell as the Saturday for if you beginne at Sunday for the First day of our number then Saturday follovving vvill be the 7th day but contrarivvise if you beginne at Saturday for the First day then Sunday before it vvill be the 7th day like as if you lay dovvne 7 counters in order one after an other in a right lyne beginne at the first counter to vvards the left hand and then the last counter next the right hand vvill be the 7th but beginne at the first counter tovvards the right hand the last counter next the left hand vvill be the 7th I may vvell call this account a counter-play or a counterfaite play they see the 4th Comm. so expresse for the 7th day as they wring their wittes hither thither to make the Lords day the 7th day but all in vaine for Saturday onely is the 7th day The very mention of this euasion is enough to confute it for who euer rekoned backwards before to rekone thus Sunday the first Monday the second Tewsday the third c is allowable and all men so rekone but to beginne at the last day saying Saturday the first Friday the second Thursday the third c this foppish deuice was neuer heard on before this is worse then Carter like to set the Carte befâ—re the horse to account a day for the first before it is or hath a being why may we not reade vvords in the Scripture backward as well as reâ—one backwards I dare say it such men would chide their children if they should beare them rekone the dayes of the weeke thus backvvards but any childish toye is answer good enough to defeate God of his Sabbathes The Law was that the passouer should be eaten on the 14th day of the moneth but by this new account they might counting the 14th day to be first day haue eaten it one the first day of the moneth To conclude not onely our Church but also the fowre Euangelists call the Lords day the first day of the weeke and consequently Saturday after the 7th day But these counterplayers thinke they may deale with the dayes of the weeke as they doe with their counters beginne where they list and so what God our Church accounts for the 7th that these men count the first againe what they count the first these count the 7th enough of this deuice M. Yates XI to conclude whereas they distinguish in the 4th com betwene the dueties of rest holy exercises the time wherein they were to be done saying the dueties are Morall but the time is a ceremony abolished these absurdeties this distinction is guilty of 1. that if the time to wit that of the 7th day be abolished then whensoeuer we performe the duetie of rest and holy exercises we may be said to keepe the Sabbath day and yeeld obedience to the 4th Com. as on Wednesdayes and Fridayes Lecture dayes common Holy dayes for on these dayes we rest doe religiouse actions 2. Not onely this but all the forementioned distinctions are guilty of these absurdeties 1. that they are horrible partiall in that they can find distinctions to preserue the Morall Law against Libertines here will invent distinctiones to ouerturne Gods Sabbath which is a parte of that Law Yea they can defend the common Holie daies of the Saints vsed in our Church from being Popish as some would haue them yet will not defend that Holie day of the Holy one of Israel from being a ceremony Iewish but rather vndermine it by distinctions 2. They are partiall in Gods Law laming maiming it of its Integrity perfection 3. They make Gods 4th Comm. a monstre halfe Morall halfe Ceremoniall 4. They set open a gate to Anabaptistry that so Gods Church should haue no Sabbathes 5. They reiect that which was againe may be an helpe to the worship of God 6. They make an Holy prayer of our Church to be a babling with God 7. They condemne those most ancient the Primitiue Churches who liued next the Apostles of erroniouse practise 8. They shew no loue to Gods Law for it selfe to his ordinances for if they did they would imbrace as much of it as many of them as possible they could but this they doe not for they reiect what they are not compelled to reiect God send his Lawes ordinances better friends I pray God These with other absurdeties formely mentioned are these distinctions guilty of Thus much for confutation of their vaine distinctions And here ends the defence of the Lords Sabbath SECT V. Of the Antiquity of the Sabbath day TOuching the antiquity of the Sabbath I finde two opiniones the one holding that it was from the Creation the other that it was first instituted in the vvildernesse after the people of Israel came out of Egypt how be it much I suppose cannot be said on either sides yet of the two I hold the former to be the more orthodox to carry the greater probability with it you shall see the reasones on either partes and first for those on the contrary parte I. On the contrary parte they reason against the Antiquity of the Sabbath out of Exod. 16.23 where it is thus written To morrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath vnto the Lord. Hence they gather that the Israelites were ignorant of the Sabbath vntill this time and consequently that the Sabbath was not from the Creation for if it had Moses should not haue needed to tell them that it was to morrow c. Herevnto I answer the Lord teld his people from Mount Sinay that the 7th day was the Sabbath Exod. 20.10 Againe after that he teld them in Leuit. 23.3 that the 7th day was
the like they haue also taken in hand to make one of Gods Tenn commandements namly the 4th com to be partly Morall partly Ceremoniall a thing at the first hearing very straung and most absurd the absurdnesse whereof in the first place I will indeauour to set before your eyes then come to shew you their reasones answer them one by one It is said by Moses that God spake all these words Exod. 20.1 and this is equally praefixed to all the 10 commandements and God wrote them all in Tables of stone together now can it be thought that of all these 10. onely one should so farr differ from all its fellowes as when they are intirly Morall hauing no title of Ceremony in them this one should be halfe Morall halfe Ceremoniall or partly morall partly Ceremoniall did not God write as well all the whole 4th com in Tables of stone as some parte of it and did not God as well speake all the 4th com euen that parte of it which they would haue a ceremony as all the other commandements why then should men make a difference where God made none It can neuer be showne that God wrote any shaddow or ceremonie in his Tables of stone for no ceremonies euer came with in the compasse of that pale or bedge nor can it be showne that God did so farr honour any ceremony as to deliuer it speake it from his owne mouth God spake all these words that is all these 10 Moralles but God spake none of the ceremonies for Moses spake these God appointed Moses to deliuer the ceremoniall lawes this difference you may reade of made by God Exod. 20.1.22.24 Exod. 21.1 Deut. 5.2.4.6.22.31 and is not this absurd that men should fansy a ceremony to be in the 4th com when they cannot shew the like in any of the other nine commandements nor that euer God so farr honoured any ceremony as to deliuer it by his owne voice and write it with his owne finger in Tables of stone An other absurdety who could imagine that of Tenn commandements all purly morall all to last perpetuallie to the worlds end all appertaining vnto all Nations Iewes Gentiles saue onely one of the tenn and this one commandement must needs be of a contrary nature vnto all its fellowes the other 9 commandements for this must be mixedly morall a parte of it morall and an other parte of it ceremoniall a parte of it to last perpetually to the worlds end and a parte of it to be faded vanished away sixtene hundreth yeeres agone a parte of it to belong vnto all nations Iewes and Gentiles both and an other part of it to belong vnto the sole Nation of the Iewes onely who can thinke that God would yoke couple such vnequall things together yea who could imagine that there should be a ceremoniall ordinance in the body of the 4th com and in the heart of the Morall law a man may as well fansy darkenesse to be in the body of the Sunne as a shaddow in the heart of the morall law Diuines vse to resemble these 10 commandements vnto a goolding chaine consisting of 10 linkes of such an vnity and combined nature as he that draweth one draweth all which is a very trueth indeed but these now who set themselues against the Lords Sabbathes they faine one of these 10 linkes to be made of a mettall differing from all the rest for wheras the chaine of 10 linkes is called a goolding chaine they neuerthelesse will haue one of these 10 linkes to be partly gold partly leade so then to speake properly they must here after count the 10 com to be a goolden-leaden chaine c whereas they vse to cale these 10 com the morall law now to speake properly they must cale it the Morall-Ceremoniall law for they make Ceremony in it this is as if the Snow which hitherto we haue caled white snow we should hereafter cale it white-blacke snowe thus you see by comparing this 4th com with its fellowes how absurd they are that will attempt to make somthing in the 4th com a Ceremony I add herevnto this absurdety also that these men must deny the integrity perfection of the law and hould a lamed broken and imperfect law so serue God by halues by peece-meale or else they cannot dispute against the 7th day Sabbath contained in the morall law for take that away and the law is not an intire perfect law but a maimed and lamed thing An other absurdety I charge them with and that is horrible partiality for they can find answers distinctions to preserue the Morall Law from being abolished by Libertines Anabaptists saying it is abolished for Justification but in force still for obseruation yet will neither find I doubt nor receiue any answer or distinction that may preserue the Sabbath day which is a parte of that Law is not this partiality to defend one parte of Gods Law not an other yea I dare auowch it that Anabaptists Libertins and Antinomians doe bring euery way as able prouing scriptures against the wholl Law as Anti Sabbatharians doe against this parte of Gods Law which concerneth his 7th day Sabbath see these against the whole Law Ephes 2.15 Hebr. 7.12 Rom. 6.14 1. Tim. 1.9 2. Cor. 3.7.11 see these against this parte of the Law Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 and Col. 2.16.17 now since these latter textes haue no more nor better force against this parte of the Law then those former textes haue against the whole Law what abhominable partiality is here vsed by admitting these textes against a parte of the Law when those are refused that be against the whole Law may these men be said to loue Gods Law and to loue it for it selfe yet to deale thus partially by it Yet further where as Anabaptistes doe deny all vse of Oathes among Christians that not onely in common talke but also before A Magistrate and that from these textes Mat. 5.34 Iam. 5.12 Sweare not at all c. Neuerthelesse as generall as these vvords of Christ are against swearing we doe distinguish of oathes yeelding Christs words to be directed expounded against svvearing in our common talke vainly but not against an oath before A Magistrate vvhy doe not these textes Mat. 5.34 Iam. 5.12 beare as strongly against all oathes so against an oath before A Magistrate as doe these their textes Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 Col. 2.16 against all Sabbaths and so against the weekly 7th day Sabbath can you distinguish to preserue an oath before A Magistrate can you not distinguish to preserue Gods Sabbath in the Church will you defend an oath before a Magistrate as inioyned still in the 3th com which is therin but by cōsequence vvill you not defend Gods ancient Sabbath as inioyned still in the 4th command which is therin expressed can such your partiality be excused Now to consider of
Major I affirme that all the 10 commandements doe bind vs to obedience they make this vngodly answer by a distinction that all of them doe not bind vs will put me to proue that they doe bind vs. If this answer be lawfull why may not Papists deny that the 2d com bindeth vs or that it is still in force saying the 2d com touching Images it is Iewish concerned the Iewes onely and that it forbad onely Iewish Images that it concerneth not Christians Christian Images why may not Anabaptistes and Libertines our new sprung vp Eatonistes deny the whole Law euen all the 10 commandementes that vpon plausible pretenses also Furthermore such distinctiones are Blasphemouse therefore to be reiected for to deny that any thing commanded by God in his 10 com both bind vs to obedience is to deny that Gods will should be obeied by vs to reiect his Soueraignty gouernance as much as if we should say we will not that God shall Raigne ouer vs. is it not Blasphemy when the Creatour shall say doe this the creature shall answer He will not thus doe they who by distinctions will reiect any one thing commanded in the 10 commandements Further such answers as by distinctions deny any one thing commanded in the 10. commandements doe plainly bewray the Authoures thereof to be professed enemies to the Integrity perfection of God Lawe and would that God should be serued but by halues by peecemeale and therefore their such distinctiones are vnsound to be reiected by all men fearing God louing the Lawes of God Such answers are to be reiected and men are solely to rest contented with this that it is commanded in the Morall Law without demaunding any other proofes my reason hereof is because neither better proofes nor of higher authority can be possibly produced for the profe of any doctrine in Diuinity for vvhat better proofe can any man bring or any Christian man expect then Gods commandements amongst all Gods commandements then his 10 Morall commandements there is no Scripture of higher Authority then the Morall Lavv. The 10 Commandements the Creede and the Lords prayer these of all other Scriptures are holden as principles of our Christian Religion now how absurd a thing it is for any to deny principles in any Arte let all men iudge that haue any skill in Artes A man may as vvell be permitted by a distinction to deny that euery one of the 6 petitiones of the Lords prayer doe belong vnto vs or that some of the Articles of our faith doe belong vnto vs vpon some plausible reasones forged as by a distinction to deny that whatsoeuer is commanded in the 10 commandements doth belong vnto vs. Thus I haue proued that it is vnsufferable in A Christian Church that any man should vse a distinction or deniall against this Orthodox most cleere trueth that all things commanded in Gods 10 commandements are in force doe binde vs to obedience for this cause I neede not procede any further for the proofe of this Major orthodox trueth for if it be so cleere vndeniable a trueth as no man may deny it then I may very well spare the proofe of it Neuerthelesse for the truethes sake for its further confirmation I will proue it vnto you by many and sondry arguments but by the way one thing first I would should be taken into consideration which is this that Diuines and all others who are enemies vnto this most auncient ordinance of Gods Sabbath they are driuen to shrowd themselues from the force of this my 8th Argument by this abominable vngodly answer saying that all Gods commandements doe not binde vs to obedience or that some of the 10 commandements doe not bind vs to the obedience of them nay they must hold if they abolish the 7th day Sabbath that it is a sinne for vs to yeeld obedience vnto all the 10. commandements that it is Iudaisme I desire that all men would take speciall notice of this absurdety that so they may see what rockes these are forced to rune vpon who deny the Lords Sabbaths Should common people make such answers they deserued but a common censure but if Ministers yea Puritane Ministers shall make such vngodly answers what censure are they worthy of I haue greate reason to vrge this point because if they grant me this trueth to wit that all Gods commandementes doe binde vs to obedience the which no man fearing God can deny then of necessity they must grant me that the old Sabbath is still in force because it is one of Gods commandements An other thing I desire should be taken into consideration is that such as deny any thing in my Major by any distinctiō that so they may deny Gods 7th day Sabbath they rune into these other absurdeties 1. they hereby doe deface Gods royall Law making it a Morall-ceremoniall Law an euerlasting-temporary Law a very Monstre 2. They draw vs to Anabaptistry prophanesse that so we should haue none of Gods Sabbaths 3. They make an auncient holy prayer of our Church a mere babling with God to wit that prayer added to the 4th com in the Congregation 4. As the Sabbath is Gods ordinance so the Decalogue is Gods Law now were men professed enemies to God then if they should doe what in them is to abolish his Sabbaths to reiect as much of his Law as possibly they could denise it were but sutable to their profession but that wee who are professed friēds to God to his Law that wee I say should reiect desire to reiect as much of Gods Law as possibly by any wite we can deuise this is abhominable so I come to make profe of the point That all Gods commandements are now to be obserued and obeied I proue it by Testimony humane Diuine for humane Testimony the first shall be that of Reuerent Perkines who writing against our common aduersary the Papist he vndertaketh to proue that the religion of the Church of Rome agreeth to the corruption of mans nature amongst many other arguments he sheweth how that Papists doe repeale make of none effect all the 10 commandements of the morall-Morall-Law and to this purpose he begineth on this wise The morall Law conteining perfect righteousnesse is flat opposite to mans corrupt nature therefore whatsoeuer religion shall repeale and make of none effect the commandements of the Morall Law the same religion must needs ioyne hands with the corruption of mās nature stand for themaintenance of it This doth the Religion of the Church of Rome it may beit doth not plainly repeale them yet in effect it doth and if it shall frustrate but any one point of any one commandement yea the whole Law thereby is made vaine Perkines in his first volume pag. 400. vnder the title A papist cannot goe beyond a reprobate I desire that these his words may
thing therein call it an accident or a circumstance of time or what else diminutily you will he did ratifie this litle thing also the 7th day Sabbath the argument is good a minori for if Christ would not haue a title of a letter in the Law altered much lesse an ordinance commanded in the Law as is the 7th day Sabbath I come next vnto the Minor or second proposition and this is most cleerly proued by the words of our Sauiour Christ For truly I say vnto you vntill heauen earth perish one iote or one title shall in no wise passe from the Law vntill all things be fulfilled Mat. 5.18 In which words our Sauiour Christ plainly ratified the very least things commanded in the Law to last for euer for as Chemnitius saith vpon this text iote is a letter of the Hebrew Alphabet of the least value of all other letters in the Alphabet title saith hee is as a pricke to a letter or as a comma to a seÌ„tence whereby we see that inasmuch as Christ would not haue one of the least letters of the Law no nor so much a title of a letter as a pricke is vpon the letter i in no wise to departe from the Law hereby he ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law that Christ ratified the Law vnto a iot and title extendeth to the very least things in the Law more emphatically more voide of exception then if he had said nothing shall passe from the Law Had the 7th day Sabbath bene to be abolished a while after Christ should haue forknowne it well enough then remembring that he would neuer haue here ratified the Law so vniuersally vnto a very iot and title of it This is plaine if we looke but vpon the very next verse vers 19. Whosoeuer therefore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall be caled the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.19 So here then in plaine words you see our Sauiour ratifieth the very least coÌ„mandement yet further Christ intended to ratify not onely the least comman but also the least branch of euery commandement for he ratified not onely the 6th com touching murther but also the least thing therin conteined as rash anger and caling an other foole v. 22. the 7th com hee ratified it to the least iot title of it euen to the adultery of the heart and to a lustfull looke v. 28. the seconp Table of loue Christ ratified it to the vtmost extending it euen to the loue of our enemies v. 44. by all which it is most apparent that our blessed Sauiour intended to ratify this Diuine Law of his heauenly father to the very vtmost vnto the very least thing therin commanded neither can any man I think invent should he study 7 yeeres for it how to expresse himselfe in words more vniuersally emphatically to comprize euery thing vnto the very least of all so as his words should be liable to no exceptions then our Sauiour Christ hath expressed himselfe heere so emphatically so vniuersally and so full are his words heere spoken to that end Thus you haue sene this argument firmly proued neither can I deuise what should be more plaine pregnant for the maintenaÌ„ce of this ordinance of Gods morall Sabbath then this text vttered by our Sauiour Christ but by how much it is the cleerer by so much the more Sathan stirreth vp opposition againstit let vs therefore see what trickes and quillets the wit of man can deuise against it that so all rubbs being remoued our faith may rest vpon this rocke of Christs word the more firmly and securly 1. One answer brought against this argument is this that by the word Law may be vnderstod both the morall and Ceremoniall Lawes But this is an vnwarrantable enlargment of the word law for it is a rule that generall words must be restrained vnto the Subiect matter in hand as in Heb. 7.12 if by the word Law there we should vnderstand both morall and ceremoniall Lawes we should make foule worke wherefore as the word Law in Heb. 7.12 is to be rastained vnto the Leuiticall ceremoniall Law according to the matter there spoken of so must we by the word Law in Mat. 5.18 vnderstaÌ„d onely the morall Law according to the matter here spoken of for as you may se plainly by the context our Sauior speaketh of the morall Law for our Sauiour hauing ratified the Law in generall in v. 18.19 then he descendeth vnto particulars giuinge examples in the 6th com touching murther as in v. 21. in the 7th com touching adultery as in v. 27. in the third com touching swearing as in v. 3. the latter parte of the Chapter is spent in dueties of loue towards our neighbour conteined in the second Table whereby we see our Sauiour spake onely of the morall Law 2. I proue that the ceremoniall Law cannot be here meante for Christ said but in the verse a forgoing that he came not to destroy the Law or the Prâ—phets which phrase our Saniour vseth in this Sermon for the Morall Law onely Mat. 7.12 and neuer otherwise Mat. 22.40 secondly then should Christ haue ratified the ceremoniall Law vnto the worlds end in Mat. 5.18 which is contrary vnto all Scriptures and therfore Christ spake nothing of the ceremoniall Law in this place 3. Since Christ spake here of the duration continuance of the Law for euer it is absurd to thinke that in this case he would ioyne the Morall and the Ceremoniall Laws together as if they were both of a like perpetuity lasting nature and therfore onelie the Morall Law was here meante 4. Can it be thought that Christ should make here in v. 17. an Apologie for the Ceremoniall Law when elswhere he preached against it Ioh. 4.21 Besids since Christ intended a little after to abolish the Ceremoniall Law he would rather haue bene silent now then to say ought that might ratifye it 2. An other answer made against this argument is that the duration of the Law here spoken of by Christ is but vntill Christ his passion noted in those words vntill all things be fulfilled v. 18. for at Christ his passion all things were fulfilled But this answer is very absurd for these words of Christ are a prophecy of the continuance of the Law which prophecy was ratified by a greate Asseueration saying verily or truly I say vnto you c. Now the time when Christ made this prophecy it was not aboue a matter of two yeeres before his passion or there about now who could thinke that Christ should make a prophecy that in such solemne a maner with such an Asseueration that the Law should last continue yet two yeers longer Further if this answer exposition be iustifiable then by the same answer may we now reiect a greate parte of Christs sermon in the mount especially his exposition vpon the Morall
is supposed of divine institution so necessary then is a day of Diuine institution as without it Religion Gods worship will languish of a continuall consumption now since there is no day of diuine institution but the Saturday or 7th day it is of necessity that we keepe the Saturday or 7th day to preuent the decay of Religion to support further Gods worship Seruice Thus I haue proued it that to rest from our laboures on Saturday the 7th day is morall perpetuall because we finde it tendeth vnto the furtherance of Gods worship because it is a worke of mercy to man beast yea in a sorte necessary also thus much of this argument ARGVM XXIIII Because many stand so much vpon the law light of nature holding that onely to be morall in the Decalogue which is ratified by the light of nature that they would imbrace the Sabbath if it could be proued to be a Law of nature for the benefite of such therefore J frame this argument and thus I argue That duety which is expresly commanded in the Decalogue which being made knowne to a meere naturall man he cannot by his light of nature reason oppose but must allow of and subscrib vnto as good for him that duety is morall concerneth our practise is perpetually to be kept But the obseruation of Saturday the 7th day Sabbath is expresly commanded in the Decalogue is a duety which being made knowne to a meere naturall man hee cannot by the light of nature reason oppose it but must allow it and subscrib vnto it as good for him Therefore the obseruation of Saturday the 7th day Sabbath is morall concerneth our practise is perpetually to be kept As touching the profe of the major if any shall except against it saying they could like of it if it spake of such a duety in the Decalogue as were first found out by the light of nature but mislike of it because it speakes of such a duety as is first found out by a supernaturall light then made knowne vnto a naturall man Hereto I reply that it is not matteriall whither the duety be first found out by the light of nature after allowed of by the same light or first found out by the supernaturall light of Gods word in his 4th com then subscribed vnto by the light of nature it mattereth not I say which way by whom the duety was found out first so long as nature the light of reason doth allow of it iustify it and subscrib vnto it after it is found out for men are as well bound by the Law and light of nature to obserue those dueties which the light of nature alloweth and approueth being taught vnto them as to obserue those which were neuer taught them for it is not the finding of them nor the manner of getting the knowledg of them that bindeth but it is the approbation and allowance of them that bindeth to the obseruation of them and which hath the force of a Law in a man wherefore what duety soeuer is prescribed vs in the Decalogue if the light of nature cannot oppose it as harmfull incommodiouse but doth rather allow of it iustify it approue of it as good that duety must needs be morall practised by vs or else we bewray our selues to be vnnaturall to put out the light of nature in vs to goe against conscience for we will refuse to doe that which the very light of nature in vs alloweth of and subscribeth vnto as good to be done and so I come to the Minor Jn the minor I shall not need to proue any thing but this to wit that a meere naturall man cannot oppose Gods 7th day Sabbath but must allow of it as good to be obserued so soone as the Author vse end of it be discouered vnto him first theÌ„ for the Author of the Sabbath a meere naturall man cannot by the light of reason but allow of all lawes and ordinances made by a Deity 2. for the vse and end of the 7th day Sabbath 1. as it is kept in memoriall of the Creation so a naturall man cannot but allow of it since by the Creation hee receiued his being and all comforts of this life 2. It crosseth not the good of particuler persones societies or common wealâ—s but on the contrary it serueth to refresh both man and beast being ouertoiled and spent in the 6 dayes before by laboures it helpeth the exercise of Religion and it is a duety which societies and common weales cannot well subsist without for we see besids weekly Sabbaths that common weales do maintaine sondry anniuersary holy dayes and therefore at the least one day in 7 is counted needfull for Rest wherefore suppose wee that the Lords day or the Sunday Sabbath were changed into the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath since the common weale standeth in neede of one day in 7 at least for rest and refreshment and the exercise of religion therefore it followeth that if we had the Saturday Sabbath in vse the common weale could haue nothing against it to oppose it but must allow of it approue it and subscrib vnto it as good to be obserued because in it and by it a good and benefite cometh vnto the common weale both for their bodies and soules In a word doth not nature teach vs that it is meete to shew mercy vnto Seruants and allow them one day in 7 to rest in from their painefull laboures and to refresh themselues and so to fit them for labour againe on the next Sixe daies and doth not nature teach that it is fitter that this day should be of Gods choise which is Saturday the 7th day then of mans choise and also that the time should not be indifferent at mans plesure least some cruell Masters should deny their Seruants this necessary refreshment but necessary as inioyned by God as a duety from all Masters How then should this Sabbath be but morall when the light of nature cannot except against it and how should it not but be obserued of vs to this day when that naturall light of reason that is in vs doth consent vnto it allow and approue of it as good for vs as the Apostle said Doth not nature teach you that if a man hath long haire it is a shame vnto him 1. Cor. 11.14 So may I say doth not nature teach vs that if we had Gods ancient Sabbaths the obseruation of them would proue both piouse and commodiouse our Sauiour saith The Sabbath was made for man Mark 2.27 Now what an vnnaturall man is that who will reiect that thing which was made for him will any man refuse an howse or a garment that was made for him or any of Gods Creatures which were made for him shall not such incurr an heauy censure who will reiect a duety commanded in the Decalogue the which the light of nature still
remaining in vs doth allow of approue of This is one thing I desire may be in speciall manner obserued that such as reiect Gods Sabbath they reiect a most ancient ordinance of Gods expresly commanded in the Morall Law saying that very day and time is not morall nor concerneth our practise as doe the rest of the 10 commandements when as not withstanding our consciences and that light of naturall reason which is in vs doe consent vnto it approue it and allow of it as a thing very good and commodiouse for vs if we had it in vse among vs shall not such opposites be condemned by their guilty conscieÌ„ces for opposing of that ordinance of Gods which is no way against them but euery way good for them their consciences being witnesses thereof should we vrge the practise of any thing impossible to be kept or vnnaturall to be done the which nature riseth against abhorreth theÌ„ if it were opposed it were the lesse maruailouse but when we vrge stand to defeÌ„d nothing but a braÌ„ch of the morall law nothing that nature dissalloweth of but rather cheerefully imbraceth that such a thing should be opposed as no morall nor appertayning vnto vs but as Jewish and I cannot tell what this is the matter of wonder so much for this argument For conclusion let me goe a little further then my argument drawes me I see not but it might be proued that the 7th day Sabbath is a Law of nature euen in their owne sense who say they would imbrace it if it were a Law of nature for as the Gentiles some of them found out the true God so some of them found out the true 7th day Sabbath for the profe hereof I referre you to Walaeus de Sabbatho pag. 46. 47. who affirmeth the point himselfe also proueth it for he citeth diuerse ancient Authores as 1. Philo the Iew lib. 2. de vita Mosis Our custome saith Philo doth adominish all Barbarianes Graecianes Europianes and Asianes of duty for who doth not honour that sacred day which returneth euery weeke ij he citeth Iosephus lib. 2. aduersus Appionem circa fineÌ„ libri saying There is not any Citty Graecianes or Barbarianes nor any Nation vnto whom the obseruation of the 7th day in which the Iewes rested is not come Thus Iosephus iij He citeth a most ancient author Theophilus Antiochenus Patriarcha lib. 2. ad Autolicum As touching the 7th day saith hee which among all mortall men îs greatly famouse it is caled the Sabbath c. iiij He citeth Clemens Alexandrinus lib. 5. stromatum Not onely the Iewes saith hee but also the Gentiles knew that sacred 7th day c. 5. He citeth Eusebius praeparat Euangel lib. 13. who proueth the same out of Plato Hesiod Homer Callimachus and others for further proofe hereof I referre you to M. Richard Byfield on the Sabbath pag. 81. who there alleageth sondry Testimonies shewing that the Gentiles kept the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath amoÌ„g the rest these Seneca in his 95 Epist and Macrobius Saturn lib. 1. Cap. 7. And Aretius problem de Sabbathi obseru thus you see that the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath was found out by and in vse among the Gentiles wherefore the 7th day Sabbath stands firme by the Law and light of nature Thus much for my arguments whereby I haue proued the morallity and perpetuity of the Lords Sabbaths wherein as I trust I haue giuen satisfaction abundantly to the conscience of any man that is not vn-willing to see a trueth but as for such as reade with preiudicate opiniones resoluing before hand to stop their eares least they should hear shut their eyes least they should see which is a brand of an hearte hardened by the iust Iudgement of God I leaue them to him that shall iudge them an other day Consider what J haue saied and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things SECT IV. WHereas we haue made profe of the morallity perpetuity of the Lords Sabbath and finding that men haue sondry distinctiones and euasiones whereby they would shune the force of our arguments I haue therefore reserued this Section purposly to confute those distinctiones and to shew the vanity and absurdetie of such their euasiones that so all rubes scruples being remoued our arguments may haue free passage and be receiued without all doubtinges it is true I shall handle many of those distinctiones euasiones here which I haue touched before by way of vse in my Exposition of the 4th commandement but those things which there I did but touch cursorily here I shall handle more largly as the more proper place for them but say I should but repeate them it were not labour lost for being they are the common answers often beaten into the mindes of people there is need of an often confutation of them that so what is said it may sticke the faster remaine the longer in mens mindes I. The first euasion which I will deale withall shall be their distinction of a Sabbath the Sabbath for an argument being brought for the morallity of the Sabbath day out of the 4th com they are ready to blunt the force of it by this answer for one to wit that the word Sabbath may as well be translated a Sabbath as the Sabbath To discouer the vanity of this idle distinction for many care not how idlely and absurdly they answer so be they may say something against this sacred ordinance of Gods first we must know what is the difference betwixt a Sabbath and the Sabbath by the Sabbath is meant that common and well knowne Sabbath day to wit Saturday the 7th last day of the weeke the which the Iewes kept for thowsands of yeeres this I cale the Sabbath emphatically and by way of excellency and as a certaine well knowne day Now on the contrary by a Sabbath they would vnderstand some one day of the 7 but vncertainly which not any one rather then an other not any certaine standing knowne day of the weeke but so as the 4th commandement may indifferently be applied vnto any day as vnto Sunday or Monday or Tewsday c. The sense of this distinction being giuen the absurdety of it wil appeare by the like cases the Lord said let the earth bud forth the bud â—f the herb c. Genes 1.11 were it not a senslesse translation to render it thus Let a earth bud forth c againe then the man said the woman which thou gauest me shee gaue me of the tree c. Genes 3.12 were it not an absurd translation to render it thus then a man said a woman which thou gauest me c as well may they translate it a earth for the earth a man and a woman for the man and the woman as a Sabbath for the Sabbath for as there was but one earth and but one man and one woman so was there but one Sabbath day Againe
attinet be morall and perpetuall but not quod ad Speciem attinet then this absurdety followeth that we shall haue a genus without a Species 9. If the time in the 4th com be morall quod ad genus attinet then must also the Speciall Sabbaths conteined in the genus be also morall for the genus cannot be without its Species the proper Species to the genus of the 4th com are the weekly 7th day or Saturday Sabbaths and thus this distinction will proue a good argument for the morallity of the old Sabbath day and so much for this distinction IX An other euasion we meete withall and it is this let a man alleage the 4th com for the Lords Sabbath and one answer shall be to this effect That the Law belongeth vnto vs Christiās but as it is the law of nature or so farre forth as it agreeth with the Law of Nationes and light of Nature c. now this is an answer of greate esteeme for they foresee it that the Gētiles haue not by the light of nature found out and obserued the Saturday Sabbath of all other things in the morall Law For confutation of this if no more could be said against it but that the authores thereof are partiall in Gods Law Mal. 2.9 and haue not an indifferent respect vnto all Gods commandements Psa 119.6 this were enough for since we imbrace Gods Law it is shamefull to professe it by haules and peeces thus these doe who imbracing all other things commanded in the morall Law doe neuerthelesse by this distinction reiect that parte thereof which commandeth Gods Sabbath 2. If they will receiue no more of the Decalogue then agreeth to the Law of nature then these absurdeties will follow 1. That they must reiect the doctrine of the Trinity in vnity for this is not found in the Law of nature or Nationes 2. They must reiect the 10th com for S. Paul could not find lust to be a sinne by the Lawes and light of nature but by the Law of God I had not saith he knowne lust except the Law had said thou shalt not lust Rom. 7.7 they must renownce the doctrine of originall sinne for the Gentiles could not find it out by their light so then they may aswell reiect the first and the 10th commandements as reiect the Sabbath of the Lord. 3. This distinction is blaphemouse for it quite raseth out one of the 10 morall Lawes to wit the 4th com for the Law of nature teacheth no more but that some time be allotted for Gods seruice not respecting that 7th day which God hallowed at the Creation Genes 2.3 and expresly commanded Exod. 20.8 now sometime is alloted for Gods worship on fridaies and wednesdaies on Lecture daies and all this may be and is without the 4th com and thus the 4th commandement is rased out Yea further some time or other for Gods worship is necessarily implied in the second Com. where Gods worship is inioyned for if God must haue a worship of necessity he must haue some time alloted for it if therefore they will haue no more of the morall Law then agreeth to the Law of nature they must most wickedly blott out Gods 4th com as a superfluouse and needlesse Law for all that the Law of nature caleth for it is found in the 2th com and that which is in the 4th com it is besids or more then the Law of nature requireth thus by flying ro the Law of nature they haue reiected the Law of God 4. If the Law of God must be ruled by the Law of nature so as rather the Law of nature must teach vs what is morall and appertaineth to our obedience then the Law of God then this blasphemy followeth that the Law of nature is a more perfect rule for Christians to walke by then the Law of God and then also these absurdeties follow 1. That it was needlesse for God at the first to commit his Law vnto writing Exod. 20.1 for the Iewes had the light of nature to direct them why would God giue them an imperfect rule when they had already that which was more perfect 2. If the Law of nature can direct vs Christians and better too then the Law of God then what neede haue we now of the Law at all 3. If the Law of God be not sufficient for our direction without the Law of nature to correct it why are we sent by all Diuines vnto the Law of God for direction of our liues they should add this limitation so saith the Lord Ex. 20. ◠c. according to the Law of nature 4. If the Law of nature be the supreme for direct on let vs no longer studie diuinity out of the Law of God but rather out of the writings of the Heathen Whither it be fiter for vs to subiect Gods Law vnto the Law of nature for tryall or bring the Law of nature to be tried by the law of God I leaue it to the consideration of all mē to cōoclud whither the Law of God giuen to his people the Jewes is to be preferred aboue the Lawes of nationes let Moses determine it What nation saith he is so great that hath ordinances Lawes so righteousse as all this law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 Did not Moses here preferre the law of God aboue the lawes light of nature Againe He sheweth his word vnto Iakob his Statutes his Iudgements vnto Israell he hath not dealt sowith euery Nation neighther haue they knowne his Iudgements Psal 147.19.20 And shall this law then giuen to Israell be snibbed pared cheked by the Lawes of Nationes light of nature the Prophet saith the Nations haue not knowne Gods Iudgements that is his Lawes shall they be our guides and instructers to teach vs what is morall shall blind men iudge of cullers for vs shall we to the ignorant to get knowledge why may we not flie to the Pope to determine for vs whither the 2d com be morall or not since he is a Christian as well as flie to the Nationes to tell vs whither the 4th commandement be morall or not since they be heathen 5. It is the iudgement of Diuines that the reason of the writing of the law on Mount Sinay was because this Law being a Law from the Creation the law of nature begane then to be obliterated and blotted out of mens mindes and therefore God wrote it now in Tables of stone which before was written in the Table of mens heartes well and is it so that the light of nature waxed dime as the world waxed old to amend which God it mercy wrote his law in the Tables of stone for a perpetuall helpe of memory preseruation from corruption will wee now forsake this law and betake vs to the dime light of nature for direction were the people of God before the giuing of the Law in danger to forget
then hee vvill haue an account of his vvholl Lavv not of peeces and percels of it as vve please Thus vve se vvhat the duety of Ministers is namely to teach the people to obserue the Lords seauenth day Sabbath which is one of the commandements though you make it the least and it is their duetie also if they vvill be freed of Christ his Cursse to obserue keepe the 7th day Sabbath before the people so leading them by liefe doctrine together but hovv sarre off is the practise of most Teachers from obseruing the minde vvill of Christ in steade of practising the 7th day Sabbath in their ovvne persones for example vnto others they could be content to persecute any that they se forward this way oh fearfull In stead of teaching the people this vvhich they count the least of Gods commandements vrging them to keepe euery iote and title of Gods Lavv so the Lords Sabbath day they teach openly publikly the quite contrary as namely that this least of Gods commandements it is abolished and that the Sabbath day commanded it is abolished thus this least of Gods commandements is trampled downe because it is a little one a ceremoniall one a circumstantiall one not the Law of Nations nor found novv in the hartes off all men falne corrupted as a Law of Nature and because commanded to the Iew and the like but vvhat soeuer be their shiftes suer Iam the Sabbath day is not lesse then one of the iotes and titles of Gods Law nor is it lesse then the least of Gods commandements wherefore vvho soeuer teacheth in opposition to this Sabbath day he bevvraieth himselfe to be no frend of Christs and that he regardeth not his mind and vvill in teaching and obseruing all euery of the Commandemets nay he proclaimeth him selfe in open pulpit to be a professed enemy to Christ our Sauiour and these his vvordes Mat. 5.18.19 and to the integrity vvholnesse as I may call it of Gods Lavv he had rather haue it lamed percelled out that so he might serue God by halues and by peece meale then to haue an indifferent respect vvith Dauid vnto all Gods Commandements Psal 119.6 rather then he vvould haue Gods Lavv intire compleate in the perfection of partes vnto a iote and title Is not it true of such Ministers werewith the Lord charged those corrupt Priests Mal. 2.9 to vvit that they were partiall in the Law are not these also in our time partiall in Gods Law when not with standing vvhat Christ hath said for the integrity of the Lavv yet these men wil reiect a parte of it and so become like those Priests partiall in Gods Lavv for a parte of Gods Lavv they vvill haue an other parte they vvill none of the dueties of rest and holinesse in the 4th com this parte of the 4th com they vvill haue but the other duetie of the Time this parte of the same 4th com they vvill none of Were these Ministers of the lovver ranke for zeale of the Number of those vvhich are not accounted so zelouse of Gods Lavves it vvere the lesse to be vvondred at but being puritant Ministers and such as vvould be displeased at him vvho should say to them they had not an indifferent respect vnto all Gods commandements vvith out exceptions that these I say should picke and choose take leaue become like those profane Priests partiall in Gods Law it is to be maruailed at Mistake me not good Reader it is not purity that I mislike in puritanes for of all men I honour no men more then such as are endeauour to be of pure harte holy liefe but this I hate in them to se their practise belye their doctrine professiō for they teach daily for vniversall obediēce to all Gods com without exceptions resernations but Loe they are found here halting one of the least as they say of Gods Commandements ratified by our Sauiour they neglect and contemne Others there be of the same ranke which be not so impudent as the former they preach teach not against the Lords Sabbaths therefore are not guilty of the Cursse of Christ for breaking this least Com. teaching men so yet are they enemies to this least Comm. for haueing heard of my former booke which I vvrote in defence of this least Com. and for the Lords Sabbath yea and after they haue seene it reade it ouer they spitt fyer at it cry out burne the booke t is a foule errour c. These men like Iames Iohn not knovving of vvhat Spirit they are vvould haue fyer come downe presently although they know not either how to proue their Lords day to be a Sabbath day nor yet hovv to disproue the Lords Sabbath day or to confute the booke yet they can cry burne the booke t is a foule errour c. Thus these are so farre from teaching this least com to the people as that they vse all their diligence to scare afright simple people vvith greate vvords that so they might still remaine caught in theire snares in blind ignorance if the Lawes of this Realme vvere fitted to these mens minds it should be vvoe to him that toucheth this Lords day Sabbath the Diana of our time but seing they doe it out of a good affection I shall vvith Paul make it mine hearts desire and prayer to God for them that they may repent for I beare them witnesse that they haue the Zeale of God but not according to knowledge They thinke it much that they cannot preuaile vvith the rude multitude for the keeping Holy of the Lords day Sabbath but that say they vvhat they can yet they will reuell riote profane it vvell the case is novv become their ovvne it shall be seene whither all that I haue said can preuaile vvith them for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbaths on the 7th day suer I am I haue said shall say much more more soundly for the 7th day Sabbath to moue them to keepe it then euer they did or could say to profane persones for the keeping of the 8th day Sabbath if therfore synister affections preuaile so vvith them that they vvill not liften to mee no more then their profane hearers will to them let them tell me then what is the difference betvvixt them selues and their profane auditours An other sorte there are who are disobedient to Christs will by deniall of the integrity wholnesse perfection of Gods law in as much as they doe not onely refuse to teach the people this least of Gods commandements namely which is the proper day time of Gods worship seruice but if they finde that by the paines of any others more faithfull in this point then themselues any of their flocke are taught instructed in this way of the Lord more perfectly that they begin to see a further light into this Law of
albeit the Court knovveth not hovv he is able to make good proue his information yet it being a matter probable seeing it is the Kings cause both the Iudge and all the Iustices euen the whole Court doe countenance the cause yea so farre forth take in vvith it as that if it be possible so as no iniustice be done nor any Lavv of the Realme thereby violated he that informeth for the King shall haue the day rather then a priuate subiect and good reason for it Well in the case of the Lords Sabbaths I informe for the King of kings the King of heauen earth it is novv the parte of all Gods Ministers both superiour as Bishops inferiour as common Preachers to take in with this cause of Gods Sabbaths as Gods cause their Lord King to countenance it to their vtmost yea so farre forth to backe it take part vvith it as Gods Sabbaths may haue the day if no law of God nor text in Scripture be thereby violated as I dare pawne my life for it there shall not If Ministers in the Church both superiours and inferiours doe not thus honour God before the people by giuing his cause the preeminence the Magistrates of the common weale shall rise vp in iudgement against them condemne them I come now to the last vse of the point Is it so that thou louest the lavv of God then take vp a daily lamentation for the lamenesse imperfection of Gods lavv for the vveekly violation of Gods 4th com and for the profanation of Gods Sabbaths if we haue not Gods Law in its integrity and perfection as we haue not if vve vvant his Sabbath therein commanded then haue vve but a lame imperfect lavv and if the Saturday be Gods Sabbath as I haue shovvne it is and shall further proue hereafter then is the 4th com vveekly broken and Gods Sabbaths weekly profaned As Dauid hath bene our President shevving vs hovv vve should loue Gods law so let him be our President to shevv vs hovv vve should mourne for the violation transgression of Gods Lavv Mine eyes gush out saieth he with riuers of waters because they keepe not thy Law Psal 119.136 And againe I saw the transgressours was grieued because they kept not thy word Psal 119.158 It is a property then of a Godly man to mourne and to grieue to see Gods Lavvs transgressed and the reason of that his sorrow griefe is because he loueth Gods Law as Dauid did Oh then that all sorts of people would bevvray their loue to Gods Lavv by their sorrow of heart to see it transgressed weekly in the profanation of Gods Sabbaths Againe doest thou indeed loue the Lavv of God how canst thou but take it to heart to see this holy and Diuine Lavv of thy God so mangled defaced so lame imperfect as in these dayes it is in all Christian Churches It is and euer hath bene a speciall fauour of God to betrust any Nation or people vvith his word and Oracles as we may see it in Rom. 3.1.2 What is the preferment of the Iew c. much enery way for chiefly because vnto them were of credit committed the Oracles of God Where the Apostle counteth it a preferment of the Iew and the chiefe preferment to haue the word of God committed vnto their custodie and it is reported of them that they haue bene euer very faithfull in keeping the letter of the text vncorrupted Among all Nations and people it hath pleased Almightie God to preferr this our English Nation with this chiefe preferment and to be trust vs with the custodie of his word and Oracles those 10 Commandements wrote with his owne finger our Church is now become the receptacle and House of God wherin he hath laid vp his word for its conseruation it is the grownd and pillar to supporte and beare vp this trueth as Paul caleth it 1. Tim. 3.15 hath God thus in speciall fauour to our Nation preferred vs aboue many Nations and that vvith his chiefe preferment to betrust vs vvith the custody of his Law and Oracles and shall we proue so vnfaithfull to him as to take care but of some peeces of these Oracles onely What Nation saith Moses is so greate that hath ordinances Lawes so righteouse as all this Law which I set before you this day Deut. 4.8 hath God betrusted vs with a righteouse Law and with a Law so righteouse as no Nation vnder heauen but such as know God and such as haue the very same hath the like to it Yea not onely are some peeces of this Law so righteouse but all the whole Law is of the same nature so saith Moses so righteouse as all this Law is which I set before you this day and shall not we preserue then all this Law the whole Law intirly in its perfection we should blush for shame to doe otherwise we should lament mourne to see it otherwise T is true we keepe these Oracles intirly in the letter so doe Papistes but vvhat 's the letter when we weaken diminish and abolish the binding force of it for vve say this parte of Gods Oracles But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke doth not bind vs Christians In it that is in it 7th day thou shalt not vvorke saith God I but this prohibition bindeth not novv say some Ministers no vvhat doe vve vvith Lavves if they bind vs not as good take avvay the sense of the vvords of the Lavv and so it shall be senslesse as to take away the binding of the Law wherby it is made forcelesse the binding povver of a Lavv is the life and soule of the Law take avvay then its binding povver it is but a deadlieflesse Lavv it is but a Cipher or a blanke and so the Church shall be but like the Lottery pot vvhich houldeth some blankes among the prises suppose vve should say of the other 9 Oracles that vve preserue the letter of them intirly but herevnto vve should add this that they binde not vs Christians now vvhat bauocke should we thus make of the Morall Lavv it is all one therfore to reiect the Lavv as to reiect its binding power vvherby it bindeth vs. We haue alredy shovvne hovv this Lavv of God is mangled and defaced oh that all people vvould bevvaile this oh that the King vvould take it to heart so did the good King Josiah vvhen the Lavv had bene lost for a time he rent his cloathes 2. King 22.11 oh that the Bishops of the Land would take it to heart so did Elie the Priest vvhen he heard that the Arke of God vvas taken from them 1. Sam. 4.17.18 he died for grief of heart vvhy the Lords Sabbaths vvere his hallovved times as the Arke his holy place Oh that the people of the land vvould take it to heart so did the people in Nehemiahs time for saith
did not set vp the Lords day for a Sabbath as many hold beleeue among vs. Yea he citeth S. Augustine to haue bene of the same iudgement also saying that the obseruation of these things are at our liberty XI My 11th Testimony shall be that of Chemnitius in his Examen Cons Triden de diebus festis pag. 151. who thus writeth The Apostles assembled on the first day of the weeke to breake breade to heare the word Act. 20.7 they gaue Almes 1 Cor. 16.2 because on the first day of the weeke Christ rose from the deade Mark 16. because therefore of the resurrection that day was iudged the more fit for Church assemblies in the new Testament yet for all that did not the Apostles ordaine by any law or precept the observation of that day with any opinion of necessitie tying mens consciences vndor the new Testament but the observation thereof was free and at libertie and for orders sake Here you see Chemnitius citeth those very textes out of which many in our dayes think to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath to wit Act. 20.7 and 1 Cor. 16.2 yea moreouer he nameth the Resurrection as the occation of Church assemblies on that day yet for all these as things of no moment to proue the Lords day to be of diuine ordination he concludeth that the Apostles did neuer ordaine the Lords day to be sanctified as a thing necessary and tyeing mens consciences but that still its observation remained at liberty as a thing indifferent to be kept or not kept were it not for order sake to auoide confusion lest men should assemble some on one day some vpon an other without regard of the ordināce of the Magistrate c. You see then how this Authour estemeth the sanctificatiō of the Lords day but as a thing indifferent Againe Chemnitius in his Loc. Theolog de Lege Dei quarto praecepto pag. 55. thus writeth The Apostles tooke the first day of the weeke Act. 20.7 1 Cor. 16.2 in which Christ rose but not with this opinion that like as God at the Creation sanctified the 7th day c. So Christ by his resurrection did sanctifie the first day of the weeke that it should be observed vpon necessity of Salvation c. by by againe he thus saith that the Apostles might admonish vs that the Lords day in the N. Testament is to be kept not with that necessity as the Sabbath day was in the Law but at libertie only for order decency sake c. In which words besids that he concludeth that the Lords day is a thing of indifferent nature he layeth downe an other remarkable thing to wit that whereas the patrones of this new Sabbath doe affirme that like as God at the Creation did sanctifie the 7th day in memory of the Creation so Christ did sanctify the 8th day or first day of the weeke in memory of the Redemption the quite contrary doth Chemnitius affirme here saying but not like as God at the Creation sanctified the 7th day so Christ at his resurrection sanctified the first day of the weeke these two which they make to agree in similitude hee plainly saith are a dissimilitude XII My 12th Testimony shall be that of M. Perkins in his Exposition vpon Reuel 1.10 his third volume pag. 239. where he thus writeth It is commonly thought saith he that the Iewes Sabbath was changed into the Lords day by Christian Emperours longe after the ascention of Christ but it is more consonant to the new Testament to hold that Christ himselfe was the Author of this change then he brings his iij textes to proue it 1. Cor. 16.2 Act. 20.7 Ioh. 20.19.26 In which passage M. Perkins yeeldeth it to be the common opinion according to the Histories of the Church to thinke that the Lords day was not in vse for a longe time after Christ vntill Christian Emperours raised it vp as elsewhere he speakes out of Leo and Anton. Edict of holy dayes which was a matter of 300 yeeres the which bewrayes the nouelty and the weakenesse of this new Sabbath for had it bene any of Christs nevv ordinances as vvere Baptisme the Lords Supper can vve thinke it vvould haue bene forgotten so soone vvhat that the very next Churches vnto the Apostles shold so quickly forget it To mende the matter happily some vvill say that howbeit M. Perkins doth graunt it was the common opinion so to thinke of the change yet he addeth that it is more consonant to the New Testament to hold that Christ himselfe changed it so that Christ was the Author of this Lords day I grant indeed he saith so and indeauoreth to proue it to be so that by iij Textes of Scripture but then the question shall be whither M. Perkins iudged that it cold be proued by these Textes to be a necessary vndoubted trueth or but a contingent probable thing Now that he held was of opinion that it was but a probable trueth and somwhat likely onely himselfe else where shall expound himselfe for this purpose see his Cases of Conscience and second Volume pag. 106. vvhere the holy man speaking to the conscience of this new Sabbath durst not speake perēptorily as of a thing certainly infalliblie true but tremblingly as it were repeating ouer his doubtfull speeches three or fowre times in 6 or 8 lines writing these are his words The Sabbath day in the new Testament in all likelihood is tied to that we cale the Lords day that as I take it by Christ himselfe The reasons thereof are these 1. the Sabbath of the new Testament is called the Lords day Reuel 1.10 now J suppose for in these points still wee must goe by likelihoods it is called the Lords day as Christs last Supper is called the Lords Supper c. And then his second reason is taken out of 1. Cor. 16.2 and his third out of Ioh. 20.19 Now in prouing the Lords day to be the Sabbath he vttereth these doubtfull speeches in these fewe lines 1. in all likelyhood 2. As I take it 3. I suppose 4. For in these points we must still goe by likelyhoods Surely had there bene any sound and prouing arguments to be fetched out of these iij Textes Reuel 1.10 1. Cor. 16.2 Ioh. 20.19.26 M. Perkins would neuer haue gone so doubtfully to worke by suppositions thoughts and likelihods as here he doth So then it is manifest that when M. Perkins said it is more consonant to the tenour of Scripture to hold that Christ altered the Sabbath so instituted the Lords day that he spake these vvords not as of a certaine infallible trueth but as of a doubtfull disputable point The Lords day Sabbath then by M. Perkins iudgement when he had made the most and best of it that he could is but a probable thing a mere likelihood vncertaine whither euer Christ instituted it or not now tell me is
is this The time of the 7th day it was and also it may now againe if men so please be an helpe and a furtherance vnto these Morall dueties of Rest from laboures and the worship of God commanded in the 4th Comm. for the 7th day furthereth these dueties as time and place doe further all dueties and is it not to be wondered at that men will reiect and abolish such a thing or things as be helpes and furtherances vnto Gods worship and vnto Morall dueties Diuines teach that not onely the dueties expressed in the Decalogue are to be obserued but also all helpes and furtherances vnto those dueties but behold here they reiect as Iewish and Ceremoniall the 7th day which was in ancient time and may be againe an helpe vnto Gods worship and the other Sabbath dueties Yea such an helpe as no other day cā be so fit for no day but it is a sanctified day Genes 2.3 nor a commanded day Exod. 20.8.10 nor that hath Gods president Exod. 20.10.11 I might here alleage the Testimony of many but I will content my selfe with iij or iiij who though no friends to the ancient Sabbath yet herein iustify me Doctour Bownde in his booke of the Sabbath Pag. 40. saith That the 4th Com. can no more be partly Morall partly Ceremoniall then the same liuing creature can be partly a man partly a beast Yea as well may one suppose the second Com. also to be partly Morall partly Ceremoniall To the same effect hee in pag. 36. citeth Wolph Chron. lib. 2. ca. 1. saying but the 7th day is not to be rekoned among the figures ceremonies of the Iewes because it is commanded in the Decalogue which conteineth in it nothing ceremoniall nothing typicall nothing to be abrogated M. Richard Byfield in his Doctrine of the Sabbath vindicated against M. Brerewod pag. 88. saith the 4th com is parte of the law of nature and so parte of the Image of God and is no more capable of a ceremony to be in it then God is For conclusion you shall heare doctour Ames speake in the name of all best diuines In his Theologicall Thesis pag. 499. Thus he writeth This is a most certaine rule receiued by all the best Diuines that the morall commandements were thus differenced in their deliuery from the ceremoniales that all onely the morales were proclaimed publikly before the people of Israel from Mount Sinay by the voyce of God himselfe after also were written the second time written as it were by the finger of God that in Tables of stone to declare their perpetuall and immutable continuance Now doe you not heare how these mē affirme it that the 7th day is not to be rekoned among the figures ceremonies of the Iewes that all best diuines hold that all onely morales were wrote in the Tables of stone and that the 4th com is no more capable of a ceremony in it then God is and that you may as absurdly say the same liuing creature is partly a man partly a beast as to say the 4th com is partly morall partly ceremoniall Before I produce their argumēts I desire to propound iiij things more both vnto our opponentes also vnto my Reader The for most is this before they begine their opposition wicked worke I desire them to cast their eyes first vpon the vglinesse of it to viewe it well for they fight not for God blessed for euer but against God my warfare is for God to defend his Title touching his Sabbaths but theirs is alltogether to defeate God of his Title and Sabbaths my strift is to defend Gods law in the Integrity and perfection vnto a iot title of it but their strife is with might and maine to lame Gods law and to clype it as traitoures doe the Kings coyne they will none of the law in its integrity and perfection that so they may serue God by halues by peece-meale An other thing I would propound is this I desire to know of these who are such implacable enemies to the Lords Sabbaths if they haue any Countermand or contrary commandement vnto the 4th com and that in as plaine expresse termes as the 4th com you know that a law enacted in parliament cannot be reuoked but by an other law enacted for the reuersing of it in the court of parliament so it must be in this case for the 7th day Sabbath there was a law to wit the 4th com enacted from heauen in the old Testament they must therefore shew vs a law from heauen againe countermanding it in the new Testament against the 7th day Sabbath or if in case they cannot shew vs A law in exprese words against the Sabbath day the which they cannot doe then if they be enforced in stead of a commandement to flie to reasones consequences made out of textes of Scripture they must make suer that their reasones collectiones and consequences be so cleere and apparent so sound and so necessarily true that they may be as vndoubtedly true as a commandement it selfe the reason hereof is because these consequences must stand in the roome of a commandement for the reuoking of that Sabbath day which was commanded in the 4th com euery sleity probable reason therefore collected out of a text is not enough to ouerturne an expresse commandement yea a morall commandement shall a sleity collection or consequence fetched by mans feeble shallow reason out of these the like textes Exod. 31.13 Rom. 14.5 Colos 2.16.17 ouerturne a sacred time expresly commanded in the morall law Exod. 20.8 God forbid We must shew more loue and honour vnto those 10 commandements which God hath honoured aboue all portions of Scripture by writing them with his owne finger deliuering them by his owne voyce then to suffer them or any parte of them to be snached wrested out of our hands by probabilities likelihoods feeble reasones A man may well doubt of it whither any man or Church may abolish any things expresly commanded in the Morall Law by any collection or consequence of mans reason whatsoeuer yea albeit it be thought of all men to be a necessary consequence for how often doe men take that to be sound of necessary trueth which once within a fewe yeeres after the same men find to be faulty let men know therefore that they who dare attempt so bould an enterprise as to diminish any iot or title of the 10. morales by reasones fetched out of these the like textes Exod. 31.13 and Colos 2.16.17 they must be such reasons as be as cleere as the Sunne in its brightnesse so satisfactory as euery one that heareth them cannot but applaud imbrace them saying God is in these reasones and collectiones the reason hereof is because these reasones and consequences they must beare downe confront an expresse commandement written by the finger of God
they hold from these textes that there is no no difference of dayes a mong Christianes and take away the old Sabbath day it must be so indeed 2. Such as manage these textes against Gods Sabbaths they are guilty of horrible partiality for they can find distinctiones to saue the other 9 commandementes and halfe of the 4th com from such as would abolish the law saying the law is abolished for justification but not for obseruation and yet the same men will neither finde nor receiue any distinction that so the other parte of the 4th com may be also preserued viz the Sabbath day These textes Mat. 5.34 Iam. 5.12 beare as strongly against an oath before a Magistrate as doth this text Rom. 14.5 against the 7th day Sabbath and yet you can find wayes to preserue an oath still in the Common wealth and can you not finde a way to preserue the Sabbath day still in the Church see your partiallity and be ashamed 3. A third absurdety they fale into is this that they so expound one text of holy Scripture as it contradicteth an other yea so as it contradicteth a parte of the 10 commandements now this is against the common receiued rule for no text must be expounded contrary vnto the Analogie of faith the Lords prayer and the 10 commandements but here they expound thes ij textes Rom. 14.5 and Gal. 4.10 quite contrary vnto one of the tenn commandementes for the 4th com maketh the 7th day differ from all others but they so expound these textes as that the 7th day must not differ from the rest of the working dayes wherefore this their exposition directed against the 7th day Sabbath it is erroniouse to be reiected for these absurdeties with others that might be added an other sense of these ij textes is to be sought First therefore that we may reconcile Scripture with Scripture that is the seeming contradictiō betwixt these textes in the new Testament Rom. 14.5 Galat. 4.10 this text in the morall law of the old Testament Exod. 20.8.10 we may expound these textes of such dayes as were in vse amonge these Romanes and Galatianes whilst they were Idolaters before their conversion to the faith for as they had meate sacrificed vnto Idoles 1 Cor. 8.4 so no doubt had they dayes dedicated vnto Idoles now as some of the beleeuing Gentiles would eate of those meates sacrificed vnto Idoles and others refused would not eate so some might keepe those dayes thinking it fit to serue God on those dedicated dayes wherein they were wont to serue their Idoles but others thought it vnfit c This the context giueth some light vnto see Gal. 4.8.9.10 where the Apostle putteth the Galatians in minde of the time when they knew not God and did seruice vnto them which are not Gods and then he telleth them that now they knew God v. 9. and then he addeth his reproofe saying how turne yee againe vnto beggerly rudiments c. ye obserue daies c by which orderly placing of these things and by his minding them of the time wherein they were Idolaters and herevpon speaketh of their turning againe this giueth vs to vnderstand that he speaketh of their turning againe vnto somthing they vsed in the time of their Idolatry when they knew not God and so the dayes and times which he reproued them for obseruing might be the dayes dedicated vnto Idoles this sense M. Perkines fauoureth in his Cases of conscience Chapt. 16. Sect. 3. pag. 108. and thus Walaeus on the 4th com pag. 93. answereth to these textes as spoken of the Gentiles white and blacke dayes cleane and vncleane meates The like may be said of the dayes spoken of in Rom. 14.5 for it is like that the dayes here mentioned were of the same kind with the meates spoken of in the same chapter v. 2.3.14 now it is like that these meates here spoken of were meates sacrificed vnto Idoles as 1. Cor. 10.27 of which some beleeuers would eate others being weake would not eate I doe the rather thinke these might be meates sacrificed vnto Idoles then meates vncleane by the Leuiticall law because the Apostle speaketh of eating of herbes Rom. 14.2 Now I remember no law about eating or not eating of herbes it is therfore more probable that this eating of herbes by the weake was an heathenish superstition and of an indifferent nature as they vsed it and so as the meates were meates sacrificed to Idoles so these dayes were dayes dedicated to Idoles Secondly if this sense pleaseth not but it will be rather judged that these meates daies were such as were inioyned by the Law to Gods people the Iewes why then I distinguish of daies there were daies Morall daies ceremoniall or daies which God ranked among his Morales or daies that were excluded the hedge pale of the Morals neuer came into the Tables of stone the Morall daies were the weekly Sabbaths on the 7th day the ceremoniall daies were the yeerly Sabbaths their new Moones other festiuall daies now the Apostle in both these textes may be vnderstod to speake against these ceremoniall yeerly Sabbath daies new moones and festiuall daies thus the Apostle may be vnderstod yet no wrong or violēce at all offered vnto these textes by this meanes these texts are so expoūded as they doe not contradict nor ouerthrow any other text of Scripture or portion of the 10. commandements nor doe we rune into those absurdeties which they of the contrary opinion doe rush vpon Behold how easy a matter it is to reconsile scripture with scripture the 4th com with other textes seeming to contradict it to such as haue eyes in their heads and affectiones in their hartes to doe it but when they these aduersaries to Gods trueth come to touch these the like textes with their polluted hāds impure minds by way of exposition argumentation they are so farre off from reconciling of the holy scriptures as they will make no worke of it but to set Scripture by the eares as they say text against text making one text as fier the other as water the one iusleing shouldering out of place the other the one text commandeth the 7th day the other they make to forbidde the 7th day yet all this hurly burley opposition of text against text is made needlesly causelesly no thing mouing therevnto but the corrupt minds of such as are enemies to this ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath for suer I am ther 's nothing in the textes themselues to moue them compell them herevnto it seemeth therefore that these men had rather be against God then for God rather throw downe his ordinance then vphold and maintaine it thus you see none of these textes hitherto alleaged will proue that the time 7th day commanded in the 4th com is abolished SECT XVIII 14. They fetch an argumēt against the 7th day out of Ex. 31.13 Keepe yee my Sabbaths
Gods lawes this no man fearing God should doe 2. Since the Lords day is no Sabbath day they that defend the 7th day Sabbath to be abolished they cast downe all Sabbaths of Gods and so draw vs to Anabaptistry and open a flood gate to all impiety prophanesse among people which no man fearing God should doe 3. Since no day can be Sabbath day by the 4th com but the old Sabbath day as hath bene proued therefore they that hold and make it abolished they make that holy prayer of our Church a meere babling with God for the 4th com being rehearsed in vaine we say Lord haue mercy vpon vs and incline our heartes to keepe this Law now no man fearing God should make frustrate such a deuout and ancient prayer of our Church by his absurd tenentes I might mention other absurdeties but I list not to repeate them ARGVM III. My third argument to proue the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force is because so much is confessed by Diuines that are no friends but enemies vnto it thus it may be framed If such as are no friends but enemies vnto the 7th day Sabbath doe confesse that it is still in force then the 7th day Sabbath is still in force But such as are no friends but enemies vnto the old Sabbath doe confesse that it is still in force Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is still in force As for the consequence it is cleere for albeit the Testimony of a man in his owne case and for his owne aduantage be of smale esteeme yet a testimony which a man giues against himselfe is euer accounted strong wherefore if I shall proue that such as mislike of the 7th day Sabbath doe for all that affirme that it is still in force then the point must needes be yeelded to me And so I come vnto the Minor here I shall proue that such as are no friends to the 7th day Sabbath doe confesse that it is still in force and this I shall proue either by their expresse words or else by necessary consequence from their words for albeit they neuer intended to speake a word in defence of Gods Sabbath yet so cleere and apparent hath bene the trueth as they could not but speake for it albeit they fauoured it not my first Testimony shall be that of Doctour Prideaux in his booke of the Sabbath Pag. 140. It is manifest saith he that our Sauiour did often contend with the Pharisies about the superstitiouse obseruation of the Sabbath day but where is there any thing about the abrogation of it at vbi de abrogatione ipsius suspicio and where is there any mention of setting the Lords day in the roome of it did not the Apostles keepe the Sabbath of the Iewes with the Iewes without any scruple after the ascention of Christ did not the followinge Churches doe the like for many yeeres If then there be no suspicion of the abrogation of the Sabbath day in the new Testament as Doctour Prideaux saith then it necessarily followeth that the Sabbath day is still in force My second Testimony shall be that of M. Perkines on the Creede speaking of the Creation Pag. 152. where he speaketh of the place of Gods worship then to wit the garden of Eden also of the time of Gods worship to wit the Sabbath day Touching the time of Gods worship it was the 7th day from the begining of the Creation the Sabbath day And here we must note saith he that the keeping of the Sabbath is morall some indeed saith he doe pleade that it is but a ceremony yet falslie for it was ordeined before the fale of man at which time ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place Here is no speech of the Lords day the 8th day it was not knowne at the Creation but all this is spoken of the Sabbath day the 7th day and M. Perkins doth plainly affirme that this 7th day Sabbath is morall and contesteth against those who hold it to be a ceremony saying they speake falsly c. Now if it be morall no ceremony then it must needs be still in force My third Testimony shall be that of M. Dod on the commandements who in his exposition of the 4th com pag. 122. saith that the Sabbath is morall perpetuall againe Arguments to proue the Sabbath day to be perpetuall Now that all this must be true of the old Sabbath day not of the Lords day is plaine 1. Because he nameth the Sabbath day the SeaueÌ„th day 2. Because he fetcheth reasons to proue the morality froÌ„ Gods rest at the creatioÌ„ because it was a day blessed now these things cannot agre to our Lords day 3. In pag. 129. he thus concludeth So that these reasones doe most euidently confirme to the artes of all Gods childereÌ„ that the keeping of the Sabbath day is a morall Law and bindeth vs and all men to the end of the world as much as it did the Iewes afore Christ 4. In pag. 124. he brings an other reason for the morality of the Sabbath from the time of its first institution in Adams innocency saying Now then since it was instituted in Paradise c. it may not be reputed among ceremonies Now this cannot be vnderstod of the Lords day other reasons of his I spare well if the old Sabbath day be morall as it must be by these his words and reasones then it is still in force My 4th Testimony shall be that of Doctour Bownd in his booke of the Sabbath pag. 40. The 4th com saith he caÌ„ no more be partly morall partly ceremoniall then the same liuing creature can be partly a man partly a beast yea as well may one suppose saith he the second Commandement to be partly morall partly ceremoniall also If then the 4th com be not partly ceremoniall as touching the 7th day then is the 7th day still in force My 5th Testimony shall be that which I find quoted by Doctour Bownd in his booke of the Sabbath pag. 46. out of Wolph Chron. lib. 2. cap. 1. saying But the 7th day is not to be rekoned among the figures ceremonies of the Iewes because it is commanded in the Decalogue which conteineth in it nothing ceremoniall nothing Typicall nothing to be abrogated If the Decalogue conteineth nothing ceremoniall or to be abrogated then is not the 7th day ceremoniall but still inforce My 6th Testimony shall be that of M. Richard Byfield on the Sabbath against M. Brerewod pag. 88. where he thus writeth The 4th com is parte of the Law of nature so a parte of the Image of God 〈…〉 capable of a ceremony to be in it then God is If â—â—n there can be no ceremony in the 4th com then is not the 7th day therein a ceremony therefore it must be still in force so absurd it semeth to me it semed vnto these Diuines to suppose a ceremony to be in
be weighed where he saith thar if the religion of the Church of Rome shall frustrate but any one pointe of any one comman It doth thereby make frustrate the whole Law Now a double vse I may make of these words the one is that all Gods commandements are now to be obserued and obeyed because hee saith that not so much as any one point of any one commandement is to be frustrated further he addeth for confirmation thereof that the abolishing of any one point in the 10 commandements it is the abolishing of the whole Law also and so he hath confirmed my Major The other vse I make of these his words is by his Testimony to confute the madnesse of such Diuines as deny the Integrity and perfection of Gods Law therefore invent distinctiones whereby they may curtaile the law denying that whatsoeuer is commanded in the 10 com doth belong vnto our practise which is the absurdety confuted in the last point handled before this for the further confirmatiō whereof let it be obserued that Learned Perkines saith that that religion which frustrateth but any one point of any one cemmandemēt it doth thereby frustrate the whole law let these Diuines then see into what a snare they are falne by denying some on point in some one comman to wit the Lords 7th day Saturday Sabbath for hereby they pull vpon not themselues alone but vpon our Christian religiō also this guilt to wit that by so doeing it doth abolish the whole Law ioyne hands with corrupt nature And further hence it is that he hath put vpon the tope of those leaues in his booke this title A Papist cannot goe beyond a reprobate If then a Papist cannot goe beyond a reprobate if he frustrateth but one point of any one commandement then tell me how farre some Protestant Diuines can goe beyond reprobates who doe frustrat this ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath expresly commanded in the 10 commandements and that after sufficient meanes of light afforded them by my former booke I wish those tenn Ministers against whom especially I write to note this point happily they will sleite my iudgement but M. Perkins iudgement I know they reuerence and further if this be good Diuinity against Papists I trust it cannot be bade when applied to Protestantes these are not my collectiones you see they are made by a man of their owne side Vnto the Testimony of M. Perkines let me add the Testimony of Vrsinus who sheweth sondry differences betwixt the Doctrine of the true Church and the Doctrine of other Sectes Religiones one of the differences is this In Ecclesia lex Dei integra incorrupta retinetur aliae Religiones sectae legem Dei mutilant vel corrumpunt Vrsi Catechis Pag. 4. Jn the Church saith he the Law of God is preserved intirly and vncorrupted but other Sectes Religiones doe lame or corrupt the Law of God In which words as you see Vrsinus doth lay it downe as a propertie of the true Church to preserue Gods Law in its integrity and perfection as a marke of a false Church to lame detracte from Gods Law By which words hee plainly ratifieth all the 10 commandements with whatsoeuer is therein commanded Further if it be a marke of a false Church of Sectaries to lame Gods Law what reproch danger doe such Ministers bring our Church specially themselues into by denying that all the things commanded in the 10 commandements are in force binding vs to obedience doe they not what lieth in them labour to make our Church noe true Church themselues Sectaries Take also the Testimony of Polanus in his Syntag. Theolog. lib. 6. cap. 10 de lege Dei Pag. 353. who hauing to doe against Papists that say the 2d com against Images belonged onely vnto Iewes not vnto Christians as many Protestantes say of the 4th com touching the olde Sabbath hee proueth the contrary by this argument quia ad Christianos totus Decalogus pertinet because the whole Decalogue appertaineth vnto Christianes If this reason be good against Papists it cannot be bad with Protestants In the 4th place I will proue it from their owne mouthes for these which are such notoriouse enemies to the Lords Sabbaths they doe frequently in theire pulpites reproue the Adulterer the thiefe the falswitnesse bearer the Blashemer of Gods name the rest by the Lawof the 10 commandements saying these deedes are sinnes liable to condemnation and must be refrained c. Because they are forbidden in the Law of God which kind of arguing doth recessarily imply thus much that whatsoeuer thing is commanded or forbidden in the Law is in force still doth bind vs now to obedience the reason of this consequence is because there is one and the same reason for all for euery thing which there is for any one thing for if Gods writeing commanding any one thing in his Law be a sufficient reason to incline our hartes vnto the obedience thereof then the same reason will moue vs to the obedience of euery thing which is therein written because God hath as well written commanded euery thing therein as any thing and thus you see how it necessarily followeth from their owne mouthes that because they cale for obedience now vnto some things which God hath commanded in his Law because hee hath commanded them that therefore they must yeeld that all things in Gods Law must now be obeyed because hee hath commanded them all wherefore since they teach this vnto the people they must grant it me heere Thus you haue heard this trueth confirmed both by some particular persones of note also by the mouthes of all my aduersaries 5. I will proue it vnto you by the Testimony of our Church In the order for the Administration of the Lords Supper or holy communion set downe in the booke of Common prayer it is thus ordered by our Church Then shall the Minister rehearse distinctly all the tenn commandements the people kneeling shall after euery commandement aske God mercy for their transgression of the same againe after that all the 10 commandements be rehearsed by the Minister it is ordered that the people shall all conclude with this holy prayer Lord haue mercy vpon vs and write all these thy lawes in our hearts wee beseech thee In which holy ordinance of our Church we may obserue these things 1. that our Church maintaineth the Law of Gods 10 commandements as now in force because we are to aske God mercy for the transgression of them and because we desire God to write them in our heartes 2 obserue that our Church ratifieth not some onely of the 10 com but all of them euen euery commandement which was written in Tables of stone for the Minister must rehearse distinctly all the tenn commandement and the people are taught to pray to God to write all these lawes in their heartes Thus you see our Church
regenerated see M. Perkins in his Commentary on the Galatians Chap. 5. v. 4. pag. 311. where treateing of the Law thus he writeth The Law it is wholly copulatiue all the partes of it are linked one to an other he that is bound to one Commandement is bound to all he that keepes one indeede keepes all he that breakes one in respect of the disposition of his heart is a breaker of all Iam. 2.10 he that makes no conscience to keepe some one commandement if occasion be offred will breake any Hence it followes that true regeneration is that which is a reformation chang according to the whole Law of God Iosias turned to God according to the whole Law Zacharie Elisabeth walked in all the Commandements of God Dauid saith he shall not be confounded when he hath respect vnto all the Commandements of God Here you see M. Perkins vrgeth it as a note of true regeneration that men be reformed according to the whole Law and exemplifies it by that of Iosias Zacharie Elizabeth the prophet Dauid if that regeneration then be a reformation according to the whole Law then is the whole Law still in force so men may not deny its Integrity wholnesse men may not mancle lame it vnlesse it grieueth them that the 10 Commandements should be all Morall To conclud we must either reassume and reedify Gods ancient Sabbaths or else we must reiect and demolish the integrity and perfection of Gods royall Law ARGVM XXII My 22th Argument in defence of the Sanctified hallowed Saturday Sabbath Genes 2.3 is that it must be Morall still in force partly because all Diuines with one accorde do hold and maintaine that one day in a weeke is Morall still in force by the 4th Com. and partly because there can be no day sanctified by the 4th Com. of all the 7 daies but Saturday only And thus I argue If one day in a weeke must be sanctified for a Sabbath by virtue of the 4th Commandement then Saturday Gods ancient sanctified and haâ—lowed 7th day Sabbath must be our weekly Sabbath day But one day in a weeke must be sanctified for a Sabbath day by virtue of the 4th Com. Therfore Saturday Gods ancient sanctified hallowed 7th day Sabbath must be our weekly Sabbath day First I will proâ—e the Minor namely that some one day in a weeke must now be kept for a Sabbath day by the 4th Com. then in the second place I will proue the Major namely that that one day must be our Saturday For the former I will proue it first by the Testimony of our Church in generall and then by the Testimony of many particular Diuines of nâ—te First then for our Church see the booke of Homilies Homilie the 8th of the place time of prayer pag. 138. where it is thus written As concerning the time which Almighty God hath appointed his people to assemble in together solemnely it doth appeare by the 4th Com. And t en a little beneath And therfore by this commandement wee ought to haue a time as one day in a weeke wherein we ought to rest giue our selues wholly to heauenly exercises And by and by againe Thus it may plainly appeare that Gods will Commandâ— was to haue a solemne time a standing day in the weeke wherein the people should come together and haue in remembrance his wonderfull benefites and to render him thankes for them Here our Church acknowledgeth teacheth that by the 4th Com. we ought to set a parte a time as one day in a weeke to haue a standing day in the weeke for the worship of God Bishop Babington in his exposition of the Commandements and on the 4th Com. Pâ—g 168. thus wriâ—eth To haue one day in the seauen to serue the Lord in that was Morall and remaineth still binding vs vnto it Doctour Willet in his Hexapla on Exodus and vpon the 4th Com. pag. 356. thus writeth This then may safely be affirmed that to keepe one day of seauen holy to the Lord is Morall not ceremoniall And agaâ—ne pag. 363. This Commandement as it is Morall continueth still namely that a certaine day should be set a parte for the publike seruice of God that as Chrysostome saith in circulo hebdomadis c in the compase of a weeke one whole day should be set a parte c. Hom. 10. in Genes-Musculus in his Common places on the 4th Comm. at the latter end saith thus Touching the Sabbath it stands with the Law of nature that we should some day giue our selues vnto holy exercises in this respect we must not shake off the sanctification of the Sabbath which is so farr deliuered vnto vs by the Law of nature that all people vniuersally haue their standing Holy daies consecrated for the doeing of holy things Peter Martyr in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Romanes Chapt. 14. v. 5. pag. 436. saith thus It pertaineth to the 10 Commandements that out of the whole weeke shold one day be consecrated to the worship of God Purchas in his pilgrimage pag 21. Some saith hee make question of the Sabbath Howbeit I must confesse that I see nothing in that Commandement of the Decalogue praescribed but is naturall morall that the obseruing of one day of seauen in euery weeke appeareth both by the first order estabilished in nature when God blessed Sanctified the 7th day and by necessity of a Sabbath as well before the Law in the daies of the Patriarkes as in the times of Dauid or Salomon by the generall consent of all that it is Morall to set a parte some time to the Lord c. Thus we see it abundantly proued that one day in a weeke is still in force by the 4th Com. I might be infinite well nigh in the profe of this point out of M. Perkins M. Dod many others yea what pulpit is there in the Kingdome of England which doth not on all occationes seale vnto this trueth by proclayming and publishing it vnto the people Hauing proued the Minor that one day of the weeke must be a Sabbath hy the 4th coÌ„ now J come vnto the Major to proue that this one day must be our Saturday or t' is that if one day in a weeke must be a Sabbath day by the 4th com then Saturday must be our weekly Sabbath day my reason of this point is because none other day of the weeke can be a Sabbath day by the 4th com besids our Saturday this I shall proue by sondry arguments taken from the 4th com we will fetch our first argument from the first word of the â—th com Remember That day and that day of the weeke onely must be Sabbath day by the 4th com the which this word RemeÌ„ber doth send vs vnto now this word hath reference vnto Saturday the old Sabbath day onely for the word Remember implies a thing foreknowne thus Peter is
to rest in or for man if not for both I rather thinke for man for as for God he rested no more on the 7th day then on the 8th 9th and 10th daies and so euery day after but to man it might be otherwise he might rest on the 7th day and worke on the 8th 9th and 10th daies c. yea many holy daies God hath made since the Creation Leuit. 23. but it can no where be showne that he made any for himselfe but alwaies for man yet more plainly that God sanctified the 7th day for mans vse it shall appeare by the 4th com Exod. 20.11 where the Lord vseth a reason to perswade vs to rest on the 7th day and it is this because God himselfe rested on the 7th day blessed it and hallowed it which reason is drawne from the Sanctification of the 7th day at the Creation Genes 2.3 as if the Lord had said you shall rest on the 7th day because I blessed it and sanctified it at the Creation for the selfe same end hereby then it appeareth that the 7th day at the Creation was sanctified with reference vnto man yet further it shall appeare by the words of our Sauiour Mark 2.27 saying The Sabbath was made for man c. it is plaine then that when God made the Sabbath at the Creation he made it for man thus it appeareth that the Sabbath was from the Creation Herevnto some answer that the Sabbath at the Creation was exemplary indeede but not obligatory vntill the 4th com was deliuered in the wildernesse But the vanity of this distinction shall thus appeare 1. If the law of the Sabbath the 4th com did not bind vntill it was deliuered on Mount Sinay then did none of the other Nyne com bind neither vntill they were deliuered on Mount Sinay vnlesse you will say that the Law had not euer tenn commandements in it and that the law is not of a Copulatiue nature 2. It were most strange to suppose that God should giue an example more then 2000 yeeres before any should follow it for wherefore are examples but for to be imitated 3. When our Sauiour said The Sabbath was made for man Mark 2.27 he meaneth not that it was made at the Creation for an example vselesse but for mans vse as to rest in it c. 4. Can any man thinke it that God should sanctify the 7th day and so make it an holy day at the Creation and then suffer it to be profaned and polluted for 2000 yeeres after vntill the Isralites came into the wildernesse or can any man thinke that God should make a Sabbath day at the Creation for the people of the Iewes onely who were not a people distinct of nere 2000 yeeres after and not for the Patriarkes also who liued before the flood or can we thinke that the Fathers before the flood had Sacrifices and no Sabbaths that they had the worship of God and no time allotted for it or can we thinke that the Church of God from the Creation had no day set aparte for a thankfull holy remembrance of the Creation of the world vntill they were come into the wildernesse II. My second reason to proue that the Sabbath was from the Creation is because the 4th com must be supposed to be as ancient as are the other nyne commandements of the Decalogue for the Decalogue is holden of all to be as ancient as the world and so it must be for else the Law were not of a copulatiue nature the 10 commandements were not linked together as a chaine of many linkes for one linke to wit the 4th in midest of the chaine should be wanting contrary vnto Iam. 2.10 contrary to the doctrine of all Diuines 2. If the 4th cō were not as ancient as the other 9 commandements then it must be absurdly supposed that the Decalogue had not alwaies 10 commandements in it as it had Deut. 10.4 If then the 4th com be as ancient as are the other 9 commandements then the Sabbath therein commanded must be as ancient as is the Morall Law which is for antiquity from the Creation It may be obiected that there is no mention of the Sabbath day vntill the Law was giuen vpon Mount Sinay Exod. 20. or at soonest in the wildernesse of Sin Exo 16.1.23 well be it so but doth it follow that because it was not sooner mentioned it was not therefore sooner in vse the Law against murther it is not mentioned at the soonest vntill after the murther of Abell Genes 4.15 but will it thereof follow that there was no Law against murther before Kaine killed Habel we know many things there were which were not recorded for else the world could not conteine the bookes Ioh. 21.25 on the contrary for so much as we find that the Sabbath was in vse Exo. 16.23 before the 4th com was giuen on mount Sinay Ex. 20.1.8 it is therefore the most likly that it was from the Creation for if it had not its first originall at Mount Sinay when can it be thought to haue its begining but at the Creation together with the other commandements of the Decalogue III. My third reason that the Sabbath was from the Creation is because we find not the Spirituall workes of the Sabbath day particularly expressed in the 4th com giuen vpon Mount Sinay Exod. 20. nor yet in the mention of the same Law before in the wildernesse of Sin Exo. 16. which is an argument that the Sabbath day was in vse and the manner how to sanctify it was well knowne vnto the Iewes before either of these Lawes were written Exod. 20. or Exod. 16.5.23.28 otherwise God himselfe would in some of these textes haue expressed particularly vnto them after what manner and where withall they should sanctifie this day The same is also confirmed by the first word of the 4th com Remember Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it signifying that they knew before and could cale it to minde againe how to Sanctify the Sabbath day and therefore touching this point the Lord needed not say any more vnto them but Remember it c. I haue often maruailed in my selfe why it should please God so punctually expresly to mention the corporall obseruation of the Sabbath in resting from bodily laboures and be so silent as it were in the Spirituall dueties of the Sabbath which are the more excellent doubtlesse the reason is because the Sanctification of the Sabbath did not then begine when the Law was giuen Exod. 20. or Exo. 16. but that it was an ancient ordinance of Gods long before in the Church in the memory of all men before the giuing of the Law as were the other Morales in the Decalogue so as they knew how to sanctify the day and with what dueties I confesse it that the Lord vseth the word Sanctify in the 4th com which doth in generall imply the particular meanes and waies of sanctifying the day but it doth not