Selected quad for the lemma: reason_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
reason_n	creation_n	day_n	sabbath_n	2,519	5	9.8015	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A74656	Expository notes, with practical observations; towards the opening of the five first chapters of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Delivered by way of exposition in several lords-dayes exercises. By Benjamin Needler, minister of the gospel at Margaret Moses Friday-Street, London.	Needler, Benjamin, 1620-1682.	1654 (1654)	Wing N412; Thomason E1443_2; ESTC R209640	117,247	301

may be Object expounded thus God did actually purpose to sanctifie it after the giving of the Law If to sanctifie the seventh day be only Resp to purpose to sanctifie it then the Sabbath was no more sanctified since the creation then ab aeterno for then God purposed it should be sanctified c. For the further clearing of this truth I shall give you the Arguments of some learned persons why they conceive that the Sabbath was not instituted till the giving of the Law on mount Sinai Adam in innocency should not have Arg. 1 needed a Sabbath not his soul for every day was a Sabbath to that nor his body because his body was not then subject to wearinesse neither could it be appointed for the ease of servants because then no such thing as servitude in the world The Sabbath was instituted not for Resp 1 common rest or rest from natural wearinesse principally but for holy rest that the soul might have more immediate communion with God Returne to thy rest O my soule saith the Psalmist The rest of the soule is not a ceasing from all operation for that cannot stand with the nature of a spirit hence the soul is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an act because it is still in action a spirit cannot be and not act but when the soule centers on God then it is said to rest Bodies rest in their proper places and souls rest in the enjoying of their proper objects Now Adam in innocency thogh his body was not subject to wearinesse might stand in need of such a rest as this is Adam was to serve God in a particular calling God took the man put him into the garden of Eden that he might dresse it keep Gen. 2. 5. it now Luther professeth It followes from hence saith he that if Adam had stood in his innocency yet he should have kept the seventh day holy viz. on that day he should have taught his children what was the Word of God wherein his worship did consist and wholly have sequestred himself to his service on other days he should have dressed and kept the garden though every day was to be spent in holinesse mediately in seeing God in the creatures and meeting with God in his labour yet it was not unsuitable for that estate to have one day in the week for more immediate and special converse with God and though it was no paine to him to dresse the garden yet this must needs take up his thoughts while he was about it The Saints and Angels in Heaven have Object had no set Sabbath and why man in innocency The state of innocency on earth should Resp not have been in all things alike to the state of glory in heaven and particularly in this there should have been marriage dressing of the garden day and night in Paradise but no such thing in Heaven We do not read that there was any other Arg. 2 positive precept or law given to our first parents in the state of innocency but only this that they should not eat of the forbidden fruit Now the command of God for the observation of the Sabbath is a positive command and that appears because although the worship of God do belong to the Law natural viz. founded in the Law of nature yet the circumstance of time when God in an especial manner is to be worshipped that we should keep an holy rest unto the Lord every seventh day this is a positive precept and was never determined by the Law of nature That Adam had from the creation at Resp least that which amounted to a positive Law for the observance of the Sabbath is plaine It is said God sanctified the seventh day Now though this word is variously taken in the Scripture yet in this place the seventh day must be said to be sanctified one of these two wayes Either by infusion of holinesse or sanctification into it now the circumstance of a seventh day is not capable of sanctification in this sense only rational creatures Angels and men may be said thus to be sanctified By separation of it from common use and dedication of it to an holy use as the Temple and Tabernacle were which had no inherent holinesse in them Now if the Sabbath were thus sanctified it must either be for the use of God or man either God must impose upon himself the observation of every seventh day to keep it holy which is absurd or else it was dedicated and consecrated for mans sake and use and if so man had that which amounted to a positive Law for the observation of the Sabbath When Moses makes repetition of the Arg. 3 Law of God Deut. 5. 15. he laies downe this as a ground of the observation of the seventh day as a Sabbath the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt therefore the Sabbath was not instituted from the creation This that is urged is placed by God by Resp way of preface and motive as an argument for the observation of all the Commandments yet who will say that none of them were in force till the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt This was one reason why the Sabbath Resp 2 should be sanctified but not the only reason therefore Exod. 20. 6. the reason that is rendered there why the seventh day is the Sabbath is this for in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth c. The Jewes were to observe the Sabbath not only upon the ground of its first institution but upon reasons proper and peculiar to that Nation It is likely their deliverance out of Egypt was on the Sabbath day and therefore urged by Moses as a ground of their observation of it We finde not any expresse mention Arg. 4 that the Patriarchs before Moses time did sanctifie a Sabbath We may as well argue it was not kept Resp all the time of the Judges and Samuel because no expresse mention made in those Books of any such thing No doubt but they observed it because Object it was published on mount Sinai The like may we say of the Patriarchs Resp 1 before the promulgation of the Law on mount Sinai because it was sanctified from the Creation Abraham is commended for keeping Gods Commandments and the Sabbath is one of Gen. 26.5 them We may as well argue that the Patriarchs for two thousand five hundred yeares together observed not any day at all for the worship and service of God for there is in Scripture as much mention of a Sabbath as any other day yea It is plaine in the Scripture that the Jewes did keep the Sabbath before the Law was given This is that which the Lord hath said To morrow is the rest of the holy Exo 16.23 Sabhath unto the Lord c. I might adde that it is not improbable but the sacrifices of Cain and Abel were upon the Sabbath-day the usual stated time for such services If a time had not beene set apart even in Adams

Deut. 18. 14. Esay 44. 25. Esay 47. 13. Jer. 10. 1 2. 2. They are unreasonable if there were any certainty in the Astrological Art it would appeare in those Predictions that concerne the weather which is the proper subject of the Planets operation but how false and uncertaine those are I shall leave to any to judge that will read them without prejudice 'T is the observation of a learned Author that the weather may be guessed by the heavens when the time is near and natural causes have begun to work As in the Evening we may guesse of the weather the next day and in the Morning of the weather in the Afternoone that a cloud will bring a shower and South-winde heat according to that of our Saviour When a cloud Luke 12. 54 55. ariseth out of the West straightway ye say There cometh a shower and when ye see the South-winde blow ye say There will be heat but long before to declare these things is impossible To this purpose is that of Ambrose saith he when raine was desired of all and one said the new Moone will bring raine although we were desirous of raine it did me good no raine fell till it came at the prayers of the Church that it might appear it came not by the influence of the moon but by the providence of God A man can no more tell what God will do by looking upon the Stars and Heavens then one can tell the counsels and determinations of a Prince by looking on his Palace 'T is sad to think how apt we are to run into extreams some are so bold as to ascribe the knowledge of future contingencies unto man some so disingenuous as to deny it to God have a care of both the one is Scylla the other Charybdis things are contingent to us which are not so to God In a Syllogisme if the major be necessary yet if the minor be contingent the conclusion is contingent the first cause is certaine the second causes fluctuating and wavering hence flowes contingencie We use to say Omne quod est quando est necesse est esse God sees things in termino in periodo hence they are certain to God we see things in motu in itinere hence they are contingent to us those things which are contingent in regard of their own natures are certaine in regard of Gods fore-knowledge and in subordination to his decree Quest 8. verse 14. Why the Lord made the light and dayes and nights as also the earth to yeeld her encrease before the Sun and Stars were created That the Lord might teach us though Resp he commonly makes use of means for the preservation of the creatures yet he is not tied to means He hath bound us to them but he hath not bound himself He hath made the Sun to give us light yet he is able to give light without the Sun God with all the creatures that he hath made is no more then God without any of the creatures that he hath made Quest. 9. verse 24. It is said Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kinde cattell and creeping things Now the question is whether in the beginning every creeping thing was created Neg. Augustine was of opinion that Resp creatures that were generated of dead bodies were not created at first and Vallesius in his book de sacra Philosophia renders the reason of it Frustrà fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora God saw that these would be produced by generation alone and therefore what need was there of creation Quest 10. verse 25. It is said God made the beasts of the earth the sixth day Now the question is why the beasts were created with man rather then with fishes or fowles The reason may be this man was not Resp made to swim with fishes in the Sea or to flie with fowles in the aire but to live and move with beasts upon the earth therefore on the same day whereon man was made the beasts were made Quest 11. verse 25. Whether those kindes of creatures which are brought forth by a mixt generation as the Mule by the mixture of the Asse and the Mare were created Neg. Saith the judicious Willet for Resp these Reasons 1. Because these are not distinct kindes of creatures from others but the first kinds made in the creation mixed and conjoyned together 2. Because we finde it directly expressed that Anah found the Mules in the Gen. 36. 24 Wildernesse as he fed the Asses of Zibeon his father this is set down as strange and therefore they were not created ab initio Quest 12. verse 26. Wherefore God said Let us make man in our Image and not Let there be man as he said Let there be a firmament Let there be light Let the earth bring forth the living thing The Scripture herein speaks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resp after the manner of men and would commend unto us the excellent workmanship of God in the Creation of man a work farre more choice then the light heaven and all the rest of the creatures men of wisdome when they are to handle matters of importance enter into consultation and take the greater care in the performance of them Quest. 13. verse 26. God said Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and the fowles of the aire and the cattel but the question is whether if man had not fallen one man had had power over another Superiority and inferiority dominion Resp and subjection were not incompatible with the state of Innocencie the authoritative power that a father hath over his childe and an husband over his wife is founded in the light of nature and therefore not inconsistent with our primitive state Divines therefore distinguish betweene natural subjection and civil natural subjection should have continued in the state of integrity but as for civil subjection there had beene no such thing in the world if man had continued to serve God he needed none to serve him service come in by sinne and the encrease of it by the encrease of sinne We see when Canaan was so vile as to forget the duty of a sonne he is set in the lowest condition of a servant Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto Gen. 9. 5. his brethren viz. the lowest and most abject servant As God of gods the greatest God the Lord of lords the highest Lord so servant of servants the lowest and basest servant Quest 14. verse 27. God is said to create man after his owne image and Paul saies that the man is the image and glory of God but the woman is the 1 Cor. 11. 7. glory of the man the question is whether the woman was not made after Gods image as well as the man We may consider man and woman two Resp manner of wayes either as they were both rational creatures and so without question the woman was made after the image of

sonne in his own likenesse viz a sinfull man like himselfe Homo mortalis genuit mortalem corruptus corruptum A mortall man begat a mortall sonne a corrupt man begat a corrupt sonne God at first created man in his likenesse but afterwards man fallen begets a sonne in his own likeness a sinfull creature like himselfe But this might be said of Cain and Abel as well as Seth Object It was not said of Abel because he had no off-spring and corruption was to run in Resp a blood We are all by nature the children of wrath Nor of Cain that it might appear that the righteous seed are subject to originall depravation and defilement as well as others Holy persons do not beget children as Saints and therefore their Saintship is not derived to their posterity but their sin Quest 3. vers 3. Whether the soul of man be generated by the Parents or as the Learned phrase it An anima sit ex traduce vel per creationem This question being full of perplexities Resp I shall deliver my selfe in severall Propositions 1. Prop. There is no creature the cause of it selfe or the fountaine of its own being 2. Prop. That all effects with reference to their causes are not carried on after the same way or manner v●z Some effects are produced by the concourse of four causes the efficient materiall formal final and thus are all corporeall substances Some by the concourse of three causes viz. efficient material and final as for instance formae accidentales ut nigredo albedo black and white produced by three causes 1. The efficient who workes it 2. An end propounded in the working of it 3. Some subject matter on which it must be wrought And this we may observe that these accidents depend rather on the material cause then either efficient or finall they depend on the efficient and finall quoad fieri as to their being but on the material both as to their being and continuance in their being white and black may continue Efficiente finali causâ sublatis When the efficient and finall cause is removed but this cannot be said of the subject matter whereon it is wrought Another instance may be given in substantial formes they the soul of man being excepted are produced by three causes efficient materiall finall and this we may observe there is a great deale of difference between the soul of a man and the soul of a beast respectu materiae the soul of a brute can neither exist nor act viz sentire appetere sine materia sua the soul of man is capable of both Some effects againe are produced by two causes efficient and finall thus are Angels and rationall soules 3. Prop. That that phrase that the Learned make very much use of viz. Eductio formae è potentia materiae is applicable to the forme of a brute but not to the forme or soule of a man The forme of a brute could not have had its being but vi passiva materià but the forme or soul of a man licèt in materiam inducitur non tamen educitur è potentia materiae God might if he had pleased have created rationall soules and these might have lived and acted to his praise without the concurrence or assistance of any materiall substance whatsoever 4. Prop. That the Originall of formes is in profundo very latent and Mysterious This was the reason why the ancient Fathers differed so much in this point Origen was of opinion that all soules were at first created together with the Angels and afterwards put into bodies Tertullian will have the soul ex traduce Augustine leaveth this question undecided neither dares he determine any thing An eminently elegant and learned moderne Auther tells us that in this we may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that a modest hesitancy may be very lawfull here 5. Prop. That most of our Divines with whom I humbly close are of opinion that the soul of man is by creation not by traduction or generation their reasons are both rationall and Scripturall Rationall grounds are these If the soul be by propagation it must Argu. 1 be one of these three wayes vel per multiplicationem vel per divisionem substantiae ipsius animae vel per generationem à semine aliquo either by multiplication of the soul or by division of the substance of the soul or prolificâ virtute seminis Not the first way for This action of multiplication it must either be a naturall or a voluntary action if it be a naturall action and not voluntary how can it be that a rationall soul endowed with understanding and will should multiply it selfe neither knowingly nor willingly If it be a voluntary action then the cause of barrennesse will be seated in the will because the soul will not multiply it selfe If this were a truth few rich men but would have more and few poore men that would have so many children Quomodo in Adulteris sequatur foetificatio cùm eam maximè nollent Not the second way by division of the substance of the soul for why should the rationall soul be rather divisible then an Angel when it is the common judgement of Philosophers That spirits are indivisible Omnis spiritus est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Not the third way Prolificâ virtute seminis si in cum semine gencretur anima semen dici poterit ànimatum si ità annon anima rationalis erit mortalis quia non sempere ffuso semine sequitur prolificatio Nulla virtus activa agit ultra suum genus Argu. 2 There is no agent can produce that which is of greater perfection and of a more eeminent nature and kinde then it selfe thus the soul exceeds the body therefore nothing materiall or corporeall can produce the soul If it be objected nothing materiall can produce such an effect by its own naturall power or by the helpe and assistance of common providence but by the speciall hand and power of God it will a mount to as much as this assertion anima fit per creationem As the dissolution or corruption of the Arg. 3 body dissolveth not the soul neither doth the constitution or generation of the body give being to the soul if the soul had its being from the body it must decay with the body As the soul cannot be destroyed by any Argu. 4 materiall or physicall power at least by the assistance of common providence so neither can it be produced thereby what is the reason why all the force on earth cannot reach the soul Because it is of a spirituall substance now it seemes to be as repugnant to right reason for a spirituall substance to be produced by any thing materiall as to be destroyed thereby Especially if you consider it is farre easier to destroy then it is to build up there is no such art required in demolishing as there is in erecting of an edifice those things which are long and difficulty composed and framed are