Hallowed be thy thrice glorious name O thou holy one as thou hast commanded That the name of God may bee knowne The Christian sabbath of the holy Catholike Church and worshipped as by euery man in priuate so by all of vs in publike God hath appointed the sabbath for the holy assemblyes representing the holy catholike Church in acknowledgement of his kingdome attending his grace in holy exercises and Christian duties and expecting his glory Which day may not be otherwise imployed farther then necessity enforceth which is god his dispensation and hath no law or then mercy to our selues others requireth n â—at 12.7 which God will haue and not sacrifice Of which duty some question hath beene made of late whether it bee of faith I suppose for these reasons principally First because in nature there is little or no appearance of reason for the sabbath that it should bee morall Secondly because it seemes not to be any where expressely recognised in the new testament as the other commandements are but rather to bee slighted both by Christ and his apostles Thirdly because in keeping the sabbath the Iewes were to obserue certaine ceremonies which are now abolished by the Gospell And lastly because Christians haue neuer kept that day which the Iewes did the commandement seemes to prescribe Which doubts if they may be cleared I hope the ten commandements will holde together and not breake company being all of the same kinde and o Exod. 31.18 c. 34.38 written with God his owne finger He spake these ten words and added no more vnto them For the naturall reason of the sabbath somewhat hath already beene said in the proper place thereof concerning the p I book ch 5. law of nature But may not a law be morall for the vse thereof vnlesse it be naturall in respect of the cause Christ hath promised that where two or three are gathered together in his name he will bee in the midst of them Now although God be euery where at all times yet for our r Ne inordinata congregatio populi fidem minuoret in Corste proptereà dies aliqui constituti sunt vt in vnum oomes pariter veniremus Hieroniad Gal. 4. meetings there must needs be a set time which it is iust that God who appoints the meeting should designe and not wee There may be holy assemblyes as that of Å¿ Acts 10. Cornelius vpon any day to heare the word to praise God and to pray vnto him as occasion is offered inseason and out of season the Lord will be found in them But on the Lords day the holy assemblies must bee and that weekely because hee hath commanded and hath giuen vs the reason which we haue belecued Now for that which Christ said or did we may bee well assured that his intent was not to violate the law of the sabbath The sabbath not abrogated by Christ who came not to breake the law but to fulfill it and was therein so punctuall and exact u Mat. 3.15 to performe all righteousnesse that if it were but a ceremony he would haue obserued it because all was to continue vntill the vaile of the temple his body was rent Hee often tooke occasion indeed by their greatest assemblies on the sabbath daies to doe some miracles workes of mercy in their sight to confirme the truth of what he taught namely that hee was the Lord of the sabbath and the mercifull sauiour of the world This lesson hee first read vnto them out of the * Luk. 4.16.17.18 Prophet Isaiah in one of their Synagogues as his custome was on the sabbath day Which they should now haue taken forth by him being the chiefe and principall end of their sabbath But when they perversely misconstrued his doings he iustifying the same as also his Disciples plucking the eares of corne to satisfie their hunger tooke occasion to teach them better what was the right vse of the sabbath Not a x Cui septima quaeque fuit luâ— Ignava Invenal Sat. 14. Sat. 6. Observant vbi festa mero pede sabbata reges De itinere sabatico Quos etiam irridet Plutarch libel de superstitione superstitious cessation from worke but a spirituall attention to the workes of God euer admitting our workes of mercy and of necessity And if Christ thereby abrogated the sabbath then did hee abolish the other commandements also whereof he said y Mat. 5. So and so it hath beene said vnto you of old but I say vnto you thus and thus shall yee doe and then was the Sabbath abrogated long afore by the Prophet Isaiah in the name of the Lord. z Isa 1.13 The new moones and sabbaths the calling of solemne assemblies I cannot away with But this Christ hath taught vs concerning the sabbath a Mark 2.27 That it was made for man not man for the sabbath as indeed the whole law was made for man not to breake but to keepe it for his owne good This especially was a provisionall statute for his benefit b Quian durabile non est quod requie caret oâ— tium quoddam sanctum Deus praecepit vt insatiabilem hominum cupiditatem fraenaret qui tam seipsoâ— quam servos suos nimijs laboribus exhauriunt modo lucrum faciant Gualterus homil 56. in Luc. partly in regard of his body whose worldly heart would else giue him no rest but would make him out-worke Gods curse if God did not allow vs a rest supplying vs the while with necessaries by his ordinary prouidence c Exod. 16.24 as he did the Israelites by miracle but principally for his soules good that he might attend and receaue the d Homini non ante septimum laetalis inaedia est Plia hist nat l. 11. c 53. Plerique ex his qui septem diebus nihil edere aut bibere volunt in his moriuntur quod si quidam eos super averint nihilominus tamen moriuntur Hyp. l. de carn ad sinem Non possunt boni mores ne secundum naturam quidem ipsam apud eos homines constare qui vnum de septem diebus non observant sanctificant domino Iun. de Pol. Mosis c. 8. spirituall food thereof vnto eternall life As for the Apostles The Sabbath not abrogated by the Apostles St Paul writing to the Galatians condemnes the superstitious e Gal. 4.10 obseruing of daies and months and times and yeares in generall whereof the Iewes accounted some more holy the Gentiles some more happy But to the Colossians he speakes of Sabbaths by name reckoning theÌ„ amongst shadowes he saith f Coloss 2.16 let no man iudge you in respect of the Sabbaths a phrase which he vseth g Rom. 14.4.10.13 elsewhere forbidding all censuring contending about things indifferent amongst which he reckons the obseruing of a day and it may bee that set day for the Sabbath for he saith h V. 6. he that
indefinitely for ordinary labour in our callings it commandeth the g Sed si sabbatum audierit non intelligit nisi vnum diem de septem qui continuo volumine repètuntur Aug. de Doctr. chr l. 3. c. 5. Iam hinc abinitio doctrinam hanc nobis insmuat deus erudiens in circulo hebdomadae diem vnum integrum segregandum seponendum in spiritualem operationem Chrisost homil 10. in Genes seauenth to bee kept holy to the worship of God as god made all things in six daies and rested on the seauenth not specifying which were the six daies or which the seauenth either in the precept or in the reason How doth it appeare that the World was begunne vpon sunday that saturday must needs be the seauenth And if the sabbath which is the period of the weeke were not obserued nor commanded all that time from the creation to the beginning of the law as some say by what monuments shall it appeare that the weekly account of daies was kept vntill then iust in the same order as it was in the creation The first sabbath that we read of since the creation was h Exod. 16. when God gaue the Israelites Manna from heauen the seauenth day after the sixe daies whereon they gathered the Manna reckoning from the day of their murmuring whatsoeuer day of the weeke the fifteenth day of the second moneth after their departing out of the Land of Egypt But suppose as it is not vnlikly whatsoeuer weekely reckoning had beene formerly kept of the dayes that God when hee gaue the law did set them the very seauenth day in order from the creation yet were the daies since that altered i Iosuah 10.13 when the sunne stood still at the prayer of Iosuah and k Isai 38.8 when it went backe for a signe to Hezekiah Whereby the sabbath if it must be the seaventh part of the weeke consisting of 24 houres was certainely altered that it came either later in the space of time or sooner in the number of daies l Si Iudeus sabbatum colendo dominicum negat quomodo Christianus obseruat sabbatū An simus Christiani dominicum colimus aut simus Iudaei vt sabbatum obseruemus Nemo enim potest duobus dominis seruire Nonné ita loquitur tanquam sabbati alius dominus fit alius dominici Nec illud andit quod ipse commemorauit Deminusest enim sabbati filius hominis August ep 86. ad Casulan Howsoeuer the same authority which appointed one seauenth day at the creation hath appointed this other which wee now obserue euer since the redemption and both within the compasse of the same commandement which indefinitly alloweth vs six daies for our workes and apponiteth the seauenth for a sabbath to the Lord. m Mark 2.28 The sonne of man is Lord of the sabbath The Lords day designed by Christ for the sabbath And that he did make this the sabbath the Apostle insinuats sufficiently writing to the Iewes when hee saith n Heb. 4.9.10 Vid Iun. paral ◠3. in locum There remaineth a rest to the people of God for hee that is entred into his rest that is Christ he also hath ceased from his workes as God did from his Leauing them to gather the conclusion namely that as God when he had created all things rested the seauenth day ad sanctified it o Si dei requies causa sanctisicationis diei est consequenter vbi maior et verior eius requies illic sanctificatio copiosior Rupertus de diuin offic l. 7. c. 19. so Christ when he had finished the worke of our redemption rested this seauenth day and sanctified it in honour of his p Cuius beneficii commemoratio successit memoriae creationis non traditione humana sed Christi ipsius obseruatione atque instituto Iun in 2. cap. Gen resurrection God gaue them time and place the sabbath and the land of Canaan to lead them by degrees in types to the eternall rest in heauen they q Heb. 3. 4. ch wanted faith to discerne what was figured r Ch. 4.6.7 Seeing therefore that it remaineth that some must enter in and they to whom it was first preached entred not in because of vnbeleife againe therefore he limiteth a certaine day saying to day after so long a time ſ v. 5. If Iosuah had giuen them rest who brought them into the land of Canaan if there they should haue set vp their rest then would hee not afterward haue spoken of another day t v. 9. there remaineth therefore a rest even a sabbath keeping for the people of God a farther place for which another day is appointed Christ buried their sabbath in so much as it was ceremoniall namely that set day and their sacrificing seruices and outward obseruances in his graue where hee lay that whole day of their sabbath and rising againe the next day when all his labours ceased he thereby sanctified that day a sabbath to all that beleeue in him pointing vs to the u Requies est quaedam ab omni labore omnium molestiarum sancta atque perpetua in eadem nobis ex hac vita sit transitus quem dominus noster Iesus Christus sua passione demonstrare ac consecrare dignatus est Inest autem in illa requie non desidiosa segnitia sed quaedam ineffabilis tranquilitas actionis otiosae Aug. ep 119. ad Ianuar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. At post sabbatum omnis Christi amator domini cum celebret diem resurrectioni consecratum dominicae reginam principem omnium dierum Ignat in epist ad Magnesios Iure igitur sanctae congregationes die octavo in ecclesiis fiunt Inquit Cyrillus ib. 12. In Ioan. cap. 58. eternall rest which he had now fully purchased for vs and whereinto he will bring vs by the resurrection of our bodies also in Euerlasting life And therefore though all his former life he obserued the Iewes sabbath in their assemblies yet after that hee was risen from the dead he thenceforth obserued this new day of rest x giuing his disciples meeting vpon this day when they were assembled together and y againe that day sennight And after himselfe was ascended hee sent downe the holy Ghost vpon them when they were met together againe on this day Which it seemes the holy Ghost would haue well noted saying in such precise termes that it was when the day of Pentecost z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.1 Lev. 25.15 was fully come for that being reckoned as was a appointed fifty daies from the morrow after the passeouer which was that yeare on the saturday to the morrow after the seauenth sabbath it must needs be this very day of the weeke which is our sabbath So that on this same day Christ rose appeared twice and thirdly sent the holy ghost euery time when they were assembled and lastly appeared b Revel 1.10 to St Iohn being in the
d Rom 1.20 The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearely seene being vnderstood by thinges that are made euen his eternall power and Godhead And if we doe but fetch our owne pedigree as needes we must from one e Luk. 3.38 man at the last we shall finde that one God whose sonne he was even the worke of his hands f Act. 17.26.27 For God made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth and determined the times before appointed and the boundes of their habitation that they should seeke the Lord. And if vvee obserue the course of times vvee shall come to the auncient of dayes g Act. 14.17 vvho hath neuer left himselfe vvithout vvitnes at any time vvhose being beyond time vvithout place aboue nature must needes bee infinite and therefore h Neque in natura neque extra duo possunt esse infinita Iul Scal exercit 395. Socrates damnatus ad cicutam à vita quam à sententia de vno Den decedere maluit Plato orsus epistolam ab vno Deo agebat seriò ad Dionys ep t 3. Cum iurant cum optant cum gratias agunt non Iovem aut Deos multos sed Deum nominant Lactant l. 2. de ver sap c. 1. Anima licet falsis dijs exancillata cum tamen resipiscit ut ex crapula somno Deum nominat quod Deus dederit omnium vox est iudicem quoque contestatur illum Deus videt Deo commendo Deus mihi reddet O testimonium animae naturalitèr Christianae Tertul. in Apolog. singular admitting no partner For the second commandement vve can vvorship God no otherwise then we can know him But that which can be known of God namely hiseternal power Godhead was neuer seen by any man but only vnderstood by the effects thereof in his workes by his vvord Nor can he be expressed but by vvord whom we know only by name beleiuing his word Neither the nature of God who is invisible nor of man whose heart was most answerable caÌ„ in reasoÌ„ the worship of God by any i Solem lunam specula Dei non adoranda sed spectanda mundumque illius templum dicit Plutarchus de Iside Osiride creature or outward shape no whit agreeable to either For the third commandement it were most vnreasonable in nature to take the name of God in vaine when nature it selfe tels vs for k Deus natura nihil faciunt frustrà a principle that God made nothing in vaine as if God were nothing but an empty name who is all in all and all the bonour wee can doe him is onely in his name l De die septimo qui inter omnes mortales celebris est magna apud plerosque ignorantia est hic enim dies qui inter omnes mortales celebris est Sabbatum vocatur graecè si quis interpretetur Septimana dicitur Hoc nomine mortales omnes diem istum appellant at nominis causam nesciunt plerique Theoph. Antiochen Patriarch l. 2. ad Autolycuum The greatest difficulty of naturall reason is for the fourth commandement not because there is no such reason thereof but because nature it selfe being corrupt and disturbed by sinne beareth little or no mention and remembrance of the first creation nor can hardly bee perswaded thereof But God hath therefore expressely giuen vs the reason of that law plainely taken from the vvorkemanship of nature it selfe Namely that it was finished in six dayes and so m Sicut cùm benè operamur ipse dicitur operari in nobis cuius munere operamur ita cum requiescimus ipse requiescere dicitur quo donante requiescimus August ep 119. ad Ianuar. agens dc Sabbato rested as it seemes in its perfection and gaue as it were rest vnto God on the seaventh day Wherefore the Lord blessed the seaventh day and hallowed it Of which n Septem dies sunt qui volumine temporum per sua vestigia reuocantur Aug. ep 86. ad Casulan period of time there seemes still to bee some mention in nature notwithstanding our corruption namely by the continuall changes of u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 formam lunÄ™ complectitur nam prima est corniculata quam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Graeci vocant deindè medilunia quaÌ„ dicunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dehine dimidsato maior quae dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mox plena quae dicitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Item tres formas praedictas desiciens repetit Hic numerus lunae cursum significat nam vnum 2.3.4.5.6.7 faciunt 28. Martian Capel Satyric l. 7. de Heptade Ecclesia verò adhuc in ista mortalitate carnis constituta propter ipsam mutabilitatem lunae nomine in scripturis signatur August ep 119 agens de Sabbato Vid. Isidor Eccles offic lib. 1. cap. 31. sublunary things every seaven dayes x 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Hipp lib. 2. aph 24. Idem de carn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Phisitians obserue who are most versed in the workes of nature accordingly to be credited in their faculty And something there is in it that the very y Quis enim sacrum illum diem per singulas hebdomadas recurrentem non honorat Philo Iudaeus de vniversis gentibus loquens lib 2. de vita Mosis Idem testatur Iosephus lib. 2. contra Apion ad finem Heathens haue solemnised the seaventh day although they knew not why but vainely consecrated it to the resting planet z Vid. Clav. in cap. 1. Iohan. de Sacro Bosco pag. 84. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 die septimo post natum puerum ei nomen imponebatur vtpote die auspicatissimo Scholiast in Aristoph ad Aves Vid. quae habet Clemens Alexandr lib. 5. Strom. ex Homero Hesiodo Callimacho Saturne as it might seeme for the slow motion thereof or to some other such a Amnis sabbaticus qui in Iudaea sabbatis omnibus siccatur Plin. natur hist lib. 31. cap. 2. Aliter enarrat Iosephus de bel Iud. lib. 7. cap. 24. Vid. Fulleri Miscâ—ll lib. 1. cap. 9. fond imagination But we who by b Heb. 11.3 faith vnderstaÌ„d that the worlds were framed by the word of God the first article of our creed can easily admit in common equity the naturall reason which God hath given of this law And knowing that the Sabbath was made for man in his best estate for whom all things were made and hee last of all with vnderdanding to behold and praise God in his glorious worke that he might rest in so doing most glorious and happy vpon which day it seemes the man was so excercised when he gaue names to all things according to their natures to the glory of the creatour wee are well perswaded that there is and ever will bee a perpetuall cause even in nature to remember the Sabbath
as it is written He that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. Which we doe if we beleiue doe as we professe if denying our selues al other means we ascribe the ſ Totum Deo deturqui vosuntatem hominis bonam praeparat adjuvan dam adjuvat praeparatam August Enchir. ad Laurent c. 37. whole worke of our saluation to God alone indeauouring so to liue as may t Tit. 2.10 adorne the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all things and not cause u 1 Tim. 6.1 his Name doctrine any way to be blaspheamed First acknowledging our own naturall vnworthines vntowardlines * 2 Cor. 3.5 who are not able of our selues to think any thing as of our selues wee giue God the praise of his x Hominis bonum propositū adjuvat quidem subsequens gratia sed nec ipsū esset nisi praecederet gratia Aug. l. 2. contra duas Pel. ep c. 9 preventing grace y Phil. 2.13 who worketh in vs both to will and to doe of his good pleasure And then of his z Sine illo vel operante vt velimus vel cooperante cum volumus ad bona pietatis opera nihil valemus Idem de grat lib. arb c. 27. assisting grace if we be willing obey a 2 Cor. 6.1 and receiue not his grace in vaine b Mat. 3.8 but bring forth fruites meete for repentance For by well-doing wee shall shew forth the praises of him c 1 Pet. 2.9 that hath called vs out of darknes into his marvailous light d V. 12. shall thereby occasion others also to glorifie God in the day of their visitation e Iohn 15.8 Hereby God is glorified that ye beare much fruit Againe acknowledging our vnanswerablenesse yet to the grace receiued by reason of our continuall infirmities we giue him the f Majoris prętij beneficium est quod praestatur indignis Salvian l. 4. de gub Dei praise of the al-sufficiency of his grace to saue vs notwithstanding our manifold deficience therefrom whilest g 2 Cor. 12.9 his strength is made perfect in our weaknes Therefore wee glory in our infirmities that the power of Christ may rest vpon vs. And withal confessing our continuall sinnes we giue him the praise of his righteousnes h 1 Iohn 1.9 who is iust to forgiue vs our sinnes though many times hee suffer not malefactors to goe vnpunished i Iosh 7.19 As Ioshuah willed Achan to make confession of the fact to giue glory to GOD. And as Dauid himselfe did saying k Ps 51.4 against thee haue I sinned done this euill in thy sight that thou maist be iustified when thou speakest cleare when thou iudgest Lastly beleeuing the resurrection of the body we giue God the praise of the l Eph. 1.19 exceeding greatnes of his power to vs-ward who beleue m Phil. 3.21 according to the mighty working of his power whereby he is able to subdue all things vnto himselfe As n Ro. 5.17.18.20 Abraham beleiuing God who quickneth the dead against hope beleeued in hope staggered not at the promise through vnbeleefe but being strong in faith gaue glory to God And if we giue him the praise of the glory of his grace o Ps 84 11. hee will giue vs both grace glory no good thing shall he with-holde from them that liue a godly life p Ier. 9. v. 23. Wherefore let not the q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil hom in Psal 33. wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this V. 24. that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnes judgment righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. CHAP. III. The Testaments The will of God The word The Scripture That the Scripture is the word of God The intent of it The cōsent in it The old legall Testament The new Evangelical Testament The event of prophesies The power of the Gospel The Church The administrators and ouer seers Scripture the absolute Canon of faith and life VVhat assurance is there of the Covenant of Grace WE haue GOD his Word for it in the Scripture and that in two Testaments both written from his owne mouth and by the direction of his Spirit The covenant of grace being not a bargaine made with God by our owne selues The Will but procured for vs by the intercessiō of a Mediator that through his death he therefore disposeth the estate of life so purchased to the a 1 Pet. 3.7 heires of grace by Will and Testament b Luke 22.29 I bequeath saith he a Kingdome vnto you as my Father hath bequeathed vnto me A Testamēt is a covenāt by wil c Heb. 9.16.17 made good by the death of the Testator who alone prescribes the conditions on both sides because he inables the Executour who prouing the Will stipulates giues his faith by acceptilation For he that accepts the offer vndertakes bindes himself to performe the conditiō So is the estate of grace conveyed by d Berirh Foedus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Testamentum vid. Iun. paral l. 3. in c. 9. ad Heb. ver 15. c. covenant testat or by testament covenanted in which respect the tearmes are promiscuously vsed And the authentike bookes of Scripture being the publike instruments of God his will in writing are called testamēts because they contein the e Quae Deus occulta esse voluit non sunt scrutanda quae autem manifesta fecit non sunt neganda ne in illis illicitè curiosi in istis damnabiliter inveniamur ingrati Ambros l. 1. de vocat Gent. c. 7. perfect will of God concerning vs in Christ Iesus the Gospell declaring what hee will doe for vs the Law what seruice he wil haue vs doe vnto him Whatsoeuer els is mentioned in Scripture whether God's promises or threats of things tēporal or eternall or his works of creatiō or providence his blessings or iudgments or whether the words or deeds of men or angels good or bad all serue one way or other to confirme or illustrat the will of God cōcerning vs in some point of the Law or in some article of our Creed Which two parts of the couenant as it were the condition the obligation haue bin euer the same in substāce though not always in like māner dispensed especially the Gospell by reason of some weighty circūstances The Law was neuer giuen or made positiue without the Gospel neither is the Gospel now without the Law although the old testament be vsually called the Law the new the Gospel because the Law is predominant in the one and the Gospell in the other and the forme of the covenant is in the one logall in