of his worship But the Sabboth of the new Testament though it be a necessarie time of Gods worship yet it is not a part thereof If it be said that it is commanded therfore 〈◊〉 must needs be a part of Gods worship I answer It is commanded not as Gods worship for substance but in respect of the duties of the worship that are to be kept and performed in it And hence it is manifest that in regard of Gods worship there is no difference of daies in the new Testament but in regard of order Thirdly they obiect that Paul kept the Iewes Sabboth as well as the Lords day For he and Barnabas came to Antiochia and went into the Synagogue on the Sabboth day Act. 13. 14. And againe he and Timothie conuerted Lydia vpon the same day Act. 16. 13. Ans. The Apostle did this vpon very good ground not because he held the obseruation of it as necessarie as the other but in regard of the weaknes of the Gentiles and Iewes newly called For the Church that consisted of such persons in those daies was not yet fully perswaded and resolued of the abrogation of thâ—â—e wish Sabboth and therfore for the time he yeelded to their weaknes and obserued it as well as the other But afterward when they were confirmed in that point he forbare that libertie taught the full abolishment both of it and other Ceremonies Fourthly Act. 18. 3 4. Paul is said to come to Corinth to Aquila and Priscilla and to worke with them in their trade of tent-making and further it is said that he disputed in the Synagogue euery Sabboth day that is on the Iewes Sabboths and exherted the Iewes and Grecians Hence it is gathered by some that Paul did onely keepe the Sabboth of the Iewes and that both on the Lords day and on the weeke daies he wrought with Aquila and Priscilla Ans. First we must remember this Rule That Charitie and Necessitie doe dispense with the Sabboth and with Ceremonies If a Towne should be on fire or if a Citie or countrey should be presently assaulted by the enemie in the time of the word preached on the Sabboth day the preaching of the word in these cases must cease for a time till by conuenient helpe the fire be quenched and the enemie be taken or driuen backe Now whereas Paul in the ordinarie daies of the weeke made tents and on the seauenth too not obseruing it but the Iewes Sabboth we must know that he did it vpon necessitie for the saluation of the Iewes For Priscilla and Aquila were Iewes vnconuerted and Christ was not yet reuealed vnto them And if Paul had but once named Christ he could haue done no good among them Yet afterward when he saw better opportunitie at the comming of Silas and Timotheus from Macedonia then he could no longer containe himselfe but burned in the spirit and testified to the Iewes that Iesus was the Christ vers 5. Now if there was cause why he did not speake of Christ for the time then was there cause also why he did not make profession of a Sabboth Secondly I answer though Paul did not then openly sanctifie the Sabboth yet it is to be supposed that he kept it priuately by himselfe reseruing some speciall time for that purpose and the contrarie cannot be shewed The Second Question touching the Sabboth How the Sabboth of the New Testament is to be obserued Ans. In obseruing a Sabboth of the new Testament there are two things required a Rest and a Sanctification of the same rest to an holy vse This Answer is made out of the very substance of the fourth Commandement which is morall and hath nothing ceremoniall in it And the fourth Commandement for substance consists in a ceasing froÌ„ labour and a holy dedication of our rest to holy vse that is to the worship and seruice of God Sect. 1. Now touching the first point the Rest of the Sabboth there are three seuerall Opinions whereof two are contrarie and the third is a meane betweene both The first Opinion is that we are bound as strictly to keepe the outward rest of the Lords day as the Iewes were to keepe the Sabboth and sundrie men are of this minde But I take it this opinion is not warrantable For as we said before the Iewish manner of keeping the Sabboth in straitnes is a Ceremonie And if we be bound to keepe it as straitly as the Iewes did then Iudaisme must still remaine and the ceremoniall Law at least in some part must still be in force But in fauour of this opinion it is alleadged First that the fourth Commandement is a Law giuen as well to ChristiaÌ„s as to Iewes and therefore it binds both alike Ans. The fourth Commandement bindeth Christians to keepe a seauenth day for the Sabboth both in respect of Rest as also in regard of Sanctification thereof but that it bindeth them to the same strait manner of keeping the rest as it did the Iewes we vtterly denie Secondly That the reasons vsed to inforc the Commandement doe equally binde all therefore the Commandement it selfe Ans. It is true for the dutie commanded but not for the manner of performance Againe the reason alleadged doth not follow for sometimes the holy Ghost vseth a reason that is perpetuall to inforce a Ceremonie That Levi should haue no part nor inheritance amoÌ„g his brethren was a Ceremonie commanded by God and yet the Lord inforceth it with a reason that was perpetuall namely because himselfe was the part and inheritance of Levi among the children of Israel Numb 18. 20. Thirdly that the Sabboth is a signe to beleeuers in the new Testament that God is their God and they his people and the same it was to the Iewes therefore the bond is as strict to the one as to the other Ans. 1. Beleeuers vnder the Gospel haue two onely signes of the Couenant Baptisme and the Lords Supper and no more 2. The Scripture restraineth the Sabboth as a signe onely to the Iewes It is a signe betweene me and you in your generations Exod. 31. 13. Againe v. 16. the children of Israel shall keepe the Sabboth for an euerlasting couenant 3. The Sabboth was not a signe in the first institution in Paradise For the Couenant of grace was made after the fall of man and the signe thereof must needes be appointed after it considering that before the fall Ceremonies signifying sanctification had no place And this is the first Opinion The second Opinion touching the Rest of the Sabboth is flat contrarie to the former namely that on the Sabboth day after the publike worship of God is ended and the Congregation dissolued men haue libertie either to giue themselues to labour or to honest pleasures and recreations This Opinion doth quite abolish one of the Commandements of the Decalogue For it presupposeth all daies to be alike this onely prouided that the publike worship of God be solemnly kept Now this may be done in any
vses and respects As for the other we rest vpon the word of God hold it with Paul a doctrine of Deuills to command forbearance of meates in regard of conscience 1. Tim. 4. 3. But to this place of Paul they giue answer and say that it is spoken of Heretikes such as the Manichees Novatiās c. were that held meats in their own nature vnclean We on the other side reply and say that this text condemnes those that make meates any way vncleane And that the Papists doe put this difference in way of Religion and conscience as appeareth by their strait prohibitions of flesh as vncleane and that for conscience sake And this text they shall neuer be able to shift off for it plainely condemneth any such distinction seeing to the pure all things are pure and euery creature of God is good and nothing to be refused so it be receiued with thanksgiuing 1. Tim. 4. 4. Furthermore this difference of meates is also foolish For first the light of nature and common sense teacheth that in such meates as they permit there is as much delicacie pleasure and contentment yea as much if not more strength for example in some fish fruits and wines as is in flesh by them forbidden Yea S. Paul ascribes flesh vnto fishes 1. Cor. 15. 39. There is one flesh of men an other of beasts an other of fishes c. Secondly I call it foolish because in their set Fasts they forbid flesh but permit diuers wines and the daintiest iuncates that the Apothecaries shoppe can affoarde whereas in a solemne fast all meates drinks and all other delights of what kinde and nature soeuer are to be forborne For this was the practise of the Church in former times to forbeare not onely ordinarie foode but soft apparell sweete oyntments and whatsoeuer it was that serued to refresh and cheare the heart as hath beene shewed The third Reason The Church of Rome giueth to their fastings false and erroneous endes as namely to merit something at the hands of God thereby to satisfie his iustice for sinne and to be true and proper parts of his worship And that these are false and erronious I prooue by these reasons First they do wholly frustrate the death of Christ which is the onely thing in the world appointed by God to be meritorious and satisfactorie Secondly Fasting of it selfe is a thing indifferent neither good nor euill For though it be referred to a religious end which is the humbling of the soule yet it is not good in it selfe but onely in regard of the end Neither is it any part of Gods worshippe beeing so referred but only a proppe and furtherance seruing in the right vse thereof to make a man more fit for the duties of Gods seruice Thirdly these ends if they be well considered cannot be the true ends of fasting as will appeare by this example A begger at our doores entreats an almes we giue it and he receiues it But will any man say that by begging he doth merit or deserue his almes In like manner we are all beggers that haue nothing of our owne neither food nor raiment nor any other blessing we doe inioy but all we haue commeth vnto vs onely from God Well vpon iust occasion we giue our selues to fasting we pray earnestly vnto him for mercie in the pardon of our sinnes In this case is it not great madnesse to thinke that we by begging mercie can merit mercie at the hands of God But praier saith the Papist as it is praier merits nothing but as it is a good worke Ans. Praier as it is a good worke is no other then begging and then it is vnpossible that it should be meritorious vnlesse it be granted that begging is meritorious which cannot be These reasons considered I conclude that Popish fasts which stand in force among them at this day are wicked and damnable and consequently to be abolished if it were no more but for the blasphemous ends which they make of them And thus much touching this point of Fasting as also concerning the other Heades of Gods outward worship CHAP. XVI Of the Sabboth day THe fourth maine Question touching man as he stands in relation to God is concerning the Time of Gods worship Wherein certaine particular questions are to be resolued touching the Sabboth day The First and most principall of all the rest is this Whether it be in the libertie of the Church of God vpon earth to alter the Sabboth day from the seuenth day to any other In answering to this Question I will not resolutely determine but onely propound that which I thinke is most probable First therfore I answer negatiuely That it is not in the Churches libertie to alter the Sabboth from the Seuenth day The reasons are these I. Reason The substance of the fourth commandement is vnalterable Now the sanctifying of a rest vpon the seventh day is the substance of the fourth cōmandement Therfore the sanctifying of the rest of the seuenth day is vnalterable in regard of any creature That the truth of this reason may appeare two things are to be considered First what is changeable and temporarie in the Sabboth and then what is morall and perpetuall Sect. 1. The things which are temporarie and ceremoniall in the Sabboth day are these I. That rigorous and precise rest prescribed to the Iewes which stoode in the strait obseruation of three things First the Iewe might not on the Saboth goe forth or take a iourney any whether for any matter or busines of his owne For of this there was a speciall commandement giuen Exod. 16. 29. Tarry euery man in his place let no man goe out of his place the seuenth day namely to doe any worke or busines of his owne whatsoeuer Secondly the Iewe might not kindle a fire vpon the Sabboth day For so saith the Lord by Moses Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations c. Exod. 35. 3. It will be then said How did they for meate and fire in winter Ans. They prepared and dressed their meat the day before as they were commanded Exod. 16. 24. And for fires in winter if they had any vpon the Sabboth it was necessarie as I suppose that as they drest their meate the day before so they should then beginne their fire also which beeing then begunne might be preserued on the Sabboth Thirdly the Iewe might not carrie a burden This the Lord did expressely forbidde them by the Prophet Ieremie Thus saith the Lord Carrie no burdens vpon the Sabboth day neither bring them in by the gates of Ierusalem c. Ier. 17. 21. And Nehemiah charged the men of Iudah with the prophanation of the Sabboth in that kinde Neh. 13. 15 16 17. In these three particulars stood the strict obseruation of the Iewish rest which is altogether temporarie and doth not concerne the times of the New Testament because it was onely typicall the Sabboth beeing in regard of that manner of
rest a figure of the most strict spirituall rest from all sinne in thought word and deede required of cuery true beleeuer II. Againe in the Sabboth this was ceremoniall and temporarie that it was a speciall signe betweene God and his people of the blessings that were propounded promised in the Couenant Exod. 31. 13. And these were principally two First it was a signe of their sanctification to teach them that as the Lord had set apart a day of rest so he did and would sanctifie the obseruers thereof vnto himselfe by forgiuing their sinnes and receiuing them into his fauour in and by the Messias to come Secondly it was ordained by God to figure and signifie the euerlasting rest of Gods children in the kingdome of heauen Of this the Prophet Esay speakes when he saith that from moneth to moneth and from Sabboth to Sabboth all flesh shall come to worship before God Esa. 66. 23. And the author to the Hebrewes There remaineth therefore a Sabbatisme or rest to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. III. Furthermore this was temporarie in the Sabboth that it was to be obserued vpon a set day namely the seauenth from the Creation and that with set rites and ceremonies So saith Moses The seauenth day is the Sabboth Deut. 5. 14. Againe On the Sabboth day ye shall offer two lambes of a yeare old without spot and two tenth deales of fine flower for a meate offering mingled with oyle and the drinke offering thereof and the burnt offering of euery Sabboth beside the continuall burnt offering and the drinke offering thereof Numb 28. 9 10. IV. This also was Ceremoniall that it was to be obserued in remembrance of their deliuerance out of Egypt Remember that thou wast a seruant in the land of Egypt and the Lord thy God brought thee out thence by a mightie hand and stretched out arme therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to obserue the Sabboth day Deut. 5. 15. Sect. 2. Now as there were some things temporarie and Ceremoniall in the Sabboth so there are some things in it perpetuall Morall and those I take it are three especially First that there should be a day of rest in which man and beast might be refreshed after labour Secondly that this day should be sanctified that is set apart to the worship of God These two first are therefore morall because they are expressely mentioned in the Commandement touching the Sabboth Thirdly that a seauenth day should be sanctified to an holy rest and that this holy rest should be obserued in a seauenth day I say not in this or that seauenth day but in one of the seauen Now that this also is morall it appeares by these reasons First the Sabboth of the seauenth day was instituted and appointed by God in Paradise before the fall of man and the reuealing of Christ yea euen then when there was one condition of all men This is plainly set downe in Gen. 2. as also in the fourth Commandement And vpon this ground it is manifest that a Sabboth of a seauenth day cannot be a Ceremonie simply considering the ordination thereof was in time long before all Ceremonies If it be obiected that it was made a Ceremonie afterward I answer that the reason is naught For Matrimonie was ordained in Paradise and afterward made ceremoniall to signifie the spirituall vnion betweene Christ and his Church and yet Matrimonie is perpetuall and so is a Sabboth of a seauenth day If it be againe alleadged that God did then keepe a seuenth day in his owne person and afterward inioyned it to man by his commandement I answer that the institution of the Sabboth in Paradise consisted of two parts Blessing and Sanctification and the meaning of the Holy Ghost is that God did both blesse it in regard of himselfe because he kept it in his owne person and hallowed it also in regard of man by commanding it to be sanctified and kept in performance of holy duties Secondly the reasons of the fourth Commandement are generall and the equitie of them is perpetuall and they haue this ende to vrge the rest of a seauenth day Let them be considered in particular The first in these wordes Sixe daies shalt thou labour Which some take to be a permission as if God should haue said thus If I permit thee sixe thou shalt allow me a seauenth But they may be also taken for a commandement inioyning labour in the sixe daies first because they are propounded in cōmanding termes secondly because they are an exposition of the curse laid vpon Adam Thou shalt eate thy bread in the sweat of thy face namely in the sixe daies and thirdly because idlenes the spoile of mankind is there forbidden This beeing so there must needes be a seauenth day not onely of rest to ease them that labour in the sixe daies but also of an holy rest that God might be worshipped in it The second reason is taken from Gods example For in sixe daies the Lord made heauen and earth c. That which the Lord himselfe hath done in person the same must man doe by his commandement But the Lord himselfe in sixe daies laboured and rested the seauenth Therefore man must doe the same This reason made by God to the creature must stand in force till he reuerse it which yet he hath not done nor doth If then these reasons doe not onely inforce a rest and an holy rest but a rest on the seauenth day then this lest on the seauenth day is a part of the fourth Commandement and consequently the Church can not alter it from the Sabboth day because they can not alter the substance of that Commandement which is eternall II. Reason The Sabboth day in the new Testament in all likelihood is tied to that which we call the Lords day and that as I take it by Christ himselfe The Reasons thereof are these I. The sabboth day of the new Testament is called the Lord daie Apoc. 1. 10. Now I suppose for in these points still wee must goe by likelyhoods its called the Lords day as the last Supper of Christ is called the Lords Supper for two causes First as God rested the seauenth day after the Creation so Christ hauing ended the worke of the new creation rested on this day from his worke of redemption Secondly as Christ did substitute the last supper in roome of the passeouer so he substituted the first day of the weeke in roome of the Iewes Sabboth to be a day set apart to his owne worship II. The Church of Corinth everie first day of the weeke made a collection for the poore as we may read 1. Cor. 16. 2. and this collection for the poore in the primitiue church followed the Preaching of the word Praier and the Sacraments as a fruite therof Act. 2. 42. For these be Sabboth exercises that went alwaies together in the Apostolicall Church But it will be saide that collecting for the Saints is a matter of
day of the weeke and there will be no neede of appointing a set time for Gods seruice if all daies be equall without any difference or distinctioÌ„ But the fourth CoÌ„mandement for substance is eternall and requireth vpon paine of the curse both rest from labour and a setting apart of the same rest to the duties of holines religion And if it command abstinence from ordinarie abour then much more from pleasures and recreations The third and last Opinion holdes the meane betweene the two former extremities and that I take to be the best and safest The substance hereof consists of these two conclusions 1. That vpon the Sabboth day of the new Testament men are to rest from the ordinarie labours of their callings Thus much is commanded in the fourth commandemeÌ„t For the rest it selfe was not a ceremonie as I said before but the straight precise manner of resting Againe it is most necessarie that religion and the power thereof should be maintained amongst Gods people which cannot possibly be vnlesse men at sometimes set themselues apart vnto it The student that desires learning doth not attaine vnto knowledge vnlesse he doe daily consecrate and devote himselfe to the studie therof In like maner religion cannot be preserved and maintained in the Church except men doe whollie and continually employ themselues in the practise of the same Furthermore it is the libertie that Gods lawe giues to seruants yea and to beasts that they shall not be oppressed with labour by working on the Lords day this liberty is grouÌ„ded vpon the law of nature coÌ„mon equity Here the common sort are wont to reply and say If we must rest from the labour of our callings the whole day we shall not be able to maintaine our selues and our families To which it may be answered that they which gathered Manna onely in the sixe daies had as much as they that gathered it on the seuenth day that which they gathered the seuenth day did not remaine sweete but stanke and perished They therefore which rest on the Sabboth daie must not be distracted with needelesse cares but liue by by faith and depend vpon Gods providence for meate drinke and clothing And the labour of the calling then vsed when it is expressely forbidden by God bringeth rather a curse with it then a blessing Againe such persons must remember that Godlinesse hath the promises of this life and the life to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. and if they will first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse all things necessarie shall be cast vnto them in way of aduantage Mat. 6. 33. Therefore if they keepe his commandement and rest vpon the seuenth day God will in mercy giue a blessing and they shall no lesse receiue from him their daily bread in that day then in any other II. Conclusion In this Rest sundry kindes of workes may be done and that with good conscience principally two The first are workes both holy and of present necessitie And they are such as cannot be done before or after the Sabboth These are likewise of two sorts The first are those that doe necessarily pertaine to Gods worshippe so as without them God cannot be worshipped Of this kind is the Sabboth daies iourney Act. 1. 12. allowed among the Iewes to the people to goe and heare the word preached Thus we read that the Shunamite went ordinarily vpon the Sabboth and new Moone to the Prophet to heare him For when shee demanded leaue of her husband to goe to the Prophet he askes her Why wilt thou goe seeing it is neither newe Moone nor Sabboth day 2. King 4. 23. Of the same sort were the killing and dressing of sacrificed beastes in the time of the law wherof our Sauiour saith Haue ye not read in the law how that on the Sabboth daies the Priests in the temple break the Sabboth and are blamelesse Mat. 12. 5. The next sort of workes of present necessitie are those that belong immediately to the preseruation of the temporall life of man and beast or that serue to the good estate of them both Such are workes of mercie as the watering of cattell Mark 12. 11. the drawing of a beast out of a pitte Luc. 14. 5. and such like The second kind of workes that may be done vpon the Sabboth are workes of Christian libertie out of the Case of necessitie These were such as the Iewes might not doe and yet we in the new Testament may doe them For example prouision and dressing of meate making fires and carrying of burdens Yet vpon this libertie men ought not to gather that they may doe what they will because they must cease from the ordinarie execution of the works of their callings For the word of God giueth no such warrant men are in this case to submit themselues to his will expressely reuealed and to vse their libertie according to the same Here two Cases are propounded I. Case Whether we may not lawfully vse recreations on the Sabboth day as shooting bowling hunting hawking wrastling c Ans. I take it we are not denied to reioice and solace our selues vpon this day For to some men at some times recreation may be more necessarie then meat in case of weakenes for present preseruation of health And though not in that regard yet beeing well â—sed it may be a furtherance to men in the performance of the duties of godlines as well as in the duties of their calling But this reioycing must be such as was the reioycing of the Iewes Nehem. 8. 12. which was onely spirituall and in the Lord. For they reioyced onely for this that they vnderstood the law of God that was taught them But as for the recreations and pastimes aforenamed as bowling and such like they are not at this time to be vsed My reason is this That which is the more principall and necessarie namely labour in the execution of a mans calling is forbidden recreation therefore which is for labour must cease on that day when labour ceaseth Againe if the duties of the ordinary vocation otherwise lawfull and commendable be therefore forbidden because they destroy the rest commanded and take vp the mind that it cannot be freely emploied in the affaires of God then much more are workes of pleasures forbidden because they doe the same things much more though otherwise in themselues they be not vnlawfull Obiect Seruants must haue recreation otherwise how shall they be able to worke in the weeke day Ans. True but their recreation must be granted them in the daies of labour For recreation pertaineth not to rest but to labour and is therefore vsed that a man by it may be made more fitte to labour II. Case Whether men vpon any occasion may not doe a worke of their callings in the morning or euening of the Sabboth day as Tradesemen for example I answer that they may so be it they obserue foure caveats I. That the worke done be no scandall to
any person II. That it withdraw not the mind of the worker or any other from sanctifying the Sabboth either publickely or priuately III. That it be not a worke of gaine but a worke of mercie or tend to a worke of mercie IV. That it serue for the immediate preseruation of life health or goods Of life thus Elias continued his flight from Iezabel many Sabboths together 1. King 19. 8. And the reason is good the Sabboth was made for man saith Christ that is not for the hurt but for the good of man Of health and thus our Sauiour Christ visited the sicke Ioh. 5. 3. and cured the blind man vpon the Sabboth Ioh. 9. 14. By whose example the Phisitian the Chirurgion may lawfully goe not onely to giue necessarie counsell but to minister necessarie phisicke and doe cures Lastly of goods which are in present danger of loosing Thus Christ would haue the oxe presently pulled out of the pit Luk. 14. 5. and the shippe on the shore full fraught with wares requires present helpe if it be in apparent danger of sinking Thus much concerning the first thing required in the observation of the Sabboth Sect. 2. The second thing required in the halowing of the Sabboth of the new testament is the Sanctification of rest which is nothing els but the dedicating of it to a religious vse that is to the practise of diuine worshippe This sanctification is either publicke or priuate The publike is the solemne performance of spirituall workes commanded in the second and third Commandements and tending to publike worship And this may be reduced to foure principall heads I. The reading or preaching of the word when the Minister publikely in the Congregation assembled doth faithfully deliuer vnto the people pure and sound doctrine and applies the same as necessitie requireth and occasion serueth to the edification and saluation of all and euery hearer in publicke audience and the people on the otherside do reuerently and attentiuely heare the same word read and preached II. The administration of the Sacraments according to Gods institutioÌ„ by the Ministers of the Church lawfully called III. Publike praier wherein the Minister calleth vpon the name of the Lord the whole congregation in feruent affection lift vp their hearts vnto him and in mind giue assent to the praiers made in the name and behalfe of them IV. Collection and giuing of almes for the reliefe of the poore whether they be captiues and strangers or those that dwell among vs the sicke the needie orphanes and widowes and such like Vpon these foure heads doth stand the whole publike worship of God For proofe and declaration hereof read these places Neh. 8. Act. 2. 42. Act. 13. 14. 15. Act. 16. 13. Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. c. Priuate sanctification which serueth to answer the second opinion stands in these things I. That euery man in the beginning of the Sabboth in the morning do priuatly prepare himselfe to the publicke seruice that followeth by priuate prayer by examination and humbling of himselfe before God in respect of his particular sinnes This the wiseman exhorteth vnto when he saith Take heede to thy foote when thou entrest into the house of God Eccles. 4. 17. and his meaning is that before a man betakes himselfe to the publicke congregation there to perform seruice and worship vnto God he should looke into his heart and examine his affections and thoughts that he come not vnprepared which duty though it be alwaies to be done yet principally on the Sabbothday The childreÌ„ of Israel rose vp early in the morning on the Sabbothday to offer vp burnt offrings peace offerings to an Idol Exo. 32. 5. 6. much more ought wee c. And it is said of our Sauiour Christ that he arose very early in the morning before day and went into a solitary place to pray and the day following was the Sabboth when he preached in the Synagogues Mar. 1. 35 36. II. That when the congregation is dissolued we spend the rest of the Sabboth in meditation and conference of the word before preached and of the creatures Thus it is said of some that heard Paul preach that they receiued the word with all readines and searched the Scripture whether those things were so Act. 17. 11. And the whole 92. Psalme was penned that it might be a song of the Sabboth and it containes nothing but a meditation of the workes of God III. That men priuately exercise themselues in the workes of charitie and mercie as in visiting the sicke in making peace betweene those that are at discord in releeuing the poore in teaching and instructing the ignorant in coÌ„forting those that are distressed and comfortlesse Neh. 8. 12. Then all the people went to eate and to drinke and to send parâ— abroad to the poore and to make great ioy The Tthird Question touching the Sabboth When the Sabboth doth beginne To this some doe answer in the euening and some in the morning My answer is this that the Sabboth of the new Testament amongst vs is to beginne in the morning and so to continue tâ—l the next morrow not in the euening till the euening The reasons be these 1. The Sabboth is to beginne when other ordinarie daies begin according to the order and account of the Church wherein wee liue 2. It was the practise of Christ and the Apostles For Christ as it hath beene thought of auncient times consecrated the Sabboth in that he rose from the dead early in the morning when the first day of the weeke beganne to dawne Matth. 28. 1. and therfore it is fitte that the Sabboth day should then beginne when he rose for as much as it is kept in remembrance of his resurrection The same was the practise of the Apostles For Act. 20. 7. the first day of the weeke the Iewes came togither at Troas in the morning there Paul preached from that time till midnight beeing the next morning to depart hauing staid there as is plaine out of the 6. v. seuen daies In that text I noâ—e two things First that the night there mentioned was a part of the seuenth day of Pauls abode at Troas For if it were not so then he had staied at least a night longer and so more then seuen daies because he should haue staied part of another day Secondly that this night was a part of the Sabboth which they then kept For the Apostle keepes it in manner of a Sabboth in the exercises of pietie and diuine worshippe and namely in Preaching Yea further he continues there till the rest was fully ended He communed with them till the dawning of the day and so departed vers 11. Besides this text Dauid saith in his Psalme of the Sabboth that he will declare Gods louing kindnes in the morning and his truth in the night Psal. 92. 2. making the night following a part of the Sabboth Against this doctrine it is alleadged first that
127 7 18 21  19 166. 184  1 27  30 74  16 75  28 130. 124  26 286. 277 1 20 204 11 15 95 12 3 480 13 12 417  10 ibid. 14 15 450  23 46  vlt. 70 16 26 95  5 541 13 14 581 1. Cor.   2 15 619 3 18 291 5  324 6 7 30  18 494 7 9 412  27 413  30 530 8 vlt. 69 9 27 427 11 26 340. 337 13 5 496 15 31 389 2. Cor.   1 23 384. 4 17 362 7 9 99 Galat.   3 26 82 4 10 449 5 1 414  12 272 Ephes.   4 26 510 5 18 553  29 419 6 18 282 5 16 479 Philip.   1 10 531 4 8 634. 481  12 531  5 497 Coloss.   1 26 95 2 16 414 3 16 296 1. Thess.   4 11 481 5 17 282  20 294  23 186 2. Thessal   7 8 227 1. Tim.   1 1 19 2 4 94  15 362 4 8 404  5 544  22 32 5 12 420  24 33  19 622  21 389  23 537 6 8 564  9 524  17 18 19 615 2. Tim.   2 19 85 4 14 273 Titus   1 15 544 Hebr.   3 11 383 5 7 288 12 11 126 Iames.   1 15 38  19 291 〈◊〉 2 362  10 64  1 624 5 16 5 1. Peter   2 1 292 3 15 360 2. Peter   1 10 86 1. Iohn   3 2 81  14 9 5 11 15 79. 289 Apocal.   19 10 355 21 6 98 THE FIRST BOOKE of the Cases of Conscience concerning Man simply considered in himselfe without relation to an other The Preface declaring the Ground and Order of the Treatise following Isaiah 50. 4. The Lord God hath giuen me a tongue of the learned that I should know to minister a word in due time to him that is wearie IN that part of the Prophecie which goes before the holy Ghost setteth downe and foretelleth the Calling of the Gentiles which was to beginne at the death of Christ and from thence to continue vnto this day and so consequently to the ende of the world In the former verses of this Chapter there is mention made of the reiection of the Iewes I meane not a generall but a particular rejection namely then when they were in affliction in the daies of Isaiah Now in this and so in all other Prophecies of the like kind which intreat of this point Christ himselfe is brought in speaking in his owne person and the words of this Chapter from the beginning to this present verse and the rest that follow are the words of Christ the Mediatour In the verses going before he disputes the case of their rejection and and the summe of the whole disputation is that either he or they themselues were the causes thereof but he was not the cause therfore they themselues by their sinnes The reason whereby he prooues that they themselues were the cause is framed in this sort You Iewes caÌ„not bring any writing or bill of diuorce to shew that I rejected you therfore I appeale euen to your owne consciences whether you haue not brought this iudgement vpon your selues by your iniquities vers 1. On the other side the reasoÌ„ why God was not the cause is because he for his part called them in great mercie and ioue but when he called they would not obey ver 2. Now in the ende of the second verse is contained an answer to a secret reply that some obstinate Iewe might make after this manner God hath not nowe the like power in sauing and deliuering vs as he hath had in formâ—r times therefore we cannot hope or expect any deliuerance from him and howe then shall we doe in the meane while To this the Lord himselfe makes answer ver 2 3 4. that his hand is not shortned nor his power lessened in regard of greater workes much lesse in respect of their deliuerance and though the present affliction which they indured was great and tedious yet they were not to be ouermuch dismayed in themselues but rather to be comforted because God had giuen him the tongue of the learned to minister a word in season to the wearie and distressed and consequently that he had power to case and refresh that their wearines and affliction In this text then there is set downe one principal dutie of Christs propheticall office by allusion to the practises of the Prophets in the old Testament especially those which belonged to the schooles of Elias and Elizeus who are here tearmed the learned And out of the words thereof one speciall point of instruction may be gathered namely That there is a certaine knowledge or doctrine reuealed in the word of God whereby the consciences of the weake may be rectified and pacified I gather it thus It was one speciall dutie of Christs propheticall office to giue comfort to the consciences of those that were distressed as the Prophet here recordeth Now as Christ had this power to execute and performe such a dutie so he hath committed the dispensation therof to the Ministers of the Gospel For we may not thinke that Christ in his owne person ministred and spake words of comfort to the wearie in the times of the Prophets because he was not then exhibited in our nature and yet he did then speake but how in the persons of the Prophets So likewise because Christ now in the new Testament speaks not vnto the afflicted in his owne proper person it remaineth therfore that he performes this great worke in the Ministerie of Pastours and Teachers vpon earth to whom he hath giuen knowledge and other gifts to this ende and purpose There must needes therefore be a certen and infallible doctrine propounded and taught in the Scriptures whereby the consciences of men distressed may be quieted and releeued And this doctrine is not attained vnto by extraordinarie reuelation but must be drawne out of the written word of God The point therfore to be handled is What this doctrine should be It is not a matter easie and at hand but full of labour and difficultie yea very large like vnto the maine sea I will onely as it were walke by the banks of it and propound the heads of doctrine that thereby I may at least occasion others to consider handle the same more at large That I may proceede in order First I am to lay downe certaine Grounds or Preambles which may giue light and direction to the things that follow and in the next place I will propound and answer the maine and principall Questions of Conscience CHAP. I. Of the two first Grounds of Cases Confession and the degrees of Goodnes THe Grounds or Preambles are especially foure The first touching Confession The second touching the degrees of