doubtfull then when the matter is in our choise which day of the weeke to take it is the surest and safest to make choise of that day whereof there is some doubt whither it be abolished or not we haue showne it is certaine that the 7th day is not abolished but suppose there were some doubt of it as it cannot be but doubted of by the stifiest Anti Sabbatharians since that some place is lest for doubting be it that we doubt neuer so litle of it yet it is better and safer to keepe it then to keepe any other day of the weeke to neglect the 7th day being once Commanded of God and it cannot be cleerly proued that euer God countermanded it here vpon some scruple at least must remaine in mens consciences touching it and therefore it is fitest to keepe the 7th day so shall we make suer worke that God shal haue nothing against vs out of his 4th coÌ„ but doeing otherwise we shall laye in perpetuall doubts feares that we liue in the transgression of the 4th com So much be spoken for this point the which I haue insisted vpon not so much hereby to proue that the 7th day must be the Sabbath for that I shall doe after the next section by solid arguments but chiefly to this end to stay satisfie the minds of carnall men with carnall reasones with Testemonies and the like for some men there are I feare me that could wish in their hearts that there were no Sabbaths at all of such an ignoble and base Spirit they are all their minde is for worke worke vncessantly it is meete therfore that it should be declared vnto such men that it is not onely necessary to haue a Sabbath in religiouse diuine respects but also in carnall respectes as for necessity of nature and the like and that otherwise all Churches would condemne vs for not onely the primitiue Churches but also all Christians euery where of euery Sect doe set a parte one day in 7 for Gods worship yea our owne Church would rise vp in iudgment and condemne such conceipts by hit contrary and daily practise SECT II. I come now to giue answer vnto many friuolouse obiectiones which are daily raised against the Lords Sabbath which being done I shall haue a cleere way opened for me to proue that the Lords Sabbath day is still in force these rubbes being taken out of the way first OBIECT I. One obiection they haue against the Lords Sabbath day and it is this what shall we keepe the Sabbath day the 7th day the Saturday Sabbath why that is the Iewes Sabbath day Herevnto I answer my desire it not to striue aboute names were the Lords Sabbath day called the Jewes Sabbath day in none other nor worse sense then that it might likewise be called the Christians Sabbath day I should say nothing to the contrary but finding it so called reprochfully I desire to rescue it from vnder the feete of contempt I desire therefore of such men as so cale it reprochfully to giue me a reason why the Sabbath day commanded in the 4th com should rather be called the Iewes Sabbath day then the Lord our God whom we are commanded to Haue in the first com should be called the Iewes Lord God for my parte I can see no reason but that the one may be so called reprochfully as well as the other nor any thing can I see to the contrary but that we may as well cale the Sabbath day which the Iewes Sanctified our Sabbath day also as to cale the Lord God whom the Iewes worshipped our Lord God But to take of vniust scandall let not men nickname the Lords Sabbaths but rather in an holy reuerence of God let vs cale them as God himselfe calleth them that is the Lord Gods Sabbaths for thus the Lord himselfe named them in his 4th com when he said The 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God So then it is Gods Sabbath not the Iewes Sabbath it is the Sabbath of the Lord and not the Sabbath of the Iewes The Lord telleth vs by his Prophet Isaiah that we should cale the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable Isa 58.13 So then we should vse the name of the Sabbath honourably but loe how men will vse it reprochfully caling it Iewish and the Iewes Sabbath in scorne and contempt Yet further the Sabbath was ordeined from the Creation Genes 2.3 Now at the Creation there was no difference of Iew Gentile how then can the Sabbath be called the Iewes Sabbath it may be therfore the Gentiles Sabbath as well as the Iewes Sabbath so much for this name or nickname OBIECT II. An other obiection is this oh but this were to bringe into the Church such strictnesse as is intollerable for if we admit of the Iewes Sabbath day then must we not so much as kindle a fyer on the Sabbath day nor doe any worke at all how needfull soeuer it be Herevnto I answer that this is but an euill reporte and a slaunder brought vp against the Lords Sabbaths by those who are professed enemies vnto them and delight to bring them into disgrace with the people for we haue formerly showne that the Lord neuer forbad the Iewes to kindle a fyer in a case of necessity on the Sabbath but onely for the doeing of such workes as might be done the day before or tarry vntill the day after we haue showne how Christ himselfe was present at a feast on the Sabbath day where in all likelihod was a fyer kindled to make prouision for the guests or as greate workes done in attendance to the guests by the seruants as is the kindling of a fyer which may be done in an instant and without almost any labour yea our Sauiour allowed in his time of all necessary workes and workes of mercy to be done vpon the Sabbath day as to plucke and rubb eares of corne to lift a beast out of the ditch or to leade a beast vnto the water and the like In a word there was no more strictnesse required of the Iewes in keeping of the Sabbath day then is at this present required by Diuines in keeping of our Lords day so this obiection is but a slaunder OBIECT III. An other obiection is that it is a thing impossible to be reformed since the Sabbath day hath bene out of vse so many hundâ—eth yeeres and since the Lords day hath bene in vse so longe Wherevnto J answer impossible say you what impossibility is there in it the impossibility and all the difficulty is onely in the minds of men in that they are not willing with it for the Commonwealth should not loose euery man a penny by the change of the day for it is all one to them whither they keepe Saturday for their Sabbath or Sunday all the difficulty in the matter is as farre as I can see to possesse the minds of our Gouerners with this
suppose a commandement had bene giuen in the new Testament for the Lords day in the same forme of words with the 4th com for the Sabbath day saying Remember the Lords day to sanctify it c. But the first day of the weeke is the Lords day in it thou shalt doe no worke c. for on the first day the Lord rose from the deade and therefore the Lord blessed the Lords day and hallowed it If any now should frame such a distinction against our Lords day Sabbath saying this name Lords day may be translated a Lords day that so he might turne the sense of the commandement from that day which hath so many hundrethes of yeeres bene knowne called by the name Lords day vnto any day of the weeke would not the Patrones of the Lords day cry fie on such a man it is pitty he liues that will so corrupt the Scriptures the case is their owne I appeale vnto their consciences if by these answers they haue not as shamefully corrupted and abused this portion of Gods Law the 4th com 2. Whereas they say the name Sabbath may be translated a Sabbath that this translation is vnfit and disagreing to the Scriptures and contextes I alleage against them all the lerned translatoures both new and old that euer translated the Bible for they all constantly doe render it the Sabbath not a Sabbath 3. If by the name Sabbath in the 4th com was meant a Sabbath vncertainly what day of the weeke then this absurdety followes that the Iewes were not bound distinctly vnto the Saturday Sabbath which they alwayes kept and held themselues bound to keepe but that they might haue kept Sunday Monday or some other day in imitation of God and in memory of the Creation Yea further since all men confesse that the Iewes by Sabbath day vnderstod the Saturday if now it be otherwise vnderstod then one the same word shall haue one sense for 2000 yeeres and more and afterwards the same word shall haue an other sense and so the words in Scripture shall change their sense as the times change what is more absurde 4. The absurdety of this distinction yet appeareth in this also for since there was neuer any day of the weeke weekly caled Sabbath day in all the Scriptures but the Saturday onely how can any man in his right wittes apply the 4th com to any day but Saturday it is as absurd as if one should suppose two Saturdayes in a weeke a Saturday the Saturday or two Christmas dayes in one yeere a Christmas day and the Christmas day I confesse we cale now a daies Sunday Sabbath day but what matters it what we cale who take liberty to cale and to miscale daies at our plesure but I speake of a Diuine nomination of daies vsed in the Scriptures for neither Prophets nor Apostles did euer cale the Sunday or Lords day Sabbath day nor any other day of the weeke saue Saturday Since therefore there is but one day in a weeke named Sabbath day by Diuine computation how can there be a Sabbath day and the Sabbath day 5. In my expâ—sition of the 4th commandement I haue at large proued it that by Sabbath day in the 4th com we must vnderstand the Sabbath day emphatically that is Saturday not a Sabbath day at rouers at randome vnto which profes forepast I referr my Reader see my Exposition vpon these words Sabbath day 6. The absurdety of this distinction appeareth in this if this word Sabbath should be translated a Sabbath then one the same word should haue diuerse senses in one and the same commandement for the name Sabbath at the latter end of the commandement Exod. 20.11 must be translated the Sabbath for it was not any day of the weeke which God blessed at the Creation but it was Saturday the 7th day onely and certainly it is absurd therefore to translate the same name Sabbath at the begining of the commandement Exod. 20.8 otherwise as a Sabbath as of a day at randome and vncertaine And so much for this distinction II. A second euasion I will touch and it is there distinction of a 7th day and the 7th day let a man vrge those words of the 4th com But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord c. to proue that we must sanctify the old Sabbath day which is the 7th day and they will make this for one of their answers that the commandement speakes of a 7th day not of the 7th day by a 7th day they vnderstand some day or other of the weeke at rouers and at randome but not any one certaine day of the weeke Were there nothing else against this distinction this one were enough that by refusing the 7th day which implieth a setled well knowne certaine day of the weeke to imbrace a 7th day at rouers as an vncertaine time hereby they labour to make things knowne when vnknowne when things certaine to be vncertaine as if they delighted in vncertainties and as if God should require a time for his worship but no man knew when 2. Were this answer tollerable what should stand firme in the Scriptures God commanded circumcision on the 8th day had some of our times liued in those times they could by this Law haue circumcised a child on the 9th or 10th day made it in their accompt a 8th day though not the 8th day for if they would but skip ouer the first or second day of the childs birth not rekoning them then the 9th day or 10th day would be a 8th day The Lord commanded the Passeouer to be eaten on the 14th day of the moneth loe we haue some by a new deuised computation could haue iustified it that by the same Law they might haue eaten the Passeouer on the 15th or 16th day of the moneth and all well enough for they could make the 15th or 16th day of the moneth an 14th day though not the 14th day for hauing said that the commandement may be vnderstod of a 14th day they can thus make it good they will not rekone the first day of the moneth for any of the number but begine their account at the second day and so the 15th day will become a 14th day is not this pretty iugling think you that these men thinke they haue to doe with a God when they thus expound his commandements or with some babe or child that cannot tell to 7 or to 14 but they will say perhapes they doe not so rekone nor skip ouer daies c. But that this is false I thus proue it our Sunday or Lords day is not onely the first day of the weeke in our common account and in the computation of all Chruches Iewes and Christianes Protestants and Papistes but also it is caled the first day of the weeke constantly in the Scriptures see Mat. 28.1 Mark 16.2 Luk. 24.1 Ioh. 20.1.19 Act. 20.7 ij Cor. 16.2 Now that our new SabbathariaÌ„s might
in 2. They make a conscience of obseruing of sanctifying the Lords day doe reproue such as profane it make a common day of it by working and hereby they doe Reuerence it 3. They obserue the Lords day as instituted by Christ and as commanded by God in his 4th com and in so doeing they doe Honour it and Reuerence it for they honour it as a commanded day and as a day set aparte by Christ to be Holy 4. Many Diuines doe in their publike prayers and sermones blesse God for vowchsafing vs his holy ordinances as his Sabbaths and Sacraments c. by Sabbath they meane our Lords daies whereby you see they honour the Lords day together with the Sacraments and so they must doe for the Sacraments and the Lords day haue both one vse in the Church for as the Sacraments doe minde vs of Christs death and resurrection so the Lords day is sanctified in memory of Christs death and resurrection thus the Lords day is honoured as the Sacraments are now all men confesse that the Sacraments are honoured with diuine religiouse honour and so then is the Lords day also yea who feareth not to profane the Lords day as he feareth to eate the Lords Supper vnworthily 5. They honour the Lords day with that kind of honour wherewith they honour the sacred Name of God inioyned in the third com for they are carefull to sanctifie the Lords day as they are carefull to sanctifie the Name of God and their consciences are in awe of the Lords day as well as of the Name of God for they feare to profane the Lords day as well as they feare to blaspheme abuse the Holy Name of God they respect this day as an Holy day like as Gods Name is an Holy Name 6. By setting the Lords day into the place and roome of the Sabbath day they must and doe giue vnto it the like religiouse honour which was due vnto the Sabbath day that was a religiouse honour Call the Sabbath a delight the Holy of the Lord honourable Isai 58.13 Now this very text is applied to our Lords day wherefore it is honoured with diuine and religiouse honour and thus is their Idolatry compleate Note that if this Honour and religiouse reuerence and respect be giuen but vnto any one of the two former senses it maketh Idolatry for example if the Lords day be considered of as an Image or liknesse to the Sabbath day therevnto men add honour this is Idolatry or if the Lords day be but considered of as an imagination a fiction or a deuise of mans braine which indeed is an Idoll and Nothing and then herevnto mē add a religiouse and cōscionable honour reuerence respect be it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 forthwith the Lords day becomes an Idoll they Idolaters their deuotion honour conscience of it Idolatry for it is to set vp an Idoll in Gods worship when men set vp their fictions conceipts deuises to be reuerenced religiously honoured when they place their owne deuices set them in the first Table of the Decalogue as now a daies men doe this Lords day In a word it is the common and receiued opinion that all Humane inventions thrust into diuine Seruice or worship of God are plaine Idolatry now the Lords day is an Humane Invention as hath bene showne and it is thrust into Diuine Seruice and worship of God for it is beleeued and taught to be an ordinance of Gods commanded in the first Table among the parts of Gods worship and it is honoured with that religiouse reuerence which is proper vnto God and the partes of his worship and therefore the Lords day is an Idoll the religiouse sanctification of it Idolatry The Lord would not indure it that his meate c. should be giuen vnto and bestowed vpon Idoles My meate which I gaue thee as fine flower oyle and hony wherewith J fedd thee thou hast euen set it before them for a sweete sauour c. Ezek. 16.19 And can we thinke that that God who would not haue his meate oyle and hony bestowed vpon Idoles will indure it that we shall bestow his glory honour loue conscience religiouse reuerence vpon this Idoll of the Lords day Sabbath for all those Holy and religiouse affectiones which we bestow vpon the Lords day Sabbath they are Gods affectiones proper vnto his Maiestie Now my glory saith God I will not giue to an other Isa 42.8 God is a Ielouse God as we read in the second cō Ex. 20.5 and therefore he will neuer indure it that this his glory and seruice shall be bestowed vpon an Idoll of mans making deuising the Lord vpbraided the Iewes because they did Idolatrously worship the worke of their owne hands which their owne fingers had made Isa 2.8 so ridiculouse they were for who would worship a thing which himselfe hath made with his owne hands but with vs the conscience is made to stand in awc of the worke of mens braines and religiouse honour Holy affectiones and worship are bestowed vpon that which we haue made our selues if not by our owne fingers yet by our owne wittes Now who would be so ridiculouse as to feare the pollution of what himselfe hath made Holy or religiously to honour a meere nothing a very fansy For men to giue vnto the Lords day diuine honour that is to reuerence it as an ordinance of Gods vpon paine of damnation this is to aduance a fiction of mans braine and place it in equall Throne with Gods ordinances to exact of mens consciences like religiouse reuerence as is due vnto Gods ordinances for this fiction shall haue power to command and constreine the Conscience like as Gods ordinances haue and that vpon paine of damnation too what an heinouse thing is this Is it not as greate a sinne to giue Diuine worship vnto mens fantasies as vnto Images to the deuices of protestants as to the Trinkets of Papistes My glory saith God I will not giue to an other Isa 42.8 What an heinouse and horrible sinne then is it for any to giue religiouse worship which is proper vnto God to his ordinances to a meere deuice of mans making God is a Ielouse God most zealouse of his glory woe therefore vnto him that robbeth God of his glory to giue it vnto mens deuices Three euiles there are combined in this one which make it a Capitall euill 1. That the people of the Land who are most tractable vnto goodnesse haue their consciences brought into slauery bondage thraldome for they are made afraid of the shaddow of a man of the shaking of the leaues of the trees that is that vpon paine of damnation they worke not on the Lords day 2. By the supposed necessary consequences men haue aduanced this Idoll of the Lords day and ranked it among the Starres of the Heauen that is they haue placed
persons nor yet to stop the eare and winke with the eye least we should see and vnderstand for so thou shalt both wrong thy selfe and thy Author Remember thou art now in the place of a Iudge for thou must reade the Controuercy of the Lords Sabbathes pleaded pro con betwixt these 10 Ministers and mee they against Gods Title and I for Gods Title they against Gods Sabbaths and I for them and betwixt them and mee thou must Iudge passe sentence now a Iudge must not be carried away with partiality and respect to persons nor suffer his minde to be prepossessed with an ill will to the cause before he heareth it these things are but equall and right which I craue of thee wherefore I trust I shall obtaine with thee This onely note that if thou wiâ—t suffer thy selfe to be swaied rather on the one side then on the other thou oughtest rather to take in with mee then with them for the Sabbath day it being an ancient ordinance of Gods a long time in vse in his Church therefore the cause and Title it is Gods and since I stand in defence of this Sabbath day therfore I stand in defence of Gods cause and Gods Title so side it with God but they setting themselues against Gods Sabbath set themselues not onely against me but also against Gods cause Gods Title wherfore iudge thou whither it were better for thee to take in with them or with mee against Gods cause Title or with Gods cause Title And so I commend thee to the grace of him who is able to build vs vp further in the knowledge and loue of his Trueth Thine in Christ Jesus THEOPHILUS BRABOURNE The Contentes of this Booke Chapt. I. This Chapter conteineth A defence of the Morall Law or 10 Commandements of Almightie God wherin for the defence of Gods Sabbathes it is proued that this Law is in force vnto Christianes and here Libertines Anabaptists Antinomians are confuted who deny that the Law of God consequently his Sabbaths doe belong vnto Christians and their obiectones to the contrary are answered Chapt. II. This Chapter conteineth an Exposition of the 4th Commandement together with a discouery of the manifould shamefull corruptiones abuses of this diuine Law by many Diuines of these times who doe wrest it mancle it corrupt it by their idle answers distinctions false glosses most absurd Expositiones from all which this Holy Law is vindicated by the Authour restored to its proper genuine ancient sense againe Here also it is made apparent that the whole 4th Commandement is abolisbed nullified by the common doctrine of these times Furthermore and by the way here it is showne how long a Sabbath day is as namely that it is but the time of Day light onely here is discouered the errour of such diuines as hold teach that the Sabbath day is to begine at midnight or in the Euening before or to last from morning to morning 2. By the way also here it is showne that there is no such preparation to the Sabbath to be made on the euening before by a cessation from the workes of our callings the like as some Ministers doe wright call for Lastly this Chapter is concluded with an Exhortation to the loue of Gods Law the Integrity perfection thereof Chapt. III. This Chapter conteineth A discouery of the vanity of all their Arguments brought for the maintenance of the Lords day to be a Sabbath day of their abuse of sondry Scriptures to that end This is handled in two questions the one shewing that it can neuer be proued that the Lords day was in the Apostles dayes constantly weekly obsâ—rued weeke by weeke as we now obserue it The other That it cannot be proued that so much as any one Lords day was euer kept in the Apostles dayes for a Sabbath day and that therfore it is no sinne against God but Lawfull for Husbandmen to make Hay in Hay seile to sow corne in wheat seile to reape corne in Haruest for all sortes of Tradsmen Taylers Shomakers Brewares Bakers Weauers and the rest to doe the ordenary workes of their callings as well vpon the Lords day as vpon any other day of the weeke Yet further here it is proued that the Lords day is but an indifferent thing that by the Testimony of the best writers some lerned Godly Martyrs the State and Church of England assembled in Parliament Here also the Lords day is discouered to be but A Popish Tradition so all Romish reliques are not yet remoued Finally it concludeth with an Admonition Dehortation from Superstition voluntary-religion will-worship Chapt. IV. This Chapter conteineth an Answer vnto all those Textes of Scripture reasons and arguments profanly impiously brought against the 7th day Sabbath commanded in the Morall Law It sheweth the absurdeties which the vndertakers against Gods Sabbath doe fale into And it wipeth off that slaunder of rigorousnesse of the Iewish Sabbath and sheweth that God required no more stricktnesse of Iewes then then the patrones of the Lords day doe require of Christians on the Lords day now Chapt. V. This Chapter conteineth sondry Substanciall Arguments prouing vndeniably that the 7th day Sabbath mentioned in the Morall Law is still in force ought to be to the worlds end This is proued both out of the Old Testament out of the New Testament also out of the ancient Records of the Church For 1. God Commanded it 2. Christ the Sonne of God ratified it 3. The Apostles after Christ practised it 4. The Primitiue Churchs religiously obserued it And in this last passage by the way it is showne 1. when the Lords day first sprang vp to be a sole Sabbath day and who were the founders thereof 2. When the Lords ancient Sabbath was first throwne downe who were the wicked Authors thereof Occationally in this Chapter the obseruation of the old Sabbath is freed from the uniust slaunder of being Iewish and Iudasme with the like Here also are confuted the vaine Euasions distinctions which are vsually framed against the ancient Sabbath day Lastly here is a discourse of the Antiquity of the Sabbath where it is proued that the Sabbath day it from the Creation so as ancient as the world Chapt. VI. This Chapter conteineth A dispensation shewing that Christians who desire the Ancient Sabbath are not necessarily bound in conscience to make A rent from our Church in their present obseruation of it but that they may waite for the opportunity of a publike Reformation by the Magistrate prouided they keepe the Lords day for the Sabbath day by way of a change in the meane season 2. It concludeth with an Exhortation to vse all possible lawfull meanes for a speedy publike generall Reformation amongst other Motiues therevnto these are touched that vntill A Reformation 1. The Decalogue is defaced of
its Integrity 2. The 4th Com. is but a Cipher 3. An holy prayer of our Church is frustrate 4. A gate is set open to Anabaptistry 5. The worship of God will languish decay 6. An old Tradition is kept in the place where the old Sabbath should stand 7. Men liue in the weekly sinne of Sabbath breaking 8. God is denied a parte of his worship Yea corruptly worshiped 9. Idolatry is committed by thowsand thowsands in the Kingdome And these are the Contentes of this booke A Defence of the Morall LAW CHAP. I. SECT I. THE scope and principall drift of this Treatise Christian Reader is the defence of the Lords Sabbathes to wit his ancient Sabbathes the Saturday seuenth dayes Sabbathes the which are expresly enioyned vs in the fourth Com. in these wordes Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it c. But the seuenth day is the Sabbath of the Lord c. Exod. 20.8.10 Against this ancient and most sacred ordinance of Gods I find two professed enemies against whom I must bend my forces the one are they who deny the Law of God the Morall Law or 10 Commandements to belong vnto Christians and so consequently they deny Gods Sabbathes also commanded in the Law and these are our Anabaptistes and our late sprung vp Antinomianes the other are they who deny the Integrity and perfection of the Law they embrace the Law of God indeed but not the whole law and these are both Protestantes and Papistes for these reiect that ancient ordinance of Gods Sabbath day properly so called and expresly commanded in the morall law counting it for a ceremony and abolished by reiection whereof they reiect some thing commanded in the Law and so consequently they are partiall in the law and doe deny it in its integrity and perfection vrge an Anabaptist or Antinomian to the obseruation of the Sabbath day and he will answere you that the law is abolished at the comming of Christ as all those legall Ceremonies were vrge a Protestant or a Papist to sanctify the Sabbath day and your answere shall be that this part of the law touching the Sabbath day is a ceremonie and abolished at the coming of Christ thus Anabaptistes and Antinomians renounce the whole law Protestants and Papists renounce the wholenesse of the law the one would haue no law the other would haue no perfect law Against both these this booke is penned The partes of this booke are sixe diuided into so many Chapters also The first parte or chapter is in defense of the Morall Law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes against Anabaptistes and Antinomianes The other fiue partes or Chapters are in defense of the integrity and perfection of the Law and consequently of Gods Sabbathes against Protestantes and Papistes for this purpose the second parte or Chapter giueth the true sense and Exposition of the fourth Command and vindicateth it from the common and corrupt glosses and expositions of it The third Chapter sheweth the weaknesse and insufficiency of all those Scriptures and arguments which are vsually produced to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath day The fourth Chapter sheweth the insufficiency and feeblenesse of all those Scriptures and arguments which are vsually alleaged against the Lords Sabbath of the seuenth day or Saturday to make it an abolished ceremony The fifth Chapter conteineth sondry forcible and vndeniable arguments and Scriptures prouing the morallity and perpetuity of the ancient Sabbath day The sixte and last Chapter conteineth a Dispensation for a season touching the present practise and obseruation of the seuenth day Sabbath together with an Exhortation to a speedy reformation Thus you see my taske what it is my aduersaries who they are and the partes of this Booke One thing more would be premised for so much as we shall often haue occasion to vse these two words Morall and Ceremoniall it is sit that I here shew in what sense I vnderstand them 1. I would vse these words but for distinction sake for whereas there are two sortes of Sabbathes the wekly Sabbath and the yeerly Sabbathes the Sabbath which God wrote and the Sabbathes which Moses wrote the Sabbath which God spake and the Sabbathes which Moses spake the Sabbath written in the Morall law Exod. 20.8 and the Sabbathes written in the Ceremoniall law Levit. 23.32 c. for the distinguishing of these two sortes of Sabbathes one from the other I doe vse these two words calling the weekly Sabbath recorded in the Morall law the Morall Sabbath and the yeerly Sabbathes recorded in the Ceremoniall law the Ceremoniall Sabbathes these Sabbathes were also distinguished in respect of time the Morall Sabbath was first deliuered Exod. 20.8 yea Gen. 2.2.3 the ceremoniall Sabbathes were afterwards deliuered Levit. 23.32 c. neither did these ceremoniall Sabbathes euer come within the pale of the Morall law or were written in the Tables of stone 2. I see not but that I may call the weekly Sabbath the Morall Sabbath properly for 1. the seuenth day or weekly Sabbath it conserneth practise and manners which is signified by the word Morall 2. Since God spake all those words Exod. 20.1 why should not euery thing he spake be called morall as well as any thing he spake and since the Sabbath day or seuenth day is a thing that is expresly commanded in the Morall law and which may I say which may be retained in the Church with great profit why should it be denied the name of morall 3. Giue me a reason why the seuenth day Sabbath should not be called a Morall as well as the doctrine of the Trinity in the first Com or as the doctrine of originall sinne or lust Rom. 7.7 in the tenth Comm 4. Since the dueties of the Sabbath to wit Rest and Holy exercises are accounted Morall why should not the time or seuenth day also be accounted morall for the time is a furtherance vnto these morall dueties now that which furthereth a morall should me thinke be also called a morall 5. Herevnto agreeth Doctour Ames in his Theologicall Thesis pag. 499. and also affirmeth it to be the iudgement of the best diuines saying It is receiued by all best diuines that the Morales were differenced from the Ceremoniales by this that all and onely the Morales were wrote by God in the Tables of stones c. The Saturday and weekly Sabbath then must needs be termed a morall Sabbath In a word why should this be strange for as there is a ceremoniall law and a morall law why may there not be likewise ceremoniall Sabbathes and morall Sabbathes and since God placed the seuenth day Sabbath in the morall law among the morales why should it not be termed morall and called the morall Sabbath The morall Sabbathes together with whatsoeuer else is commanded in the morall law I doe defend the Ceremoniall Sabbathes with all other Ceremonies I doe reiect It is the Decalogue and nothing else which I defend and this I stand to maintaine in
Histories of the Church for Saturday the 7th day Thus it is euident that Sabbath day is a proper name signifying our Saturday and Saturday then is the day vvhich God meant and spake of in those vvords Remember the Sabbath day Secondly vve may knovv that Saturday is the day vvhich God meant by these vvords Sabbath day because God hath in his 4th com plainly deciphred out the day vvhich he called Sabbath day and that in these vvordes But the 7th day is the Sabbath c. And see Exod. 35.2 and Exod. 23.12 Leu. 23.3 so then the 7th day of the vveeke is the very day vvhich God vnderstandeth by Sabbath day novv the 7th day of the vveeke is our saturday for our Lords day or Sonday is called by all the 4 Euangelists the first day of the vveeke Mat. 28.1 Mark 16.2 Luk. 24.1 Ioh. 20.1 vvel then rekon on and Saturday after vvill be your 7th day Furthermore it is not obscurly declared in the reason to the 4th com Exod. 20.11 Where Almightie God setteth out his ovvne ensample for vs to imitate hee Rested on the seuenth day and hee blessed and Sanctified the seuenth day for Sabbath vuhich seuenth day from the creation is our Saturday Finally the Sabbath day and the 7th day are vsed in the 4th com promiscuously the one for the other for t is said Ex. 20.11 that God rested the 7th day wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day c. where he should haue said thus Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day c. vnlesse the Sabbath day and the seuenth day be both one and the same and here I might ad the Testimony of Walaeus de Sabbatho pag. 61. who affitmeth and also proueth it that the word Sabbath in the 4th com is not vsed indefinitly and indeterminatly but for the seuenth day from the Creation Thirdly that our Saturday was the Sabbath day which vvas once commanded to the Iewes by the 4th com I proue by the Testimony of all Diuines for doe not all both Protestants and Papists acknowledg that our Sauiour was crucified on Good Friday and that hee lay in his graue al our saturday being the Iewes Sabbath day and rose on our Sunday wherby they confesse that our Saturday was the Sabbath day Further more doe not all Diuines affirme that Saturday the old Sabbath day was abolished by Christ c In which words they confesse that Saturday was the Sabbath day mentioned in the 4th com what neede of further proofes Hauing found out particularly which is the day of the weeke to which the 4th com had respect namely Saturday Now we may be bould to make a more particular description of the Sabbath day and thus it may be desribed The Sabbath day is that sacred time called Saturday counted the seuenth day from the Creation which was sanctified and hollowed by God and appointed to be Sanctisied by man I call it a sacred time and that in a double respect 1. by destination 2. By consecration the Sabbath day is holy by destination it being set a parte for holinesse and for the worship of God to be celebrated in it like as the Temple once was Remember the Sabbath day to Sanctifie it Exod. 20.8 The Sabbath day is Holy by consecration because at the Creation God consecrated it and made it an Holy day and this he did two waies 1. By his personall and exemplary Rest vpon this day And the 7th day hee rested from all his worke which he had made Genes 2.2 For if the grovvnd whereon Moses stood became holy grownd because of Gods presence there Exod. 3.5 what shold hinder it but that in like sorte the day wherin God him selfe rested shold forthwith become an Holy day 2. By his hallowing and sanctifying of this day So God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it c. Genes 2.3 other Sabbathes were holy but by destination only but saturday Sabbath was holy both by destination and by consecration also Hauing finished this point it remaineth that we make some vse and application of it the first vse then shall be for information and thus I reason if Saturday be the day and time which God aimed at in his 4th com by those words Sabbath day then may our Translatores in translating of the 4th com safly translate it Saturday for Sabbath day they may put Saturday saying Remember Saturday to Sanctify it For Saturday is that day properly meant by the words Sabbath day neither haue we any day of the weeke which will answer to the Sabbath day but our saturday only and if it be objected that the name Saturday doth not fully expresse the name Sabbath day because Sabbath signifieth a Rest I answer it is no more then but this that to the name Saturday vve add the word Rest and so we shall haue the full sense thus Saturday-Rest Remember the Saturday-Rest to sanctifie it It is obiected against this that so doing we shold bring an heathenish name as Saturday is into the Scriptures c. Hereto I answer I trust that as our holy vse of our Temples and Churches hath purged that abuse of them vnto which many of them were first erected so our Christiaen vse of the name Saturday may sanctifie and purge it from heathenish abuse 2. We vse the name but for distinction sake onely voide of all heathenish vanities now why may not the name Saturday be brought into the scripture of the 10 commandements as well as that heathenish name Mars into the scripture of the Actes of the Apostles Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars hill and said c. But I meane not to contend for this I leaue it vnto the wisedome and discretion of our lerned Translatores all that I aime at hereby is only this that I desire all meanes and helpes may be afforded whereby the true and proper sense of the scriptures may be easily vnderstood and that in as much as may be by the ignorant and vnlearned This one sore euill I find that whilst we retaine the word Sabbath in the Com. it being an Hebrevv vvord it is in our Church as it vvas in those dayes vvhere in the scriptures vvere in Lattine because the people vnderstood not the Lattine toung the priests might make vvhat Expositions they would and so it is here because the vvord Sabbath an Hebrevv vvord is not translated into English but redd in our Bibles and retained still our Ministers many of them giue what fained and fabulouse Expositions of the vvord Sabbath they please as a Sabbath and the Sabbath and a Rest and all to this end that they might dravv the 4th Com. vnto the Lords day and expound it of the Lords day or Sunday as if the name Sabbath day might be giuen indifferently vnto any day of the weeke none of vvhich corrupt glosses could delud the people if they had the words Sabbath day trāslated into English wordes for so they need not so vvholly rely vpon the Ministers
a knight or a Noble man and as Friday and Sunday in some sense are aboue the other of the sixe dayes So no doubt will God and so shold euery Godly man think amisse of it to heare Ministers take that name of honour from off the head of Saturday to set it vpon the head of Sunday By this translating of the name Sabbath day from Saturday to Sunday common people when they read in the Scriptures of any thing of note touching the Sabbath day presently they cast that in they re minds vpon the Lords day thinking that to be meant of it thus being meerly deluded they honour the subiect for the king the maide for hir Mistris and misapply and abuse all those Textes of Scripture is it not high time then that this abuse were Looked vnto and the rather also because by theire carrynig of the name Sabbath day from the Saturday vnto the Sunday they hereby doe subtilly carry also the 4th commandement from the Saturday vnto the Sunday and thus they robb the Saturday both of its diuine name and also of its Commandement for novv no man cales the Saturday Sabbath day nor applies the fourth com vnto it at all by this robbery God and his Sabbathes are leesers but they are greate gainers for novv they haue not only got that deuine name Sabbath day for theire Sunday but also they haue got though but by vsurpation a Commandement too for theire Lords day the which had no commandement before It bewraieth theire beggarlynesse in ornaments for the Lords day when they must thus robb and pull from an other day to clothe and attire it vvith all neither hath the Lords day any thing in the nevv Testament to tye mens consciences with all but only what the patrones there of haue vniustly taken out of the Old Testament from the Saturday Sabbath and out of whose ruines they haue erected a nevv day For conclusion let me exhorte Ministers and people to refraine putting the name Sabbath day vpon the Lords day for hereafter we haue names enough besids we may call it Sunday Lords day or First day of the weeke doe not mocke God and deceiue the world any longer vvith vse of the name Sabbath day vnlesse you meant to giue God his proper Sabbath day the Saturday why should you retaine the name with out the thing this is to mocke God with a shaddovv for the Substance And here I cannot but speake of that common fault of Ministers in the pulpit vvhose very words and vvorkes are at iarr the more is the pitty for in application of theire doctrines they are frequent in pressing the obseruation of the Sabbath day amongst other virtues and holy dueties and on the contrary in many of there vses of reprofe they are very zealouse in reprouing the breach of the Lords Sabbaths together vvith other sinnes of drunkennesse Svvearing lying oppression pride and the like vvherein they doe very well if their words and their vvorkes vvent together if their words and their mind did agree for aske them in priuate vvhat day of the vveeke they meant by the name Sabbath day and they vvill tell you Sunday or Lords day so then with their toungs they call for the Sabbath day which is Saturday in Gods account as hath bene proued but they meane an other thing then they speake of for they meane it of Sunday or Lords day like as if a man should talke much and ernestly of Saturday but meaneth it of friday or of Sunday and meaneth it of Moneday Nay their ovvne mouthes shall condemne them for they call for the Lords Sabbaths in the pulpit vvhen they profane them in theire families and teach men so to doe nay the Lords Sabbathes find no greater enemies then these who call so much for them for they at other times vvill beare the people in hand that they are abolished and they vvill and dare vndertake to proue that that Sabbath day once commanded in the 4th com is a ceremony and abolished and yet these men I will haue the Sabbath of the Lord still in their mouthes and make a great clamour for it the Prophet Ieremiah reprooued those of his time saying Trust ye not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord Ierem. 7.4 And may not I say of our time forbeare your homonymiouse and double meaning speeches refraine your words of aequiuocation and of mentall reseruation saying the Sabbaths of the Lord the Sabbaths of the Lord either be right dovvne for the Lords Sabbaths before the people or else let them be no more heard in your mouths doe not abuse that proper name Sabbath day diuinely imposed by God vpon our Saturday and by your aequiuocations and mentall reseruations meane it of Sunday Happily I shall preuaile vvith some to forsake the abuse of this name and in stead of it they will call our Sunday the Lords day and so presse the sanctification of it vnder that name To such I say let them doe so then if they can find any grounds out of Gods vvord to vvarrant them to presse the Lords day to be kept as the Sabbath day but this let them take with it that they must with the forbearing of the name Sabbath day refraine the vse of the 4th com also for these goe inseparablie together they must not presse the 4th com vpon the Lords day for the 4th com speaketh of a day vvhich by diuine imposition is called the Sabbath day and not of a day vvhich by humane imposition is called so as hitherto many of their owne braines doe or not of a day called the Lords day the com runneth thus Remember the Sabbath day c. not thus Remember the Lords day c. Some there are vvho allredy of their ovvne accord doe call our Sunday Lords day and not Sabbath day but I maruaile of all the rest vvith vvhat face these men can presse the 4th comm vpon that day vvhich themselues confesse is named Lords day and not Sabbath day vvhen as the 4th comm doth expresly mention a day which is named Sabbath day and not Lords day The name Sabbath day therefore and the 4th com must goe inseperably together hold the one and hold the other renownce the one and renownce the other also A fourth vse shall be for the confutation of a common but very friuolouse answer let a man vrge the 4th com for the 7th day or Saturday Sabbath and presently their answere will be that the com may be vnderstood not of the Sabbath day but of a Sabbath day But that I may discouer the idlenesse of this dist inction and such as vse it first vve must vnderstand what they meane by it by the Sabbath day they meane that certaine knowne day called the 7th day from the creation which is our Saturday and by a Sabbath day they meane some vncertaine day as one or other of the 7 dayes but not determined which whither this or that novv say they
the com may be vnderstood either of these wayes for the vvord Sabbath it may be translated either a Sabbath or the Sabbath either of a day certaine or of a day vncertaine Herevnto I reply admit we should grant them that the com may be vnderstood of a Sabbath vncertaine which yet by Sabbath they must meane a Sabbath day whose name is of diuine imposition well can they now shew vs any day of the vveeke saue Saturday that is named by God in holy Scripture Sabbath day sure I am they cannot If then they cannot shew vs any day in the vveeke called in Scripture Sabbath day but Saturday must they not be inforced then to apply the 4th com to the Saturday and to it alone 2. By the like licentiouse libertie in expounding of Scriptures we may make most things that are certaine and well knovvne which to become vncertaine and vnknowne which for example the name Iesus vvhen the text declareth that it is spoken of Christ our Sauiour might not a vvrangler shift it off also by this ansvver that the name Iesus it may be translated a Iesus or the Iesus c. and so say that that text may be meant of a Iesus as Ioshua or vncertainly which Iesus and not of the Iesus which is Christ Againe whereas t is said I was in the Spirit on the Lords day that is on Sunday say they well may not I answer them as they answer mee saying it may be translated a Lords day or the Lords day and so it may be meant of some other day besides Sunday let a man read ouer 3 or 4 verses in the beginning of the first chapter of Genesis and let him in stead of the where he find it put a and he will be ashamed of his soreading it yet further why might not the Iewes haue the distinction of a Passeouer and of the Passeouer and of a Pentecost and the Pentecost as well as a Sabbath and the Sabbath And why may not vve haue a Lords day and the Lords day a Christmas day and the Christmas day an Easter day and the Easter day as well as a Sabbath day and the Sabbath day To conclude suppose we that Christ had left an expresse commandement in the New Testament for the Lords day in these words Remember the Lords day to sanctifie it how would the patrones of the Lords day Sabbath rage and storme to heare any goe about to wrest this commandement of Christs from Sunday the first day of the vveeke vnto some other day as to Saturday or to Monday c and yet in a sense euery day of the vveeke is the Lords day I desire them but to deale with Gods 4th com which mentioneth the Sabbath day like as they vvould haue others deale vvith the Lords day if it were commanded I come now to shew that by Sabbath day in the 4th comm is meant not an vnknowne and vncortaine day but a certaine and well knovvne day not a Sabbath day but the Sabbath day novv this hath bene sufficiently proued before neuerthelesse I vvill proue it furrher because some thinke that the name Sabbath day may as vvell be applied vnto Sunday as to Saturday and so the 4th comm may hold its morallity in binding vnto Sunday and first I vvill begin vvith the Testimony of all Translators both new and old looke into all our English Bibles both old and nevvly translated and you shall find that not only in the 4th com but also constantly in all other places of Scriptute vvhere is any mention of this name Sabbath day and you shall find them translating it not a Sabbath but the Sabbath which sheweth cleerly that hovv euer the word may be rendred a Sabbath yet that translation is not the best and therefore they haue reiected it and haue vnanimously translated it the Sabbath neither is this done by any that fauoured the 7th day Sabbath but by those vvho rather fauoured the Lords day and therefore no doubt but they would haue made some way for the Lords day by this their translation if it could haue bene 2. The Lord hath in the very com it selfe limited the Sabbath vnto a certaine and knowne day and that 1. by its proper name Sabbath day vvhich belonged properly vnto our Saturday not indefinitly and in common to any day as hath bene shovvne 2. By deciphering it out most plainly to be the 7th and last day of the weeke in these vvords But the 7th day is the Sabbath c. Now the 7th day is not vncertaine which day of the vveeke it is but well knovvne to be Saturday the last day of the weeke 3. It is that very day vvhich must be sanctified by man vvhich God himselfe sanctified and set vs for a patterne to vvit the 7th day from the creation as vve haue it in the reason assizmed to the com Exod. 20.11 Novv the day vvhich God rested on and the day which God blessed and sanctified is a certaine and knowne day see Gen. 2.3 it was the 7th day not a 7th day 3. I proue that the Sabbath spake of in the Comm. was a certaine knowne day and not an vncertaine day partly by the Testimony of Moses Exo. 16.23 where vpon the sixth day of the weeke v. 22. Moses teld the people thus saying To morrow is the rest of the Holy Sabbath c. so then the time of the Sabbath it was a certaine knowne time and so certaine and so knovvne that Moses could say of it the day before it came To morrow it shall be c. so much also may be collected out of Luk. 13.14 and Act. 13.42.44 Finally I proue it by the Testimony of all diuines vvho affirme that our Saturday vvas the Iewes Sabbath day which they Kept by virtue of the 4th com vntill Christ came as else where I haue already proued more largly Novv if Saturday were the day which they kept for the Sabbath day then by the practise of all the Church of the Iewes vntill Christ the Sabbath day vvas a certaine knovvne day euen as our Saturday is a certaine day Thus I haue proued vndeniably that the Sabbath day inioyned in the 4th com it was the Sabbath not a Sabbath it vvas a day certaine and not vncertaine it vvas not vnderstood of some one day of the weeke indistinctly but of one certaine vvell knowne day of the weeke which being so hovv fondly yea wickedly and profanly haue they done who by their false glosses and idle distinctions doe labour to make people beleeue that Gods certaine and knovvne times for his worship and seruice are vncertaine and vndetermined that so they might alter and change Gods times and make way for their humane inventiones that is to set the Lords day into the 4th com you haue seene it sufficiently proued that Saturday vvas the Sabbath day for thovvsands of yeers vntill Christ and that by the name Sabbath day was no other day knowne nor vnderstood but only Saturday vntill
Christ how vaine then are those men vvho vvould novv a dayes haue a nevv sense of the name Sabbath day for vntill Christ these words Sabbath day signified the Sabbath day but novv since Christ they must signify a Sabbath day then they signified the Saturday but novv they must signify the Sunday or Lords day was euer such madnesse heard of before must vvords be mutable and chang their sense with the chang of times that one vvord in diuerse Textes may signify diuersly is not strang but that one word or name in one the same Text should for thovvsands of yeeres signify one thing and the selfe same word or name after thowsands of yeers then should haue an other sense it is matchlesse this may be the queene of all absurdeties yet thus absurd are all they who would by their distinction of a and the Sabbath and the like bring the Sunday or Lords day novv into the 4th com and turne away the 7th day The approach of the gospell hath not altered the sense of words in the lavv for these words passeouer Circumcision Sacrifice though they be abolished and we haue others in their roome yet those words in the same Textes doe signify now none other thing then they were vvont to doe must only the word Sabbath be changed in its sense If words in the Old Testament shall haue one sense before Christ came and an other sense after his coming there vvil be no certainty of the sense of any of the Scriptures of the Old Testament This is quite to ouerturne all certainty of Exposition Were a man but to construe a peece of lattine out of some profane Author Terence or the like and should Engelish a word in a different sense from that sense which vvas vsed in that Authores time and diuerse from all Dictionaries and the like vvould it be borne with all thinke we and yet many of our diuines vvill deale worse with Gods sacred Scriptures then vvith a profane Author for albeit the word Sabbath vvas euer vsed in the Scriptures for Saturday and so in our Dictionaries also yet they will haue one foolish ansvver or distinction or other vvhereby they vvill turne off the Saturday to bring in the Sunday into the name Sabbath day and into the 4th com yea and neuer so much as blush at it neither iudg good Reader if the Scriptures be not fouly and shamfully abused by these men vvhen they vvill by their corrupt Expositions of the 4th com offer that violence vnto it that all men are a shamed to offer vnto A profane Authour as Terence or the like But haue you no more care of the soules of those God hath committed to your charge then thus to vse your vvites to blind their eyes least they should se the trueth and vvalke in the vvay of Gods 4th com se to it in time if Sabbath day did once signify the Saturday it must so signify to the vvorlds end Thus farr I haue laboured to vindicate Gods 4th com from the corruptiones of the time but before I passe this point I desire to lay before the eyes of our Ministers tvvo notoriouse abuses the one is the abuse of theire flockes the people of God the other is the abuse of Gods sacred vvord for the former by their corrupt pressing the 4th com so hard vpon the consciences of their people for the Sanctifying of the Lords day they haue drawne many well affected people to a great deale of zeale in keeping it holy in so much as many doe in conscience of the 4th com heare tvvo Sermones in a day if not in some places 3 or 4 they reade the scriptures priuatly at home they refraine all seruile labour all the day long they refraine so much as to talke of vvorldly businesses they neglect their gaine and proffites which else they might haue yea oft they sustaine losse and all in conscience of the day and time and of the 4th com and in hope and expectation that they performe a good vvorke and acceptable vnto Almightie God and such as shall one day be vnto their praise and glory but vvhat novv if this euen all this be in vaine and to no purpose in respect of their endes and grownds by reason it is a seruice which God requireth not haue not then such Ministers lamentably abused their people for this end consider what hath formely bene proued to wit that God in his 4. com requireth the Sabbath day not the Lords day the Saturday Rest not the Sunday-Rest the 7th day for Sabbath day not the 8th day or first day for Sabbath day so then to Sanctifie the Sunday or Lords day in conscience of the day and of the 4th Com. is meere superstition and needlesse religion because this Sunday or Lords day is no where commanded in the 4th com now to doe any thing in cōscience of the 4th com the which is not commanded in the same commandement it is meere superstition so all that care and zeale of good people yea all their paines and zealouse deuotiones are lost labour oh what a pitty it is so that vnlesse as vve may if vve may in the deepest and greatest of our charity hope that God will accept of those good meanings and good intensions of ignorant misled and deluded Papists vve can not hope that God vvill accept of the good meanings and intensions of our best people in their zealouse sanctifying of the Lords day but that rather when at that day they shall expect the praise of their piety God may say vnto them and who hath requireth this at your hand Isa 1.12 for because this day stands not by Gods Com. all our performances in conscience of the day becomes a limme of that voluntary religion and will-worship condemned by S. Paul Col. 2.23 it hath as he saith indeed a shew of wisedome but it is but a shew not the substance vve may a svvell Sanctify Friday as Sunday But it vvill be obiected vve haue the dueties as Rest and holinesse though vve haue not the day Wher to I ansvver that many indeed doe sooth and flatter themselues much with this ansvver but I say you haue not the duties to vvit the duties of the Sabbathday but all you haue is that you haue like duties to thos of the Sabbath you haue not the same for none can properly be called Sabbath day dueties but such as are done in the Sabbath day and by virtue of the 4th com vvhen you keepe a fastday or a day of publike thanksgiuing to God or an holly day on these you Rest and performe holy actions as vpon the Sabbath day but vvill you call these Sabbath dueties if you will then may you keepe thes holy dayes also in obedience to Gods 4th com for Sabbathes and then may you also say of these holy dayes though we haue not the day yet haue vve the duties of the day and so you may erect yet more Sabbaths and so stand
day vveekly Sabbaths but the text Col. 2.16 is and may be vnderstood of the yeerly Sabbaths and forasmuch as none euer doubted that the 4th com was for the weekly Sabbaths and many haue vvrote it that this text Col. 2.16 speaketh not of the vveekly Sabbaths it is partiality to choose Col. 2.16 before Exod. 20.8 Whither is the more safe thinke you to imbrace the Lords Sabbaths from the 4th Com. or to reiect them from this text Col. 2.16 Ponder it vvell in your minds vvhither of these tvvo textes of Scripture should most preuaile with you to vvit Exod. 20.8 or Col. 2.16 this note also that if this text Col. 2.16 preuaile with you then it must eate out the very heart bowels of the 4th Com. If you imbrace the text in their sense to be vnderstood of the 7th day vveekly Sabbaths therefore beware what you doe but if you vnderstand this text Col. 2.16 onely of the yeerly Sabbaths such as you reade of Leuit. 23.24.32.39 So you may retaine both textes still one Scripture shall not shoulder out an other I haue the rather incisted vpon this texte of theirs Col. 2.16 because it is their Master chiefe and choisest text against the Lords Sabbaths 2dly that you may the better iudge of these two textes Exod. 20.8 Col. 2.16 note that not these tvvo textes are compared together as Scripture vvith Scripture but the collection exposition of one of these textes is compared with and set against the other Text it selfe for as for the Text Exod. 20.8 this commandeth the 7th day vveekly Sabbath expresly in so many words with out collection or consequence of ours the 4th com hath euer bene vnderstood of the 7th day weekly Sabbaths by all the Prophets by Christ him selfe witnes their practise but the Text Col. 2.16 doth not disswad from the 7th day weekly Sabbath expresly and in so many vvords but it must be dravvne haled and vvrested to the 7th day weekly Sabbath by feeble blind reason collectiones consequences so that vvhosoeuer doth imbrace the Text Col. 2.16 against Gods Sabbaths rather then the 4th Com. Exod. 20.8 for Gods Sabbaths he chooseth consequences before Scripture collections before Gods expresse vvord and preferreth mans blind reason before Gods expresse vvill and plesure I desire the Christian Reader to marke this last passage vvith double and treble diligence for in all my booke there is hardly any thing of greater consequēce the summe vvhereof is this that menes collections reasons consequences made out of some text of scripture are not of that diuine nature infallibility that they should countermand ouerturne an expresse Cōmandement of Almightie God And this is the very case betvvixt my aduersaries mee for I bring an expresse Commandement for the Lords Sabbaths and against them they bring nothing else but their ovvne reasons collections consequences fetcht out of this text Col. 2.17 vnnecessarily fetcht also Thus by the comparing of these two textes of Scripture together it appeareth to euery eye that whosoeuer refuseth the Lords Sabbaths vpon that text Col. 2.16 rather then embraceth them from this text Exod. 20.8 hee preferreth weake insufficient arguments before able strong arguments the which whosoeuer doeth after fufficient notice giuen him he bewraieth that he loueth not Gods law in trueth of heart for it selfe but out of by respectes for by his preferring this weake text Col. 2.16 before that strong text Exod. 20.8 he ouerturneth raseth to the grownd a parte of Gods law who can ouerthrow a parte of Gods law yet loue Gods law Suppose we that the Title of A Ministers Liuing or of any mans Inheritance were to be tried he could shew but as good Euidence for it as the 4th com is for the Lords Sabbaths thinke you he would feare to leese the day to one that eould shevv no better Euidence then is the text Colos 2.16 against the Lords Sabbaths no vndoubtedly or suppose we the Title of A Ministers liuing or of any mans Inheritance were to be tried there were 2. Kinds of Euidence at his choise to pleade the one as strong as the 4th comand is for the Lords Sabbaths the other as weake as the text Col. 2.16 is against the Lords Sabbaths if novv this Minister or other person vvould make choise of this weaker Euidence Col. 2.16 vvould not euery man say surely this Minister or this other partie care not for their Liuing or Inheritance they doe not loue them iust so it is an argument that men loue not Gods Law nor his Sabbaths therin commanded vvhen they vvill parte vvith them so easily so growndlesly it is a signe they are vnvvilling to know acknovvledge the vnknovvne partes of Gods Law vvhen they goe thus partially to vvorke in the tryall of the point did men loue Gods lavv aboue Gold Silver as did David they vvould not parte vvith his commanded Sabbaths so lightly a man shall find something to doe to vvring mens gold siluer from them but for Gods Sabbaths you shall haue them from them vvith out strife vvhere then is the loue to Gods Sabbaths vvhere is the loue vnto Gods lawes Ministers people may say talke much make them selues others beleeue that they stand for Gods lavves loue his commandements but let them selues all men iudge vvhither they speake truly or not by this marke is this a loue to Gods Lavv to ouerthrovv a parte of it vvhich vvas euer vnderstood by all the Prophets Apostles of the weekly Sabbaths by a text Col. 2.16 vvhich doth neither mention the vveekly Sabbaths at all nor yet speake of all Sabbaths generally so as the vveekly Sabbaths must be included necessarily this is to supplant a certainty by a text which is doubtfull vncertaine is this loue Thus much of the first vvay vvherby men bevvray theire regardlesnesse theire vnvvillingnesse to be taught instructed in the perfection of the lavv in the vnkowne partes ther of that by prefering vveake arguments before able strong arguments The 2d vvay vvherby men bevvray theire vnvvillingnesse to be instructed in the perfectiō of the Lavv in the vnknovvne partes thereof is in that they admit of insufficient disallowable Testimony for the triall of the point that this is so is plaine by this that all people vvell nigh put all theire trust confidence for the triall of this point in theire Ministers saying our Ministers say the 7th day Sabbath commanded in the 4th com is a Ceremony abolished they are men of lerning honest godly men therefore we rest in them renonvvce the Sabbath day though it be commanded by God in the 4th com they haue studied the point they are a multitude of them this contenteth mee I knovv they durst not speake othervvise then they thinke they be such godly holy men c. I must confesse
honest auditory also that 's worse in alleaging of our Testimony in publike as if vve did vphould iustify his false Minor which we doe vtterly renownce neuer vseing his phrase in his sense the man is liuing of whom I speake if he thinke I vvrong him he can right himselfe And so I come to the other part of his Minor to wit And not the 7th day where he affirmeth that the 7th day is not the Sabbath day for proofe hereof he referred his auditory at that time to what he had in former sermons deliuered my selfe not being present at his former sermons as I was at this and being vnsatisfied with this reference I went vnto him after his sermon was ended and desired him to giue me a coppye or notes of what he had formerly preacht against the Lords Sabbaths and he asked me to what end I desired his notes my answer to him was thus I promise you that I will either confirme them or confute them I gaue him also certaine reasons to induce him to giue me his notes as this that he was the Lords Champion and therefore who but hee should defend the Lords cause I told him further that hee in speciall sorte aboue all Ministers had ingaged himselfe in this quarrell in as much as he had openly contested against my booke the Lords Sabbaths therein defended and howbeit I did not rashly and of mine owne head goe vnto him vvith this request as I told him but with the aduise of some Minister neere friend of his who thought hee neither would nor could deny me this request yet say vvhat I could I could get no notes of him so then for the latter part of his Minor and the proofe of it I must take it vpon his bare word that he had formerly confuted the Lords Sabbaths but whither he had or he had not I can say nothing because I cannot obtaine a sight of his notes but I know what I thinke of it This one thing I remember that M. Chappell was highly magnified applauded not onely by his parishoners but also by all Puritane Diuines that heard him for his solid learned ouerthrowing of the Lords Sabbath the which let vs take for granted and so you shall see how the crafty are caught in their owne craftinesse from this impiouse vngodly doctrine of M. Chappell thus I argue If that the old Sabbath mentioned in the morall law be abolished by M. Chappell then hee cannot proue infallibly that we haue any new Sabbath jure diuino then must M. Chappell his parishoners those Puritane Diuines that so applauded his doctrine all turne Anabaptists forthwith and so keepe no Sabbath at all The reason hereof is plaine for if we haue neither the old Sabbath nor any new Sabbath then we haue no Sabbath at all and so must become Anabaptistes Hauing answered their arguments whereby they would proue the Lords day a Sabbath by the 4th com I desire the Reader but to looke backe vpon them they are but 3 in number to consider how poore feeble they are and withall to thinke with what face they can so bouldly vrge the 4th com in the pulpit vpon the Lords day and so I come to disproue them and to shew that the 4th com cannot be vrged vpon the Lords day and let it be considered whither their reasons for it or mine against it be the more cleere and haue better force of prouing My first reason to the contrary is that the Lords day cannot be a Sabbath day by the 4th com because the 4th comman doth command vs to worke on the Lords day for the 4th com saith Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke Exod. 20.9 and the first of these 6 dayes is the day called the Lords day as vve haue proued in the exposition of the 4th com Now this law inioyning vs to labour sixe dayes consequently on the Lords day was neuer repealed for it was noe Type or shaddow of Christ c. Nay Christ ratified this law by his owne practise for he laboured and trauailed vp downe too and fro on this Lords day after his resurrection Luk. 24.15 Now can any wise man thinke that this 4th com should command vs to Rest from worke on the Lords day when the same comm commandeth vs to worke on the Lords day behold whither these men are not fit expounders of Scripture when they are so ignorant therein as they make not onely one Scripture contradict an other Scripture but then the which is nothing more absurd they make one and the same Scripture to contradict it selfe for they make the 4th com to say Thou shalt not worke on the Lords day when it saith the quite contrary Sixe dayes thou shalt worke of which 6 the Lords day is one may not I truely say of these Ministers who thus abuse Gods law in expounding it as Paul said of some that they would be Doctours of the law and yet vnderstand not what they speake neither whereof they affirme 1. Tim. 1.7 My second argument against them is this That Sabbath day which is commanded in the 4th com it is a weekly Sabbath on euery 7th day But it cannot be proued that the Lords day is a weekly Sabbath for in Christs time and in the Apostles times it vvas not kept constantly and vveekly but once in a yeere or the like as hath bene showne Therefore the Lords day is not nor can be commanded in the 4th com My third argument to the contrary is because the time the circumstance of time as they cale it in the 4th Comm. is abolished as themselues say teach for they teach that by these Textes of Scripture Rom. 14.5 Gal. 4.10 and Colos 2.16.17 the time of the 7th day commāded in the 4th com is a ceremony a Ievvsh ceremony c. Now from their owne doctrine I argue against them thus If the commaunded time in the 4th Com. be a circumstance and a Iewish ceremony and abolished then very foolishly doe they that vvill rune to the 4th Com. for time for the new Sabbath or Lords day aske them by what precept this time of the Lords day is to be sanctified they vvill tell you by the 4th com so that they will fetch a time out of the 4th Comm. and yet they say this time is abolished what contradicting folly is this wherefore vnlesse they can proue that there vvas two dayes and two times the 7th day and the 8th day commanded in the 4th com their doeings are like vnto a foolish gardiner vvho hauing but one bed of time in his garden first he vvill cut it or roote it all vp and then he will make all men beleeue that yet for all that he can fetch as much time out of that bed as he could doe before it was rooted vp of such pulpit gardiners vve haue too many they can take out of the Com. what they please
Sabbaths for man to take vpon him this office it is but an vsurpation If they say in Gods account then I answer as for the 6. dayes they are vnsit for a Sabbath in Gods account because God appointed them for labouring dayes Sixe dayes shalt thou labour c. Exod. 20.9 wherefore if we may take that day for a Sabbath which God esteemeth fitest then must we haue the Saturday Sabbath for that God esteemed this the fitest day of all others it appeareth in that he gaue a com for the sanctifying of this day aboue all others God commanded this day he neuer commanded any day besids this day But hereunto they will thus reply but we meane it of the 6 dayes only that day of the 6 begining at Sunday for the first of the 6 which is the fitest that day must be Sabbath day for as for the 7th day we hould that to be abolished I answer admit for argument sake that the 7th day Sabbath is abolished which is more then euer they shall proue let vs take them in their meaning of the 6 dayes yet it followeth not for this their arguing is but a sley begging of the question that by taking that in their argument for granted which they should first haue proued to wit that some one of the 6 dayes must be a Sabbath and then this being proued in the next place they may consider which of the 6 dayes is the fitest for the Sabbath and that in Gods account for things may be fit for an vse in mans account which God neuer ordeined to that vse This their arguing is like in absurdety vnto this a man hath 7 sonnes concerning these thus one may argue the eldest sonne is a Lawyer because he is the fitest of all the rest the eldest sonne is a Phisitian because he is the fitest for a Phisitian and yet for all this fitnesse he is neither Lawyer nor Phisitian the eldest sonne is fitest for a gentleman yet he may be a beggar Saul of all men present was fitest to offer sacrifice yet God neuer ordeined him to offer sacrifice so the Lords day may in a sense be said to be the fitest for a Sabbath and yet God neuer ordeined it for a Sabbath but these are idle things first therefore let them handle their argument prouing that Christ hath ordeined any one or some one of the 6 dayes and then let them proue it shewing that the Lords day is fitest when a man goeth into a glouers shopp he must not vse such logicke as this this paire of glones is sitest for mee therfore they are mine he must first know if the glouer will parte whith them so or not for there must be something else besides fitnesse or else you must goe whith out them so first let them shew vs that Christ will haue one of the 6 dayes and then let them shew which of the 6. hee will haue In the meane space I will disproue them and shew that none of the 6 dayes are fit for a Sabbath for 1. God with ut any repeale bath giuen a com that these 6 dayâ—s wee should labour Exod. 20.9 and therefore these 6 dayes are not fit any of them for a Sabbath 2dly I will shevv that of all the 6 dayes the Lords day is not fit for a Sabbath and that because Christ and his Disciples vvith his approbation trauailed on this day at least 15 miles vvhich vve knovv of as hath bene proued out of Luk. 24.13.15.33.36 the vvhich hee vvould neuer haue done if hee had iudged it fit for a Sabbath day 3dly S. Paul did voluntarily omit the keeping of the Lords day vvhen he might haue kept it vvith those Christians at Antioch for but a vvord speaking as hath bene shovvne out of Act. 13.14.42.43.44 vvhich Paul vvould not haue omitted if he had iudged this Lords day fitest for a Sabbath Wherefore none of the 6 dayes are fit in Gods account for a Sabbath no not the Lords day it selfe they must therefore bring some other better argument then this of fitnesse to proue the Lords day a Sabbath of all our Lambes those vvhich are spotlesse are fitest for a sacrifice yet no man must novv Sacrifice them 2. I ansvver to their reason vvhere by this argument is proued they proue the Lords day to be fitest for a Sabbath day because certaine famouse vvorkes vvere done theron as 1. Christ rose on it 2. appeared on it 3. the holy Ghost descended on it 4. Peter preached converted 3000. Baptised them on it 5. Paul preached on it 6. there vvas collections on it and this reason is very plausible with common people But I deny that these things doe fit a day for a Sabbath day in Gods account as for mans account I regard not what he accountes or thinks fit in matters necessary to be obserued vpon paine of damnation in matters of Gods worship I desire them to shew vs how they come to know Gods minde in this point hath God at any time reuealed it that such actiones as are forementioned should fit the dayes wherin they were done for Sabbathes or hath the Church of God at any time found out Sabbathes or made choise of Sabbathes by such and the like actiones or hath God left it to the liberty and vvisedome of men to choose him out his Sabbathes by such like actiones if none of these can be shovvne how dare they be so presumptuous to affirme that such actiones doe fit the dayes vvherin they were done for Sabbathes mans reason is a more blind thing in the dueties of the first Table then in the dueties of the second Table now the point of a Sabbath is a matter of the first Table dare men be so audaciously bould then vvith their reason consequences heere yea such poore reasones and friuolouse consequences it stands not vvith the feare of God and reuerence of Gods Majestie to be so bould vvith God I vvish therfore that men especially Ministers vvould make lesse vse of their reason consequences and more vse of the Scriptures and conscience Further I answer that if men will be directed by examples in the Scripture for the erection choosing of dayes for publike solemnities they shall find that such famouse actions haue not caused those very dayes vvherein they vvere done to be holy dayes but God and the Church haue made choise of the next dayes after Thus God ended his vvorke of Creation on the 6th day now he sanctified the 7th day which is the day after the Church Ester 9. did likewise for those Iewes who had deliuerance from Hamans conspiracy on the 13th day of the moneth they kept the 14th day of the moneth the day after a day of feasting ioye v. 17. those Iewes who had deliuerance on the 14th day of the moneth they solemnised the 15th day of the moneth the day after v. 18. wherefore if they would follow the Church of
the morall law or law of the Sabbath 3. I answer by deniall of the consequence for since the dueties in the Sabbath day were many it followeth not that if some one of those dueties be abolished the day must also be abolished wherin it was done for since the other dueties of Rest and Gods worship remaine still the time and day may remaine still for these dueties sake SECT XI 7. They argue out of ij textes together Ioh. 7.22.23 and Mat. 12.5 in which textes it is written that on the Sabbath day they did circumcise a man◠and on the Sabbath day they did 〈◊〉 the Sacrifices now these were both ceremonies and the Sabbath day gaue way vnto them wherefore the Sabbath day must be inferiour to ceremonies and so abolished with them I answer by the like absurd reasoning they may say the 6th com thou shalt not kill is abolished also for it gaue way vnto Abraham to slay his sonne Isack the like may be said of the 7th com which gaue way vnto polygamie a diuorce c. when Christ gaue way to be circumcised of a Priest to be baptized of Iohn doth it hence follow that Christ was inferiour to the priest or to Iohn or that the strong are inferiour to the weake because they giue way vnto the weake Rom. 15.1 or that the Morall Law is absolutly abolished because in some sense it gaue way vnto the gospell 2. I answer that not onely the day time to wit the 7th day gaue way vnto circumcision vnto Sacrifice but also the Rest and cessation from labour and the worship of God in the holy exercises of the Sabbath both these gaue way as well as the time wherefore if this their argument be good for the prouing of the time to be a ceremony and abolished then must it be as good also for the prouing those duties of rest and holy exercises to be ceremonies abolished and then what is become of the 4th com and where is the morallity of Rest and the performance of holy exercises inioyned in the 4th com thus still you see lik men of a maleuolent spirit they hunte all the Scriptures ouer to find out somthing or other against Gods ordinance what will be the issue of all their paines why euen this they will at last make the morall law hereby to be a morall-ceremoniall law the 10 goolden linkes of Gods law shall haue one linke become partly goold partly lead there shall be now a shaddow ceremony fansied to be in the heart of a morall law in a word the issue will be that now they may be partiall in Gods Law serue him by halues SECT XII 8thly they argue from Ioh. 4.21 The hower cometh when yee shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the father In which words Christ foreteld of the destructiō abolishing of the Temple as the place of Gods worship now if the Temple which was the place of Gods worship be abolished so is also the Sabbath day which was the time of Gods worship Herevnto I answer there is not the like reason for whilst the Curch of God was confined to the narrow limites of the land of Canaan all people might possiblie goe vp to Ierusalem to worship in the Temple there 3 times a yeere Exo. 23.17 but when at Christ his death the partition wale being brokē downe the Church enlarged to Iew Gentile all the world ouer thē all people could not possibly come vp to the Temple at Ierusalem to worship 3. times a yeere there for their dwellings would be too farr distant from Ierusalem therefore it was necessary that the Temple should be no longer the peculiar place for Gods worship but that now we might worship God in Spirit trueth euery where but ther 's not the same reason for the Sabbath day the time of Gods worship for the Sabbath day and 7th day from the creation is euery where all a like amongst Iewes Gentiles all the world ouer the same 7th day any nation had at the creation the same 7th day it hath still to this day so as the 7th day this time of Gods worship it is not too narrow for the bounds of the Church as the Temple was for it is as large as the Church of God is or can be therefore ther 's no necessity that it should be altered SECT XIII 9thly they argue from all those textes of Scripture whereby they vse to proue the Lords day to be a Sabbath day instituted by Christ thus they argue thence that the old Sabbath is altered changed by the coming in of the new Sabbath this is that which is so common in many mens mouthes saying why Christ abolished the old Sabbath the Iewish Sabbath by bringing in of the Lords day Herevnto I answer 1. by deniall that Christ hath set vp any new Sabbath as hath bene showne 2 admit that Christ had set vp the Lords day on the 8th day for a new Sabbath yet this doth not hinder but that the old Sabbath on the 7th day may stand still for example the Lord set vp the morall weekly Sabbath on the 7th day Exod. 20.8.9.10 afterwards he set vp other ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths also Leuit. 23.32.38.39 now the coming in of these other yeerly Sabbaths did not alter change or abolish the weekly Sabbath no here was an addition of Sabbaths no alteration of Sabbaths Iust so it may be here suppose that Christ had set vp a new Sabbath on the Lords day then haue we ij Sabbaths to keepe weekly the old Sabbath on the 7th day the new Sabbath on the 8th day so that the setting vp of this Lords day Sabbath is but an addition of a new Sabbath vnto the old Sabbath like as when a man buildes a new house by the side of an old house this is but an additiō of house to house it is no alteration or change for the raiseing vp of a new house by the side of an old house is not the demolishing throwing downe of the old house SECT XIV 10. they argue from all the new Testament negatiuly saying of all the 10. commandements the 4th com is no where mentioned in all the new Testament neither is the keeping of the Sabbath day vrged any where wherefore the Sabbath day is not of vse to vs vnder the gospell To this Anabaptisticall obiection I answer first see whither it tendeth namly vnto Anabaptistry prophannesse for if the old Sabbath be abolished we shall haue no Sabbath at all for the Lords day can neuer be proued a Sabbath 2. It tendeth to the ruine of the Integrity and perfection of Gods Law so as we shall haue but a lamed and vnperfect Law 3. It tendeth to make Gods morall Law to be a Morall ceremoniall Law Further I answer and will you acknowledge no more of the Old Testament then what is particularly mentioned repeated in the new Testament
absurdety appeareth partly in this that they will oppose an ordinance of Gods yea one of his most ancient ordinances established in his Church and partly in this that they will set themselues against the same voluntarily and wilfully for no cause at all but because they will doe so The 2d absurdety that these doe fale into by forceing this text Col. 2.16.17 so any other text also against the Sabbath day commanded in the morall law is this that hereby they are manifest enemies to the Law of God I say to the morall law of God Exod. 20. written by the finger of God Exod. 31. â—8 they bewray their enmity in this that they are enemies to the Integrity and perfection thereof they feare they should rune into Iudaisme if they should yeeld obedience to alâ— the tenn commandements for whereas the text saith God spak all thesâ— wâ—â—ds Exo. 20.1 yet these men will reiect some of these words namly all those words which concerne the 7th day Sabbath thus they will not haue as the Prophet Dauid speaketh Psalm 119.6 a respect vnto all Gods commandements But they will serue God by halues and by peeces they will take and leaue where and what they list in Gods law for they will not imbrace and maintaine the whole law of God as God deliuered it but some peeces of it they acknowledg other peeces they renownce and thus they deliuer to the people but a parte of Gods will and but a broken partiall and imperfect law if one parte of Gods law be good for vs Christians is not an other parte of it good also if the greatest parte of Gods law be good for vs is not the whole law and are not all the partes of it good for vs also depriue vs not of the Integrity and perfection of Gods law A 3d absurdety commited by these is this that they foulely contradict themselues by bringing this text Col. 2.16.17 against the Lords Sabbath day for whereas the question betwixt them and mee is solely about the time and day to wit the 7th day this their text which they bring against this day it doth not so much as mention they word day at all for the word dayes in the text Col. 2.16.17 it is not in the originall as you may perceiue by this that our translatoures haue written it in smaler letters the originall hath nothing but the word Sabbaths whereby I gather that rather the Sabbaths then the word day and the time are made a shaddow of Christ now the Hebrew word Sabbath signifying a Rest from labours as they will haue it if any thing therefore be a shaddow of Christ it is this Rest from laboures now they all teach and maintaine that the Rest in the 4th com is morall and perpetuall and yet behold here by this their text Col. 2.16.17 and by their argument out of it they dispute against this Sabbath or Rest for they make it a shaddow of Christ and so abolished and so this Rest it shall be morall ceremoniall perpetuall and yet long since abolished it shall be morall by their Doctrine in the pulpit and ceremoniall by their arguments in Disputation is not this a grosse contradiction for this text Col. 2.16 if it maketh any thing against the 7th day Sabbath it maketh as much if not more against the word Sabbath and Rest as it doth against the day and time which is the thing in question And this I make plaine by this reason also they say that by the word Sabbaths in Col. 2.16.17 is meant all Sabbaths both the weekly and the yeerly Sabbaths which if it be so then looke how largly the word Sabbaths is expounded touching the yeerly Sabbaths so largly this word Sabbaths must be expounded touching the weekly Sabbath for this one word Sabbathes cannot be taken in ij diuerse senses now this word in reference vnto the yeerly Sabbaths doth includ both the time day and also the Rest dueties to be performed in that time and day and so all are abolished as Shaddowes both the Rest and the day iust so it must be touching the weekly Sabbath if it be meant in the word Sabbaths then both the day and the Rest of the day also must be included and so day and Rest must be abolished as shaddowes both A 4th absurdety committed by these enemies to the perfection and integrity of Gods law is this that by bringing this text Col. 2.16.17 or any other text or textes against the Sabbath day commanded in the 4th com hereby they doe nullify vtterly bring to naught the 4th com for whereas the 4th com commandeth the Sanctification of the Sabbath day these men will by this text proue this Sabbath day to be a Shaddow of Christ and so therefore to be abolished whence it must follow that by their doeings the Sabbath day commanded in the 4th com is abolished as a shaddow which being abolished the 4th com is nullified and made as a cipher it commanding iust nothing at all for if these words Sabbath day be a shaddow and abolished then these 10 letters which are in these 2 words may in sense be put away as abolished and in the roome of them put 10 ciphers then whereas the 4th com runeth thus Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it why now according to these patrones of the Lords day it may rune thus Remember the 0000000000 to sanctify it and thus they haue nullified this commandement for you see it now commandeth iust nothing vnlesse they can tell how to proue vnto vs by the virtue of their consequences that God commanded two Sabbath dayes in his 4th com the one vpon the 7th day the other vpon the 8th day suer I am the Iewes neuer knew but one and Christ neuer kept but one and God spake not in his 4th com of Sabbaths in the plurall number but of a Sabbath or the Sabbath in the singular number as but of one singularly and this one Sabbath they haue made a Shaddow and so abolished Finally whereas all Diuines affirme that some time or day in generall for Gods worship is morall and in force by the 4th com if this text Col. 2.16 be vrged against the time and day to wit the Sabbath day in the 4th com then this absurdety also followeth that there is not some time or day for Gods worship morall by the 4th com the reason is because looke what was commanded in the 4th com vnder these words Sabbath day the selfesame is a bolished by Col. 2.16 vnder the same words Sabbath dayes if this text be set against that for these words must haue as large a sense in Col. 2.16 as they haue in Exod. 20.8 and so we shall haue no time morall in the 4th com for Gods worship which is contrary to all Diuines A 5th absurdety which these enemies of the perfection and integrity of Gods law doe fale into by producing this text Col. 2.16.17 or any other text against the 7th
against not onely something in the 10 commandements but also against euery thing in the 10 com againe Hebr. 7.12 Jf the priesthod be changed then of necessity must there be a chang of the Law whence a man might also say something against the whole Law bring Scripture to backe him too but forasmuch as the Law that is the Law Morall is an excellent Rule of our liues a notable Rule for the expounding of other hard darksome places of Scripture therefore we will not be so absurd as to question it least so we fale to question euery thing leaue no certainty in the Scriptures nor any thing that migt be a Rule a light vnto other Scriptures in conclusion be driuen to the Pope againe to determine of the sense of Scripture for vs. So much for this their absurdety that they deny Maximes in Religion and Principles in Diuinity who deny the 7th day Sabbath dispute against it One absurdety more is that they who alleage this text Col. 2.16 or any other against the Sabbath day mentioned in the Morall Law they herein shake hands ioyne with lawlesse Libertines Anabaptistes who doe by these textes oppose Gods Sabbaths so liue profanly without any Sabbath conscience of this diuine ordinance shall wee Protestantes shake hands with Anabaptistes in ouerturning Gods Sabbaths God forbid Thus hauing showne the diuerse sondry grosse absurdeties which they rune into who bring this text Col. 2.16.17 or any other against the Sabbath day written in the Morall Law now in the next place let vs see their arguments out of this text that so we may answer them their arguments are two the one of them is this that by the word Sabbaths or Sabbath daies in this text Col. 2.16 is meant all Sabbath daies vniuersally generally so if all Sabbath daies be abolished then the 7th day Sabbath also is abolished Herevnto I answer there is a Law Morall a Law ceremoniall now when we read that Christ hath abolished the Law of cōmandements Ephe. 2.15 againe that Of necessitie there must be a chang of the Law Heb. 7.12 if any man should presse these textes to the abolishing of all lawes we would answer them by distinguishing of Lawes into Morall ceremoniall saying that these textes doe abolish onely the Law ceremoniall but not the Law Morall So may I answer them in this point for the Sabbath day is a branch of the Morall Law for it is written in the Morall Law commanded in the Morall Law wherefore I answer them by distinguishing thus there be weekly Sabbath daies commanded in the Morall Law there are yeerly Sabbath daies which were neuer written in the Morall Law Leuit. 23.24.39 now this their text may be vnderstod onely of these yeerly ceremoniall Sabbaths not of the Morall weekly Sabbath thus are these two scriptures Exod. 20.8 Col. 2.16 reconciled And whereas they say that all Sabbaths are meante in this text I answer that this all may be meant of the ceremoniall Sabbaths that all those Sabbaths are abolished for there is an all of them for they are many so then we may vnderstād this text to abolish all Sabbaths generally that is the generality of all yeerly Sabbaths since there is a generallity of them or by all we may vnderstand all these Sabbaths excluded the Morall-Law or Tables of stone that is all the Sabbaths written in the ceremoniall Lawes so the 7th day Sabbath is not touched in this text thus you see there is no necessity at all why they should hale in the 7th day Sabbath into this text for a fit distinction may salue all wherefore if they will violently wring the 7th day Sabbath into this text it is wilfully done of them to satisfy some corrupt humour or other you see this text may safely soundly be expounded of the annuall Sabbaths onely without any the least violence offered vnto this text Furthermore I answer it is to be obserued that the Apostle speaking heere of Sabbaths which are a Shaddow he doth not say all Sabbaths vseing the generall particle all but he speaketh indefinitly saying Sabbaths or Sabbath daies without this word all therefore may be vnderstod but of some Sabbath daies particularly It is true indeed that the Apostle speaketh of Sabbath daies in the plurall number but yet it doth not thereof follow that therefore he spake of all Sabbath daies generally ther 's a differēce betwixt a plurality a generality betwene Sabbahts plurally Sabbaths generally for the Apostle may make Sabbaths plurally that is many Sabbaths to be Shaddowes yet not make Sabbaths generally that is all Sabbaths to be Shaddowes for example a man may say the Trees doe shaddow mee and yet all Trees in the world doe not shaddow mee Againe Ministers teach that the bread in the Sacrament is the very body of Christ yet it followeth not that all Ministers doe teach so for protestant Diuines teach the contrary so might Paul say that Sabbaths were a shaddow yet neither say nor thinke that all Sabbaths were a shaddow and thus is their former argument answered By the weaknesse of which argument we may see the weaknesse of their loue to God his ordinance to his Lawes for strong loue would neuer permit them to rase downe to the grownd so honourable an ordinance as Gods Sabbath to oppose Gods Law the 4th com with so weake an argument and what would be the issue if they might obtaine their desires why this Gods Law shall be mangled defaced it shall be denied its integrity perfection it shall be made a Monstre partly morall partly ceremoniall way made for Anabaptistry the floud of prophanesse to flowe in vpon vs by the want of Gods Sabbath An other argument they draw out of this text against the Lords 7th day Sabbath for they are wonderouse eagre vpon it desire exceedingly to find or make if they cannot find something to defeate God his Church of the Sabbath day for this purpose they will faine a necessity vpon it that by Sabbaths in this text we must of necessity vnderstand the 7th day Sabbath for one because say they vnder the words Holy day is meant all the ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths so then vnder the words Sabbath daies must be meante the weekly Sabbaths Herevnto I answer that it cannot be proued that vnder these words Holy day all yeerly Sabbaths are comprised for it may be that none of the yeerly Sabbaths are therin cōprised to make this appeare let it be obserued that the word translated Holy day doeth signify also a feast the words translated in respect may be translated in parte so for these words in respect of an holy day you may haue in roome of them these words in parte of a feast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the text should rune thus Let no man condemne
the reason of the 4th Com. to shew you how they haue nullified made voide that also for they haue made most horrible hauocke with Gods Commandement by reiecting the Saturday Sabbath The body of the 4th Com. is conteined in iij. verses Exod. 20.8.9.10 and I haue showne how these iij. verses of the xx Chapter of Exodus are made voide and nullified and now I come to shew how they haue made frustrate also an other whole verse to wit verse the 11th and so they shall haue filled vp the mesure of their iniquity fulâ— by a sacrilegiouse robbing God of iiij whole verses out of his Morall Law by taking away the key of knowledge from them for I account it all as one to rend iiij verses of sacred Scripture out of the Bible to peruert the sense of them or to turne the sense vse of them into Ciphers That I may shew you how by denying and abolishing the 7th day Sabbath they haue nullified made voide the reason of the 4th Com. also first I will recite the reason for in sixe daies the Lord made the heauen the earth the sea all that in them is and rested the 7th day Therfore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day hallowed it Exod. 20.11 This 11th verse is a reason giuen by Almightie God thereby to perswade vnto the obedience of the 4th Com. The Commandement was this that we should worke vpon those sixe daies which were the first sixe daies from the begining of the Creation that we should rest from labour on the 7th day from the Creation now the reason whereby God would perswade vs herevnto is a reason drawne from his owne example because that in those sixe daies God himselfe laboured and in the same 7th day God himselfe rested yea and therfore hallowed sanctified this 7th day Now what reason can be more liuly then a reason drawne from Gods example what argument can be more moueing with the sonnes daughters of God then an argumeÌ„t fetched from the example of their heauenly fathers but let the oldest man liuing tell me if euer he heard any Minister in the pulpit presse the keeping of the 4th com by this reason which God hath here added vnto his 4th com or let any man tell me if euer he heard the sanctification of the Lords day which is the first day of the weeke pressed by this reason here added by God vnto his 4th com Nay what Minister will not be ashamed to perswade men either to the keeping of the 4th com or to keeping of the Lords day by this reason which heere God hath propounded for we neither worke on those 6 dayes wherin God wrought neither doe we rest on that 7th day wherein God rested for we rest on the 8th day or first day not as God did on the 7th day our Lords day God did not rest on it for our imitation but he laboured on it for our imitation so as there is no correspondency betwixt our Lords day Sabbath our now keeping of the 4th com Gods example reason propounded vnto vs. When did you euer heare any Minister say thus Let vs rest from our laboures on the Lords day because God himselfe as our Patterne rested on the Lords day and let vs sanctify hallow the first day because God blessed sanctified the first day you see how God hath added a most liuely effectuall reason to his 4th com drawne from his owne example to moue vs to rest on the Lords day to sanctify the first day tell me if euer you heard any Minister thus presse this reason Gods example or if yee haue heard any houer aboute it as loath to touch it he hath nicknamed dayes caling the Lords day Sabbath day the 8th or first day the 7th day wherefore because Ministers cannot deuise how to make Gods example and exemplary reason to fit square to our new Sabbath therefore they are mute sileÌ„t touching it and thus you see the reason of the 4th com standeth in our Bibles but for a Cipher men are a shamed to vse it least they should shame themselues is it not a lamentable thing that Ministers are ashamed to deliuer the whole will counsaile of God least thereby they should both shame themselues bewray vnto the people their foule errour in abolishing of Gods Sabbaths for if this reason were vsed men would easily see how wide we are from the marke in keeping the Lords day in conscience of the 4th com when as the very reason of the 4th com would plainly â—each vs that it is the 7th day Sabbath wherein God himselfe rested that we should rest and not on the 8th day Sabbath To summe vp all you haue seene how they that abolish the 7th day Sabbath they haue turned the body of the 4th com into a company of Ciphers this hath bene declared proued many wayes yea they haue also turned the reason to the 4th com into so many words so many Ciphers for it standeth in the booke of God for a mute and is like a blanke in a Lottery no Minister vseing this reason of God before his people to perswade them to the keeping of the Lords day or of the Sabbath day by it So then since they haue not onely nullified the commandement but also made voyde and vselesse the reason annexed to the commandemeÌ„t hereby you see they haue by reiecting Gods hallowed and sanctified time the Saturday Sabbath reiected also the whole 4th com with euery parte and persell of it roote and branch There are not many verses in the Morall Law and behold how of those fewe verses they haue turned into Ciphers made voyde vselesse no lesse then iiij whole verses v. 8.9.10.11 there are not aboue 15 or 16 verses in all the Morall law now whosoeuer reiecteth the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath you see he maketh voyde frustrate no lesse then 4 of those verses it is an errour caling for deepest consideration a speedy reformation Thus much for my 9th argument ARGVM X. My 10th Argument to proue that the 7th day Sabbath mentioned in the law is still in force is because our Sauiour Christ ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law to endure for euer Mat. 5.18 thus it may be framed He that ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law vnto the least letter to last for euer he ratified the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force But Christ ratified the very least thing commanded in the Law vnto the least letter to last for euer Therefore Christ ratified the 7th day Sabbath to be still in force As for the Major or first proposition it is cleere of it selfe for nothing therin can be doubted of for admit that the 7th day Sabbath be the least thing commanded in the Morall Law why then hee that ratified euery thing commanded in the Law vnto the very least
that their conscience was not a fained superstitiouse conscience but a true religiouse conscience for the other things whereof Christ admonisheth them are not fained things but true and reall things as whē he said woe shall be to them which are with child which giue sucke v. 19. This was no fained thing for it was a true euill for women to be put to flie when greate with child or with children sucking on them againe to flie in the winter v. 20. it was no superstitiouse conceipt in Christs Disciples to thinke the winter a very vnseasonable time to flie in but it was so indeed so we are to thinke semblably of their conscience of the Sabbath day that it was no needlesse superstitiouse conceipt in them to thinke it an offence vnto God a breach of the 4th com a grieuouse matter to trauaile on the Sabbath day at what time they should be seruing and worshiping of God and thus much for this obiection The 2d obiection is this that by the word Sabbath mentioned in the text may be meant not the 7th day and weekly Sabbath but some one of their yeerly Sabbaths so then if Christ had ratified any thing in this text it had not beene the 7th day Sabbath but a ceremoniall Sabbath c. and the rather they thinke thus because it is thought that when the Iewes fled out of Ierusalem it was not vpon the 7th day Sabbath but vpon a Festiuall Sabbath But herevnto I reply 1. That it was no yeerly Sabbath whereof Christ spake for the yeerly Sabbaths being all Ceremonies and to be abolished long before that seige of Ierusalem if Christs Disciples had made consciēce of those then their consciences had bene superstitiouse But their conscience was not superstitiouse as hath bene showne therefore the Sabbath whereof Christ spake and they made conscience it was no yeerly ceremoniall Sabbath but the 7th day and weekly Sabbath 2. The word Sabbath when in Scripture it is put absolutly without any addition when the context giueth no light to the contrary it is to be vnderstod of the 7th day weekly Sabbath for this was the most frequent ordenary Sabbath Christs his speeches are to be vnderstod in an ordenary not in an extraordinary sense and of those things which were vsuall rather then of those which were rare seldome As for their reason that it is thought they fled vpon a yeerly Sabbath day not vpon the weekly Sabbath day this proueth not that therefore their conscience was not of the weekly Sabbath day but rather that their conscience was of the weekly Sabbath day for inasmuch as Christ commanded his Disciples to pray that they might not flie vpon a Sabbath day it is to be beleeued that they did pray accordingly further it is to be beleeued that since they prayed at Christs commandement and being Christs Disciples that they prayed in faith and that therefore they obtained their prayer whence it may be collected that they prayed against flight on the weekly 7th day Sabbath because they did not flie on the weekly 7th day Sabbath for God heard their prayer But to thinke they made conscience of a yeerly ceremoniall Sabbath prayed against it and yet were driuen to flie on it is absurdly to suppose that God crosed their prayers and denied their petition And thus much for the 2d obiection The last obiection or rather answer is that by the name Sabbath day Christ might vnderstand the Lords day But why may they not as well say when Christ spake of Winter he meant the Sommer and when in the new Testament there is mention of Circumcision therby may Baptisme be meant where did they euer read the Lords day named Sabbath day in Scripture suer I am the holy Ghost putteth a plaine difference betwixt the Sabbath day the Lords day or first day of the weeke see Mark 16.1.2 Finally who that considereth how Christ his Disciples made the Lords day a trauailing day Luk. 24.13 Could thinke that Christ would not permit his Disciples 50 yeers after to trauaile on the Lords day to saue their liues if by this Sabbath day he meant the Lords day thus much for my eleauenth argument which standeth good against all their obiectiones and gainesayings ARGVM XII My Twelueth last argument to proue that the 7th day Sabbath is still in force is because 1. The Apostles did constantly obserue keepe it after Christs resurrection 2. The primitiue Churches did obserue and keepe it after the dayes of the Apostles for 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ time 3. Our owne Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe it and it may be thus framed That day wich the Apostles of Christ did constantlie obserue and keepe after Christs death and which the primitiue Churches did obserue keepe after the dayes of the Apostles for 300 or 400 yeeres which our owne Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe That day is still in force But the 7th day Sabbath the Apostles of Christ did constantly obserue and keepe after Christs death and the primitiue Churches did obserue and keepe it after the dayes of the Apostles for 300 or 400 yeeres our Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe it Therefore the 7th day Sabbath is still in force As for the Major or first proposition it needeth no proofe so cleere it is it consisteth of 3 branches as you see as for the first of them which is that that day which the Apostles did constantly obserue is still in force or must be our Sabbath day this point must needs be granted me because it is the very position of my aduersaries for they thus argue for their Lords day Sabbath that That day which the Apostles did constātly obserue must be our Sabbath day Wherefore they cannot doubt of my Major Furthermore it may be confirmed by this that we are bound to imitate and follow the practise of the Apostles Be ye followers of mee euen as I am of Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 Therefore that day which the Apostles did constantly keepe that day must be still in force and we must keepe it It is true indeed if that the Apostles had kept a day but now then as once in a moneth or once in a yeere or once in many yeeres as they kept the Lords day then it had not followed But that day which they kept constantly vsually euery weeke weeke by weeke there can be no reason imagined why that day should not be still in vse in the Church No nor can we with a good quiet conscience reiect the constant practise of the Apostles If the example yea the frequent and customary example of the Apostles shall not be auaileable with vs what then will auaile with vs In other cases the very mention of it that S. Paul did so or that
further then so for he falleth to a plaine right downe exhortation and perswasion of Christians to keepe the Sabbath day Let euery one of vs saith hee keepe the Sabbath day What cā bemore plaine had Ignatius esteemed the obseruatiō of the Sabbath day an abolished ceremony as many thinke now a daies or Iudaisme as those of the Laodicean Counsaile thought it who liued 200 yeeres after Ignatius and as many of vs now a dayes iudge it to be he would neuer haue exhorted and perswaded Christianes to the obseruation of it Thus you see that so long as the Church was in its greatest purity and perfection so long it retained in honour the Lords Sabbaths for Ignatius liuing so neere vnto the time of the Apostles he liued in the most flourishing estate of the Church for purity and euen in these so pure times was the Sabbath day in honour vse so continued vntill the Church begane to decline which was 200 yeeres after this time about which time they begane to corrupt the second Command what maruaile if they then also made hauocke of the 4th commandement too but this I say so longe as the primitiue Churches remained in their greatest purity so longe Christians retained the Lords Sabbaths in honour vse thus much for the second branch of my Minor so hitherto we haue proued these two things the former that the Apostles of Christ did constantly obserue the Sabbath day in their time the other that the most pure primitiue Churches which followed the Apostles kept the Sabbath so long as they kept their purity which was 300 or 400 yeeres after Christ now I am come to the third last branch of my Minor The 3d branch of my Minor or second proposition which I am to proue is That our Church doth daily pray to God to incline our heartes to keepe this Sabbath day I shall not neede to goe farre for the proofe of this point for our daily prayers to God euery Sunday or Lords day in the Congregation will confirme it for the Minister as it is ordered by our Church in the booke of Common prayer rehearseth to the whole Assembly the 10. Commandements of Almightie God among the rest hee repeateth the 4th Com. saying Remember the Sahbath day to keepe it holy c. But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. for the Lord rested the 7th day and therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it Now as soone as this Commandement touching the 7th day Sabbath is rehearsed in the audience of the people It is by our Church ordered that the whole Congregation shall herevnto subioyne this deuout prayer Lord haue mercie on vs and incline our heartes to keepe this lawe And thus you see that our Church doth ratify the Sabbath day by praying daily to God to incline our heartes to keepe it But happily some may say our Church doth not intende by this hir prayer to ratify the 7th day Sabbath which is the Iewes Sabbath Herevnto I reply that by this hir prayer she must be vnderstod to pray to God to incline our hearts either to the keeping of the 7th day Sabbath or to the keeping of the Lords day Sabbath now strongly I am perswaded that the Reuerend Bishopes of our Church will not say that the 4th com doth command vs to keepe the Lords day therefore when we pray to God to incline our heartes to the keeping of the 4th com we cannot vnderstand our prayer to be meant of the Lords day for it is not the day caled Lords day which the 4th Com. inioyneth but it is the day called Sabbath day as you see in the Commandement and it is not the Lords day which the Minister pronounceth in reading the 4th com but it is the Sabbath day which he speaketh of neither is it the 8th day or first day of the weeke which the 4th com speaketh of but it is the 7th day and last day of the weeke which the commandement mentioneth neither is it the 8th day or first day of the weeke or Lords day where in God rested at the Creation but it is the 7th day wherein God rested as the Commandement saith neither is it the Lords day which the commandemēt saith God blessed and hallowed but it is the day caled Sabbath day which God blessed and hallowed as the 4th commandement speaketh wherefore when the Minister saith Remember to Sanctify the Sabbath day if then we shall pray thus Lord incline our hearts to keepe the Lords day doe we not so make answer as sometimes deafe men doe who when a man caleth for a knife they bring him the sheath when the Minister telleth the people which day is the Sabbath day saying But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord if then we shall pray thus Lord incline our heartes to keepe the 8th day are we not then like those that come to Church when the Sermon is done that goe to sell comodities the day after the fayer yea were not this to bable with God and to profane this Holy ordinance of prayer when the prayers of the Church cane be taken but ij waies it is a very absurd thing vncharitable for any man to expound them in the worser sense which is a false and absurd sense wherefore since the Lords day cannot be meāt in our publike prayer therefore the Sabbath day must be meante for there is none other but one of these two that can be imagined and thus I haue proued the 3d branch of my Minor to wit that our Church doth pray to God daily to incline our heartes to keepe the Sabbath day so these 3 points are proued 1. That the Apostles kept the Sabbath day 2. That the primitiue Churches after them kept it 3. That our Church daily praieth to God to keepe it wherefore if the constant practise of the Apostles the religiouse practise of the most ancient and primi tiue Churches after the Apostles the daily prayers of our Church will any thing auaile with vs then must we sanctify the 7th day Saturday Sabbath ARGUM. XIII I had thought to haue added no more by way of profe for confirmation of the Sabbath day but further serch hath ministred vnto me more arguments these they are which follow My 13th Argument for confirmation of the 7th Sabbath is because we must imitate God who kept the 7th day Sabbath and thus I frame it Whosoeuer must imitate God in his keeping of the 7th day Sabbath they must keepe the Saturday 7th day Sabbath But we must imitate God in his keeping of tho 7th day Sabbath Therefore wee must keepe the Saturday 7th day Sabbath For the Maior it is cleere for since God kept the Saturday 7th day Sabbath if we must imitate him then must we keepe the same day in order when i◠comes and so doeing
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
make their Lords day Sabbath to become a 7th day so accord to the 4th com they must skip ouer Sunday in their accompt not rekoning it for the first day of the number so begine their rekoning at Monday counting Monday for the first day of the weeke then the Sunday or Lords day following will be a 7th day thus by their distinction cuning iugling together that day which our Church all Churches cales dies octavus the 8th day these haue made it a 7th day that day which the Scriptures cale the first day the same they haue made a 7th day I abhorr with my heart soule to see Gods people thus deluded and his sacred Scripture I meane his 4th com thus abused and made a nose of waxe to be turned hither and thither as the times please I know some are redy to wish I had spent my time better then to haue medled in this point of the Sabbath so in loue they are with their wonted erroures and others haue wished me and my booke hanged vp together with the like so rash is their furiouse zeale for their new Sabbath and so madd they are and enraged against me for discouering this their abhominable abuse both of Gods people and the sacred Scriptures but whither I haue done well or euill in this point and whither they or I doe rather deserue this censure I leaue to the indifferent and vnpartiall reader 3. An other absurdety against this distinction is that if a 7th day may be vnderstod in the 4th commandement indefinitly vncertainly then were not the Iewes tied to sanctify the Saturday Sabbath no more then any other day in the weeke 4. All Translatores both new and old are against them for they constantly translate it the 7th day as the most fit not a 7th day 5. Since there is no more 7th daies then there is Saturdaies in a weeke it is a foolish distinction to talke of a 7th day as if there were or could be more 7th daies in a weeke then one for since our Sunday or Lords day is the first day in a Diuine account as hath bene proued and also in all other approued computationes therefore Saturday following and onely Saturday must be both the 7th day and a 7th day without difference 6. That it must be translated and also expounded of the 7th day to wit Saturday and not of a 7th day vncertainly which day I haue proued it in my Exposition of these words of the 4th com But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord c. Vnto which place I referre my reader 7. The absurdety of this distinction appeareth thus if the word seauenth may be translated a 7th as of a day vncertaine then one and the same word in one and the same commandement should haue diuerse senses for the word seauenth at the latter end of the commandement Exod. 20.11 must be trāslated the 7th as of a day certaine for God rested the 7th day to wit on Saturday Genes 2.3 it is absurd therefore to translate the word seauenth in the former parte of the commandement Exod. 20.10 a 7th as a day vncertaine And so much for this distinction III. A third euasion they haue this is very frequent in all mens mouthes let a man vrge the 4th com for the Saturday Sabbath your answer shall be this One of Seauen the 4th com it inioyneth one day of 7 so they reiect the 7th day and will haue one of 7. Thus they leane vpon this false exposition of the com that by the 7th day is to be vnsterstod one day of the 7 by one of 7 they meane any one of the 7 or some one day of the 7 or other with out difference Thus these enemies to Gods Sabbath doe corrupt the proper sense of the scriptures rather then they will see their old erroures and be take them to a reformation glad they are if they can inuent any thing for the subuersion of this sacred ordinance Gods Sabbath day My first argument against this euasion shall be this that the word Seauenth vsed in the 4th com it is not a Cardinall as they cale it but an Ordinall word of number it noteth but one of that number and its order also as that it is the last for order of that number named thus the Tēth is not any one of the 10 but the last for order of the 10. The fowrth moneth of the yeere it is not any one moneth of the 4 but the last moneth of the 4 so the Seauenth day of the weeke it is not any day of the 7 but the last for order of all the 7. they doe therefore most shamefully corrupt the word of God who when they heare God say But the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord which 7th is the last day of the number or weeke then they will come in with their deuices to defeate God of his day and time saying by the 7th may be meante one of 7 or some one day of the 7 that is as well the first day of the weeke or any other as the last day 2. The absurdety of this answer and exposition may appeare by the like cases The passeouer was by the Law to be eaten vpon the 14th day of the moneth now according to these Expositers of Gods Law a man might haue eaten the passouer vpon one of the 14 daies as on the 5th or 8th or 12th daie and iustifiably too for their Exposition of Gods law is by 14th to vnderstand one of 14 or some one day of the 14 that is any one day of the 14. Againe they were to circumcise a child on the 8th day I say these men that is vpon one or vpon some one of the 8 daies so they might at their choise circumcise a child on the 4th or 6th day of its age thus by their exposititiones they make Gods Lawes of none effect for God made choise of one certaine day aboue all others and these haue made all daies common God would haue the 7th day which is the last of the 7 for his Sabbath but these tell vs one of 7 some one of 7 or any one of the 7 may suffice as if God had not made his choise of the day but left vs the prerogatiue to make the choise good Lord deliuer vs from such Expositers and such Expositiones I could haue borne this griefe with silence as a long time I did if these Antisabbatharians or enemies to Gods Sabbaths would haue taken knowledge of these their erroures in loue and the spirit of meeknesse either in priuate before I printed my former booke or in publike by my former booke but now they maintaine thē with an high hand vtterly cōdēning me protesting against me both in publike and in priuate wherefore I doe the world to know how I abhorre these their vngodly proceedings in abusing Gods people and in corruption the sacred Scriptures 3.
If by the 7th day may be vnderstod one of 7 indifferently theÌ„ might the Iewes haue kept any one day in the weeke without difference for their Sabbath as Sunday Monday or some other but this is absurd to imagine yea a greater absurdety for since all meÌ„ coÌ„fesse that the Iewes with their Prophets Christ himselfe vnderstod by the words Sabbath day one certaine day of the weeke as Saturday if now we will expound the same words in the 4th com of a day vncertaine then shall the words of scripture chang their sense as the times chaÌ„g the same words for 2000. yeeres shall signifie one thing and euer after that an other thing oh manstrouse absurdety 4. If by the 7th day may be vnderstod some one day of the 7 without difference then may we Christianes keepe the Saturday Sabbath againe with the Iewes for this is one day of the 7 but this they hold a fowle errour to keepe the Iewes Sabbath therefore by the 7th day we must not vnderstand one day of the 7 indifferently 5. If by the 7th day in the 4th com be vnderstod one day of 7 then is there no ceremony in the 4th com for if one of 7 be the true exposition of the 4th com it was euer the true sense of it if one of 7 indifferently both was now is the true exposition of the Com. where I pray is the ceremony where is the time which we say was abolished by Christ since the sense of the com is euery way the same now which it was But our new Sabbatharians all say there is a ceremony in the time Therefore is not one of 7 the true sense exposition of the 7th day in the 4th com 6. The 4th com it inioyneth one day of 7 but one one day of 7 to wit the last of the 7 now since they oppose this text Colos 2.16 which abolisheth Sabbaths to the 4th com against that Sabbath there hereby they abolish that one day of 7 in the 4th com how absurd then is it for them to talke of one day of 7 as if still one day of 7 were morall by the 4th com when themselues haue abolished that one day of 7 there commanded by Colos 2.16 they will abolish a thing and yet maintaine it still 7. That by these words in the com the 7th day must be vnderstod the 7th day as of a knowne certaine day and not one of 7 indifferently and indefinitly I haue proued it in my Exposition of the 4th coÌ„ vpon these words But the 7th day is the Sabbath c. whither I referre my Reader and thus much for this euasion that by the 7th day they say may be vnderstod one of seauen or some one day of the 7. IIII. Some seing how hardly they are beset in the former distinctiones haue found out an other new euasion and they seing that these words of the coÌ„ beare so strongly against them to wit But the 7th day is the Sabbath they therfore haue thought it fit to reiect these words alltogether and so all the after parts of 4th com also therefore they answer thus that ther is no more of the 4th com morall but these words at the begining of it Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it and as for all the residue of the com that they reiect altogeather as appurtenances to the com and as application I must confesse I neuer heard any man so impudent saue one M. Greenwood a silenced Minister one of my 10 professed aduersaries and one man more whose name I spare neither would I haue iudged it worth the confutation but that I feare the rest of my aduersaries may be take them to this refuge when they be hardly put too it When I looke vpon this mans answer togeather with those forementioned me thinkes they haue dealt very honourably with Gods Law for they haue not dared to deny any parte of it in right downe termes but this man as they say without feare or witt layes violent hands on Gods Law rendeth or teareth away the greater parte thereof at once me thinke he that makes conscience of a Surplisseâ— should make some conscience of doeing violence to a Morall Law and of denying such a portion of Sacred Scripture I heare indeed of much conscience vsed in other matters I see too little vsed in disputation woe is me that it is so any thing shall be said or done yea Gods Lawes shall be mancled quartered rather then God shall haue his Sabbathes againe But first it is absurd for any man to put asunder what God hath ioyned togeather could any thing be more neerly ioyned to other then the latter parte of the 4th Com. is to the former and yet this man dares sunder them Our Sauiour said that the Law in euery iotâ— tittle of it should last for euer Mat. 5.18 But M. Greenwood saith not onely that some iote or title of it is abolished but also that many letters yea words of it are abolished the Lavv of the 4th Comm. had not one hundreth vvords in it and be hath here reiected aboue Fovvre score of them is that a contrite spirite that trembleth at Gods word Isai 66.2 vvhich reiecteth his vvord 2. The latter parte of the Comm. naming the Seauenth day hath as good right to be Morall as the former parte naming the Sabbath day for like as the Lords day and Sunday be tvvo names both notifying one the same day to vvit our present Sabbath day so are Sabbath day Seauenth day tvvo other names both notâ—fying the Saturday and therfore the Holy Ghost vseth them promiscuously the one for the other for that vvhich in one place is named the Sabbath day as in Exod. 20.11 in an other is named the Seauenth day as in Genes 2.3 Exod. 23.12 Exod. 34.21 yea it is so in one and the same verse Exo 20.11 if therefore the Sabbath day be morall then must the 7th day be morall too 3. As the other commandements haue two partes an affirmatiue and a negatiue so hath this 4th com the affirmatiue you haue in these words Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it The Negatiue you haue expressed also in these words The 7th day is the Sabbath c. in it thou shalt not doe any worke c. Now this man by denying these words he denieth a parte yea the Negatiue parte of the 4th coÌ„ and is it not absurd to imbrace the affirmatiue parte of a commandement and to reiect the negatiue parte thereof yet nothing is so fowle but it may be said to abolish Gods Sabbaths Where is rest commanded and seruile labour forbiddeÌ„ if not in this latter parte of the com take away then this latter parte of the Com. you take away Gods commandement which forbiddeth all seruile laboures on the Sabbath day now shall the duety of rest from labour be morall not that parte of the Com. which expresly inioyneth
Against this distinction J conceiue these things 1. that by the same distinction we may still retaine all those Ceremoniall and anniuersary Sabbaths in Leuit. 23. holding them all morall in force still quoad genus as touching some time to be annually allotted for Gods worship but abolished as touching those speciall dayes quod ad Speciem attinet and so there shall be no more morallity in the 4th com then there is in those Ceremoniall commandements which is iust none at all or else the 4th com shall be euery white as much a Ceremoniall commandement as any of those commandements for those yeerly Sabbaths in Leuit. 23. Yea what morallity shall there be in Gods Sabbath more then is still in the Tabernacle or Temple for hence Diuines collect that some place must be assigned now for Church assemblies and publike worship and they collect no more from Gods Sabbath in the 4th com as namely that some time be allotted now for Gods worship 2. Since that the authores of this distinction doe grant that some day in generall is by the 4th com morall and perpetuall I will proue that that day must be Saturday the 7th day my reason is because the other Sixe dayes are commanded in the 4th com for the dayes of worke and labour Sixe daies thou shalt labour and doe all thou hast to doe Exod. 20. now this commandement of Sixe dayes labour is morall and perpetuall neuer yet altered and so saith M. Perkins in his commentary on the 4th Chap. to the Galatianes v. 9 pag. 286. But the words saith he Sixe daies thou shalt labour c the 7th day is the Sabbath of the Lord c are morall conteine a perpetuall trueth and in his Cases of conscience pag. 106. D. thus This reason made by God to the creature must stand in force till he reuerse it which yet he hath not And further the Sixe daies mentioned in the 4th com are Sunday Monday Tewsday VVednesday Thursday Friday namely those Sixe dayes wherein God himselfe wrought at the Creation Genes 1.5.8.13 c. Exod. 20.11 For Saturday neuer came into the number of the Sixe dayes neither by the commandement did the Iewes obserue or rekone any other daies for those Sixe but these I haue mentioned as I haue proued in my exposition on these words of the 4th com wherefore if one day of the 7 be morall by the 4th com and then the former 6 of those 7 daies be ordeined for worke by the 4th com then it must follow that that one day which is morall by the 4th com is Saturday the 7th day and the last of the number because of all the 7 dayes none is left vacant for a Sabbath but Saturday the 7th day all the other daies being appointed by the 4th com for worke Hereby it appeareth that this distinction is friuolouse saying that some one day is morall by the 4th com in generall but not that particular day which God commanded the Iewes constantly kept 3. That this distinction is absurd I proue it because it ouerturneth one of Gods tenn moralls to wit the 4th com for as for a time or day in generall this is commanded in the 2th com where Gods worship is inioyned for if God must be worshiped then of necessity a time or a day in generall one or other must be allotted therefore so then deny that speciall time to wit Saturday the 7th day and you abolish the 4th com vtterly and grant no more morall in the 4th com but a time in generall and you confound the 2th com with the 4th com make thâ— 4th com a needlesse repetition 4. If some one day in generall be morall by the 4th com and not determined which day then the Church may choose Saturday the Iewish Sabbath day againe But they hold it Iudaisme to keepe Saturday the Iewes Sabbath day Therefore is not some one day in generall vndeterminedly morall inioyned by the 4th com or the Church may appoint the day of Christs Natiuity Christmas day or the daies of Christs passion our Fridayes for Sabbath dayes by the 4th com since the 4th com is holden not to determine the speciall day and time 5. If some one day or some time in generall be all that is morall in the 4th com then are we not tyed to giue God a Sabbath weekly it may suffice if we giue God a day once a moneth one in a yeere or one in 7000 daies for thus there shall be a day and some time in generall allotted for Gods worship and this is an other absurdety whereof this distinction is guilty 6. If one day or some time in geneaall be all that is morall in the 4th commandement so as the speciall day time must be allotted and appointed by the Authority of the Church then this absurdety followeth that this sacred ordinance of Gods sabbath shall be partly Diuine partly humane a mingle mangle for God commands a time man commands the time Yea so one ordinance of God to wit his Sabbath it shall stand by virtue of two seuerall commandements as if one were not enough for it shall stand by the 4th com as it is a time and so commanded of God by the 5th com as it is the time and so commanded by the Magistrate 7. That the absurdety of this distinct on may yet further appeare let it be obserâ—ed the old Sabbath day which was expresly commanded in the 4th com and which the Iewes kept to wit Saturday they say that this speciall time and day was abrogated as appeareth by Exod. 31.13 and by Colos 2.16 and other like textes now they oppose these textes which speake of Sabbath daies not onely vnto those anniuersary Sabbath daies in Leuit. 23. but also to that weekly Sabbath day in the 4th com Exo. 20. and hereby they hold the 7th day Sabbath abolished now I would faine know of them if the word Sabbath in Colos 2.16 be not of as large a sense as the word Sabbath in the 4th com if there be no difference as none they can shew then if followeth that if the Sabbath day in the 4th com be abolished by this text Colos 2.16 which speakes of Sabbath daies then are all Sabbath daies and times in the 4th commandement abolished that both specially and generally for euery aniuersary Sabbath abolished by this text is abolished both generally and specially so then since they apply this text Colos 2.16 against the Sabbath mentioned in the 4th com it is a friuolouse tenet to say the time in the 4th com is morall quod ad genus attinet and to say that by the 4th coÌ„ some day or time in generall onely is morall this cannot be vnlesse it be vainly supposed that the name Sabbath day in the 4th com hath a genus but the same name in Colos 2.16 hath none 8. If onely the time commanded in the 4th com quod ad genus
and leisure To conclude since this Dispensation tendeth to the peace of the Church and also imitateth the Apostles let it obtaine the most fauourable construction that may be at least let it not be racked wrested vncharitably SECT V. I haue reserued this Section to make answer vnto fondry obiections which are framed vpon occation of this Dispensation and these they are which follow OBIECT I. Some obiect thus forasmuch as I am perswaded that the Lords Sabbath is still in force howbeit I am also well perswaded of the trueth of your dispensation yet can I not passe ouer the Sabbath when it cometh profaneing it working vpon it without many great checkes of conscience and much sorrow of heart that I should profane the Lords Sabbath and that too after I know it to be the Lords Sabbath still in force by the 4th commandement thus I am afflicted and pricked in conscience euery weeke now I pray what say you to this is it not a sinne for me to goe against the checkes of my conscience what may I doe in this case For answer herevnto we must know that some checkes of conscience doe arise from the doinge of something which we should not doe and for a man to goe against these it is dangerouse and sinnefull and a note of an harde heart Againe there are some checkes of conscience which arise from the doinge of something which we would not doe and these are not alwayes sinnefull but are notes of a softe heart and tender conscience for they would not doe the things they doe if it were in their power to amend them I will cleere this case by some examples it is lawfull for a man to fly for his life his enemy pursuing him vpon the Sabbath day and it is lawfull for a man to worke in quenching of a fyer on the Sabbath day neuerthelesse a softe heart and tender conscience will be full of prickings in the time of his flight and whilst he is at worke Now the reason hereof is not because these his actions are sinefull but because he doth what he would not doe vpon this day if it could be auoided and because he neglecteth the speciall seruice of God all that time which he would much rather haue bene imployed about Furthermore Dauid when he eat the Sewbread it could not but grieue him that he was cast vpon such necessity as that he must eate that which was not lawfull for him to eate And Dauid when he spared the life of Ioab which he should haue taken away it could not but be a corziue to his conscience so often as he saw that murtherer liue And the Apostles when they obserued those things commanded in the Ceremoniall Law in circumcising shauing the head and the like they knowing that these things were abolished they could not but doe it with checking and vnquiet consciences in some respect and yet these were not euill consciences nor these actiones sinnes but they were markes of softened heartes and tender consciences and so is it with the checkes in conscience which we cannot but haue in some respectes so often as we neglect the Lords Sabbath they are notes of soft heartes tender consciences plainly bewraying that we would much rather Sanctify the Lords Sabbath if it were in our power Furthermore whereas you asked me what you should doe in this case I answer euen all you can doe to the vtmost of your power to get out of this necessity that so you may haue your hearts desire in sanctification of the Lords Sabbaths for no man will lay still vnder a necessity any longer then he needs must a poore man will get out of his pouerty a sicke man out of his sicknesse a prisoner out of prison with all the speed they may Now the way to get out of our necessity is this to labour a generall reformation and that first by instant constant prayer to God and next by divulging this trueth of God as farre as thin occationes and caleing will permit that so it may rune from man to man till at length it may come vnto the Magistrate whose office it is to make reformation and so to loosen thee from thy necessity of profaning the Lords Sabbaths any longer Indeed it is fit we should haue prickes and checkes in conscience all the time we lay in the neglect of the Lords Sabbaths that so we may be thereby often rowsed vp to vse all good meanes possible and speedily for a reformation If God should let vs bequiet in minde we would grow secure with this Dispensation sit downe and take our ease neuer careing what becomes of Gods sacred Sabbaths nor when a reformation were made OBIECT II. Some who are enemies to Gods Sabbaths and friends to the Lords day argue thus forasmuch as the Lords day may be kept for a Sabbath still by virtue of this Dispensation why should we trouble our selues for we haue that alredy let vs keepe vs where we are still for we are well enough But herevnto I answer that you are not well enough for the discouery of this you must note for whom this Dispensation is made vnto whom it doth properly belonge for it belongeth not vnto all men this Dispensation therefore is made for such as are perswaded that the Sabbath day is still in force and therefore doe make a conscience of it who in a case of necessity may keepe the Lords day for it for a season vntill a time of reformation But this Dispensation is not made at all for our newe Sabbatharians who make no conscience of the old Sabbath for to what end should they haue a Dispensation from the old Sabbath who make no conscience at all of it In the Dispensation it is allowed for men to keepe the new Sabbath or Lords day for the old Sabbath and in steade of it for a season which doth imply that they had rather keepe the old Sabbath then the newe that they haue a conscience of the old Sabbath still and that the Lords day is not kept for it selfe sake but for the Sabbaths sake so that it is the Sabbath that hath all the respect and honour the Lords day hath none as for it selfe Now our new Sabbatharians will not keepe the Lords day still in this sense but if they will take any aduantage from our Dispensation and from our keeping the Lords day with them they must keepe it in this sense for in this sense the old Sabbathatians doe keepe the Lords day we honour the Sabbath day as our King and we esteeme the Lords day in its roome but as a deputy that for the time occupieth the place of the King and whom we honour not for his owne sake but for the Kings whose place he possesseth so we honour the Lords day for the Sabbath daies sake which went last before the Lords day and in roome whereof the Lords day stands as a deputy for the present necessity 2.
Wee can by virtue of this Dispensation keepe the Lords day in conscience of and obedience vnto the 4th commandement but you cannot keepe the Lords day in obedience vnto the 4th commandement holding still your owne grownds and reiecting the Sabbath day 3. Whereas you say you are well enough and will keepe you where you are still then know that your good and contentfull condition wherein you rest it is no better then Popish superstition if you thinke hereby to please God in obedience vnto his 4th commandement To conclud let no man flatter himselfe in his keeping the Lords day or new Sabbath because we old Sabbatharians doe keepe it with them for we keepe it in one sense and they in an other we iustify our keeping of it but they can neuer iustify their owne keeping of it holding still their old grownds and opiniones of it we so keepe the Lords day with them as for all that we renownce it for Gods Sabbath and to haue any Diuine institution if any therefore will take aduantage from this Dispensation or incouragment from our keeping the Lords day they must keepe it in our sense as we keepe it and esteeme of it OBIECT III. Yet further our new Sabbatharians obiect thus vnto vs saying you say you keepe the Lords day in place or roome of the Sabbath day well and so doe we too like as we keepe the Lords Supper in roome of the Passeouer so doe we the Lords day in roome of the Sabbath day I answer we say not onely that we keepe the Lords day in roome of the Sabbath but this we add that we keepe it in roome of the Sabbath by way of a change for the Sabbath now here they leaue vs they will not say they keepe the Lords day for the Sabbath day sake for so they should renownce the Lords day and not keepe it for it selfe sake Albeit we keepe the Lords Supper in roome of the Passeouer yet we keepe it not for the Passeouer sake but for its on owne sake or else we should aduance the Passeouer aboue the Lords Supper and so it should not be regarded for it selfe sake For example when the old King is dead then the new King his heier rules in his roome and place and we obey the new King in stead of the old but for his owne sake not for the old Kings sake and in this sense they keepe the new Sabbath in roome of the old Sabbath supposing the old Sabbath to be deade therefore they keepe the Lords day for it selfe sake not for the Sabbaths sake But it is otherwise with vs for when the King goeth to the warres into some forraine Land and leaueth a deputy or viceroy to gouerne in his roome we obey this deputy in the roome indeed of the King but not for his owne sake but for the Kings sake and so wee keepe the Lords day for a time in roome of the Sabbath but for the Sabbaths sake not for its owne sake OBIECT IIII. Some argue thus forasmuch as those which stand so strongly for the old Sabbath doe profane and neglect it themselues and doe by this Dispensation iustify it as warrantable therefore what neede wee to take any care at all of it why should we make any scruples of conscience about it why should we feare to profane it and to worke on it and why should we be in doubt of transgression of the 4th commandement by neglecting it Herevnto I answer greate is the difference betwixt our profanation and neglect of the Sabbath day and the profanation and neglect of it by our new Sabbatharians and therefore it followeth not that they may prophane it as well as we and as safely for we doe profane it in griefe of heart like as Dauid did breake the Law of the Shew-bread and did suffer Ioab to liue and as the Apostles did vse and retaine Ceremonies among beleeuers after they were abolished and as a man laboureth to quench an howse on fyer on the Sabbath day so as we hartely and vâ—fâ—iâ—edly wish it could be otherwise 2. Whilst we profane this day we freely giue God an other day for it by way of exchange as Hezekiah did hereby it appeareth that whilst we profane it by bodily labour in a case of necessity we doe reuerence it honour it highly in our heartes But on the contrary these new Sabbatharians they doe profane the Sabbath without any respect had vnto necessity they profane it voluntarily for they take no griefe of heart at their working on the Sabbath day neither doe they wish it were otherwise and that there were a reformation neither doe they giue God an other day for the Sabbath day but they keepe the Lords day for it selfe onely hateing Gods Sabbath and therefore vaine is their arguing to say they may as well neglect the Sabbath day as we doe Let them know that if our neglect were a sinne it were but a sinne of frailty but their neglect of it is a sinne with an high hand our were but a sinne against our wiles but theirs is a sinne vvith full consent of will nay ours is no sinne for 1. we giue God an other day for it 2. vve profane it but in a case of necessity onely as Dauid did eate the Shew-bread and as men quench an howse on sier on the Sabbath But on the contrary theires is a sinne for they prophane Gods Sabbaths willingly neuer respecting any necessity at all VVherefore let not them beare themselues vpon vs nor thinke to worke vpon the Sabbath day as well as we doe vnlesse they did it with the same minde that vve doe it vvith You know the Israelites went thorough the Red Sea safely for they had a warrant from God so to doe but the Egyptians following them thinking they might as well goe thorough as they were drowned Let no man sooth vp flatter himselfe therefore thinking hee may worke on the Sabbath because wee doe worke on it for it may cost him deere to follow vs vnlesse he be of the same iudgment vvith vs. I verily perswade my selfe that many a man cozeneth himselfe taking heart courage to liue still in the vvant of reformation either of his iudgment or practise in this point because he seeth vs to neglect the keeping of the Sabbath day but let him be admonished in time I dare assure him that he shall be accounted of God for a Sabbath breaker when wee shall be iustified and he shall be arraigned before Gods Tribunall for a weekly transgressour of his 4th commandement when it shall be said vnto vs Well done thou good and faithfull seruant OBIECT V. Some happily may obiect thus it seemeth to vs that Sabbath breaking is a fearefull sinne whilst we reade your exposition vpon the 4th commandement But now since we haue reade your Dispensation it seemeth but a light matter because a man may liue in the weekly breach thereof and yet iustify it too Herevnto I answer I
worship of God and when common and vnhallowed dayes are offred and consecrated vnto God in stead of pure and sanctified dayes Loe how Gods worship is polluted XI Yet further if I shall make it appeare that multitudes I doe not say all are guilty of Idolatry vntill a Reformation cometh then you will say with me it is high time indeed to seeke for a reformation For this purpose you must know that there is as well a puritane Idolatry as a Popish Idolatry for as when A Crucifix the Breaden God the Images of Christ the virgine Mary the rest come in presence instantly Papists vncouer the head and performe much honour in respect of them So no sooner doth the Lords day Sabbath come but forthwith Puritanes vncloth themselues of their base aray and attire themselues in their best apparell and they lay aside all seruile laboures for that time as a profanation of that sacred time and much religiouse honour and deuotion is performed in respect of this daies presence yea greate conscience is made of it Pardon me beloued the sinnes of Gods children must not be clocked neither must I be partiall no neither must I deale ouerly but tell euery man or ranke of men of their sinne without baulking I cale it Puritane Idolatry because these are the greate Patrones thereof That I may discouer it vnto you first we will begine with the word Idolatry this word is a greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is compounded of two wordes the one whereof signifieth an image and likenesse of a thing or an imagination and fiction of the braine the other signifieth honour and reuerence now put both these together and they signify an honour and reuerence of an image and liknesse of a thing or of an imagination and fiction of the braine thus you haue the signification of the word Idolatry Now when diuine and religiouse honour is giuen to a similitude or fiction of the mind then it is a dangerouse matter and when the conscience stands in awe of a similitude or fiction of the braine reuerencing it for a diuine ordinance then it is Idolary Now to apply this The Lords day is this Idoll and they that preach for it and practise it are the Idolaters to make this good you shall see how fitly these may be caled Idolaters and their practise Idolatry first touching that parte of Idolatry which consisteth in imagery liknesse you shall see how like they haue framed the Lords day to the Sabbath day made it a very image similitude liknesse of the Sabbath day consequently an Idoll for 1. They haue giuen the very name the proper name of the Lords Sabbath vnto it for doe they not vsually cale the Sunday or Lords day the Sabbath day 2. They sanctify and keepe the Lords day like vnto the Sabbath day with a resting from all seruile laboures with preaching and prayers and the like 3. they keepe it in conscience of the 4th com like as the Sabbath day was 4. They apply all those textes of Scripture vnto the Lords day which were wont to be applied to the Sabbath day and which indeed are proper to the Sabbath day as Neh. 13.15 Isa 58.13 Math. 12.1.2.3 c. with others behold then if they haue not made the Lords day as like as like may be to the Sabbath day an image or picture cannot be more like a man then they haue framed this Lords day vnto the Sabbath day nay the images similitudes which Papists make of God of Christ or of Saintes are not so like vnto God Christ Saints as this Lords day is made fashoned like the Lords Sabbath day like as idolatrouse Jeroboam made a feast vnto his calues like vnto the feast that was in Iudah 1. King 12.32 so haue these made a new Sabbath like vnto the Lords Sabbath in the Morall Law 2. Touching that other acception of the word where it is taken for an imagination or fiction of the minde or braine And in this sense an Idoll is Nothing as the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 8.4 An Jdoll is nothing in the world that is it is no such thing as it is imagined fansied to be in this sense also the Lords day is an Idoll the obseruers of it are Idolaters their sanctification of it Idolatry for 1. whereas they cale the Lords day Sabbath day it is a mere fiction for they neuer found it so named in the Holy Scriptures 2. That the Lords day should be kept like the Sabbath day with a rest from laboures all day long is an imaginary conceipt for they find no such obseruation of it by Christ nor by his Apostles 3. That the Lords day should be obserued by virtue of the 4th com is not onely a fiction but an absurd foolery 4. That Christ instituted the Lords day is a mere forgery and fansy of mens braine as hath bene formerly showne and thus you see that the Lords day is a mere Idoll or a very Nothing that is nothing but a fansie fiction of mens braine of this day therefore we may say as the Lord said of Ieroboames Moneth which he had consecrated vnto his Idoles that it was the moneth which hee had forged of his owne heart 1 King 12 33. so this Lords day is the Sabbath day which men haue forged of their owne hearts And thus we haue cleered and made apparent the two first things in this Idolatry to wit that the Lords day is an Image and liknesse and that the Lords day is an imagination and fiction or an Idoll and Nothing I come now to the third thing which maketh compleate Idolatry and that is Honour and Reuerence for that is properly Idolatry when religiouse honour and reuerence is attributed vnto Images and similitudes or vnto Imaginations and fictions of the braine or vnto Idoles and Nothing as when men reuerence these as Diuine things and as ordinances of God Now I shall easily demonstrate vnto you that men giue Honour Reuerence vnto this Lords day yea no ciuill honour but diuine religiouse Honour For 1. The patrones of the Lords day they doe esteeme one day aboue an other the Lords day aboue and before any other day in the weeke and that in a religiouse manner thus they honour it by aduancing it aboue all other daies yea by holding the cause of the institutiō of the Lords day to be greater then the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day they must hold that the Lords day is an higher more honourable day then was the Sabbath day for they say that the worke of the Redemption was the cause of the institution of the Lords day now the worke of Redemption they hold to be a greater worke then was the worke of the Creation which was the cause of the institution of the Sabbath day and thus you see they must haue the Lords day in more honour then the Sabbath day was
iustification by the law see Mat. 19.16 17. Rom. 9.31.32 Gal. 4.21 Gal. 5.4 And therefore there is ground enough for vs to say that S. Paul disputed against the law as vrged by some vnto iustification OBIECT II. It is further obiected the law is abolished for S. Paul saith of it if that which is done away was glorious much more that which remaineth is glorious 2 Cor. 3.11 here the Apostle speaketh of the Morall Law for he speaketh of that law which was ingrauen in stones v. 7. and of this law he saith that it is abolished or done away Herevnto I answer 1. That howbeit the text speaketh as if the law were quite abolished in all respectes yet that the Apostle must be vnderstood here to abolish the law only in some respect and to let it stand still in some other respect our aduersaries them selues doe and must hold for they say that the law is abolished in deed to a beleeuer but it stands still to an vnbeleeuer and one vnregenerated for the law serues still to be a scholemaster to bring men to Christ Gal. 3.24 yea they haue no other euasion from all our Scriptures whereby we proue the law to be still in force saue this to answer that those Textes were spoken to a mixed congregation of beleeuers and vnbeleeuers and so the Textes are say they to be vnderstood of the vnbeleeuers â—t is plain therefore that they vrge not this Text for the vtter abolishing of the law wherefore since them selues doe distinguish of the law in what sense it stands still and in what sense it is abolished they must giue vs leaue to distinguish also I answer then vnto this text the law is to be considered either as it through our weaknesse tendeth vnto condemnation or as it sheweth vs light for obseruation now the Apostle speaketh of the law in the former sense and that this is so is manifest in that the Apostle termeth the law a killing letter v. 6. and the ministration of death v. 7. and the ministration of condemnation v. 9. so then the Apostle speaketh of the law as abolished only as it is a killing letter the ministration of death and the ministration of condemnation but not a word here against the law for obseruation and as a rule for our liues OBIECT III. Yet further they obiect to vs the text Gal. 5.22.23 But the fruit of the Spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance against such there is no law here the Apostle freeth the faithfull from the law For answer hereto we must know that as in the poenall lawes of men there are two things the matter of the law and the poenalty of the law so may we consider also two things in Gods law the matter and the poenalty if we respect the matter of the law it is against all vngodlinesse vnrighteousnesse of men and against all vngodly and vnrighteous men for it forbiddeth all sinne and so is against all sinners and against none but sinners wherefore the Apostle considering the faithfull here as righteous men walking in loue peace meeknesse and temperance might well say there is no law against such for the law doth not forbid such things but command them rather the law is not against such persones but for them rather Now in al this the Apostle doth not free these faithfull ones from the observation of the lavv as a rule of liefe he speaketh of no such matter he saith only that the lavv doth not set it selfe against or forbid men loue peace meeknesse and temperance c. 2. The Lavv may be taken for the poenalty of the lavv Ioh. 19.7 2 Cor. 3.6.7.9 Gal. 3.10.12.21 For it threateneth death and so is called a killing letter and the ministration of condemnation novv in this sense as the law is considered in respect vnto the poenalty therof so the faithfull are freed from the lavv indeed and in this sense there is no lavv against the faithfull for there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 so still here is nothing brought against the Lavv for obseruation as a rule of liefe and as a light vnto our feete and lanthorne to our pathes Ps 119.105 OBIECT IV. Againe they obiect that text 1 Tim. 1.9 The law was not made for a righteous man but for the lawlesse and disobedient c. For ansvver vnto this text first me must knovv vvho is a righteous man in S. Pauls accompt this vve shall find in his Epistle to the Romans Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse Rom. 4.3 Rom. 5.1 so then a beleeuer is accounted for a righteous man and this righteous man is freed from condemnation by Christ now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 These things premised I ansvver to this text by the former distinction to vvit that by the lavv is somtime meant the matter of the lavv and somtime the poenalty of the law as hath bene proued now in this place the Apostle may be vnderstood to speake only of the lavv in respect of the poenaltie thereof as it causeth wrath as it is a killing letter as it is the ministratioÌ„ of condemnation now in this sense the law is not giuen to a righteous man for hee is freed from the poenalty and curse of the law by Christ who is made a curse for vs Gal. 3.13 and in this sense the lavv is giuen only to the lawlesse and disobedient to the vngodly and to sinners to murtherers of fathers and mothers c. as the Apostle speaketh Or if by the lavv you vvill vnderstand the matter of the lavv then I answer that the Apostle speaketh of the law with respect vnto iustifiation by it and not with respect of obseruation of it for the lavv is not giuen to a righteous man to iustifie him because he is iustified an other way that is by faith in Christ and so he is become to a righteous man not by the lavv but by faith Thus this text rightly vnderstood it maketh nothing at all against a righteous mans obseruation of the lavv it only freeth him from condemnation by the Lavv or sheweth that he obtaineth not his iustification and righteousnesse by the Lavv. OBIECT V. Againe they obiect an other text Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse vnto euery one that beleeueth Here say they is an end put vnto the lavv by Christ vnto all beleueers I answer it is true indeed there is an end put vnto the lavv for beleeuers but note withall in what respect S. Paul saith an end is put there to for he saith not absolutely ' an end is put to the lavv but respectiuely an end is put vnto the law for righteousnesse that is for iustification for beleeuers are not to seeke for righteousnesse iustification by the law any more but by
it is to be noted that the vvord Euening in Scripture is vsed for the after-noone and so vntill day light befully ended according to our Engelish speech saying good Euen to you Sir when t is past noone and calling them Euening prayers vsed in the Church about 2. or 3. a clocke in the after-noone and so theire Euening Sacrifice in the Temple in the after-noone and in this sense see thes Scriptures Genes 24.11 Mark 15.42 Exod. 29.38.39 Deut. 23.11 Iosh 8.29 Ezra 9.4.5 Ierem. 6.4 Deut. 16.6 Wherefore according to the constant vse of the vvord Euening both amongst vs to this day and also in the Scriptures I wold interpret the word of the after-noone and so vvhereas it is said the Euening and the morning made the first day that is the after-noone and the forenoone made the first day vnderstanding by morning the fore noone as by euening the afternoone I knovv nothing against this interpretation vnlesse it be that some may obiect and say this is to make God put dovvne things misorderly for it had bene better to haue said so the forenoone and the afternoone made the first day rather then so the afternoone and the forenoone made the first day Whereto I answer 1. The darkenesse was for order before the light and yet God put the light before the darknesse in this very fifth verse and God called the light day and the darknesse he called night and why might he not also put the afternoone before the forenoone 2. Why might not God set the afternoone which is the latter before the forenoone which is the former as well as Christ our Sauiour setteth forth the Lord of the vineyard commanding his steward to call the labourers and giue them their hier beginning from the last vnto the first Matt. 20.8 and thus much touching the two formost erroures holding the Sabbath day to beginne at midnight and in the morning so as they will haue a night added to the day or light Now touching the third errour of those who would haue the Sabhath day to begin on the Euening before the day and so to conteine all that night that goeth before the day these seeme to haue many Scriptures to backe them as first Leuit. 23.32 from Euen to Euen shall ye celebrate your Sabbath Herevnto I answer this is a peculiar law for one of the annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths and it therefore concerneth not the weekly morall Sabbath in the fourth comm now we must not draw the law of this ceremoniall Sabbath vpon the morall Sabbath for then 1. must the morall Sabbath be annuall only 2. It must be vpon the teenth day of the moneth without regard had to the day of the vveeke for so it was with this ceremoniall Sabbath 3 It must last one wholl day and a parte of the day before it also for so it vvas vvith that ceremoniall Sabbath it vvas to hold vpon the teenth day and vpon a parte of the nineth day also Leuit. 23.27.32 An other text they produce out of Nehem. 13.19 And it came to passe that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be darke before the Sabbath I commanded that the gates should be shut and charged that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath c. Here say they Nehemiah tooke order for the Sabbath to begin vvhen the gates of Ierusalem began to be darke and this is on the euening Whereto I answer it follovveth not that because the gates vvere commanded to be shut vvhen it began to be darke that this vvas done least that euening should be profaned by buying and selling for it may be very likely that such as came into the citty with their packes of wares and pedds of fish as v. 16. so late in the euening vvhen it vvas almost darke vvould not open their packes that night nor goe into the fish stales in the market place at that time of the day but rather Nehemiah foreseeing that if he permitted them to come into the citty laden so late in the euening that they minded to be at their marketing early the next morning vvherefore to preuent that he shut them out of the citty ouer night but not because the Sabbath began ouer night in the euening 2. I ansvver if the Sabbath day began in the euening at vvhat time Nehemiah caused the gates to be shut in then these absurdeties vvill follovv 1. that they began the Sabbath before it vvas Sabbath and they kept the Sabbath till after it vvas Sabbath for so saith the text that the gates vvere shut in before the Sabbath and that they vvere not opened againe till after the Sabbath 2. If the shutting in of the gates doe declare vnto vs the beginning of the Sabbath so must it declare vnto vs by like reason the end of the Sabbath then this absurdety follovveth that vve must keepe one day and tvvo nights for our Sabbath for so long vvere their gates shut in for if they shut the gates in on fry day tovvards night they opened them not againe on Saturday the Sabbath day tovvards night nor in all likely hoode vntill our Sunday morning so their gates remained shut one day and tvvo nights A third text they produce is Mark. 15.42 And now when the euen was come because it was the preparation that is the day before the Sabbath Hence they collect that the Sabbath began in the euening and that then vvas the preparation of the Sabbath for ansvver hereto vve must knovv that on Saturday the Sabbath day vvherein Christ lay in the graue there vvas tvvo Sabbaths mett together vpon that one day to vvit the morall Saturday and vveekly Sabbath day and also an annuall ceremoniall Sabbath day as Beza Piscator and others affirme this ceremoniall Sabbath day it vvas the 15th day of the moneth the day after the Passouer and by the lavv it vvas a Sabbath day for on it they had an holy conuocation and assembly vvherein they did no seruill vvorke Leuit. 23.6.7 Novv the Ievves keeping their Passeouer on good fryday it vvas the 14th day of the moneth and consequently Saturday vvherein Christ lay in the graue must be the 15th day of the moneth and so it vvas this annuall ceremoniall Sabbath day Novv then here being tvvo Sabbaths on this one day to vvit the morall Sabbath and a ceremoniall Sabbath hence it is that the text may be vnderstood of the ceremoniall Sabbath not of the morall Sabbath and so the preparation spoken of on the euening before may concerne the ceremoniall Sabbath which vvas called the first day of vnleauened bread and indeed vve reade of a preparation that was euer vpon the day before this ceremoniall Sabbath and it was the making ready of a lamb it must be slaine and dressed and rosted before it could be eaten and a conuenient place must be prouided for it to be eaten in Exod. 12.6.8 Luk. 22.8.9.11 yea that this preparation had respect of the two Sabbaths only vnto the ceremoniall
Sabbath is plaine in that it is called the preparation of the Passeouer Ioan. 19.14 rather then the preparation of the Sabbath so this text it concerneth neither the morall Sabbath nor any morall preparation By the way the cleering of this text Mark 15.44 wherein is mention of a preparation before the Sabbath may be vsefull vnto vs to discouer their errour who vrge a preparation on the Eueuing before the Sabbath from this or the like textes as if the Church vvere bound on the euening before the Sabbath day to make a preparation as they call it and to refraine all seruill labours and begin then the sanctification of the Sabbath in holy exercises but this is groundlesse 1. For albeit vve read of a preparation to the ceremoniall Sabbath which stood as hath bene showne in dressing of the lamb for the Passeouer c. yet vve reade not of any preparation to the morall Sabbath enioyned or vsed they erre therefore vvho vvould from this and the like textes collect any such preparation for the Sabbath as to begin it on Saturday at euen all the preparation which God requireth for the morall Sabbath is no more but this to remember it before it cometh and that so as all our seruill vvorkes may be compassed and finished by the end of the sixth day that so nothing may hinder vs from Sanctification of the seuenth day vvhen it commeth Yet further I answere to the text Mark. 15.42 suppose vve that by Sabbath there mentioned be vnderstood the morall Sabbath why then by preparation there spoken of may nothing else be vnderstood but a preparation by finishing of the vvorkes of the sixth day in the sixth day that so no vvorke be left for the seuenth day and for this the context giueth some light by the example of Ioseph of Arimathea v. 43. vvho vpon the sixth day at euen bought fine linnen and tooke Christ from the crosse and embalmed him vvith spices and wrapped him in linnen clothes and laid him into the sepulchre and finally rouled a stone vpon the sepulchre v. 46. Ioh. 19.40 all these vvorkes Ioseph fin shâ—d on the sixth day and so prepared himselfe for the seuenth day the Sabbath day So in vvhich sense soeuer you take it here 's no place for any such preparation as they vrge Yet further this is to be noted that it is one thing to make a preparation for the Sabbath and an other to begin the Sabbath this difference they note not vvho vrge the Sabbath to begin on the euening before the Sabbath day for vve may make prouision and preparation on the day before the Sabbath for the Sabbath by hasting on and contriuing of our vvorks so the day before as no worke may be left to be done on the Sabbath day and yet not begin the Sabbath vntill the next morning Thus we haue done with the confutation of those 3 errours which vrge from the fourth com more then a day for the Sabbath as either all the night foregoing the Sabbath day or all the night coming after the Sabbath day or else halfe of the night foregoing the Sabbath day and halfe of the night following the Sabbath day Before we can conclud this pointe a case of conscience wold be scanned t is this if it be so may some say that the Sabbath day is but the time of light only vvhat shall become of the night then or of that parte of the night to vvit an hovvre two or three before day in the depht of winter in case a man rise so soone and of that parte of the night to vvit tvvo or three howres after candles lighted may men safely employ these times in the ordenary workes of their callings Where vnto I answer in such a case as this wherin God hath left no expresse order Christian prudency and discretion must determine the matter as then in the longest dayes of sommer we giue God no more of the time of light then we can well refraine from rest and sleepe so in the shortest dayes of winter we should in reason and equity as it were by vvay of requitall giue God all that time of the night or darknesse the which we can well spare from rest and sleepe for in the longest dayes we sleepe 2 3 or 4. howres after day light and againe goe to rest one or two howres before day light bedone 2. It is fit we should deale by God in his Sabbath dayes as we deale by our selues on the six working dayes if in any of these we be disposed to rise before day light or to set vp after day be done we spend those times in actiones or workes of the same for kind which we doe in the day which belongeth vnto those times to wit in common laboures and so let vs deale by God in his Sabbaths if vve rise before day and set vp after day let those times be spent in workes sutable to the day to wit in holy exercises But more specially for the time in the morning before it be day since that we must serue God with all our heart and with all our strength in the dueties of his worship and seruice on the Sabbath day it vndeniably follovveth that a man may not fall to the laboures of his calling 2. or 3. hovvres before the Sabbath doth beginne for so the strength of his body is vveakened and the liulinesse and fresh cheerfulnesse of his minde is abated and dulled and the edge of his affections is before hand taken off and blunted and it cannot be doubted buth that God vvold be serued in his Sabbathes with as much liulinesse and cheerefullnesse and strength of body and minde as may or can be the vvhich cannot be if a man spend vp and wast his strength and vigour before hand by labors Wherefore let vs with the Prophet Dauid when vvaking or vp before day seeke God by prayer and the like I preuented saith he the dawning of the morning and cried J hoped in thy word Psal 119.147 It is then a fit time for a Christian to exercise his faith and hope in God and to pray vnto him namely in the morning erly And for the time in the Euening or after the euening after the day besides what hath bene said before in generall this also maybe added in speciall that since there is a time for meditation vpon the vvord of God Psal 119.15 I will meditate in thy preceptes Psal 119.55 I haue remembred thy name O Lord in the night Psal 119.148 Mine eyes preuent the night watches that I might meditate in thy word And Psal 42.8 the Lord will grant his louing kindnesse in the day and in the night will I sing of him c. Since I say there is a time for meditation of Gods word and for singing of Psalmes in priuate what time can be more fit then that time of the night which immediatly followeth the hearing of Gods word in publike for then things are fresh in memory we are to
is abolished Thus hauing proued from their distinctiones that they haue abolished not onely the Lords Sabbaths but also the 4th Com. it selfe I am novv also to proue the same from their obiections vvherby ther profane abuse of Scripture shall appeare in that they so expound Scripture as therby they ouerturne one of the Tenn Morall Lavves the 4th Com. and by that time this be made apparant I trust all that loue God vvill hate their doinges and they that loue Gods Commandements vvill contemne their Expositiones for this purpose I vvill produce you two of ther strongest and maine Textes vvhence they collect their obiections the one is Col. 2.16 Let no man condemne you in meate or drink or in respect of an holy day or of the New Moone or of the Sabbaths vvhere by the word Sabbaths they vvill needs vnderstand the vveekly Sabbath commanded in the 4th Com. and so that shall be abolished in this text as a Shaddovv of Christ The other Text is Exod. 31.13 verily my Sabbaths ye shall keepe for it is a signe betweene me you c. Where say they the vveekly Sabbath mentioned in the 4th comm is made a Signe and so it is abolished Novv from thes two textes and obiections of theirs I gather two arguments as necessarily follovving for the vtter abolition of the 4th com The first is this that if these two textes doe as they say abolish that very Sabbath day vvhere of God spake in his 4th com then are these vvords in the com to vvit the Sabbath day a ceremony and abolished the reason of this consequence is because these vvords Sabbath day in their two textes are in their nature the same and of the same extent vvith the like or same words Sabbath day in the 4th com and it must be so for they oppose thes words Sabbath day in their two textes vnto the like vvords Sabbath day in the 4th com the one to abolish the other This being so I proceed if that these vvords in the 4th com to vvit Sabbath day be a ceremony and abolished then is the 4th com nullified and vtterly ouerthrovvne that this is so I pray looke the text Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it I haue put the vvords in controuersy in a parenthesis as you see novv let thes Ministers take a way those vvords in the parenthesis and you take quiet avvay the very subiect matter of the Lords speech you leaue a roofe with out a foundation God saith Remember the Sabbathday but if now there be no Sabbath day for that it is abolished as they say hovv then shall a man Remember it God commandeth to keepe the Sabbath day Deut. 5.12 but if there be no Sabbath day hovv shall a man keepe it Againe God saith sanctifie it but how shall we sanctify it if it be not vvhat can vve Remember to sanctify a nothing so thus I haue shown that the very commandement the 4th com is vtterly nullified by their obiectiones and made to speake non-sense or a nothing this is my first argument My 2d argument is taken from the vvord Sabbath in their owne sense vse of it for when I vrge thē with the name Sabbath in the 4th com they turne me off vvith this that the Hebrew vvord Sabbath signifieth a Rest in English vvell be it so a Rest let it signify from these two textes then I argue againe thus If the Rest in the 4th com be abolished thē is the 4th com it selfe vtterly abolished but that the Rest in the 4th com is abolished them selues confesse it in their obiected two Textes for in thes Textes is the vvord Sabbath see Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 vvhich vvord Sabbath signifieth a Rest novv they doe oppose the word Sabbath which signifieth a Rest in Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 against the same vvord Sabbath in the 4th comm which signieth a Rest also prouing vnto vs that the Sabbath and Rest in the 4th com is a signe and a shaddovv and so abolished by these Textes Exod. 31. Col. 2. which being so hence it is apparent by their owne vvorke and sense that not onely the Hebrevv vvord Sabbath is an abolished ceremony and shaddovv but also that the Rest vvhich it signifieth is also a ceremony and an abolished shaddovv And so I come to proue the consequence namely that if the Rest in the 4th com be abolished then is the 4th com vtterly and for euer abolished this I make good thus if that Rest from our seruile laboures be abolished vvhich was once in the 4th com commanded then novv vve may labour in our calings not onely on the sixe dayes but also on the 7th day not onely on the vveeke dayes but also on the Sabbath day and if vve may on the Sabbath day be occupied a broad the fieldes after our businesses this doth necessarily exclud all necessity of assembling in the congregation to pray together and praise God togeather for hovv can a man be both a broad and at home in the field and in the Church plovving there and praying heere both together Thus I haue finished my arguments raised out of their two Textes vvherehy I haue proued that from their obiections and expositions there follovveth not onely an abolition of the Lords Sabbaths but also a nullification of Gods 4th com I must needs confesse I can but wonder that there is any Sabbath day at all kept in our Church vvhen I consider of thes common receiued distinctions and obiections for they doe directly ouerturne all force and virtue of the 4th com for the keeping of any day at all as thence and to goe about to raise a Sabbath day out of the Nevv Testament is impossible as shall be shovvne vnlesse some Nevv Scriptures can be found out that be not now in our Bibles wherefore considering these things it must needs be a singular vvorke and prouidence of God to incline the hartes of our Church to giue God a Sabbath vnto this day but it lyeth at the pittes brinke and at the last gaspe the least push of a profane minde vvho spurneth at piety would thrust it in and bury it for euer Thus much be spoken of this vse wherein I haue conuicted these Ministers of the vtter ouerthrow abolishing of the 4th com and that partly by this that they haue abolished that day and time which is prescribed in the 4th com so that now we can not haue the commanded time the Diuine time nor that sanctified time and as good therefore no time But suppose we must haue a time by force of consequence why then haue we for a Diuine time appointed by God an humane time by man and for a time sanctified by God we haue a profane time and vnsanctified and yet for all this this time is not a day nor weekly but an houre in a day once in a mans life or at the best but a Lecture day for a Saabath day thus much for the time Now as
for counsaile aboute the matter and all their vvites frends should be imployed for to find it out as they vvould haue it if it vvere possible but novv the Tyeth of Gods Lavv or a portion of the tieth at least is detayned from God and from themselues by themselues and here they vvill neither runne nor ride nor aske for Counsaile in this case no nor accept vvelcome it vvhen it is brought thrust in to their heades it giues a man to suspect that these loue more vnfeinedly a good liuing then Gods law Nay I cannot but thinke that if I had tendered vnto some Ministers a liuing of 50l. or 60l. a yeere that vpon no better euidence title then in my former booke I tendred them the Lords Sabbaths I cannot thinke I say that any man in the kingdome could wrest it out of their hands In a word these that are so mindelesse of Gods lavv vvhen they are so mindfull of their owne liuings like as God said vnto his people the Iewes when they neglected the building of the Temple yet were diligent to builde themselues houses Is it time for you to dwell in your seiled houses and this house lie waste Hagg. 1.4 So may I say vnto them Is it time for you yee Ministers to enioy your liuings when the Lords Sabbaths lie waste God must haue a rekoning of you for these things This rule being applied to common people will detect them also Is it so that whosoeuer loueth Gods law in trueth he will with all redinesse willingnesse imbrace the knowledge of the vnknowne partes thereof Then if I shall make it appeare that most men are vnwilling to imbrace the knowledge of the vnknovvne partes of Gods lavv it vvill follovv very suspiciously that most men doe not loue the law of God in trueth what euer they say thinke to the contrary Thus I make it good against them The doctrine of Gods Sabbaths is a parte of the lavv it is the vnknovvne part of Gods lavv Novv the knowledge of this being tendered vnto men they bevvray their vnwillingnesse to be taught instructed in it that two wayes the one is in that vvhen the matter cometh to tryall they admit of insufficient Artificiall arguments for they preferr feeble and weake reasons before strong and able reasones the other is in that they admit of insufficient Inartificiall argumēts for they admit and allow of dissallowable and vnsufficient Testimonyes to decide this controuercy by vvhen these two things are made plaine the case vvill goe cleere against them for a foundation first of all suppose we the point in controuercy to wit this vnknowne parte of Gods Law touching his Sabbathes is as disputable contingent questionable as doubtfull as you will in so much as in your very consciences you thinke it may be it may not be a trueth and that it is as likly not to be true as to be true let all this be granted perhaps there is some reason it shold be granted seeing that it is a point not heard of before by common people neither haue they euer spent any time in the study of the point Well be it so I proceed then For the first to vvit that vvhen the point of Gods Sabbaths comes to be argued people yea Ministers also admit of insufficient arguments preferring them before able strong reasons and this shall appeare by comparing together the reasons brought onboth sides the reasons brought for the Lords Sabbaths among others are these 1. Gods expresse Com. Exod. 20.8 Remember the Sabbath day and In it thou shalt not doe any worke 2. Christ ratified it vvhen he vvith so vehement an Asseueration auovvched the duration of euery iot and title of the Lavv vnto the vvorlds end saying Verily I say vnto you vntill heauen earth perish one iote or one title of the Law shall not escape vntill all things be fulfilled And againe whosoeuer therfore shall breake one of these least commandements and teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdome of heauen Mat. 5.18.19 On the other side the reasons brought against Gods Sabbathes by those which are the enemies therof are these Gal. 4.10 ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres c. and Col. 2.16 let no man condemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath dayes Novv let these argumēts on both sides be laid into the ballances they for the Lords Sabbath in to the one ballāce they against the Lords Sabbath in to the other ballance and then iudg thou good Reader vvhither hath the greater weight For breuitysake we wil compare onely these two textes Exo. 20.8 and Col. 2.16 The one thou seest is a Commandement and a Morall Commandement it toucheth the very point in question to vvit the 7th day Sabbath yea that the 4th Com. intendeth the seauenth day Saturday Sabbath is so plaine as vvas it neuer doubted of by any The other thou seest is a dissvvasion from Sabbath dayes indefinitly that is from some Sabbath dayes for the Apostle saith not all Sabbath dayes in generall but Sabbath dayes as of some Sabbath dayes in speciall so then this texte toucheth not the point in question to wit the 7th day Sabbath but other annuall ceremoniall Sabbaths if this Text did make ought against the Morall 7th day Sabbath it must speake of all Sabbathes generally in the largest sense that so the Morall Sabbath might be included condemned too but the text doth not mention the note of generallity all neither is it necessarily to be collected for 1. their owne expositers as Perkins Dod Greenham Elton Ames with diuerse others as shall be shovvne doe limite this text vnto some Sabbaths as vnto the ceremoniall yeerly Sabbaths and. 2. The text giueth light vnto it for it condemneth onely such things as neuer vvere vvrote in the Morall Law as meate and drinke and new moones c. and therefore vve iudge the Sabbaths condemned in this Text to be onely such Sabbaths also as vvere neuer vvrote in the 10 Commandements as their yeerly Sabbaths so the vveekly Sabbaths in the 4th Com. stand still vntoucht by this text 3 suppose vve that the Apostle had spake not onely of Sabbaths plurally but also of Sabbaths generally had vsed the particle all saying all Sabbaths yet vve knovv that the particle all is often times restrained in Scripture is not taken in the largest sense that may be witnesse these Scriptures 1. Cor. 6.12 1. Cor. 9.25 1. Corint 10.23.33 1. Cor. 13.2.7 1. Cor. 15.22 vvhereby vve see that this their text Col. 2.16 may be vnderstood of some Sabbaths onely as namely of the yeerly Sabbaths and so ther 's no necessity it should touch the morall vveekly Sabbaths at all Iudge novv good Reader whither of these two textes are more for the purpose for the 4th com it is vnderstood directly of the 7th
it for a Lecture day if that that is that they preached a Sermon sometimes vpon the Lords day but a lecture day is no Sabbath day 3. I answer if the practise of the Apostles after Christ his Ascention be a sure note that Christ whilst he was vpon the earth gaue the Apostles a Commandement for that practise then surely Christ gaue the Apostles a Commandement to keepe the Saturday Sabbath for Paul Barnabas the Rest with them kept the Saturday Sabbath constantly after Christ his Ascention se for this purpose Act. 13.14.42.44 and Act. 16.13 and Act. 17.2 and Act. 18.4 thus it appeareth by their owne arguments that the Saturday Sabbath is still in force commanded by Christ too yet they will not acknowledge it but oppose it 4. I answer that it is absurd for any to imagine once that Christ gaue his Apostles a commandement for the Lords day for this were to cast a foule blurr on the Apostles that Christ their Master should giue them a Commandement to deliuer vnto the Churches and they shold conceale it wher 's then their fidelity how could they say with Paul Act. 20.27 that they had reuealed the whole counsaile of God kept nothing back vvhen they had kept back a precept for the Lords day Sabbath SECT X. A 5th text out of the New Testament alleaged and abused for the Lords day is 2. Cor. 5.17 and this text as t is vsed by others so it is stifly defended by Mr. Greenwood the words are these If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new Whence he thus argueth what saith he can be plainer to proue that if all things be new then a new day of worship also Hereunto I answer 1. if all things in Christs kingdome be become new then shew me vvhere Christ hath giuen you a new commandement for your nevv Lords day I am suer you can finde none in all the nevv Testament in the steade of the old 4th com 2. They say all things in Christ kingdome are become new yet they vvill needs hau the old 4th com to strengthen their nevv Lords day by it do they not contradict them selues if all things be nevv then let them no more vrge the 4th old com for the Lords day 3. the Isralites vvere commanded to vvorship the true God that by the first old com shevv me then vvhat other God or vvhat nevv God vve must vvorshipp if all things are become nevv 4. S. Iohn saith he wrote no nâ—w commandement but an old commandement vnto them 1. Ioh. 2.7 Paul telleth vs that whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our lerning Ro. 15.4 our Sauiour telleth vs that vntill heauen earth passe one iot or one title of the law shall not escape c. Mat. 5.18 so then all things in Christs kingdome are not become nevv 4. This Text is ignorantly vvrested vnto a sense the which the holy Ghost neuer meant for the holy Ghost speaketh not in this text of old of new lawes ordinances in the Church as if this text were for the abolishing of the old Ceremonies of Circumcision the Passeouer and the like and for the establishing of new ordinances as of Baptisme the Lords Supper the like as they wrest abuse it grosly but it treateth of the old corruptions in men vnregenerate and of new grace in men sanctified and that a man in Christ is not an old man but a new man in conuersation this is the true sense laying open to euery eye and yet for all this they be not ashamed to vvring wrest this portion of Scripture to old Sabbaths to new Sabbaths what a shamefull abuse is this of Scripture me thinkes men that make conscience of other things should also make conscience of this to giue the vvord of God its due and proper sense to report a mans vvords in an other sense then he meant them is in estimation false witnesse bearing a finne of the 9th Com. but to misreport the sacred word of God and to giue such a sense of it as the holy Ghost neuer intended this is a sinne not against man but against God this is to be a false witnesse not against man but against God What haue they no body to father their falshoodes vpon but vpon God the God of trueth vvill not the Lords day be vpholden for a Sabbath vvithout such vile vngodly courses as these SECT XI A 6th Text out of the New Testament alleaged and abused for the Lords day is 1. Cor. 16.2 Vpon the first day of the weeke let euery on of you put aside by himselfe and lay vp as God hath prospered him that then there be no gatherings when I come Loe here say they was a collection for the poore which collection was an ordinance of the Apostle as I haue ordeined in the Churches of Galatia so doe yee Now when there were collections for the poore there must be assemblies and when there were assemblies then there vvere sermons and on those dayes in which were collections for the poore and assemblies sermons those were Sabbath dayes This text M. Yates hath vrged vpon me Herevnto I answer 1. Here you see the foundation of all this argument is from hence that there vvas at Corinth a collection for the poore and that there was also an Assembly if therefore I shall make it appeare that there vvas neither collection nor assembly then you will say this text is grosly abused and that herein is no foundation for any new Sabbath And first touching the assembly that here was no assembly or congregation ordeined by Paul is plaine from the vvords of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apudseipsum reponat or apud se seponat let euery one of you put aside by himselfe the Apostle speaketh not here of putting vp mony in the congregation or assembly but of putting it aside by himselfe Now it is one thing to lay vp mony by a mans selfe and an other to lay it vp with others in an assembly for a man may lay vp mony by himselfe when he is at home alone by himselfe and this is that vvhich the text speaketh of and this is not done in an assembly as they suppose but out of an assembly if here vvere any grownd for them for any assembly the Apostle must haue said Let euery one of you contribute vvith others or in the assembly or let euery one of you put aside from himselfe as men doe to Collectors in the Church but he saith the quite contrary let euery one put aside by himselfe vvherefore this ordinance of Pauls vvas a duety to be done by euery man singlie alone by himselfe at home here then you see is no grownd for any assembly or Congregation Now I come to the collection and I shall make it appeare that Paul made no ordinance here at Corinth
they say the Rest in the Sabbath day is a type of the reft in the Kingdome of Heauen Heb. 4. a signe of Christ Exod. 31.13 Col. 2.16 yet they hold the same Rest to be morall still in force why then may not the 7th day be abolished as a type and yet remaine as a sacred time for Gods worship as a time to exercise mercy in towards poore seruants by releasing them from their laboures wherein they haue bene spent the 6. daies before why I say may not the time remaine still as it is an helpe and a furtherance vnto those morall dueties of rest the worship of God it is to be wondered at to see men goe about to reiect abolish such things as were are in themselues and may be helpes furtherances of Morall dueties A 5th instance shall be the feast of Pentecost or Whit-Sunday which was a Iewish feast day or Sabbath day as you may read in Leuit. 23.15.16.21 it was also a signe or Shadow of Christ to come as you may see Col. 2.16.17 so it was abolished neuerthelesse we Christians doe keepe this feast day sanctify it as a Sabbath day once euery yeere for as Peter did preach vpon the day of Pentecost Act. 2.1.14 so doeth our Church vpon Whit-sunday onely we haue cast of that shaddowish respect which it had amongst the Iewes of being a signe of Christ to come wherefore by the constant practise of our Church it appeareth that a Iewish ceremoniall day may be retained in our Church so be the ceremonies of it be reiected if then pentecost a ceremoniall feast or Sabbath day may be retained in a Christiā Church why may not the 7th day Sabbath also be retained amongst vs yea if it could be proued a signe of Christ to come thus by this instance you see that a Sabbath day may remaine after its significatiue nature or quality be vanished Thus I haue finished my two generall answers the former shewing that the 7th day Sabbath is not spoken of in their text Exod. 31.13 but onely the yeerly Sabbaths the latter shewing that if the 7th day Sabbath were spokē of in their text Ex. 31.13 yet no more is abolished of this Sabbath but its significatiue typicall quality but the absolute nature of the Sabbath consisting of those 5 things foremētioned may still remaine to wit 1. rest 2. holy dueties 3. on the 7th day 4. because God rested on this 7th day sanctified it 5. because God commanded these thinges My third generall answer that I may defēd the morall Law with euery thing therin commanded vnto a iot and title and shune those foule and many absurdeties which my aduersaries rune into is this the Sabbath may be considered naturally orginally so I deny it was any signe for the signe was not put into the 4th com much lesse to its first institution Gen. 2.3 or it may be considered accidentally aduentitiously and so it became a signe after its institution as in Exod. 31.13 so as the signe was but accidentall and extrinsecall to the Sabbath it being added to it many hundreth yeeres after its prime institution and I know not how long after its promulgation on Mount Sinay in this latter sense I yeeld it abolished but in the former I deny it for as the Rocke after it lost its typicalnesse it still remained a Rocke so may the Sabbath after Christ had abolished its typicalnesse which was affixed to it it may still remaine a Sabbath as it was originally at its prime institution it may remaine still as a Sacred time for Gods worship as a fit time to refresh mā beast in spent with former 6 daies labour Thus much for answer vnto this their text Exod. 31.13 wherein we haue bene the larger because they stand so much vpon it as one of their strongest fortes and suerest houldes but how weake you see there remaineth now but one text more of theirs to answer and it is a maine and chiefe one also it followeth in this next section SECT XIX 15thly they fetch an other a maine argumēt against Gods 7th day Sabbath out of this text Col. 2.16.17 Let no man therefore cōdemne you in meate drinke or in respect of an Holy day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbath daies which are a shaddow of things to come but the body is of Christ But before I come to shew you their arguments out of this text against the Sabbath let me first shew you how absurdly they behaue thēselues who would fetch arguments out of this text against Gods Sabbath The first absurdety is this that they doe voluntarily wilfully without any constraint set themselues in opposition to an ancient ordinance of Gods in his Church for this purpose it is to be obserued not onely that the Saturday or 7th day Sabbath was an ordinance of Gods and in high honour in his Church but also that it was one of the most ancient ordinances that euer God established in his Church for this Sabbath day it did not onely obtaine like priuiledges and honour equally with the residue of the Morales deliuered vpon Mount Sinay but also it pleased God to Sanctify this day at the very Creation of the world as we reade Genes 2.3 So God blessed the 7th day sanctified it God did sanctifie this day rested in it making him selfe our presidēt begining this holy Sabbath in his owne person now for any man to oppose any of Gods ordinances wilfully not compelled therevnto is an euill but to oppose so ancient an ordinance as is this Sabbath is a farre greater euill Baptisme and the Lords supper are ancient ordinances in the Church yet are they nothing so ancient as be the Lords Sabbaths whereby you see that these patrones of nouelty are enemies to antiquity I meane those who defend the Lords day for a Sabbath which is a nouill thing they are enemies to the Sabbath day which is a most ancient thing were it some nouelty or new vpstart point in religion which I speake for it were tollerable that they should oppose it but being so ancient an ordinance in Gods Church as that it is backed with the greatest antiquity here to oppose that causlesly is most absurd Were they compelled herevnto or constrained by the vrgeing necessity of some portion of Scripture in the new Testament or more specially were they compelled herevnto by this one text of Scripture Col. 2.16.17 or by any thing therein conteined they might be excused but seing this text as well as all others may be so expounded as it shall not any whit oppose this ancient Sabbath and ordinance of God and seing there is no collection or consequence that is thence deduced against this ordinance of Gods which necessarily must follow from this text therefore they are altogether vnexcusable that oppose it make it so odiouse before the people of God Wherefore their
you in meate drinke or in parte of a feast or of the new moone or of the Sabbath daies c. Now the question is to know what daies are signified by these words in parte of a feast for this purpose looke into Leuit. 23.34.39 where you haue two feastes mentioned either of them were to last 7 daies a peece now the first day of the 7 should be a Sabbath day likewise the 8th day should be a Sabbath day as the text speaketh v. 35.36.39 now forasmuch as the first 7 daies were the whole feast when the first day of those 7 was taken out for a Sabbath day then the 6 daies remaining which went betwen the two Sabbaths these were the parte of a feast and these 6 daies being the parte of that ceremoniall feast these were those which S. Paul might say were a Shaddow of Christ so abolished so now you see what daies they were which S. Paul speaketh of vnder these words translated Holy day which may be translated in parte of a feast hereby is nothing else signified but those 6 festiuall daies which went betwene the two Sabbaths were a parte of the whole feast which lasted by the Law 7 daies so then whereas they would haue all the ceremoniall Sabbaths comprised vnder the words Holy day inconclusion you see ther 's none of them at all comprised in them for the Apostle may be vnderstod to speake onely of those 6 daies which went betwen the 2 Sabbaths but were no Sabbaths themselues so it will not follow that by the word Sabbaths in Colos 2.16.17 must be vnderstood the 7th day Sabbath In conclusion let me shew you what may be vnderstod by these words holy day or in parte of a feast and these words Sabbath dayes by those words holy day or in parte of a feast may be meant those 6 festiuall dayes which went betwen the ij Sabbaths but were no Sabbaths themselues then by those other words in the text Col. 2.6 Sabbath dayes may be meant these ij Sabbath dayes which were the bounds of the 6 festiuall dayes to wit the first day and the 8th day v. 35.36.39 together with all other annuall Sabbath dayes But if this pleaseth not then thus by the words holy day or rather feast you may vnderstand the Apostle to speake of those ij feastes of 7 dayes a peece in v. 34.39 ioyning the first day Sabbath with the following 6 dayes and both these to make vp one feast consisting of 7 dayes onely then these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be translated rather in respect then in parte for the words may be rendered both wayes now if you put the first day Sabbath vnto the 6 festiuall dayes then by these words Sabbath dayes in Col. 2.16 may be vnderstod the 8th day Sabbaths which followed the 7 festiuall dayes and also all other yeerly Sabbaths with it as those mentioned Leuit. 23.7.8.21.24.27.32 Or if this yet pleaseth not for they are hard to please so eagre they are against the Lords Sabbaths then thus if by holy day or feast you will needs vnderstand all dayes both the feastes of 7 dayes a peece and all other single Sabbath dayes forementioned then by the word Sabbaths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Col. 2.16 the Apostle may be vnderstod to speake not of the Sabbath of dayes but of the Sabbaths of yeeres of which you may reade Leuit. 25.4.8.10.11 where you haue mention of the 7th yeere to be kept for a Sabbath likewise of the 50th yeere the yeere of Iubile so in all these wayes the 7th day Sabbath is not spokē of By all which answers it may appeare that it is no impossible thing to reconcile these two Scriptures Exod. 20.8.10 Col. 2.16.17 for it appeareth how many wayes the Apostles words may be taken and still the Sabbath day written in the Morall Law not touched at all by this text Col. 2.16 and are they not wilfull and malitiouse enemies to the perfection of Gods Law to his ordinance the Sabbath day who when the Apostles words may be taken any of these wayes or some of these at least so as Gods morall Sabbath may be preserued but yet none of them will please them but some other vnnecessary sense must needs be violently thrust vpon vs and namly such an one as may perpetually destroy the Lords Sabbath why is there no way to expound one text of Scripture but so as it must ouerthrow an other doe men delight themselues to make collectiones and gather conclusiones out of one portion of Scripture which shall ouerturne for euer that expresly commanded in an other portion of Scripture where is the feare of God all this while and reuerence to his word and ordinances are not these men guilty of the sinne of adding to Gods word Deut. 12.32 of that curse threatened for the same cause Reuel 22.18 for like as they haue added diuerse inventions to that text Exod. 31.13 against Gods Sabbaths so haue they added Gods 7th day Sabbath to this text Col. 2.17 for the ruine of it and they haue added this their invention to S. Pauls words that he spake vniuersally of all Sabbaths when he spake but indefinitly of some Sabbaths Thre things more I haue to add by way of answer vnto this text Col. 2.16 the formost is this that there are reasones in this text why it cannot be that this word Sabbaths should be vnderstod of the Sabbath written in the morall law the former reason is this that all the other things mentioned in this text Col. 2.16 are such things as neuer came into the Morall Law as 1. meate drink 2. holy day or feast 3. new Moones wherefore this giueth vs an hint to conclude that the other thing mentioned in this text namly the Sabbaths should be of like kind to wit such Sabbaths as neuer came into the Morall Law neither for who could thinke that all the other words and things in this text should be pure ceremonies and such as neuer came into the morall law and this one word onely to wit Sabbaths should conteine in it a Morall day and ceremoniall dayes or dayes some whereof were neuer wrote by the finger of God as the yeerly Sabbaths and some such as God wrote with his owne finger in the morall law as the 7th day Sabbath An other reason fetched from the text is this that if in this word Sabbaths they will includ the 7th day Sabbath commanded in the Morall Law then doe they abolish by this text Col. 2.16 Not onely the 7th day and also the Rest but also the very commandement it selfe the 4th com that is abolished vnder these words where it is said that Christ hath Put out the handwriting of ordinances v. 14. In which words the written 4th com is abolished and this I make appeare thus the 16th verse of this second Chapter to the Colossians is a conclusion as you may perceiue by the
difficult way And further let them not dare to liue in the weekly transgression of the 4th com profanation of Gods Sabbath day bearing themselues onely vpon this poore grownd that their Ministers say they may so doe that their Ministers bring many arguments out of the Scripture for the abolishing of Gods Sabbath day since those argumentes as themselues confesse they vnderstand not nor are able to iudge of for want of lerning when they heare or reade them disputed of the Apostle saith whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 If then they cannot comprehend conceiue of the opposit arguments brought against the Sabbath when they are disputed too fro on boths sids how can they worke in their calings on this Sabbath day they cannot doe it of faith they must doe it doubttingly so sinfully wherefore the better easier known way is the surer safer way that is to follow the example of God resting vpon the 7th day because God rested on the 7th day thus much for people I come now vnto Ministers the first thing I lay to their charge is the profanation of the sacred Scriptures and word of God by wresting of many and sondry textes of Scripture against the 4th com and the Lords Sabbath day therein mentioned there are many and sondry textes of Scripture both out of the old Testament out of the new Testament which they abuse against the Lords Sabbath day the particulars whereof you haue heard in all this Chapter hitherto and how vainly impertinently and friuolously they haue vsed them doth euidently appeare by my seueral answers vnto them now doe they not know that one day they shall giue an accompt to God for taking Gods Name in vaine and for vnreuerent tossing of Gods word hither and thither like a Tennise bale yea which is worse they turne the point of Gods sword his word I meane against himselfe setting Scriptures together by the eares for they set aboundance of Scriptures both out of the old and new Testaments against the Lords Sabbath day commanded to be kept by the 4th com like as a man should set abundance of dogges vpon a Beare for they set all these textes of Scripture against this one text of the 4th com now what may be the grownd of all this I cannot deuise any besids this that their minds are forestaled with a preiudice against Gods Sabbaths as that they are Iewish and the like and therefore downe they must and to this end the Scripture must be set against them It hath euer bene the practise of all sober and Godly Diuines to study and endeauor the reconciliation of Scriptures seemeing to make opposition and contradiction but these men are of a contrary Spirit for hauing to doe with Gods tenn commandements and by name the 4th com they cannot abide to heare me speake of a reconciliation and to make a reconcilment betwixt the 4th com Exod. 20.8 and this text Colos 2.16.17 but all their study and invention is how they may make these two portiones of holy writ with others to oppose one an other in the highest manner one to shoulder out an other my indeauors are by a reconciliation to cause an Harmony and sweete accord among the Scriptures that so we may still retaine a most ancient and proffitable ordinance of Gods in the Church but their indeauors are to reiect all reconciliation to cause a iarre and discord in the Scriptures that so they may depriue the Church of God of a most ancient and proffitable ordinance of Gods commanded in his morall Law This is a profane vse and abuse of Scripture to cause it to be at oddes variance with it selfe when as by a reconciliation and fit sense it may be made to agree accord in a swete Harmoney The 2 d thing I lay to the charge of Ministers is that they haue liued a long time in this sinne of Sabbath breaking and transgression of Gods 4th com in their seuerall families the which without vnfeined Repentance wil make them liable vnto all those Curses temporall and eternall thereatened in Gods word against such as liue in the transgression of Gods Lawes And further if still they shall in time to come liue in the wilfull violation of this ordinance of God I giue them hereby to know that they shall be guilty of a weekly sinne against Gods 4th com drawing downe Gods curses vpon themselues and their families euery Saturday or Sabbath day weeke by weeke so long as they so liue This errour touching Gods Sabbath day is not like vnto some other erroures which are erroures in iudgement onely but like vnto those more dangerouse and perniciouse erroures which are erroures both in iudgement and in practise also for you see that such as are erroniously perswaded that this sacred and Sanctified time the 7th day Sabbath is abolished forthwith they fale to an erroniouse practise also to trample vpon Gods Sabbaths by profanation of them openly and by calling them Iewish reprochfully But happily they will reply saying wee doe not throw downe Gods Sabbath but God himselfe doeth it for it is God that hath abolished the 7th day Sabbath and therefore you doe ill to taxe vs for it wherevnto I answer that it is false which they say to father this their owne deede vpon God is an heinouse euill that God hath not done this thing is apparent in asmuch as none of all those Scriptures of Gods which they haue brought against this Sabbath doe necessarily abolish it as you haue seene by my answers vnto them one by one so it is not God then but themselues that haue done it and so I taxe them iustly Yet further Ministers are guilty not onely and alone of the sinne of Sabbath breaking in their owne families but also which is more fearefull they are guilty of the same sinne committed by the people weekly for what 's the cause why the people doe not Sanctify the Sabbath day properlie so called is it not hence because Ministers teach people that it is abolished Iewish and therefore they ought not to keepe it holy the people will lay the load of this sinne vpon their Ministers an other day when God shall rekone with them for it crying out vpon their Teachers who misled them S. Iames telleth vs if some man hath converted an other from his errour he shall saue a soule and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Iam. 5.19.20 If then this be an argument to perswade all men to labour to bring their brethren out of errours because so they shall hide a multitude of sinnes what a terrour then should it be vnto all Ministers to thinke that they haue seduced the people and led them into erroures for thus they haue opened a fountaine of sinnes for euery single person in their congregation Master seruant Mistris maide Parent childe euery one of these doe hereby fale into the sinne of Sabbath
see that our Sauiour would not haue them profane the Sabbath day by their flight vpon it for the further cleering of this point because it is of the greatest consequence I will proue vnto you that when our Sauiour bad them pray against flying on the Sabbath day hee spake it because he would not haue them profane the Sabbath day by that their flight For this purpose note that it is the common opinion of expositers vpon this text that when Christ spake of flight vpon the Sabbath day he spake of it in a religiouse respect this may be yet further confirmed vnto vs if we consider the Author of these words who was Christ who was a Phisitian for the soule all his Doctrine tended to the furtherance of the kingdome of God wherefore all his speeches are if possible to be vnderstod as concerning the soule the kingdome of God but especially when he mentioneth matters of Religion as is the Sabbath day then we cannot but thinke he spake of it in relation to the soule and to the 4th commandement for the furtherance of the kingdome of God the obseruation of the will of his heauenly father shewing what conscience men ought to make of doeing Gods will keeping of his Sabbaths yea the text giueth light herein for why should they pray not to flye in the Winter but because of discomodety of flight then by foulnesse couldnesse of weather c So why not on the Sabbath day but because of incommodiouse trauailing then by reason of the 4th com and mens consciences which is a religiouse respect Nay how can it enter into any mans head to thinke that Christ should command them to pray that they might not flie on the Sabbath day in any other sense then this because he would not haue them profane it and because he would haue the will of his heauenly father reuealed in the 4th com carefully obserued obeied and because he would not haue those his Disciples pollute their consciences with profanation of Gods Sabbath For the yet further cleering of this point let it be noted 1. what is comprised in this word flight suppose Christ had foreteld them that ouer a few yeeres such an house should be on fyer in one of the seauen dayes and had also bidden them pray that they might not be put to quench the fyer on the Sabbath day what could this imply but that Christ would not haue them worke labour moyle toile so on the Sabbath day â—eueÌ„ so it is here for this end consider that this is such a flight as is made out of a citty by the inhabitantes when the enemies haue beseiged it with souldiers as you may see Luk. 21.20.21 Now when the beseiged distressed Cittizens flie out from the violence of their enemies they vsually carry out with them whatsoeuer things of worth they haue in the citty euen as much as possible they can as their young infantes and children their best apparell and other things of price euery man carries forth euen as much as his backe can beare with his safety so that they goe laden out besids they doe not walke at ease as men doe on the Sabbath day for recreation but they flie and trauaile with all possible labour and speede so as the day of their flight it was a day of moyleing and exceeding toyleinge I need not mention the disquiet and distraction of the mind their careing how to saue their owne liues and the liues of their wiues and children how to saue their goods all which disinabled them for and were enemies to the sacred dueties of the Sabbath and the worship of God therein all this neglect and putting by of the sacred dueties of prayer reading heareing conference c. doth necessarily follow the labour of the body by flying on the Sabbath day Thus much is comprised in the word flight so that when our Sauiour bid them pray against flight on the Sabbath day it is all one as if he had bidden them pray that they might not be driuen to carry burdens on the Sabbath day and that they might not be put to laboriouse and painfull trauailes on the Sabbath day 2. Let it be noted that to beare burdens and to trauaile on the Sabbath day were euer accounted for breaches of the 4th com and for profanation of the Sabbath day as you may read plainly in Nehem. 13.15.17 For Nehemiah reproued the Rulers for bearing of burdens on the Sabbath day saying what euill is this that yee doe profane the Sabbath day see also Ioh. 5.10 Exod. 16.29 VVhereby you see it most apparent that when Christ bad them pray against flight on the Sabbath day he meante it that they should pray against profanation of the Sabbath day for these ij are both one to flie carry-burdens on the Sabbath day to profane the Sabbath as you see by Nehemiahs words and what doth the word Prophane signify but to make a thing common what doe they else by flight on the Sabbath but make it a common day to wit a trauailing a labouring day The will of Christ doubtlesse was none other then the will of God in the 4th com that is that his Disciples should be carefull to keepe an holy Rest on the Sabbath day to refraine all seruile laboures according as it is in the 4th com In it thou shalt not doe any worke c. But here I must take away a maine obiection they will be ready to say that it is no profanation of the Sabbath day to trauaile on it in a case of necessity and to flie to saue a mans life as they doe who are beseiged c. Herevnto I answer yis it is a prophanation of the Sabbath for what is it to prophane an Holy thing but to conuert it vnto common vse be it men trauaile to saue their liues yet since trauailing labouring are common workes by trauailing and labouring on the Sabbath day as they doe on common daies they make the Sabbath day a common day and so prophane it neither will it follow that because it is no sinne to trauaile on the Sabbath in a case of necessity therefore it is no prophanation of the Sabbath for God hath permitted vs to prophane make common the Sabbath in a case of necessity and so prophanation of it is no sinne as otherwise it would haue bene the prophanation remaines still but it is no sinfull prophanation 2. The consideration of this obiection doth strengthen my argument for if our Sauiour would not haue men to flie trauaile worke on the Sabbath day no not to saue their liues if possibly by means of prayer they might auoid it much lesse would he haue men doe any worke on the Sabbath when there is no necessity and in a common case it is a signe that Christ was maruailously zealouse of his fathers Sabbaths to haue them religiously carefully sanctified after his death when he
the Sabbath now will it hence follow that because God teld the Israelites in Leuit. 23.3 that the 7th day was the Sabbath therfore the Israelites were ignorant of the Sabbath before Againe in their owne text Exod. 16.25 Moses said eate that to day for to day is a Sabbath vnto the Lord c. will it hence follow that because Moses teld the Jsraelites that that day present was the Lords Sabbath therefore they knew not so much before the contrary is plaine but two verses before For in Exod. 16.23 Moses had teld them ouer night or the day before that on the morrow should be the Sabbath day The text therfore is not to be vnderstod as if Moses had informed them of the Sabbath day whereof they were before ignoraÌ„nt but that he informed theÌ„ what they should doe with their Manna on the Sabbath day whereof they were ignorant before for this see the context in v. 19. Moses had said that no maÌ„ should leaue of their Manna till the morning now since on the 6th day they had gathered enough for that day and for the next day v. 22. the Rulers could not tell what to doe with this ouerplus for Moses had said they should keepe none vntil the next day therfore the rulers came vnto Moses for counsaile in this matter v. 22 herevpon Moses informeth theÌ„ what they should doe with their ouerplus of Maâ—nâ— on the Sabbath day v. 23. saying to morrow it being the Sabbath day let the ouerplus be laid vp vntill then or vntill the morning v. 23. so whereas in v. 19. Moses had said they should not lay vp any Manna till the morning he doth here expound himselfe in v. 23. as if he had said that precept was but for the 6 dayes onely not for the Sabbath day for this is excepted they might lay vp Manna vntill the Sabbath day morning though not vnto other mornings Thus you see this text clered and nothing for their purpose II. Againe they reason against the Antiquity of the Sabbath from Exod. 31.13 where the Sabbath was made a signe betwixt God and the Israelites whence they thus reason that if the Sabbath had bene from the Creation it had bene no more a signe vnto the Israelits then vnto the Gentiles c. I answer if the Sabbath had bene a signe from the Creation as it was a Sabbath from the Creation as this argument falsly supposeth the argument had had more culler it cannot be proued that the Sabbath was made a signe from its first institution no more then the Rocke was a signe from its first Creation 1. Cor. 10.4 The Sabbath became a signe but after the giuing of the Law as we see Exod. 31.13 The signe was but aduentitiouse added to the Sabbath after its institution wherefore the Sabbath if it had bene a signe from the Creation then it should haue bene a signe as well vnto Gentiles as vnto Iewes but it being made a signe among the Iewes onely it might be a signe vnto Iewes and none vnto Gentiles since therefore the Sabbath was not a signe originally as it was when it made a difference betwixt Iewes and Gentiles this argument is of no force III. Againe they reason thus If the Sabbath had bene from the Creation and so vnto all people the Lord would haue reproued the Gentiles for prophaning of his Sabbaths as well as the Iewes But God no where reproued the Gentiles but onely the Iewes c. I answer forasmuch as the Law written in the heart begane to be obliterated before the giuing of the Law therefore the Gentiles might be ignorant of Gods Sabbaths so God in mercy might spare them The time of this ignorance God regarded not saith Paul Act. 17.30 The Iewes hauing a cleerer light then the Gentiles they were the more obnoxious and these the lesse 2. whereas they say that God no where reproued the Gentiles for Sabbath breaking how know they this since all things done among the Jewes were not written much lesse the things done among the Gentiles 3. by the like absurd reasoÌ„ing we may proue that other of the moralls were not from the Creation because God neuer reproued the Gentiles for the breach of them neither So much for this argument IIII. Lastly they argue from Deut. 5.2.3 where Moses saith The Lord made not this Couenant with our fathers but with vs who are aliue this day c. Here Moses speaking of the Couenant of the Morall Law saith it was not made with their forefathers and so the Sabbath which was a part of this couenant was not from the Creation I answer 1. if these words be taken properly then they will make as much against the antiquity of the wholl Morall Law as against Gods Holy Sabbath now it is manifest that the Morall Law was more ancient then the giuing of the Law on Mount Sinay for we read of diuerse parts thereof in the booke of Genesis 2. whereas Moses said the Lord made this Couenant with them aliue onely in Horeb v. 2. it is manifest that it was not onely made in Horeb but before for we reade of one branch of this couenant made at least a moneth before in the wildernesse of Sin that was for the keeping of Gods holy Sabbath as it is there caled Exod. 16.23.28 for these causes an other sense of the text must be giuen thus therfore it may be vnderstod that the Lord made not that couenant with their fathers that is not with them so expresly and apparently with such terrour and such maiestie as with those aliue at the giuing of the Law like textes requiring like expositions see Eph. 6.7 Psal 51.16 Ierem. 31.34 Thus we see this text maketh nothing against the Sabbaths antiquity these are the chiefe reasones alleaged by Gomarus against the antiquity of the Sabbath in his booke de origine Sabbathi and how weakly you haue seene Thus you haue heard of the reasones against the Antiquity of the Sabbath and now we come vnto the reasons for the Antiquity thereof touching which let this be noted that I doe not determine whither the Sabbath was instituted in Paradise before mans fall or instantly immediatly after mans fall and so I proceed I. My first reason is drawne out of these words So God blessed the 7th day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his worke which God created and made Genes 2.3 after that God had created the world in 6 daies on the 7th day and so euer after he rested from that worke in memory whereof God blessed the 7th day sanctified it that is God consecrated the 7th day by consecrating it he instituted the 7th day aboue all the daies in the weeke for an holy day for to sanctify consecrate a day to hallow a day to make a day to be an Holy day I take to be all one Now the question may be whither God did sanctify this day for himselfe