of Christs Resurrection upon the noise whereof for they were commanded to carry word of it to his Disciples the Apostles as it seemes were gathered together and in the evening after hee had shewed himselfe to his Disciplcs going to Emaus Christ presented himselfe in the midst of them Eight dayes after they were met together and Thomas with them who being absent the time before gave out sperches of peremptory incredulity concerning his Resurrection therefore then and not till then also the dores being shut Christ came before them and calls unto Thomas to see his hand and to put his singer into his side These apparitions of our Saviour twice on the first day of the weeke might well adde somewhat to the confirmation of them in the festivity of this day and howsoever betweene his ascension and the day of Pentecost they had their meetings yet how improbable is it they should put no difference betweene such a festivall and other dayes of the weeke A second answer Walaeus gives namely that others say that from the day of Pentecost it was not necessary that the Lords Day should bee observed but that at the first the Apostles together with the Jewes observed their Sabbath not as a ceremony of the Old Testament but as a free circumstance of divine worship as for a while they reteyned Circumcision and difference of meats which they gave over after the Jewes were found obstinately to refuse the Gospell So that in these mens judgements the Lords Day was no festivall to the Apostles till by occasion of the Jewes obstinatenesse a proper occasion for the institution of a new festivall And give mee leave to differ from them in yoking Circumcision and difference of meats with the Jewes Sabbath neither of them prefiguring Christ as to come like as the Jewes Sabbath did prefiguring his rest that day in the grave as the ancients have conceived it without any contradiction that I know Had they permitted sacrifices for a time their comparison had beene more congruous I see no reason to withhold me from concurring with Austin and in him with all the ancients for ought I know to the contrary that Dies Dominicus Resurrectione Domini declaratus est Christianis ex illo coepit habere festivitatem suam yea with the very words of Scripture Psal 118.22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head of the corner 23. This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Neither is it credible to mee that the Apostles were ignorant of it or of its application the day of Christs Resurrection from the very day thereof Heresbachius upon these words Haec dies quam fecit dominus They are saith hee the words of the people exulting in the Kingdome of David most of all of the glorious Resurrection of Christ which of all others was most glorious to mankinde as whereon Christ redeemed us in a triumphant manner from the Tyarnny of Satan and from everlasting death and restored unto us everlasting righteousnesse Arnobius interprets it of the Lords Day Eightly the last argument and which hee acknowledgeth of greatest moment is that which is taken out of Apoc. 1.10 Where the first day of the weeke is called the Lords Day whence they conclude that it is of the Lords institution And indeed Doctor Andrewes Bishop of Winchester in his Starre Camber speech professeth that this denomination is given onely to the first day of the weeke as called in Scripture the Lords day and to the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ as called the Lords Supper and that to shew that the word Dominicum the Lords is to bee taken alike in both In the same sense wee call the Prayer which our Savious taught his Disciples the Lords Prayer But let us heare Walaeus his answer that we may consider it This consequence saith hee is not necessary for it may bee called the Lords not onely that which is of his institution but even that which is made to the remembrance or in the honour of him or for his worship as the ancients speake as the altar of the Lord and feast of the Lord are often so called And that in this sence it was taken of the ancients it appeares by this that the ancient Fathers both Greeke and Latine called Temples by the name of Dominica and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That which wee urge is the language of the Holy Ghost now throughout the holy Scripture it is not the language of the Holy Ghost to call either Altars the Lords Altars or Feasts the Lords Feasts but such as are of the Lords institution Neither doe the fathers in my observation call the first day of the weeke the Lords day otherwise then in reference to Christs Resurrection as the cause of the festivall nature thereof Temples indeed they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as consecrated to the Lord but the denomination is not to distinguish it from other Temples as the Lords Day hath its denomination to distinguish it from other dayes But the day of Christs Resurrection being called the Lords Day not as such a day in the yeare but as such a day in the weeke this to my understanding doth manifestly inferre the succession of it into the place of the Lords day of the weeke amongst the Jewes Both ancient and moderne Divines doe hold it lawfull to consecrate other dayes to the service of of God such as wee usually call holy dayes But never any man I thinke was found that durst call any of them Diem dominicum the Lords Day Adde to this wherefore doth our Saviour say that the sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath but plainely to conclude herence that hee can dispense with it hee can abrogate it and bring another into the place of it and none hath power for this but hee who is Lord of the Sabbath Lastly when he saith pray that your flight be not in the winter nor on the Sabbath day what is the reason hereof but religio Sabbati as all confesse the religious observation of the Sabbath and did they understand any other religion of the Sabbath but as from Divine institution Now the time concerning which our Saviour delivers this now about the destruction of the Temple by Titus Sect. 6. after that no other Sabbath but of the Lords Day was generally established in the Churches Last of all for the third and last conclusion Pref. that still the Church hath power to change the day our Doctor in the 7. Section bringeth in Bullinger Bucer Brentius Vrsinus and Chemnitius aliisque nostris with divers others not named particularly as they are which thinke no otherwise thereof then Calvin did and shewes by what distinction Suarez though otherwise no friend unto the men doth defend their Doctrine Now as the doctrine was such also is the practise of those men and Churches devoid of
and in breaking bread Act. 2. and 5. and 1 Cor. 5. Now we willingly acknowledge that we Christians are not so bound to one day in the weeke as namely to the Lords Day as that we may not have our holy assemblies more often than once but onely so that we may not keep them lesse often nor omit the celebration of the Lords Day like as the Jews might not omit the celebration of their weekely Sabbath though sometimes many dayes together besides were kept holy by them So we Christians also having our Sabbath as our Saviour signified we should have when he said Pray that your flight be not in the Winter nor on the Sabbath day which Sabbath of ours wee keepe on the Lords Day though we may keep other days holy yet we may not omit this and if any shall take upon them to alter this Sabbath we may be bold to demand of them quo warranto by what warrant from the Lord of Sabbath But Chemnitius proceeds thus Now whereas afterwards the false Apostles did so urge those free observations of the Mosaicall Sabbath and other feasts as by law and with opinion of necessity as to condemne their consciences who observed them not Paul forbad the observation of them All which we willingly acknowledge but that hereupon they began first to ordaine another day in the weeke for their Ecclesiasticall assemblies and exercises of piety which yet Chemnitius proves not I leave it to the indifferent to judge by comparing his opinion with that of Austins who professeth as Chemnitius well knew that the Lords Day was declared unto Christians by the Lords resurrection and from thence began to have its festivity alleged by Chemnitius himselfe p. 156. especially considering the reason moving thē hereunto which Chemnitius confesseth to have been on that day the Lord role from the dead And seeing all festivals as Bishop Lake observes have beene observed in regard of some great worke done on such a day for the good of man whether ever any day brought forth a more wonderfull or more comfortable worke to mankind than the first day of the weeke which was the day of our Saviours resurrection from the dead let the Christian world judge This day Chemnitius saith seems to be called by Saint Iohn the Lords Day which appellation all antiquity did afterwards retaine and use yet notwithstanding saith he we doe not read that the Apostles did impose upon mens consciences in the new Testament the observation of that day by any Law or Precept but the observation was free for order sake Let us duly weigh and consider this together with the reasons following Calvine distinguisheth the observation of a day for order sake and the observation of a day for some mysterious signification sake had Chemnitius thus distinguished we would have subscribed thereunto and confessed that now adayes wee observe no day for any mysterious signification sake but onely for order sake And thus under the Gospel wee are freed from observation of daies for mysteries sake not free from observation of one certaine day in the weeke for order sake At for his phrase of imposing the observation of the Lords day upon mens consciences this phrase is most improper and unseasonable in this case it is onely proper and seasonable in case the thing imposed be of a burthensome nature like unto that Saint Peter speakes of Acts 15.10 saying Now therefore why tempt yee God to lay a yoke on the Disciples neckes which neither our Fathers nor we were able to beare Such indeed was the yoke of circumcision which provoked Zippora according to common opinion driven to circumcise her sonne to save her husbands life to throw the fore-skin at her husbands feet calling him a bloody husband for urging her thereunto But what burthen is it save unto the flesh to rejoyce in the Lord to sabbatize with him to walke with him in holy meditation Was it no burthen to the godly Jewes to consecrate one day in seaven to the exercises of Piety under the Law and shall it bee a burthen to us in the time of the Gospell Or can it bee conceaved to bee a greater burthen unto us to keepe our Christian Sabbath on the Lords Day then on any other day of the weeke was there ever any day of the weeke markt out unto us with a more honourable or more wonderfull worke to draw us to rejoyce in the Lord thereon then the first day of the weeke whereon our Saviour rose by his Resurrection to bring life and immortality to light yet we confesse we reade of no Law nor Precept for this in the new Testament but we reade that ever under the Gospell wee must have a Sabbath to observe Math. 24.20 And wee know and Chemnitius knew full well that it belongs to the Lord of the Sabbath to change it and consequently to ordaine it and that it was changed and the Lords Day observed generally in the Apostles dayes none that I know makes question of and how could thi◠bee but by the Apostles ordinance and is it likely they would take upon them this authority without a calling And why should that day of the weeke and not that day of the yeare bee called the Lords Day if not for the same use under the Gospell that the Lords Day was of under the Law especially that day under the Law which was the Jewes Sabbath being now abrogated and lastly wee finde it manifestly spoken of the day of Christs Resurrection Psal 118.24 This is the day that the Lord hath made let us rejoyce and be glad in it yet lastly wheras Chemnitius will have it free and hee hath already manifested that hee speakes of it in this sense as not to be so tied to this day but that we may observe other dayes wee willingly grant that in this sense it is free Now let us consider his reason following For saith hee if we are freed from the Elements which by God himselfe in the old Testament were ordained and commanded how should we be tyed by the decrees of men But alas this reason of his hath no proportion the Elements hee speakes of were but shaddowes the body whereof is Christ and now Christ is revealed they were wont to bee called not onely Mortua but mortifera Yet the observation of one day in seven still continues to bee the Commandement of God delivered not to Moses as ceremonies were but by word of mouth proclaimed on mount Sina and naturall reason suggests unto us that wee must allow unto Gods service as good a proportion of time under the Gospell as hee required of the Jewes under the Law Now if one day in seven must bee set apart in common reason what day is to bee preferred for this before the Lords Day the day of Christs rest from the worke of redemption in suffering the sorrows of death as the day of the Lords rest from the Creation was appointed to the Jewes for their Sabbath And this Resurrection of
a festivall unto him when hee calleth us thereunto lest otherwise it prove out of season when it is begun a long time after and utterly neglected upon the fresh memory thereof Wee reade that when the Ilienses inhabitants of Ilium called anciently by the name of Troy sent an Embassage to Tiberius to condole the death of his Father Augustus hee considering the unseasonablenesse thereof it being a long time after his death requited them accordingly saying that hee was sorry for their heavinesse also having lost so renowned a Knight as Hector was to wit above a thousand years before in the warres of Troy Surely when in the fourth Commandement and in the reason given it is sayd For in six dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it it stands with far better reason to conceave the meaning hereof in reference to time past thus therefore the Lord commanded the sanctification of it 2500 yeares before then to understand Moses words Gen. 2.3 Therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and sanctified it in reference to the time to come thus therefore the Lord commanded that seventh day to be sanctified 2500 yeares after And observe I pray the forme of words in the fourth Commandement when it is sayd Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it not of the time present that hee now doth blesse it and sanctify it but of the time past therefore hee did blesse it and sanctifie it and when I pray but immediately from the Creation that very day whereon hee first rested and consequently that very day he commanded the seventh day to be sanctified for to sanctifie the day is to command the sanctification of it as is confessed otherwise there were no place to plead anticipation And that the phrase of speech must signifie Gods Command for the sanctification of it I have already proved As for the Fathers affirming that the ancient Patriarches did not observe the Sabbath albeit their authority is of no force to countervaile so manifest evidence both of Scripture it selfe and of the reason drawne from the division of time into weekes even from the creation and so continued unto the Jewes in the very dayes of Moses Yet I may be bold to say we have better authority from the ancients for justifying of our cause than our adversaries have for theirs Walaeus hath represented Chrysostome Theophilus Antiochenus Austin Theodor maintaining that the justification of the Sabbath hath beene from the Creation To these Rivelies addes Tertullian as of the same mind howsoever alleged on the adversaries part And he also acknowledgeth the Jewes to be of the same opinion Beda is alleged indeed by Pererius as on the part of Tostatus but no such thing appeares in his Hexameron but rather expressely the contrary his words being these of the Sabbath semper celebrari solebat as I have shewed in my answer to the preface Sect. 1. Where also are represented the testimonies of Athanasius and Epiphanius as maintaining the institution of the Sabbath to have beene from the Creation which also hath beene shewed to have beene the opinion of Philo and Iosephus and divers of the Jewish Rabbins and of the author of the Chaldee Paraphrase upon the Psalms and of divers others In Psalm 29. Againe concerning the passages alleged out of some Fathers to the contrary not onely Hospinian answereth that those proceed of the rigorous observation of the Sabbath but Iacobus Salianus a Papist in particular thus interpreteth Tertullian and Tertullian must be in some such sense understood as namely either of observation of other Sabbaths in use among the Jewes or of the rigorous observation of the Jewish Sabbath or of the Jewish manner in observing it by particular sacrifices appointed for that day for as much as he clearely professeth that the Sabbath day was à primordio sanctus as Rivetus sheweth and that the other Fathers which are but foure truly alleged are to be interpreted by some such manner I have endeavoured to evince by divers reasons in my answer to the Preface Sect. 1. And though some are willing to admit that of Torniellus that in the accomplishment of the Creation the Angels did observe the Sabbath provided he recompence them in this particular now in question and adde that the observance of it here upon the earth was not till many ages after Yet this naked authority being little worth his reason is so weake in the former that we have cause to suspect it will not prove any thing stronger in the latter though I should have beene content to afford it due consideration had it been proposed As for the Angels singing and shouting for joy this was performed as Torritallus acknowledgeth the day wherein the foundation of the earth was laid which undoubtedly could not be after the first day of the creation For if the foundation of the earth was not laid then when the Lord said that it was without forme and voyd and the waters covered it I cannot devise when it should be It is granted that it may be probably conjectured that the sanctification of the Sabbath was before the Law as concurring herein with Calvin but that Calvin saith that no more is not proved neither is that passage exhibited wherein Calvin should deliver his mind so coldly thereof but Calvin in his harmony upon the foure bookes of Moses and on the fourth Precept is expresse that Diem septimū sibi sumpsit Deus ac consecravit completa mundi creatione that God assumed and consecrated the seventh day unto himselfe upon the finishing of the worlds creation And it is enough for us that then it was instituted and hereupon let every sober reader judge whether it be not more then probable that the holy Patriarches at least observed it Neither doe we affect that any man should rest satisfied with our conjectures but let our reasons be considered and the plaine Text of Scripture professing that because God rested the seventh day Sect. 3. therefore hee blessed the seventh day and sanctified it and let them yeeld thereunto no more in this particular then whereof it doth convince a man in conscience Yet who those late Writers be who are so unsatisfied in this point I know not well I verily thinke they are very few Protestants Gomarus as I remember allegeth but two Vatablus and Musculus whereas Walaeus and Rivetus between them have alleged no lesse than thirty maintaining the contrary As for the Papists we shall take notice of them in the next Section It is confessed that this proofe is good God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it therefore he commanded it to be kept holy by his people The sanctifying of the day in the true notion thereof being nothing but Gods commanding man to sanctifie it which yet if any man deny I appeale to my former argument delivered in the former
And when all comes to all I doubt the issue will be to stile the pleasures of our senses by the cleanly name of recreations Now the Jewes were expressely forbidden to find their owne pleasure on the Lords holy day Es 58.13 yet were they not forbidden all pleasure that belonged only to such a Sabbath as was a fast and therein indeed hypocrites are taxed for finding pleasure on that day Es 58.3 But the weekely Sabbath was for pleasure and delight but not for mans owne pleasure nor for the doing of their owne wayes But to delight in the Lord which is spirituall pleasure and the recreating of our souls in the Lord this is a blessed rest thus to rest unto him and the word of God is the best food of the soule No recreates like unto Gods holy ordinances Of wisedome it is said that her wayes are the wayes of pleasantnesse I willingly confesse that to the naturall man as the things of God are foolishnesse so the word of God is a reproach unto him Pro. 3.17 1 Cor. 2.14 Ier. 6.10 Luc. 8.14 hee hath no delight in it Hee delights rather in carnall pleasures and is it fit to humour him in such courses and that on the Lords day our Saviour expresly tells us that The pleasures of life choake the word and make it become unfruitfull Therefore it no way fits a man to Gods Service And if way be opened to such courses though not till after evening prayer as many as are taken with them will have their minds running upon them so as to say when will the Sabbath be gone and the time of Divine service be over that so they may come to their sports as well as covetous persons longed after the like that they may returne to their trading A naturall man before his calling is discribed unto us in Scripture to bee such a one as served lusts and diverse pleasures Tit. 3.3 Iob. 36.11 Es 47.8 and the wicked are said to spend their dayes in pleasure and such are they whom the Prophet describeth after this manner Heare now thou that art given to pleasure As for the children of God as they are renewed in their affections generally so the matter of their delight is much altered His delight is in the Law of the Lord Psal 1.2 Psal 40.1 as Christ sayeth I delight to do thy will and Psal 119.16 J delight my selfe in thy Statutes v. 24. thy testimonies are my delight and 47. I will delight my selfe in the commandement and Psalme 94.19 Thy comforts delight my soule on the other side the Character of the foole is this H◠hath no delight in understanding Psal 18.2 As for the reformation of such fooles let every wise sober Christian consider whether it be a fit course to let the reynes loose upon their neck and give them liberty to take their courses and not rather to endevour to weane them therefrom by representing the vanity of them witnessed by the experience of King Solomon Eccles 2.8 who was acquainted with the delights of the Sonnes of men as much as any and tells us what fruit and profit hee reaped by them saying vanitie of vanities all is but vanitiy and that the end of all that discourse of his is to promote this exhortation Feare God and keepe his commandements For this is whole man then on the other side the blessed the comfortable and only profitable condition of delighting in the Lord in the judgement of David the Father of King Solomon Delight thou in the Lord and he shall give thee thy hearts desire to meete with the contrary judgement of carnall men who say It profitteth not a man Ps 37.4 Job 34.9 that he should delight himselfe with God If it be said that such sports are tolerated to fit a man for his calling the day following It is very strange that workes of our calling should not be permitted on any part of the Sabbath day and sports and pastimes should And shall not the spending of our time in Gods Service not publique only but private also farre better fit us to serve God in the workes of our calling and make us more capable of his blessing upon our labours then the exercising of our selves in sports and pastimes As for the maintaining of good neighbourhood I appeale to every mans conscience whether Christian neighbourhood be not better maintained in meeting together in the repeating of a Sermon the word in the originall being only Consortium or in edifying one another in holy communication then in meeting together at beare-baiting or at a play or at a may game or to look upon a morice dance 2. whether on the Lords day which is our Christian Sabbath it is not fit to maintaine neighbourhood and Communion in things spirituall as at other times to maintaine neighbourhood in things civill and temporall To conclude this there are 3. things that in this discourse give little satisfaction 1. that under recreations are comprehended not only such courses as recreate and refresh the Spirits wherby men are made more fit for labour both of body and minde but also and that more principally intended as it semees the pleasing of the senses and especially the eye and the eare and thus mens pleasures carnall pleasures are cleanely carryed under the stile of recreations and refreshments of the spirit when they deserve rather to be called the tickling of the flesh 2. here is no mention made of the end whereunto recreations tend which ought to be only to fit us either for the labours of our speciall vocations or for the works of our generall calling as sause is for meats 3. Lastly under recreations lawfull there seemes to be no intention to acknowledge our conversing with God in any recreation yet Aristotle could take notice of a pleasure taken in this that a man knowes by curious demonstration that a Triangle containes three angles equall to two right such like thing was that which Archimedes rejoyced in when he cried out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Pythagoras as I remember sacrificed a great sacrifice upon the finding out the equality of the square of the subtendent line in a rectangle Triangle to the squares of the two sides So a scholar takes delight in finding out by curious demonstration the squaring of a Circle a thing confessed by Aristotle to be knowable but the demonstration of it hath not beene found untill about fifty yeares agoe as Salmuth writes upon Pancirolla Should any pleasure taken in any other worldly thing be comparable to that which ought to be taken in the enjoying of friends and their mutuall communication I have heard it accompted the best musick how much lesse should be all other pleasure in comparison to that pleasure which is taken in God Psal 36.8 who hath Rivers of pleasures in his house wherewith to entertaine us not to speake of that fulnesse of joy which is in his presence Psal 16.11 and at his
flourishes and pleasing to the judicious provided they are to purpose and sound argument hath not beene wanting to justifie the doctrine they maintaine but when they are out of season or supply the want of better argument they want their grace and are pleasing only to the ignorant or partialist At length I am come unto the last Section For the one halfe of this Section there is little or nothing controverted betweene us But here we have a faire distinction as good as confessed betweene a ceremoniall rest and another rest which is described by a rest from workes as it is an impediment to the performance of such duties as are then commanded this I can a rest morall the rather that the distinction may not flye with one wing That of Saint Hierome is a quick passage on Act. 18. affirming that Saint Paul when hee had none to whom to preach in the congregation did on the Lords day use the workes of his occupation I will not answer as the outlandish Priests fashion was as Sir Thomas More reports the story Domine novi locum verum respondeo sumitur dupliciter so gratifying his adversaries argument with one member of his distinction and his owne in providing for escape out of the briers by the other least I might be served as Sir Thomas More served the Priest pretending to quote such a chapter of Saint Matthew or Marke when there were not so many in the whole Gospell or such a verse in a certaine Chapter when there were not so many verses at all Therefore I desire to consult Hierome but Hierome hath not at all written upon the Acts and where else to seeke it I know not Yet I deny not but that Dietericus the Lutheran upon the 17. Dominicall after Trinity Sunday hath such a passage Hieronymus ex Act. 18. v. 2. 4. colligit quod die etiam Dominica quando quibus in publico conciâ—naâ—etur Paâ—lus non habebat maâ—â—bus suis labâ—raviâ— But where it is that Hierome doth collect this he doth not specifie â—t our Saviour was borne under the Law and knew full well it became him to fulfill all righteousnesse and therefore undoubtedly he never did transgresse the fourth commandement indeed some there are who distaste the name of Sabbath now a dayes and truly the Ancients doe usually speake of the Lords day in distinction from the Sabbath because that denomination doth denote the Saturday but I doubt that in these dayes it is distasted in another respect even for the rest of it which I no where finde distasted amongst the Ancients nor any libertie given by them for sports and pastimes on the Lords day But our booke of Homilies speakes plainly in saying The Sunday is our Sabbath day And Proclamations that come forth in his Majesties name usually call the Lords day by the name of Sabbath And in the conference at Hampton Court Doctor Raynolds made a motion for preserving the Sabbath day from prophanation according to the Kings proclamation neither have we heard of any prelate of this kingdome that then interposed to alter that phrase And which is more our Saviour calls it the Sabbath speaking of the times of the Gospell when the Jewish Sabbath was to bee buried with Christ to wit Matth. 24.20 and Doctor Andrewes in his patterne of Catecheticall Doctrine justifieth this interpretation of that place and that to this end so to maintaine the continuance of a Sabbath amongst us Christians I doe highly approve the distinction following of things commanded and things permitted on the Lords day and the explication of each member the object of the one all actions advancing Gods service the object of the other such things as are no hinderance thereunto As in the first place workes of necessitie then workes of charitie yet the permitting of these is rightly to be understood not so as if the workes of necessity here mentioned were in such sort permitted as left to a mans liberty whether he will performe them or no. For undoubtedly we are bound as much as lyes in our power to quench a dangerous fire kindled in a Towne on the Sabbath day it being a worke of mercy necessarily required For if to returne a pledge ere the poore pawner of it went to his bed in case it were his covering were a worke of mercy how much more to save a mans house from burning how much more to save a whole Towne from being consumed whereby many might bee driven to lye without doores void of all comfort to the body So to draw the ox out of the ditch and to lead Cattels to watering I take it to bee a worke of mercy as tending to the preservation of life in a dum creature In like sort the dressing of meat for the health of mans body I take to bee a worke of mercy So that the performing of these in reference to the end whereto they tend I take to be of necessary duty as here they are called workes of necessitie and consequently not permitted only but commanded also in the generall though not in this commandement but in the second commandement of the second table only they are said to be permitted on the Lords day to signifie that the fourth commandement doth not enjoyne them nor forbid them in commanding rest from workes on that day and the sanctifying of that rest I doe not doubt but that charitie begins from it selfe and the Scripture commands us to love our neighbour as our selves And can wee performe better love to our selves in advancing our owne good then by making The Sabbath our delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord As for the recreations which are here said to serve lawfully to the refreshing of our Spirits this appellation is very ambiguous neither doe I know any difference betweene the recreating of our Spirits and the refreshing of our Spirits yet here the refreshing of our Spirits is made the end of recreation Againe it were good to distinguish betweene recreation of the body and recreation of the mind I thinke the refreshing of Spirits pertaines to the recreation of the body mens spirits are naturall and materiall things and they are apt to bee wasted first naturally for as life consists in calido in an hot matter so heate is apt to spend and waste the matter wherein it is and Spirits thus wasted are recreated that is repaired by eating and drinking And thus provisions of victuall are commonly called recreats 2. Secondly they are wasted also by labour voluntarily undertaken and these are repaired as by the former way so by rest also And each way we are allowed to recreate our spirits on the Lords day and as to allow such rest to our servants as a work of mercy so to our own bodies also But now a dayes many courses are called recreations wherein there is found little rest and the naturall Spirits of man are rather wasted and his nature tyred farre more then the one is repaired or the other eased
that doth not let Gods Word be the guide directing to sanctifie a Festivall day I thinke hee squareth not his opinion according to truth neither hath he any president from Gods Word FINIS Defensio Thesium de Sabbato 13 I Take notice of Tertull. Iustin Martyr Thes 1. true but they alter not my judgement And why I finde in them onely a bare assertion and that of a thing so remote from their times that they could not know it otherwise then by relation From the Scripture they had none happily they had it from some Jewes Galatinus alleadgeth some But I oppose Jewes to Jewes Philo Iudaeus de opificio Mundi not onely is of a contrary opinion but holdeth also that it was a feast common to all Nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And peradventure some such thing is meant by Hesiod his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And it is not unlikely that God made the observation of the day a memoriall of the Creation But I will not enlarge that discourse It shall suffice that Philo Iudaeus In Decalog and Aben Ezra also and others thinke otherwise whose judgement our Orthodox Divines doe if not all yet for the most part follow Read them upon the second of Genesis 14 What the Patriarks did in point of religion 2. I thinke they did it by Divine direction Yee know that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did never please God wherefore the Mosaicall Lawes other then those that had reference to the Church as nationall and delivered out of the Egyptian bondage are to be thought not introductory but declaratory Out of question those that concerned the substance of the service which stood in sacrifices and I thinke concerning the circumstance of time and place The place for there where God appeared there did they erect their altars yea and in the story of Rebecca it is plaine that shee went to a set place to consult the Lord. Gen. 25. And why shall not the time come under the same condition 15 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must receive an answer from that which is added in confirmation of the 13 Thesis It is but an ungrounded conjecture 16 Where had Rhenanus that opinion his varying from those whom I answered on the 13 Thesis sheweth that hee was not of Iustin Martyr or Tertullian his opinion and yet giveth no reason that may move to credit him or countervaile what I have alleadged for my opinion 18 Yes there is more if you compare Deut. c. 5. with Exodus c. 20. but I meant not onely that but other passages which make the Sabbath a signe of Gods residence sanctifying the Jewes c. which I expressed in the next thesis 19 Bedes conceipt may passe for an allegory built upon a witty accommodation of the literall sense which other fathers observed before him But that cannot be the literall sense of the Commandement You will not deny it if you grant that the Sabbath was instituted before the fall which I thinke more then probable though the Broughtonists hasten the fall before the Sabbath And I cannot without good reason yield that the patriarchs had no set time for divine service I meane a weekely time 31 True it is that Christ did rest from suffering upon the seventh but the last enemy death was not apparently overthrowne untill the reunion of his soule and body till he rose againe for our justification c. Therefore did the apostles make that the consummation of redemption in Christs Person 35 You cannot finde in all the 14. to the Romans that the Apostle is positive in the doctrine of dayes he expresseth a mutuall indulgence untill men had attained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the liberty from Moses Law Neither doth he beare out the Gentiles against the Jewes but qualifie rather the destempered zeale of the Gentiles that were too hot against the Jewes Sensus dictorum sumendus est ex causis dicendorum It is plaine that there was a questiō whether the Christian gentile should be pressed to observe the ceremonies whereunto the christian Jewes were pertinaciously addicted but never was there for ought I read a question whether the Jewes should keepe the Lords day for I think they never refused it Had there been such a quarrell I would enlarge the sense of that Chapter as you doe to our question but seeing there was not I see not how it should be reasonably done 36 I say not that the Apostles imprinted any holinesse upon the first day of the weeke It was Christs resurrection that honoured that day which I say the Apostles were to respect not arbitrarily but necessarily You may perceive the reason in my Theses You cannot observe from the beginning of the world any other inducement to the institution of feasts but Gods worke done on the day If it were not a continued worke as the dwelling in Tabernacles But you thinke the Apostles did not prescribe the observation of that day No you confesse they made choice of it and were moved so to doe by the reason which I alleage And were they not scattered over all the world where they came did they not all give the same order for the sacred assemblies And shall we thinke that this could be done without an apostolicall prescript 37. 43. I conjoyne them because one answer will cleare both Let us then first agree what it is for a thing to be Liberae observationis The Questonist in his interpretation which commonly is received leaveth a possibility for an alteration by humane auctority if any reason shall perswade a conveniency so to doe though so long as publike auctority commandeth it he will have it dutifully observed Whereupon will follow a Consectary or two First that this Law doth not immediately bind the conscience because Merè humani Iuris positivi Secondly that Extra scandalum a man may transgresse it For example a Tradesman may worke in his Chamber if no body bee privy to it If this be the Commentary upon Libera observatio and if it be well inquired into you will finde that I doe not mistake the meaning then I prof sse I cannot like of such a Libera observatio For I am perswaded that if all Christendome should meete and have never so plausible a ground they cannot alter the day de jure though de facto they may but it is worse then previshnesse so to doe And why they cannot alter the first ground Christs rising upon that day Secondly they cannot alter the uniforme order that upon that undenyable ground was set down by the Apostles themselves which were infallibly guided by the Holy Ghost And out of these grounds I deduce that the Law doth immediately bind their conscience And that it is to be observed even where it may be transgressed without any scandall Christ and the Apostles were not absolutely bound to lay such a foundation of the Lords Day and so it was Liberae institutionis but they having layd it I deny that it is now Liberae