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A93852 The royal law contended for, or, Some brief grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandments are yet in full force, and shall so remain till heaven and earth pass away. Also the seventh day Sabbath, proved from the beginning, from the law, from the prophets, from Christ, from his apostles, to be a duty yet incumbent upon saints and sinners. / By a lover of peace with truth Edward Stennet. Stennett, Edward, d. 1690? 1658 (1658) Wing S5402B; ESTC R184622 38,860 48

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together on the first day of the week and did break bread and Paul taught unto them Act. 20. Answ This is all the meeting or preaching that ever we find was upon the first day except the disciples being together for fear of the Jews mentioned before that meeting was at evening so this seems to be because when they came together Paul preached with them and continued his speech until midnight it is not likely then that they observed the day and came together in the morning seeing he continued his speech so long And secondly as we have the cause of the disciples being together with their doors shut so we have the cause of this meeting Paul was ready to depart on the morrow vers 7. upon an extraordinary occasion Paul having many things to communicate to them as appears by his discoursing with them till midnight and talking till break of day vers 11. But that which makes the Objecters lay such stress upon this Text is because the disciples came together to break bread which they judge to be the Lords Supper Suppose it were so what doth this make for the observation of the first day more then Christs first instituting the supper upon the fifth day of the week as is generally conceived doth make for the observation of it But there is no proof that this was the Supper of the Lord that they came to pertake of but it seems to be such breaking of bread as the margin of some Bibles refers unto Acts the 2.46 They continued dayly with one accord in the Temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladnesse of heart So Luc. 24.30 35. And it is explained what breaking of bread it was vers 11. where it is said when he was come up again and had broken bread and eaten and talked a good while till break of the day he departed here is eating and talking it is not solemnized as the Supper of the Lord But some would have this common breaking of bread and the other in verse 7. to be the Supper it is very unlikely that here should be two sorts of breaking of bread at one time by the same persons and yet nothing spoke distinctly by which we might know the one from the other so that the most that can be said is but a supposition it cannot be proved that this was the Lords Supper And how weak a ground this is for the observation of this day as a Sabbath or more then any other day or to limite the administration of the Supper to this day I leave to the truly wise in heart to judge Obj. But the Church had their gatherings upon the first day of the week from which it appears that it was the day that they met together upon 1 Cor. 16.2 Answ The words are these Vpon the first day of the week let every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him that there be no gatherings when I come Here is no proof for their meeting together but rather on the contrary every one of them was to lay by him in store as God had prospered him no publique gathering but private laying up but because the Apostle saith in the close of the verse that there be no gatherings when I come therefore it is thought the Scripture cannot be so understood because it would not prevent gatherings but is this fair when a Text of Scripture stands alone to put such a sense upon it as doth plainly contradict the very letter of it when it saith let every one of you lay by him in store then to say the meaning is to have publique gatherings and but one store and would not the end of the Apostle be fully answered namely to have no gatherings if each of them did lay by them in a store as God had prospered them in the world ready against the Apostle came they knowing of his coming and when he came was it not as easie to carry it with them to him as for us to carry our Bibles to a meeting and what need would there be then of gatherings And this way of giving would not be Pharisee-like but according to the words of Christ Mat. 6.11 Take heed that you do not your alms before men to be seen of them otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in Heaven but when thou doest thine almes let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth vers 3. that thine almes may be in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly ver 4. Obj. But John was in the spirit upon the Lords day and had that glorious revelation upon it which is conceived to be the first day of the week Rev. 1 10. Answ It is true John was in the spirit on the Lords day but the question will be what day that was if any one of the seven it must be the Sabbath for no other day is so called but it God calls it his Holy Day Isay 58.13 and Christ saith he is Lord even of the Sabbath day and if so then it is his day for he is Lord of it and that by way of eminency not as some would have it to shew that he is Lord of every day but as it is the Sabbath for so it is said the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day So that this notion that the Lords day is the first day is meerly taken up on trust one from another without one word in the Scripture to prove it so Ob. But it wil be yet objected by those that are for no Sabbath from the words of the Apostle Col. 2.16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of a holy day or of the new Moon or of the Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ from whence it is concluded that the Sabbath was but a shadow The Apostle speaks here of such Sabbaths as were a shadow of things to come but the seventh day Sabbath was in commemoration of something past to wit the work of creation as appears in the Commandments and none are to be judged for not observing of it Answ There were Holy-dayes and Sabbaths besides the seventh day Sabbath or the Sabbath of the Lord thy God for so it is called in the commandment as doth appear in Levit 23.39 now because it is implyed in the words of the Apostle that Sabbaths were shadows and done away by the body of Christ doth it therefore follow that all Sabbaths were so any more then where the words of the Apostle implies that men shall be saved proves that all men shall be saved and if we consider the verses before it will plainly appear that the Apostle is not speaking of any of the Ten Commandments in the 15. verse the Apostle is speaking to the Gentiles shewing how they were dead in their sins and in the uncircumcision of their
THE ROYAL LAW CONTENDED FOR OR Some Brief Grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandements are yet in full force and shall so remain till Heaven and Earth pass away ALSO The Seventh Day Sabbath proved from the Beginning from the Law from the Prophets from Christ from his Apostles to be a duty yet incumbent upon Saints and Sinners By a Lover of Peace with Truth Edward Stennet They that forsake the Law praise the wicked but such as keep the Law contend with them Prov. 28.4 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man Eccles 12.13 The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath therefore the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath Mark 2.27 28. Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Psal 119.6 LONDON Printed in the Year 1658. TO ALL That truly fear the LORD and tremble at his Word IT was not in the least my purpose to expose the ensuing discours to publique view but to communicate it onely to some private Christian friends as a reason of the hope that is in me in relation to the Law of the Lord. I being in a good measure sensible of my own weakness and unfitnes● for such a work but the Lord was pleased to bless these my weak endeavours with the successes of conviction to some and refreshment to others of his dear servants who were my encouragers after solemne waiting upon our Heavenly Father unto this which I can truly say I was dead unto although I was and am perswaded that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the truth therein contained but my weakness in the management of it was the great obstruction But I am willing to press after a likeness to Jesus Christ who made himself of no reputation and to learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart I am not so conceited to present this Treatise as a thing that 's rare or new either to the Saints or World for if they will look about them they may see this truth in a better dress and lustre but it may be the tender Lambs and Sucking-Babes of Jesus Christ may better understand my stammering tongue then those that speak more distinctly and that 's one main encouragement to me I do profess in the presence of him who tryes the heart and reines Light hath broak forth since I wrote these papers about the Law in general and the Sabbath in particular it being five or six months since they were written yet notwithstanding I am now encouraged by the Lord I trust and by his people to speak this on the house top which was spoken to me in secret because so many of the Lords people are so deluded that they have rejected the Law of God and live in a weekly profanation of his Holy Sabbath thinking that Christ abolisht the whole Law at his death though Christ utterly denys it and would have none to harbour such a thought Mat. 5.17 although many of the men of this opinion may be good yet it makes their error not one Jote the better For this flows from their carnality and not their spirituality for the carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8.7 But because truth springs up out of the earth and righteousness looks down from Heaven and the ancient honourable institution of Jehovah now begins to shine with such clearness that it cannot be razed out of the tables and therefore all is cast away together which is such an invention as would not have been thought on by many I am certain if Sabbath Light had been concealed The two ancient institutions of the Lord in Paradise were Mariage and the Sabbath both which are called and esteemed honorable Heb. 13.4 Marriage is honorable in all and in Isay 58.13 the Sabbath is called the Holy of the Lord honorable and Christ leads us to the beginning of them both when the question was whether men might put away their wives for every fault the answer is that Moses did but suffer it to be so because of the hardness of their hearts but from the beginning it was not so Mat. 19.34 35.36 37. and when the Pharisees were so ignorant that they thought works of mercy were not to be done upon the Sabbath day Christ leads them to the first institution of it and tels them it was made for man Mark 2.24 27. Both these institutions were made for the good and benefite of man in his Paradise estate which is sufficient proofe for their duration Paul saith that the man was not created for the woman but the woman for the man 1 Cor. 11.9 and our blessed Lord of the Sabbath saith that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Then Christians be noble spirited and search the Scriptures with all readiness of mind and with hearts longing after truth get as remote from earth and earthly things as you can and into the secret chamber of your beloved and when you are the most transported from earth to heaven in near and close communion with him then try and judge by his word and spirit weighing Scripture with Scripture in an equal ballance and be as cautious in taking up objections against this truth as you are of being in the practise of it T' is sad to see and that which wounds my spirit much that persons professing godliness should be so inconsiderate as to catch at any thing that comes next to hand to strike at that which a differing Saint affirms is truth without considering the weight of what is offered or whither their own objections lead them I have seen more gall and wormwood at the bottom of those objections that have been made against the Sabbath then ever I saw in any objections against any other command and even some Christians are so weak that all passes for currant that flows from a man that 's good and able but where are those virgin spirits that are redeemed from the earth and from among men that lay persons interests customes by whilest they judge between truth and error where ever they are they are men which will follow the Lamb when others are left behind They will not be affrighted at the seventh day Sabbath because nicknamed called the Jews Sabbath no more then they are at the God of the Jews they will not refuse to keep the Sabbath because a man was stoned any more then they will refuse Jehovah to be their God because those that worship strange Gods were to be put to death and if they be told they go back to the Law they can answer blessed are they that do his Commandements that they may have right to the Tree of Life and may enter in through the gate into the City when the breakers of the Law are left without Rev. 22.14 15. Do you therefore that fear the Lord
and think upon his name lye down at his feet and cry earnestly for his spirit to lead you into all truth that you may not kick against the pricks in this chastising day wherein the Lord is teaching his people out of his Law and fitting them for the Kingdom of glory which is at the door Now the Lord is discovering every part and piece of Babylon that the Saints may know the better how to reward her but because the Saints begin to own the Lord as King and Law-giver the Dragon is wroth and knows that this will destroy his Kingdom and so would endeavour to perswade persons that the Law of God is abolished well knowing that if he could perswade them to abelief of this they will soon say there is nothing to be done till Christ come in person I would not make too large a gate to so small a City but shall hasten to a conclusion with a word to the little remnant that keep the Sabbath according to the Commandement Precious Brethren you are under great and precious promises for your encoutagement though your opposers are great and numerous I think often of what is said of Asher Deut. 33.24 25. Let Asher be blest with children let him be acceptable to his brethren and let him dip his foot in oyl his shooes shall be Iron and Brass and as is his dayes so shall his strength be Asher seems to hold forth the remnant that the Lord will use in the latter dayes to tread down the wicked withal and Ashers bread shall be fat yea he shall yield Royal dainties Gen. 49.20 and if you my Brethren fulfil the Royall Law according to the Scripture ye shall doe well though your Brethren frown upon you at present yet you shall be acceptable unto them and what if your work be difficult if your strength be sutable you need not complain you may tread upon Scorpions if your shooes be Iron and Brass your feet will be like Hinds feet if they be dipt in oyl which will cause you to run without wearinesse and walk without fainting So he prayes Who is only through grace a servant of CHRIST though unworthy to be so called EDWARD STENNET Some Brief Grounds serving to prove that the Ten Commandements are yet in ful force and shall so remain till Heaven and Earth passe away FIrst The matter of the Ten Commandements was written in the Heart of Adam before his fall as doth appear Gen. 1.27 God created man in his own Image in the Image of God created he him Eccles 7.29 God hath made man upright but he sought out many inventions And the Apostle plainly asserts that the Gentiles which had not the Law in the letter of it did by nature the things contained in the Law which sheweth the work of the Law written in their hearts Rom. 2.14 15. Now if the Gentiles had the work of the Law written in their bearts in their sinful state doubtless they had it in more perfection in their state of innocency as considered in Adam for the letter of the Law was added because of transgression Gal. 2.19 Now if there were transgression before the letter of the Law was added that implies there was a Law before and in that the letter of the Law is said to be added it implies that the matter of it was in being before but much worn out by sin and that is one reason why the Lord was pleased to add the letter Let it be considered how it can stand with Scripture or right reason that Jesus Christ should abrogate this Law did Christ blot out this Law out of the hearts of all men by his death Rom. 2.15 then all men have not the Law of Nature to guide them for we cannot be so gross as to imagine that the Law is put into their hearts upon a new account for that were to bring all men under the new Covenant 2. God spake all these Commandments unto the people and they heard his voice Deut. 5.22 23 24. with great Majesty and Glory and he added no more and he wrote them upon two Tables of Stone and delivered them unto Moses all which holds forth their perpetuity they are spoken by God they are wrote by him in Tables of Stone so was never any Ceremony Job desires that his words were graven with a pen of Iron and Lead in a rock of stone for ever Chap. 19.24 3. After the first tables were broke which I suppose did signifie the Israelites breaking of the first Covenant for Moses brake them upon that account Behold the Ark as it stands under the mercy feat they having made a Golden Calf and so had broke the Commandement Moses was then commanded to hew two Tables like unto the first and God wrote the same words again upon them Deut. 10.1 2 3 4. and they only of all the Laws were put into the Ark and when the Ark is set in its proper place between the Cherubims there is nothing in it but the two Tables 1 Kings 8.9 Now the Ark was a Type of Christ and the putting the Law into it did signifie the putting of it into the heart of Christ Psalm 40.6 7 8. Thy Law is in my heart and from thence they are transcribed into the hearts of the seed of Christ according to the new Covenant Jer. 31.33 Where God promises to put his Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Now what Law is this that must be put in the heart when the Law of sacrifice is abolished Heb. 10.6 7 8 9. compared with that forementioned in the Psalmes that this is the Law that is here spoken of is manifest if we consider first how proper and suitable it is for the heart of a believer Paul calls it the Law of his mind Rom. 7.23 and in 22. he professeth he delights in the Law of God after the inward man and God saith he will put his Law in the heart and write it there 2 Cor. 3.2 3. both which phrases hold it forth to be the same Law that was wrote by God and put into the Ark mans heart is the Tables and God himself is the writer the matter written is the Law and hear what Wisdome saith to this Prov. 7.1 2 3. My son keep my words and lay up my commandements within thee keep my commandements and live and my Law as the apple of thy eye bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart Now what Laws are these but the Table-Laws which were then in being and Wisdoms son is to have them writ upon the fleshly Tables of his heart 4. When God promiseth to exalt his first-born higher then the Kings of the Earth and that his Covenant should stand fast with him Psal 89.28 29. and that his seed should endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven yet he saith If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they