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A16724 A second treatise of the Sabbath, or an explication of the Fourth Commandement. Written, by Mr Edward Brerewood professor in Gresham Colledge in London Brerewood, Edward, 1565?-1613. 1632 (1632) STC 3624; ESTC S106452 23,669 52

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Antiquity there is any remembrance found of any such Revelation or commandement That which the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7. 12. to the rest speake I not the Lord he spake either without the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost and then it is manifest that all Apostolique ordinances are not divine commandements or if by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost then it followeth that these inspirations are not the Lords commandements Ob. The Apostles were the instruments and oracles of the Holy Ghost because he taught them all things Ioh. 14. 26. he lead them into all truth Ioh 16. 13. It was he that spake in them Mat. 10. 20. Marc 13. 11. Therefore their decrees are the commandements of the Holy Ghost Sol. The Consequence is denied for teaching is a passible act of the vnderstanding whereby it is enlightned to see the truth but commanding is an actiue operation of the will whereby it obligeth them to whom the commandements doe belong So that to teach them all things is to enlighten their vnderstanding in all things neither all things absolutely for then should they be omniscient but as our Saviour seemes there to declare it by remembring them of all things he himselfe had told them or all things necessary to the mysterie of redemption to the Gospell of Reconciliation And so to lead them into all truth belonging to the doctrine of faith or into all truth necessary to salvation or to the performance of their Apostolicall function And so lastly was it the Holy Ghost that spake in them not personally for in Luc. 12. 12. it is declared thus the Holy Ghost shall teach you what you ought to say But it followeth not because the Holy Ghost taught the Apostles all things or all truth necessary for the preaching of the Gospell therefore he commanded all those ordinances touching the goverment manners and discipline of the Church which by the Apostles were established Or because he directed them what was to be beleeued touching faith and doctrine therefore he limited and enioyned them what was to be commanded touching manners and discipline The Apostles touching Matters of Faith or declaration of the Gospell to the world were Messengers onely and receiued not onely Authority to preach but particular instructions also of every poynt they were to preach from Christ himselfe But as touching Matter of Goverment or Administration of Discipline to bee exercised in that Church which they gathered out of the world they were more then messengers namely deputies or Vicars of Christ and receiued by delegation from Christ Authority whereby they were warranted and enabled to order the Oeconomie of the Church but were not limited by personall and particular instructions from Christ how euery thing must be done but were enlightned onely by the Holy Ghost to see what was most convenient for themselues and for the Church and so to command it But whatsoeuer they taught or commanded as Messengers of the Gospell touching faith loue and the Sacraments was de iure divino because they commanded in that behalfe nothing but what Christ had commanded them to teach or command the Church that is they were but the reporters of Christs commandements and not ordainers of them The old Law contained many determinations both in ceremoniall Praecepts touching the manner of Gods worship also in judiciall touching Peace and Iustice to be kept amongst men But the new lawe being the Lawe of Liberty imposeth not these determinations but contents it selfe with three Generall sorts of Praecepts namely 1 The Morall commandements that belong to the Law of nature 2 The Articles of Christian faith 3 The Sacraments But all other matters pertaining to the determination or particular manner either of divine worship or humane judgements are freely permitted by Christ the giuer of the new Law to the governers of the church to the princes of the nations to be appointed so that all such particular determinations are but de iure humano The Apostles haue a twofold relation One to the worke of the Gospell whereof they are the dispensers that is to doctrine of which Christ being the Author and they only the Messengers and Ministers that which they deliuer is de iure divino Another to the Church whereof they are the overseers and governours that is to order and discipline of the particular ordinances and determinations of which Goverment the Apostles themselues being directly Authors although they receiued the Authority whereby they were warranted from God it appeareth they are but de iure humano Ob. S t Paul 1. Cor. 14. 37. affirmeth that the things which he wrote were the Commandements of the Lord. Sol. The things he wrote namely touching the points he there intreated of that is of the vse of Prophecy and of Tongues definitely those but not indefinitely all for to the rest speake I not the Lord 1. Cor. 7. 12. Concerning virgins I haue no commandement of the Lord ibid. ver 25. but I giue my advice The celebration of the Lords day had for occasion 1. The resurrection of our Sauiour that day 2 The example of his Apostles 3 The custome of the Church freely imitating without Precept that Example who yet solemnized it not in stead of the old Sabbath but together with it as yet is vsuall in Aethiopia and Syria And all this while it was obserued not of necessarie obligation or iniunction for any thing that appeareth but of voluntary devotion But at last it obtained obligation by the Institution of Princes and Synods of the Church The first Emperour that commanded it was Constantine the Great Cod. lib. 3. Tit. 12. lib. 3. The Synode that decreed it was the Councell of Laodicea Can. 29. Anno Christi 364. The Apostles Examples of assembling to divine service on the Lords day enforce no Commandement on the Church to doe the like else by their example we are also to keepe the Iewish Sabbath because examples haue not the force of Lawes which all men ought to keepe but of Counsells only and perswasions not amisse to be followed of them whose case is alike Touching the preaching of the Gospell vnto the world it was necessary our Saviour should giue his Apostles not only authority to preach but particular commandements and Instructions touching every thing they were to preach because their Preaching respected the doctrine of the Church which is Catholique and ought to bee the same alwaies and over all the world But touching the Governing of the Church it was convenient hee should giue them authority and charge to gouerne it but particular instructions and prescript Rules were not so necessary because it belonged but to the discipline of the Church for which either at all seasons or in all parts of it the same Rules of Government are not convenient 1 The solemnity of the Lords day consisteth not by any Precept of theirs that is the Apostles but by their Example 2 Or if it did as touching Sanctification by holy assemblies yet not touching
also that is that both the power whereby and the Person that doth immediatly establish it be divine which divine authority is confessed to be in the Apostolique Constitutions but the immediate Authors are denyed to be divine Now as all other events and Actions receiue their denomination from their immediate not remote causes as to bee tearmed Necessary or Contingent Naturall or Violent Divine or humane so the constitutions of the Apostles although they proceede originally from the instinct and inspiration of the Holy Ghost Gods spirit yet proceeding immediatly from the institution of the Apostles themselues which deliuered them to the Church in forme of Commandements they are to be termed humane constitutions and not properly divine Lawes may be said to be established by God either in respect of the 1 Institution when they are ordained and prescribed by him as that of the Lords day is not 2 Approbation or Confirmation when they are allowed by him and thus it may bee said to be established by him Ob. The decrees of the Apostles deliuered to the Church proceed from the Holy Ghost therefore they are divine Sol. They proceede from the Holy Ghost occasionally and mediatly as disposing the mindes of the Apostles to exact them for the good of the Church But Immediatly and Actually from the Apostles Or else from the Holy Ghost by way of inspiration but not by way of Iniunction or Commandement I say by way of Inspiration from the Holy Ghost illuminating the vnderstanding of the Apostles to perceiue that such a decree would be good for the Church but not by way of Injunction as charging them to impose such a Commandement vpon the Church So that here was direction only without obligation the Holy Ghost assisting but not appointing and therefore no divine Commandement For the establishing of the commandement will no more proue a divine Action because the Apostles receiued the light whereby they established it from the Holy Ghost then the sight of the eye an heavenly action because it receiueth the light whereby it sees from the sunne The Precept of the Lords day was instilled and inspired into the mindes of the Apostles as a thing expedient and worthy to bee commanded but not as a commandement or that ought of duty or necessity to be commanded The decree of the Lords day is of God or the spirit of God dispositiuely or directiuely enlightning the vnderstanding of the Apostles Church to see that it was expedient and profitable for the Church but not Immediatly or Imperatiuely by way of Mandate or obligation as charging the Church to doe it as in Act. 13. 2. Separate mee Barnabas and Saul for the worke to which I haue called them So that as it proceedes from the Holy Ghost it is no commandement but as from the Apostles and Church it selfe As when I giue a man light whereby he may see his way or else advise him to take that way I doe not therefore impose any Commandement on him to proceede that way The Precept of the Lords day being indeed but an Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall constitution may notwithstanding be tearmed divine 1 Originally because the Authority whereby the Apostles established it was receiued from God 2 Because it was destinated to the worshippe of God Obiectiuely 3 Materially because it is of things belonging to divine not humane affaires 4 Exemplarily because it was ordained by Analogie or Imitation of the Sabbath which in the old Law was commanded by God himselfe Ob The celebration of the Lords day was deduced by the Church from the Commandement of the Sabbath therefore it is a divine decree Sol If it were deduced from it by way of Illation as conclusions are from their principles it were virtually or consequently a divine decree but it is deriued from it only by Imitation or Analogie or by way of Example as from a patterne and yet that derivation was not caused by divine ordinance for there is no Commandement of God to imitate that patterne but by humane discourse reasoning that it is convenient that in the new Law one day of seauen be reserued for God because God himselfe so commanded in the old And that day should be the first of the seauen because it was the day of Christs resurrection the New Law-giuer or the day wherein God beganne to create the world or the day wherein the holy Ghost descended visibly from heauen vpon the Church Ob By Christs Lawes we are bound to heare his Apostles obey them as himselfe He that heareth you heareth me Luc. 10. 16. As my Father sent me so send I you c. Ioh. 20. 21. Therefore he that transgresseth the Apostles Commandement doth also transgresse the Commandement of Christ. Sol 1. The trangression of the Apostles Commandement is also a transgression of Christs not Formally and Directly but Consequently and Concomitantly because hee hath charged to obey his Apostles which proueth not the Apostles decrees to be divine Commandements but being humane Commandements to be warranted and approued by divine authority 2 The Apostles constitutions may bee tearmed divine Commandements not in respect of their Institution which is humane as being the Act of humane will and discourse but in respect of their Obligation because wee are by Christs Commandement charged and bound to obey them So that He that heareth you heareth me c. is not to be vnderstood properly as of the Personall or Identicall hearing of Christ but Analogically as of Christs interpretation or estimation of that obedience or disobedience to his Apostles as performed to himselfe and of their despising as if himselfe were despised because the honour or dishonour of the Embassadour redoundeth to him that sent him as in Mat. 25. 40. What yee haue done to the least of these yee haue done it to me that is in mine acceptance and estimation So that these and the like speeches are to be vnderstood as of Analogie not of Identity As my Father sent me so So in the generall manner that is Immediatly from my side as I was sent immediatly from my Father or So namely in some proportion and resemblance not in equalitie for the Father sent his sonne in whom was the fulnesse of power All power is giuen to me c. Mat. 28. 18 But the sonne sent his servants to whom was granted a certaine measure of the spirit and some participation of power yet in some manner and resemblance so as namely 1 To the same generall end as to reconcile men to God and to preach the Gospell Goe teach all nations c. 2 Furnisht with the same power and graces of the spirit but nothing in the same measure of binding and loosing sinnes of doing miracles for the confirmation of the truth The Apostles are considered two waies either as 1 Apostles that is Messengers of Christ to preach the Gospell and the things belonging thereto that is the Articles of faith the Sacraments of Grace the fundamentall rules of holy