in its observation as it hath been frequently dispensed with in very low cases of Necessity insomuch that the saving the life of a beast is preferred before its observation as to the point of time the seaventh-day and then much more in cases of necessity which concern the life of a man insomuch that I conceive there was never yet a Sabbath-day but it was broken and that by lawful cases of necessity I say Lawful cases considering the cases still by the Moral Law notwithstanding the Law of the Sabbath in the ceremony thereof to the contrary No man that reads the Scriptures can lightly be ignorant how much our Saviour insisteth upon cases of Necessity as sufficient Answers to those whoever carped at his doings on the Sabbath-day whose conclusion was that he was not of God because he kept not the Sabbath And certainly if we consider the fourth Precept according to the letter of that Law our Saviour both did and commanded to be done some things utterly inconsistent with the sabbathical observation of the seaventh-day as appears by comparing Jer. 17. 22. with John 5. 8. 9 10 11 12. John 9. 14. Hence it is plain that our Saviour went further then cases of necessity in the non-observation of the Sabbath sith there was no necessity for the Lame to carry his bed on the sabbath-sabbath-day nor yet for our Saviour to make Clay on the Sabbath sith he frequently wrought Cures by the words of his lips and could have done it on the Sabbath as well as at other times I conceive therfore it was his pleasure to do thus on the Sabbath-days that he might hereby give some intimation of the abrogation of the Sabbath as he did the like concerning other ceremonial observations for Example his eating with Publicans and sinners as also his taking persons off from their esteem of the sanctity of one place above another thereby fore-shewing that he would take John 4. away that sanctity which had been ascribed to the Jewish Nation above the Gentiles and to Jorusalem above Samaria and then why not the same kind of sanctity ascribed to one day above another I say the same kind of sanctity for certainly the seaventh-day hath no real sanctity in it above any other day no more than the Jewish Nation had above any other Nations or the City Jerusalem above Samaria the holinesse in all these being only Ceremonial Of this Reason S. J. takes no notice therefore I proceed to the next The fourth Reason Thus saith the Lord to the Christian Church Let no man judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy-day or the new Col. 2. 16. Moons or of the Sabbath-dayes which are a shadow of good things to come but the body is of Christ From these words it appears that not only the holy dayes yeatly to be observed by the Jews which are confest on all hands to be Ceremonial but also the Sabbath dayes * It is a poor shift to except against the supplement days in Col. 2. 16. Sith in other Texts the like supplements are allowed but if the supplement were omitted yet the word Sabbath is comprehensive enough themselves were with the rest to pass away as a shadow when Christ the Body was come which will yet more fully appear by Hebr. 4. from the 3d. verse to the 12. where it is evident that the seaventh-day-sabbath is reckoned among other legal Types for here Israels Rest in Canaan and the seaventh-dayes Rest are both made Typical of our entring into rest by faith in Christ wherefore let all that are entred into rest by faith in him take heed how they stand upon this sabbathical shadow least they know not how to avoid other things which though Legal shadows will claim a place with it The substance of S. J. his Answer to this Reason is this If the Seaventh-day which is the pillar of the fourth Precept be one of these shadows mentioned Col. 2. 16. how can the fourth Command be Moral as is granted by the Author of the Reasons I Reply First it is worth observing how the circumstance of time is made the Pillar of the Precept which may so many ways be dispensed with as hath been shewed But must wee think the pillar of a Moral Precept must give place to the the preservation of an Oxe or an Asse Not so for I shewed before that other moral Laws admit not of such Dispensations in nocase of Necessity for a mans own preservation And how this Precept may be held meral notwithstanding the abrogation of the Circumstance of time I have already shewed Nor is this the only precept which may thus be distinguished upon for certainly it is Moral duty to relieve the poor and the stranger yet this may be done without letting the corners of our fields be unmown our Grapes ungleaned or the paying of Tythes all which was once assigned by the Law of God as the portion of the poor and stranger Add hereunto as before observed the maintenance of such as minister the Word which is moral duty yet the set portion of Tythes or the tenth part of every mans increase once due by the law of God are not necessarily to be paid for which I am of opinion as much may be said as for the observation of the Seventh-day for the tenth part of our Substance seems to be as equal a proportion as the seventh part of our time the ends for both are equally remaining the law for both equally obliging but I will not insist further being well satisfied Christians are made free from these impositions and yet stand engaged to do their duties both towards God the Poor and his Ministers The fifth Reason The Seventh-day-Sabbath was a sign of their Sanctification to whom it was given therefore of a Ceremonial nature and not given to all men Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. Thus saith the Lord speak thou also to the Children of Israel saying verily my Sabbaths ye shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that you may know that I am the Lord that do sanctifie you Hence it appears that as other holy or if I may so speak Sacramental constitutions are peculiar to the Church and not delivered to all men even so the Sabbath was peculiar to the Church of the Jews as for the stranger among them c. their resting was no more a Sabbathizing than the resting of the Cattle and so not to be accounted a divine solemnization of the Sabbath for how could it be a sign that the Lord did sanctifie the world in general who had no part in such priviledges they being without God without hope and strangers and aliens from the Covenants of Promises Ephes 2. 12. Again from this form of speech It shall be a sign or it is a sign It appears that the Sabbath is Ceremonial because such Laws as are Moral and imprinted in the heart of man are no where called signs
wherein they were given and we say persons may now be under the authority of a Precept formerly attended with the penalty of death and yet not now attended therewith For example God commands that his name be not taken in vain and assigned the punishment of death to them that did Prophesie Lies in his Name But will any man say that all false Prophets ought now to be put to death Let them say so that can prove it Again that kinde of Fornication mentioned in 1 Cor. 5. 1. was punishable by death Lev. 20 11. We are under the power of the Precept which forbids that sin and yet not under that penalty 2 Cor. 2. 6 7. And now concerning the fourth Precept we say we are under the moral part thereof and yet we say mens not setting sufficient time apart to serve God is not now punishable by death It doth not therefore follow that we break this Law to avoid the penalty But we say first we are not bound to the Cerimonial part thereof and therefore we observe it not Secondly we deny your observation of it because you urge a necessity of the penalty And whereas it is alledged that our plea will as well conclude against the sixth Precept as against the observation of the seventh-day I answer not so for the penalty of death to him that commits murther is discernable to be due by the Law of Reason and was exacted by Gods appointment long before the Law of the Sabbath-day was given And albeit according to our reasoning but yet by our Saviours tolleration some of the children of the wicked one must be let alone in the field to wit the world and that till Harvest even the end of the world yet this can onely be understood of those whose errors happen in matters of Religion for as touching Murtherers c. they must either be taken away or humane society would fail Spiritual wickedness then is for ought I see onely punishable by the Word of God and censures of the Church whilst here by God himself hereafter corporal sins are punishable by Magistrates here though the sinner be never so repentant by God himself hereafter also if he repent not Finally I offer it to the consideration of sober men whether it would be Gospel like for Believers in Christ to compel their Families to celebrate the Sabbath such of them especially as are of Faith and Religion contradistinct to them in that point and yet behold this must they do according to Moses for the Law of the Sabbath requires the Master of the house to order his Children and Servants in point of Sabbathizing An Objection answered The most important Objection here to be removed is this If Christians be not bound to observe the Seventh-day how can any be blamed for neglecting any time whatsoever agreed upon by the Church for the worship of God Answ This Objection is the best answered by considering some cases like the case propounded As first God appointed a certain place where to be worshipped as well as a time when and required that thrice every year his people should appear before him in the place which he should chuse c. Now we know there is as little possibility to congregate Gods people without place as without time to that purpose and such as will cavil at the time agreed on by the Church may as well cavil at the place agreed on by the Church for how can I bind any man to come to my house or to permit me to come to his unless I acknowledge the power of the Churches agreement to be sufficient for both Thus then this Objection will inforce a particular and constant place as wel as a particular and constant time as then he cannot escape just reproof who regardeth not the place which the Church by mutual consent asligneth for Gods Worship so neither can he escape who regardeth not the time in like manner assigned to that end and purpose Secondly it 's Christians duty to celebrate the memorial of the passion of Christ with bread and wine and to wait upon-God in fasting and prayer But if I ask when and where these things must be done it would prove as difficult to answer as the question propounded Thirdly there is much to be said for the first day of the week as having been religiously observed by the Apostles and primitive Churches both from holy Scripture and some other authorities worth our consideration But for my part I do not think any set time was so imposed but that the Church if occasion should press might yet without sin observe another time Brethren â—e are called unto Liberty only use not your Liberty as an occasion to the Flesh Stand fast therefore in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and be not intangled again with the yoke of Bondage THE END The POSTSCRIPT SHewing the opinion of some of the Jewish Rabbins concerning the sabbath-Sabbath-day And certain Antient Christians concerning the sabbath-Sabbath-day and the First day The Rabbins We read saith Pet. Galatinus on the Jews gloss upon these words The Lord hath given you the Sabbath What means these words The Lord hath given Ex Heylin Hist de Sabbath you Because it was given to the Jews and not unto the Gentiles Rabbi Johanan saith that whatsoever Statute God gave Israel he gave it to them publickly except the Sabbath and that was given to them in secret according to that of Exodus it is a sign between me and the children of Israel Josephus in his book of Antiquities and Wars of the Jews calls the Sabbath Antiq l. 14 c. 18 de Bello l. 2. c. 16 a National and Local custome a Law peculiar to that people The Antient Christians of the 1 2 3 4. Centuries Justin Martyr saith none of the righteous men and such as walked with Justin in Dyal cum Trypho God were either Circumcised or kept the Sabbath until the several times of Abraham and Moses Ireneus saith that Circumcision and the Sabbath were both given for signs Iren. advers Heres l. 4. c. 30 and that all the multitude of the faithful before Abraham were justified without the one i. e. Circumcision and that the Patriarks which preceded Moses were justified without the other Tertullian requires the Jews to prove if they can that the Fathers of former Tertul. advers Judaeos times meaning before the time of Abraham were Circumcised or kept the Sabbath or that thereby they obtained to be called or accounted the friends of God Eusebius saith The Religion of the Patriarks of old was like the Christian Euscb Hist l. 1. c. 4. and he proves it thus They were not Circumcised no more are we They kept not the Sabbath no more do we They were not bound to abstain from sundry kindes of meats no more are we And elsewhere he saith Melchesideck was a Priest of the most high God neither being Circumcised nor annointed with the holy Oyle c. no not so much as knowing that there was a Sabbath c. and living most agreeable to the Gospel Concerning the First day Ignatius was of this minde that both the Seventh and First dayes was to be observed these are his words After we have thus kept the Sabbath Ignat. l. 8. let every one that loveth Christ keep the Lords day Festival the Resurrection day the Queen and Empress of all dayes wherein our life was raised again and death was overcome by our Lord and Saviour Justin Martyr saith upon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation as being the First day wherein God separated the Light from the Darkness Just Mart. Created the World and Jesus Christ our Saviour rose again from the Dead Augustine saith The Lords day was made known to us Christians by the Aug. Ep. 119. Resurrection and from that began to be accounted holy Read this yet know all th' Antients did not say One self same thing 'bout th' First or Seventh day FINIS
set apart to serve and worship the Lord his Creatour and for the repose of his Servants and Cattle The Answer will be according to the Letter of the fourth Precept only the Seventh day of every week but in the Moral consideration it will be so much time as is sufficient to answer these ends which as things may often do fall out may require more than seven daies time togeâ—her notwithstanding the Letter of the fourth Precept which saith six daies shalt thou labour or six daies may work be done And this is the sense wherein I take the fourth Command in the Decalogue to be Moral and under this consideration I say it obligeth universally I mean it bindeth all men in all times and places to set sufficient time apart to worship their Creatour and to give their Servants and Cattle convenient rest and this the light of Reason or Law of Nature doth clearly teach and hence our Apostle might well say the Gentiles having not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law sith all Nations so far as I ever yet Rom. 2. heard do reserve a competent time for his Worship whom they acknowledge for their God But whereas the fourth Command doth precisely limit a certain point of time viz. the seventh day of every week not requiring more or less In this respect I say the fourth Command in the Decalogue is Ceremonial and done away by Christ Done away I say as it was part of the yoke of bondage as also other things of like nature were for example the place of worship which in many respects was only the Temple at Jerusalem neither of which are so done away as to destroy either time or place for serving the Lord but rather so as that all times and all places are so far sanctified unto us by Christ as that we may in every place and at all times serve him with as great acceptation as if we were in the Temple of Jerusalem on the SABBATH DAY Be it farther considered that the relief of the poor and the maintenance of such as are Ministers of Gods Word do appertain to Moral duty being grounded upon the Law of right reason Do to others as you would be done to Thou shalt not muzzle Mat. 7. 12. 1 Cor. 9. 9 10 the mouth of the Oxe which treadeth out the Corn c. Now saith Paul for our sakes no doubt this is written that is for the sake or in the behalf of the Ministers of Christ But now if the Question be What is the portion of the poor and such as Minister the Word The Answer will be according to Moses's Law The tenth part of the increase of thy Land must be set apart for that purpose yea before Moses it is evident that Tythes were paid but before Moses no man can be assigned that ever kept the Sabbath But in Moral consideration the Answer to the Question will be this So much as is necessary ought to be set apart for the poor and for such as Minister the Word So then it is clear that some part of our time some part of our substance and some place must be set apart for the Worship of God c. And what part that must be either Christ and right reason or the Law of Moses must inform us If Moses's Law then the Seventh day of every week the Temple at Jerusalem and Tythes must be assigned But if Christ and right reason then the time is whensoever you can the place is wheresoever you can and for substance what you can or what is necessary The two last I suppose will not be denyed and for the first it mâ—y thus appear The Lords Supper is ordained as a standing Ordinance in the Church of Christ as the Passeover was in the Church under Moses but yet there is no set time assigned by Christ for its Celebration as we know there was for the Celebration of the Passeover Again the Church under Moses were commanded to offer many Sacrifices to the Lord and had their their respective times limited wherein to do it Christians are bound to offer to the Lord spiritual Sacrifices even the fruits of Heb. their lips giving thanks to his name but this without the limitation of time having rather this general rule in that case namely to do it continually that is as often as we can Furthermore the work of exhortation is a standing Ordinance in Christs Church but not limited to any set time but rather to be performed daily that it to say as frequently as we can And hence we may perceive a very great difference as to the liberty of time Heâ— in things pertaining to God between the Law of bondage and the Gospel of Christ for certainly the work of Christian exhortation praising the Lord and the celebration of his divine Supper doth as it were comprize the whole body of Christian Worship as it consists in Practicals and answers to that which comprized the body of Legal worship but with this remarkable difference the one is left free as to the circumstance of time while the other was tyed to their strict points of time under which consideration we have cause to say as the Apostle said of some who went from Christ to Moses yee observe dayes and moneths and times and yeares I am afraid of you c. Among which days I have no doubt the Jews Sabbath-day was included and that because it was of a ceremonial consideration and so done away by Christ and that it was of such a consideration I shall endeavour to demonstrate by the grounds which here ensueth The first Reason Because nothing which is really moral is impossible but upon due consideration it will be found impossible for the whole Universe i e. all mankind with their Cattel to observe one certain point of time to rest from labour c. because the bounds of their habitations hath made the time so far various as the time of mid-night is the time of mid-day in their respective Regions where they live so that unavoidably one part of the world will be found in the dead of the night asleep on their beds when the other in the heat of the day are in devotion to the Lord. But that which makes this matter the more considerable is the great diversity of time which happens to those who live in the * I speak not here of the utmost South and North but the most remote habitable parts of the World far Southern and Northern parts of the world a day in these places being as long as many of ours so that to enjoin a Sabbath-so emnity in those places would prove a strange undertâ—king and would not answer the Morality of the fourth Commâ—nd which undoubredly requires a sufficient time of rest for man and beast and that his Name may be sanctisied by all men in the celebration of his Ordinances The substance of S. J. his Answer to this Reason is this If
THE Seventh-day-Sabbath Ceased as Ceremonial AND YET The Morality of the fourth COMMAND Remaineth OR Seven Reasons tending to prove that the fourth COMMAND in the Decalogue is of a different nature from the other nine Being partly Moral and so it obligeth all men partly Ceremonial and so 't is done away by Christ Also certain Answers to some of the said Reasons proved insufficient WHEREUNTO Is added a Postscript shewing the Judgement of the Jews and Antient Christians touching the SABBATH-DAY By Tho. Grantham Gal. 4. 10 11. Yee observe daies and months and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Gal. 2. 4 5. And that because of false brethren unawares brought in who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into bondage To whom we gave place by subjection no not for an hour that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you LONDON Printed for the Authour 1667. To the Church of Jesus Christ built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets of which Jesus Christ is the chief corner Stone Salutation Christian Brethren HAving by Providence this occasion put into my hand I am desirous to make use of it thereby to impart a word or two if so I may be useful to you in recommending to your thoughts these short Labours of my Companion in the Work of Christ The work I say is short yet surely it contains much of matter in it wherein if you be studious you may finde occasion greatly to enlarge It is true he hatâ— not medled so much with the particular Controversies denpeding as with the searching into the Basis or Root of the Matter wherein I hope he hath performed the part of a serious and profitable Christian If it should so fall out that in Reading these seven Grounds or Reasons some of them should not seem so clear as you could wish yet know that if any one of them be undeniable it is sufficient for truth standeth not so much in the multitude as in the clearness of the Proofes alledged This I speak not as being doubtful of the soundness of any of the Grounds proposed being fairly considered but to prevent an evil which is incident to many which is to reject a work altogether because some part may seem to be dubious Among other things contained in this Book there is one thing especially to be observed and that is those three things left at liberty under Christ in the Gospel which were limited under Mose's Law namely time place and cost for the Worship of God It is a point if well heeded which may conduce much to the rectifying Christians in this weighty controversie about the Sabbath Again observe well the distinction noted concerning some Laws how the preceptive part may remain and yet the penal part changed The want of heeding this seems to have run some men into great extreams at this day Furthermore I pray consider the design of this Discourse it is to help you to keep your selves in the enjoyment of Gospel Liberty and from the bondage of the Law whither we see too many inclining as if having begun in the Spirit they now seek to be made perfect in the Flesh Brethren it is a good thing that our hearts bee established with Grace to wit the Gospel not with meats brews 13. to wit the Law which hath not profited them that have been exercised therewith You see grace is proposed as that which is proper for the establishment of the heart and that kinde of stability was never more needful than now because nothing seems now remaining to fix upon if this be neglected for all things seem to reel to and fro like a Drunkard as if all those things which must be shaken were even at their period Wherefore Brethren let us have Grace c. so shall wee have Faith and receive a Kingdome which cannot be moved c. Beloved be exhorted to beware of those and that Doctrine that leadeth into bondage for these daies are perilous in that respect And howsoever many may be led on in their simplicity having great zeal to Godward Rom. 10. 2. yet See a Paper called the Counterfeit Jew how do I fear that some of the great Masters of our late Judaizers have been no other than the appointed servants of her whose design is to infatuate by Sophistical devices those whom she could not turn from the right way by her more gross and superstitious devices For can wee think that the several late exorbitant errours have not had some deputed by subtilty to project and set them on broach it is not credible Let your eyes therefore bee ever beholding the grace that is in Christ Jesus by which you will be kept free from the yoke of bondage as well as from the phantastical conceits of our late Enthusiasts and in the beholding whereof alwaies remember that this grace is accompanied with a denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts and with a sober godly and righteous life in this present world and let not this your greatest good be evil spoken of by any mis-use of your Liberty which you have by the Gospel but ever let the sound of these words be in your ears Brethren you are called unto Liberty only use not your Liberty as an occasion to the Flesh Brethren the God of all Grace fill you with Grace and Peace in believing is the humble supplication of Your unworthy Brother John Lupton THE seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath Ceased a Ceremonial AND YET The Morality of the Fourth COMMAND Remaineth The POSITION The Fourth Command in the Decalogue is partly Moral and so considered it is binding to all and partly Ceremonial and so considered it is done away by Christ I Little thought that my Reasons for non-observation of the Seventh-day as 't is now observed by many should have been divulged in Writing till my self had done it but sith the impatience of some could not stay my leasure but without my knowledge or advice hath spread them abroad I am thereupon occasioned to appear at this time partly to correct and partly to amplifie the Reasons which under the Characters of T. G. are ascribed to me First therefore I hold it meet to demonstrate the Positioâ—s wherein I say the Fourth Command Exodâ—s 〈◊〉 is partly Moral c. This Motality whereof I speak lyeth in this â—…c That God the Creatour of all men hath put a law in mans heart by which he understandeth that part of the time he is allowed to live upon the Earth is to be set apart for the service of his Creatour and not all to be spent in doing his own work a time of repose he also knoweth by the same Law to be necessary as well for his Servants and Cattle as for Himself and this also the fourth Command in the Decalogue doth teach us But now if the Question be How much of his time man must
the Inhabitants of these remote places do observe the seaventh-day consisting of Evening and Morning it will answer the intent of God in the fourth Precept as to the letter of it To which I reply Then it is clear that it was not Gods intent to bind all men to one point of time in Sabbath-solemnities which I desire may be well observed and how the precise point of time the seventh-day can then be Moral I cannot conceive Secondly Let it be observed that it will follow from S. J. his Answer that these remote Inhabitants may lawfully work for many of our Sabbath-day-evening for six dayes of theirs counting from Evening to Morning will contain a good part of six of our weeks all which time they keeping no Sabbath will badly answer the intent of God in the fourth Precept and their Servants and Cattel would soon complain against them The second Reason Precepts which are purely Moral give not place to Precepts Ceremonial but when two such Laws come in Competition that which is Ceremonial gives place to that which is Moral Go ye and learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice But it is evident that the Seaventh-days-sabbath frequently gave place to Ceremonial Laws John 7. 22 23. Ye on the Sabbath-day circumcise a man c. that the Law of Moses should not be broken Here the Law of Circumcision takes place in point of observation before the Sabbath for Circumcision did not only prevent the Circumcisers from resting but the circumcised were especially in capacitated to sabbathize and thus the Law of the Sabbath was broken if I may so speak as doubtless I may by the interposition of a Ceremonial Law To this instance we will join another Mat. 12. 5. 6 7. where it is plainly said that the Sabbath was profaned or broken and that in the Temple at Jerusalem and yet the profaners thereof were blameless because their prophanation lay in the observation of certain ceremonies of Moses Law as killing and dressing of beasts and sheep too be offered for sacrifices on that day and not only for the Sabbath-day which was done continually but also for the yearly Sabbaths or Festivities if they fell on the Sabbath day as they often did in which cases there was as I take it seaven times as much labour in killing and dressing beasts for sacrifices on such solemnities as on the weekly Sabbath See Num. 28. 29. Chapters It is in any wise to be seriously considered how clearly our Saviour doth rank the Sabbath with Laws ceremonial seeing all the instances which he brings to vindicate his Disciples are instances out of the Ceremonial Law For when his Disciples were found fault with for rubbing the eares of Corn c. on the Sabbath-day Christ defends them by alledging David who in a like hungty condition broke the Ceremonial Law of Shewbread and the argument seems to conclude thus If David being hungry might without blame do contrary to the ceremonial Law of Shew-bread then my Disciples being also hungry may without blame do contrary to the ceremonial Law of the Sabbath And certainly if the argument lye not here a worse thing will follow for then our Saviour brought an instance very unsuitable and such as will be dangerous as will be discerned if it be considered that it is no reasoning from Gods dispensing with a ceremonial Law to his dispensing with a moral Law for then one may reason thus God dispensed with David breaking his Law concerning Shew-bread in a case of necessity therefore he will dispence with another in worshipping a false God if he be necessitated which God forbid So then it is plain that our Saviour compared the Sabbath with the law Ceremonial which is yet more evident by the next instance of the Priests prophaning the Sabbath to which I have spoken as also from the conclusion he makes upon the whole matter in these words Go ye and learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice where it is evident the word Mercy hath relation to Moral duty and is apply'd to the Disciples preservation from hunger and the word Sacrifice hath relation to the Ceremonial Law and is applyed to the Sabbath-day The substance of S. J. his answer to this Reason is this That the sixth Precept which is Moral gave place to a Command of God which was Typical and a Figure in it self to Abraham in offering up his son Isaac To which I reply It is very strange that men do not consider before they speak against evident truth Can S. J. believe that all manner of killing is forbidden in these words Thou shalt not kill if so what will become of the penal part of his Sabbath-Principle which tells us that such as break the Sabbath wilfully must be put to Death It hath hitherto been the received Exposition of this Precept that Homicide and Murther whether in desire or fact is the killing which in this Command is prohibited It doth not then nor never did prohibit man for killing any man in that way and upon that account for which God commands him so to do viz. either in executing justice or in offering to God a sacrifice and therefore no man well advised will say that the sixt Command was broken for such a giving place the Reason intendeth when Abraham offered his son Isaac but I have shewed that what was done on the Sabbath by the Priests was a breach or prophanation of the Sabbath and yet the prophaners blameless only because they kept the Ceremonial Law unbroken I do offer this further in this place that our Saviour did not justifie the fact of his Disciples to be a lawful fact in it self but rather seems to grant it to be unlawful as to the law of the Sabbath as indeed it was for it was not lawful to prepare meat or dress it for eating on that day as appears Exod. 16. 23. Now their plucking the ears of Corn and rubbing them in their hands was a preparing or dressing of it for their eating it Wherefore when the Pharisees told our Saviour his Disciples did that which was not lawful to be done he did not I say vindicate the fact to be lawful but rather grants it to be unlawful by alledging a fact for its defence as unlawful as it self From whence I further infer the ceremonial nature of the Sabbath-day because I see not how any Moral Precept could be broken by such a fact nay the fact is defended by the consideration of Moral Duty The third Reason All Commands purely Moral are indispensible in cases of Necessity it is better to dye for hunger than to deny the true God to obtain meat to preserve Life yea he that should so save his life should lose it Nor may I commit Murther Adultery or bear false witnesse against my Neighbour to preserve my own life for I know no necessity that can make my so doing in any wise dispensible But behold the Sabbath-day is such
the continuance of the Paschal Sabbath see Exod. 12. 14. For the continuance of Penticost Sabbath see Lev. 23. 21. For the continuance of the Expiation Sabbath see Lev. 23. 31 For the continuance of the Feast of Tabernacles Sabbath see Lev. 23. 41. The third parallel is in the Service of these Sabbaths and that I have shewed already wherein it appears that the Services of the annual Sabbaths was not onely greater than those of the weekly but to be done as exactly yea though they fell upon the seventh day Numb 28 29. chap. The fourth Parallel is of forbearing Labour which was as strictly to be observed on the yearly as on the weekly Sabbaths Exod. 31. 14. compared with Lev. 23. 30. The fifth Parallel of the time to begin to keep the Sabbath ' which is supposed to be the evening before but in this the annual Sabbaths are not onely equal to the weekly but indeed the pattern for of one of them onely it is said from Even to Even shall you sanctifie your Sabbath Lev. 23. 32. The sixth Parallel is of the Penalties which was death and was as well the penalty for breach of the yearly Sabbaths as for breach of the seventh-day-Sabbath Lev. 23. 30. * Note that these words in the Texts that soul shall be cut off from his people is meant of the Magistrates executing the Law for breach of the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath and then why not in the other cases also And although it be not exprest that the Magistrate must execute the penalty for breach of the yearly Sabbath yet it may be gathered that hee must do it See and compare these Scriptures Exod. 30. 28. * Note that these words in the Texts that soul shall be cut off from his people is meant of the Magistrates executing the Law for breach of the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath and then why not in the other cases also and Exod. 31. 14. * Note that these words in the Texts that soul shall be cut off from his people is meant of the Magistrates executing the Law for breach of the seventh-day-Seventh-day-Sabbath and then why not in the other cases also And this may serve as an answer to some when they did us shew that the penalty of death was ever to be inflicted upon the breakers of any Law but the moral Law Nor is this the onely instance for the holy Persume might not be imitated under pain of Death Exod. 30. 28. Neither might man or beast so much as touch the holy Mount but be punished by stoning or by being thrust through with a Dart Exod. 19. 23. compared with 12 and 13. verses of the same chapter The seventh and last Parallel shall be of the Sabbath of years in which we may observe that at the giving thereof to Israel the Lord gave them the bread of three years the year before the Sabbathical year as he gave them the bread of two daies before the Sabbath-day Now let it be considered what sollid Reason there remains for the continuation of the seventh-day-Sabbath more than for the yearly Sabbaths and Sabbath of years sith there is no more express prohibition of the one than the other in the Scriptures except in Col. 2. 16. Where in truth the seventh-day-Sabbath is rather more expressly prohibited than the rest and seeing we do as constantly enjoy the time of first fruits in-gathering c. as the Jews did wherein they held holy Sabbathisms to rejoyce before the Lord for all the good things wherewith he blessed them it might very justly be enquired of some why they observe not these solemnities together with the seventh-day The seventh Reason The Observation of the seventh-day-Sabbath according to the Law of Moses cannot stand without the Execution of the Penalty of death upon such as break it Were it not so it should not be the religious Observation of the day which is in it self a thing tollerable and about which Christians need not judge one another I say were it onely this it should not offend me But now these which stand for the observation of the seventh-day according to the Law of Moses do also stand for the penalty of death to be inflicted upon such as they judge wilful breakers thereof confessing even in their printed Books that the reason why they do not execute that penalty is Because they are no Magistrates Stennet against Russel So then it seems such men want but opportunity and doubtless by how much men are the more zealous by so much they would drive the more furiously and indeed S. J. doth peremptorily conclude that such their proceedings if Magistrates would be no more an act of Persecution than killing a Murtherer in our daies by the hand of a Magistrate can be termed Persecution We see then there is cause to fay as sometimes we have said that this present Sabbath-Doctrine doth bring in with it a state of Persecution In which we have deliverd no Fable of our own for beside the light of reason by which we are in some measure able to judge of the consequence of mens tenents mine ears are mine evidence that putting the case those men were Magistrates we must either submit to their government concerning the Sabbath c. or else seek a place where we might enjoy our liberty to which as formerly even so now I answer that is much what the same liberty which is granted us now It is a maxime to be wel heeded that Truth hath no bad consequences but admit once this Sabbath Principle in the penal part and then we must admit of all the penalties once due for breach of the three precedent Commands and then must all Blasphemers and Idolaters be destroyed their Cities and substance consumed by fire Deut. 13. and then the lives of the greatest part of men must be ascribed to the sin of the Magistrates But would this proceeding be like a Gospel dispensation wherein God is suffering the contradiction of sinners against himself and waits if peradventure his long-suffering may lead them to repentance as it did Saul who was once a Blasphemer c. In whom God shewed forth a pattern of his patience to those who should live after Wherefore fith the Execution of the said penalties are inconsistent with Gods clemency in Christ in this day of his Gospel patience we therefore dare not subscribe to the Doctrine of the present Sabbath-keepers concerning their Sabbath-observation The substance of S. J. his Answer to this Reason is this That we are like those that run into the fire to keep from burning into the water to keep from drowning to kill because we must be killed for our pains to approve of Man-stealing because death is the due punishment for that sin and here he laies us under non-sense foolishness c. together with these absurdities To which I reply that the dis-ingenuity of these retortings will appear if it be considered First that we distinguish of commands according to the time or dispensation