disturbance bestowed on Gods service is good and laudable 9. Yet this is not in such sort necessary as if it were a sin against religion and conscience to a Christian after divine service finished in the Church to apply himselfe to outward actions belonging to the lawful and honest commodities and pleasures of this decaying and troublesome life when they doe it with Christian wisedome which must be the guide of all our actions leading us so warily that we transgresse not the wholesome lawes of the state or of the Church wherein we live and that we shun all partialities and cause of schisme which is the bane of the Church dismembring and tearing in factious pieces the mysticall body of our LORD IESUS CHRIST which the true doctrine of faith had preserved from the poyson of mortall herefie 6 Of these two foresaid opinions the last to my judgement is the truest and hath more solid and cleare reasons than the first as shall bee seene by the canvasing and sifting out of the reasons that are broached on both sides Which to doe more distinctly and clearely I will divide this Treatise into foure parts In the first I shall endeavour to prove that the institution and observation of a seventh day of Sabbath is not morall that it began not with the beginning of the world that it had no existence till the people of Israel were brought from Egypt to the wildernesse and was not known in any part of the universall world till then and that the Commandement whereby it was confirmed in Horeb obligeth not under the New Testament In the second I shall answer all the reasons that I have found alleaged for the contrary opinion In the third I shall discourse of the appointing of Sunday for Gods service and shew whence in greatest likenesse of truth it taketh its beginning and establishment in the Christian Church In the last I will declare what was the cessation of workes enjoyned in the Sabbath day under the old Testament and how far we are obliged unto it under the New Testament For these are the principall points that Christians jarre and differ about in this matter of the Sabbath Perlegi hunc Tractatum cui Titulus est A Treatise of the Sabbath and the Lords-day nihil reperio sanae doctrinae aut bonis moribus contrarium quo minus cum utilitate publicâ imprimatur ita tamen ut si non intra septem menses proxime sequentes typis mandetur haec licentia sit omnino irrita Ex Aedibus Lambethanis Ianuar. 5. 1635. GUIL BRAY R. in Christo Patri D. Arch. Cant. Capel Domest THE FIRST PART wherein it is proved that the Ordinance and observation of a Seventh-Day of Sabbath is not morall hath not its beginning since the beginning of the World and obligeth not under the Nevv Testament CHAPTER First REASON I. 1. First Reason The times and places of Gods service are accidentall circumstances and have no morall equity in them but depend on a particular institution 2. GOD tooke occasion of his resting on the Seventh day to institute that day 3. Confession of some that are of the contrary opinion 1 TO establish the second of these two opinions afore mentioned and to refute the first whereby the observation of one day of rest in the weeke is affirmed to be a morall duty I say First that the nature of the thing called in question is repugnant to this opinio For it is a thing evident of it selfe that as the places even so the times of Gods service are accidentall circumstances which have no foundation in any naturall and essentiall justice and equitie nor any necessity inherent in them but depend absolutely on the ordinance of God or of men What hath in it one day of seven more than one of a greater or lesser number wherefore we should affirme that the observation of that day rather than of another day is a morall duty appertaining yea necessary to whole mankinde that thereby it may attaine unto the end for which man was created therfore it hath an obligatory power over all nations in all ages which may bee demonstrated and shewed perspicuously by naturall reasons as some have too hardily pronounced but without any evidence produced saving their simple word which to men that have eyes in their heads and scorne to be Pythagoras Disciples is no good payment 2 It was the Creation of the world in sixe dayes and Gods rest on the seventh day that was to God the occasion of the appointing of the seventh day for his service Now who can shew in that wonderfull worke of the Creation in sixe dayes and in Gods rest on the seventh day the least appearance of morality As there appeareth no such thing unto us so no other reason of this dispensation is made manifest unto us saving the good pleasure of GOD who would have it so For who can conceive and farre lesse expresse and shew by words any essentiall justice in the observation of this number of dayes that God pitched upon for the framing of his workes and his resting from them 3 Some of them against whom I have undertaken this brotherly disputation have acknowledged and said that we observe not one day of seven under the New Testament as a part of Gods service but only as the time thereof which sheweth that it is not a morall thing For if it were it should bee essentially a part of Gods service as is universally whatsoever is morall Vnder the Old Testament it made a part of Gods service not of the morall but of the ceremoniall and typike service established then in the infancy of the Church and which was not to continue but during that time as we shall see hereafter CHAPTER Second REASON 2. 1. Second Reason Adam knew not the Sabbath by naturall light therefore it was not morall 2. Reply by a distinction of morall things in those that are naturall or positive 3. First answer all morall things are naturally just 4. Second answer all morall things are perpetuall which morall are not 1 SEcondly if the keeping of a seventh day were a morall duty our first Father Adam by that light of nature which GOD put in his minde when he created him would have knowne it as well as he knew all other things which in themselves are good and necessary But he neither had nor should have had any knowledge thereof if God had not injoyned it unto him by a particular commandement as those which maintaine the morality of the Sabbath doe avouch pretending that such a command was given him for that end which we shall ponder and discusse in time and place In the meane while of this it followeth manifestly that the observation of a seventh day is a thing depending meerely of institution and ecclesiasticall regiment and that in the decalogue the fourth Commandement in as farre as it injoyneth a seventh day is not of the same nature with the rest For if it were God
nor also of Gods rest which in effect hath continued ever since because this other rest which it figured shall never have an end 7 Now this figure of Gods resting from the works of grace which he had first resolved and determined in himselfe and founded upon his owne rest from the workes of nature was intimated by him when giving his Law to the Israelites he commanded to forbeare all workes and by that cessation to sanctifie the seventh day which he had rested in to the intent that this day and their cessation on it as an image correspondent in some sort to the example of his owne rest should be unto them likewise a type and figure of the eternall rest which they should obtaine in heaven after all the workes and toiles of this life according to his good pleasure whereby he had ordained from the beginning that it should be so And so Gods rest on the seventh day after the creation was ended and the rest which he ordained also to the Israelites on that same day after their six daies worke were in effect two types of one and the same thing to wit of the accomplishment of the salvation and of the blessednesse and glory of the faithfull in heaven but in divers respects according as this accomplishment may have relation either to God or to the faithfull To God as to the author who having begun and furthered it will also accomplish and perfect it in which respect it hath had properly Gods rest for figure To the faithfull as unto those which shall injoy and possesse the benefit thereof after the turmoile of their irkesome workes in this world In which regard it had properly for type the rest ordained to the Israelites It is likely that the Apostle in consideration of this mystery when he speaketh vers 9. of the heavenly rest calleth it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he doth in all the former verses but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 using a word taken from the Sabbath of the Iewes and that purposely to teach us that the Sabbath of the Iewes in the relation it had to Gods rest on the seventh day which it was founded upon was a figure of the eternall rest prepared for the faithfull 8 And indeed the Iewes have alwaies understood it so For they teach that this rest of the seventh day was a type of the rest prepared for Gods people in the world to come Whereunto they apply this Title of the 92. Psalme A Psame of song for the Sabbath day saying that this Psalme is a song for the time to come to wit for the day of eternall life which is all Sabbath all an holy rest signified also by the Sabbath named jointly with the new Moones in Isaiah 66. Chapter verse 23. Where God saith that from one New Moone to another and from one Sabbath to another shall all flesh come to worship before him Which words being applyed to the estate and condition of the world to come as they may be most fitly give to understand that the New Moones and the Sabbaths wherein holy convocations and solemne actions of Gods service were practised were types and figures of the great convocation of all that are his in his heavenly kingdome and of the eternall rest which they shall enjoy there serving him without interruption because there is no intervall no space there betweene the Sabbaths and the New Moones that is betweene the times appointed for rest and the solemne service of GOD as there was under the Law among the Iewes but one Sabbath following immediately another one New Moone succeeding without interposition another as the words of the Text doe import and the whole time being nothing else then a continuall Sabbath that is a perpetuall tenor an unintermitted continuance without change of serving God after a most glorious and unconceivable manner And as God after he had created and made all his workes in sixe dayes ceased on the seventh day ceased I say not simply but with pleasure and content enjoying that glory which from hence redounded unto him even so he shall then rejoyce and magnifie himselfe on that day in all his faithfull in whom he shall have accomplished his glorious work of their redemption and they reciprocally shall rejoyce in him shall rest from their labours and their workes shall follow them Revel 14. ver 3. That is they shall receive pleasure glory and reward of all their good works and shall inherite a glorious rest conformable in some sort to Gods rest Vndoubtedly the use which the Sabbath day had to be a type and figure of this heavenly rest was the cause that God did so precisely urge the Iewes to observe and keepe it inviolably For he designed by so severe an injunction of the exact observation of the typâ— the great importance and necessity of the thing signified thereby 9 Of this I inferre first that the day of rest seeing it was ordained to be a type and figure of the heavenly and eternall rest which Iesus Christ was to purchase to those that are his â—onsâ—â—ering â—â—so that the Scripture for no other â—ause maketh mention oâ— Gods resting on that day and hallowing of it out for this typicall and mâ—sterious use that say I that day was not ordained to Adam from the beginning to bee kept by him in the state of innocency because there is great cause to beleeve that although Adam had persevered in that state and condition he should not have entred into the heavenly rest but had enjoyed simply a terrestriall and eternall blessednesse here below in the Paradise of Heden where God had put him because the heavenly happinesse is alwayes proposed in the Scripture as a supernaturall gift of the grace of God through Christ Iesus and not at all as a naturall grace And it is in that respect that the Apostle in the Epistle to the Romanes Chapter 5. ver 15. 16 17. saith that we receive much more in Iesus Christ then we have lost in Adam and that there is a superaboundance of grace by IESUS CHRIST towards us going farre beyond all the losse wee have made in Adam which could not be said if we had lost any thing over and above an earthly felicity and immortality in these lower parts and if Adam persisting in the state of integrity was to be after many ages on earth received into the kingdome of heaven To which belongeth also that which is written in the fifteenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians where the Apostle making a distinction betweene Adam and Christ saith verse 45. that Adam was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a living soule that is to live a naturall life on earth and to communicate it to his off-spring but Iesus Christ was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a quickning spirit that is to give to those that are his a spirituall and heavenly life by the mighty power of the grace of Sanctification Also that which he addeth Verse
had their full performance he taking occasion of the historicall narration which he was writing of the first Manna which God sent to his people relateth also the Ordinance that God gave to put a pot full of it in the Tabernacle before the Arke and the execution of the said Ordinance which neverthelesse must be referred to a long time after 6 So in the first Booke of Samuel and in the 17. chapter after the narration made of Davids combat against Goliah of his victory of that Giant and of the defeat of the Philistins it is added in the Text verse 54. And David tooke the head of the Philistine and brought it to Ierusalem but hee put his armour into his Tent which notwithstanding was not done but after that David being anointed King tooke the whole towne of Ierusalem from the Iebusites with the strong hold of Sion and dwelled in it calling it the City of David 2 Sam. 5. vers 7. 9. And therefore our French translation in the foresaid place 1 Sam. 17. addeth the word depuis that is since saying And David since brought the head of the Philistine to Ierusalem and put his armes in his Tabernacle to shew that David did not this as soone as he had overthrowne the Philistine although it be related in the Text jointly and at once with his combat and victory as if both had happened together because when that history was a writing the transportation of the head and armes of Goliah to Ierusalem and to the fort of Sion was done And therefore it is related by occasion as it were with one breath in consequence of the victory gotten over him Other examples might be found to this purpose if it were needfull 7 To keepe this course in discoursing and writing is no wise unfitting nor misbecomming If any writing under the New Testament the History of the first Creation of the world and relating the forming of light on the first day should adde by occasion And it is also on the first day that the true light of the world hath shined by his resurrection from the dead and for that cause wee observe that day Or if re-hearzing that God brought forth bread out of the earth to strengthen mans heart and Wine to make it glad he should adde joyntly upon this occasion And it is in this bread and in this Wine which nourish the body that Iesus Christ hath instituted the Sacrament of the nourishment of the soule by him who should finde any thing blame-worthy in such discourses Wherfore then Moses might he not most fitly by occasion of that hee had written of the Seventh day and of Gods rest in it in the History of the Creation touch also in the same discourse the edict made about the sanctification of that day seeing that edict had a great sway when he wrote the History of the Creation and Gods rest on the Seventh day was the cause and reason thereof although it was not so ancient as the first Seventh day 8 Against this answer the instance hath no force which they urge from the conjunction and whereby the third verse is joyned with the second that is the blessing and hallowing of the Seventh day with the finishing of the workes of God and of his rest on that day as being done at the same time and expressed in words of the same tence and moode Nor what they say further that in these two verses as most cleerely appeareth the whole discourse is of the same Seventh day and as in the second verse is understood the first Seventh day wherein God after he had finished his workes rested likewise in the third verse it is understood so when it is said that he blessed and sanctified the Seventh day which is also expressed by the demonstrative Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that it was the same Seventh day that otherwise the reason which is added and taken from the rest of God should be worthlesse because God did not rest from the worke of Creation on that day which he ordained to the Iewes to be their Sabbath day but on that day wherein hee finished first all his workes 9 For I answer to this that the conjunction and may well enough joyne things distant in time and farre removed one from another that also they may be expressed by words of the same tence and moode specially if they have any connexion and dependancy one upon another as in this place The blessing and hallowing of the Seventh day although done long after Gods rest on the Seventh day dependeth upon that rest as upon the cause and reason which was an occasion to God to make it In the Texts before mentioned of Exodus 16. Chapter the 32. and 33. verses and of the 17. Chapter of the first booke of Samuel in the 54. verse which expresse manifestly things done many yeares after these which are rehearsed before but depending on them are joyned to the verses immediately going before by the conjunction and which is diverse time reiterated and the words whereby these diverse things are expressed are set downe in the same tence and moode It imports not that in these examples the thing subsequent joyned straight with the precedent was not a great deale so farre remote in time from it because both hapned within the space of the age of one man as should be in the Text of Genesis before cited the sanctification of the Seventh day from Gods rest on the Seventh day if this being past on the first Seventh day after the Creation that came not to passe till the dayes of Moses which should be an intervall of more than two thousand yeeres For when two things separated and distant in time are to bee coupled together in a discourse if so bee the one hang upon the other those that are remote by many thousand of yeares may be joyned together as well as those of twenty or forty yeeres distance Neither doe I see wherefore it is not as allowable and convenient to rehearse at once a thing come to passe two thousand yeeres and more after another that it relyeth on notwithstanding there be a great intervall of time betweene as to recite one chanced twenty or forty yeares after another whereunto it hath some relation In the one and in the other there is the same reason and the same liberty 10 Wherefore the blessing of the Seventh day made in the dayes of Moses might bee fitly coupled with the Rest of God after the Creation which was the foundation thereof notwithstanding any whatsoever distance of time betweene them As indeed it is so joyned in the fourth Commandement Exodus Chapter 20. verse 11. where GOD speaking to the Israelites saith In sixe dayes the LORD made heaven and earth and rested the Seventh day wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it In which place cannot be understood a blessing and hallowing done at the same time that God rested first on the Seventh day but
day such as the Law ordained afterwards hee had kept himselfe quiet and had not applyed so holy a day to let forth the Pigeon that it might flye abroad here and there and to observe what tokens she should bring unto him of the decreasing of the waters which was rather a violation then a sanctification of the Sabbath according to the tenor of the Law And therefore although Noah had let out the Dove on the seventh day of the weeke that should not be attributed to any particular designe tyed to that day rather than to another but taken as done on that day indifferently as it might have beene done on any other day without seeking any other reason thereof 5 To the other passage taken out of the 29. Chapter of Genesis I answer that the weeke there mentioned is not necessarily to bee understood of a weeke of dayes ordinary and regular But it may be taken for a weeke of yeeres or for a number of seven yeeres and the pronoune THIS twice repeated for Rachel the sence of Labans words to Iacob being this As thou hast served seven yeeres and hast received Leah for reward to bee thy Wife fulfill also a weeke that is serve other seven yeeres for THIS that is for Rachel and she also shall be given thee to be thy wife and so is this place explained by many interpreters But if the pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first place is understood of Leah and the weeke of a weeke of dayes and if Labans words to Iacob be taken as if he had desired him to fulfill a weeke of dayes ordained for the celebration of the solemnity of his mariage with Leah promising that after these seven dayes hee should also give him Rachel as others take it that also availes not For from thence is proved only that the custome was to bestow seven daies on the solemnities and pastimes of weddings But that there was then a weeke regular and ordinary whereof the last day was the same that God rested on from all his workes and was also to that people an holy day of rest it is a conclusion which cannot be gathered out of that history and will never be proved 6 Seeing therefore there is no sufficient proofe of a stinted distinction of daies before the Law this may be to me a contrary argument to prove that the Sabbath day was not then kept For seeing out of the observation thereof followeth of necessity the distinction of weekes if it had been observed from the beginning of the world frequent mention had bin then made of weeks and the men of those daies had counted by weeks as well as by daies moneths and yeeres which is not to be found Nay it is most likely that the distinction of weekes beganne first among the Iewes as soone as the Law was given and from the Iewes came to the Gentiles as a distinction of time very commodious and convenient though they corrupted it consecrating the seven daies of the weeke to the seven planets which they made Idols of and imposing unto them their names whereas the Iewes named them according to their order with relation to the Sabbath the first second third c. of the Sabbath 7 Yet although the faithfull before the Law did not keepe a distinction of daies the inconvenience propounded in the beginning of this Chapter followeth not to wit that if so be they did not celebrate the remembrance of the creation which God finished in sixe daies and from which he began to rest on the seventh day or that they had otherwise forgotten that great worke of God For considering the creation absolutely they could not be ignorant that God had created the world seeing the thing speaketh of it selfe and all creatures cry with a loud voice that they have one Author that hath made them seeing also the distinction of daies and months that was knowne unto them by the ordinary course of the heavenly lights led them of necessity to a beginning no lesse then the distinction of weekes which had in it no particular thing capable to teach them so much As for the Gentiles which were ignorant of the creation of the World and weened it to be eternall that was in them a grosse and blockish error against the light and documents of Nature Yet it was not universall For there have beene some in all times who have beleeved and taught that the world hath had a beginning and was made though they have erred in their opinions concerning the framing thereof 8 Adde to this that in the holy generation of these first faithfull the Fathers had alwaies a speciall care to teach it to their children by a continuall tradition which with the manifestation of the creation in generall might also make knowne unto them the particular order observed of God in that wonderfull worke to wit that in sixe daies he made heaven and earth and rested the seventh day For it is likely that Adam learned it of God that hee kept the knowledge thereof and imparted it to his children who called it to memory and at all occasions glorified for it the Lord their God So they might know without any regular observation of weekes on what day God began and on what day hee ended the creation of the world For the foresaid tradition being supposed by the distinction of moneths and yeeres which was alwaies observed it was easie to make that supputation although some even of the chiefe men among the Iewes as Philo in the first Booke of the life of Moses sticke not to say that the natall day of the world wherein it was finished beganne not to be knowne but by the Israelites when God at first rained Manna upon them in the wildernesse and that it was wholly unknowne to the Fathers in which affirmation I see no inconvenience 9 But howsoever it was no manner of way necessary that they should celebrate ordinarily the memory of the creation and of the rest of God on a solemne and stinted day yea on the last of the seven daies wherein GOD rested and marke the revolution thereof from day to day Neither doth it appeare that they did any such thing Nay it is farre more apparent that God gave the first knowledge and commanded the ordinary and common observation of this day when raining Manna upon the Israelites sixe daies consequently he gave then none on the seventh day saying it was the Sabbath day which he would have them to keepe in time to come and which he enjoined expresly unto them in the Decalogue declaring that on that day hee rested from the workes of the Creation CHAPTER fifth Answer to the fourth Reason 1. Fourth reason for the morality of the Sabbath taken out of the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrewes vers 3 4. 2. Whence they gather that the Sabbath day was ordained to all men from the beginning of the world 3. And that by three arguments inforced upon the words
in some other place without house or Temple as the Christians were forced to meet together in the Primitive persecutions in such a state of the Church this sufficeth and no more is required as morall It is only the decency and commodity which obligeth us to have houses and Temples builded expresly for Gods service For these reasons GOD would not make mention in the Decalogue at a particular place as hee did of a time stinted for his service 19 This is a sufficient answer to another objection when they say that God might as well have put in the Decalogue Thou shalt keep the New Moones or the yeerely feasts as the Sabbath day because that command as well as this had taught us that there must be a time appointed and stinted for Gods service For I deny that such a command could have taught us this duty as well as the other because such dayes being rare and returning only from moneth to moneth or from yeere to yeere had not taught us the convenient and sutable frequency of GODS publike service as did the Sabbath day which returned weekely Therefore it being more frequent yea more holy and venerable then all the rest of festivall dayes ordained of GOD under the Law he made mention of it in the fourth Commandement rather than of them wherein GOD hath observed a way like unto that which he hath kept in the other Commandements which is to set downe a principall head under which he compriseth all other points that have relation unto it Wherefore as in the second Commandement he forbiddeth to make Images to how downe to them and under that point prohibiteth all will-worship As in the fifth Commandement under the name of Father and Mother and of the honour which he commandeth to give unto them hee comprehendeth all superiours and the respect due to them As in the sixth under murder he compriseth all other violences against our neighbour And as in the seventh under Adultery he understandeth all uncleannesse of fleshly lust so likewise in the fourth Commandement under the Sabbath day and the observation thereof which was his principall festivall he understandeth all other holy dayes and all the ceremonies which he had injoyned and the practice of them all As also which I have already marked his custome is other where in the Old Testament to range under that point all other semblable points of his service yea all godlinesse and Religion and make it in some sort to consist altogether in the observation of the Sabbath whereof the reason is that a man cannot bee pious and religious to God-ward unlesse he observe the externall meanes and aides of Religion and godlinesse which he hath ordained Now the principall meanes of this kind ordained by him at that time was the sanctification of the Sabbath All other meanes of the same kinde were referred to it and were established and dressed as it were upon the mould of it even as whatsoever is the first and head in every kind of things is the rule of all others that are inferiour and subordinate unto it wherefore it is no wonder that GOD would in expresse termes set downe this particular determination of the observation of the Sabbath day rather than any other and comprise under it the morall substance of that Commandement For having thought expedient to ordaine and stint to the Iewes the ordinary celebration of his publike service on a set day to wit on every seventh and on the last of the seven dayes of the week the morall substance of the said commandement which is to have a time regulate and frequent for his publike service could not be so well comprised and designed under any other ordinance relative unto it as under this which was the most notable and principall of them all So the fourth Commandement is morall and perpetuall in one respect to wit in this principall substance which it infoldeth covertly and ceremoniall and positive in another to wit in the foresaid determination as also of the sanctification which it expresseth 20 For when God saith in the beginning thereof Remember the Sabbath day to sanctifie it he understandeth by the Sabbath day not a day of rest indefinitely and without limitation but a seventh day and the last of the weeke wherein he rested as is manifest by that is said after in the same Commandement For in sixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth the Sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it where the day of rest or the Sabbath day signifieth manifestly the same day whereof mention is made in the beginning of the Commandement which is the day of Gods rest to wit the seventh that he rested on as it is likewise so restrained in the second Chapter of Genesis And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his workes Therefore it was not a day of rest in generall that he sanctified but the particular seventh day of the Creation and not any other Also this name The Sabbath day or the day of rest doth never signifie in the Scripture any other day besides the seventh and last day of the weeke which GOD had ordained to the Iewes For these two appellations The Sabbath day and the seventh or last day of the weeke are indifferently taken for the same thing and the one is the explication of the other as may be seene in infinite places Exod. 16. verse 29. Exod. 20. ver 10 11. Exod. 23. ver 12. Exod. 31. verse 15. Exod. 35. verse 2. Levit. 23. verse 3. Luk. 13. verse 14. c. Yea this name The Sabbath day is the proper and particular name of the seventh and last day of the weeke whereby it was distinguished from all the rest which as hath beene observed before did take from it their denomination being called the first second third of the Sabbath c. 21 Also by the sanctification of this day which God injoyneth in the foresaid words of the commandement is not expressed and particularised formally any other then that which consisteth in the abstinence of severall workes whereof mention is made in the words following which may be taken for an explication of the sanctification before injoyned even as in this abstinence is expressely established the sanctification of the said day Evod. 31. verse 16. Neh. 13. verse 22. Ierem. 17. verse 22 24 27. And it is indeed that sanctification which ordinarily God betokeneth and requireth of the people of the Iewes in the Old Testament when he speaketh of the sanctification of the Sabbath day as on the contrary the profanation of that day whereof he blameth them is that which they committed in doing workes which he had prohibited But if it be referred to a sanctification which was to be practised by the use of certaine actuall duties of Religion God understandeth a sanctification by the observation of legall ceremonies as
well as of morall duties Yea he understandeth rather that then this because the observation of morall duties is not tyed more particularly to one day then to another but is a service appertaining equally and alike to all dayes of the weeke whereas the ceremonies of Gods outward service were to be observed more particularly on that day then in all the rest And therfore this Commandement in as much as it injoyneth the sanctification of the seventh day is ceremoniall and if in regard of this sanctification it is abolished what inconvenience is there that it be likewise abolished in regard of the day Neither is it a thing singular to this Commandement to have some particular determination belonging to the Iewes only added to the substance which is morall universall and perpetuall For the preface of the Law which some had rather make a part of the first Commandement concerning the deliverance out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage and the temporall promise of long daies upon the Land of Canaan added to the fifth Commandement are manifestly circumstances which have relation to the Iewes only and have no morality in them nay were ceremoniall and typike Now if a ceremoniall promise hath found a roome in the Decalogue there is no greater inconvenience that a ceremoniall and temporall Commandement be found in it also Neither is it a whit more repugnant to say that the fourth Commandement is both morall and ceremoniall because it is not so in the same but in a diverse sense and respect as I have shewed Among the Lawes given by Moses many are to be found which are ceremoniall and temporall in that which they expresse and morall in their foundation and end As for example the Lawes forbidding to muzzle the Oxe when he treadeth out the corne Deut. 25. verse 4. to seethe a Kid in his mothers milke Exod. 23. vers 19. to take in a birds nest the Dam with the young ones Deut. 22. vers 6 7. to plow with an Oxe and an Asse together Deut. 22. vers 10. and others such like 22 And indeed those against whom I write must acknowledge nill they will they that in the fourth Commandement there is some thing that is not morall that obligeth not for ever and that did pertaine onely to the Iewes and to their ceremonies and Ecclesiasticall governement to wit the ordinance about the observing not onely of one day of seven but the last of seven For wee keepe not any more this last day under the new Testament wherein wee should sinne if it were a morall thing Neither can an instance be made from the fourth Commandement that the observing of a seventh day is a thing naturall and morall but by the same meanes it shall be proved against the intention of those that make use of this argument that to observe a seventh day is also morall because the Commandement ordaineth not without restriction a seventh day but stinteth particularly and by name the last of seven 23 There be some who to avoid the strength of this argument doe say that the fourth Commandement enjoyneth onely a seventh day as the genus and as a morall thing but none of the kindes whether the last of seven observed by the Iewes or the first of seven observed by Christians is particularly enjoyned because in this there is no moralitie Or if in the fourth Commandement besides the seventh day in generall a particular seventh is injoined the generall is injoyned as morall the particular as ceremoniall and so the genus to wit a seventh day as being morall continueth for ever as well under the Gospel as under the Law and the particular seventh to wit the last of the weeke is only abrogated by the Gospel This is a bold reply and maketh me to wonder at it seeing on the contrary it is evident by that hath beene already said that wee may affirme with good reason that the fourth Commandement maketh not at all any generall mention of observing an unlimited day but particularizeth expresly a certaine seventh day to wit the last For God after he had said Sixe daies shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke addeth but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God which expression alone and by it selfe although there were no other thing said sheweth that he meaneth the seventh in order following the other sixe When a man uttereth his minde in this sort the third the fourth the fifth c. his intention is to denote that which is such in order relatively to others going before neither is there any man that will take it otherwise But besides this God unfoldeth forthwith which seventh he meaneth to wit the particular seventh wherein he rested after he had made all his workes in the sixe daies which went before which was the last of seven Moreover it is evident that in the fourth Commandement the seventh day and the day of rest are the same as also wheresoever mention is made of them And the day of Rest is there taken for the day that God rested in as is manifest by these words following And he rested the seventh day wherefore he blessed the Sabbath day and hollowed it the which day wherein he rested is the seventh or the last day after the sixe of the creation as is evident by these words also He made his workes in sixe daies and rested on the seventh day Wherefore it is the last seventh and none other that is designed in the fourth Commandement as the object of the blessing and hallowing of God which is yet more cleare by the second Chapter of Genesis and third verse where after Moses had said that God in sixe daies made the heaven and the earth and all the hosts of them and after he had ended his workes rested the seventh day he addeth And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he had rested from all his workes to wit that seventh which afterwards he blessed 24 For the Pronoune It hath a necessary relation to a particular day specified in the foresaid words as blessed of God and limited forthwith as the day of his rest so it is manifest that the day which God blessed is the same that he rested in the same I say by correspondency in the order and succession of daies as I have shewed before Otherwise what should be the sense of these words God hath blessed and sanctified the seventh day that is as is pretended a seventh day undetermined because in it he rested c. This Pronoune It can it fitly and conveniently denote a day uncertaine and unlimited Where is to be found a seventh day unlimited wherein God did rest Moreover Gods blessing and sanctification can it have an indefinite and uncertaine object so that God in particular sanctified nothing Againe can it be a convenient reason having any likelihood that God having rested on a certaine seventh day and having considered in it all his workes which hee
of Nehemiah not for their owne sake but only in consideration of the Iewes lest they should offend them and give them occasion to breake the Sabbath after their example For the observation of the Sabbath did no more oblige them naturally then the other observation of the Iewish religion lust as in all politick regiment which is well ordered it is usuall to hinder those that are strangers to the religion professed in it from giving any disturbance to the exercises of devotion namely in the solemnities and holy daies To urge this point is it not true that among the Iewes strangers were obliged to keep all other Sabbaths new Moons holy daies solemnities after the same manner that they were constrained to keepe the Sabhath that is not to violate them publikely and with offence Were they not forbidden as well as the Iewes to eate leavened bread during the seven daies of the Passeover Exodus 12. verse 19. as also to eate blood Levit. 17 vers 10. 12 13. Will any man upon this inferre that the ordinances of all these Sabbaths new Moones Feasts unleavened bread abstinence from eating blood were not ceremonies but morall ordinances obliging for ever all men and consequently all Christians under the new Testament Sure this must be concluded by the same reasoning the vanity whereof is by this sufficiently demonstrated and discredited 10 Fifthly they inforce their opinion with these words For in sixe daies the LORD maae heaven and earth the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh day Whence they gather that sith the creation must be in perpetuall remembrance and God ordained to the Iewes the seventh day for a memoriall therof and of his rest all men ought to keepe it continually for the same end and in that follow his example which also hee proposeth in the words before mentioned to the end that as hee made his workes in sixe daies and rested the seventh day so likewise men following his example should give themselves to the workes of their calling during the sixe daies of the weeke and rest on the seventh day that they may apply it to the consideration of the works of God which they pretend to be no lesse obligatory towards Christians under the new Testament then towards the Iewes under the old Testament because wee cannot follow and imitate a better example then the example of God 11 To this I answer first that it may be denyed that Gods end in the institution of the Sabbath day was that it should be a memoriall of the creation of all his workes on sixe daies and of his rest on the seventh day That is not said any where but this onely is specified that God sanctified the seventh day because in it he rested from his workes after he had made them in sixe daies Which sheweth only the occasion that God tooke to ordaine and establish the Sabbath day but not the end of the institution thereof which is declared unto us in the foresaid places of Exodus 31. vers 13. and of Ezech. 20. vers 12. where it is said that God ordained it to be a signe between him and the Israelites that he was the Lord that did sanctifie them This end of the said institution as likewise the motive and occasion thereof are coupled together in the 16. and 17. verses of the said 31. Chapter of Exodus in these words The children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall covenant It is a signe betwene me and the children of Israel for ever Whereof a signe Certainly that they may know that I am the Lord that doth sanctifie them as it is written in the 13. verse This is the end of the Institution of the Sabbath which must be supplyed from thence After that it followeth For in sixe daies the LORD made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed This is the occasion and motive of the said institution There be some that would faine of this For make That and joine the two members of the 17. verse as if they were but one after this manner It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel for ever that in sixe daies the Lord made heaven and earth to inferre from thence that the Sabbath was ordained expresly to the end it might be a memoriall of the Creation but although the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth That as well as For yet that in the foresaid verse it should rather signifie For and that the said verse should have two distinct members and each of them its owne particular sentence it appeareth probably both by the changing of the forme of speech that God useth speaking of himselfe in the first person in the first member It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever and in the third person in the second member For in sixe daies the LORD made heaven and earth whereas if it had beene the continuance of the same period without distinction hee should have rather have said It is a signe betweene me and the children of Israel that I have created in sixe daies or that I am the Lord who have created in sixe daies heaven and earth c. As also by the Hebrew accent Athnach which it put at the end of the first member and is an accent denoting usually a pause and notable respiration and a distinction of a compleate sentence 12 Secondly to stand longer upon this first answer although I should yeeld that the seventh day of Sabbath was instituted of God purposely to be a memoriall of the Creation the argument is neverthelesse inconsequent For although things past should be in perpetuall remembrance It followeth not that the signes and memorialls of such things instituted under the old Testament should be perpetuall Nay they ought not to be if they have beene therewith types and figures relative to the Messias God made a covenant with Abraham and promised unto him to be God unto him and to his seed after him Gen. 17. vers 7. which is a perpetuall benefit and worthy to be remembred by all his spirituall posterity till the end of the world Yet the signe and memoriall that hee gave him at that time of this covenant to wit the Circumcision was not to be perpetuall and hath continued onely till the time of the new Testament Likewise all the Sacraments under the old Testament have beene signes and memorialls of perpetuall benefits to wit of justification sanctification c. Notwithstanding they ought not to persist for ever because they also were types The same is the condition of the Sabbath We may and ought to call to minde under the new Testament the benefit of the Creation and of Gods rest after it although we have no particular signe thereof which by Gods ordinance is a signe of remembrance In the Kingdome of heaven we shall celebrate eternally the remembrance of our Creation and Redemption without any
themselves bound to this observation and Gods proceeding alone had not beene obligatory unto them nor had the force of a Law among them Which sheweth that in it there is no morality no example binding the conscience necessarily and for ever 16 This being so it followeth not that if God was pleased to give this ordinance to the Iewes by occasion of the order that he observed in the Creation he would also have it to continue among Christians seeing it was not grounded in any morall thing which should have life and vigor for ever no more than so many other ordinances which he had given to that people upon good considerations oblige not Christians because the reasons were not morall And as these ordinances are changed and abolished without any blame of variablenesse or of turning that God hath incurred on his part even so that ordinance concerning the Sabbath might and ought to cease likewise All the morality that can be gathered from Gods example is that as God after he had made all his workes in the space of some dayes rested on another day so we should have some day wherein leaving off our ordinary occupations we may busie our selves about Gods service But not that Gods example obligeth us to the same day of rest which God observed 17 And indeed the Christians in the observation of their day of rest doe not any more ground themselves upon Gods example in the Creation For although they keepe sixe dayes of worke and a seventh of rest yet it is not the seventh day that God rested in for they work on that day and rest on the first day of the weeke which God began in to make all his workes and so they change Gods order Which sheweth that this example of God is not obligatory of it selfe and for ever For if it were we should be bound to keepe not only one of seven but the same seventh which God gave us example to rest in there being no reason wherefore one and the same example of God should neither be obligatory for ever in one of its parts to wit in that hee observed sixe dayes of labour and a seventh of rest then in the other to wit in that hee imployed the first sixe dayes of the weeke to worke in and the last to rest in 18 They get no advantage to say that under the New Testament the alteration of the Sabbath day hath beene made from the last day of the weeke to the first because IESUS CHRIST rising on this day rested from the worke of our redemption which is greater and more excellent than the worke of Creation seeing that by it man who was created in the flat mutable state of nature and of a naturall grace from which he fell away and was also to remaine upon earth is put in the supernaturall and immutable state of grace to be received in heaven to be admitted to the contemplation of God himselfe and to live there in a light and purity farre more perfect then that which he had in the first Creation That also heaven and earth shall be renewed and established in a state a great deale more beautifull and excellent then the state they were created in Nay that the Angels themselves have thereby received many and great benefits In a word that in vertue of that worke hath in part beene already made and one day shall be made compleately a new Creation of all things as Christ himselfe speaketh Matth. 19. verse 28. And therefore it deserved well that the day wherein Christ after he had finished it did rest should be consecrated by all those that pretend to have part in it and to whom the benefit thereof is offered if they reject it not by their owne fault to be a day of rest under the New Testament instead of the day which was observed under the Old Testament in remembrance of Gods resting from the workes of the Creation 19 For I grant willingly this to be true But with all I say that the altering of the Sabbath day upon the occasion of Christs Resurrection sheweth plainely that the example of Gods proceeding in the Creation and the observation of one of seven dayes and of the last of seven founded thereupon under the Old Testament was not morall For if it had beene no alteration no changing could have beene made of that time neither altogether nor in part for any occasion occurring and falling out sithence because all morall things are perpetuall have beene confirmed and ratified by Iesus Christ and have not been casheered by him nor by his Church Now it is constant by the practise of all Christian Churches that a change hath beene made and in the beginning of that innovation the order of the observation of one of seven dayes was of necessity subject to be changed and ceased to be obligatory For when Christians began or might have begun to omit the last day of the weeke and to keepe the first they might also then have neglected and violated the foresaid order of dedicating to GOD one day of seven which neverthelesse is pretended to be morall sith by the death of Iesus Christ all the Iewish ceremonies and amongst them the ancient day of Sabbath that is the precise observation of the seventh or the last day of the weeke which is not denyed to have beene ceremoniall being abrogated of right in the weeke wherein hapned the death of Christ and on the Friday of that weeke the Disciples were not obliged to observe the last day of that weeke which was Saturday or the Sabbath of the Iewes immediately following but they might have observed another in the weeke following which being true it followeth that they might have overslipt all the seven dayes of the said weeke without consecrating any of them to God And in effect in whatsoever time the Church begun at first to overpasse the last day of the weeke of necessity she passed a whole weeke wherein there was no seventh day of Sabbath which she could not have done lawfully if to observe one day of seven were a morall point 20 Furthermore according to this maxime which proposeth the necessity of the observation of one day in the weeke yea of a whole day as of a pointmorall sith none can institute such a day but God alone this also of necessity must be layd as a fundamentall point of our Religion that our Lord Iesus Christ on the same day that he rose from death to life made this alteration of the last day into the first and gave notice of it to his Disciples who other wayes could not have acknowledged so soone the necessity of this changing For if he did it not seeing they were no more obliged to the Sabbath day of the Iewes which was abrogated by his death they might have beene not only in the weeke wherein Christ died but also in the weeke following wherein he rose againe free from all obligation tying them to any Sabbath day which the aforesaid
the fourth Commandement seeing it was a figure and type and that by fulfilling in himselfe and in his faithfull servants the truth of the thing figured by the outward Sabbath to free them from the necessity of the observation thereof was not a dissolving and overthrowing of it neither on his part nor on theirs but rather an effectuall ratification thereof as in the same sence he hath not dissolved any of the legall figures but hath fulfilled them all 13 Secondly I say that of necessity the broachers of this argument must advow that Iesus Christ doth not blame in this place all inobservation of the Sabbath neither doth he establish precisely and absolutely the observation thereof for ever according to all the tearmes and the whole sence of the fourth Commandement For it should from thence follow that he blameth for ever and ever the inobservation and commandeth for evermore the observation and sanctification of the last day of the weeke by a legall service in remembrance of the Creation of Gods workes in sixe dayes and of his rest on the seventh because the Commandement carrieth with it that necessity to which is contrary the practise of the Christian Church Therefore this limitation must be added that Christ's intention is to forbid the transgression and to command for ever the observation of the Commandement touching the Sabbath and of all the rest as farre as it may and ought to oblige us according to the tearmes of the Gospell Now we have shewed that it obligeth us not as it ordaineth one day of seven or a certaine seventh day or a legall sanctification but so farre only as it commandeth that Gods publike service be practised for ever according as it shall be established by him and that an ordinary day be appointed for that purpose And therefore Iesus Christ in this respect only and no further condemneth the transgression and injoyneth the observation of the fourth Commandement 14 Thirdly Iesus Christ in the place before alleadged hath not regard to the Decalogue only but universally to all the Commandements of God whether morall or ceremoniall contained in the Law and in the Prophets which he had spoken of in the 17. verse that is in all the bookes of the ancient Testament and to repulse the false accusation that the Scribes and Pharisees laid to his charge declareth what was his minde concerning all these Commandements to wit that there was not any one of them nay not of those that are the least or may by men be esteemed that ought to remaine unprofitable vaine and without effect and that the man whatsoever he be that either by teaching or by practise shall despise and reject any of them shall be despised and rejected of God That on his part he fulfilled them all and extended and setled the accomplishment of them for ever to wit of those that are morall by obeying them all in his owne person and charging his Disciples with their perpetuall observation and sanctifying them inwardly that they may observe them Of those that are ceremoniall by performing and exhibiting the truth of all things signified and figured by them which truth he should make to have an eternall continuance and efficacy towards all that are his although he was to make the use of the figures to cease as the intention of God and reason did require But that the Pharisees were the men who on their part made void the Commandements of GOD both ceremoniall and morall The ceremoniall by adding unto them over and above a thousand superstitious observations The morall by corrupting them with false glosses and interpretations and preferring unto them the traditions of men which he layeth to their charge in diverse places and namely in the verses following of this fifth Chapter of Saint Matthew Now according to this sence which is true and naturall it is evident that they which alleadge this passage can inferre nothing of it for their purpose 15 They pretend in vaine to fortifie and confirme it with the words of Saint Iames in the second Chapter and tenth verse where the Apostle speaking of the Law of the Decalogue saith that whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet offend in one point hee is guilty of all because the same God who hath injoyned one of the points hath also injoyned all the rest Whence they would inferre that the inobservation of the seventh day of Sabbath which is a point of the Law maketh a man guilty of the transgression of the whole Law that therefore wee are obliged to the observation thereof For I answer in few words that indeed Saint Iames saith that to faile or to commit a sinne against any Commandement of the Law maketh him that committeth it guilty of the universall transgression of the Law But I deny the inobservation of the Sabbath as it is commanded by the Law to be under the New Testament a sinne and a fault properly so called because in so farre as it commandeth the Sabbath it obligeth not any more For it was for the Iewes and not for us And therefore not to observe the Sabbath according to the tenor of the Law is not a fault and a sinne in any point as Saint Iames understandeth it So if one should say that he that hath kept the whole word of God if he offend in one point thereof should make himselfe guilty of all that saying should be true according to the meaning of Saint Iames But if any should inferre upon this that not to observe still under the Gospell all the legall ceremonies because they make a part and are points of the Word of God is a trangression whereby a Christian is made guilty of all this word and therefore he is bound to keepe them all it should be an absurd illation for not to keepe these ceremonies now is not a fault nor sinne to us because they oblige not any more No man sinneth against a Law or word but in as much as it obligeth But neither the word of God as it commandeth the legall ceremonies nor the decalogue as it commandeth the Sabbath is any more obligatory to us ward wherefore we sinne not now by not observing these points and therefore we make not our â—â—lves in that behalfe guilty of the Law and word of God who is author of all the points of this Law and of this word but hath not given them all to all men nor to continue in all times but some of them only to some men and to have vigor and being for a certaine time only CHAPTER Tenth Answer to the Eighth Reason 1. Eight reason Iesus Christ speaking to his Disciples advised them to pray that their flight should not be on the Sabbath day that is on our Sunday 2. First answer The Sabbath day is ever taken in the New Testament for the Sabbath of the Iewes and is so here taken by Christ. Neither is our day of publike service any where in holy Scripture called the Sabbath day 3. True
to Gods service to wit 1. If it be a thing of naturall justice of perpetuall necessity and whereunto all are tied by a morall commandement appertaining to the New as well as to the Old Testament that of seven daies of the weeke one be kept for the end aforesaid 2. If before the Law was given by Moses to the people of Israel yea if from the beginning of the world God himselfe made the particular designation of this day setting it apart for his service and commanding to Adam and to all his posterity the hallowing and keeping of it 3. If under the New Testament there be a divine ordinance of such a day of rest as well as there was under the Old Testament 4. And if by Gods command the consciences of faithfull Christians are under the Gospell as much obliged to hallow it as the Iewes were under the Law and for the better and more religious sanctification thereof to abstaine from all outward workes which are lawfull and are practised on other daies lest they should transgresse that divine Commandement and so finne against religion and conscience These are the maine points which some learned Divines and godly Christians instructed by them demurre upon 1. Some of them deeme that the keeping of one of the seven dayes of the weeke is a morall and naturall duty that God himselfe sanctified it for his service by an expresse and perpetuall Commandement that so it was from the beginning so it is still and shall never be otherwise till the end of the world 2. That before sin came into the world as soone as Adam was created God prescribed unto him and to Eve our first parents and in them to all men which were in their loynes and were to come out of them the hallowing of one day of the weeke which was the seventh day 3. That he reiterated and renewed this Commandement in the fourth precept of the morall Law which he gave in Horeb to the people of Israel and hath bound all Christians under the New Testament to hallow and keepe it religiously because it is of the same nature with the rest of the Commandements of the Decalogue which are all morall 4. That for this cause our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ and his blessed Apostles have ordained and prescribed it unto them And so all men have beene all men are all men shall in all times be tied to the religious observation thereof by the necessity of a divine and morall Commandement 5. That we are bound in conscience by the binding power of this Commandement to refraine alwayes on this seventh day of Sabbath or of rest from all earthly workes used on the other dayes of the weeke 6. This onely they acknowledge that the particular observation of one constant day amongst these seven as of the first or of the last of seven is not morall nor of a like obligation under the Old and under the New Testament that it is onely a point of order and of ecclesiasticall government which God did otherwise order and settle under the Old than he hath done under the New Testament That under the Old Testament from the creation of the world till the comming of Christ he ordained the observation of the last day of the weeke in remembrance that he created the world in six dayes and rested on the seventh or last day from all the works that he had made whereas he hath ordained that under the New Testament the first day of the weeke shall be religiously solemnized in remembrance that on that day our Lord Iesus Christ rose from death to life and by the exceeding greatnesse of the power of his glorious resurrection hath performed the worke of the second creation which is the redemption of the world from the slavery of the devill the power of the Law the bondage of sinne And therefore it behooveth the first worke of the Creation to yeeld to this worke the prerogative of excellencie of nature as likewise of the possession which it had till then of the solemne day of rest That for this cause so important and peremptory the day of Gods service was to bee changed and removed from the last day of the weeke wherein was finished the first Creation unto the first day wherin the second was fully accomplished by our Lord Iesus Christ who hath himselfe appointed this alteration 5 Others doe hold that verily it is a duty naturall morall and perpetuall to serve God publikely 1. That all men are obliged unto it and bound to meet together in the Church for that purpose 2. That being there they ought to give their mindes to the exercises of religion with a more particular earnestnes diligence than they are able to do every day at home or abroad 3. That they must have a set day purposely stinted for the fulfilling of a duty so religious so necessary and so fruitfull 4. But that such a day must be one of seven or of another number which in order of that nūber they deny to be a morall point to have in it any naturall necessity For their tenet is that it is a thing of order of Ecclesiastical government depending intirely of institution 5. That indeed under the Law which God gave by Moses to the children of Israel this holy and most perfect Law-giver amongst other points whereby he directed the Ecclesiasticall order and Church-government which that people was to be ruled by instituted and commanded the consecrating of a severall day for his service even of one of seven and of the last of those seven which he had rested on from all his works a most strict precise forbearance of all worldly works on that day 6. But appeareth not at all that God gave any commandement to Adam either before or after his fall binding him or his progenie to the keeping of any day whatsoever as to a thing morall and necessarie neither is there any trace of such a Commandement to be found till the comming of the Israelites to the wildernesse for till then God had left it free 7. That under the New Testament one day of seven is kept to wit the first day of the weeke wherein our Lord Iesus Christ rose from the dead But not for any morall necessity tying all men to observe one day of the weeke Nay not for any expresse Commandement which God the onely Law-giver hath given by Iesus Christ or his Apostles to keepe such a day and namely the first but through an usage which hath beene introduced and conserved in the Christian Church since her first beginnings till this present time 8. That therefore this observation is simply of Ecclesiasticall order and that a cessation from ordinary workes on this day is more particularly requisite than in another day of the weeke seeing the Church hath appointed and set it apart for Gods publike service Yea that an universall refraining from all these workes to the intent that the whole day bee without
Hesiode who speaketh not of a seventh day of the weeke but of a seventh day of the moneth consecrated to the remembrance of Apollo's birth and whose holinesse was not thought by him nor others to have a more ancient beginning I say further that these Writers lived many hundred yeeres after the Law was given by Moses to the Iewes that some knowledge of the points of the said Law and by it of the keeping of the seventh day might have come unto them but under a cloud so thicke and darke that they spoke of it as all the Poets have done of the Floud saying that on the seventh day all things were made whereas on it nothing was made Some of those which lay hold on such passages seeing this acknowledge freely that they are not strong enough to inforce men to beleeve that from the beginning and in all times the Gentiles celebrated the seventh day and made of it a day of rest 10 Indeed if wee could finde that the Gentiles have commonly and regularly observed from time to time a seventh day though not the same seventh to wit the last of seven that God rested in and hallowed a more probable inference might be made of that continuall practice that the observation of a seventh day is of the Law of nature or at least that God from the beginning injoyned it to all mankinde and that so it passed by tradition to the Gentiles yet not without receiving some alteration and corruption by processe of time and by the trechery of men But no such thing is to be found nothing can be gathered out of the ancient Writers saving this onely that the Gentiles have kept holy and solemne daies yet with great diversitie which fits not the turne of the maintainers of the Sabbath but availeth onely to prove that the hallowing of some daies to the God-head for his solemne service is a point of the law of nature further it goeth not and is no manner of way steading to prove the necessity of the consecration of a particular day amongst a setled number rather then of another day and farre lesse of a seventh day for Gods service 11 I repeat what I have said before in part that if the keeping of a seventh day had beene a point of naturall morality and if God had commanded it from the beginning to Adam Father of all mankinde to be kept by him and by all his off-spring after him all the Gentiles in all times should have knowne and practised it either by naturall instinct or by Tradition as they had the knowledge of all other morall duties and in some measure practised them Of if they had utterly forgotten that day GOD had rebuked them for this omission and inobservation as he reprehended them most sharply for the transgression of all the rest of morall Commandements As indeed they had beene for such an omission and commission blame worthy chiefly after they were informed by the renued institution of this day among the Iewes that GOD had ordained it from the beginning of the world to be kept by all men they should not have found any pretence to excuse the ignorance of their duty whereby they were bound to keepe holy that day if as it is pretended the fourth Commandement of the Law implyed an universall observation of that dutie amongst all people and Nations of the world For if they beleeved not that the Commandement did belong to them their unbeliefe could not be unto them a cause of excuse and make them blamelesse Nay they were so much the more worthy of reprehension that their blindnesse was voluntary And in such a case God had not beene silent 12 Some of those that acknowledge the Ordinance of the Sabbath to be a positive cōmandement unknowne by nature and depending wholly of institution yet as ancient as the creation of our first Parents reply that God did not checke the Gentiles for the inobservation of the Sabbath because hee had matters worthy of reprehension of farre greater consequence then this was namely hainous crimes against the Law of nature common to them all which made him to conceale this under the cloake of silence as being onely an omission of a positive Law forgotten by them and of farre lesser consequence then these monstrous and ougly sinnes That no man can infer of this silence that the Ordinance of the Sabbath hath not beene and was not obligatory from the beginning seeing we finde some crimes committed even against the Law of nature which GOD hath not in any part of holy Scripture censured in the Gentiles As for example Polygamy or having of moe than one wife at once And yet no Christian will inferre thence that the mariage of two persons only to be one flesh hath not beene established by God from the beginning to be practised of all men 13 This reply is of small weight For although the forgetting and inobservation of the Sabbath be a crime lesser than are many which are committed against the Law of nature and that might have beene a reason to God to censure it more seldome and not so eagerly in the Gentiles as he did in his owne people yet in all likenesse of truth it could not bee a reason to his wisdome and goodnesse why he should not reprove it at all but passe it under perpetuall silence whiles he rebuked in diverse places most carefully their other crimes seeing that when he made reflexion upon the Iewes although the inobservation of the Sabbath considered in it selfe was in them also a crime of lesser moment then others whereby they violated the morall Law neverthelesse hee hath most frequently and sharpely imputed it unto them If the renewing of the Sabbath to them as is pretended was afterwards to God a sufficient ground and just reason to reprove them grievously both for the oblivion and for the contempt thereof when now and then they transgressed in the one or in the other supposing the first institution of the Sabbath to have beene made for all men and given to all from the beginning of the world why was it not also a just cause to chide the Gentiles if not so eagerly as the Iewes yet in some sort for transgressing it namely when GOD set himselfe purposely to condemne their faults and so much the more that the oblivion of it could not in any sort bee a colourable excuse to helpe them Moreover the neglecting of such a day continually by sinne of omission for want of observation and not only the setting at naught but also the profaning of that day which God had ordained to be holy and to be used in all nations with great holinesse for so notable and so worthy an end as is the commemoration of that great worke of the Creation common to all men and so falling into the most filthy sinne of commission for polluting the said day by doing all kind of workes and actions contrary to the sanctification thereof and thus heaping transgression upon
pretence 4 Of this I inferre that seeing in the Gospell there is no expresse command touching the keeping of a seventh day of rest it cannot be a morall point For since all other morall points are so often and so expresly injoined therein what likelihood is there that God would have omitted this without making an evident injunction thereof Nay seeing under the old Testament God was so carefull to recommend the keeping of his Sabbaths as may be seene every where in the Bookes of the Prophets is it credible that if he had intended under the new Testament to tie us to the observation of a seventh day of Sabbath he would have shewne as great care to recommend it unto us as he did theirs to the Iewes seeing it is pretended that on Gods behalfe we are as straitly bound to the observation of the Sabbath as they were CHAPTER seventh REASON 7. 1 Manifest reasons out of the three first Evangelists against the morality of the Sabbath What is meant by the Sabbath second first 2 Exposition of Christs answer to the Pharisees who blamed his Disciples for plucking the cares of corne and rubbing them to eate on the Sabbath day 3 First argument out of this answer The Sabbath is declared to be of the same nature that the Shew bread and Sacrifices were of and mercy is preferred unto it Therefore it is not morall 4 Second argument Christ affirmeth that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath Therefore it is not morall 5 A reply to this argument refuted 6 Third argument Christ addeth that the Sonne of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day Therefore the Sonne of man being taken for Christ as he is Christ and Mediator it is not morall 7 Fourth argument Christ did handie-handie-works without necessity and commanded servile workes to be done on the Sabbath day without necessity Therefore it is not morall 8 Christ as the Sonne of man was not Lord of the morall Law but only of the ceremoniall Therefore the Sabbath is not morall 9 If the Sonne of man who is Lord of the Sabbath be taken in its vulgar signification for every man the Sabbath cannot be morall 10 Hence it followeth that the Sabbath was onely a positive Law given to the Iewes and not to Christians 1 I Adde that not onely there is nothing expresly set downe in the Gospel confirming the morality of a Sabbath day but much otherwise that it furnisheth strong arguments to overthrow it As among others those namely which are to be found in S. Matthew Ghap. 12. vers 1 c. in S. Marke Chap. 2. vers 23. c. in S. Luke Chap. 6. vers 1 c. where is related a thing that came to passe on the Sabbath day which S. Matthew and S. Marke call simply the Sabbath and S. Luke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Sabbath second first or second principall which the interpretors take diversly Some understand it of two holy daies the one following the other immediately and more particularly of the second day after the first of the feast of unleavended bread For that feast was kept seven daies which all were Sabbaths although the first and the last only were solemne Sabbaths of holy convocation Others take it for the seventh and last day of the said feast of unleavened bread which was a very solemne day and equall in holinesse to the first day of the said feast whence it was called Second First that is to say another first or the first called backe againe and renued A third sort expound it of the second solemne feast of the yeere called the feast of weekes or of first fruits and by S. Luke the Sabbath Second First that is second in order after the first and as it were another first in dignity For all the feast daies were Sabbaths It may be also that this Sabbath Second First fell out on an ordinary Sabbath of the weeke Wherein there is a great apparence of truth seeing the Pharisees blamed Christs Disciples for plucking the eares of corne and rubbing them in their hands to eat on that day which they could not have done with any colour saving on an ordinary and weekely day of Sabbath wherein God had forebidden all kinde of worke and namely the making ready of meat For in all other solemne Sabbaths of yeerely feasts he had expresly permitted this particular worke of making ready whatsoever was necessary to every one to eate as may be seene Exod. 12. vers 16. But although this Sabbath Second first be understood of another day then of an ordinary Sabbath it imports not much and no exception can be taken against it to impaire the strength of the arguments which are gathered out of the foresaid places For whatsoever Christ said in defence of that which his Disciples did and the Pharisees blamed in this Sabbath second first is manifestly generall and pertaineth to all Sabbaths kept in times past among the Iewes whether ordinary or extraordinary Thus then the three Evangelists doe record that Iesus went on the Sabbath day thorow the corne fields and his Disciples plucked the eares of corne and did eat rubbing them in their hands Whereof being reproved by the Pharisees as profaners of the Sabbath whereon God forebad to doe any worke Iesus Christ to cleare them and refute the Pharisees alledgeth the example of David and of those that were with him Which when they were an hungry did take and eate the Shew-bread which was not lawfull to eate but to the Priests alone and were not blamed for this because the necessity of hunger was a sufficient excuse unto them Whence his intent was to inferre that his Disciples also in that which they did then were to be excused of breaking of the Sabbath by the same necessity of hunger which they were pinched with and which gave them liberty to doe that which otherwise was not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day Moreover Iesus Christ addeth If yee had knowne what this meaneth I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice yee would not have condemned the guiltlesse Of which argument this is the force that if God preferred the works of mercy and of love to the Sacrifices which in all the outward service of the Law were the most holy and would have the Sacrifices to give place to those workes by identity of reason his meaning was also that the keeping of the Sabbath or abstaining from outward works on that day should give place to that mercy and love which man oweth to himselfe or to his neighbours and would not have allowed that a man should consent to die for want of meat to be hunger-starved or to bring harme to himselfe by some other evill rather then to breake the Sabbath by making meat ready or doing some other necessary worke which was otherwise forbidden on the Sabbath day Hee confirmeth this saying The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath the meaning of which words is
that although God had ordained by the Law of Moses that his people should surcease from all outward and servile workes on the Sabbath day yet he required not that cessation as a thing essentiall to his service or so necessary that it could not upon any occasion be lawfull to man to doe such workes on that day but rather that authority and power was given him according to Gods intention in case hee were forced thereunto by some urgent necessity As for example the saving or sustaining of his life For the keeping of the Sabbath was not the scope and end which man was made for or a thing of so great consideration before God as is the conservation of the necessary interests of man For if that had beene it should not have been lawfull to man to breake it upon any case or necessity whatsoever but nill he will he he must be subject to the most straite observation thereof notwithstanding any danger whatsoever hee may fall into thereby Nay man was rather the scope and end of the Sabbath and of the observation thereof and his interests were of greater importance then they And therefore when mans goods life or reputation are in jeopardy the Sabbath must give place unto them as being a thing wherein consisteth not properly and essentially the glory and service of God and which is to be kept onely as a helpe to his service when stronger and more profitable considerations for the glory and service of God bind not to the contrary as they doe when life honour or such other things of great consequence to man come in question For then it is more expedient for the glory and service of God that a mans life honour goods c. be saved by some worke otherwise forebidden on the Sabbath day then that with a manifest hazard of his life honour or goods he should tie himselfe to a precise keeping of the Sabbath and to a scrupulous cessation which in such a case should become superstitious It is questionlesse that the matter was to be taken so under the old Testament and this is the maine point that Christ intended to maintaine and verifie against the Pharisees which urged a so precise and strict observation of the Sabbath that it turned to the prejudice and damage of man made man slave of the Sabbath subjected not the Sabbath to man and GOD so inthralled man with the keeping of that day that it was a thing unlawfull unto him to prepare and take in his pinching hunger a mouthfull of meate for his sustenance although hee should starve and perish for want of food 3 Vpon this reasoning of Iesus Christ it followeth clearely that the keeping of a seventh day of Sabbath appointed in the fourth Commandement is not morall For first Christ sorts it with the observations commanded in the Law touching the Shew-bread the sacrifices and other ceremoniall services of the Temple Matth. 12. vers 6. as being of the same nature that is belonging simply to the Iudaicall policie order and government And all the strength of his argument is grounded upon this point that the Sabbath is of the same nature with these ceremonies and therefore as they might be dispensed with keeping of them if stronger reasons obliged them to the contrary so they might sometimes be released from the forbearing of all workes on the Sabbath day if they had just and necessary reason to doe some workes that day Else the Pharisees might have most easily replyed that although David in his hunger tooke the liberty to eat the Shew-bread which was not lawfull to eate but to the Priests and albeit it was lawfull to any man to preferre the workes of mercy in his owne or in his neighbours necessity to sacrifice yet it followed not that hunger could give him any licence to breake the Sabbath because these observations concerning the Shew-bread and the Sacrifices were but ceremonies which might be sometimes omitted and dispensed with whereas the Sabbath and the keeping of it was a thing morall and undispensable 4 Secondly Iesus Christ saith that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath Marke 2. verse 27. Now it cannot be said of any thing truely morall and ordained of God by a morall Commandement that it is made for man and not man for it that it is the end of man and not man the end of it that it should yeeld to the interests of man and not man to the interests of it For example dare any man be so bold as to say that the Commandements to have no other GOD but the true GOD to shunne Idolatry to abstaine from blaspheming and profaning in any manner the name of GOD to honour Father and Mother not to be a Murtherer a Whoremunger a Thiefe a false Witnesse not to covet another mans goods not to love GOD and the neighbour are made for man and not man for them and that man may dispense with them for his owe particular interests Verily it is not lawfull to a man to breake these Commandements as it is lawfull to him to breake the Sabbath for his owne conservation in any thing that hath reference unto him Nay hee should tread under foot all his owne interests rather then transgresse in any of those points Which sheweth evidently that the Commandement concerning the Sabbath is not of the same nature that these others are of That these are morall are of the Law of nature have in themselves an essentiall justice and equity and for that cause are undispensable so binding conscience at all times that it cannot be lawfull at any time to doe any thing against them That this of the Sabbath was onely a Commandement of order of ceremoniall policie of a positive Law and for that cause liable to dispensation and abrogation as in effect it was dispensed with in the forenamed occasions and CHRIST by his comming into the world hath abolished under the new Testament the particular Commanment given concerning it 5 The observation which is made by some that Christ saith that man was not made for the Sabbath or for the day of rest but saith not that man was not made to sanctifie the Sabbath is but a vaine subtilty For by the Sabbath Christ understandeth both the rest of the day and the day of rest For in the Scripture the word Sabbath signifieth the one and the other And seeing the observation and sanctification of the day consisted at least in part in a rest and cessation of all externall workes as is evident by the words of the fourth Commandement and of Exodus Chap. 31. v. 14 15. and of Ieremiah Chap. 17. vers 22. 24. yea seeing this sanctification onely was proper unto it and particularly tied unto it and seeing it taketh from it the name of Sabbath wherewith it is honored to say that man is not made for the rest or cessation and is not necessarily tied unto it but may dispense with it not through a fancy and at
his owne pleasure but in the extreme necessity of his just and reasonable interests is as much as to say that man is not made in that respect for the sanctification of the Sabbath but that the said sanctification is subject to him Now this is the point in question to wit Whether to keepe a seventh day for a day of rest or of cessation according to the injunction given in so precise termes in the fourth Commandement be a morall duty I cannot see what other sanctification of the Sabbath day can be understood by those which say that man was made for it in the sense that Christ taketh this kinde of speech is a morall duty For if they understand a sanctification by workes truely and properly morall such as are workes of godlinesse mercy and charity whereby God is principally and directly glorified and we and our neighbours are edified and maintained for his glory and say that man is made for this sanctification ought to observe it carefully and to make if neede be the rest of the Sabbath day to stoope and give place unto it this is most true but our question is not about this kinde of sanctifying the Sabbath day neither is it proper and peculiar to the seventh day but is equally required in all the daies of the weeke And by this is confirmed our saying that the sanctification proper to the Sabbath as it is such and which is the maine point that we treat of pro and contra cannot be morall seeing it yeelds and submits it selfe to the morall duties of every day and for their sake may and ought to be violated 6 Thirdly for the cleerer and better confirmation of the foresaid truth is very usefull that which Christ addes after these words The Sabbath is made for man saying For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day For whether by the son of man we understand particularly the Son of God as he is Christ and Mediator as he is often in that respect so named whether generally every man according to the common signification which it hath in holy Scripture the one and the other sense overthroweth the morality of the Sabbath If Iesus Christ speaketh of himselfe as he is Christ and Mediator under the name of the Son of man as in my opinion he doth his meaning is that as such and in that quality he had power over the Sabbath as Lord to dispense with the keeping of it whom and when he would as he said in the same sence and to the same purpose In this place is one greater then the Temple Yea hee insinuates that he was come to make this abrogation of the Sabbath as of the Temple and of all the ceremonies practised therin For what other end had hee to alleadge his soveraignty and maistery over the Sabbath but to say that he had power to dispose of it at his own pleasure and to cause men worke in it as he should thinke fit To declare only the lawfull use and practice of the Sabbath argued not that soveraignty and authority that Christ challenged to Himselfe 7 Fourthly to shew effectually his dominion in that behalfe he chused often the Sabbath day to doe or to injoyne to others on that day workes which might have beene done in any other day of the weeke and were not simply workes of mercifulnesse or of urgent necessity permitted by the Law nay were servile and unnecessary workes which the Law forbad As is manifest by his healing the sicke ordinarily on the Sabbath day and that with handy worke whereas he might have done those cures with a word of his mouth As when hee restored to sight the man that was borne blinde making clay of his spittle and anointing the eyes of that blind man with the clay Iohn 9. ver 6. 14. As also when he commanded some sicke whom hee had healed to beare burdens on the Sabbath day which GOD had forbidden Ierem. 17. ver 21. Thus hee commanded on the Sabbath day the man whom he had cured of the palsie to rise take up his bed and walke Ioh. 5. ver 8 9 10. which was not lawfull to him to doe no more than to anyother such man who by ordinary meanes had recovered his health if it had not beene for Christs command notwithstanding that miraculous deliverance after a so long and incurable disease For he needed not ntither for the glory of God nor for his owne good to take up his little bed on the Sabbath day seeing that without any such worke his recovery was doubtlesse cleere and manifest to all 8 Now if the Sabbath day and the keeping thereof had beene morall Christ had never spoken never done so For he had not as hee was the sonne of man any authority and Lord-ship over the things that are morall and of the Law of Nature to dispence with men for the doing or not doing the keeping or not keeping of them Because in them shineth the justice of the most righteous and holy God his glory to command them the excellency of man to yeeld obedience unto them as having a naturall righteousnesse and equity inherent in them carrying with them an universall obligation and being of perpetuall continuance grounded essentially in themselves and on their owne nature Such are these commandements Thou shalt love God with all thine heart and thy neighbour as thy selfe Also we see not that Christ at any time hath done or caused to be done by any man any thing whatsoever against them nay he hath rather backed and confirmed them hath himselfe kept them most religiously and hath injoyned also to others the keeping of them But as Mediator he had power over all things which were simply ceremoniall positive adiaphorous that is neither good nor evill in themselves wherein the true service of God consisted not which were no thing but helpes to that service for a time and were established of God simply for certaine reasons relative to some better things For as Iesus Christ himselfe was not lyable unto those things but so farre as it was his reason to apply himselfe unto them least he should give offence to any man And as the reason of their institution could not take hold on him so likewise was it in his power to exempt from them whom hee would For although they were to be usually in strength and practise till the houre of his death that was no hinderance to that authority which he had in his life time and during his conversation in these lowest parts of the earth to give particular commandements whereby hee dispensed whom he pleased with their observation Such things were the circumcision the sacrifices other legall ordinances and among the rest the Sabbath whereof upon this occasion he declared himselfe to be Lord. If Christ when he said The Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath will have us to understand by the Sonne of man every man as many interpreters doe take it so meaning that every
the rest of the people were two types of the same thing but unknowne till the Law was given 8. This is acknowledged by the Iewes who confirme it by Scripture 9. Hereof it followeth that the Sabbath was not given to Adam 10. As also that it is not obligatory under the New Testament 11. Although the heavenly rest which it typed be not yet come 1 IT is manifest enough by the foresaid passages that the observation of a Seventh day of Sabbath is not a morall duty and obligeth not by a divine Commandement mens consciences under the New Testament Nay it is apparant that the Sabbath day was instituted to the Iewes only and appertained to the ceremonies of the Law I confirme this againe by these words of GOD in Exodus Chapter 31. verse 13. and in Ezekiel Chapter 20. ver 12 20. Verily my Sabbaths yee shall keepe for it is a signe betweene me and you throughout your generations that yee may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctifie you Where is to be marked the Sabbath is called a signe ordained of GOD not to all men but to the Israelites onely to signifie unto them their consecration to his service and their sanctification which consisted in a continuall abstinence from all vices and sinnes which verily trouble and disquiet the soule and also in a bodily rest sometimes from the turmoiles and cares of this life that they might bestow some fit and convenient time without hinderance upon the contemplation of God and meditation of his graces and so give place to the operation of the holy Ghost whereby they might bring forth workes of godlinesse and of true holinesse To the end that the Sabbath day might expresse this visibly and also be unto them a helpe and meane to so necessary a duty they were commanded to forbeare exactly all servile workes and all bodily labour belonging to the worldly imploiments of this present life Which figured and taught them sufficiently that God obliged them farre more to cease from the workes of sinne which are properly servile according as it is written Whosoever committeth sinne is servant of sinne Ioh. 8. ver 34. Rom. 6. v. 16. And to abstaine from the lusts and acts of the flesh and of the old man and to compose and quiet themselves conveniently with a spirituall rest that they might receive the heavenly inspirations of his grace And as it is said in Esaiah Chap. 58. v. 13. not follow their owne waies nor finde their owne pleasure nor speake their owne words For as I have said God purposed to figure by that bodily and externall abstinence from earâ—hly workes the inward and spirituall abstinence from sinne 2 Nay to instruct and assure them by the Sabbath as by a signe that it is hee even the Lord that sanctifieth his owne children that giveth them grace to rest in some measure from their sinnes and troubles in these lower parts of the earth and shall fully performe their sanctification in heaven where after the workes and turmoiles of the anger of this life there shall be as it were a seventh day of Sabbath a time of perfect and eternall rest for them For wee may esteeme not without some likenesse of truth that the generations of the world ought to be sixe composed each of them of a thousand yeeres and figured by the sixe daies of worke in respect whereof it is perhaps said that one day is with the Lord as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres as one day Psal 9. vers 4. and 2 Peter 3. vers 8. 3 The Sabbath day was interrupted by other worke-daies and returned onely every seventh day by a continuall reciprocation and vicissitude whereby it represented but imperfectly the perpetuity of the true rest as figures can hardly represent in perfection the truth whereof they are figures But at the end of the world this reciprocation of daies shall cease and there shall be as it were one perpetuall day which as Zechariah saith Chap. 14. vers 6 7. Shall be all one day wherein there shall not be day and night light and darknesse but a perpetuall light without darknesse After this manner the spirituall rest hath its interruptions and discontinuance in this world the continuation of it is as it were by fits and new beginnings But in the world to come it shall have a continuance without intermission with an intire and solid perfection without any trouble of sinne or of labour God granteth this rest to his owne children for his Sonne the Messias his sake the onely consideration of whose death the force and efficacy whereof stretched out it selfe as well forward to those that went before as afterward to those that have or shall come after the accomplishment thereof was unto him in these times of the old Testament as since a most forcible motive to conferre upon his elect sanctification with other comfortable and saving benefits here on earth beneath and there in heaven above So the Sabbath diâ—ected the Iewes to Christ who was to come and was a figure thereof representing unto them a benefit of the Covenant which Christ was to purchase and ratifie with his owne blood and therefore it ought to have its accomplishment and end in him as have had all other ancient figures whereby he was represented 4 And indeed in the passages before cited it is called a signe betweene GOD and the Israelites which is the same name that is given to the Circumcision the Passeover and other legall figures and moreover it is said that it shall be a signe betweene God and the Israelites for a perpetuall covenant and for ever but in the same sense that all other ordinances of the Law and divers temporall promises made to the Israelites are called perpetuall that is in their generations which is expresly marked in the forenamed place of Exodus Chap. 31. vers 16 17. where God saith Wherefore the children of Israel shall keepe my Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetuall covenant It is a signe betwene mee and the children of Israel for ever meaning that it should remaine till the comming of Messias during the oeconomy of the Law and whilest the people of Israel should be the onely people of God but no more in the time of Messias whose time and generation belongeth not to those generations which God allotted to the Israelites when he said that such and such things should be done and should continue in their generations words which are ordinarily spoken of things that were to persist only in the time of the old Testament As when God ordained the Sacrament of Circumcision he said to Abraham that it should be to him and to his seed after him in their generations for an everlasting covenant Gen. 17. vers 7. 9. 10. When he commanded the Israelites to fill an Omer of Manna and to keepe it he said it should be for their generations Exod. 16. vers 32. 33. that is till the
comming of Messias and not after So he said to Iacob I will give this Land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession Genes 48. vers 4. So to the Israelites of the Passeover You shall keepe it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever Exod. 12. v. 14. So the ordering of oile in the Lamps from evening to morning in the Tabernacle of Congregation before the testimony by Aaron and his sons is called a statute for ever unto their generations Exo. 27. vers 21. So to Phineas and to his seed after him God promised the covenant of an everlasting Priesthood Numbr 25. vers 13. 5 What I have said and made good of the Sabbath day that it was of old a figue of the spirituall and heavenly rest the beginnings whereof God giveth to his children in this life and shall give them the full plenitude in Heaven may be confirmed by the words of the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 4. where intending to shew to the Hebrews that there is an heavenly rest prepared promised by God to them that are his which they should labour to enter into by faith and take heed to themselves lest any of them should come short of it through unbeliefe he alledgeth two types figures thereof The one is the bodyly and terrestriall rest which God had promised of old to the Israelites in the Land of Canaan called for that cause The Land of rest Deut. 25. Iosh. 1. ver 13. and Gods rest Psal. 95. vers 11. which those of the Israelites that were incredulous and rebellious in the wildernesse entered not into but those onely that beleeved Gods promise By this God represented that no Infidells shall enter into the heavenly and eternall rest but the faithfull onely Now hee verifieth that the rest of the Land of Canaan promised and conferred upon them that beleeved and denied to those that were rebellious was a figure of that other better rest which the faithfull receive and all Infidells are shut out of by this that after so long a time to wit foure hundred yeeres after the Israelites were by Ioshuah brought into the Land of Canaan God speaking by the mouth of David yet againe warneth the Israelites then living that at what time they shall heare his voice they harden not their hearts as their forefathers did in the wildernesse lest they should come short of entring into the heavenly rest promised to them as their ancestors for their unbeliefe were bereaved of the effect of the promise to enter into the earthly rest of Canaan This advertisement is perpetuall and belongeth also to Christians nay we may say that it hath properly relation to the time of the Gospel which is that certaine time determined and limited of God whereof mention is made in the seventh verse and is so called ordinarily in the new Testament Gal. 4. vers 2. 4. Eph. 1. vers 10. Tit. 1. vers 3. Therefore we which are under the Gospell to day and have the Gospell of Christ preached unto us and heare the voice of his Gospell must beware lest because of our unbeliefe and rebellion wee enter not into the celestiall rest no more then at that time the rebellious Israelites entred into the rest of earthly Canaan For from hence the Apostle maketh this collection that considering the Israelites were entred into the Land of Canaan and possessed it peaceably without feare when God by his servant David spoke againe the foresaid words of entring into his rest sure Gods meaning was to signifie a farre better promise of a more excellent rest then was the rest of the Land of Canaan even a spirituall and an heavenly rest whereof that other and the promise thereof was but a figure and shadow For if the promise to enter into Gods rest made first and foremost to the Israelites had attained its full and whole accomplishment after that Ioshuah had introduced and given them rest in the Land of Canaan God after that introduction had not exhorted them to take heede that they hardened not their hearts in that day in which he should make them heare his voice lest they should not enter into his rest as if they had not beene in it already Whereby hee therewith made them a promise of entring into his rest if they beleeved and were obedient Therefore the Apostle concludeth that there remaineth a rest to the people of God vers 9. a rest spirituall and heavenly purchased unto them by the true Ioshuah even by Iesus Christ of whom the other Ioshuah was but a figure 6 The other Type which he propoundeth to the same purpose is taken from Gods rest on the seventh day after the creation of all things which rest could not be understood by the promise which God made so many ages after the creation of entring into his rest because it was past and finished then when he ended and finished all his workes as may be clearely seene by the History written in Genesis Chap. 2. vers 2. But the meaning of the Apostle is that it was a figure of this other spirituall and heavenly rest ordained and prepared from the foundation of the world For if the rest promised and granted to the Israelites in the land of Canaan is mentioned as a type this rest of God on the seventh day is alledged in the same quality seeing they are both coupled together The Apostle confirmeth that Gods resting on the seventh day was a type by the words written Genesis 2. vers 2. where it is said that God rested the seventh day from all his workes Heb. 4. vers 3 4. which had not beene thus so expresly written considering that to speake properly God who was not wearied rested not and his resting was only a ceasing from the production of his creatures and from giving being to any more kindes then those which hee had made in sixe daies Seeing also one day is not of it selfe better than another day if God in this seventh day and his resting in it had not intended to set downe a type and to figure some mysterie to wit that as he had his workes of the creation by divers degrees in sixe daies and rested on the seventh day doing no more but onely keeping and preserving his workes in the being he had given them even so he produceth and sets forward by a continuall advancement the worke of his grace in his elect during the sixe daies of this world after which having ended this blessed worke of his mercy he shall rest from it and shall intertaine and continue in this happy state of perfection for ever and ever and shall make them to rest also with him on the seventh day of the world to come which shall never have an end Vndoubtedly to signifie this perpetuity no mention is made in the history of the creation of any terme or end of the seventh day that God rested in as it is of the other daies
consideration thereof they were commanded to keepe the Sabbath day which is the thing that God pronounceth most expressely in the place lately cited Deut. 5. verse 15. and Ezek. 20. verse 11 12. where upon that hee had said ver 10. that hee caused the Israelites to goe forth out of the land of Aegypt he addeth and I gave them my statutes moreover also I gave them my Sabbaths c. 2 Secondly seeing the Sabbath day was ordained to be a memoriall of a benefit particular to the Israelites to wit of their deliverance out of the land of Aegypt and of their separation from all other nations it followeth that the Sabbath day obligeth not Christians under the New Testament as if it were morall and as if God had â—â—dained it by an expresse commandement to continue till the worlds end For this end of the Sabbath to be a memoriall of their deliverance and separation from all other people dwelling upon the face of the earth with the other end afore mentioned to be a figurative signe of Iesus Christ to come and of the saving benefits which were to be purchased by him made up the whole use of the Sabbath Of which end neither the one nor the other doth belong to the New Testament 3 The faithfull Christians are a people more spirituall then the Iewes were because they are under the Gospell which is an estate more spirituall and heavenly then was the condition of Gods people under the Law for which cause it is called the kingdome of heaven And therefore all dayes under the Gospell should be to all the faithfull that live in that blessed and heavenly estate as many Sabbath dayes more particularly then to the Iewes to rest from their sinnes and to give themselves to prayers calling upon the Name of the Lord to reading and meditation of his holy Word and to other religious exercises of godlinesse according to the words in Isaiah Chapter 66. v. 23. if they be applyed unto the estate of the Church under the Gospell as they may be and indeed are so expounded by many interpreters when it is there said that then there shall be no more New Moones nor Sabbaths distinguished by intervalls and spaces of times but one Sabbath shall succeed immediately to another Sabbath and that all the dayes of the weeke and of the whole yeere shall bee as Sabbaths unto them This is the conclusion of all that hath beene said in this first part which shall be more fully confirmed by the refutation of the arguments that are brought to maintaine the morality of the Sabbath Which refutation shall bee the subject of the second part of this Treatise THE SECOND PART wherein the reasons brought to justifie the morality and perpetuity of a Seventh day of Sabbath are confuted CHAPTER First First Answer to the first Reason 1. The opinion of those that hold the morality of a Seventh day of Sabbath cleerely set downe 2. Their first Reason taken out of Genesis Chapter 2. ver 2 3. Where it is said that God rested on the Seventh day from all his workes and blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it c. 3. First answer to this Reason Moses writing the History of the Creation after the Law was given declareth occasionally the cause that moved God to blesse and sanctifie the Seventh day to the Iewes according to the custome of the Scripture to joyne things done long before with those that were done long after as if they had beene done together and at one time 4. Confirmation of this by places named by anticipation 5. By that which is written Exod. 16. ver 33 34. where it is said that Aaron laid up in a Pot an Omer of Manna before the Testimony which was not done many yeeres after 6. And by the History of Davids combat with Goliah 1 Sam. 17. Where it is written ver 54. that David tooke the head of the Philistine and brought it to Ierusalem but he put his armour in his tent although there was a great intervall of time betweene these two actions 7. This joyning of things farre removed in time is not unsutable to him that speaketh or writeth 8. First instance against this answer taken from the connexion of the third verse with the second from the same tence used in both and from the identitie of the same seventh day spoken of in both c. 9. First answer to this instance shewing that in the holy Scripture things distant in-time are expressed by words of the same tence when the one hath some dependancie upon the other 10. Application of this answer to the blessing and sanctification of the seventh day in Moses his time joyned with Gods rest after the creation because it was the foundation of that blessing 11. Second answer It was not the same particular seventh day after the creation but the same by revolution which God sanctified 12. Third answer the Hebrew article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confirmeth not that the seventh day which God blessed was the same seventh day wherein he rested 13. Second instance as Gods blessing of his creatures after they were made was present so was his blessing of the seventh day immediately after the creation 14. Answer to this instance the reason is not alike 15. Confirmation of the answer made to the words of Moses in Genesis by the conformity of the same words used in the commandement given to the Iewes concerning the Sabbath 16. As also because the Sabbath was not hallowed for Adam who in the estate of innocency had no need of such a day 17. First instance Adam was taught by Gods example that hee stood in need of such a day refuted 18. Second instance as God ordained Sacraments to Adam so he ordained to him a seventh day of rest refuted by a reason shewing the nullity of that consequence 19. And by the excellency of Adams condition to which the ordination of such a day was derogatory 20. Third instance as Gods rest on the Seventh day was the foundation of the commandement given to the Iewes to rest on that day so was it from the beginning refuted 1 THose that hold the second opinion doe say that the keeping of a Seventh day of Sabbath is a morall thing which from the beginning of the world should continue to the end thereof with this difference only that God before and till the comming of Iesus Christ had ordained that the last day of the weeke wherein hee rested from all the workes which hee had made when he created the world should be sanctified by all men in remembrance of the creation and of his rest on that day But since the manifestation of Iesus Christ it was his will that instead of the last day of the weeke the first day wherein Christ rising from among the dead rested from the work of our redemption should be observed in the Christian Church for a memoriall of this worke which being more excellent then the former it was beseeming
and just that this last day of the creation should yeeld the possession of the day of rest unto it 2 To underprop this opinion they have broached diverse reasons amongst which we shall order in the first place the reason taken out of the second Chapter of Genesis ver 3. where Moses after hee had said that God finished all his workes in sixe dayes and rested on the seventh day addeth And God blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it because that in it he had rested from all his workes which hee created and made Of which words they conclude that as soone as ever the Creation was ended and the Seventh day begun to subsist in nature it was blessed and sanctified that is consecrated to Gods service and ordained even then to our first Parents while they were in the state of innocency to be kept by them for this end and therefore the observation of a Seventh day is morall is of the Law of nature and is in no wise ceremoniall seeing it was established before sin came into the world at which time there was no shadowes and figures of Christ because in that state of innocency our first Parents had not stood in neede of him nor of any direction to him by ceremonies If then in that estate wherein no corruption of sin had hindred them to serve God continually and the bodily imployments had been no great disturbance unto them in the practice of that duty God judged necessary to injoine unto them a seventh day to the intent that giving over all other care they should in it addict themselves only to the actions of his service and all religious exercises how much more in the state of sin wherein men have so many hindrances from Gods service both by sin and by the laborious occupations of their worldly callings is it necessary that a set day of rest be ordained unto them to cease wholly in it from the turmoile of their secular affaires and to give themselves only to holy and religious exercises belonging to Gods service This necessity is as great under the new Testament as it was under the old and therefore God hath not omitted to ordaine under both a Sabbath day yea a seventh day of rest which being established before sinne and consequently being morall bindeth all men perpetually 3 There be divers meanes to answer this objection First nothing obligeth us to believe that the words written in the third verse of the second Chapter of Genesis should be thus translated And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it as if Moses had meant to expresse a time past long before his penning of this Booke and to tell that this blessing and sanctifying was made even from the time that the creation was finished and from the first seventh day of the world Whereas they may be translated thus And God hath blessed the seventh day and hath sanctified it understood as being said with a Parenthesis and in regard of the Ordinance which God had lately made in the daies of Moses concerning the seventh day when he gave by his Ministery the Law of the Israelites Which ordinance Moses made mention of in his relation to the history of the creation as of a thing established and knowne of the Israelites when he writ by occasion of that he had said that God after he had created all his works in sixe daies rested on the seventh day So we may give this exposition to Moses words God made all his works in six daies and rested on the seventh day and thence he tooke occasion to blesse and sanctifie now that day giving commandement by his Law to his people of Israel to keepe it in their generations So it shall be a narration made in this place occasionally according to the ordinary custome of holy Writers and specially of Moses when in the historicall relation of things that were come to passe long before they find occasion to speak of things happened since specially of those that were come to passe in their time when they wrote to interlace upon that occasion a short rehearsall of them with the narration of things more ancient and to speake of both in such a manner as if they had happened in the same time whereof I will here set downe some examples 4 First we find divers places named by anticipation As in the 12. Chapter of Genesis verse 8. It is said that Abraham removed unto a mountaine Eastward from Bethel which name of Bethel was not in the daies of Abraham the name of the place betokened by it in the foresaid words For it was not called Bethel till in it Iacob saw a ladder reaching to heaven and the Lord standing above it Then Iacob called it Bethel that is The house of God whereas before that time it was called Luz as may be seene in Genesis Chap. 28. vers 13. 19. But Moses writing the history of Abraham called it Bethel by an historicall anticipation because in his time Bethel was the ordinary name of that place We read in the fourth Chapter of Ioshuah vers 19. that the people came up out of Iordan and pitched in Gilgal which was not so called till Ioshuah in that place circumcised the people Chap. 5. vers 9. Likewise in the second Chapter of Iudges and first verse the Author saith that the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bokim because the place which he calleth Bokim was so called when he wrote that history although it was not yet so called when the Angel came thither but received that name afterward from the teares which the people shed and powred out before God after the Angel had rebuked them For the Text saith that when the Angel of the Lord spake these words to all the children of Israel the people lift up their voice and wept Therefore they called the name of that place BOKIM vers 4 5. 5 Secondly we find the same anticipation in the description of things and actions As in the 16. Chapter of Exodus where Moses reporteth how God began first to give Manna to the Israelites which I pretend also to be the time of the first institution of the Sabbath and how the Israelites carried themselves about the ordering thereof and immediatly he addeth how he by Gods command ordained that an Omer of it should be filled to be kept for the generations of the Israelites vers 32. and gave an injunction to Aaron to take a pot to put in it that Omer full of Manna and to lay it up before the LORD to be kept for their generation vers 33. He reciteth also at once that as the LORD commanded him so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept vers 34. which things as it is evident were not done at the first when God gave them that bread to eat because then there was as yet neither Tabernacle nor Arke nor Tables of the Law But because when Moses wrote all these things were done and
that only which was made in behalfe of the Israelites as is cleere by the repetition of the Law in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomie where that which was absolutely said in Exodus Therfore the Lord blessed the Seventh day is restrained to the Israelites v. 15. Therefore the Lord commanded thee to keepe the Sabbath day And in Exodus 16. v. 29. The Lord hath given you the Sabbath And in the 31. Chap. ver 16 17. The Children of Israel shall keepe the Sabbath to observe the Sabbath throughout their generation for a perpetuall covenant It is a signe betweene mee and the children of Israel for ever For in sixe dayes the Lord made heaven and earth and on the Seventh day he rested where it cannot be denyed but that with the end of the Creation and Gods rest on the Seventh day is immediately joyned the institution of the Sabbath to the Israelites at least in quality of a signe If then in that place Moses might speake after this manner and say God created in sixe dayes heaven and earth and rested the Seventh day and therefore he hath ordained to the Israelites the Sabbath day for a signe wherefore in the second of Genesis might he not say after the same manner God made heaven and earth in sixe dayes and finished them on the Seventh day and rested from all his workes and this his Rest on the Seventh day hath moved him to blesse ánd sanctifie that day to wit to the Israelites to be a signe unto them according to that hath been said in the places before mentioned which are an evident and cleere explication thereof 11 Neither is it any wise necessary as is pretended that in the second Chapter of Genesis in the second and third verses one and the same singular seventh day should be understood and that God hath precisely sanctified the same seventh day wherein he rested and rested on the same day that he sanctified and therefore because in the second verse the first seventh day after the Creation is understood it must be taken so in the third verse For it sufficeth to understand in the third verse the same seventh day in likenesse and revolution and generally a seventh day correspondent continually in order to that which GOD rested on after his workes of the sixe dayes And this reason that God rested on the first seventh day might have been to God a most reasonable cause to ordaine long after the sanctification of a seventh day answerable in all points to that first seventh day The sequell of Moses his discourse is as fitting in this regard as in the other As if I said our Lord Iesus Christ rose againe and rested from the worke of our redemption on the first day of the weeke wherefore the Church hath dedicated the first day of the weeke that hee rose in to be holy and solemne the sequele is good although it be not the same first singular day that Christ rose on and the Church hath consecrated but the same onely in likenesse and revolution yea although there passed a long time after the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour before the first day of the weeke could be well setled as a day of holy and religious exercises We say on Friday before Easter this day Christ hath suffered on the Ascension day this day Christ is ascended into heaven At Whitsunday On this day the Holy Ghost is come downe although those things came to passe on a certaine singular day which is past long agoe But we name so all the dayes following which correspond to that first day according to the similitude which is betweene them And we call the day of the Passion of the Ascension of the descent of the Holy Ghost those which are not such properly but onely have by revolution correspondancie with the first dayes wherein such things were done Even so when it is said in the third verse of the second Chapter of Genesis And therefore the Lord hath blessed the Seventh day and hath hallowed it because in it he hath rested from all his workes that is to be understood not of the same first day wherein hee rested but of a Seventh day answering unto it in the order and continuall succeson of dayes 12 The Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 put in the third verse before the word that signifieth seven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proveth not that it is a peculiar seventh even that seventh day that God rested in verse 2. For although the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be often used to betoken emphatically a thing singular and individuall already knowne and mentioned yet this is not universall For it is used much without any emphasis or expresse demonstration of any thing either singular or certaine yea simply to serve for an ornament and to make the word that it is joyned unto more full which use hath also in the Greeke tongue the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verily in the third ver which we speak of in this place it is cleere that the said Article cannot be restrained to a seventh singular day as it is in the second verse Nay it betokeneth more generally a seventh day comprehending in it many singular dayes which by similitude in regard of the order and succession of times have reference and analogie to the first seventh day mentioned in the said second verse and have followed it from time to time at the end of sixe dayes For it is such a seventh day that God hath sanctified and not a singular seventh And that seventh day may bee called a particular seventh and considered as particularised by the Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is in effect in as much as it is not indifferently all seventh day or any of the seven dayes of the weeke that God hath sanctified but it is the last of them We seeke only to know when God began to blesse and to hallow it to men to be kept by them And I maintaine that this hallowing began not incontinent after the Creation was finished but more than two thousand yeeres after Neither is the contrary proved by this passage of Genesis 13 No greater weight hath another instance which is much urged that as in the course of the Creation when it is said that God after he had created every living thing blessed them Gen. 1. v. 21 22 27 28. is to be understood a present benediction and not put off to a long time Even so when in the second of Genesis with the perfection of the Creation on the seventh day is joyned the blessing and hallowing of that day a present sanctification is to be understood 14 For the reason is not alike in the one and in the other First the blessing of all living creatures and the blessing of the seventh day are not to be taken in the same sence That is a blessing of actuall and reall communication of goods and graces This is a blessing of destination to be solemnized by men Secondly
Although that howbeit he had alleadged them no man can necessarily inferre from thence that he had such an intention whereas his mentioning only of GODS rest on the seventh day and his omitting of the blessing and hallowing thereof which followeth immediately in the Text sheweth he acknowledged that it was not practised from the beginning and that also his minde was to speake directly of GODS Rest only and to shew as a thing most evident that that rest seeing it was past and there was no possibility of entring into it could not be understood in the promise which God so long after made by David to the faithfull of entring into his rest Hebr. 1. ver 1 3. which promise was included in the threat that unbeleevers should not enter into his Rest but another rest to wit a spirituall rest prepared to the faithfull in heaven whereof that Rest of God on the seventh day was as a type and figure 5 Which GOD gave them to understand when he caused Moses to observe in the description of the History of the Creation that on the seventh day hee rested from all his workes conformably whereunto he commanded the Iewes to keepe the seventh day and to rest on it as he had rested that it might be unto them a type and figure of the heavenly rest And in this respect we may grant that the Apostle speaketh also of the rest of the seventh day ordained to men and excludeth it out of the sence of the threat but indirectly and by consequence only for as much as affirming that even the rest of God Himselfe on the seventh day after he had finished his works was not understood in the foresaid threat when GOD denounced it by David we may inferre from thence that likewise the rest ordained to men was not understood in it Not because this was as ancient as that for in such an asseveration there is no consequence but because that was the foundation of the institution of this to the Israelites and this had a great sway when GOD gave that warning with such a threat as well as that albeit not of so long a date 6 To confirme that I say serveth the tenth verse where it is said that he that is entred into Gods Rest hath also rested from his owne workes as God did also from his the meaning of which words is that they which are entred into the heavenly Rest cease from all their labours and businesses of this life even as God on the seventh day rested from all his workes whereby the Apostle signifieth that God in his own rest established a figure of the heavenly Rest which he would conferre upon men whereof he gave them notice afterward whence it followeth that in the third and fourth verses which the tenth verse hath relation unto where it is observed that God from the foundation of the world after his workes were finished rested the seventh day and notified so much by Moses in the second Chap. of Genesis the Apostle designed directly no other rest but Gods owne Rest and meant not rest ordained from the beginning to Adam For if he had meant such a rest he had said in the 10. verse he that entreth into Gods heavenly rest ceaseth from all the workes of this life even as Adam by Gods commandement rested on the seventh day and had not said simply as God rested from all his workes 7 The instances alleadged are weak For what necessity is there that because by the two other rests of God mentioned by the Apostle He. 4. v. 1 8 9. to wit the rest of the land of Canaan and the heavenly rest a rest given to men is understood even so by the rest of the seventh day in the 2. 3. verses a like rest is to be formally understood and in the same respect As if one and the same word were not often found in the Scripture in the same tenor of a discourse taken in different respects and much more different then is here Gods rest which in two places signifieth directly and expresly a Rest of God in as much as given to men and in the third a Rest of God in as much as he himselfe rested But indirectly and by consequence in as much as he ordained afterwards to men to rest according to his example 8 Which is an equivocation if they will have it to be so called of small weight and inferior to many others which in other passages may be found in one and the same word which moreover bringeth no inconveniency with it For what necessity was there that this tearme The Rest of God should be alwayes in this discourse of the Apostle taken in the same sence seeing his only intention was to demonstrate that all other Rest of God which the Scripture calleth so saving the heavenly rest in whatsoever sence it be taken could not be understood in the threat denounced by David For I will here set downe a sence which may bee conveniently fitted to the words of the Apostle God in his threat wherewith he threatned the Israelites by David that if they were rebellious they should not enter into his rest understood either his owne Rest which he rested on the seventh day after his workes were finished from the Creation of the world and which was the foundation and occasion moving him to ordaine long after the rest of the Seventh day to men Or the rest of the land of Canaan or the heavenly Rest seeing there is no mention in the Scripture of any Rest of God but of those three Now of necessity he understood the heavenly Rest. For hee could not understand the rest of the land of Canaan because the Israelites were already entred into that land and enjoyed it Nor also his owne Rest which he rested on the seventh day because it was past and gone from the foundation of the world besides that it was not of such a nature that men could enter into it Whence followed also that likewise God did not understand the Rest of the seventh day ordained to men because indeed it was not ordained unto them but conformably to the example of Gods Rest which was the cause and reason of the institution thereof And therefore if this rest was excluded from Gods intention in his threat that was excluded also although the Apostle expresseth not this unto us and farre lesse at what time God gave to men the ordinance of the seventh day contenting himselfe with the expression of Gods own Rest after he had finished his workes on the first seventh day which Rest being excluded excluded also the other ordained to men in whatsoever time it was ordained unto them whether in the proper time of Gods rest or long after Neither of which can be learned of the Apostles words in this discourse but may be elsewhere 9 According to this it is cleere that by the Apostles reasoning the way was shut up to the foresaid reply which as is pretended may be made
Deuteronomie are added to the fourth Commandement Keepe the Sabbath day to sanctifie it as the Lord hath commanded thee As for the Sanctification of the Sabbath day which God ordaineth and of which it is said that it cannot be called a ceremony I answer that indeed to speake universally and absolutely it cannot be so called For the Sabbath day was and ought to be sanctified by morall duties But in as much as it was tyed to the seventh day and was practised by sacrifices offerings and other services of the like kind and by an exact resting from all worldly travels such as GOD ordaineth in the fourth Commandement it is ceremoniall 3 Secondly they stand much upon the words following Sixe dayes shalt thou labour and doe all thy worke but the seventh day c. Where as they say there is a reason of the observation of the seventh day of Sabbath which hath its foundation in equity and justice For if God giveth to men sixe dayes for their owne affaires and for the workes of their worldly calling is it not more than just that they consecrate a seventh day to his service And is it not as just for Christians as for Iewes And therefore say they Christians sith they take sixe dayes for their workes are as much obliged as the Iewes to observe a seventh day of Sabbath to God They adde also that as the labour of sixe dayes which is mentioned in this reason and whence it is taken is not a ceremoniall thing no more should the rest of the seventh day be ceremoniall 4 I answer that in the foresaid reason there is a manifest justice and equity which continueth for ever But that justice is generally in this that if a man hath many dayes for himselfe and for his owne workes it is reasonable hee consecrate one amongst many for Gods service Yea there should be a great deale more justice to imploy if it were possible a greater number of dayes upon Gods service then upon our own businesse Nay to bestow them all Also in consequence of this justice and equity we have said before that under the New Testament in whose time the Christians are farre more beholden to God then the Iewes were sith God hath discharged them of many burdens of outward ceremonies which did lay heavy upon that people and hath called them to bee in some sort a people more franke and more affectionate to his service all the dayes of the weeke as much as possibly can be should be Holy dayes unto the LORD And because they cannot possibly meet together every day to serve in common which neverthelesse he looks for as well as for a particular service they must stint some ordinary day for that end and in this stinting must not shew themselves inferiors to the Iewes appointing lesse than one day among seven to Gods service This is all that can be gathered from the foresaid reason as it is obligatory for ever For to dedicate to God precisely a seventh day after we have bestowed sixe dayes upon our selves it cannot be denyed but that it is most just yet it is not more just nor better proportioned nor more obligatory of it selfe and in its own nature specially to Christians nay not so much as to consecrate to God one of sixe or of five or of foure For the moe we hallow to God the more doe we that which is just equitable and well ordered and the more doe wee performe our duty that wee are naturally bound unto towards him If then God ordained in times past under the Law that the day which he would have his people to dedicate unto him should be particularly one of seven it was not for any naturall justice which was more in that number or for any proportion which in it selfe was more convenient in that behalfe then the appointment of any other number but because it was his good pleasure to direct and rule for that season the time of his service and to impose no more than one day of seven upon a people loaden already with many ceremonies And therefore no particular justice being tied to this number of seven more than to any other this reason contained in the foresaid words of the fourth Commandement cannot be morall nor consequently perpetuall but only positive and for a short continuance in that it commandeth to worke sixe dayes and to rest the seventh day It is morall only in the foundation and substance thereof which is this that if God giveth us liberty to bestow a number of dayes upon our owne affaires it is reasonable that there be one day appointed wherein we ought to serve him We I say that are Christians and that as frequently nay much more than the Iewes did which we accord willingly to be perpetuall But with this restriction that under the New Testament the choice of one day amongst a number of other dayes is not stinted of God and that he bindeth us no more to one of seven then to one of sixe or of five 3 Whereas they adde that as the labour of sixe dayes is not a thing ceremoniall so neither should the rest on the seventh day be placed in that ranke I answer first inferring from thence a contrary argument that as to take paines in the workes of our temporall callings considering the condition of this present life is a thing just and necessary and may be called moral but to work of seven dayes six hath not in it any speciall necessity even so it is necessary just and morall to dedicate some time to Gods publike service but that such a time should be precisely one of seven dayes is by no meanes morall Secondly that which I say to be ceremonial in the 4. Cōmandement is the Commandement it selfe to wit that which God expressely and purposely injoyneth to be kept as belonging to his outward and publike service Now he commandeth not any thing in it precisely saving the observation and sanctification of the day of rest by refraining from all temporall callings And whereas it is said Sixe dayes shalt thou labour as that maketh no part of Gods service no more doth it make a part of the Commandement although God thereby warneth men that they ought not to passe their dayes in idlenesse but should apply themselves every day to the labour of an honest calling but is a permission put only by concession and relatively to the Commandement in this sence Thou art permitted to work six dayes but on the 7th day thou shalt abstaine from all kind of work Therefore it followeth not that if these words put occasionally in the Commandement doe not impart any ceremony the Commandement it selfe is not ceremoniall Thirdly the Scripture in the labour of sixe dayes establisheth not unto us any ceremonie as it doth in the rest of the seventh day which it maketh as expressely as can be a type of the heavenly rest as we have cleerely seene before And yet in relation to the heavenly rest figured by
the rest of the seventh day I may say that the painefull labour of sixe dayes before the Sabbath was a type and figure of these troubles and afflictions wherewith the faithfull are tossed to and fro during the ages of this life before they come to the rest of the kingdome of heaven and that so this labour also was ceremoniall 6 They take their third argument from these words The seventh day is the rest of the LORD thy God that is it is the day which God hath not only created and made as the other dayes but also hath put a part to the end that it be applyed to his service Whence it is often called The day holy to the Lord the rest of God or Gods Sabbath c. Of this they inferre seeing it is not lawfull to steale from God that which pertaineth unto him nor to commit sacriledge by devouring that which is holy Pro. 20. ver 25. we must if we will not incurre this crime consecrate alwayes to God one of seven dayes 7 But I answer first that if this argument be of any value it shall prove that it is the last of seven which all are bound to keepe alwayes as the rest of God For it is this particular seventh day which is understood in the words before alleadged and which also was the Sabbath holy to the Lord. Secondly I say that these words serve not at all to prove the morality and perpetuity of the Seventh day In them it is truly said that the seventh day is the Lords rest to wit because at that time he ordained it to the Iewes to be observed by them in their generations and if the Iewes had not observed but applyed it to their owne affaires undoubtedly they had beene guilty of sacriledge but doth it follow that because it is called the Lords Rest in regard of the ordinance whereby he injoyned the Iewes to keepe it we also are obliged under the New Testament to sanctifie it Doth he not also in the Old Testament when he speaketh of the Leviticall sacrifices and offerings c. call them most frequently His sacrifices His offerings and all the other Sabbaths of the Iewes His Sabbaths as well as the Sabbath of the seventh day In a word doth hee not claime all other things which hee commanded to the Iewes concerning his service as his owne Shall we then conclude by the same reason that seeing it is not lawfull to touch holy things and God did claime all these things as belonging unto him we must yet dedicate and consecrate them unto him under the New Testament Who seeth not the absurdity of this consequence and by the same meanes of the consequence which is inferred of these words The seventh day is Gods Rest For as these things which I have mentioned did belong to God but did oblige the Iewes only to observe them it fareth even so with the Sabbath 8 In the fourth place they urge also these words In it thou shalt not doe any worke thou nor thy Sonne nor thy Daughter thy man-servant nor thy maide-servant nor thine Oxe nor thy Asse nor any of thy Cattell nor thy stranger that is within thy gates Where they observe that God hath respect to the easing of servants and of cattell to the intent that when they have beene kept sixe dayes at worke a seventh of relaxation be given them to rest and as it were to breath a little and specially that the servants as well as their masters may set themselves about Gods service to learne and practise it For which cause in the fifth Chapter of Deuteronomie this particularitie is added at the end of the 4th Commandement That thy man-servant and thy maide-servant may Rest as well as thou The same is likewise to be found Exodus 23. verse 12. All this is of perpetuall justice and equity For God under the New Testament hath not stript and cast away the bowels of compassion and forsaken the care of servants and poore beasts They take also in consideration that the stranger is by name and specially obliged to keepe the Sabbath day by refraining from all kinde of worke from whence they inferre that it was not a Iewish ceremony but a morall point because nothing is universall binding strangers as well as Iewes saving that which is morall whereas the ceremonies were only for the Iewes and as it were a middle wall of separation between them and all strangers Eph. 2. ver 14. And therefore seeing the strangers which were Gentiles were by Gods command bound to keepe the Sabbath day as well as the Iewes and when they were in the Land of Canaan were constrained unto it by the Magistrates as may be seene in the 13. Chapter of Nehem. vers 28. it followeth that the observation of the seventh day of Sabbath is a morall point and not simply ceremoniall 9 I answer that to give refreshment to servants and poore beasts after they have beene wearied with labour and to be carefull that servants learne to serve God and apply them to so holy a duty as well as their Masters is a thing naturally just and equitable and that the words of the fourth Commandement as farre as they have respect to that duty doe denote a perpetuall morality and therefore Christians ought to give a time of relaxation and rest from labour to their servants and beasts instruct their servants in the feare of God and be carefull that they serve him both in their particular devotions at home and publike abroad with the rest of the faithfull in such times and places that are appointed for that service by the order of the Church which if they doe not they sin But to set apart for the rest and easing of servants and their imployment in Gods service one of seven daies rather then one of another number and to rest precisely on the seventh day according to the words of the Commandement The seventh day is the rest In it thou shalt not doe any worke that I say againe and againe is a thing simply belonging to order and Church-governement and bindeth not necessarily for ever As for the instance taken from the words whereby strangers are bound to keeke the Sabbath day it is altogether vaine and frivolous For there mention is made onely of strangers that were within the gates of the Iewes that is dwelling and sojourning among them These strangers were either Proselytes converted to the religion of the Iewes which were in effect obliged by religion to the observation of the Sabbath just as the Iewes themselves because they were of the same religion that the Iewes were of and by their conversion were become Iewes Or they were strangers Pagans and Infidels sojourning in Iudea for divers temporall occasions such as were those of whom mention is made in Nehem. Chap. 13. These indeed were constrained by the Magistrate to keepe or rather not to violate the Sabbath publikely as those were of whom mention is made in the foresaid Chapter
maxime rejecteth as unlawfull Now what certainty or probability is there that Iesus Christ on the first day of his appearing to his Disciples gave them this ordinance Further although he had given it sith he appeared not unto them till the evening following the day in the morning whereof he rose againe they were at least all that day preceding his first manifestation unto them free from all bond tying them to the observation of any particular seventh day and their obligation to the observation of a certaine day hath begun by the extremity of the day to wit at the same time when CHRIST appearing unto them injoyned them to heepe it which difficulties I see not how those that hold the aforesaid maxime can well resolve 21 They say that when the first change was made the Disciples kept two Sabbaths consecutively to wit the last of the weeke to put an end to the order of the ancient Testament and thereafter the first day of the weeke immediately following to begin the new order which was to remaine for ever under the New Testament and to keepe alwayes one day of seven But this saying is a pure imagination For who hath told them that the Disciples did keepe that course Besides this giveth no satisfaction to the difficulties afore mentioned For Iesus Christ being dead and having by his death abrogated all the ceremonies of the Law the last day of the weeke at the same very instant that he gave up the Ghost ceased to be obligatory And so although Iesus Christ shewing himselfe to his Disciples on the first day of the weeke that he rose in had ordained unto them expressely that day and made them to sanctifie it in quality of a Sabbath day to persist afterwards till the end of the world neverthelesse sith the day before which was the Sabbath had not obliged them to keep it and if they observed it they did it not through any obligation binding them thereunto because it was abolished it followeth manifestly that the obligation to one day of seven was caused in one weeke at least yea in more then one if he ordained not Sunday to be kept as soone as he shewed himselfe unto them after his resurrection Nay is casseered in them all if he gave them no ordinance at all concerning that or any other day which is more probable as we shall see more fully hereafter Howsoever of this ariseth this conclusion that the order of one of seven daies is not morall sith it could suffer once at least an interruption in the obligation or binding power which it had 22 I would againe faine know sith Christs resurrection might without inconvenience cause the changing of the particular day wherein the Sabbath was before observed which was the last day of the weeke into another day which was the first wherein it came to passe why it might not likewise without any inconvenience at all give occasion to change the whole generall order of the observation of one day of seven and deliver the Church from all obligation unto it Sith as we have already shewed there is no greater necessity to observe one day of seven then the last of seven Sith also this resurrection of Christ which was as it were his rest from the worke of our Redemption cannot be said to have happened as Gods rest from the worke of Creation after sixe daies of labour to ratifie thereby the observation of this number but to reckon since the day wherein Christ began to be in agony in the garden which was to speake properly the beginning of the worke of our Redemption till the day that he rose out of the grave which containeth the space of three or foure daies wherein he suffered died was buried came to passe after three or foure daies only of labour and of paine whereby he redemed us why may it not with as good reason be a foundation and powerfull motive to change one day of seven into one of foure sith Christ rose on the fourth day after the beginning of his passion as well as the observation of the last day of the weeke into the first in consequence of his resurrection on that first day For there should be as little evill or danger in the one as in the other 23 But here is the maine point of the matter For as much as the order which God observed of sixe daies for his labour in the Creation and of a seventh day for his rest carrieth not with it any necessary and naturall obligation to imitate it and was not obligatory under the old Testament but because it pleased God to command and establish it by his Law for that time onely under the new Testament there was no obligation to keepe it and therefore the necessity of observing it as of all other legall ceremonies having come to an end and being expired the last day of seven hath wihout sinne yea with good reason been changed into the first that Christ rose in the Church thinking it fit to do so whereunto she was not moved by an opinion that the consideration of Christs rising from the dead on that day was of it selfe obligatory For why should the day of Christs resurrection of its nature oblige us to observe it as a day holy and solemne rather then the day of his nativity or the day of his death whereby he said All was fulfilled Ioh. 19. vers 30. to wit all that was requisite for the expiation of our sinnes and redemption of the world conformably to the ancient prophecies and figures of the Law or the day of his ascension which might as well and better be called the day of Christs rest then the day of his resurrection Sure the Church might have in any of those daies called to minde and celebrated the remembrance of the worke of our Redemption as well as in the day of the Resurrection because all the actions of Christ have respect unto it Nay she might have as well changed the order of one of seven into a day of another number seeing the worke of Redemption was not tyed to the same number of daies was that the worke of Creation But because there was no necessity in this she thought it expedient to keepe this order of one day in the weeke observed by the Iewes amongst whom the weeke had its beginning and to change onely the particular seventh day of the Iewes into another to make a distinction between them and that servile people as also to keepe a memoriall of Christs Resurrection Of all this it appeareth evidently that the reason taken from Gods example as it is alledged out of the fourth Commandement hath no force to prove that which it is produced for and to shelter those that make a buckler of it 24 Finally they rely much upon these last words of the Commandement God hath blessd the Sabbath day and hath sanctified it Now say they if GOD hath ordained this seventh day to be observed and to be a
c. All these things might be capable to afford unto us subject and occasion to celebrate a thankfull and religious remembrance of them on solemne daies answerable to these of the Iewes For although there were some particular reasons belonging only to the Iewes and taken from certaine circumstances for which God ordained these feasts and others unto them and though there was in them a figure of the good things to come by Iesus Christ Hebr. 10. vers 1. in which respects they cannot be observed by us which also by the confession of those against whom I dispute is to be found in the Sabbath day that is no let but that the generall reasons which are to be found in them may be unto us a ground of observation and that we may practise and celebrate as a memoriall or signe relative to the time past or present that which they practised as a figure relative to the time to come And what they observed in a respect circumstanced after a fashion which was proper to them that we may observe in another respect somewhat diversified and fitted to our estate Even as although we observe not the Sabbath for some particular reasons in regard whereof it is avouched that it was appropriated to the Iewes yet many doe maintaine eagerly that we ought to keepe it for some other generall reasons Yea sith almost all the Iewish ceremonies had some morall foundation reason or end which considered in it selfe regardeth us as well as them that might be set abroach as a subject and occasion to observe them under the Gospell 30 Yet for all that it followeth not that God obligeth us to such an observation Yea it should be contrary to the liberty and simplicity of the Gospel Likewise whatsoever generall reasons may be considered as capable in themselves to be motives unto us to observe the Sabbath it followeth not that God hath prescribed and determined the observation thereof under the Gospel 31 All these reasons which were motives to ordaine these ceremonies were not naturall essentiall and necessary reasons of their institution but depended simply on the will of God who had the power to make them and give value and authority to the said reasons by the observation of these ceremonies for a certaine time only and at another time without ceremonies or by ceremonies of another kind As he willeth us to give him thankes under the new Testament for the continuation of his favourable providence over us in the ordinary course of daies of moneths of the revenues of the earth for giving us not only the Law but also the Gospell of grace and for preparing for us the heavenly inheritance after the few and evill daies of the pilgrimages of this life all which things concerne us and yet he bindeth us not to celebrate in remembrance of these his blessings the ancient festivall daies nor any other Even so he will have us to celebrate the remembrance of our Creation and after we have bestowed daies upon our owne businesses to appoint also some for his publike service and to assubject unto it our wives our children our servants and all other persons depending of us As likewise to give a sufficient time of rest to our servants and beasts after we have kept them at worke for us which are the reasons of the fourth Commandement that concerne us also And yet of them no inference can be made that God will have us to observe one of seven or the last of the seven dayes of the weeke as in consideration of them he ordained the seventh day to the Iewes For we may doe it as well on another day ordained after another manner 32 He had ordained the Sabbath as all other ceremonies to be signes for that time and not for the time of the New Testament under which the world being as it were renewed all things pertaining to the order and government of the Religion were also to bee made new New Ministers new Sacraments c. were to be established as it is written Esa. 65. verse 17. Agg. 2. verse 6. Heb. 8. ver 13. Heb. 12. verse 26 27. 2 Cor. 5. verse 17. And therefore it was convenient and sutable to this New estate that there should be a new day of Gods service different from the day which the Iewes observed under the Old Testament But it was not necessary that it should be one of seven or that Christ Himselfe should have ordained it which notwithstanding they indeavour to prove by diverse other passages and arguments gathered out of holy Scripture pertaining directly to the New Testament and obliging all Christians living under it to keepe the Sabbath as much as the Iewes were under the Old Testament yea to keepe a certaine and set day of Sabbath not by ecclesiasticall constitution but by divine ordinance as they deeme CHAPTER Eight Answer to the Sixth Reason 1. Ob. Isaiah hath prophesied that under the New Testament strangers and Eunuches that is Christians shall keepe the Sabbath 2. First Answer The words of the Prophet may be understood of the state of the Church of the Iewes after the captivity of Babylon 3. Second Answer In the Old Testament the service of the New Testament is set downe in tearmes taken from the service under the Law 4. Which if they should be literally expounded Christians should be bound to keepe all the ceremonies of the Law 5. Wherefore this and such like passages are to be expounded spiritually of the spirituall service of the Christian Church 6. Another objection of the gate which Ezekiel saith shall be opened on the Sabbath day 7. First Answer the words of Ezekiel must be expounded mystically 8. Second Answer nothing can bee inferred from thence but that the Christian Church shall have solemne dayes for Gods service 9. Third Answer The Sabbath may be said to represent the rest of eternall life in heaven and the sixe worke dayes the turmoiles of this life 1 THey say to this purpose that the 56. Chapter of Isaiah is manifestly referred to the time of the New Testament and that God declaring there how he would not any more put a difference betweene the strangers and the Iewes and how the Eunuchs the barren and those that want Children shall no more be a reproach and shall not be excluded from the privileges of his house as they were under the Old Testament saith in plaine tearmes that those whom he calleth Eunuches and sonnes of the stranger shall keepe his Sabbaths verse 4 6. From whence they make this inference that God would have the Sabbath to be kept by Christians under the New Testament as well as by Iewes under the Old Testament 2 To this I answer that this argument hath little or no strength For it is well knowne that the Iewes doe referre it to the time that followed the captivity of Babylon 3 But not to debate about this question whether this prophesie is to be referred to the old or to the New
he hath likewise left unto her Christian wisedome the determination of the day of his service which is more common and ordinary specially seeing in the whole New Testament there is not at all any expresse mention of a particular day instituted and ordained by him for that end which the Evangelists and Apostles had not as it were with one accord beene silent of if it were true that our Lord Iesus Christ had ordained such a day CHAPTER Fourth Answer to the third reason brought to prove the foresaid opinion 1. Third Reason Iesus appeared to his Disciples the same day of his Resurrection at evening and eight dayes after which was the first day of the weeke as also on that day the Apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost 2. First Answer Christ appeared to his Disciples in the beginning of the second day of the weeke 3. This is proved by the distinction of the day in a day Naturall Artificiall and Civill 4. It is proved by the creation that the Iewes began the naturall or civill day by the evening 5. Refutation of those which say that by the evening must be understood the time after noone and by the morning the time afore noone 6. The same is proved by an expresse commandement given to the Iewes to begin the naturall day and the celebration of the Sabbath of at on 〈…〉 7. Râ—utation of the reply made against this argument 8. It is proved also by the commandement given them to begin the eating of the Passeover and of unleavened bread at the end of the 14. day of the first moneth 9. Saint Matthew and Saint Marke speake figuratively when they call the day wherein things necessary for the Passeover were prepared the first day of unleavened bread 10. The same likewise is proved by the observation of the Sabbath in the dayes of Nehemiah 11. And by the practice of Ioseph and Nicodemus when they buryed the body of our Saviour 12. First argument brought by some out of the Old Testament to prove that the naturall day among the Iewes and consequently the Sabbath day began in the morning ended with the night 13. Refutation of that argument 14. Second argument taken out of the first Chapter of S. Iohns Gospell ver 39. answered 15. Third Argument out of the 28 Chap. of S. Matthew ver 1. 16. Answer to this Argument 17. Fourth argument out of the 20. Chapter of the Acts ver 7. and 11. answered 18. It followeth of all the foresaid answers and besides is more fully proved that IESUS CHRIST appeared to his Disciples after his Resurrection on the second day of the weeke 19. Second Answer although Iesus after his Resurrection had appeared twice to his Disciples on the first day of the weeke that proveth not the sanctification of that day for Gods service 20. This is proved by diverse arguments and reasons 21. The descending of the Holy Ghost on the first day of the weeke inforceth not the observation of that day THere is no greater force in the observation gathered out of the twentieth Chapter of Saint Iohn verse 19. and 26. where it is said that Iesus the same day of his Resurrection at evening being the first day of the weeke appeared to his Disciples where they were assembled and after eight dayes the doores being shut he came and stood in the midst of them to wit on the 〈…〉 pretend to have beene the day of Pentecost wherein he sent downe from heaven 〈◊〉 Holy Ghost upon the Apostles from which places they inferre that by this practise hee hath sanctified that day for the preaching of his Gospell and the administration of his service 2 To this I answer first that it may be debated if it be said in the foresaid passage of Saint Iohn that our Lord Iesus Christ appeared to his Disciples on the first day of the week and not rather after the first day already ended and the second begun Although the first interpretation was true and that it was the first day of the week wherin Christ shewed himselfe to his Disciples after his Resurrection it carryeth not with it any consequence prejudiciall to my opinion as shal be seene hereafter Yet I wil confirme the second interpretation as only true and take this occasion to speake of the distinction of dayes fetching froÌ„ thence the grounds of my reasoning 3 The day is ordinarily distinguished into a Naturall day and an Artificiall day The naturall day is composed of foure and twenty houres which is the time of the daily circuit of the Sunne arising going downe and returning to the place where he arose in which day is comprehended all the time of light and all the time of darkenesse The day is so taken ordinarily both in Scripture and in all common languages when mention is made simply of dayes As for example when we say a moneth hath thirty dayes such a thing shall bee done or come to passe within so many dayes Abraham Isaac Iacob died being full of dayes we understand all the time of their continuance as well of the night as of the day The Artificiall day continueth as long as the Sunne is upon the horizon of every place and by his light affordeth commodity to men to goe forth to their labour and to worke in their arts professions and trades The naturall day although amongst all people it be composed of foure and twenty houres yet it varieth in the distinction of the beginning and end thereof For some take the beginning thereof at midde day and count the continuance thereof till the next midde day Others from midde-night till the next midde night Some from the rising of the Sunne till his next rising againe and some from the sunne setting till the next setting This diverse supputation amongst diverse people proceeding from a civill constitution addeth to the distinction of the day in artificiall and naturall a third member to wit The civill day which is the same with the naturall day in regard of the continuance of foure and twenty houres but is diversely counted in diverse places in regard of the beginning and of the end thereof 4. Now among the Iewes this naturall or eivill day began by the evening and ended at the next evening Moses distinguisheth it so when he relateth the story of the Creation For he endeth alwayes the workes of each day in these words so was the evening so was the morning which was the first the second the third day c. Where by the evening he understandeth the whole night which beginneth by the evening and by the morning the whole day which beginneth by the morning considering the evening and the morning the night and the day or the light as integrant parts of the naturall day and the evening or the night as the first part which goeth before the other part which is the time of light As indeed this distinction is grounded on that order and course of proceeding which God kept in the Creation
is not repugnant S. Luke in the 23. chap. 56. vers Where he saith that the women after they had beheld the Sepulchre and how the Lords body was laid returned and prepared odours and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandement which words seeme to import that they prepared their spices before the Sabbath For the order and coherence of these words doe not designe the like order and coherence of things but they must be understood after this manner being returned they prepared their odours And or rather But they rested the Sabbath day to wit first and before this preparation as appeareth by the conference of the 54. vers where it is said that when the body of Christ was laid in the tombe and the women beheld where it was laid the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 drew on that is was at hand and ready to begin as hath beene said before So that it was impossible to them to prepare any kind of thing for the inbalming of Christ before the Sabbath Whence it followeth that sith then it was evening the end of the same Sabbath fell upon the dawning or evening of the night following and so was both the end of the last day of the weeke preceding and the beginning of the night following whereby the first day began And that was the time betokened by the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by Saint Matthew and the night preceding the first day of the weeke which he nameth afterward did belong to the said first day making with it the naturall and civill day of the Iewes and did not belong to the Sabbath For if it had pertained to the Sabbath and the first day of the weeke following the Sabbath had begun in the morning sith it is constant that before the Sabbath they prepared not their aromaticall drugs when should they have found the opportunity and leisure to prepare them They durst not doe it on the Sabbath day for it was a day of rest and of cessation from all work As also S. Luke saith Chap. 23. vers 56. That they rested the Sabbath day according to the Commandement After the Sabbath upon the first day of the weeke they could not doe it granting that this day began in the morning For very early in the morning as it was yet darke they went with their spices already bought and prepared And therefore we must of necessity say that they bought their spices in the evening after the Sunne was set and the Sabbath ended that during the night which was the beginning of the first day of the week they prepared these drugs and that in the morning of the same day they came to imbalme Iesus Which being so we must interpret the words of S. Matthew after such a sort that they may agree with the sayings of the other Evangelists And it is in no wise necessary to joyne the evening or the latter end of the Sabbath with the beginning of the light of the first day of the weeke as if the one and the other had met together in one time and at once as is pretended There is betweene these two the intervall of a night which pertained to this first day of the weeke and we may translate the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Marke speaketh that is in the evenining at the extremitie or latter end of the Sabbath this extremity being already come and past or in the evening that is in the night the first part thereof being taken for the totall after the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at that same houre or time which began to shine yet with a little remnant of the nights darknesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to bee the first day of the weeke that is the first day of light the first artificiall day which is a part of the naturall day Or wee may take these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the time that was to shine in the first day of the weeke For it was not S. Matthews intent to specifie unto us the immediate conjunction of the first day of the weeke with the Sabbath finishing but only at what point of time the woman came to the Sepulchre to wit at the first glimpse of the light of the first day of the weeke and hee made mention of the evening or of the latter end of the Sabbath in respect that the Sabbath had hindred them till then to apply themselves to this pious and charitable worke which they had intended 17 Moreover they produce a passage out of the twentieth chapter of the Acts vers 7. 11. where it is said that the Disciples in Troas being come together upon the first day of the weeke to breake bread Paul preaching unto them continued his speech untill midnight and after he had broken bread and eaten continued to talke unto them even till the breake of day In which words they pretend that the night is mentioned as the last part of the first day of the weeke But first nothing obligeth us to grant that the night there mentioned ought to be referred to the first day of the weeke For we may affirme as well that it pertained to the second day and made the beginning thereof The words of the Text are very well verified if we say that the first day of the weeke and towards the end thereof the Disciples were assembled and their assembly having begun about the end of the first day continued a good while with and after the beginning of the second day Paul because he was to depart on the morning after the first day taking this occasion to extend his discourse within the night following which was the beginning of another day There is no weight in the objection they make against this exposition saying that if it were true Paul had remained longer then seven dayes at Troas to wit a part of an eight day against that which is said in the sixth verse For they presuppose without any ground that Paul was not precisely but seven dayes at Troas which the Text saith not but only that he abode there seven dayes which should be very well expressed so although he had remained there a part of the eighth day which might have beene past under silence and not counted with the dayes going before because it was not a full and whole day but only a part of a day And putting the case that it should come within the compasse of the seven dayes of the Apostles aboade at Troas we may say it was taken for the seventh and last day For it is not told exactly on what day Paul came to Troas nor that he abode there full seven dayes but only in generall seven dayes Now although he had beene there but a part of the first and a part of the last of seven it may be well said that hee was there seven dayes
in their times as it hath had many hundred yeeres sithence in the Christian Church which honoureth the first day of the weeke with the name of the Lords day it followeth not that this consecration did proceed from the institution of Christ or of his Apostles Seeing it might be founded in the onely practice and custome brought in among the faithfull The ancient Fathers speaking of the observation of Sunday give no other reason thereof saving the Lords Resurrection on that day and not any commandement of the Lord which they had not forgotten if there had beene any 3 Certaine Divines without any shew of good reason will hold us in hand that the first day of the weeke is called The Lords day even as the seventh day is called The Lords rest and the holy Supper The Supper or the Table of the Lord to wit not onely in consideration of their end which is to be a memoriall that of Gods rest after the Creation this of Christs death but also of their institution which is from the Lord himselfe 4 It is true indeed that the one and the other are so called in these two respects But this is also most true that wee have in holy Scripture an expresse declaration that God of old gave to the Iewes the seventh day because on it he rested and would have it to be a signe that he was the Lord that sanctified them It is true also that Iesus Christ instituted the holy Supper in the roome of the ancient Passeover to be a memoriall of his death not a simple memoriall but a Sacrament exhibitive and confirmative of the benefits flowing from his death which it could not be but by an expresse institution from himselfe necessary in all Sacraments because otherwise they cannot be Sacraments It is not so of this day which is called The Lords day For we finde not any institution or subrogation thereof in roome of the ancient Sabbath day neither by the Lord himselfe norby his Apostles And it may be the faithfull called it the Lords day in regard of that solemne action of our Lord Iesus Christ when on it he rose from the dead an action whereof they thought fit to make in it an ordinary and weekely commemoration The place where the holy assemblies meet together is called in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Dutch and Scots Kirk by abbreviation in English Church as if we should say The Lords place albeit there be no such place of the Lords institution but onely of the Churches who gives that name to the Temples because they are consecrated to the Lords service And wherefore I pray might not likewise the first day of the weeke be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the day of the Lord seeing the Church hath appointed it to the honour and service of the Lord which she might doe without any necessity of a divine institution by Iesus Christ our Lord or by his Apostles This was the meaning of many of our most excellent Divines which speake of the observation of the first day of the weeke as of an observation proceeding not from some apostolicall commandement which is not to be found in the Gospel but from a custome introduced and received in the Christian Churches custome which in it selfe is free and without obligation of conscience They acknowledge also that the argument drawne from the appellation of the Lords day is weak Their testimonies I might recite in this place and oppose them to the testimonies taken from others that are of a contrary opinion But my intention is to dispute by reasons and not by authorities of men which in this point are different CHAPTER Eighth Answer to the seventh Reason 1. Seventh Reason The first day of the weeke is to be sanctified in remembrance that Christ on it ended the worke of our Redemption 2. First answer This assertion is false 3. Second answer Christ fulfilled our redemption by his death meritoriously 4. Third answer He hath fulfilled it by actuall execution after his ascension 5. Fourth answer Declaring the use of Christs Resurrection 6. A notable difference betweene the day of Christs Resurrection and the day of Gods rest 7. The day of Christs Resurrection hath no advantage above the day of his Passion c. 8. The true cause of the first observation thereof 9. All that is said of the first day of the weeke being granted it followeth not that it hath any naturall obligation to be kept 1 OF that hath beene said in the former Chapters it is apparent that the passages whereby our Opponents pretend to prove that the Lord either immediately by himselfe or by his Apostles hath instituted the first day of the week for his solemne service doe not prove any such thing But they take another argument from that which is constant by the story of the Gospel which is that the first day of the weeke Iesus Christ rose againe from the dead as if this day for this only cause that Christs Resurrection happened on it had beene sanctified unto us and obligeth us to a religious and solemne observation thereof For say they Christ rising from death to life on the first day of the weeke came victorious out of the great combate which he had sustained and rested from the dolorous and painfull travels which he had suffered in his death and so ended the worke of the redemption of the Church and re-established it into a new estate So the day that he rose in was a new day which he brought as it were from the Sepulchre for her sake And therefore if the day wherein God rested from the Creation of the world was to be sanctified under the Old Testament in remembrance and to the honour of that worke so long as there was not another more excellent then it by the same reason yea farre more the day wherein Christ rising hath accomplished the wonderfull worke of redemption which is a second Creation of a new world farre more excellent than the first was to bee sanctified under the New Testament in remembrance and to the honour of this great worke and the other day to give place unto it 2 I have already said diverse things pertaining to the solution of this argument But I adde over and besides and for better illustration that it is grounded upon an attribution given to the Resurrection of Christ of things which being exactly considered shall be found that they belong not unto it neither particularly nor properly as to have fulfilled the worke of our redemption and second Creation and to have re-established the world or the Church in the world into a new estate 3 Which things if we speake of fulfilling them by merit or of purchasing the right to performe them really have beene fulfilled by the death and passion of Christ which is the price of our redemption whereby both the state of grace here below and of glory in heaven is purchased unto us 4 But if we speake of fulfilling
them by actuall execution they have beene performed by the vertue of Christs Divinity after his Ascension into heaven from whence he sent the Holy Ghost upon his Apostles to beget and assemble his Church here beneath in all the parts of the world by their ministry 5 The Resurrection hath no other correspondency to the meritorious fulfilling of those things but of a token and marke evident certaine and necessary that Christ by his death hath merited them unto us having payed a most sufficient price for our redemption which had not appeared to be yea on the contrary had seemed not to be and indeed had not beene at all if Christ had remained in the grave of death and had not risen againe Even as the comming of a debtor out of prison is a demonstration that he hath payed although it bee not the payment it selfe But if he did remaine alwayes in prison that were an evident signe that he hath not satisfied We must take in this sence the Apostles words saying Rom. 4. verse 25. that Christ died for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification that is to demonstrate that justification is purchased unto us by his death and withall to confer and apply it unto us efficaciously To which efficacious collation and application of all that was purchased by the death of Christ and to the actuall accomplishment of the second Creation and of the re-establishment of the Church into a new estate his Resurrection hath no correspondency but as a necessary antecedent thereunto For it was necessary hee should rise as also ascend into heaven that from thence he might operate that great and notable alteration 6 Wherein is seene a manifest difference betweene the day of Christs Resurrection and the seventh day that God rested in from the worke of Creation For this day followed the Creation finished and intirely effected and it was a rest from it already done and accomplished But that day cannot be called the day of rest from the second Creation saving only as it was merited by the death of Christ For it goeth and that many dayes before the actuall execution thereof sith Christ began not properly to frame and establish the Church of the New Testament till many dayes after he rose againe Wherefore there is by no meanes the like reason to keepe the day of Christs Resurrection as there was to keepe the Sabbath Day 7 Yea the day of the Resurrection in it selfe hath no advantage beyond the dayes of Christs Passion or Ascension or of Pentecost wherein came to passe the solemne sending of the Holy Ghost wherby it was more worthy to be observed then they For it was inferiour to the day of Christs passion and death in regard of the merit to purchase and to the day of Pentecost in regard of the efficacy to communicate the spirituall and heavenly gifts The Ascension day is conforme and equall unto it in the same correspondency both to the acquisition and to the execution of the establishment of the Church 8 The preferring of it by the faithfull to all other dayes to bee kept ordinarily as a solemne day came not from any worthier prerogative that it hath in it selfe but because on it began to shine upon the faithfull a new light of joy and comfort The death and buriall of Christ had filled their hearts with sorrow and abated their hope because it seemed to them that his death and the Sepulchre had taken him away and ravished him out of the world for evermore No wonder for they knew not in the beginning the nature nor the consequences of that great humiliation as is apparent by the discourse of the two Disciples going to Emmaus Luke 24. verse 21. After then that he rose againe shewing himselfe to be the Sonne of God with power Romans 1. v. 4. and that their hopes were revived by his Resurrection they thought fit to observe solemnly and weekely the day thereof which began their joy shewing unto them the first beames of the rising of the Sunne of righteousnesse rather than others which afterward increased it much by a greater manifestation of his glorious brightnesse though they were not lesse unworthy to be kept and as frequently And further they did it to change the ancient day of the Law into a new day of the Gospell In which change that there was a convenient reason it cannot be denyed The thing I deny is that there was any necessary reason thereof 10 Yea although all that in the objection is attributed to the day of the Resurrection did belong unto it properly and particularly it should not follow that in vertue thereof and by a naturall consequence the said day ought to be observed rather than any other For if the day that God rested in from the worke of the Creation had no naturall obligation in it tying men to the observation thereof but it was Gods Commandement onely that bound them to that duty no more can the day wherein Christ rested though in another respect which is not so proper from the worke of redemption oblige us of it selfe to observe it To tye our consciences to such an observation it must needs have a divine institution whereby God hath commanded us to observe it which I say is not to be found CHAPTER Ninth Answer to the eighth Reason 1. Eight Reason from the excellency of things done on the first day of the weeke 2. First Answer Besides that this assertion is uncertaine it proveth nothing 3. Second Answer it is grounded upon a superstitious opinion of the perfection and mysticall signification of the number of seven 4. Seeing there is no certainty in the observation of numbers and the Scripture maketh mention of other numbers observed in many things 5. Whence no solid argument can be gathered and are disclamea by many which dispute for the authority and preeminence of the first day of the weeke 6. In what sence the number of seven is called mysterious and that there is no mysterie in it under the New Testament 1 SOme fetch an argument from diverse solemne things recited in holy Scripture which they marke to have beene done on the first day of the weeke as that on it the light was created the pillar of a cloud covered at first the people of Israel Manna rained from heaven upon them Aaron and his children began to exercise the Priest-hood God at first blessed his people solemnely gave the Law on the Mount Sinai CHRIST was borne baptized turned water into Wine fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes shall come from heaven to judge the quicke and the dead 2 But it is most uncertaine that all these things were done on the first day of the weeke For the Scripture saith no such thing Besides this although all these things had beene done on the first day of the weeke it shall never follow by any necessary argument that for such a cause the first day of the weeke ought to be
the whole people to come together for that end in these dayes which are otherwise common and worke dayes There are also in many Churches yeerely feasts injoyned by the order and discipline of the Church as of the Nativity Passion and Ascension of Christ c. wherein the people is gathered together to heare the word of God and all the parts of divine service Do they not know that God hath not bound them by speciall cōmandement to the observation of such dayes and that their conscience is not tyed unto them in that name And yet we see not any of them under that pretence neglect the keeping of those dayes or presume to ordaine others at their pleasure Some profane men may attempt such a thing but honest men which love the Word of God and the exercises of godlinesse will submit themselves to the order of the Church and observe such dayes not as I have said for any particular commandement that God hath given concerning them seeing in this respect they know they are free yet through respect and affection towards the order of the Church and true devotion towards the holy exercises whereunto shee hath thought fit to apply such dayes It is even so of Sunday betweene which and these other dayes there is not in effect any difference in regard of a necessity to keepe them saving that Sunday is more ordinary and frequent then these others are which being joyned to the antiquity and generality of the observation thereof ever since the beginning of the Christian Church hath worthily purchased unto it the precedence of credit and respect to all other dayes which may be extraordinarily now appointed by the Church for the exercises of Religion This is all that I have to say concerning the institution and setting a part of Sunday for Gods service which hath beene the matter of the third part of this treatise The end of the third Part. THE FOVRTH PART Concerning the observation of the Sabbath day under the Ancient Testament and of Sunday under the New Testament CHAPTER First What was the observation of the Sabbath day under the Ancient Testament 1. The two chiefe points of this fourth and last part 2. All servile workes of profit or of recreation were forbidden on the Sabbath day 3. Yea the least unnecessary workes as to goe out of doores to gather Manna 4. To prepare it on that day 5. Commandement was given to the people to prepare it the day before 6. Refutation of the contrary opinion 7. How it came to passe that the Manna being kept according to the Commandement did not stinke 8. Other examples of small things which it was not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day 9. Workes lawfull on that day were the workes of the ceremoniall Law 10. Workes of love of mercy and of compassion 11. Workes of urgent necessity 12. Whence it is evident that the observation of the Iewish Sabbath was very precise and exact 1 HAving declared sufficiently the nature of the Sabbath day which was the maine point in this question I will dispatch briefely the last point concerning the observation thereof by a holy rest and cessation of all servile workes commanded of God and will shew how farre the Iewes were bound unto it under the ancient Testament and how farre or whether Christians are obliged unto it under the New Testament For this also is called in question 2 This is of it selfe cleere inough by that hath beene already said in the three first parts Neverthelesse to give a more full declaration and satisfaction I say that we know sufficiently what was the observation of the Sabbath day under the Old Testament seeing God had both in generall and particular ordered it by his lawes In generall he commanded a most exact rest and cessation and declared it by a redoubling of the words which he makes use of in this point saying sometimes that the seventh day is a Sabbath or Rest of Rest Exod. 16. verse 23. Exod 31. verse 15. Exod. 35. ver 2. Leviticus 23. verse 3. that is a day wherein he would have them to rest most precisely from all workes as it is said in the same places which workes he otherwhere intitleth servile workes Leviticus 23. verse 7 8 21 25. Numbers 28. verse 25. that is appertaining to their temporall and ordinary callings which they were wont to doe on the sixe former dayes of the weeke either for profit or for recreation and other uses simply civill domesticke earthly which he particularizeth in diverse places as for example to husband the ground to reape to cut grapes to tread wine presses Exod. 34. verse 21. Nehem. 13. verse 13. to buy and to sell Nehem. 10. verse 31. hold markets and faires for buying and selling of wares meat drinke to Cart to carry burthens Nehe. 13. verse 15 16 17 18. Ierem. 17. verse 21 22 23 24. to goe out of their houses for any end whatsoever besides their resorting to the holy convocations as to goe a voyage and to doe such like actions Exod. 16. verse 29. 3 This ordinance to doe no manner of work on the Sabbath day was so precise that God forbad them to doe the least workes even those which might be done without travell or distraction For example they were interdicted not only to make long and painefull voyages and courses but also to goe out of doores to walke although softly without urgent necessity as to goe out for to gather Manna when they were in the Wildernesse Exodus 16. ver 27. which they might have done without paines because it was to bee found at their doores and they were not to goe farre nor to take more paines than to stoope a little nor bestow above a very short time and that betimes in the morning because when the Sun waxed hot it melted neither could that have hindred them from sanctifying the Sabbath with all the exercises of Gods service 4 Neverthelesse God forbad them that light and small worke and least they should take that little and small diversion purposely he rained not downe Manna upon them on that day but the day before gave them bread for two dayes and when some of the people went out to see if there was any on the Sabbath day they were eagerly blamed as breakers of the Sabbath verse 27 28. And thereupon God commanded them to abide every man in his place and that no man should goe out of his place on that day to gather Manna verse 29. Likewise concerning that measure which they had gathered the day before for the Sabbath day he injoyned them also to bake and prepare it on the sixt day and to beware to delay and put off the preparing thereof to the seventh day least they should profane the Sabbath This is expressely set downe in these words Exod. 16. verse 23. To morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord Bake that which you will bake to day and seeth that yee will seeth and that
Law of God forbidding actions farre lighter and of farre lesser moment then all those that are particularized in the Law CHAPTER Second What is the obligation of Christians to the observation of Sunday for the manner of it 1. They are not bound by a Divine prohibition and for conscience sake to abstaine from any servile worke 2. First Reason the fourth Commandement bindeth them not thereunto 3. Second Reason the order of the Church neither doth nor can oblige their conscience to a Iewish abstinence 4. Third Reason Those of the contrary opinion urge not the riged abstinence of the Iewes from all manner of worke 5. Wherefore they should not urge any abstinence at all contrary to Christian liberty 6. For Christian liberty extends it selfe equally to all and is not restrained by the fourth Commandement 1 AS for Christians living under the New Testament they are not obliged to such an observation of their Sunday as the Iewes were to their Sabbath day And I beleeve not any worke externall corporall servile of their ordinary callings lawfull on another day to be unlawfull on that day by a divine prohibition and obligation of conscience to abstaine from it in consequence of such a prohibition 2 This resulteth by necessary consequence from that hath beene said before For if the fourth Commandement in as much as it prescribeth a certaine day of rest to wit a seventh day or the last of seven bindeth them not as hath beene shewed there is no reason why it should rather oblige them in the exact prohibition of all worke on the Sabbath day because this was as well a part of the ceremonies and government of the Iewish Church as was the appointment of a seventh day of Sabbath 3 If they keepe not their Sunday by Gods Commandement but according to the order and use of the Church as I have also proved no more are they bound by Gods Commandement to cease on Sunday from all their ordinary workes but only as farre as the use and order of the Church established for the publike exercise of Gods service on that day doth require it without any further obligation of their conscience Now this order cannot and should not oblige them to an abstinence like unto that of the Iewâ—s under the Oâ—d Testament For it were needfull for this that God himselfe had substituted Sunday to the Sabbath day and posted over to that day the rigorous right of this day commanding the same abstinence in the one and in the other which is not The substitution of one day to the other was done by the Church and the reasons of an abstinence so precise on the Iewish Sabbath which were wholly typicall having no place at all in the New Testament the said abstinence ought not to be any more in vigor neither ought our Sunday to usurpe the same rigour of authority over us to make us refraine from all kind of worke which the Sabbath day possessed over the Iewes by Gods expresse commandement 4 The same is easily proved by good reason grounded upon things which those against whom we dispute are constrained to advow For if Christians were obliged also to an abstinence of outward and servile workes which to the Iewes were unlawfull on the Sabbath day it must be in consideration and by vertue of the prohibitions given to the same Iewes in the fourth Commandement and in other places of the Old Testament to doe such workes on that day seeing otherwise to doe them is not a sinne if we consider the thing absolutely in it selfe This power of the fourth Commandement is extended to all Christians by those that are contrary to the opinion which I maintaine And neverthelesse they avouch almost all of them that under the Gospell we are delivered from the rigour of an exact observation such as was the observation that the Iewes were subjected unto that we have greater liberty that wee may on our Sabbath day kindle the fire make meat ready not only for our ordinary refection but also for feasts and bankets so they be not too sumptuous goe abroad for other ends then for Gods service as to walke and doe other such things and that without the case of urgent necessity which sometimes made them lawfull to the Iewes themselves They call such actions workes of Christian liberty which they acknowledge to be permitted to Christians although they were not permitted to the Iewes as were the workes of godlinesse mercy and urgent necessity whereof there is no difficulty but they may be done on the Sabbath day This only they require that these workes of Christian liberty bee done without scandall without any disturbance of Gods service and without any hinderance to the Sanctification of the Sabbath 5 Now it is most true that we are delivered from the necessity of this so rigid observation But I aske them wherefore we shall bee permitted to doe some workes which were prohibited to the Iewes on the Sabbath day as to kindle the fire prepare and dresse meat walke abroad without necessity and not other workes which were not forbidden more severely than the former as to plough sowe reape carry burthens c. The one and the other were alike unlawfull to the Iewes in vertue of the interdiction given in the fourth Commandement and reiterated so often elsewhere If this interdiction tyeth still our hands under the New Testament and suffereth us not to do these last workes and other such like I would faine know upon what ground they hold that it releaseth and suffereth us to doe these former workes What reason have they to extend our Christian liberty to the one and not to the other seeing there is no relaxation given us for the one more expressely than for the other Seeing also meanes may be found to doe the last as well as the first without scandall and without any let by either to the Sanctification of the Sabbath day 6 Therefore we must of necessity confesse that they are equally permitted or equally forbidden seeing the fourth Commandement maketh no distinction Now they advow that some workes are permitted to us which were by the fourth Commandement forbidden to the Iewes and are workes of Christian liberty Whence I conclude that all other workes are also of the same nature that we have liberty to doe them all on our Sunday and that as the fourth Commandement obligeth not Christians to keepe the seventh day which it prescribeth so precisely no more doth it oblige them to do no manner of worke on that day For these two parts of the Commandement are alike precise and the one is of as great authority as the other CHAPTER Third Answer to a reply made to the argument of the precedent Chapter 1. A generall reply that the workes forbidden particularly had reference onely to the abode of the people in the wildernesse 2. First Answer The Commandement to tary at home on the Sabbath day was perpetuall 3. Second Answer The prohibition to prepare meat was
perpetuall 4 The first reply to this Answer refuted 5. The said reply is not well grounded on the example of a Pharisee who called Christ to eat bread on the Sabbath day 6. Confirmation of the refutation of the said reply by the Scriptures 7. By the testimony of Saint Augustine and of Saint Ignace and by reason 8. The second reply taken from equality yea from oddes of reason refuted 9. A mystery hid in the prohibition to cooke meat on the Sabbath day c. 10. Third Answer the prohibition to kindle fire was perpetuall and not referred to the building of the Tabernacle 11. If it was referred thereto it was onely by application 12. If it was not lawfull to kindle fire for the uses of the Tabernacle farre lesse for other uses 13. Confirmation of this answer by reason and by the testimony of Philo. 14. Fourth Answer The particular prohibitions were explications of the generall prohibition of the fourth Commandement 15. Fifth and last Answer God hath no where made an exception of any worke on the weekely Sabbath as he did on the Sabbath of the Passeover 1 SOme of the contrary opinion have seene the difficulty propounded in the former Chapter to wit that there is no reason to say that some workes which the Iewes were forbidden to do as wel as all other by the fourth Commandement are permitted but the rest are not permitted if it be true that the prohibition of the fourth Commandement obligeth us as they pretend Therefore they say that these workes which as they confesse we are permitted to doe as to kindle the fire and to make meat ready on the Sabbath day were permitted to the Iewes as well as unto us and are not comprised in the prohibition of the fourth Commandement and that the particular prohibitions which are made in Exodus Chapter 16. and 35. were temporall had respect only to the time of the peoples sojourning in the wildernesse and were grounded on reasons particular to that time 2 But this is an affirmation without ground and without all likelihood For to speake of the injunction given them to tarry every man in his place and not to goe out of it on the Sabbath day Exod. 16. vers 29. it is true that it was given them by occasion of the Manna to the intent that they should not goe forth to seeke any yet undoubtedly it was extended also to all other things of the like nature to wit to all bodily and earthly ends God by that one example forbidding them to apply themselves to the seeking of them there being a like reason for all I say bodily and earthly because a spirituall and heavenly end was excepted by the third verse of the three and twenty Chapter of Leviticus and there was no other end but such a one which might be an exception from the said prohibition Will any man say that during their abode in the wildernesse they might freely and without offence goe about other worldly businesses the gathering of Manna excepted This goeth beyond all semblance of truth And therefore if this was not left to their liberty the prohibition of the sixteenth Chapter of Exodus had a farther regard than to the Manna onely Now if they were restrained in the wildernesse and durst not goe forth for earthly imploiments as to gather Manna what reason can be alleaged why in the land of Canaan they were free to come and to goe and trouble themselves with the care and pursuit of the bread that perisheth and of other things of this world 3 The same judgement ought to be made of the prohibition to to cooke and dresse meat in the wildernesse on the Sabbath day which meat was Manna wherefore ought not this prohibition to have place in the land of Canaan for all other meats The Israelites had they not leisure in Canaan to prepare their meat the day before the Sabbath as much nay more than they had for the Manna in the wildernesse Neverthelesse the day before the Sabbath which was the sixth day of the weeke God said to them concerning the Manna Bake that which ye will bake and seethe that which ye will seethe and all that remaineth lay it up to be kept till the morning for you And why To morrow saith he is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord Exod. 16. vers 23. words which shew that the observation of the Sabbath day by him prescribed unto them with respect not onely to their pilgrimage in the wildernesse but also to their abode in Canaan was the cause why hee rained not Manna upon them and suffered them not to prepare any on that day and by his law forbade them universally in their generations to cooke and prepare any meat on the Sabbath day For if it were a thing that he left to their libertâ— by the Law wherefore did hee not raine Manna upon them on the Sabbath day Or if hee gave them not any lest they should goe forth and gather it on that day and if he obliged them to gather twice as much the day before giving them that day bread for two dayes vers 29. which necessity forced them to doe seeing the next day there was not any to bee found in the fields wherefore did he not at least suffer them to deferre till the Sabbath day the cooking of that portion which they had gathered and laid up for that day rather than to injoyne them as he did to make ready twice as much the day before and so take from them all occasion of preparing it on the Sabbath day which they might have done easily although there was none to be found in the fields that day Certes he did betoken that not onely the seeking and gathering but also the cooking and preparing of meat on that day displeased him because it was a day ordained by him to rest in which is a perpetuall reason for all the dayes and times that the Law of Moses was to continue 4 To say that God commanded both to gather and to prepare the Manna the day before and to keepe it till the Sabbath day because he would manifest his miraculous power in preserving from corruption the Manna which else had bred wormes and stunke Exod. 16. vers 20. from one of these dayes to the other is an unsufficient answer For first the same miracle had beene although the Manna had beene kept crude and unbaked to be sodden and prepared the next day Secondly God might have done if it had pleased him the same miracle in respect to another day as well as to the Sabbath day Wherefore then did he it for the Sabbath day but to ordaine to the Israelites the cessation from all workes and amongst others from making meat ready on the Sabbath day in their generations Also wee see no examples of preparing of meat on the Sabbath day among them 5 To prove that they did is unfitly alleaged the first verse of the fourteenth chapter of S. Luke
where it is said that Iesus Christ entred into the house of one of the chiefe Pharisees on the Sabbath day to eat bread that is to take his refection For it is not said that this Pharisee had caused the repast to be made ready on the same Sabbath day which he had never done seeing the Pharisees found sault with the simple action of Christs Disciples who on the Sabbath day going thorow the corne fields plucked some eares of corne and did rub them in their hands to eat them Luke 6. vers 1. 6 Which is againe a most manifest argument that in those dayes the Iewes prepared not any meat on the Sabbath day and also that it was not permitted by the Law For if it had beene permitted the accusation of the Pharisees against Christs Disciples had wanted all ground and colour of reason when they said unto them Why do ye that which is not lawfull to do on the Sabbath dayes Luk. 6. vers 1. And it had not beene needfull that Christ should have alleaged to defend them that the hunger wherewith they were pinched and their present need of sustenance excused their action even as a like cause excused the action of David and of those that were with him when being an hungred they tooke and ate the Shew-bread which was not lawfull to eate but for the Priests onely as also that God will have mercy and not Sacrifice Matth. 12. vers 3 4 5. For he might have answered in one word that the action of his Disciples to prepare meat was not at all forbidden by the Law and that there was no semblance of reason to blame it whereas by his answer he supposeth that indeed it was forbidden ordinarily as well as to eat of the Shew-bread to all others but Priests and he maintaineth not his Disciples to be excusable but by their present necessity which made lawfull that which otherwise had beene unlawfull unto them For if that whereby hee defended them had beene lawfull otherwise than in case of necessity what need had hee to excuse them upon their present necessitie S. Austin in the fourth chapter of the sixth booke against the Manichees saith that the Iewes on their Sabbath gather not any kinde of fruit in the field that they mince and cooke no meat at home 7 Also S. Ignace Martyr in his Epistle to the Magnesians teaching how the Sabbath is to be observed and that by opposition to the fashions of the Iewes amongst other things saith that it ought not to be kept by eating meats prepared and kept the day before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which sheweth that the Iewes prepared not their meat on the Sabbath day but the day before which for this cause they have called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Preparation Mar. 15. 42. because on it they prepared all that was needfull for the Sabbath following As also the same name for the same reason is given to the day that went immediately before the first day of the unleavened bread of the Passeover This abstinence from making ready all kinde of meat on the Sabbath day was undoubtedly the cause that moved some Pagans to beleeve and say that the Iewes fasted on that day as we see in the one and thirtieth Booke of the History of Iustin and in the life of Augustus Caesar written by Suetonius chap. 76. 8 The inference which is made from equality or rather odsof reason that sith the Law permitted the Iews to lead their cattell to the water on the Sabbath day as is cleare by the testimony of S. Luk. 13. 15. it permitted them also to prepare their own meat is of no value For there is not a like necessity of the last as of the first A man must every day water his beast that it may be fed entertained but it is not necessary that a man prepare meat every day for himselfe for he may in the day before prepare meat enough for the day following The inference that can be lawfully and in equall tearmes made of the foresaid permission concerning a mans beast is that farre more should a man be licensed to eat and drinke on the Sabbath day if he be an hungred or a thirst and give meat and drink to another that is very hungry or dry yea to make meat ready too in an urgent and present necessity of hunger and thirst in case there were not any already prepared to be found which I would not deny but the Law did permit But it followeth not hereof that it was permitted to make an ordinary preparation of meat on the Sabbath day as on other dayes and to deferre the preparation thereof which might have beene wisely done the day before till the Sabbath day which is the point in question and which I have clearely shewed before to be expresly forbidden by the Law Exod. 16. 23. Which ordained not for the time onely of the abode of the people in the wildernesse but also for all their generations in time to come that all workes necessary for the Sabbath should be prepared before it came 9 Wherein may be considered a type and a mysterie God giving to understand thereby that during the time of this life we ought to prepare good workes to the end we may injoy the profit and utility issuing of them and eat their fruit as the Scripture speaketh in the eternall Sabbath of the life to come and not to differre from day to day till that great Sabbath come the preparing of our lampes and filling them with abundance of oyle left we knocke and cry in vaine Lord Lord open unto us Matth. 25. 1. c. Mat. 7. vers 22 23. 10 As for the prohibition to kindle fire on the Sabbath day Exod 35. vers 3. it is cleare that it speaketh not onely what the Israelites were to do in the wildernesse but also in Canaan The words are plaine Ye shall kindle no fire thorowout or in any of your habitations upon the Sabbath day which words thorowout or in any of your habitations ought to be referred rather to the land of Canaan than to the wildernesse because it was in Canaan that they were to have their habitations and seats as is implied by the word in the originall whereas in the wildernesse they sojourned onely in tabernacles And it is very unreasonable to imagine that because immediately after mention is made of the building of the Tabernacle of God this prohibition to kindle fire on the Sabbath day had respect onely unto it as if God had forbidden onely to kindle fire for preparing and fitting their tooles and imploying them on that day about that work For although the speech of the building of the Tabernacle followeth immediately after the prohibition to kindle fire yet it followeth not that there is any connexion betweene these things and that they are relative one to another Nay they seeme rather to be dis-joyned and severed in the text it selfe For after
the injunction to kindle no fire these words are added And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel c. which may very well denote a discourse depending on the former made upon another matter and perhaps also in another time 11 But although this last discourse had beene made in dependance upon the other the other relatively unto it that is though Moses had forbidden in the third verse to kindle fire for the use of the Artificers handicrafts men that were to build the Tabernacle wherof he speaketh afterward lest the Israelites should surmise that it was lawfull unto them for to doe it for the hastening and setting forward of that excellent edifice which God had appointed to be his house it should be nothing else but an application of a prohibition in it selfe generall to a particular subject whereunto it extended it selfe as unto others even as the prohibition of the second verse to doe any work on the Sabbath day under the paine of death is undoubtedly in the meaning thereof generall although Moses had in that place referred it particularly to the edifice of the Tabernacle Yea Moses of set purpose had applied the one and the other to the particular subject or the building of the Tabernacle to make better knowne and to inferre from thence the generality and extent of both 12 For if it were forbidden to worke and to kindle fire on the Sabbath day for the edifying of the Tabernacle farre more was it forbidden for all other worke sith scarce could there be any more important than that and which could so well deserve a particular licence to labour and kindle fire to doe it as which had no other regard saving the accelerating and rearing up of the house of God 13 The prohibition to cooke meat on the Sabbath whereof I have spoken before sheweth that this kindling of fire should be referred unto it to wit that it was not lawfull to kindle any to make meat ready which must be also understood of all other ends of the same nature This is confirmed by Philo the Iew who in the Booke of Abrahams Pilgrimage and in the third Booke of the life of Moses among the works which it is not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day putteth these two to dresse meat and kindle the fire 14 I adde that the fourth Commandement of the Law was to the Israelites the cause of their abstinence and cessation on the Sabbath day when they were in the wildernesse So was it in Canaan also and after the same manner as it was in the wildernesse The particular prohibitions given afterward unto them and which they received were onely explications illustrating the sense and the end of the Commandement Now sith the words of the Commandement are generall In it thou shall not doe any worke with what shew of truth can it be said that the workes to bake and cooke meat to kindle the fire and such like were not forbidden by these words but onely by particular and speciall commandements and that for the time of the abode of the Israelites in the wildernesse seeing there is no place to be found where they are excepted from this generall tearme Any worke expresly set downe in the Commandement and where licence is given to the Israelites to do them in the land of Canaan 15 If God had meant that it was lawfull to the Iewes to kindle fire dresse meat and travell on the Sabbath day questionlesse hee had made an exception particular declaration therupon as he did concerning the two Sabbaths the first and the last of the feast of the Passeover For he forbade also to doe any work on these two daies But he excepted the preparation and dressing of as much meat as every man must eat Exod. 12. vers 16. and he permitted them after they had rosted and eaten the Paschall Lambe in the evening to returne to their home the next morning Deut. 16. vers 7. Vndoubtedly the same is to bee understood of the Sabbaths of other feasts but not of the ordinary Sabbath properly so called wherein God required a rest more exact because this day was ordained to be a particular type of the spirituall and heavenly rest as we have declared before and shall touch it againe hereafter CHAPTER Fourth Confirmation and illustration of the matter set downe in the precedent Chapters 1. All kinde of workes forbidden by the Law of Moses on the Sabbath day are in themselves lawfull to Christians on the Sunday 2. First Reason Cessation from all workes on the Sabbath was a part of the Ceremoniall Law and of Gods service 3. And not a helpe and furtherance onely of the said service 4. Second Reason It was a type and figure of the heavenly rest 5. Which our Sunday is not 6. Third Reason Gods service under the New Testament consists not in observation of dayes but in actions of godlinesse and righteousnesse c. 7. This is proved by application of the Apostles words Rom. 14. vers 17. 8. And most clearely by his warning given to the Collossians Chap. 2. vers 16. 9. Abstinence of workes is necessary in the Christian Church in any day whatsoever as it is a helpe to Gods publike service 10. The publike service being ended on Sunday Christians may use lawfull recreations c. 11. It is proved by reason that they may doe the like betweene the houres of Divine Service 12. Fourth Reason There is no injunction in the new Testament concerning a cessation from such recreations and workes 13. Fifth Reason The two Disciples went to Emmaus on the same day that Christ rose and Christ meeting them gave them no instruction to the contrary 14 Sixth Reason The faithfull of Troas did worke on Sunday till night 15. Seventh Reason The first injunction not to worke c. on Sunday came from Christian Emperours 16. Constantine the first permitted many workes on Sunday 17. Which sheweth that the Christians of those dayes tooke not Sunday to be an institution of Iesus Christ. 1 THerefore seeing those against whom this Treatise is made yeeld unto us that certaine outward and servile workes are under the New Testament permitted on the Sabbath day which as I have clearely shewed were forbidden to the Iewes by the Law I conclude againe that all other workes forbidden by the Law on the Sabbath day are likewise permitted to us after the publike solemne service of God that the prohibition of the Law to doe any worke on the Sabbath day concerneth us not Surely if it pertained to us as containing a point necessary of Gods service as well under the New as under the Old Testament I see no reason why we should not be as exact in this Service under the New Testament as the Iewes were under the Law Nay wee should be farre more affectionate to doe as well or more precisely with an equall or greater care than the Iewes were all things belonging to the true service
of God commanded by him 2 But here is the point which will furnish us with a new reason why it is neither necessary nor likely that although the Iewes were bound to abstaine from all manner of worke on their Sabbath day we should be bound to a like cessation on our Sabbath seeing the time of the Old Testament was a time wherein Gods service consisted in Ceremonies Elements and Rudiments which were servile childish weake and beggarly as the Apostle saith Gal. 4. vers 3. 9. Col. 2. vers 20. The observation of a certaine day of Sabbath rather than of another and on it a cessation from all outward workes made in it selfe a part of that service and was not ordained by accident as a helpe to Gods service required onely for that end but as being of it selfe properly a point of religion and of Gods service and an essentiall duty of the Sabbath day For which cause it was so exactly injoyned with an interdiction even of the smallest and least things as to gather and prepare Manna to kindle fire to walke a few steps abroad and such like which was not lawfull for any person to doe although hee were alone and out of danger by doing them to give offense to any man Although also they might have beene done as it were in a moment of time without any diversion of the minde to think on better things as on God on godlinesse and on other holy exercises because that not to doe such workes was at that time a part of Gods service and that which belonged to Gods service could not be too exactly recommended and observed 3 For otherwise if the substance of Gods service had not at that time consisted partly in this exact cessation from all workes and if it had beene injoyned but as a helpe and furtherance of that service such little workes which were of no paines and of lesse distraction had not beene forbidden because in effect they are no let to a true spirituall Sabbath And when the Iewes were come backe to their houses from the place of their holy convocations it is evident to consider the matter according to the state we live in under the Gospell that they might easily compasse these actions and other such like without any prejudice thereby to true godlinesse and to the sanctification of their hearts But as they were bound to serve God on the Sabbath day by divers sacrifices offerings perfumings with-incense and other ceremoniall and bodily exercises for which they had need of a carnall holinesse and purity and to restraine themselves from a great deale of ceremoniall pollutions as to touch a dead man or any meat declared to be uncleane c. and as Gods service consisted in keeping themselves unspotted with such things even so an exact refraining from all outward and servile workes made a part of that Sabbaticall holinesse and purenesse whereof I have spoken If they had put their hand to any ordinary worke that worke had polluted them And all the legall workes of the Sabbath such as were the sacrifices c. had beene in some sort profaned by the common workes of other dayes if they had beene done on that day Therefore they were bound by necessity to abstaine exactly from them all 4 I adde that as I have said formerly the Sabbath was given them expresly to be unto them a type figurative of the spirituall rest whereby a man resteth from all iniquity and namely of the heavenly wherein there shall be a perfect cessation not only from all sinne but also from all bodily labours that the Saints may give themselves wholly to glorifie God And therefore that the figure might correspond the neerest that could be to the truth the signe to the thing signified and to represent to the Iewes and give them to understand that they ought to abstaine from all kinde of sinne the most precisely and exactly as possibly they could because sinnes are verily opposite to Gods service and pollute all the actions thereof and that in heaven they should injoy an intire and perfect rest a most precise cessation from all bodily workes and imployments was injoyned them And these are in my judgement the true reasons of that injunction 5 Now these reasons concerne us not under the New Testament Wee have no day of rest ordained of GOD to be unto us a type and figure of the spirituall and heavenly rest And if sometimes our Sunday which is our day of rest bee imployed to represent the heavenly rest as it is by some of the ancient Fathers it followeth not that the end of the institution thereof was to bee a figure and a type seeing it is not so much as a divine institution Wherefore the Fathers have called it so by application and allusion onely grounded upon some outward resemblance 6 No more doth Gods service under the Gospell to speake properly consist in the observation of any particular day more then of another nor in the abstinence of outward workes on it And as one of the contrary opinion speaking of the prohibition given to the Israelites to kindle the fire on the Sabbath day hath vouched and said that it was unto them a childish restriction and instruction and as for us who are Christians and who live also in countreys farre colder than was Iudea that wee have a greater liberty than they had to kindle the fire and that the said prohibition tieth us not saving in the equity thereof to teach us that we must not abuse our liberty to the intertainement of a carnall licence and hinderance of Gods service Verily there is the same reason of all other outward workes which God prohibited so exactly to the Iewes on the Sabbath day for that was also a puerile instruction we have a liberty to doe them that they had not on that day and nothing obligeth us but the equity of these prohibitions to wit that we must not doe these workes licenciously making of them a pretence to neglect Gods service Indeed we are bound to serve God under the New Testament as much yea much more than the Iewes under the Old Testament because we are farre more beholden unto him than they were But this obligation is to a more spirituall service which is such essentially consisting in the carefull practice of actions of true godlinesse holinesse and righteousnesse But we are not obliged after the same manner as they were to serve him with a rudimentall materiall and servile service to which appertained this abstinence so exactly prescribed of all workes on a certaine day and which was one of the points of the unsupportable yoke of the ceremoniall Law And as wee are made free from these actions which the Iewes were obliged to performe on the Sabbath day with twice as much as on other dayes such as were double sacrifices double meat and drink offerings c. Num. 28. 9. by which things God fashioned them to the outward and typicall sanctification of the
Sabbath it followeth that we are even so made free from the necessity of forbearing absolutely all workes because this did belong also to these weake and beggerly rudiments of the world As the Apostle saith that the kingdome of God that is the state of the Gospell is not meat and drinke Rom. 14. vers 17. So may we say that it consists neither in baking nor in not baking meat neither in kindling nor in not kindling the fire neither in carrying nor in not carrying burdens For the Gospell establisheth no holinesse in the abstinence of such actions upon one day more than upon another day and declareth no man guilty for doing them but leaveth in the one and in the other the conscience free 8 When the same Apostle saith in the Epistle to the Colossians Chapter 2. verse 16. that we ought not to be tyed by our conscience to Sabbaths no more than to meat and drinke by Sabbaths he understandeth not only certaine dayes but also a scrupulous abstinence and cessation from outward workes in those dayes which also is properly denoted by the word Sabbath and obligeth us no more than the dayes doe 9 Neither is it required of us immediately by God but as it is a helpe to further us on any day whatsoever in the practice of Gods true service as in hearing of his word when it is read or preached in receiving the Sacraments that he hath instituted in calling upon his Name in meditating on him and on his graces that so we may strengthen our selves in godlinesse And on the contrary in case the busying of our selves about such workes should be unto us a let and disturbance in these our heavenly exercises So that the obligation whereby we are bound under the Gospell to these essentiall points of Gods service and the time wherein they are exercised being excepted all honest workes remaine equally lawfull on all the dayes of the weeke to apply our selves unto them without scruple and trouble of conscience Neither is it a sinne to doe all corporall workes that are lawfull in one day yea on Sunday as well as on another day 10 And as on other dayes of the weeke it is not ill done yea it is rather well done to bestow a part of them to preach and heare the word of God to minister and receive the Sacraments to pray and to sing Psalmes not only privately but also publikely in the eyes of the world according to the order of the Church and as occasions shall be offered also on Sunday to my opinion it is not a sinne to a true Christian after service done to God in his Temple to give himselfe to some honest exercises and wel ruled recreations of this present life Neither can I see any greater inconvenience or that a Christian is more guilty if after he hath heard the Word of God prayed and called upon his Name and practised the other duties of Gods publike service in the holy congregation of his people so if it be according to the order received in the Church whereof he is a member he goe to plough and husband the ground or to doe any other exercise of his lawfull trade then if he kindle the fire or cooke meat for his refection 11 And considering that the spirit of man can hardly be continually bent the space of a whole day to any serious and important action such as are namely the holy actions of Gods service without some intervall of relaxation if betweene the houres that are imparted to this service publikely or privately on the Sabbath day he imploy some other houres to doe the actions of his temporall calling or other workes of the same nature by way of diversion and refreshment I cannot conceive that God should be displeased therewith because Gods service and godlinesse are not hindred nor indammaged thereby For I aske after a man hath heard Gods service read the Word of God called upon his holy Name or ended devoutely any other religious action during a pretty space of time and the vigor of his spirit slacken so that he is not able to persevere in his attention and devotion any longer he diverts himselfe and sitteth quiet for a while without doing any thing to take his breath as it were and returne to his devotion afresh with greater force doth hee sinne by this cessation I thinke not Now if hee sinneth not when hee sitteth idle and doth nothing why shall it bee said that hee sinneth if hee doe some bodily worke seeking thereby some diversion and refreshment rather than by a meere cessation from all kinde of action To doe nothing at all shall it bee more acceptable to GOD then to doe a worke that is honest and lawfull in it selfe This shall it profane the day of holy exercises rather than that I see no apparent reason in such an opinion which moveth me to esteeme that the liberty to doe the foresaid workes on the Sabbath day was intirely taken from the Iewes for some ceremoniall reasons and that it was upon them a servile yoake in the ancient time of servitude as hath beene declared before 12 This is a most inforcing consideration upon this purpose that in the whole Scripture of the New Testament there is no injunction at all concerning such an abstinence and refraining from all outward workes as is urged and layd upon Christians on their Sunday conformably to the cessation that was imposed upon the Iewes on their Sabbath day Verily if Christ had required it under the New Testament as a thing necessary to his service and if his intention had beene to binde us unto it undoubtedly he had given or commanded his Apostles to give an expresse injunction concerning it which because he hath not done I inferre that he had no such intention 13 Nay on the contrary the liberty to worke on Sunday is rather authorized by the example and practise of Christ and of the first faithfull For in Saint Luke Chapter 24. we see that on the same day that Christ rose in which was the first and most illustrious Sunday of all he met with two of his Disciples going from Hierusalem to Emmaus and that questionlesse for the ordinary affaires of this present life seeing it was not an holy day among the Iewes Which voyage was of three leagues or thereabout He went with them he spake unto them of the mysteries of salvation as he would have done in any other day if he had lighted upon them according to his ordinary custome of every day during his conversation here below in the flesh and as all Pastors are bound to do at all occasions that God offers unto them But he advised them not that in time to come they should observe that day as a Sabbath day and abstaine from voyaging or doing on it any other toylesome and painefull worke And indeed after he had left them at Emmaus they returned thence the same day to Hierusalem as the Lord did also going other three
leagues Now if it had beene the intention of Iesus Christ to ordaine the first day of the week for a Sabbath day and to injoyn to all Christians a leaving and discontinuance of all ordinary worke on that day it is likely that he would not have forgotten to warne his two Disciples thereof on that first day and thetwo Maries to whom he shewed himselfe earely in the morning of that same day and by the other Disciples to whom he sent them had made them practise the observation of that day and he had shewed them the example of that observation in his owne person which he did not then Neither doe we find that he did it at any other occasion 14 In the twentieth of the Acts we perceive although uncertainely as I have shewed before some observation of the first day of the weeke by the faithfull of Troas They met not together till about the evening of that day For mention is made of an upper Chamber of many lights of Saint Pauls long preaching untill midnight and thereafter till breake of day Apparently they made choice of the night time and of an upper chamber for feare of the Infidels even as the Apostles on the first day of the weeke that CHRIST rose in were assembled at evening and held the doores shut for feare of the Iewes Iohn twenty verse 19. Now who doubteth but all that day from the Sunne rising till the evening that they came together to breake bread they were busied as in the other dayes of the weeke about the ordinary exercises of their trades handicrafts and callings as having liberty to worke on that day like as on all other dayes besides the care they had to shunne all giving of discontent to the Infidels amongst whom they lived and the drawing by an unnecessary cessation a most certaine persecution upon themselves There is no question to be made but that all Christians in the places of their residence among Iewes or Gentiles did the like 15 This is also a reason considerable in this question that albeit among the Lawes of Christian Emperours there be sundry which forbid the ordinary occupations of trades and handicrafts on Sunday as to keepe a Court of pleading and to goe to Law to open the shops for buying and selling to act stage playes in play houses and publike places to hold Markets and faires c. which Lawes were made to prevent in time to come the contempt of the exercises of Religion used on that day and to establish an order in the state and in the Church which they most judiciously and religiously thought to be more recommendable decent and well suting to the holy actions whereunto it was appointed yet all these Lawes shew that before they were published Christians were wont saving the houres of the publike exercises of Religion to apply themselves on that day to all the ordinary workes of this present life Yea there be many other Lawes of other Emperours and amongst others of Constantine that great and holy Emperour which permit on Sunday some of these ordinary imployments as to labourers to sow the ground to weed to reape to plant and set Vineyards if need bee to Bakers to bake bread to Masters to give liberty to their slaves to Iudges to put to death malefactors which undoubtedly these Christian Emperours had never permitted by their Lawes if it had beene in their time a received opinion in the Church that the observation of Sunday and cessation from all workes in it was necessary by vertue of a Commandement of our Lord Iesus Christ. 17 But knowing certainely that no dayes are instituted of God under the New Testament that Sunday was not kept by a commandement from heaven but by the use and custome of the Church That a discontinuance and intermission so exact of all workes pertained to the Ecclesiasticall policie and regiment of the Iewes and is no where and in no wise commanded in the Gospell they made no bones to permit diverse occupations which might seeme to have some pretext of necessity yet were not of such importance but that they might have beene done before Sunday or put off till the next day following it CHAPTER Fifth Declaration of diverse absurdities and difficulties insuing upon the contrary opinion 1. The opinion is that Christians are bound to refraine from all workes during the 24. houres of Sunday 2. First absurdity this opinion bringeth backe the servitude of the Iewish ceremonies 3. Second absurdity No man can tell where must be the beginning of the said 24. houres 4. Diverse disputations thereupon amongst the authors of this opinion 5. Third absurdity it troubleth the conscience leaving it without information concerning the imployment of that time and the doing of unnecessary workes therein 6. As also about the doing of charitable and necessarie workes 7. Fourth absurdity Confusion of the Doctors in the explication of this opinion 8. First they consent not in the explication of Christian abstinence from bodily workes on Sunday 9. Secondly they distinguish workes of necessity into those that are of present and those that are of imminent necessity and permit the first onely whereby they trouble tender consciences 10. They contradict their distinction by suffering some handicrafts men to worke on Sunday 11. As also by the permission of many actions which have no present necessity 12. Likewise by forbidding some workes in an apparent danger as to gather corne c. 13. Great absurdity and inconvenience of this prohibition 14. The Commandement Exod. 34. v. 21. to rest on the Sabbath day in earing time c. serveth not their turne 15. They hold that it is not lawfull for a man to receive any reward for his necessary labour done on Sunday 16. Great inconveniences and absurdities of this opinion 17. Answer to their objection about servile workes forbidden in the fourth Commandement 18. They hold also that servants ought not to serve their masters on Sunday 19. This doctrine crosseth their other decisions 20. They intangle themselves in the distinction of bankets 21. Absurdity of theâ—r rigid prohibition of all kind of recreation to all men on the Sabbath day 22. How farre Christians are bound to abstaine from worke on that day 23. How working is not or may be an hindrance of our sanctification 24. We ought to leave our workes on Sundayes during the time of service 25. Saving in some important necessity 26. Objections taken from the care of worldlings c. 27. Answer concerning the care of worldlings 28. How we ought to make the Sabbath our delight 29. Our Sunday is improperly called the Sabbath day THose against whom we dispute doe hold that our Sunday called also by them the Sabbath day which is the name given in the Scriptures to the day that the Iewes hallowed weekly obligeth us to keepe it during the whole space of foure and twenty houres by a religious abstinence from all manner of workes during all that time conformably to the
observation of foure and twenty houres practised by the Iewes on their Sabbath day 2 This opinion is absurd and bringeth backe under the New Testament a ceremonie which is meerely servile and Iewish For times and places were in themselves to the Iewes a part of the legall and ceremoniall service as hath beene shewed before And therefore they were precisely named and stinted unto them When God appointed unto them Sabbath dayes hee would that they should rest as long as the day lasted that is foure and twenty houres even as when hee granted unto them dayes of worke hee permitted them to worke night and day which may bee gathered out of Leviticus Chap. 23. vers 32. where God said unto them From Even unto Even shall ye celebrate your Sabbath In Hebrew ye shall rest your Sabbath To rest all that time was unto them a part of the observation and hallowing of that day But under the New Testament the times appointed in the Church make no part of Gods service and are not observed but relatively to the publike exercises of Religion and of godlinesse which are established to be practised in them And therefore that practise being ended they oblige not necessarily 3 And indeed if Christians were bound for conscience sake to observe exactly full foure and twenty houres by abstinence from all works they should be in a marvellous great trouble vexation of minde For ere ought else be done they must know certainely where they shall begin the sanctification of the foure and twenty houres of that day if it must be from Even unto the next Even beginning the day at the setting of the Sunne as under the Law or from the morning unto the next morning beginning the day at the rising of the Sunne For if they be not clearely informed of that they may sinne by working during a part of the time which makes a part of Sunday 4 The Authors and Fautors of the foresaid opinion cannot give a certaine resolution of this Point For they are at variance among themselves about it Some deeme that we must begin our Sunday by the evening and continue it unto the next evening like to the fashion of the Iewes who rekoned so the houres of their Sabbath And so is this time stinted by the Authour of the 251. Sermon de Tempore in S. Augustines workes Others will have it to begin by the morning at the same time that our Lord Iesus Christ rose from the dead and to end at the next morning and there are some which hold that the Iewes ordered so their Sabbaths We finde others who beleeve that God obliged not his people on the Sabbath day to a cessation from all workes saving from the rising till the going down of the Sun The one and the other have arguments for their opinions but which want a sufficient perspicuitie to give a full satisfaction and resolution to a Christian about the time when he must begin to forbeare all bodily and servile workes least he should profane the Sabbath day by doing them in a part thereof 5 And so he shall be perpetually troubled in his minde with that difficultie and farre more with the exact abstinence which is required of him An unnecessary walke a bodily action about something concerning this present life which he hath done by occasion will disquiet him If he hath put his hand how little soever to the doing of any temporall and earthly thing without urgent necessity if he have given but one stitch with a needle hath fastened a button to a garment if he hath swung a broome about his chamber wiped a vessell dusted his apparell or done any other thing which he might have done the day before or put off till the next day he shall stagger and make a question whether he hath broken the Sabbath or not 6 Yea although the defenders of this opinion avouch that it is lawfull to eat drinke sleepe on the Sabbath day because these are workes of charity and are necessary to every man for his subsistence yet seeing the sanctification of the Sabbath consists not in such actions and they are not permitted but in case of present necessity I know not if according to their maximes a person that can well enough and without incommoditie be without meat drinke sleepe all that day or at least can well enough away with lesse meat drinke and sleepe must not be grieved and pestered in his spirit and feare lest he hath profaned and broken the Sabbath in bestowing too much time to eat drinke and sleepe and giving to his refection and sleepe a portion of time which he might have set a part for religious actions As if he hath beene halfe an houre at table whereas a quarter of an houre might have beene sufficient If he hath slept six or seven houres when a nap of three or foure houres might have served his turne In summe no bodily thing can bee done which shall not afford an hundred difficulties and matter of great doubtes and scruples of conscience Experience sheweth often in many which are made to beleeve that it is not lawfull to doe any worke on the Sabbath day according to the precise tearmes of the fourth Commandement pitifull carkes strange scruples and troubles of conscience a superstitious precisenesse tending to the detriment not onely of the quietnesse and peace of God that should be in their soules but also of the families whereof they are members and of the Common-wealth wherein they live 7 Nay the Doctors that are the broachers and teachers of this opinion intangle themselves and their followers in the explication of the workes that are permitted or forbidden on the Sabbath day They prescribe so many limitations upon divers actions of temporall callings that may bee done so but not so after this manner not after that manner in that respect not in this respect that to pause on their minced distinctions is to runne into a labyrinth of most intricate difficulties and inextricable vexations of spirit Verily I beleeve that the observation of the Iewish Sabbath day was not so onerous and full of difficulties as is the observation of Sunday wherewith many of these Doctors seeke to master and bring under the consciences of Christians 8 To verifie that I have said by some instances First the foresaid Doctors agree not among themselves about the obligation of Christians to abstaine from all bodily and worldly workes whether it be as exact and precise under the New Testament as it was ordinarily to the Iewes under the Old Testament whether we be in the same servitude that they were in or if they in that respect injoyed the same liberty that we possesse under the Gospell For there be some among them that deny it and doe say that the rigorous observation of the Sabbath prescribed of old to the Iewes is abrogated and the prohibitions to kindle the fire to make meat ready and other such like which they acknowledge to have beene perpetuall
during the whole time of the Old Testament and comprised in the generall prohibition of the fourth Commandement not to doe any worke did belong to the pedagogie and bondage of the Law Others advance so farre that they apply them to us also saying that we are obliged to that precise abstinence as well as they that there is no worke of so great consequence for our temporall estate that we may lawfully doe it and that it is more expedient that our temporall estate be indammaged than the Sabbath violated Likewise that there is no worke so slight and of so little and so short occupation about the affaires of this world which is not prohibited to all Christians As for example they hold that a workman hath not the liberty to array his loomes and tooles and set them in some order on Sunday at night that he may set them on worke the next morning Others againe affirme that we are obliged to a rest as precise as the Iewes were ordinarily and there is no reason why we should not be as precise and circumspect in this respect as they were But that the particular prohibitions to kindle fire to bake and make meat ready were extraordinarie and for a short while to wit during the time of the pilgrimage of the Israelites in the wildernesse and not perpetuall for the whole time of the Old Testament nor comprised in the prohibition of the fourth Commandement Behold a variety of opinions capable to pester a man with great perplexities 9 Secondly when they speake of workes of necessity which they acknowledge and teach to be permitted on the Sabbath day they distinguish necessity into present necessitie and into imminent necessitie and say that the workes of present necessitie are onely permitted as to quench the fire when a house is burning for then God giveth us commission and establisheth us as his ministers to bring the best remedy we can to a present evill But as for the other necessitie which is not present and whose event is in Gods hand we must leave unto him the care to prevent it with such remedies as his wisedome shall thinke expedient and not trouble our selves with it This also is a distinction able to intangle and disquiet a tender conscience For how shall a Christian settle his minde upon this distinction of present and imminent necessities Some will take for present necessitie that which is imminent onely others will esteeme that to be imminent onely which indeed is present For example when a house beginneth to be set on fire but in such a sort that there is no assured evidence that it shall continue and endammage the house but perhaps shall perhaps not and shall quickly die of it selfe he that seeth the fire begin to burne shall not know how to take this necessity whether he ought to beleeve that undoubtedly his house shall be presently consumed if he take not order suddenly to extinguish the fire and upon this runne worke doe what he can as in a present necessitie Or if he ought to presume that the fire will cease of it selfe which may happen and therefore leave that to Gods providence as an imminent necessity Likewise if a man begin to perceive a beame a cheuron or some other thing in his house cleft and feare lest it breake and breaking fall and falling bring a notable dammage to the house and to all that are in it what shall hee doe The necessity is not evidently present For it be may that the beame shall subsist yet a pritty while and no harme ensue thereupon it may be also that it burst fall the same day and the house be overthrowne and those that are in it hurt or killed In this perplexity the poore man shall not know whether he shall call the Carpenters and doe with all speed his best indeavours to prevent this uncertaine mischiefe or leave the redresse thereof to Gods providence For if the necessity be onely imminent as it seemeth to be according to the foresaid distinction he must forbeare to doe any thing unto it lest he breake the Sabbath As also in time of warre how shall we get a firme and assured resolution if we may lawfully worke and prepare all things necessary for our defence on the Sabbath day For it may be there is no certitude that we shall be assaulted by the enemie that there is nothing but some suspicion of his approaches that the danger is onely apparant and not imminent Yea although wee should see the enemy hard by and in a manifest resolution to set on may not God by his All-wise and All-mighty providence forme and oppose unto him a thousand obstacles dissipate all his counsels disappoint all his enterprises and attempts although we have no hand in it Must we in this case be carelesse stand still and looke on There is a great number of such examples yea wee shall finde few necessities that are undoudtedly present and which may not be considered as imminent onely For if in a danger which is onely apparant and imminent we ought to relie on Gods providence for the preventing and hindering thereof as he shall thinke most expedient and not set our hands to worke to helpe our selves on the Sabbath day In a present evill which is onely begun and is in the beginning of no great moment may wee not thinke and say that wee must commit to God the care to stay the progression thereof and not undertake to stay it our selves by our paines endeavours because that should bee injurious to his providence as if he could not or would not helpe us in case he thinke fit so to doe 10 Againe how doth that consent with their deportments towards some Artisans whose trades and handicrafts are as they say of such a nature and quality that they require some travell and oversight every day Doe they not give them licence for such imployments on the Sabbath day with this proviso that they doe them early in the morning or at night very late after all publike exercises are finished For they give not this permission but in regard of some dammage that these workmen may receive if they work not at all on Sunday And yet that dammage is not present is not to be feared but in the time to come and withall is not infallible unrepairable and remedilesse Doe they not say elsewhere that no man ought to object the losse of some temporall gaine and make it a pretence to worke on the Sabbath day seeing such a losse is not to be parallelled with the losse of the glory of God which is violated by the breaking of the Sabbath Now what can all these Trades-men alleage but the losse of some temporall profit Wherefore then make they an unequall distinction and permit some travell to them rather than to others 11 Moreover how agreeth the foresaid distinction of present and imminent necessitie with their doctrine concerning the nourishment the application of remedies and other actions
of charitie and of necessarie compassion towards men and beasts which they avouch may be done on the Sabbath day And yet in these things there is not alwayes present necessity For although a man take no sustenance for himselfe should not give any to other should not give physicke or apply some other remedy to a sicke man it may bee the body should not bee enfeebled nor receive any detriment thereby and in case it did it might bee easily repaired by taking food and physicke the next day I would faine know why in this case rather than in others a necessity or a danger apparant onely and not present shall it licence any man to worke They acknowledge that on the Sabbath day is permitted not onely that which is absolutely necessary for the entertainment of the creature but also whatsoever is usefull for a convenient and comfortable mainetenance thereof as to prepare give take meat apply a medicine to our selves or to another although there be not in it any present necessity If this doctrine be true it is not a present necessitie that licenseth a man to worke but also an imminent evill the event and issue whereof is onely apparant in case it be not prevented in time Will they say that more is permitted in things that concerne immediately a mans person as nourishment and medicaments than in things that are more remote But there is to be found a great deale of imminent necessities in these things that come not so nigh to mans person which if they be anticipated by a prompt remedie it shall be as much yea more convenient and bring greater comfort to a man than if he should eat and drinke in his present hunger and take physicke without delay when he is sicke And the danger of delay in these present necessities should not be so great as in those others that are onely imminent 12 I will alleage to this purpose an example of a thing which the precise Defenders of a cessation from all workes on the Sabbath day stand much upon That is to gather corne to lay it up or to doe some other worke for the preservation thereof on the Sabbath day in an imminent necessitie I meane in an apparant danger that if this be not done the corne shal be endammaged shall rot and become unprofitable Loe the day is faire dry and commodious the corne may be saved if it be gathered and laid up on this day and a great losse to the owner prevented This they will not suffer to bee done Nay when the corne is already cut they cannot abide that it bee transported from the floore to the barne saying that the care thereof must bee wholly committed to Gods providence who will keepe it if hee thinke it expedient and that we must rather chuse to let the corne rot and perish upon the ground than to breake and profane the Sabbath day But I pray in what fashion will they adjust this and match it fitly with their other positions that the workes of necessitie are permitted on the Sabbath day which according to their owne interpretation are such that if they be not done man shall be endammaged Also that it is lawfull to doe all things requisite not only for the entertainment that is absolutely necessary but also that is agreeable and comfortable to the creature so that time may be taken before betweene or after the publike exercises Now is not this a thing of great comfort to a poore Christian that his corne perish not as in all likelihood it shall if he take not order at that same instant for the preservation thereof If it be said that this dammage is not infallible I reply that they should have much adoe as I have before to explicate what infallibility and certitude they require and that hardly shall they finde any danger which may be called infallible and for the preventing whereof they may put their hands to work on the Sabbath day For Gods providence may anticipate evils before they come or arrest them in their beginning or repaire all their dammages if he suffer them to come 13 I aske shall it not be lawfull to a man in his pinching hunger or of his familie to gather on the Sabbath day of his owne wheat to carry it home and to prepare of it as much as they shall need he having no other meanes but that alone to nourish himselfe and them in this extremity Vndoubtedly all Christians will confesse that he may yea that although to speake absolutely they might want it for a day yet the onely conveniencie to take meat when they are hungry will permit them doe it Now if it be lawfull to gather corne to carry it home or to doe some other worke to satisfie an hungry and barking stomacke although this present evill be not such that it should for a dayes fasting cause a great detriment without a present remedie why shall it not bee lawfull to seeke by the same meanes a present remedie for the hunger to come the danger whereof is apparent and farre greater if it be not remedied out of hand than of present hunger For if the corne of man wherewith he and his family were to be fed many moneths together rot and perish he shall have leisure enough to be hunger-starved farre longer and with greater dammage than if he suffered hunger one day Will they say that he must leave that to Gods providence and trust that he will keepe his corne or shall recompense the losse thereof and supply his wants with competent food by some other meanes But why ought he not much more to abstaine from seeking remedies to his present hunger wherewith he is pinched on that day relying upon Gods providence trusting assuredly that he will preserve him from being dammaged by that hunger or in case he receive any dammage will repaire it namely considering he seeth the danger to be lesser as being but of one day which is soone pasâ— and the remedie more prompt and easie then in the other 14 The passage of the 32. Chapter of Exodus vers 21. whereof they make a buckler where God commandeth the people of Israel to rest in the seventh day both in earing time and in the harvest doth not prove that they pretend For first we may understand that he forbiddeth onely in earing time and in the harvest to take liberty to worke on the Sabbath day as they were wont on all other daies of the week but extends not the prohibition to the extraordinarie necessity of an imminent danger as if he forbade in such a case to transport the corne from the field onely to the floore or from the floore to the barne whereof he speaketh not which notwithstanding is the case or matter that is broached for a divine truth For if other prohibitions of the Law concerning other kindes of labour are as precise or more in the tearmes that they are set down in as this is receive by urgent necessities some
modifications wherefore not this also Secondly if the foresaid prohibition had sway in the necessity that hath been supposed I returne the answer that is made by some of them against whom I dispute upon the prohibitions to kindle fire to cooke meat on the Sabbath day c. that they pertained to the bondage of the Law which is most true 15 Furthermore when they speake of bodily and worldly workes which some necessity permitteth yea obligeth us to doe on the Sabbath day they say that they must be done through meere charity and compassion for the preservation of the creatures which have need of our helpe and not as workes of our callings whereby we win our living for this cause that we must doe them without any respect to any gaine and profit that may come to us thereby and which we cannot lawfully receive being bound to doe all things on that day freely and of meere good will For example if a Chirurgion or Apothecarie give remedies to their patients on that day that they must not gaine the value of a farthing and if they take any money it must be onely for the just and true price of the remedies and not for the imployment of their industrie and painefull labour about the patient Likewise that he who waters his beast or giveth it physicke should have onely before his eyes the health and reliefe thereof and in no wise the utility and service that hee hath received and may receive hereafter of it which is the end wherefore he feedeth anâ— entertaineth it in other times 16 This indeed is a distinction and limitation very subtill and is besides inveloped with many difficulties It is true that when a man is bound to these and such like workes on the Sabbath day he ought to doe them through Christian love and compassion and so ought he to doe all his workes towards his neighbours in all the dayes of the weeke But that he ought to doe them without any regard to his owne profit and commoditie that goeth beyond the reach of my apprehension and understanding For if he may doe them in charity and compassion towards persons that are not so neere unto him or towards beasts why may hee not doe them through charity love to himselfe and to his family May he not be in such a condition and estate that he hath not sufficiently wherewith to entertaine himselfe and his family The beast which hee feedeth is perhaps the onely meanes whereby he gets his living Therefore when God offers unto him the occasion yea layeth upon him the necessity to doe some worke why may he not when he intendeth and hath before his eyes the reliefe of his neighbour or of his beast thinke on his owne profit which depends on that worke and proceedeth from it and judge that God by the occasion of this worke which he hath put in his hands affords unto him the meanes to gaine something for himselfe and for the maintenance of his wife children and servants It may be that he worketh for rich folkes which will not take his paines for nought should thinke they receive a great injurie and affront if he offered to give them freely and hold him to bee a foole What shall hee doe in this case They are constrained to answer that in such a case he may take the fees of his labour but with this addition that receiving them with one hand he must with the other give them to the poore to testifie that what he hath done he hath done it onely for the Lord. But what if he be poore himselfe having no more than is needfull or not so much as is behoofefull for him and his familie What if the hire which he hath received bee notable and more worth then he shall be able to win in many dayes following as if a Physician or a Leech that is poore received on the Sabbath day of a rich patient a liberall and ample salarie of his industrie and paines must he give it all to the poore In these places where we live and where we are constrained to goe a great way out of the townes of our abode to the places appointed for the publike exercises of our Religion there be coachmen that carry many persons by land in their coaches which they let out for a certaine hire And boat-men which doe the like by water in their boats This is so necessary that without these helpes these persons cannot goe to heare Service and to call upon God in the Congregation of the faithfull These coachmen and boatmen are they bound by Christian charity to carry them for nought to give them freely the usage of their coaches boats and labour and to refuse all gaine although it countervaileth all the profit they can make of their labour in the whole weeke and the whole yeere affordeth not unto them so notable so certaine and so present wages Or must they be content to take no more then will suffice for the reparation of the dammages of their coaches and boats which would be a thing of little consideration Now if it be lawfull to receive money on the Sabbath day for recompence of a thing which I have furnished to another and of the dammage that I have received by the furnishing of it why may I not also receive a reward of my paines There are Trades whose gaine consists in things which they give and others whose gaine dependeth simply on their travell and paines their paines and industrie being the whole matter whereupon their gaine is formed and answerable to the things furnished by others They will perhaps answer that he who furnisheth something hath bought it first and it is reasonable that he be rewarded But what if he hath not bought it If a Chirurgion or Apothecarie for example hath drugs that were given him or simples and physicall herbs which he hath gathered in his garden on the mountaines or in the fields and he hath bestowed onely his paines to gather and prepare them and to make of them by his industrie divers compositions and medicaments for the use of his patients must hee give on the Sabbath day these drugs and medicaments for nought He must if all Christians be obliged to give their travell and paines freely and bestow their labour upon their neighbours through meere and simple charity But I demand Why may not he rather that hath imployed his labour upon another receive of him that which he giveth taking it not as a reward but as a benevolence For the giver to relieve him of all scruple of conscience may say truly that he giveth it in that quality And indeed if a man may give his money freely to one who hath not done or wrought any thing for him and if this man may receive it without sinne I see no reason why he may not yea ought not to give money to one that hath bestowed his travell on him or for his benefit and why this man may not take it
Moreover what if after a man hath wrought upon the Sabbath day and other dayes successively and he for whom he hath wrought procrastinate his pay till all be done and then satisfie him for all those dayes workes together as commonly Chirurgions Apothecaries Physicians are never otherwise paid that is never till the disease of their patient is come to an end either by health or death shall he in such a case separate the labour of the Sabbath day from the labour of other dayes and if in the hire or reward that is given him the salarie of the seventh dayes worke be comprised must he defaulk the Sabbath dayes worke and refuse to take any thing for it I would be glad to know on what ground all these distinctions are founded 17 They alleage that God in his Ordinances concerning the Sabbath hath forbidden us to doe in it our workes and servile workes and that all workes which we doe for our profit and utility are our workes and servile workes even as servants worke for their hire which they say to be signified by the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imployed in the fourth Commandement and translated by this generall word to doe as likewise by this Noune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which wee translate worke although it signifie not all kinde of worke but that onely which is done for gaine and worldly profit By which words God hath intimated that he forbiddeth to doe any thing whatsoever for that end But this is too much subtilizing about words which signifie generally all travell worke function about any thing and done to any end whatsoever Is not Gods worke betokened by this name Melacah Genes 2. vers 2 3. Is not the offering of sacrifices called by this Verbe Habad Esa. 19. vers 21. and the function of the Levites about holy things 2 Chron. 13. vers 10. Besides this I say that indeed God prohibited on the Sabbath day all worke for gaine but even as he forbade all other bodily worke which was not done for gaine to wit to make an ordinary course and custome of it as in other dayes and when there was no necessitie But as in case of necessity he permitted the labour that brought no gaine even so hee prohibited not the worke that might bring gaine to the worker nor the gaine that might come of the worke 18 Thirdly when they speake of servants and others that are under authority they say that their servitude and subjection is not a sufficient warrant unto them to worke on the Sabbath day by the authority of their superiours to whom when they receive any such commandement they ought to answer that they are first the servants of Almighty God who is the King of Kings LORD of Lords maker of heaven and earth whom they ought to obey rather than men and suffer to be railed upon and buffeted rather than to doe any worke on that day 19 But how doth this consent with their decisions concerning messengers and posts For they say that being dispatched and sent away quickly by the Magistrates they may runne and make hast on the Sabbath day without inquirie of the necessity of that laborious voyage which they are put unto because simple subjects ought not to make inquirie of the affaires of their Princes and Lords which often it is not expedient that they should know For why may not by the same reason a domesticall servant doe some worke to obey his Master without searching curiously upon what necessity his Master layeth this worke upon him For the Master may have good reasons and great importance to his family of this command which it is not expedient his servant should be privie unto nor that hee should bee inquisitive and curious to know them afore hee obey For this should draw with it a most dangerous consequence Againe this permission that they give to posts to ride hard and make hast for the affaires of the Countrey how doth it agree with the difference that they have made betweene present and imminent necessity permitting no worke for this but for that onely For the necessities for which posts are hastened and they post so speedily are seldome present and are often but imminent having regard only to something that may happen in time to come 20 Fourthly when they give their advise concerning bankets they distinguish betweene solemne bankets and those that are bankets of friendship and more moderate And forbidding the first they permit the last But they ought to have determined first which bankets are to be called solemne which not how many courses of meat must be prepared how many persons and of what quality must be invited to make a solemne banket Also a man shall be vexed in his minde not knowing if to invite so many persons and to make ready so much meat and so many services will make his banquet solemne or not Besides that in regard of some persons of great riches and quality such as are Kings Princes Lords c. it is not a solemne feast which in respect of some other persons of lesser meanes authoritie and dignitie may carry that name Now if these persons of great note and quality are suffered to make such banquets which in regard of their degree and meanes are not solemne yea are nothing but their ordinarie diet why may not other persons of inferiour condition and meanes make them also although to them they be solemne For there is not greater distraction from Gods service to the persons whom the one put on work for the preparing of their feast which to them is solemne than to those whom the other set about the dressing of their feast which to them is ordinarie and not solemne If a great man may have a great number of servants busied about the dressing of his ordinary refection and if his table be every day well furnished by reason of the eminencie of the noble stocke that he is come of and of his dignity and withall not breake the Sabbath why may not a man of a meaner condition have extraordinarily as many people for a solemne banquet which he hath occasion to make on the Sabbath day And seeing a solemne banquet may be made by a great number of servants in as short time as a banquet that is not solemne may be prepared by a lesser number I see no cause why a man shall commit a greater sinne if hee set on worke twenty servants to dresse a solemne banquet than if he set foure or five onely about the dressing of one that is not solemne For twenty shall not toyle and have more adoe they shall make as speedy an end of their businesse and so shall not be more distraught and withdrawne from Gods service than foure or five and may equally before or after their worke get leisure to apply themselves unto it And as for the persons invited thirty persons in a solemne feast may have done as soone and be as little diverted from
the exercises of the Sabbath as six or seven in a feast that is not solemne A thing that many together cannot doe lawfully cannot be lawfull to a few or if it be lawfull to few it is also to many But I wonder how those which have made this distinction of banquets can have the heart to make use of it seeing they teach otherwhere that it is not lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day but things of present necessity and not those that are simply of imminent necessity or at the most they suffer onely those that are requisite for a comfortable entertainement of the person as to prepare meat for his refection For banquets howsoever named and qualified are not requisite for that day for the entertainement either necessarie or comfortable of men they may be put off till some other day without harme or displeasure to any man by this delay and cannot easily be kept without much hurrying up and downe and divers discourses which are not sutable to such a day which they will have to be so precisely and exactly observed I wonder farre more why they are not scrupulous to suffer weddings on that day For seeing they will have all mens thoughts words and actions to be spirituall and holy all that day and suffer not any that are naturall and worldly otherwise than in a present and urgent necessity seeing also there is no necessitie to marry on Sunday that this may be done as well on any other day and that the thoughts words and actions of weddings can hardly have the qualities which they require would it not be more sutable to their maximes to forbid them absolutely on that day 21 Fifthly as for playes games pastimes recreations which are honest and lawfull they forbid them altogether and absolutely on the Sabbath to all men without exception of those that are sick saying that to those which are dangerously sicke it is fit time to pray and not to play and spend time on gaming And as for those that are not dangerously sicke they need not these pastimes and may apply themselves to heare reade conferre of things of instruction and consolation and seeke in these holy exercises their recreation Wherein they speak as if the one and the other might not be done successively and a sicke man or any other person after an honest and short pastime were not capable to seeke this spirituall recreation although they be not incompatible and that God improveth not the succession of the one to the other on our Sabbath day I adde that by this prohibition they overthrow their former position that it is lawfull to doe on the Sabbath day things not onely absolutely necessary for the entertainement of the creature but also comfortable and agreeable unto it Now some honest play or pastime taken by a man and namely by a sicke man may be very usefull for his comfort and recreation and often much more than if the best meats and drinkes and most comfortative cordials were given him if he stand not absolutely in present need of them Nay they may make him farre better disposed afterwards for Gods service than the best restoratives of the best furnished Apothecaries If then it be lawfull unto him and to others also to bestirre themselves to prepare for him and make him take these things why may he not likewise take some pastime which are farre more necessary unto him And although he hath no need of them by absolute necessity may they not be needfull unto him for his commodity and comfort as well as food and medicaments If it be said that he may deferre his pastime till another day I answer that so he may prolong without any perill the preparing of meat or of medicaments 22 But not to say longer upon the rehearsall of the intricate difficulties which occurre in their explications of workes that are permitted on the Sabbath day and of the conditions and tearmes whereupon they are permitted I say that there is no kinde of workes but they may be done as lawfully on that day as on any other and that as in the fourth Commandement the Ordinance to keepe the Sabbath day obligeth Christians in this onely that because God must bee served publikely in the Congregations of his people by the exercises of religion which he hath ordained it is necessary that some time be appointed for that use but not that it ought to bee one day rather than another by vertue of that command or that the day appointed ought to be kept during foure and twenty houres which God hath not in any case prescribed to his people of the New Testament as he did to his people of the Old Testament But being pleased to injoyne unto them the exercises of religion wherewith he will be served he hath left to their libertie the determination of some dayes and of the continuance of the time wherein they are to be practised I say likewise that the commandement to doe no worke on the day consecrated to Gods service obligeth in this regard onely and no more to wit that as much as the publike exercises of this service when they are practised in the Church doe require wee must forbeare all ordinary imployments and workes that with tranquillity of minde and stillnesse of body we may bend all our forces to these exercises resort unto the holy assemblies and glorifie the Lord our God there in the company of the faithfull 23 I grant willingly that all travell about corporall and terrestriall workes is forbidden in as much as it is an impediment and hinderance to the service of God And therefore an honest and religious man must observe publikely all the time of holy exercises observed in the Church on the Holy-dayes appointed for that end whereof he hath for rule the Order of the Church This time excepted the remnant of the day is his to dispose of it discreetly and conscientiously and to doe on it all manner of worke which is lawfull on other dayes according to the Order of the Church wherein he lives 24 And sith Sunday hath beene appointed by the Order of the Church for the prime day wherein these exercises are ordinarily to be practised all are bound in regard of them to cease from all other workes during the whole time that they are practised in the Church publikely without purposing to doe or give willingly any worldly businesse to be done on that day capable to make the least diversion from so holy and necessarie a duty and to dispose in such sort all their ordinary affaires of this life before Sunday come that they be not when it is come an hinderance to sanctifie it And so to shew that they are full of love and respect to those blessed exercises of religion and to the Order of the Church from which they should never be absent without reasons of great consequence whereof every ones conscience ought to iudge by the rules of godlinesse and of Christian prudence 25 I say
without most important and weighty reasons For considering that Gods externall service for which a day of rest is appointed is not the principall service that God requireth and that it ought to give place to the workes of true godlinesse and love according to Gods owne words I will have mercy and not sacrifice Hos. 6. vers 7. Matth. 12. vers 7. It is certaine there may be many lawfull reasons taken from true charity which we owe to our selves or to our neighbours whereby we may be dispensed with in the practise of Gods outward service on the Sabbath day and licensed to doe on it bodily und servile workes in stead of that service 26 But against this liberty which I maintaine all Christians have to worke or to cheare up themselves on Sunday in the manner before specified it is objected That worldlings when they are lured with some worldly advantage when they seek or look for some gaine on market or faire dayes take heed lest they loose so good an occasion shun all games and pastimes that may withdraw or divert them from their gaine make alwayes pleasure to plie and give place to profit And therefore farre lesse ought Christians on the Lords day which is as it were the great Market-day for their soules wherin they have need to prepare to themselves a great spirituall gain and make all their provisions to seeke or take any leisure for the occupations and pastimes of this life namely seeing our diligence cannot be so great our care so vigilant our labour so profitable but that we have much more profit to be made than all the profit we haue purchased already But if we make of the Sabbath our delight according to Gods exhortation in Esa. chap. 58. vers 13. we shall finde neither leisure nor place for worldly affaires 27 To the which I answer that the care of worldlings lest they should bee any wayes diverted from their trafficke and from the search of gaine on market-dayes by any game or pastime is nothing to the purpose It is true that we ought to be more carefull of the spirituall food of our soules than they are of the temporall profit of their bodies But this argument is made as if Sunday were onely Gods Market-day to speake so wherein wee may purchase unto us that profit as if it being past our hope of the acquisition thereof on another day of the weeke were utterly lost and as if a small and short occupation or recreation of this world taken on that day could bereave us of so great a good which foundation being sandie the building upon it fals to the ground 28 We ought to make of the Sabbath our delight but not in the same sense as the Iewes that is not of an externall and ceremoniall but of a spirituall Sabbath which the Prophet betokeneth in the place quoted that is Not to follow our owne wayes and not to doe our owne will which is the dayly Sabbath of the New Testament For God hath not ordained unto us a corporall one saving in some respects specified before which is much different from the Sabbath which the Iewes were obliged to observe 29 It is manifest of that hath beene said that our Sunday may in some sort be called a day of Sabbath or of rest because wee ought for the publike exercises of religion on it give over all our ordinary workes But it cannot be absolutely qualified with this name and with regard to an abstinence as precise as was required on the Iewish Sabbath day Moreover as wee have observed heretofore this name of Sabbath day is the proper name of the ancient day of the Iewes and not of the new day of Christians wherefore it were better done to abstaine from denoting it by the qualification of that name and to call it onely The Lords day or Sunday seeing these names have beene appropriated unto it by the Christian Church CHAPTER Sixth A more particular explication how the faithfull ought to carry themselves in the observation of Sunday 1. Duty of the Governours of the Church and of all particular Christians about the ordering and practise of Gods service 2. The faithfull ought to submit themselves to the order of the Church and to keepe the dayes appointed for Gods service by the publike practice thereof in the Congregation 3. How they ought to carry themselves where there is no Church 4. How where there is a Church during the service 5. How after the service 6. The sanctification of Sunday is grounded on the holinesse of the exercises practised in it and is so considered by the faithfull 7. Profane men because they have no heart to Gods service contemne the Lords day 8. Godly men doe quite contrary GOd for the edification and entertainement of his Church here below injoyneth to those that have charge of her governement to offer up prayers and thankesgivings to preach the Gospell to minister the Sacraments to assemble the faithfull together to establish good order in the Church and to particular Christians to pray devoutly to love Gods word to keep it receive the Sacraments frequent carefully the holy assemblies obey in things belonging to order and discipline those that have rule over them and submit themselves unto them not to be contentious against the good customes of the Church and to doe this not each of them for himselfe onely but also to procure that all persons subject to their governement their subjects their children their servants doe the same All Christians when they know that there are holy convocations for the hearing of the Word and the practice of other religious exercises and that the Order of the Church hath appointed unto them set dayes as in every week a Sunday are bound by these injunctions to resort carefully unto them and to take paines that their inferiours over whom they have authority follow their example And if indeed they love the word of God and the exercises of godlinesse to shew it by a diligent frequenting and serious practice of them as of a thing which God hath injoyned to all and for the things sake to observe the day wherein it is practised although God hath not prescribed nor appointed it and it hath no other foundation but the Order of the Church whereunto neverthelesse God hath commanded in generall all men to submit themselves 1 Cor. 14. vers 40. For it is not for the dayes sake that we ought to practise and respect the holy exercises which ordinarily are done on it but it is these exercises that make the day considerable and give credit authority and respect unto it The exercises are to be much esteemed for themselves and for Gods sake who hath expresly injoyned them The day is not honoured and accounted of but for their sake in as much as the Church is pleased to doe them on it Yet if a Christian were brought to that extremity that hee must remaine in a place where there is no Church nor order
sanctificemus sed ut sanctificemus diem Sabbati hoc est quieti destinatum quisquis ille sit The substance of this command so farre as it concerneth us also and was confirmed by Christ is not that we keepe holy a seventh day But that we sanctifie a Sabbath day that is to say a day of rest whatsoever day it be Item Praeceptum hoc quartum morale est quatenus hôc mandatur â—ura religionis exercitium etiam externi divini cultus ut certo tempore conveniat Ecclesia ad audiendum verbum Dei ad publicas preces ad debita sacrificia facienda ad collectiones faciendas Id quod etiam confirmavimus quoniam apud omnes gentes semper recepta fuit haec consuetudo ut certis diebus convenirent omnes ad Deum celebrandum colendum invocandum Mosaicum autem ceremoniale fuit ad solos Iudaeos pertinens quatenus talis dies septimus nimirum fuit illis praescriptus quatenus illis etiam praescripti fuerunt certi ritus quibus Deum die Sabbati colerent atque eatenus etiam fuisse abrogatum Ergò ut certo tempore conveniat Ecclesia cum scilicet potest ad Deum celebrandum ex Dei est institutione in animis cujusque inscripta This fourth command is morall so farre as by it is recommended unto us the care of religion and the exercise of Gods externall worship and that at a set time the Church assemble together to heare the word of God to publike prayers to offer up due sacrifices and to make gatherings for the poore Which also wee have proved because it is a custome received amongst all nations that on certaine dayes there be publike assemblies to praise worship and call upon God But it is Mosaicall and ceremoniall pertaining to the Iewes onely in this respect that such a day namely a seventh was prescribed unto them and in this also that they had certaine rites prescribed unto them by which they were to worship God on the Sabbath day and in this regard it was also afterwards abrogated That therefore the Church meet together at some certaine time to wit when it can conveniently is Gods institution engraved in every mans minde And in the very close of his explication of the fourth command treating of the abrogation of the Sabbath hee saith thus Prima cansa ob quam institutum est Sabbatum est ut figuraret cessationem eamque perpetuam ab operibus nostris scilicet à peccatis patrandis quietem in Domino sinentes scilicet Deum operari opera S. S. in nobis Et quantum ad hanc causam quia erat tantùm figura alterius Sabbatismi erat ceremoniale praeceptum ideoque abrogatum est sicut caeterae figurae adveniente Christo figurato ad praesentiam veritatis id est Christi evanuit figura id est Sabbatum Col. 2. Quatenus verò institutum est ut status dies esset quo ad legem audiendam ceremonias peragendas conveniret populus vel saltem quem operum Domini meditationi peculiariter darent omnes abrogatum non est Nam apud nos locum habet ut statis diebus ad audiendum verbum ad Sacramenta percipienda conveniamus The first cause for which the Sabbath was instituted was to typifie a perpetuall cessation from our workes that is our sinnes and also our rest in the Lord suffering him to worke in us the workes of his holy Spirit and in regard of this cause because it was onely a figure of another Sabbath or rest it was ceremoniall and therefore was abrogated as likewise the rest of the types at the comming of Christ who by them was typified when the truth that is Christ appeared the shadow that is the Sabbath vanished away Col. 2. But in that respect that it was instituted to bee a set day for the Church to meet together on to heare the Law to performe the ceremonies prescribed or at least to meditate on the workes of God it is not abolished For it is thus in force even amongst us that on appointed dayes we assemble together to heare the Word and receive the Sacraments In many places also of this his exposition of the fourth command he affirmeth that the Law concerning the Sabbath was onely given to the Iewes and not to other nations and they were not bound to the observation of it Lib. 6. de oper sex dierum c. 1. having said that the seasons of the yeare the new and full moones are times common for all people for the distinction of which God hath given to all the Sunne and the Moone and appointed them their courses he addeth Alterum est genus eorum temporum seu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae peculiaria sunt certis gentibus quae quisque sibi ex toto anni tempore ad certa actionum genera deligit ut quod Deus voluerit ut ipsius populus sex diebus operaretur septimo autem qui Sabbatum dicitur quiesceret ab iis operibus vacaret cultui divino Item quod voluerit Calendas observari certis temporibus non aliis festa celebrari Paschae Pentecostes c. Haec erant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 populi Israelitaci Voluit vult ut singulae gentes habeant stata tempora quibus cultum praestent Deo sed libera cuique genti esse voluit There is another kinde of appointed times which are peculiar to certaine nations and which every one doth make choice of for himselfe out of the whole yeere for certaine actions As that God would have his owne people the Iewes to worke six dayes but to rest from those workes on the seventh day which is called the Sabbath and give themselves to divine worship Also that he would have them to observe the first dayes of every moneth and feasts of Easter Pentecost c. to be kept at certaine times and no other He would and willeth that every nation have appointed times for his worship but he hath left them to the liberty of every nation to be appointed by them Danaeus Ethic. Christian. l. 2. c. 10. speaking of the fourth Commandement Quatenus hoc praeceptum ceremoniale fuit hodiè cesset sed quatenus externa quaedam verae pietatis exercitia fieri praecipit praeceptum continent haec verba This precept so farre as it was ceremoniall is now of no force but so far as it appointeth some outward actions of true piety to be performed the words still containe a precept Item Fuisse ceremoniarum partem Sabbatum apparet ex eo quod appellatur signum faederis veteris inter Deum Iudaeos icti Exod. 31. 17. cum Sanctuario conjungitur Levit. 19. 30. item Paulus inter ceremonias enumerat Col. 2. 16. Heb. 4. 9. Dupliciter Sabbatum fuit ceremoniale quatenus fuit 1. cessatio severa ab omni opere servili corporali 2. Septima dies nominatim disertè à Deo praescripta erat
many recent and orthodoxe Divines deny it directly Amongst those that affirme it the most learned and renowned dare not avouch it but as a thing uncertaine and probable only And amongst those that most confidently stand unto it Some are constrained to call in question if the Patriarkes kept it after the manner which was afterwards prescribed to the Iewes to wit with a strict obligation of an exact cessation from all workes as from kindling of fire c. Exod. 35. ver 3. All these thought it a thing unsutable to the condition of the Patriarkes that they should have been loaden with so many scruples and difficulties Neverthelesse it is most probable that if God had charged them with the keeping of the Sabbath day he would also have tyed them to this intermission of workes in consideration whereof it was called the Sabbath it represented and called to remembrance GODs resting from all his workes and was a type of the spirituall eternall and glorious rest of the faithfull in the kingdome of heaven which was the principall end of the institution thereof I might stuffe the paper with the testimonies of all the foresaid Authors if I had not resolved to dispute by arguments taken out of holy Scripture and from reason and not by authorities of men 6 Divers Replies are made against this argument to impaire the strēgth debace the worth therof when I say it is not written that the Patriarchs observed the Sabbath and therefore they kept it not And first they suppose that they celebrated divers fasts whereof no mention is made in the Booke of holy Scripture which is indeed a meere supposition if fasting be taken properly for daies of abstinence from all kind of meat through devotion and for religious ends For where is that written If it be not written as it is not why may I not mistrust gain-say and deny it and pray the authors of this reply to defend their cause not with forcelesse and deniable suppositions but with powerfull and undeniable reasons from Scripture or from Nature Now supposing their supposition to be as true as I suppose it to be false doe they not know that fasting is not a part of Gods service that God hath not beene earnest about it that by the Law of Moses which exacted so many kindes of serviceable devotions he commanded no ordinary and stinted fast saving a yeerely one for a typicall reason on the feast of atonement Levit. 16. verse 29. 30. 31. and Levit. 23. vers 27. 29 that he prescribed not any before the Law and hath not injoyned any to Christians under the Gospell Therefore God having left the indiction and observation of such fasts free as the Patriarchs should thinke fit although now and then they had humbled themselves before God with extraordinary fasting It is no marvell that no mention is made thereof in the History of their religious exercises because it was not one of them but at the most a certaine helpe unto them or an accidentall dependancy on them The same must be said of all other doings of the Patriarches which either did not belong to Gods service or were not of great importance For it was not needfull that the Scripture should tell us all things done by them in their imployments about the affaires of this present life This cannot be said of the observation of the Sabbath day For seeing it is pretended to be morall that God from the beginning of the world ordained it to Adam and to all his progeny that it hath alwaies been necessary for his service undoubtedly it had beene mentioned in the History of the Patriarchs if they had practised it But seeing it is not so much as once named this perpetuall silence theweth in all likelihood that they never practised it that therefore all that is pretended to the contrary is untrue This as I have said the most part of the ancient and many of our modern Divine confirme by their consent 7 Secondly some doe make another reply saying that albeit the Patriarches had not kept the Sabbath day nothing can be thence concluded saving an oblivion and negligence of that day which should not call in question the first institution and observation therof no more then Polygamie which is the having at once of moe wives then one practised in their time not onely by Infidels but by them also can justifie that the holy Law of marriage betweene two persons onely was not established from the beginning To this I answer that there is no even match betweene these two For the Scripture teacheth us cleerely in the History of the creation that in the beginning God formed but one man and one woman which he took from man and established marriage between them two onely that they might be twaine in one flesh and no more and that Adam had a perfect and cleere knowledge of this truth Genes 2. vers 22 23 24. Likewise in other places of the Ancient Testament Malac. 2. vers 15. and of the New Testament Matth. 19. vers 4 5. Mark 10. vers 7 8. Ephes. 5. vers 31. the unseparable union of two persons in wedlocke is confirmed by the institution of marriage in the beginning Moreover this institution is grounded on justice and honesty knowne of Pagans which had no light given them by instruction from the Word of God All the holy Fathers that were before the flood observed it faithfully The first that violated it was Lamech a man of the posterity of wicked Cain of whom it is recorded as a thing extraordinary and new that he tooke unto him two wives Genes 4. vers 19. Wherefore if after the flood some practised polygamie no man can thence make a sound inference that by Gods institution it was so from the beginning seeing the contrary is evident and undeniable And that abuse of marriage by plurality of wives among the Patriarches must be imputed to some other reasons What if among the Israelites many stumbled at the same stone Who will inferre thence that God had not forewarned them to take heed to their waies forebidding them to multiply their wives by an expresse Law which may be seene Levit. 18. vers 18. and Deut. 17. vers 17 But seeing wee can no where finde that before the Law was given by Moses the Patriarches kept the seventh day of rest we have good reason to make a question if that day was instituted from the beginning of the world For the institution thereof appeareth not cleerely in the Historie of the creation it is not in any part of the Bible referred to that first time neither is it grounded on any naturall or morall righteousnesse as shall be seene largely hereafter This is a sufficient answer to a third reply which some would faine take from purity of reason Saying that as in the beginning God made but one man and one woman and matched them together to be one body and to beget a lawfull and holy posterity Mal. 2. vers
others as well as to them and that by reason of some particular forme whereby GOD gave them more excellently unto them then unto others and of certaine circumstances wherewith hee accompanied them to make them more commendable unto them and move them to keepe them more carefully and that ordinances obligatory to all men were given them clothed with certaine ceremonies belonging to them onely But these are things which carry with them their owne evidence or which the Scripture teacheth otherwhere to have beene common to others But as for the seventh day of Sabbath it appeareth not neither by the nature thereof nor by any declaration of Scripture that it did belong to others then to the Iewes And therefore from this that we finde it never appropriated to any people but to them we conclude most rationally that it was never ordained to any people saving unto them CHAPTER Fourth Answer to the third Reason 1. Third Reason for the morality of a seventh day of Sabbath from the knowledge the Patriarkes had of the distinction of weekes and the use they made of it 2. First answer This argument hath no consequence 3. Second answer The faithfull before the Law observed not the distinction of weekes 4. Impertinent allegation of the Dove which Noah sent forth after seven dayes out of the Arke 5. As of the weeke of the feast of IACOBS mariage with Leah 6. Of the insufficiency of the arguments alleadged to prove the distinction of weekes it followeth that there was no such distinction before the Law 7. And yet it followeth not thence that the Patriarkes did not celebrate the remembrance of the creation which they had learned of their fathers and taught their Children by tradition 8. Although it was not necessary that they should have a solemne and stinted day and specially the last day of the weeke for that use 1 TO prove that the Patriarkes and other faithfull which were before the Law kept the seventh day of Sabbath some take an argument from the distinction of weekes which is pretended to have beene usuall in their time To this purpose they alleadge the eight Chapter of Genesis ver 8 9 10 11 12. where it is said that Noah having sent forth a Dove to know if the waters were abated from of the face of the earth and the Pigeon returning unto him into the Arke he stayed yet other seven dayes and sent her forth the second time and again other seven dayes and sent her forth the third time Whence they would faine inferre that Noah observed weekes and in them the seventh day They alleadge likewise out of the 29. Chapter of Genesis ver 27. that Iacob complaining of Laban who had beguiled him giving him Leah instead of Rachel for whom he had served seven yeeres Laban answered fulfill her weeke and we will give thee this also for the service that thou shalt serve with me yet other seven yeeres Moreover they adde this inconvenience that if the Patriarkes before the Law observed not the distinction of weekes and in them the seventh day they observed and solemnized not also the remembrance of the Creation which God performed in sixe dayes and of his rest on the seventh day 2 To that I answer first that although the Fathers before the Law had kept a regular distinction of weekes it should not follow that they observed the seventh day particularly and made of it a day of rest and of exercises of Religion For they might have kept that distinction simply as a distinction of time as they did of moneths and of yeeres without tying unto it any rule for the exercises of Religion no more than to these other 3 But Secondly I say that it appeareth not that before the Law they observed the foresaid distinction We find in the History of their lives that they have observed distinction of dayes of moneths of yeeres of which times expresse mention is there made as also the distinction of these times is grounded upon the two great heavenly lights to wit the Sunne and the Moone which God created purposely to bee for signes and for seasons and for dayes and yeeres as is to be seene in Genesis first Chapter verse 14. whereof the Patriarkes were well informed having a great knowledge of the Will of GOD and of naturall things Whereas the distinction of weekes is not grounded upon any naturall reason nor also upon any ordinance of GOD which may be proved to have beene made from the beginning Neither is there any where mention made of any observation of weekes before the Law The passages alleadged to demonstrate it being too feeble for that purpose 4 To the first of the eight of Genesis I say that the argument which is grounded upon it consists only in a simple and uncertaine conjecture Indeed Noah twice or thrice one seventh day after another did let out the Pigeon or as the Text saith after he had stayed seven dayes but the History telleth us not what reason hee had to observe after that manner an intervall of seven dayes And it were too great rashnesse to determine it Howsoever no man can gather from thence an ordinary and stinted distinction of weekes such as hath beene since the Law was given For to come to that they must suppose without any evidence produced or testimony brought that the first time that Noah sent out the Dove was the seventh day after he had let out the Raven and that the second time he sent forth the Pigeon precisely on the seventh day following after the first seventh day and so likewise the third time For if he let her out after seven dayes fully expired as the words may be taken it shall be on the eight day which should make a distinction of a space not of seven but of eight dayes Secondly in case it was on each seventh day that he sent out the Dove it must be supposed that it was precisely on the last or on the first day of the weeke and that hee observed exactly the one or the other for that purpose For if he sent her forth on some other day then the first or the last and sent her forth againe on the seventh day following that would only make a weeke perverted and irregular and not the seventh day established and ordained by the Law whereof the Sabbath day was the last day which can be farre lesse proved by the passage before cited to have beene observed by Noah For to make that good it must be certaine that he sent forth his Pigeon on the proper day of Sabbath and that of purpose to performe in so doing a work of sanctification belonging to that day Which not only is not certaine but is also against all likelihood For seeing the observation of the seventh day ordained by the Law obligeth man to rest from all servile workes and to cause all other living creatures that are in his possession to rest likewise if Noah had knowne and observed the Sabbath
signes And I cannot see a cause why under the new Testament we should burthen our selves with a signe which God declareth to have beene ordained by him to the Iewes in their generations as if without it we could not remember the thing signified unto them by it Let us content our selves with the gracions signes and memorialls which Iesus Christ hath instituted and given us of the worke of our Redemption fulfilled by him of our justification of our sanctification c. These are Baptisme and the Lords Supper which being signes of a worke farre more excellent then the Creation have caused the ancient memoriall of that other worke to cease which notwithstanding we may and ought to record having in nature continually many memorialls thereof before our eyes to wit the heavens the earth all the creatures which advertise us of their Author and of the beginning of their existance And in holy Scripture many documents which entertaine and hold us most frequently in the consideration of this worke Yea the Sacraments also signifying unto us our Regeneration and new Creation draw us back consequently to the meditation of our first Creation And we may in all places and times indifferently call to minde and for it glorifie the Lord our God possessour of heauen and earth although we be not tyed by the Law to any particular day For of him and through him and to him are all things To him be glory for ever Rom. 11. 36. 13 The example of God who made in sixe daies heaven and earth and rested on the seventh day is of no force to this purpose For to say without restriction that Gods example is of necessity to be alwaies followed as being of it selfe and of its nature imitable or rather that God in all his works proposeth himselfe as a paterne and president to follow is a proposition too generall God may be considered either in regard of his attributes or in regard of his actions Of his attributes there be some which wee ought to imitate and they are in the Scripture laid downe unto us as examples of imitation Such are his goodnesse his mercy his love his justice as it is written Be yee holy for I am holy Levit. 19. vers 2. 1 Pet. 1. vers 16. Be yee perfect and mercifull as your Father which is in heaven is perfect and mercifull Matth. 6. vers 48. Luk. 6. vers 36. Let us love one another for love is of God for God is love 1 Ioh. 4. verse 7 8. If yee know that he is righteous yee know that every one that doth righteousnesse is borne of him 1 Ioh. 2. vers 29. There be others which to speake properly are not paterns of imitation neither are we in any sort able to imitate them Such are his Eternity the Infinity of his Essence and Knowledge his omnipotency c. which also we are nevâ—â— exhorted to imitate 14 It is consequently even so of his actions and of his fashion in working Of them some flow immediatly from these first attributes of his holinesse bounty mercy love righteousnesse c. and are essentially actions charitable mercifull bountifull righteous c. These of their nature and of themselves are imitable and that alwaies For example God is bountifull and doth good unto all forgiveth all those that have recourse to his mercy giveth a convenient and sutable reward unto vertue and a due punishment to vice protecteth those that are strengthlesse and oppressed upholdeth those that are infirme and weake c. whereof hee hath given triall by divers experiences From thence wee may conclude truely and soundly that by reason of the righteousnesse holinesse goodnesse which are essentially imprinted in these actions men ought to imitate them in all times to their power and abilitie according to the calling wherein they are called and the rules that he hath in his holy Word prescribed unto them There be other actions proceeding from these other attributes or proprieties of God For example from his omnipotency Such as are his miraculous actions God hath created the world of nothing hath framed man of the dust of the earth and doth a thousand more or such great wonders These actions oblige us not to imitate Gods example in them also God propoundeth them not unto us as examples to be followed for we are not able to imitate them Likewise wee are not bound to immitate the actions and proceedings of God which are grounded on his Will pure and simple whereof although God had the reasons in his owne brest yet we cannot on our part alledge any reason taken from an essentiall righteousnesse inherent in them but onely say for all reason he hath done as it pleased him As that he made the walls of Ierico to fall downe by seven blasts of seven trumpets of Rams-hornes in seven severall daies Iosh. 6. vers 3. 4. 20. cured Naaman of his leprosie sending him to Iordan to wash in it seven times 2 King 5. vers 10. 14 c. 15 Like in all things is unto this the course which God did observe in the Creation making all his works in sixe daies and resting on the seventh day For no man can tell why he did so saving onely because he would the thing it selfe not having in it any naturall equity or evident morality And therefore no kinde of obligation to doe the like can be naturally inferred from thence I meane to observe sixe daies of worke and one of rest All these and other semblable proceedings of God are not an example and oblige not any man to imitate them saving in case God be pleased to command them to doe so as hee would not through any necessity which was in the thing and whereby he was bound to make such a Commandement but because such was his good pleasure command the Iewes to worke sixe daies and rest the seventh day who also afterwards observed that precept not through necessity of imitation taken from the thing it selfe nor that naturally it was emplary unto them but because it pleased God to command them so to doe As also in the fourth Commandement this reason that God in sixe dayes made and finished all his workes and rested the seventh day is not alleadged immediately for an example and a cause of obligation to the Iewes to doe the like but as an occasion that GOD tooke according to his free will to bind them by that Commandement to this observation which also in consequence of the said Commandement they practised For it is said in expresse tearmes In sixe dayes God made all his workes and rested the seventh day Therefore he blessed the seventh day and hallowed it to wit to be observed by the Iewes And it was this blessing and hallowing notified by Commandement which obliged the Iewes to the observation of the seventh day and not Gods course of proceeding immediately For undoubtedly this will be advowed that if God had not declared his will by a Commandement the Iewes had not thought
the first day of unleavened bread that is said figuratively because of the immediate cōjunction of the time wherein the Lamb was prepared with the time wherin it was eaten with unleavened bread For it was prepared at the end of one day and eaten at the beginning of the next day Or because the same day wherein the Lamb was prepared the Iewes put away leaven and leavened bread out of their houses and prepared unleavened bread for the day following Or also because amongst the Romans of whom the Iewes did at that time depend the naturall day began by the light and the night was the last part therof whereunto it may be the Evangelists had regard But otherwise to speak properly according to the ordinance of the Law it is most certain that the day wherin the Lamb was rosted and prepared was not the first day of unleavened bread For that was the 14. day betweene the two evens this was the 15. day at the entrance thereof On that day leavened bread might be eaten on this day and on the dayes following all leaven was most strictly forbidden That was not a day of rest but of travell and of preparation as it is often called in the Gospel Mat. 27. v. 62. Mar. 15. v. 42. Luk. 23. v. 54. Ioh. 19. v. 14 31. because on it were all things prepared for the feast following as to search and put away all leaven and leavened bread out of their houses to kill to slay to rost the Lamb c. Nay we see that on that day the Iewes caused the Lord Iesus to be crucified and two thieves with him and vexed themselves extreamly all that day to come to their intent This was a great and solemne Sabbath wherein it was not lawfull to doe any manner of worke 10 Let us adde to that hath beene said the practise of the observation of the Sabbath which we read in the thirteenth Chapter of Nehemiah It is said there ver 15 16 17 19 20. that because all manner of ware was brought into the City of Ierusalem and sold on the Sabbath day Nehemiah commanded that as soone as the Sunne should withdraw it selfe from the gates of the City before the Sabbath the gates should be shut and that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath so that the Merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Ierusalem once or twice from whence we gather manifestly the Sabbath began at the going downe of the Sun and that the night made the first part thereof For if the Sabbath had not begun then wherefore did Nehemiah command so carefully to shut the gates as soone as the sun should withdraw his beames from them and it should begin to be darke And if not the night preceding the day but the night following had made a part of the Sabbath surely the Merchants had beene of necessity constrained to remaine two nights out of Ierusalem whereas it is only said that they past the night once or twice without the Towne to wit the night after Nehomiah had given order that the gates shold be shut as soone as the Sun should retire from them and therfore that night with the day following composed the Sabbath which ending on the next even at the setting of the sun Nehemiah commanded that they should be opened again v. 19. a cōmandement being necessary for the opening of them then at that time because the night returning it was the time to keep them barred and locked seeing they were already shut If the Sabbath had ended with the end of the night it had not beene needful that Nehemiah should command to open the gates after the Sabbath For it was usuall to open them after the night was ended and a particular commandement for that was needlesse But although I had omitted these reasons which I have alleadged the words of the original shew plainly and of themselves what we say These they are v. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Causher Tsallou Shahare Ieroushalaim liphne Hasshabbat that is as the gates of Ierusalem were darkned before the face or in the presence of the Sabbath or before the Sabbath For the ordinary signification of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Liphne is before the face in the presence And therefore seeing the gates were darkened before the face or in presence of the Sabbath it followeth that when the sun was setting the Sabbath was comming and began at that same instant to shew it selfe if I may speake so 11 Likewise we read in St. Iohn Chap. 19. v. 40 41 42. that Ioseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus having obtained leave of Pilate to take away the body of Iesus as soone as he was dead tooke it wrapt it in a winding sheete with spices as the manner of the Iewes was to bury and laid it in a new Sepulchre which was in a Garden in the same place where he was crucified and laid it there because of the Iewes preparation day for the Sepulchre was nigh at hand that is the night being at hand the beginning of the Sabbath being nigh and comming apace with the night and the day of preparation which preceded the Sabbath drawing nigh the evening and making hast to finish they carryed not farre the body of Iesus but laid it in a Sepulchre hard by after they had wound it in linnen cloathes with aromaticall and fragrant drugs only without any imbalming at that time because they had no leasure to anoint and imbalme him by reason of the neerenesse of the Sabbath which was unto them an high day of Sabbath as it is called in the one and thirtieth verse of the same Chapter for as much as at that time the extraordinary Sabbath of the first day of the feast of unleavened bread occurred with the ordinary Sabbath of the weeke For the same reason the Iewes ver 31. that the bodyes of those that were crucified should not remaine upon the Crosse on the Sabbath day besought Pilate that they might be taken away betimes that is before the end of the day as the Text sheweth plainely Now if the Sabbath had not begun in the evening but only in the morning the Iewes should not have had a cause to urge the taking away of the bodies from the Crosse so quickly nor Ioseph and Nicodemus to bury the body of Iesus so speedily and to interre it in the same place where hee was crucified which the Text sheweth they did on a sudden For the Iewes should have had all the evening and all the night following to procure the taking away of the bodyes Ioseph and Nicodemus should have likewise had time enough to imbalme transport and interre at leasure the body of the LORD where they should thinke fit This is distinctly observed by Saint Luke Chapter 23. verse 53 54. where he saith that the day wherein Ioseph laid the body of Iesus in a Sepulchre was the preparation and the Sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is drew on was a comming
which remaineth over lay up for you to bee kept untill the morning The sense of which words is evident that as God on the day before the Sabbath rained Manna for two dayes so they should prepare it on the same day for two dayes baking that which they would bake seething that they would seeth and frying that they would prepare so and after they had eaten of it sufficiently for that day they should lay up the rest so prepared to be kept untill the next day 5 For if as some doe esteeme God would have suffered them to prepare on the Sabbath day that which remained over and the sense of the foresaid words were onely that on Friday they should prepare and made ready such a portion as they should thinke sufficient for the meat of that day and keepe the overplus to be prepared the next day God had not given them on Friday bread for two dayes and had not forborne to raine down Manna upon them on the Sabbath day For it had been farre lesse paines unto them to gather on the seventh day the measure that was needfull unto them then to make it ready afterwards Neither is it likely that after he had forbidden them and had taken from them the meanes to gather any on the Sabbath hay hee gave them liberty to bake seeth frie and prepare it on that day Therefore when he sent them twice as much Manna the day before the Sabbath he did it manifestly that they might both gather and prepare double portion the same day and refraine from preparing any on the Sabbath day 6 And wherefore had Moses advised them so carefully on Friday rather than on the other dayes to bake that which they had to bake but to tell them that the same day they ought to bake the double measure which they should gather For otherwise this advertisement had beene to no purpose because they were wont every day to bake the portion which they had gathered for the day knowing that without a warner But they could not well know without information that they were bound to prepare on the same day the two portions which they had gathered for two dayes And to shew yet more cleerely that what they layd up for the next day they kept it baken Moses said not unto them bake to day that which yee have laid up but only Eat that to day For to day is the Sabbath unto the Lord verse 25. which reason was as valuable to hinder them from preparing as from gathering it the one being no more necessary then the other For as GOD gave them the meanes to gather double measure on the sixt day so had they on the sixt day the means and leasure to bake and prepare that double measure and were not constrained by any necessity to reserve a part or to prepare and bake it on the Sabbath day It is objected against this that if they had layd by the Manna prepared and baken till the next day after it had not beene a wonder that it did not stinke neither was there any worme therein where neverthelesse is related as a marvell verse 24. seeing baking and seething hinder all stinke and breeding of wormes But this objection hath no weight and is not to be regarded For although the Manna so prepared might naturally remaine sound and wholesome untill the next day yet by Gods Almighty power and righteous judgement it had stunke and bred wormes if it had beene kept otherwise then hee had expressely commanded For undoubtedly the Manna unbaken and unprepared might have beene kept on any other day of the weeke till the next day without corruption or any noysome smell The only cause why it stunke and bred wormes was Gods prohibition to leave of it till the morning ver 19 20. which prohibition proceeding from so powerfull and righteous a Lawgiver was of such force that it had stunke and bred wormes being kept till the next morning of any day whatsoever although the Israelites had done their utmost indeavour by baking seething frying and by all other possible meanes to keepe it from putrefaction And therefore it is well noted to the purpose that being laid up baken and prepared on Friday for Saturday it stunke not because that being done according to Gods commandement he restrained his judgement which he had displayed in another day if they had kept it till the next morning 8 Moreover God gave another prohibition to his people saying Ye shall kindle no fire thorowout your habitations on the Sabbath day Exod. 35. vers 3. although it was an action of little importance soone done and bringing no disturbance to Gods service A man went out and gathered stickes on the Sabbath day for his present necessitie as it is to be presumed For this hee was by Gods expresse command stoned to death as a manifest transgressour of the Commandement concerning the Sabbath Numb 15. vers 32 33 34 35. To say that he was stoned not so much for gathering stickes on the Sabbath as for doing it through a too bold contempt of that day is a supposition uncertaine and it is farre more likely that he did it through negligence and unadvisednesse than through contempt and presumptuous audacitie and that this unwarinesse whereof he made an open declaration or some other apparent excuse wherewith he shielded himselfe and which was thought to be true or also the manifest slightnesse of the action was unto them a cause of doubting if they should put him to death according to the Ordinance of the Law Exod. 31. vers 14 15. And so much the rather that God shewed indulgence to those which through errour sinned against his Commandements as may be seene in the same fifteenth Chapter of Numbers verse 22 23 24. And therefore it was thought necessary in this occasion to consult the mouth of the Lord who ordained that this man should bee stoned to death by the whole multitude This he commanded to conciliate so much more credit and reverence to his Law touching the Sabbath to give to understand that it had particular reasons wherfore it ought to be exactly observed and that the lightest faults against the rest of the seventh day were not pardonable and to make by this example of severity the Israelites so much the more fearefull to violate the Sabbath and carefull to abstaine in it from all servile workes even from the least And indeed God in the denunciation of the punishments against the transgressours of this Law had not said that he onely who should profane and vilipend the Sabbath but more generally that he who should doe any worke therein should be put to death and so cut off from among his people as may bee seene in the foresaid 35. Chapter of Exodus verse 2. Also some of the contrary opinion to this which I defend acknowledge that it is so and thereupon vouch that in this rigour of the Law condemning a man to die for gathering stickes on the Sabbath day
New Testament just as they were commanded But that of the Sabbath was amongst the Israelites so farre vailed with a figurative observation of a seventh day and mystically commanded and prefigured by a certaine signe that at this day we observe it not but onely looke upon that which it signified And tom 4. in exposit ex ad Galat. in cap. 3. about the beginning Opera legis sunt tripartita Nam partim in Sacramentis partim verò in moribus accipiuntur Ad Sacramenta pertinent circumcisio carnis Sabbatum temporale Neomeniae sacrificia atque omnes hujusmodi innumerae observationes Ad mores autem non occides non Moechaberis non falsum testimonium dices talia caetera The workes of the Law are of two sorts for they consist partly in signes and types partly in morall actions In types such are circumcision of the flesh the temporall Sabbath New moones sacrifices and such like innumerable observations In morall actions as thou shalt not kill thou shalt not commit adultery and such like others And tom 3. de Genes ad liter l. 4. c. 13. Iam tempore gratiae revelatae observatio illa Sabbati quae unius diei vacatione figurabatur ablata est ab observatione fidelium Now that grace is revealed that observation of the Sabbath which figuratively consisted in one dayes rest was taken away from the observation of the faithfull To which Passages the Answer that some men make that the fore-quoted Fathers speake of a ceremoniall keeping of the Sabbath and meane onely that the first Patriarches did not observe the Sabbath with such ceremonies as the Iewes afterwards did This answer I say hath not so much as any shew of truth for if they had meant nothing else but that they had never spoke in so direct and expresse tearmes as they doe Moreover they expresly distinguish betwixt the Sabbath and the other ceremonies of Moses Law and flatly affirme that the Patriarches did neither observe the Sabbath nor the other Iewish ceremonies Besides the testimonies of the Fathers which above have been and of our owne Doctours which presently hereafter shall be cited If you will give any credit to Iewish Writers there are some of the old Rabbins as Galatin reporteth l. 11. de secret veritatis Catholic c. 9. 10. who writing upon these words Genes 2. And God blessed the seventh day And upon these Exod. 16. 29. See for that the Lord hath given you the Sabbath say that Abraham observed not the Sabbath that the Law of the Sabbath was given but to the Iewes onely and not to other nations and that they are not obliged to keepe the Sabbath Rabbi Salomon Iarchi in his Comment on Gen. 2. 2. God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it God blessed it saith hee in the Manna because on the rest of the dayes of the weeke there fell one Homer for every person and on the sixth day there fell a double proportion Hee sanctified it in the Manna because on it none at all fell and this is written with reference to the time to come In which words he manifestly referreth the blessing and sanctifying mentioned Gen. 2. 2. to the time that the Israelites were in the desert Amongst our owne Writers I will begin with Calvin who Institut l. 2. c. 8. sect 28. speaketh thus of the fourth Commandement Umbratile veteres nuncupare solent quòd externam diei observationem contineat quae in Christi adventu cum reliquis figuris abolita fuerat quod verè quidem ab illis dicitur Ancient Writers are wont to call this Command a typicall one because it containeth an externall observation of a day which with the rest of the types and figures at the comming of Christ were abolished in which they speake truth Ibidem sect 34. Neque sic tamen septenarium numerum moror ut ejus servituti Ecclesiam astringam Neque enim Ecclesias damnavero quae aliis conventibus suis solennes dies habeant modò à superstitione absint Quod erit si ad solam observationem disciplinae ordinis benè compositi referantur I doe not so regard the number of seven dayes as to tie the Church precisely to it for I should not condemne those Churches who should make choice of other dayes for their publike assemblies so they did it without superstition which is done if the observation of those dayes be onely for discipline and good orders sake And a little after Ita evanescunt nugae Pseudoprophetarum qui Iudaica opinione populum superioribus seculis imbuerint nihil aliud afferentes nisi abrogatum esse quod ceremoniale erat in hoc mandato id vocant sua lingua diei septimae taxationem remanere autem quod morale est nempe unius diei observationem in hebdomada Atque id nihil aliud est quà m in Iudaeorum contumeliam diem mutare diei sanctitatem eandem animo retinere Siquidem manet nobis etiamnum par mysterii in diebus significatio quae apud Iudaeos locum habebat So are refuted the foolish conceits of some false Doctors who in former ages possessed the mindes of the vulgar with a Iewish opinion saying nothing for themselves but this that what was ceremoniall in this command which in their expression they call the taxation of a seventh day is abrogated but that the morall part of it namely the observation of one day in seven remaineth still in force unto this day Which is nothing else but to change the day in contempt of the Iewes and to retaine the same opinion of the holinesse of the day For if so be the same mysterie is implied to us in the number of the dayes which was implied to the Iewes And whoso will take the paines to read over all that he saith in the fore-quoted Chapter shall finde that his opinion is that the principall end for which at first a seventh day was appointed for rest was to be a type and figure of a spirituall rest that the Sabbath is abrogated that the fourth Commandement doth onely oblige us so farre that there must be set times set a part for the publike service of God that if it were possible to make every day a Sabbath day and so take away all difference of dayes it were a thing much to be desired but seeing this cannot be done it behooveth that there be one appointed from among the rest and that this is all which is obligatorie in the fourth command in regard of us And writing on the sixteenth of Exodus vers 5. The seventh day saith he was consecrated before the promulgation of the Law although it is uncertaine whether this day of rest was observed by the Fathers which seemeth probable but I would not contest in this Item on the twentieth of Exodus expounding the fourth Commandement That the Commandement was ceremoniall S. Paul telleth in plaine termes calling it a shadow of things whose body is in Christ. We must see therefore how Christ hath exhibited