kept a Ceremoniall Precept O no! Ergo it is an Everlasting Duty Eighthly The fourth Commandement wherein the Seventh day-Sabbath is commanded is a tenth part of the Morall Law the Law being Morall the dutie of the seventh dayes rest must needs be Morall also Ninthly Our Saviour Christ would not that his Disciples should breake the Sabbath at the destruction of Jerusalem Mat. 24.20 which was 38 years after his Passion Can it be shewen that ever his will was that his Disciples should keepe a ceremoniall Precept so long after his Passion If any can let them doe it or else let them confesse the duty of the seventh dayes rest is Morall Tenthly and lastly If the duty of the seventh day Sabbath is abrogated then it is not meet nor fit that it should stand in Parish Churches or publique Assemblies with the other nine Commandements of the Morall Law for as it standeth with or amongst those Morall Precepts it reacheth and commandeth obedience to the duties of the seventh dayes-Sabbath the day called Saturday which men say is abrogated as expresly and as absolutely as the First Second or Third Commandements of that Law doe teach the expresse duties commanded in them or any other of the 6 Commandements doth teach that which is expressed in them But indeed and in truth the dutie of the seventh dayes-Sabbath commanded in the fourth Commandement is Morall and Perpetuall as any of the other 9 Commandements and therefore doth as absolutely binde us and all men to the due obedience thereof as any of the other nine do to the duties expressed in them Therefore it is meet and fit it should stand with the other nine Commandements to teach men their duty to the seventh dayes-dayes-Sabbath to wit the day called Saturday for that indeed is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God whereon he hath forbid thee to do any servile work as hath been shewn which duty all men are enjoyned unto untill the end of the World for till then the Sabbath shall continue Exod. 31.17 Isa 66.23 24. Ergo its Morall and Perpetuall If the Fourth Commandement be an abrogated Ceremony and therefore we are not to walk in the obedience thereof then we are as really discharged from working 6 dayes as we are from resting the seventh And if it be sin to observe the seventh day-Sabbath because the 4th Commandement is abrogated which commanded it then it is sinne also to worke 6 dayes because the fourth Commandement is abrogated which commanded it The reason is because when any Ceremoniall Precept or Precepts were abrogated every part or branch thereof was abrogated also Gen. 17.11 12. Exod 12.3 4. c. Againe if it be errour to say mens working six dayes is abrogated then it is errour to say mens resting the seventh day is abrogated or done away Evident it is by that which is already said the Decalogue being Morall the fourth Commandement being part of the Decalogue is Morall also It being so let him that will oppose me prove that it is our duty to doe servile work on the seventh day called Saturday if he can But if he cannot shew me any Precept for it then let him shew me what dispensation there is vouchsafed to men to doe common worke on the Lords seventh day-Sabbath and who it was which first granted the dispensation This doe and faile not or else cease from a weekly prophanation of the Lords seventh day Sabbaths Verily for my part I believe the Morall Law maketh knowne unto us the minde or will of God concerning our duty both towards Himself and our Neighbour And therefore I say with the Apostle I had not known lust if the Law had not said Thou shall not covet Rom. 7.7 In like manner I say I had not knowne I should not have other Gods before God had not the Law so said Exod. 20.3 Neither had I knowne I should not make to my self any Graven Image c. Nor that I should not bow downe nor worship them had not the Law forbid it Exod. 20.5 Neither had I known that it is my duty to keep holy the seventh day-Sabbath to wit the day called Saturday whereon no work is to be done had not God by his Law commanded the one and forbid the other Exod 20.8 9 10 11. O know and believe the Precepts of the Morall Law speaketh as well to thee as to me Hast thou endeavoured to walke in the obedience of the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Commandements of Gods Law and hast thou wholy neglected thy duty to the fourth Commandement in not keeping holy the seventh day-Sabbath and hast thou done servile work thereon which thing God hath foabidden thee If yea surely thou art a transgressor of Gods Law Be instructed therefore and repent of Sabbath-breaking and for time to come keep holy the Sabbath day the day called Saturday and doe no work thereon thou nor thy sonne nor thy daughter thy man-servant nor thy maid-servant thy cattell not the stranger that is n within thy Gates c. for it is the Will of God that they should rest as well as thou Deut. 5.14 For Whatsoever the Law saith it saith to them that are under it Rom. 3.19 Thou art under it and not above it therefore thou oughtst not to transgresse it for the Law hath domiion over a man as long as he liveth Rom. 7.1 Therefore if thou wilt not be condemned by it conform unto it For whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law 1 John 3.4 Yea surely the sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law 1 Cor. 15.56 Therefore deceive not thy selfe nor let any deceive thee or cause thee to beleeve that it was sinne to doe any thing contrary to the Morall Law before our Saviours Death and Resurrection and that it is not so now but that Christian men may doe something which God by His Divine Law doth forbid and not sin Certainly Jesus Christ nor his Apostles hath not left Christians any such dispensation Errour therefore it is for any to affirme that they may doe servile worke on the Lords seventh day-Sabbath where necessity is not contrary to his Holy Law and not sinne Therefore know and beleeve that as the Morall Law was Holy Righteous Just and Good before our Saviour came in the Flesh and taught men their duty toward God and man in an unerring way Even so the Morall Law is Holy Righteous Just and Good ever since our Saviour came in the Flesh and teacheth us our duties toward God and man in a right and unerring way and so it shall for ever Therefore if thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements Matth. 19.17 And they are ten Deut. 10.4 As I would not be mistaken in any thing I desire I may not be mistaken in this viz. for any to thinke I meane men may obtaine Righteousnesse to justification by the works of the Law Oh no that I doe not that is impossible Gal. 2.16 Chap. 3.10.11
to exempt our selves from the duties of the 1 2 and 3. Commandements because the expresse words are not laid down by our Saviour in the Gospel then errour it is for any to exempt themselves from the duties of the fourth Commandement although the duty of it is not in expresse words laid downe in the Gospel Yea a truth it is Whosoever keepeth the whole Law and faileth in one point is guilty of all CHAP. IV. Of the Antiquity and Morality of the seventh day-Sabbath which is the day to be observed and not a seventh day instead of it THe seventh day Sabbath whereof I treat which was made for man Mark 2.27 and given to man Exod. 16.29 was blessed and sanctified the first seventh day of the worlds Creation Gen. 2.2 3. Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. was obeyed and disobeyed before the Law was given on Mount Sinai Exod. 16.27 28 30. Which Precept being repeated on the Mount with the other nine Precepts it had a memorandum annexed it in regard of a former neglect to it as also the more to incite the Jewes and us Gentiles to a diligent observation thereof for time to come This seventh day God instituted and commanded to be a selected or peculiar time for his publique worship Leuit. 23.3 Acts 15.21 This Sabbath our Saviour unviolably kept and spent in the administration of the Word Luke 4.16 31. Mark 6.2 and in other holy exercises of piety and charity glorifying his Father by Miracles Mat. 12.9 10 11 12 13. Iohn 5.8 9. This Sabbath our Saviours Disciples observed after his death to Gods honour and their ever laudable memoriall For it is recorded of them Luke 23.56 That they rested the seventh day according to the Commandement Yea it evidently apeareth that the Apostles and Disciples Gentiles as well as Jewes constantly spent the seventh day-Sabbaths in holy and religious exercise For this see Acts 13.14 15 16. vers 27 42 43 44. chap 16.13 14. chap. 17.2 3. chap. 24.14 * The like instance cannot be shewne in the new Testament that either the Apostles or Disciples did thus constantly assemble together on the first day of the week Yea some Christian Churches observed it for more then the space 400. yeares after Christ of this Socrates informes us lib. 6. chap. 8. Yea albeit the Church of Rome was one of the first Churches or rather the first which discerted the seventh day-Sabbath yet they kept it a certain space of time after the decease of the Apostles For Justin Martyr living in Rome about the yeare 150. saith Apologie second pro The manner was on the Sabbath day when the people were gathered together to have the Scriptures read in the publique congregation in the time of publique prayer the space of a whole hower as Dr. Whitguift hath it in his Booke against Cartwright pag. 578. Yea I finde by Socrates Eccle. hist lib. 5. cap. 21. that for the space of 200. yeares almost all Christian Churches throughout the whole world did keep every sabbath-Sabbath-day after other whereon they did administer the misteries of our Saviour or Sacraments except Rome and Alexandria who of an old tradition did not use it c. Which holy Sabbath ought to have been spent in holy exercise to this time yea and for ever Exod. 31.17 Isay 66.23 That the seventh day-Sabbath ought to have been kept and spent in the worship and service of God Severall men of note doth confesse the truth thereof although their practice answered not with it no nor their words at some times neither And therefore I looke upon their Expressions as justifying the truth against themselves First I will beginne with Mr Beza in his margent on Deut. 5. vers 13. who saith Since God permitteth six dayes to our laboures that we ought willingly to dedicate the seventh to serve him wholly Secondly Mr. Perkins on Gal. 4. vers 10. saith Six dayes thou shalt labour and the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God is morall and containeth a perpetuall truth Thirdly Doctor Whitguift against Cartwright page 553. saith Six dayes shalt thou labour c. The meaning of which words is this That seeing God hath admitted us six dayes to doe our own work in we ought the seventh day to serve him c. Fourthly Muskulus in his Book of common Places fol. 60. speaking of the seventh day-Sabbath saith Secondly he apppointed the day so that it should not be at his peoples liberty Six dayes saith he thou shalt doe all thy worke but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God So he doth especially note the dayes to worke and he doth expresse that day in which the Sabbath should be hallowed c. Six dayes are appointed thee in which thou mayest work all things touching thy selfe and thy own affaires but the seventh day is not so for that day is a great while agoe determined and hallowed by God himselfe unto rest and therefore that day shall not serve for thy workes but thou shalt hallow him to the Lord thy God Fifthly Dr. Willet on the fourth Commandement question 13 pag. 360. saith God is said to rest both that his rest might be a monument of the Creation perfected and that God by his example might induce us in like manner to rest upon his Sabbaths Sixtly Dod and Clever on the Commandements speaking of the duty of the seventh day-Sabbath in pag. 118. saith The third reason is taken from Gods Example c. As if he should have said If thou wilt follow Example then follow the Example of the best What Example can there be better than God himself who when he made the World rested on the seventh day Therefore from his Example learne thou that on the seventh day thou give thy selfe to the duties of sanctification c. See pag. 119. Seventhly Bayly in Pract. Piety page 255. saith To sanctifie the Sabbath on the seventh day is not a ceremoniall Law abrogated but the Morall and Perpetuall Law perfected So that saith he the same perpetuall Commandement which bound the Jewes to keepe the Sabbath on the seventh day to celebrate the Worlds Creation binds Christians to solemnize the Sabbath on the seventh day And in page 257. Therefore God planted this Commandement in the middest of the two Tables because the keeping of it is the best help in keeping all the rest The conscionable keeping of the Sabbath is the Mother of all Religion c. And in pag. 259. saith It is one of the Commandements which God spake with his own mouth and twice wrote with his owne fingers in Tables of stone to signifie their Authority and perpetuity All that God wrote were Morall and perpetuall Commandements and they are reckoned ten in number If this were now an abrogated Ceremony then there were but nine Commandements And in pag. 287. thus The Ceremoniall Law was injoyned to the Jewes only and not to the Gentiles But this Commandement of the Holy Sabbath as Matrimony was instituted of
God in the state of innocency when there was but one estate of men therefore enjoyneth the Gentiles aswell as the Jewes So that all Magistrates all House-holders were commanded to constraine all strangers as well as their own subjects and familie to observe the Holy Sabbath c. I will forbeare to produce further Testimony of men the Word or Law of God is sufficient to teach the godly minded their duty therefore obey it and keep holy the Sabbath day to wit the seventh day and not a seventh day as many men doe thinke that if they keepe a seventh day they performe that duty which God requireth of them by the Morall Law although they keep not the 7th day successively from the Creation a great mistake For surely as God hath not given men liberty to worship in what they please neither hath God given them liberty to omit their duty of the seventh dayes rest and worship when they please but they are to doe that when he hath appointed and commanded it which indeed is the seventh day called Saturday the last day of the week which day God blessed and sanctified for men to performe publique worship on it as hath been shewn Errour therefore it is to say we obey Gods Law if we keep one day in seven if it be not the seventh day commanded in the Law Againe no man can account the first day of the week to be a seventh day unlesse men will presumptuously crosse the order of Gods appointment and overslip the first day of the worlds Creation and what warrant is there in Gods Word for mortall men so to doe let all rationall men judge Unlesse men doe so they cannot by any account conclude that the first day of the week is or can be a seventh day and therefore in observing it for a Sabbath they stand not firme to their own Principle by keeping one day in 7. seeing it is the 8. day in relation to the Creation and therefore it cannot properly be said to be one day in seven If men will refuse to keep their Sabbath on the seventh day which day God hath appointed and commanded by his holy Law and will keep one day in seven according to Gods placeing the dayes in the week and stand firm to their own Principle then they are to keep the sixth day of the week called Friday as Turkes doe or else some day or other before it if the day be left to their owne choise The Errour of this opinion may also thus appeare God commanded the Israelites to Circumcise their male children on the eighth day Gen 17.12 Had they obeyed Gods Law and performed their duty had they overslipt the first day and circumcised the ninth and accounted it for the eighth if necessity forced them not thereto certainely they had not neither could they properly have said they Circumcised one day in eight nor the eighth day Even so it now standeth with mens observation of the first day of the week for the seventh day which indeed in order from the Creation is the eight and therefore they which observe it keep one day after seven and not one day in seven The like instance I will give concerning the command of God given to the Israelites for their Eating of the Passeover on the fourteenth day of the first Month Exod. 12. Had they eaten it the fifteenth day whether had they obeyed Gods Law where necessity hindreth not certainly they had not Even so it standeth with mens observing the first day in stead of the seventh or Sunday in stead of Saturday Let wise men take this into their consideration for indeed men doe deceive themselves to thinke they obey Gods Law if they keep one day in seven accounting it the equitie of the fourth Commandement which thing indeed is not in observing the first day of the week which according to godly order is the eighth day and therefore mens practise in this particular hath neither sound nor sence for to be the equitie of the fourth Commandement If men will keep a Sabbath or day of rest according to the Equitie of the fourth Commandement then they are to keep it on the seventh day which God commandeth Exod. 20.8 9 10 11. for that indeed is the equitie of the fourth Commandement and not keeping a day of rest either before or after the seventh day for men so to doe is meer will-worship a thing forbidden by the Apostle Colos 2.20 21 22 23. Againe we shall never finde in any of the Evangelists or Apostles writings that ever the Law of the Sabbath was repealed or that ever it should be transferred to the first day of the week or that ever the first day of the week was a Sabbath or should be observed in stead of the Sabbath by Christians Well saith Dr. Prideaux in this point in the Doctrine of the Sabbath pag. 24. sec 6. Our Saviour saith he oft times disputed with the Pharisees of the * Sabbath day and many times explained the meaning of that Commandement But where is there any of the least suspition of his abrogating it Where any mention that the Lords day was instituted in the place thereof Well saith he Christ ascended up on high and left behind him his Apostles and what did they did they not keep the Jewish Sabbath without noise or scruple and gladly teach the people congregated on the Sabbath dayes * Mat. 12. Mark 2. Luke 6. Joon 5. Answerable unto this Dr White saith On the Sabbath the Apostles and likewise many successions of the Apostles for many ages at least 300. yeares kept holy the Saterday of every week in some Churches Yea Socrates lib. 6 cap. 8. declareth That some Christians after 400 yeares observed the Sabbath weekly with the first day of the weeke Mr Perkins saith on Gal. 4.10 Some men both godly and learned are of an opinion that the first day of the week was appointed by the Apostles for order sake c. It seemes saith he a truth more probable that every seventh day of the weeke must be set a part in holy rest unto God for this is the substance of the fourth Commandement c. That the seventh day-Sabbath is to be observed in the time of the Gospel as it was in the time of the Law I will briefly give five Reasons The first is because it was given to man in his Innocency Gen. 2.2 3. and therein to all the world to wit to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes this truth is confessed by Mr. Ainsworth in his Annotations Exod. 31.17 As also by Baily in the Practice of Piety pag. 258 259. And also by Dod on the fourth Commandement pag. 125 127. 2. Because it is commanded by a divine and positive law Exod 20. 3. Because God rested on the seventh day and blessed and sanctified it for us to rest after his example Exod. 20.11 Ephes 5.1 4. Our Saviour kept the Sabbath Luke 4.16 31. Mark 6.2 and we are to imitate him
Iohn 12.26 1 Iohn 2.6 5. The Apostle Paul kept it and other Christians Acts 13.14 15 16 37 42 43 44 chap. 16.13 14. chap. 17.2 and we are to imitate them 2 Cor. 11.1 Phil. 3.17 Heb. 6.12 Blessed is the man that doth this and the sonne of man which layeth hold on it and keepeth the Sabbath from polluting of it Isay 56.3 4 5 6. CHAP. V. Severall Authors produced which affirme the Church changed the Sabbath and why they did it 2. Three Reasons given to manifest when it was done 3. Answers given to severall texts of Scripture urged to prove the first day of the weeke to be of a divine Institution 4. Four Reasons given to manifest it is not of a divine Institution EVident it is that in some tract of time after the death of the Apostles the Romish Church layd aside the duty of the seventh day-Sabbath and observed the first day of the weeke instead of it Of this Socrates gives us notice lib. 5. chap. 21. Where speaking of Customes he saith Though in manner all Christian Churches throughout the whole world doe celebrate and receive the holy misteries every Sabbath day after other Yet the people inhabiting Alexandria and Rome of an old tradition doth not use it The Aegyptians adjoyning to Alexandria together with the Inhabitants of Thebaes use to celebrate on the Sunday c. 2. Mr. Brabourn in the defence of the Sabbath against the ten Ministers page 481 declares out of the Centuries Centure 4. chap. 6. page 477. layeth it down thus There was no Ecclesiasticall or Church Assemblies at Rome as there was at other Churches c. 3. Iustin Martyr living in Rome in the yeare 150. Apol. 2. saith Vpon the Sunday all of us assemble in the Congregation c. See Dr. Hylyn on the Sabbath part 2 chap. 2 sect 6. 4. Athenasius saith The observation of the Lords day was taken up by a voluntary usage in the Church as Dr. Hylyn in his history on the Sabbath declareth part 2. chap 1. Sect. 3. page 8. 5. Mr. Perkins on Gal 4. verse 10. speaking of the superstition of the popish Church in observation of holy dayes saith First besides the Lords day they appointed many other Sabbaths c 6. Mr. Calvin in his Institutions lib. 2. chap 8. sect 33. saith The old Fathers not without choyce of their owne put in place of the Sabbath the day we call Sunday c. And a little after exhorteth us to follow the order by the Church apointed c. 7. Bullenger in his Book of godly Sermons page 140. saith They of the Primitive Church did change the Sabbath day least peradventure they should have seemed to imitate the Jewes and still to have retained their orders and ceremonie and made their assemblies and holy meetings on the first day of Sabbaths to wit the first day of the weeke called Sunday 8. John Frith Declare Bapt. page 96 saith Our Fathers which were in the beginning of the Church did abrogate the Sabbath to the intent that Christians might have an example of Christian Liberty and that they might know that neither the keeping of the Sabbath nor any other day is necessary That a day should be reserved in that the people might come together to heare the Word of God they ordained instead of the Sabbath which was Saturdy the next day following and although they might have kept Saturday with the Jewes as a thing indifferent yet did they much better to over set the day to a perpetuall memory that we are free and not bound to any day but that we may doe any worke to the pleasure of God and the profit of our Neighbour c. See Dr. White on the Sabbath page 5. 9. Mr. Tindals answer to Dr. Moore chap. 25. thus saith We be Lords over the Sabbath and may change it to munday or any other day as we see need or may make every tenth day holy day if we see cause why we may make two every weeke if it were expedient and one not enough to teach the people Neither was there any cause to change it from the Saturday then to put difference between us and the Jewes least we should become servants to the day after their superstition As Dr. White hath it Ibid. page 5. 10. Vrsinus on the Catti part 3. page 989. saith The Apostolicall Church to distinguish its selfe from the Jewish Synagogue c. Hath on good reason made choyce of the first day c. 11. Dr. Willet in his Comment on Exod. chap. 20. page 360. saith The Apostolique Church changed the holy day of rest from the seventh day to the first which is the Lords day in remembrance of our redemption by Christ 12. Dr. White on the Sabbath page 109. thus saith Although the Sunday or Lords day in the time of the Law was an ordinary working-day yet in the time under the Gospel the same is an holy day by a perpetuall Ordinance of the Catholique Church And in pag. 212 he saith It is apparent that Christian people made the Lords day of every week an ordinary Holy-day c. See also Dr. Prideaux on the Sabbath pag. 24. Sect. 6. I hasten and shall take further occasion to manifest by larger Testimonies that the first day of the weeke is not of a Divine Institution but an Ordinance of the Church But first I will briefly describe the time when it was done as near as I can I confesse I have not met with any Author which hath pointed out the time except Mr. Brabourne who in defence of the Sabbath pag. 485. speaking of the Counsell held at Laodicea Anno 364. he saith now the Sabbath began to be rejected and the Lords day to be set up as the sole Sabbath without any other Now saith he the Lords day must forsooth be preferred above the Sabbath c. Mr. Perkins in his Exposition on the Revelation Chap. 1. vers 10. moveth a question to know who changed the Jewish Sabbath and then his answer is thus It is commonly thought saith he the Jewish Sabbath was changed into the Lords day by Christian Emperours long after the Ascension of Christ c. I doe not much dissent from these mens apprehensions for there is much truth no doubt in both their expressions yet I am not fully of of their opinions for indeed I conceive it was first contrived yea and concluded on inclusively though not expressed in the first Nicen Counsell Anno 326. or thereabout and my Reasons are three The first Reason is because before that Counsell there was not any Law which commanded Christians to keep the first day of the week in performance of Religious worship neither before that time were Christians commanded to forbear labour on the Lords day But this was done by the Emperour Constantine his Edict after the Counsell was dissolved Eusebius in the life of Constant Lib. 4. Chap. 18.19 The second Reason is because after that Counsell was dissolved Constantine sent
to doe well Isa 1.16 17. For their obtaining of grace here and glory hereafter For the worke of Righteousnesse is Peace and the effect of Righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 And so I conclude with the saying of Solomon Eccles 12.13 14. Let us heare the conclusion of all Fear God and keep his Commandements it is the whole duty of man CHAP. VI. A refutation of the opinion of those which affirm there is no Sabbath day whereon Christians are to abstain from corporall labour As also their saying that holy walking every day is the keeping of the Christian Sabbath I Shall not need to be large in this particular by reason I have already proved that the seventh day to wit Saterday is the Sabbath which Christians ought to keep holy to the Lord and to abstain from servill work on it therefore I shall be brief These men following the generall notion that the seventh day Sabbath is abrogated and finding no other day instituted in the new Testament in its stead for a day of publick worship they conclude all dayes are alike to those that are in Christ and no one day to be observed above another apprehending the Apostle affords them such a liberty Rom. 14.6 From whence they infer they are not oblieged to the observation of the seventh dayes Sabbath but that they have liberty to doe common work thereon Great is their errour herein the Lord disclose it unto them for doubtlesse the Apostles meaning was farre from theirs for they shall never be able to prove that ever the Apostle gave Christians liberty to walk in disobedience to the morall law the docalogue And therefore it cannot be that where the Apostle saith he that observeth a day observeth it to the Lord and he that observeth not the day obserueth it not to the Lord That he spake of rhe seventh day-Sabbath there is not a word of any such thing nor any sound of any such meaning that the Apostle had And therefore it must be that he spake of observing a day for acting common or indifferent things and not in keeping the Sabbath or not keeping of it and that for the avoiding of these absurdities If the seventh day-Sabbath be abrogated and no other day of rest instituted in its stead then there is one holy day lesse then God in the beginning instituted and one working day more a very absurd thing for any so to affirme Yea that which followeth thereon is worse viz. That God is lesse mercifull to man and beast since our Saviour suffered death then he was before In that before he suffered death hee afforded man and beast a day of rest to refresh their bodies after their wearisome and toylsome labour And since he came and suffered death he hath not afforded them any at all These things suiteth not with Gods ordering providence therefore to say there is no day of rest is an errour These men doe also apprehend the seventh day-Sabbath figured out to us faith in Christ Hebr. 4.3 because the Apostle saith We which have believed doe enter into rest From whence they conclude that when men beleeve they have that sanctification in Christ of which the Sabbath was a signe If it be granted or if it could be proved that the seventh day-Sabbath was a signe of our sanctification in Christ It will not therefore follow that when men beleeve they are discharged from the duty of observing it unlesse it can be proved a ceremoniall precept also the reason is because a sign properly or simply differeth from a ceremony and that shall thus appeare Ceremoniall Sabbaths spoken of Levit. 23 Col. 2.16 17. which God gave to the Isralites to be a signe that the Lord sanctified them Exod. 31.13 Ezek. 20.12 being signes and ceremonies was taken away by Christ and nailed to his Crosse of this kinde of signes was Circumcision Gen. 17.11 and the Passover Exod. 12.13 But signes which were not ceremoniall being given of God remaineth to the end of the world Gen. 1.14 chap. 9.13 Mat. 24.29 And in this sence indeed the seventh dayes-dayes-Sabbath is a signe Exod 31.17 But not as a signe in relation to a figurative ceremony Again the seventh dayes-Sabbath which was given to be a signe that God made Heaven and Earth in six dayes c. was wrought in Tables of stone But the Sabbath which was given to be a signe that the Lord sanctified them was not Therefore although these Sabbaths were abrogated it is no argument to prove the other was abrogated also Secondly These men which will have no Sabbath in that sence which the fourth Commandement requireth namely to abstaine from servile labour on the seventh day doe apprehend their ceasing from sinne and growing in grace every day is the true keeping of the Christian Sabbath and not ceasing from labour any one day if it cannot with conveniency be omitted Answ I doe very well approve of a holy walking every day both for mortifying of sin and grouth in godlinesse and doe heartily desire there may be a daily progresse therein by us all But I must tell them as the truth is their holy devotion in the way they intend doth not discharge them of any duty that God requirerh of them by his Holy Law the Decalogue and willing I am that they should know it to And therefore I desire to know of them whether Gods people before Christ suffered death were not to walke holy every day as well as we If yea as doubtlesse they did But had they omitted the duty of the seventh dayes rest could they have been said to have walked holy every day Oh no they could not Even so it standeth with men ever since our Savtours death for the same Law which bound the Israelites to keep a holy rest on the seventh day bindeth Christians now as hath been shewn pag. 34. 35. Therefore surely men doe deceive themselves to thinke they walk holy every day when they doe directly contrary to the Law of God on the seventh day Yea I say albeit they cannot find any of the ancient six working dayes instituted nor commanded in the Gospel to be a day for performance of publick worship yet they may find Gods ancient Sabbath in the Law where he commandeth them to keep the seventh day holy unto the Lord whereon they are not to doe servile work Exod. 20. Deut. 5. It being so I desire that we may imploy it in his worship and service and not after our owne wills either for pleasure or profit but that we call the Sabbath a delight to consecrate it as glorious to the Lord and honour him not doing our owne wayes nor seeking our owne wills nor speaking a vaine word This is the Sabbath to be observed Isa 58.13 And this let us doe for whosoever keepeth the whole Law and faileth in one point is guilty of all Jam. 2.10 11. Mat. 5.19 Yea certaine it is Whosoever turneth away his eare from hearing the Law his Prayer