any not wilfully averse from the truth the change of the tense in the two reasons Moses speaking of Gods giving of Manna because it was at this time given whilst the people were in the wildernesse of Zin Exod. 16. 1. saith in the present tense Dat vobis he giveth you in the sixth day the bread of two dayes but speaking of the Sabbath he uttereth the words in the preterperfect tense Jehovah dedit vobis ipsum Sabbatum The Lord hath given to you the Sabbath as that same which was of old which evidently declareth the Sabbath to have beene before this time and not now at this present in this place instituted For if it had beene now at this time given as the Manna was Moses would have said he giveth you the Sabbath and not he hath given it Having thus answered this place of Exod. 16. yet one thing remaineth to be removed as a great block in the way which is the silent passing over the observation of the Sabbath from the Creation till the rayning of Manna and therefore they are bold to conclude from a meere Negative that there was no observation of the Sabbath Answ 1. I have proved the institution Gen. 2. 3. which is enough to prove that they ought to have observed which if they did not was sin in them but the reverence we owe to those holy men of God bindeth us to think better of them than so 2. I have shewed my reasons why wee are to bee perswaded that the Sabbath was kept of them of more force to confirme this assertion than such a weak argument from the bare silent passing it over historically can bee of any validity to refell it For as the historicall narration of Moses speaketh nothing of the observation of the day after the institution of it so we may finde after it was commanded on Mount Sinai that no mention is made of any observation of the day in all the book of Joshua nor in the book of the Judges nor in Ruth nor in the first or second of Samuel nor in the first book of the Kings shall we therefore conclude that in all this time valiant Joshua the Princes of the people the worthy Judges holy Samuel zealous David and others did not observe the Sabbath In all the History of Hester no mention is made of God will we therefore say hee was not then knowne or worshipped of Mordecai Hester and the religious Jewes God by his spirit directed the holy Penmen to write so in such manner and of such things as he in his heavenly wisdome thought fittest to make rehearsall of to posterities and not to embolden men to deny such and such things not to have beene because the Lord was not pleased to mention them If we should thus reason what an ill face of a Church would we imagine to have beene in the world till Moses his dayes For the better clearing of this point and to manifest the absurd and impious reasoning from the silence of Scripture in this sort I will divide the times from the Creation till Moses and then let men see the silent passing over of many things and whether men dare to deny the observation of the Sabbath upon that only very selfe same ground 1. From the Creation to the fall how long is uncertain the Story is only in two chapters and no more In this space is not one word of Adams worshipping of God not a word of any holy duties practised May we think therefore he performed no such thing to God If we be ashamed so to conclude from the silence of the Scripture herein why dare any deny Adams observation of the Sabbath upon no other ground seeing he knew it to be instituted and had Gods example of resting before him for his imitation But yee will perhaps say that Adam could not keep it because he fell before the Sabbath day Answ Learned Zanchius is confident to affirme that Christ took an humane shape and conferred with Adam and taught him how to keep the Sabbath to the Lord. And it seemes to me somewhat unlikely that God would suffer Adam to fall the very day of his creation First Adam was made the sixth day what time is not noted let it be in the morning it cannot be then first because of the things to be done before he fell 1. All sorts of beasts and foules were brought to him to name them every severall sort according to their natures which took up some time 2. He was cast into a deepe sleepe 3. A rib was taken out of his side and thereof the woman was made 4. The Lord brought her to Adam and married them who spake of her and of the conjunction of man and wife 5. God put them into Paradise to dresse the Garden and gave them a Commandement all which took up some space of time Secondly in respect of the time of the temptation the Serpents comming into the Garden then the conference betweene him and Eve and after betweene Eve and Adam the temptation was not so suddenly begun and ended as the shortnesse of the Story may seeme to intimate Thirdly the things done after the fall 1. A confused shame of face to see themselves naked 2. Their sowing leaves to cover their nakednesse 3. Their hiding themselves which was in the coole of the day 4. Their examination and answer and then the sentence after upon all Fourthly and lastly the casting of them forth of Paradise All which may give us to think that these things could not well happen upon his day of creation 2. It is not likely that Eve would so suddenly straggle from her husbands company and so immediately to be set upon by the Serpent as soone as they were in the Garden 3. They could not conceive of the excellency of their state of perfection nor of the efficacy of Gods blessed image and likenesse in them if they had enjoyed no time for the expression thereof For what time could they have had together to discerne of each others excellency to contemplate upon Gods creatures to behold their glorious habitation and to praise God for his goodnesse if they had fallen the same day 4. The words of Gods approbation of all his works he saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Gen. 1. 31. which approbation he gave of them at the end of the sixth day For upon the words written by Moses of Gods seeing all things very good he addeth and the Evening and the Morning was the sixth day that is the day naturall was finished for so the words are to be understood of every of the other five dayes verse 5. 8. 13. 19. 23. Now God speaking in the end of the sixth day so well of all his works if Adam had fallen on that day and God had cursed the earth for mans sin how could it be said that hee saw every thing good when through the sin of man all things on a sudden came to be
doe celebrate it as a memoriall of the beginning of a new Creation Yea ob excellentiam tanti miraculi propriè In Ps 23. dies Dominica appellatur saith another And indeed the work of the day is the ground saith Bishop Lakes of the hallowing In Tâ—esis 46. 43. 45. of the day whether it be weekly monthly or yeerly as particulars evince in Scriptures and Stories now when God doth any rare great and remarkeable workes hee will be honoured with a Commemoration day for that work if the work concerne the whole by the whole Church and by a part if it concerne a part by which practice or work Gods will is understood which guideth the Church where the ☞ precept is wanting This is a sacred rule observeable in the institution of all sacred Feasts both divine and humane saith that Father Now God raising Christ from the dead upon the first day of the week this remarkable work was to have that day a day of Commemoration above and before all other 1 Because it was the first notable work of God immediately following the Jewish Sabbath which being to cease the next glorious work of God following must needs bee the ground of another Festivall and in stead of the other for it is a rule in mortality saith the reverend Father Bishop Lakes that none in reason can deny due respect unto the worke and therefore cannot deny the hallowing of the day to wit on which it was wrought 2 The raising up of Christ from the dead declared him mightily to bee the sonne of God Rom. 1. 4. God fulfilling hereby to the children the promise made to their Fathers hee being manifest thus to be the Sonne of God his begotten Sonne in the day of his resurrection as the Conquerour of hell death the power of the grave and of Satans Dominion Act. 13. 31. 32. 13. and preferred above men and Angels Heb. 1. 5. 3 This is the work above all others which the Scripture so often mentioneth for the Fathers glory in his Son in that he raised him up from the dead Rom. 1. 4. Gal. 1. 5. Act. 2. 24. 32. 3. 26 4. 10. 10. 40. and in many other Scriptures 4 This is it by which Jesus is made both Lord and Christ to sit upon the throne of David Act. 20. 30 31 36. 5 It is the work of our perfect redemption and full justification Rom. 4. 25. 6 This was the act which to beare witnesse of he principally chose his Apostles Act. 10. 41. 1. 22. which work the Apostles first taught to the Jewes Act. 2. and to the Gentiles Act. 10. and for which they first chiefly suffered 7 This is the act on which dependeth all our comfort and without assurance whereof S. Paul telleth us his preaching was in vaine and our faith in vaine 1 Cor. 15. 14. and so our Christianitie nothing worth 8 This his resurection was to his Apostles and Disciples full of comfort and that which is most joyfull to all Christians for our justification Rom. 4. 25. as also for the hope of our eternall salvation 1 Pet. 1. 3. 3. 21. for if Christ had not risen wee had beene all in our sinnes 1 Cor. 15. 17. his birth his life his suffering had done us no good Therefore from the beginning hath the Church held this ever for the most remarkable work of Christ and to keep this day Festivall on which hee arose from the dead For that it being the most remarkable work of God next and immediately after the Jewish Sabbath as I said it required a Festivall and that within the space of a week within which space God from the creation reserved a day to himselfe and it s not fit that under the Gospel so glorious a work of our redemption by Christs resurrection for the restauration of the world should be more seldome remembred upon a set day then was the work of creation of the world before and under the Law CHAP. VIII Of the divers opinions concerning the beginning and ending of the Lords day and wherein conscience may rest it selfe THere are divers opinions about the beginning and ending of this our Christian Sabbath Some hold it from midnight to midnight this is the judgement of very learned Divines some say it beginneth in the Morning and so holdeth on till the next Morning not many of this opinion as being weakest and farthest from the truth Some hold it to begin at the Evening and to end at the Evening and of this judgment are many ancient Fathers and sundry Councels And the ancient observation of the Saturday in the afternoone as a preparative thereto may seeme to confirme as much But I am perswaded if we keep the day from the Morning to the Evening the consciences of men neede not trouble them about any other curious search So that there be a religious preparation to it and a religious care in ending of it not rushing into it with unsanctified hearts nor concluding it with profanesse For the nights are given for bodily rest and the day for labour as the Psalmist speaketh When the Sunne ariseth man goeth forth to his labours and work untill the Evening Psal 104. 22. 23. When the night commeth no man can work saith our Saviour Joh. 9. 4. Now a day for labour amongst the Jewes was twelve houres Joh. 11. 9. from six to six Matt. 20. 1. 2. 8. but otherwise it was from the beginning of the Morning light Gen. 1. 5. to the darke of the Evening Judg. 10. 9. 14. 16. Joh. 8. 29. Prov. 7. 9. And wee see in the fourth Commandement that albeit as it is held a naturall day doth comprehend the night and day yet is that time only mentioned in which men are to labour and to doe all that they have to doe in the six dayes which is on the day time and not in the night And so as they do well who labour painfully and honestly in the day light and take the night for their quiet repose and rest in the six dayes In like manner do they well who religiously serve the Lord Christ in the light of the day though the night before and the night after they thankfully take benefit of the same for corporall rest Neither doe we read that any were complayned of or punished as breakers of the Sabbath but for their transgression and sinne committed in the day time Our Saviour Christ honoured this our Lords day with his visible presence among his Disciples and followers on the day time At the Sun rising early in the morning Mark 16. 2. 9. then after in the afternoone continuing till the day was farre spent towards the Evening Luk. 24. 29. John 20. 19. upon the same day at supper time yea I confesse it is probable to bee somewhat late within the Evening and that space properly called the beginning of the night but not farre within And wee read how the Jewes on the day time kept their Sabbath
A Threefold TREATISE OF THE SABBATH distinctly divided into The PATRIARCHALL SABBATH MOSAICALL SABBATH CHRISTIAN SABBATH For the better clearing and manifestation of the truth in this Controversie concerning the weekly Sabbath By Richard Bernard Rectour of Batcombe Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy Exod. 20. 8. as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee Deut. 5. 12. LONDON Printed by Richard Bishop for Edward Blackmore and are to bee sold at the signe of the Angel in S. Pauls Church-yard 1641. To the right Honourable the Lords Temporall in the High Court of Parliament To the Honourable the Knights Citizens and Burgesses in the House of Commons more especially To the Grand Committee for Religion To the Committee for the Remonstrance To the Committee for Ministers maintenance and suppression of scandalous Ministers more particularly To the Knights and Burgesses of Somerset-shire or Parliament-men dwelling in that County namely Sir JOHN PAULETT Knight Sir WIL. PORTMAN Baronet Sir JOHN STOWELL Knight of the Bath Sir RALPH HOPTON Knight of the Bath Sir FRANCIS POPHAM K. Sir EDWARD RODNEY K. Sir PETER WROTH K. Mr. DIGBY Mr. POPHAM Mr. LUTTERILL Mr. BASSET Mr. SMITH Mr. PHELIPS Mr. PYNE Mr. HUNT Mr. KIRTON Mr. SEARLE Mr. JOHN ASHE Right Honourable Lords and you the Honourable Assembly of the House of Commons THere hath been no Christian Church beyond the seas departed from Rome which hath given so much honourable respect unto the Lords day our Christian Sabbath as wee here in this our flourishing Kingdome and Nation And it was our glory so to honour the Lord Christ and it will be our great unhappinesse to faile in this our Christian duty so confirmed by Scripture and the generall practice of all true worshippers of his glorious name throughout the whole Christian world the space of these sixteene hundred yeares Yet in this our time and of late dayes are stepped up among us certaine vaine men prophane enough who have attempted to deprive Christ Jesus of his glory in the religious observation of this day grounded upon his glorious Resurrection and us of our spirituall consolation in keeping an whole day set apart for his worship and service For this end books upon books have beene written and by licence passed the Presse to take away the morallity of the fourth Commandement never in any age heretofore doubted of to make also people beleeve that our Christian Sabbath hath no warrant from thence and that it is not of divine institution but alterable from that first day of the week equallizing their devised holy-dayes with it and allowing also the like vaine sports upon this day as upon the other dayes calling such as religiously set the whole day apart for holy uses Sabbatarians and Iudaizers thus reproaching and in their sense belying those that more truly honour Christ than they doe And that they might securely go on in these their prophane errours without controule and perswade the more inconsiderate sort that what they have written are truths and unanswerable they have stopped the meanes of printing sound Antidotes to their empoysoned propositions whereupon they have beene bold to insult over godly orthodox Divines with too many words of insolency scorne and much contempt which they have borne with great patience waiting the Lords leisure till he should bee pleased in his good time to give liberty for the publishing of their learned labours which have of long time lien by them And now blessed be God the time is come the way is made open by your honourable wisdomes goodnesse power and authority for godly and learned men to discover the vaine boastings and the folly of those evill ones to the view of all Some of ours proceed polemically and have made answer fully to the best esteemed of those prophane writers Some only write positively to discover the truth and to make it knowne in a plaine way that the meanest capacity may bee rightly enformed This way have I taken in this threefold Treatise humbly craving pardon for my bold presumption in presenting to your honourable view these my weak endeavours But the cause is Christs and so deserves acceptation and promotion God hath appointed you at this time as his worthiest and meetest instruments for this end I cannot therefore seek for other Patrons in exalting the honour of Christ which by these men hath been so dishonoured and his people so abused For the redresse whereof as you have nobly begun so to proceed on to do ever valiantly in the best service of your God there shall not be wanting the hearty and earnest prayers of Your humble Servant and Suppliant RICHARD BERNARD London March 26. 1641. Faults to be corrected PAge 3. line 21. for grant read ground pag. 50. l. 24. for raigne read raine pag. 57. l. 12. for no read only pag. 59. l. 12. for to read by pag. 71. l. 6. for fourtum read quartum pag. 73. l. 31. dele before pag. 78. l. 28. for John read Josua pag. 95. l. 22. set and after the word rest pag. 127. l. 21. for plaucit read placuit The rest of the escapes I pray the Gentle Reader to correct The Contents of the Patriarchall Sabbath SECTION 1. OF the first Sabbath and why called Patriarchall SECT 2. Of the conceit of an Anticipation or Prolepsis and what it is SECT 3. Arguments against this Anticipation or Prolepsis SECT 4. Of another conceit concerning Destination and what it is also confuted SECT 5. Of the true understanding of the words in Gen. 2. 3. SECT 6. That in Gen. 2. 3. is the Institution of the Sabbath SECT 7. The Institution was binding and required the observation of the Sabbath from the beginning SECT 8. The Sabbath was observed of Gods people before the Law given at Mount Sinai OF THE PATRIARCHALL SABBATH AND THE ORIGINALL THEREOF Gen. 2. 3. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it SECTION I. Of the first Sabbath and why called Patriarchall IN these words is the institution of the Sabbath before the Law given on Mount Sinai I call it the Patriarchall Sabbath because it was known and observed of the holy Fathers of Adam and of the other Patriarkes till Moses and Israel received the Law And to distinguish it from the Mosaicall and Christian Sabbaths of which in the two Treatises following Some there be and more of late than heretofore that do deny the Sabbath to be here instituted Because say some of them for they be not all of one minde that Moses delivered the words by a figure called Anticipation or Prolepsis Other some that they be words of destination that in time to come the seventh day should be blessed and sanctified to Israel for the Sabbath day and so the words not to be taken for a present Institution of the Sabbath day then So the Question is whether the Sabbath day in this place of Genesis hath its first ground and establishment and here its first institution Many of the Ancients some of the
Adam of his work of creation and of the space he did take to create all things in to wit in six dayes for Adam could not know that God had made the world in six dayes except God had so informed him and not acquaint him with the use of the seventh day also 2 Can we imagine that God distinguishing the seventh from the other six yet would leave it for use in common with the six for so long a time Can wee think that Gods work in six dayes put men into the present possession and use of the six dayes and his rest on the seventh day not afforded unto them the present use thereof 4 Can we suppose in any reason that the Sabbath day was only needfull to the Israelits in the Wildernesse and of no use to Gods people and Church before the Floud nor after till those dayes There are other reasons which are brought out by some for this Destination but they are without any waight of reason Reason 1. THere is no Historicall narration of the observation of the day Answ Yes the observation of the Sabbath is mentioned and plainly witnessed Exod. 16. 30. Reason 2. THere was no Commandement given to Adam concerning his resting upon the day 1 Answ There was no Commandement for whole six dayes working but only Gods example propounded for imitation 2 This reason concludeth not a Destination of the day till Moses his dayes nor any Destination at all for 3 It was needlesse to give to Adam any Commandement affirmative in his state of innocency because he was filled with great wisdome with holinesse righteousnesse and uprightnesse and it was enough for him to see Gods example of rest as a pattern before him to make him to follow him for he could not but know by his excellent wisdome and knowledge that God was to be imitated and hee bound to take his example for imitation Hee also knew that God blessed and sanctifled the day not for himselfe to keep it holy but for man Reason 3. IT is repugnant to the opinion of the Doctors of the Church that God imposed upon Adam in his innocency any more positive precepts but one which was that of the forbidden fruit 1 Answ This reason concludeth not the Destination It followeth not that in Gen. 2. 3. there is a Destination because Doctors hold only one positive precept given to Adam for the plaine narration hath not its dependance upon either one or more precepts given of God to Adam 2 This argument imployeth that the words in Gen. 2. 3. should be a Commandment or else needs must they afford a Destination but though it should be granted that there is no Commandment yet the simple narration of the truth of Gods resting then and his blessing and sanctifying the seventh day preventeth the Conceit of any future Destination Reason 4. THat the Law of the fourth Commandment was not agreeable to the state of innocency Answ The Circumstances of the fourth Commandment to men as they stood under the fall and as the Law was given to the people to rest their men and maid-servants sons and daughters with cattell and stangers after toylesome labour could not agree with Adams state of innocency but the fourth Commandment to keep holy the Sabbath day might be agreeable to Adam in innocency 1. It would and did well agree with Adam to be an Imitator of God but God rested on that day and was refreshed Exo. 31. 17. Therefore it was no whit disagreable to Adams innocency to rest after the example of the Lord his God and to keep a Sabbath 2. Adam was to work six dayes though his labour was delightsome and not toylesome in imitation of God and therefore to rest the seventh day because God did so This is reason enough if no more can be said for it For albeit Adam toyled not his bodie with payn and sweat yet his mind was attent to his weekly bussinesse while he laboured and six dayes were destinated to his labour but now on the seventh day his bodie was altogether freed from all labour and his minde also from attending to it and the whole man set apart for an holy rest unto the Lord which befitted him well 3. Though on the other dayes he served God yet neither the dayes nor he on those dayes were immediatly consecrated to God as this day was and held also for holy duties and to attend upon God immediatly who in that happy estate did in a visible apparition manifest himself to him And what know we what Adam did and should have heard learned and seen from God on that day I may think it should have been such matter as might be agreeable enough to that his estate of innocency 4. Adams perfection of knowledge in holynesse and righteousnesse with uprightnesse and innocency of life did furnish him with matter of heavenly Contemplation and made him bold to present himself before God in a speciall manner that day and was fitted to spend the rest of that day in heavenly meditations who prepared himself and strengthened his faith in the assurance of eternall life in heaven whither he should have been translated in Gods appointed time for eternall life was promised from the worlds beginning Titus 1. 2. whereof the Tree of life was a Sacrament as the Fathers and other learned men do hold So that in this regard the seventh day a Sabbath to the Lord agreed right well to his estate in innocency 5. If the day was blessed and sanctified of God which must needs be granted if the Anticipation and Destinations bee removed then a blessed and sanctified day agreed well to his holy and blessed state of innocencie not any jarre or unfittingnesse comming betweene 6 The day of Gods resting was not only exemplary to Adam but to all Adams seed had he and they abode in innocencie Now then all men labouring the six dayes had it beene unagreeable to their holinesse and innocencie to have bestowed the seventh day in meditations heavenly contemplations praysing God in the beautie of his creatures and the like This surely would have stood with the very highest degree of their excellencies in their state of perfection 7 And lastly Adam had on him as all men should have a double calling one for his body his particular calling in the duties of righteousnesse for which he was allowed six dayes and another for his soule his generall calling to be performed in duties of holinesse for which the seventh day was ordained So that in this respect a seventh day Sabbath was not disagreeable to the state of innocency Reason 5. THe most ancient primitive Fathers as Iustine Martyr Tertullian Irenaeus affirm that none of the Patriarches living before Moses observed a Sabbath Therefore in Gen. 2. 3. is a Destination for future time 1. Answ There be as many Fathers who affirm the contrary and also Jewish Rabbies 2. Affirmations are not to be rested on but the proofes produced 3. Those Fathers are to be
men for profanation of the Sabbath and the contempt of that his holy institution Here I might annex the Patriarch Noah his observation of the number of seven againe and againe in sending out the Dove Gen. 8. 10. 12. and likewise being come out of the Arke in his sacrificing an acceptable offering to God on the seven and twentieth day of the Month in which hee came forth Gen. 8. 14. 20. 25. like enough to bee the observation of the first Sabbath in the new world so let me conceive it till any can shew me plainely the contrarie Howsoever it was we see the number of seven was observed herein by him as being mindfull of the seventh day of Gods resting and sanctifying it for a Sabbath For I would faine know why the number of seven should bee so observed of God and holy men not only by Noah but by Abraham in some cases except it were to minde them of Gods seventh day the first time of the mention of seventh which God so blessed and sanctified in making the seventh day his resting day As for the conceit of perfection in the number of seven I conceive it to bee without ground of Scripture except with relation to Gods seventh day blessed and sanctified 4 Saint Paul in Heb. 4. speaketh of Gods rest on the seventh day when God finished his work and of the participation of that rest as Bishop Lakes saith two wayes Typically and Spiritually the first by Ioshua giving the Israelites rest in Canaan and the second by Christ a rest from sinne here and a spirituall blessednesse hereafter The Apostle telleth us that an entrance was made into the seventh daies rest instituted by God when hee had finished his work and rested thereon into which man entred and rested as also did the Israelites into the Typicall rest by Ioshua and so doe the Israelites of God into the spirituall rest by Jesus Christ Now as wee Christian beleevers doe partake of our rest and as the Israelite beleevers enjoyed the Typicall rest so did the holy Patriarches and Fathers enjoy the seventh day Sabbaths rest and kept that rest for to what purpose else is that first rest mentioned 5 Genebrad in his Chron. saith that the Hebrewes held that Noah and the rest of the Fathers did keep the Sabbath once sanctified by God and citeth Rabbi Iohai Pater Rabbi Simeonis Rabbi Moses Hadarsan and Rabbi Salomò Aben Esra on Exod. 20. is also of this judgement 6 It is most cleare that God gave to the holy men of God his Lawes to live by his Charge his Commandements his Statutes and his Lawes and they observed them so it is said of Abraham the prime Patriarch who also was acquainted therewith Gen. 26. 5. The godly were followers of good things walking with God Gen. 5. 22. and 6. 9. They vexed at the sinfull courses of men 2 Pet. 2. 8. 9. They preached against their impieties Iude 14. 15. 1 Pet. 3. 20. and God threatned destruction to the world therefore Gen. 6. 3 7. and accordingly did destroy them Gen. 7. 19. Now if God gave his Lawes and reproved sinne and punished sinne would hee amongst these his Lawes the particulars whereof are not mentioned suffer his first institution his blessed and sanctified seventh day Sabbath to bee unthought of and to bee neglected May wee reasonably think that the godly having received other Lawes and observed and kept them as the Text sayth they did that they would carelessely omit to observe this institution of the Sabbath amongst those his Lawes Statutes and Commandements 7 Before any feast mentioned by Gods appointment Moses and Aaron and the Elders of the people Exod. 3. 18. could speak of a feast to be kept unto the Lord before Pharaoh Exod. 5 1. on which they were to offer sacrifices unto the Lord verse 3. Now what Festivall day could this bee but the seventh day Sabbath for as yet no other Festivalls were instituted Therefore how ever it was that in Egypt perhaps in time of their cruell bondage and only towards the end of it they could not observe the Sabbath this hinders not to apply it to the Sabbath because Moses spake to Pharaoh in the terme of a Feast and Sacrifice because it was better understood of Pharaoh than if peradventure hee had mentioned the name Sabbath which they might keep in Egypt in the dayes of those Kings which knew Ioseph before the extremity of their bondage 8 The fourth Commandement and all words thereto added telleth us that the Sabbath day was kept holy before the time that it was written in the Tables of Stone First the prefixed Memento telleth us so much that it was before observed and God would still have it carefully kept for the Memento hath respect unto the time past Secondly the manner of this delivery of this Commandement may perswade us to this for the other Commandements are uttered imperatively so as they inforce the dutie as in the fifth Commandement Honour thy Father and Mother the duty charged is Honour and in the other Commandements the sin is forbidden as Thou shalt not take my name in vaine Thou shalt doe no murther and so of the rest But now in the fourth Commandement the Lord falleth not upon the maine of the precept as to say keep holy the Sabbath day but the imperative speech is laid upon the word Remember saying Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy cleane otherwise than in any other of the rest of the precepts and the reason hereof is for that hee had before instituted it and it had been before observed of the Israelites as in the next reason is clearely proved Therefore hee sayth not keep holy the Sabbath as now instituted but thus Remember to keep holy the Sabbath as if hee had said as it hath been before observed of you and still to bee kept holy Thirdly all the principall words annexed to the Commandement tell us of no new thing then imposed but what was well enough known and made use of before as first six dayes for labour they were allowed before Exod. 16. 4. 5. Secondly the seventh day to be the Sabbath this also in plain words Moses had taught them Exod. 16 23. 26. Thirdly of the Lord their God which they knew from Abrahams dayes Gen. 17. 7. and by Moses in Egypt Exod. 6. 7. Fourthly That in it they should not doe any manner of work this they were forewarned of Exod. 16. 29. and some were reproved for offending vers 28. Fiftly that in six dayes God made heaven and earth c. This was evident of old time unto the Fathers Gen. 24. 3. 7. And lastly that hee rested the seventh day blessed and hallowed the Sabbath Gods owne words of the institution Gen. 2. 2. 3. So that we see it clear from the fourth Commandement and the words thereto annexed that this Law was known practised before it was given in Horeb. 9 And lastly to make up all sure Moses telleth us in
all confesse But this precept is not abrogated by Christ but rather established Matth. 5. 17 18. who hath ordained us another rest day in stead of the former seventh day to uphold the Commandement SECTION XXIV The fourth Commandement is a perpetuall Precept THis Commandement to be one of Gods precepts is undenyable but some hold it not durable To leave the ambiguity of the tearm Morall nor yet wholly to tye my self to the word Naturall I will hold my self to the word Durable or Perpetuall That this precept is a perpetuall precept I thus prove I. The Lawes only for a time in Israel were either the Ceremoniall till Christ or the Politicall till the dissolution of the Common-weal of Israel But this precept and Law is neither of these And therefore a perpetuall Law II. Ten is the perpetuall number of Gods Commandements so delivered by God Deut. 4. 13. and 10. 4. So preserved by Moses so reckoned in all the Church of God to this day and by our Church as before I shewed But this is one of the Ten Therefore a perpetuall precept to uphold the number else should there not be Ten except with the Papists we could finde some other precept to cleave it in two to make up the number And the Ten Commandements being Gods Covenant Deut. 4. 13. we may not adde thereto nor take from it For mans Covenant being once confirmed no man disannulleth or addeth thereto Gal. 3. 15. may any then take from Gods Covenant if not then as this Covenant is perpetuall consisting of the number of Ten Commandements no fewer in the first Tables Deut. 4. 13. nor in the second Tables Exod. 34. 1. 28. nor more added Deut. 5. 22. Therefore this fourth Commandement one of them is perpetuall as is the Covenant it self III. That which God did make of equall dignity to all the other perpetuall precepts is perpetuall But God did every way make this Commandement equall in dignity with the rest for as the other were so was this 1. Commanded immediately at the same time with the same Majesty with the same terrour Exod. 20. 18 19. 2. With the same preface uttered under this title The Lord their God and with the same motive of their deliverance from Egypt Exod. 20. 1 2. 3 Written with the same finger of God at the same time in the same Tables of Stone twice over Exod. 31. 18. and 32. 16. and 34. 1. Deut. 10. 1. and 5. 22. 4. It s matter of one and the same Covenant of God Deut. 4. 13. and 9. 15. 5. It was ordained by Angells in the hand of a Mediator Gal. 3. 19. 6. It was put into the same Ark and preserved ever there with the rest Deut. 10. 5. 1 Kin. 8. 9. IV. That which Jesus Christ as God man or man God as Mediator is Lord of is perpetuall for what authoritie he so hath from his Father he never layeth it down unto the end of all things 1 Cor. 15. 24 28. But thus is Christ Lord of the Sabbath Matth. 12. 8. Therefore is it durable to the worlds end V. Its Gods Commandement made upon his own institution from the worlds beginning as I before have proved which institution of blessing and sanctifying the Sabbath day is upon Gods own work in six dayes and his resting on the seventh day giving to us the six and reserving unto himself the seventh unchangeably as appeareth by our taking possession of the six dayes for thousands of yeers Therefore the Commandement made upon the institution and the institution settled upon unchangeable grounds the Commandement must needs be perpetuall VI. That Commandement is perpetuall the breach whereof maketh us guilty of all the other perpetuall precepts and of the whole Law for this it could not do if it and they were not in an untyable link together But the breaking of this fourth Commandement in not keeping the Sabbath makes men guilty of the breach of the whole Law and of all the rest of the Commandements 1. Before the Law given at Mount Sinai Exod. 16. 27 28. where God doth charge them with the breach of his Commandements and Laws becaue they had broken the Sabbath 2. After the Law given for all the breach of the Lords Satutes and despising of his judgements are concluded with this They polluted my Sabbaths This doth the Prophet Ezechiel very often Ezech. 20. 12 13 21 24. and 22. 8. 26. As if the carefull observing of the Sabbath might have prevented all And no marvell for the hallowing of the Sabbath was a signe that they knew the Lord to be their Sanctifier Exod. 20. 12. 10. that they delighted in the Lord and honoured him Isai 58. 13 14. and that they took hold of the Covenant Isai 56. 6. 3. Vnder the Gospel Jam. 2. 10. where the Apostle maketh him that offendeth in one point guilty of all the whole Law Now if we not only break but take away this fourth Commandement we are guilty of the whole Law unlesse we can shew that God hath blotted out and repealed this Commandement out of his Law since he put it in if he have shew where if not then the Commandement remaineth and so in breaking it we offend against the whole Law VII This Commandement is perpetuall for that the observation of the things therein commanded are by Gods appointment in their use the publike practise and profession of the most necessary duties of the three former precepts and the publike upholding of the same For the and holy rest sanctification of the day being rightly imployed is in the publike profession of the true God the God of Israel as the first Commandement teacheth In our worshipping of this God as the second Commandement teacheth In the glorifying of his holy Name in the use of all his ordinances in Psalms of praises in meditation of all his works to take occasion of thanksgiving as the third Commandement doth teach So that in truth the keeping of this fourth Commandement is the publike upholding weekly of those Commandements the practice and profession of the principall duties thereof which be perpetuall as the Commandements themselves be If any say the Churches observation of this day from her own ordinance and other dayes by her appointment may supply the want of this Commandement though it be taken away But here being an immediate Commandement of God for this purpose once given with so great authority what reason is there to let this go and to rest upon an ordinance of lesse force to binde VIII That which the light of nature can finde out of it self for substance and easily will assent unto for the circumstance when it s holpen by due and right means that precept is naturall and then say I perpetuall I read not of any which deny this see Thomas Aquinas 1oe 2oe q. 110. Artic. 1. in the Conclusion whose words are summed in Master Dow his Discourse pag. 8. who doth approve of the proposition But this precept may be found out
Charles would have it observed Chap. 21. What Councells and Synods have decreed touching the observation of this day Chap. 22. What Popes the Canon Law Archibishops Bishops and other learned men have said concerning the hallowing of this day Chap. 23. God would have our Lords day religiously observed and not to be prophaned Chap. 24. Of exemplary judgements immediate from God against the prophaners of the Lords day Chap. 25. Of exemplary judgements mediate from God against the prophaners of the Lords day Chap. 26. Of examples of casuall judgements against the prophaners of the Lords day Chap. 27. Of objections which may be or are made against the producing of judgements in this case with answers thereto Chap. 28. Of the serious ponderation of these things Chap. 29. Concerning sports unlawfull at all times much more on the Lords day and why sports lawfull at other times are on this day to be forborne with some objections made and answers to the same It is the saying of S. Augustine Bonum est homini ut eum veritas vineat volentem Epist 174. To this agreeth a learned mans sentence Satius foret à veritate vinci nos quà m contra veritatem vincere posse alium Bucerus Author igitur hujus Tractatus quodcunque in co scripsit ut veritatis sincerè studiosus pro veritate non ut contentiosus quicquam contra veritatem scripsit A TREATISE OF THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH CHAP. I. The Preface shewing wherein wee generally consent and agree in one IT will not be amisse ere I enter upon the Treatise which for the honour of Jesus God blessed for ever I here undertake briefly to lay before the judicious a few things for feare of mistake while wee maintaine the observation of a set solemn day weekly for the worship of Christ and a Christian-like strickt keeping of it holy 1 Wee hereby reject the loose opinions of the Familists Anabaptists and wicked Libertines who would be free from any time of set solemn dayes for Gods publick service and worship contrary to the command of God under the Law and the constant custome of the Church under the Gospel among all Orthodox Christians in all places throughout the whole Christian world in all ages for these 1600 yeers so that saith Chemnitius it is barbarica petulantia In exam Trident Concil most rude impudencie barbarous folly as one translateth it not to observe that day with all due solemnity which hath so long time beene kept by the Church of God This witnesseth Ignatius Iohn the Apostles Disciple Iustine Martyr S. Augustine Tertullian Athanasius Maximus Tauronensis Dionysius Bishop of Corinth in an Epistle of his to Soter Bishop of Rome Against these Familists Anabaptists and Libertines hath written Vrsin in his Chatechisme Zanchie in his Oper. sex dierum and Master Rogers in his Display of the Family of Love 2 Wee renounce all Traskits and Brabornian errours in their points of Judaisme Against the Author of the first sort learned Bishop Andrews hath fully shewed himselfe by his speech in the Starre Chamber Against the later the late learned Bishop of Ely Doctor White hath written at large purposely to confute Brabornes Judaizing in standing for the Jewish Sabbath Against which tenent Musculus Vrsin and Bellarmine hath also written yea Hereticks as Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 26. Ephan de Haeres cap. 30. the Ebionits and Cerinthians holding this have been condemned as the Fathers witnesse The seventh day Sabbath from the Creation now called Saturday is changed and not under the Gospel to be observed of us as an holy day to the Lord. 3 Albeit we doe hold the fourth Commandement to be perpetuall yet we conceive it to be so without any of those See the former Treatise accessorie percepts delivered by Moses whereby though it was in it selfe originally not ceremoniall yet was it by the keeping of those precepts ceremoniously observed 4 As that Law required rest and the holy use of that rest to be imployed on that Sabbath day for the keeping of it holy so doth it now by analogie and proportion for the holy observation of our weekly Sabbath Rest wee doe hold necessary for the day yet not like the foolish superstitious rest of the later Jewes grounded on vaine Traditions confuted by Christ Nor doe we require it otherwise than a necessary meanes to further us to holy duties not as a worship of God in it selfe nor doe wee deny works to be done works of pietie and for pietie works of charity and those that be works of necessitie for all were allowed under the Law as in the other Treatise is proved Moreover wee account the day holy yet not for any inherent holinesse therein but for that it is set apart for holy uses And the difference betweene this and other solemn holy dayes dedicated to the honour of Christ we take to be that this is grounded on authoritie divine and unchangeable and so not the other yet to be observed with rest to religious duties as is ordeyned by the authority of the Church which is not at any time to be despised These things premised I suppose wee that desire for the honour of Jesus Christ that his day be solemnly kept none of ripe judgement will condemne us of Judaisme if they well understand either us or themselves hereafter A charitable interpretation would amend all which were to bee wished to quench the heat of contention by either ignorantly or wilfully misconceiving of us For we hold nothing but what hath beene held by Orthodox Divines the best and most in all ages as in the ensuing chapters of this Treatise framed to the capacitie of the common sort will clearly be made manifest CHAP. II. Of the title of Lords day and of the name Sunday THis terme of Lords day though none can deny it to belong to the day yet some few and but very few to shew perhaps more wit as they think to be able to say something to any thing than worth of matter do make it as it were doubtfull to understand what day should be meant by the Lords day in Revel 1. 10. But this place of Iohn hath generally beene expounded and taken for the day which wee now call Sunday the first day of the weeke by Aretas Andreas Caesariensis by Beda by out later Divines and by the suffrage of the De rat tempo cap. 6. Church the best Expositor of the word which day hath constantly since the time of the Apostle S. John been honoured with this name above all others under this it hath passed along in the writings of all the ancient Fathers in Councels in Histories Ecclesiasticall in Emperiall Constitutions and Edicts of Emperours and Kings Beda on S. Luke saith It is a Christian custome to call it the Lords day which custome hath continued hitherto in all reformed Churches And this name our King and State giveth it in Statute Lawes and Acts of Parliament and our Church in her Ecclesiasticall
bounds and limits of truth out of inconsiderate zeal are all others to be censured to be men of the same mould Brotherly love and Charitie cannot but be better Judges 2 We see it carrieth antiquity with it and hath had allowance for a long time in the Churches of Christ 3 It is our rest day and so indeed a Sabbath for the word Sabbath is nothing else but rest so the name well agreeth with the nature of the thing 4 This name best leadeth us to the duty of the day which is to cease from weekely works which are not works of piety works of charity nor works of necessity and to imploy our holy rest on this holy day in the publike worship and service of Christ and in other Christian duties as is very excellently set forth in our thirteenth Canon 5 Learned and holy Bishop Lakes saith in his Thesis that eternali rest was shadowed out in the first Sabbath which our Lords day continueth and is a fore-taste of our eternall rest and a shadow thereof as lasting as the world This being so it may well be called the Sabbath day 6 If the fourth Commandment hath any perpetuity in it for a weekly day to be kept and ours being a weekly resting day then it may be called a Sabbath the Commandment propounding such a day under the name of Sabbath 7 All holy dayes appointed by God besides the weekly Sabbath were called Sabbaths and that upon these reasons because on them they rested to perform holy duties and had a holy Convocation Now why may not our Lords day because of our rest to holy duties and for the publick assemblies on that day be so called Our Linwood out of Aquinas saith Dies Dominicus dici potest dies Sabbati quia est requies vacatio ad Deum 8 The very Gentiles gave the name of Sabbath to their Festivalls as the Learned have observed 9 Christ lesus is the Lord of the Sabbath not only as God but as he is God-man or Mediatour for so himselfe saith the sonne of man is Lord also of the Sabbath Mark 2. 28. Now this Lordship as he is Mediatour he never layeth down 1. Cor. 15. 24. 23 whilest the world doth last and therefore he claimeth and holdeth the Sabbath for his honour that all may with a Sabbath honour the sonne as they have honoured the Iohn 5. 27. Father 10 If our rest into which Christ hath brought us which is a ceasing from sinne be called the keeping of a Sabbath as it is Heb. 4. 9 10 11. Then may a certain set day be so called for that therein we do not only hear and learn how to attain to the spirituall rest but do especially on this day labour through Gods grace to expresse the performance of it in holy and spirituall exercises CHAP. V. In what circuit of time this day hath been kept to weet weekly with the Reason thereof THere is a time for all things saith Salomon and nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can be done but in time therefore must we needs have a time for the service of Christ which time is to be within the circuit of a week Saint Chrysostome telleth us from Gen. 2. 3. that God hath instructed us to set apart one day within the compasse of every week for spirituall exercises whereto agreeth our Reverend Hooker saying In his Eccl. Pol. pag. â—79 that we are bound to account the sanctification of one day in seven a duty which Gods immutable Law doth exact for ever Of this judgement saith Bishop White are divers Divines Cyted by Mr. sprim on the Sab. pag. 17. and 34. many of good note in the Church of God as Junius on Gen. 2. with others whereto may be added Learned Zanchius on the fourth Commandment who saith that one day of seven all men are to consecrate to the externall worship of God Pope Alexander said that both the old and new Testament Cyted by D. Heâ—â—inca 5. p. 2 depute the seventh day to rest Our Church in the Homily of Prayer teacheth us that Gods will and Commandment was to have a solemn and standing day in the week wherein the people should come together But what need I seek herein for consent when the whole Christian Church hath this 1600 yeers kept within this proportion of time which Custome is a Law for saith Saint Augustine Mos populi Dei instituta S. Aug ep c. 86. Majorum pro legetenenda sunt Now this observation of a day within a week is from Gods institution before the Law from the Creation who Gen. 2. having set down the dayes of a week took one within the Exo. 20. circuit of the week for his publick worship which he also commanded his people to observe under the Law both which hath been proved in the two former Treatises Now for the finding of proportion of time who can better proportion it for himself than God himself That is the fittest that can be imagined Nature cannot but acknowledge his wisdom and goodnesse in his choyce saith Master Dow. Hence is it no doubâ— that Peter Martyr said that one day of a week be consecrated pag. 24. 25. In loc Com. ca 7 to Gods worship is an ordinance of perpetuall force and Reverend Bishop Lakes confidently averreth that the seventh In his Thâ—sis part of time is Gods ordinance as everlasting as the world for saith the same Father of our Church the Lords day onely changeth but altereth not the portion of time prescribed Luther Dieterius on Dom. post Trin. Among the Scholemen Iacebus de Valen. and others Stâ—llâ— on Luke 14. Against Brab pag. 151. by the fourth Commandment by which we are guided to it Yea some have held that one day in seven is the morall part of the Commandment Sure I am there is acknowledged an equity in that Law durable for ever both for a time as also for the conveniency and sufficiency of time to which equity it is consonant saith Learned Bishop White that one day in seven be an holy day wherein Christian people ought to rest and give themselves to religious exercises who saith further that the common and naturall equity of that Commandement is morall to wit that Gods people are pag. 90 obliged to observe a convenient and sufficient time for publick and solemne divine worship and for religious and Ecclesiasticall duties And abstinence from secular labour and negotiation and keeping holy one day of every week both for mans temporall and naturall refreshing and for the spirituall good of his soul is very agreeable both to naturall and religious equity and it is grounded upon the ancient custom and practise of gods people in time of the Law And we Christians having obtained a larger measure of divine grace and our obligation to serve God and Christ upon his heavenly promises being greater than in the time of the Iews If in those former times of greater
the Commandements of God 1. Cor. 14. 37. And it is acknowledged of all that the whole Catholick Church from that time till this day hath duly observed the same Therefore is it one of those things commanded by Christ to be observed and taught by his Apostles which the whole world hath so religiously kept hitherto And it will not bee denied that such an universall religious observation can have any lesse ground for it than the authority of God himselfe being so unanimously kept in all ages for these 1600 yeeres without gaine-saying as our Homily avoucheth very plainely Argument 5. EIther himselfe instituted this day for his publick worship or left it to others to appoint it for that end But he left it not to others Therefore he instituted it himselfe for his publick worship That he left it not to others to institute wee may thus reason 1 God his Father when he had ordained his worship did not leave to Moses nor to Israel his Church to appoint a solemn day for it but he himselfe instituted it Exod. 20. 8. When the Idolaters in Israel Exod. 32. did invent a worship they that invented it instituted a day for it verse 5. Jeroboam devised a worship which when he had done he ordained a day for it 1 King 12. 32. 33. So did Nebuchadnezzar devise an Idoll and a worship for it and appointed the dedication and day of the solemne worship Dan. 3. 2. The miscreant Prophet Mahomet as hee gave a Law and prescribed a worship so hee himselfe instituted his day for the same and did not leave it to the arbitrary will and pleasure of his Worshippers to ordaine and appoint Therefore from all this I conclude unlesse Christ should doe as his Father did and be lesse carefull of a day for the solemnitie of his set worship than the very Idolaters hee must bee the Institutor of this day which we observe to him For it cannot be proved that at any time in any age of the world that any publick worship was ever invented to be observed but the very Authour and Inventor thereof was also himselfe the Institutor of the day for that worship not leaving it to any others will to appoint the same for him 2 If Christ left it to others as to his Apostles then either before his ascension during his abode with them which is absurd to conceit or after his ascension if any doe think so then it will follow that from his resurrection to his ascension the space of six weeks the Church had no set day under Christ publickly to doe him solemne service For the other seventh day hee took away by his lying that whole day in the grave so that if he appointed no other day for it himselfe the Church had then for that space no such day But as I have proved Christ blessed the day of his resurrection and in this space from his resurrection to his ascension the Apostles and Church observed it And therefore he ordeined it and left it not to them 3 Wee are to understand that there are some circumstances about Gods worship which he hath ever reserved to his own authoritie and never left them determinable to any but to himselfe such bee these which doe concurre about the observation of the Lords day The first circumstance of this kinde is that which concerneth the very substance for time of performing of publick worship whether one day in a yeere in a moneth in a week or whether a part or some few houres of the day be to be set apart for his service or the whole day bee his The determination of this time is substantiall and God alwayes appointed the same as the ordaining of the Sabbath day and other holy dayes set apart by God doe manifest The second circumstance is that whereof there is no reason to sway or guide the judgement this way or that way but the will of God must bee needfull to the determining of it Such a circumstance is the proportioning of time and rest on the Lords day for Gods service For if reason could regulate it then should it bee the Law of nature but by his written Law and revealed will hath God ordered it The third circumstance is that which is of universall observation by all which none but God can impose by his supreme authoritie to which all are alike equally subject And such an universall circumstance is this for observation of this day by all Christian people and by the generall consent of the whole Church of Christ in all ages Therefore this day was not left to the Apostles to be determined but appointed by Christ himselfe Undoubtedly Christ would imitate his Father and set a day for his publick worship as he did And can we suppose our Lord Jesus Christ to bee lesse carefull than the Turkish Mahomet or other Idoll Worshippers in ordaining a solemn day for his publick service But if this day which we observe be not of his appointment then have wee none for all other dayes are the ordinances of the Church and observed only by humane authoritie 4 That which the Apostles did observe not only by inspiration but by way of injunction and command from Christ here on earth through the Holy Ghost that hee ordained and left it not to them to ordaine But the Apostles did observe the Lords day not only by inspiration but by way of injunction and commandement from Christ here on earth through the Holy Ghost And therefore he left it not to his Apostles The Minor is thus proved from Act. 1. 2. where it is said that Christ Jesus through the Holy Ghost gave Commandements to his Apostles in which Commandements is included the Lords day as before is proved which Commandement with the rest he gave them through the Holy Ghost that is he in giving them did convey his holy Spirit into them to make them to understand them to retaine them in memory to make conscience to observe them and to teach others to observe them as commanded from him for so much these words through the Holy Ghost import when hee gave them Commandements and spake of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God So that through the Holy Ghost here is not meant as afterwards the divine inspiration of the Spirit directing them as occasion served to ordaine things expedient and profitable for the Churches of Christ which he himselfe immediately commanded not but left them to them as by the wisdome of his spirit they should be informed But here is to be understood the then operation of his Spirit upon them to receive the Commandemets which at that present in his own person he gave them which they should observe and teach others to observe as his own Commandements and as he himselfe had charged them to doe in Matt. 28. 20. when as here in Acts 1. he was to depart from them and to ascend up to his Father Of other things after Christs ascension the Apostles spake from the
followeth 1 It must be kept according to Gods holy will and pleasure Here the Church telleth us where to begin the principall guide must be Gods holy will and pleasure which is to be searched after in his Word from which if we swarve and have not it for our rule and warrant in doing any thing on this day we break this Canon 2 According to the prescribed orders of the Church of England which is there very piously set down in eight Particulars 1 In hearing the word of God read and taught so it is kept as a day of instruction 2 In private and publick prayer so it is an especiall day of audience and putting up our petitions to God first with our Families before we enter into the holy assembly to prepare us the better for a blessing and then with the whole Congregation 3 In acknowledging their offences to God so it is a day of Humiliation before the Lord and suing out a pardon for the same 4 In an amendement of their offences so it is a day of Reformation of our evil lives and sinfull courses 5 In reconciling themselves charitably to their neighbours where displeasure hath been So it is a day of Reconciliation laying aside displeasure and of charitable seeking peace one with another 6 In receiving the Communion of the body and bloud of Christ So it is a day of Confirmation of our faith in Gods blessed Covenant made with us in Christ and a day of great consolation to behold visibly with the eye the greatest work that ever God wrought and the greatest mercy that ever he did shew to poor sinners 7 In visiting the poor and sick so it is a day of mercifull visitation and beholding of Christ in his poor and sick servants 8 And lastly in using all godly and sober Conversation So it is a day for the expression of a good behaviour towards God and man in all godly Conversation against prophanenesse in all sober Conversation against Intemperance Riot and Revelling Gluttony and Drunkennesse Lightnesse and loose Carriage Thus we see how the Canon directeth us in an excellent manner to keep this day Can there be either required or better meanes used than is here prescribed to keep from sinfull courses on the Lords day The third is the Book of Homilies In the Homily of prayer we are taught First To assemble together solemnely having our hearts sifted and clensed from wordly and carnall affections and desires shaking off all vaine thoughts which may hinder from Gods true service Secondly To be carefull to keep the day holily and to rest from our labours at home riding and journeying abroad Thirdly To give our selves wholly to heavenly exercises of Gods true religion and service Fourthly To have in remembrance Gods wonderfull benefits and to render him thanks for them Fifthly To celebrate and magnifie Gods holy name in quiet holinesse and godly reverence Sixthly And lastly besides laying aside the works of our callings the Homily exhorteth to shun ungodlinesse and filthinesse pride praunceing prancking pricking pointing painting or to be gorgeous and gay Likewise to beware of gluttony drunkenesse and other fruits thereof mentioned to avoide also wantonnes toyish talking and filthy fleshlines Thus we see what a strict observation of the Lords day our Homily prescribeth unto us It hath been the honour of our Church hitherto to outstrip all Christian Churches in the world in the sanctifing of the Lords day Our Common prayer book Canon and Homily would hold us to it if they had any authority over us CHAP. XVIII How Christian Emperours would have it kept by their Imperiall Constitutions WEe have heard how the godly among the ancient people of God kept their rest-day morally How our day was kept in the Primitive Church How our now present Church of England would have it kept holy Now we come to the highest powers of Authoritie abroad and at home to learne how by them it should bee kept 1 Imperiall Constitutions COnstantine the first Christian Emperour who thought the chiefest and most proper day for the devotion of his subjects was the Lords day declared his pleasure that every Eusch de vita Constant l. 4. c. 13. one who lived in the Roman Empire should rest in that day weekly which is instituted to our Saviour and to lay aside all businesses and attend the Lord who therefore forbade keeping of Courts sitting in judgement and Artificers to use their trades In Die Dominico c. say Imperiall Constitutions L. â—mnes â—a de feriis the whole mindes of Christians and Beleevers should be busied in the worship of God The Emperour Leo ordained that the Lords day should be kept holy by all sorts and to be a day of rest It is our will saith he according to the meaning of the Holy Ghost and of the Apostles by him directed that on the sacred day whereon we were restored unto our integrity all men shall rest This Constitution reverend Hoâ—ker much approveth of Eccl. Pol. Sect. 71. pag. 385. themselves and surcease from labour neither the husbandmen nor others putting their hands that day to prohibited worke for if the Iewes did so much reverence their Sabbath which onely was a shaddow of ours are not we which inhabite light and the truth of grace obliged to honour that day which the Lord hath honoured and hath therein delivered us both from dishonour and from death are not we bound to keep it singularly and inviolably sufficiently contented with a liberail grant of all the rest and not incroaching on that one which God hath chosen for his Service Nay were it not wretchlesse slighting and contempt of all Religion to make that day common and think that we may doe thereon as we doe on others This worthy Emperour would not have the dayes dedicated Cod. l. 3. tit 12. de feriis Iustin li. 3. tit 12. to the supreme Majestie to be taken up with filthy pleasures then much lesse the Lords day for he highly advanced this day and so honoured it that if his birth day or his inauguration fell upon this day the solemnities thereof should be deferred to another day upon danger of losse of dignitie and confiscation of estate to them which should offend his will herein He exempted this day from executions citations entring into bonds apparances pleadings and the like The Emperour Theodosius enacted that faithfull Christian Cod. Theod. peoples mindes might wholly be bent to the Service of God the Cirques and Theators should bee shut up on the Lords day c. and all publick shewes prohibited by Gratian and Valentinian Nullus die solis spectaculum praebeat nec divinam venerationem confecta solemnitate confundat They Anno 384. forbad arbitrating of causes and taking recognizance of any pecuniary businesse on the Sunday and that none should be brought before the Officers of the Exchequer For further honour to the Emperour Leo and Anthemius Instiâ—ian Cod. l. 3. tit 12.
Archbishop Daroberniae in a Synod Anno 747 with the rest decreed that the Lords day should bee celebrated with the reverence most meet and to be dedicated only to the service of God Our last Archbishop Doctor Abbot so honoured the Lords day as he by his Chaplains licensed divers Treatises for observation of the Lords day and when a Minister presented him with a book to bee licensed which was made for liberty on that day he took it of him and before his face burnt it in the fire For Bishops S. Ambrose telleth us it is well knowne saith he how carefully the Bishops doe restraine all toying light and filthy Dances if at other times then on the Lords day Bishop Babington on Exod. 16. saith that Drinkings Dances Wakes Wantonnesse Beare-baiting and Bull-baiting were wicked prophanation of the Lords day Bishop Downham on the Commandements saith They that keep the day for idle rest make it Sabbatum Boum or Asinorum They that defile it with drunkennesse and the like make it Sabbatum Diaboli and they that prophane it with sports make it Sabbatum aurei vituli Bishop Hooper that Godly Martyr On the ten Commandements saith The Lord sanctified the Sabbath day not that wee should give our selves to illnesse or to such Ethnicall pastimes as is now used amongst Ethnicall people c. Bishop Bayly in his Practice of Piety saith We are this day to abstaine from the works of our callings carrying burdens Faires and Markets studying any Book but Scripture and Divinity all recreations and sports grosse feeding liberall drinking and talking about worldly things Bishop White hath uttered an Against Brab holy speech who saith that all kinde of recreations which are of evill quality in respect of their object or are attended with evill and vicious circumstances are unlawfull and if used on the Lords day are sacrilegious for they rob God of his honour to whose worship and service the holy day is devoted and they defile the soules of men for the clensing and edifying whereof the holy day is appointed 3. Learned Divines NIcho de Clemangiis de novis celebritatibus non instituendis tells us that especially the Lords day and solemne Festivalls should be wholy and onely consecrated to more speciall worship and spent in duties of Devotion in lauding and blessing him for his more speciall favours Doctor Pocklington In his Serm pag. 13. hath a right speech howsoever it be that a little after he varieth saying If the first day of the week be the Lords day as he in another place yeelds it we must look to do the Lords work on it and not trench upon him by doing our own worke thereon yea he cyteth Saint Augustine for this Page 5. that men should leave all worldly businesses on Saints dayes Et maximè Diebus Dominicis especially on the Lords dayes that they betake themselves wholly to the Lords service Reverend Hooker saith that the voluntary scandalous contempt In Eccl. Pol. ca. 5. pag. 385. of the rest from labour wherewith God is publickly served wee cannot too severely correct and bridle Master Dow teacheth a cessation from ordinary labours and holds them In his dâ—scourse of the Sab. pag. 28. unlawfull on this day as they hinder a man from applying himselfe to divine duties and therein are contrary to the divine precept and the morality thereof He requireth first A morning preparation in private Secondly Warneth men that they doe not by improvidence or negligence or forgetfulnesse draw upon themselves a necessity to omit or hinder the dutyes to which this day is consecrated Thirdly that the hindrances and our defects bee supplied by private Devotions and Meditations Fourthly that it is good and commendable to spend the rest of the day in holy meditations private prayer reading and calling to minde what we have read or heard Vincentius Bellovecensis and Bellarmine have condemned Specul morale lib. 3. Concio 6. de Dominic 3. advent Stage-playes Enterludes Masques mixt-Dancing which they call lascivious to be especially on the Lords day most execrable Alex. Fabricius in his destructorium vitiorum pars 4 saith That the Sabbath by dancing is prophaned So did the godly Albigenses and Waldenses who also in a short In the History of the Walden part 3. b. 2. Catechisme upon the Commandments would have the Christians keep the Sabbath in ceasing from worldly labours from sinne and idlenesse and to doe things as might be for the good and benefit of their soules It were tedious to recite the learned in the later times teaching the holy observation of this our Lords day I will Sect. 16. cap. 24. end only with the harmonie of Confessions where it is said that the Lords day ever since the Apostles time was consecrated to religious exercises and unto holy rest CHAP. XXIII God would have our Lords day religiously observed and not to be prophaned GOd doth informe us by his word by which wee finde his institution of one day in a week from the creation as in the first Treatife have beene proved to bee sanctified to holy uses wee finde also the same established by his Law given on Mount Sinai as is manifested in the former Treatise And from the word in the New Testament we finde one day the first day of the week to have been observed and the observation continued now this 1600 yeeres So that one day in a week hath beene given to God as sacred and holy for holy rest in his worship and for holy duties to be performed publickly privately now above five thousand five hundred fourescore yeers some count 6000 a time long enough to settle this truth to observe such a day and as the holy people in the former times before Christ kept their day holily morally so should wee our day too But as God inctrusteth by his word so doth hee also by his works he is said to speak by the work of his providence Geness 24. 50. 51. And when his judgements are in the Esai 26. 10. earth the inhabitants of the world are to learne righteousnesse thereby and even in this for not observing his holy day for as before he punished his people for the prophanation of their Sabbath as the Scripture witnesseth in many places So hath the Lord punished the prophanation of our Christian Sabbath dedicated to his honour and service and hath pleaded by his punishments for the sanctification thereof and to deterre men from the prophaning of it This we must know that there is no evill in a City but the Lord doth it to wit the evill of punishment and the same commeth for sin of what nature or kinde soever the judgements be which are three fold 1 Immediate judgements wherein Gods hand is clearely seene which all will easily acknowledge with feare Such a judgement was the drowning of the old world the burning of Sodome and Gomorrah with fire from heaven So that of Nadab and Abihu with
old world in a new world as it were after the Israelites delivery out of Aegypt 2400 yeeres from the worlds creation How likely this is let the indifferent Reader judge But let us see their reasons 1 Argum. Moses wrote Genesis after the giving of the 4. Our Opposites Reasons Law as Beda and Abulensis with others say Therefore Moses hearing the Law of the Sabbath wrote in Gen. 2. 3. of Gods purpose and intention and of the Destination of the Sabbaths sanctification after the giving of the Law Answer 1 This is not well proved that Genesis was written after the giving of the Law Beda Abulensis say so Porerius and Eusebius Caesariensis say otherwise Set opinions against opinions Secondly there is no consequence from the Antecedent Moses having heard the Law wrote therefore in Gen. 2. 3. of the Sabbaths Sanctification by Destination here is a rope of sand indeed for had he written those words in Genesis for the instruction of the Israelites why mentioned not he the Law of God given at Sinai to make more plaine the Destination and the fulfilling of it for reason would that hee should have done so Thirdly if the words in Gen. 2. 3 have reference to the Law and are not dependent upon the verses going before why doth not Moses in his writing of Exodus mention some such thing either in Exo. 16. or 20. where he writeth of the Sabbath or in other places where hee mentioneth the seventh day In Deuâ—â—ronomie chap. 5. where he repeated the Lawes and giveth a reason of the Lords commanding to keep his Sabbath vers 15. where this Destination might aptly have beene mentioned yet Moses speaketh not a word thereof 2 Argument Musculus doth translate Sanctificatus by Destinatus and Mr. Byfield observeth that the originall Word signifieth to prepare Therefore the Sabbath had not an actuall existence in the world from the beginning The Rest was from the beginning but the Sanctification it selfe was a long time after Answer 1 For the signification prepare it signifieth not so properly but figuratively and so used somewhere and so translated as in Ier. 12. 3. but hardly in any other place in the whole old Testament taken in this sense What reason is there to leave the proper and most common acceptation and take a figurative and so rare a signification of the word Againe a word of many significations must have the signification given it as may be approved by the circumstance of the Text and not as wee please to apply it for our own purpose without proofe Thirdly who knoweth not that to prepare is for present use very often see in Exo. 16. 5. Num. 23. 1. Ios 1. 11 and Ester 5. 4. Psal 147. 8. Mark 14. 12. 15. therefore it is unsound from a bare signification to conclude a future Destination for a very long time after 2 For Musculus expressing of it Destinatus I answer first that none translateth the Text it selfe so Iunius and Tremelius Arias Montanus Pagnine the Septuagint the Chaelde paraphrase the vulgar Edition all of them translate it by See Avernarius Schindlerus and the rest Sanctificavit and none by Destinavit Secondly no where do the Dictionaries expresse the Hebrew Word in Gen. 2. 3. by Destinavit but by Significavit Why therefore should a singular expression by any on single man occasion any to wrest a Text of Scripture from its common and plaine sense to uphold a new device Thirdly though Musculus doth thus expresse the Word doth hee thereforecoyne such an interpretation He doth not And therefore his Destination is no more but the setting apart of the day to bee a Sabbath to ordaine and chuse it for that end Fourthly that none may be deceived by the Word Destination wee must understand that there is a double Destination 1 A future Destination for time and imployment the time longer on shorter as there is use of the thing destinated to future time because the thing destinated in Gods decree hath not existence or being before such a time This was the Destination of Cyrus spoken of by Esai 44. 28. and 45. 1. long before he was borne and when he was made King in the first yeere of his raigne he performed that which God had destinated him unto Esdr 1. 1. 2 Chron. 36. 22. To this kind of Destination must be referred Ieremie to bee a Prophet before he was borne So Iohn Baptist Christs fore-runner and Saint Paul a chosen vessell to beare Christs name before the Gentiles and Kings and Acts 9. 15. the Children of Israel And this Destination may be spoken of Christ ordained to be the Messias and to shew himselfe to bee so in his appointed and destinated time Now this Destination is indeed nothing else but Gods preordination of a thing to bee which hath not either present being or not fitly the time come for the use and imployment thereof but neither of these can be said of the day on which God rested as is cleare by what is before ganted by our Adversaries 2 Present Destination for time and imployment so also as the thing Destinated be for continuance and may come to a greater solemnity more at one time than at another as for example to evidence it in persons places and times 1 For persons the Levites were destinated to the service of the Tabernacle and were actually admitted to the service thereof presently upon their choyce for they were fit and the time seasonable for the use the Tabernacle 2 For places when the Tabernacle was made it was destinated to the solemne worship and service of God and was presently employed so was the Temple after Solomon had built it 3 For times Abib Exod. 12. 2. was appointed the beginning of Monthes and the fourteenth day of the Month destinated to the eating of the Passeover and though it was to be continued for the times to come and to bee observed with greater solemnity yet then was it actually in use So that with the institution there was the present observation though with greater solemnity afterwards performed Thus may we think of the first seventh day Sabbath so destinated for a Sabbath to be kept with greater solemnitie after Israels deliverance out of Egypt yet nothing hindereth to beleeve if we take what before is granted that there was a present observation of the day What I finde to bee objected against this is answered in this Section afterwards 3. Argument Solemn Feasts memorialls of Gods great mercies were ordained in Sinai but destinated to be kept holy in Canaan So that between the institution and observation may be a great distance And therefore it is not unreasonable to hold the observation of the first seventh day Sabbath to be deferred to the time after the Law given Answ 1 Yet here is a great difference between a few yeers in one age and many ages through out the old world and the ages following for above thousands of yeers Secondly There was at the
words historically whereby it might be understood in the history what then God did and what plainely hee appointed men to doe afterwards for so it lost not the nature of an historicall narration both in telling of the thing done and in the appointing of what should be done if it be I say with a cleare expression as is required in the nature of a Story Reason 2. THere is no Destination of that thing for future time only which hath actuall being and aptnesse in it for present imployment For future Destination is only for deficiency in these two respects But the seventh day was from the beginning the day of Gods rest and the ground of mans rest this is granted And that day had its ability and every way was as fit then for an holy Sabbath as ever it was afterwards This is true from the Adversaries grant to wit that from the beginning it might have beene imployed as the Lords Sabbath and perhaps had so it then had an aptnesse to be an holy Sabbath Therefore Destination for only time to come is an idle imagination Reason 3. IF it bee with a doubtlesse that from the beginning some dayes were imployed as the Lords Sabbaths and is granted for a truth Then without doubt was the seventh day from the beginning so imployed as the Lords Sabbaths For what day could they so groundedly take for a Sabbath as Gods onely rest-day or what day could they so properly hold to be the Lords Sabbath as his owne day which himselfe blessed and sanctified as the Text saith and is denied of none Therefore the seventh day from the beginning being bestowed as the Lords Sabbath the observers of the day held it fit for present use and conceived it not in the words of the text a future destination for so long time as is groundlessely imagined Reason 4. THat which belonged alike to all from the worlds beginning to be observed by all the same to bee passed over as not observeable of any but destinated to a peculiar sort which should bee borne after many generations is not reasonably conceived to be true but to bee held as a feigned untruth But such a thing is this imagined future destination For it put off Adam Seth all the holy men of God 1600 yeeres before the Floud Noah and Shem with the other holy Patriarchs till Abraham after the Floud and from Abraham to Moses and to Israels deliverance out of Aegypt from observing the day of Gods rest and therein the remembrance of the worke and Worlds creation alike belonging unto all as if it had only concerned the Israelites and not the holy Fathers from the beginning which none will averre I suppose Therefore this Destination is but a fiction Reason 5. THe ground of the future Destination of the observation of the seventh day being false the Destination it selfe falleth and is false as will be granted But the ground of this their Destination which some lay to build it upon is false viz. the Israelites deliverance out of Egypt for their proofe out of Deut. 5. 15. faileth them as before is made manifest Therefore there is no such Destination as is pretended Reason 6. IF God did on the seventh day actually rest and at the same time actually sanctified it as is confessed to bee for the present the Churches Sabbath Then he put Adam into the right of actuall use of the day and not destinated it only for the time to come But Gods actuall resting was the ground of his actuall sanctifying of the day and his actuall sanctifying of the day made it ready for present use neithe was there any thing that could hinder Adam from observing of it at that present for the Lords owne Sabbath And if it be perhaps said that a Father having many sonnes may determine one to be his heire yet not presently put him into the possession I answer that may be because the Father will not dispossesse himselfe of that himselfe stands in need of And also that sonne may perhaps die before him and before his other brethren Therefore is not this simily fit for this purpose neither doth it any thing weaken the argument Reason 7. THere is not the least intimation in the Text of any decree of a future Destination and deed to be done but a plaine narration of that which then was done For Moses sayth God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it Againe the words before in verse second concerning Gods ending his work and his resting on that seventh day and the reason added to the reason in the words of verse third why he blessed and sanctified it binde the act of God to be understood of the time then and not of a time foure and twenty hundred yeeres after Moreover Moses the Penman wriâ—eth the Storie of Gods resting as an act done then as all acknowledge so he speaketh of his blessing and sanctifying the first seventh day as then blessed and sanctified For he holdeth in all the same forme of speech He ended he rested he blessed he sanctified when he did the former he did the later as the words shew without any variation at the first reading of them to any indifferent judgement Lastly no instance in holy Writ can be produced to defend such a glosse and to make such a comment upon a Text so cleare as this is Let them bring forth any one Scripture to warrant such an interpretation in an Hystoricall narration Reason 8. GOds work is ever the ground of every Festivall ordained for a remembrance thereof and solemnly to bee kept of those of that time when the work was wrought and not destinated to a day observed for many ages after see for this all the Festivalls in Scripture ordained either by God or man The work of God had its present remembrance upon the institution of the day when it was to be observed for the memoriall thereof It is absurdly unreasonable to think that God working a work never to be forgotten will appoint a day to bee observed for the remembrance thereof to none then living but onely to those who should live 2400 and odde yeers after Reason 9. GOds own words in Exod. 20. 11. make Moses discourse in Gen. 2. 3. to bee understood of the then blessing and sanctifying the day For God sayth not Exod. 20. 11. Wherefore I the Lord now at this present doe blesse and sanctifie the Sabbath day but hee spake as all reasonable apprehensions may easily conceive with relation to his acts past as to his works on the first six dayes so to his rest on the seventh day blessing and sanctifying the Sabbath Reason 10. THe six dayes of Gods work were presently exemplary and all men in the Church from the creation have taken them for present use What reason is there in the Text Gen. 2. 3. to conceit a Destination of the use of the seventh day not examplarie till 2400 yeers after Can it reasonably be imagined 1 That God would informe
is contained only in these words Remember thou the Sabbath day to keep it holy I. Moses in the repetition of the Law Deut. 5. 12. sheweth us this plainly who upon the words of the Commandement Keep the Sabbath day to sanctifie it addeth immediately these words as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee between the precept and the next words following Sixe days shalt thou labour c. And so evidently telleth us which be the words of the Commandement and thereto holdeth our thoughts so we may not take any of the following words to be any part of the substance of the Commandement II. The learned have set the Commandement apart by it self in a distinct Verse Exo. 20. 8. from the words following III. The Lord himself in the promulgation of the Law in every other of the Commandements where reasons be added maketh a difference between the Commandement and the reasons annexed as we may see in the second third and fifth and therefore so here IV. Every reasonable mans understanding giveth him to know a difference between a Commandement and that which for some cause is annexed thereto as here we may clearly see it SECTION IX Of the meaning of the words of the Commandement THus knowing the Commandement it is fit to understand the meaning Remember that is be mindefull of it so that thou forget it not call it to minde think upon it and consider the Sabbath as a day to be observed and kept and therefore Moses putteth keep for Remember Deut. 5. 12. The Sabbath day that is the rest day for Sabbath signifieth cessation and rest taken from Gods rest Gen. 2. 2. Moses calleth it the Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 15. Sabbatum cessationis and this rest is Requies sancta Exod. 31. 15. an holy Sabbath Exod. 16. 23. Nebe 9. 14. and the day is an holy day Exod. 35. 2. But not so the rest nor day in themselves but a rest unto Lord Exod. 16. 23. 25. and 35. 2. holy to the Lord Exod. 31. 15. Sanctificata as some translation hath it set apart and separated to the service of God as a sanctified rest and day which the Lord calleth his holy day Isai 58. 31. To keep it holy This is the end of remembring the Sabbath day to sanctifie it that is as God did set it apart and ordained it for holy uses and his woâ—ship so we are to count it the Lords seperating it from other days and bestowing the rest and the day of rest upon the Lord for that end and use for which he hath made the rest and the day holy This is to keep it holy From the Commandement thus understood we may observe 1. That a Sabbath a rest is imposed upon us Exod. 23. 12. 2. That God hath appointed a day for this rest 3. That both the rest and day are holy sanctified for holy uses to the Lord. 4. That we are to keep holy the rest day or the day of rest both the rest and the day SECTION X. Of the rest upon the Sabbath THE Commandement chargeth us with rest with this must we begin and keep the day without this no Sabbath day It hath it denomination from rest The day for the holy use of the rest is said to be blessed Exod. 20. 11. And from Gods resting he is said to blesse and sanctifie it Gen. 2. 3. This rest is principally mentioned the day is called the rest of the holy Sabbath The rest of the holy rest Exod. 16. 23. the Sabbath of rest Exod. 31. 15. Therefore this is the first thing in the first place to be observed in the keeping of the day holy unto the Lord which is by making our rest holy to him by imploying our rest holily For the day is kept for the rest sake by Gods own example and because of the holy use of the rest upon that day wherein we do rest and not for the days sake for without the rest we could not keep the day nor would God have commanded the day but for that he rested and made the rest holy for holy uses on that day The Consideration of this would cut off much prophanesse and make us better observers of the day unto the Lord. SECTION XI Of the day for the rest THe Lord having imposed rest upon us in the next place he enjoyneth us a day for the rest Time is necessary for all things and without time we cannot rest Nature and experience teacheth this This time allotted by God is a day but in the Commandement the day is not determinately set down it pitcheth upon no certain set day But the Commandement is Remember the Sabbath day to wit what day soever to keep it holy So the holy observation of the day is the substance of the comet This generality is agreeable to the Naturalitie of the Law And thus the Lord delivered the Commandement 1. To lay down in it the naturality of the Law aswell as in the rest of the Commandements 2. And so to hold up the perpetuity of it with all the other precepts 3. To teach that no one certain set day is of the very substance of the Commandement Therefore is it propounded indifinitly without limitation 4. To inform us that the seventh day from the Creation as Bishop Andrews doth hold in his Catechiticall doctrine is not of the substance of the Commandement 5. This was for an admittance of the Changeablenesse of the day For this Commandement being affirmative and propounded in generall termes maketh it applicative to this or that day To this while it remaineth and to that which may come in the roome of it when this is changed and taken away as thus Honour the King to wit whosoever is King If Saul be See this Simile in the next Treatise more at large King honour him when he is dead and David be King honour him So is it in this Commandement Keep holy the Sabbath day while the seventh day from the Creation is the Sabbath keep it holy if it be changed and the first day of the week be the Sabbath then keep it holy God foreseeing it necessary that the seventh day from the Creation was to be changed he propounded the Law so as to make the day alterable as being for the time by way of application belonging unto the Commandement but not of the substance no more then Sâ—ul was of the substance of this Commandement Honour the King If this had been or were well pondered the Controversie of the Sabbath had been prevented and should cease â—ow to trouble the Church SECTION XII Of the words annexed to the Commandement WHen God gave this his Commandement he himself annexed words unto the Commandement purposely to guide his people in the right understanding of this Precept and to binde them by reasons to the obedience thereof unto the worlds end To all the Commandements God made a Preface to enforce obedience to all of them even from his Covenant of Grace made with Abraham
For that the Seventh day is abrogated but this is not so it s changed but not abrogated as meer Ceremonies be IV. It was a signe say they between God and the Israelites Exod. 31. 13 17. Ezek. 20. 12. God in giving his Law saith no such thing and still we must make a difference between the Law it self and what after were added for instruction as the then state of the people required Again every signe is not a Ceremony for the Rain-bow was a signe Gen. 9. yet no Ceremony Moreover the reason added why it was a signe belongeth to us For in six dayes the Lord made beaven and earth and on the Seventh day he rested Exod. 31. 17. The end why he made it a signe doth a like appertain to us to wit That they might know him to be the Lord that Sanctified them Exod. 31. 13. Ezek. 20. 12. And are not we to learn and know as much in keeping our rest-day in holy duties yea blessed are they that do learn this lesson to know the Lord that he doth sanctifie them in the use of his Ordinances upon the day of our rest V. It was a memoriall say they of their deliverance out of Egypt Deut. 5. 15. This reason was Moses addition to move the people to pity their servants and cattell Must Moses his charitable use made of the Sabbath and his argument to perswade them to mercy from Gods mercy to them alter the nature of the Precept and disannull it The words in the beginning of the verse may be conceived in a Parenthesis and are brought in onely as a memoriall of that great deliverance as God remembred it in the preface to all the Commandements to move them to observe the whole Law and the word Therefore is to be annexed to the end of the 14 verse as indeed it ought in sense and reason which being so the words prove not the Sabbath to be instituted for a memoriall of their deliverance from Aegypt though they had good cause to remember it on this day and in keeping the fourth Commandement imposing rest as also in observing the first and all the other for as I said it s in the Preface to the whole Law as never to be forgotten of them but to be remembred as a strong motive to stirre them up to obedience VI. Say they it s ranked by the Apostle Col. 2. 16 17. among shadows But the place is not meant of the weekly Sabbaths I. The weekly Sabbath is the substance of the fourth Commandement and therefore durable not abolished as the Apostle speaketh of these Sabbaths II. The Apostle speaketh here of such things as cannot agree with the weekly Sabbaths 1. The Tearm Ordinances vers 14. shew where the Sabbath of the week is called an Ordinance 2. The word Ordinances are expounded to be the Commandements contained in Ordinances and these were the middle partition-wall between the Jew and Gentile taken away on the Crosse Eph. 2. 15. But the Sabbath day was no part of the partition-wall between the Jews and the Gentiles for we keep still a Sabbath unto the Lord. 3. They are the hand writings against us and contrary to us blotted out and abolished Col. 2. 14. Eph. 2. 15. but not so the weekly Sabbath 4. These were a shadow of things to come whereof the body was Christ vers 17. but the * Generally the Fathers take it to prefigure Christs rest that day onely full and wholly in his praise as D. Andr in his Star-Chamber speech acknowledgeth Sabbath of the week was no such thing if we consider it in it originall and not of the declaratory cloathed with it accessories as BP Lake speaketh for saith he before the fall the Sabbath was a kinde of rest shadowing out our eternall rest but not of that whereof Christ is the Body To us the Lords day is a foretaste of that eternall rest and I hold the shadow to be as lasting as the world Thus this leaâ—ned Father and Doctor in our Church who saith further that they who alleadge the Col. 2. 16. are out of the argument because le speaks of shadows whereof Christ is the body which he denieth of the weekly Sabbath considering it in the originall institution and not after the fall made a shadow by accessories III. Here the Sabbaths are equalized with meat drink holy-day new Moon which were the shadow of things to come Therefore hereby must be understood other Sabbaths Such were these Sabbaths the first day of the seventh moneth Lev. 23. 24 32. the seventh yeer Lev. 25. 4. the yeer of Jubilee Lev. 25. 8 11. So the holy Convocation of the Festivall times the first day Lev. 23. 7. the seventh day vers 8. the eighth and the tenth vers 27 32. all which were called Sabbaths 39. the same mentioned with the new Moons Esa 1. 13. called appointed Feasts verse 14. Those kinde of Sabbaths must be here meant 1. These were called Ordinances as the Apostle calleth them here 2. These were of the partition-wall and abolished and taken out of the way 3. A shadow of things to come 4. Thus the word Sabbaths taken agree well with meat drink new Moon and holy day 5. The Apostle varying the number from new Moon and holy day singularly to Sabbaths plurally would have us to understand the annexed Convocations called Sabbaths Lev. 23. 39. before mentioned Thus we see their arguments what little strength they have to prove the fourth Commandement Ceremoniall SECTION XXIII That the fourth Commandement is in no part Ceremoniall IT is clear enough that the fourth Commandement is not Ceremoniall not in part as some do grant it much lesse the whole as some of late boldly affirm it to be 1. The institution of the Sabbath on which the Commandement is grounded commanding no more then at the first institution was before the fall when there was no need of any Ceremony 2. God never made himself an example of any Ceremoniall precept as he doth in this 3 A Ceremoniall precept consists wholly or in part of some Ceremoniall service prescribed by it but no such service neither in whole nor in part in this neither in the day nor in the strict observation of it as before is proved 4. All and every Ceremoniall precepts and politicall were given mediately only by Moses Levit. 27. 34. Deut. 4. 14. But this was given immediately by God himself 5. That which was Ceremoniall was properly and directly the School-master to Christ For the Ceremoniall Law was that proper and direct School-Master Gal. 4. 24. But this precept is not any part of that School-master to Christ properly and directly 6. Whatsoever was Ceremoniall was Carnall Heb. 7. 16. and a beggerly rudiment Gal. 4. But Saint Paul speaking of the Morall Law calleth it holy just good and spirituall Rom. 7. 12 14. of which Morall Law this is an undelible precept and not a Carnall and beggerly rudiment 7. All Ceremoniall precepts are abrogated by Christ as