them Exod. 31. 13. of which opinion seem to be Irenaeus lib. 4. cap. 30. and Euseb. hist. 1. cap 4. And thus that of Genesis 2. of Gods blessing and sanctifying the seventh day may be expounded cleerly and litterally without any forced interpretation that God did then sanctifie and appoint that day to be kept holy by a joyful remembrance of the creation and by other holy duties solemnly to be performed to him as Creator of all that being the birth day of the world which God the Lord of all would have observed as Princes who appoint the birth-day of their sons to be kept by their subjects For though I know diverse learned men both ancient and modern do otherwise expound the words either of Gods sanctifying the day in himself by a rest or cessation from those emanations of his power and goodnesse or by destinating the day to be observed afterwards or that the words are spoken by anticipation viz. that Moses writing that history after the Sabbath was given saith that Gods resting on the seventh day was the cause why afterwards viz. when the Law was given he sanctified that day yet the other exposition seems to be more cleer and genuine that the sanctification by holy duties was commanded then and that the rest from all labours was one of the ceremonies given afterwards to the Jews And to this those words of Moses Deuter. 5. 12. seem to relate when after the Commandment of sanctifying the Sabbath day he addes As the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to wit long before from the beginning of the world and in Exod. 20. 10 I take the same to be the meaning of the words the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God that is the day consecrated to God from the beginning Therefore 〈◊〉 collects from those words in Job 38. 4. 7. where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth when the morning stars sung together and all the sons of God shouted for joy that upon the seventh day when the world was finisht the Angels who who are stiled the sons of God kept the sabbath And though I will not peremptorily affirme that the Angels kept it yet I take it to be very probable that the people of God the Patriarches and other holy men as they had publick sacrifices and forms of worship so they had some set times for the ordinary performance thereof which is most likely to have been on this day it is hardly credible that in the time of Enoch men should separate themselves from the sons of Cain by calling upon the name of the Lord that is by some publick worship and as learned Drusius thinks by some publick forms or liturgies without some set and solemn time for the performance thereof And Calvin himself though far from the sabbatarian errors yet thinks that the frequent sacrifices performed by Abraham and the other Patriarches were usually upon this day and therefore concludes it probable that the sanctification of it was before the Law And seeing there never was any nation in the world but had some certain and set dayes for their religious exercises can it be imagined that the people of God for those many hundred years before the flood and after even when they were grown into great multitudes in Egypt when they lived for divers hundred years should all that time be without any certain time when to worship God that they should have their sacrifices their priests viz the eldest of the family their altars and consecrated places their tithes which was Gods portion appointed by divine positive law from the beginning as may be elswhere proved and yet have no certain dayes for solemne worship this seemes to me altogether incredible especially if we consider that it is morally impossible that religion should long continue and be preserved among any people without some certain time for the publick exercise thereof And therefore though there be no expresse mention of any such dayes yet I make no question but they observed some and if any then surely this day Besides the ceasing of the manna to fall upon the seventh day for some time before the Law was given is an argument that the sabbath was known before as a day sacred to God though it begun then first to be kept as a day of rest which was afterwards prescribed by a law And hence it was that some relicks of this day were found among the Heathen though much obliterated because not written in their hearts by nature and a high esteeme they had of the seventh day as appears by Clem. Strom. 5. Euseb. praepar l. 13. c. 12. who out of Hesiod mencions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lux septuma sancta 10 Septius Adv. Appi. l. 2. circa finem Philo de die septimo shew that there was no nation so barbarous but that they honoured the seventh day and that it was the holy day not for one nation but for all the world The same is gathered from Homer and Callimachus by Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. The like we finde in Theophilus Ant. lib. 2. ad Autolicum Suetonius in Tiberio 32. Philostratus l. 3. c. 13. Dion Carthus l. 33. Lucian Tibullus and others And wheras Iustine Martyr Tertullian and others of the fathers say often that before the law holy men pleased God without keeping the sabbath they understand by sabbatizing not the publick praise and worship of God but the Jewish rest upon the sabbath which its true was proper to them and symbolical and was not observed by the Patriarchs And that they mean this may gathered from Tertull. l. 4. contra Marcion Hoc priviliigium donatum sabbato a primordio quo dies ipse compertus est veniam jeiunii dico where we see he derives the sabbath as a day of rejoycing from the beginning of the world and thereupon grounds the custom of not fasting on that day and yet the same man denies that the Patriarchs kept the sabbath that is the Jewish symbolical 〈◊〉 4. The fourth conclusion which I shall propound likewise as probable at least is that the Lords day which the Christian Church observes instead of the sabbath is of divine institution that as the seventh day from the Creation was instituted by God himself by a positive law obliging all the world so the Lords day is by positive Law obliging all Christians to the end of all the world instituted by authority from Christ who changed the day by his resurrection from the seventh to the first day of the week and that the Apostles published and ordained it not as ordinary rulers and gouernours of the Church but as speciall extraordinary legates of Christ by order from him and therefore the Church now hath no power to alter this day This assertion follows upon the former for if the sabbath was instituted by God before the Law and did oblige all mankinde as we have shewed already for
Creation by positive Divine Law obliging all mankinde Instead whereof the Lords day is set apart for the day of publick worship by the Apostles as extraordinary Legats of Christ in memory of the Resurrection which is to continue unchangeable to the end of the World This as it is shewed out of the Authors other writings so for the more full clearing of all questions upon this subject there is added a large discourse containing the whole Doctrine of the Sabbath and Lords day laid down in seven Conclusions Chap. 7. in Com. 4. wherein I conceive there is some thing offered which may givc some satisfaction to those that are moderate of both sides 5. For the better help of the Reader every Commandment is divided into Chapters and the Sum or Contents of each Chapter with the method how they stand are prefixt to every Chapter or Section All which Contents together with the Supplements or Additions are set together at the beginning of the Book that so the Reader may at once have a general Idaea of the whole Book and of what is handled in each Precept and so may the more easily finde any thing he desires to read without much Labour or enquiry Thus the Reader may in part conceive what is done to render this work the more useful to him And if the stile be not so accurate and exact as in the Authors other sermons he must consider that as it was not polisht by the Author nor fitted by him for the Presse and that in the revising thereof there was more regard had to the matter then to words so having passed through diverse hands it cannot seem strange if some incongruities of speech do still remain Errours we know of one concoction are not easily corrected in an other and waters will contract some tincture from the Minerals through which they passe besides that the errours and mistakes of the Printer which could not easily be prevented may in many places obscure or pervert the sence Let this therefore be taken in good part which is intended for the publick good and what shall be found needful to be corrected as who can walk in so rough a path and never stumble shall God willing be rectified in the next Edition in the mean time make use of this and if it shall contribute any thing to promote the practise of Religion which is the scope of the work the Publisher hath the fruit of his Indeavours and ends of his Desires who desires further the benefit of their Prayers that shall reap any benefit by his Labours AN INTRODVCTION To the Exposition Of the DECALOGUE Containing certain Generall pracognita about Catechizing Religion the Law c. CHAP. I. 1 That Children are to be taught and instructed in Religion proved out of Heathen Philosophers out of the Law the Gospel 2 That this instruction ought to be by way of Catechism What catechizing is How it differs from Preaching Reasons for abridgements or 〈◊〉 of Religion Catechizing used in all ages Before the flood After the flood Vnder the Law Vnder the Gospel After the Apostles In the Primitive Church Reasons for this custome of Catechizing BEfore we proceed to the ensuing Catechism we will first premise something concerning the necessity of Catechizing Youth and the duties of the catechised by way of preface And for this we have sufficient warrant not onely humane but divine also Clemens Alexandrinus Tutor to Origen intending to write his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or three books of Pedagogy or instruction of Children prefixed before it his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or admonitory Oration And Cyrill Bishop of Jerusalem writing twenty four several Catechisms in the front of them hath a preface which maketh up the twenty fift which he calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Introduction or Preface And both these are built upon the example of King David who being at one time among others determined to catechize Children calls them to him saying Come ye children and hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord a plain preface before catechizing The like introduction did his Son make Hear O ye children the Instruction of a father and give ear to learn understanding So that you see our warrant for an introduction or preface Now out of these texts three points naturally arise 1. That it is a thing not onely pleasing to the Lord but also commanded by him that children be instructed in the fear of God 2. That their teaching must be by way of catechizing 3. What is required of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the catechized that the catechizing may be fruitful and not in vaine viz. to come and hearken or giue eare There have been some of opinion as may be seen as well in the writings of the Heathen as in the story of the Bible that Religion should not descend so low as to children but that they are to be brought up licentiously and allowed liberty while they are young and not to be instructed before they come to riper years and then they should be instructed in Religion 1. The heathen tell us of that 〈◊〉 is in the beginning of the Philosophers moral 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a young man is not a proper and fit Auditor of Moral Philosophy And it was the Orators opinion in his defence of Caelius Dandum est aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deferbuerit Liberty is to be given to Youth till its heat be abated And one of their Poets Qui deos voluptuarios contempsit juvenis is aut amabit aut 〈◊〉 senex He that despiseth pleasure while he is young will either dote or be mad when he comes to be old To answer this we say that if there were any weight or moment in the authority of the Heathen the whole consent and practise of them in general were to be preferred before some few mens opinions And for their practise it is certain that catechism or instruction of youth was ever in use among the Gentiles for we finde in Porphiries questions upon Homer this saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things we understand by the instruction of our childehood And Salons 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacred admonitions learn't by Eschines shewed that it was usual in Athens for youth to be taught The history also of the Heathen makes it plain that their children were instructed and so dealt with for it was a custome among them not to poll their childrens heads till they were instructed in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sacred admonitions from which time they were allowed to carry tapers in their shows and festival solemnities then were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Torch or Taper-bearers Phocylides also saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is necessary to teach a childe while he is young to doe well And 〈◊〉 in his golden verses and Plutarch in his booke of the education of youth and Plato in Euthym. are all of the same opinion
was an enigmatical speech of our Trinity But no Religion teacheth the purgation of the soul but ours And it teacheth that the word took the similitude of sinful flesh to purge away the sinne of Man Therefore our Religion is the true all other are meerly fabulous For their Exorcismes and sacrifices are meerly corporeal not spiritual and the Christians God is not like the Heathen Gods 2 God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a lover of man he delighteth not in cutting of throats or burning men to ashes like to the Devills to whom virgins babes old and young men were sacrificed And the sacrifices in the old Law were vsed in these 2 respects 1 To be Types of things in the Gospel 2 To admonish men that they have deserved to be slain and sacrificed But God is so far from the sacrificing of men to him that he himself came down from heaven and suffered for us offering himself a sacrifice for our sins and what greater love can there be then that a man should give his life for that he loveth there can be no greater 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then this 3 For the credit of the Gospel we have Evangelists and Apostles for witnesses And in witnesses two things are required Knowledge and Honesty 1. For skill and knowledge That which our witnesses have left us upon record is not taken upon trust but they related it as eye witnesses And none of theirs either Homer Plato or any of them can say as Saint John said That which we have heard which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled For they had theirs from others and but upon bare report Besides neither any of their ancient or latter Historians though they hated the writers of the Scriptures durst at any time offer to set pen to paper against them 2. For the honesty of our witnesses there can be no better reason or proof given then that which Tacitus giveth to confirme the testimony of an honest witnesse which is Quibus nullum est mendacii 〈◊〉 that have no reward for telling an untruth And certainly the Evangelists and Apostles had nothing for their paines nay they were so far from that as that they sealed their testimonies with the blood of Martyrdome 3. For the credit of the Story itself We know that the Sybils oracles were in so great credit among the Heathen that they were generally beleeved Now if they be true which we have of them as ther 's no question but many of them are divers of which we refer to Christ being mentioned in their own writers Virgil Cicero and others it will follow that nothing can make more in their esteeme for the credit and truth of the Nativity life and death of Christ then their Oracles for we may see almost every circumstance in them And by reading their verses divers of their learned men were converted to Christianity as Marcellinus Secundanus and others 4. Tacitus and Suetonius say that about Christs time it was bruited through the world that the king that should rule over all the world should come out of Jury and for this cause it was that not onely Vespasian but Augustus and Tiberius who had heard the like had a purpose to have destroyed all the Jews even the whole nation of them because they would be sure to include that Tribe out of which this king should come 5 Coelius Rhodiginus and Volateranus upon their credits leave us this in their writings that among the Monuments of Egypt was found an Altar dedicated Virgini pariturae to a Virgin that should have a child like to the Temple of peace before mentioned that should stand Donec peperit virgo untill a virgin should bring forth a child And Postellus testifies from the Druides that they had an Altar with this inscription Ara primo-genito Dei an Altar to the first begotten of God 6. Suetonius saith that in such a yeare which was the year before Christs birth in a faire day at the time of a great concourse of people at 〈◊〉 there appeared a great Rain-bow as it were about the Sun of a golden colour almost of equal brightnesse with the Sun The Augur's being demanded the reason answered that God would shortly 〈◊〉 humanum genus visit mankinde And upon the day that our Saviour was born three Suns appeared in the firmament which afterward met and joyned into one The Augur's being likewise questioned about this apparition their answer was that he was then born whom Angustus the people and the whole world should worship whereupon as it is storied Augustus at the next meeting of the Senate gave over his title of dominus orbis terrarum Lord of the whole world and would be so stiled no more 7. But the most remarkable thing that hapned at Christs birth was the star mencioned in the Gospel and confessed by the Heathen themselves to be stella maxime salutaris the happiest star that ever appeared for mankinde Plinie calleth it Stella crinita sine crine A blazing or hairy star without haire Vpon the appearance and due consideration of which star many were converted to the truth as Charemon among the stoicks and Challadius among the Platonists who meditating upon the strangenesse of it went into Jury and became Proselytes 8. Now concerning the death of Christ we finde that the ancient Egyptians who vsed no letters but Characters or Hieroglyphiques when they would expresse vitam aeternam everlasting life they did it by the signe of the Crosse whereby they deciphered the badge of our salvation which concurred with the manner of Christs death 9. The next is the two wonders or strange accidents mentioned by the Holy Ghost at the death of our Saviour 1. The general Earthquake and 2. the universal Eclypse of the Sun so often cast in the teeth of the Heathen 1 For the first they are not ashamed to confesse it As 〈◊〉 himselfe and Trallianus and Phlegon say that it came not of any natural cause For in nature every thing that is moved must have an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 somewhat to stay upon but this Earthquake went thorow the whole world 2 For the Eclypse many were converted by reason of the strangenesse of it as Dionysius and others For all 〈◊〉 of the Sun are particular this general and vniversal This hapned at the feast of the Passeover which was 14 a Lunae the fourteenth day of the Moon when it was just at the full which is cleane opposite to the Rules of Astronomy and mans reason 10. It is reported that in the raigne of Tiberius presently upon this Eclypse there was a general defect of Oracles Of which argument Plutarch hath a whole Treatise in which he saith that a man in great credit with the Emperour sayling by the Cyclades heard a voice as it were coming out of those Islands saying that the great God Pan was dead The Emperour hearing this report sent for the Augurs
proper to God and yet in our practise nothing is more common then to ascribe infallibility to our selves and others whom we admire and thus that pride which we tax in them we practise our selves So likewise it is usual among great men They will speak in Gods phrase and as God saith I will be gratious to whom I will be gratious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy So they will prefer whom they will prefer and whereas God hath appointed to prefer whom he will without gifts they will prefer without gifts and lastly whereas there are no merits with God but all is ex gratia out of favour they will have no merits but all favour and so in all things they behave themselves not as men but Gods and that comes because our hearts are lifted up as the Prophet there speaks Come we to the common sort and in them we shall finde S. Bernards seven notes or signes of pride two whereof are in the soul. 1. Pursuing our own counsel 2. Following our own will and pleasure Two in the mouth 1. Grudging against our betters 2. Disdaining and vilifying our inferiours And three in outward things 1. Superbia habitus pride of apparel 2. Superbia habitus pride in our table and 3. Superbia supellectilis pride in our furniture In the means of grace which God gives us to beget in us humility and other graces we shew much pride as when we take a pride in praying hearing c. and do herein affect the praise and applause of men but an higher degree is when men reject those means of grace especially when they resist the good motions wrought in them and quench those sparkles which are kindled by the word when it comes home to their hearts as if they could have the motions of Gods spirit when they please whereas they know not whether God will ever offer them the like again and so this may be the last offer of grace Nay not onely in the means of grace but even in the graces themselves will pride appeare and whereas the objects of other sins are base and vile even the best things and most excellent graces are made the object or matter of pride Cineres 〈◊〉 peccatorum fomes superbia when other 〈◊〉 are consumed to ashes even out of those ashes will pride spring up yea we are apt to be proud even of our humility There is a pride in the crosse when we are humbled under Gods hand we may be proud in that we are not proud or not so proud as other men or as we have been before Thus the greater our gifts are the more secure we grow and the lesse jealous and suspicious of our selves and so are overtaken as 〈◊〉 David 〈◊〉 and others Therefore where the greatest gifts are there is greatest danger and therefore the greater watch ought to be kept and where the richest prize is there the devil will use his greatest power and subtilty to rob us of it Therefore the more any man hath received the more ought he to humble himself and watch that he be not overtaken with pride 1. We will adde a little to that we have said and that shall be concerning the punishment of this sinne Gods glory as one well saith is fiscus regalis his chief treasure and exchequer into which the proud man breaks robbing God by extenuating his glory and taking it as much as he can to himself But as the wise man speaks the Lord will destroy the house of the proud as he did Pharoah Haman Herod and many others who were taken away even when they magnified themselves most of all 2. Or else God punisheth him by depriving him of the guist which was the cause of his pride His tongue shall cleave to the roof of his mouth or his right hand shall forget her cunning 3. Or when he thinks he hath gotten strength enough that he is able to leane upon his own staff God suffers him to fall under every small temptation because he seeks not to God for supply of his spirit whereas by humility he might have withstood the greatest assaults Thus some of great parts when they will be singular as vnicorns that will have no match they break the net of humility which should bring men unto God by pride and so God leaving them to themselves they become the authors of heresies and errors 4. Or though it pleaseth God to let the gift remain whereof they are proud yet he gives not a blessing to it but leaves it fruitlesse Some have been endued with excellent graces but without fruit they haue made no returne to God of his Talents not a soul gained unto him by them whereas a man of mean endowments joyned with humility hath gained more then the golden tongue of an eloquent Tertullus 5. Or Lastly which is the greatest punishment there is in the minde as ost times in the body as towards the end of a mans dayes a Palsy or an Appoplexy a certain stupidity or numnesse so that neither threats can terrifie them nor perswasions allure them to repentance but passe out of this world without the fear of God or sense of his judgements so that they die and perish like beasts And God punisheth their pride with this dulnesse lest they should feel as Saint Paul did a thorn in the flesh which as the best interpreters expound it was a wrestling against pride 1. Another thing forbidden is forced humility coacta humilitas And such was that of Pharoah So long as Gods hand was upon him and his people and that he was sensible of the plagues sent by him so long he humbled himself and promised to let the people go but when he perceived that the plagues ceased he and his servants hardened their hearts and grew to that height that he said who is the Lord that he should let his people go Saint Bernard describeth these kind of humble men thus vidimus multos humiliates sed non humiles we see many humbled few humble 2. Counterfeit or bastard humility spuria humilitas for in every vertue besides the two extreams there is that which hath the likelihood of vertue which they call spuriam virtutem wherewith many are deceived Thus some are naturally of a low servile disposition which some take for humility though it be nor neither is it true humility to give in Gods cause and not to be stout in maintaining it for detrimentum veritatis non est ornamentum humilitatis that which brings detriment to the truth can be no ornament of humility So to deny the gifts or graces of God in our selves is not true humility Saint Paul would have the Ephes. understand his knowledge in the mysterie of Chist Ephes. 3. 4. 5. and preferres the Jews of which himself was one before the Gentiles Gal. 2. 15. and all this without pride In every one there is somewhat of God somewhat of nature somewhat of sinne now it s true every man
receive rules from God 2. And as we must heare with the eare so with the heart too Auditus est sensus disciplinae we are perhaps content to heare but that is not all that is required Quod cor non facit non fit The eares without the heart are but like Idoll ears that heare nothing aures aequivocae There is praeputium and this foreskin must be taken away else we have but uncircumcised eares Jer. 6. 10. We use to say that such an one will not heare good counsel that is will not follow it for though he will not stop his eares yet if his heart be not bent to follow it his hearing is to no purpose for as the heathen man said mens videt non oculus it is not the eye but the minde that seeth so it s not the eare but the heart that heareth To shew the truth of this lest men should think obedience consists onely in hearing God used to put an et a copulative after it as audiant et custolient et ambulent et faciant c. they shall heare and keep hear and walk hear and do c. There is an apt similitude of a fishhook cum capit capitur et tum capitur cum attrahitur when it taketh it is taken and it is taken when it is drawn to us and it is a signe that our hearing stick to us when we hear to obey 2. As we must audire so also obandire heare and follow him before and against all others this is implyed in the preposition ob As there is a saying loqui and obloqui a gainsaying so there is an hearing and a hearing against audire and obedire There is never a hearing of God but even when he speaketh there will be an obloquutor one that speaks against what he speaks There are three speakers Deus Homo Mundus 1. Deus God is a speaker by his word and his works 1. By his word O that God would speak saith Zophar to Job And speak Lord for thy servant heareth saith Samuel Hear O my people saith God himself and I will speak They that will not heare him to obey when he speaketh in mercy shall heare him speak in his wrath And he continually speaks to us now by the Church and her pastors as he did in former ages by his Prophets and Apostles 2. By his works every man may see and behold them And therefore Elihu bids Job stand still and consider the wonderous works of God There 's none of them but are as so many speakers to us The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work One day telleth another and one night certifieth another There is neither speech nor language but their voices are heard among them No nation but may understand that God speaks to them by these works 2. The other two speakers which gainsay what God speaks are the world and our selves here we must obaudire to what God sayes contrary to what the world sayes to us and to what we speak to our selves 1. For the world it hated Christ and so it is like to speak no good of him or his wayes now as Enoch walked with God so must wee for God and the world cannot walk together Can two go together saith the Prophet unlesse they be agreed The world cannot walk with Christ because it hateth him Enoch therefore forsook the company of the world and chose to walk with God alone and so was translated so must we whatsoever evil counsel we heare whether from prophane men or others if they be gain-sayers if they do obloqui we must obaudire heare God against them The King had a Michaiah to speak the truth to him from God so had he a Zedekiah who spake against it so when we preach the truth there are others which preach placentia that will tell men id quod volunt sanctum est that whatsoever they like is the best that will loose let others binde as fast as they can these we must take heed of hearkening to we must not frame ourselves to the world whether to the old world as they that would burne incense to the Queen of heaven because they and their fathers had done so before or to this present world as the people who would needs have a king before Gods time because they would be like other nations 2. The other speaker that doth obloqui speak against what God sayes is our selves for we are at as great odds with God as the world is The wisdom of the flesh is enmity with God there is in us a desire to follow our own spirit and as the wise man saith every way of a man is right in his own eyes and this way we are not to follow but God speaks cleane contrary to this Revertatur quis que a via sua return ye every man from his own way for that 's a wrong way we have Gods own testimony that mans thoughts are naught and exceeding naught and therefore we are like to finde little good by this oblocutor These thoughts and lusts do militari 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 war against the soul and above all it is a great punishment from God to give men up to follow their own lusts The Isralites lusted for quailes which God gave them but withal his wrath fell upon them and when they refused to heare his voice in his anger he gave them up to their own desires This is the punishment for the greatest offenders The Heathen Idolaters were punisht by being given up to follow their own lusts It is a great punishment to be delivered over to Sathan yet this may be for ones good that the soul may be saved as 1 Cor. 5. 5. but to be deli ered up to the desires of our own hearts is far greater 2 Cor. 2. 8. Therefore Moses when God appointed him an office very plausible and desireable by men to be a Magistrate he being suspicious of himself left his heart which did not obloqui should beguile him denied it fower times and would not take it upon him till God was very angry for true obedience hath nothing de suo of its own but totum de alieno all from another it is a continual gainsayer of it self 3. Some will joyn these two together they will heare God and then call a conference and heare what flesh and blood can say and they will sit judges between both This was not Saint Paules practise when God called him to preach he consulted not with flesh and blood Our affections are like lyme hottest when they should be coldest as in water and e contra we are suspicious and wary when we come to hear God though we ought to be then most secure as if he were persona mala fidei one not to be trusted we fear most when we need not fear we are afraid in hearing the minister of
the end of our life because he runs swiftly to no purpose that gives over before he comes to the goal It is God by the Prophet that saith when a righteous man turneth from his righteousnesse c. all the righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned 2. In regard of the benefit that comes by it He that continueth to the end shall be saved saith our Saviour Upon which S. Bernard Non qui inceperit sed qui perseveveravit usque ad finem hic salvus erit not he that beginneth but he that persevereth to the end this is the man that shall be saved 3. Again as it is with faith our first covenant is nisi credideritis non stabiliemini if ye will not beleeve ye shall not be established so in this if thou continue not thou shalt be cut off Upon this persevering or discontinuing standeth the getting or forfeiture of all behold the goodnesse of God to thee if thou continue otherwise thou shalt be cut off 4. In the reason and laws of man it is a point in all contracts that nihil praesupponitur esse actum donec aliquid restat agendum nothing is said to be done while any thing remains to be done As in a building a house is not said to be finished until the last stone be laid and the building covered That which is here commanded is perseverance set down in Matthew 24. 13. and in many other places metaphorically it is called watching till the Bridegroom come and so the contrary viz. falling away or defection is called sleeping in the parable of the Virgins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they all slumbered and slept and in the next Chapter it is reproved without a parable in the Disciples that they could not watch with Christ one hour they could not persevere the heavinesse of their eyes shewed the heavinesse of their souls and made them unfit in the duties then required Perseverance is distinguished from patience thus the object of patience being tristitia crucis the sorrow of the crosse and of the other taedium diurnitatis the wearinesse of continuance It is called perseverance in regard of the length of time and the tediousnesse which accompanieth it which must be overcome And therefore in regard of the necessity of it we are to take the Apostles caveat Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another daily while it is called to day And this hodie S. Jerome calls quotidie when we have done this day it is not blotted out but when the morrow comes there is hodie still and so every day is hodie as long as we live usque ad mortem 1. That which is forbidden is in the first rule of extent excesse To continue wilfully in an evil course There are some that can rise up early in the morning that they may follow strong drink and continue till night till the wine enflame them And as the Wise man saith Tarry long at the wine till they have red eyes yea and red faces too And as it is in the drunkard so in the glutton who continues til his skin is ready to break and the Adulterer as long as his loyns last the contentious man as long as his pursc lasts S. Angustine saith upon that place Judas festinavit Petrus dormis tu non dormit Judas sed festinavit dost thou sleep Peter and doth Judas make haste And S. Jerome saith Infoelix populus Dei qui tantam perseverantiam non habet in 〈◊〉 quantam improbi in malo O unhappy people of God which have not as great perseverance in good as the wicked in evil 2. The second is in defect and it is an extream more rife and usual now a dayes Inconstancy in good The Romanes were so glorious professours as that S. Paul said of them I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all that your faith is published through all the world Yet when he was at Rome at his appearing before Nero he complained No man stood with me but all men forsook me And this is the custome of those that want perseverance for a while they are hot and zealous but afterwards they forsake Saint Paul and may justly be resembled to Nebuchadnezzars image whose head was gold but the feet were clay they begin in gold but end in dirt Certainly there 's none so bad in the world but hath his beginning in some good for God is the light that lightens every one that cometh into the world there 's not the worst of men but is enlightned in part sometimes he seemeth good and then falleth back and these revolters are of two sorts 1. For they do first as Demas did He at the first was reputed so in the church that Saint Paul joynes him with Saint Luke But afterwards S. Paul saith Demas hath forsaken me having followed this present world And these are of two sorts for either they fall quite away at once without any signe of returning or else in the second place they are such as may be compared to Pharoah from the 7. of Exodus to the 11. of whom we read that he had many beginnings and many interruptions come a shower of rain or hail or any new plague he crieth the Lord is righteous and I and my people are sinners and then pray for me that this plague may be taken from the land and I will let you go So there are some that have many beginnings every day a beginning and never go forward It is fitly called Religio lateritia a religion of bricks or that cometh by fits and continues not Such are like that beast in the Revelation that had 7. heads many beginnings but never go on to bring any thing to perfection 2. The second sort are such as set themselves out of malice to oppose the truth which they formerly professed with a resolution never to returne again which is high Apostacy 1. Forasmuch as patience is joyned with perseverance one of the best means to attain this duty is to cast before hand to foresee what troubles may and will befall us that we may be armed against them and how long the time may be It may be the Lord may come in the first watch it may be not till the second nay not till the third though sooner or later yet we must not be found a sleep whensoever he comes God commanded joshua and reiterates it often to provide and strengthen himself against all crosses which should happen to him before he came to the land of promise Esto fortis be strong faint not And it is the Apostles counsel be strong in the Lord. So that this fore-arming our selves against the assaults of our enemies is a very good means to make us hold out in times dangerous or difficult 2. If we consider with our selves
memory of the creation and did oblige all mankinde though the symbolical or typical rest afterwards was enjoyned to the Jews onely this proved from Scripture Fathers Jewish Doctors late Divines reasons c. How the Fathers are to be understood that deny Sabbatizing before the Mosaical Law 4. The Lords day is of divine institution proved by Scripture Fathers publick declarations of the Church Edicts of Princes Canonists some School-men late Divines 5 The fourth Commandment is in force for the moral equity that at least a seventh part be given to God literally it requires onely the seventh day from the creation not a seventh day The day altered by the Apostles by special authority 6. The rest of the Jewish sabbath partly moral which continues still partly symbolical which is expir'd How the rest of the Lords day differs from the rest of Iewish sabbath rest from ordinary labours forbidden by God but the special determination left to the Church How the Lords day succeeds the sabbath 7. The sabbath kept with the Lords day by the Primitive Christians till the Council of Laodicea was not in a Jewish manner The whole doctrine of the sabbath and Lords day handled in seven conclusions FOr the more cleare understanding of this point of the sabbath and of the reasons which are here produced and of this discourse upon that subject I shall briefly lay down that which I conceive most agreeable to the truth in certain propositions or conclusions distinguishing things certain from such as are onely probable and submitting all to the iudicious and learned reader 1. It is certain that some time ought to be set apart for publick worship and that this is required by the law of nature which dictates to every one that as God ought to be worshipped so some special time must be set apart for that imployment and therefore as when God created the world he is said to have concreated time with it so when he commands a publick worship he commands withall some time for that use without which it cannot be performed and therefore it is confessed by all divines ancient and modern and by men of all professions except familists and such fanatick spirits that some time ought to be set apart for holy duties as due by the immutable law of nature morale est quantum ad hoc quod homo 〈◊〉 aliquod tempus ad vacandum divinis c. saith Aquinas secunda secundae q. 112. It is moral that every man depute some time for religious duties and with him joyntly agree all the rest of the Schoolmen modern divines and others The very law of nature saith our learned Hooker requires no lesse the sanctification of times then of places persons and things for which cause it hath plased God heretofore as of the rest so of times likewise to exact some part by way of perpetual homage And so we finde the Heathen which had no other then the law of nature to direct them had their solemne feasts and set dayes appointed for the worship of their supposed deities This therefore I lay down as certain because questionedby none 2. I conceive it to be likewise certain that the law of nature doth not in particular dictate what day or time ought to be set apart for publick worship but that the determination of the time or dayes in special is from positive laws either of God or men and therefore that the limitation of a seventh day or the 7 th day from the creation or any other particular proportion cannot be deduced necessarily from any natural principle but must be referrd to some positive law either divine or humane This appears in that there can no natural reason be given why one day more then another or why a seventh rather then a sixth or eighth should necessarily be consecrated to God all dayes being in themselves alike and none in themselves more excellent then others those things which are natural and simply or purely moral are evident to all by the light of nature or may by necessary consequence be deduced from some principle which is evident such laws concern things good or evil in themselves and therefore do immutably binde all persons in all places alike but the limitation of a special day is not it is neither a principle evident in it self nor can by necessary consequence be derived from any such principle and therefore cannot be referred to any natural law or dictate of reason Therefore not only the schoolmen generally nemine contradicente with the Casuists and Canonists but the most modern divines some few excepted do generally agree in this as well as in the former conclusion and though some make the observation of the Lords day under the Gospel to be unchangable and so in some sort moral as the sabbath was under the law yet this they ground not upon any natural law but upon positive divine Law and those that seem to make it a dictate of nature mean nothing else but that there is a congruity in reason and that this time being fixt by Christ is unalterable by any humane power The reason given by some why a memento is prefixed before the fourth Commmandement and none else is because that Nature doth not dictate any particular day and therefore men need to be put in minde of the day appointed by God Filencius tract 27. cap. 1. n. 4. Ex Thom. 1. 2. q. 100. a. 7. 2. 2. q. 122. a. 4. ad 3. Bonavent Richard aliis in 3. Sent. Dist. 37. and before them S. Chrysost. saith that the Sabbath is a precept not made known to us by our Consciences as the other precepts are and that God therefore gives reasons of this as because he rested the seventh day and because they were servants in Egypt c. whereas in those that are purely moral as Thou shalt do no murther c. he gives the Precept barely without any reason at all and that because our consciences had taught us this before and because he speaks to those that knew reason sufficient Tom. 6. p. 542. Edit Savil. 3. It is probable that the seventh day was appointed by positive divine law from the begining as the day for publick worship to praise God for the creation of the world c. and so did oblige all mankinde though as a Sabbath or day of symbolical rest it was afterward particularly given to the Jews by Moses For it is the opinion not only of some Jewish Doctors but of learned men among our selves that in the 4 h Commandment the sanctifying of the seventh day and the rest then commanded are several distinct things and that the first refer to the creation of the world as the cause the other to the Egyptian bondage out of which they were delivered and that therefore the one belonged to all men the other onely to the Jews for which cause the Sabbath is said to be a signe between God and
the essential part of it as a day of publick worship and praise to the honour of the Creator and that the ceremonial and symbolical part by a typicall rest from labour was that ' which properly concerned the Jews then it wil necessarily follow that the sabbath onely in this latter respect expired at the death of Christ and that the other part which was the observation of the seventh day as a day of publick praise in honour of the Creatour of all having no reference to Christ for wherein did the observation of a certain day for divine worship typifie Christ or his benefits but being grounded upon moral reasons and not given onely to the Jews ought to continue still unlesse it were altered by the same authority to wit divine and therefore the day being altered de facto as appears by the perpetual practise of the Christian Church to the first day of the week it will clearly follow that this could be done by no lesse then divine authority and so the observation of the Lords day may be truely said to be Jure divino as enjoyned by him who is Lord of the sabbath and therefore had power to alter the day which he did by his Apostles Neither is it needful which some vrge that a cleere precept of Christ should be brought for this out of the new testament It is sufficient if by necessary consequence it can be deduced from scripture and though in matters of faith which are of absolute necessity to salvation for all to know it may be granted that they are all expressed in scripture yet for other matters that concern the discipline order and government of the Church it was not necessary to have them expressed in writing though many of them be occasionally mentioned it was sufficient that they might be known by the daily practise of the Church wherein every one might read them written in large and Capital letters which universal practise and traditio of the Church in these matters he that shall denie or question may by the like reason question the authors and number of the books of Canonical scripture and whether they were written by men divinely inspired and so by consequence may question the authority of the scripture it self which is conveyed to us no otherwise then by the universal and Catholick tradition of the Church Besides how dangerous it is that the publick exercise of Christian religion should depend upon so week a foundation as authority humane wch may alter its own constitutions is subject to manifold errours I leave to the prudent and judicious Christian to consider The Lords day then I conceive to be grounded upon divine authority not onely in regard that all authority is from God and so divine for so all humane laws might be said to be by divine authority for it is true which learned Breerewood saith there may be divine authority for humane decrees and as Molina saith well Licet quae a regia aliis legitimis inferioribus potestatibus rite praecipiuntur sunt de jure positivo quod tamen illis post quam it a constitutae sunt pareatur est de jure divino cum legitime omnes potestates a Deo sunt Deique vices suo ordine tenent dumque illis obedimus earumque precepta servamus Deo pariter in illis paremus Deique praeceptum voluntatem exequimur though the commands of Kings and other inferiour lawful powers are onely by positive law yet that their constitutions be obeyed is by divine law for all lawful powers are from God and are his Deputies in their order so that when we obey them and keep their Commandments we do also obey God in them and fulfill his will and Commandment But I mean by divine authority that which is immediately divine in regard of the subject God or Christ himself who ordained and appointed this day though it were publisht to the world by the Apostles as the messengers of Christ as they publisht the Gospel and those things for which they had commission from Christ. It is true that the Apostles instituted other things as ordinary governours of the Church which are in themselves changeable as cannot be denied as their orders about widows saluting with a holy kisse and the like which are now antiquated But that the Lords day was not of this latter sort but of the former besides the former reasons which are stronger then any I have seen to the contrary may be likewise evinced by the testimony of the Church and of the most learned and eminent Doctors of it in several ages whose testimony in matters of fact and things of this nature is the best way that I know to prove what is not cleerely and evidently set down in scriptures and that wherein the conscience may most safely rest That text of Psal. 118 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made let us reioyce and beglad in it is generally by the fathers applied to the Lords day as made or instituted by the Lord so among others Athanasius Ambrose Chrysostom Augustine expound it Justin Martyr in 2 Aponl Antonim saith Apostolus a Christo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 celebritatem accepisse That the Apostles received from Christ himself the celebrity of this day Athanasius saith 〈◊〉 sabbati Dominus in diem Dominicum transtulit that the Lord himself hath transferred the solemnity of the sabbath to the Lords day Hom. de semente and in the forementioned Hom. upon these words all things are delivered to me by my father Infers the Lords day to be of divine institution Cyrill l. 12 in John Cap. 58. speaking of the apparitions of Christ upon this day saith that Christ thereby sanctified this day for solemne assemblies Chrysostom on Gen. 2. 3. saith here God from the beginning intimates this doctrine to us to lay aside and separate one day in every week for spiritual exercises Saint Augustine Epist. 119. seems to say the same that the Lords day was declared by the resurrection of Christ ab illo not ab illa caepit habere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him that is from Christ it began to be made a festival Lactantius and others tell us that the primitive Christians expected Christs returne to judgement on that day by general tradition which shews they thought it unalterable and so no humane constitution Besides particular testimonies we have the publick testimony of the Church in her canons generally received in the the Christian world Cap. 〈◊〉 Feriis where it is said tam veteris quam 〈◊〉 testamenti pagina septimum diem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that both the old and new Testament have appointed the seventh day for mans rest In that famous constitution of Leo the Emperor 〈◊〉 54. for the keeping of the Lords day it is said we ought not to encroach upon that one day which God hath chosen for his own honour Among the canonists some of the chief are expressly for the divine right
means to imploy and exercise us in the meditation of Gods works and in his praise for it as the 92. Psalm shews us which psalm was made especially for the sabbath day As also to the continuing of the memory of the Creation to keep us from Paganisme for if the duty of the memorial of the creation had been duly and successively kept from the beginning and so continued that great doubt which troubled all the Philosophers so much whether the world had a beginning had been taken away And therefore this day being one especial means to keep men from Atheisme was therefore sanctified by God to be a day of rest This was one reason why the not keeping this law was so severely punisht by the Mosaical Law as appeares by the man that gathered sticks upon that day and was therefore put to death which was not onely because the law of the sabbath was then newly made to wit for the ceremonial and typical part which consisted in rest and therefore required the severer punishment but also because the not observing of that day was in effect a denial that God created the world Augustine treating upon the Creation saith it is true that God might have been pleased to have said as well fiat mundus totus let all the world be made in a moment as fiat lux let there be light in the first day it had been all one to his omnipotency to have done it at once as in six 〈◊〉 and enquiring further into the cause why he did not so could finde no other reason but that God by creating one thing after another would teach us that we should proceed in the musing and meditation upon the works of creation severally and in order as God made them So did king David and so did Basile and Ambrose who wrote some books of it And this course of meditation was much in use in the primitive Church 3. The last reason is Because the Lord blessed the seventh day He did not onely rest on that day but he consecrated it also Besides exemplum his example there is institutio he hath solemnly instituted it So that it shall be to us 〈◊〉 animae the Market day of the soul for our amendment in that we 〈◊〉 amisse in the foregoing week and for the regulating of us in the week following But this is not all the force of this last reason is in this God saith because have blessed and hallowed it seeing I have appointed it see you do not resist me butsubmit your selves to my ordinance He that keepeth it not and resisteth Gods ordinance resisteth God himself and they that do so receive to themselves damnation Therfore that which God hath hallowed we must not pollute We see the reasons why this rest is to be kept let us now see how far it is to be kept and what is required to the sanctification of it CHAP. V. How far this rest is to be kept Why this word Remember is prefixed Such works to be fortorn which may be done before or after Necessity of a vacation from other works that we may attend Holy duties Mans opposition to God when he bids rest then we labour 〈◊〉 contra six works in particular forbidenthe Jews Whether the same 〈◊〉 absolutely now forbidden the Christians Rest necessary onely for the means of sanctification or the practise of it as in works of mercy or necessity sabbatum boum Asinorum Sabbatum aurei vituli Sabbatum 〈◊〉 Sabbatum Satane THe substance of this fourth Commandment consisteth especially in these two things 1. In the outward rest of the body otium 2. In the holy duties which are the end to sanctifie it Sanctificatio 1. As before we are willed to remember it both in the week before the day come partly because in the day it self we are to yield an account to God of the former fix dayes work in singultu scrupulo cordis with trouble and sorrow of heart partly also as Augustine speaketh ne quid operis rejiciatur in diem festum that no work that might be done in the former dayes be put of to the holy day so when it is come we must avoid two things which as Saint Gregory observes may cause us to forget to sanctifie it 1. The one is aliorum exempla other mens ill examples 2. The other is Ludorum spectaculorum studia the practise and desires we have to unlawful sports and sights to which men are more naturally addicted then to the sanctifying of the day And in as much as we are to esteem of the sabbath as Deliciae Domini the delight of the Lord and that these two things are main obstacles and impediments to such estimation of it we must not onely remember it before hand but when it cometh also That which we are to remember is A day of rest and to sanctifie it Augustine comprehends them both in two words otium sanctum a holy rest 1. A ceasing from labour and if we ask from what labour It is as an ancient Canon of the Church sheweth Ab eo quod antea fieri poterat aut quod postea fieri poterit from that which might have been done before and from that which may be done afterward And whatsoever is meant by the labour and work of the week day that must be forborn on this day with this proviso That Ab eo quod nec antea fieri poterat nec postea poterit non est abstinendum such works of necessity which cannot be de done either before or after are not to be forborn The grounds are laid by Augustine and Jerome thus There is nothing as the Preacher saith but must have its time As we destinate a set time for our bodies repast sleep and the like in 〈◊〉 time we usually take order that we be not interrupted or disturbed by any other occasions And so in other temporal things the more serious they are we go about the more care we take that we be not hindred in them but that we may wholly minde them hoc agere So in the case of spirituals there ought to be a set time for the building up of the soul and procuring holinesse to it and exercising holinesse by it wherein we are to use no lesse care being a matter of greatest importance but that in the promoting of it all impediments may be removed that may hinder us in it ut promptiores simus ad divinum cultum cum non habemus impedimentum saith S. Augustine that we may be more ready for divine worship when we have no lets or impediments to hinder us And this is so plain as that we see even the Councel of Trent taking order for observing of holy dayes hath set down concerning the holy duties which are to be performed on those dayes that they are such Quae ab his qui ab humanarum occupationum negotio detinentur omnino praestari non
day consecrate our selves wholly to God Now here will arise some questions Whether the strict Commandment given to the Jews of kindling no fire and consequently of dressing no meat upon the Sabbath be to be observed by us Christians To this we answer Negatively for this was Ceremonial and belonged onely to the Jews For it is a general rule that every moral or eternal dutie of the Law may be performed by all men at all times But they which inhabit under the North-pole as it is well known cannot be without fire one day and to let it go out were to their utter destruction and so they that dwell under the burning Zone under the Equinoctial cannot well keep their meat above one day so that this being Ceremonial the Christian is exempted from the observing of it as being a thing not observable through the whole world though it might have been observed by the Jews and therefore was it a peculiar precept to them onely because they had no obstacle but might have kept it 2. The second question is Whether the six several works formerly prohibited the Jews be absolutely forbidden to Christians as to travail c. For answer to this we will go no further then the Precept it self The Sabbath must be remembred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our rest must be ad sanctificandum to sanctifie it the outward rest is destinate sanctificationi to sanctity ideo quiescimus ut sanctificemus we therefore rest because we should sanctifie so that where our rest is not destinata sanctificationi applied to sanctification it is not required and where sanctification cannot be sine quiete without rest there a rest is required Certain it is that a man may rest and not sanctifie so likewise he may sanctifie and not rest and therefore in the first case it is said there are many resters and but few sanctifiers Now sanctification consists either 1. In the means of sanctification Or 2. in declaring our inward sanctification by the practise and works of it in our lives And where the rest is not necessary for one of these or not destinated to them it being a subordinate thing it may be forborn The rule in Logick is tantum destinati sumendum est quantum prodest ad finem we must take so much of that which is appointed for the end as conduceth to the attaining of that end As in the case of Medicine so much is to be taken as will serve to the end for which it is taken Again for the means of sanctification Christ defending his Disciples against the Jews who were altogether urgers of the bodily rest onely sheweth that the rest in regard of the sanctification may be broken as in the Priest in sacrificing that time being the most laborious time for him as it is now the greatest day of labour for our Minister was blamelesse because he was in opere cultus Divini imployed in the work of Gods worship We read also in the Acts of the Apostles of a Sabbath dayes journey and of the like in the Old Testament where the Shunamitish woman coming to her husband for the Asse he saith to her Wherefore wilt thou go to the Prophet to day It is neither new moon nor Sabbath as if the custom had been then to go to the Prophet that day when they had no publick meetings elsewhere So that where publick and lawful assemblies are not a man may take a Sabbath dayes journey to joyn in publick worship with others Thus much for the first part of sanctification But this is lesse acceptable to God then the other part which is the practise of sanctification for this is the end the other but the means and therefore our Saviour being reproved by the Pharisees for a work of healing upon the Sabbath tells them that if they had known what this meaneth which he citeth out of the Prophet 〈◊〉 I will have mercy and not sacrifice you would not have condemned the guiltlesse Mercy being indeed a practical work of sanctification and preferred before the means So that in regard of the practise of sanctification a man may leave the very means as to shew a work of mercy As if there should happen a fire or a man or woman to fall into a swoun or a woman to be in travail in time of divine service or sermon we are to leave the means and practise the work in shewing mercy by saving the life or goods of those that need our help and would otherwise have perished for it is a true rule that periculum vitae pellit Sabbatum the danger of life excludes the Sabbath For as God will be glorified on this day for the works of his Creation the memorial whereof was a cause of the institution of this day from the beginning so no lesse is he glorified in the preservation of his creatures We read that our Saviour Christ was careful to save the fragments and commanded them to be taken up and his reason was because he would have nothing lost If not the least much less the life of any thing may be lost and if he be careful of the life of other things how much more then think you is he careful for the life of man He practised himself this work of mercy upon the Sabbath upon the man that was in peril of his life And indeed Necessitas facit legem exlegem Necessity makes law an Outlaw In the Law it is said Thou shalt not see thy brothers Asse or his Ox fall down by the way and hide thy self from them but thou shalt surely help to lift them up again Nay we see in the Law that God himself is not so strict in observing the practise as many now adayes are For in one place where he appointeth the sanctification of the 7 th day Sabbath and prohibits all works yet he hath there a Proviso Save that which every man must eat that may be done of you And in the Gospel our Saviour tells the Jews that they watered their cattel on the Sabbath day But we must take this caution by the way that we use not this liberty according to the flesh nor as a cloak as the Apostles speak and that these works of Mercy in preserving the life of Man and beasts and other of Gods creatures be used presente non imminente necessitate in case of present not imminent necessity As when any present danger appears against my life I am to defend my self for in presenti necessitate quisque Magistratus est quisque personam Dei habet ut potius occidat quam occidatur in urgent and present necessity every one is a Magistrate and representeth the person of God to kill rather then to be killed But if the danger be not present but onely imminent as one tells me there is wait laid to kill me I must then repair to the Magistrate so that for present necessity or peril there is
through diverse hands already crept forth in Print to the great wrong both of the Living and the Dead and that the same is about to be reprinted it was therefore thought necessary in vindication of the Author and to disabuse the Reader to publish this Copy there being no other way to prevent the further mischiefs of that Edition then by another more perfect for though I deny not but that there are many good Materials in that indigested Chaos which is already set forth which an expert Builder may make good use of yet the Reader will finde the whole to be nothing else but a heap of broken rubbish the rudera of those stately structures which that skilful Architect had made which have been so mangled and defaced so scattered and dismembred like Medeas Absyrtus that they appear scarce shadows of themselves so that had the learned Author lived to see those partus ingenii those divine Issues of his brain so deformed he might well have called them not Benjamins sons of his right hand but Benonies sons of sorrow for I am confident there hath not been exposed to publick view a work of that bulk stuffed with so much nonsence so many Tautologies contradictions absurdities and incoherences since Printing was in use there is not a Page scarce a Paragraph seldome many lines together in the whole Book which contain perfect sence the Method quite lost in most places the whole Discourse like a body whose members are dislocated or out of joynt as if it had been tortured upon the rack or wheel so that the parts cohere like the Hammonian sands sometimes whole Paragraphs whole pages yea diverse sheets together are wanting as in the tenth Commandment where the one half is left out and half of the ninth is added to supply that defect and the whole work so corrupted mangled disjoynted falsified interpolated and the sence of the Author so perverted that the Author might well say of the Publisher with the Poet Quem recitas mens est c. At male dum recitas incipit esse tuus the Book was his at first but by this strange Metamorphosis the Publisher hath made his own That the world therefore may not be longer abused by a shadow obtruded for the substance here is presented the Authors own Copy revised and compared with diverse other manuscripts which though it were not perfected by himself nor intended for publick use yet being the onely Copy he had as is acknowledged under his hand in the beginning of the Book and containing many Marginal Notes and alterations throughout the whole made by himself in his latter years as it seems it may well be thought to contain the minde and sence of the Author more fully then any of those Copies in other hands This coming into the hands of one of those to whom the perusal of his papers were committed who was informed of the wrong done by that other Edition and that a more perfect one was intended and desired out of his love to the memory of the deceased Author and his eminent zeal for the publick good considering of how great use the work might be he was easily induced to part with it for so good a purpose whereupon by an able industrious and worthy Gentleman who hath otherwise deserved well of the publick and had some relation to the Author whilst he lived the work was taken in hand and revised the sence in many places restored defects supplied and the whole discourse brought into a far better form then that wherein it had formerly appeared But considering that to purge this Augaean stable and to restore a work so much corrupted and whose best Copies were imperfect was no easy work and that it contained such variety of all kinde of Learning both Divine and Humane that he who would revise it must not be a stranger to any and that many Eyes may see more then one such was his Ingenuity and Modesty that he was willing and desirous to have the whole again revised and brought to the touch by some other who as he conceived might have more leizure and abilities then himself whereupon it was again resumed and after much labor travail was at length brought to this form wherin it now appears wherein that the Reader may know what is performed in this Edition he shall finde 1. The true sence and meaning of the Author the chief thing to be looked after in the publishing of other mens works restored in many thousand places which were corrupted mistaken whereby the Author was made to speak contrary to what he thought as if he had seen some vision after his death to make him change his Judgement in his life time This as it was a work of much difficulty requiring both time and study by diligent comparing of places weighing of Antecedents and Consequents viewing several Copies and consulting with the Authors quoted c. so the Reader will finde no small benefit thereby arising from this Edition 2. The Method is here cleered which was in a manner quite lost in the former Edition and without which the Reader must needs be in a Maze or Labyrinth This being the chief help to memory conducing much to the understanding of the matter 3. Many Tautologies and needlesse Repetitions of the same thing are here cut off and those many great defects wherein diverse Paragraphs Pages and whole sheets were formerly wanting are supplyed and added 4. Whereas in some passages the sence of the Author might seem obscure or doubtful and not to agree so well with his iudgment expressed in his other works composed in his latter and riper years his meaning therefore is cleared and vindicated by adding his latter thoughts upon the same points which are either collected out of his other works which were perfected by himself or the Reader referred to those other places where he may be more fully satisfied And where some things are omitted or but briefly touched a supplement is made out of his other works or where it could not be had out of them there is added what was needful to be supplied without prejudice to the Author and what is conceived agreable to the declared Doctrine of the Catholike Church of Christ and of this Church in special which that the Reader may distinguish it from the words of the Author is put in a different Character save where by mistake the same letter is used And here as in some other points so in particular about the Sabbath wherein the Author might be mistaken by many of both sides out of his other works compared with this here is declared what his Opinion was in that Controversie and that it was no other then which I conceive to come neerest to the truth that as the symbolical rest proper to that Nation is abolisht so the substance of the Precept is moral and that the seventh day was hallowed by God for a time of publick worship from the beginning in memory of the