way of a Parenthesis Argument 5. THey have no ground whereupon to settle their Prolepsis no Scripture have ever any of them alleadged but either the sixteenth of Exod. or the twentieth and eleventh verse But in neither of these can they fetch their rise for it Not out of Exod. the sixteenth for there are no words of Gods blessing and sanctifying the day mentioned in all that chapter Not out of Exod. the twentieth for the reasons forenamed in the third argument Therefore in the words Gen. 2. 3. is no Prolepsis Argument 6. EVery Anticipation in holy Story hath its ground for it within some convenient space of time Usually and commonly the thing anticipated is recorded within the same book where the Prolepsis is Sometime in the same chapter Jud. 15. 14. 17. and 2. 1. 5. Gen. 31. 21. 47. Sometime in the same verse of the chapter as in Gen. 33. 17. Sometime in the next chapter as in Josh 4. 19. and 5. 9. Most usually in the same book though somewhat farther off in chapters as in Gen. 12. 8. and 28. 19. yet the space then within a mans age Seldome in any other book though sometime as that in the first of Samuel 17. 54. and in the second of Sam. 5. 7. when there is a continuation of the story of the same person whose act is the ground of the Anticipation as is cleare in this instance of David where the Anticipation and the act of David are within the terme of his life But here is a supposed Anticipation not of a few yeares or the age of a man but the space of one world for 1657 yeares and then into another for the space of 450 and odde yeares in the whole 2450 and more yeares A monstrous birth of a leaping Prolepsis for so many generations not to be assented unto Argument 7. IN every true Prolepsis the very selfe same singular thing is to be understood in the Anticipation and that whereon it dependeth As Bethel in Gen. 12. 8. is the selfe same in Gen. 28. 19. not another Bethel But the seventh day in Gen. 2. 3. is not the very selfe same singular and individuall seventh day in Exod. 20. 11. as it was confessed but the same in likenesse saith one and in successive revolution but the nature of an Anticipation doth not admit of such a distinction And here note further that the words of Exod. 20. 11. whence they doe ground their Prolepsis have not the word seventh day in them for in Exod. 20. 11. it is said Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it But in Gen. 2. 3. it is said He blessed the seventh day so as Moses kept not to the word precisely as he ought if in Gen. 2. 3. there were a true Prolepsis Therefore there is none Argument 8 and last EVery true Prolepsis is raised upon a sure ground and not upon a meere and uncertaine supposition as is manifest in all the former instances and in any other that may be produced But this Prolepsis is grounded upon a meere and uncertaine supposition which is this that Moses wrote his story of Genesis after he heard the Law promulgated upon Mount Sinai where he heard God to blesse and sanctifie the seventh day to Israel and therefore in writing of Genesis he occasionally Pererius is of opinion that Moses wrote Genesis in Midian Euseb Casariensis holds it written before the Israelites comming out of Aegypt lib. 7. cap. 2. de Praepa Evang. inserted the words in Gen. 2. 3. by way of a Parenthesis But till they can prove this every one may see their sandy building and withall admire that any learned men dare thus to wrastle with their wits to overthrow a divine institution Thus much for this Anticipation SECTION IV. Of another conceit concerning Destination and what it is also confuted IT is cleare that there is no Anticipation in the words which some perhaps well weighing have devised another shift to darken the plaine narration that here should not be conceived a present institution of the first Sabbath and this is by interpreting the words by way of Destination which stiffely some maintaine contrary to the opinion and judgement of many learned men aswell Papist as Protestant Divines as afterwards shall be shewed For better proceeding herein to shew the error and to cleare the truth let us see first what they meane by Destination to wit Gods purpose and intention to have the seventh 1 What is meant by Destination day mentioned in Gen. 2. 3. to be the Sabbath day in actuall use after the giving of the Law upon Mount Sinai 2450 yeares after Gods creation of the world and his resting on the first seventh day this is their conceited Destination of the day Next before I come to their Reasons let us see what they yeeld us First that God bestowed a speciall prerogative and preferment 2 Our agreement upon the seventh day setting it apart from the rest of the week That this was done saith a learned Opposite we all agree but when it was done is the question Secondly it is said further that when God had ended his workes he ordained and appointed that the seventh day the day of his owne rest should bee that on which his Church should rest and follow his example and this was that great blessing and prerogative bestowed on that day Thirdly it is moreover granted that the seventh day was from the beginning the day of Gods rest and might have been imployed as the Lords Sabbath and some dayes doubtlesse were thus bestowed and perhaps this Fourthly and lastly that the cause and reason of the Sabbaths sanctification to wit Gods rest was from the beginning though the sanctification it selfe was a long time after From all this note First that the seventh day was the day of Gods own rest Secondly that this his rest was the cause or reason of the Sabbaths sanctification Thirdly that as God actually rested so he then actually sanctified the day deputed and consecrated it unto rest Fourthly that this his rest was exemplarie he ordayning and appointing that the Church should follow his example Fiftly that he set it apart from the rest of the weeke Sixthly and so bestowed upon it a speciall prerogative and perferment and a great blessing which was his appointing it the day of the Churches resting and following his example Seventhly that that day might have beene imployed as the Lords Sabbath that some dayes doubtlesse were thus imployed and perhaps the seventh day it selfe Thus farre wee accord and if well weighed it might easily overthrow their discord from us and bring them home to us for our disagreement is only in this Wee say that all this which they yeeld was for the time present by way of actuall use and employment 3. Our discord They say it was only by Destination and Gods purpose to have it so after he should give his Law on Mount-Sinai after the destruction of the
time of the institution of those Feasts the time and place appointed when they were to be kept but no such thing in Genesis touching any future time for the observation of it for then the fancied destination had been clear and the question had been ended Thirdly There was no reason for the keeping of some of those solemn Feasts as the feast of weeks or of harvest Exo. 34. 22. because in the wildernesse they did neither sow nor reap So the Feast of Tabernacles after the gathering in of corn and wine Deut. 16. 13. because then they dwelt not in houses to make them boothes to remember that in the Wildernesse they so dwelt for as yet they were in Tents in the Wildernesse nor had they fields of corne nor vineyards to gather in corne and wine Therefore there was reason for destinating the observation of those Feasts till afterwards But such sound reasons of destinating the observation of the seventh day Sabbath for so many hundred yeers are yet to seek The Passeover they kept when it was instituted and after in the wildernesse Num. 9. 1. 5. and so no doubt other holy dayes then instituted such as then could be kept 4. Argument The reason and ground of the observation of the Sabbath was not till Israels comming out of Egypt Deut. 5. 15. where it is said that Israel was a servant in Egypt and that the Lord brought him out with a mighty hand Therefore the Lord his God commanded him to keep the Sabbath day We see hence that the keeping of the day did depend on such a deliverance therefore we may well acknowledge a destination for the observation till the ground of the observation become to passe which was not till then Answ 1 It is granted before that the cause and reason for the Sabbath was Gods rest Secondly in Exo. 20. 11. It is rendered as the only reason why God then commanded the observation of the Sabbath Nor did God himself give any other reason or ground for the keeping of it holy but only his blessing and sanctifying of the day on which he did rest Therefore this was the ground of observing the day which ground was laid down at the beginning of the world as before is acknowledged and therefore there was no need of a destination to expect another ground for the observation of the day so many hundred yeers after Thirdly Concerning deliverance out of Egypt it is prefaced by God himself before all the Commandments as a strong motive from his mercy to move Israel to the observation of every Commandment and not of the fourth alone For upon the rehearsall of that benefit the Lord gave them that his whole Law consisting of ten Commandments Fourthly the former part of verse 15. in Deut. 5. is to be read as within a Parenthesis so as the beginning of the later part of it at therefore must have relation to rest mentioned in the end of the fourteenth verse and not to the deliverance out of Egypt mentioned within the parenthesis as the ground of the Sabbath for if it be marked well it beginneth with remember that thou wast a servant to move them to pity their servants as God in mercy pitied them to bring them out of Egypt with so strong an hand So thus rightly understanding the text it is altogether impertinent to be brought for destinating the keeping of the seventh day till Israels deliverance out of Egypt It is to be lamented that men of good Learning should wrong Gods word with such a Misinterpretation to uphold a meere imaginary Destination which neither Wit nor Learning can make good 5. Argu. It is as clear as the Noon-day from Nehe. 9. 14. that the weekly Sabbath was made known to the Israelites under Moses at Sinai and not before unto their Fathers And therefore the place in Genesis must be understood by way of destination Answ 1 Note well the place in Nehemiah is restrained to Sinai whereof it is said that God made there the Sabbath known to Israel yet before that Israel knew and kept the Sabbath in the wildernesse of Sin Exo. 16. 1. 26. before they came to Sinai Secondly seeing they knew the Sabbath before they came to Sinai the words thou madest known must not be interpreted of a knowledge of bare information of that which they knew not before but of a knowledge of farther ratification at Sinai for there his holy Sabbath was made known to them 1. By his own person but before in Exod. 16. by Moses 2. Now more certainly by a lively voice and Gods own writing when before it was delivered by tradition to the Patriarches and not in writing 3. More fully concerning the persons which were to observe it not only the Parents Masters and Magistrates in their own persons but their Sons Daughters Men and Maidservants their Cattell and the Stranger within the gates 4. The manner also prescribed not to do any servile work on the day These things he made known unto them and all this to all Israel at once by his voice of Majestie from heaven which was never done before nor so made known to their Fathers Lastly if any yet will conceive it of such an informing them of which neither they nor their Fathers ever knew before I desire them plainly to shew me why God should conceale from all the holy men of God from Adam to Moses his resting on the seventh day his setting it apart for a Sabbath destinating it for his Church to rest on and to follow his example in time to come Let any one give any instance at any time where God really destinated any thing time place or person for future use and did not make any acquainted with it to live in expectation of it There may be instances given to the contrary Then this will follow that God destinating the seventh day for Sabbath in time to come as they say the destination was made known to the Fathers and therefore they knew of a Sabbath before the time that Nehemiah speaketh of especially considering what an Opposite doth freely acknowledge 1. That the seventh day might have been imployed as the Lords Sabbath 2. That some dayes doubtlesse were thus bestowed And 3. Perhaps that day Could then all the Fathers be simly ignorant of the seventh day Sabbath Thus have I shewed the strongest arguments for destination that I can read of in any of the last disputers for it Now I come to the Reasons against this fained destination Reason 1. EVery History is made of things existent but if the words in Gen. 2. 3. be to be understood of what God intended to doe and not what he then did the words should not bee historically taken but prophetically interpreted But Moses wrote in Gen. 2. 3. an history as all the words before and after and the words themselves plainely laid downe in the verse fully demonstrate Therefore is there no Destination except the destinated time to come were set downe expresly in 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
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
Some perhaps will here say it would easily be granted that the words were binding if it could bee proved that Adam knew of this institution The works of God are wrought for man to know and in knowing them to acknowledge God in them and to observe them and to make that use of them which he intendeth by them This is an universall truth Againe his works wrought are to bee taken notice of of the first to whom they may become observeable and to whom they doe belong This is undeniable All Gods works are documentary and lead men to some use of them as the Scriptures doe teach Adam created in the excellency of perfection according to the image of God saw Gods workmanship of the world and knew God in them and well understood how to make use of them But now that in six dayes God was creating all things Adam could not know but by information from God nor could he know the seventh day to be the seventh day on which God rested but by his knowledge of the six dayes before it Yet after God made him he knowing that God wrought six dayes and hee beholding Gods rest on the seventh day by his excellent understanding he could conceive that God in both to wit in his six dayes working and in his seventh dayes resting made himselfe a patterne for his imitation for else what needed God to take so many dayes for working or the seventh day for resting But concerning the seventh day Gods exemplary rest is not only mentioned by Moses but Gods blessing and sanctifying of the day not for himselfe for so to think were absurd saith learned B. Lakes but for man Mark 2. 27. In his Thes If so then Adam must needs know thus much else Gods blessing and sanctifying of the day for Adam and his posterity had beene of none effect Although there bee a dispute about the time yet on all hands the words are acknowledged to be words of an institution Now every institution of God is made manifest without delay to them whom it concerneth no instance can be given to the contrary but I have proved the institution to have beene upon Gods rest after the six dayes work and therefore was it forthwith knowne unto Adam to bee an institution of the Sabbath for which cause he knew himselfe bound to observe it as no doubt but hee and the Patriarchs did as followeth to bee proved in the next Section 2. The holy men of God before the Law knew the space of times they knew the space of yeares and reckoned by yeares Gen. 5. and 7. 11. and 14. 4. They knew the space of a moneth Gen. 29. 24. and 38. 20. Exod. 2. 2. and could reckon the moneths knowing which was first which the second the third and fourth c. Gen. 8. 13 14. Exod. 12. 2. and 19. 1. They moreover observed weeks Gen. 29. 2â— 28. and knew how many dayes made a week else how could Laban say fulfill her week or Jacob understand what he meant by it But it is said he fulfilled her week which was seven dayes which made the week as they had learned from God in working six dayes and resting the seventh day and as the Hebrew name sheweth it for a week was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shabuah comming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septem seven which language the Church of God then spake and the Septuagint translates the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latines call Septimana and Hebdomada which doth constare septem diebus as a man learned in the Hebrew tongue delivers it All doe reckon seven dayes for a week and so is it taken in the Scriptures where a week or weeks be mentioned Dan. 9. 27. and 10. 3. Levit. 12. 15. Luk. 18. 12. Now they knowing a week and taking to themselves six dayes of the week for work from Gods example and as God allowed them as we see by his words in giving the Law Exod. 20. 9. 11. may it bee in reason thought otherwise but that they gave God the seventh day according to his owne institution 3 The much observing of the number of seven and seventh may somewhat move us hereto else why did God himselfe so observe it First in his resting upon the seventh day at the beginning Gen. 2. 2. 3. Secondly in his distinction of beasts and foules commanding Noah to observe the number of seven in taking in to him the cleane Gen. 7. 2. 3. Thirdly in ordering so the Arke by the hand of his providence that it as the Type of the Church should rest in the seventh Month on the Mountaines of Ararat Gen. 8. 4. and that the earth should be dryed on the seventh day of the second Month falling out upon no other number but upon the number of seven I say by the guidance of Gods providence to teach the godly that as hee rested the seventh day Sabbath so the Arke the Typicall Church should rest on the seventh day and as he ending his work of Creation and blessed the seventh day so hâ—e ending his work of his judgement upon the sinfull word upon the seventh day on which the earth was dryed which seventh day might very likely be the seventh day Sabbath what may bee said to the contrary I know not For the Sabbath day as now sometimes it doth might fall upon the seventeenth day of one Month and on the twenty seventh day of another Month. Fourthly in ordayning the Passeover to bee kept upon a seventh day Exod. 12. 3 6. for the fourteenth day was the seventh day for if wee reckon from the first day of the Moneth to the tenth and the keeping up of the Lamb till the fourteenth day it must be the second seventh day of the Month which the Jewes began at the evening and continued to the evening Fiftly in the Lords appointing the feast of unleavened bread to consist of the number of seven dayes and the seventh day to be an holy Convocation Exod. 12. 15 16. and a feast unto the Lord Exod. 13. 6. Sixthly in his not rayning of Mannah on the seventh day because he would have no gathering on that day All these put together doe shew that God did much extoll the seventh day before his people and those holy Patriarches to stirre them up to observe the seventh day Sabbath Seventhly to adde to all these the Lords speaking to Noah of the number of seven dayes to bring in the Floud and opening the windowes of Heaven and breaking up the fountaines of the great deep on the seventeenth day of the second Month Gen. 7. 11. and in bringing the Floud upon the old world upon the seventh day Gen. 7. 10. as the learned Translatours have it in the Margin So Tremelius and Innius give us it from the Hebrew Text Fuit ipsorum dierum septimo Vatablus hath it Cum illuxisset dies septimus that hereby among other the wickednesses of the times God might shew his wrath against those evill
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
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
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
darknesse the Lords people observed a weekely Sabbath day then surely we should be ungratefull and negligent of our own salvation if we yeld not to God a weekly day or a sufficient time for his service as well as the Iews did Thus you see how we agree in the proportion of time one day in the week according to Gods designation of time and the equity of the Law CHAP. VI. Of the first day of the week that it is the Lords day and also the seventh day AS we must have a day within the week so is it needfull to know which day in the week it is which we are to observe for the Lords day else should wee be uncertaine for one would keep one day and others another day In Scripture the first day in the week mentioned in Mat. 28. 1. Mark 16. 2. 9. Luk. 24. 1. Joh. 20. 1. 19. Act. 20. 7. 1 Cor. 16. 2. is that which is called in Rev. 1. 10. the Lords day So saith S. August the first day of the week is that day Epig. 86. qui postea Dies Dominicus appellatus est S. Cyrill affirmeth In Iohn lib. 8. cap. 58. Apost 2. the very same Our Sunday saith Justine Martyr is the first day of the week Our Homily saith the first day after the Jewish Sabbath is our Sunday It is our Lords day said the Divines in Ireland The former Scriptures are interpreted See the many Exposit cited by Master Spr. pag. 61. by all Expositors the Fathers Greek and Latine the later writers Protestants and Papists to bee the Lords day It cannot well be dâ—nyed saith B. White that the first day of every week was the Christian weekly holy day It is manifest saith Doctor Pocklington that the first day of the week is the Lords day and to strengthen more this truth learned Beza saith that he hath read in a Manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added to the Text in 1 Cor. 16. 2. so Crispine in his Greek Lexicon This first day of the week hath beene observed for our Lords day ever and no true Christian Church can be named that ever brake off the custome of this day This universall unity of so Catholique a custome is sufficient to settle any Christian in his faith of this truth that the first day of the week is the Lords day For what better Expositor than the Churches continuall practice and observation which must needs bee from a setled judgement of the truth of the time observed Our Church telleth us in the Homily that this custome hath beene kept in all ages without any gaine-saying And although this day after the Jewish account bee the first day of the week yet neverthelesse it keepeth the proportion of time in the Commandement the seventh part of a week so as it may be called the seventh day though not that seventh day I say the seventh day Let none here make a stir about the seventh and a seventh for the seventh day and not a seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God for the particle the and not a is to bee prefixed to seventh and not only because of the six dayes in which the world was made the dayes of the Creation as is commonly and onely so supposed to bee taken but for the donation of six dayes to us by God and that in the promulgation of this Law and Commandement as is in the former Treatise shewed Alwayes in counting of numbers we our selves in any ordinary number of seven when six is taken out doe not say there remaineth a seventh but the seventh for a should note an uncetainty but the doth not God of seventh dayes for there are no more in a week nor ever was hath given us for ever irrevocably six of them for to labour in and to doe all that wee have to doe Exod. 20. 9. These dayes we take to our selves as Gods gift from his words in the Law Now if we have six of the seven certainly knowne unto us can we reasonably say a seventh is the Lords or the seventh is his A seventh may be spoken of whole numbers where a certainty is not determined nor pitched upon nor taken out but where the number is no more but seven in a week as none heretofore nor any now count more there six being taken out for us the seventh is left as a certaine day not to bee doubted of for the Lord. So as yet the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord our God both by Gods donation of six to us and our counting our dayes to come to the seventh having taken to us the six For our first day of the week is Munday and so wee account forward to the Lords day as the seventh day and our Sabbath and resting day And most fit it is that wee should still hold the seventh day for our Sabbath * Dies dominica representat mâ—moriam Creation is mundi non minus quam Sabbagim nam die dominica incepit mundus fieri unde Iustinus Apo. 2. Et Leo Epist ad Dioscorum dicunt diem dominicam colitam ob memoriam mundi Creationis quà m ob resurrectionem Christi Bellarm. de â—â—lâ—u sanct lib. 3. cap. 110. that we might whilst we honour the Sonne in finishing the work of our redemption not forget the honour of his Father for his perfecting of the work of the worlds Creation and his resting from the same which cannot bee by observing any other day but the seventh day CHAP. VII Of the time when this first day began to be the Lords day and upon what ground THis first day observed was the very first day immediately Mat. 28. 1. Mar. 16. 2. 9. Luke 24. 1. Iob. 20. 1. 19. Ad Magnes after the Jewish Sabbath so the Scriptures confirme it to us whereto agreeth the exhortation of Ignatius After the Sabbath let every friend of Christ make the Lords day a solemne Festivall And the reason of this was because of the Lords resurrection S. Aug. ad Ian. epi. 119. 130. De verbo Apo. ser 15. Epi. 93. by which the Lords day was declared to Christians and from that time began to be celebrated and in another place it is said that the Lords Resurrection promised us an eternall day and it did consecrate unto us the Lords day And Leo saith the same Dominicum diem nobis Salvatoris resurrectio Lib. 8. c. 33. consecravit In the constitutions of the Apostles it is Ca. 50. ordained to be kept holy in the memoriall of the resurrection so a Councell held at Paris in Anno 829 ordeined the like Bishop White alleadging reasons why the Lords day was Against Brab pag. 269. 270. preferred before other weekly dayes saith that the Primitive Church could have made choyce of no other day of the week more proper and convenient for the solemne and religious worship and service of Christ Great was this work saith Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for we
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
saith it is the day in which wee should rejoyce and bee glad above all other dayes because of his resurrection by which saith S. Augustine Dies Dominicus Christianis declaratus est ex illo habere caepit festivitatem suam Argument 2. WHatsoever in holy writ is said to be the Lords denominatively The altering of the name of the day argueth the Sabbath was altered D. Prideaux pag. 29. that is he the Author and Institutor of As for instance the Lords Supper and the Lords Table because he ordeined it 1 Cor. 11. 20. 10. 21. The Sabbath of the Lord because he commanded it the Temâ—le of the Lord because he appointed it the people of the Lord because he chose them the Lords messengers because he sends them Apostles of Christ because he put them into that office No instance can bee given to shew the contrary But this day is denominatively called the Lords Rev. 1. 10. and so in the first of Cor. 16. 2. as Beza noteth on the same place affirming as I have before delivered it that to explaine the first day he had read in uno vetusto codice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which title is very frequent in the Fathers calling it usually Diem Dominicum the Lords day not by Creation for so every day is his from the beginning nor is it so called by Destination as is the last day 1 Thes 5. 2. as then and yet now a day to come hereafter when our Lords day was then so called by an excellency as also famously at that time knowne in the Church for the Lords day as the day of their solemne assemblies Therefore it is so called by divine institution for divine worship and as it hath Jesus Christ for the Authour and Institutor of it Argument 3. IF God by resting from his work of Creation and his blessing of that seventh day made it an holy day for his solemne set worship and service Then Jesus Christ his resting from the work of redemption and his blessing of this day made it an holy day for his solemne set worship and service For there is the like excellency in the resting of God the Son and the blessing of his day as there was in the resting of God the Father and his blessing of that seventh day Christ his work of the worlds redemption and the renovation thereof the making of all things new a new heaven and a new 2 Cor. 5. 13. earth as was foretold Esa 65. 17. is equall with the Fathers work of Creation and in the rest of the one and of the other can there be no inequallity nor disproportion The Sonnes blessing likewise of this day is of no lesse excellency than the Fathers blessing of that day which blessing of his is not in the particulars expressed but the Sonnes blessing of this day is and that at large in many particulars First by his glorious resurrection by which the Lords day So S. Aug. de Civit. Dei lib. 22. cap. 30. Lt Scr. 15. de verb. Apost became sacred and consecrated to us Secondly by his severall apparitions for confirmation thereof Thirdly by his heavenly instructions Luk. 24. 25. Fourthly by the illumination of their mindes opening their understandings Luk. 24. 45. Fifthly by the inspiration of the holy Ghost Iohn 20. 22. Sixthly by the installation of the Apostles giving them power to binde and loose in heaven and in earth Iohn 20. 28. Seventhly by his mission in great dignity sending them even as his Father had sent him Iohn 20. 21. All which blessings Christ bestowed on them this day before his ascension and afterwards on this day he sent down Act. 2. his holy spirit extraordinarily after a visible manner upon his Apostles made them speak miraculously with new tongues to the amazement of the hearers and on this selfe same day he blessedly converted 3000 soules Act. 2. 41. and so began on this day his Church to be a separated visible Congregation from among both lews and Gentiles Lastly on this day he gave his heavenly Revelation to his beloved Apostle who was in the spirit upon this day to receive the vision Reve. 1. 10. Thus we see how Christ did blesse this day But God the Father by his resting from the work of creation and his blessing of that seventh day made it an holy day for his solemn set worship and service as the Scripture teacheth Gen. 2. 2. and very learned Divines do maintaine for truth Doctor Rivet cyteth 36 by name and their own words In disser de orig Sab. for it to this purpose Therefore Iesus Christ his resting from the work of redemption and his so blessing of this our day hath made it an holy day for his solemn set time of worship and service Argument 4. THat which Christ through the holy Ghost spake by way of Command to be observed that he is the Institutor of this I hope will not be denyed But Iesus Christ by the holy Ghost spake by way of Command that this day should be observed For the things appertayning to the kingdome of God he gave Commandments to his Apostles to be taught and observed Act. 1. 2 3. But the day of Christs resurrection and the worship therein performed as it was in the Apostles dayes and after as may be collected out of the Scripture and out of the writings of Justine Martyr and Tertullian is of those things which do appertaine to the kingdome of God Therefore he commanded it to be observed and so was the Institutor of it Obj. If any object and say that this day was not expressed by Commandment Ans I answer no more are any other of those Commandments which in Act. 1. 2. he is said to give nor any particulars of the things he spake which appertained to the kingdome of God And therefore we cannot seclude this day out of the Commandements given by Christ because not expressed no more than we can deny other things appertaining to the kingdome of God to be commanded because they are not expressely mentioned till it can be proved that the keeping of this day to the honour of Christ in his publicke worship is none of the things which pertaine to the kingdome of God I answer againe that albeit it is not expressed yet must it be comprehended within these Commandements For these Commandements here given Act. 1. 2. are of those which Christ would have his Disciples to teach his people that enter into the Church by Baptisme to observe Matt. 28. 18. 20. Now we finde the Church to observe this day Act. 20. 7. 1. Cor. 16. 2. The Apostle also to be an observer of it with them Act. 20. 7. prescribing duties to them on this day 1. Cor. 16. 1. 2. when they did meet together 1. Cor. 5. 4. and 11. 20. which was on the Lords day as the Syriack hath it as is before noted And the Apostle telleth the Corinthians that the things he wrote unto them were
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
it hee had rested from all his work which God made and created So hee rested because he rested But now if the whole third verse be in the Parenthesis then as I said the benefit of the day in which God rested is taken from us that is the blessing and sanctifying of it for our use Therefore for these reasons wee may not admit of a Parenthesis nor is there any such thing in the Hebrew Text nor in the Greek nor in Pagine nor in Vatablus translation nor in the Caldee Paraphrase nor in Montanus nor in Tremelius and Iunius nor in the Vulgar Edition nor in our last learned English translation This new Parenthesis is but an idle conception brought forth to blunder the cleare streame of the Text. SECTION VI. That in Gen. 2. 3. is the Institution of the Sabbath THe words in Gen. 2. 3. are the Institution of the first Sabbath 1 The name Sabbath doth take its originall from Gods resting on this seventh day for so the word signifieth cessavit requievit This also wee learne from the fourth Commandement in Exod. 20. 8. where God nameth the word Sabbath which in the tenth verse is applyed unto this seventh day and in the eleventh verse the reason is rendred why it is called Sabbath because God rested on the seventh day So that Gods owne resting on this day made it a Sabbath 2 It being by Gods resting made a Sabbath day hee did therefore blesse it Now to blesse a day is no where spoken of God in the whole Bible but here and in Exod. 20. 11. And therefore by that in Exod. 20. 11. wee must seek out the meaning of this in Gensis which will appeare to bee this that he blessed it that is by sanctifying it for the later word giveth the sense of the former the conjunction and comming betwixt benedixit and sanctificavit is exegeticall put expositively as is usuall in the Hebrew speech when two verbes come together and very learned men thus expound the place So Calvin Vatablus Paraeus and others but to come to Gods owne exposition in Exod. 20. which is this By his rest he made the seventh day Sabbath and it being a Sabbath by his rest he did blesse it that is sanctified it that is appointed it to be kept holy as it is in the words of the fourth Commandement For the better confirmation of this exposition we must understand that the Commandement given Exod. 20. 8. is deduced from his resting blessing and sanctifying this seventh day spoken of in Gen. 2. 2. 3. and repeated Exod. 20. 11. for the Commandement of God is an inference from it thus Because I rested blessed and sanctified the Sabbath day therefore I command thee to keep it holy Now albeit there be three words in Genes Rest blessed sanctified yet in the Commandement hee mentioneth only the word Sabbath and the keeping of it holy First the word Sabbath day hath relation to his rest then to keep it holy hath relation to sanctified or hallowed it in which is included the word blessed For Gods blessing of it is the sanctifying and consecration of the day to be kept holy to the Lord And indeed this was a great blessing of the Lord for mans heavenly and spirituall good many wayes This exposition is strengthened by Exod. 16. 23. where it is said too morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. Here the word blessed is not spoken of as to call it the blessed Sabbath but the word holy is mentioned only having reference to Gods sanctifying of it and including therein his blessing of it Now the words thus cleerely opened they must needs argue the Institution of the Sabbath For first here is a Sabbath made which Christ telleth us was for man Mark 2. 27. Secondly here is Gods owne example for mans imitation as is evident in Exod. 20. by Gods urging his own example for resting on the Sabbath Thirdly here are his words of institution in that it is said He blessed it and sanctified it that is hee ordained it to bee an holy Sabbath unto the Lord to bee dedicated to his own service as Moses informeth us before the Law was promulgated Exod. 16. 23. Fourthly and lastly hee confirmeth it with a reason in the end of the third verse of Gen. 2. Therefore it is the Lords institution for to bee his Sabbath day and to bee kept holy of us as the Commandement also teacheth and appointeth us to doe 3 The Lord in the promulgation of the Law doth fetch from this place of Genesis the originall of the Sabbath laying the ground of his precept to keep it holy upon the institution 〈◊〉 in Exod. 20. 11. 4. In Exod. 31. It is worth our observation that there the keeping of the Sabbath is not urged from the Commandment ☞ lately given in the Decalogue as reason would in mans judgement but from the first seventh dayes rest and refreshment after his six dayes work as we may read in the 15. 16 17. verses of that chapter 5. Moses in Exod. 16. 26. maketh mention of six dayes and of the seventh day Sabbath and telleth them that God had given them the Sabbath verse 29. speaking of it as a time before For as six dayes were before so also was the seventh day the Sabbath for when some did break it ver 27. the Lord faith How long will ye refuse to keep my Commandments and Laws He would not have said How long for the breach only of the first seventh day Sabbath if they had not done so long before Therefore the seventh day was Sabbath long before this time of gathering the Manna 6. S. Paul speaking of a Rest or keeping a Sabbath to the people of God Heb. 4. 9. fetcheth from the originall Gods own rest on the seventh day even from the Creation verse 4. 7. Jewish Doctors have been of this opinion Genebrad in his Chron. citeth foure Broughton in his consent of Scripture noteth two Ramban on Gen. 26. Aben-Ezar on Exod. 20 and Peter Martyr on Genesis alleadgeth Rabbi Agnon Philo Iudaeus demundi opificio is of this judgement For he saith the seventh day God vouchsafed to call it holy And Tertullian cannot deny that the Jews held the day to be sanctified from the worlds beginning Lib. 4. advers Iudaeos 8. Doctor Rivet out of Wallaeus on the fourth Commandment doth reckon up to this purpose the consent of thirty famous Protestant Divines Luther Zuinglius Calvin Peter Martyr Bullinger Zanchius Vrsinus and others to the number of thirty I say yet he mentioneth not learned Paraeus Mercerus Perkins Willet Amesius Selneccerus Aretius and Piscator and very many more which might be named holding the institution of the Sabbath in Gen. 2. 3. 9. Of this opinion are learned Papists whom the same Doctor Rivet quoteth also as August Steuchus Eugubinus Gilbertus Genebrad Iacobus Salianus Cornelius a lapide Catharinus Ribera hereunto adde Thomas Aquinas on Genes 2. 10. Ancient Fathers are
judicious Divines both ancient and modern judge the institution of one day in seven to be perpetuall For this he insteed of all citeth Chrysostome on Gen. 2. 3. and Master Hooker in his Eccl. Pol. pag. 379. Who saith Gods immutable Law exacteth this of us as a duty for ever Reason may leade to think that God would not here mention only so many dayes and no more upon the giving of the Commandement if it were not for this end Gods will and Commandement saith our Homily of prayer was to have a standing day in the week for people to come together It s very reasonable to give God one day of seven 1. Because God in his wisedome chose his day within that compasse 2. That this his choice is most fit to be imitated He knew that a day in this space was most necessary for us to observe 3. For that a week is the first and principall space of time and all times of moneths and yeers are but the revolution of a week from the worlds beginning For this see Doctor Rivet in his dissertation De origine Sabbati which being so what reasonable man will deny to give God his day within this space the first the chief and the shortest space of all other times and that which is the fittest For that the space of a week between Sabbath and Sabbath is not too farre a sunder to make us forget our dutie nor yet the return too quick to hinder man in his labour for the necessaries of his life and state saith Master Dow. SECTION XVI Of the seventh day Sabbath AS we see it must be one day in the week so we by the Lord are directed to the seventh day in the week 1. By God his free donation of six dayes to us for to labour in and to do all that we have to do our common and ordinary businesses must be all done and ended in this space which space he presently after the Commandement allotteth unto us He first telleth us what and how many dayes in the week are ours before he tels us which is the day that is his 1. That so we might learn where to begin to finde out the Sabbath 2. By appropriating unto himself the seventh day for Sabbath The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God This seventh day here spoken of is not that one individuall singular seventh day of the Creation on which God rested but a seventh day after the six dayes given to us For. 2. As the six dayes allowed us are not the very six dayes in which God created the world which were gone and past but only six dayes in likenesse and revolution no more is this the self same seventh day but another in likenesse by revolution So it is as if he had said I allow the six dayes together for your labour in the week be those six dayes what dayes soever begon and reckoned together But the seventh day following those six dayes is mine It is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God 2. That first seventh day and the first six dayes mentioned in the first and second chapters of Genesis are understood by God in the words following as a reason added to this direction of God why he giveth us for ever six dayes and reserveth the seventh day alwayes for himself because he wrought those six dayes and rested that seventh day which words of God are not the reason of the Commandement but of his giving us six dayes and his reserving to himself the seventh day 3. Gods conclusion concerning the fourth Commandement helpeth us in this For in the end he turneth his speech unto the very words of the Commandement saying Wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it He saith not that seventh day but the Sabbath day that is the rest of that first Seventh as a Sabbath for ever fall it upon another seventh day whatsoever it be The seventh day therefore is ever the Sabbath day 1. By Gods irrevocable donation of six dayes unto us 2. By our acceptation of so many dayes in the week to our selves from all times unto this day If from Gods words in this direction here we dare without doubt or scruple take our six dayes are we not then tyed to give him the seventh day by the like authority who reserved to himself at the same time when he gave us our six that we should afford him the seventh 3. By Gods proposing his own example as a perpetuall pattern to be followed of us in his six dayes labour and in his seventh dayes rest For saith that ever honoured Bishop Lakes what time God himself took for his work and for his rest the same did he assign to men and made his pattern a perpetuall Law In his Thesis the 8. 4. For that the seventh part of time God did chuse to himself before before fall and so Gods ordinance is everlasting as the world a portion of time eternall as the same reverend Father affirmeth in his 25 Thesis and 32. See also for this very fully Master Hooker in his fifth Book of Eccles Pol. Sect. 70. 5. Because if a man had stood in his full perfection not only our first parents but all his posterity had observed the first seventh day But sin not any Ceremony made that day alterable saith the same Father as it now is altered upon the recreation of all things by Christ But yet is still the same portion of time kept a seventh day in the week This alterablenesse of that seventh day through sin is a reason why God in giving the fourth Commandement delivered as I have said the same in such a generall manner SECTION XVII Of the fix dayes work THese six dayes are called working dayes Ezek 46. 1. in them men are to labour which labour is to be imployed in doing work and it must be all and it must be thy work so labouring to do all that thou hast to do that is which by thy profession Art trade and calling belongeth unto thee to labour in and to do The words are a permission put only by a concession in six dayes may work be done Exod. 31. 15. and not preceptive but as they have respect to the Sabbath day for the better observing of it when we neglect not our businesse on the six dayes nor deferre any thing thereof unto the seventh day For the Lord in the first Table commandeth mans duty to himself and how to expresse his love to him which is the sum of the first Table Matth. 22 37. and not what man should do for his corporall and outward estate for that belongeth to the second Table Therefore in these words is a preparation for the Sabbath and a prevention for hindering our spirituall rest and also our bodily toyle for our selves in and about our ordinary calling when the day of rest is come Yet here we are not so tyed to labour in these dayes but that God must have herein religious duties performed to
from God against presumptuous transgressions Num. 15. 30 31. He bringeth this for an instance thereof immediately Verse 32. 2. Because he sinned against two accessory precepts concerning the Sabbath The one that none should go out on that day about worldly businesse as to labour for food Exod. 16. 29. The other that none should kindle a fire then Exod. 35. 3. Now Contrary to these this man went out into the Wildernesse to gather sticks no doubt to kindle a fire Therefore he sinned against the first in going forth about such a businesse and in his intention to kindle and make a fire against the second therefore his sin was great while these two accessory precepts stood in force But these being not perpetuall this punishment on him proveth not the point of such a precise strictnesse of the fourth Commandement to be ever observed of the Israelites V. And lastly He bringeth in the holy women followers of Christ who would not annoint Christs body on the Sabbath day but rested from that work as the Text saith according to the Commandement as thinking themselves bound to so precise an observation by the Commandement Answ I These words according to the Commandement may be thus expounded that is as they understood it by the Jewes interpretation superstitiously For these godly women being trained up by the then Doctors of the Church observed the Sabbath as they had learned it from them And albeit the work was to the honour of Christ yet for that it was not of necessity to be done on that day nor at all in respect of Christs body but only a Custome for an honourable buriall therefore they did rest from doing that work on that day II. Take the rest according to the true meaning of the Commandement which imposed rest this their rest was according to the Commandement and in that they did not this work it was according to the Commandement forbidding servile work as the words in the Directory are to be understood For they could not annoint him but they must first buy their spices and oyntments which they might not do buying and selling on the Sabbath being forbidden That they could not buy them on the Fryday as we speak is evident For it was late ere Christs body was taken from the Crosse at even Matth. 27. 57. then they did awaite to see his buriall Luk. 23. 55. in which space the Sabbath was come on for they reckoned from the Evening to the Evening and therefore stayed they till after the Sabbath to buy them Mark 16. 1. Thus we see his proofes no proofes to argue any precise strictnesse in the words Thou shalt do no work more to them then to us by the Law SECTION XXI Of the reason added unto the Directory with the Conclusion THe Lord himself addeth a reason unto his former words why he giveth us Six dayes and reserveth the Seventh to himself for that in six dayes he made all things and rested the Seventh day In which words he layeth down as an unalterable ground of apportionating time between God and us which is his own example of working six dayes and resting the Seventh in the beginning of the world which as they be past and irrevocable so is this portioning of time between him and us to be perpetuall else were his example thus propounded in his Donation and reservation to no purpose He in this dividing of the dayes of the week thus between him and us reflected upon himself looked onely to what himself had done and so gave so many dayes to us and reserved onely one to himself Now what can be more permanent than Gods own self in his own irrevocable Acts from the worlds beginning to be laid for the foundation of this his thus apportioning the week to us The Lord our God having thus laid down before them his unchangeable reservation of the Seventh day for himself after his irrevocable gift of six dayes to us he concludeth with these words Wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and sanctified it It s agreed on all hands that here are the words of the Institution of the Sabbath not one of the late Writers gainsayeth this that I have read or heard of The main of the Controversie is that here is say they the first Institution the ground of the Prolepsis in Gen. 2. 2. and we say they be a repetition of the Institution laid down before in that place of Genesis where no Prolepsis is For as the Lord here in the former words repeateth what he did in six dayes and that he rested the seventh day so he repeateth his Institution of the Sabbath then what he did with the day on which he rested that is because he had finished all his work in six dayes and rested the seventh day he blessed and sanctified it to shew them here by this 1. The Antiquity of the Sabbath day from the beginning 2. The Stability thereof also grounded so upon Gods rest not alterable 3. Why he charged the Commandement of keeping holy the Sabbath day upon them among the other Precepts and that also with a Memento above any of the rest For in the repetition here of the Institution the Lord keepeth the word Sabbath in the Commandement saying He blessed the Sabbath day and not as commonly we read it he blessed the Seventh day lest any should make that individuall Seventh day on which God rested to be of the substance of the Commandement which God in his wisdom let it be well observed left out in the Precept and here again in the repetition of the Institution and onely nameth the Sabbath what Seventh day soever it be either that for the time or another in the room of it which Sabbath is the blessed and hallowed day of the Lord and so to be accounted of for ever as appeareth by all that hath been said if men be not disposed to wrangle against the truth From all which is before delivered it s very apparent that this fourth Commandement is no way Ceremoniall True taking it in an indefinite notion commanding the sanctifying of one day in seven but a permanent Law to the worlds end and not Ceremoniall as in the following Sections I shall make it manifest SECTION XXII The Arguments to prove it Ceremoniall answered MEn disposed to wipe out this Commandement out of the Decalogue fain would make it Ceremoniall but their arguments brought for this purpose are of no validity They say it was Ceremoniall I. For the exact strictnesse of it which they have imagined but I have proved it to be onely an imagination For that strict observation which was kept was but for a time and from accessory Commandements not from the fourth Commandement it self II. In their keeping of that seventh day But the Seventh day is not of the substance of the Commandement and a seventh day is proved to be perpetuall Nor was the seventh in the first Institution Ceremoniall And the Church observeth still a Seventh day III.
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
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
Holy Ghost by way of inspiration but of all these things before his ascension from the Holy Ghost by way of injunction and Commandement of Christ Note this well Argument 6. IF Christ himselfe did institute a day for his solemn worship under the Law then he did institute such a day under the Gospel But he did so under the Law Ergo now under the Gospel The sequel is apparant because he is as faithfull and as carefull for his people now as then Now that under the Law hee instituted a day for his publick worship we must know that he was among the Israelites in the wildernesse 1 Cor. 10. 9. for hee was the Angel on Mount-Sinai who spake with Moses Acts 7. 38. even the Lord Jehovah Exod. 19. 3. 21. for the whole Trinitie gave the Law then The Father by voyce uttered it the Holy Ghost wrore it Exod. 31. 18. for he is the finger of God Luk. 11. 20. compared with Matth. 12. 28. and Jesus Christ the Mediator gave by Angels to Moses the two Tables to Gal. 3. bee delivered to Israel in which a Commandement was written for a solemne set day for divine worship Thus did Christ then and so may wee beleeve his care had for his Church now till the eternall Sabbath doth come in the highest heavens Argument 7. WHatsoever was prefigured in the old Testament to be of use in the new that was instituted by Christ when hee came for the Text Col. 2. 17. telleth us plainly that the body of those shaddowes is of Christ that is he finished them he fulfilled them he did ordaine other things for them The truth of this might be shewed in particular instances of those shaddowes but that it is fully laid open by others But this day the first day of the week called the Lords day was prefigured First by the eighth day of circumcision S. Augustine Epi. ad Ian. 119. cap. 13. Ad â—idum lib. 3. Epist 10. 59 Edit sec proveth that by it out Lords day was shaddowed S. Cyprian saith that circumcision was commanded on the eighth day as a Sacrament of the eighth day that Christ should rise from the dead Secondly Ignatius saith it was foreseene in certaine Ignat. ad Magnes titles of the Psalmes superscribed pro octava the eighth So hereto agreeth Saint Augustine in his fifteenth Sermon de verbis Apost Thirdly by memorable things done on the first day of Welph Cron. de tempore li. 2 c. 2. the week as Wolphius noteth out of an Hebrew Writer of a book called Sedar olam Rabba chap. 7. as that the cloud of Gods Majesty on this day first sate on Gods people Aaron and his children first executed their Priesthood God first solemnly blessed his people The Princes of his people first offered publickly to God The first day wherein fire descended from heaven The first day of the world of the yeere of the week c. All shaddowing that it should bee the first and chiefe day of the New Testament Therefore this day thus prefigured to bee of use in the New Testament was instituted by Christ when hee came in the flesh which first day of the week as it was the first day of time mentioned in the beginning of the first book of the Bible so is it mentioned with a glorious Gen. 1 5. Title of the Lords day in the beginning of the last book of the Bible to the prayse of our Alpha and Omega Jesus Christ Argument 8. IF the seventh day was by Gods immediate institution then was the change of it into our Sunday by Jesus Christ his immediate institution But the antecedent is true Gen. 2. 2. Exod. 20. Ergo the consequent For no religious change hath ever beene made of any ordinance of God immediately prescribed by him but by God himselfe and by his own immediate authority for if the institution be immediate by him the change into another must be by the like immediate authority also for he that ordaineth hath onely power to alter 1. Man cannot change such an odinance for first it is complained of as a sinne for the people to change Gods ordinance Esa 24. 5. The Jewish Church in the time of Christ and after held it blasphemy to teach that it was lawfull for Christ to change the customes of Moses because they took but mistook him to be but a meere man Secondly if any but God have authority to change his owne ordinance immediately appointed by himselfe then that authority is equall with Gods But there is no such authority nor ever was Jesus Christ excepted upon the earth The whole Church if gathered into one place is of no such authority And if unstable man could alter such an immediate ordinance of God what stability could there then be in them or what tie of our consciences 2. All religious changes of every ordinance of Gods owne immediate institution hath ever beene immediate by God himselfe and no instance can be shewed to the contrary in holy writ The Tabernacle was of Gods owne immediate appointment Exod. 25. 40. when it was changed and the Temple erected in stead of it this Temple was of Gods owne immediate appointment David minding to build it and Nathan 2 Sam. 7. 2 3. approving his intention but without command from God was after prohibited 2 Sam. 7. 5. Neither left he it to the wisdome of Salomon but the Lord gave the patterne 1 Chro. 28. 11 12 19. The first borne the Lord did chuse for himselfe when the Levites were taken for them it was of God himselfe Numb 3. 12. The time of celebrating the Passeover was the fourteenth day of the first month by God himselfe Exod. 12. 6. which time durst not Moses dispense with nor allow any other day for some to keep it without Gods immediate warrant Numb 9. 8. 11. Times and seasons are in Gods hand Act. 1. 10. Dan. 2. 21. therefore for the month Tishri he appointed Nisan for the first month of the yeare Exod. 12. 2. And Antiochus Epiphanes a type of Antichrist is condemned for changing times Dan. 7. 25. Thus wee see Gods ordinances for places for persons and for time being immediately appointed by God cannot bee changed but by God Therefore the seventh day being the immediate institution of God could not be changed into another day as now it is but immediately by God himselfe even by Jesus Christ who is God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. who when he was come in the flesh changed the place Joh. 4. 20 21. the Law and Priesthood Heb. 7. into the ministery of the Gospel Priests and Levites Esa 66. 21. into Apostles Prophets Evangelists and others Eph. 4. The carnall worship into spirituall Joh. 4. 23. Circumcision and the Passeover into Baptisme and the Lords Supper and that seventh day into this our Sunday the Lords day Argument 9. THe Lord of the Sabbath is the only Institutor of the Sabbath But Jesus Christ is the Lord
of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 8. Ergo the only Institutor of it Now for the better understanding of Christ his being Lord of the Sabbath we must know three things 1 How he is Lord of the Sabbath and that is as he is God-Man and Man-God for it is said in the Text The Sonne of man is Lord of the Sabbath 2 Whence he hath this Lordship even from God his Father who hath given him the Kingdome all power in heaven and in earth Mat. 28. 18. delivering all things into his hands John 13. 3. and 3. 35. Luk. 10. 22. having committed all judgement to his sonne and made him both Lord and Christ John 5. 22. Act. 2. 36. 3 How long he holdeth this his Lordship Rule and Dominion even till the consummation of all things till God be all in all never laying it down untill all things be fulfilled 1 Cor. 15. 24. 28. Therefore is he yet the Lord of the Sabbath the Sabbath is his till the worlds end and hee retaineth his right still therein his right in the fourth Commandement which right must bee shewed either in retaining of the seventh day on which God rested and to which the Commandement was accommodated till his second comming by the change of it or in his substituting another day in steed thereof But we see that seventh day altered and therefore hee sheweth himselfe Lord of the Sabbath by appointing this his day for else should the other have remained under the Gospel or if not then no other being ordained in its steed by him he had lost his Lorship over the Sabbath which here he challenged a right in and still keepeth untill his second comming Argument 10. TEnthly and lastly to these reasons may be added the judgement of the Parliament the representative body of all this Kingdome with his Majesties royall assent in the first yeere of his happy raigne which is this That the keeping of the Lords day holy is a principall part of the true service of God which words are an acknowledgment that the Lord was the Institutor of the Sabbath for it is no service to God much lesse a principall part of his service for that may be mans will-worship but cannot be service unto God unlesse hee himselfe bee the Institutor and Authour of it CHAP. XI Of some Objections which may bee made against it answered Object 1. IT is not commanded in the New Testament Ergo hee instituted it not Ans 1. If it were not yet might hee bee the Institutor of it by his resting blessing and observing the day as his Fathers resting and blessing the seventh day was his institution of it as is proved in the first Treatise 2. I have shewed that Christ gave Commandements of the things pertayning to the kingdome of God whereof the observation of this day is one And therefore hee gave Commandement concerning this day Object 2. It is not expresly commanded Answ 1. This objection is made before to which I have in part answered 2. I answer further that our book of Homilies telleth In Homily of Prayer us againe and againe that there is expresse Commandement for it The Authors of this book say there is The Objectors say there is not set one against the other To the book all the Ministers in the Church of England have subscribed but not to this Objection against it 3. I answer there is in the New Testament no formall expression of any of the other Commandements of the first Table neither of the first nor second nor third because they stood in force and therefore no need formally to expresse them no more need was there for any such expression of this First because the fourth Commandement stood still in force as well as the rest for first Christ did challenge Lordship over this fourth Commandement in his assumed humane nature Matth. 12. 8. to shew that in his state of humiliation hee lost not his authoritie over it Secondly because the changing of the seventh day into another day was not the taking away of the fourth Commandement but only the accommodation of the same Commandment to our Lords day for the continuation of it still For if the fourth Commandement bee not observed in keeping of this our Lords day then will it follow 1 That either there is no fourth Commandement and so not ten Commandements which number hath bin observed without addition or diminution to this day the space of 3221 yeeres in Gods Church both of the Jewes and of the Gentiles or else if it be one of the Tenne as God gave it Exo. 20. for one of them then have we lived in sinfull neglect of this Commandement now this 1600 yeeres 2 It will follow that Christ hath lost his Lordship of it or suffered one of his Fathers Commandements to be carelesly neglected neither of which may bee granted without indignitie offered to Christ and his truth 3 That Christ had not come to fulfill but to destroy the Law contrary to Matth. 5. 17. for if he neither kept the former day but took it away nor ordeined certainely in the roome of it another day he had destroyed this Law 4 It also will follow that the Sonne should not be honoured of all men as they have honoured the Father with the fourth Commandement and with a set day by his appointment for his publick worship and solemn service But all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father Ioh. 5. 23. And therefore with this fourth Commandement and with a set day by his appointment for his publick and solemne worship and service should he be honoured Object 3. The taking away of the seventh day appointed by God disanulleth the Commandement it selfe Answ Not so for we must wisely understand and discerne betweene the substance of the Commandement and circumstance between the substance of the Commandement it selfe and the accommodation thereof unto a day See the other Treatise The Commandement is Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy This only is the Commandement so by Moses it is cleare note it well in Deut. 5. 12. The application and accommodation of the Commandement was unto the seventh day which day may be taken away as not of the substance but a circumstance of the Commandement of the Sabbath rest day applyed unto that seventh day and yet the Commandement be still of force As for example in the accommodation of another precept thus Honour the King 1 Pet. 2. 17. This is a Commandement whosoever is King The accommodation of that may be thus Saul is King this is not of the substance of the Commandement yet while Saul is King we are commanded to honour King Saul but in time Saul is taken away neverthelesse the Commandement Honour the King is of force to another person in his stead as David succeeding the Commandement is honour King David The same Commandement which bindeth me to honour the King bindeth me to honour Saul while he is King And when Saul is
taken away and David appointed in his stead I am bound by the selfe same Law to honour David Even so is the accommodation of this fourth Commandement Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy this is the Commandement what day soever it be applyed unto The accommodation is the seventh day is the Sabbath day to keep it holy this the Commandement doth binde us unto as long as the day is unchanged and not taken away But the day being altered yet the Commandement abideth and is of forcâ— when another day is appointed in its roome as is now our Lords day And therefore the Commandement is Remember the Lords day to keep it holy From whence here note that as the taking away of Saul took not away the Commandement of honouring the King and Davids comming in Sauls stead held up the practice of the same Commandement Even so the taking away of the seventh day took not away the authoritie of the fourth Commandement and the bringing in of the Lords day in stead thereof holdeth up the practice of it and by it we are bound to observe this day as the Jewes their day And therefore may we pray as our Church teacheth us Lord have mercy upon us and incline our hearts to keep this Law And that without any Judaizing at all CHAP. XII That this day cannot be changed WEe have heard how that the day is of a divine institution and therefore is not subject to alteration by man The Church saith our learned Doctor On Rev 1. 10. In Cases of Consc ca. 16. In his Thesis Fulk hath no authority to change it so holds Master Perkins Bishop Lakes speaking of Christs resurrection giveth this reason saying as no man can change the work to another day so no man can therefore change the day This is an undoubted rule in Theology saith that learned man 2. What honour and dignity the Holy Ghost giveth unto a day cannot by the authority of man be taken from it to put it upon any other day but the first day of the week hath by the holy spirit this superscription set upon it The Lords day therefore it is not alterable by any to any other day to call that the Lords day 3. If the Church can change it then hath the Church authority to weaken the grounds on which the observation of the day was first setled but that she hath not or else can bring better reasons for the alteration else it were folly to alter it but there never was hitherto nor now is nor ever shall be any such reason to alter the day as there was for setling of the day to wit the blessed resurrection of the Lord Jesus of the excellent glory of which work yee have heard before Therefore the Church cannot change it into another day 4. Whosoever changeth one thing for another in matters of an high nature must have equall power with the first Institutors or receive authority so to do from them But the Church hath not such authority in her selfe or by delegation from either Christ or from his Apostles And therefore cannot change the day 5. It hath beene ratified by many Synods by ancient Councells by Imperiall Constitutions and Edicts of Kings established by the Lawes of Kingdomes and Countreys as it cannot be altered 6. The long continued custome of observing it from the first day in the Apostles time by the whole Primitive Church and by all Christian Churches since in all ages for these 1600 yeares without any gain-saying maketh it unalterable it being observed upon such grounds as is before mentioned To conclude to what purpose is it for any now to hold the change thereof when never from the beginning there was ever any one particular Church any Synod or Councell or any Orthodox writer in ancient times attempted it Nor ever durst any power on earth goe about it But all the holy Fathers and piously learned have with free consent endeavoured the setling and honouring of this day as may appeare in their writings and praises of the same as shall be manifest in the next chapter It is not therefore changeable either absolutely or practically nor have Christians at any time saith Bishop White judged it reasonable or convenient to alter such an ancient and well grounded custome which is commonly reputed to bee an Apostolicall tradition To this let me adde in the last place the judgement of that reverend Authour of the Antidote That seeing the observation of the Lords day hath beene confirmed by so many Constitutions Ecclesiasticall and Imperiall and hath withall continued with such uniforme consent through the whole Christian world for so many ages ever since the Apostles times the Church not to dispute what she may or may not doe ex plenitudine potestatis ought not to attempt the altering of it to any other day of the week CHAP. XIII Of the honourable esteeme of this our Lords day and that it is to be preferred before all other festivall dayes THere be many reasons to manifest the honourablenesse of this day and to preferre it before all other Festivalls 1. The blessed Apostle hath exalted it with the glorious title of the Lords day Rev. 1. 10. The Lord Christ his day as Bishop White speaks a title proper and peculiar Page of his book 208. to it Now things and persons named the Lords are sacred and venerable saith he in the highest degree which day was generally and religiously observed of all Christians And albeit the Apostles took advantage to goe and teach in the Jewish Synagogues upon their Sabbath yet saith Doctor Pocklington for which he citeth Eusebius and Page 11. of his Sermon Ignatius the blessed Martyrs in the Primitive Church by the doctrine and example of S. Paul and the Apostles so unfeignedly abhorred the observation of the Jewish Sabbath that they esteemed the observers thereof and the contemners of the Lords day the very sonnes of perdition and enemies of our Saviour and sellers of Christ So dis-regarded they the one and honoured the other 2. The ancient Fathers and others have given it tearmes of honour Justine Martyr called it Sunday as many others In Orat. ad Anton. after him no doubt as the chiefe of dayes as the Sunne is the most glorious to our eyes above all other planets In Cod. Just. lib. 3. tit 12. it is called venerabilis dies Solis the venerable and much honoured Sunday as Bishop White expresseth Against Brab page 197. Ad Magnes it Ignatius the Martyr who lived at least thirty yeares in the dayes of S. John and was his hearer calleth the day the Queene and Paramount of dayes Eusebius See the quotation of these in B. â—hite pag. 209. calleth it the principall and the first S. Chrysostome a royall day Greg. Nazian saith it is higher than the highest and with admiration wonderfull above all other dayes S. Basil the first fruits of dayes Chrysologus the primate of dayes A day above all
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.
will doe us no hurt Ier. 25. 6. Hee doth not willingly afflict nor greive us Lam. 3. 33. Therefore when hee doth hurt and afflict these vaine loose and licentious sort of persons on this day what sinne for they doe sinne evidenced by Gods hand against them what sinne I say may wee suppose it to bee but their prophanesse and if the case bee so doubtfull as some would make it yet whether is it not better to make this use of these judgements to sanctify the day with due reverence rather than in doubtfull case to take our pleasurable liberty for the rule is good Quod dubitas ne feceris for so we are sure not to sinne 3 Rule That we find it by observation to have ever been and continually or for the most part so What sinne is there that may agree with this rule that hath ever and continually or for the most part some judgement to set it out by and by which it may be discovered For as an Opposite in this our case saith are there not thousands more is the pitty that prophane the Lords day in greater measure than any of those in whom instances have been made which never felt any exemplary evill So may I say of many other sinnes and sinfull men wallowing in their filthinesse where finde we that ever and continually or for the most part that vengeance suffers not a murtherer to live Have not many lived and do not many live guilty of bloud hath ever and continually and for the most part the drunkard the glutton the adulterer the cruell extortioner and the like wicked ones been made exemplary by judgements upon them that any should expect ever continually or for the most part judgements upon Sabbath breakers But it is a pretty cunning for men to devise rules out of their owne braines and lay them downe as Maximes to try their Adversaries tenents by and to reject them as not sound because they agree not to their crooked rule Yet concerning the matter in hand let me say thus much the so frequent accidents as some call them in so great variety and happening so thick together in many places may worke amazement and do answere better to the rule than what other sinne with following judgements upon the offenders may be produced It is said and but said that such accidents fall out as frequently upon other dayes Let them that so say be pleased to take the paines to observe and gather a Catalogue and present them to the view of the world to give satisfaction 4. Rule When the sinner is taken in the very manner the Lords hand may be observed therein the sinne co-operating with the judgement either naturally or morally When the sinne and the judgement meet together it is very certain that the judgement then points out the sin which is at that time committed to be the cause of that punishment Whilst Vzzah was laying his hand upon the Arke he was struck dead therefore the touching of the Arke was the cause of the judgement Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire and whilest they were offering fire from heaven Num. 10. 1. 2. light upon them therefore the offering strange fire was the cause why this fire from above was sent down upon them Plagues fell upon the Philistimes whilst they deteined 1. Sam. 5. the Ark therefore the withholding the Ark was the sin which made God so to plague them and was not a Chance Jehoshaphat joyned himselfe with Ahaziah to make ships to go to Ophir for gold but were broken at Ezion-Geber which 1. Kin. 22. 48. 49 casuall crosse befell him for that sin as appeareth by the use Jehoshaphat made of it afterwards for he made not a tush of it but refused to joyne any more with Ahaziahs servants the Prophet also applyed that casuall punishment to that sin The Holy Prophet did not lightly reckon of such a hand of God but was taught by the Lord to observe it and to apply 2. Chr. 20. 37. it to the particular sinne Many other instances might be brought to confirme this trueth if need were out of the Scriptures Therefore this being a rule certaine then the hand of God may be observed against our Sabbath-breakers for their prophanations did co-operate to the hurt of many and to the death of some They were punished in their actes and deedes doing It is not the questioning to make the matter doubtfull that can overthrow the rule laid nor sicknesse nor death happening when any are about a good thing for the good thing co-operateth not with the sicknesse nor with the death following preaching and praying procure not hurts nor evils and therefore cannot be produced fitly for this case to take the sober minde off from observing Gods punishments upon such as we speak of in this discourse It is a truth undeniable that the true estimation of things dependes not upon the events or accidents following it for where the acts be apparantly good the ill events and accidents concurring cannot make the good to become evill nor to be so judged in any wise mans understanding nor the party afflicted to be judged ill of in his good act by men charitably-minded But on the contrary if evill events and ill accidents meet with ill deedes there the offenders may without the breach of Charitie be judged to bee justly punished And I suppose that evill events and ill accidents happening very often where acts be done which be ill in great probability may probably witnesse Gods displeasure against such as so doe evill without prophanely making the Lord to beare false witnsse with us in such a case 5. For the rule of retaliation it is not applyable to our purpose and therefore I passe it by as neither furthering nor hindring the cause in hand Though upon the Lords day God may proceed against prophane men by retaliation as for instance known to my selfe to be a truth A lewd fellow tall and strong in a Market Town upon a Lords day drinking in an Ale-house with his fellow they fell out about sprinkâ—ing of the Cup with an Orenge-pill and were so inâ—aged as this bigge fellow wounded the other deadly whereupon he fled into the Low-Countries a yeere after the selfe same day twelve-month on the Lords day in the same Town returned he home as soone as he was come one skilfull in fencing but a little fellow would goe and drink with him and in drinking they two quarrelled about the sprinkling of the Cup with an Orenge-pill who could doe it best but when the little fellow stood upon his skill the other said that if hee durst say he could sprinkle it either better or as well as hee hee he would fight with him the other apt enough thereto they agreed fourthwith into the field they went taking their swords the little fellow after a few bouts ranne the other quit thorough who being tall closed with him and stuck his sword in the little fellowes back and broke